Messes. Wm. Slemons & George Knight of Falmouth that you & your Company have contrary to your License for cutting Mast Trees interfered with the said Slemons & Knight in their District by entering upon their half of Bakers Town as agreed upon by a dividing Line between yourselves, cutt down & barked two considerable large Trees much to their Damage - By which means you have exposed yourselves not only to an action of Damage from the sd. Slemons & Knights; but of Trespass from the Surveyor General, and it is his Orders that you immediately settle the matter to the Satisfaction of Messes. Slemons and Knight within a month from this time, otherwise His Excellency is determined to bring an action against you for Trespass in a court of Admiralty which you'll do well to avoid. I am Gentlemen

Your most hum. Svt.

JOHN HURD.

To Messes.

James John Jun. & Company Mast cuttters & License.

It seems that the Johnson party of mast-cutters got over the line agreed upon and cut two trees, and Messrs. Wm. Slemons and George Knight entered a complaint against them. This is the first and only intimation I have that Slemons & Knight were in the mast business. Slemons lived where Mr. Fred A. Johnson now resides, in the same Slemons house, westerly of Stroudwater; and Knight, who was a son of Nathaniel Knight alluded to in the foregoing, and became son-in-law to Slemons, being married January 6, 1771, lived on the Buxton road, a mile or more westerly of the Johnsons.

The matter of trespass was settled by arbitration, James Milk, Richard Codman and John Waite being chosen referees, who, after a bond had been signed by Messrs. Slemons and Knight in the sum of £100

lawful money to abide by the award, brought in that the Johnson Company should pay Messrs. Slemons & Knight £7-14-6, and that Slemons and Knight should pay the others for cutting the trees forty shillings.

Accompanying the papers from which the foregoing copy is made, is the original acknowledgement dated September 10, 1770, that the money was received and signed by William Slemons.

A statement made by Wendell dated November, 1770, shows that the Johnson Company received from him £1375-15-9 lawful money, among the items of which is one of £400-8-6 paid on an order in favor of George Tate, and one in favor of Joshua Wentworth for £35-13-0, thus making it appear doubtful who J. Wentworth really was that signed the license

whether John Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire or Joshua Wentworth, another character. Jonathan Sparrow was a trader at Stroudwater about fifteen years. In his old daybook, date of June 21, 1804, I select the following:

66

These parties were business men in Portland and carrying down the same" means, down Fore River to Portland.

A period of one hundred and sixty-eight years has passed since the mast industry was commenced in what is now termed Old Falmouth. The lofty pine tree has passed away, probably forever. Record evidence of the events of the time is scarce. Records of the footprints of the actors are difficult of obtainment. Places of rest of the earthly part of their lives are not known. Long may the few manuscript records live in a manner that will illustrate the good deeds of those who felled the forest trees and made the water of the river assist in the labors of civilization, and the hillside bring forth sweet grasses. One relic of which time, this mammoth mast-chain, turned up by the plow in the hands of Mr. George Johnson, some fifty years ago, in the "Johnson ninety-acre field," located in front of the site of the first John Johnson dwelling-place in Falmouth, now Deering, in his behalf, I now present to this Society." Henceforward it is for you to keep, with this meager offering of mine.

1 The chain presented is now with the relics of the past belonging to the Society; and for a short sketch of the Johnson family, and a cut of the modernized family abode, see "History of Cumberland County of 1880."

ANCIENT NAGUAMQUEEG.

BY SAMUEL T. DOLE.

Read before the Maine Historical Society, February 6, 1895.

THE territory of New Marblehead (now Windham) was confirmed to the petitioners on June 7, 1735, and they at once began preparations to comply with the conditions imposed by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts, and believing that a sawmill would tend to encourage settlers to come here, we find that at a proprietors' meeting held in old Marblehead, August 8, 1735, it was put to vote, to see if a sawmill should be built in said township at the general charge. This, however, passed in the negative, and the meeting adjourned to the twenty-first of the same month, at which time the following communication was presented for their consideration, which I copy verbatim from the old records :

To the Grantees of the Township upon Presumscot River, laid out to several Inhabitants of Marblehead: this Manifesto of George Pigot, Clerk, Declareth that upon the grant of one Mill right, and Two acres of land thereunto adjoining to him his heirs and assigns forever, he will undertake to. Erect a Sawmill upon the falls of the Great River next above the Township lots before Michaelmas Day 1736. Provided he have convenient Highways leading to said mill laid out by order of the Grantees, with Liberty to cut Timber off the School lot. George Pigot.

Accordingly it was voted that the above manifesto be allowed and granted to said Pigot, so long as he or

his assigns keep up a mill there. This flourish of trumpets, however, amounted to nothing and we hear no more about a mill until January 12, 1738, or more than two years later at which time there were but four families in the township, viz.: Thomas Chute, William Mayberry, Stephen Manchester and John Farrow. On that day it was

Voted, That whereas it is the opinion of the proprietors or grantees, that the grant made to the Rev. Mr. George Pigot is void, it appearing to the proprietors that he did not erect said mill by Michaelmas day 1736, nor hath yet erected the same, nor begun it, therefore,

Voted, That the committee formerly appointed for receiving the proposals of any of the proprietors relating to erecting a sawmill, take under their further consideration the proposal of Ebenezer Hawks and others, and make report at the adjournment of this meeting.

At the adjournment on January 19, 1738, this committee reported as follows:

Forasmuch as it is thought by the said proprietors to be very expedient to have one or more sawmills upon some part of the aforesaid tract of land, and conducive to their general good, and advantage; and forasmuch as Messrs. Ebenezer Hawks, Blacksmith, William Goodwin, Carpenter, Isaac Turner, Carpenter, and Ebenezer Stacey, Shoreman all of Marblehead, in the County of Essex, four of the proprietors have manifested their desires, and inclinations upon suitable encouragement, to erect and set up one or more sawmills upon some part or place of said tract of land suitable for that purpose, it was voted for their encouragement in the undertaking that there be and hereby is given and granted to the above named Ebenezer Hawks and others all the proprietors right, title and interest in and to any one of the falls of water in the main river lying above the great bridge lately erected over said river at their choice or election, together with all the privilege thereunto