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 19
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 19
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been set off to her, was divided at a recent period among the other heirs ; it is called the Canada lot .*
Col. Thomas Westbrook was appointed to command the forces in Maine the same year. He came to Winter Harbor with a body of men in May, and supplied Fort Mary and the garrisons in the town with men and provi- sions. The fort was commanded at that time by Capt. Ward. The following extracts from the journal of Col. Westbrook, furnish an account of his operations at this place. "May 8. Arrived at Winter Harbor ; supplied Capt. Ward with provisions and other stores for his com- pany. Lieut. Dominicus Jordan being here, supplied him with 76 days' provisions for five men posted at his garrison at Spurwink. May 9. Supplied Richard Stimp- son with provisions for five men posted at his garrison for 76 days. Proceeded to visit the several garrisons in the town, accompanied by the principal part of the inhabi- tants, with whom I consulted the properest method to be taken for the security of the inhabitants. Returned through the woods to Mr. Samuel Jordan's. On my re- turn gave Capt. Ward orders to post men at the several garrisons as follows : at Mr. Hill's 3; at Stackpole's 4; at Tarbox's 4; at Dyer's 3; at Capt. Sharp's 3. The men were ordered to obey the commands of the masters of the garrisons where they were posted, doing their du- ty of watching and warding until further order, and not to absent themselves at any time without liberty. May 10. Posted four men at John Brown's garrison at Saco Falls ; supplied him with provisions, and ammunition. Sabbath day, 12th. Rev. Mr. Eveleth preached two ser- mons at the Fort."
Of the garrisons mentioned in the Journal, Hill's was on Ferry lane, between the house of Capt. I. Lassell and the main road. Stackpole's was on the spot where Judge Jordan afterwards erected a house, now occupied by his son Ralph Tristram Jordan, Esq. Dyer's and Tarbox's
*The above account appears to be the most authentic tradition on the subject, for which we are indebted to one of the family, who has often heard Humphry Scamman relate the story of his visit to his long lost and 'wept' sister. The name of Mary's husband is pronoun- ced Dunincoor ; we are not certain as to its orthography.
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garrisons were in the lower part of the town near the Pool. Capt. Sharpe lived on Rendezvous-point, near Haley's gut. The cellar of his house is still visible. In a disposition of other forces made the same year, it was ordered that "15 men and a sergeant be posted at Saco Falls, six of them on the east side of the river in the gar- rison, and the others on the west side." The garrison on the eastern side was probably that of John Brown, and appears to have been situated where the store of Mr. Jonathan King now stands. Within the recollection of persons of not very advanced age, the remains of a forti- fication have been seen on that spot, which was called Fort hill. The ground has been since much levelled.
4 Early the next year, 1724, Father Ralle and the In- dian village at Norridgewock were destroyed. The fate of the Jesuit was truly tragical, but not undeserved ; his influence had been used to encourage the barbarous as- s aults of the Norridgewocks on the defenceless settle- ments, in execution of the policy of the French govern- ment. The enterprise was conducted by Capts. John- son Harmon and Jeremiah Moulton, both of York, at the head of two hundred men.
In May, the Indians after killing one man and wound- ing another at Cape Elizabeth, came to this place ; but, the inhabitants being well secured in their garrisons, they succeeded only in taking the life of a friendly native, named David Hill. We hear of no other mischief done here during the remainder of the war, of which we can assign the exact date. Mr. John Stackpole, father of the late Deacon Stackpole, was made prisoner under the fol- lowing circumstances. He was taken on the beach lead- ing to the Neck ; espying the Indians at a distance, he ran into the Pool, and attempted to wade across ; but one of the party, said to have been the noted Wahwa, who was well known to Stackpole, pursued him, crying out, "Boon quarter, John ! boon quarter !" meaning that he would spare his life. Unable to escape, Stackpole yield- ed himself a prisoner. The party took him to Canada, passing a winter on the way in the wilderness near the White mountains. He returned after an absence of 19 months. Nathaniel Tarbox and Thomas Haley were
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killed at Winter Harbor in the course of the war; the former was quite young.
In 1725, occurred the celebrated affair of Capt. Lovell and his company with the Pequawket Indians, on the shore of a pond in Fryeburg, which now bears the name of the ill-fated hero. One of the survivors of this des- perate battle, Josiah Jones, having been badly wounded, was left by his companions at a short distance from the scene of the action, in despair of his ability to return ; but Jones gathering strength, succeeded in finding his way through the wilderness, subsisting on berries and roots, and arrived after several days at this place. He was wretchedly emaciated by hunger, and almost ex- hausted from the loss of blood, having been unable to staunch his wounds completely before he came in. "He was kindly treated," says the author of a valuable account of the battle, "by the people at Saco, and recovered of his wounds."* The Pequawkets were never formidable as a tribe after this time ; the remnant of them that re- mained about the head of Saco river, became pensioners on the bounty of government, and have at length sunk in- to total extinction. The last of the race died several years since.
In the course of the year, commissioners were sent by Mass. to Canada, to remonstrate with the governor of that province on his violation of the neutrality existing between England and France. An interview took place at the same time, by the mediation of the governor, be- tween the commissioners and several chiefs of the In- dians ; the latter modestly proposed, "that if the English would demolish all their forts, and remove one mile west- ward of Saco river, rebuild their church at Norridge- wock and restore to them their priest, they would be bro- thers again." It is unnecessary to say that such terms were not regarded as a serious proposition for peace. A treaty was, however, made, in December, with the Penob- scot and the other eastern tribes, and confirmed the follow-
*Rev. T. Symmes, of Bradford, Mass. See, also, Belknap. Hist. N. H. ii. 53. and a Centennial Address, commemorating the battle, delivered at Fryeburg 1825, by C. S. Daveis, Esq. of Portland.
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ing summer at Falmouth, where Lieut. Gov. Dummer, the acting Governor of Mass. Bay, Messrs. Wentworth of New Hampshire, and Mascarene of Nova Scotia, with other gentlemen, met the Penobscot chief, who ap- peared in behalf of all the tribes .*
This treaty was considered the most judicious that had ever been made with the Indians, t and was followed by a long cessation of hostilities. As the Penobscot chief alone was present, it was considered necessary to call another conference at the same place the succeeding year; when the sachems of the other tribes appeared, and gave their assent to the articles of the treaty. Among the persons who signed the treaty on the part of the gov- ernment, we find the name of Samuel Jordan, of this town.# The war, which had lasted three years, was computed to have cost the Government of Mass. Bay no less than £170,000. The savages lost at least one third of their whole strength.§ The Indians were promised in the treaty to have tradinghouses established, for supplying them with goods, in exchange for furs and other commo-
. "The Rev. Thomas Smith was then the minister of Falmouth ; from whose journal, published a few years since, we extract the fol- lowing notices of the negotiation of the treaty.
"July 15, 1726. The New Hampshire gentlemen came here in a brig. 16. The Mass. gentlemen came here in the evening, and lie below. 17. Sunday. The gentlemen all at meeting. In the mor- ning the gentlemen came on shore and made considerable appearance with their drums and guns. The governor [Dummer] guarded in pomp to meeting. 22. The gentlemen spent this week entirely idle waiting for the Indians. 23. The Indians came here from Penobscot on a message to the government, and were sent away in the after- noon. -. The Lient Gov .. with the gentlemen, sailed up the bay. 29. This morning the gentlemen returned from Arowsick [Kenne- bec.] The Indians to the number of 40, all of the Penobscot tribe, came in here. In the afternoon the Congress opened. August 1. There was a public dinner. 2. Several days were spent in private treaties, to pave the way for the public ratifications. 4. All private conferences were finished this day. 5. The ratification of the peace was publicly done this day in the meeting house. 6. Some affairs relating to the ratification that were left unsettled yesterday. were this day finished, and all concluded with a public dinner. 8. The N. H. gentlemen sailed. 10. This week spent in interpreting to the In- diany the journal of all their actions, and in fully settling some other matters. 12. The governor and other gentlemen sailed this day for Boston. Capt. Franklin carried the Indians to St. Georges "
Hutch. Ilist. ii. 257. #N. H. Hlist. Coll. ii. 201. § Penhallow.
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dities of their own procuring. The same promise had been made by Gov. Shute ten years before, but the Gen- eral Court made no provision for its performance. This measure was now carried into effect. The General Court passed resolves, for establishing tradinghouses on the rivers St. Georges, Kennebec, and Saco. Lieut. Gov- ernor Dummer, in his speech 1727, informed the House "that he had received a pressing letter from Agam- muet, the Principal of the Arrasagunsacook Indians* that appeared at the late treaty, that there may be a sta- ted supply for that tribe at Winter. Harbor"; and recom- mended that place or some other on Saco river for the purpose. The House fixed on Fort Mary, at Winter Harbor. A memorial from Capt. James Woodside, com- mander of Fort Mary, was presented at the same time, showing that said Fort was out of repair, "of which," says the memorial, "His Honor, the Lieut. Governor, was aware when there last summer."f The Court pas- sed an order, empowering Capt. Samuel Jordan to attend
to this subject. Capt. Woodside was the first truckmas- ter, or superintendent of the tradinghouse. An attempt was made to have him dismissed from the charge, as "un- fit and disagreeable to the Indians," but without success.
At the winter session of the court, 1727-S, a petition was presented from John Stackpole in behalf of himself and sundry other inhabitants, against the tradinghouse be- ing near the sea, and praying that it may be further re- moved from the town. The subject was referred to a committee, who reported in favor of removing the truck- house to Salmon Falls, "8 or 9 miles above the old stone fort, on the west side of Saco river." They also recom- mended to erect a building 55 feet long, 27 feet wide, and nine feet stud ; to be composed of square pine tim- ber, nine inches thick, together with a storehouse for safely keeping the goods. The report was accepted. The plan was carried into effect the following season, on a spot now in Hollis, ¿ mile below Union Falls. A ser- geant with a guard of ten men was stationed there, for
*On the upper part of Androscoggin river. tMass. Records.
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the protection of the trade. The truckmaster received a salary of £120. A chaplain was also appointed, who probably visited the other tradinghouses. An order passed, directing the treasurer of the Province to sup- ply goods to the amount of £800. Capt. Thomas Smith, a merchant, of Boston, was appointed truckmaster as early as 1737 .* He was father of the Falmouth minister, whose journal we have quoted. Under date July, 1739, the latter says : "The Governor lodged at my father's truckhouse this night." Again : "Dec. 21, 1740. I rode to Saco, lodged with my father at Smith's, [tavern] who was forced out of his own lodgings by vast quantities of ice, which jambed and raised the water 18 inches higher than his bedstead." There had been 'a great freshet' a few days before. The Truckhouse was on the bank of the river, and liable to be inundated. The tavern at which they lodged, was kept by Capt. Daniel Smith, who lived near the upper meetinghouse in Biddeford, where Mr. Joseph Dearbon's house now stands. Capt. Thomas Smith died, probably at his son's house in Falmouth, Feb. 18, 1742.+
CHAPTER III.
The Rev. Mathew Short was preaching at Winter Har- bor on the re-organization of the town 1717. A petition of the inhabitants to the General Court 1720, states, that "whereas this court has been pleased for some time to allow the sum of 40l. a year for the support of their minister, who is likewise chaplain of his Majesty's Fort at Winter Harbor, the said allowance is still necessary, said town being poor and thin of inhabitants." The same sum was granted several years. A small grant (40 acres) from the town to Mr. Short, was laid out in 1721. He soon after removed to Easton, Mass., and died before
*Mass. Records. tJournal. 23.
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1731. He sold his land in Biddeford, 130 acres in all, to Rev. Thomas Foxcroft of Boston, 1726, by whom it was afterwards conveyed to Rev. Samuel Willard. The births of two children of Mathew and Margaret Short, are recorded in the town-book, viz. Mathew, 20 April, 1719 ; Ebenezer, 21 March, 1721. Mr. Short gradua- ted at Harvard College, 1707.
The next minister was Rev. John Eveleth ; who took his collegiate degree at Harvard 1689. He preached at Stow, Mass. 1700, and was settled there a few years af- ter .* Being dismissed from that place 1717, he after- wards preached at Manchester, Mass., and in 1719, came to Arundel (now Kennebunk-port.) March 4, 1723, Scamman and Hill were appointed by our townsmen "to discourse with Mr. Eveleth and the selectmen of Arun- del," to know whether the consent of both parties could be attained for him to divide his services equally between Arundel and Biddeford for one year. The proposition was accepted, and the town voted him £26 for the half year. Mr. Eveleth continued to preach in this manner until 1726, when the town determined to have a whole minister. Three years after he was dismissed from Ar- undel, and discontinued preaching, f being somewhat ad- vanced in years. .
Mr. Eveleth was succeeded by Rev. Marston Cabot, a graduate of Harvard 1724. He came to this town 1727, but declined settling, although offered a good stipend, viz. £80 per annum, and board ; and "when he should see cause to alter his condition, to keep house, then the town promises to build and give him a convenient house as a parsonage and 100 acres of land, or to give him £110, and let him provide for himself." He remained about two years, living with Capt. Samuel Jordan, who was paid £35 a year for his board. Mr. Cabot afterwards settled in Killingly, Conn.}
In Sept. 1728, the town voted "that Mr. Moses Hale be sent to, to dispense the word of God, if to be obtain- ed"; probably the same graduated 1722. He did not
*1 Mass. Hist. Coll. x. 83. tGreenleaf. Eccl. Sketches. 60. #Farmer. MIS. letter.
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come. Mr. John Moody was preaching here early the following year. At the April meeting, the trustees were ordered to pay him £20 of the town's loan money. In June, a committee composed of John Gray, Esq. H. Scamman, Capt. S. Jordan, Lieut. J. Stackpole, and J. - Davis, was chosen to wait on Mr. Moody, and know whether he was willing to settle in the town. He decli- ned the invitation, "by reason he was too young and wan- ted further acquaintance of learning at some college." Mr. Moody was a native of Newbury, and was subse- quently, from 1730 to 1778, the minister of Newmarket, N. H. On receiving his answer, the town appointed Mr. Scamman "a messenger to treat immediately with some other minister to come and preach the word of God in this town." Three months after, Sept. 2, 1729, a com- mittee was instructed to invite "the continuance of Mr. WILLARD to preach the gospel unto the inhabitants of this town with the same salary that has been paid to other ministers."
In January, the town voted to call Mr. Willard ; the invitation was renewed in May in the following terms : "Voted that Rev. Samuel Willard shall have (if he please to accept) the sum of £110 salary, the strangers' con- tribution, and the town to build him a parsonage house, together with the benefit and improvement of 100 acres of parsonage land, and to board himself during his minis- try. Voted that Capt. John Gray Esq., Capt. Samuel Jordan, and John Stackpole be chosen a committee to desire the Rev. Mr. Samuel Willard's answer."
The answer of Mr. Willard was as follows :- "Gentlemen-Three or four months ago you were pleased at a townmeeting to invite me to settle amongst you as your pastor or minister, and lately at another townmeeting you ratified the said call, for which I have already, and do now return you my hearty thanks. And as I understand that the majority, and indeed a great majority of you, are desirous of my be- ing settled amongst you in the work of the ministry, so accordingly I accept your invitation upon the conditions following, or upon con- ditions equivalent with them ; First, that the house you build be a convenient commodious house, such as is suitable to a minister to live in, and of the same dimensions that most parsonage houses are. Secondly, that you will always repair the house whenever it stands in need of reparation at your own charge. Thirdly, that you will always maintain at your own charge the fence that may be necessary to enclose the parsonage ground, both which are always done by the respective Parishes where such house and lands are. Fourthly ; that
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you will grant me some tract of land or money to purchase it for my- self and assigns, to be wholly mine and theirs ; and I think also this is very reasonable for every minister is doubtless as desirous as any other man to leave something of his own in case he sees micet to change a single state for the other. to be possessed by his relict, or any heir, heirs or assigns. Fifthly : that you will not contract or lessen five pounds of my salary. This also I conceive to be reasona- ble, for you gave five pounds to me hitherto, and I suppose to the other candidates that were my predecessors, per annum, on purpose to find them an horse ; and now because I have bought an horse is it altogether consistent with equity to take away that sum ; for I sup- pose my horse will eat as much as [any] man's commonly speaking, and consequently he will stand in need of five pounds worth of keep- ing per annum as well as any other. Sixthly : That if God in his holy Providence should see good to exercise me with a continued sickness or pain, or loss of the free use of my reason and understand- ing so as to disable me from carrying on preaching and prayer in the house of God, I may notwithstanding have my support continued to me by you during my continuance in this town in the pastoral office. This also seems to me very reasonable, for if I spend myself and amn spent amongst you, ought I not to be considered in all circumstances. Thus, Gentlemen, you see the conditions of my acceptance of the in- vitation. Thus you see how affirmative my answer is. As I told you I desire nothing but what I and every impartial person would think reasonable : Agur's prayer, neither poverty nor riches, but food and raiment convenient for me. Hereupon I hope God al- mighty will succeed my labors amongst you, that both you and I may have joy and comfort here and hereafter together. I pray God that you all may be happy in this world, but especially in the world to come. I am, Gentlemen, your sincere friend and humble servant, SAMUEL WILLARD."
The proposals of Mr. Willard, "all and singular, were voted in the affirmative" by the town.
There is no record of a congregational CHURCH being gathered in the town before this period ; but it is proba- ble that one existed under the ministry of Mr. Fletcher in the preceding century, as several of the inhabitants are known to have been members of churches. A short time previous to the ordination of Mr. Willard, the fol- lowing individuals associated themselves together for this purpose, and constituted the First Church in Biddeford : John Gray, Samuel Jordan, Humphry Scamman, Ebene- zer Hill, John Sharpe, Pendleton Fletcher, Benjamin Haley, Thomas Gilpatrick, Samuel Hinckley, Benjamin Hilton, John Tarr, Robert Whipple, Mark Shepherd. Messrs. Hill and Haley were chosen deacons. The fol- lowing record of their proceedings at that time, is the only one preserved. "Friday, Aug. 14, 1730, Mr. Ha- ley voted moderator by the brethren of the church. 1.
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The ordination of Mr. Samuel Willard was voted to be the last Wednesday of September. 2. Voted to send to the churches of Falmouth, Scarborough, Wells, York, Berwick, and Weymouth. 3. Voted that Mr. Haley, Mr. Hill &c. be the signers to the letters to these churches. 4. Voted that the selectmen be desired to call a town- meeting for their concurrence."
The following is an extract from a letter written by Mr. Willard at this time, to the lady whom he married shortly after, dated,
"Biddeford, Saturday, August 15th, 1730.
"In my last Letter to you, I told you that they were quickly to have a Town Meeting here, to know whether the People would com- ply with the Terms that I offered them, and accordingly they did comply with them, one Person of the meeting only dissenting, two or three being neuter. And they did then appoint a Fast previous to my Ordination, which (Fast) was yesterday. The work of the day was carried on by Mr. Thompson and Mr. Jefferds, two neighbor- ing ministers." The Brethren who are to enter into a Church Socie- ty did yesterday appoint the day of my Ordination to be the last Wednesday of next Month. I intend the week after to be at Rut- land, when, I hope, to be happy with you. I exceedingly long to hear from you, especially since Col. Taylor has sent an Express down in- to these Parts to be careful of ourselves, because he says the Indians do appear in a threatening posture near Rutland. I pray God pre- vent those bloody People from war with us ; and that he would pro- tect all our exposed Towns and all exposed Persons from their Bar- barities."
The ordination of Mr. Willard accordingly took place on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1730, when a Council conven- ed, composed of Rev. Thomas Smith of Falmouth ; Rev. William Thompson of Scarboro' ; Rev. Samuel Jefferds of Wells; Rev. Samuel Moody of York ; Rev. Jere- miah Wise of Berwick, and Rev. Thomas Paine, of . Weymouth. The sermon was preached by Mr. Paine, who took for his text Acts xxvi. 17, 18. It was soon after printed at Boston .* The town voted to defray all the
*Entitled "A Sermon Preached at the Gathering of the Church at Biddeford, and Ordaining the Rev. Mr. Samuel Willard, to the Pas- toral Office there. Sept. 30, 1730. Wit! marginal notes &c. By Thomas Paine, M. A. Pastor of a Church in Weymouth. Boston : Printed for D. Henchman in Cornhil. MDCCXXXI." Pages, fifty one. It was customary for candidates for the ministry to be present on these occasions. Mr. Paine addresses this class of his hearers in the following classical style : "Make it the Matter of your most fre- quent, deep and awful Examination, whether you are really prepared in the great Point, before you dare engage in that sacred Work. This is a most necessary Thing for you, as happy Ministers ; an { if you neglect it, the idolatrous Pagans will rise up in Judgment against
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expenses of the ordination. The salary of Mr. Willard, at first £110 per annum, was afterwards increased by ad- ditions from year to year, until it amounted to £175. His dwellinghouse was a few rods below where Mr. Domini- cus Gillpatrick now lives; the cellar is still seen. The parsonage land was laid out there. In 1732, the town voted "that Mr. John Gordon prefer a petition in behalf of the inhabitants of the town to the Great and General Court of the Province of the Mass. Bay, that all the non- - improved lands in propriety in the aforesaid township be taxed as they shall in their wisdom see meet for the ends that followeth : for building of our minister's house, and payment of the schoolmaster." The court granted a tax of ¿d. per acre for three years.
A meeting house was built by the town a short time previous to the settlement of Mr. Willard. In 1719, the selectmen were empowered to agree with a master buil- der, and to exchange common lands for a lot owned by Mr. Benj. Haley, "for the meetinghouse and a burying place, and a sufficient high way to the ministerial lot." Haley's deed to the town, (recorded in the townbook,) describes the bounds of the land as "beginning at a spring of water known by the name of a dividing line between John and Peter Henderson," whose grants are noticed above, p. 187. The dimensions of the meetinghouse were to be 35 feet length by 30 feet breadth. The
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