USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunkport > History of Kennebunk Port, from its first discovery by Bartholomew Gosnold, May 14, 1602, to A. D. 1837 > Part 11
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*The New England Weekly Journal of April 17th, 1727, says " We hear from the Eastward that the poor people who were ta- ken from Kennebunk last fall were all killed except the boy, and that there were nine Indians from St. Francoise did it, and pre- tend they would not have killed them, had not our English followed them so closely."-Harvard College Library.
L
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HISTORY OF
[FROM 1727
CHAPTER VI.
Effects of peace .... Earthquake .... Mr. Eveleth dismissed .... First meeting house built .... Mr. Prentice ordained .... Proprietors of the town .... Saco road laid out and settled .... Mr. Stoddard's claim .... Mogg's deed .... Roads .... Schools .... Throat distemper .... Famine ..... Mr. Prentice dismissed .... Mr. Hovey ordained ..... Old Tenor .... War .... Shipwreck on Mount Desert .... Drought .... War ..... French Neutrals .... Fifth earthquake .... Village .... In- dian wars ..... Prisoners exchanged ..... Tabitha Littlefield ..... Indian habits.
As the prosperity of the country depended mainly upon the continuance of peace between the English and the natives, Mr. Dummer, the Lieut. Governor of Massachusetts, finally secured their friendship, [1727] and the whites enjoyed an interval of peace for the twen- ty years which followed his celebrated treaty of 1725.
The good effects of peace were soon evident in Arun- del. Debts incurred by the town were liquidated, and measures taken to build the meeting house, which had been in contemplation before the war. At a town meet- ing held April 7th, it was voted that it should be built " at the charge of the town, and to be 36 foot in Length, and 28 foot in width, and 18 foot stud, which meeting house of the foregoing Dementions is to be Raised and sett on the east side of the Little cosway on ye East of Mr. Carrs now dwelling house as near to the highway as can conveinantly be."
The house was to be finished in October, and £100 were voted for that purpose. They also voted, " the Rev. Mr. John Eveleth £60 money with the Contribu- tion money therein contained for carring on the work of the Ministry for one year," besides furnishing him with fire wood. The committee to collect " Rents and Rearages of Rents," brought an action against Jo- seph and Samuel Littlefield, for the rent of the mill granted their father in 1681. The town did not pre- vail in their suit, by reason of their bringing the action against Joseph and Samuel, instead of all the heirs of Edmund Littlefield. The matter was however com-
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KENNEBUNK PORT.
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promised, and the money was collected and paid to- wards Mr. Eveleth's salary.
This year was noted for the fourth of the great earthquakes that had happened since the discovery of the country. The first one was in 1638, the second in 1658, and the third in 1663. The one at this time (Oct. 29) was more violent than any of the preceding ones, shaking down chimneys and stone walls, and rendering it difficult to stand unsupported. But a few of the oldest inhabitants in the country having witnessed a similar phenomenon, it caused great a- larm, and a temporary reformation, a large number joining the church. [1728] It probably stimulated the people of this town to renew their attempt to build the meeting house, which, from some cause or other had not been built as agreed upon. Thomas Perkins, Esq. for £170, agreed " to Raise it, underpin it and Shingle it, make seats below, and Glase it, by the last day of October." He was also to be paid " for his time abought it, in procuring workmen." The house was erected on the spot where Daniel Grant's house now stands .* Mr. Perkins built the house a few feet larger than he was obliged to by agreement, and in conse- quence he induced the proprietors to grant him a gore of land, which he represented as of little value, but which at that time was worth more than the whole house, and is now one of the most valuable tim- ber lots in town.
Trustees were chosen to receive " our Proportion of the £60,000 Lone money out of the Treasury for the use of the town, according to the Directions of the Law in that Case Provided, and that no person shall have more of sd. money lett to him than the sum of five pounds." This amount had been issued in bills, by the Government of Massachusetts, for distribution amongst the towns, to be loaned to individuals with good security.
*A meeting of the proprietors was called in January 1726 " to assemble and meet at our Meeting house, which is the house and usiall Place for Public Meetings in Said Town of Arundel." It is probable that Mr Eveleth's house, which had been fitted up for " the people to meet in on a sabath days," was called the meeting house, as it certainly was the place where town meetings were holden.
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Mr. Eveleth's salary was fixed at £52, besides the contribution and his fire wood, so long as he should continue minister of the town. Being advanced in years, the next year [1729] at his own " Desier, the town did fairly dismiss him."
The inhabitants were very unwilling he should leave them, as he was not only their minister and school- master, but a good blacksmith and farmer, and the best fisherman in town. He still resided here in 1732, but whether he died or removed from the town, is not known. He lived near Crow Hill.
Mr. Eveleth (called Evely by the inhabitants) grad- uated at Harvard in 1689, and was settled in Stow, Mass. in 1700 and dismissed in 1717. He then preach- ed in Manchester and Enfield till he came to this town. After he was dismissed, Mr. John Tucker preached six months. He was boarded, and had 25s a week besides the contribution money. He probably did not suit the inhabitants, as they gave him no invitation to remain longer.
After Mr. Tucker discontinued preaching, [1730] Mr. Thomas Prentice was engaged for a short time, who had 30s a sabbath besides his board and the con- tribution money. After preaching three months, the town, June 27, voted to give him " a call to be a set- tled Minister in the town of Arundel ; and at the same time, voted to give the said Thomas Prentis £115 as a Standing Sallery yearly, and Every year while he is a Setteled minister in this Town, to be paid in Current Money or bills of Creadet as it Passeth in all Publick Payments, or from man to man at this Day ; And that which is given in Contrebution besides the £115; and as a farther Incoragement, at the above said meeting, then given and granted unto the said Thomas Prentis one hundred acres of Land which the town had in Exchange, with James Mussy, which land was his father's Thomas Mussels, and bounded as by the Rec- ords of said Land Doth appear upon the Town and County Records,-and £100 towards building in the Town, provided he is a settled and an ordained minis- ter in said Town." A committee was chosen to carry the proposals to Mr. Prentice, to whom he returned the following answer.
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то 1730.]
" To Capt. Thomas Perkins, Mr. Stephen Harding, and Lieut. Jabez Dorman, who were chosen a com- mittee by the town of Arundel, to bring to me the proposals which they, at a legal town meeting, June 29, 1730, made to me, in order to my settling in the ministry in the town of Arundel, and to receive my an- swer and refer it to said town.
" Gentlemen, I cannot but acknowledge myselfobliged to you for the regard you have shown for me in the general invitation you have given me to settle in the ministry amongst you .- And now having as impartially as I could, considered of the affair, and having sought what direction and advice I thought proper, in such an important concern ; I have at last concluded to accept of your call, upon condition you will grant the follow- ing articles and additions to the proposals which you have already made to me; viz. Ist. That the salary shall be advanced to £120 a year, and shall remain so five years ; and on the sixth year, that it shall be ad- vanced to £125; and on the tenth year it shall be advanced to £130 of current money or bills of credit, eighteen shillings of which shall be always accounted in value equivalent to one ounce of silver : and it shall remain so, so long as I can be supported with it amongst you. 2. That my salary shall be paid to me every half year, viz. one half of it on the first of September, and on the first of March from year to year, so long as I shall continue in the pastoral office among you. 3.
That the town shall take the £100 which they have voted to me towards my building in the town, and build and suitably finish a house 38 feet in length, and 18 feet in breadth, having four rooms and a garret ; and also that they build a kitchen on the back side of the house : which house shall be given to me, my heirs or assigns, &c. and that they will get two rooms of the house finished by the last day of August, next ensuing the date hereof; and the other rooms finished by the last day of October, next ensuing the date hereof; or if they choose it rather than there should be £100 given to me besides the £100 which they have voted to me already towards my building amongst them, so I will build for myself, £100 of which to be paid on or before the last day of April, next ensuing the date hereof, and
LL
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HISTORY OF
[A. D. 1730.
the other £100, to be paid to me on or before the last day of August next ensuing the date hereof. 4. That the proprietors of the town of Arundel shall at their next meeting, grant me 200 acres of land, to be laid out where it can be clear of former grants, besides the 100 acres of land which the town has already voted me, which land shall be to me, my heirs or assigns forever ; and also, that they shall make me a proprietor in the town.
" These, Gentlemen, are the articles and additions which I think necessary to be made to the proposals you have already made to me ; and so you see the con- dition upon which I am willing to settle among you : and if they shall appear hard to you, and unreasonable, and so you will not comply with them, all I have to say is, to wish that every good and perfect gift may descend from the Father of Light and Mercies, upon you ; and especially that you may have, what I doubt not you may easily attain, a much better and more suitable man to settle among you. But if you shall comply with my terms, then is my answer in the affirmative, and I shall conclude, if it be the will of God, to settle among you : and if I should settle in the ministry amongst you, my desire and prayer to God, is that I may be in- strumental of advancing the kingdom of our blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, and may so faithfully perform all the duties of the pastoral charge as to save myself and you, that are to be under my care.
THOMAS PRENTICE."
The town acceded to his terms, and a fast was ap- pointed preparatory to his ordination ; he being the first settled minister in the town.
Mr. Prentice would have been a proprietor, even if he had not made it a matter of agreement, as the town passed a vote, some time previous, " that the ministry should have an equal share in all divisions of land."
The offer of fifty acres of land to induce settlers to re- move into town, had greatly increased its population, and enhanced the value of the land not taken up. Influen- ced by what they considered their immediate interest, without regard to the future welfare of the town, the older inhabitants, who either inherited, or had pur- chased land granted by the agents of Gorges or Rigby ;
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A. D. 1730.]
or who inhabited the town at the time when President Danforth gave the trustee deed ; or had purchased or inherited from those who were inhabitants at that time ; claimed to be proprietors of all the common and undi- vided land, to the exclusion of those who had more lately become citizens. They however had no rights above any other inhabitants, as the grants of Gorges and Rigby were definite, and Danforth's deed was not only given to the inhabitants for the time being, but also to those who might at any future time become in- habitants. Their claims were however admitted by the other inhabitants, either because they were less nu- merous, or less influential than the self styled proprietors.
Feb. 14th, 1726, by virtue of a warrant from John Wheelwright, Esq. of Wells, a proprietor's meeting had been called, and Jabez Dorman was chosen mod- erator, and Thomas Perkins clerk. At a meeting held the next month, " those persons herein named ware
Entred Proprietors in the Rights of the Ainchient Pro- prietors, viz .- John Watson and Jabiz Dorman, in the right of Morgaing Howell ; Allison Brown in the right of Christopher Spurrel ; Thomas Perkins and Stephen Harding, in the right of William Runnels ; James March in the right of Edward Barton ; Benjamin Major, in the right of John Davis ; Thomas Perkins jr. in the right of John Barret ; Thomas Huff, in the right of his father, Fardenando Huf ; Mr. John Storer in the right of Stephen Badson ; according to the Rights that there Predesessors had, and as they have bought it, and no other way."
It was also voted that " every Person that Posseth fifty acres of land in his own Right, and is an Inhabitant in said Town, shall be counted half a vote, and that Person who hath one hundred acres, Counted one vote, and he who hath Two hundred acres, two votes, and so to be allways accounted According to the number of acres be it as many hundred as it will, and that no Person shall have liberty to vote in a Proprietors meet- ing in Arundel by vertue of this vote, no longer than while he is an Inhabitant in said Town."
According to the foregoing vote the following persons were made proprietors, Thomas Perkins, sen. Thomas Huff, sen. John Watson, sen. Jabez Dorman, Allison
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[A. D. 1730.
Brown, Thomas Perkins, jun. Humphrey Dearing, Benjamin Major, Stephen Harding, Philip Durrell, sen. Thomas Huff, jun. Samuel Carr, Jesse Towne, Joshua Lassel, John Murphy, John Burbank, John Baxter, Samuel Averill, Philip Durrell, jun. George March, Thomas Watson, Jeremiah Springer, and Jolin Downing .*
They refused to make Joseph Hill a proprietor, in consequence of his being an inhabitant of Wells. After the proprietors began to hold meetings, there were no more grants made by the town. They, however, did not dispute the validity of the grants already made, but voted to confirm them ; and for a while continued to make grants themselves, to new settlers, but not without much opposition from several proprietors.
January 14th, [1728] it was voted at a proprietor's meeting, "that Stephen Averel, Edward Melcher, John Staggpole, John Baxter, Ensign John Watson, John Whitten, James Deshon, Jabez Dorman, John Morging, Samuel Perkins, John Merrill, John Alltimes, Samuel Morging, and Benjamin Haley, should have one hundred acres of Land a Pece Laid out to them on the Country Road in Arundel, as it is laid from Wells Township to Saco across Bedeford the uper way, by a Commety appointed for that purpose, which Land so
*The following persons were afterwards made proprietors .- In 1728, Benjamin Downing, Jacob Wildes, John Fairfield, Joseph Averill, Joshua Walker, Jacob Curtis, Thomas Perkins, jr. of Kennebunk, Nathaniel Hendricks, Robert Smith, John Perkins. 1729, James March, Pendleton Fletcher. 1730, Thomas Prentice. 1731, Thomas Bond, John Treeworgy, Samuel Robinson, Samuel Wildes, Jeremiah Folsom, Isaac Curtis, Samuel Hutchins, Joshua Purinton. 1737, Robert Cleaves, Jonathan Stone, John Whitten, John Jellison, John Merrill. 1738, Benjamin Durrell, Shadrach Watson, Moses Foster, Ebenezer Watson, Abel Merrill, James Carr, Thomas Demsey, Jeremiah Miller, Samuel Hutchins, jun. Noah Baily. 1763, Thomas Perkins, Esq. Gideon Merrill, Israel Stone, Joseph Averill, Charles Huff, William Smith, Humphrey Deering, Andrew Brown, Abner Perkins, Benjamin Burbank, Stephen Harding, Benjamin Downing, Samuel Wildes. 1780, Ja- bez Dorman, Asa Durrill, Samuel Robinson, Paul March, John Fairfield, Jacob Wildes, John Walker, Jacob Curtis, Dummer Mitchell, John Adams, Levi Hutchins, Benj. Meeds Lord, Jona- than Stone, Tobias Lord ..
The last proprietor's meeting was holden July 3, 1780 ; and the last entry made by the proprietor's clerk, was April 3, 1790.
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A. D. 1730.] KENNEBUNK PORT.
laid out shall not exceed fourty Rods in breadth but- ing on said Road, and otherways as Convenient as Pos- ible Can be don; which persons having so Received their Lands, shall be oblidged to settle according to the Commetys Directions, who shall be chosen and ap- pointed to Lay out the Land as aforesaid, and shall be obliged to settle on said Land according to the Com- metys Directions in a Defencable manner, and give bond to Preform the same. And likewise the Commety are Chosen, apointed, and Impowred to Lay out unto all the Proprietors that are now inhabitants in Arun- del, a Lot of Land buting upon the same Road or Highway, according to their intrest in said Town, as it will hold out, who shall be obliged to help the first twelve settlers on said Road to fortifie in a way of De- fence, or else loose their Intrust in said division of Land." Two hundred acres of land were also granted, at the same place, for the use of the ministry. This land, however, was never laid out.
The committee, chosen to lay out lots on Saco road, laid out " 800 acres on the north side of Mr. John Wat- son's land, joyning a brook, which is known by the name of Cards brook, and likewise it layeth on the North side of the land laid out to Isaac Curtis on ye aforesaid brook." Four of the lots, of 100 acres each, were on the west side of the road, and the other four on the east side. The remaining six lots were on the south side of Cur- tis's land, on the west side of the road. The fourteen persons to whom they were laid out, were to pay 10s each and draw lots for them ; and gave bonds to settle on them and remain there ten years " with ought sum Extreordinary thing whare by they are forsed to remove, or loose there lives." They were likewise to build a garrison on the lot next to that of Isaac Curtis, of tim- ber twelve inches square, to be ten feet high and sixty feet square, with two good flankers.
The committee also reported that each of the pro- prietors should have 40 acres of land, laid out to him, for every 100 acres he was then in possession of, by paying 20s towards helping the first settlers to build their garrison. These lots were afterwards known as the draft lots.
This was the commencement of the settlement on
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Saco road, or the old post road from Kennebunk to Saco .* Card's brook is the stream of water running through the tan yard of Stephen Mitchell. Edward Melcher lived near where Moses Thompson now does ; John Alltimes, near the school house ; and John Wat- son, near the dwelling house of Nathaniel Mitchell. The garrison was built on the spot where Thomas Dorman now resides. At what time the road was first located is not known. The one ordered by the Mas- sachusetts commissioners in 1653, although there was no return of it, was over the mouth of Kennebunk river at the wading place, by the sea shore to Cape Porpoise, and to Winter Harbor. In 1674 a road was ordered to be laid out " from Wells to Henry Sayward's mills at Mousom, from thence to Saco falls."
If this road was ever laid out, it must have been above the former one, as Sayward's mills were near where the factory is. It is probable however that it was never made, for in 1681 another road was ordered from Kennebunk river, " through Kenibunke swampe," to Scamman's ferry at Saco. If this order was ever complied with, which however is very doubtful, it must have been the road to Biddeford lower meeting house, as Scamman's ferry was near the mouth of Saco river. There was another order passed by the county court, 1688, for a road from Wells to Saco falls. The war with the Indians, which commenced about that time, probably prevented the road from being made ; although when the road from Cape Neddock [York] to Saco falls was required to be built by the court in 1719, an old road was alluded to. They were ordered to lay it out " from Mousom river as the road now goes to Kennebunk river, to the usual wading place below the mill, thence keeping the old road to Saco Lower falls below the fort." This last mentioned road must have crossed Kennebunk river, near where the present post road does, as Littlefield's mill, the one undoubtedly re- ferred to, was near where the present bridge is. The order perhaps was not immediately complied with, although it was probably afterwards done, as it does
*There were several of the name of Card residing in the county, some of whom perhaps lived in this town.
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TO 1731.]
not appear that there was another road ordered till the time of the settlement before mentioned. From the proprietors book of records, it would seem that it was laid out but a short time before the settlement was con- templated, as it is spoken of as the road " laid out from Wells township to Saco across Biddeford, the upper way." The road was undoubtedly soon after made, although Sullivan, page 220, says "the road from Piscataqua eastward, was on the sea shore through Cape Porpoise,-until the year 1750, when the post road now used, was laid out by order of the county court." Folsom also says, page 273, " that travellers contin- ued to ford the mouth of Kennebunk river, and to take advantage of the sea shore, where it was practicable, until all apprehension of danger from Indians was re- moved. The road to Kennebunk-port, which strikes the Winter Harbor road near the lower meeting house in Biddeford, was laid out about 1750, and it was not till several years after that date, that the present mail route to Kennebunk was attempted." These writers, differing in their statements,* were both mistaken, as there was a lot of land described on the county records, 1731, " as lying on the upper road from Wells to Bid- deford, being above Littlefield's mills."+ Also in 1732, when the line between Arundel and Biddeford was perambulated, the selectmen, in their return, say the north east corner of the town " is 33 miles above the upper Rode that is laid out from Wells to Biddeford." It must have been the present post road meant, in the return, as it is about that distance from the upper limits of the town ; while the road to the lower meeting house in Biddeford, where it crosses the town line, is at least six miles from the north east corner.
If the road was only laid out at this time, and not made, it was soon after opened, for a complaint was entered against Arundel, 1734, for want of a bridge, " near Watson's house on the way from Wells to Saco."
*Sullivan wrote his History of Maine in 1795, and Folsom's His- tory of Saco and Biddeford was written in 1830 ; they must there- fore have alluded to the same road.
tOn the town records, in 1731, it was " known by the name of Saco road ;"-a name it has ever since borne.
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HISTORY OF [A. D. 1731.
This bridge must have been over Card's brook, as it was at that place where John Watson lived. The town was again indicted, 1735, for not keeping the highway in repair, " on the upper way from Wells to Saco ;" the next year " the bridge on the upper way over Ken- nebunk river" was presented ; and in 1737, the road was again complained of. Besides, Jabez Dorman kept a public house as early, if not before 1738, on that road ; as did also Robert Patten in 1750, near where the road from the village of Kennebunk-port intersects it. It is probable, however, that travellers used the more safe route by the sea shore, during times of actual hostilities with the Indians.
The grants of these lots were the last made by the proprietors to induce strangers to remove into town. Owing to this short sighted policy of not holding out sufficient inducements to new settlers, population and business received a check.
When the meeting house was first built, it had nei- ther pulpit, galleries nor pews. Before Mr. Prentice was ordained, a pulpit and galleries were built ; and eight pews, which were assigned to the wealthiest or most influential men in town, on the following terms. " The one at the Right hand of the frunt to be offred to Capt. Perkins at £14 ;- at the Left hand to Mr. Fairfield for £13 ;- the two next to the stairs, the wom- ens Stairs, Mr. Major £8, next to the mens Mr. Baxter £8 ;- the pue in the west Corner to Ensign Perkins at £10; the pue at the Left hand of the Pulpit next to it to Mr. Harding at £12 ; the next, to Mr. Downing at &S ; the next, to Mr. Treeworgy at ££7."*
The first claim to land under an adverse title was made in 1731, and in consequence a committee was ap- pointed " for to manage the affair" with Mr. Stoddard and the other Gentlemen of Boston which Claime the Land between Kennebunk river and Batsons River by virtue of a deed from old Mogg Hegin an Indian to Ma- jor Philips." Although the town at first treated this claim rather lightly, they evidently soon began to think it a serious affair, as the next year, [1732] they " fully Impowered Capt. Thomas Perkins to treat with a man
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