The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-03-07
Col. Thomas GOldthWait.
The Commander of Fort Pownal. Another
Chapter of Local History.

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: An
article in The Journal of Dec %, 1911,
gave an account of Fort Pownal and Col.
Thomas Goldthwait, and thinking the
part relating to Col. Goldthwalt may be
somewhat erroneous send you a copy of
an article which appeared in the Bangor
Commercial Sept. %, 1900, written by
''Wayfarer who was the late Col. j.
w. Porter, one of the most reliable local
historians Of Name:
COL. THOMAS GOLDTHWAIT.
Col. Goldthwait was for many years
the most notable character on Penobscot
river. He was born in Boston, the son
of Thomas and Jane Godthwait, Jan.
Is, 1717. His brothers and nephews
were notable soldiers in the French and
Indian wars. He was successful mer-
chant in Boston. He married Aug. 16,
1742, Esther, daughter of Col. Epes
Sargent of Gloucester. (She was sis
ter of Col. Paul Dudley Sargent of Sulli-
van, Me- About 1850 Col. Goldthwait
moved to Chelsea, where he held many
town offices. He was a representative
to the General Court in 1857, and for sew
eral years after, probably eight in all.
In June, 1850, he was appointed general
and agent of all the Massachusetts
troops in the Crown Point expedition.
His reports are in the Massachusetts
energy in his office.
In 1851 he was appointed by Com. Sir
Francis Bernard secretary of war for the
Of aob,
Sept. IL, 1868, he was appointed to
Penobscot, and also track master, an
office distinct from the office of captain,
1853 to ITS.
He has been charged with great cruel
ty, extortion, ETC., while there, but it is
due to him to state that there was no
official complaint of anything of the kind.
He was the agent of the Waldo heirs,
to survey, settle and develop their lands
in Frankfort, Prospect, Stockton and
Searsport, and the surveys of these
towns were made under his supervision.
He was appointed judge of the court of
common pleas for Lincoln county, Aug.
5, 1857, and in October, 1869, colonel of
the Second regiment of Lincoln county.
He was the first justice of the peace on
Penobscot river.
Gen. Jedediah Preble, who was in COM
mand of the Fort before Goldthwait,
bought 2,7O0 acres of land of the Waldo
heirs in the vicinity of the Fort, October,
1852, which was probably now Prospect
and Stockton Springs. These lands
Preble sold to Col. Thomas Goldthwait
and Governor Sir Francis Bernard, Nov.
IL, 1854. The land was laid out in two
parcels, viz, 1,574 acres on the neck
where Fort Pownal stands and LIPS
acres lying and being without the neck
in one body and next adjoining thereunto
as appears by plan of said two parcels
of land herewith delivered. The said
Jedediah Preble always reserving and
excepting for the use of the government
the place whereupon the fort stands. and
all buildings belonging to the govern
ment, and also excepting and reserving
all the marble and lime st s and the
quarries and lodges thereof, laying upon
and within the same. The consideration
named in the deed is $500, one-half of
that sum being paid by each of the
grantees. Nincoln Reg, Vol. A, p. S0.)
He also owned some land in what is
now Bangor. The history of this land
purchase is part of the ancient history
of Prospect and Stockton and the early
settlers there.
His sons, Thomas Goldthwait. Jr., a
lieutenant at the Fort, and Henry, lad
of 10, private; and Francis Archibald,
Jr., who afterwards married Mary, his
daughter, was clerk.
He was the first shipbuilder on the
Penobscot river or bay. He also pro-
noted the building of sawmills on his
own purchase and elsewhere. Nov. IL,
1774, he sold Col. John Brewer one
fourth of a sawmill which he owned in
company with John and Josiah Brewer
for SAG 13s. Uincoln Reg, Vol. 16, p.
1867. This mill was on the Segewnke-
dunk stream at what is now South
Brewer.
Col. Goldthwait was removed in ITO.
In It'll he was reinstated in office and
continued there until IT'S, when he was
superseded by Col. Jonathan Buck. He
has been called Tory in the Revolu-
tionary war. think this is not proven.
He was undoubtedly sympathizer with
the Crown, but not combatant.
He resided at Castine, or Penobscot.
until 1779, when he took passage or
board a British ship for New York,
where he arrived in October. On the
23d of December, 1878, he sailed fol-