Androscoggin County ME Archives History - Books .....Chapter I Origin Of Royalsborough 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/me/mefiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 10, 2008, 6:22 pm Book Title: History Of Durham, Maine I. ORIGIN OF ROYALSBOROUGH Can any good come out of Nazareth? Can anything of interest be said about a small country town? Read and see. A place possesses historical interest not because of its size, productions, wealth and natural beauty, but because of the character and deeds of its natives and citizens. The highest praise of any town is to point to noble men and say, "These were born there.'' So it is believed that something good and of public interest may be written of Durham. It should also be remembered that Durham was not always side-tracked by surrounding railroads. The highway of commerce for the back towns once ran through it and made the "County Road" and "South West Bend" conspicuous in the eyes of travelers. Durham contained a prosperous village and was the trading center for a region stretching twenty miles or more northward, at a time when Lewiston and Auburn had no industrial and commercial importance. And yet it must not be concluded that Durham is an ancient town. When we read of settlers in North Yarmouth and Brunswick before 1640, we wonder that no adventurer built his log-house in Durham earlier than 1763, so far as history records. The first settlers of Maine kept pretty close to the coast and along navigable streams, thus to have easy communication by means of sailing vessels and to provide defense and a way of possible retreat, if attacked by hostile Indians. The inland was exploited somewhat for ship-timber, but farmers found equally good soil in pleasanter and safer surroundings. It was not till the Indian wars had ceased that farming lauds became marketable in the inland regions of Maine. So it happened that the soil of Durham was rarely pressed by the feet of the pale faces for many years after, in 1690, Major Church led his little army from Maquoit Bay along the westerly side of the Androscoggin to the capture of the Indian fort near Drummond Street, in what was long afterward called "Goff's Town" and is the present city of Auburn. As they marched up over the hill at South West Bend, did they pause, as travelers always do now, to note the long stretch of water, the beautiful island and the loveliness of the Androscoggin valley? The arts of civilization have enriched the scene, but even then the view must have been one long remembered. The facts which led to the settlement of Durham may be briefly stated, since they have been amply set forth elsewhere.[1] In 1620 James I. granted a charter to forty "noblemen, knights and gentlemen," called the Council of Plymouth. This Council granted, 16 June 1632, a patent to Thomas Purchase and George Way of land on both sides of the Androscoggin River, extending from the mouth in Merrymeeting Bay upward to indefinite northern limits. Way never lived on the grant, but Purchase spent many years in Brunswick and probably dwelt for a time at Lisbon Falls, fishing and trading with the Indians. All the lands of Purchase and Way were bought by Richard Wharton in 1683, and the purchase was confirmed and enlarged by deed given, 7 July 1684, by six Indian chiefs, Warumbee, Darumkine, Wihikermet, Domhegon, Nehonogasset and Numbenemet. Of these Warumbee, or Worumbo, was the most important, and is said by some to have had his fort in Durham, just opposite Lisbon Falls, but it is quite certain that his fort was the one above mentioned. The lands purchased of these chiefs extended to "five miles above the uppermost Falls in Androscoggin River," and three miles west of the river, following its course. There were conflicting claims, especially to the part of this purchase lying between the Androscoggin and Kennebec Rivers. The case was in litigation for over a century. Various compromises were made, and the final adjudication was made by the Court of Massachusetts in 1814. Wharton died in 1693 in England. Ephraim Savage of Boston administered his estate and sold, 5 Nov. 1714, for £140, all these lands of Wharton to Thomas Hutchinson, Adam Winthrop, John Watts, David Jeffries, Stephen Minot, Oliver Noyes and John Ruck, all of Boston, and to John Wentworth of Portsmouth. These were the original Pejepscot proprietors.[2] Their lands embraced the present towns of Lewiston, Greene, a part of Lisbon, parts of Poland and Minot, Auburn, Durham, Brunswick, Harpswell, Topsham, Bowdoin and a part of Leeds. According to a survey made by Phineas Jones in 1731, they comprised about 450,543 acres. The price paid was less than a cent for six acres. The company claimed also Bowdoinham and Richmond, but this claim was relinquished. Some wanted to claim as far up the river as Rumford Falls. The agent of the Pejepscot Proprietors up to 1731 was Asa Heath of Brunswick. Then Benjamin Larrabee succeeded him, and in 1757 Belcher Noyes of Boston was chosen clerk and held office till his death in 1787. Josiah Little succeeded him and had much to do with the early settlement of the town. It is not known just when or by whom it was first proposed to lay out the new town of Royalston, as Durham was first called. The earliest mention that has come to my knowledge is in a deed, given by Belcher Noyes to David Dunning of Brunswick, dated Nov. 14, 1761. It conveys to said Dunning,for £33, " 1-16 of land to be laid out for a new township six miles square, being part of a tract purchased by Pejepscot proprietors from Ephraim Savage, administrator of Richard Wharton, Esq., late of Boston." Stephen Getchell of New Meadows, Brunswick, made a survey of Royalston in April, 1762. His bill was £22, s8. Noyes in May, 1762, wrote a letter in which he declares himself sorry that Getchell was employed, says his previous work has been found to be erroneous and calls him "a poor, miserable, shuffling fellow, indebted to every one." [3] It was later found that Getchell's plan was incorrect, and a new one was made by Joseph Noyes of Falmouth. His plan was dated 22 May 1766, as an old deed shows. This also needed correction and John Brown's plan dates 23 Nov. 1767. [4] At a meeting of the proprietors, held in Boston May 28, 1765, the name of the proposed town was changed by vote from Royalston to Royalsborough, doubtless because of the incorporation in 1765, of a town in Massachusetts called Royalston, also in honor of Col. Isaac Royal. The bounds of the proposed town, as set forth in first deeds given, were "To begin at the Northeast corner of the town of North Yarmouth, from thence to Androscoggin River, and down said river to the Northeast corner of the Township of Brunswick, and on the Northwest line of said Brunswick to extend to North Yarmouth line, and on said line on a Northwest course to the forementioned bounds, including land granted to Jonathan Bagley, Esq." July 1, 1766, Bagley transferred the "Gore," which he had received by grant of the Court of Massachusetts, to the proprietors, though the agreement so to do must have been made several years earlier. June 3, 1767, a division of ninety-six lots was made by lot among the proprietors, sixty-two lots having been reserved, the sale of which was to be for the encouragement of the settlement. The ninety-six lots were divided into eight parcels of twelve lots each. The owners at that time were: Samuel Waterhouse, 1-8 = 12 lots. Belcher Noyes, 1-16 = 6 lots. David Dunning, 1-16 = 6 lots. Jonathan Bagley, 1-16 = 6 lots. Moses Little, 1-16 = 6 lots. Jeremiah Moulton, 1-16 = 6 lots. Enoch Freeman, 1-32 = 3 lots. Heirs of Lydia Skinner, 1-32 = 3 lots. Gov. Benning Wentworth, 1-8 = 12 lots. Isaac Royal, Esq. 5-24 = 20 lots. Heirs of Hannah Fairwether, 1-8 = 12 lots. Heirs of Joseph Wadsworth, 1-24 = 4 lots. These were the original owners of Durham. Not many of them figured in the history of the town. Samuel Waterhouse sold his share to Isaac Royal, who seems to have purchased other shares also, for in 1796 his heirs were taxed for thirty-four lots, chiefly in the northwest part of the town. Gov. Wentworth's share was sold by his heir, Michael Wentworth, to Jonathan Bagley Jan. 7, 1772. The reader is referred to "A copy of the Plan of Durham as taken from a plan copied by Jacob Herrick, Jr., from a plan copied by Joseph M. Gerrish from Capt. Joseph Frye's Plan copied from Noyes's Original Plan of said Town, laid down by a scale of 160 Rods to an inch. Durham, March 27th A. D., 1833, Ivory Warren." It is evident that the part of Durham as surveyed by Joseph Noyes of Falmouth and slightly corrected by John Brown is as it was originally drawn. The southwest corner called "Bagley's Gore," was not surveyed at that time, but was surveyed by Amos Davis, [5] as an old deed shows, probably in 1781. In O. Israel Bagley's Account Book is the following entry: "Orlando Bagley, Det. 1781, to vittles and drink when his men was a running out the goor." This Amos Davis was the same man who about this time surveyed Bakerstown, now Poland. Bagley's Gore, as drawn in this Plan, must be as it was about 1780. John Cushing received the deed for his 500 acres in 1786, his wife having received it in the will of her late father, Jonathan Bagley, in 1780. Ichabod March of Amesbury, Mass., purchased 5 Oct. 1775, thirty acres of the northeasterly side of the Gore, marked "March" on the Plan. Weed's 100 acres were bought by Joshua Weed of Amesbury, 25 Dec. 1780, and sold to Josiah Burnham, 15 Feb. 1791 Levi Wells was doubtless a relative of the wife of Jonathan Bagley. There is no evidence that he ever lived in Royalsborough. "Morrill's 80 acres" were bought by Archilaus Morrill of Col. Bagley, and sold by Green Morrill to William True, Sept. 3, 1785. "Jos. Noyes's 800 acres" were bought by him in 1766. He knew, as surveyor, where the meadow land lay and chose as good as there was in the new township. He was a prominent man in the history of Portland, born Sept. 14, 1740, died Oct. 13, 1795. He was town Treasurer, Selectman and member of Mass. Gen. Court. "Front's Gore" was granted to Timothy Prout in 1737. It was claimed, at least the corner of it that appears on this map, by both Durham and Freeport. While the question was in dispute the Selectmen of the two towns agreed that the "Quaker Road" mentioned in a deed as early as 1779, should be the dividing line between the towns for purposes of taxation. The original plan of a town six miles square was modified greatly. Thompsonsborough and Little River Plantation, afterwards united into Lisbon, got the east side of the Androscoggin. Freeport got the corner called Prout's Gore. The northwest corner, two miles and twenty-one rods by eighty-six rods was set off to New Gloucester. The northern boundary was at first a few rods north of where it is now. About 1804 it was moved up to the northern limit of Dingley's (now Orin Libby's) farm, and in 1815 brought back to its present position. These changes leave a few rods of the northern tier of lots in the present city of Auburn, the southern part of which was formerly called "Pejepscot Gore." March 3, 1768, the proprietors held a meeting in Boston and appointed Jonathan Bagley, Moses Little and Belcher Noyes a committee to "bring forward the settlement of said New Township and to procure Settlers," and Belcher Noyes was empowered to execute deeds to the settlers. The first deeds were executed Nov. 12, 1770. It is certain that some of the purchasers had already been living on their lots several years, and some not mentioned in the list of original purchasers were settlers in Royalsborough earlier than 1776, as Josiah Day, Josiah Dunn, John Getchell, Ezekiel Jones, Batchelder Ring, Hugh and Robert Getchell. Charles Hill, John and Stephen Randall, Edmund Lane, Joseph and Samuel York, Joshua Babb, Ebenezer Roberts, Benjamin Vining, Elias Davis, John Hoyt, Judah Chandler, Thomas Pearson, Micah and David Dyer, Jonathan Armstrong, Hugh Marwick, John Parker, Samuel Smith, Orlando Bagley, O. Israel Bagley. ORIGINAL PURCHASERS OF LOTS IN ROYALSBOROUGH. All the following were of Royalsborough except Jonathan Bagley of Amesbury, Mass. The price paid for most of the lots was 13 pounds 6 shillings and 8 pence. Nos. 4, 28, 32, and 72 cost 26 pounds 13 shillings and 4 pence. Lots 58 and 83 were valued at 30 pounds. Lot. Name. Date. 5 Stephen Chase, Nov. 12, 1770. 12 John Bliffin, " 13 John Dean, Jr., " 15 Nathaniel Gerrish, " 17 Stephen Hart, " 18 Caleb Estes, " 31 Charles Gerrish, Jr., " 53 Phineas Frost, " 57 Charles Gerrish, " 104 Nathan Lewis, " 6 Edward Estes, June 10, 1771. 14 Patrick Welch, " 16 Samuel Clough, " 58 Jonathan Bagley, " 83 " " Dec. 7, 1771. 2 Thomas Coffin, Dec. 10, 1771. 4 Noah Jones, " 33 William Gerrish, " 67 John Dean (or Dain) " 3 Joseph Estes, Dec. 10, 1776. 28 Cornelius Douglas, " 19 Samuel Green, " 32 Vincent Roberts, " 38 Stephen Weston, " 69 John Cushing, " 72 Ichabod Frost, " 80 " " " 24, 29, 41, 46, 49, and 59 were deeded, Dec. 10, 1776, to Joseph Noyes of Falmouth for services as Surveyor of the Township. Rachael Cobb,[6] widow of Ebenezer, and Lemuel Sawyer of Cape Elizabeth, purchased lot 103, Dec. 12, 1777. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF DURHAM, MAINE WITH GENEALOGICAL NOTES. BY EVERETT S. STACKPOLE. PUBLISHED BY VOTE OF TOWN. LEWISTON: PRESS OF LEWISTON JOURNAL COMPANY. 1899. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/me/androscoggin/history/1899/historyo/chapteri9nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mefiles/ File size: 14.7 Kb