USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Gorham > History of Gorham, Me. > Part 10
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" An Act for erecting the Plantation called Gorham-Town, into a Town by the Name of Gorham.
" Whereas it has been represented to this Court, that the erecting the Plantation called Gorham-Town in the County of Cumberland into a Town, will greatly contribute to the growth thereof, and remedy many Inconveniences to which the Inhabitants and Proprietors may be otherwise subject :
" Be it enacted by the Governor, Council, and House of Repre- sentatives, That the Plantation commonly called and known by the Name of Gorham-Town, in the County of Cumberland; bounded as follows, viz. beginning at a marked Tree on the westerly Side of Pesumpscot-River in a Course South West twenty three Degrees from the Hemlock Tree, on the other Side of the said River, which is fifteen Poles below Inkhorn Brook; and thence running South twenty three Degrees West on the Head of Falmouth two Miles and two Hundred and twenty six Poles to a Spruce Tree marked, standing about two Poles westward of an old Mast Path, being the corner Bounds of Scarborough, Falmouth, and said Gorham-Town, thence running on the Head of Scarborough, nine Hundred and fifteen Poles to a large Hemlock Tree marked N. G. thence running North thirty three Degrees West seven Miles and Quarter of a Mile by Narragansett Numb. One to a Firr-Tree marked; and from thence running North East seven Miles and two Hundred Poles to said Pesumpscot-River, to a large Hemlock-Tree about two Rods from the said River, marked G. P. and bounded North-easterly by said
Chase, Ezekiel Rich.
Rolf, Moses.
Williams, Daniel.
FROM 1745 TO, AND INCLUDING, INCORPORATION OF TOWN, 101
River ; be and hereby is erected into a Town by the name of Gorham. And that the Inhabitants thereof be, and hereby are invested with all the Powers, Privileges and Immunities, which the Inhabitants of the Towns within this Province do or may enjoy.
" Provided, That none of the Inhabitants or Proprietors of said Town be held by virtue of this Act of Incorporation to pay any Part of the ministerial Charges heretofore arisen in said Plantation, which they were not obliged (by their own contract) to pay previous to such Incorporation.
" And be it further enacted, That Stephen Longfellow, Esq; be and hereby is impowered to issue his Warrant directed to some principal Inhabitant in said Town, requiring him to warn the Inhab- itants of the said Town qualified to vote in Town Affairs, to meet at such Time and Place as shall be therein set forth, to chuse all such Officers as are or shall be required by Law to manage the Affairs of the said Town."
The Hon. Stephen Longfellow accordingly issued the warrant for the first town meeting, directing it to meet on the 18th of February. At this first meeting, which was held Feb. 18, 1765, at the meeting house, the town chose Capt. John Phinney, Moderator; Amos Whitney, Town Clerk; Benjamin Skillings, Amos Whitney and Joseph Weston, Selectmen, and Edmund Phinney, Town Treasurer. . The state of financial affairs in Gorham at this time may perhaps be judged somewhat by the following petitions, sent up to the General Court by the selectmen.
(Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 118, pp. 91, 92.)
" To his Excellency Francis Barnard, Esqr., Capt. Gen1 & Governor in Chief in & over his Majesties Province of the Massat Bay in New England, The Honorable His Majesties Council
" The Petition of the Selectmen of Gorham in the name & in behalf of the Inhabitants of said Gorham Humbly showeth that being in expectation of being incorporated into a Town last May Sessions of the Great and General Court of this Province in consequence of which we in our annual meeting of 1764 thought it expedient to defer the choice of assessors, Collectors &c till the Act of Incorporation should be obtained which we hoped would not be long, & therefore adjourned our March Meeting to a future Day, which unhappy mistake incapacitated us to make any choice at all, so that the Last year's Province Tax remains uncollected which we are very unable to pay inasmuch as we have been so great sufferers by fires, droughts & severe frost last year that numbers of families in the place are in extreme want of bread. Moreover we are on the point of settling a good minister, which will we trust be to universal acceptance both in this Place & all around us, the charge whereof will be a very heavy burden on our Shoulders. Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray
102
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
that the Province Tax of 1764 may be abated or remitted & your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.
Gorham May 20th 1765.
Briant Morton Selectmen Benjm Skillings of
Amos Whitney Gorham.
" In the House of Representatives June 20, 1765, Read & ordered that the Province Tax laid on Gorham for the year 1764 be sus- pended. And that the same be added to that Province Tax in the year 1766, and the Treasurer is directed not to Issue his Execution against said Town in the meantime.
" Sent up for concurrence S. White Spkr.
" In Council June 20, 1765 Read and Concurred.
A. Oliver, Secy Consented to Fra. Bernard." (Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 118, p. 360.)
"To his Excellency Francis Barnard Esq', Capt General & Gov- ernor in Chief in & over his Majesties Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, The Honorable His Majesties Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled.
"The Petition of the Selectmen of the Town of Gorham in the name of said Town Humbly sheweth that by reason of the many misfortunes that has happened in said Town within these few years and the settlement of a minister of the Gospel among us, bring on us a burthen which we find extremely hard to bare & the exceeding scarcity of money adds weight to that burthen & inasmuch as two thirds of the Lands in Gorham is owned by non-resident Proprietors who are equally benefitted in the rising price of their Land with those that are resident proprietors and that by the settlers improve- ments & their multiplication in said Gorham as to numbers, and the settlement of the Gospel here, we are humbly of the opinion that the non-resident Proprietors are held in justice to contribute something toward the charges of the Gospel ministry among us for that he who feels the benefit ought to feel the burthen was never a bad maxim. We therefore humbly pray that your Excellency & Honorable would take the affair under wise Consideration & order as much upon the Acre upon all unimproved lands already divided into Lots in said Town not otherwise paying Taxes as your Excellency & Honorables shall in your great Wisdom order & for such time as may be thought convenient, which sum so ordered be for the support of the Gospel in said Place & your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.
Joseph Gates Selectmen
Edmund Phinney of
Hugh McLalin Gorham.
" Petition of Selectmen of Gorham,
June 1, 1768
Committed to Capt. Brown Col. Prescott Cap. Clay "
FROM 1745 TO, AND INCLUDING, INCORPORATION OF TOWN. 103
That we may be able to show something of the progress the town has made in wealth and improvement during the last century, I do not know any better way than to give the statistics of the town for the year 1772, which I have in my possession. The facts are taken from the book of valuation of estates, as made out by James Gilkey, William McLellan and Austin Alden, the assessors for that year.
Polls
195 12.
Sheep
506.
Slaves
4.
Swine
125.
Horses
77.
Acres of tillage
395.
Cows
281.
Tons of hay
853.
Oxen
204.
Acres of Pasturage 527.
At that time individuals were by law chargeable with a poll in the rates at sixteen years of age, and before the individual arrived at the age of twenty-one his poll was charged with that of his parent.
There are two hundred and ten names on the list - two females, Margaret Holbrook and widow McDonald. There are twenty names to which no polls are charged, two of which, Ebenezer Mayo and Joseph Quinby, have "mills " marked against them, and no other property or valuation - probably they were non-residents. One hundred and sixty-eight names have one poll each. One name has one and a half polls, which probably was intended for a very smart boy. Seventeen names have two polls each, and four have three each. There are fifty-seven names that have polls and no property, while seventeen have property, but no polls, charged to them.
Solomon Lombard, Esq., William McLellan, Lemuel Rich and Nathaniel Whitney owned two horses each. Sixty-nine individuals owned one horse each. Joshua Decker is the only person who owned a horse, and no other property.
William McLellan owned two slaves, Hugh Mclellan, one, and Jacob Hamblen, one. Forty-eight persons owned one cow each, fifty- three owned two each, thirteen owned three each, twelve owned four each, three owned five each, three owned six each, one owned seven, and it appears that seventy-four did not own a cow. Eight owned a cow apiece, and no other property.
It appears that sixty-four individuals owned a yoke of oxen each, sixteen owned two yoke each and two owned three yoke each. One hundred and twenty-seven did not own any oxen, while five owned oxen and no other property, and two owned only oxen and cows.
Seventy-four persons kept sheep in flocks of from two to fifteen each. There were but nineteen flocks that contained ten and upwards ; while one hundred and thirty-six persons did not keep these animals.
104
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
Forty-five people kept one hog each, twenty-one kept two each, ten kept three each, and two, Daniel Hamblen and Amos Whitney, kept four each. One hundred and thirty-three of the good citizens kept no pig.
Four individuals, John Cresey, Hugh Mclellan, Lemuel Rich and Amos Whitney, cut twenty tons of hay, twenty-six persons cut from ten to twenty tons, thirty-four cut from five to ten tons, fifty-two cut less than five tons, twenty-two cut from one to two tons each, and it appears that about ninety persons cut no hay at all.
One hundred and fourteen citizens had land under tillage. John Harding had twelve acres of tillage ; the next highest number of acres was charged to Solomon Lombard, Esq., - eight - while Alexander Mclellan was credited with seven. Sixteen farms had each five acres under cultivation, and fourteen six acres each, while eighty-one per- sons tilled from one to four acres each.
Out of the two hundred and ten sirnames on the list there are forty-eight names not now known in town, or at least there are none on the tax book of this year bearing the same names.
As to the population of Gorham at this time, if we take the same number of females over sixteen years of age as we have males, which by the number of polls is one hundred and ninety-six, we shall have three hundred and ninety-two, and if we add, for those under sixteen, half as many more, we shall have for the population five hundred and eighty-eight, or probably about six hundred persons in 1772.
Additional names found after 1763 on the tax bills up to 1773.
Adams, Joshua.
Decker, Joshua.
Gustin, Thomas.
Adams, William.
Dickey, William.
Hall, Ebenezer.
Bacon, Nathaniel.
Doan, Isaac.
Hamblen, George.
Bangs, Barnabas.
Dunn, Nathaniel.
Hamblen, Gershom.
Bangs, Heman.
Dyer, John.
Hamblen, Timothy.
Black, Josiah.
Elder, Samuel. Eldridge, Daniel.
Harding, Joseph, Jr.
Boston, Abraham.
Edwards, Samuel.
Haskell, John.
Brimhall, Silvanus.
Freeman, Jonathan.
Hodgdon, John.
Brown, Benjamin.
Freeman, Jonathan, Jr.
Holebrook, Margaret.
Brown, Joseph, Jr.
Freeman, Nathan.
Hunt, Ephraim.
Brown, Samuel.
Freeman, Nathaniel.
Hunt, George.
Brown, Silvanus.
Frost, Nathaniel.
Huntress, Christopher.
Cloutman, Timothy. Cobb, Andrew.
Frost, Susanna.
Jordan, Joseph.
Cobb, Chipman.
Gammon, Phillip, Jr.
Jordan, Richard.
Cresey, John, Jr.
Gilkey, Joseph.
Kimball, Caleb.
Crocket, Andrew.
Gorham, William.
Crocket, John.
Gray, Taylor.
Knight, Joseph. Knight, Nathaniel.
Crocket, Joshua.
Greely, John.
Lamb, Richard.
Crocket, Samuel, Jr.
Green, Benjamin.
Libby, Joab.
Davis, Josiah.
Green, John, Jr.
Libby, Josiah.
Davis, Samuel.
Green, Solomon.
Lombard, Calvin.
Harding, John, Jr.
Blake, Ithiel.
Frost, Peter.
Huston, Simon.
FROM 1745 TO, AND INCLUDING, INCORPORATION OF TOWN. 105
Lombard, Jedediah.
Perkins, John.
Stackpole, John.
Lombard, Nathaniel.
Perkins, John, Jr.
Strout, Elisha.
Longfellow, Stephen, Esq. Philbrick, Jonathan.
Stubbs, James.
Matthews, John.
Mayo, Ebenezer.
Quinby, Joseph and Joseph,Sturgis, Jonathan. Jr., have no poll taxes, andSwett, Stephen.
McCollister, James.
are put down as owning Thomes, George.
McDaniel, Joseph.
mills, and cutting thirteen Thomes, Samuel.
McDaniel, Robert.
tons of hay, (no land).
Thural, Davis. Thural, James.
McLellan, Alexander.
Rich, James.
Waite, John.
McLellan, Cary.
Rich, Zephaniah.
Walker, Nathaniel.
McLellan, Hugh.
Right, Robert.
Watson, Colman P.
Mclellan, Joseph.
Roberts, Benjamin.
Watson, Ebenezer.
Melvin, John.
Roberts, Joseph.
Weeks, William.
Moody, Joshua.
Roberts, Joseph, Jr.
West, Desper.
Morton, Elisha.
Robinson, George.
Weymouth, James.
Morton, Jabez.
Ross, James.
White, John.
Morton, James.
Runnels, Owen.
White, Peter.
Munson, William.
Sawyer, Joel.
Whitmore, William.
Murch, John, Jr.
Sawyer, Stephen.
Whitney, Ebenezer.
Murch, William.
Sharp, Jonathan.
Whitney, Isaac, Jr.
Murry, Anthoney.
Silla, William.
Whitney, John.
Nason, Uriah.
Simpson, Jonathan.
Whitney, Joseph.
Nute, Obed.
Skillings, Isaac.
Whitney, Phineas.
Paine, Prentice.
Skillings, John.
Whitney, Zebulon.
Paine, Richard.
Skillings, Thomas.
Willard, Peleg.
Paine, William.
Smith, Thomas.
Wood, William.
The following names are on the list of 1763, and are not found on that of 1772 ; probably some of them were dead and some had left town :
Bridges, Josiah.
McDaniel, John.
Thompson, Phineas. Tibbetts, Joseph.
McCorson, James.
McDaniel, John, Jr.
Frost, Benjamin.
Morton, Ebenezer.
Tinney, George.
Frost, Elizabeth, widow.
Morton, Thomas.
Williams, Daniel.
Emery, William.
Morton, Jabez.
Whitney, Nathaniel.
Wro (Rowe), Isaiah.
Rolf, Daniel.
Whitney, Moses, Jr.
Goes, Jonathan.
Rolf, Daniel, Jr.
Whitney, Joel.
Hatch, Joseph.
Rolf, Moses.
Whitney, Nathan, Jr.
Hackleton, James.
Rounds, Joseph.
Weston, Thomas.
Hall, John.
Quinby, Jacob.
Weston, Joseph.
Irish, Joseph.
Sawyer, John.
Webb, David.
Jones, Samuel.
Sawyer, David.
Webb, Seth
Lewis, Abijah. Mosher, Daniel.
Sinkler, David.
Nolan, David.
Chase, Ezekiel R.
McDaniel, widow.
Rich, Ezekiel.
CHAPTER VII.
THE REVOLUTION.
During the war between the United Colonies and the mother coun- try, the War of Independence, the inhabitants of the town of Gorham were not wanting, either in shedding their blood, or in furnishing money and means for its prosecution ; at times about every third man was in the army. At one time a whole company was raised to serve in the disastrous attempt on Bagaduce, now Castine. This company was under the command of Capt. Alexander McLellan, who was a son of Hugh Mclellan the second settler in town, and lived in the house which formerly stood where the house of Hon. Isaac Dyer now stands.
A regiment in the Massachusetts line (the 3Ist) in the Continental army was commanded by Col. Edmund Phinney, son of Capt. John Phinney, the first settler ; and in this regiment were many from Gor- ham, and no better men or braver soldiers could have been found anywhere. Many brave and noble deeds, doubtless, were performed by some of them, which deserve a better fate than that of oblivion, but the hand of time has erased much from the records of tradition which might well have been spared for the gratification of future generations.
Gorham not only furnished her quota of brave men for the army, and paid for their services, but also with a mother's care provided subsistence for their suffering families left behind. Those were days of poverty, suffering and want, and we may say that even to have the bare necessaries of life was a luxury to many. Col. Phinney's brother, John, Jr., was drafted during the war, but it was finally decided, as he was a well-to-do man, that he should send in his place his sons, Ebenezer and John, and that he himself should remain at home and assist in taking care of and supporting the families of some of the poorer Gorham soldiers.
Nor was Gorham, before the war broke out, behind the spirit of the times. In 1768, when the agent of the Province was refused admis- sion to the presence of the king, and a report was circulated that troops had been ordered to march into Boston, Governor Bernard was begged on all sides to convoke a general assembly, but he refused, saying that by instructions from England he was prevented from com-
107
THE REVOLUTION.
plying with their demands. Upon this reply, the selectmen of Boston called upon the towns in the Colony to hold a convention. Gorham, in September, held a town meeting, and Solomon Lombard, who was then the Representative of the town at the General Court, was chosen as " an agent to go to Boston as soon as may be, to join a committee of agents from other towns in the Province, to consult and resolve upon such measures as may most conduce to the safety and welfare of the inhabitants of this Province at this alarming and critical con- juncture ; " and for this purpose Mr. Lombard was allowed eight days for traveling to and from Boston. This convention met on the 22d of September, and voted that the violated rights should be defended, cost what it might in lives and fortunes; and that those having no arms should furnish themselves.
In August, 1772, the king ventured on an act which did much to precipitate the crisis. It was ordered that the salaries of all the Massachusetts judges, who held their offices during the king's pleas- ure, should henceforth be paid by the Crown and not by the Colony. At a Boston town meeting, held in October, a committee was appointed to ask the Governor whether the judges' salaries were to be paid as stated in the royal order. Gov. Hutchinson was also asked to con- voke the Assembly that the people might give their views on this important matter. He told them, however, to mind their own business, and would give them no information about the salaries. He also declared the town had no right to petition for a meeting of the Assembly. It was then moved by Samuel Adams, in town meeting, that a committee of correspondence be appointed, this same to consist of twenty-one persons, and that these state the rights of the Colonies and especially those of Massachusetts. This statement was to be sent " to the several towns and to the world, as the sense of this town, with the infringements and violations thereof, that have been, or from time to time may be, made."
In response to the above-mentioned circular from Boston a town meeting was held in Gorham for the express purpose of considering and deliberating upon the subject matter of the letter. At this meeting held Dec. 31, 1772, it was voted that the rights were fairly stated by the town of Boston in their pamphlet, and also that the infractions were rightly stated in the same. It was then voted to choose a committee of communication to draw up resolves, and, upon the concurrence of the town, to send them to Boston. A committee of grievances was likewise chosen, to consist of the same persons as the former committee, and those composing these com-
108
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
mittees were the following: Solomon Lombard, Esq., Capt. John Phinney, William Gorham, Esq., Capt. Edmund Phinney, Elder Nathan Whitney, Caleb Chase, Capt. Bryant Morton, Josiah Davis and Benjamin Skillings. It was then voted to return the thanks of Gorham to the town of Boston for "their vigilance of our privileges and liberties ; " and the meeting was adjourned for one week. At the end of that time, on Jan. 7, 1773, the committee reported the fol- lowing Preamble and Resolves : -
We find that it is esteemed an argument of terror to a set of the basest of men who are attempting to enslave us, and who desire to wallow in Luxury upon the expense of our earnings, that this country was purchased by the Blood of our renowned forefathers, who, flying from the unrelenting rage of civil and religious tyranny in their native land, settled themselves in this howling wilderness. But the people of this town of Gorham have an argument still nearer at hand; not only may we say that we enjoy an inheritance purchased by the blood of our forefathers, but this town was settled at the expense of our own blood. We have those among us whose blood, streaming from their own wounds, watered the soil from which we earn our bread ! Our ears have heard the infernal yells of the native savage murderers ! Our eyes have seen our young children weltering in their gore in our own houses, and our dearest friends carried into captivity by men more savage than the savage beasts themselves ! We many of us have been used to earn our daily bread with our weapons in our hands. There- fore we cannot be supposed to be fully acquainted with the mysteries of Court policy, but we look upon ourselves able to judge so far con- cerning our rights as men, as Christians, and as subjects of British Government, as to declare that we apprehend these Rights, as settled by the town of Boston, do belong to us, and that we look with horror and indignation on the violation of them.
We only add that our old Captain is still living, who for many years has been our chief officer to rally the inhabitants of this town from the plow or the sickle to defend their wives, their children and all that was dear from the savages. Many of our families have been inured to the danger and fatigue of flying to garrison. The timber of our fort is yet to be seen, and many of our watchboxes are still in being. Some of our women have been used to handle the cartridge, and load the musket : and the swords which we whet and brightened for our enemies are not yet grown rusty. Therefore
Resolved. That the people of this town are as loyal as any of his majesty's subjects in Great Britain, or the plantations, and hold them-
109
THE REVOLUTION.
selves in readiness to assist his Majesty with their lives and fortunes in his defence, and the rights and privileges of his subjects.
Resolved. We apprehend that the grievances we justly complain of are owing to the corruption of the late ministry in not suffering the repeated petitions and remonstrances from this Province to reach the Royal ear.
Resolved. That through the channel of the said corruption the Par- liament of Great Britain has passed several acts, in the execution of which the American people are burthened with unconstitutional taxes.
Resolved. That from the same source a board of commissioners are erected in this Province, with such commissions as strip the honest laborer of the fruits of his industry, and his domestic security, which is against all the principles of the common law.
Resolved. That it is clearly the opinion of this town, the Parlia- ment of Great Britain has no more right to take money from us without our consent than they have to take money without consent from the inhabitants of France or Spain.
Resolved. That the extent of power granted the Court of Admiralty is a great and intolerable grievance.
Resolved. That to render the Governor and Judges of the Superior Court of this Province independent of the grants of the general court is an innovation and an infraction on the constitution and charter rights, as it destroys that check which should ever remain in the hands of the people.
Resolved. That it is clearly the opinion of this town that the rights of the colonists, and the several infringements of those rights, are fairly and justly stated by the inhabitants of Boston in their printed pamphlets sent to the several towns.
Resolved. That the thanks of the town of Gorham be given to the town of Boston for their vigilance and patriotic zeal shown in the defence of our constitution and charter rights.
Resolved. That it is the opinion of this town that it is better to risk our lives and fortunes in the defence of our rights, civil and relig- ious, than to die by piecemeals in slavery.
Resolved. That the foregoing resolves and proceedings be regis- tered in the town clerk's office, as a standing memorial of the value that the inhabitants of this town put upon their rights and privileges.
(signed) Solomon Lombard.
John Phinney. Wilm Gorham. Committee of
Briant Morton. Nathan Whitney. Correspondence.
Benjn Skillings.
Edmd Phinney.
Josiah Davis. Caleb Chase.
These resolves were all voted on, one at a time, and it was voted that a copy of them be sent by the Committee to the town of Boston.
110
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
Throughout the whole Colony the same feeling was manifested as at Gorham, and before the Ist of January, 1773, eighty towns had organized their committees of correspondence. These constituted a kind of assembly which the Governor could not dissolve, and which was not contrary to law, but was none the less of great influence in directing the affairs of the Colony.
The efforts of the parent government to force the colonies to buy tea, laden with the odious tax, aroused the highest indignation throughout the colonies, and in Boston resulted in many town and other meetings for the purpose of expressing indignation, and for protesting against the tax, and the landing of the tea. At one of these meetings, the sheriff of Suffolk County read a proclamation from the Governor to the effect that the people should disperse, or continue further unlawful proceedings at their utmost peril. The result was a storm of hisses, and the meeting went on as before.
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