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THE

HISTORY OF PORTLAND,

FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT:

WITH

NOTICES OF THE NEIGHBORING TOWNS,

AND OF THE

CHANGES OF GOVERNMENT IN MAINE.

IN TWO PARTS.

BY WILLIAM WILLIS.

PART I.

ADVERTISEMENT.

Falmouth originally contained within its limits the present towns of Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Portland, and Westbrook; and embraced a number of large and valuable islands lying in Casco Bay. It is proposed in the introductory chapter of the following work, to present a cursory view of the settlements made, and attempted to be made, on the coast of Maine, previous to that of Falmouth. After which my attention will be more exclusively confined to that town, until Portland was separately incorporated; this latter town will then receive more exclusive notice.

The various changes in the government of the country, especially during the early period of its history, will be briefly alluded to, as they had an immediate influence upon the happiness and prosperity of the inhabitants.

The work will be divided into two parts; the first will bring the history down to the close of the 17th century, the second, to the present time.

The entire loss of the records in the destruction of the town by the Indians in 1690, has deprived me of many valuable materials for the present work, and rendered my task at the same time more difficult and more unsatisfactory. But this consolation has accompanied me, that whatever facts I could glean from the state and county records and other scattered sources of information, become more valuable and more interesting, by the unfortunate events which have destroyed the more ready and minute aids to historical accuracy.

It is known to most readers, that previous to 1752, the year commenced on the 25th day of March; consequently the time between the first day of January and that day, was reckoned with the former year, and it was usually expressed by a double date; an instrument for instance, bearing date January 15, 1640, according to our calendar, would be expressed Jan. 15, 1639-40. Sometimes only 1639. In such cases I have invariably adapted the date to the present mode of computation, so far as regards the year. The day of the month by the new style, may be ascertained by omitting 10 days in the 17th century, 11 in the 18th, and 12 in the 19th. The alteration was made in England by a statute passed in 1751, to take effect January 1, 1752, and which authorized the omission of the 11 intermediate days of the calendar, from the 2d to the 14th day of September of that year. Portland, 1831.

1*

CONTENTS OF THE HISTORY OF PORTLAND.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE SETTLEMENTS ON THE COAST OF MAINE, PREVIOUS TO 1632.

CHAPTER I.

RICHMOND'S ISLAND-SPURWINK-DISPUTE BETWEEN CLEEVES AND TUCKER AND JOHN WINTER ABOUT THE TITLE-TRADE AT RICHMOND'S ISLAND-THE NECK, NOW PORTLAND, FIRST OCCUPIED GRANTS IN OTHER PARTS OF FALMOUTH-MITTON, MACWORTH-FIRST JUDICIAL COURT FOR THE PROVINCE-SETTLERS IN FALMOUTH IN 1640.

CHAPTER II.

THE POLITICAL AFFAIRS of the PROVINCE FROM THE GREAT PATENT IN 1620, TO THE SUBMISSION TO THE JURISDICTION OF MASSACHUSETTS IN 1658.

CHAPTER III.

BOUNDARIES AND NAME OF THE TOWN-INHABITANTS IN 1658, AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE-EARLY CONVEYANCES-FIRST MILLS-SETTLERS AT BACK COVE-JORDAN'S CLAIM AND QUARREL WITH CLEEVES.

CHAPTER IV.

INHABITANTS PETITION THE GENERAL COURT AGAINST THE CLAIMS OF CLEEVES AND JORDAN-PETITION OF THE FREEMEN TO THE GENERAL COURT-ISLANDS BELONGING TO FALMOUTH-NEW SETTLERS, MunJOY, WAKELY, COE, BRACKETT, CLARKE, FELT, CLOISE, ETC.-MITTON'S DEATH.

CHAPTER V.

FIRST COURT UNDER MASSACHUSETTS-STATE OF RELIGION IN THE TOWN-DEPUTIES-COURTS-PAY OF JURYMEN-HIGHWAYS-PRISON-ABRAHAM PREBLE-OPPOSITION TO MASSACHUSETTS-KING'S COMMISSIONERS SUSPEND THE AUTHORITY OF THAT COLONY-MEMORIAL FROM CASCO-RETURN OF THE COMMISSIONERS.

CHAPTER VI.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT-COURTS IN CASCO, PERSONS PRESENTED, STATE OF MORALS— CLEEVES'S DEATH AND CHARACTER-THOMAS SKILLING'S DEATH AND FAMILY-GOVERNMENT OF MASS. RESTORED JORDAN, JOCELYN, NEALE-FREEMEN PETITION GENERAL COURT-MUNJOY LICENSED TO RETAIL-EASTERN LINE RUN-SELECTMEN-FALMOUTH PRESENTED-SETTLEMENTS AT CAPISIC, STROUDWATER, AND PURPOODUCK-DEATH OF MARTIN, Wharff, BartleTT, AND MILLS.

CHAPTER VII.

THE FIRST INDIAN WAR-INHABITANTS OF FALMOUTH, 1675—DestruCTION OF THE TOWN IN 1676-FURTHER ATTACKS OF THE INDIANS-MILITIA IN 1675-PEACE-PRISONERS RESTORED-WALTER GENDALL -ROBERT JORDAN'S DEATH-BRACKETT-NAMES OF INHABITANTS IN CASCO BAY.

CHAPTER VIII.

PURCHASE OF MAINE BY MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNMENT-RESETTLEMENT OF FALMOUTH-DANFORTH'S GRANTS, OTHER TITLES ON THE NECK-GRANTS BY THE TOWN-SILVANUS DAVIS-MUNJOY'S DEATH AND FAMILY-FIRST TAVERN, SEACOMB, JONES, CLOISE-DEATH OF MRS. HARVEY AND GEORGE LEWIS -GEO. BURROUGHS.

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