Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. PURCHASE FROM THE INDIANS. The Province of Maine—Fluellin's Deed to Major William Phillips, 1661—Tract of Nineteen Thousand Acres Given to Nineteen Heirs—Survey of 1720—Action of Proprietors—Efforts at Colonization—Grants—Life and Character of Major Phillips. THE name "Province or Countie of Maine " was first used by King Charles I of England, in 1639, in chartering the territory lying between the Kenuebec and Piscataqua Rivers to Sir Ferdinando Gorges, a leading spirit in the Plymouth Company. This tract was claimed, in 1652, by the General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, as a part of that colony, and the Province of Maine was thereupon erected into a county called Yorkshire, most of the inhabitants acknowledging themselves as subject to Massachusetts. Sir Ferdinando had meanwhile died, and after the Restoration, his grand- eon and heir, Ferdinando Gorges, began to agitate his claim to the territory of his grandfather. In 1664 Charles H recognized the claimant, and ordered the colony to make restitution of his lands, or to " show us reasons to the contrary." Troubles arose between the adherents of the two parties, two governments were established, and a bitter contest was waged. The party of Gorges was obliged to yield, though he did not relinquish his claim until 1677, when Massachusetts purchased his right for twelve hundred and fifty pounds sterling. The indenture transferred all the territories granted by charter to Gorges in 1639, " excepting all leases, grants and conveyances made by the original proprietor or his agents, engaged in planting the Province, especially all grants to 'William Phillips." The Province of Maine constituted one county, York, until 1760, when the counties of Cumberland and Lincoln were established. These three count...