The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-09-11

| his Island was named aIIer ATIHur MAC
worth who was an earlier settler here than
George Cleeve for in the deed to him in 1886
he is described as having had possession for
many years. He is believed to have come
over with Richard Vines in 1880, to Saco,
where he remained short time, and then
settled at Mackworth's Point. near the is
land, where he built house. The Indian
name of the point was Menickoe, signifying
Clump of Pines, and he named it Newton
perhaps in honor of his native town, the ed
itor of the Trelawny papers suggests. 1t is
curious that neither name kept its hold,
while Mackworth's prevailed slightly
changed, to the present day. In 1886 Rich
ard Vines, in behalf of Sir Ferdinando Cor
ges gave him deed of five hundred acres at
the mouth of the ''Pesumsca, including the
island. He was many years magistrate
and in 1887 he was appointed to deliver to
Cleeve and Tucker Shy turf and twig," pos
session of Casco Neck then decided to them
by Georges. In that deed Gorges in his
charming and stately manner speaks of him
as my trusty and well beloved Arthur Macke-
worthy, Gentle" That is good old English
name and speaks for itself. About that
time he married Widow Jane Andrews,
whose husband, Samuel Andrews, was cit
izen of London, and they had probably come
overto Saco with Vines in 1880. Willis thinks
| Mackworth had been married before as he
had built house on the Point and lived
there many years; but | think not, for if he
had been widower he would have known
how to manage her, but on the contrary she
evidently managed him, for though they
1 tyua txrx h.
children, he left all his property to her with
the request that she would divide it equally
among all her children, giving the An
| drews' children the preference if any was
made. And she appears also to have cap
ttred him very quickly for her first husband
| did not die until 1857.
Can widow always capture and manage
lone bachelor" asked our chaperon, while
they all laughed.
Il think they can Madam | replied,
unless he is very wise or very careful.
Mackworth evidently was easily captured
suspect he was an old friend who had al
ways admired her, and when her husband
died he sympathized so much with the poor
lady left alone and destitute with little chill
dren to provide for in a strange and wild
land, that he promptly offered her home
and heart l have no question either that
she was plump and pleasing person."
The little widow blushed and smiled, while
continued.
"Arthur Mackworth died in 1857, after
twenty years of happy welded life, leaving
two sons who appear not to have married.
and several daughters who married well and
have numerous descendants. Mrs. Mack
worth lived twenty years longer and died in
Boston in 1876, the year when the settlement
was destroyed by the Indians. She had gone
to Boston in 1916 on account of the Indian
war, and so escaped that massacre whenaso
many were slain within sight of Mackworth's
Point, and others took shelter on Cushing's
Island which was then owned by her son,
James Andrews and called Andrews Is
land"
80, dear, said a sentimental young girl,
Il thought there was going to be something
thrilling and it seems the widow and her
family all got off to Boston safe, and stayed
there l suppose"
Not ALL my bloodthirsty young friend,''
l replied. zone of Jane Mackwortlls daugh-
tiers married George Felt, and he and his
family fled to James Andrews Island, which
we now call Cushing's. The Indians were
seen in all directions, and practically be-
seiged them there. Soon they began to suf-
fer from hunger and George Felt led party
of six others over to Munjoy's Island-that
which we now call House Island-to get
some sheep which were pasturing there The
Indians were in ambush ON that island and
attacked them fiercely. Felt and his men re-
treated to a stone house which stood there
and defended themselves desperately; but
the Indians finally burned the house and all
who were not killed persisted in the flames
They burned the house and them in it! Rich
ard Martin wrote to the Governor Of Massa-
chusettS Felt was a very useful and enter
prising man and was much lamented. He
had been more active against the Indians
than anyone else in this vicinity"
"Then his bereaved family had the melan
choly satisfaction of knowing that he killed
more of them than they did of him!' OBJ
served the young doctor courteously.
''Quite correct my dear sir" replied, and
having caught the thread of conversation
again, continued.
'In 1866 Mrs. Mackworth conveyed the is
land to Abraham Adams, who married her
daughter Sarah. They went to Boston with
her in 1876 to avoid the war. AS it is record
ed that they occupied their grant for num-
Der of years they must have built the old
house which stood, not where the present
farmhouse is, but on the north-easterly side,
on the high ground near the old orchard,
where the cellar may be still seen overgrown
with trees and bushes. Probably the Adams
family remained in Massachusetts, for we do
not hear of them again and the island passed
into other hands. At one time it belonged to
Brigadier Jedediah Preble, who had fancy
for islands and owned some of the others. In
1907 three Davis heirs sold it to James Deer
ing for 1914 He sold it in the same year to
| James Rannie, and it was called Rannies
| Island until 1921 when it passed into the
hands of John and Charles Mussey.
Don't it tire you sometimes to talk?"
asked little black-eyed girl,
was panied to see such frivolity in
mere child, so l simply contented myself
with continuing my story.
In 1925 it was sold to Robert Dyer, who sold
| to George Turner, and he sold in 1885 to Ben
| jamin Buchanan, who in 1886 transferred it
| to a mining company for mining Goals, min
erals, slate, freestone and limestone. There
appears to be some iron in the rocks about
the shore, but the mining company evident
| ly did not get much for it soon went back
into Bucknam'S hands, and finally in 1859
was taken on foreclosure by the Union Bank
which sold it in 1864 to Lemuel Gushing,
who then held Cushing's Island which had
also once been owned by the Mackworths as
well as by General Preble. This spring it
was purchased from the Cushing heirs by
James P. Baxter editor of the Trelawny pa
pers who was evidently interested in it from
its historic record. The present farm build
ings are quite old, and the house was built
on the site of an older house which was
burned, and report says woman was burned
to death in it,
Had we not better bring the boats around
to the rocks and embark here?" said one of
the young gentlemen. l looked at the moon
high in the zenith and recognized that it
was near midnight and prudently held my
peace. The boats were brought around, the
fire extinguished the party embarked, and
we rowed slowly around the island to the
north, keeping together and singing boat
| conoc Tho hraaye had died AWAY and the