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The warrant is directed to the constable of Spurwink, Richmond's Island, and Cape Elizabeth: and is signed,

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II. AN ACCOUNT OF LIMERICK.

BY CHARLES FREEMAN.*

LIMERICK Contains about fourteen thousand acres, or twentythree square miles; being small in territory. Its surface is hilly, for the most part, and the hills are abrupt. Their summits are ledgy, but are covered mostly with a thin layer of earth. The ledges are composed of granite of a very coarse grain; too coarse to allow the stone to be used for buildings. The granite employed for underpinning and door-steps, comes almost wholly from Limington; some has been brought from Newfield; but the grain is coarser than that which is found near Portland and in Hallowell. In the ledges in Limerick, there are large irregular veins, where quartz and feld spar exist in small masses; and in these veins schorl is found in great plenty running in a vein of

[* The following biographical sketch of Mr. Freeman, the writer of the "Account of Limerick," is from an article in the Christian Mirror of May 12, 1857, prepared by his nephew, Mr. Charles Duren of Bangor:

FAMILIAR RECOLLECTIONS OF REV. CHARLES FREEMAN.

"The memory of the just is blessed." Though more than three years have elapsed since the death of this excellent minister, yet his memory is cherished by many, and his example is useful to all. A very appropriate and truthful, but brief notice of him was given at the time; but I know not why some recollections of him, may not be as appropriate now as then. At the time of his death, he was one of the longest settled minister of the State. May one who, though he did not reside in the immediate sphere of his influence, yet when a youth had opportunity of familiar acquaintance with him, be permitted to offer this tribute to his memory.

Rev. Charles Freeman, late of Limerick, Maine, was the son of Hon. Samuel Freeman of Portland; where he was born June 3, 1794. His useful traits of character very much resembled those of his estimable father. He graduated at Bowdoin College in 1812. That same fall he entered the law

its own intermixed with quartz and feld spar. The quartz and feld spar are clear and white, except where long exposed to wind and rain. In the ledges are fissures of various directions and of small width, from one-fourth of an inch to one and one-half inches, which are filled with quartz of a reddish brown color; and there are also a few fissures of a dull blue granite of fine grain; these are between six inches and twelve feet in width, and are crossed by no other veins. A substance, thought to be magnesia, has been dug up in the meadow of Mr. Simeon Adams; but the account of it which I have received, does not correspond with the description of native magnesia in Cleaveland's Mineralogy. It has, however, been used medicinally with good effect as an absorbent, instead of magnesia.

Limerick has numerous mill-privileges considering its small extent. Two streams run through the town, one on the east side, and one on the west, and empty into Little Ossipee river. This river skirts the south of the town with a rapid shallow stream on a rocky bed. In the town are six saw-mills, three grist-mills, one carding-machine, and one mill for fulling and dressing cloth, but this last is not at present in operation.

office of Nicholas Emery. In 1814, January 16, he united with the church with which his parents were connected, and of which Dr. Deane and Rev. I. Nichols were pastors. His mind was at this time' much exercised with religious sentiments and experience, and he speaks of much intercourse with christian persons in Portland. So that in a year, January 20, 1815, his relation was transferred to Dr. Payson's church. August 8, 1816, he writes, — "Dr. Payson preached from John xvii. 15. This discourse almost or quite determined me to give myself to God in the ministry of the gospel." In the fall of this year he began the study of theology with Dr. Payson; and in September, 1817, was licensed by the Cumberland Association to preach at Gorham. In the year 1820, January 19, he was ordained pastor of the Congregational church in Limerick, and continued its pastor for thirty-three years and eight months, till his death. The services of ordination were performed by Rev. Edward Payson, D. D., of Portland, Rev. Jonathan Greenleaf of Wells, and Rev. Nathan Douglass of Alfred. He died September 19, 1853, of bronchial consumption. He was able to officiate more or less in the duties of the sanctuary till within one Sabbath of his death.

His wife was Nancy, a daughter of the Hon. Josiah Pierce of Baldwin, who died before him, leaving a family of children. A son, bearing his name, is in the practice of law in Boston. ]

The prevalent forest trees are beech, maple, birch, ash, and white pine.

The soil has very little of clay or sand. In the lower part of the valley of the east stream flowing through the town, the ground is composed of round stones, from pebbles to stones six or more inches in diameter, which form a very hard solid mass as you go below the surface. The soil on such land is poor. The best land in the town is on the declivity of the hills.

2. SETTLEMENT, ETC. Limerick was settled about the year 1775. James Sullivan, Esq., afterward governor of Massachu setts, was one of the first settlers; and established their title to their lands. He labored for a while in the town, but did not fix his residence in it. The first settlers came with him from Saco and Biddeford. Some of the early inhabitants were from Ireland, and on this account it was called, in pleasantry, Limerick, after a city of this name in that island, and this name prevailed, and was adopted in the incorporation of the town. Berwick, in the next place, supplied settlers, and a few came from Kittery, York, Kennebunkport, and Scarborough, and at a later period several came from Newbury, in Massachusetts. The town was incorporated in 1787.*

*[This was the fiftieth town incorporated in Maine, and then contained a population of about four hundred. Three years after, by the United States Census of 1790, the number of inhabitants was four hundred and eleven. The population gradually increased until 1850, advancing in each decade as follows: 1800, eight hundred and twenty-nine; 1810, one thousand one hundred and seventeen; 1820, one thousand three hundred and seventy-seven; 1850, one thousand four hundred and seventy-three; in 1860, it fell to one thousand four hundred and forty-one. The town took the name which the plantation had previously borne, and this was given to it by James Sullivan, then a resident of Biddeford, and who afterward was attorney general, judge of the supreme court, and governor of Massachusetts, in which latter office he died in 1808. He was one of the proprietors of the plantation, and when the settlement commenced in 1772, and the plantation was afterward organized, his grandson, Thomas Amory, in his interesting biography of this disguished man, says: "The proprietors honored him with the selection of its name. His father having been born in the city of Limerick, Ireland, this circumstance decided his choice." In 1774, all business being suspended, Mr. Amory remarks that Mr. Sullivan, "took his axe, week's provision, and in his blanket, frock, and trowsers, went to Limerick with the other settlers, most of whom were from Saco, and commenced felling trees to reduce his

3.

HISTORY OF CHURCHES, ETC. Rev. John Adams of Newfield, once of Durham, New Hampshire, a graduate of Harvard University, preached in the town at an early period. July 5, 1795, the Congregational church was organized; and in November, 1795, the Rev. Edmund Eastman, a graduate of Dartmouth College was ordained. He died December 9, 1812. During his ministry, forty were added to the church. From this time to the close of 1819, there was occasional preaching, but no settled minister. During this period eleven were added to the church. January 19, 1820, Charles Freeman, a graduate of Bowdoin College, was ordained. From that time to the close of 1830, sixty-nine have been received into the church, and it now embraces seventy-nine members.

In the year 1796, a Calvinist Baptist church was formed, and the Rev. Ebenezer Kinsman was ordained over it. He retained his connection for eleven years, and in 1807 was dismissed; but after some interval he recommenced preaching to them; and has continued in the ministry here to this time, without however being the pastor of the church. The number of professors of this denomination now in town is forty.

The Freewill Baptist denomination commenced about 1780 in New Durham, New Hampshire, and it early began to prevail in the vicinity of Limerick. In 1814, a general excitement existed among them in the parts of Limerick and Newfield, near Dam's Mills. In 1821, they commenced a meeting in the center of Limerick, the first prominent speaker being a woman from New Hampshire. Elias Libby, a citizen of the town, soon took the lead of the meetings. In 1822, a church was organized of thirty members, and Mr. Libby was afterward ordained a preacher, and took the pastoral charge of the church. Various preachers have labored in the society, and in 1830, chiefly under the im- . provement of Elder Bridges, about seventy from Limerick, were added to the church by immersion, and numbers were added also from other towns, and now they reckon about one hundred in the church from Limerick, and fifty from other towns.

lands to a state of cultivation, for the support of himself and his family. On Saturday he returned the distance of thirty miles, as black and cheerful as the natives, when they return from a successful hunt."- EDITOR.]

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