The Portland daily press., 1899-09-07

Ind'ans and with the English fishing fieet
which at that early date made annual
voyages to the coast Of Maine. Stratton
became known to fame ~ reason Of
having the Islands called by his name IN
the Cammook patent Of 1881 and also be-
cause he got into law suit with one
Godfrey over "brass kettell, - and his
name thus became embalmed IN the court
reoorda
The FIRST settlement upon the main
Ian d OF Scarborough was made In regular
and dIgniilsd form. The Eari Of War.
wick was Influential with ths Council OF
plymouth md he obtained "in the prime
Of NovamhaT." 1881, from the Council for
his nephew, Tno1ts Cammcck, a grant
OF fifteen hundred acres Of Ian d tetween
tho Black Point and SpuTwink rIverF,
"heipg bounded to the southwgrd With
the taye CT Sacce" and extending back a
mile from the mouth OF the Spurwink.
Neslc, according TO order directed from
the President and COUNSEL Of New Eng
land" made due delivery Of the possess
sion OF these lands unto Capt Thomas
Cammaehe." Captain Cammock had
been the agent OF Mason & uoraes at
he HAD selected for settlement. Tho new
proprietor set himself uD as sort of
feudal lord and established taronial
residences upon what IL now Prout's
Neck.
de soon gathered around him tenan ts
10 whom he ''nppointed lots OF land for
which he was TO have fees & rents. -
Cammock claimed very properly that
''bv virtue of his Patent the Royaitia
Of Fishirv n Fowling belongeth t, him. =
DE Wis willing to share bis fish, and
game with any who asked leave or ad-
mitted his right s'ln favre way hut
was decidedly averse TO allow pcaohina
upon his preserves. Ills roivhbor, John
Winter, over on Richmond's leland,
had little regard for the property rights
OF any orr, and helped hin sslf 10 salt
hay prcIniscuously without asking per-
mission. Others claimed that they RAD
right to fish in the river, so that Cam
mock, although he was reputed to be a
peaceable man, felt constrained TO go to
Law occasionally both TO maintain his
dignity and to protect his rights, 50 that
we get slight account OF him from
the records Of the court. It will be OBJ
served that the Scarborough settlement
Was established upon n good Episoopalian
and aristooratic basis. They were loyal
subjects of King Charles, and had little
sympathy with the Jewellers around
Massachusetts Bay, with their sch oois
when Cromwell took charge OF affairs
across the water, they had occasion to
learn that this fact had not escaped the
attention of the observant and forceful
Lord Protector.
Charles L was now ruling England in
way which the Scarborough people
doubtless admired, without a parliament,
and according to the doctrine Of divine
right. But however admirable such gov
erument might be, it resulted In causing
an emigration by Thousands, OF the best
and most substantial people fem Old
kngland to New Enigand, and he effect
OF this overflow was felt even 81 this
vicinity.
In 1886 second independent 90 iony es-
tahlisbed itself at Blue Point on the
other side of the river. The year before
G ammock received his grant the Piym-
outh Council had given to Lewis & Bony-
thon tract Of land four miles Wide on
the west side of the Saco river, and the
patentees agreed to send fifty persons to
settle upon their tract. The oolonists
were sent over, but instead of locating
as they were directed, part took up their
abode In what they evidently considered
q better locality in regard to soil and
hoatinA facilities Among these were
Richard Foxwell, Henry Watts and
Nicholas hdRcomb, all of whom were
prominent in THE public affairs of New
Somersetshire, as Maine was then called.
Edgcomb was a scion of the nobility az
we'll as Cammook and JooeIyn, the well
beloved friend, which goes TO show that
the royalists prefer ell to colonies by them
selves in the more northern part of New
knglaDd, rather than to dwell among the
dissenting religionists who were enlarg-
ing their settlements farther down the
coast. There were now the Stratton
Plantation, so called, although Stratton
himself had gone, which was principally
o trading station, the Cammook settle
ment, composed largely Of fishermen and
tsnantry and the Blue Point com pany,
who were chiefly planters. All these
were prosperous and grew steadily. In
1881 another settlement was established
about three miles up the river, upon the
Alge- tract at Dunstan. The Sycamore
of Ovasooag had died and the Aiaels,
who had been living at STATIONS island
purchased of his heirs, as tradition says,
for buEhel of beans down and, as the
deed declares for the additional consider
alton OF bushel Of corn yearly, about
one thousand acres of excellent land
Upon this tract there was soon flourish
ing settlement, making the fourth with
in the borders of what was to be Scar
borough BY this time Maine. as the
province was called after 1889, had be-
come dotted with colonies along the coast
as far as North Yarmouth and to the
east0a ard beyond. They had achieved sue
cess In their contest upon this rugged
were nov TO be harassed BY the selfish
ness of am Bilious men. Sir Ferdinand
Georges, the royaiist, and Alexander
Rigby, the Republican, each claimed do
mlnlOu over THIS territory Dy virtue OF q
patent from the same Plymouth Council.
Maine was positively loyal to Georges.
The question OF title got mixed up by the
situation of affairs In Old England
Cromwell and the Commonwealth were
then In control and RiRby was support
er OF the Common wealth. Consequently
according to the custom which generally
prevails in peliticai matters the privy
Conncil decided thai Its friend Rigby had
the better title, of date prior TO Cam
mock's grant. The people in Maine,
including our four settleme nts, were not
willing submit TO Roundhe lead proprie-
tor, the privy council to the contrary,
Notwithstanding. Georges could do moth
Ing for them for this among othaF reasons
that he Was In prison In England.
At this junetnrs IL happened that Re-
publican Massachusetts. which approved
of Cromwell and was In high favor with
the English Commonwealth, gave her
own charter q critical examination. BY
SO doing, she discovered that Maine bs-
ionged neither to Gorges nor to Highly.
but 10 hei. Acting upon this discovery,