146 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



Boothbay and Vicinity- 



The territory between the Damariscotta River and the Ken- 

 nebec, a tract about five leagues in width, very early attracted 

 settlers. A settlement was made at Cape New Wagan as early 

 as 1623. By 1630 there were fifty families on the Sheepscot 

 farms. The Damariscove Islands, including Fisherman's Island, 

 the Hypocrites, Damariscove proper, White Island, Heron 

 Island and Pumpkin Rock are supposed to have been owned by 

 one Humphry Damerill before 1650. In 1614 they were shown 

 on the map as Damerill's Islands. Settlements were made at 

 Georgetown and Arrowsic Islands as early as 1623. 



Title to many of these larger islands in this vicinity were 

 from Indian deeds. The Peninsula, now the town of Boothbay, 

 and coast in that vicinity was claimed by at least three rival 

 claimants under grants and Indian purchases. 



Islands of Casco Bay. 



On February 4, 1884, John T. Hull made a report to the City 

 Government of Portland on "Title of Islands within the limits 

 of Portland." As what he says in this report is applicable to 

 all islands of Casco Bay, and the report now being out of print 

 and copies very scarce, I will quote from it here quite exten- 

 sively — in fact make an abstract of it. 



Hull says : 



First grant was King James to Council of Plymouth in 1620. 

 Council of Plymouth granted to John Mason and Sir Ferdi- 

 nando Gorges the territory from the Merrimac to the Kennebec. 

 Subsequently in 1634 Mason and Gorges divided the territory, 

 Gorges taking the part between the Piscataqua and the Ken- 

 nebec, excepting certain previous grants made by the Council of 

 Plymouth to other parties. Gorges obtained at that time a new 

 patent which made his title good as to the land between these 

 two rivers. 



In 1636 Gorges conveyed to George Cleeve and Richard 

 Tucker by a lease of two thousand years, the territory which 

 now comprises the City of Portland on the mainland, and also 

 Hog Island. This is the first conveyance of any of the islands. 

 The Dye Patent purchased by Col. Rigby, was founded on a 



