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 II 1700-1833 > Part 2
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' The government was at the expense of furnishing merchandize for these establishments, and providing a person to attend them, who was called a' Truck-master ; they occasioned a continual expenditure, with but little satis- faction to the Indians. The one at Falmouth was not long continued, and the failure of the government in this particular became a subject of complaint. 2 N. H. Coll. 210. 2 2. 183.
13
The Neck settled.
C. 1.]
the houses which were ordered to be destroyed, removed their resi- dence to the Neck.1 At that time there was but a solitary family upon it by the name of Ingersoll .? Where Ingersoll built his hut, we have no means of ascertaining. James Mills, from Lynn, built the second or third house in town,3 and as he had subsequently a grant of an acre house lot, " where his house stood," which included the land in Middle-street, where the late Judge Freeman's house now is ; we conjecture that his early habitation was erected near that spot.+ The first notice however, that we have of the return of any of the former inhabitants is in 1715, when Benjamin Skillings and Zacha- riah Brackett occupied the farms at Back Cove, which had belong- ed to their fathers ;5 these adjoined each other. Skillings had resid- ed in Salem, where his mother had married a second husband by the name of Wilkins. Brackett was the son of Anthony, by his second marriage, and had been living at Hampton, in N. H. where his mother originated.6 Early the same year, Dominicus Jordan, son of Dominicus, who was killed in the last war, re-occupied the pater- nal estate at Spurwink ; his eldest son Dominicus was born there in June of that year. At Purpooduck, Gilbert Winslow, called Doctor, who probably had been surgeon at the garrison, built the first house in 1716 or 1717,7 and the same year he was joined by Samuel Cobb, who built the second house there, but who next year moved to the Neck, and erected a house in Queen, now Congress-street, near the
1 One of these persons was Joseph Bean, from York, who was an Indian interpreter. Having been taken by the Indians in 1692, when 16 years old, and kept by them 8 years, he had become familiar with their language. He was here with his family as early as 1610, having had a child born here in March of that year. His three first children were born in York, and five last in Falmouth. He was probably connected with the fort at New-Casco. In 1724, he had the rank of Captain, and served in the Indian war of 1722. His descendants still live among us in respectable rank.
2 Rev. Mr. Smith says, "In 1716, one Ingersoll built a hut on Falmouth Neck, where he lived sometime alone, and was thence called Gov. Ingersoll." I have thought this must have been Elisha, son of John Ingersoll of Kittery, who had been driven from here in the war of 1688. Whoever he was, he was drowned in Presumpscot river a few years afterwards.
3 Proprietors Rec. 4 The grant of the house lot was made by the town April 1727. His family did not come here until after June 1716, in which month he had a daughter born in Lynn.
" Rev. Mr. Smith's Ch. Rec.
6 Zachariah Brackett had four children born in Hampton, the first in 1709 : his 5th child, Zachariah, was born in Falmouth Nov. 30, 1716. He moved to Ipswich about 1740 and died there.
7 Doct. Winslow in a few years moved to North-Yarmouth.
2
14
Resettlement of the Town. [P. II.
head of King-street'. In July 1716, the inhabitants who had already gathered upon the Neck, being probably the disbanded soldiers, were fifteen men, beside women and children". Samuel Moody built his house fronting the beach below King-street, on the spot which forms the corner of Fore and Hancock-streets ; this for a number of years was the principal house in town. Benjamin Larrabee built his, a one story house, where Mr. Newhall's now stands, on the corner of Middle and School-streets. Richard Wilmot, and John Wass, who married his daughter, built on Queen-street, near the entrance of Wilmot-street, which took its name from this early occupant ; Thom- as Thomes built in Clay Cove ; Barbour in Middle-street, near Court-street, on land which was afterwards granted to him, and part of which still remains in the family, probably a solitary instance in this town of hereditary transmission of an estate for so many years. James Doughty built next below Barbour, on Middle-street. Samuel Proctor, who moved his family here from Lynn in 1717 or 1718, built in Fore-street, near where Silver-street enters it3. John Pritch- ard came from Boston about the same period, and erected his house on Thames-street, and Richard Collier from the old Colony, occu- pied a spot near Jordan's point. These were all, or the principal persons who had scized upon the vacant soil on the Neck, within the five years after the peace ; in 1718, when Samuel Cobb moved
1 Samuel Cobb was a ship carpenter ; he was 38 years old and married when he came here ; he was followed next year by his three brothers, Jona- than, Ebenezer and Joseph, who settled at Purpooduck. Ebenezer died in 1721, aged 33. From the above, all of the name in this part of the country descended.
2The following order was passed by the Council July 20, 1716. " A memo- rial presented by Capt. Samuel Moody, late commander of his Majesty's fort, at Casco Bay, praying that he may have liberty to build a small fortification, with stockades at the town of Falmouth, commonly called Old Casco, about his own house, upon his own land in the said town, and that he may furnish the same with arms and ammunition at his own charges for himself and the inhabitants there, being in number fifteen men, beside women and children. Ordered that the prayer of said petition be granted." A part of these men were James Doughty, John Gustin, Mark Rounds, Matthew and Wm. Scales, Eben. Hall, Thomas Thomes, John Wass, James Mills, Joseph Bean and John Barbour, father and son-the father came a year after his son with his family, consisting of a son James and a daughter, the widow Gibbs with her daughter Mary, 10 years old, and son Andrew, 5 years old. John Barbour the elder, was drowned Jan. 1719. Doughty was a shoe-maker, born about 1680; Rounds was a gun-smith, he died about 1720, leaving three sons, Joseph, George and Samuel. The Scales's and Collier came from Plymouth Colony.
Samuel Proctor's son Benjamin was born in Lynn, Sept. 6, 1717.
15
Falmouth Incorporated.
C. 1.]
from Purpooduck, there were settled here thirteen families, beside his own.1
The inhabitants of the previous settlement and the persons claim- ing under them, finding their ancient possessions becoming the resort of a new population, begun to turn their attention to the means of improving their property and placing the settlement under due regu- lations. In 1715, the general court had appointed a committee of five persons, on the petition of Cape Porpus and Black Point, " to prosecute the regular settlement of the eastern frontiers," who were " directed to lay out the town platts in a regular and defensible man- ner at the charge of the proprietors, and of such other towns as shall after apply agreeably to the order of court ;" and passed an order that no settlement should be made in the eastern country without authority from government." It was their object to prevent scattered plantations from being established over the country, which would invite the Indians to renewed depredations, and expose the lives and property of the people. Under this act, several of the old proprie- tors and their representatives to the number of thirty-six, petitioned the general court in May 1717, for liberty to rebuild their ruined settlement, stating that persons were continually making encroach- ments upon their property and plundering the wood and timber. The prayer of the petition was granted, and the petitioners were referred to the committee already appointed to lay out the town. The com- mittee however did not attend to the duty, and the next year a more urgent application was made to the legislature. The delay had sub- jected the proprietors to loss, and their affairs were thrown into confusion for want of municipal regulations. These injuries they earnestly set forth in their petition, which pressed the court to relieve them from their embarrassment3. In this latter petition, some of the new settlers joined the old proprietors.
The general court added Lewis Bane and Capt. Joseph Hill to the committee, and authorized any three of them to perform the ne- cessary duties of it. The subject was attended to without further delay ; the committee proceeded to Falmouth in July 1718, where
1 Mr. Smith's Church Rec. 2 This committee consisted of " Major John Wheelwright, Mr. Abraham Preble, Mr. Jos. Hammond, Charles Frost, Esq. and Mr. Jolin Leighton."
3 See petitions in Appendix I.
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16 -
Falmouth Incorporated. [P. II.
they established the lines of the town, and designated the Neck as the most suitable place for the settlement. Their report was as follows : " Pursuant to a vote of a great and general assembly of his majesty's province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New-England, held at Boston, May 1715, empowering and appointing the subscribers to be a committee to prosecute the regular settlement of the eastern frontiers, and in answer to the petition of the proprietors and settlers of the town of Falmouth, in Casco Bay, in the years 1717 and 1718, who have made application to us, the said committee, according to the direction of the general court. We have, upon the 16th day of this present month of July, taken a view of the said town of Fal- mouth, and upon mature deliberation and consideration, we offer the report to this honourable court, as follow, viz. The dividing bounds between Scarborough and Falmouth, we find to be the line from the first dividing branch of Spurwink river, from thence to run into the country, eight miles N. W. and from said branch as the river runs, into the sea ; and the easterly bounds of Falmouth to extend to cer -. tain islands known by the name of the clapboard islands, from a red oak tree upon the main, over against said islands, marked F. on the south side, and so southeast over a white rock into the sea, and from said tree eight miles into the country ; and according to the best of our judgment, we have determined the spot whereon the ancient town of Falmouth stood, and a fort was formerly built by order of govern- ment,, and where there are already settled above twenty families, in a compact and defensible manner, to be a very agreeable place for the - settlement of a town, being bordering on a fine navigable river, guarded from the sea by adjacent islands, most commodious for the fishery, and is accommodated with several large streams for mills, as well as a large quantity of good land for the encouragement of hus- bandry ; and we are of opinion there is a fair prospect of its being in a little time a flourishing town ; and in order to enable them to a methodical proceeding in their affairs, we are of opinion that it is absolutely necessary that they be invested with power to act as a town as soon as may be with conveniency. We have also left our advice with them, with respect to the laying out their streets and highways, as also for the placing of their meeting house after the most commodious manner, for the benefit of the town in general."
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17
Irish Emigrants.
C. 1.]
This report was accepted, and the town incorporated with the " proviso, that this order shall in no measure prejudice and infringe any just right or title that any person has to land there, and that fifty families at the least more than now are, be admitted as soon as may be, and settled in the most compact and defensible manner that the land will allow of."
In the autumn of this year a vessel arrived in the harbour with 20 families of emigrants from Ireland. They were descendants of a colony which went from Argyleshire in Scotland, and settled in the north of Ireland about the middle of the 17th century. They were rigid Presbyterians, and fled from Scotland to avoid the persecutions of Charles I.1 They suffered severely during the winter here ; their own provisions failed, and our inhabitants had neither shelter nor food sufficient for so large an accession to the population. In De- cember the inhabitants petitioned the general court for relief ; they stated their grievances as follows : " that there are now in the town about 300 souls, most of whom are arrived from Ireland, of which not one half have provisions enough to live upon over the winter, and so poor that they are not able to buy any, and none of the first inhabitants so well furnished as that they are able to supply them;" and they pray that the court would consider their desolate circum- stances by reason of the great company of poor strangers arrived among them and take speedy and effectual care for their supply. On `this application the court ordered " that 100 bushels of Indian meal be allowed and paid for out of the public treasury for the poor Irish people mentioned in the petition2."
1 Belk. N. H. and Parker's cent. ser.
2 Mass. Rec. Robert Temple in a letter contained in the reply of the Pe- jepscot Pro. to the remarks of the Pro. of Brunswick, published in 1753, says, he contracted for a passage for himself and family to come to this country Sept. 1717 : on his arrival, he first went to Connecticut to look out a farin, on his return he went to Kennebeck with Col. Winthrop, Dr. Noyes and Col. Minot ; he liked the country, and concluded to settle there. The same year he was concerned in the charter of two large ships, and next year three more to bring families from Ireland ; in consequence of which several hundred peo- ple were landed at Kennebeck, some of which or their descendants are there to this day ; but the greatest part removed to Pennsylvania, and a considerable part to Londonderry for fear of the Indians. The emigrants mentioned above were part of Temple's importation, probably. James McKean, the grand- father of the first Pres. of Bowdoin College, was of this company, and the agent who selected the land on which they settled : he had 21 children.
18
Municipal Government. [P. II.
These people took their vessel up the river and secured her nearly opposite Clark's point, where they remained on Purpooduck shore during the winter ; in the spring most of them embarked, sailed for Newburyport, reached Haverhill April 2, and soon established them- selves at the place to which they gave the name of Londonderry. Several families however remained here, among whom were James Armstrong, with his sons John, Simeon and Thomas, and Robert Means, who married his daughter ; these became valuable inhabi- tants, and their descendants still remain among us.
The first meeting of the inhabitants to organize the town after the incorporation was held March 10, 1719. At this time, Joshua Moody, was chosen clerk1, John Wass, Wm. Scales, Dominicus Jordan, John Pritchard and Benjamin Skillings, selectmen ; Thomas Thomes constable, and Jacob Collins and Samuel Proctor, survey- ors of fence. At the same meeting, Wm. Scales was chosen repre- sentative to the general court.
The inhabitants having provided a municipal government for the town, began to turn their attention toward the means of securing their possessions. Most of the people had settled here upon land to which they had no title, trusting to the future arrangements of the town for protection and suitable provision. This subject was one of great embarrassment, and caused the inhabitants inconceivable confusion and difficulty. The land was all claimed by persons who had been inhabitants of the former settlement, or their heirs or assigns, who called themselves the " Old Proprietors ;" while the settlers com- posing a majority of the inhabitants who came without title, were called the " New Proprietors." The Old Proprietors claimed under the deed from Danforth of 1684, the exclusive right to the common lands as a propriety. This construction of that deed was denied by the New Proprietors, who contended that the act of the Legislature incorporating them as a town, and the condition impos- ed upon them to settle fifty families immediately in a compact man- ner, was a sufficient authority to them to grant the vacant land. The interest of the town undoubtedly required that the land should be taken up by actual settlers2.
1 Joshua Moody was the eldest son of Samuel Moody, born 1697, and grad- uated at Har. Col. 1716 ; he married Tabitha Cox in 1736, and had 3 sons, Houtchin, William and James : he died in 1748.
" One source of confusion between the old and new proprietors, was the
19
Old and New Proprietors.
C. 1.]
The new proprietors having in their hands the management of the affairs of the town, went steadily on, appropriating the unimproved lands to settlers ; always however, avoiding the actual possessions of former inhabitants when they were ascertained, or regranting them to the heirs or assigns of the claimants. And whenever it appeared that grants to new occupants covered former titles, new assignments were made. The grants were not confined to settlers, but the un- appropriated territory was applied as a common patrimony for the public uses of the town.1
The Neck which had now assumed a higher rank among the sev- eral districts of the town, than it had heretofore held, became the subject of the earliest attention. . The legislature had selected this spot as the central point of the future settlement, and nature herself seems to have designated it as the one most suited for the foundation of a flourishing town. In may 1719, immediately after the organi- zation of the town, a committee was appointed to lay out lots upon the Neck. The lots which fronted upon King-street, then the most central and valuable situations, were half an acre each ; those on the Fore-street, as it was then called, were one acre, being 8 rods front and 20 rods deep ; on the Middle-street, they were an acre and a half, being 12 rods front, and running north to the back or Queen- street ;? from the latter street to the back cove, the land was divided into three acre lots. The old claims of Mitton and Bramhall at the
difficulty of obtaining evidence by the old proprietors of their titles, owing to the loss of the town records in 1690. The proprietors of North-Yarmouth, perceiving the embarrassment occasioned by this unfortunate circumstance, petitioned the general court in 1722, that their town book, which was then in the office of the Secretary of State, might be pu into the hands of some of the proprietors to be copied, " that so the ancient records of the said town may be kept safe, and secured from falling into the hands of the Indians, and other casualties that may happen, which was the unhappy case of Falmouth, in Casco Bay, whose records were lost, the loss of which has run them into great confusion, and has almost proved their utter ruin and destruction."
1 The lawyers who were employed in the controversies which grew out of this subject, were paid in common lands ; parts of them were also sold to pay the expences of litigation. .
2 Three principal streets extending westerly from King-street, were desig- nated by their relative position, the fore, the middle and the back streets ; in a few years their local designations were dropped, and they came to be called Fore, Middle and Back-streets ; two of them retain their ancient names, while the latter has yielded to the modern title of Congress-street. Its early proper name was Queen-street, but custom and practice bore down the conventional name.
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20
Distribution of land on the Neck. [P. II.
west end of the Neck ; of Munjoy and Silvanus Davis at the east end, and of John Skillings about Centre-street, were not included in this division. It was at the same time voted that no person should enjoy any town lot granted to him unless he settled it personally or by another within six months after the grant ; and it was also voted that " the house lots be laid out in order to a confirmation to such as have built upon them." Each person admitted a proprietor was, entitled to lots of 1, 3, 10, 30 and 60 acres respectively, from the common land, making to each 104 acres. It was designed to grant in addi- tion to these lots 100 acres to each proprietor ; but it was found that after deducting land sold for common charges, and that to which claims were maintained by old proprictors, the territory was not sufficient for that appropriation.
The first three acre lots on the Neck were granted May 8, 1720, beginning on the north side of Back-street, where Elm-street joins it, - and extending easterly to Sandy point.1 Lots were afterwards granted on the west side of Samuel Moody's, and in other parts of the town, until the most valuable spots were taken up.2
A majority of the petitioners to the general court in 1718, were then or soon became actual settlers, and undertook the management of the affairs of the town. Part of these were descendants of the old proprietors, but their number was not sufficient to give them an ascendancy in the meetings of the inhabitants. The town, to com- ply with the requisition of the legislature to settle fifty more families in a compact manner, immediately proceeded to admit 74 persons as inhabitants ; this probably included all who had families here, or
1 The names of the grantees and the order of their grants were as follows viz. 1 Samuel Moody, 2 Joshua Moody, 3 Minister, 4 Ministry, 5 John Oliver; this was forfeited, and afterwards granted to Benj. Blackstone. 6 Richard Richardson, 7 James Doughty, 8 John Wass, 13 rods front for his 3 and 1 acre lots ; Wass had already built a house and barn near where Wilmot- street joins Congress-street. 9 John Jefferds, 10 Matthew Scales, 11 Eben'r. Gustin, 12 James Mills, 13 Peter Walton, 14 Samuel Cobb, 15 Jacob Collins, 16 John Bish, this was a triangle at the foot of the street, which was forfeited and afterwards granted to Thomas Thomes. 17 Richard Collier, 18 James Doughty, 19 John East, 20 Elisha Ingersoll, 21 Richard Jones. On the west side of Samuel Moody, 3 acre lots were subsequently laid out to Dr. Samuel Moody, Benjamin Larrabee, James M'Caslin, Daniel Ingersoll, Benjamin Skillings, Edward Hales, Benjamin Ingersoll, Thomas Cummins and Nehe- miah Robinson, reaching to Brackett's claim.
2 The annexed plan of the original laying out of the Neck will show to whom and where, the grants were made.
Easterly line of the Claim of the Milton Heirs.
Point of Rack
H.Babson
Ancient Claim by the Brackets
Brackets Claim
M.Putten
Wm. Graver
Thos Cox
Sar Topluffe
E.W. swot
WWeek
R Pimery
S. Jones 5 acres
S.Dari's
TCummings
J. Jackson
BIngersoll
N Winslow
HIL. Ciles
Ed.Hales
TFrank
B Themis
Children
Con Hal
s Stunt
E Shirt
fromweb
D.Ingersoll
J Robinson
John Shillings' old Claim
James ME Casland 4 acres
#'Davis
Capt B Larrabet
TIlaskell
J Clark
J. Cartas
B Blacksten
R M. Monuldt
Buar.
the
IL Bayley
Fere
Bin - versole
R. Richardsonfy
JDoughty
J.Irish
Cucen
J. Oliver forfeited, granded to B.Blackstone
Thes Mostly
R Richardson
S Proctor
JBrown
The Fianchiy 3 chockstr.
John Wiss 4 acres
Af. Scales
TMfillet
John Jefferds
Adams Hollow
JAfills
B.Skillings
Muth Scales
1714
Butter
JBarber
D:
Dr.E.
Sam
Jer Riygs 3 acres
N Robin son
Peter Wallon
Widow
Gustu
3. Cobb
Sam' Cobb
-tams
BIOSTi
i.ust l'ent
Walter Gond
Col Ting Pearson
V/ Big gy
Silvanus Davis Mld Claim
ward
plund!
Thsmar Sm:
Stonyfeller / 2acres
R. Collier
W. N.W.L' Westerly line of the Mungoy Claim,
GRANT'S made by the Propriete's of FALMOUTH (Ort the Neck) now PORTLAND ! principally between 1720 € 1728 inclusive- Par Withits Hutory o" Portland. Prendietun Luhayatı
Casco or Fore Pulver
Ferm.c
Clay Core
Unis of Sand Walde 111+
Back Street
Eben' Gustin
Jumus Mills
Back Cove
Pritd and
L
John. Bish, forfeited ounted toT. Them 201926 -
1
S .Herdy
D Jordan
the Middle
EHall
S. Bracket!
J Owen
James Doughty
Dan Ingersoll
» Creet
8 Lurrabce
Jos. Hide
the
Minister
JBarber JosThomas
B.Larrabee J:
J Freese
B Wright
the Main Street
N.Robinson
John Car.
Jos tobb
Inº Bitchard, 4 acres
J Perry
B Shillings
P.Hodgkins
3 acres
177*
Sol. Kke
Sam. Moody
Joshua. Moody
Ministry
Eb! Woodward
Jacob Collins, given to T Smalli
Watton
21
C. 1.] Controversy between Old and New Proprietors.
who had applied for admission. Although this number included persons of both parties ; yet the new proprietors by the measure increased their strength, which gave great offence to the old propri- etors, especially the non-residents. Their indignation was more highly aroused, when in the spring of 1727, the town voted to admit persons as inhabitants, and to a share in the common land on the payment of £10 to the town treasury ; under this vote, 138 persons were admitted principally in 1727 and '281. Although this act highly offended the old proprietors, yet it is certainly justifiable as a measure of policy. The town was extremely poor, they were just recovering from a severe war, they had plenty of land but no money in the treasury. It was their object to sell part of their unoccupied land, and at the same time gain an accession of inhabitants, who would give life to the ample resources of the place. Multitudes of active and enterprising men came here and gave proof of the wisdom of the plan ?. It will be perceived by recurring to the names of those whom this act invited here, that a spring was thus given to the in- crease and prosperity of the town, by the enterprise of the new settlers. But the opposite party viewing it through the medium of their own narrow interest, used all means to defeat the policy. They alleged it to be an arbitrary assumption of power, by which their property was disposed of without their consent. Meetings were held on both sides, party spirit raged with extreme violence, and particu- larly so in 1728. Mr. Smith's Journal furnishes us with a brief notice of the excitement, which also indicates the position which he occupied in the contending ranks.3 He favored the old proprietors; he was the assignee of one himself, was deeply interested in the
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