The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-04

| question OF jurisdiction pending UNIV
the grandson of Gorges, Ferdinando, his
nainesake, sent over John Archdole IN
1864, to look after his Inherited proprie-
tary rights in New England. and Arch
dole informed Mayhem that the King
had ''most strongly confirmed Ferdl-
nando Georges, Esq. to be the lord of the
Province of Maine, of which this (the
Vineyard), be part.
! This is Mayhew's own Language.
| Col Richard Nichols also said that these
islands undoubtedly belonged to Gorges.
This claim of authority seems to estab-
lish the proprietorship safely in the hands
of Gorges and it is evident from the first
that Mayhem regarded him as the lawful
patentee of Martha's Vineyard and Nan
tucket. He formally recognized the suze-
ranity of Gorges and his successors in
many instances.
:, But this situation was an unnatural
one. for two outlying and weak prov
inoes, separated by such distance, and
Mayhem found that the officials of Maine
| had but little if any interest in him or
his island. They were too busy strug-
Cling for their own existence at that time,
trying to preserve their Independence
against the inscription of the Massachu-
setts authorities to waste any Of their
strength on an unknown and somewhat
uncertain offspring. In this predica-
ment Mayhem. who had already pur'
chased his titles from Sterling, Gorges
and the Indians, now wrote Massachu-
setts officials for some advice in the mat
ter. Finally did the Gorges officials dis
card all connection between the two In
terests and until 1870 Mayhem governed
his patent by virtue of ownership of
the SOIL
How Maine Became a State writ
ten by l.. T. Schmeckefier of Johns Hop
kins University, Baltimore, was a most
interesting paper and covered the whole
history of the movement of the separa-
ton of Maine from Massachusetts and the
admission of Maine as state with Mis-
souri, in 1920. The paper was we'll writ
tens and very well arranged. ut was read
by Rev. Henry o. Thayer.
Hong j. 81. Drummond said 1t was al
most impossible to get at any complete
collection of documents and papers con-
neoted with the movement for separation
from Massachusetts and on the effort
to have Maine admitted as state. Mr..
Drummond thought the society should
print these documents and an account Of
the formation of the state
President Baxter thought this idea of
Mr.. Drummond's should not be lost
and that committee should be appoint
ed to see what could be done about the
matter.
DR.. Burrage said he thought the state
should pay for the publication of these
papers.
After some discussion committee was
appointed to take into consideration the
advisability of publishing these papers.
This committee consists of Messrs. Drum
mond, King and Goold.
1.-THE Scotch Coyenanters and some of
their descendants the State of Maine"
was the title of paper compiled by
Kate g Groupner Stone of Boston. This
paper reviewed the history of the Coven-
anters and the circumstances which Gre
ated their strong and noble charaoteris-
tics was briefly traced. Their immigra-
ton to the United States and the parts
they played in the early history of the
colonies, the action of the Mecklenburg
county convention, where the determined
Coyenanters showed their hostility Ito
Great Britain, and anticipated the action
of the Continental Congress by over
year, formed an interesting part of tho
paper.
To such noble brotherhood and ances-
try belonged the Covenanters, who settled
in Maine, among whom were the fami
lies of Beath, Stewart, Blair, Fullerton,
Reed and many others.
Then follows long List of the names of
families who were thus descended The
paper was read by Secretary Bryant and
was very much enjoyed.
DR.. Dalton said we should learn one
lesson from these Scotch Coyenanters. 1t
is known that for centuries the Scotch