USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bristol > History of York, Maine, successively known as Bristol (1632), Agamenticus (1641), Gorgeana (1642), and York (1652) Vol. II > Part 4
USA > Maine > York County > York > History of York, Maine, successively known as Bristol (1632), Agamenticus (1641), Gorgeana (1642), and York (1652) Vol. II > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
In the intervening years little information can be gleaned of the fate of the Clarke's tavern. The liquid refreshments of the village were supplied in 1821 by Samuel Weare and Stephen Freeman, licensed as retailers.
-.
THE CAPE NEDDICK HOUSE, 1860 Kept by "Marm" Freeman
Nothing further appears of record until the advent of the tavern on the Post Road kept by the Freemans. It was built about 1820 and came into prominence in the middle of the last century and was famous as a road house. An author and traveler thus describes his recol- lections of "Marm Freemans Tavern," the Cape Neddick House :
A famous stopping place in by-gone years, when the mail coach between Boston and Portland passed this way. Since I knew it, the house had been brushed up with a coat of paint on the outside, the tall sign post was gone and nothing looked quite natural except the
33
HISTORY OF YORK
capacious red barn belonging to the hotel. The bar room, however, was unchanged, and the aroma of old Santa Cruz still lingered there, though the pretty hostess assured me on the word of a landlady there was nothing in the house stronger than small beer. It was not so of yore, when all comers appeared to have taken the farmers Highgate oath: "Never to drink small beer when you could get ale, unless you liked small beer." (Drake, Nooks and Corners, 122.)
It was burned April 25, 1881, while under the management of Stephen Grant.
SAMUEL CLARKE
An important family was added to the population of Cape Neddick, in the early part of the eighteenth cen- tury, in the person of Samuel Clarke, his wife and children. She was a granddaughter of the late Governor Bradstreet and they were residents of Topsfield, Mass., where they were married in 1712; and he was baptized there January 13, 1690-1, the son of Daniel and Damaris (Dorman) Clarke of that town. He came to York about 1720, buy- ing a lot on Meeting House Creek that year. In some way he had learned of the land lying on both sides of Cape Neddick River, formerly owned by Samuel Banks, the shipwright, which had been unoccupied and unimproved for nearly forty years. This he bought in 1731 of the grandson and only heir, Peter Bourse, a merchant of Newport, R. I., comprising three tracts, in total one hun- dred and twenty-eight acres, the title to which had been confirmed by the Selectmen to Banks' heirs (Deeds x, 181-3). Thereon he lived with his family until his death September 15, 1778, a valued and influential citizen. His activities as a taverner have just been recited as one of his special interests.
A genealogy of this family will appear in Volume III of this history.
THE SUMMER INVASION
About 1868 the southern portion of the Cape Neddick district began to develop remarkably as a summer resort. The once bare ramps of Cape Neck are now dotted with summer cottages in endless continuity, the eastern slopes being known locally as "Concordville," and the western slopes as "Dover Bluffs." The high ground north of the
34
CAPE NEDDICK
1202904
Short Sands, called "Union Bluff," also began to be built up at about the same time. In contrast to the more wealthy colony at York Harbor, it has become a paradise for the "average" citizen, where the social conventions are suspended in the desire and purpose to live here informally and forget the necessity for observance of etiquette. In the height of the season the ancient village, once demure and almost silent, is teeming with life and everything is bent to attract the temporary interests of the pleasure- seeking crowds on the beach and the streets. Automobiles follow each other in a continuous procession; men and women in gaudy bathing trunks parade the streets leading to the beach, and the radio adds its syncopated music to give this scene the latest modern touch. To enumerate the small summer hotels and boarding houses where this congested population is housed during the busy season would be impracticable. The three "general stores" of the Cape Neddick settlement of sixty years ago - Samuel A. Curriers, Joseph Weare's (where the post office was located) and Goodwin's (who had just opened a "new store with new goods and a disposition to please in prices and manners") - have all disappeared, and have been suc- ceeded by dozens of shops, located near the Short Sands, in the York Beach settlement, which now supply the daily needs and frills of age and youth. If John Gooch and Peter Weare could return to Cape Neddick and its environs, after their absence of two and a half centuries and view the merry throng tramping over their ancient highways, care- free and heedless of everything but the present, they would undoubtedly exclaim fervently: "from the pomps and van- ities of this wicked world, good Lord deliver us!"
Farther to the east of the coast road to Ogunquit are the newer settlements on the "craggie cliffs" so pictur- esquely described by Capt. John Smith over three cen- turies ago. The principal developments in this region have been the Passaconaway Inn on York Cliffs and the Bald Head Cliff House near the Wells line on the cliff of that name. A beautiful stone church, St. Peter's-by-the- Sea, built in 1898 near the Conarroe estate where services, according to the rites of the Episcopal church, are held during the summer months for the convenience of visitors temporarily domiciled in that section, gives a sober touch to this rugged landscape. George M. Conarroe and family
35
HISTORY OF YORK
of Philadelphia were for many years patrons of this church and sponsors of the Cliffs as a resort.
POPULATION
The population of this village did not "grow more Capable for a Towne" as anticipated by the founders, for in 1711 the people clustered around the harbor numbered only about fifty souls. Naturally this small fishing and coasting hamlet, composed principally of the Stover, Weare, Clarke and later the Talpey families, did not fur- nish much material for the historian or newsmonger. Never- theless it was not without its tales of remarkable "Provi- dences." The Boston News Letter, in its issue of July II, 1715, has preserved for us the experience of one of the Stovers with a shark, which is here reprinted as it was then considered worthy of space in that sheet:
A strange Accident fell out a few days ago at Cape Nuddeck in York County, one George Stover being fishing in a small Canno, had Catcht about half a dozen Fish, and as he was tending his Line a great Shark about 20 Foot long jumps out of the Water, close to him, which made him paddle towards the shoar, but the Shark, (as he thinks), smelling the Fish jumps upon his Cannoo, sinks and over- setts her, which put him into no small Consternation, however he recover'd his Canno and got upon her Bottom and paddl'd a shoar, he judges the Shark followed the Fish to the Bottom, which was the means of his preservation.
In 1790 the Weares and Stovers still continued to be the leading families numerically of this village, and with the Clarkes, Talpeys, Webbers, Bowdens and Freemans numbered about two hundred souls.
36
CHAPTER II
THE DEMESNE OF THE YOUNGER GORGES
In Chapter VI of Volume I describing the formal grant of land to Ferdinando Gorges, the younger, and his asso- ciates, it has been explained that the twenty-four thou- sand acres were divided equally between him, a boy of about nine years, and his associates. The moiety given to his associates was situated on the east side of the river and by the terms of the patent young Ferdinando was to have an equal moiety on the west side. The limits were thus described :
Extending along the Sea Coast Westerly to the bounds of the Lands appropriated to the Plantacon of Pascataquack and so along the River of Aquamentiquos into the Maine Land Northerly by the bounds of Pascataquacke westerly, so farr up into the Maine Land as may containe the number of 12.000 Acres of Land granted to the sd Ferd Gorges with all the Islands or Isletts adjoyning the said Land Easterly within the said Limitts three leagues into the Mayne Ocean.
ARGO POINT With wreck of the Argo, 1782
It is singular that the Lord Proprietor did not utilize this great tract as the location for his official residence but placed it on the share laid out to him on the eastern side of the river, as one of the associated patentees. The actual bounds of his moiety on the west side were never laid out as far as known. Presumed to meet the eastern bounds of the Piscataqua Plantation (also of indefinite location), it is only possible to state that his twelve thousand acres
37
HISTORY OF YORK
extended as far west from the River Agamenticus as the associates half extended eastward from that side. This gave him theoretically three miles west from the river's mouth which would carry his western line considerably beyond the present boundary line of Kittery. That this was the accepted situation understood by Gorges and acted upon by him is evidenced by his indenture dated December 12, 1636, granting to Arthur Champernowne of Dartington, Devon, the island called by the name of the grantee which is now in the bounds of Kittery. By the same instrument "500 acres of Marsh land lying upon the North East side of the sd River of Brave boate Harbour hereafter to bee known or Called by the name of God- morrocke" (Deeds iii, 97). This singular name was derived from an early title of the castle of Kingsweare, where the Shapleighs lived, but it had a short "hereafter" as the name did not survive beyond the issuance of the indenture. It covers the original Raynes estate and that family might well perpetuate it as a title for their ancient home. Francis Champernowne inherited this grant, and in 1684 he released all his interest in this grant of his father to Nathaniel Raynes (Ibid. iv, 21). Although the town granted to Capt. Francis Raynes in 1646 "all the marsh on the Northeast side of Brabut Harbour" which covered this same tract yet it is evident that the title rested in Champernowne originally.
Gorges intended to develop his grandson's side of the river for individual settlers rather than as a personal estate. With two exceptions no transfers of land from him to individuals are extant, but such as can be traced to original occupants run back to the Gorges tenure during his lifetime. These were made by Richard Vines, as Steward General to Gorges, of ten acres of marsh to Henry Simpson in 1640 (Ibid. vi, 150) and fifty acres to Roger Garde in 1639 (Ibid. i, 119). They were probably leases for nine hundred ninety-nine years which in effect became titles in fee simple. During his residence here Deputy Gov- ernor Thomas Gorges made several grants of land on the southwest side of the river as land on the Gurnet's Nose (1643) to Peter Weare (Ibid. ii, 179); one hundred acres to William Davis, his servant (Ibid. ii, 103); to Christopher Rogers (Ibid. ii, 179); and Rev. George Burdett was granted twenty acres about 1639 at Godfrey's Cove but
38
THE DEMESNE OF THE YOUNGER GORGES
the document was not recorded (Ibid. iii, 116; iv, 46).
After the departure of Deputy Governor Gorges, Richard Vines as chancellor, in behalf of Gorges, granted twelve acres to Preble, Twisden, Banks and Curtis (Ibid. ii, 179), but the principal transfer took place July 18, 1643, just before Gorges left for England. It is a deed which has escaped notice or, if read, its significance was not appre- ciated. It was a grant to the town of Gorgeana in the county of Devon of a neck of land on the west side of the river at the river's mouth. The bounds of the land con- veyed were "to bee taken on a streight lyne from the sd Sir Ferdinando Gorges house there to the pond near Mr. Edward Godfrey his farme house; & all the marsh at Brave boate Harbour lijng between the marsh of Capt. Francis Champernowne & the sd Farme saving Twenty Acres heretofore granted to George Burdett minister ... with all the marsh & uplands ... from Poynt Ingleby" (Ibid. iv, 46). This grant was made "with free lyberty to set up houses for fishmen." To understand this grant it is necessary to take a map of York and draw a "streight lyne" from the Gorges Manor House at Point Christian to the head of Godfrey's Cove. All east of this line became property of the city of Gorgeana and was granted by that corporation and the town authorities of York to later settlers. This line crossed the head of Rogers Cove and the creek emptying into it at the Seabury Station on the old railroad line.
The first settlers on the Gorges tract undoubtedly came as early as 1634 and were the artisans sent out by Sir Ferdinando to build his mill and remained to operate it. These were Bartholomew Barnard, John Ingleby, Thomas Beeson, John Rogers, John and Nicholas Squire, and John Lavers. All of these men disposed of their hold- ings and left the town early. The town acted deliberately in granting parcels of land given to it by Gorges. William Hilton, who had been keeping a tavern at Kittery Point, was probably the first grantee of the town's land about 1650, and two years later was granted the ferry franchise across the river between his house and Stage Neck, as described in another chapter.
Later grants of land on the west side of the river were made upon a plan inaugurated by Gorges in his deed to Roger Garde before mentioned. This deed described the
39
HISTORY OF YORK
land as on that side of the river "Southwest from the now dwelling house of the sd Roger Garde." This proves to be land lying directly across the river following the lines of his grant on the east side. Thereafter the first settlers whose home lots began at the riverside were granted lots of like width on the west side "over against" them, as expressed in the language of the day, meaning directly across. This gave the first settlers grazing and wood lots convenient to their homes across the river extending to the Kittery line. This elongation of the home lots westward is the origin of local traditions in families that their forefathers' land was several miles in length. This was literally true as a few of them extended from the Kittery line across this town to Little River and some even beyond through subsequent purchase.
The western side of the river was an isolated com- munity for several generations as the river was a formi- dable barrier to social intercourse. The earliest ferry at Stage Neck was the only public means of crossing for over fifty years from the first settlement. It was not until Samuel Sewall built his famous bridge after the middle of the next century that the west side had practical access to the settled part of the town on the east side. Prior to that its relations with Kittery were more intimate.
THE GODFREY "FARM"
The house lot with the longest definite pedigree on the west side is that twenty acres which, in some manner unknown, about 1639, came into the possession of Rev. George Burdett. He was occupying it before the arrival of Deputy Governor Thomas Gorges and the source of his grant is doubtful; possibly from Richard Vines, the Stew- ard General of Sir Ferdinando Gorges. Burdett assigned it to Mrs. Ann Messant, widow, his housekeeper, on account of debt and it remained in her possession until September 14, 1667, when she gave it to Mrs. Alice Shap- leigh, wife of Nicholas, "for natural love and affection." (Deeds ii, 34.) The widow, Ann Godfrey, was living in 1681, probably dying shortly after that, and on July 8, 1684, Mrs. Shapleigh sold it to Francis and Nathaniel Raynes. Francis Champernowne released "all his rights . . . belonging to that farme ... within my divident,"
40
THE DEMESNE OF THE YOUNGER GORGES
(Deeds iv, 21). It is not understood in what way Cham- pernowne acquired any "rights" in this property.
SITE OF PARSON BURDETT'S HOUSE, 1639 Later occupied by Widow Messant and Edward Godfrey
Priority of occupation of lots on the west side for residential purposes is dependent on differentiating owner- ship for this purpose and the ownership of lots granted to settlers on the east side as additions to their home lots. All of the early settlers on the east side had lots across the river which they did not occupy.
BRAVE BOAT HARBOR
There has been considerable speculation as to the origin and significance of the name of "Braveboat Harbor" in York, and thus far the discussion seems to have ended with the suggestion that it refers to the character of the boat that could find anchorage or safety therein. This seems not only inadequate, but ignores the necessary ele- ments to reach a sound interpretation. The significance of the word "brave" as understood by the early settlers of York before the time of its application to this inlet should be considered in any discussion, and this should be supple- mented by an appreciation of the orthography and orthoepy of the word "Braveboat Harbor" as found in the early records. It is written not only as "Braveboat," but as "Brabote" and "Broadboat," and in these latter forms is the key to its interpretation. The author believes it to have been originally called "Braw Boat Harbor" and that the pronunciation of it was as thus written, which was easily transformed into "Broadboat"- a combination
41
HISTORY OF YORK
that means nothing in connection with this inlet, which is neither broad, nor is there such a thing as a broad boat. The old English words "brave" and "braw" were inter- changeable and had the same definition. While the word "brave" has the primal signification of courageous or bold, it had a secondary meaning quite as common as the first, viz .: worthy, excellent, capital or fine. Many instances of such use can be stated, as in 1577 Northbrook in "Dicing" writes of "brave days"; in 1605 in "King Lear" is found "this is a brave night"; and in 1653 Isaak Walton writes of partaking of a "brave breakfast." The meaning of these adjectival forms is unquestionably in the sense of excellent or fine; and in 1565 Lindsay, a Scotch author, refers to one of his characters as making ". "a braw speach to his Majestie." This also is used in the sense of excellent or fine. .
THE OLD RAYNES HOUSE Brave Boat Harbor
The inference from these examples taken in connection with "Brabote" and "Broad boat" seems to be incon- testably clear that the significance of the name of this
42
THE DEMESNE OF THE YOUNGER GORGES
harbor was a "Braw" boat harbor, which meant an excel- lent boat harbor, with the stress on the word boat.
This side of the river became the home of a class of settlers quite distinct from those who had taken up land on the east side, and while many of the latter had grants on the western side, yet none of these who first settled in this part of town had allotments across the river. The settlers who came here before 1700 and had land grants, built homes and became identified with the town are here enumerated :
BARTHOLOMEW BARNARD
This settler first appears of record in 1636 and undoubt- edly is satisfactorily identified as Bartholomew Barnard of the parish of St. Margaret's, Westminster (London), a carpenter by occupation. He was probably one of the artisans sent over by Gorges to assist in setting up mills in this town. He married Alice Weedon, daughter of Jeremy, August 13, 1626 at St. Margaret's and had as issue four children, three sons and a daughter, prior to emigration. He was named as one of the aldermen of Agamenticus in the first charter. He lived on the Old Mill Creek adjoining the mill. His property comprised fifty acres of meadow and four acres of marsh which he sold in 1646 to Robert Knight. He removed to Boston in 1647 where he died before 1676. He built the famous Town House, now known as the Old State House. He brought here his wife and surviving children, as follows:
Matthew, bapt. Sept. 7, 1628 Anna, bapt. Nov. 1, 1630 Richard, b. in York about 1637.
JOHN INGLEBY
This settler was probably one of the millwrights sent out by Sir Ferdinando Gorges before 1640 to operate his saw-mill on the west side. He was a sawyer by occupation working in the saw-pits. He lived on the west side of the river, owning a tract of one hundred acres, which bore his name for many years after his departure. Point Ingleby, marking the location was opposite Meeting House Creek (Deeds i, 4). He removed to Boston about 1641, and was admitted to the church there that year. He married and left issue.
43
HISTORY OF YORK
JOHN ROGERS
He is first of record as one of the Aldermen of Aga- menticus in 1640 and the same year he deposed, aged twenty-seven, relative to the delivery of certain wearing apparel to one Thomas Jones or James, a tailor, who was later blown up in the ship Mary Rose in Boston Harbor. (Lechford, 187.) His brother Robert Rogers, aged twenty- three, resident of Boston, testified to the same. John Rogers probably lived on the west side of the river, oppo- site Stage Island, as "John Rogers his Cove" and "Rogerses Brook," which empties into it, occur early in the records (T. R. i, 40). He was, perhaps, one of the men sent over by Gorges in connection with the operation of his mills. Nothing is heard of him after this year.
FRANCIS RAYNES, GENTLEMAN
Grand Laynoso This settler probably came from Somerset- shire, through the influence of Gorges, as there was a large number of this name living in that part of the county near Batcomb, one of the Gorges residences. In his will of 1630 a William Raynes, gentleman, of Leigh-upon-Mendip mentioned his youngest son, Francis who would be about the age of our emigrant (P. C. C. 100, Scroope). This parish was four miles from Batcombe whence came numerous emigrants to New Eng- land. The name in Somerset has been written in many forms : Reynes (1543), Raynins (1544), Raynie, Reyne and Rayne; but the emigrant added the final plural form in which it still exists. He probably came to Portsmouth about 1640 where he acquired a house and lot. On July 18, 1643 Thomas Gorges when leaving for England appointed Francis Raynes, gent., his attorney to deliver certain land at the mouth of the harbor to the Mayor and Commonalty of Gorgeana (Deeds iv, 46). This is the first record connect- ing Raynes with York, and in 1646 he had a grant of land at Brave Boat Harbor (T. R. 15).
He was a defendant 1645, a juror 1649 and signed the Submission in 1652. He was appointed Lieutenant of the York Militia 1654 and Captain in 1659, which latter office he resigned in 1663. Politically he was a Royalist and
44
THE DEMESNE OF THE YOUNGER GORGES
@
, CHURCH OF ST. GILES, LEIGH-UPON-MENDIP Home of the Raynes Family of Somersetshire
partisan of the Gorges interests. In 1664 he was named as one of the Royal Commissioners and was elected an Asso- ciate Justice in 1668, 1670 and a Selectman in 1663 and 1675. His appearances in the County Courts as plaintiff or defendant were frequent, and he was twice sued for slander by Godfrey (1651) and Champernowne (1666) and convicted in the latter case. Nor was he always a law- abiding citizen, as he was fined in 1647 for resisting by force the service of a warrant. From a number of references it is evident that he had some kind of medical education or knowledge as he is called a chirurgeon and in 1675 was fined for undertaking an obstetrical case.
45
HISTORY OF YORK
For nearly three centuries the Raynes family has lived in almost solitary grandeur on the ancestral acres at Brave Boat Harbor, doubtless on the same location where Cap- tain Francis built his first residence. They generally mar- ried into the "quality" of Kittery, Portsmouth and New- castle and maintained a standard of exclusive social dig- nity typical of the old aristocracy of Colonial days.
A Francis Raynes, living in Barbadoes 1671 (P. C. C. 124, Duke) may be the son of our settler, unrecorded, as he had no son of his own name in York as would be expected. It is presumed he married after emigration but the family name of his wife Eleanor is not known. He was living March 8, 1702-3 (Deeds iv, 158) and is stated to have died in 1706 at nearly one hundred years of age. His will, dated August 21, 1693, is as follows:
In the Name of God. I doe bequeath my soul to the Lord that gave it, and to Jesus Christ my Redeemer by whom I hope to be saved, As for my Estate, I dispose of as followeth. I give unto my wife my farm I live in, one half so long as she liveth, the other halfe I give unto my son Nathaniel Raynes with her to manage it with her.
I give unto my wife Elinor Raynes all my household goods and leave it to her dispose, Likewise I further give my farm after their death unto Francis Raynes the Son of Nathaniel Raynes, I give unto John Raynes the halfe farm I bought of Mr. Shapleigh paying the annual so long as it is due, further I give unto Nathan Raynes the son of Nathaniel Raynes a Tract of land I bought of Thomas Crockett of thirty Acres lying betwene my Farms, further I give unto Francis Hodsdon the Son of Joseph Hodsdon the plantation which his father lived in at the head of braue boat Harbour, with four acres of meadow and the upland which was laid out to it.
For my Cows I leave with my Executors to pay what I shall give unto my grand Children all my sheep I give unto Francis Raynes. My cows in John Woodmans hands with all the Increase I give unto my daughter Woodmans Children to be divided betwene them. I give unto John Diamonds Children ten shillings apiece I give unto Joseph Hodsdon Children ten shillings apiece, unto Samuel Matthews Chil- dren ten shillings apiece; I give unto my daughter Woodman twenty shillings, I give unto Samuel Matthews wife twenty shillings I give unto Elizabeth Hodsdon my grand Child Ten pounds to be paid when she is of age, besides her ten shillings formerly given. I give unto Samuel Matthews Twenty shillings I give unto David Mendum the four pounds John Woodman oweth me for the horse, to be paid him when he is of age. I give unto Elinor Raynes Twenty shillings. I give unto Nathaniel Raynes twenty shillings. What I have here given I desire my Executors to pay out of my Estate. I do hereby ordain Constitute my wife Elinor Raynes, and my son Nathaniel Raynes my Executors Jointly one with the other for to perform this my last will and Testament fully as they will answere it another day.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.