The Portland daily press., 1881-02-25
Charles Shepard Motley Of Deering

Charles Shepard Motley OF Deering.
This gentleman, whose death occurred yes
terday at the age of 95 years. 5 months and Is
days, was born in old Falmouth in 1855, the
year before the Neck was set off and incor-
porated into the town Of Portland. His grand
father, John Motley, came from Belfast, Ire
land, and in 1888 he married Mary Roberts, by
| whom he had three sons and one daughter.
| Thomas, the youngest son, married Emma,
the daughter of John Wait senior, of Fal-
mouth, and in 1881 became the keeper of the
old wooden jail, which stood where the old
City Hall now is. The keepers house stood on
what is now the passageway between the hall
and the United States Hotel Mr.. Motley was
appointed jailor by his brother-in-law. Col.
John Watt who was the first sheriff of Cum
berland county, under the United States Gov
ernment In the old two story jail house
Charles S. Motley was born, only ten years
after the destruction OF the town by Mowatt
The town had only just begun to be rebuilt
about forty houses only had been erected. The
Jail and keepers house escaped, although the
first house set on fire was only a few rods be-
low on Middle street. In this old Jail Bird.
who was hanged for piracy in 1890, was long
imprisoned Mr.. Motley and his older brother
spent much time in his cell at his request. He
made them all kinds of sailing craft and rugged
them. 1t was thought that President Wash
ington would pardon Bird, but he declined to.
On the day of the execution Mrs. Motley, the
mother of the boys and daughter of Sheriff
Wait, took her two sons over back of the Neck
to avoid the tumult and sight of the galows.
Tho oil or'c had ham kap faua
by the former jalor, Moses Shattuck, whose
wife was also sister to the sheriff. and Mr..
Motley continued to keep it open to the public
under the name and sign of "The Freemasons
Arms" Here young Charles S. Motley was
born and lived with his parents until he was
about eight years old, when his father built q
large three story public house on Congress
street, where Libby's stable now is, and moved
his family there, with the sign of the square
ard compass and made the house noted as the
leading tavern of the town. The house was
burnt in 1S4S-the old jail house was moved in
1887 few rods below on Federal street, and
was burnt in the great fire of 1866. When young
Motley, whose death is to-day announced,
became Is years old he went with his brother.
Capt. Robert Motley, to Guadalupe in the
brig Traveller, and continued to go to sea as
cabin boy and foremost hand until the war of
1872. Mr.. Motley was hand on board the
privateer brig Dash, Capt. Cammett, in 1914,
when she escaped from the British IA "Bul-
wark" by running into shoal water among the
Seal Islands, Nova Scotia His last voyage
was made in 1924 as mate of the ship Ceres
of New York.
After spending twenty-five years at sea Mr..
Motley retired to farm near Pride's bridge,
in Deering, where. with an adopted daughter
and her husband, he spent in quietude the last
years of his life. The partners of the we'll re-
numbered and wealthy Boston firm of "Thom-
as and Edward Motley" were his brothers, and
John Lothrop Motley, the historian, was his
nephew. Mr.. Motley was married in 1888 to
Miss Mary Davis who survives him. They
never had any children. Mr.. Motley was the
last of the family of Thomas and Emma Wait
Motley in Maine VIC