Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-06
Monday, May 6, 1907.
The Date of the Landinq at Popham.

the rounds to the effect that there IS
1oubt as to the exact date which may
be properly celebrated as an ami
versary of the landing of the Popham
colony. This item, which the Journal
inadvertently published and which it
again publishes here in part in an at
tempt to straighten out the matter,
goes on to say:
''It may as we'll be stated that the
date is unknown. The historian Will
Hanson places it on August 18th,
Coolidge and Mansfield agree on Au-
gust Sth, Sewalls Ancient Do
minions,' usually very accurate. places
it at August 18th, while Varney, in his
Young Peoples History, places it at
August 29th. Abbott adopts Sew
alls date, the 18th. These historians
agree that on August 4th Small Point
and Popham Beach were sighted. Thus
it is clear that historians are justified
in stating that the landing was made
Sin August without attempting to fix
an exact day.
IT is very unfortunate that such items
as the above get into circulation, for
they are misleading and they only con-
fuse an important subject upon which
there is not the slightst need for con-
fusion to exist. If anyone wishes to
know the exact date upon which the
Popham colony landed at the mouth Of
the Kcnncbcc he will have no diff
Guilty ir finding it if he looks in the
right place for the information. 1t 50
happens that the original journal OF
the voyage is in existence and one has
only to read it to receive the desired
information.
The manuscript Of this journal. or
logbooK, or diary, as it may be called
was discovered in London in 1879 ana
has been reprinted in this country with
introductions and notes by the MaSsa-
chusetts Historical Society and also
by the Georges Society Of Portland from
an exact transcription Of the London
manuscript. A copy, now in the
hands Of the Journal, is included in a
recent volume, EARLY English ana
French Voyages" edited by ReV.
Henry S. Burrage, ID. ID. The manu-
script does not give the authors name
but from statements in the text " Is
eunnosed that il was written by James
Davis. navigator of the Mary and John
which, with the Gift Of God. brought
the Porham colonists from England I"
the mouth of the Kennebec in the
summer of 1907. The dates are oin
STYLE and 10 days must be added 70
make them correspond with our pres
ent way of reckoning time.
According to this manuscript, whose
authenticity is beyond dispute. the
Gift of God anchored in the river, near
the mouth, August 13, 1907. While the
Mary and John sailed farther to the
westward. and on account ~ a STORM
did not get into the river until August
/ 16. That was on Sunday. On Mon
\ Adv August Il. Capt. Popham and
I Cant. Gilbert in their boats proceeded
an the river "to view the river ana
also TO see where they might ma tte
,,ost convenient place for their plan
tation," They returned to their shipS
on the following day. The journal
adds:
..ruae.l,v being the 18th, after our
return we all went to the shore anu
there made choice of place Tor our
n,antation. which is at the very moulh
- o,,trv Of the river Of Sagadehock on
the west side of the river. being ai''''H'
an island of a good bigness. whist
we were upon the shore there came III
.hrea canoes by us, but they would not
come near us but rowed up the rlHe'
and so passed away.
"wednesday. being the l9th August
,,a all went to the shore where we
,oode choice for our plantation, ana
thcre we had a sermon delivered uhto
no nv our preacher. and after the SCI
mon our patent was read with the or
ders and laws therein prescribed ana
then we returned aboard our shi?7
again.
..Thursday. being the Goth of Au-
yust all our companies landed. and
there began to fortify. Our president
Cant. Popham, set the first spytt to'o
English for spade) of ground unto 1t
and after him all the rest followed ana
labored hard in the trenches about IT,
With this particularly in the origl-
nal record. made by one of the com
many. what folly there is in the re-
mark: $50 much has been said regari'
ing the exact date which may proper
Nv be celebrated as an anniversary VI
the landing of the Popham colony II
may as we'll be stated that the date Is
unknown" Several histories are
cited, and the remark is added lhes'
historians agree that on August 4'f
Small Point and Popham Beach Were