The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-07-06

from Georges moment too soon. Immediate
ly after Cleeves returned from England, John
Winter, from his trading station at Rich
mond's island, began to cast his covetous eyes,
upon the thriving little hamlet at Machigonne
He had driven Cleeves and Tucker away from
their house and clearing at Spurwink, why
could he not drive them away from their i'm
provements on Casco bays He had found the
house Cleeves and Tucker erected ON the
Spurwink very convenient, since he had al
ready written his patron in England that he
had not found it necessary to build any house
at Spurwink, for he used the one sold Cleeves
built" Perhaps the house "Old Cleeves' had
built on our neck would be equally useful! 1t
is very probable too that Cleeves and Tucker
interfered somewhat with Winter traffic with
the Indians and settlers for beaver skins. At
all events our townsmen were troublesome
neighbors for Winter. How could he get rid
OF them, and at the same time, get possession
of the fruit of their laborss
The way was easy to Winters fertile brain.
Both results could be achieved at one blow,
and the weapon was in his own hands. The
Irelawny grant, by means of which Winter
had driven Cleeves and Tucker from their first
home, was of all the land lying between Spur
wink river and "the bay and river of Casco."
This latter was, of course our Casco or Fore
river, that makes our excellent harbor So
the Irelawny grant comprised exactly the
present town of Cape Elizabeth from Spur
wink river to our harbor. Machigonne or
Casco neck was as clearly outside and beyond
this grant, as Portland is outside Of Cape
Elizabeth. But the crafty and courageous
John Winter assumed and declared that the
Casco river mentioned in the Trelawny grant
was not our Casco river at ALL but was the Pre-
sumpscot river, hence included Casco neck and
all OF Cleeyes's possessions that Cleeves was
a trespasser here as we'll as on the Spurwink /;
that he had driven him from Spurwink and he
would drive him from Casco too, before he got
through with him.
Even as the old Romans constant cry was
Carthage deteadG est, so, we may we'll con-
celve the constant burden of John Winter s
discourse was, "Old Cleeves must CO. Our
first settler was constantly molested with
threats Of eviction, and no doubt his business
suffered thereby. AT all events such a sword
OF Damocles was not pleasant thing to have
suspended over his little home. In 1910. the
flrst general court ever convened in Maine, was
held at Saeo. And to it our townsman re-
paired for redress for the wrongs and damage
he had suffered at the hands of John Winter.
Cleeyes brought two actions against Winter
The f1rst was an action of trespass for the
damage Winter had done Cleeves and Tucker
by evictting them from their plantation on
the Spurwink. In this case the jury brought
in the following verdict:
"The jury find for the plant (Cleeves)
the house, and land inclosed containing four
acres or theresboute JOINING with the said
house, and give him ESQ for damage and Us,
ed for the costs of Courte''
The second action was brought by
Cleeyes against Winter for disturbing
Cleeves in his possession of the neck
(our city, In this second case,
Cleeyes alleges that Winter "being moved
with envy and for some other sinister cause.
hath now for these three wears past and still
doth unjustly pretend an interest. and there
upon hath and still doth interrupt me to my
great hindrance, thereby seeking my ruin and
utter overthrow" In this action, as in the
other Cleeves and Winter were not only par
ties, but attorneys and perhaps witnesses, and
the title to the land we now sit upon was
holly contested on the banks of the Saeo,
nearly $50 years ago. But Winter lost this
action as well as the other; the jury found
for Cleeves "the title of Land according to his
DECIDE from Georges, and awarded him dam
ages and costs. Judgment was given on this
verdict by the whole bench, and execution by
them awarded.
So we see that at the first general court
ever held in Maine, the quarrel between
Cleeves and Winter was tried tried by their
| neighbors, at the time the quarrel was hot
when all the facts were known. Cleeves was
| triumphant, while Winter was beaten in both
| cases. Cleeyess character and motives have
both been assailed and aspersed, but the
| record OF these two cases, tried at that early
| time, by lis peers, is better vindcation Of
Cleeves than an hundred pages of eulogy BY
| the orator of to-day.
With light heart Ceeves hoisted sail, and,
his retainers on board, steered east for "Cascc
bay and river" giving Rchmond's Island, no
doubt, wide berth on the way.
Cieeves's successes on both sides the
Atlantic excited the envy and jealousy Of
many another settler along our coast besides
John Winter A persistent attempt was made
to misrepresent, abuse and traduce Cleeves
and to injure him with Sir Ferdinando Georges
Richard Vines and others wrote letters te
Georges, slandering and maligning Cleeves, and
at last succeeded in turning the old knights
heart from our townsman. Georges became
Cleeves's ,enemy. Cleeves perceived and felt
this, but he quietly kept at work on his clear
ing, and quietly bided his time.
This time soon came. In 1912, two years
after the law suits on the Saco, civil war broke
| out in England. Georges took sides with the
King. Cleeves now sees his opportunity. HI
Bullets the pillows of the Atlantic in mid :
| winter, and sails over to England. Here
Cleeves espoused the cause of Parliament
the cause of the people-the cause Of human
| rights. Surely no American can blame
Cleeves for this
| The founder of our municipality was wei
received by the Parliamentary leaders, whom
he impressed, as he did all with whom he eumc
in contact, with his enterprise, boldness anc
skill. An intimate and cordial friendship
sprang up between Cleeves and Col. Alexan-
der Rigby, member of Parliament from Ian
cashire. Cleeves soon induced Rigby to en-
bark IN grand enterprise for their mutual
advantage. There was in existence an old ane
neglected grant from the council of Plymouth
of tract of land extending from Cape Por.
pose to our Casco neck, including both, ant
running back 40 miles into the interior
together with powers of government over THU
territory. This grant was called the "Plougf
Patent" and was five years older than tn,
grant to Georges of the province of Maiue
Cleeves induced Rigby to purchase the Plough
patent, and enter the lists with Georges, in
tight tor supremacy on the soil of our State
This purchase was effected April 7th, 1913
Col. Rgby at once proclaimed himself presi
dent OF this new province, which was called
Lygonia, and commissioned Cleeves as deput,
president, giving our towrsman full powers o
| government.
so our first settler scored another victory
with the title to his own possessions con
firmed, and with commission as presiden
over the persons and property of his enemies