Sylvanus Tripe of Kittery in ye Province of Maine and Lucy Brier of Portsm° w married 25 June 1724. Nath' ffellows of Ipswitch and Hanah Ayers of Portsm° w marryd ye 16th July 1724. Jn° Cutt ye Son of Jn° and Susanah Cutt was born 6 June 1724. Jno Hines of Kent in Great Brittaine and Elizth Ray of Portsm° w' marryd 11 Aug: 1724. Josh: Cate of Portsm° and Anna ffrost of Newcastle w' marryd 13 Aug: 1724. Patrick Lawley of and Elizth Churchill of Portsm° w1 marryd 18th Sept. 1724. Sam' Langdon of Portsm° and Hanah Jenkins of Hampton were marryd ffran Winkley of Kittery and Mary Emorson of Portsm° were marry 12 Nov 1724. Steph" Lang and Elizth Banfield both of Portsm° w marryd 25 Oct: 1724. Mark Moses of Portsm° and Martha Williams of Kittery w married 29 Oct. 1724. Tho' Peirce of Helstone in ye county of Cornwall in Great Brittaine and Mary Jackson of Portsm° w marryd 1 No: 1724. Josh: Downing of Newinton and Susana Denett of Portsm° w marryd 17th Nov 1724. Dorcas y Daught' of Wm and Rebecka Barns was born 20th Aug. 1720. Wm ye Son of Wm and Rebecka Barns was born 14 Aug. 1723. Hercu3 Hunking of Portsm° and Jude Syas of Oysteriver w' marryd 3 Dec 1724. Jn° Boag of Kirkwell in yo county of Saint Magnis in North Brittaine and Elizth Preston of Portsm° were marryd 24 Dec 1724. [To be continued.] EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF GOV. BELCHER, GOV. JONATHAN BELCHER, the writer of the letters from which extracts are here printed, was the son of Andrew and Sarah (Gilbert) Belcher, and was born at Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 8, 1681-2. He was governor of Massachusetts from 1730 to 1741, and of New-Jersey from 1747 till his death, which occurred at Elizabethtown, N. J., Aug. 31, 1757, when he was in his 76th year. For a sketch of his life see the REGISTER, vol. xix. pp. 206-7. Other sketches and memoirs will be found in the American Quarterly Register, vol. xiii. pp. 441-7; Massachusetts State Record for 1850, pp. 35-6; Allen's Biographical Dictionary, art. Belcher; Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts, vol. ii. 1st and 2d eds. pp. 369-99; 3d ed. pp. 331–57; Robbins's Bi-Centennial Address at Milton, 1862, pp. 42-4. His pedigree is given in Vinton's Giles Memorial, pp. 263-4; the REGISTER, vol. iv. p. 344, and Savage's Genealogical Dictionary, art. Belcher. Rev. Thomas Prince, to whom the first letter is addressed, is the NewEngland antiquary for whom the PRINCE SOCIETY was named. He was the son of Samuel and Mary (Hinckley) Prince of Sandwich, Mass., and was born there May 15, O. S., corresponding to 25 N. S., 1687, and died at Boston, Oct. 22, 1758, a little more than a year after Gov. Belcher's death. A memoir of him by Samuel G. Drake, A.M., is printed in the REGISter, vol. v. pp. 375-84, and was reprinted as a pamphlet. An article upon Prince by William H. Whitmore, A.M., appeared in the North American Review, for October, 1860, vol. 91, pp. 354-75. The latter writer prepared a memoir for Messrs. Wiggin and Lunt's edition of the catalogue of the American portion of the New-England Library, which library was collected by Prince, and by him bequeathed to the Old-South Society, and is now deposited in the Boston Public Library. Mr. Drake's memoir contains a list of Prince's publications. A fuller list is appended to Mr. Whitmore's memoir. Gov. Belcher attended the Old-South Church, where Rev. Mr. Prince was settled. While he was governor of Massachusetts, Oct. 6, 1736, his first wife, née Mary Partridge, died, and a funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Prince which was printed. Mrs. Sarah (Belcher) Lyde, daughter of Gov. Belcher, to whom the other letter is addressed, was married to Byfield Lyde, Esq., Aug. 17, 1727. Her husband was a graduate of Harvard College in the class of 1723, and, under his father-in-law, was for awhile Naval Officer at Boston. He was a loyalist and accompanied the British troops to Halifax in 1776, and died there the same year. For an account of him, see the REGISTER, Vol. xvii. p. 239; Drake's History of Boston, p. 594, and Sabine's American Loyalists, art. Lyde. We are indebted for the following extracts to the courtesy of J. Wingate Thornton, Esq., to whom they were furnished by his friend William A. Whitehead, Esq., of Newark, N. J. A few foot-notes have been added. JOHN WARD DEAN. SIR, Extracts from a Letter from Gov. Belcher to Mr. Prince. **** What you desire respecting my Deceas'd Father' and myself is a difficult Task and I know not when I shall be able to undertake it. For altho' this be a little Governm yet it calls for much attention and attendance for the King's honour and for seeking the good and Welfare of the People and my Large Correspondence to N. England and larger than heretofore to great Britain keeps me In full Imploye. These things notwithstanding If you would tell me your Design and State any Questions to me I would Indeavour to answer them. My Father was as great a Genius as his Countrey could boast of but wanted an Education to Improve and polish it. (Gov Dudley) who was a good Judge used to say Mr Comissary Belcher would make a good Minister of State to any Prince in Europe Especially in the Article of Finances. His late Farewell and Blessing of me show'd his strong thoughts and great Modesty. Its Fresh in my Memory and will be till the Frost of Age seals up that Faculty he called me to his Bedside took me by the hand and said-Son you may expect me to bless you in a better manner and style than I am able to do for God did not put it into your Grand Fathers power to give me the Education he Inabled me to 1 Andrew Belcher is said to have been "the most opulent merchant of his time in Boston." He was the son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Danforth) Belcher, and was born at Cambridge, Jan. 19, 1646-7. He was an assistant under the old charter, a member of the council of safety in 1689; and a member of the council under the new charter from 1702 till his death. He died at Boston, Oct. 31, 1717, aged 70. 2 Andrew Belcher, the emigrant ancestor of this family, was, according to Savage, of Sudbury 1639, and of Cambridge 1646. For further account of him, see Harris's Cambridge Epitaphs (Camb. 1845), p. 173. He married, Oct. 1, 1639, Elizabeth, dau. of Nicholas Danforth (see REGISTER, Vol. vii. pp. 315-21). The inscription on his wife's gravestone is printed in Harris's Cambridge Epitaphs, p. 8, from which it appears that she died June 26, 1680, aged 62. His own grave is by the side of his wife's, but the gravestone bears only the initials "A. B." give you, but remember my Last Words to you are-May the Blessing of the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob rest upon you and your Seed for Ever. Amen. Farewell. Neither the Patriarchs nor Apostles could have done it better. Just as he was Expiring the Blanket was offensive to His Face so he rais'd himself a little from his Pillow and Said to the Late Madam Sewall' who watcht with him give me the Sheet for its my winding Sheet then he unroll'd his arms in it and said I will lay me down and dye in Peace and expird in a minute. I should not have Troubled you with this Acc° but as it may Little part of an Answer to what you have desired. * * * * * make some I thank you for the Sermon preacht upon the death of my Late dear and Excellent Sister which has given me much pleasure in read3. * * * * Burlington, June 7, 1748. Mr. Prince. Revd and Worthy Sir Very much your Friend and servant J. BELCHER. (By Mr. Brandon.) From Gov. Belcher to his daughter Mrs. Lyde. My dear Daughter Lyde I am now stealing a moment from the Pressing Affairs of this Government to own with much satisfaction your good and dutiful Letter of the 7 of the last Month. I am glad to hear from several of my Friends that my Grandson Neddy behaves prudently and well he is under the best of masters and I pray God to bless him and make him a Blessing. I shall be glad to hear of Nattys3 Health and how he conducts himself. It is with Gratitude to God that he has preserved me to a tender and fond Imbracing of your dear Brother1 who came hither from Nova Scotia the 9: Ins': this I say gives me a new Joy before I go the Way whence I must not return. I shall be glad to hear from you as often as it suits your Convenience-tell my Son Lyde* I learned to say the Lord's Prayer when I was young and I thank God who by his Grace teaches me now I am old in some measure to put it in Practice for I heartily desire to live and dye in Peace Love and Charity with all the 1 Probably the third and last wife of Chief Justice Samuel Sewall, then (in 1717) Mrs. Mary Gibbs. She was a daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Oliver) Shrimpton, and was born Oct. 30, 1667. As early as 1694, she was married to Robert Gibbs, whose pedigree will be found in the REGISTER, vol. xix. p. 208, and in the Heraldic Journal, vol. iii. pp. 165-6. After Mr. Gibbs's death she was married, March 29, 1722, to Judge Sewall, whom she survived 16 years, dying July 17, 1746 (about two years before the date of this letter), aged 79. A memoir of Judge Sewall will be found in the REGISTER, vol. i. pp. 100-13. 2 Martha Belcher, sister of Gov. Belcher, was born March 29, 1686. She married Anthony Stoddard, Esq. See Stoddard Family, ed. 1849, p. 5, and ed. 1865, p. 3. She died Feb. 11, 1747-8. Rev. Mr. Prince preached a sermon on the sabbath after her funeral, which was printed in 1748. 3 Nathaniel Lyde was then in his 21st year; Edward was probably younger. 4 Jonathan Belcher, son of Gov. Jonathan and Mrs. Mary (Partridge) Belcher, was born at Boston, July 23, 1710. He grad. at Harvard College in 1728, "studied law at the Temple in London and attained some eminence at the English bar." He married at Boston, April 8, 1756, Abigail, dau. of Jeremiah Allen, Esq. of Boston. He settled at Chebucto (now Halifax), Nova Scotia, and in 1760 was appointed lieutenant governor of that province. In 1761 he received the appointment of chief justice. He died there March 29, 1776, aged 65. See REGISTER, vol. iii. p. 281; vol. iv. p. 345; vol. xix. p. 207, and the Giles Memorial, Pp. 263-4. 5 Byfield Lyde, Esq. See prefatory remarks. World-and tell him I am very willing to draw a thick Vail over any thing that has happened by him gravanimous to me, with my kind Love to you to him and to the children I remain Elizth Town Dec. 17, 1755. Dear Sarah Your aged and aff: Father J. BELCHER. DEPOSITION OF COL. WILLIAM LITHGOW, IN 1767, ROBERT LITHGOW, the father of Col. William Lithgow, whose deposition is printed below, settled on or near the Kennebec river early in the last century. He is generally represented as having emigrated from Scotland; but his great-grandson, L. W. Lithgow, Esq., of Augusta, Me., writing in 1857, states that he came from Ireland, where his ancestors, who had "fled from Scotland at the time of the Rebellion," had settled. Perhaps he was one of the Scotch-Irish emigrants, whom Capt. Robert Temple was instrumental in settling on Merry-meeting bay about 1720; for we learn by this deposition that he resided at Topsham, on that bay, a year or two later, his son deposing that he (the son) resided there when he was about six years old, that is, in 1721 or 1722, and further that he fled thence with his parents to the fort at Brunswick, when the place was attacked by the Indians, probably at the surprise at Merry-meeting bay, June 13, 1722. Robert Lithgow came over," according to Mr. Lithgow of Augusta, "to Halifax and thence to Boston." His residence is usually given as at Georgetown. Perhaps he did not return to Topsham after his retreat to the Brunswick fort,. but settled at Georgetown. 66 3 Col. Lithgow, according to one account, was brought when a child to this country by his father; but his grandson, whom we have just quoted, states that he has understood that he was born at Boston. This tradition may possibly be true, though the birth is not on the Boston records. Besides Forts Richmond and Halifax, which he mentions in his deposition, he is represented as having, at one time, commanded Fort Western, sometimes called Fort Weston. He was the agent of government to carry on intercourse with the Indians. He finally settled at Georgetown, in that part since (in 1814) incorporated as Phipsburg, where he was for many years a justice of the peace and a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He died at Georgetown, Dec. 20, 1798, said to be 86 years old; but the age he gives in this deposition proves that he was only about 83 at his death. He married Sarah Noble, only daughter of Col. Noble, by whom he had four sons, namely: Robert, a shipmaster; Maj.-Gen. William, a lawyer; sheriff Arthur; James, a lawyer;-and six daughters, namely: Susannah, 1 Maine Historical Collections, vol. v. p. 421. 2 Sewall's Ancient Dominions of Maine, p. 237; Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts (1st and 2d ed.), vol. ii. p. 297; (3d ed.), p. 268. 3 Maine Historical Collections, vol. v. p. 421. 4 Col. Arthur Noble was born in Enniskillen, co. Fermanagh, Ireland; came to America early in the 18th century, and was killed while in command of British troops in the battle of Minas, Nova-Scotia, in 1747.—ED. who married Rev. John Murray, of Boothbay and Newburyport; Sarah, who married Capt. Samuel Howard; Mary, who married Maj. James Davidson; Charlotte, Nancy and Jane. An account of him and his family will be found in the Maine Historical Collections, vol. v. pages 413-23; and notices in the same work, vol. vi. p. 52; and in Willis's Law, Courts and Lawyers of Maine, pages 105–6, 119, 270, 675, 697. The document here published gives reliable information relative to the derivation of Indian names, and-like the depositions which add so much to the value of the much sought for report of the Commissioners of the Massachusetts General Court, upon the troubles and land titles in Lincoln county, printed in 1811-furnishes important facts relating to the topography of the central portion of Maine and the history of the settlements there. It is printed from the original, which has been kindly loaned for the purpose, by Mrs. Henry Rice,' of New-Haven, Conn. The document appears to be in the handwriting of Jonathan Bowman, Esq., one of the justices of the peace whose signature it bears, except the last sentence before the signature of Col. Lithgow, which seems to be in the hand of the other justice, Dr. Thomas Rice. Both of the justices then resided at Pownalborough, and it was there probably that the deposition was signed. Both, also, were graduates of Harvard College, one in 1755 and the other in 1756, and both were subsequently judges, the former of probate and the latter of the Common Pleas. Biographical sketches of Mr. Bowman will be found in Willis's Law, Courts and Lawyers of Maine, pp. 65662, and Bond's Watertown Genealogies, p. 693; and one of Dr. Rice in A. H. Ward's Rice Family, p. 114. JOHN WARD DEAN. The Deposition of William Lithgow of a Place called Fort Hallifax on Kennebeck River in the County of Lincoln Esq' Fifty two Years of Age, Testifies and says that he has been well Acquainted with the River Kennebeck for more than Thirty Years past & begins his Description of said River at Teconick Falls which Falls are distant from the Sea or Western Ocean abt Sixty two Miles as the River runs; so proceeding Southerly down said River in his following Description toward the Sea, as follows, See-bistoo-cook River which is a Branch of Kennebeck, forms a point of Land, half a Mile distant from Teconick falls, on which Point of Land stands Fort Halifax, & about five or Six Miles further down said River is the falls of Neeguamkike, as the English commonly pronounce it, but the Indians or Original Natives of this Land call these Nee-guam-kee, and being ask'd what they call these Falls Nee-guam-kee for, they then Scooped their Hands up & down, & said it was from such a Motion in the Water, they call those Falls Neeguamkee these Falls from the upper end to the lower part thereof, the Descent of Water is very Rapid, & are about a quarter of a mile long, in which distance in the Judgment of the Deponent, the Water falls were it surveyed about ten feet perpendicular, these falls break when the River is at the higtht, occasioned by the Spring Rains, as well as in the Drought of Summer, & is always Obliged to Warp Loaded Boats up said Falls which Requires no less than seven Men at least, the Boats carrying about two Tons & an half Weight. Some Chance times when the River Overflows its Mrs. Rice, née Devens, is a great-granddaughter, on the maternal side, of Col. Arthur Noble, mentioned above.-ED. |