USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Portland > The history of Portland, from its first settlement: with notices of the neighbouring towns, and of the changes of government in Maine, Part I > Part 4
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In 1742, Michael Hodge of Salisbury, Massachusetts, executed a deed to Phineas Jones of 100 acres of land upon the neck, in which Hodge declares that about the year 1662, Richard Tucker sold to one Mr. Cad of Boston, a tract of land on the Neck containing 400 acres, extending from a point of rocks to Clay Cove, reserv- ing 100 acres on the upper part ; and stated that " he is the only representative said Tucker now deceased hath." Tucker probably had a daughter who married a Hodge, from whom Nicholas and Michael descended. Phineas Jones' wife was a Hodge, from Newbury, and it is not improbable that she may have transmitted to her descendants, some of whom still live in town, the blood of one of the first occupants of this soil. The blood of Cleeves flows freely in a numerous race scattered over the State through his only daughter.
'The point called Machegonne is now called Jordan's point. The appellation Stogummor never obtained in practise. The proprietors were very fond of giving new names to places within their patents, but these seldom prevailed over the more familiar indian titles. The old indian name Casco continued to be used all the first century after the settlement, notwithstanding it received from Massachu- setts the corporate name Falmouth, as early as 1658. The falls first mentioned in the description are probably those on the Capisick river, but the length of line to those on the Presumpscot is incorrectly stated, whether intentionally or not, I will not pretend to say ; the distance is over four miles. I know of no other falls which will answer the description. The quantity of land also is very much under estimated. In a deed from Alexander Rigby, in 1643, of the same tract, the length of the rear line, and the number of acres are omitted.
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First occupation of the town.
Gorges also on the 25th of February 1637, gave Cleeves a com- mission " under his hand and seal for the letting and settling all or any part of his lands or islands lying between the Cape-Elizabeth and the entrance of Sagadahock river, and so up into the main land sixty miles." By virtue of this commission which is referred to in the deed, Cleeves, on the 28th of December of the same year, leased for sixty years to Michael Mitton, who married his only child Elizabeth, the island at the mouth of the harbour now called Peaks1. In the deed it is declared that this was called Pond island ; and is subsequently to be known by the name of Michael's island from Mitton ; it was afterwards successively called from the owners or occupants, Munjoy's Palmer's and Peak's island.
This is the first time that the name of Mitton occurs in our history, and it is from thence inferred, that he came over with Cleeves on his last passage. Cleeves arrived in the month of May and brought with him a commission from Gorges to 5 or 6 persons, one of whom was Gov. Winthrop of Mass. to govern his province of New-Somerset- shire, between Cape-Elizabeth and Sagadahock, and to oversee his servants and private affairs2. This commission was declined by Gov. Winthrop, and does not appear to have been executed by any of the others but Cleeves ; it is probably the one above referred to under which Cleeves alone acted. He also " brought a protection2 under the privy signet for searching out the great lake of Iracoyce, and for the sole trade of beaver, and the planting of Long island, by articles of agreement between the Earl of Sterling, Viscount Canada and him3.">
These extensive commissions to our first settler, if they resulted in no profit, as they do not appear to have done, show at least that he succeeded in acquiring the confidence of the large landed propri- etors in England, and prove him to have been a man of some enterprise and address.
After his lease to Mitton Dec. 28, 1637, we hear nothing more of him until 1640, when he appears as a suiter in court ; there is no doubt, however, that he remained upon his land here, cultivating it and bringing. it under settlement. For it appears by his own decla- ration that from the time of his purchase until the commencement of his suit in 1640, Winter was continually disturbing him ; he says that
11. Y. Rec. 140. 21. Wint. 231. "Sir Wm. Alexander was created Vis- count Canada and Earl of Sterling in 1633.
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History of Portland.
Winter " being moved with envie and for some other sinister cause, hath now for these three years past, and still doth unjustly pretend an interest and thereupon hath and still doth interrupt me to my great hindrance, thereby seeking my ruin and utter overthrow." These actions were brought in Cleeves' name alone, but for what reason, we are not able to ascertain ; the deed from Gorges was made to him and Tucker jointly, and so was the deed of the same tract which he procured of Alexander Rigby, in 1643, after he became the proprietor of the plough patent1. They were also living together in the same house at this time, as is apparent from the description in Rigby's deed, as follows, " beginning at the said point of land called Machegone", and from thence going westward along the side of Casco bay unto a place where the next river, running near to the now dwelling-house of the said George Cleeves and Richard Tucker, falleth into Casco bay."
While Winter was pursuing his commercial speculations on the Spurwink, and Cleeves and Tucker were enlarging their borders on the north side of Casco river, another settlement was set on foot within the limits of Falmouth, at the mouth of Presumpscot river. The head of this enterprise was Arthur Macworth. He must have commenced his undertaking as early as 1632, for we find by a deed to him from Richard Vines in 1635, that he is described as having been in possession there many years ; which could hardly be said of a shorter term than we have supposed. The deed is as follows, leaving out the formal parts : "This Indenture, made March 30, in the eleventh year of Charles I. between Richard Vines of Saco, Gent. for and in behalf of Sir Ferdinando Gorges Knight, by authority from him bearing date Sept. 10, 16343, on the one part, and Arthur Macworth of Casco bay, Gent. on the other part witnesseth, that said Vines doth give, grant, &c. to said Macworth, all that tract of land lying in Casco bay on the N. E. side of the river Pesumsca, which now and for many years is and hath been in possession of said Macworth, being at the entrance of said river, where his house now
1York Rec. 1. 94. 2It will be perceived that this name is spelt differently in almost every deed, the natives probably never reduced it to writing and it was spelt by the Europeans as the sound caught the ear. We find it written Machegony, Machegonny, Machegonne and Machegone. "This is the only instance in which I find Gorges or any under him exercising any right over the soil in this section of the State until after 1635, when he acquired a separate title from the council of Plymouth.
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First occupation of the town.
standeth, upon a point of land commonly called or known by the name of Menickoe, and now and forever hereafter to be called and known by the name of Newton, and from thence up the said river to the next creek below the first falls, and so over land towards the great bay of Casco, until 500 acres be completed, together with one small island over against and next to his house1." The deed was witnessed by George Cleeves, Robert Sanky? and Richard Tucker3.
Macworth was one of the most respectable of the early settlers, and is believed to have arrived at Saco, with Vines, in 1630. He probably remained a short time at that place, having received grants of land there. He was appointed by Gorges to deliver possession to Cleeves and Tucker of Casco Neck, in the deed of 1637, and was for many years a magistrate. He married Jane, the widow of Samuel Andrews, a citizen of London, who probably came over in Vines' company, and who died at Saco about 1637, leaving a son James, for many years a respectable inhabitant of Falmouth ; by her he had several children. I think he must have been previously married, as he had a house, and was living on the point which bears his name several years before his marriage with Mrs. Andrews. Macworth died in 1657, leaving two sons, Arthur and John, and several daugh- ters who were respectably married and will be hereafter noticed4. His sons probably died without issue ; for we do not meet with the name after the death of Mrs. Macworth in 1676 ; they are not noticed in her will, and it is presumed the name is extinct. His descendants through his daughters are numerous, some of whom reside in this vicinitys.
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"York Rec. 2. 1. The name Newton, here given to this tract, never prevailed ; the point, together with the island, were for many years called Macworth's point and island, and was at length corrupted to Mackey's, by which they are known at this day. The creek referred to in the deed retains the ancient appellation, Scuitte- rygusset, which it received from a Sachem of that name, who lived here in the time of the first settlement.
2Sanky lived at Saco, he was appointed by Gorges in 1640 ' Provost Marshal,' and was subsequently marshal under Cleeves.
3The Presumpscot river has also been called Presumsca, Presumskeak and Pre- sumskeag. Sullivan supposes the original name to have terminated in eag, which in the Indian language signifies land, and which with a prefix of particular significa- tion, forms many aboriginal terms, as Naumkeag, Penobskeag, &c.
"The persons employed in constructing the bridge across the mouth of Presump- scott river in 1827, found under the soil on Mackey's point, the bones of several persons. They may be presumed to have been those of the first settlers.
$The following testimony relating to Macworth is preserved on York Records. " Aug. 17, 1660, I Robert Jordan, do ascertain on my oath, that I heard Mr.
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History of Portland.
Macworth continued to live upon his grant on the east side of Presumpscott river until his death ; his widow remained there, with her family, who settled around her, until the breaking out of the indian war in 1675, when she moved to Boston, where she died1.
We have now noticed the three points within the territory of ancient Falmouth, on which the earliest settlements were made. The settlements were entirely distinct and independent of each other, and continued their existence, we may almost say, in despite of each other. We have seen the origin of the quarrel between Winter on the one hand, and Cleeves and Tucker on the other, to have arisen respecting the right to the land on which the latter had settled. In the first action, the court in 1640, decided in favour of Cleeves, so far as to give him his improvements on the Spurwink, and £80 damages ; but they established the general title in Trelawny, of land south of Casco or Fore river. In the second action, which Cleeves brought against Winter for disturbing him in his possession on the Neck, the court confirmed Cleeves' title. At the same court Winter was presented by the grand jury, consisting of 12 persons of whom were Cleeves, Macworth and Tucker, for irregularity in his dealings. He was charged with keeping down the price of beaver and exacting too much profit upon his liquor and powder and shot. It appeared in evidence that he paid £7 sterling a hhd. for brandy, and sold it at 20 pence a quart, which would be about £33 ster. for a hhd. and powder at three shillings a pound, for which he paid but 20 pence. A detail of this case may be interesting. The return of the grand jury is as follows : " We present John Winter, of Richmond island, for that Thomas Wise, of Casco, hath declared upon his oath, that
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Arthur Macworth, on his death-bed declare, that his full will and testament was, that his wife, Mrs. Jane Macworth, should by her wisdom, dispose of his whole estate, equally, as near as might be, between her former husband's children and the children between them, and in case any shortness was on either side, it should rather be on his own children's side ; and further saith not, only the decease of the said Mr. Arthur Macworth was before the submission of these towns of Scarborough and Falmouth to the Massachusetts authority." (in 1658).
1 Her will is dated May 20, 1676, and may be found in Suffolk Prob. office ; she bequeathed " her housing and land at Casco bay, to Wm. Rogers and Abraham Adams, who married her daughters Rebecca and Sarah" ; and her clothing to her four daughters ; one, the wife of Francis Neale, another the wife of George Felt. Rebecca, the wife of Rogers, had been previously married to Nathaniel Wharf as early as 1658, she was the eldest daughter, and had a son Nathaniel by Wharff, born here 1662, who was living in Gloucester, Cape-Ann, in 1734, and some of whose descendants are still living at New-Gloucester, in this neighbourhood.
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First occupation of the town.
he paid to John Winter, a noble for a gallon of aquavitae1 about two months since, and that he hath credibly heard it reported that said Winter bought of Mr. George Luxton, when he was last in Casco bay, a hhd. of aquavitae for £7 ster. about nine months since. Mr. John Baley hath declared upon his oath, that about eight months since, he bought of Mr. J. Winter, six quarts of aquavitae at 20 pence the quart ; he further declared he paid him for commodities bought about the same time, about six pounds of beaver at six shillings the lb. which he himself took at Ss. the lb .; John West also declared that he bought of J. Winter a pottle of aquavitae at 20 pence the quart, and shot at 4d a lb .- Richard Tucker, one of the great inquest declared that Thomas Wise, of Casco, coming from Richmond island, and having bought of Mr. J. Winter, a flaggott of liquor, aquavitae, for which he paid him as he said a noble, asking myself and partner, if we would be pleased to accept a cupp of noble liquor, and how that he saw Mr. Winter pay abord Mr. Luxton's ship, for a hhd. of the same liquor £7 ster. when he was last in Casco bay. Michael Mitton, upon oath, declares, that he hath bought divers times of Mr. J. Winter, powder and shott, paying him for powder 3s. and for shott 4d. the pound, and likewise for aquavitae, 6s. 8d. the gallon. And he further declareth that he hath heard Mr. Richmond declare in the house of Mr. George Cleeves and Richard Tucker, that he sold powder to Mr. Winter for 20d. or 22d the lb. He further declared that he hath heard by the general voice of the inhabitants in those partes grievously complaining of his hard dealing both in his great rates of his commodities and the injury to them in thus bringing down the price of beaver, and that the boats and pinnaces that pass to and from with commodities, that before they come to Richmond Ile, they take beaver at Ss. but afterwards they hold it at the rate of 6s .- George Lewis likewise upon oath declareth that he hath heard and known beaver refused to be taken at 8s. because the parties could not put it away again to Mr. Winter, but at the rates of 6s. and himself likewise, hath refused to work with Mr. Macworth unless he might have beaver at 6s. alleging that he could not put it away again to Mr. Winter, but at that rate." 1215349 -
It would seem probable, from the facts in this case, that the only store of goods or place of general traffic in this neighbourhood, was
"The common name at that time for brandy. A noble was about one dollar and forty-five cents of our money.
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History of Portland.
kept by Winter, on Richmond's island, otherwise, Mitton, Lewis and Wise, who all lived on the north side of Fore river, would hardly have gone there to purchase commodities and exchange beaver. The quarrel which had for some time existed between Winter, and Cleeves and Tucker was now finding vent in the courts, which were this year for the first time established ; and it is not difficult to suppose that this complaint against Winter was got up by the Casco interest, by way of revenge for his disturbing the possession of the settlers on this side of the river. That there may not have been some ground for it, we will not pretend to say ; it does not however suit the usage of modern times for courts and juries to interfere with the profits a man may put upon his own merchandize1. This court was held in June, and was the first general assembly ever held in the province ; at the next term, held in September following, Winter retaliated upon Cleeves by bringing an action of slander against him, in which he declared " that about six years past within this province, the defendant did slander the plf's. wife, in reporting that his wife, who then lived in the town of Plymouth, in old England, was the veriest drunkenest w -- in all that town, with divers other such like scandalous reports, as also that there were not four honest women in all that town." " Mr. Arthur Brown examined, saith he hath heard the defendant say that Mrs. Winter was a drunken woman." This action was continued ; and at the next session the parties entered into the following agreement for referring all their controver- sies ; " Sacoe, June 28, 1641. Whereas divers differences have heretofore been between Mr. George Cleeves and Mr. John Winter, the parties have now agreed to refer themselves to the arbitration of Mr. Robert Jordan, Mr. Arthur Macworth, Mr. Arthur Brown and Richard Ormesby, for the final ending of all controversies, and bind ourselves each to the other in an assumpsit of £1000 sterling, to stand to the award of these arbitrators, and if these arbitrators shall not fully agree, Mr. Batchelder chosen to be an umpire for a final ending of the same." The same day the following award was made: "June 28, '41. An award made between George Cleeves, Gent. and John Winter, made by the arbitrators within named. Whereas
" James Treworgy was presented at this court "for, being one of the grand inquest, he revealed the secrets of the association to John Winter, and other abuses : he told Mr. Winter that he thought every man might make the most of his commodi- tie." Treworgy or Trueworthy lived in Saco.
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First occupation of the town.
the jury have found £80 st. damage, with four acres of ground, and the house at Spurwink for the plf .- hereunto granted on both parties, that the house and land shall be due unto Mr. Winter, and £60 st. to the plf. presently to be made good. Whereas, there hath been found by the jury in an action of interruption of a title of land for the plf. the same I ratify : whereas also, there is a scandal objected by Mr. Winter against Mr. Cleeves from words of defamation, it is ordered of said Mr. Cleeves, shall christainly acknowledge his failing therein against Mr. Winter his wife for present before the arbitrators, and afterwards to Mrs. Winter. Stephen Batchelder. Agitated by us, Robert Jordan, Richard Ormesby, Arthur Macworth, Arthur Brown1."
This award probably had the effect of suspending hostilities ; but after Winter's death, the controversy for the title on the north of Fore river, was revived and strenuously maintained by Robert Jordan. At the same court, Edward Godfrey of Agamenticus, had an action against George Cleeves for £20, " which said Godfrey demands by virtue of an order from the High Court of Starr Chamber, for costs in that court by a special writ2."
The foregoing records present us the names of two persons who then appear for the first time in our history, Thomas Wise and George Lewis. When they came here or where from, we cannot ascertain. George Lewis, of Scituate, in Massachusetts, had a son George, who is conjectured to be the person here mentioned. Lewis, previous to 1640, had received a grant of 50 acres of land, at Back-Cove, from Cleeves and Tucker, upon which he lived ; in 1657, he received an additional grant of 50 acres, and his son John one of 100 acres adjoining ; this land of the father was near the point where Tukey's bridge ends. Here George Lewis lived and died. On the 29th of Sept. 1640, Cleeves and Tucker conveyed to Thomas Wise and Hugh Mosier, 200 acres of land, " beginning at a little plot of marsh, west side, to the north east of their now dwelling house, and next adjoining land of widow Hatwell, thence along the water side until they come to the western side of the marsh, and so far as the well in the creek by George Lewis's, and thence to run north west into the woods." We have no previous notice of widow Hatwell or Atwell,
1Y. Rec. Stephen Batchelder, the umpire, is probably the same person who had been minister at Lynn, and afterwards at Hampton, of whom an account may be found in Lewis's history of Lynn.
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History of Portland.
but from subsequent facts, we learn that her land was upon Martin's point, and that she afterwards married Richard Martin, whose name the point received and still bears. The grants here referred to, were probably the earliest made at back cove, at least we find none earlier, and the whole margin of the cove is subsequently covered by later conveyances from the two first proprietors. Wise and Mosier continued a few years upon their grant ; Mosier1 left it first and went further down the bay, where he died, leaving two sons James and John. James administered upon the estate in . 1666. The two brothers occupied two islands, now in Freeport, called great and little Mosier's, but since, by corruption, the Moges. Wise was an early inhabitant of Saco, from which he came to this place, he also moved lower down the bay, and sold his land to Nathaniel Wallis, in 1658.
We are thus able to show upon indisputable authority, that as early as 1640, there were at least nine families in Falmouth, viz. Atwell, Cleeves, Lewis, Mac worth, Mitton, Mosier, Tucker, Winter and . Wise, of whom four were settled at back cove, three upon the Neck, one east of Presumpscot river, and the other on Richmond's island ; in addition to which, were Mr. Jordan, who, we suppose, was not yet married to Winter's daughter, and the numerous persons employed by Winter in his business, beside the persons employed by the other settlers : the whole population at that time cannot be precisely ascertained.
Before quitting this period, we may be permitted to introduce an anecdote from Jocelyn, whose book is now rarely to be found, to illustrate the manners of the early settlers. " At this time," he says, June 26, 1639, "we had some neighbouring gentlemen in our house", who came to welcome me into the country, where amongst variety of discourse, they told me of a young lion not long before killed at Piscataqua by an indian ; of a sea serpent or snake3, that lay coiled up like a cable upon a rock at Cape Ann ; a boat passing by, with
Hugh Mosier is conjectured to be the first of the name who came to this country, and the ancestor of all of that name in this State. They subsequently settled in Gorham, and were among the first settlers of that town.
2His brother Henry's at Black Point. Jocelyn left England in April, 1638, and returned in Sept. 1639. He was at Black Point with his brother from July 14, 1638 to Sept 23, 1639. He commenced his 2d voyage in 1663.
"This story of the snake will give courage to the believers in the sea serpent, he was probably the ancestor of the late visitor.
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مصر الود
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Political affairs of the Province.
English aboard and two Indians, they would have shot the serpent, but the Indians dissuaded them, saying, that if he were not killed out right, they would all be in danger of their lives. One Mr. Mitton related of a triton or mereman, which he saw in Casco bay, the gentleman was a great fowler, and used to go out with a small boat or. canoe, and fetching a compass about a small island, there being many islands in the bay, for the advantage of a shot, he encountered with a triton, who laying his hands upon the side of the canoe, had one of them chopt off with a hatchet by Mr. Mitton, which was in all respects like the hand of a man ; the triton presently sunk, dyeing the water with his purple blood, and was no more seen1." He adds, " Sept. 23, I left Black Point and came to Richmond island, about three leagues to the eastward, where Mr. Trelane kept a fishing : Mr. John Winter, a grave and discreet man was his agent, and employed 60 men upon that design. Monday 24, I went aboard the Fellowship of 170 tons, a Flemish bottom : several of my friends came to bid me farewell, among the rest Capt. Thomas Wannerton?, who drank to me a pint of kill-devil alias rhum at a draught ; at 6 o'clock in the morning, we set sail for Massachusetts."
CHAPTER 2.
The political affairs of the Province, from the great patent 1620, to the submission to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, in 1658.
THE patent granted by James I. to the " council for the affairs of New-England," Nov. 3, 1620, was the civil basis of the subsequent patents which divided the country. This patent contained powers of government to the council and their successors ; but it soon became a question whether the council could with a conveyance of any portion of territory within their limits, transfer a right of government3.
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