ble as to the Pejepscut Deed and Confirmation, how it is bounded, especially where it begins, and crosses Androscoggin River, and procure an attested copy thereof, if possible; also as to the westerly bounds of the Plymouth Company's Grant; and make any other inquiry he shall think necessary, relative thereto, and make report of his doings at the adjournment of this meeting.

As no action was taken at the adjourned meeting on this matter, it is presumed that the "Pejepscut" deed did not interfere with their grant. But, after all their efforts, they could not succeed in procuring the erection of a saw and grist mill; hence, they thought best to offer greater inducements, as the following vote will show:

That if any person or persons will undertake to build a Corn Mill in Sylvester Town, by the tenth day of October, 1774, and a Saw Mill by the tenth day of October, 1775, fit for grinding and sawing, and will give good and sufficient security to Mr. Charles Turner, Proprietors' Treasurer, for performing the same, and keeping them in order for grinding and sawing for the Proprietors and Settlers, for twelve years next following, shall have one Mill Lot and one Settling Lot confirmed unto him or them by said Proprietors, he or they doing the duty or performing the conditions of one settling Lot: also shall have twenty-five Pounds Lawful Money. Also voted, that Col. Warren, Charles Turner, and Peleg Wadsworth Jun. or the major part of them, be a Committee to let out the same.

It appears that the people of Bakerstown were not disposed to build a bridge across Little River for the accommodation of the proprietors and the

public, for at meeting held May 10th, 1774, it was voted:

That Mr. Ichabad Bonney Jun. be desired at a suitable time in the ensuing summer to go down to the Eastward, and build a bridge over Little Androscoggin River, in the road lately cleared from Bakers Town to Sylvester, and for that purpose employ a suitable number of hands in the most prudent and cheap way he can, either by carrying them from here, or employing those that are there, said Bonney to have for his service ten Dollars per month, to commence from the time of his going from home, and to end with the time the work is done, and he to allow for the time he is employed in his own service there, and he to be allowed for his own expenses in going down and while he is there, during the time he is engaged in said service, excepting a house which he is to find himself.

To meet the expenses, they voted:

A tax of twenty shillings on a Right, to be paid to the Treasurer, on or before the fourth day of September, 1774.

And, to encourage the building of mills, it was voted :

That the Committee for letting out the Mills have liberty to give ten Pounds more, in addition to the twenty-five Pounds already voted, if occasion require.

At a meeting of the proprietors, held in Pembroke, July 19, 1774, it was voted:

That Mr. Ichabod Bonney Jun. be desired and employed, and he is hereby desired and employed, at a suitable time this summer, to go to the eastward to forward the building of a Grist and Saw Mill in Sylvester Town, as far as he shall think neces

sary the ensuing fall, and for that purpose to employ a suitable number of hands, in the most prudent and cheap way he can, either by carrying them from here, or employing those there; said Bonney to have for his own service four Pounds per month, and his own expenses, excepting a horse, to commence from the time he goes from hence and to expire with the time he is employed there.

This new effort seems to have been crowned with success, since at a meeting held October 25th, 1774' the proprietors voted as follows:

Whereas Mr. Samuel Blake proposes to build a Grist and Saw Mill in Sylvester Town, to be completed fit for grinding and sawing, in one year from this date, and to keep them in good repair for twelve years next ensuing, for said Mill Lott, and the whole of the preparation already made by said Proprietors in said Township for building said Mills to this day, and also £33 — 6—8, lawful money, the one half of which to be paid in three months from this date, the other half when the work is completed: Therefore said Proprietors hereby contract with said Blake, on the conditions aforesaid, he giving security to Mr. Charles Turner, Proprietors' Treasurer, for performing the

same.

In January, 1775, each proprietor was assigned a lot of land for his own use, and thirty lots were returned as "settlers' lots," the numbers of which were placed on record, but no mention is made of the owners' names. These lots were located on the Upper Street and Lower Street, so called, and a few on the road leading south from the village. About this time the Revolutionary War began to be immi

nent, and the attention of the people was given to those things which deeply concerned their country's welfare. The proprietors of "Sylvester Town even found a subject to engross their minds more intensely than their lands to the "eastward," and seem to have forgotten the meetings which were called for the transaction of business, for it does not appear by their records that the meeting appointed for September 4th, 1775, was ever held, or that any meeting was held during the two years following. But Mr. Charles Turner, their treasurer, was meanwhile actively engaged in securing settlers, and in promoting the interests of all concerned.

Dr. Howe makes the following note:

Samuel Blake was a native of Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, and married Abigail Richard, of Thompson, Conn. He died January 11th, 1802, leaving the following issue: Caleb, who married Betsey Briggs, June 11th, 1793; Samuel, who married Nabby Bonney, January 27th, 1776; Thatcher, who married Sarah Evans, November 11th, 1778; Edward, who married Sally Harwood, of Bowdoinham; Abigail, who married Dr. Michael Howland, of Bowdoinham; Grinfill, who married Eunice Cary, January 2d, 1805; Silas, who married Sophia Cary, studied medicine with Dr. Luther Cary, and settled in the town of Otisfield; Joseph, who studied medicine with Dr. Joseph Snell, of Winthrop, and died in Turner, August 18th, 1813; and Lydia, who married Gustavus Newhall, April 7th, 1811.

At this time mills had not been built, and every grist had to be carried to New Gloucester to be

ground. Roads were not completed, hence it was necessary for those sturdy men to carry their corn on their shoulders to New Gloucester to be ground, guided a portion of the way by "spotted trees.” We may well suppose that many a one shrank from this task, and tradition informs us that one man, not a lover of farm labor, would carry a bushel of corn to mill in exchange for a day's work, and that he was often employed in this service. But notwithstanding the great discouragements of the time, and the hardships incident to pioneer life, the work of bringing new settlers into the town went surely, though slowly, on. Says Dr. Howe:

A number of single young men were, during this period, induced to take up settling lots, and a few families actually moved into the plantation. In the spring of 1775, Israel Haskell removed his family from New Gloucester into Sylvester, and this was the first family that made a permanent settlement in the plantation. Mr. Haskell had married Abigail Davis, by whom he had a large family, whose names and marriage relations were as follows: Abigail, married Richard Phillips; Hannah, married Abner Phillips; Israel, married Juda Wellman; Jacob, married Mary Johnson, March 15th, 1793; Esther, married Joseph Tyler, March 15th, 1793; Phebe, married Samuel Tyler; Asa, married Jemima Bray; Elizabeth, married Daniel Bray; and Mary, married Nehemiah Sawtelle.

Soon after, Hezekiah Bryant removed his family from Halifax, in the County of Plymouth, which made the second family. Mr. Bryant had married Deborah Crooker, of Pembroke, who died April 22, 1782. In November following, he married Mary Ellis, of Hebron, Maine, who died in March, 1784. In July, 1784, he