USA > Maine > Cumberland County > History of Cumberland Co., Maine > Part 62
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EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Thomas Purchase was the first settler within the present boundaries of the town of Brunswick. There is some doubt as to the precise location of his residence, some au- thorities placing it at the head of New Meadows River, and others at Pejepscot (now Brunswick) Falls; but the faet that he settled here as early as 1628, before there were any other English settlements east of Saco, is abundantly proven. In 1632, he and George Way obtained a patent from the Plymouth Council (of England) for a traet of land embracing the famous salmon-fishery at the Pejepseot, and extending on both sides of the river " four miles square towards the sea." Way never settled on any portion of this patent. In 1639, Purchase, in an indenture made with Governor Winthrop, placed it under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts Bay, desiring, no doubt, in this remote and isolated situation, to secure the assistance and protee- tion of the strongest neighboring English colony, in case of an outbreak or difficulty with the Indians. It does not appear that Purchase desired to form a settlement of any considerable extent upon his grant, but had selected this site with a view of monopolizing the fishing-ground and trade with the natives.
IIis first house was destroyed by fire, and " by this dis- aster he lost in the flames the only copy of the patent by which he held his property. The original had been left } with Mr. Francis Ashley, in England."* It was very likely soon after this fire that he changed his place of abode. At all events, he soon after erected "a small cottage for a present shelter," and it was while here that he was visited by Mr. Edward Rishworth .; This structure was afterwards superseded by " a fair stone house," in which he is supposed to have lived during the remainder of his residence at Pe- jepsevt.
Thomas Purchase must have been a man well known in the colony. He not only held at different times offices of trust and responsibility, but also made, it would seem, a frequent appearance in court.
The first account of him after his immigration to this country is of his appearance at Saco, in 1630.
On June 25th of that year he was present with Isaac Al- lerton, Capt. Thomas Wiggen, and others, and saw Richard
* Maine Hist. Coll., iii. p. 330.
t Pejepscot Papers.
-
GEORGE SKOLFIELD.
Photos, by A. O. Reed, Brunswick.
GEORGE R. SKOLFIELD.
GEORGE SKOLFIELD.
George Skolfield was born in the year 1780 in a house which stood near where the present fine resi- denee of his son, George R. Skolfield, now is, in the town of Harpswell, on what is called the " Neck Road." His early life was spent on the farm, in the mean time acquiring such education as he could in the public schools of Harpswell nearly a century ago.
At the age of twenty-one he began the business of ship-building without business connection or ac- quaintanee, and without a single dollar of capi- tal, even borrowing the small sum necessary to pur- chase his first broad-axe. With that business ability and persistency which so eminently marked his whole business life of more than sixty years, he steadily pursued his chosen ealling, each year es- tablishing a higher reputation and more extensive business connections in the larger cities of the country, until he became one of the noted ship-builders and owners of America. In his long business life he constrneted upwards of sixty ships, most of them of large size and known for their beautiful models and thoroughmess of construction ; some built more than forty years ago being in active service with high rating, while the benefit aeeruing to Brunswick and Harpswell from the large sums paid for wages and material was almost beyond deseription,-those for wages alone exceeding a million of dollars. He
was of a kind and hospitable nature, fond of his family and friends, and execedingly liberal towards all worthy objects of need and charity ; but he had a thorough hatred of anything looking like oppres- sion or eant, a single instance suffieing as an illus- tration. While engaged in building a fine ship of sixteen hundred tons, the town of Harpswell insisted on taxing him for her before her completion, against his firm protest, when he at once built for himself a residence a short distance from the one he was occupying, but in the town of Brunswick, thus trans- ferring his large tax of many hundred dollars per year to the latter town for the remainder of his life. He died, on the 13th of March, 1866, at the age of eighty-six, in the full possession of all his faculties, without a single regret at leaving the scene of his Jabors and triumphs, remarking, " My days of use- fulness are passed, and it is better that the worn- out old body shoukl be laid at rest." Sinee his deeease the business of the yard has been carried on by his son, George R., in connection with two brothers, Capt. Samuel and Capt. Isaac L. Skol- field (two well-known ship-masters of Brunswick) ; but who, during the depression in the ship-building industry, have built such ships ouly as they owned and put into commission on their own account, they now being the most extensive owners in their part of the State.
233
TOWN OF BRUNSWICK.
Vines take legal possession of the land granted him and John Oldham, on the southwest side of Saco River .*
In 1631 he was at Pejepseot, where he was visited in July by Sir Christopher Gardiner, who remained with him about a year.t
In 1636 he was present as one of the commissioners, on March 25th, at the house of Capt. R. Boynthon, in Saco. Ilis associates were Capt. Boynthon, Capt. W. Gorges, Capt. Cammock, Messrs. H. Jocelyn, E. Godfrey, and T. Lewis.1
This was the first organized court within the limits of the present State of Maine.§
On Aug. 22, 1639, he made legal conveyance to John Winthrop, Governor of Massachusetts, of all his land, and put himself uuder the power and jurisdiction of that colony. Hle reserved, however, such a claim to the ownership of the land as practically annulled that part of the contract.||
In 1640, Purchase again appears in court at Saco, but this time not on the bench, but before the bar, and also as a juryman. There were five indictments against him at this court. On July 14th of this year he was summoned to ap- pear at court on the 8th of September following, and an order was at the same time issued to Robert Sankey, of Saco, the provost-marshal, to bring him before the court on September 8th, to answer to divers complaints not specified, and particularly that credible information had been given that he had conveyed the greater part of his goods and chattels out of the province, in consequence of his indebt- edness to divers persons ; or to take sufficient security for his appearance at the session of the Council established for the province. On his refusal his property was to be at- tached and brought to Saco. The first complaint was brought by Giles Elbridge, of Pemaquid, in an action of debt. Purchase made his appearauce, but for some reason the case was not tried.
The second complaint against him was by Richard Vines in a similar action. This case also was not tried.
The third complaint was by Richard Tucker, of Casco, and was to the effect that nine years previously Sir Chris- topher Gardiner had borrowed a warming-pan of him in Purchase's name, which was worth 12s. 6d., and had kept it. Also that six months afterwards he had bought a fowl- ing-piece for 40s., and would not pay for the same, though often requested. The damages were placed at £5. Pur- chase denied that Gardiner did these things in his name, and declared that if he did he was not authorized to do so. Purchase further declared that the above facts were unknown to him, and that he had no recollection of any demand being made as alleged. " But Mr. George Cleaves had asked him causelessly for these articles; but he being a partner with the defendant, had acquitted him from all causes of action whatever."
The issue was joined, the trial took place, and the jury decided that Purchase should pay £2 128. 6d. for the arti- cles claimed, and 12s. Gd. as costs of court. Judgment was
given and execution ordered by the whole court. Whatever became of the warming-pan is not known, but it will be noticed that there was one mentioned among the articles embraced in the inventory of 1685.
The fourth complaint was a declaration of Arthur Browne, merchant, accusing Parchase of falsely charging him with perjury and bribery. Purchase denied the whole thing. but the jury brought in a verdict against him and fined him £5 sterling, and 12s. for costs.
The fifth complaint is not given, but it is stated that he was required, on the third day of August preceding, to enter into a recognizance with Rev. Robert Jordan, and that he appeared at conrt to answer to Capt. Thomas Young, Messrs. Abraham Shurte, George Davis, Richard Tucker, and others. At this same court Purchase also served as a juryman in the case of Mary Purington, of Agamenticus.
In 1645 he signed a letter addressed to Governor Win- throp, the Deputy Governor, and Court of Assistants of Mas- sachusetts Bay, and was also the one chosen to present the same. This letter was in regard to trouble between the in- habitants of Rugby's province of Lygonia, and Jocelyn and others, and was dated " Casco Bay, this 18th ffebr, 1645." William Ryall, Richard Tucker, and George Cleeve were the other signers."
In 1653 he was sued by the colony government, " as ap- pears by a record of the General Court of that year, and styled Of Pejepscot." What this suit was for we have not ascertained. At one time, date unknown, his children were required by the Council to be brought forward for baptist, and on neglect of the same he was to be summoned before the General Court.
In 1654 he was chosen assistant to Prince, the commis- sioner at the first court ever held upon the Kennebec. There is no evidence, however, that he ever held an As- sistant's Court.
In 1657 he was called to answer before the County Court of Yorkshire, to an action brought against him by the Widow Elizabeth Way for the purpose of determining whether Pejepscot was under the jurisdiction of that court.
After the restoration of Charles II. to the throne of Eng- land in 1660, probably in the year 1662. Purchase was commissioned as a magistrate under Gorges, or, at least, Mr. J. Archdale, agent of Gorges, offered him such a commis- sion .**
In September, 1675, his house was attacked by the In- dians, an account of which is given on page 34 of this work.
The foregoing enumeration of the various events in the life of Purchase embrace a nearly continuous connection from the time of his migration to his death. It embraces a period of forty-seven years. During this long time the ouly intervals of any length in which we have no accounts of him are between 1646 and 1654, and 1660 and 1675. It is possible that these gaps may even yet be shortened.
Whether Purchase was a man of much property can only be surmised. It would seem that his opportunities of ac-
* Folsom, Itistory of Saco, etc., p. 30.
+ Winthrop, i. p. 68. Massachusetts Ilistoricat Collection, Third Series, viii. p. 320.
¿ Folsom, opus cit., p. 49.
¿ Williamson, i. p. 265. ¡ Folsom, p. 45. Williamson, i. p. 290.
30
· Maino Itistorical Collection, i. pp. 519, 550.
** Williamson, i. p. 403.
231
HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, MAINE.
quiring wealth were unusually good. He possessed a good field for traffic with the Indians, and had the monopoly of the best salmon and sturgeon fishery in New England. Notwithstanding this, the frequent suits brought against him show not only " the litigious temper of the times," but also that he was deeply in debt, and that his creditors were uneasy.
Of his real character nothing is known more than may be gathered from what has already been stated. That he was a man of considerable enterprise is evident. That he failed to wholly conciliate the Indians is evident not only from the fact that his house was selected as the first one to be visited by them, but also that he was deemed unfair in his dealings with them, one of them remarking that he had paid £100 for water "from Purchase his well." This water was, however, presumably flavored with some aleo- holie ingredient.
Notwithstanding these facts, the Indians could not have been entirely at enmity with him, or they would not have let him off with the mere robbery of his house when they had some of its inmates in their power.
Thomas Purchase must have been a man of considerable ability, or he would not have held the offices he did. Wil- liamson says of him that " he was one of those flexible pa- triots who could accommodate his politics to the changes of the times."* This, it appears to us, is rather a harsh judg- ment. To which administration did he owe allegiance ? The question may be easy to answer now, but was it so easy for him to answer it ? It must be remembered that it was not until the present century that the claim of the Plymouth Colony on the Kennebec to his tract of land was finally settled adversely.
SETTLEMENT UNDER THE PEJEPSCOT COMPANY.
The efforts made by the Pejepscot proprietors to settle their lands were, for the most part, quite sneeessful, though the rapidity with which settlers came in varied very much at different times. Many of these earlier settlers, it is said, ran away from England, and upon their arrival in this country changed their names.
Between 1717 and 1722, 41 persons are known to have settled in Brunswick. There were doubtless others whose names have not been preserved. Many of these settlers, however, forfeited their lots in consequence of the non- fulfillment of the required conditions.
In 1722 the fourth Indian, or Lovewell's, war was con- meneed, and the situation of the settlers here became so disagreeable that they nearly all abandoned their homes, and it was not until about 1730 that the settlement was renewed. Those who are known to have remained are John Minot, Andrew Dunning and his sons, William Woodside and Ebenezer Stanwood and their sons, William Simpson, and David Giveen and sons. The most of these had garrisons.
Upon the incorporation of Brunswick as a town, in 1738, a considerable increase took place in the number of new settlers.
On June 27, 1739, there were 39 persons who had re-
cently come into possession of lots at New Meadows. There were also at this time in other parts of the town 29 indi- viduals who were either new settlers or sons of the old settlers, who had become of age.
In June, 1740, the proprietors voted to give Benjamin Larrabee a lease of' the lands adjacent to Fort George, and also the privilege of the salmon-fishery, on such terms as might be agreed upon by the committee to whom the mat- ter was referred. Mr. Larrabee, who was then the agent of the proprietors, made the following deeds, which we give in tabulated form from Wheeler's History of Brunswick :+
Names of the Persons to whom Benj. Larrabee, Esq, Attor- ney, etc , suld.
Quantity of Acres TheT me when sold. Sold.
The Con- sideration.
1. Nathan Adamıs.
100 acres.
March 9, 1737.
£25
0 0
2. John Adams
100
March 9, 1737.
25
0
=
3. William Malcome ...
200
March 6, 1737.
10
0
0
4 libert Spear.
200
March 29, 1778.
32 =
0
5. William Spear
203
€4
April 11, 1738.
26
0 0
6. Juhn Malcome
100
Jan. 16, 1737.
5
0 0
7. John Malconie
100
Jan. 16, 1737.
5
0 0
8. John Gyley, Esq.
Sept 6, 1738.
5 0 0
9 Jacob Eaton.
Topsham
March 24, 1730.
500
10. Henry Gibbs
05
" & 115 poles.
May 20, 1740.
25 0 0
11. Jonathan Sayward
200
June 19, 1740.
a> an heir
12. John Barrows
100
Jnly 15, 1740,
25
0
13. John Adams
135
July 28, 1741.
25 0
14. John Bartows
100
Oct. 16, 1741.
25 0
15. Samnel Clarke,
2414
May 19, 1742.
32
0
16. David Given.
Nov. 8, 1742.
16 0
0
17. William Dunning 200
MILy 21, 1742.
10 0 0
18. Benjamin Thompson. 100
Nov. 3, 1742.
25
19. James Hervey .
103
Oct. 24, 1741.
16 0 0
20. James Mc Farland.
200
May 28, 1739.
10 0 0
21. James Mc Farland
201
June 23, 1742.
10
0
O
22. James Mcfarland
206
June 23, 1742.
10
0
0
23. John Adams
100
Nuv. 3, 1742
25
0
0
24. Charles Casedy
May 7, 1742.
25
25. Thomas Skolfield
103
Mny 26, 1742.
25
0
26. Benj. Bunker.
115
Jan. 12, 1740.
25 0 0
27. Eben Stanwood.
2416
46
May 19, 1742. 30 0 0
Nov. 3, 1742. 25
0
20. Jacob Eaton
Nov. 24, 1737.
25
0
74
& 40 rods
more or less,
Nov. 3, 1742.
25 0
30. Jacob Eaton
being Lot No. 9
nt N. Meadow s.
56 0 0
31. Saml. Clarke Jacobs' Admr. 400 acres.
April 14, 1742.
Old tener.
32. Patrick Drummond.
100
April 7, 1738.
25 0 0
33. Benj. Bunker
6.1
" & 112 rods.
Jan. 10, 1740.
25 0 0
34 Alex. Tyler.
200
Oct. 20, 1740.
50 0 0
35. Samuel Hinkley.
200
May 21, 1742.
50 0 0
36. Lemuel Gowen.
100
Feb. 25, 1740.
50 0 0
£:28 0 0
In 1752 there were, according to a map of the Plymouth Company of that date, but twenty dwelling-honses in Bruns- . wick. They were owned or ocenpied by the following-named , persons : Speer, Finney, James Dunning, Woodside, Stan- n wood, Smart, V. Woodside, Capt. Minot, Beverage, J. Orr (1742), Camp, Giveen, Starbord, Skolfield, Hall (on Sabas- codegan Island), Snow, Coombs, Mills, Deacon Hinkley, Capt. Thompson, Smith. Besides these there were four niills and a meeting-house.
SALMON-FISHING.
The earliest business carried on in Brunswick, in addition to farming and trading in furs, was salmon and sturgeon fishing. Thomas Purchase, soon after his settlement here, in 1628, caught, enred, and packed salmon and sturgeon for a foreign market, and it is stated that there were at one time, " saved in about three weeks, thirty-nine barrels of salmon, besides what was spoiled for lack of salt, and about
+ Most of the matter for this lown history is taken from the above work.
* Vol. i. p. 690.
Quit-cluim
to Parker
0
28. Isaac Snow
=
Photo, by Wm. Pierce, Brunswick.
"LEMENT MARTIN.
235
TOWN OF BRUNSWICK.
ninety kegs and as many barrels of sturgeon, and that if they had been fitted out with salt, and apt and skillful men, they might have taken abundance more."*
It is also stated in Douglas' Ilistory that there was a company formed in London for the purpose of importing cured or dried sturgeon, and that they had an agent at the foot of Pejepseot Falls, and a building erected there. This was, no doubt, as MeKeen observes, a very considerable business, and was carried on upon quite a large scale, from time to time, until into the last century, and until the com- mencement of King Philip's war, in 1675, it was, doubtless, a great business with Mr. Purchase. The business has not been carried on to any extent within the present century, the salmon having entirely disappeared from the river, and there being fewer sturgeon than formerly, and a lessened demand for the latter. Present indications betoken, how- ever, a return of the salmon-fishery before very many years.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
The vote of the General Court, constituting Brunswick a township, was passed on the 3d of May, 1717, and pro- vided, " That ye Land Plotted for a town, from Pejepseot Falls to Maquoit, in Casco Bay, be Constituted a Township, to be laid out the Quantity of Six Miles Square as the Land will allow, & to be Called by the name of Brunswick, to be forth-with Settled in a Del'ensible Manner."+
This action of the General Court gave the settlers muni- cipal rights similar to those of plantations of the present day. Thus, for instance, they held publie meetings, raised money for their common welfare, and chose their own town officers. Records were kept by an officer styled the town clerk, who was the first time appointed by the proprietors and afterwards elected by the people.
On the 2d of May, of this year, Lieut. Joseph Heath was chosen by the proprietors " To be their Clark for the Town of Brunswick until the town is Qualified to make their own election, and Sworn to the faithful Discharge of that Trust."±
The first meeting of the inhabitants was held Nov. 3, 1717. The first election of town officers was in March, 1719, when Capt. John Gyles, Thomas Wharton, James Starrat, John Cochran, and Joseph Heath were chosen se- leetmen for the ensuing year. Joseph Heath was also chosen clerk and town treasurer, and Peter Haines, con- stable.
At a regular meeting of the inhabitants, held May S, it was voted to purchase a bos taurus for the common benefit. It was also at this meeting voted, " That whereas Some of the Inhabitants of this Town have already Brought on Cattle & others expect to have some come before Winter, Therefore our first rate to our Minister shall be raised on Lotts & poles onley."§
Other meetings were held at different periods, at which action was taken relating chiefly to the support of a min- ister. The doings of those meetings will be found in the section upon Ecclesiastical History.
In the year 1735 the inhabitants of Brunswick had be- come so numerous, and felt so great need of a more perfect system in the management of their common coneerus, that they made application to the government of Massachusetts for an act of incorporation as a town.
This petition was signed by John Rutherford, Anthony Vincent, James Dunning, David Dunning, Richard Fla- herty,-an Irish school-teacher,-James McFarland, James Carter, William Gibson, Andrew Dunning, Ebenezer Stan- wood, Samuel Stanwood, David Giveen, James Henry, Wil- liam Spear, John Giveen, Robert Giveen, Thomas Neal, Thomas Washburn, Samuel Lindsey, Rev. Robert Ruther- ford, Benjamin Larrabee, Samuel Clarke, Nehemiah Giffen, -a stranger,-Robert Spear, Sr., Robert Spear, Jr., Robert Dunlap, William Woodside, Jonathan Dunlap, John Linsay.
The Legislature, June 20th of this same year, granted the request of the petitioners and enacted a bill in accord- ance therewith. This bill for some reason, however, failed to receive the signature of the Governor, and did not there- fore take effect.|
On the 25th of May, 1737, another petition for ineor- poration was presented to the General Court, by Benjamin Larrabee, in behalf of the inhabitants of Brunswick. The prayer of this petition was granted in the llouse of Rep- resentatives on the 24th of June, and concurred in by the Senate three days later. A bill was accordingly prepared, and at the next session of the General Court, Jan. 26, 1738-39, an act was passed and received the sanction of the Governor.
Brunswick thus became the eleventh corporate town in Maine. At the same time that the foregoing was passed, the General Court also passed an act authorizing and em- powering Benjamin Larrabee, Esq., " to warn the Inhabi- tants of said Town, qualifyed by Law to vote in Town affairs, to assemble and meet together in some Sutable Place on the first Monday of March next, to choose a Moderator, Town Clerk, and other Town Officers for the year then next ensuing." The date of the incorporation of the town, it will be noticed, is given as Jan. 26, 1738. This is according to the old method of reckoning time. The date, according to the new style, would be Feb. 4, 1739.T
There were six town-meetings in 1739. The first meet- ing of this year, and the first under the act of incorpora- tion, was held March 28th. At this meeting the follow- ing officers were chosen : Samuel llinkley, Moderator and Town Clerk ; Capt. B. Larrabee, Samuel Hinkley, John Getchell, James Dunning, and David Dunning, Selectmen ; John Malkcon, John Barrows, Constables; Thomas Wash- burn, William Vincent, Samuel Whitney, and James Howe, Tything-Men ; Capt. William Woodside, Wimond Brad- bury, John Whitney, and Joseph Berry, Surveyors of llighways ; Robert Spear and Cornelius Thompson, Fence- Viewers ; James Thompson, Town Treasurer ; John Mac- Gregor and John McFarlin, Hog Constables; Israel Mitchell and William Spear, Field-Drivers.
One hundred and fifty-three pounds and fifteen shil- lings were voted for town expenses for the year. At this
* Reading's Deposition, Pejepscot Papers.
t Massachusetts Records, 1717.
¿ Brunswick Records, in Pejepscot Collection.
¿ Ibid.
Pejepscot Papers.
{ Town Records, vol. i .; also Pejepscot Papers.
236
HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, MAINE.
meeting, John Getchell, Robert Spear, Samuel Clark, James Thompson, Benjamin Parker, and Thomas Skolfield were chosen a committee to lay ont highways for the con- venience of the town.
Some proposition looking to the extermination of or pro- tection from wolves was doubtless made, as the town this year voted, " That the wolves should be left till further consideration."
In July, it was voted, " That the Minister Shuld Preach att ye Southeast end of Sª Town (att a place cald Newmed- ows) according to what Rates and taxes they shall Pay towards the Support of the Ministry, it being agreed upon by the whole Town."
Against this action of the town, however, a protest was entered by Benjamin Whitney, Jean Brown, and William Woodside.
A meeting held December 25th eleeted Capt. Benjamin Larrabee a representative " to go to answer the present- ment commenced against this town at the general Sessions of the Peace." It does not, however, appear from the records what was the nature of the action against the town, or by whom it was brought. Possibly, it may have been in consequence of there being no provision made that year for a school, as the law was then obligatory upon all towns to make such provision.
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