The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-05

Danforth dated July 26, 1854, he confirms to
the trustees OF the town. Jeremiah Dumner
within the Township of North Yarmouth, in
said Province, according to the bounds and
limits of said Township to them formerly
granted by Sir Fernando Georges. Knight. or
by any Of his agents. or by The General As
sembly of Massachusetts"
But the petition of September 16, 1886,
already named, was signed by Jeremiah
Dumner and one of the other trustees ap-
pointed in July, 1854, they refer to the ap-
pointment of the Trustees and the. grant
an nae@ a ney psa thai se ns waste
them, and that the Puggamugga River be
made the east bounds Of the Township If
Mr.. Wharton consents thereto, or otherwise
that psrsons may be appointed to the
pleased to. allow said town and Mr..
Wharton's land" The petitioners under
stood that there was waste land" to the
extent of about three miles westward Of
the river was not the line of Mr.. Wharton's
land. The river was undoubtedly that much
named river, now called Bunganuck or
Bunganock, and the one known for many
years as Bungomumgomug (variously
spelled and shortened into Burgomug: in a
deed to Richard Woodside, dated July 10.
i743, 1t is called Puggymuggy river. and the
location OF the land conveyed identifies 1t as
the same river otherwheres called Burgo-
mug in claim made in TIA. it is called the
July is, 1854. it is called Pogamqua river.
As have before stated. l do not find any
record of subsequent grant in answer to
the petition, and l am unable to reconcile
the confii sting statements in relation to the
extent Of the former grants. 1t should be
said, that Il ind no reference to the grant of
June II, 1850, until copy of the record was
published ty DIR. Charles K. Banks, in 1881.
See 'Old Times in North Yarmouth" p. CAT.
But whether there was a subsequent grant
or whether it was practically held that
North Yarmouth. extended to the. mouth Of
the many-named river, when the official
surveyor ran ''the bounds of the whole town.
ship" in 1927, he started at ''the white rock
lying on the shore near high water mark"
miles to maple tree. and black birch tree tree,
marked +. on one side and N. 7. on the
other side; he then began again at the
white rock and ran along by the bay To, Ehe
mouth Of Royals. river and from tha5 east
side of Royals river ran EasterlX by the
bay ito the mouth of ongs6mungomug
River, which is the ancient EQtSterly bounds
Of the said township Of Worth Yarmouth;
then from the mouth 9ffthe river Northwest
into the wilderness >A6ight miles; and then
turning the anglia and running Southwest
and by West tWo degrees Westerly eleven
miles and two hundred and thirty-eight
rods" to tn6 maple and black birch trees.
ni1731, the limits of the township were
determined by the General Court in accord
ance with the survey just described with the
addition, 'add from the aforesaid white rock
and mouth Of Bungamunganeck river, said
Township to extend Southeast, the width of
said township, to the main sea, so as to in
clude the Islands within said course; so
that there were included in the town, Mare
or MAR Point, nearly all of Merriconeag.
and even Small Point at the mouth of Ken
neDec river, as well as numerous islands;
Mare Point was set off to Brunswick In 1889;
Small Point was annexed to Georgetown,
now Phippsburg. in 174l, and Merriconeag,
with the adjacent islands, was incorporated
as a town and named Harpswell. In 1758. !.
The title to real estate in the old town is
derived under Massachusetts grants, pre-
sumably those of 1880, as afterwards con-
frmed and extended, although previous
grants to individuals were recognized and
confirmed by the Massachusetts authorities.
Returning to the action of the c0mmitte
appointed in 1722, we find that for several
years they held their meetings in Boston, in
their records. They met, for the first time,
April %, 1928 They found that while a few
settlers had established themselves in the
town since the close OF the war, the country
was substantially unOccupied and nearly all
Undoubtedly, in the twenty-five years that
had elapsed since the breaking out of the
war which drove off the settlers, the clearing
had been covered by a new growth, and the
country had practically returned to its orig
other reason. the committee completely
ignored the action of their predecessors and
determined to lay out the town anew, except
that the rights of former proprietors, their
heirs and assigns, should be recognized as
far as practicable in the new laying out.
The settlement of the town was again in
terrupted by another Indian war, commenced
by the destruction of Brunswick in the sum-
mer of 1722, and continued for four years,
when it ended by the treaty Of August 6,
1726. While there was not much fighting in
the vicinity Of this town during this war.
largely because there were few settlers here,
1t operated very effectnally of course to pre-
vent further settlements.
The committee met the second time In
February, 1726, ordered certain deeds and
rh instruments to be recorded on their
records, and gave notice of a meeting TO be
held March 80. 1926. at which old proprie
tors, or their representatives, might produce
their claims but no meeting was held ut the
time fixed. 1t was not until after the treaty
was announced, that the committee called
held at the house of James Parker, at North
Yarmouth, September IA, 1726. Immediately
thereafter the committee commenced active
proceedings in carrying out the objects for
which they had been appointed. holding sey-
eral of their subsequent meetings at Parker's
house.
So far as the records Of the former CON-
mittee show, no lots were laid out and as
signed by them within the limits of the pres
ent town of Freeport. But the old settlers.
their heirs or representatives, brought for
ward their claims to the new committee; the
limits of an address will allow reference
to but few Of them.
There had previously been petitions, claims
and deeds from which some Of the early set
tiers or land owners may be identified: pre-
viously to the war Of 1858 quite number OF
the settlers had petitioned for grants OF the
land which they had occupied: in 100. the
General Court appointed a committee to re-
ceive and examine the claims Of persons.
whose deeds or evidences of title had been
lost in consequence of Indian inroads, and
quite number presented claims to land In
the old town, some of them undoubtedly
being for lands In Freeport; and many con-
veyances are recorded, which throw much
light upon the history Of this town. and
which the future historian of Freeport will
usa tn great advantage.