nearly opposite. Libby's son and grandson occupied the place afterwards, but from them it passed into the hands of persons unconnected with the family. Mr. Libby was for many years one of the town's principal planters, and appears to have been looked upon by his fellow townsmen as a man of considerable wealth, although the inventory of his estate exhibits a sum total of only £118. He served as constable in 1664, and as one of the Selectmen of the Town in 1669. He is the common ancestor of the great numbers of this name who are living in this vicinity. In old records, and other manuscripts this family name is variously spelt. Sometimes Luby, Laby,* oftener Lebby, Lebbee, Libbee, Lybby and Libby. The last mode of spelling is now generally adopted. He died in 1682. The names of his children, so far as they can be ascertained, were John, James, Antony, Henry, Samuel, David, Matthew, Daniel. By these the family name was rapidly extended, until now the

*This spelling gives some force to the suggestion that our own worthy townsman was a descendant of Reginald Labbe who died in England in 1293, leaving a will which the antiquarians of Great Britian esteem as a rare morsel of its kind. The inventory of his estate is, in modern English, the following "Reginald Labbe died worth chattels to the value of thirtythree shillings and eight pence, leaving no ready money. His goods comprised a cow and calf, two sheep and three lambs, three hens, a bushel and a half of wheat, a seam of barley, a scam of dragge or mixed grain, a scam and a half of fodder, and one half-pennyworth of salt. His wardrobe consisted of a tabard, tunic and hood; and his 'household stuffe' of a bolster, a rug, two sheets, a brass dish, and a tripod or trivet." "Possessing no ready money his bequests were made in kind. A sheep worth tewpence is left to the 'High Aulter' of the church at Newton, and another of the same value to the Altar and fabric fund of the church at Eakewoode.' His wife Yda received a moiety of the testator's cow, which was valued at five shilling, and Thos. Fitz Neoregs was a copartner in its calf to the extent of a fourth." The expences of his funeral, proving the will, &c. were more than one-third of the whole property. Some of the items of expense were, "one penny for digging his grave, two pence for tolling the bell, sixpence for making his will, and eight pence for proving it."

bearers of it may be reckoned by hundreds. To some of these it may not be uninteresting to read the will of their ancestor, which is singularly brief.

"In the name of God amen. Bee it known unto all unto whom this shall come that I John Libby Senior do give unto my children five shillings apeece to every one of them & to my two younger sonns namely Mathew & Daniell to have fivety shillings out of ye estate when they come to age, & my wife shall have It all to her disposeing to mantayn the children. John Libby."

9th Feb. 1682

ANTHONY ROE

LEFT. INGERSOLL

Witnesses.

Amongst the enterprising settlers early established at Black Point was Christopher Collins, at first a fisherman and after wards a farmer of considerable property. He had become a resident of the town in 1660, where he styles himself "of Black Point, fisherman." He lived on land adjoining Libby's, probably below towards the Neck. The following interesting record relates to this townsman, and illustrates at least his political character. At a Court of Associates held in 1661 "Christopher Collins being convicted before this Court upon his owne acknowledgment concerning some sleight and scandalous Languidge hee uttered against his majesty, In saying, if the King were as hee should bee, hee would owne him when hee knew it, and that he was rightly established; and therefore hee would honour him when hee knew hee was, hee would doe it; with some other unhandsome speeches hee gave out against the last County Court That they looked more after the gathering of the fines than they did look after aniething else. Fined £10.” One half of this fine was afterwards remitted.

His son Moses seems to have had a disaffection for the relig ious institutions of the day, equal to that of the father for the political. In 1671, he, together with John, James, Sarah, and Mary Mills, children of John Mills of Black Point, was present

ed to the Court for frequent absence from public wurship. Collins' answer to the charge, when brought before the Court, was in these words: "your worships is false and idolatrous." Sarah's response was: "You worship divills and not God ;" and Mary's-"Your ministers are not ministers of God, they are ministers of ye letter and not of ye spirit." Mary's allusion to "ministers of the spirit" savors of quakerism; and of this we should suspect them, were there no farther proof of it than is contained in their answers to the Court. The full proof of their quakerism is to be found in a form far more unpleasant than their language, as we turn the leaf of the Record book and read the brief entry-" Moses Collins and Sarah Mills twenty stripes for being quakers." This, we believe, is the only record of the punishment of any of the inhabitants of this Province for the offence of quakerism. This was in 1671, while Maine was subject to the authority of the Massachusetts Colonists.

Christopher Collins died in 1666, aged fifty-eight. The strange manner of his death led many to suspect that he had been murdered, and circumstances attending it fastened their suspicions upon James Robinson, a cooper of Black Point, as the murderer. He was therefore immediately arrested, and tried at Casco. The verdict of the jury was this: "Whereas James Robinson of Bla: Poynt cooper was Indited the 26th day of June 1666 upon suspition of murdering Christopher Collins of Blacke Poynt, at his Majesty's Court houlden in Cascoe, and being tried by the grand Jury of this Court and committed to us the Jury of Life and Death. We find that the sayd Collins was slayne by misadventure, and culpable of his own death, and not upon anie former malice, and therefore the sd James Robinson not guilty of murder. July 29 1666. Mr. Rich: Collicot, Foreman." Walter Gendall and Nathan Bedford bound themselves in the sum of one hundred pounds, that

Robinson should "sue out his pardon within a twelve-month and a day." A few items from the inventory of Collins estate will show him to have been one of the most enterprising and successful farmers of those days, when he was a prosperous "planter" who owned a pair of oxen and a cow.* Amongst other evidences of his prosperity to be found on this inventory are the following—" Twenty-three cows and a Bull; thirteen Calfes and yearelings; eight two yeare oulds; two steares and a Heffer thirty swine ould and young; eight oxen;" he also left "one moose skine, six bear skines, one deer skine, four pounds worth of beaver, and a leather coate." erty amounted to four hundred and twenty-two pounds sterling. His son Christopher succeeded him here, and apparently with similar success as a farmer. In 1667 this son sold part of the plantation to Joshua Scottow, then of Boston, who early commenced buying land at Black Point, and finally became the owner of nearly all that part of the town. We know not what became of Moses Collins, that first given being the latest record of his name we can find. If he remained in the country, he probably removed beyond the jurisdiction of Massachusetts.

His whole prop

Joseph Phippen, who settled at Falmouth in 1650, was for some years a resident of this town.†

During his stay here he resided on Blue Point, much to the discomfort, as will soon appear, of one of the worthiest of the early settlers there. We are not curious to discover any of the quarrels of the respectable townsmen of that day, but the record of them is often worth transcribing: This appears to be one of that sort—“July 5th 1658. Wee p'sent Jos Phippeny

* John Jocelyn notices the great scarcity of cattle in Maine 1638 to 1670.

+ I find it upon the York Records that Phippen was "of Blue Point" in 1658, while it is affirmed in the History of Portland, on equally good authority that in 1658 he was an inhabitant of Falmouth. The discrepancy does not affect the truth of what is here said of him.

of blew poynt for abusing Mr. Bellingham Dcp: Gov: for saying yt Mr Bellingham gave him Counsell to beat Foxwell, and manacle him, and carry him downe to his doore in a roape." At the same Court Phippen was presented for twice "beating Mr. Rich. Foxwell, and drawing blood from him." Foxwell was then protected from a third assault by this order"For preventing any further trouble between Mr. Rich. Foxwell, and Joseph Phippen, otherwise called Phippeny, till matters of difference between them can come to a more full hearing, It is ordered by this Court yt Rich: Foxwell and Jcs: Phippen shall enter into a bond of one hundred pounds each p'son and putt yr suretys of fivety pounds a peece more to keepe ye peace towards all men, especially one towards another." This prevented further trouble, until matters were finally adjusted by reference to Maj. Nicholas Shapleigh, Abraham Preble, and Edward Rishworth. The origin of this difficulty is incidentally explained by a remark of Foxwell's a few years afterwards, to Andrew Alger, who was about engaging with him to cut the grass upon the marsh. They agreed that the cutter of the grass should have half the hay; "but Andrew," said Foxwell, "don't divide it as Phippen did, he cut all the grass, and carried off all the hay."* One of the witnesses against Phippen when presented for this offence, was Jonas Bailey of Blue Point. Mr. Bailey was an inhabitant of the town as early as 1650, how long before is not known. He was one of the persons to whom Edward Rigby addressed his letter of complaint in 1652, but it does not appear what part he took in Rigby's

* Ms. Deposition. On the Massachusetts State files is a petition from several of the freemen of Falmouth, against their deputies at the General Court, of whom Phippeu was one. The petitioners say of him-" Mr. P. not many days before his departure was beating and drawing of ye blood of his majesties subjects, and stands upon record for slandering ye deputie governor and was always a man of contention and strife since he came in our parts."