USA > Maine > The history of the state of Maine; from its first discovery, A. D. 1602, to the separation, A. D. 1820, inclusive, Vol. I > Part 23
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As early as 1623, a permanent settlement was commenced at A. D. 1629, Saco. Gorges, 14 years before, and subsequently, had sent hith- Saco set, er Richard Vines and others, to collect facts and select some el- tled. egible situation for planting a colony. The first winter they pass- ed in the country was, in all probability, A, D, 1617 -- 18, and at the mouth of the Saco, For in a subsequent grant of territory here, Vines, John Oldham, and their associates, were represented to have undertaken " the advancement of the general plantation " of the country, and the strength and safety thereof against the " natives or any other invaders ;" and some of them, certainly Vines, if not Oldham, in fact " lived" here in 1623, where they
* 1 Haz. Coll. p 151, 152.
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A. D. 1623. and their companions long continued their residence .* Gorges being the patron of Vines, must also have been the tutelar pro- tector and guide of this colonial enterprize. The place chosen was at Winter-harbour, near the seashore, an inviting situation ; and six years after this, a patent was granted to the settlers, and a form of government established.+
N. Hamp- shire.
In the spring of the same year, the Company of Laconia sent over David Thompson, two Hiltons, and other planters, to estab- lish a colony and fishery, on the south side of Piscataqua river, at its mouth. Here they erected salt-works and built a house which they called " Mason's Hall ;"-being the foundation of New- Hampshire.}
Sagada- hock and St. George.
We call those settlements permanent, which are continued from year to year, without interruption ; and although we find not in the annals of the times, precisely in what year or by what persons, habitations for families, or homesteads, were first formed upon Arrowsick Island, and upon the main land at Sagadahock, at Sheepscot, at Damariscotta, at Pemaquid and St. George's river ; yet we are under the necessity of concluding, it must have been as early as the present year. The harbours, head-lands and rivers had rendered this section uncommonly attractive to Europeans ; the remains of chimnies and vestiges of dwelling-places, are strong- ly marked with antiquity, § and it is said, there were only seven years after this, " eighty-four families besides fishermen," dwel- ling upon the shores of this region.
A General Govern- ment.
But no country can be prosperous and happy, without civil rulers or some administration of government. The Plymouth Council, convinced of this as a political maxim, sent over a del- egation of three gentlemen, Robert Gorges, Francis West, and
* Sullivan, p. 219 .- The Patent says, A. D. 1629, " John Oldham of New- " England, gentleman planter, and his servants, have for six years past, liv- " ed in New-England ; and he hath at his own expense transported divers " persons, there"-viz. Saco, A. D. 1629.
+ 1 Belk. N. H. App. p. 291 .- the " memorandum" of a deed 17 May 1629, calls " Richard Vines, Governor, and Richard Bonighton, assistant of the Plantation of Saco." But the genuineness of this deed is doubted.
# 1 Belk. N. H. 15 .- Prince's Ann. 134.
§ The Duke de Rochefoucault Liancourt, in 2d vol. Travels, p. 244-5, says, " some attempts to settle a colony in the vicinity of New-Castle were made by the Dutch in 1625, and even at the early period of 1607, but without effect." Also Hubbard's Nar. 250.
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William Merrill, with authority, in different capacities, to super- A. D. 1623t intend and manage all the public affairs of New-England .*
Gorges, son of Sir Ferdinando, an active, enterprising genius, R. Gorges, Governor and a brilliant officer in the late Venetian war, was commissioned General, Lieut-General, and Governor-in-chief of the country. His coun- Council. and his cil was to be formed and consist of Francis West, Christopher Leavitt, the Governor of New-Plymouth, and such others as he might select ; and when in session, they were invested with full power "to do what they should think just and fit in all cases capital, criminal, civil and military."+ He arrived at New-Plym- outh in September, and brought with him several families and passengers, and also a patentį from the Plymouth Council, dated the 13th of the preceding December, intending to settle a Colony southerly of Cape Ann, while he was discharging the duties of Governor through New-England.
West, commissioned Admiral of New-England, arrived a few months before the Governor, with special instructions to restrain all unlicensed ships from fishing and trade within the Plymouth patent, or otherwise to exact of all interlopers, payment of the penal sums prescribed. He proceeded to execute his orders, till finding the fishermen too sturdy and stubborn for him to control, he was obliged to desist.
To superintend the churches, when established in New-Eng- land, Mr. Merrill, an Episcopal minister, had received a commis- sion from the Ecclesiastical Courts in England ; but he met with no welcome and returned home in disgust.§
When West arrived in England, the mariners complained to Free'Fish- Parliament of his attempts to restrain them in their rightful em- ery claimed ployments, and requested an order to make the fishery entirely New-Eng- land. free. The Commons were at that time extremely jealous of the royal prerogative ; and so much were they opposed to these corporations created by the King with exclusive privileges, that they were ready to view the charter to the Plymouth Council as a public grievance. Hence they immediately called Sir Ferdi- nando to the bar of the House, and charged it upon him and his
* Sullivan 167-391. S. Davis' account, on the C. Files.
+ Prince, p. 141-2.
# 1 Haz. Coll. 151-5 .- Prince's Ann. 141-2 .- 1 Belk. Biog 367-9. § 1 Belk. Biog. p. 366-7 .- 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. 125-139
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A. D. 1624. associates, that they of the corporation under color of planting a colony were pursuing their own private gains, regardless of the public interest, and the good of the community ; and, though he, as a gentleman of worth and honor, had their respect, all personal considerations must yield to the common weal; and he must without delay deliver the patent to the House.
Gorges' de- fence.
Gorges' defence was able, though the Commons thought it not satisfactory. He said " he had no power to deliver the patent without the consent of the Council ; nor was it in fact in his cus- tody. Never had they transcended their rights ; and he knew not how their enterprizes could be considered a public grievance, since they were undertaken for the increase of trade, the advance- ment of religion, and the enlargement of national empire. No monopoly had been exercised or enjoyed for the purposes of pri- vate gain ; for (said he,) the losses of the adventurers have been so heavy, that they themselves had grown weary, and others were fearful to engage. At no time, had the fishery been, by design, or in fact, converted to private uses, as the offers made to all the maritime cities in the western part of the kingdom, would abund- antly evince. Nay, the exclusive privileges in the charter itself, were nothing more than the necessary favors granted to the com- pany, for the management of their prudential concerns-privileges possessed by lords of manors without a jealous thought .*
Measures of the P. Coun-
However, when the grievances of the nation were presented cil checked. to the king by the parliament, the patent was the first on the list. Apprehending this, and knowing the facts, king James, out of respect to his prerogative and to Gorges, would not recal it.+ Still the discussion and issue gave a great, though temporary check, to the measures adopted for colonizing the country : and the Plymouth Council in deference to the voice of the nation, } suspended their plans and expeditions, and concluded to call home Gorges, the governor, in about a year subsequent to his arrival. After looking therefore to his father's affairs eastward,
* 1 Belk. Biog. 369,
In 1621, James is reported to have said, " America is not annexed to the realm, nor within the jurisdiction of Parliament," 'and they have no right to interfere.'-1 Holmes' A. Ann. 237.
# After this, the Plymouth Council granted only two or three patents, till A. D. 1629.
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he returned ; and this, the first essay made to establish a general A. D, 1624. government in New-England, was wholly unsuccessful.
Gorges, meeting with these crosses in the general system of American affairs, determined to plant a small colony at his own tout of Ag- First: Pa- expense. He had been informed of a short salt-water river, ad- [York. ] amenticus. mitting vessels to a safe harbour and good anchorage at and above its mouth, called Agamenticus ;* its situation being nearly equidis- tant from a mountain of that name and the river Piscataqua .- Pleased with the description of the place, he procured from the Plymouth Council, a patent of 24,000 acres,-namely, 12,000 on each side of Agamenticus [York] river, and made provision for settling it. He entrusted the immediate management of its affairs to Ferdinando Gorges, his grandson, a young gentleman of rank and ambition, and to Francis Norton, who having risen, by his own merits, from a common soldier to a Lieut. Colonel, was desirous to perpetuate his fortune.
In this company of emigrants were several artificers, who were to be employed in building vessels and saw-mills. The others were laborers, furnished with oxen and means, partly for clearing and cultivating the ground, though principally for getting lumber of different kinds. A settlement was commenced on the eastern side of the river near the sea, and afterwards no other plantation of Gorges had so constantly and so fully his patronage and favor.t
About this time, a demise of the crown happened, which was followed by an event alike unpropitious to the Plymouth Council, A stipula- to Sir William Alexander, to Gorges, and to this country. This was the intermarriage of Charles, the new King, with Henrietta to France, Maria, a French Princess and a Catholic. By the marriage treaty, negociated some months prior to her arrival, in May, 1625, it was stipulated to cede or resign generally the jurisdiction of Acadia to France.t This, in view of all Englishmen interested, cast a deep shade upon their American affairs ; and brought their rights into an unhappy collision with the engagements of the
tion to re- sign Acadia
* Called also " Accomenticus"-Gorges' Hist.
t The precise time wheu Agamenticus [York] was first settled is not quite certain. Gorges Hist. 16, 27, says, it was about the time N. Ply- mouth was settled .- 1 Belk. Biog. 377-8 gives this settlement a place, in order of time, before, though the same year (1623) with that of Piscataqua. Capt. Champernoon and the cousin of Sir F. Gorges had charge of the plan- tations about Agamenticus .- Hublard's N. E. 224.
Į J. Palairct, p. 18, 19.
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A. D. 162 5 crown. The King and Council saw it; and when the French ambassador came to urge his master's claim to the territory, they summoned Gorges before them to defend, explain or surrender, according to what might appear best adapted to circumstances.
Gorges' de- fence.
July. Sir W. Al- exander's Charter.
Gorges appeared and defended the rights of the Plymouth company with so much ability and force, as to affect a postpone- ment of the concession .* It was perceived however, that the French were in a fair way to acquire a considerable part of the long coveted country, in spite of all opposition. Sir William Alexander well knowing their wishes and his own liabilities to loss, procured of king Charles, July 12th, a confirmation of his grant, described and sanctioned with much particularity :+- and this, followed by a war with France two years afterwards, kept Nova Scotia, or Acadia, from the French, till the treaty of St. Germains.Į
Feb. 1626.
But no sooner was the French claim put to rest, than the Com- mons renewed their calls upon the Plymouth Council, to grant a free fishery within their patent, and upon refusal, moved the king to vacate the charter .- Thus assailed from different quarters, their rights were only preserved by Charles ; he like his father, refused to yield a little of his prerogative, even at the solicita- tions of Parliament.
Monhegan sold to El- bridge and Aldsworth.
These measures and the controversies between king and people ; the apprehensions of a war with France, and other anticipated difficulties, so alarmed the English merchants, that those of Ply- mouth, who were proprietors of the plantation at Monhegan, made sale of it to Giles Elbridge and Robert Aldsworth, for £50 sterling. They also sold to the Plymouth colonists and Piscata- qua settlers whatever else they owned, consisting of goats, Bis- cay blankets, and sundry mercantile commodities to the amount of £900; and withdrew from the concern.§ It is said, that under the late purchasers, the Island was occupied and improved by resident families to the first Indian war. ||
* 1 Belk. Biog. 375.
t See this patent in Latin. 1 Haz. Coll. 206-224.
# Namely A. D.1632, though there was peace in 1629.
§ The articles had belonged to the cargo of a French ship cast away at Sag- adahock ; and were obtained by the Monhegan Islanders. Prince's Ann. 153. 161 .- Abraham Jennings sold the Island and delivered the patent to Abraham Shurte, agent to the purchasers. Shurte lived at Pemaquid. See his Depo. Com. Rep. Aldsworth was an "Alderman." || Sullivan.
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These overtures probably increased the population upon the A. D. 1626. shores, and promoted trade with the natives. The New-Plymouth Colonists of colonists, by a little barter, from year to year at Monhegan and New-Ply- month trade Damariscove for provisions, had now become acquainted with the to Kenne- beck and certain gains arising from the fishery and fur-trade in this quar- Penobscot. ter; and began to make trips hither solely for these purposes. After harvest the last year, they sent a shallop loaded with corn "up Kennebeck river," in exchange for which, they received " 700 lbs. of beaver besides other furs."* The present year, they erected a trading house at Penobscot, and commenced a traffic with the Tarratine Indians ; being the first English estab- lishment of the kind in these waters.t
To secure unto themselves the exclusive trade of the Kenne- 1627. Their beck, Mr. Allerton, their agent, applied to the Plymouth Council, beck Patent, 1st Kenne- in 1627, for a patent, which was readily granted ; but its limits and the privileges it contained, were altogether too indefinite, to ren- der it of any advantage, till it was renewed and enlarged.į
Our country, at this time, appeared in the eyes of Europeans to considerable advantage. The settlers and natives were living in good neighbourhood ; and no doubts were now entertained but that the waters, wilderness, and soil, would afford to an industrious people an abundant livelihood, The troubles were in England, springing principally from the state of parties ; and this country began to be considered an inviting asylum for the oppressed, especially for ministers who had been silenced, and other scrupu- lous dissenters ; many finding a removal necessary for the preser- vation of their lives, To provide, therefore, for the retreat and comfort of the persecuted, a patent was obtained of the Plymouth setis Patent Massachu, and Char. Council, March 19, 1627, by Roswell and five others, embracing ter, the country between the lines, a league southerly of the river Charles and northerly of the Merrimack ; which appeared to be most eligibly situated for the benevolent purpose, Under this patent, Roswell and his fellows associated to themselves Sir Richard Saltonstall and 19 others ;- all of whom, being 26 in number, became equal co-proprietors therein, There were now
* Prince's Ann. p. 156-7. t Mass. Letter Book, p. 107.
# Prince's Ann. p. 169-New-Plymouth established a trading house on the Kennebeck river in 1628, perhaps near the mouth, possibly above Merrymeeting bay.
VOL, Į,
17
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A D. 1627. within the limits of the patent only five small settlements ;* and to superintend them and plant another at Naumkeag, (Salem,) John Endicott, one of the patentees, was sent over by the pro- prietors, well furnished with necessary supplies. To give full effect to the patent, a Royal Charter was obtained, March 4, A. D. 1628. 1628,t by which it was erected into a COLONY, under the name of MASSACHUSETTS BAY ; and an administration of civil gov- ernment was soon established.
Firearms kept from In the first settlement of this country, the judicious manage- the Natives. ment of, the natives was an art of great importance. The French, by a condescension and familiarity peculiar to their char- acter, seem to have attained it early, and in an eminent degree. Firearms and gunpowder made the savage, their better ally. With Englishmen, especially the settlers, it was otherwise. From the first, they carefully withheld the gun and pistol from the In- dians. To meet them armed, always excited alarm ; and six years since, a royal proclamation forbade the sale of all such ar- ticles to the natives. Yet this, as well as all principles of pub- lic policy, one Morton had the hardihood wholly to disregard ; and for the sake of a lucrative trade, such as he understood the French and fishermen had improved at the eastward ; he sold the Indians arms and taught them their use. But his conduct aroused all the settlements upon the coast ; and he was arrested and sent to England.
Canada taken by the Kirks.
It would have been the height of good policy for the planta- tions, never to have been partakers with the parent State in any of her wars. But unfortunately from first to last, the reverse has been too true ; and a waste of blood and treasure, and almost every shape of misery, have followed in train. In the sec- ond year of the war between England and France, (1628) Sir David Kirk, and his kinsmen, Louis and Thomas, were commis-
* These were 1. Wessagusset, [Weymouth] begun in A. D. 1622.
2. Cape Ann, [Gloucester] 1624.
3. Nantasket, [Hull] 1624.
4. Mount Wallaston, [Quincy] " 1625.
5. Winisimet, [Chelsea] .6 1626.
6. Naumkeag, [now Salem] 1627.
See authorities-Prince's Ann. p. 119, 147, 151-7, 176 .- 1 Hutchinson's Hist. p. 14, 15, 16.
t As the year at this period ended March 24th ; ought not the above era to be " 1629 ?"
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CHAP. III.] OF MAINE.
sioned to seize upon the infant colonies in Canada, planted at A. D. 1628. Quebec, at Trois Revieres and Tadousac. Quebec, where Sam- uel Champlain the Governour of New-France resided, was flour- ishing and had a stone fortress ; and when the assailants sum- moned a surrender, he defied them, even after they had taken a provision ship, on its arrival from France. The siege and the war were both rather ungracious ; for the Kirks were despised protestants, and the Quebec colonists likewise were, in general, fugitives from catholic persecution. Nevertheless, the attack was renewed the following summer and articles of capitulation were signed, July 19, 1629 ; by which the garrison were, at their July, 1629. election, permitted to dwell with the captors or be transported to France.
At the time of this achievement, which acquired to the brave Peace. Kirks so much credit, they had no knowledge of the treaty of peace between England and France, ratified the preceding April. It being therefore a conquest after hostilities had ceased, they in fact derived no emolument from the acquisition ; having a mere nominal possession of it three years only, before the whole coun- try, by the treaty of St. Germains, was transferred to the French .*
In England, after the return of peace, such was the rage of party, such the abuses of power, and such the popular discon- tents, that great numbers were induced to remove into this coun- try. Here was civil and religious liberty,-here the novelties of rural happiness. New-Plymouth was a flourishing colony. She Trade. had lately opened a trade in a new article, called Wampum ; which her people were pursuing with great profits. It consisted of white and blue beads, long and as large as a wheat-corn, blunt at the ends, perforated and strung; possessing a clearness and beauty which rendered them desirable ornaments. They were only known to the Narragansetts, the Pequots, and the natives on
* The true name of these men is said to be "Kertk."-1 Charlevoix N. F. p. 165. The Kirks fitted out an armament at their own expense, " took 18 French vessels and 135 pieces of ordnance," intended for Mount Desert and Quebec ; " and Alexander Kirk was made governor of the whole."-Sullivan, p. 275. As a reward, the king of England only gave them " a patent of the lands north of the river St. Lawrence."-1 Doug- las Summ. p. 306 .- 39 Univ. Hist. p. 423. See the Articles of Capitula- tion .- 1 Haz. Coll. p. 205-7, in French .- 1 Belk. Biog. p. 348.
Kennebeck
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A. D. 1629 Long Island ; from whom they were obtained at a low price for corn, or small articles of foreign fabric, and transported into this eastern country and bartered for furs. At their trading house on the Penobscot, and another erected a year before, above or be- low Merrymeeting-bay, on the Kennebeck, probably near Pop- ham's old fort, they kept through the year, besides wampum, the most suitable articles for the Indian trade, as coats, shoes, blank- ets, biscuit, fruits and trinkets. Nay, within two years after wampum was first brought into this region, it was found to com- mand a more ready market among the tribes, than any other commodity .*
In the present revival of colonial affairs, the Plymouth Council, obsequious to the wishes of adventurers, proceeded to grant the extensive territory between the Merrimack and Penobscot, in por- tions to suit applicants or purchasers.
Nov. 7. Patent of N. Hamp- shire.
John Mason, having agreed with Gorges to make the Piscataqua the divisional line between them, took subsequently from that Council, Nov. 7th, 1629, a patent of what lies between that riv- er and the Merrimack, being part of Laconia, and called it NEW-HAMPSHIRE.+
Commack's Grant.
Another grant of 1500 acres between the river Spurwink and Black Point, [in Scarboro,] was made about the same timet by the Council, to Thomas Commock ; upon which he, with Mr. Gains and others, in 1632 or 3, began a plantation. Under this title, the lands on the east side of the town have since been holden. The Earl of Warwick, President of that Council was the uncle, § and probably the patron of Commock.
January 13. Kennebeck Patent.
The next grant was made January 13th, 1629, to New-Plym- outh, since called the KENNEBECK or Plymouth PATENT.| It
* Prince's Ann. 172-3 .- He says, " we buy about £50's worth of wam- pum ; at first it sticks 2 years," and " then we can scarce procure enough." + 1 Haz. Coll. 289 .- 1 Belk. N. H. 18.
# Commock was one of the subscribing witnesses to the livery of seizin, May 27th, 1633, of the Pemaquid Patent .- Haz. Col. 318 .- Sullivan, 127 .- Hubbard's N. E. 216-224. Commock died A. D. 1643. Joshua Scottow afterwards owned part of the patent ; and Henry Joscelyn married Com- mock's widow, and lived upon it many years. The patent contained also Stratton's Island [Bluff Island ;] and Sullivan says it contained 5000 acres.
§ Folsom, p. 29, says the patent was made in 1631. Commock lived on Prout's neck.
|| 1 Haz. Coll. p. 298-303-where the patent is entire. For a long time N. Plymouth proprietors claimed to the sca. But about A. D. 1768-9
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was intended as an express favor to her trade and fishery, and the A. D. 1629. propagation of religion. Its limits, as ultimately settled, were in the north line of Woolwich below Swan Island on the eastern side of the Kennebeck, through the south bend of the river Cob- besseecontee on the western side, and 15 miles in width on either side of the main river,-to an easterly and westerly line which crosses Wessarunset river [in Cornville ] a league above its mouth, containing about 1,500,000 acres. Annexed to the charter were all the rights of exclusive trade ; an open passage at all times to the grantees between the patent and the sea ; an establishment of rules and ordinances, necessary for the management of their affairs and defence of their property ; and, in a word, all the pow- ers, (except admiralty jurisdiction,) which the charter council in session possessed.
In prosecuting the trade of the river, it is understood, that the stations selected by them for local traffic, were at Popham's fort, at Richmond's landing, and at Cushnoc.
To the planters at Saco, and their associates, were granted by Patents at the same authority, on the 12th of February, 1629, old style, Saco. [equivalent to Feb. 1, 1630,] two patents, severally four miles by the shore, and eight, on each bank of the river. The propri- etors named in the one on the southerly side, were Richard Vines and John Oldham ; those in the other, Thomas Lewis and John Bonython. It seems that Oldham had been here six years, and Vines seven ; and that the former had at his own expense transported hither several settlers, and encountered great danger and fatigue. Indeed, the grant itself was made in consideration of nothing more than a small quitrent, past services, and the en-
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