FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 12/ 



conveyed either by herself or Massachusetts, as expressed in 

 the report of the Land Agent for 1892, above given ; but we 

 have seen in the earHer pages of this report that Maine's title 

 to these islands is that of a purchaser, and she came into pos- 

 session of such islands and such only as Massachusetts had title 

 to at the time of Separation — 1820 — ,and the time of the deed 

 or her remaining interest in 1853. 



This leads us to the question, What title had Massachusetts 

 to these islands along the coast of Maine at the time of separa- 

 tion, involving the two further questions. What part of them 

 did she ever have title to, and What of those had she conveyed 

 prior to that date, both of which because of the antiquity and 

 indefiniteness of these early grants are difficult problems which 

 perhaps it is impossible to answer with entire satisfaction. 



Something of Massachusetts Title. 



We may say the source of all island titles emanates from 

 the British Crown who laid claim to such by right of discovery 

 and possession, as our entire coast ultimately came under the 

 control of Great Britain by the conquest of Canada in 1759, 

 followed by the treaty of 1763 extinguishing the French claim 

 to the eastern part of our coast, — as none of the French grants 

 have been held good save that of one in the vicinity of Mt. 

 Desert by Louis XIV to Monsieur de la Motte Cadillac in 1603, 

 which was afterwards confirmed to his heirs in part by Massa- 

 chusetts. Under the various grants from the British Crown, 

 and the obtaining of its remaining interests by conquest result- 

 ing in the peace of 1783, title to the coast and islands is held. 



We have seen in the above abstract of sources of land title 

 that the Colony of Massachusetts Bay under its grant of 1627 

 and 28, and the Royal Charter issued by Charles I, March 4, 

 1628, asserted claim to the coast of Maine and all islands along 

 the same in 1651 as far as the dividing line between Falmouth 

 and Cumberland, and later — 167 1 — as far east as Whitehead 

 Island in Penobscot Bay, but this claim, although some of the 

 grants made by the Colony at that time held good, was extin- 

 guished by a decision obtained by Gorges and Mason in 1676 on 

 their complaint against Massachusetts Bay Colony instituted in 

 1659. 



