explanation of arrangement.—This will be readily understood. The descendants are
numbered consecutively on the left hand side of the page, and a star (*)
prefixed to a number indicates that the record of the person thus designated is
carried forward and will be found in the succeeding generation under the same
number, this time located in the center of the line. All the children of one
family thus carried forward are grouped under a caption designating the
parents, and the eldest child takes precedence in the arrangement.
George Felt is found in
The wife of George Felt was Elizabeth,2 daughter of widow Prudence Wilkinson,3
whose home in
----
1 John
Endicott reached
2 Rev. Joseph B. Felt states that an Elizabeth
Felt died in 1662, aged 50 years. If this was the wife of George Felt, he
subsequently married another of the same baptismal name.
3 Widow Prudence
Wilkinson in her will, dated "1655, II : Mo : 9,
day," names her son John and her daughter Eliza. Felt.
----
south side of Mill Hill, nearly
adjoining that of her son-in-law. Whether he married in Charlestown, or was
already married when he came, is cause for conjecture, but it is probable that
they were already ma Tied and brought children with them.
The town of Charlestown,
although at the time of its annexation to Boston in 1873, the smallest in the
State, covering only about 600 acres, originally embraced within its limits the
territory now contained in Woburn, Burlington, Stoneham, Maiden, Somerville,
and parts of Reading, Medford, Cambridge, and Arlington. On
Up to this time all public
business had been transacted by a general convention of the people, but this
practice having become cumbersome and unsatisfactory, it was thought best to
organize a new form of town government; consequently, on the l0th of February,
1634-5, the following "town order" creating a board of selectmen was
passed : —
''An ordr
made by the Inhabitants of Charlestowne At a ffull meeting, for the Governmt
of the Towne by Selectmen:
"1634. In consideration
of the great trouble and chearg of the Inhabitants of
Charlestowne by reason of the Frequent meeting of the
townsmen in generall, and yt
by reason of many men meeting things were not so easily brought unto a ioynt Issue: It is therefore agreed by the sayde townesmen ioytly that these eleuen men
whose names are written on the other syde, with the
advise of Pastor and teacher desired in any case of conscience, shall entreat
of all such busines as shall concerne
the townsmen, The choise of officers excepted, and
what they or the greater part of them shall conclude of, the rest of the towne willingly to submit Vnto as
their owne pper act, and
these 13 (sic) to contineu in imployment
for one yeare next ensuing the date hereof, being
dated this: l0th of February 1634.
"In wittnes
of this agreement wee whose names are vnder written haue set to or hands,"
There were thirty-three
signers to this order, among them George Felt, and it
will be observed that his signature, which may yet be seen upon the ancient
records of
By the year 1638 the
necessity of an accurate public record of their possessions was felt by the
people of
Mr, Palmer, who was the second
incumbent of the town clerk's office, having accomplished this, the following entry appears upon
the records: —
"1638. On the 28th day of the X month was taken A True Record of all such houses & Lands as are possessed by the Inhabitants of Charlstown, whethr by purchase, by gift from the" Towne, or by allottments as they were devided amongst them by a Joynt Consent aftr the Genl Court had setled theire Bounds, by granting eight miles from the old Meeting house into the Contry Northwest Northrly, &c. the bounds of the sd Towne Lying or being bettwixt Cambridge alias New Towne, on the West South west, Si Boston Land on the East as it apprs upon Record by the sever" grants of Gen" Courts to all the afforesd Bounds."
George Felt was found to be the owner of the following property within the limits of the town : —
"1. One Dwelling
house with a garden plott,
"2. One milch cow common. 2
"3. ffive acres of wood land by estimation, more or lesse, scituate in misticke feilde, butting south upon the high way towards the south river, north upon the woodland, bounded on the west by Pru Wilkinson, and on the east by Rob Hayle.3
----
1 and 2.
These two
were within the limits of the present Charlestown District of Boston,
3 Within
the present limits of Everett.
====
"4. Haulf an acre of meaddow by estimation, more or lesse, lying in mistick marshes, butting west towards the north river, bounded on the north by Will Dade, and on the south by George Bunker.'
"5. ffive
acres of woodland by estimation, more or lesse,
"6. ffifteene
acres of woodland, more or lesse,
"7. Thirtie and eight acres of
land, more or lesse,
Thus it appears that George Felt was the owner of a very respectable property, as has previously been intimated.
On the 19th of January, 1639-40). Elizabeth Felt, the wife of George, was
admitted to the communion of the first Church, and a week later, January 26th,
presented her three children, Elizabeth, Mary, and George, for baptism. No
record has been found to show that the father was a member of the Charlestown
Church. Elder John Green, in his entry of the above mentioned baptisms, calls
the name Felch, although he recorded Elizabeth, the mother, at the time of her
admission to the church, as Felt.
Some time during the year 1640, George Felt obtained three hundred
acres of land from John Philips, a Welshman, at Broad Cove on Casco Bay,
in Maine, and by 1643 had become one of the pioneer settlers of North Yarmouth.
"The advent of George Felt in Broad Cove may be said to be the birthday of
North Yarmouth." This locality was then called Wescustogo
by the Indians. Upon this land he built a stone house, or garrison, but his
title to the property not proving sufficient, he re-purchased it in 1643 of
Richard Vines, the agent of Sir Ferdinando Gorges,
who held a patent of all the lands embraced within the territory of Maine, east
of the Sagadahoc River. After a few years' residence
====
1 Within
the limits of the present town of Everett.
2 In the
Sixth Ward of the city of Maiden.
3 In Maiden. 4 In the town of Woburn.
====
at Wescustogo, George Felt returned
to
"Know all men by these presents, that I Georg
Felch, Inhabitant of Charlestown, on Mistike syde, doe by this acknowledge that I have sould, and am full payd for it,
unto Tames Barret, of the same town, three akers of Arrable land, more or lesse, which I bought of ffrancis
Mills, which sayd land lyes
on Mistik syde, within the rayles, bounded on the east syde
by Richard Kettell, and by the cuntry
high way on the west syde, bounded on the north by
Edward Carrington, and on the south by A high way. And the sayd
James Barret is to enjoy and to hould
the sayd three akers of
land for him and his heighers for ever.
"In witness hereof, I, Georg ffelch, have set my hand to a bill of sale of this same,
the 26th day. of the 3rd moneth
1648." This land was within the present limits of Everett.
"Know all men by these presents, that I, Georg
Felch, of Charlestown, do acknowledge that I have sould
unto Gardy James of the same towne, half my Ten Aker Lott,
lying on Mistik syde, the
other halfe of which Lott my mother Wilkinson occu-pieth, and enjoyeth, and I
doe hereby resign over all my right, titell, and
interest in the sayd half ten Aker
Lott unto the sayd Gardy
James, to be his and his heigres for ever.
"Witness my hand this 1st day of the 2d
mo. 1649"
In a deed1 given Aug. 4, 1664, to John Phillips of
Boston, in which he describes himself as of "Casco in New England,
mason," he disposes of his "dwelling house with the barne, out houseing & Land
and meadow ground," also twenty acres of land "belonging to the houselott," and "allso
sixteen acres and a halfe of swamp," two acres
in "Charlestowne Common." twenty-four acres
in "Charles-towne comons
on Misticke side near spott
pond," and fourteen acres of meadow "lying in Charlestowne
bounds." At the time this deed was given he had already returned to Casco
Bay, and this was the closing out of his possessions in Massachusetts.
During
the time of his
absence from
====
1Middlesex Land Records, Vol. 3, page 154.
====
retained the ownership of his possessions there,
and about 1660 returned to Broad Cove. The deposition of his son Moses, made
Nov. 30, 1733, and recorded in Book 17, page 76, of York County Records, in
which he states "that he lived in North Yarmouth in Casco Bay, abt fourteen years before the Narragansett Indian Warr broke out,'' fixes this year as the time of his
return.
In 1670 he added to his possessions by another purchase from John
Philips, of 2,000 acres of land at Broad Cove, for which he paid the sum of
sixty pounds. He had already lived upon it three years and improved it.
In 1675 the Narragansett War broke out and continued until 1678.
We have no account of George Felt's flight from his home, but are told that
North Yarmouth was deserted during the war, and undoubtedly for this period he
sojourned elsewhere. After peace was restored he returned, and continued upon
his plantation until 1684, when, by a piece of glaring injustice, he was
despoiled of the accumulations of a lifetime. In order to clearly show how this
was brought about, the following account, adapted from an article written by
William H. Sargent, Esq., of Portland, on the
"Derivation of Titles in North Yarmouth,"1 is presented in
connection with facts obtained from other sources.
The title to all lands in Maine originated in a grant made by King
James I, in April, 1606, to the Council of Plymouth. The Council on the 10th of August, 1622,
granted to Sir Ferdinando. Gorges and Captain John
Mason "all the lands situated between the rivers
====
1Published in Old Times in North Yarmouth, page 424.
====
In 1630 the Council of Plymouth infringed upon its grant to Gorges
by giving to John Dy and others the Province of Lygonia, a tract lying between Capes Porpoise and
Elizabeth, and extend-ing forty miles inland. This
did not include Broad Cove, where George Felt had his possessions, that being
situated farther east. The following year a company came over in the ship
"Plough" to settle under this last named patent, but being
dissatisfied with the country, dispersed. About 1643.
Col. Alexander Rigby obtained a nominal interest from the survivors, in the
Province of Lygonia, evidently with the hope of being
able to oust Gorges and thus gain a tangible interest in the property, and
commissioned his friend, George Cleeves, as deputy
governor, and soon after set up a claim to all the lands as far east as the Sagadahock, thus bringing Broad Cove in North Yarmouth
within their claim. '• This gave rise to interminable disputes and strife
between the Rigby and Gorges factions, that continued, every now and then
breaking out afresh, and were never finally composed till both claimants had
either submitted to or sold out to Massachusetts."
When the Narragansett war occurred the settlement of North
Yarmouth was deserted and the town destroyed by the Indians. After the return
of peace in 1678, the survivors of the war returned, the
title to the property was purchased by Massachusetts of Gorges' heir, Sir
Thomas Danforth appointed Provincial President, and
at a court held by him at
Mr. Sargent is evidently in error in
intimating that the 2,000 acres taken from George Felt was the same that he
purchased of John Phillips in 1640, for in a petition to Governor Andros in 1688, George Felt himself stated that
about 18 years before he had bought a plantation or farm of John Phillips of
Boston, at a place called Great Cove in Casco Bay, containing about 2,000
acres, for which he paid 60 pounds, that he had occupied it three years before
the purchase; and after the Indian war, it was withheld from him by Casco
people, and he being impoverished could not ' recover it. He was then suffering
from want, being about 87 years old" Further evidence is found in a deed2
given March 20, 1727, by Moses and George Felt, the son and
grandson of George Felt of Broad Cove, to the committee of North Yarmouth, in
which they recite that "whereas the said George Felt formerly bought of
John Phillips of Casco Bay aforesd, a
certain Tract or Parcell of land lying at Broad Cove,
in Northyarmouth aforesd,
====
1 York
County Records, Book III, page 76.
2 Proprietors' Records of North Yarmouth, page 52.
====
containing three hundred acres, beginning at ye falls
called Felt's falls, and so down the Broad Cove or bay, to a Red Oak Tree near
the water being the bounds of the lands which ye committee of the town of Northyarmouth formerly granted to Walter Gendall, and from sd
waterside and falls to run up into the wilderness, upon a square, until the
said Three Hundred Acres be fully com-pleated, and also three acres of salt
marsh at Broad Cove and four acres of fresh meadow at some distance from said
Felt's house: which lands and premises the aforesaid George Felt again
purchase of ye agent of Sir Ferdinando
Gorges about ye year 1643: and the said Felt built
a house thereon and lived in it, and possessed and improved ye said
land and premises above forty years without molestation, and until ye
year 1684, excepting one hundred acres thereof lying next to the land of yc said Walter Gendall.
and the aforesd three acres of salt marsh,
and also the four acres of fresh meadow which the s George Felt in ye
year 1680, sold to the said Walter Gendall, who
improved the same till driven off by the Indian Enemy in the year 1688. And the
sd George Felt,
in the year 1684, gave and granted the remaining two hundred acres of the aforesd tract of land unto the said Moses
and George Felt, to be equally divided between them, who continued in the
peaceable possession of the said house and land until drove off by the Indians
in the year 1688."
The above serves to show that Felt's original purchase was 300
acres, the title to which was confirmed by repurchase of Gorges and never
afterwards disputed, while the 2,000 acres of which he was deprived was that
purchased of Phillips in 1670 for the sum of sixty pounds. Undoubtedly
Phillips' title rested upon an Indian deed, to which sort at the time of the
resettlement of North Yarmouth no respect was paid, and which were subsequently
decided by the Court to be invalid, valid titles resting only upon the Gorges
patent.
After the disposition of a portion of his
property to Walter Gendall George Felt returned to
Maiden, notwithstanding the statement made in the deed given by Moses
and George Felt 3d, and previously here quoted, that he lived at
The Humble Petition of George Felt Senr of Mauldon,
"To his Excellency Sr Edmund Andros, Knt, one of his Majties most
honor ourable privy bed chamber, Capt Generall and & Gov. in Chief in and over his Majties Territory and Dominion of New England in America 2
sheweth
:
That it is my grief that I am compelled to trouble yor Excellency at this time But having about eighteen years since purchased of one Jno Phillips of Bost, Gent., late Deceased, a farme or Plaintaintion at a Place called the Great Cove (in Casco Bay) containing about two thousand acres of upland and marsh as by a firm Deed under sd-Phillips hand and seale, for which I then paid him sixty pounds money, and improved sd Farme or plaintation severall years before I bought it so that the whole time of my occupying it was about one and twenty years, But some time after the late Indian Warr it was withheld from me by some of the inhabitants of sd Town of Caskoe Bay and being by sd warr much impoverished I could not recover it out of their hands. I also am now forced to suffer for want of convenient care taken of me in my present distresse being about Eighty seaven years old and very crasy and weak,
Therefore, yor Petitionr
recommendeth his case to yor
Excellencies prudent consideration humbly beseaching
and earnestly begging that if it seem meet and Convenient yor
Excellency would be pleased to favor yor petionr that he may have confirmation of his sd lands undr such moderate quit
rent, as well as an ordr to ye Townsmen of Maulden abovesd for something at
present to re-leave ye petitioner in this his extreem
poverty. The which shall farther oblige yor petionr as in duty bound
daily to pray for y' Excellency."
This redress was denied him, and we find further aid extended to
him by the Selectmen of Maiden, viz.: —" June 8, 1691, voted that there be
raised 4 or 5 pounds for the present supply of george
felt and his wife to be paid in provision or in money."
====
2 Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 128, page 282.
====
The aged couple were now evidently
growing feebler, and the town voted, March 14. 1692, with a prudent provision
for rebate in case its charity should prove overgenerous "that the towne doe alow goodman nicols aleuen pound in or of money for this present yeare ensuing for the maintanance
of his father and mother felt, if ether of them dy
with in the year, after funiral charges, what is left
to return to the selectmen or there order." The record ends here. The
sturdy pioneer whose advent at North Yarmouth was reckoned as its
"birth-day," and whose courageous manhood helped to establish it
firmly upon the foundation of prosperity it enjoys to-day; wronged in his old
age by those who should have aided him instead ;
driven out to seek a home of charity; assured that his "funiral expenses" were provided for, died in 1693, aged 92 years, and his wife "much
advanced in years" followed him in 1694.
CHILDREN.'
*2. i. elizabeth, b.-----; bap.
*3. ii. mary, b.-----; bap.
*4. iii. george,
b.-----; bap.
5.
iv. Moses, b.-----; bap.
*6. v. aaron, b,-----.
*7. vi. moses, b. in 1651.
====
1 It is possible that there was also a son Peter. See No. 48. Appendix A.
====