big crews of fishermen stationed there in the season, and of course they had to have dwellings and "stages" for the workmen, so there was a "temporary" settlement. As late as 1648 "Thomson's. Point House" is on the Dover tax list for one pound and four shillings. There is no house there now, and has not been for many years, but Dover can lay claim to the first temporary settlement, as well as for the first permanent settlement, the one in 1622 and the other at Dover Point (for a long time. called Hilton's Point) in 1623.

The fourth grant was issued to David Thomson alone, October 16, of 1622,....for "six thousand acres of Land and an island in New England." No mention of the locality of the 6,000 acres, but from later transactions, on record, it is known to have meant an island in Boston Harbor, which has ever since been called "Thomson's Island." It is very evident Mr. Thomson had made up his mind to locate the land on the west side of the Pascafaqua River as he had already selected a "point of land in Pascataway River," and had been granted a patent. He wanted some more.

Near the first of December, 1622, an indenture was drawn up between Mr. Thomson and three rich merchants of Plymouth, Abraham Colmer, Nicholas Sherwell and Leonard Pomeroy, in which those gentlemen agreed to join with Mr. Thomson in financing the undertaking, and share in the profits, which seemed to be promising to be large. The indenture is published in full in the annual report of the Massachusetts Historical Society, in the summer of 1876. The paper had been read before the Society in the preceding winter by Mr. Charles Deane. It is very interesting, and is one of the most valuable of early documents. In brief: The merchants agreed to

furnish the ship "Jonathan of Plymouth" and a crew of men, to take Mr. Thomson and the company across the Atlantic, with provisions and other necessary things. for building a house and beginning a settlement, in the winter of 1622. It was also agreed that within three months following, in the year 1622, they would send another ship, the "Providence of Pymouth" with another company of men, with provisions, etc., to further aid in making the settlement. On this ship came Edward and William Hilton, and probably Mr. Pomeroy, as the cove where the ship was landed was named "Pomeroy's Cove," and has retained that name to the present day. It is now cut in two parts, by the Dover and Portsmouth railroad. For the first century of Dover that was the shipping point for Dover Neck and Dover Point. At one period Major Richard Waldern had a large warehouse there, from which he shipped merchandise to the West Indies, and ports in the Mediterrancan sea. Dr. Walter Barefoot, later known as Governor Barefoot, also had a warehouse and dock there, near Waldern's. Barefoot was then a resident physician in Dover.

As is well known the settlement at Little Harbor did not pay, and Thomson went to his island in Boston Harbor in 1625 or 1626, and there resided till his death in December 1628. That left the 6,000 acres, or such a part of it as belonged to them, by the indenture, on the hands of the Plymouth merchants, and they kept the Hiltons at work at Dover Point. That is. to say, the three merchants of Plymouth, Colmer, Sherwell and Pomeroy, received their title to the land from David Thomson by indenture; Edward Hilton received his title to it from the Plymouth merchants, who got out of the unprofitable bar

or

gain with Thomson as best they could. Hilton had his title renewed and confirmed by the Council of Plymouth, by the Squamscott Patent of 1629, which they gave him. Captain Thomas Wiggin's colonists who came over in 1633, and commenced the settlement on Dover Neck, received their title to the land from Hilton. Those colonists ganized a town government, and divided the land amongst themselves and new comers, who might be judged worthy to become citizens. The legal ownership of all land in old Dover was given by that town organization, in the way of "grants." Old Dover consisted of Dover, Somersworth, Durham (Oyster River), Lee, Madbury, and Newington (Bloody Point). Rollinsford was part of Somersworth, till 1849. Of course there was a lot of dickering and trading in which a multitude of names are mentioned, in one way or another, but the above statement is the simple way of explanation which leads the reader out of a wilderness of transactions. The organization of New Hampshire was of a later transaction. Dover is fifty years older than New Hampshire. In the old records. there is no mention of New Hampshire till 1680 when the scheme was started to separate the Pascataqua towns from Massachusetts, and make them a separate province, in which courts could be organized that might confirm the Mason heirs' claim to ownership of Dover farms, under the 1635 patent given to Captain John Mason, which has the name New Hampshire in it.

Under the circumstances in what better way could Mr. Hubbard state the facts of the beginning of the Pascataqua settlement than he did. in the following, copied from his history: "For being encouraged by the report of divers mariners that came to make fishing voyages upon

the coast, as well as the afore mentioned occasion (establishing the Pymouth Council), they sent over that year (1623) one Mr. David Thomson with Mr. Edward Hilton and his brother Mr. William Hilton, who had been fishmongers in London, with some others along with them, furnished with necessaries for carrying on a plantation. Possibly others might be sent after them in years following, 1624 and 1625; some of whom, first in probability, seized on the place called Little Harbor, on the west side of Pascataqua River, toward or at the mouth thereof; the Hiltons in the meanwhile setting up their stages higher up the river, toward the northwest, at or about a place since called Dover. But at that place called the Little Harbor, is supposed, was the first house set up, that ever was built in those parts; the chimney and some part of the stone wall (cellar wall) is standing at this day." Mr. Hubbard probably wrote that about 1650, as it is the first part of his manuscript which is now in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

As regards the name of the settlement of Dover. All the time it was under Edward Hilton's management the settlement is called Pascataqua or Pascataway. When Captain Thomas Wiggin's colonists 'commenced business they called it Bristol. Later under the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Larkham, who had been minister of the Church at Northam, England, the name changed to Northam, about 1639, and that name was used for a dozen years, or more. At some time under Massachusetts rule the name of Dover came to be used. No reason has yet been found why that name was adopted. None of the old settlers came from Dover, England. Properly the name Pascataqua ought to have been given the State, and it should have

In 1628 Thomas Morton was at the head of a settlement at "Merry Mount," (Wallaston) and was selling firearms and ammunition and rum to the Indians, which caused much trouble. Gov. Bradford of Plymouth ordered him to desist. Morton would not. Bradford sent Capt. Miles Standish, and a company of militia, to arrest Morton. Standish did so and Morton was sent to England for trial and punishment. The expense of the affair was 12 pounds and 7 shillings. The payment was The payment was apportioned among the settlements along the coast, from Plymouth_to the extreme settlement on the Maine coast, as follows, Plymouth 2 pounds and 10 shillings;-Naum10 shillings;-Naumkeag (Salem) one pound 10 shillings;-Jeffrey and Burselem 2 pounds;-Nantasket, one pound and 10 shillings;-Blackstone at Shawmut (Boston) 12 shillings;-Edward Hilton one pound; his men at Pascataqua 2 pounds. That shows that Dover was then one of the wealthiest settlements in New England. There was no other settlement, on either side of the Pascataqua River, at that time. This shows the settlement was not a recent affair; they had been in business there five years and had prospered, hand over fist, in trading with the Indians and catching and curing fish. Next to the Isle of Shoals, it was the best place for fishing along the coast.

Mr. Page discredits, or doubts, the correctness of the statement of William Hilton, Jr., made in 1660, that he and his mother came to Dover Point soon after his father and uncle Edward had commenced the settlement there, in 1623. It is a matter of record that William Hilton, Sr. arrived at Plymouth Nov. 11. 1621, in the ship "Fortune." He was well received and given a grant of one acre of land. In 1622

As previously explained, in speaking of David Thomson, William Hilton came over in the ship "Providence" of Plymouth, in the spring of 1623. He did not take his wife and children with him, because they could not be properly cared for, but in 1624, after they had built dwelling houses at Dover Point (as we now call it) he went to Plymouth to get his family. He applied to the Church to have his son John, then about two years old, baptized, but the request was denied, on the ground that he was not a member of the Plymouth Church. Thereupon he and his family came up the Pascataqua, and they never had any more dealings with the Plymouth Colony, or Church. So, as William Hilton, Jr. says in his petition of 1650,-"and, in a little tyme following, settled ourselves upon yr River of Paschataq with Mr. Edward and William Hilton, who were the first English planters there." That is to say the "little tyme" was from the summer of 1623 to the summer of 1624. No mystery about that statement. It settles the question beyond doubt that the settlement at Dover Point was in the spring of 1623, or it may have been June. Probably David Thomson got his house built at Little Harbor a few months before Edward Hilton had his habitation in order, so Hubbard is correct in saying,-"But at that place, called the Little Harbor, it

is supposed was the first house set up, that was ever built in those parts; the chimney and some part of the stone wall, is standing at this day" (about 1650.)

William Hilton did not build his house on Dover Point, but as soon as he had investigated the territory on both sides of the river he decided to make a bargain with the Indians, then owners of what is now Eliot, and bought their "corn field," and land around it, and built his house there; directly aqross Pascataqua River from Dover Point; there was his residence till 1632, when he was dispossessed by Captain Walter Neal, "governor" of the settlement begun at Strawberry Bank, by Captain John Mason in 1630. The famous "Laconia" company. They claimed their charter gave them the land on the east side of the Pascataqua River, so ousted Mr. Hilton, and gave it to one of the Laconia Company's men. There was no court to protect Hilton in his rights, till 1653. The Province of Maine came under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts in November, 1652, and the Court Records of Oct. 25, 1653 show that William Hilton recovered judgment in the sum of one hundred and sixty pounds against Ann Mason, executrix of the Will of Captain John Mason of London, deceased. Of this sum 50 pounds, were "for the interest for his land, which the defendant took from him, and for the vacancy of one year's time, and cutting down his house, and for other injuries, ten ponds, and for the interest for the whole sixty pounds for the term of one and twenty years, one hundred pounds."-Twenty one years carries us back to 1632, the time when William Hilton was planting corn just across the river from Dover Point. Various old records speak of this "old corn field" as belonging to William Hilton till he was dis

JOHN SCALES, A. M.

grants of land from the town of Dover. He was in business at Exeter a while. In 1646 he became a resident at Warehouse Point, Kittery, and his residence, for the rest of his life, was in Kittery and York. An honored and able man he died at York in 1656.

William Hilton, Jr., was born in England in 1615, hence was nine years old when he and his mother came to Dover Point to live. A boy of that age would have no difficulty in remembering his travels with his parents. Now, what did he say about it? His petition. to the General Court was as follows. Date 1660.-"To the Honored General Court, now assem

bled at Boston, the petition of William Hilton humbly showeth : "Whereas your petitioner's father, William Hilton, Hilton, came over into New England about the year Anno Dom. 1621, & your petitioner came about one year and a half after (July 1623) and in a little tyme following (one year) settled upon yr River of Paschataq Paschataq with Mr. Edward Hilton, who were the first English Planters there. William Hilton having much. intercourse with the Indians by way of trayed & mutual giving & receiving, amongst whom one Tahanto, Sagamore of Penacooke, for divers kindnesses, received from yr petioner's Father & himself, did freely give unto ye aforesaid William Hilton, Seniour & William Hilton, Juniour, six Miles of Land lying on ye River Penneconaquigg, being a rivulette running into Penacooke River to ye eastward, ye said Land to be bounded as may bee most for ye best accomodation of yr sd petitioner, his heyeres & assignes. The said Tahanto did also give to ye said father & son & to their heres forever, two miles of ye best Meddow Land lying on ye north east side of ye River Pennecooke, adjoining to ye sd River, with all ye appurtenances, which said tract of Land & Meddow hath, were given in ye presence of Fejld and severall Indians, in ye year 1636. At which tyme Tahanto went with aforesaid ye Hiltons to the Lands and thereof gave them possession. All of wch is commonly known to ye Ancient Inhabitants at Paschatq; and for the further confirmation of ye sd gift or grant your petitioner hath renewed deeds from ye said Tahanto; & since your petitioner understands that there bee many grants of Land lately given, there about, to bee layed out:-And lest any should be mistaken in chooseing their place & thereby intrench apon yr petitioner's rights, for preventing

whereof-Your petitioner humbly craveth that his grant may bee Confirmed by this Court, and that A.— B. —C.—, or any two of them, may be fully Impowered to sett forth ye bounds of all ye above mentioned Lands & make true returne whereof unto this Honored Court. And your Petitioner, as hee is in duty bound, will pray for your future. welfare & prosperity.

"Boston June 1, 1660. The Committee having considered the contents of this petition, do not judge meet that ye Court grant ye same, but having considered the petitioner's ground, for ye approbaccon of ye Indian's grant doe judge meet that 300 acres of sd Land bee sett out to ye Petitioner by a Committee chosen by this Court, so as that it may not prejudice any plantation, & this as a final end & issue of all future claims by virtue of the grant from the Indians.”

THOMAS DANFORTH
ELEA LUSHER
HENRY BARTHOLOMEW

The Magists approve of this return if theire ye Depu'ts Consent hereunto. EDWARD RAWSON, Secretary. Consented to by ye Deputies.

WILLIAM TORRY, Cleris. (Endorsed). The Petition of William Hilton, entered with ye Magistrates, 30 May 1660, & ex.pd'ents Tahanto's Deed and p. Mr. Dant. William Hilton's petition entered & referred to the Committee.

At the time this petition was presented to the Court Mr. William Hilton, Jr., was a resident of Charlestown, Mass., and he was well known by the General Court. For the clearer understanding of the eviidence I will give a brief of the career of William Hilton, Jr. He was born in England in 1615. He came over to Plymouth, Mass. with his mother in 1623. He came up to Dover Point with his parents in the summer of 1624. He resided with