The Portland daily press., 1883-05-02
YORK RECORDS.
The Historical Society Before the County
Commissioners.

The committee of the Maine Historical So
ciety charged with the publication of the early
records of York county had hearing yester-
day morning at1I o'clock, before the board Of
county commissioners Mr.. Baxter was neces-
sarily absent. The Legislature at the recent
sessionspassed q resolution authorizing the Gov
ernor and Council to purchase for the State 200
copies of each volume of these records, not ex-
ceedng four, printed by the Historical socle-
~, and 10 place one copy Of each volume in
each registry of deeds in the State The Leg
islature also passed an act, on petition from
members of the Cumberland bar, authorizing
the commissioners of Cumberland county to
procure atlested copies of the York records
prior to the Incorporation of Cumberland coun-
ty, to be indexed and fled In the Cum
herland registry of deeds. The purpose Of the
hearing was to arrange for the accomplish
ment OF this work in such manner as to
avoid any unnecessary duplication Of labor and
expense.
Mr.. Il. II. Elwell explained In behalf OF the
committee that the Historical Society proposed
to copy and print the entire contents of the
first five volumes of records, down to 1900. 1t
"NNtN ~ q h1cAASeo OAHChAituFoB no hhNQHnt4
for the county to duplicate this work. The
commissioners might begin with the sixth vol
nme and make copies for the Cumberland
registry down to 1T60 when Cumberland coun.
~ was Incorporated
General John NJ Brown said that the early
York records, from 1850 to 1900 are Of great,
historical value, not only to Maine students
but to all who are interested In historical re-
searches throughout the country. They may
be compared with the old Dutch records Of
New York aud the Plymouth records IN Mas
saehusetts. The Historical Society has prop
erly interested itself Ia che preservation Of
these ancient and fast disappearing docu-
ments. The Cumberland bar has different
interest in the records at Alfred The menu
hers OF the bar desire TO have within reach the
original grants on which the land titles In this
county rest. But these grants are mainly be-
tween l7o0 and l760. The division OF tho work
suggested by Mr. Elwell was accordingly the
natural fnlfilment of the plans OF the Histori-
cal Society on the one hand and OF the bar on
the other. The Historical Society would
print the earliest records which are chiefly
important in historical point of view; and
the commissioners would procure copies Of the
later records, which are chiefly valuable for
determining private rights. The earlier part
Of the work will be more difficult and moro
expensive than the copying OF the later vol
umes, on account the necessity OF employing
experts to interpret the handwriting and the
contractions of the 18th century.
Comm issioner Prince, chairman ol the
hoard raniiad that tho esrn,,a t,nI "a
ceived petition from members OF the Cum
lerlaud bar, asking them to make arrange
ments to carry into effect the provisions Of the
law authorizing them to procure attested cop
les Of the York records prior to lT60. In con-
sequence Of that petition, the commissioners
had visited the York registry. They found
there So volumes to be copied under the act.
On seeing the magnitude of the work aud the
large expense which would be incurred If it
were undertaken, the commissioners had
unanimously decid ed that they would not be
justified in contracting such debt for pnr-
pose u OF contemplated in the appropriations.
They were furthermore Of the opinion that the
printed copies to be issued under the super
vision of the Historical Society would answer
every purpose SO far as they go. The only OBJ
lection to the Ian Of the Historical Society is,
that the five original volumes are TO be bound
in four printed volumes. Il would DO better
if the printed volumes should correspond to
the original volumes, and it would be indis-
pensable, Of course. that the original pages
should be indicated in the margin.
General Brown enquired whether the COM
missioners would procure copies Of the records
after 1900
Commiss Toner Price replied that as there
was no appropriation for the purpose, the
board had decided to take no action under the
law at present.