hereafter do make acknowledge execute and suffer, or cause to be done made acknowledged executed and suffered all and overy such further and other reasonable act and acts thing and things devise and devises in the law for the further and better assurance and sure making of all and singular the said lands and other the said premises with their and every of their appurtenances unto the said George Cleeve and the said Richard Tucker their heirs and assigns as by his and their councell learned in the laws shall be reasonabley devised advised or required and lastly the said Sir Ferdinando Gorges hath constituted ordained and appointed, and by these presents doth constitute ordain and appo'nt his trusty and well-beloved Isaache Allertou and Arthur Mackworth gentlemen his true and lawful attorney and attornies jointly or severally for him and in his name to enter into the said lands and other the said bargained premises or into any part or parcel thereof in the name of the whole and thereof to take full and peaceable possession and seizen, and after such possession and seizen so had and taken then for him and in his name to deliver full and peaceable possession and seizen of the same lands and premises unto the said George Cleeve and Richard Tucker their heirs and assigns according to the tenour effect and true meaning of these presents. In witness whereof the said parties to theso present indentures interchangeably have set their hands and seals. Dated the day and year first herein above written Annoque Domini 1636. FERD. GORGES. Sealed signed and delivered William Withington in the presence of JJohn Winnington Memorandum that I Arthur Mackworth gent. have taken and delivered possession and seizen unto George Cleeve Esq. and Richard Tucker gent, according to the order within prescribed. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this eight day of June 1637. In the presence of Thomas Lewis, ARTHUR MACK WORTH. This is a true copy of the original deed examined and recorded the 24th day of May-by me. ROGER GARD, Recorder. LETTERS OF GORGES, VINES, JENNER, AND CLEEVES. After considerable progress had been made in the publication of this volume, I had the privilego, by the kindness of Charles Deane, Esq., of Cambridge, of oxamining several very interesting letters from the early settlers of Maine written to Gov. John Winthrop of Massachusetts. The Winthrop papers are in process of publication by the Mass. Historical Society, Vol. VII. of their 4th series, under editorship of Mr. Deane, and will throw much light upon the early, and hitherto somewhat obscure transactions of that distracted period of our history. I am permitted to make extracts from those letters, and to furnish fac-similes of the signatures. I feel gratified that they confirm my conjectures on the causes that seriously disturbed the first coloxists upon these shores. Jealousy among the principal men, ambition to rule, disputes as to titles and jurisdiction, and religious differences, were the prominent causes of most of the troubles which produced the agitations and conflicts of that day, and opened the door for Massachusetts to come in and assume the government. I have room for only a few extracts, and I take those which have the most direct application to our local history. The letters of Gorges cast a dark shadow upon the character of Cleeves which is however relieved by the favorable opinion of Gov. Winthrop, and we may reasonably suppose that the expressions freely bestowed upon each party by its opponents, are to be attributed rather to partizan zeal than as true exponents of character. SIR FERDINANDO GORGES TO SIR HENRY VANE, JOHN WINTHROP, AND OTHERS. To my much respected freindes, Henry Vane, John Winthrop, John Haines, John Humfrey and John Dudley, Esquiers, give theis with speed. MAIE IT PLEASE YOU,-Having recenved several leres from my servant Vines, & others, of the generall dislike concenved against Mr. Cleeves, for having to doe with anie my affaires, by reason (as it is affirmed) of the miscarriage of him, as well towardes myselfe in particuler, as the wronges hee offered them by his misreports to mee of theire miscarriage in theire places, whereby hee hath intruded himselfe into my good opinion soe far forth as to bee joyned with you in matters of soe greate trust, being soe vnworthey. As for Vines, I know his hon * esty to bee such as I could not abandon him out of my affeccion, as formerly I haue written, yet I conceived itt not amisse to rancke him with the rest in the generall discharge, that it might appeare there was noe partiallity rsed, nor respect of persons, for therein I spared not my nephewc,* whome I esteeme next my owne children. As for Vines, I intend hee shall still continue Deputie Governour, and soe doe pray you to settle him as before hee was, and to joyne with him my nephewe Champnowne, & such others us you shall receave notice to bee fittest for such service; that thereby you maie avoid the troubles you may otherwise bee put vnto, by the maney trobbles that maie arise soe farr distant from you. What resteth more to bee done in this, I refer to your best resolucions, as tyme & occasion serves, wherein I feare I haue too much trenched vppon your favours. Your true friend, to serve yon AISHTON PHILLIPPES, 230. Augustij, 1637. FERDE: GORGES. SIR FERDINANDO GORGES TO JOHN WINTHROP. To the Worshipfull & my much respected frend, John Wintrupp, Esqr, at Boston in the Bay, these present. WORTHY SIR,-The soddain approach of our longe wished for Parlamentinuites me to attend the happy issue therof, that otherwise had a resolution to haue visited you this springe, but I haue sent a neer kinsman of mine own name, with other necessary seruants, for the better orderinge of my affaires, & makinge of my prouision agaynst the time it shall please God I come my selfe. In the mean while I am bould to intreat of you to second this my cosen Gorges in any just and reasonable occasion he shall haue cause to vse your fauour in, I hauinge giuen him command to be carefull to doe his best that all fayr corrospondency be maintayned between those two geuerall Plantations, as a speciall means, by Gods fanour, to giue furtheranco to the happinesse therof. Your very louinge frend ASHTON, March 26th, 1640. FERDE, GORGES. RICHARD VINES TO JOHN WINTHROP. To the right Worshipfull his honored freind, John Wenthrop: Esqr. at Boston, thes in Massachusetts. RIGHT WORSHIPFULL,-I received your letter concerning Mr. Jenner; acknowledging your former courtesies to my selfe, and for your furtherance of a minister for vs, our whole Plantacion ar greatly behoulding vnto you. We haue ioyned both sides of our river together for his mayu. tenance, and haue willingly contributed for his stipend, 47li por annum; hoping the Lord will blesse and sanctifie his word vnto vs, that we may be both hearers and doers of the word and will of God. I like Mr. Jenner his life and conversacion, and alsoe his preaching, if he would lett the Church of England alone; that doth much trouble me, to heare our mother Church questioned for her impurity vpon every occasion, as if Men (ministers I meane) had no other marke to aime at, but the paps that gaue them suck, and from whence they first received the bread of life. It seemes the governourt makes a question that Sir Fferdinando Gorges was not in the Ffrench wars in his tyme. Capt. Bonyphon intreats me to write a word or two thereof. I beliene it was before Mr. Dudley his tyme, Sir Fferd: being now nere 80 yeares ould, and he went to those warres very young, and ther he received his honour. I haue often heard him discourse of those warlike accions, and that the king of Ffrance himselfe fetched him of from a breach, being wounded, either at the seige of Amiens, or before Paris, I know not whether. Your assured freind and servant, SACO, 25th of January, 1610. *[Wm. Gorges.] H[Dudley.] RICH VINES. [In 1697.] RICHARD VINES TO JOHN WINTHROP. SIR,--Three or 4 yeares since Mr Cleiues (Cleeves) being in England, procured a writ out of the Starr chamber office to command Mr. Edward Godfrey, Mr. John Winter, Mr. Purches, and my selfe, to apeare at the Counsell table; to answear some supposed wrongs. Mr. Godfrey went over to answeare for himselfe Mr. Winter, and my selfe, and out of the same Court brings a writt to command Cleiues to pay vnto him 20li: for his charges, which he refuses to doe. Now Sir Fferdinando Gorges gaue me order to see Mr. Godfrey haue right in this case. Cleiues says we haue nothing to doe, neither haue wee any power to levy money here vpon any writts that come out England, for he will answeare it from whence it came. I shall humbly intreate your advise herein, what course is to be taken, that I may free my selfe from blame and the malice of Cleiues who is a fire brand of dissention, and hath sett the whole Province together by the yeares. I make bould to trouble you herin, as a case of greate difficultie, desireing your answeare by the first convenience. I vnderstood by Mr. Shurt that you desired some gray pease for seed. Out of my small store I have sent you a bushell, desiring your acceptance thereof, ffrom Your freind and servant, SACO. 25th Janu: 1640. RICH: VINES. RICHARD VINES TO JOHN WINTIIROP. To the right worshipfull his much honored freind John Winthorpe, Esqr. governor of the Massachusetts Colony, these, Boston. RIGHT WORSHIPFULL,—I am forced to complayne vnto you of diverse insufferable wrongs don vnto Sir fferdinando Gorges, his Commissioners and Province, by Mr. Cleiues and his agent, Mr. Tucker, who report that you protect and countenance there exorbitant practices, which I canot beleave, for I never yet knew you giue the least encouragement to any sinister practice. Mr. Cleiues having perswaded Mr. Rigby, (a worthy gent. by report) to buy the Plough Patent which I esteeme no better then a broken tytle, by Mr. Rigby his authority, (and as he sayes by your approbacon) he hath nominated Commissioners, a Coronell generall, Provost marshall, and other officers, extending his government from Sackadehock to Cape Porpus, being abouo 13 leagues in leught, haveing likewise appoynted a Court to be kept in Cuscoe bay the 25th of March next, and hath sent his agent Tucker with a paper, perswading all such as he findes any way inclyning to innovation, to set there handes to it, for the better approving of what they haue begun, and allsoe to intreate your Worship and the rest of your magistrates to defend them from Ffrench, Indians, and other enemyes, which wee construe to be Sir Fferd: Gorges Commissioners. Neither hath Cleiues (as he ought) presented any his authority at our last generall Court; but, 2 dayes before our Court tooke a vioage into the bay, and all the way as he went from Pascataquack to Boston, he reported he was goeing for ayde against mee, for that I had threatened him and his authority, to beate him out of this Province. By this false report and many other the like, I am held an enemy to iustice and piety. I am troubled at these seditious proceedings; and much more at his most notorius scandalls of Sir fferdinando Gorges,a man for his age and in integrity worthy of much honor; him he brandes with the foule name of traytor by curcunstance, in reporting that he hath counterfeited the King's broade Seale, (if he haue any patent for the Province of Mayne) ffor, sayes he, I haue serched all the Courtes of Record, and can finde noe such grant. How could he haue giuen that graue Knight a deeper wound in his reputacion, the which I know is more deare to him then all the wealth in America; he likewise maynetaynes his false report of his death, flight into Walles, not with standing a letter dated the 25th of 9ber last, from a marchant in London, of very good credit, and brought in Mr. Payne his ship, which letter imports Sir fford : Gorges his good health with the restauracion of his possesions agayne. Now for the Patent that Mr Rigby hath bought, it is not from our kings majestic, as Cleiues reportes, but from the President and Counsell of New-England, as myne and others are, wherein Mr. Rigby hath from there LLordships jura regalia, but his majestic takes that away by his royall grant to Sir fferd: Gorges, * bearing date thir[teen]th of Aprill, in the fifteenth yeare of his highnes raigne. Now I conceius Mr. Rigby his agent is but to recover soo much land as the grant specifics, and to relinquish there Jura regalio, as you may perceine in the last clawse of our grant here with sent you. $ Yet I did over, and doe intend, whensoever Mr. Rigby shall send over people, to lett them settle peaceably, to ayde and assist them to the best of my power, without questioning of meum et tuum; ffor this I know, if Sir Fferdinando Gorges and Mr. Rigby meete, all matters wil be quietly ended, if there be no incendiaries here. * * Your faythfull freind and servant, RICH VINES. SACO, the 9th of January, 1643. THOMAS JENNER TO JOHN WINTHROP. To the Right Worship his very loueing & kind friend Mr. Wintrop, at his howse in Boston in N. E. give thei e I pray. WORTHY SIR:-My due respect being remembered to you, I heartily salute you in the Lord; giucing you humble thanks, for your favourable aspect which hath alwaies bin towards me, (though of me most undeserued,) and especially for your late kind letter on my behalfe; for which sake I was kindly imbraced, aboue the expectation of my selfe, & others, and am still (I thank God) Joueingly respected amongst them : but not with out some hot discourses,(especially about the ceremonies;) yet they all hane ended (through mercy) in peace; and for aught I can perceine, doe prize the word, & relish it, dayly better then other, and some promise faire; enen in Mr. Vines his family. But generally they were very ignorant, superstitions, & vitions: and scarce any religions. Ffre leane they gine me to doe what soever I please; imposeing nothing on me, either publikly or privately, which my selfe dislike, onely this, Mr. Vines & the captainct both, haue timely expressed themselves to be utterly against church-way, saying, their Patent doth prohibit the same; yet 1, for my part neuer once touched upon it, except when they themselues haue in private discourse put me upon it by questions of their owne, for I count it no season asyet to go build, before God sends vs materials to build with all. Thus being in some hast, I end humbly craucing your prayers: SACO, 4th of the last, 1640. Your worships to command THO: JENNER. THOMAS JENNER TO JOIN WINTHROP. To the Right Worshipfull his very worthy friend Jo: Wintrop Esqr. & Deputy Governor of N. E. at his howse in Boston give theise. R:GOT WORSHIPFULL,—My due respects remembred to you. This is to informe you (according to request made vnto me, both by Mr. Jocelyne & Mr. Cleeve) that in Cascoe Bay on the last of March the major part of the Province of Lygonia meet together, at an intended Court of Mr Cleeve. Mr. Jocelyne & his company came armed with gunes & swords, or both; Mr. Cleeve & *Thomas Jenner was at Saco as early as tho winter of 1640-1,, and was probably the first minister of the Puritan faith that ever preached in Maine; unless that wretched man, Burditt, preached at York as early. Jenner was, without doubt, the first minister settled at Saco. Richard Gibson, an Episcopal clergyman, living in the vicinity, at Spurwink, as early as 1636, may sometimes have preached here. Jenner remained here till 1646, as appears by a letter of his in this volume, dated April 6, 1646; in which he says, “I am, as it were, on the wing of removal ; but whither, as yet I know not." Jenner was of Roxbury in 1634 or 1635, but not long after went to Weymouth, which town he represented in the General Court of 1640. He is said to have returned to England before 1650, and to have resided in Norfolk. He was compelled by straitened circumstances, to sell his library before his death.] +[Bonython.] his company vnarmed. After sermon was ended, Mr. Joselyne & his company separated themsclues about a furlong from Mr. Cleeve & his company. They sent vnto Mr. Cleeve a demand in writing (with all their hands subscribed,) to haue a sight of his originals, promising a safe returne. After some hæsitation & demur, Mr. Cleeve, vpon condition they would come together into one place, promised to gratifie them. The which being publikely read & scanned, the next morneing Mr. Jocelyne & his company deliuered vnto Mr. Cleeve in writinge, with all their hands subscribed, a Protest against Mr. Righbies authority of gouerment, that is to say, in any part of that bound or tract of land which Mr. Cleeve doth challeng by vertue of his Patent, viz. From Sacadehock River to Cape Porpus. They furthermore required & injoined Mr. Cleave & his company to submit themselues vnto the authority & gonerment derived from Sir Fferdinando Gorges, & that for the future they addresse themselues vnto their Courts. Lastly they demanded of Mr. Cleeve a friendly triall concerneing the bounds afore sayd, flor Mr. Jocelyno would that Mr. Cleeve his terminus a quo should begin 60 miles vp Chenebec River, because the Patent saith, it must lie nere two Ilands which are about 60 miles from the sea, Ffor answer to it the Patent also saith, the tract of land of 40 miles square, must lie cu the south side of Sacalehock-River. Now Sacadebock riuer reacheth but to Merry Meeting, & then its branched into Begipscot, & Chenebeck, & is no further cald by the name of Sacadehock. Now Sacadehock River is a certaine and sure place for one terme of its bounds, but the Ilands are doubtfull, which they are, or wher they are; more ouer ther possession was first taken. Mr. Cleeue in his answere readily accepted . their offer of a triall at Boston; whervpon they both bound themselucs each to other in a bond of 500/i. personally to appeare at Boston the next Court after May, then & ther to impleade cach other. * Furthermore Mr. Cleoue demanded a sight of their originals for gouerinent, none being produced, he disclaimed obedience, and told ther was no equality betweene his something & their nothing. It was also agreed, that none of each company or party should, at any time or vpon any occasion, be troubled or molested by any of the other party or company, vntill the suit aforesayd be ended. Mr. Cleeue layd his injunction in particular on Mr. Jordane, neuer more to administer the scales of the Covenant promiscuously, & without due order & ordination, within the province of Lygonia. I must needs acknowledge, to their high commendation, that both Mr. Jocelyne* & Mr. Cleeve carried on the interaction very friendly, like men of wisdome & prudence, not giucing one misbeholding word each together, such was the power of Gods Holy Word, aweing their hearts. Your letters were also very valide, & gratefully accepted on both parties. Thus after two or three daies agitation, each man departed very peaceably to his owne home. Thus, right worthy Sir, according to the trust committed to me, I haue faithfully (though rudly) composed the chiefe matters in that their transaction, & haue here sent them vnto you. So I comit you to God & rest. Yours to comand Saco, 6, 2 m. 46. * THO: JENNER. Sir, I have lately ben earnestly solicited by one Mrs. Tucker, an intimate friend of mine, & an approved godly woman, that I would writ vnto your worship; that in case Mr. Cleaue & her husband (Mr. Tucker) shall happen shortly to haue recourse to your selfe, to end some matters of difference betweene thein, now at their departure each from other, that you would be pleased, as much as in you lye, not to suffer Mr. Cleaue to wrong her husband, for though her husband hath ben as it were a servant hitherto for Mr. Cleaue, yet now at their making vp of accounts, Mr. Cleane by his subtill head, brings in Mr. Tucker 100li, debter to him, * Vines had now left the country, and Jocelyne had taken his place as the representative of Gorges in the colony.] |