History of Cumberland Co., Maine, Part 95

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 780

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The first legal proprietor within the town was Capt. Thomas Cammock, to whom the Council of Plymouth granted 1500 acres of land between Black Point and Spor- wink River. Cammoek was a nephew of the Earl of War- wick, at that time a leading member of the Council of Plymouth. The patent bears date Nov. 1, 1631, but Cam- mock had come to New England in 1630, and for three years had been an agent at Piscataqua (now Portsmouth) for Mason and Gorges. These proprietors in 1633 granted him a traet of land on the eastern bank of the Piseataqua, extending half-way to the river Agamenticus. Delivery was given him of the Black Point patent, May 23, 1633, by Capt. Walter Neale, and he seems to have immediately taken possession. Soon after he was joined by Henry Jocelyn, a former friend, who had also been an agent at Piscataqua; and in 1640 Cammoek made his will, by which he gave his real and personal estate to his " well- beloved friend" and companion, Henry Jocelyn, only re- serving to himself 500 acres, to be disposed of at his death as he pleased. The remainder of the estate was to become Jocelyn's immediately after the death of himself and wife. Cammoek died in the West Indies in September, 1643, and Jocelyn soon after married his widow.

Cammock was a man of a retiring turn of mind, who seems to have been contented to enjoy the quiet beauties of his sea-side home, and the company of such friends as his good wife Margaret and the brothers Henry and John Jocelyn. It is not known that he took part in the admin- istration of public affairs more than onee during his resi- dence at Black Point,-then he acted as one of the com- missioners of the province of New Somersetshire, in the year 1633.

Among the planters who settled near Cammock were

# Felt's Annals of Salem.

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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, MAINE.

Stephen Lathorne and Ambrose Boaden, in 1640; both built their houses near the Spurwink. Ambrose Boaden had been captain and owner of the vessel in which Cam- mock and his wife came to America, and he received his land near Spurwink in part payment for the passage. Here Boaden resided till his death. He was for many years the Spurwink ferryman, having been appointed by the court, which fixed his charges at two pence a person, ready pay, but three pence if he was obliged to charge the same in a book. In 1670 he became blind, and remained so till his death, in 1675.

For three years after Cammock's arrival there was no other part of the town occupied, except by Indians. The next principal settlement was at Blue Point, in 1636, by Richard Foxwell and Henry Watts. They were supposed to have settled on the grant made to Thomas Lewis and Richard Bonython by the Council of Plymouth, Feb. 12, 1630, and had been brought over by the proprietors in part fulfillment of their agreement to settle fifty planters on their patent in a period of seven years. But a survey showed that they were not within the bounds of the grant.

John Bonython, the only son of Richard, the patentee, was known throughout the province and Massachusetts as an invincible rebel. None of their laws could be made to reach him. Ile thought nothing of being outlawed by the General Court, nor did he show any disposition to regard the authority of the government until Massachusetts also pro- claimed him a rebel and set a price upon his head ; then he submitted rather than lose his life. It was doubtless this troublesome character for whom a rhymer of those days intended the following epitaph :

" Ilere lies Bonython, the sagamore of Saco ;

He lived n rogue and died a knave, and went to lfobbowocko."#

Foxwell died in 1676. IFe had been a member of the General Assembly of Ligonia in 1648; one of the commis- sioners of the town in 1664 and 1668; clerk of the writs for Scarborough in 1658 and 1665; and was again elected in 1668, but declined. He had three sons, John, Richard, and Philip, none of whom left children but John, who had one son, Nathaniel, at whose death the male branch of the family became extinet. Philip was one of the selectmen of the town in 1681. He removed to Kittery in 1690, and died there the same year.

Henry Watts removed from Saco to Blue Point with Mr. Foxwell in 1636, and settled upon the plantation adjoining. The first notice of him in the records occurs in the pro- ccedings of the court, September 15, 1640, when he was " presented" with one Fretby, for " carrying bords" on the Sabbath. It appears that George Cleaves, as deputy-presi- dent of Ligonia under Rigby, had assumed to dispose of grants of land at Blue Point, and had granted a small tract to Watts. In 1673, Watts sold one half of his whole plantation, including the grant from Cleaves, to Ralph Allison. Watts had built the first mill in town, on Fox- well's Brook, on the western side of the Point, and it appears from the deed to Allison, in which the land and mill were conveyed, that the settlement had been named

" Cockell," though from what the name is derived is un- known. Watts took an active part in the political affairs of the town and province. He was a member of the Gen- cral Assembly of the Province of Ligonia in 1648; com- missioner for Falmouth and Scarborough in 1659; constable of Scarborough in 1660; commissioner in 1661, 1662, and 1664. He was living at Blue Point in 1685, being upwards of seventy one years of age. The date of his death is not known. The next settlers at Blue Point were George Dearing and Nicholas Edgecomb, some time after whom eame Hilkiah Bailey and Edward Shaw. Tristram Alger also lived here about the same time of the last mentioned.

Roger Dearing, who died at Blue Point in 1676, is sup- posed to have been a son of George Dearing. A grandson, by the name of Roger, came from Kittery and settled here about 1700.

Nicholas Edgecomb was a member of the younger branch of the noble family of Edgecomb, of Mount Edgecomb, England. Sir Richard Edgecomb received a grant from Gorges of 8000 acres of land in the town, which was for a long time after his death the subject of controversy. A deseendant of Nicholas Edgecomb, probably his grandson, was agent for the Edgecomb estate ; he lived at Blue Point about twenty years, and then removed to Saco. Ilis sons were Robert and John, and probably Michael and Christo- pher, who were living here in 1675. Robert was married to Rachel Gibbons, of Saco, where he died in 1730, aged seventy-four. John was one of the selectmen of Saco in 1686. Of the daughters, Mary married George Page, of Saco, and after his death John Ashton, of Blue Point, afterwards of Marblehead, Mass. Joanna married a Mr. Puncheon, of Boston.

William Smyth first settled at Blue Point in 1640; thence he removed to Black Point, where he resided at the time of his death. Ile and Foxwell were the appraisers of Cammoek's estate, in 1643. He had a brother Richard, and two sisters, living at Worcester, England, in 1661, and it is probable that he was a native of that city. Ile was born in 1587, and died at Black Point, in March, 1676. Richard Smyth, who was one of the witnesses to the de- livery of Black Point to Cammock, in 1633, was probably the brother of William, who was living in Worcester, in 1661. If so, he remained in the province but a few years.

Hilkiah Bailey and Edward Shaw settled at Blue Point before 16-18, for a deposition of Smyth's shows that they had been some time there when Rigby's government was established, and that was in 1648. Bailey was the father of Jona. Bailey, who died at Blue Point in 1663. Shaw left a son, Richard, who lived a number of years on his father's estate, and sold it, in 1662, to John Howell.

Most of the early settlers above referred to were prop- erly planters, for they gave their attention to agriculture, and the improvement of their estates.

The third principal settlement within the town was made at Dunstan, about the year 1651, by the brothers Andrew and Arthur Alger (sometimes erroneously spelled Augur). Mr. Il. Ilight, a resident of Dunstan, who has given some attention to its early history, says,-

"The first authentic account of tho brothers, Andrew and Arthur Alger, relates that in the year 1645 they resided at Stratton's Island,

* The Satan of the Indians .- Folsom's Saco and Biddeford. Maino Historical Collections.

MRS. JOSEPH LARRABEE.

JOSEPH LARRABEE.

( PHOTOS. AY LAMSON

RESIDENCE OF BENJAMIN LARRABEE, SCARBORO, ME.

361

TOWN OF SCARBOROUGH.

and had a number of fishermen in their employ. Several depositions in the York County records refer to the fact that they came from a village called Dunstan, in England. In one old record we find that Arthur signed his name ' Arthur Alger, Jr.' This may indicate that his father's name was Arthur. The deposition of John Boaden says, ' Arthur who was Lieutenant.'

" It is now (1878) near two hundred and thirty years since they first rowed up the Dunstan River. They came from the vicinity of Black Point and pursued the course of the flood-tide until they arrived at or near Dunstan Landing, Some time in the year 1631 they purchased of the Indian sagamore, who resided at Blue Point, a tract of land containing near 1000 acres. In the year 1654, Arthur, with his wife, and Andrew, with his family, were fully established at Dunstan. The purchase made in 1651 was confirmed by a second acknowledgment of the sale, 'dated 19th of December, 1659,' and reads as follows:

"' Declaration of Jane, the Indian, of Scarborough, concerning lands.'

" This aforesaid Jane, alias Uphanum, doth declare that her mother, namily Nagnasqua, the wife of Wackwarrawaskee, Sagamore, and her brother, Ugagaguskis and herself, namely Uphanum, eoequally bath sould unto Andrew Alger and to his brother Arthur Alger a tract of land, beginning at the mouth of ye river called Blue Point River where the river doth part, and soc bounded up along with the river called Owascoag, in Indian, and soe up three score pooles above the falls on one side, and on the other side bounded up along with the northernmost river that draineth by the great hill of Abram Joselyn's and goeth northward, bounding from the head of ye river southwest, and soe to the aforesaid bounds, namely, three score poules above the Falls,

"' This aforesaid Uphannm doth declare that her mother and brother and shee hath already in hand received full satisfaction of the aforesaid Algers for the aforesayd, the land, from the beginning of the world to this day, provided on conditions that for tyme to come from year to year, yearly, the aforesaid Algers shall peaceably suffer Up- hanum to plant in Andrew Alger's field soe long as Uphanum and ber mother, Neguasqua, doe both live, and alsoe one bush' of corne for acknowledgement every year soe long as they both shall live.

"' Uphanum doeth deelare that ye bargain was made in the year 1651, unto which she doeth subscribe her mark of

(Signed) "' UPHANUM X.'

"Just previous to the breaking out of the Indian war of 1675, when the war spirit began to show itself among the Indians of this eastern section, the Algers, thinking-we presume-that it might be for the interest of peace in their then flourishing settlement, obtained a third acknowledgment of ' the sayle, dated May the 27th, 1674.'

"They were now-excepting the apprehension of Indian troubles- very pleasantly situated on their clearing. Three of Andrew's daugh- ters were married, and with their husbands were residing on the pur- chase. Others had settled around them.

" Joanna Puncheon's deposition says, ' They made large improve- ments on their farms, and sold considerable quantities of grain yearly,' On the salt marshes they could eut hay for their cattle for winter, and around them their cattle found feed in summer. They had a house at the ' Neck' which they made their rendezvous in the best season for fishing. The fish furnished them oil for their lamps, and together with the products of the land, the dairy, and the abun- dant supply of wild game, supplied them even to a degree of comfort- able independence.

" We presume they were extremely anxious to maintain peace, but notwithstanding the Indians acknowledged that they had receivedl full satisfaction of the aforesaid Algers from the beginning of the world,-although from year to year, yearly, the aforesaid Algers had peaceably suffered Uphanum to plant in Andrew Alger's fields, and although for more than twenty years they had been on terms of friendship, and every year the 'bushel of corne' had been given as a peace offering,-still, these settlers eould nut fail to see that an Indian war, with all its horrors, was about to burst upon them.

"Early in the autumn of 1675 they were warned tu assemble at the garrison, and they removed their families to Shellon's garrison, at Black Point. Probably at the time of the removing of their families they carried many of their goods with them, and again they went to Dunstan with an escort of soldiers to guard them and assist them to carry off their goods.

" On the 12th of October, 1675, Andrew and Arthur, accompanied by some relatives, went up to their cabins to get some of their effects

that they had hitherto been unable to remove. They were attacked by tho Indians. It is quite impossible at this time to ascertain the particulars concerning the attack, Tradition among their deseend- ants says they were attacked when on their way back to the garrison, -' that Andrew was killed and Arthur was mortally wounded.' South- gate, in the ' History of Fearborough,' says ' they were in their cabins at the time of the attack.' However this may be, it is perhaps enough for us to know that on the 12th of October, two hundred and three years ago, the ' Enemy Indians made an attack upon these the first settlers of Dunstan. The casualties were Andrew Alger killed, and Arthur Alger mortally wounded.

"' The deposition of Peter Witham, aged 72 years, testifieth that 1, about 52 or 3 years ago, then being in the country's service, under the command of Capt. John Wincoll, and being posted with other soldiers at Blue Poynt, at Mr. Foxwell's Garrison, went up to Dunstan to guard Andrew and Arthur Alger, and we assisted them to carry uff their grain. Some days after which the said Andrew and Arthur, with some of their relatives, went from Shelton's Garrison to Dunstan to bring off some of their goods, and were beset by the Indians, and said Andrew was killed and said Arthur was mortally wounded. And I did help to carry one off, and also to bury them both.'

" The deposition from Jounna Puncheon says, ' One Robert Nichols, who lived on their land, was killed with his wife in the beginning of the Indian war, in wheat harvest and soloe weeks after Andrew and Arthur was killed in Indian harvest.' Arthur probably survived long enough to make his will, by which he gave his property to his wife, Ann Alger.

" The relatives referred to in Witham's deposition might have been the sons-in-law of Andrew, or his son John, or other persons. Giles Roberts, who resided in Scarboro' in 1662, speaks of Arthur Alger as his loving brother-in-law. In an old deed, now more than two hundred years old, we find the following : ' I, Arthur Alger, for the love and good-will which I have and do bear towards my loving conseu, Abram Roberts, have given him one hundred acres of land,' etc.

"From these facts we learn they were not without relatives in the settlement.

" They had much to do with the affairs of the times in which they lived. Andrew took an active part in opposition to Cleaves, who claimed to have authority from Rigby to govern the provinec. Hle was at different times one of the selectmen, constable, etc.

" Arthur was for several years attorney for the town, and held other important positions.

" The deposition of John Boaden, 1730, says, . They were persons of note and good character.' There is not a word to indicate that they were other than bigh-minded, honorable men, and much to confirm onr opinion that they were honest, fair-dealing pioneers.

" Their widows soon removed from the scenes of their afflictions. The widow of Arthur removed to Marblehead, Mass. She had no children.

" By the following, from the book of Eastern Claims, we infer that she married again : ' Ann Walker, formerly relict of Arthur Alger, claims a tract of land (here is copied the old Indian deed to the Algers) which was conveyed by his last will and testament. dated 1675. to his wife, Ann Alger.'

" The widow of Andrew removed to Boston. Probably at that time all, or nearly all, of her children had become of age."

The Algers gave the name of Dunstan to their settlement in commemoration of their native town in Somersetshire, England .* It was at a later period transferred to the set- tlement at the landing, and still later to the village.

In the division of the Alger estate, Arthur took the northern part, which was separated from his brother's by a brook. He died without issue. Andrew had six children, -- three sons, John, Andrew, and Matthew, and three dangh- ters. Elizabeth married John Palmer; Joanna married first, Elias Oakman, and second, John Mills, who lived in Boston, where she died; and the third married John Austin. John, the son of Andrew, had several daughters,

* Bonden's deposition. The town referred to was probably Dinster or Dunsturre, in Somersetshire .- Willis.

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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, MAINE.

one of whom, Elizabeth, married John Milliken, house- wright, first of Boston, then of Scarborough. The de- seendants of the Millikens still reside at Dunstan, among whom are J. A. Milliken, the present clerk of the town of Searborough, and - Milliken, who has attained the age of ninety-six years.

Andrew Alger, Jr., was master of a vessel, and was killed in Falmouth in 1690, leaving one daughter, wife of Matthew Collins. Matthew Alger was master of one of the transports in Sir William Phipps' expedition to Canada, and died of the fleet-fever soon after his return. lle was the last surviving male of that race, and the name in this branch is extinct in this country. The widow of the first Andrew married Samuel Walker. Several of Andrew's children were married and settled near him before his death : first, John, then Palmer ; the others followed, fronting the marsh in the neighborhood of the Dr. South- gate place, whose farm was a part of the Alger estate.

The settlement at Black Point increased more rapidly than the other two, and became one of the most flourishing and important places on the coast. John Jocelyn (" Voy- ages," page 200) thus speaks of it in 1671: "Six miles to the westward of Saco, and forty miles from Gorgiana (York), is seated the town of Black Point, consisting of about fifty dwelling-houses, and a magazine or dogonne, scatteringly built ; they have a store of neat [cattle] and horses, of sheep near upon 700 or 800, much arable and marsh land, salt and fresh, and a corn-mill. To the south- ward of the Point (npon which are stages of fishermen) lie two small islands; beyond the Point northeastward runs the river Spurwink."

CAREER OF HENRY JOCELYN.

Ilenry Jocelyn was for over forty years the principal man in the town, and one of the most distinguished inhabitants of the province. He was the son of Sir Thomas Jocelyn, Knight, of Kent, England, whence he came to New Eng- land as chief agent of Mason, at Piscataqua, in 1634, and the following year removed to Black Point. He was one of the counselors of the province of New Somersetshire upon the organization of the government in 1635. His com- mission was renewed under the patent of 1639, and he was a member of the first court at Saco, June 25, 1640. By this court John Wilkinson was sworn constable of Black Point, and a similar officer was appointed for Fal- mouth. This is the earliest record of the appointment of a town offieer for either of these towns. Upon the organi- zation of Rigby's government, in 1648, Mr. Jocelyn was made one of the judges of Ligonia. the others being George Cleaves and Robert Jordan.

Mr. Jocelyn was strongly opposed to the submission of the province to Massachusetts. After the western settle- ments had submitted, in 1653, Jocelyn and Jordan held out against it for the next five years, being zealous and consistent loyalists; and when summoned, in 1654, to appear before the commissioners of that obtrusive colony at York, they refused to recognize her authority and de- elined to appear. During the same year Jordan (who was an Episcopal elergyman ) was arrested and imprisoned in Boston for persisting in baptizing children according to

the forms of the church, although repeatedly forbidden to do so by the authority of Massachusetts. He was released, and in a short time he and Jocelyn were arrested and re- quired to give bonds for their appearance before the General Court. They did not yield their opposition to what they considered usurpation on the part of Mas- sachusetts until convinced that they could do so without the sacrifice of principle, or, at least, saw that a settlement of the wearisome controversy would be for the best good of the country, uuder existing circumstances. In 1657 they made their appearance before the General Court, and were discharged from their bonds. In 1658, Black Point, Richmond Island, and Casco submitted to the authority and jurisdietion of Massachusetts before a court of commissioners held at the house of Robert Jordan, near the mouth of the Spurwink, in July of that year.

Twenty-eight persons signed the compact, of whom the following fourteen were inhabitants of Scarborough : Henry Jocelyn, Richard Foxwell, Henry Watts, Samuel Oakman, Abraham Follen, Andrew Browne, Ambrose Boaden, Sr., Michael Moddiver, Thomas Hamweth. John Tenney, Arthur Alger, Jr., Nicholas Edgecomb, Ambrose Boaden, Jr., and George Taylor.

In these articles of submission it is provided : "7. That those places which were formerly called Black Point, Blue Point, and Stratton's Island, thereto adjacent, shall here- after be called by the name of Scarborough .* The bounds of which town, on the western side, beginneth where the town of Saco endeth, and so runs along on the western side of the river Spurwink, eight miles back into the country." " 10. That the towns of Scarborough and Falmouth shall have commission courts to try causes as high as fifty pounds." " 11. That those two towns of Scarborough and Falmouth are to send one deputy yearly to the Court of Election, and have liberty to send two deputies if they see cause."

Scarborough was named from the market-town of that cognomen in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Jocelyn and Watts were appointed commissioners for Scarborough, under the 10th article of the agreement. Mr. Jocelyn was also chosen one of the magistrates in 1658, in September of which year a court was held in Scarborough by the associates for the county. Henry Jocelyn, Robert Jordan, Nicholas Shapleigh. Edward Rishworth, and Abra- ham Preble were the judges present.

The government of Massachusetts was borne with pretty good grace till the accession of Charles HI. to the throne of England, in 1660. This revived the hopes of the royalists in the province, and Jocelyn and others were less careful to conecal their ill-feeling towards the existing government, to which necessity, for a time, had compelled them to submit. In 1662, Jocelyn and Shapleigh (of Kittery ) refused to take the oath of office as associates under Massachusetts. The government sent a commissioner, Capt. Waldron, to see to the enforcement of her authority. It was in vain : the recusant associates protested, and refused to take the oath. At the court, iu 1663, not only Jocelyn and Jordan, who seem to be the leading rebels, but two strong reinforcements of their

# The Indian name of Scarborough was Orruseong,-place of much grass.

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TOWN OF SCARBOROUGH.

party (Shapleigh and Champernoon) were " presented" be- fore the General Court for acting against the authority of Massachusetts. But these proceedings had no other effect than to strengthen them in their opposition. The goveru- ment, however, modified its poliey, so that a temporary or partial reconciliation was effected, and the next year Scarborough made her returns to the General Court, which accepted Mr. Jocelyn as one of the commissioners. Ilis remarkable politieal career elosed in 1676, in which year, or soon after, he removed to Plymouth.

INDIAN HOSTILITIES.

Hostilities in the first Indian war commeneed in Massa- chusetts in June, 1675. The news of the first outbreak must have soon found way to the settlements along the coast. Then (we imagine) the settlers congregated here and there to talk of the prospects, some doubting whether war would come, some fearing it might, and all hoping for a continuation of peace.

The emissaries of King Philip were soon among the different tribes, where they probably found willing listeners, especially among the Indians (then living) who could re- member the time when no white man had an habitation in all the land. Envy and hatred with the wildest infatuations of war soon prevailed in all their councils, and powerful bands of hostile savages might properly enough be imag- ined anywhere in the depth of the wilderness, ready to fall upon and destroy the weakest and most defenseless settle- ments.

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History of Cumberland Co., Maine, Part 95

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 780

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 780