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 31
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' These parties were sometimes attended with inconveniences. Mr. Smith says under February 4, 1763, " Wednesday morning Brigadier Preble, Col. Waldo, Capt. Ross, Dr. Coffin, Nathaniel Moody, Mr. Webb, and their wives and Tate, set out on a frolic to Ring's and are not yet got back, nor like to be, the road not being passable." " February 11, our frolickers returned from Black point having been gone just ten davs."
? This house stood on the corner of Exchange and Middle-streets, and now stands a little cast of its former site on Middle-street.
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fashionable resort both for old and young wags, before as well as after the revolution. It was the Eastcheap of Portland, and was as famous for baked beans as the " Boar's head" was for sack, although we would by no means compare honest Dame Greele, with the more celebrated, though less deserving hostess of Falstaff and Poins. Many persons are now living on whose heads the frosts of age have extinguished the fires of youth, who love to recur to the amusing scenes and incidents associated with that house.
Theatrical entertainments were wholly unknown here, and even in New-England before the revolution. The first exhibition of the kind which ever took place in this town was on Tuesday evening Oct. 7, 1794. The plays performed on this occasion were the comedy of the Lyar, and a farce called Modern Antiques, or the Merry Mourners. The principal characters were sustained by Mr. . Powell, Mr. Jones, Mr. Kenny, Mrs. Powell and Mrs. Jones. The performances were three times a week at a hall called the as- sembly room in King-street ; the price of admission was 3s.
The company which was a branch of the dramatic corps of Bos- ton, continued here but two or three weeks at this time, but repeated their visits in the summer season of future years, and held their exhi- bitions sometimes in King-street, at others in Mechanics'-hall in Fore-street, but after 1800 at Union-hall in Free-street. The com- pany was so much encouraged at the commencement of the present century, when our commercial prosperity was at a very high if not its highest point, and the people proportionably lavish of their money in amusements and the gratification of their tastes, that the manager, Mr. Powell, proposed to erect a suitable building for a theatre in the west part of the town, and made arrangements to carry the project into immediate effect. But in 1805, a strong and united effort was made by those who disapproved of these entertainments to defeat the undertaking. A meeting of the inhabitants was held on the sub- ject, and after a very animated discussion, a majority was obtained in opposition to the erection of the theatre. They procured the passage of a law in March 1806, by which persons were prohibited under a heavy penalty, building any house for theatrical exhibitions or acting or assisting in the performance of any stage-plays, without a license first obtained for that purpose from the Court of Sessions of the county.
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This measure, with the commercial embarrassments which soon followed put an end not only to the scheme of erecting a theatre, but also to theatrical exhibitions for many years, and they were not re- vived until about 1820. They recommenced in Union-hall, which was fitted up for a summer theatre. The law of 1806 was attempt- ed to be enforced against the company, but it was evaded by the current of public opinion, notwithstanding a large and respectable portion of our inhabitants looked upon the performances as fraught with great evil to the rising generation.
The success which attended these latter exhibitions induced a number of persons to unite in 1829 for the purpose of furnishing more spacious accommodations ; the result of the effort was the erection in 1830 of the neat and convenient theatre in Free-street, at an expense including the land of about $10,000. Since that time however, the interest in that species of amusement has very much diminished, and it is only when actors of brilliant reputation are pro- cured that the receipts of the house pay any profit to the managers. The theatre is only opened in summer.
We have now passed through, in rather a desultory manner, the principal incidents which form the history of our community. What we have gathered may be useful hereafter to those who toil in the same field. When we look back a space of just two hundred years and compare our present situation, surrounded by all the beauty of civilization and intelligence, with the cheerless prospect which await- ed the European settler, whose voice first startled the stillness of the forest ; or if we look back but 100 years to the humble begin- nings of the second race of settlers, who undertook the task of reviv- ing the waste places of this wilderness, and suffered all the privations and hardships which the pioneers in the march of civilization are call- ed upon to endure ; or if we take a nearer point for comparison and view the blackened ruin of our village at the close of the revolutiona- ry war, and estimate the proud pre-eminence over all those periods which we now enjoy, in our civil relations and in the means of social happiness, our hearts should swell with gratitude to the Author of all good that these high privileges are granted to us ; and we should resolve that we will individually and as a community sustain the pur- ity and moral tone of our institutions, and leave them unimpaired to posterity.
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[P. II.
CHAPTER 15.
Biographical Notices.
WE have in the preceding pages given brief notices as occasion offered, of some of our inhabitants in the second period of our his- tory ; we propose now to give a very short account of some others whose names have occurred in the progress of the work.
Adams, Jacob was admitted an inhabitant February 22, 1728, and died March 5, 1734, in the 33d year of his age. He had a daughter Elizabeth born in 1730, and Mary in 1782. His widow the same year married David Stickney, by whom she had several children whose descendants still live here. He had a grant of an acre lot near Centre-street.
.Allen, Dr. Ebenezer was surgeon in the army, and was stationed on this coast in 1721 and 1722. He was accepted by the town as an inhabitant in 1727 and had an acre lot granted him in 1728 on the west side of clay cove : a house lot was also granted him at Pur- pooduck point the same year.
Armstrong, James came here from Ireland in 1718, with his fam- ily, and was part of the cargo of emigrants which spent the winter of that year in our harbour. He had a son Thomas born in Ireland Dec. 25, 1717 ; his sons John and James, were born in Falmouth, the former March 9, 1720, the latter April 25, 1721. He remain- ed here with his brothers, while his companions continued their voyage. John, Simeon and Thomas Armstrong, together with James, received grants of land here previous to 1721. His daughter mar- ried Robert Means, who with his family maintained a respectable standing for many years ; some of his descendants still live at Cape Elizabeth.
Barbour John and Bean Joseph. We have spoken in the pre- ceding pages of these persons who were ancestors of all of the name among us. Their families were united in 1736 by the mar- riage of Hugh Barbour with Mary Bean. See pp. 13 and 14, P. II.
Brackett, Zachariah died in Ipswich after 1751, having sold his farın at Back Cove now occupied by James Deering, and moved there about 1740. He was twice married ; by the first wife he had all his children born as follows, viz. Sarah, March 1, 1709, married
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C. 15.]
first Sawyer of Back Cove, second Jona. Morse, 1754-Jane born January 13, 1711, married Daniel Moshier of Gorham-Anthony, Aug. 25, 1712, married first Abigail Chapman 1751, second Abigail, a daughter of Joshua Brackett, he died in 1775-Abraham, July 3, 1714, married Joanna Springer 1743, and died in 1806, these were born in Hampton, N. H. ; the following were born in Falmouth- Zachariah, Nov. 30, 1716, married Judith Sawyer 1742, and died 1776-Thomas, married to Mary Snow 1744-Susannah, Februa- ry 13, 1720, married to John Baker 1740-Joshua, June 7, 1723, married Esther Cox 1744, and died 1810-Abigail, the youngest, Aug. 21, 1727, married James Merrill 3d of Falmouth, 1753-see part I, p. 208. part II, p. 13.
Bangs, Joshua came here from Cape Cod where he was born in 1685, and settled on the point east of Clay Cove. He was master of a vessel, and died May 23, 1762, in the 77th year of his age. He had two sons, Joshua and Thomas, and daughters Thankful, Sa- ralı, Mary, Mehitable, and Susannah. Joshua died July 6, 1755, aged 32-Thomas married Mehitable Stone of Harwich, in 1751- Thankful married Samuel Cobb in 1740-Mehitable married John Roberts jr. in 1752, and for her second husband, Jedediah Preble in 1754, by whom she had Ebenezer, Comodore Edward and Enoch, who is the only survivor. Saralı married Gershom Rogers in 1756. Mary married Nathaniel Gordon in 1754, and Susannah, Elijah Weare in 1761.
Butler, John came here in 1761 ; he was originally a jeweller, but afterwards engaged in trade and accumulated a handsome prop- erty before the revolutionary war, which was severely impaired by that event. He married Ann Codman a daughter of Capt. John Codman of Charlestown, and sister of Deacon Richard Codman of this town. He was a handsome, gay and accomplished man, but his misfortunes by losses of property and children, unthroned reason from her seat, and we remember him for many years as but the ruined semblance of a gentleman. He died in Westbrook in Decem- ber 1827, aged 95, having been supported some years before his death by that town.
Bradbury Theophilus. See part II. pp. 50, 114.
Bradish David. See part II. p. 151. Major Bradish married Abiah Merrill in 1767, and left several children ; his two sons Levi
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- and David, and daughter Mary married to Henry Wheeler, now re- side in town.
Cobb, Samuel came from Middleboro' Mass. in 1717 ; he remain- ed at Purpooduck one year, when he moved to the Neck. He was married before he settled here, and had five sons and two daughters, viz. Chipman, Ebenezer, Samuel, Peter, James, Hope married to Benjamin Winslow in 1738, and Hannah married first to John Swett in 1736, and second to Zerubabel Hunnewell in 1754. He sustained the offices of town clerk and treasurer, and selectman several years ; he was chosen first deacon of the first parish and was highly respected ; he died in 1766 the ancestor of a numerous race. Ilis widow died aged 80 the same year. See part II. pp. 13, 28.
Coffin, Dr. Nathaniel was for many years a celebrated physician, and came from Newburyport, to which place his ancestor Tristram Coffin, immigrated from Plymouth, Eng. in 1642. He married Pa- tience Hale in 1739, by whom he had Sarah, Nathaniel, Jeremiah Powell, Francis, Mary married to Samuel Juie, merchant of Anti- gua, and Charles Harford for her second husband, and Dorcas married to Capt. Thomas Colson of Bristol, Eng. He lived in King-street, where he died in January, 1766. His son Nathaniel was born April 20, 1744, was sent to England by his father in 1763, and pur- sued his medical studies in Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals, Lon- don. He returned to his native place in 1765, where he entered up- on a very full and lucrative practise and continued it until a short time previous to his death, which took place Oct. 21, 1826. Soon after he commenced practise, he married Eleanor Foster of Charles- town, amiable and accomplished like himself, by whom he had elev- en children, five sons and six daughters ; all the daughters but one who died young, were married, but neither of his sons. None of the family now live in town.
Cotton, Wm. came from Portsmouth about 1733, a young man. He was born 1703, and died December 8 1768, aged 65. He was for many years deacon of the first church and 13 years selectman of the town ; he was twice married ; his first wife died in May 1753, and in Nov. of the same year he married widow Hudson, who survived him. He had four children, one son who was deranged and three daughters, Sarah, Mary and Abigail. Sarah married Wm. Thomes in 1763, Mary married Mr. Holt for her first husband, who died in
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Biographical Notices. 293
1772, and in 1778 Stephen Hall, Abigail married Ebenezer Owen in 1763. Dea. Cotton was a tanner and had a large yard in the neighbourhood of his house at the foot of Centre-street.
Codman, Richard was born in Charlestown in 1730, and came here quite a young man about 1756 ; in 1758 he married Ann the youngest daughter of Phineas Jones, by whom he had two children, Richard and Ann, she died in 1761, aged 19. In 1763, he married Sarah the youngest daughter of Rev. Mr. Smith, by whom he had several children, of whom one son William, and three daughters, Sa- rah, Catharine and Mary survived him. He was deacon of the first church twelve years, and two years selectman of the town. Before and after the revolutionary war he traded in a store which stood on the upper corner of Exchange-street, and which now stands in Main- street on the north side next to Oliver Everett's store. He died · Sept. 12, 1793, aged 63.
Cox, John was admitted an inhabitant March 28, 1729, instead of Thomas Cox. The name was variously spelt Cok, Cocks, and in the present manner. His son John married Sarah Proctor in 1739, and by her and two other wives he had a family of twenty children, some of whom are now living, three in this town and four in Nova Scotia. The father and son were sea captains ; the latter abandoned the country during the revolutionary war and settled in Nova Scotia, where he died. The late Josiah Cox of this town, was his son ; his daughters married Peter Thomas, John Cox, Samuel Butts, James Means, Jonathan Paine, and Huston.
Cummings, Thomas came here from Scotland in 1773, and opened a store in King-street in his house, where he carried on a large busi- ness. In the destruction of the town he lost his house and store with their contents ; after the war he built a house on the same spot, which is now standing, and is the one fronting Middle-street, where he kept store until his death. He died in 1798, aged 63, leaving one daughter, Eleonora, who was married to Charles Bradbury of Boston, a son of Judge Bradbury, in 1810.
There was another Thomas Cummings who lived in town in 1721, in which year or the next he married Deborah, the widow of James Mills, who lived on the adjoining land ; by her he had three daughters, Deborah, Patience and Lucretia. By a former marriage he had two sons, William and Thomas, through one or both of whom his name 37
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294
Biographical Notices.
[P. II.
is transmitted to our day ; he is the ancestor of Wm. Cummings Esq. of Westbrook ; he was constable of the town at his death, which took place in March 1724.
Cushing, Col. Ezekiel came here from the old colony previous to 1740. His first wife was Mary, a daughter of Dominicus Jordan, the second whom he married in 1746, was widow Mary Parker of Boston. He lived in considerable style at Purpooduck, on the point which now bears his name ; he was employed in navigation and car- ried on an extensive business to the West Indies and in the fisheries. The house in which he lived was two stories, the lower story of which is still standing. He was selectman of the town nine years, and colonel of the regiment in this county. He died in 1765, leav- ing several children, viz. Loring, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Thomas, Na- thaniel, John, Lucy married to James Otis of Scituate, Hannah to Charles Robinson, and Phebe.
Child, Thomas was born in 1732 in Boston, and came here about 1764 ; he was connected with the custom-house as tide-waiter and deputy collector until the revolution commenced, when, being the only one in that department who adhered to the cause of the colo- nies, he was appointed to the head of the office here, under the title of naval officer, to which he was annually appointed during his life. He was also post-master before the revolution, and five years select- man. In 1772, he married Mary; daughter of Enoch Freeman, by whom he had several children, his oldest son Thomas, a daughter Mary married to David Hale, and another unmarried daughter, to- gether with their mother are now living in Boston. He died Dec. 23, 1787, aged 55.
Deering, Nathaniel and John brothers, came from Kittery ; noti- ces of both of them may be found in P. II. p. 116.
Deane, Rev. Samuel an extended notice of him may be found in p. 232.
East, John was here as early as 1720, when a grant was made to him of 40 acres on Little Chebeag island. He was a man of some consequence in town, was often on committees, was selectman six years, and town treasurer in 1730. He married Mary, a daughter of John Oliver, who came from Portsmouth or Greenland. East was a mariner and a very eccentric man ; it is said that when he arrived from sea he would not come on shore to see his wife for several
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C. 15.]
voyages, although he placed great confidence in her and made her the keeper of his purse. Ile lived at the foot of King-street, on the east side, near the fort, in a gambol-roofed house afterwards occupied by Henry Wheeler. He died in 1736, without issue, having be- queathed his whole estate to his widow ; the same year she married Henry Wheeler.
Epes, Daniel graduated at Harvard College in 1758; he came here from Danvers before the revolution and kept a store in Stroud- water. In 1781 he married Abigail, a daughter of Charles Frost of Stroudwater ; after the war he moved to the Neck and lived in the Waldo house opposite the old meeting-house in Congress-street, and became an insurance broker ; he was several years one of the select- men. He died in May 1799, aged 60, leaving one daughter who died about ten years after him.
Fox, Jabez. See P. II. p. 54.
For, John.
" " " 191.
Freeman, Enoch came to Falmouth in 1741 ; he was born in Eastham, Mass. in 1706, graduated at Harvard College in 1729 and settled in Boston as a clerk in the commission business with Mr. Hall ; in 1732 he received one sixth part of the profits for his ser- vices. On his removal to this place he engaged in commercial busi- ness ; in 1742 he received a military commission from Gov. Shirley, and in 1746 was appointed major of the second regiment of militia in Maine. In 1748 he was appointed justice of the peace, in 1749, naval officer, and in 1750 deputy collector of this port. In 1748 he was chosen representative, and was re-elected in subse- quent years, and in 1774 was chosen a member of the council, but was negatived by the Governor for his firm adherence to whig princi- ples. On the division of the county in 1760, he was placed on the bench of the common Pleas, which office he held until about two months before his death ; the same year he was chosen by the peo- ple register of Deeds, and continued in the office 28 years to the time of his death. In 1770 he succeeded Samuel Waldo as judge of Probate, which office he held until he was disqualified by the Con- stitution, holding at that time the office of register of Deeds. He filled at one time the offices of judge of the common Pleas, judge of Probate, register of Deeds, colonel of the Regiment, selectman and representative to the general court, a multiplication of offices which show that he possessed the confidence of the public. He
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was a man of proud bearing and severe manners, which were more suited to the age in which he lived than in that which followed. He had seven or eight children, only three of whom, two sons and one daughter survived him. The sons were Enoch, who lived in West- brook, and Samuel, our distinguished citizen, who died in 1831, aged 89, his daughter Mary, the widow of Thomas Child, is still living in Boston. He died in 1788, aged 82 years.
Freeman, Joshua came here as early as 1740 from the old colony, in which year he purchased of James Milk the lot on the corner of Exchange and Middle-streets for £80 O. T. on which he built the house now standing in Middle-street, a little east of the spot on which it was erected ; here he kept a store and tavern. He died Sept. 23. 1770, aged 70. His oldest son George born in 1739, was living in Standish a short time ago.
Freeman, Samuel, see p. 272.
Frothingham, John see pp. 52, 53 and 214.
Frost, Charles came here from New-Castle, N. H. as a clerk to Col. Westbrook. He married Hannah Jackson of Kittery in 1738, by whom he had Abigail married to Daniel Epes, William who died single in 1791, Jane, Andrew Pepperell, and Charles born in 1755. He lived on the hill this side of Stroudwater bridge, and was a man of respectability, influence and property in town for many years ; he was representative at the time of his death, which took place Janu- ary 4, 1756.
Gookin, Simon and Samuel were brothers, and the sons of Rev. Nathaniel Gookin of Hampton N. H. the grandson of Daniel Gookin, who was born in Kent, England, and came to Cambridge, Mass. in 1644. Simon married Prudence Ilsley, a daughter of Isaac Ilsley, in 1742 ; he was a joiner and lived on the court that went up from Middle-street near where Court-street now is ; he owned the land which he exchanged with John Fox for land in other parts of the town. This valuable tract is now in possession of the heirs of Mr. Fox. He died in 1782, leaving three children, John, Abigail mar- ried to Micah Sampson, and Dorothy. Samuel married Sarah Has- kell in 1754, and died in 1804, aged 75.
Hall, Stephen graduated at H. C. in 1765, and was educated for the ministry, but did not preach ; he married Mary, a daugliter of Deacon Cotton in 1778, by whom he had several children. He
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died in 1795, aged 51 ; his widow died in 1808, aged 53. Two daughters and one son are now living.
Ilsley, Isaac see P. II. pp. 82 and 87.
Ilsley, Enoch son of the foregoing, was born in 1730, probably at Newbury ; he was actively engaged in commercial business before the revolutionary war, and at one time was the largest ship owner in town. He lived in clay cove where he owned a large estate, and carried on his trade there. He was one of the severest sufferers by the destruction of the town, his loss having been appraised at £2107. He was selectman, and filled the office of town treasurer fifteen years from 1786 to 1801. His daughter Betty married first Pearson Jones, and for her second husband the late Judge Freeman ; she died in 1830, full of years and virtues ; two other daughters married to James Deering and Isaac Ilsley, and one son Parker are now living. He died Nov. 10, 1811, aged 81.
Ilsley, Daniel brother of the preceding, was born in this town in 1740. In 1762, he married Mary, a daughter of Ephraim Jones, by whom he had four sons Isaac, George, Robert and Henry, and one daughter Charlotte married to Jonathan Andrews in 1801 ; they all survive but Robert. Before the revolutionary war, Mr. Ilsley kept the jail for a short time, when it stood where the town hall is situated; his occupation was that of a distiller which he pursued both before and after the revolution. During the war he was a distin- guished whig and enjoyed the confidence of government in several appointments. He held the office of selectman before and after the division of the town, was chosen delegate to the convention for rati- fying the constitution of the United States from Falmouth, he then living on his father's place at Back Cove, was twice chosen repre- sentative to the general court, and in 1806, was elected member of Congress from Cumberland district as successor to Gen. Wads- worth. He died in 1813, aged 73.
Jones, Phineas was one of the most active and enterprising of our early settlers. He lived in Worcester, Mass. in 1726, and soon after moved to North-Yarmouth, where he remained two or three years, when he established himself upon the Neck, being but 24 or 25 years old. His father, Nathaniel Jones, moved here from Wor- cester about the same time. They had both speculated largely in purchasing the titles of ancient settlers, and were deeply interest- ed in establishing their claims. He sold many of his old titles to
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Samuel Waldo in 1734. In 1738 he purchased of Benjamin Inger- soll for £480 a tract containing four acres bounded east by Ex- change-street, south by Fore-street, north by Middle-street, and extending west until the four acres should be completed, with the house and barn which stood about half way down Exchange-street, and the flats in front of the land. Mr. Jones, to improve the value of his purchase, in 1742 opened Plumb-street through it. His flat- tering prospects were however terminated by his untimely death in 1743, in the 38th year of his age. He had been selectman and rep- resentative from the town and engaged in all the measures of public improvement during his brief residence here. Stephen and Jabez Jones were his brothers, and the late John Coffin Jones of Boston, and Ephraim Jones of our town were his cousins. He married Ann Hodge of Newbury, by whom he had three daughters, who were all married in 1758, Lucy to Thomas Smith, son of our minister, Hannah to Col. John Waite and Ann to Richard Codman. The eldest after the death of her first husband Mr. Smith, married first Richard Derby of Salem in 1778, and afterwards Judge Greenleaf of Newburyport. His widow married Jabez Fox, and died June 9, 1758 ; his father died in January 1746 ; his brother Stephen was killed at Menis, in Nova Scotia, in 1747.
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