Ellsworth American., 1874-06-25
miscellaneous. q
A Sketch Of the Early Settlement and
Settlers OF Sullivan.

Mother OF Governors" by Geo. j. Var
ney, appeared in the Portland Tran
script of Jan. 81 st, 1874. The article
states in substance that in 1928 an
emigrant ship left Cork, Ireland, for
New England. Among the passengers
was John Sullivan, member of an an.
cient and worthy family of the Irish
gentry, native OF Limerick. By rea-
son of misunderstanding with his
family, Sullivan left home, for America,
unprovided even with the necessary
funds to defray the expenses OF his
passage.
Another passenger on the same ship
was young girl, only nine years of
age, whose name was Margaret
Brown. She was without relative or
friend on board; and also without
means to pay for her passage. This
girl when asked what she expected to
do, by going over to America, laugh.
ingly replied;
DO? why raise'governors for them"
In due time the ship arrived at
York, Maine, where both John Sui
livan and Margaret Brown were linden
tured to service to reimburse the mas
ter Of the vessel.
After time Sullivan redeemed him
self and Margaret from service, and
from that time he adopted the child as
his own. Eleven years later he mar
ricd her, and in the course of years
she became the mother of several chill
dren, all of more than usual ability,
one of them being Gen. John Sullivan
Of Revolutionary fame, and afterwards
governor Of New Hampshire and an
other, James Sullivan, the able lawyer
Of Woolwich, and, later of Biddeford
who was twice elected governor of
Massachusetts,, then including Maine.
With the view of giving some his
torical facts in which another member
OF this family acts prominent part,
this sketch has been written.
The town Of Sullivan was named for !
Capt. Daniel Sullivan, one of its first
settlers, a son OF this illustrious moth |
er. Previous to its incorpol alton it
was called New Bristol by the settlers,
and by the Indians, Waukeag, signi-
fyins seal. 1t is pleasantly situated |
hear the head of Frenchman's Bav, one
OF the most delightful and romantic
sheets Of water IN the country; and |
may justly claim scenery, which in |
beauty and picturesqueness is unsur-
passed.
The township was granted to David |
Bean and associates in l7Gl. by the |
colonel government of Massachusetts,
making the grant subject to the rati.
hcation of the King within eighteen |
months.
A number of the citizens of York, !
Maine, among whom may be mention
ed the names of sullivan, Bean, Simp. |
son, Bragdon, Preble, Gordon, Blas.
dell, johnson, Card and Hammond, |
confident that the grant would be duly |
ratified, arrived in Sullivan in 1162,
and made the first settlement. They
bad been attracted thither principally,
by the rare facilities which the town
ship afforded them to engage in lum-
bering.
The grant on reaching England was
denied the royal signature and by |
reason of such denial it became worth
less. This was a sad blow to the set |
tiers, and the occasion of 50 much dis
appointment, that at the commence
ment of the Revolution, nearly two
thirds of them went back to York, and |
never returned.
The remaining settlers were very |
Jealous in appealing to the legisla-
ture of Massachusetts to secure their |
lands and in 1900, in answer to these
appeals, a resolution was passed, |
granting 10 each one hundred acres, on |
condition OF the payment of five dol |
lars.
Those who moved back to York,
presented claim for damages sustain
ed, based on the failure Of the COLONEL |
government to carry out the conditions
of the grant. In satisfaction of this |
claim the legislature granted them fifty |
acres each.
Daniel Sullivan and David Bean,
settled on contiguous lots at the south |
east extremity Of Waukeag Point, and !
on the shores of Point Harbor, the
former, on the lot now owned AMI oc-
cupied by William Donnell and the lat
ter, on what is now the homestead of
Capt. Elijah S. Doane. The two fam
lilies were on very friendly terms from
the first and afterward became more
closely allied by Capt. Sullivan's marry
ing for his second wife, a daughter Of
his neighbor Bean. The couple went all
the way to Castine in an open boat to |
be married, there being no magistrate
at that time nearer.
Some have contended that during
the War of the Revolution, Capt. Sui
livan, not only had strong tory pro-
clivities, but that he actually aided |
and abetted the cause of the King.
Nothing can be farther from the truth.
Tradition and history alike point with
unerring certainty to the fact that he
was intensely loyal to the COLONEL cause
hating with all the vehemence Of his
passionate nature the British soldiery,
and the spirit of aggression and tyran-
ny which sent them across the ocean
to attempt the subjugation of free
people.
Sept. 13, 1777, Capt. Sullivan, in
command of company Of militia, ar
rived at Machias. and put himself un-
der the command of Col. John Allan.
An efficient officer, brave man and
true patriot, there is every reason to
believe that during this campaign,
Sullivan did work worthy Of hiwself
and the illustrious family of which he
was . member.
On the morning of the Path of Feb
ruary, 1881, exciting events transpir-
ed at Waukeag Point. The British
Ship "AHegence," of eighteen guns,
from Bagadeuce, cast her anchor in the
quiet little haven thew, as now, known
IS Point Harbor. 1t Was intensely
cold, and the ground was covered