Harpswell Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2015 www.harpswellhistorical.org [email protected] www.facebook.com/harpswellhistoricalsociety The Harpswell Historical Society is dedicated to the discovery, identification, collection, preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of materials relating to the history of Harpswell and its people.. Deacon Timothy Bailey From the Editor There are six versions of the story Bette Bailey Behanna The previous editions of our of Will Black in this newsletter. How- ever several questions remain. The last issue of the Newsletter newletter have been edited by Rob had a short item stating that Bailey’s Porter, who brought a new level of • Was Black Will a pauper or well off? Island was named after Deacon Timo- quality to our paper. Unfortunately, • Did he have any legal rights to thy Bailey, with no more information he has retired, and the job has re- land on Bailey Island? given. While doing genealogy re- verted to me, Burr Taylor. I will do the • Was he just a squatter? Did he search for my Bailey family of Basin best I am able to maintain the quality have any “Squatter’s Rights?” If Point, South Harpswell, at the Maine of this newsletter. I would appreciate so, what were they? Historical Society Library in Portland, I your feedback, which you can send • Was his property on Bailey Island found the “Bailey Genealogy” James/ to [email protected]. purchased, or stolen, or taken by John/Thomas and Their Descendants; I read with great interest this ar- underhanded means, or just taken? edited by Hollis R. Bailey, Somerville, ticle about Timothy Bailey. It left me • Was the fact that his “...owner- MA. The book indicated that James, curious about Will Black. In research- ship is acknowledged in the Act John and Thomas were all descended ing him, each story I read added a lit- of Incorporation of the Town of from Thomas Bayley, Sr. who ar- tle more information about him and Harpswell at Harpswell Court in rived in Wessagusset, MA, around Will Black. The information is some- 1758” consistent with his being 1624. Deacon Timothy Bailey and times complimentary and sometimes a squatter? is contradictory. The reader certainly my ancestor, Jacob Bailey, were both Some dates may be helpful. descended from Thomas’s oldest son. gains a different impressiopn of Will Black and Will Black, Jr as s/he reads • 1691: Will Black, Jr. born • 1715: Will, Jr. jailed Bailey, continued on p. 2, col. 1 the different articles. • 1727: Will, Jr arrived at Bailey I. • 1762: Will Jr. bought part Orr’s I. Contents Deacon Timothy Bailey .................... 1 From the Editor ................................ 1 Bailey Island origins: Richard Wescott .......................... 2 Bailey Island Origins: George Wheeler .......................... 3 Bailey Island Origins: Wikipedia .................................... 3 Bailey Island Origins: The Portland Phoenix .................. 4 Notes on Black Will, and Will Black, Jr. 4 Smock Marriages .............................. 5 Island Chowder ................................ 6 Town Meeting Orders Barn Built ...... 6 How to Salt Cod................................ 6 Home ............................................... 7 Early Mackerel Cove with Forest Maid in the background. There were few trees or houses. Christmas in New England ............... 8 Bailey, continued from page 1 Historical Society Museum Library, Bailey Island origins: 1st. John, born 05/13/1640 and his Portland, gives a great deal of infor- Richard Wescott wife, Hannah. He served in King mation re: Deacon Timothy Bailey’s Richard Wescott, A History of Harpswell, Phillip’s War ; d. 06/22/1686 purchase of Bailey’s Island from Land Maine, (Harpswell: Harpswell Historical So- 2nd Their son, John, b. in Weymouth, Proprietors at Freeport, ME. In his ciety) pp 38-39. Ma m. Sarah White, daughter book, he states “Uncle” Will Black “The awarding of New Damar- of Gowan and Elizabeth White, was living on the Island when Deacon iscove Island[Haskell] to [a William] moved to Scituate in 1670. d. 1718 Timothy Bailey arrived there. He was Dudley led to a controversy that 3rd Their son, John, b. 11/05/1673, a “squatter” as he owned no part of points up the then existing confusion Weymouth, MA, m. Abigail Clapp, daughter of Dea. Samuel Clapp the Island. Mr. Black moved to Orr’s about the geography of the region. 02/19/1700. He d. 06/1752. Island and died there. Rev. Sinnett’s Dudley had made it clear to the com- They had 11 children. Jacob, b. mother was a grandchild of Deacon mittee that the Island he wanted was 12/13/1706, and Timothy, b. Timothy Bailey. the Island upon which a black man 03/20/1709. Note: Deacon Timothy Bailey’s named Black Will lived. After the 4th. Timothy Bailey, b. 03/0/1709, brother, Jacob, was father of Jacob committee acted, he discovered that Scituate, MA. m. first Sarah Buck. Bailey, b. 01/17/1729, traveled to Black Will lived, not on New Damar- She died 10/09/1740. He m. No. Yarmouth, perhaps with his iscove Island [Haskell], but the Island second, Hannah Curtis of Scituate, uncle, Deacon Timothy Bailey. Jacob to the eastward of it then known as June 7,1742, and “with his wife Cape Newagen [Bailey Island]. was recommended to the church in purchased a section of Basin Point, North Yarmouth, ME., whither he South Harpswell, from Henry Gibbs “The town acted to satisfy Dudley moved.” He had six children, three of Boston on Oct. 27, 1755. Deed in in September 1735 when it voted by each wife. Olive, died young; Cumberland County Deed Registry, that he be given a quit claim deed to Timothy, died young; Sarah, b. Portland, Me. Vol. I, p. 223-225. "that island whereon Black Will lives 03/13/1739, Delight, b. 7/12/1745 Copies of my notebook, The Bailey and provided that Dudley gives a quit m. Hugh Merryman of Harpswell; Green Families of Harpswell, Maine; claim deed to the proprietors of his Timothy, baptized 10/13,1751. Ancestors and Descendants for Twelve right and title to New Damariscove." Rev. Charles Sinnett researched Generations have been donated to both the Harpswell Historical Society Museum The following April 1736, Dudley gave and wrote several genealogical books library and the Orr’s Island Public Library. the proprietors the quit claim deed about Harpswell families. In his book, It includes genealogical information re: they wanted, stating that it was in Ancestor Thomas Bayley of Wey- many families of Harpswell. return for “the Island whereon the mouth, MA. And Descendants Who Bette Bailey Behanna said Black Will doth reside commonly Wrote Their Name Bailey, Maine Sarasota, Florida called Capenawagan…" “After the Committee for the Resettlement of North Yar- mouth had finished rewarding itself with the larger islands, dozens of smaller islands were still claimed by the town. After some discussion the voters es- tablished a new Committee for the Division of Lands to survey, map, and make a judgment of the quality of all those islands to prepare for their division among the town's landholders by a lot- tery. The drawing for the Islands was held in June 1738, and the results were entered into the town records. Mackerel Cove, Bailey Island Wescott, continued on p. 3 Page 2 Wescott, continued from p. 2 Bailey Island Origins: Bailey Island Origins: “The loser in the division of the George Wheeler Wikipedia Islands was Black Will, who may have George Augustus Wheeler, M.D., and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_Is- found his way to the Casco Bay area Henry Warren Wheeler, History of Bruns- land_(Maine) because his former master, Nicholas wick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, “Bailey Island originally bore the Including the Ancient Territory Known As name Newaggin, given to it by the Shapleigh of York, had purchased Pejepscot, Boston, Alfred Mudge & Son, land on Sebascodegan Island before 1878, p. 85. local Abenaki Native Americans, and was first populated by European set- King Philip's War. Shapleigh, who died “Bailey's Island, situated south tlers in the 17th century. in 1685, apparently allowed Black of the Neck, is the present name of Will a good deal of independence what was called Will's Island in the “The first settler of the island was and his subsequent masters, Nicho- Act of Incorporation of Harpswell. William Black, son of Black Will who las' widow and her nephew John Captain James Sinnett, now upwards was a freed slave from Kittery, Maine. Shapleigh, continued to wield a light of eighty years of age, who has re- William sold the land his father had rein over him. Court records show sided upon the island all his life, gives left him in the Upper Parish of Kittery Will accumulated money, worked the following account of the origin of and settled permanently on Bailey’s some land as if it were his own and these names. Island. Because of this, the island had an affair with a white woman became known as Will’s Island. The first settler upon the island that produced a baby who became was a man named Black, who, with “The story goes that in 1742, known as Black Will, Jr. In 1699, Will his wife and a boy, moved there from Reverend Timothy Bailey may have had saved enough money to buy 100 Kittery. They were of mixed breed, bought Will’s Island for one pound acres of land and the following year having in their veins the blood of of tobacco and a gallon of rum from John Shapleigh manumitted him. the Anglo-Saxon, Indian, and African William Black. In another variation Why he did so is not shown in the races. Black and his wife died and of the story, the minister’s wife liked court records. were the first persons ever buried the island and so the Baileys bribed “Black Will, Jr., as the son of a upon the island.