USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bremen > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 37
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bristol > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 37
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he was very severe in his censures, often even when no censure was required. Not unfrequently he carried this peculiarity so far as to be chargeable with a want of ordinary politeness. He could scarcely make any allowance for the weaknesses and follies of children ; and those of the families where he visited fre- quently and familiarly (as one of them in his mature years re- marked) "hated the sight of him." He treated his own family with the same severity, as is illustrated by the following anec- dote.
Slavery at this period existed in Massachusetts, but it is be- licved slaves were held by only two, or perhaps three families in this town, and one of them was that of Mr. Given, Mrs. McLean's father. When the daughter was married, a colored girl of the family was given her as a servant. Years afterwards, late in the autumn, when there was considerable snow and sleet, the cows not coming home at night, the colored girl poorly clad was sent to find them, In the evening she came in declar- ing that she was not able to find them ; but her master sternly ordered her to continue the search until she should be success- ful. The poor girl, " with the tears freezing upon her face," left his presence, and in the morning was found dead by the side of a fence, not far from the house. It was supposed that, being unable to find the cows, and afraid to enter the house, being much fatigued, she lay down to rest herself, and froze to death. A clergyman in whose family such an incident should occur, would not be tolerated at the present day ; and at that time the affair did not pass by without much indignant remark and reprehension.
Sometimes he would take very singular liberties with the affairs of his intimate friends. When he visited Scotland he took with him a letter from Thomas Johnston, to his brother Andrew Johnston, then living near Edinburgh. Thomas Johnston was a very particular friend of the parson and an elder in his church; and his relations in Scotland, being pre- viously informed of McLean's proposed visit, anticipated no little pleasure when the time should come to meet him. But when the old parson arrived in Scotland, in the autumn of the year 1791, he made no effort to see any of Johnston's friends, repulsed almost with rudeness some of the younger members of one of the families that had been sent some distance to meet him, and neglected even to give information where they might
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..
write to him. At length, after several months had elapsed, Andrew Johuston met McLean in Edinburgh, and received from him a letter from his brother Thomas in America, with which he had been intrusted, and which he had retained until this time. But to his astonishment the seal had been broken ; and McLean did not pretend to conceal the fact that he had taken the liberty to read it. Johnston's feelings had before been tried severely by McLean's heartless course, but now it was only with much effort he could restrain his indignation. It was late in the day; and Johnston left to attend to some urgent business, but called again in the morning. Their second interview, as might be expected, was short and very cold; and they parted to meet no more. Andrew Johnston's letter to his brother giving an account of the whole affair, is dated Cattle- shile [Scotland], April 17th, 1792, and closes thus : " And now, brother, however dear he (McLean) may be to you, he is not so to me ; for I can pronounce him, without the smallest " breach of charity, neither laudable or praiseworthy."
In February, 1788, a barbarous murder was perpetrated at Pemaquid Falls, that produced great excitement in all this re- gion. Michael Cleary (or MeCleary),1 came from Ireland as a passenger with Capt. Wm. Nickels about 1764, leaving a wife and daughter, it is said, in the county of Cork. He came first to Boston, but soon found his way here, because of his acquaint- ence probably with Capt. Nickels. He was industrious in his habits, and economical in his expenditures, and gradually ac- cumulated some property, and even purchased a small tract of land on the east side of the stream, which, on the settlement of his estate about 1796, was purchased by the late Thomas Miller. In relig on he professed to be a Roman Catholic ; but was a man of low and groveling views and tastes, and worse morals. He lived mostly by himself in a miserable and filthy hut, doing his own cooking, and having little intercourse with the people of the place.
1 It is believed that he called his own name McCleary, but in the record of his trial it is written Clary. After his death a will signed Michael McClary and properly executed was brought to light. It was dated July 14, 1784. John Cos- tellow of Pownalboro was appointed executor of the will. The personal property was appraised by Robert Given, Henry Fossett and James Sproul at £212-23 .- 9d .. and the real estate at £1:5. Besides this he had in cash, which it seems his murderer had not found, 55-123. There were also several notes for small amounts due him from Alex. MeGlathery, John Costellow, James Connor, Joseph Prouty, Joseph Boyd and Thomas Boyd .- (Probate Record.)
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
John O'Neil was another Irishman of a similar character, who came to the town the year previous to the murder, and worked several months on the farm of Deacon Win. Burns, at Muscon- gus, Wm. McClintock, Esq., then a boy, living in the same family, and often working with him in the field. Being dis- charged in the autumn he wandered down this way early in the winter; and Cleary out of compassion took him into his house. Gradually something of his previous history began to. be known, and he was looked upon with suspicion and aversion. He had been convicted of some offense in his own country, and sent as a convict to Newfoundland by the government; but by some means had made his way to Machias and thence to Bris- tol.
When he had been with Cleary only a few weeks the latter began to have some fears for his own personal safety, which he intimated to a neighbor. Cleary carried in his pocket a few pieces of gold and silver ; and the neighbor suggested to him that he might yet be murdered for them. Cleary replied that he was not in the least afraid in the day time. ITis fears how- ever, increased aud for two nights he left O'Neil at his house and slept at a neighbor's. Wednesday morning, Feb. 13th, he . was seen going home ; and shortly afterwards a person called at the house and found the two there engaged in an earnest dispute about a silver buckle. He left them still disputing ; and not more than an hour afterwards, O'Neil was seen to ride by on Cleary's horse. It was afterwards ascertained that he was then dressed in the clothes of the murdered man, and that he rode to Broad Cove, nine or ten miles distant, and spent the night at the house of his friend, James Poor. Poor was an Irishman and a Catholic, an honest man and good citizen, and always friendly to his brother Irishmen. O'Neil informed him that their mutual friend, Cleary, was very sick and could not live long, complained of not being well himself, and said he could not sleep. In the morning he left, and returned home, and in the evening a negro boy spent two hours with him at Cleary's house, who he said had gone to attend to his horse.
Early the next morning, O'Neil again made his appearance in Broad Cove, having rode all the distance in the night, and informed Mr. Poor that Cleary was dead, and claimed that he had first fallen on the ice and injured his head, leaving it to be inferred that his death had resulted in consequence of the in-
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jury. He said further that Cleary had by deed of gift left to him all his property, and moreover told him a little before his death to take what money he had and purchase for himself a suit of clothes, and six gallons of rum for the funeral, which, however, was to be strictly private, only a few choice friends being allowed to be present. Hc desired him not to mention his death to the neighbors, but first to inform his friends. O'Neil's design in this evidently was to account for his strange conduct in riding so far in the night, without first having made known the death of Cleary to his neighbors.
Poor's fears were excited by the strange story ; and before starting with O'Neil, he told all the circumstances to some of his neighbors. Before night (Friday 15th) they, O'Neil and Poor, arrived at " The Falls ; " and then the people there first learned of Cleary's death. Of course there could be but one opinion as to the matter ; and O'Neil was arrested, and a coro- ner's jury at once summoned.
The body on examination showed several bruises about the head, and one deep cut, supposed to have been produced by an ax, or by a heavy shovel, or bar of iron. The wounds were found to have been carefully washed, and the shirt also which had evidently been removed from the body for this purpose, but by mistake had been put on again with the wrong side out. The money which he claimed the deceased had given him was found in his pockets, and also the silver buckles of which men- tion has been made.
O'Neil when charged with the murder, denied it, and told several inconsistent and contradictory stories to account for the facts, but the jury brought in their verdict of " wilful murder," and he was committed for trial at the next term of the supreme judicial court in Pownalboro [Dresden].
The court began its session July 8th, but the trial of O'Neil did not come on until the 11th. Three judges were present, Hon. Wm. Cushing, chief justice, and Hon. Nathaniel P. Sargeant, and Hon. David Sewall. Wm. Lithgow and George Thacher, Esqs., were assigned by the court as counsel for the prisoner.1
The next week after the trial, an account of it was published in a Boston paper, prepared probably by Mr. Thacher, one of the counsel for the prisoner. The following is an extract. ' Records of the S. J. Court, Boston.
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" This being the first capital crime in the county, it drew together a numerous concourse of spectators; the solemnity of the occasion was still heightened by the able and spirited de- fense of Gen. Lithgow, who was assigned by the court as counsel for the prisoner. The trial took up the most part of the day, and when the jury returned they declared they could not agree. One of them, a good man, seemed to think he ought not to give his voice against the prisoner, because there was no positive evidence. The chief justice then gave them some further instructions, after which they retired for a few moments, only, and brought in a verdict of " guilty." Before the close of the session of the court, he received his sentence, and was hung accordingly at Pownalboro, the very last of Sep- tember or first of October.1 No notice of the execution has been found.
Below is the pretended will or " deed of gift" from Cleary to O'Neil, which was produced by the latter a little time before the murder. O'Neil went some distance to a friend to obtain aid in writing it, saying that it was done at the request of Cleary. It is not known now who this friend was; it may have been Poor, but then it would seem that his suspicions ought to have been excited earlier.
.
" Kind Sir,
" Bristol, the 9th day of February, 1788.
You are my sister's son to be sure, John O' Neil, I am very glad to have one of my sister's sons along with me, now I deliver everything inside and outside that I have, to you John O' Neil, in consideration of you being my nearer Kinsman in blood, and other weighty motives inducing me to, do hereby voluntarily and by my own accord and good pleasure, and nature all my lands, Cattle, Stock of Cattle, and all real and personal Estate in your favor, and thereby giving you full and complete and immediate pos- session thereof, to dispose of at your pleasure, after my disease ; only re- serving for yourself a complete maintenance thereout, which you are hereby bound to give for the said possession and gift.
1 Hampshire Gazette August 15th, 17SS. The writer speaks of the able and spirited defense of the prisoner by Mr. Lithgow, but says nothing of Mr. Thacher, who we know, from the records of the court, was associated with him. We there- fore concluded that Thacher himself was the writer of the communication, which was dated, Pownalboro, July 16, 1788, the day the court adjourned.
48
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" David Given got my cattle, to work with them till Spring, and you will have them, there is some money due to me now'at present. Here is all I want of you, to be careful in all you have in mind.
" MICHAEL CLARY." 1
The sheriff of the county at this time, whose duty it was to execute the sentence of death upon O'Neil, was Amos Goudy, Esq., who was born in Bristol, October, 1744, and died, June 22, 1824. Ifis father, whose name was also Amos, came here from York and was one of the earliest settlers on the eastern bank of the Damariscotta opposite Pleasant Cove. He was largely engaged in the fishing business, and erected a saw mill at the place long known as Goudy's mills. Ile left two sons from whom have descended all of the name in this region. He had also three daughters.
Amos Goudy, the sheriff, was a man of much intelligence and firmness and, according to tradition, creditably performed the painful duty of conducting the first execution in Lincoln-county. His wife was Sarah Clark who was born in 1745, and died in 1834.2
Alexander Nickels jr. [ante, p. 313], who commanded & militia company employed as " scouters" in the time of the French and Indian war, settled at Pemaquid after war was over, and became a prominent and useful citizen. . Sometime before the famous but abortive expedition of Arnold and his men up the Kennebec to Canada, in the autumn of 1775, Nickels with only a dozen mien was sent on an exploring tour over the same route, and returned in safety. It was a task of great difficulty and danger on account of the hostile Indians. Somewhere ou the upper Kennebec they surprised an Indian trapper, whom, though probably peacefully disposed, they were obliged to make prisoner, and compel his attendance with them through the rest of the journey to prevent him from giving information of their movements to the other Indians.
Several years before the revolutionary war he had received a commission as justice of the peace, but in the summer of 1775, the revolutionary authorities of Massachusetts, by ordinance duly published, forbade all such, not commissioned by them-
1 Muss. Spy or Worcester Gazette, April 3, and Oct. 16, 1788. Some words appear to be wanting immediately before the phrase " all my lands, &c.," but the docu- ment is copied as it appeared in the paper referred to.
2J. II. Goudy, 1512.
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selves, to discharge the function of their office after the 15th of September. Ile had given good satisfaction iu the office, and was highly esteemed as a man ; and the citizens, by a peti- tion dated Sept. 15th, to the proper authorities, procured his restoration to the office. He served many years as treasurer of the town, and in the year 1782, represented the town in the legislature. He died Feb. 11, 1799, aged 78 years.1 He left a family of three sons and several daughters, some of whom have been already referred to. ITis wife Sarah (. .), died Aug. 8, 1779.
CHAPTER XXX.
FROM THE CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR TO THE WAR OF 1812, CONCLUDED.
The Jones, Huston, and Lermond families -- Col Wm. Jones, James Huston, Robert Huston, Thomas Brackett -Survey and Map of the Town - Robert Given -Robert McKown - Rev. Wm. Riddel - Thomas McClure -- Aaron Blaney -- Hon. Arnold Blaney - Thomas Johnston - Town house built - Rev. Jonathan Belden - Quakers-Calvinistic Baptists -- Free will Baptists - Meth- odists - Quarrels in regard to the Tax for the Support of the Gospel.
Though the town of Bristol was incorporated in 1765, no representative was sent to the legislature until 1775, when the choice fell upon Wm. Jones, an old and honored citizen who lived in the part of the town called Walpole.
The three families, Jones, Huston, and Lermond, came to this place about the same time and probably together. They were neighbors and friends in Ireland, but before coming here had resided some time in Boston.
Wm. Jones, the first of the name here, was born in Bally- money, Ireland, and came with his wife and three sons, to Wal-
1 It is a matter of sincere regret that we have so few facts in the history of Capt Nickels, especially of his expedition to Canada. The author has sought aid in obtaining information from every source known to him, but without a satisfactory result. Application was made to his eminent grandson, Rev. Christopher M. Nickels, D.D., for a brief memoir of his ancestor, but nove has been received.
The petition in his favor, above alluded to, with the if names attached to it may be given in an appendix if our volume does not become too large.
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pole in 1730, and settled on the land still owned and occupied by his descendants. Both himself and wife died here; but little more is known of them.
Wm. Jones, better known as Col. Wm. Jones, son of the pre- ceding, was born in Ireland, in 1724, and therefore was 6 years old when the family became residents here. He married, 1st, Margaret Huston, daughter of James Huston, and, 2d, widow Jane Young, daughter of Patrick Rodgers of Pemaquid. He was bred to the trade of a joiner, but was also much employed as a school teacher.
April 27th, 1747, when the Lermond women were killed by the Indians, he was at the stone garrison previously described, and at once, with his gun, rushed to the rescue. Secing an Indian near, he discharged his gun at him, but without effect, and in return received the Indian's fire. But before the Indian fired he (Jones) had seized the body of one of the women, who it seems had been killed by the tomahawk, and was conveying it to the garrison, when the Indian's bullet struck him in the arm, producing a bad wound. He however saved the body from the Indian scalping knife.
The wound in his arm was thought so serious that it was neces- sary to have better surgical aid than the place afforded ; and the first of May, with his wife, to whom he had not long been married, he sailed for Boston, and was gone two years. Their oldest son, James, was born during their absence.
In the revolutionary war he early received a commission as lieutenant colonel of a regiment of which the notorious Cargill of New Castle was colonel. In this capacity he did good service on several occasions; ouce with a portion of his command he was called to Wiscasset in a matter that required to be treated with delicacy, as well as courage. Very early in the war an En- glish ship, the Rainbow, Sir George Colyer, came up the Sheeps- cott river, and seized two vessels which were loading with masts and spars, and other timber, for France. Jones demanded that they should be given up, which was refused, and there was much threatening and hard talk on both sides; but at length it was agreed that the Yankee vessels should be released, and the English ship allowed to leave the river without molestation.
The English captain evidently foresaw how difficult the task would be even to get his own ship out of the river if the Yankees should make serious resistance.
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The Yankee vessels made the voyage in safety ; and on their return brought arms and ammunition that were of great service in the war.
The public offices he filled in the course of his life show very clearly the estimation in which he was held by his neighbors and fellow citizens. He represented the town of Bristol in the general court many times, and was also a member of the con- vention of Massachusetts by which the constitution of the United States was adopted. He took an active part in the convention, but was not pleased with the constitution as a whole, and finally voted against its ratification. He thought there ought to have been in it a more decided acknowledgment of God, and also some " religious test " required of candidates for office. He was accustomed to say, years after the constitution went into opera- tion, that he " could have made a better constitution himself."1
The church first organized in the place was Presbyterian in form, and he was elected an elder, a place which he long held. Often when the minister was absent he would hold service, reading a sermon, or making an extemporaneous address, and offering prayer. But he had his own opinions of Christian doctrine and usages, and did not always agree with the min- isters. Fearless in expressing his own views ; and not a little inclined to be censorious towards others, the latter part of his life was rendered unhappy by his constant wordy quarrels with all the ministers with whom he came in contact.
The church at length determined to withdraw from the Presbytery and adopt the Congregational form, which greatly grieved him; and he withdrew from its communion. When, near the close of the last century, the Methodists came into the place he connected himself with them ; but the connection was soon broken off. Just at the close of his long life he published a pamphlet of 93 pages, which he called "A True Account of all the Presbyterian and Congregational Ministers," who had preached in Maine between the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers previous to that time, in which they are handled rather roughly. Sub- sequently he published a similar pamphlet against the Metho- dists, of 61 pages, entitled "Jones' Second Free Gift." Both were written after he was 80 years old ; and if they show some- thing of the imbecility of age it is not surprising. But with all their crudities and vituperation, they record many un-
' Israel Cox, 1846.
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E- AS
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doubted facts in the religious history of the time. He died Sept. 28, 1811, aged 86 years. He left several children, and his descendants are now numerous.
Richard Jones was a younger brother of the preceding, and like him was a carpenter by trade. He owned the grist mill at the centre of the town, and from this circumstance the place was long called " Jones's Mills." It is probable that he erected the first mill on that site. Matthew Jones was another brother who died quite young. There were also one or two sisters.
James Jones, above mentioned, son of Colonel William, was born in Boston, June 9th, 1747, and died in Bristol, July 6th, 1845, aged 98 years. IIc was never married.
Of the Lermond family, who were associated with the Hus- ton's, and the Jones's, little is known, besides what has already been stated. One or more families removed early to the town of Warren, where, and in the vicinity, their descendants still reside.
At a very early period one of the family, Capt. John Lermond sailed as master of a ship to the Mediterranean, and had the misfortune to be captured by an Algerine pirate. The pirate put only a small prize crew on board, to take the ship into port, and kindly allowed Lermond and his mate occasionally to walk on deck. On a pleasant day Lermond and his mate by previous concert, at the same instant, each seized a man of the prize crew and by desperate effort threw him overboard ; they then easily overpowered the others, and brought the ship home.1
James Huston (Houstou) and family consisting of his wife (Mary), and seven children - three sons and four daughters, came to this country from Londonderry, Ireland, about 1725, and first settled in Boston. According to a tradition among his de- scendants, the first of the name, a native of Cornwall, accom- panied Sir Richard de Huston into Ireland, in the reign of Elizabeth, and received for his services a grant of land near Londonderry, where many of the name, his descendants, still live. James Huston, the progenitor of those of the name in this region, was one of those. After residing a few years in Boston, induced probably by the liberal offers of Col. Dunbar, he with his whole family came to Pemaquid, and settled on the banks of the Damariscotta. The place had just then received from Dunbar the name of Walpole.
I Wm. Jones, grandson of Col Wm., 1860.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
In connection with this family, the following story is told, which if the Jones and Lermond families were associated with them, applies equally to them. Passing up the Damariscotta they landed on what is now called the Sugar Loaf, being only a bare rock, but which was then a small island some fifty rods from the shore. A sand bar that connected the island with the shore was entirely bare at low water; and as they walked over this to the main land and saw such evidence of the teeming life (clams) beneath their feet, some one of the company exclaimed, "call this an inhospitable shore, where a man has only to dig his meat from the ground over which he walks !" Their first meal was cooked by hanging a pot from the limb of a trec, and kindling a fire under it. A storm coming on before their first hut could be finished the women and children found protection under the empty hogsheads which had contained their scanty supply of cooking utensils and furniture. Dunbar assigned to cach family a city lot of two acres, and a farm of forty acres, with a promise of one hundred acres more in due time. No charge was made for the land, except for each lot the occupant was to pay a pepper corn annually if demanded. James Huston married Mary Sloss. Their children were :
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