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 9
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# But North-Yarmouth was not resettled till about 1721-2. The In. dians were peculiarly hostile towards the settlement of this place. VOL. II. 11
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A. D. 1714 . four or five years, in aid of his support. The General Court also confirmed the ancient bounds of the town, lying on both sides of the river ; and the next year, ordered, that 50 families at least, be admitted and settled in a defensible manner, according to the directions of the Committee, and that after the 18th of Nov. 1718, the name of the town be changed to that of BIDDEFORD .*
Scarboro' resettled.
SCARBOROUGH, prior to 1714, had been without inhabitant about ten years. The settlement of the town was recommenced at Black-point, and was immediately followed by another at Blue-point and Dunstan. Though the government had found it im- practicable to protect the people at their homes from the ravages of a savage enemy, it had provided for their retreat to places of safety, and was now active and generous in aiding their return to their wasted abodes. In December, 1719, a town meeting was
* Biddeford [or Saco] was settled about 90 years before its present re- vival. It had been a seat of government, and always a noted place. The sufferings of the settlers were great in each of the three first Indian wars, being twice destroyed; though a garrison was maintained there through the whole of the last war. In 1718, the town agreed to erect a meeting·house at Winter-harbor, 35 feet by 30. Here, Sept. 30, 1730, Rev. Mr. Willard, the father of the late President Willard of Harv. College, was ordained pastor of a Congregational Church, organized at the same time. He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Morrell; and he, in 1779, by Rev. Mr. Webster .- Saco was a territorial corporation as early as 1643-4; made a town, in 1653 ; divided in 1772, and all on the eastern side of the river incorporated into a town by the name of Pepperellborough ;- chang- ed to Saco, in 1805. Between 1730 and 40, the settlement at Saco village was made. But from the first Indian war, to 1715, a period of 40 years, there is a chasm in the records of the town. Biddeford was first repre- sented in the General Court, in 1719, by Humphrey Scammon; who lived two miles below the Falls. Benjamin Blackman, a graduate of Harvard College, 1668; and B. Pendleton, Deputy-President of Maine, in 1680, both lived in Saco .- On the west side of the river, lived Richard Vines, about 20 years, till he sold, Oct. 20, 1640, to Doct. Robert Child, and re- moved to Barbadoes. The most of his patent was purchased, in 1656 and in 1659, by Major William Phillips, who resided there, and also purchased of different Sagamores, in 1661, the great tract between the rivers Mou- sum and Little Ossipee, and in 1664, the country between Saco and Ken- nebunk rivers, and most of Hollis and Limington. Phillips removed to Bos- ton, in 1675, and the next year made partitions of his estate. He died, 1683. -John Sandford, Secretary of Rhode-Island, was the first husband of his wife, whose son Peleg, was Governor of that colony, 1680-3 .- On the west side of Saco river, resided several years James Sullivan, Gov .; George Thatcher, Judge of S. J. Court, Mass .; P. Mellen, 1st Chief Justice of Maine .- See Ist vol. A. D. 1653.
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holden, and the next year, the records, which had been preserved A. D. 1714. in Boston, were safely returned ; the number of families resettled at that time, being about thirty. No minister was ordained over this people, till 1727; when a Congregational Church was form- ed, and in September, Rev. William Thompson inducted into the pastoral office. His weekly ministrations were alternately at the two settlements, until the second parish was formed at Dun- stan, about 1743, or perhaps until a short time before the Rev. Richard Elvins was settled there, in 1744. Both ministers were paid by the town, during the life of Mr. Thompson, without dis- tinction of parishes .*
None of the desolated towns, however, were resettled earlier Falmouth than ancient FALMOUTH. A strong garrison was maintained resettled. through the last war at Fort Loyal ; and one account states, that some of the former inhabitants were, as early as 1708-9, making preparations to return.t Within a short period, several dilapi- dated cottages upon the Neck were so far repaired, as to be ren-
* The town records were preserved by the Governor and Council; and transmitted to Lieut. Gov. Wentworth of New-Hampshire, who had an in- terest in the town, and who swore the bearer William Cotton, ' that this book of records was the whole he had received from the Gov. and Coun- cil ;' and also swore James Jeffries ' to make a fair copy of them.' The successors of Mr. Thompson, were Rev. Thomas Prince, in 1762; and Rev. Thomas Lancaster, in 1775. In 2d Parish, Rev. Mr. Elvins was suc- ceeded, in 1776, by Rev. Benjamin Chadwick ; in 1800, by Rev. Nathan
Tilton. One account says, the 2d parish was established in 1758 .- Thom- as Cammock settled in Scarborough, 1633, and died, 1643 .- Henry Josce- lyn removed hither, about 1635, and resided at Black-point and Prout's neck, 33 years. He married Cammock's widow. He sold his estate to Joshua Scottow, who removed hither, about 1680, and died in Boston, 1698. -Rev. John Thompson, born here, was settled in South-Berwick .- Rev. Joseph Willard, though born in Saco, " was reared from a child in Scarbo- rough"-and afterwards, President of Harvard College .- This town was the native place of RUFUS KING,-(New-York); WILLIAM KING, first Gov. of Maine, and CYRUS KING, member of Congress -- all brothers. Most of the land-titles are derived from Gorges through Cammock and others; but a tract between the hamlets was purchased by Andrew and Arthur Algier, of Jane alias Uphannan's, an Indian woman, and descended to Andrew's grand-daughter who married John Milliken,-and hence the " Milliken claim."-The town was represented in the General Court, in 1728, by Arthur Bragdon .- MS. Letter Rev. N. Tilton, see ante, vol. 1. A. D. 1658.
t Mr. Sullivan, (Hist. p. 197,) says, " the inhabitants began to return " again about the year 1708."
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[VOL. 11.
A. D. 1714. dered habitable ; the first new framed house being built by Mr. Ingersol,* about the year 1714. To encourage the people in support of the ministry, while they were building a meeting-house, in 1715-16, the General Court granted them £20; there being at this time upon the peninsula, about 20 families. The territory of the town was extensive, and settlements were begun at differ- ent places,-especially at Purpooduck, Spurwink, and later at New-Casco, near the mouth of the river Presumpscot. In those places there had been fortifications ; and the Legislature, in 1714, consented to have the two former [now Cape-Elizabeth+] estab- lished as a township. But this was delayed ; the ancient boun- daries of the town as reported by the Committee of claims, in 1718, were sanctioned by the General Court ; and Nov. 11, of the same year, Falmouth was restored to all its corporate powers and privileges. It was represented in the House, the next year, by William Scales ; and on the 8th of March, 1727, a Congre- gational Church was formed, and the inhabitants settled the Rev. Thomas Smith. For several years, his ministerial services were performed alternately at the meeting-house upon the peninsula, the block house upon Purpooduck-point, and the fort at Spur- wink ;- and sometimes at New-Casco, [now Falmouth.]
Cape-Por- poise reset- tled and named Arundel.
The resettlement of North-Yarmouth was delayed five or six years ; and Cape-Porpoise became the town which had a simul- taneous revival with those just mentioned. Though it had never before its destruction compared with its neighbors in wealth or population, it had been inhabited by a bold and spirited people ; and in 1716, they and the proprietors joined in a prayer to the Legislature for a restoration of town privileges. The subject was referred to Mr. John Wheelwright, and orders given him to take the records into possession wherever he could find them. It seems
* For this cause called " Governor Ingersol."
t Cape-Elizabeth was incorporated, Nov. 1, 1765; Portland, July 4, 1786 ; Westbrook [Stroudwater,] in 1814 ;- all being parts of ancient Fal- mouth. Mr. Smith was the son of Thomas Smith, Esq. Boston ;- a gradu- ate of Harvard College, 1720; and when he was ordained, the churches of York, Kittery, Berwick and Wells assisted, being all there were then in the Province of Maine. In town and proprietor's meetings, there was no distinction till 1730, when all settlers were admitted on paying a sum of money-or shewing a continued possession; others were excluded .-- Ante vol. I. A. D. 1658 .- Sullivan, p. 197.
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their town officers were chosen the next year ; and June 5th, A. D. 1714. 1718,* the town was re-established by the name of ARUNDEL.t In 1723, it was represented in the General Court by Alanson Brown, its first deputy in that Body.
Besides the resettlement of the eastern country ; another sub- Paper mon- ject of much importance arrested the public attention. This was e). the paper money which had flooded New-England, and now, since the war, exhibited the many and complicated evils of a fickle depreciating currency, connected with every pecuniary transac- tion of life. All agreed, that improvement was indispensible, while different projects excited unhappy divisions. One party was in favor of wholly substituting specie for the bills ; another advocated the establishment of a banking company, whose capital stock was to be real estate ; and the third, and predominant party, induced the Legislature to authorize a public loan of bills to any New loans one for a limited time, upon notes with interest, secured by mort- authorized, gage of real estate ;- the interest to be applied towards the sup- port of the government. So universal and so warm was this con- troversy, that it " divided towns, parishes and particular fami- " lies ;" and, unfortunately, the respective parties for the bank and the loan were nearly balanced.
In this rage of party-spirit among the people, it was impossible George I. for rulers to be neutral. But a change in the administration being accedes to the throne expected, upon the accession of king George, who was proclaim- of England, ed in Boston, September 17th, 1714, Governor Dudley demean-
* One account says it was in 1719. But 9 Mass. Rec. p. 207, says 1718. t Arundel, [Kennebunk-port, since 1820,] was made a town, A. D. 1653, by the Massachusetts' Commissioners, and named ' Cape-Porpus.'(a) -- The lands were originally granted by Gorges, and also by Rigby. The agent of the latter conveyed to Morgan Howell 100 acres, in 1648; and in 1661, to John Bush 400, to Gregory Jeffery 200, and Richard Moore 400, all " within the village of Cape-Porpoise, and Province of Lygonia ;" re- serving " to Col. Alexander Rigby, Esq. President of the Province of Ly- gonia," a yearly quitrent of 10s. per 100 acres .- Sullivan, 229. This place was settled as early as A. D. 1632, probably earlier .- Winthrop's Journal, p. 43. There are a few fragments of the town's doings between 1678 and 1689 .- About 1719, Rev. John Eveleth was preaching at Cape-Porpoise, and afterwards, for a period, his ministerial labors were alternate at this place and Saco, till 1726; and at the former, till 1729, with a salary of £20. That year, Rev. Thomas Prentiss was settled ; succeeded, September, 1741, by Rev. John Hovey ; in 1771, by Rev. Silas Moody ; and in 1816, by Rev. George Payson.
(a) As then spelt.
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A. D.1714. ed himself with the wisdom and prudence best calculated to smooth his path to retirement. He was not actually displaced, however, till about two years* after this, and was then succeeded Gov. Shute. by Col. SAMUEL SHUTE, f-and Mr. Tailer, by Lieutenant-Gov- ernor WILLIAM DUMMER.Į The Governor's commission embrac- ed New-Hampshire as well as Massachusetts and Maine; and the appointment met with general acceptance.
A. D. 1715. Committee of claims.
Limitation of real ac- tions.
The Committee of claims and settlements, in 1715, consisted of two Councillors, Messrs. John Wheelwright and Ichabod Plaisted, of Maine ; and six members of the House.§ They were able and influential men, and at their suggestion, the General Court perceived the inability of the people and proprietors, who owned lands and real estate eastward of Piscataqua, to recover them by legal process within the five years limited by a former statute, because of the late war ; and therefore allowed them the same period after July 31st, of the present year, to resume and establish their claims to houses, lands or other real estate, within the territories of Maine or Sagadahock. This gave to all inter- ested, additional and fresh encouragement. The General Court, also, with the further advice of the Committee, ordered the sur- vey of a road from Berwick to Pejepscot lower falls, and ap- propriated £50 to be disbursed from the public treasury towards opening it.
A road or- dered to be surveyed from Ber- wick to Pe- jepscot.
Another subject, thoughi of a different nature, which excited the public attention at this time, was the improper duties exacted by New-Hampshire from the merchants and fishermen trading at Piscataqua. To obviate the difficulty, our government made the harbor at Kittery-point a port of entry, and adopted measures to
Kittery made a port of en- try.
* The delay was occasioned by the appointment, in the first place, of Col. Eliesus Burges, who was anxious for the office. But it being thought by our agents and friends in England, that he could not be an acceptable person to the people of these Provinces; he was induced to accept from them £1000, and resign his commission.
t Col. Shute belonged to a good family. His father was a dissenter, and an eminent citizen of London, and his mother was the daughter of a noted dissenting minister ;- his brother, Lord Barrington, was in Parliament, at the head of the dissenting interest. The new Governor had served under the Duke of Marlborough, in Flanders, where he acquired great military reputation.
Į Mr. Dummer was a native of Massachusetts, and lived in Boston.
§ These were, Oliver Haynes, Edward Hutchinson, Adam Winthrop, Samuel Phips, Lewis Bane, and John Leighton.
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make its authority respected. A breastwork was erected north- A. D. 1715. erly of the point ; a platform laid sufficient for six guns ; a naval officer and a public notary appointed ; and all sea-captains and persons trading at the river, were required to pay imposts, powder- money, and other duties, as stipulated by law.
The enthusiastic ardor, manifested the last year in the enter- Pejepscot prise of reviving the eastern settlements and claims, still appeared purchase changes owners.
rather to increase than to abate. The Indians were generally tranquil ; and in a great number of places, the return of the in- habitants is dated at the present period. Richard Wharton, dying insolvent, his Pegypscot [or Pejepscot] purchase* was sold, in 1714, by his administrator, to Messrs. Winthrop, T. Hutchinson, Ruck, Noyes, Watts, Minot, Mountford, and two others, for only £100.
The new owners, June 10th, in the present year, spread their Brunswick, interest before the General Court, with a request, that the pur- and Harps- 'l'opsham, chase, as they bounded it, f and the title, as stated, might be con- well. firmed to them ; and that the government, by its sanction, would encourage them in the settlement and defence of three new town- ships, which they proposed to have called Brunswick, Tops- ham, and Harpswell. The first was to extend " from Pejepscot Falls to Maquoit on Casco bay-equal to six miles square ;" the second was to be surveyed of the same size on the easterly side of the river, adjoining and fronting Merry-meeting bay ; and the third to include Merryconeag peninsula, the two Sebascodegan Islands and others. It is said their prayer was granted ; when it was agreed, that if the government would exempt these towns from taxes, five years, and advance £400 towards the erection of a " good stone fort" at some place within their limits, they would
* See ante, A. D. 1684.
t They supposed it run " from 5 miles above the uppermost Falls of An- " droscoggin river, on a north-east line, over to Kennebeck river, includ- " ing what land lies to the southward of that line, down to Merry-meeting " bay :"-And " from said Falls, 4 miles west, and so southerly down to " Maquoit ;- taking in the lands lying four miles west of said river .- Like- " wise the lands lying southward of Merry-meeting bay, on the westerly " side, running down to Small-point harbor, and including Merryconeag- " neck and the Island Sebascodegan, with the other Islands interjacent ; " and on the easterly side, running round Winnegance-point, so down Sag- " adahock river, along by Arrowsick Island, down to Atkins' bay."-State- ment of Kennebeck Claims, p. 11 .- 1 Doug. Summ. p. 390.
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A. D. 1715. engage not only to support a minister of the gospel, and school- master, but maintain a sergeant's guard of 15 men, and faithfully build and render defensible such a fortress. The public disburse- ment was accordingly made, and a fortification erected on the western side of the Androscoggin, opposite to the Lower Falls, Fort George erected. and called " Fort George." It was constructed with two bas- tions, two half bastions with flankers on the top, sufficient for cannon .* When finished it was furnished with munitions of war ; and a garrison was supported there the greater part of the time, till the reduction of Quebec.+ These Falls were a key which opened the western parts of the Province to the Indians. At this place the tribes from Canada, from Penobscot, and from Nor- ridgewock had meetings with the Anasagunticooks, to advise on their intended expeditions against the white people. There had been a slight fort here of ancient date ; but while the country lay desolate, it had fallen into ruins.
Resettle- ment of Androscog- gin.
But these towns were not very speedily settled. In Brunswick, which was incorporated the earliest of the three,# there were, in 1718, no dwelling-places for families, except within the walls of the fort, and in the block house, near Maquoit bay, where Lieut. Woodside kept a guard to protect the stores while landing and pas- sing to the fort. A little before that time, three families settled in Topsham ; all of whom were afterwards destroyed in Lovewell's war.§ The settlement of Harpswell, commenced about the year 1720, was for many years only a precinct of North-Yarmouth. ||
George- town settled and incor- porated.
In conformity with the Legislative order of 1713, several persons early the next spring, resumed a habitancy upon lands at the mouth of the river Sagadahock. On the margin of Arrow- sick Island at Baker's Cove, John Watts of Boston, who had married a grand-daughter of Major Clark, built of bricks, trans- ported by him from Medford, in Massachusetts, a large dwelling- house with two flankers,-which stood 56 years. Another was erected about the same time by Mr. Preble at the head of the
* 8 Mass. Rec. p. 369-415. + Sullivan, p. 181.
į Brunswick was incorporated in 1738 ; Harpswell in 1758, and Topsham in 1764. In 175S, the line, as settled between Pejepscot and Plymouth companies, began at the mouth of Cathance river, and ran W. N. W. to the W. line of the patent, or claim.
§ Coll. Mass. His. Soc. p. 141-2.
|| MS. letter of Rev. Samuel Eaton.
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Island. In the spring of 1715, these two men, Edward Hutch- A, D. 1716. inson, Esq. and twenty-three others, being the whole number in the Island, petitioned the General Court to be incorporated into a town. It was a frontier, more remote than any other place at- tempted to be resettled, and might be a barrier in the emergency of war ;- therefore an object of the government's special favor. An accession of 15 families was immediately made to the set- tlement ; the Governor despatched from Fort Loyal a sergeant's guard of 20 men, to be protectors of the inhabitants six months ; and on the 13th of June, 1716, Parker's Island, and Arrowsick* were made a town or municipal corporation by the name of GEORGETOWN.+
* Parker's Island, Nequasset or Nauseag, [now Woolwich] Stage Island and some others were treated and taxed as precincts of the town, accord- ing to the law and usage of the day, and made a part of the town itself. The inhabitants of Small point [now Bath and Phipsburgh,] were upon pe- tition set off from North-Yarmouth, in 1741, and united to Georgetown. One account states, that Wiscasset and Sheepscot were taxed with George- town several years, adjacents or precincts. The name " Arrowsick" is so spelt by Penhallow. The titles to the lands are holden " principally under " the Plymouth company ; part under Salter's right ; part under Sir Biby "Lake; and a few by 60 years peaceable possession."-See ante, vol. 1, p. 53.
t Georgetown, (the 10th corporate town in this State,) took its name from " fort St. George"-(Popham's fort,) built by the colonists, in 1607; and is sometimes called " The ancient Dominions" of Maine. The census, in 1764, was 1,329. The ecclesiastical affairs of the town, were in an un- settled state, more than half a century. The clergymen, employed suc- cessively, were Messrs. William McClanathan, Robert Rutherford, Dan- iel Mitchell, and Alexander Boyd. The principal part of the people, especially the professors, were Presbyterians. In 1739, 14 of the latter associated into a church ; and in July, 1765, Rev. Ezekiel Emerson was ordained. In the course of a year, his church were united into a " Cove- nant engagement," and contained 45 members. This excellent man died, Nov. 9, 1815, aged 80. A meeting-house was built on Arrowsick Island, in 1761 ; and one on Parker's Island, in 1809, for the Freewill Baptists. A second Parish, now Bath, was formed in 1762. The town has been di- vided .- Woolwich was incorporated in 1759; Bath, in 1781; and Phips- burgh, in 1814. The present Georgetown is bounded, S. by the ocean ; W. by Kennebeck river ; N. by Monsweag bay ; and E. by great Sheep- scot bay ; and embraces Arrowsick, of 4,000, and Parker's, of 10,000 acres. About half of the town is of a good soil, which grows apples, wheat, bar- ley and corn. The people, in 1820, owned 1,000 tons shipping ; annually cured 4,000 quintals of cod and hake ; 40,000 1bs. salmon ; 500 bls. pickled fish, and 6,000 boxes smoked herrings. The town records begin in 1788. VOL. II. 12
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[VOB .. IL.
great resort.
A. D. 1716. This is a place of more celebrity, than any other, except. York A place of and Falmouth, upon the eastern coast. It was colonized in 1607; visited in 1614, by the famous Capt. John Smith, who sketched a chant of the coast ; and settled between the years 1.624. and 6. At the latter date, Plymouth colony had a trading house at the site of Popham's fort, near Spring-point; and the settlement had a gradual increase fifty years, until there were on the Islands and both sides of the river, more than sixty families. The place was ravaged and laid waste by the savages, in 1676, and in 1688; and from the latter year remained desolate till its late revival. Georgetown has had a gradual rise ;- has been a place of great resort ; and in 1721, it was represented in the General Court by John Penhallow.
Offers to settlers.
Cushenoc fort. Settlements on Kenne- be ck.
These movements, especially the resettlement of Georgetown, encouraged the proprietors of the Plymouth [or Kennebeck] pa- tent to enter upon the improvement or occupancy of their terri- tory. United in project with the Pejepscot proprietors, they both offered to families severally, 100 acres of good land, and the removal of them and their effects, free of expense to them, if they would become settlers, within their respective proprie- torships ; promising them also contributions towards supporting a minister of the gospel. For the protection of the people in case of a rupture with the Indians, and for the promotion of trade, Doct. Noyes of Boston, one of the Plymouth proprietors, built a fort of stone, at Cushenoc, on the bank of Kennebeck river near the head of the tide, which is said to have been the best fortifi- cation in the eastern country. Here a garrison was, for a period, maintained at the public expense ; and according to Mr. Pen- hallow, so great was the encouragement given " that several "towns, as Brunswick, Topsham, Georgetown and Cushenoc " began to be settled ; a great many fine buildings with saw mills " were erected ; husbandry began to thrive ; and great stocks of "-cattle were raised."*
A bridge of 300 feet connects the two Islands .- 9 Mass, Rec. p. 75 .- MS. Letter of Benjamin Riggs, Esq. p. 182.
* Penballow (Indian. W'ars printed. in 1726;) says, Noyes " built a stone garrison in.".Augusta" at his own charge" He was a Representative in the General Count, and died, March 16/1721-2. After this the fort was neg lected; and in Lovewell's war, the inhabitants withdrew, and the Indians burnt it ;- with! several houses .- 1 Coll. N. H. Hist. Soc. p. 88 :- and in-7 or 8 years the fishery ceased .- 2 Doug. Summ. p. 538 .- Ken. Claims, p. 15.
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