USA > Maine > York County > Saco > History of Saco and Biddeford, with notices of other early settlements, and of proprietary governments, in Maine, including the provinces of New Somersetshire and Lygonia > Part 16
USA > Maine > York County > Biddeford > History of Saco and Biddeford, with notices of other early settlements, and of proprietary governments, in Maine, including the provinces of New Somersetshire and Lygonia > Part 16
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In 1669, Capt. Spencer, then living in Boston, convey- ed the remaining & of his mill to Capt. Thomas Savage of Boston. The marriage of Lydia Spencer, unques- tionably a daughter of Roger, to Freegrace Norton about 1660, is recorded in the townbook. Mr. Nor- .ton was on a jury of inquest the following year, and, it is conjectured, afterwards resided in Ipswich, where a per- son of the same name dwelt a few years later. Another daughter of Capt. Spencer married, first, John Hull, a young merchant of Boston, and, after his decease, Wil- liam Phips, the first governor of Mass. Bay under the charter of 1692. Sir William was born in humble cir- cumstances, in the part of ancient Pernaquid now Alna, 1650 ; when eighteen years of age he apprenticed him- self to a shipcarpenter, and four years after went to Bos- ton, "where," says Dr. Mather, his biographer, "he fol- lowed his trade about a year, and by a laudable deport-
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ment so recommended himself, that he married a young gentlewoman of good repute, who was the widow of one Mr. John Hull, a well-bred merchant, but the daughter of one Capt. Roger Spencer, a person of good fashion, who having suffered much damage in his estate by some un- kind and unjust actions, which he bore with such pa- tience that, for fear of injuring the public, he would not seek satisfaction, posterity might afterward see the re- ward of his patience in what providence hath now done for one of his own posterity." A third daughter of Capt. Spencer married Dr. David Bennet of Rowley ; whose son, Spencer Bennet, was adopted by his uncle Sir Wil- liam, and took the name of Phips. He was Lieut. Gov- ernor of Massachusetts from 1732 until his decease in 1757.
James Harman makes an acknowledgement of having slandered John Snelling 1655. Harman married Sarah Clarke 1659. Their children were named Jane and Barberry. We find no other notice of Snelling. The marriages of William Kirkeet, sometimes written Cur- keet, and William Batting are recorded the same year. The former died 1662; his personal property was ap- praised at £134 13s. He owned seventeen head of cat- tle, young and old, which were appraised at £60. The birth of John (1642,) son of Morgan Lacy, was recorded about this time.
John Sparke's lot is mentioned 1656. A small part only of the records of grants seems to have been preser- ved ; Sparke and many others, whose names are not found until a much later date, without doubt received grants of lands 1653. He was buried Octo. 24, 1669. . The house of Walter Mayer, Mare, or Mar, (as the name is variously written,) is spoken of in a town grant of 1656. The births of his children, from 1654 to '74, are carefully registered. Their names were Judith, Mary, Walter, Sara, Rebecca, Ruth, Elizabeth, Benja- min, and Love. Walter was one of the selectmen 1683.
John Bouden married Grace Buly 1656. Their chil- dren were Hannah, Lucy, John and Nicholas : the last born 1673. John Bouden was one of the selectmen 1684. Ambrose Bowden, senior, lived at Black-point
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1658, and his son Ambrose 1681. John was perhaps another son of Ambrose.
Alexander Smith and William Luscom received grants of land from the town 1653. Sydrack, a son of the lat- ter, was drowned 1660.
John Helson married Joane Waddock 1658. Ephra- im Helson was born 1667. John Helson or Elson, was living at Black-point 1681. The former year (1658) John Cole married Mary Chilson. Jolin died 1661. Elyfall (Eliphel) Cole was buried at the same date, per- haps a daughter of John. The names of Mordecai Crau- itt, John Hallsome (perhaps Helson) and Jeremiah Hum- phries, already mentioned as on a jury of inquest this year, do not afterwards occur.
John Sargent was a fisherman at Winter Harbor 1660. His children were Edward, born 1661 ; Benjamin 1673 ; Patience 1675. John and his son Edward were requir- ed to answer a complaint for selling liquor to the Indians 1686 ; forfeiting their recognizances, they were compelled to pay 20l. each. Edward Sargent of Newbury sold a piece of land at Winter Harbor to E. Hill 1727.
Capt. John Alden of Boston, married Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Maj. Phillips, and, if not an inhabitant of the town, was part owner of a sawmill, which he built, as already stated, and passed much time here during the residence of his father in law. It is not improbable that his family was also here. He was on a jury of inquest whose ver- dict is recorded in the town book, September, 1660. The Fluellen deed was attested by him and Harlakenden Sy- monds, (son of the deputy-governor,) 1661, to which a note is appended stating the intended extent of the pur- chase, and referring to the deed of another Sagamore, "written by me, John Alden." Capt. Alden was the son of John Alden of Plymouth, who came over with the band of pilgrims, when but twenty-two years of age, and, it is said, was the first person that leaped upon the shore. His mother was Priscilla, a daughter of Mr. William Mul- lins, another pilgrim. The following pleasant story re- specting the parents of Capt. Alden, is related by a de- scendant in a late publication.
"It is well known, that, of the first company consisting
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of one hundred and one, about one half died in six months after landing, in consequence of the hardships they were called to encounter. Mrs. Rose Standish, consort of cap- tain Standish, departed this life on the 29 of January, 1621. This circumstance is mentioned as an introduc- tion to the following anecdote, which has been carefully handed down by tradition. In a very short time after the decease of Mrs. Standish, the captain was led to think, that if he could obtain Miss Priscilla Mullins, a daughter of Mr. William Mullins, the breach in his family would be happily repaired. He, therefore, according to the custom of those times, sent to ask Mr. Mullins' permission to visit his daughter. John Alden, the messenger, went and faith-
fully communicated the wishes of the captain. The old gentleman did not object, as he might have done, on ac- count of the recency of captain Standish's bereavement. He said it was perfectly agreeable to him, but the young lady must also be consulted. The damsel was then cal- led into the room, and John Alden, who is said to have been a man of most excellent form with a fair and ruddy complexion, arose, and, in a very courteous and prepos- sessing manner, delivered his errand. Miss Mullins lis- tened with respectful attention, and at last, after a consid- erable pause, fixing her eyes upon him, with an open and pleasant countenance, said, prithee, John, why do you not speak for yourself ? He blushed, and bowed, and took his leave, but with a look which indicated more than his diffidence would permit him otherwise to express. How- ever, he soon renewed his visit, and it was not long before their nuptials were celebrated in ample form. From them are descended all of the name, Alden, in the United States. What report he made to his constituent, after the first in- terview, tradition does not unfold ; but it is said, how true the writer knows not, that the captain never forgave him to the day of his death."*
Capt. Alden had the misfortune to suffer the imputa- tion of witchcraft from one of the victims of that delusion
*Rev. T. Alden. (president of Alleghany Coll.) Collect. Am. Epi- taphs. iii. 265. The marriage of the worthy pilgrim's oldest son with a daughter of Maj. Phillips, seems to have escaped the inquiries of Dr. Alden and other Plymouth antiquarics.
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in Boston, 1692, when persons of the most irreproacha- ble character were not safe from the consequences of an accusation, which, it is well known, in many instances proved fatal .* His case is thus described by Hutchinson :
"Capt. John Alden, of Boston, was accused, who was thereupon sent down to Salem. He had been many years commander of a sloop in the colony service, employed for supplying the forts east with provisions and stores ; and although, upon his first appearing, the justices allowed that he always had the character of an honest man, yet one of them, Gidney, soon after, let him know he then saw reason to think otherwise of him. Alden, in his ac- count, says, that the accuser first pointed to another man and said nothing, but that the man who held her stooped down to her car, and then she cried out, Alden, Alden. All were ordered into the streets, and a ring made, and then she cried out, There stands Alden, a bold fellow, with his hat on, sells powder and shot to the Indians, & c. He was immediately taken into custody of the marshal and required to deliver up his sword. A further exami- nation was had in the meeting-house, and his hands were held open by the officer, that he might not pinch the af- flicted, who were struck down at the sight of him, and made their usual cries ; all of which the justices deemed sufficient grounds for committing him to gaol, where he lay fifteen weeks, and then he was prevailed on by his friends to make his escape, and to absent himself until the consternation should abate, and the people recover the use of their reason."
Capt. Alden died at Boston 1702 ; his children were -- John, William, Nathaniel, Zechariah, Anna, and Eliza- beth. Zechariah graduated at Harvard Coll. 1692.
Richard Randall, son of Richard, was born 1659 ; and Sara, daughter of Richard, 1661. Arthur Wormstall, freeman at Wells 1653, was living in Saco 1660. His
*The name of Rev. George Burroughs who was executed at Salem Aug. 19, 1692, will occur to the minds of our readers. "He met his untimely end," says Rev. Mr. Felt, "with christian fortitude. Though his accusers charged him with deeds of murder, as was common for them to do in reference to others, yet he appears to have been a wor. thy man." Annals of Salem. 307.
.. ... . .
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children were Susan, born 1658; Arthur 1661 ; John 1669. Arthur was one of the selectmen 1680. Mr. John Gray and Robert Field (probably a son in law of Maj. Phillips,) were on a jury of inquest 1660. John Wakefield attested the deed of Walter Hegone to Phil- lips 1660. He died 1673 ; leaving four sons, John, James, Henry, and William, and three daughters, one the wife of William Frost. The latter, to whom Maj. Phil- lips sold a piece of land near the falls, had two sons at the time of Wakefield's death, William and Nathaniel. Christopher Collins of Saco, purchased N. Edgecomb's house and land at Blue-point 1660. The name Collins occurs in the town book 1672.
The next year (1661) we find on a jury of inquest Mr. William Tharall ; Gregory Jeffery, who was admit- ted freeman at Cape Porpoise 1653 ; Richard More, freeman at Wells 1653 ; John Rice, whose house was hired for Rev. S. Fletcher by the town ; - Burnitt, and - Ward. Edward Clark, freeman at Wells 1653, was buried this year. Walsingham Chilson recei- ved a grant of town land. William Chilson was married to Grace Briar, (perhaps Briant,) several years later. Mercy Chelson was buried Aug. 1674.
David Hambleton married Anna Jackson 1662. Ar- thur Hewes married Dunie Stevens 1663. Thomas San- ders married Hope Reynolds 1664 ; probably a daughter of William Reynolds, at Cape Porpoise 1653. Arthur Batting married Abigail Spurwell 1664; Christopher Spurwell was made freeman at Cape Porpoise 1653. John Henderson was born 1664. Peter Henderson re- ceived a grant of land 1671, next to John, sen. running from 'the spring southwest into the woods.' John Dun- mark, son of Patrick, and - Carter, son of John, were born 1667. Michael and John, sons of Michael Naziter, were born 1664-6. Richard Peard married Jane Naziter 1669. Peter, son of John Anderson, was born 1667. Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Doughty, was born 1670. Margery and Margaret, daughters of Humphry Case, were born 1671-3. William Warren re- ceived a grant of land 1671, next to Peter Henderson. Thomas Powell was a referee in a controversy between
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Sargent and Hitchcock 1670. Giles Hibbins married Mary Pennel 1670. He received liberty from the town to plant a piece of land "at the neck of land commonly called the Middle rock," until further order, 1673 ; and the next year was granted "all the neck of land joining unto the Little river and unto the marsh," the same lot doubtless. William Seely died 1672. His children were Emm, married to John Ruel 1668 ; and Dorcas, married to James Gibbins, jr. the same year. Giles Read mar- ried Judith Mayer about 1674.
At a town commissioners' court holden before Maj. Phillips, associate, and Waddock, Gibbins and Hooke, commissioners, about 1664, John Williams and John Palmer were defendants in two actions of debt, Francis Hooke, plaintiff. A former remark respecting the name Williams should therefore be corrected ; as the de- fendants were doubtless inhabitants of the town. William Sheldon appears about the same time ; Thomas Fox a few years later. Sheldon and Palmer were inhabitants of Scarboro' 1681-3.
Few of the early inhabitants have a more numerous posterity than Humphry Scamman, whose admission 12 June, 1680, has already been noticed. He was born 1640, perhaps in Portsmouth, N. H. where Mr. Richard Scamman settled about that time. Humphry afterwards lived at Kittery point ; but the records of that town do not contain his name until 1677, when the birth of his son Humphry was registered. His wife's name was Eliz- abeth ; their children were Humphry, born May 10, 1677; Elizabeth, who was married to Andrew Haley of Kitte- ry, 1697 ; Mary and Rebecca, whose husbands' names were Puddington and Billings ;* and Samuel, born 1689. Mr. Scamman removed to Cape Porpoise (Kennebunk- port) before he came to Saco, where he received a town grant 1679 ;+ the same year in which he purchased the estate of H. Waddock in Saco. He died in this town 1 January, 1727.
*Both Portsmouth names as early as 1640. Belknap. Hist. N. H. i. 47. 1A few leaves of the C. Porpoise records (about 1660) remain.
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CHAPTER XV.
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The peace made with the Indians in 1678 continued, with some slight interruptions, for a period of ten years. During this short interval the inhabitants were often a- larmed by indications of a renewal of hostilities and the horrors of savage warfare. The utmost precaution was used to guard against surprise, and little real quiet seems to have been enjoyed. The tribes inhabiting Maine, to . whom the French gave the general name Abenaquis, and the English, Tarrentines, were regarded by the former people as "the most mild and docile of the Indians" ;* and this opinion of their natural character is confirmed by the peaceful intercourse which they so long maintained with the first settlers. But the late war, and the instiga- tions of the Canadian French, developed their worst pas- sions, and converted them from friends into the most cruel enemies of the English inhabitants. The peace did not restore to them their former amicable feelings ; having be- come familiarized to scenes of violence and lawless de- predation, the once peaceful and harmless native was transformed into a blood-thirsty savage, prepared for the most atrocious deeds. Another cause, also, operated to degrade and corrupt the character of the Indians, which has had its effect in succeeding times, and in every part of the country; we refer to the practice of supplying them with spiritous liquors. To this should be added the gross impositions of unprincipled traders, which ex- cited their hatred and jealousy towards the English gener- ally. The laws on this subject were not sufficiently en-
forced until too late to correct the error.
One of the
first orders passed by the Court under President Dan- forth, 1680, was intended to arrest the evil ; which pro- hibited the sale of spiritous liquors to the Indians under a penalty of 20s. for every pint sold to them, and likewise all trade with them in beaver or other peltry without spe- cial license from the government.
*Hutchinson. i. 404.
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In the summer of 1681 some depredations committed at Wells, caused orders to be issued to the military to hold themselves in readiness. The inhabitants were at that time directed "to carry arms and ammunition to public meetings ;" a precaution which long continued to be prac- tised. Another alarm spread through the Province a- bout two years later, when the following order of the Council, assembled by the deputy-president at Wells, was passed : "Whereas by intelligence from several places there appeareth vehement suspicion of the rising of the Indians in hostility against the English of this country, which calls for a readiness most speedily to prepare a- gainst the assault of so barbarous an enemy, whereof the Council being sensible do account themselves obliged to take effectual care, do order as follows : that the militia of every town in this province shall with all convenient speed, at the public charge of the towns wherein they live, provide garrison or garrisons in each town that may be convenient for the entertainment and defence of the whole inhabitants thereof, and to use their best endeavor therein, and order that every particular person in each town be furnished with arms and ammunition, according to the number of persons capable to use them."
Garrisons, it is well known, were a common means of defence provided by the inhabitants throughout N. Eng- land down to the latest period of Indian hostilities. They were nothing more than wooden fabrics built of massive timber, commonly having flankers, or wings, of the same material, and furnished with loop holes.
A solid wall of palisadoes, of great thickness and strength, was in . some cases made to enclose the garrison, leaving a con- siderable space around the premises, within which the people were safe from a sudden assault. The remains of buildings of this description may yet be seen in some places, and have existed until within a few years in our own towns.
The following letter from Maj. Hooke, (who had re- moved from Saco,) to a gentleman of New Hampshire, describes an alarm that occurred not long after the date of the above order :
"CAPT. BAREFOOT-SIR, This is to inform you that just
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now there came to me a post, wherein I am fully informed that there is just ground to feare that the heathen have a souden designe against us : they having lately about Sa- coe affronted our English inhabitants there by threatening of them, as also killinge theyre doggs : but more par- ticularly in that on Friday, and Lord's day last they have gathered all theyre corne, and are removed both pack and packidge. A word to the wise is enough. The old proverb is, forewarned forearmed. Myself and rest in com- mission with us are fourthwith setting ourselves in a pos- ture, and tomorrow our counsell meet for to consider what is needful to be done. Not else, beinge in greate haste, butt remayn, Sir, your obliged servant,
FRANCIS HOOKE.
: Kittery, 13 Aug. 1685."
In the spring of 1688, the tradinghouse of the Baron of St. Castine, a French inhabitant on the eastern side of the Penobscot, was plundered by Gov. Andros, on the pretence of its being seated within the limits of the English jurisdiction, which the Baron refused to acknow- ledge. Castine had resided many years in the country, having come out as an officer in the French regiment to Canada 1664 : these troops were disbanded three years after, and chiefly settled in Canada, where they received grants of lands from government. The Baron penetra- ted the wilderness, and finally pitched upon a spot near the mouth of the Penobscot, which at an earlier period had been occupied by a French establishment. He here lived in the midst of the Penobscot Indians, and even took for his wives the daughters of the chief Madocawan- do, the most powerful of the eastern sachems. The out- rage of Andros, committed during the absence of the Baron, was probably the immediate cause of the war which soon after followed ; as the affronted Frenchman stirred up the hatred and animosity of the savages in that region against the English, and supplied them with arms and ammunition for carrying on hostilities. The Indians in the western part of the Province, pretended to have sufficient grounds for renewing the war. . They complai- ned that the tribute of corn stipulated to be paid them, had been refused : that they were disturbed in their fish-
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ing on Saco river by the use of nets and seines, which obstructed the passage of the fish : that their lands were granted away by patents : and that they were cheated and abused by the traders. Threats were thrown out during the summer, which justly alarmed the inhabitants. At length, a report having reached this place that some mischief had been done at North Yarmouth, Mr. Black- man, who was a justice of the peace, ordered Capt. John Sargent to seize sixteen or twenty Indians who had been most active in the former war, in order to have an exami- nation, and to bring in the rest to a renewal of the treaty .* They were carried under a strong guard to Falmouth. Notice of this transaction having been sent to Boston, judge Stoughton and others came down to obtain a con- ference with the Indians by means of the prisoners, but their endeavors proved ineffectual, and they returned, ta- king the prisoners with them.
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Blood was first shed at Dartmouth, now Newcastle, near Pemaquid, early in September .; A few days after Capt. Gendal and his servant were killed at North Yar- mouth. Towards winter two families of the names Bar- row and Bussy, living in Kennebunk, near Winterharbor, were cut off. Gov. Andros, who was at N. York when the Indian prisoners were carried to Boston, on his return set them at liberty, from an idea that too much severity had been practised by his predecessors in their treatment of the savages ; at the same time he issued a proclama- tion, requiring the authors of the late outrages to be given up. No notice was taken of this demand, when Andros raised a large body of soldiers, (as we have before stated,) and marched at their head in the depth of winter from Boston to Pemaquid, but without destroying a single ene- my, although some of his own men perished with the cold. In April, 1689, "the savages began to renew hostilities at Saco falls, on a Lord's day morning," says Mather ; but no lives appear to have been lost. Two or three months after, four young men of this town going to seek their horses for the purpose of joining a party under Captain
*Cotton Mather, (the historian of the second Indian war,) Magna- lia, il. 506. tHutchinson. i. 326.
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WVincol, were waylaid and killed. A company of twenty four men was immediately raised to search for the bodies of the slain, who falling in with the savages, pursued them into 'a vast swamp,' probably the Heath, but were obliged to retire with the loss of six of their number.
A revolution in the government took place this season, which resulted in the forcible removal of Andros. From a statement afterwards published by the latter, we learn that ten companies, composed of sixty men each, were stationed in Maine ; one of which, commanded by Capt. John Lloyd, was placed here, and afterwards increased by an additional detachment of twenty eight-men. A Jess number, under Lieut. Puddington, was stationed at Kennebunk, "to be relieved from Saco."*
The next year, 1690, was signalized by the destruction of the settlement at Salmon Falls,f (Berwick,) and the capture of the fort at Falmouth, by two parties of French and Indians. "The garrisons at Papoodack, (C. Eliza- beth,) Spurwink, Black-point and Blue-point," says Dr. Mather, "were so disanimated by these disasters, that without orders they drew off immediately to Saco, twenty miles within Casco, and from Saco in a few days also they drew off to Wells, twenty miles within the said Saco ; and about half Wells drew off as far as Lieut. Storer's."
Scouting parties were employed during the summer be- tween Portsmouth and Falmouth, by means of which the Indians were restrained from further depredations of any magnitude. In September, Col. Church was sent into the province with considerable forces, partially composed of friendly natives of the old colony. They landed at Pegypscot, where a fort, built by Andros, had been in pos- session of the Indians who hastily fled on the approach of Col. Church, leaving behind several women and children ; these falling into his hands were all put to death('knocked on the head,') except the wives of two chiefs whose influence was wanted to obtain a restoration of prisoners. From that place, Col. Church sailed to
VI ¥3 Mass. Ilist. Coll. i. 86. It is also stated that these troops all de- serted after the return of Andros from the eastward : but Captain Lloyd subsequently performed many valuable services in the Pro- vince. See Mather. tCharlevoix, liv. vii. writes the name Sementels.
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Winter Harbor ; the next morning after they arrived, 'they discovered some smokes rising towards Scamman's garrison : he immediately sent away a scout of 60 men, and followed presently with the whole body.'* This gar- rison was about three miles below the falls, on the eastern side of the river ; when the detachment approached it, they discovered the Indians on the opposite side. Three of them, however, had crossed the river, and seeing our men, ran with great speed to their canoe ; in attempting to re-cross, one who stood up to paddle, was killed by a shot from the party, and falling upon the canoe caused it to 'break to pieces,' (says Church,) 'so that all three per- ished.' The firing alarmed the other savages who aban- doned their canoes and ran from the river. 'Old Doney,' a noted Indian, was at the Falls, together with a prisoner, Thomas Baker, t and hearing the guns, came down the river in his canoe ; but on perceiving our men, ran his canoe ashore, and leaping over the head of Baker, esca- ped to the other Indians. Col. Church afterwards went again to Casco bay, and from thence back as far as Wells, where the chiefs whose wives had been spared, came in, and 'said three several times that they would never fight against the English any more, for the French made fools of them, &c.' But early the following year (1691), fresh outrages were committed.
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