USA > Maine > The history of the state of Maine; from its first discovery, A. D. 1602, to the separation, A. D. 1820, inclusive, Vol. II > Part 19
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269-281-367-8 ; with Resolves E. Lands, March, 1785, p. 27-30 .- At first, bonds of £20 were required of the settlers for performance of terms ; but they were of no use-they were never sued .- See 1 Doug. Summ. p. 514. * Nine, were in fact granted-but only seven taken.
Narragan- set No. one
182
THE HISTORY
[VOL. II.
A. D. 1734 prietors. Another tract, adjoining Berwick and Tow-woh, was Phillips- town, or Sandford. laid out, about the same time and upon the general terms, to other associates, and afterward called ' Phillipstown,' now the town of Sandford .*
Grants to individuals.
In the present good mood of the General Court, individuals were equally successful in their applications. Samuel Jordan of Biddeford and Christopher Baker, who had been a long time captives in Canada ;; Richard Cutts of Kittery, who was shot ten years before and lay twelve months sick of his wounds ; Ruth Lee-who had lost her husband in the attack upon Port- Royal; the children of Major Converse, who had lost their father in the third Indian war ; and Richard Tozier of Berwick, who had been a great sufferer by the savages ;- all of these and a great number of others had lots from 150 to 200 acres given them, which they had a right to select from any of the unappro- priated lands in Maine. Any persons severely wounded,-be- reaved of husband or father,-made criples or captives-were, upon request, sure of receiving the legislative bounty. Nay, there were instances, where gratuities were made in consideration of services rendered between forty and fifty years before; and some of the poor were supported through the year, from the public funds .¿ At length, the officers and soldiers in the Cana- da expedition, of 1690, preferred their memorials, which were committed for consideration ; and the second year, their requests were also granted.§ All these grants were obtained through " the Committee of Lands ;" whose report was at this period, and in these instances, considered a sufficient reason for a legislative order or grant. At first the new townships were managed as " proprieties" or corporate tenancies in common ; and several acts were passed for calling proprietors' meetings ; regulating their officers ; enforcing their votes ; and collecting assessments.
Proprieties formed.
But these movements in the old Province of Maine, and some
* See Sandford, A. D. 1768, post-incorporated.
t Baker was a prisoner 25 years : and allowed 500 acres.
# 2 Resolves of General Court, A. D. 1734, p. 51-83. Perhaps this was the origin of state paupers.
§ The men who were at the heads of these petitions were, Isaac Little, Wm. Rand ; Samuel Greaves ; Samuel Wright; Nathaniel Bowman ; Sam- uel Pool; Ebenezer Hunt; Stephen Hall; and Joseph Sylvester, and others.
183
OF MAINE,
CHAP. VI.]
of a similar character in that of Sagadahock, especially upon the A. D. 1734. river St. Georges, began to disturb the Indians ; and their dis- Indians be- come jeal- contents once excited, were always aggravated, whenever they ous. had access to ardent spirits. For though they might fawn upon the man at the time, with a profusion of thanks, who would put the cup to their thirsty lips, they would, if they had opportunity, surely abuse him, while they were under the influence of the in- toxicating draught ; and when sober, they were apt to be jealous of some possible imposition, and as often meditated revenge for suspected as real frauds, practised upon them during the sus- pension of their reason. Nor would they confine their traffic with the white people, entirely to the truck houses. Greedy or travelling traders, visiting the new settlements, wickedly courted a barter with them ; having regard only to their own pecuniary gains and immediate emoluments. The Governor was moved upon this fearful subject-and he stated to the General Court, that by the "frequent complaints received from the frontiers, " great abuses were committed on our Indian neighbors, by in- " toxicating them with excessive quantities of rum ;"-and ad- ded, ' if there be not a speedy check given to this growing wick- ' edness, what good can result from all the sums expended by ' the government for their benefit, or by the Scottish society for ' their instruction ?*- Reminding them also of the war lately ' entered into by several of the European princes, and the great ' preparations making for extensive campaigns,' he told them, May 31, ' it was their duty to look into the state of the Province, ' and put it into a good posture of defence in case it should un- ' fortunately be again visited with the scourge of war.'
By the extension and increase of settlements, more convenient Governor's avenues were opened to the king's woods. Hence the Governor, against tres- threat when informed of the recent trespasses committed, issued a new passers. proclamation, declaring that all the laws of Parliament, and of the General Court, made to punish that class of offenders, would be carried into rigorous execution. He went so far afterwards, as to threaten the Province with his Majesty's indignation, if the forest-trees of his royal domains were not better preserved.
To the salary question, which had so often and so highly agi-
* The Society had a missionary upon the eastern frontiers .- 1 Doug. Summ. p. 231.
184
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[VOL. II.
A. D. 1734. tated the people and their representatives, his wisdom and good Salary question put management gave a most favorable turn ; having prevailed with to rest. the king to relax his instruction, so far as to permit the incumbent Governor to accept what sums the Legislature might grant him : Paper mon- and here the unhappy controversy rested. But paper money, or ey consider- ed.
bills of credit, was a subject, about which he had not the ad- dress or abilities to bring the General Court into his views. The time set was now only seven years-when all which had been issued would fall due ; and any made payable at a remoter day, was expressly forbidden. These bills, like lava, overflowed the country ; nor was there a government in New-England that did not send out a full share of them .* "Massachusetts treasury, " which had been long shut, was opened, and the debts of two " or three years were all paid. at the same time, in this kind of " paper ;"+ which was made by law a tender in payment of all debts. Still they were in effect like coin of base metal, less than one part fine to two of alloy ; for 10 Spanish-mill'd dol- lars-were now worth and would bring about £10 of the bills.} As they were constantly depreciating, the holder would pass them, and hoard up his silver and gold, or send it abroad ; and cash or precious metals became articles of merchandize, of which there was a great scarcity. Nothing could be more diffi- cult, nay, it was impossible, to graduate justly the price of labor and breadstuffs to this deceptive currency ; and without some unchanging standard, there is no safety either in barter or trade ; -no man can know the worth or value of his property, much less that of his debts or dues. The faith of the Province was, it is true, pledged to pay the bills agreeably to the nominal amount upon their face ;- but inability, owing to expensive wars, was a plausible apology or plea for not redeeming them.
In an excursion into the eastern Provinces this summer, the Governor visited Passamaquoddy, Machias, Pemaquid, Damaris- cotta and Sheepscot. At Pemaquid he had a talk with several Indians, whom he treated with great courtesy ; and from whom he received fresh assurances of their wishes for a continued
The Gover- nor visists the eastern country.
* 1 Doug. Summ. p. 528.
+ 2 Hutch. Hist. p. 341 .- The loan to York county was £100,000 .- 2 Resolves, printed July, 1735.
# Governor's Speech, May, 1734 .- He says 16s. of these bills will not pur- chase 5s. of lawful money.
CHAP. VI.]
OF MAINE.
185
peace ; though there were traders on the frontiers, who had A. D. 1734. given some offence. In his interview with the inhabitants of these parts, they were able to confer with mutual satisfaction and interest upon Dunbar's recall, for they had all viewed his agency, as a public annoyance.
At the next Court of Elections, the Legislature, June 10, ap- A. D. 1735 pointed, for the first time, the Inferior Court, or Common Pleas, Falmouth and Sessions of the Peace, to be holden alternately, in January half-shire made an and October, at York and Falmouth. The Judges were SAMU- with York. EL CAME, TIMOTHY GERRISH, JOSEPH MOODY and JEREMIAH MOULTON :- The Sheriff, John Leighton ; the County Treas- urer, Daniel Simpson; the Collector of the excise, Joseph Hill, of Wells; and the Notary-Public, Richard Cutts, jr. of Kittery.
This year, a new valuation of all the taxable property, and A new valu .enumeration of all the male inhabitants, sixteen years old and ation. upwards, within the Province, were taken and completed, for the purpose of apportioning the public assessments upon the several towns. As it may be gratifying to have a view of the proportions of £1,000, set to the several counties in the Province,* and to the several towns in Yorkshire, they are sub- joined. To York, £ 814s. 09d.
Kittery,
11 05 04
Berwick,
5 17 08
Wells,
4 19 00
Falmouth,
5 12 09
Biddeford,
2 04 03
Arundel,
2 01 03
Scarborough,
4 02 10
North-Yarmouth,
1 09 04
£ 46 07 02.
* Counties --- Suffolk,
17 towns,
£ 262 02s. 06d. tax.
66
Essex,
19
" 200 13 02
Middlesex,
31
146 10 10
Hampshire,
13
54 12 07
Worcester,
17
52 00 03
Plymouth,
13
76 13 07
Bristol,
15
89 00 08
Barnstable,
9
49
10 03
Dukes,
3
11
15 00
Nantucket,
1
«
10 14 00
York,
9
46
07 02
147
£ 1,000 00 00 tax.
VOL. 11. 24
186
THE HISTORY
[VOL. II.
A. D. 1735. No planta- tions taxed.
By this it is perceived, that no place within the territory of Sagadahock, not even Georgetown, is embraced in the valuation ; and all the plantations in the old Province of Maine are omit- ted. Indeed the unincorporated townships, settlements and pro- prieties, were not at this period, required to bear any of the pub- lic pecuniary burthens. From the census of the taxable polls,* the population of the whole Province, was estimated to be about 142,000 souls ; of which, that of Maine, in the nine towns men- tioned, calculated by a rule of proportion, would be about seven thousand. If there be added to these, the probable number in Georgetown, and in all the unincorporated places, within the limits of the present State of Maine, the aggregate would evi- dently be at the present time, (1735,) about 9,000 souls.t
Population in Mainc.
The throat distemper.
Encouraging as this view of our population appears, it is pain- ful to trace the ravages, and note the fatal effects of a disease, which in its course swept from Maine about 500 of its inhabi- tants. This was called the Throat Distemper. It first made its appearance at Kingston, New-Hampshire, in May, and grad- ually spread through New-England.} It was very mortal, espe- cially among children. In Maine it spread and raged at inter- vals more than three years. Its general appearance was-a swollen throat with ash coloured specks-an efflorescence on the skin-distress in the head-great debility of body,-and a strong
According to 2 Holmes' A. Ann. p. 129, the population of the towns in the whole Province, A. D. 1731, was 120,000, English inhabitants. He quotes Political Tracts-and Anderson iii, p. 172 .- But the estimation is too low. -See ante, vol. II, p. 37, note t.
* There were 35,427 taxable polls in the whole Province :- The Negroes were 2,600 ;- Horse kind, 3 years old and upwards, 27,420 ;- Neat cattle, 52,000 ;- Sheep, 130,000 .- 1 Doug. p. 531 .- In 1742, there were 41,000 males, 16 years of age and upwards, in the whole Province.
t Within the nine towns of Maine, 7,000 souls. In the plantations, and new townships, Brunswick, Tops- ham, Harpswell, Tow-woh, Narraganset Nos. 1 and 7, New-Marblehead, and Phillipstown, (by estimation,) 500 Within Sagadahock, embracing Georgetown, Sheepscot, Damariscotta, Townshend, Harrington, Walpole, Broad Bay, and St. Georges' river, [ante, A. D. 1729,] 1,500
9,000.
Douglass [vol. 1, p. 384,] says, there were in Sagadahock territory, A. D. 1744, 370 fensible men. $2 Holmes' A. An. p. 141.
187
OF MAINE.
CHAP. VI.]
tendency to putrefaction. Parents trembled at its approach, for A. D. 1735. children when seized, were sick only a very short time, before death. Six, and sometimes more, were taken from single fami- lies ; several buried three or four in a day ; and there were many parents who lost their all. In the single town of Kittery, 122 died of the distemper ; and having entered Arundel, it car- ried off great numbers both of young people and children .* It proved so fatal and alarming, that a solemn fast was kept, Oct. 31, to invoke relief from Almighty God. The next year it was neither so general nor so mortal. However, in January, 1737, it broke out afresh in York and Wells, and laid numbers in their graves. About 75 died in North-Yarmouth ; 49 in Fal- mouth ; and 26 in Purpooduck. So deadly was it in Scarbo- rough, for instance, that not a single one survived the attack ; and at Saco and Presumpscot Falls, it seemed, the next year, to riot on human life, baffling alike all medicine, skill and exertions. It raged at all seasons of the year ; being in general the most mor- tal, where blood-letting and cathartics were practiced.
In other respects, this eastern country was exhibiting proofs of A. D. 1736. considerable prosperity, and the inhabitants appeared to be con- tented. Applications for new townships were pressed or re- newed ;f and on the 27th of May, one of usual size was granted to the town of Gloucester in Massachusetts ;- from which cir- cumstance, it acquired and has retained the name " New-Glou- New-Glou- cester." It was immediately settled by inhabitants from the pa- cester grant rent town, who built, about the same time on the beautiful declivi- ties of ' Harris Hill,' a dozen log-houses, and also erected a mill on Royall's river. The settlement increased, till interrupted by the Indians.
Nine townships were granted to the officers and soldiers sur- Canada viving, and the heirs of those deceased, who were in the expedi- townships. tion sent against Canada in 1690; which when surveyed and assigned, were called the " Canada Townships." Only two of them, however, or their substitutes, were located in Maine ;} the others were laid out on the Merrimack, or Connecticut, or between
* Smith's Jour. p. 26-28. t See ante, A. D. 1734.
# These were called Phips' Canada, [Jay,] see A. D. 1795 ; and Sylvester Canada [Turner,] A. D. 1786. It was supposed the latter was first located in Massachusetts, though proved to be in New-Hampshire, when the lines were run.
188
THE HISTORY
[VOL. II.
A. D. 1736. those rivers, along the north margin of Massachusetts ; sever- al of which, in settling the line, in 1739, were assigned to New- Hampshire. The Governor strongly recommended these appro- priations ; for, said he, they " will form an additional barrier to "our frontiers, and afford great safety to the Province, upon " any adventitious rupture."*
Commerce and trade,
Commerce, trade and ship-building had now considerably re- vived in these eastern Provinces, The articles of export were fur, fish and lumber. But the first, once so great a commodity of traffic, was at this period principally confined to the truck-houses. The business declined, according to the decrease of the Indian population. There were about 600 men employed in the fish- eries, who belonged to the Province ; and considerable quantities of fish were annually taken from the rivers and coasts of Maine. But our forests formed the great store-house of eastern wealth. Lumber of different kinds bore a fair and uniform price, and commanded a ready market and prompt pay. The masting trade was confined wholly to Great Britain ; while boards, shingles, timber, and also fish, being principally managed by the Boston merchants, were exported to European ports and the Carribee Islands. In the winter season, small vessels were the carriers of English and West India goods to the southern colonies, for which they received corn and pork ;- articles in great demand among the eastern inhabitants.
Opinions as to rights in the woods.
Upon no subject was there a greater diversity of opinion, than upon the true condition and right of property in our extensive forests. The Governor often urged it upon the Legislature, as a mutual duty he and they owed their sovereign, to exert their utmost power in the preservation of these royal invaluable for- ests .- In reply, the two Houses, sensibly touched, by such re- peated admonitions from the Executive chair, at length told him, t they had passed several laws against trespassers, and revised and sharpened them with new penalties, authorizing even corporeal
* Six of these townships afterwards were owned or controlled by these several towns, Ipswich, Salem, Beverly, Roxbury, Rowley and Dorchester ; 3 or 4 of which, when the divisional line between Massachusetts and New_ Hampshire was finally established, fell within the jurisdiction of the latter Province .- 1 Doug, Summ. p. 424-459-162-504 -- 6 ;- also Governor's Speech, May, 1736 .- The Committee appointed to lay out these townships were J. Chandler, R. Hale, D. Epes, Ed. Quincy, W. Dudley, and S. Wells .- 15 Mass. Rec. p. 296. + Answer of the House, 1735.
CHAP. VI.]
OF MAINE.
189
punishment to be inflicted upon those who offended in disguise ; A. D. 1736. and if the masts were not preserved, it must be owing to some neg- lect in the execution of the laws, or some dereliction of duty in the officers ;- not to any defect in the laws themselves. Unques- tionably the tone of popular feeling was now too low to harmon- ize with the high notes of government. Hundreds believed the forests were the gifts, as well as the growths of nature. A foreign right, even in the king, must be nominal ; for he had expressly granted the political jurisdiction of the country ; and if the soil were withholden, the forest trees, rendered valuable by municipal settlements, and individual adventure and toil, ought to be as open and free to the settlers' use, as elemental water, air or light. Till the cultivation of the country, the woods must afford the neces- sary means of upholding life ; and it is only by felling or re- moving trees, that wild lands can be converted into fields of hus- bandry and improvement. All this, it is true, might be plausi- ble, and yet be neither sound, lawful, nor safe; because what is in store for the common good, ought not to be plundered for pri- vate benefit.
But there were much older claims to the forests, than that of The Indians the king,-and infinitely more important to the inhabitants. by the in- displeased These were the possessory rights of the natives. Ten years they crease of new settle- ments. had been quiet ; and it was with much pain and sorrow, that there appeared among them, any indications of restlessness or discon- tent. But they looked upon the new settlements with great jeal- ousy, and dislike ;- as the harbingers of their utter extermina- tion. Unfortunately an Indian woman, about this time, had her trial at York, for the murder of an English child ;- a circum- stance which might awaken the sympathy of the Indians, and promote some inceptive excitements. For after this, the reports of guns were heard in the neighboring forests, which were known to be discharged by the Indians; and about the same time, the tongue of mischief or suspicion spread a rumor, that Biddeford was marked for assault .*
Although the report was groundless, it excited an alarm, which Prepara- was judiciously improved. For according to the recommenda- fence. tions of the Governor, so often repeated, preparations were now made for repairing the public fortifications, and replenishing the
t Smith's Journal, Sept. 9, p. 26.
tions for de-
190
THE HISTORY
[VOL. II.
A. D. 1736. public arsenals ; some new block-houses were built; and others were put in a better posture of defence. In Falmouth, for in- stance, a private garrison was finished, which had been constructed on a well chosen plan for accommodations.
'The natives complain of encroach- ments by
others at St. Georges' river.
On investigation, it was found, that the Tarratines were much disturbed ; and as they had at this period, the greatest influence Waldo and with the other eastern Indians, the late defection, it was feared, had become general and mutual. Yet the Tarratine Sagamores appeared to be so desirous of a perpetuated peace, that several of them took a journey to Boston. There, according to the pro- visions of the treaty, they laid their complaints before the Legis- lature, stating that they had never consented to let Englishmen build houses, above the tide waters of the river St. Georges ; and yet Mr. Waldo and his people were encroaching upon Indians' lands and rights to a fearful extent; and they could no longer endure the sight of such flagrant wrongs.
Report of committee in favor of the Indians.
A joint committee of the two branches, to whom the subject was referred, after a conference with the chiefs, reported in sub- stance thus :*_ ' that the natives have possessory rights in the " lands of the extensive wilderness where they dwell, which have ' been often acknowledged by the purchases made of them, and ' prices paid them, and it is the duty of the government enjoined ' by treaty, to do them justice ; that Madockawando, calling him- ' self the Sagamore of that country, assigned to Sir William ' Phips, in 1694, the lands on both sides of the river St. Georges, ' as far as the upper falls, and afterwards in behalf of the tribes ' upon the Penobscot, Kennebeck, Androscoggin and Saco, he en- ' tered into a treaty with Phips in the capacity of Governor, and ' signed articles of submission to his royal master ; that only two ' dwellinghouses were built on that river, prior to 1720, when the ' proprietors at their own expense erected there, the present for- ' tress and block-house, which are now occupied by the govern- ' ment ; that the chiefs acknowledge, they have consented " to " have settlements made as far up the river, as to the falls or the " flowing of the tide waters"-but that Madockawando, as they ' positively and constantly affirm, never was acknowledged chief ' Sagamore of their tribe ; that when, agreeably to the petitions of "Sir Biby Lake and others, the crown gave an order for the re-
* 15 Mass. C. Rec. p. 360-3 .- Jour. of the House, p. 91.
191
OF MAINE.
CHAP. VI.]
' moval of Dunbar, it derogated nothing from any rights of the A. D. 1736. ' Indians, it only recognized and sanctioned the validity of older
' English grants and possessions, and the claim to anterior juris- ' diction, as vested by the charter in the government of the Prov- 'ince ; and that neither Mr. Waldo, nor any other, ought to be ' protected "in settling or improving any lands on Georges' river " above the falls, until the government shall be satisfied, these " lands have been fairly purchased of such Indians, as were the " rightful owners thereof."
Though Mr. Waldo had filed a counter memorial to the repre- Report ac. sentations of the Chiefs, the report was accepted by the Legisla- the General cepted by ture ; presents worth £100 were sent by them to the tribe ; and, Court, and the Indians they returned home well satisfied .- The affairs of the Indian de- pacified. partment, after this, underwent considerable reform. William Foice was appointed purveyor of supplies, and manager of the trade ; and so entirely tranquil were all the tribes, that the gov- ernment, early the following year, proceeded to dismantle fort The forts George at Brunswick, and fort Frederick at Pemaquid, and re- reduced. duce the forces at St. Georges' and Richmond forts, severally to one commissioned officer and ten sentinels.
On the 24th of June, 1737, the usual powers and privileges of Brunswick other towns were granted by the Legislature, to Brunswick ;* and incorporat-
* Brunswick is the 11th corporate town ; and its date is referred to Jour. House Rep. p. 73. It was originally called " Pegypscot." Its first inhab- itant was Thomas Purchas, settled at Stevens' river, about 1625-6 .- He and Geo. Way, A. D. 1632-3, took, as it is said, from the Plymouth Council a pa- tent of lands on both sides of the Androscoggin, and also a quit-claim of the natives. In 1639-42, [1 Haz. Coll. p. 457-Ante 1642] Purchas put his plantation under Massachusetts ; in 1636-8, he was one of William Gorges' Council ; in 1654, he submitted to the New-Plymouth government on the Kennebeck, and was Mr. Prince's søle assistant ; and in 1663-4, he was one of Archdale's justices. He was absent during part of the first Indian war, and died an old man, not many years after its close .- Fort George was estab- lished near the bridge, A. D. 1715. Twice the fort has been greatly injur- ed by fire. In 1676, Brunswick was destroyed by the savages; revived after the war, and again destroyed in the spring, A. D. 1690. In 1713-14, the settlements were resumed ; yet in Lovewell's war, A. D. 1722, it was re- duced to ashes, and again repeopled, A. D. 1727. There were in 1735, be- tween 30 and 40 men in town. Before it was incorporated-twenty-nine signed the petition. In 1790 the census was 1,387. Rev. Robert Ruther- ford was their first settled minister-dwelling with his people when the town was incorporated, and continuing with them till 1742. His successor was Rev. Robert Dunlap, born in the province of Ulster in Ireland, Aug.
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