USA > Maine > Pioneers on Maine rivers, with lists to 1651 > Part 11
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The action alluded to by Gorges was taken in 1634. In the spring of that year Captain Mason volunteered the information, to Gibbons at Newichawannock, that not any of their associates would "adventure this yeare to the plantation, besides Sir Ferdi- nando Gorges and myselfe." Another letter from Gorges and Mason to the same person referred to the adventure at York: "We have not onelie each of us shipped people present to plant uppon our owne lands, at our owne charges, but have given di- rection to invite and authoritie to receive such others as may be had to be tenants, to plant and live there, for the more speedie peopling of the countrie."*
The pioneers sailed from Portsmouth in the Pide Cow during the first week in May and arrived at Agamenticus two months later. Their advent was reported at Boston under the date of July 9, in these words : "Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Capt. Mason
§ Me. Hist. Col., 2-49. N. H. State Papers, 1-88.
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sent to Pascataquack and Aquamenticus, with two sawmills, to be erected, in each place one."+
Norton and Godfrey were delegated to make an equitable di- vision of the territory on the east side of Pascataqua River, where the Laconia patentees had concluded to operate in severalty.}
Some of the colonists who disembarked at York at that time were Bartholomew Barnard, Thomas Bradbury, William Freathy, Roger Garde, William Gorges, Edward Johnson and Thomas Jones.
The first sawmill was begun on the west bank of the main river above Rice's Bridge. The tributary on which it was built was later known as Old Mill Creek.§
The mechanics sent by Gorges also erected for William Gor- ges, agent of the proprietor, a mansion on the opposite shore. This building was called "Sir Ferdinando Gorges' House." Its style, suggesting the long type of English dwelling outlined in the plan of Fort Saint George at Sagadahoc, may be inferred from a description of the first parsonage at York: "Mr. Godfrey keeps a very good howes and if wee will goe thither, a hows with 3 chimnyes hee promiseth." It was liberally estimated that "possibly, through unexperienced or ill management, a thou- sand pounds" might have been disbursed by Thomas Gorges and Richard Vines "in a house & some land, broake up at Yorke."*
October 31, 1634, Samuel Maverick, then of Winnisimet, bought a "house & land" of George Newman at York. They were situated on the east side near the mouth of the river. For some time he had been subjected to criticism by Massachusetts magis- trates on account of his indiscriminate hospitality and may have intended to remove to York, where he still held patent rights. However, the next spring, when finally ordered to leave their jurisdiction, he did not go to Agamenticus, although he did sell his home at Winnisimet to Richard Bellingham February 27, 1634-5.11
April 22, 1635, Gorges by agreement with Mason obtained a grant in severalty of coastal Maine from the Pascataqua to Sag- adahoc River, and March 25, following, instituted the first pro- prietary court at Saco, with Godfrey and Roger Garde partici-
+ Winthrop. 1-137.
: N. H. State Papers, 1-88.
§ York Deeds, 7-96.
'5 Mass. Hist. Col .. 1-37 ; Brown's Genesis U. S., 1-190 ; Mass. Col. Rec., 4-2, 530.
tt York Deeds, 8-209 ; Suffolk Deeds, 1-15.
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pating for York. At this session the properties of William Hook and Thomas Jones were distrained to meet the assessments which had been made against them for the construction of a meeting-house at Agamenticus. This is the first allusion to such a building in Maine. Its location was on the easterly bank of "Meeting-House Creek," southwesterly but not far from that of the present Congregational society at York Village.
The settlement at York advanced but slowly. It was asserted by Gorges that he had sent "by other shipping from Bristol, some cattle, with other servants," but these did not arrive until Septem- ber, 1636, when their vessel was described as "Another from Bris- tol * * with some cattle and passengers * at Pascataquack for Sir Ferdinando Gorge his plantation at Aquamenticus."}
In 1637, Captain John Underhill, who had lived at Pascata- qua, described Agamenticus as "a place of good accomodation ; it lies five miles from Puscataway river, where Sir Ferdinando Gorge hath a house. It is a place worthy to be inhabited, a soil that bears good corn, all sorts of grain, flax, hemp, the country generally will afford."§
July 23, 1637, Gorges was made governor of New England by royal appointment and he forwarded invitations to influential members of the Massachusetts government to cooperate with him in that capacity. All declined. Agamenticus was destined to con- tinue under an ecclesiastical administration. While William Blackstone, the first English settler of Boston, had promised to accept the position of pastor at York, his agricultural pursuits proved more alluring and William Thompson supplied his place .*
In a petition addressed to the General Court of Massachusetts to confirm his former rights, prior to seeking relief abroad, Godfrey complained that, on account of the oppression of Gorges who had permitted it, he had been cited before the Court of Star Chamber to account to George Cleave of Casco for imaginary wrongs. October 11, 1637, he appeared for himself, Richard Vines and John Winter at a session holden in England and re- covered costs for attendance.
While in England Godfrey procured a renewal, dated March 22, 1637-8, of the original Norton patent, in which his own name was substituted for that of Norton in the list of surviving pat-
ţ Winthrop. 1-196.
$ 3 Mass. Hist. Col .. 6-14.
N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg., 14-345.
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entees. At that date young Ferdinando Gorges was but eight years of age .;
That same year, in association with Gyles Elbridge and mem- bers of the Hook family, of Bristol, he secured from Gorges a concession of 1500 acres at Cape Neddock. William Hook, one of the patentees, owned a dwelling above George Newman's on the east side of Agamenticus River near its mouth; at this date he had cleared land on the upper edge of the plantation and built a farmhouse, where his employes were chiefly engaged with agri- culture and stock raising.
Some of his cattle had been brought to York by Captain Stone before the death of Norton and came into the possession of Hook when he married the widow. Some of his other stock may have been purchased from Gorges three years later, but in the spring of 1638 William King, master of the Exchange of Bristol, landed ten cows at the farm that had been sent to the pioneer by his father Humphrey Hook, who was owner of the vessel. This ship made the passage from Bristol in ten weeks .¿
While the elder Hook had been interested formerly in New- foundland fishing and still employed some land fishermen in connection with his New England shipping, his son was not particularly interested in that industry. The son, however, was manager of affairs in this country and in at least one instance suc- ceeded in extricating his ambitious parent from financial disaster.
Some time in 1638 George Burdett, of Dover, was chosen to succeed William Thompson as pastor at York. The new clergy- man had a farmhouse and cultivated land, located between God- frey's Cove and Brave Boat Harbor. He was also interested in stock raising. His housekeeper was Ann Messant, a widow who afterwards married Godfrey.
Burdett may be regarded as a degenerate. At any rate, some of his parishioners were exceedingly perverted. The stories of John Baker and his neighbor Swain, who hung himself because of a bad conscience, have been recounted in the History of New England. These men lived in Burdett's parish.§
April 3, 1639, Gorges obtained a royal charter for the Dis- trict of Maine and was invested with sole powers of govern- mental administration as far east as Sagadahoc River. Five
¡ Am. Ant. Col .. 1867-130.
# 4 Mass. Hist. Col., 6-94. Winthrop, 2-29.
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months later, as proprietor of the realm, he issued a joint com- mission to Thomas Jocelyn, Richard Vines, Francis Champer- noone, Henry Jocelyn, Richard Bonython, William Hook and Edward Godfrey to conduct local government under a special code of laws.
A fair estimate of the loss of political prestige which Gorges had sustained in this country prior to the issuance of his charter may be inferred from his own words to a friend in England : "Had I not obteyned the graunte I lately gott from his Majesty I should not have beene Mr of more than I ocupied wth my ser- vants and those entrusted by me in that parte my house standes in." The date of this letter was January 28, following that of his charter .*
Thomas Jocelyn left Black Point for England before he could qualify as councilor for the District of Maine. Thomas Gorges, a cousin of the royal proprietor, who had been selected as the successor of William Gorges, was appointed to fill the vacancy.
When the new agent arrived "with other necessary servants" in the ship Desire, during the early summer of 1640, he secured for his residence the proprietor's house situated on the easterly side of York River at Point Christian. Although this dwelling had been occupied by his predecessor several years, and had been
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POINT CHRISTIAN, YORK RIVER
* Me. Doc. in Eng. Arch .. 11
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abandoned but recently, he found no other personal property on the premises "save an old pot, and a pair of cob irons and tongs.";
With the moral support of a larger part of the community Thomas Gorges, as deputy governor, assumed control of civil affairs. Left to his own inclinations at York, Burdett had op- posed all attempts at reformation for a long time, but against his protestations the proprietary court was reorganized in the district and effectually curbed his sinister influence. His home- stead and estate, which was composed largely of live stock, were transferred to his housekeeper, widow Ann Messant, who disposed of them in her own right long after the deposed clergyman had left the country. Burdett withdrew to Pemaquid in 1641, where he was living in a riotous manner.#
The names of the heads of families known to have been living in York in 1640 were the following: John Alcock, Sampson Anger, John Baker, Bartholomew Barnard, Ralph Blaisdell, Thomas Bradbury, Arthur Bragdon, George Burdett, Richard Cornish, John and William Davis, William Dixon, Henry Don- nell, Thomas Footman, William Freathy, Roger Garde, Edward Godfrey, Thomas Gorges, John Gouch, Philip Hatch, William Hook, Edward Johnson, Thomas Jones, Daniel and Robert Knight, Henry Lynn, George Puddington, George, John, Robert and William Rogers, Henry Simpson, John Smith, John and Nicholas Squire and Rowland Young.
Bradbury and Hook were dissatisfied with the religious and political situations at York, or Bristol as it was also known. They were not strict Royalists. Massachusetts ideals were more in ac- cord with their ideas than the doctrine of the English Church. This made it uncomfortable for themselves and their colleagues who were stanch Episcopalians, if anything. Both withdrew that year to Salisbury. Jones was killed by an explosion on board the Mary Rose of Bristol while the vessel was lying in Boston Harbor.
Agamenticus was incorporated as a town by proprietary grant April 10, 1641. There was no highway from Kittery and dur- ing the month of incorporation John, son of Nathaniel Ward, the Massachusetts divine, who had been invited to supersede Burdett in York parish, was lost in Pascataqua woods while seeking his parish for the first time.
¡ Hubbard, 361; 4 Mass. Hist. Col., 7-332.
# York Deeds, 4-20; 3-116 ; 2-34.
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The territory comprised in the new town was seven miles long and six wide. The half lying on the westerly side of Agamenticus River was held in trust by Sir Ferdinando Gorges for his minor son of the same name.
DIVISION OF LAND ON THE WEST BANK.
The territory between Brave Boat Harbor and Godfrey's Cove had been assigned to George Burdett, as minister of the parish, before 1639 and was transferred by him with his farm- house and cattle, then in possession of John Alcock, to widow Ann Messant, to repay funds borrowed from her while she was his housekeeper.
The earliest inhabitant at the mouth of Agamenticus River was William Hilton, an original settler of New Plymouth, who came to York from Kittery Point after 1649, when the county highway was cut through the wilderness from his tavern to Rogers' Cove. His successor at the new location was Richard White who married the widow in 1655. A son William Hilton was an heir to his estate and sons-in-law secured later grants of land in the vicinity. The concession to James Wiggin by the town adjoined the farm of Burdett at Godfrey's Pond and the land of Arthur Beals situated at the mouth of the harbor was styled. "Beals' Neck."
Above the Hilton home on the river was a deep indentation in the shore called Rogers' Cove on account of the proximity of the early residence of John Rogers, who had been named by Gorges as a member of his council in 1641. On the upper margin of this "cove of flats" was located a lot of ten acres which had been given Burdett in connection with his farm at Godfrey's Cove. The original concession had been twenty acres but the resi- due was laid out on Harker's and Stage islands near the cove. Ann Messant succeeded to the ownership of these tracts and God- frey, who subsequently married her, took control.
The former island contains three acres and lies near the en- trance of York Harbor. It was transferred to John Harker in 1647, to settle a controversy over the title to the house of Allen Yeo and company which had been erected there for fishing pur- poses. The head of the company, a resident of Boston, had died in debt to Godfrey, and John Batten, John Bolt, William James and William Widger were other creditors who attempted to re-
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1
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cover wages for services performed on the island. Godfrey's first fishing operations appear to have been conducted on Stage Island where he maintained two houses in 1648. His wife dis- posed of this island with the premises at Rogers' Cove to Samp- son Anger and Henry Donnell, fishermen, before 1659.
Above Rogers' Cove was situated Point Ingleby, which had been appropriated by an early colonist of that name. The grant had contained 100 acres, but had lapsed in 1643, when at his de- parture from the country Thomas Gorges confirmed the western bank of York River to the City of Gorgeana. The inland edge of this tract was defined as a line extending southerly from Sir Ferdinando Gorges' house at Point Christian to the pond near the dwelling once owned by Burdett at Godfrey's Cove, but then described as "Mr Edw : Godfrey his farme house."§
By reason of this special franchise the municipality later re- granted to townsmen all of the territory from Rogers' Cove to Old Mill Creek and the distributees were Johnson Harmon (Rogers' Cove), William Hilton (Point Ingleby), Andrew Ever- ett (Hilton's Cove, 1668), Thomas Donnell (1668), Arthur Brag- don (1669), Job Alcock (1678), Thomas Adams (1678), Henry Sayward (1666), Thomas Beeson, or Boston, and Matthew Young. The depth of some lots was 160 rods or back to Kittery Line.
The section assigned to Beeson was resurveyed to Edward Rishworth in 1687 and included twelve acres which had belonged to Richard (Rice) Howell in 1652. Above this tract was a house which had been built by some of the early carpenters. It stood on a lot adjoining the first mill ever built in York. The premises were conveyed by Bartholomew Barnard to Robert Knight in 1646. Subsequently they passed through the possession of Ed- ward Rishworth and others to Thomas Trafton .*
Gorges' mill, the first in York and contemporaneous with that built by Mason at Great Works in South Berwick, was landed at Old Mill Creek in July, 1634. It was erected near the mouth soon after. A sketch including its site is recorded in York registry and discloses the proximity of Kittery Line at this point and a nearly straight stretch of river above the creek, early known as "Long Reach."+
§ York Deeds, 4-46.
* York Deeds, 3-30.
+ York Deeds, 7-96.
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Some of the first employes of the proprietor at Old Mill Creek, or Point Christian on the opposite shore, may be inferred from the list of plaintiffs in suits begun in 1647. Besides Robert Nan- ney, other claimants for unpaid wages were Bartholomew Barn- ard, who lived below the mill, and Robert Mills.
Above Eddy Point, which lies in the lower angle of Old Mill Creek and York River, no land was assigned by Vines except a few acres of marsh near the mill and a tract at the head of Long Reach in Scotland Parish. The latter was conveyed to Roger Garde March 25, 1639, and the former to Henry Norton before Vines left the country. These allotments may have been in pay- ment for services rendered.
DIVISION OF LAND ON THE EAST BANK.
June 11, 1641, the eastern bank of York River had been ap- portioned as far upriver as Gorges, now known as Cider Mill Creek. The entire tract was three miles wide and extended in- land for six miles. The final division, made the same year, men- tioned only the dwellings of Henry Donnell, at Lobster Cove, Henry Lynn, on the south side of Gorges Creek, and the farm- house of William Hook, in Scotland Parish.
At the date of division of the patent the following transfers of title had occurred :
Patentees December 1, 1631 Ferdinando Gorges. Walter Norton. Thomas Coppin.
Assignees March 2, 1631-2
Seth Bull.
Distributees November 11, 1641 Ferdinando Gorges. Edward Godfrey.
Samuel Maverick.
Thomas Graves. Ralph Glover. William Jeffrey. John Bursley. Joel Woolsley.
Dixie Bull.
Robert Norton.
William Hook. Thomas Hook.
George Norton.
Robert Rainsford.
Matthew Bradley. John Bull.
Lawrence Brindley. William Pestor.#
The outermost lot, situated on the eastern bank of Agamen- ticus River at York Harbor, was occupied by Nicholas Davis until
# Me. Doc. Hist., 4-421; Me. Hist. Col., 2-2, 327.
Robert Thompson. Samuel Maverick. Elias Maverick. Gyles Elbridge. William Jeffrey. John Bursley. Humphrey Hook.
Richard Norton.
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his death. The point lying east of the Davis homestead was ac- quired by John Alcock, who also died there and gave the premises the name of "Farmer Alcock's Neck." Adjoining this neck at Lobster Cove was the home and fishing establishment of Henry Donnell, who asserted that he had been a resident in this vicin- ity in 1631.
On the river above the Davis lot was a tract occupied about a year by George Newman, of Bristol, who conveyed it with the dwelling thereon to Samuel Maverick October 31, 1634. Two years later the premises were bought by William Dixon, a serv- ant whose passage had been paid by John Winthrop.§
The Dixon homestead lay opposite Harker's Island and Rogers' Cove. Before 1650 small houselots had been transferred from it to Richard Burgess, Sampson Anger, Richard Cadogan and George Parker. The combined area of the last three lots, which were situated in the southerly angle between the river and Meeting-House, now known as Barrell's Creek, was only five acres.
Above the creek was Point Bollogue which was assigned to Edward Godfrey in the partition of 1641, although he had occu- pied it for several years. It was known as his first division and extended inland about half a mile from Henry Norton's dwelling, which stood in Hook's division, to Gorges Creek. Included in this division were the house and lot of Henry Lynn, acquired from Richard Ormsby and situated by the river on the south side of the creek.
Godfrey reserved about thirty acres at the point where his house was located, but disposed of the residue along the river to Andrew Everett and Edward Johnson, who were abuttors of Henry Norton, John Parker and Philip Adams on the east. Johnson, who previously had lived near Rogers' Cove, built a dwelling on his lot and sold the premises to Thomas, son of Henry Donnell. The grantee, like other residents of the eastern bank, improved land on the opposite side of the river which had been granted by townsmen.
Above Gorges Creek stood the house of Sir Ferdinando Gor- ges. Later, the locality was styled Gorges Point and Gorges Neck, but had been known to the proprietor himself as Point
§ York Deeds, 8-209.
* York Deeds, 5-96; 6-110, 123.
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Christian. The buildings with about twelve acres of cleared land were conveyed to Robert Nanney in 1647, to satisfy an execution based upon a debt due him from Gorges. The premises were im- proved by Edward Rishworth as agent for widow Catherine Nanney until 1679, when litigation over the title resulted in an agreement by the contending parties for Governor Thomas Dan- forth to convey them to Jeremiah Moulton and divide the proceeds.f
On the eastern boundary of Gorges' house lot and adjoining the creek was a point of land which at an early period had been claimed by John Davis, "the smith." It is evident that this site was purchased by Ellingham and Gale about 1650, when they also acquired fifty acres from Godfrey on the lower side of the creek. The latter tract formed a part of the proprietor's first division. At any rate, the partners began construction on the point at that time and Henry Sayward had completed three mills there a few years later.
In 1653, the entire mill property had been secured by Rish- worth and Thomas Clark, of Boston, in shares. In consideration of certain timber concessions from the town the new owners guaranteed operation of saw and grist mills with special privi- leges for citizens. Gorges Creek lies opposite Old Mill Creek and soon acquired the name of New Mill Creek.}
The next tributary on the eastern side of York River above the new mills was Bass Creek, on the southerly bank of which land was granted to Arthur Bragdon by Maverick and Jeffrey July 11, 1637. On the upper side of this stream was a lot given to Henry Simpson by William Hook in 1639. The former had married the only daughter and the latter the widow of Walter Norton, the patentee, and the conveyance was made in settlement of the interest of Simpson's wife in her father's estate.§
Above Simpson's land was a tract conveyed to Roger Garde by Maverick and Jeffrey. It was located in Scotland Parish and surveyed July 30, 1637, by William Hook. Garde built a dwelling on the premises within two years. Only the farmhouse of Hook, farther inland, and that of Bragdon, below, were mentioned in that period .*
+ York Deeds, 6-27 ; 4-43.
Į York Deeds, 3-120 : 4-154.
$ York Deeds, 10-173; 7-83 ; 6-74.
* York Deeds, 1-119.
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In 1641, the present highway from York Harbor to Point Christian had been completed. This road passed through the plantation at "Scituate Fields," now known as York Village. Be- tween this way and the eastern bank of Meeting-House Creek, within the division of William Hook, stood the homesteads of George Puddington (1640), Ralph Blaisdell (1640) and part of that of Henry Norton, whose house stood on the farther side of the creek. In 1642, Blaisdell, who had removed to Salisbury, sold his farm to Robert Knight. Norton's lot, which adjoined it on the northwest side, extended up the creek as far as the crossroad leading from the old parish cemetery in York Village to the meeting-house. The first church, built in 1636, stood in the lower angle of the creek and highway.
Early settlers who bought lots of Godfrey on the eastern side of Scituate path were Joseph Jenks, Abraham Preble, Thomas Chambers, Richard Banks, John Twisden and Henry Simpson, in the order named. All of these men except the last removed thither from their original location in Scituate, Massachusetts.
INCORPORATION OF GORGEANA.
It had been the ambition of Gorges, like that of Levett, to found the first city in New England, and the advancement of Agamenticus was encouraged with that end in view. Although its population was not much greater than that of Kittery, it was not so widely scattered and comprised a single parish. Its in- habitants were fishermen, planters and mechanics of means, some of whom were employed by the patentees and lived in large households.
March 1, 1641-2, Agamenticus was incorporated a city and named Gorgeana in honor of its patron. The first mayor, de- scribed as a tailor, was Roger Garde who could have been styled, more accurately, a linen draper. The charter directed his election. There is no evidence that he assumed the position.
May 10, 1643, when Massachusetts and New Hampshire plan- tations had combined for government, a disparaging allusion to the new municipality was made in these words: "Those of Sir Ferdinando Gorge his province, beyond Pascataquack, were not received nor called into the confederation because they ran a dif- ferent course from us both in their ministry and civil adminis- tration; for they had lately made Acomenticus (a poor village)
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a corporation and had made a taylor their mayor, and had enter- tained one Hull, an excommunicated person and very contentious for their minister." Joseph Hull had become pastor of the new city that year .;
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