The Ledge- Star Island
1. WILLIAM-
m. CATHERINE ______
William is first mentioned as a witness to an agreement dated 10 Jan. 1639 between John Lander, sealer and John Billings, fisherman of Piscataqua.(1) William and Catharine lived on four acres on Kittery Point which had been given to them by Lander and Billings.(2) William had sold the property before 1644 to Thomas Crockett as Thomas sold it in that year to Robert Mendum.(3) At the General Court held in Saco 25 June 1640 William was one of 15 Piscataqua men who were absent.
The Ledge- Star Island
William and his family moved to Star Island after leaving Kittery, but were ordered back to the mainland in 1647 for "improper dealings" with the sailors (probably selling them too much strong drink).
"Att the Court houlden the 7th of the 7th mo 47...
The wiefe of william wormewood being Psented for disorders kepte by her at Starre Island wth the fishermen, and beinge taken notice of for a com'on... The Courte doth fine her to pay xs and they desire the masters of the fishinge voyages to see that wormewood & his wiefe maye be paide their debts which are owinge unto them by the masters servants, and that mr Godfrey & mr Seeley doe take some order thatthere my abe a house provided for them on the mayne, and that they maye be provided for by the Inhabitants on both sides of the River equallie alike, If the saide wormewood & his wiefe shall fall to wante."(10)
William James also came back with them to Kittery and in Oct. 1647 Catherine was arrested, presumably for adultery, and sent to Boston. The charge was not proved as she was back in Kittery on 27 June 1648 when the court ordered that "William James and William Wormwood are for to part houshold and for to build another house before one yeare be ended." This did not stop the affair as on 15 Oct. 1650 William James and William Wormwood's wife were presented at court for living suspiciously together and if James did not leave by the next court he was to pay 40/ or have corporal punishment. William had become "a common swearer and a turbulent person" and moved back to the Shoals with his wife with the court decreeing "that if the Fishermen of the Iles of Sholes will entertaine Wormewood and his wife, they have liberty to sit downe ther provided that they shall not sell neither wine, beare nor Licker." James continued to "entertaine" Catherine for on 14 Oct. 1651 the court states: "William James shall hence forward separate himself from Catherine Wormewood & must forthwith pay his Fourty shillings for his breach of the last Court order about his seperation."(4)
In June 1648 William sued Nicholas Browne for debt and asked £10 for damages with a bull for security. John Sealey took the bull while it was under this attachment and was fined £5 for contempt.(5)
"At the Courte helde at Dover the 3 of the 8th month (48)...William Wormewood plantife againste the goodes of John Batten in an action of debte for the some of iiiil xs"(11)
"Actions entered & tryed at the Courte held at Dover the 8th of the 8th month 1649...
William Wormewood plant againste mr John Seley in an action of the case for non paymente of certaine money, as beinge administrator to mr nicholas Browne deceased
The Jurie doth finde for the plantife & give him 13l 15s 3d and costs of Courte
The Courte doth discente from the verditt of the Jurye".(12)
William sued Dr. John Reynolds in 1650 for detaining three goats and a sow for three years. As the good doctor had left the country he received a verdict against his surety Alexander Jones. William had to sue Jones again in 1651 to enforce the verdict.(6)
"Actions tried at the Courte holden at Strawberey bank the 8, 9, 10 of the 8 month 1650...William wormewood plant againste John Reynolds defend in an action of the case for deteyninge of three goates & a sowe three years.
The Jury doth finde for the plantife iiil xvs & costs of Courte
Costs of Courte: for enteringe the action.......................................................................................................................10-0
ffor william James a witnes one day iis Robert mussell 1 day 1s 6d................................................................................ 03-6
ffor Robert mendum 1 daye iis margerey Everard 2 dayes............................................................................................ 06-0
ffor the attendance of the plant. 3 dayes........................................................................................................................ 06-0
ffor the attachment & servinge it.................................................................................................................................... 02-3
______
27-9"(13)
"Actions tryed at the Courte holden at Dover the laste daye of the 7 month 1651, and the ffirste and 2 of the 8 month (51)...
William wormewood plant againste Alexander Jones in an action of the case for not Pforminge his promise for satisfaction of an execution assigned over unto him of the some of vl iis ixd in october laste by the saide william wormewood againste the goodes of John Reignolds.
The Jurie doth finde for the plantife the valew of the execution beinge five pounds iis 9d damage, and for forbearance of the same iis 9d and costs of Courte. Costs of Courte granted 18s 6d tot. 6l 4s 0d"(15)
"The Courte doth Judge that the goodes of John Reignolds shall satisfie alexander Jones to the valew of sixe pounds & foure shillings which he paide unto william wormewood upon execution granted againste him by a verdit of the Jurye at the Courte helde at Dover the firste of the 8 month (51) and also for the forbearance of the same till this Courte xs more for the execution iis for the leavienge the execution viiis ffor this Courte for enteringe the action xs for attendance of the plantife 3 dayes at 18d the daye iiis vid for an attachmente & servinge it iis vid tot. 8l-0s-9d".(16)
Catherine testified against Edward Colcord in court at Strawberry Banke in 1650 and was listed as one of the doubtful debtors of Robert Button in Jan. 1651.(7)
"Kathrine Wormwood affirmed upon her oath in Courte helde at Strawberey bank the 10th of the 8th month (50) that she did heare Edwarde Calcorde saye yeasterdaye being the 9 of this presente month, that he would pluck the Captaine (meaninge Captaine wiggin) of the benche.
Katherine wormwood sworne in Courte."(14)
William was mentioned in the details of evidence against Sir Edmund Andros and Lt. Gov. Patrick McGregory in 1689.(8)
William died in 1690 and his property was valued at �25.(9)
Issue-
Ref:
(1) York Deeds- Vol. I, Part I, fol. 10
m. MARY ______ (b.c.1667, m.2. John Spencer (killed by Indians 1 Sept. 1712), living in 1736 Wells)
William took the oath of allegiance to Massachusetts at York on 22 Mar. 1679/0. He had previously lived in Portsmouth where his tax was abated one week before he took the oath. By 1683/4 he owned land on the York River above Bass Cove as his land was cited as a boundary in a deed.(1) William was probably working for the Bragdons in their lumber business.(2)
William was a constable for York in 1685 and 1686 and was on the grand jury in 1688. In 1685 the town granted him and James Freethy a lot to cut firewood on. He appraised Samuel Freethy's estate and was a bondsman for George Norton in 1685.(5) In 1686 he was one of the protestors against the removal of the county records to Scarborough.(3)
In the fall of 1690 Arthur and Thomas Bragdon, Thomas' son Daniel, James Freethy along with William and four others were loading a boat at Cape Neddick harbor when they were attacked by Indians and the Bragdons, Freethy and William were killed. William's estate was valued at only £25 of which £12 was for his house and land.(4)
Issue-
Ref:
(1) York Deeds- Vol. IV, fol.7
3I. THOMAS (WILLIAM 1, WILLIAM 2)
b.c.1684
In 1708 the town allowed Benjamin Gooch, William Larrabee and Thomas Wormwood to till the highway on the north east side of Capt. John Wheelwright's farm at the eastern end of town. Here they were in sight of the garrison and the road was of little use while the Indian wars continued.(8)
Thomas was apprenticed to Samuel Wheelwright of Wells and after his death he served out his term with John Wheelwright. Because of this close relationship we can assume that Thomas and Jane were at the Wheelwright's for the wedding festivities of Hannah Wheelwright on 16 Sept. 1712 when the Indians crashed the party and went off with the bridegroom, Elisha Plaisted.(1)
During Lovewell's War, Thomas had charge of Harding's Garrison while Mr. Harding was off on a hunting expedition. The garrison housed about 30 women and children at the time. Thomas wasn't expecting an attack and took a boat to board some of the coasting ships that were in the river loading lumber. Thomas heard the alarm guns from Major's Garrison and returned and closed the gates when the Indians were within 20 yards of him. Sagamore Wahwa was irritated with his men for alarming the garrison just for the scalp of the white headed old man Mr. Bailey whose scalp they placed on a pole in view of the folks in the garrison. The Indians destroyed the remaining crops and killed the cattle who continued their raids through the fall.(6)
The following April (1724) Capt. John Felt of Lynn, hired Ebenezer Lewis and William Wormwood, Thomas' son, to help him load his ship. The spars were floating in Gooch's creek, near the mill dam. While standing on a raft Capt. Felt was shot dead. Ebenezer fled, but was shot in the back of the head. William ran ashore pursued by several Indians and with his back against a stump defended himself with the but of his musket until he was killed by having several shots fired at him. They were all buried in the field near Butler's Rocks.(7)
Thomas was on the jury in 1713. He received a grant of 100 acres on the northeast side of the Mousam River in 1715/6 and in 1720 he had 40 acres granted to him to make his home lot up to 100 acres. Thomas' was the third house built in that part of Wells. He became a proprietor of the town in 1734, owning two shares.(2)
"I Samuel Littlefield of Wells... in Consideration of Eleven pounds... paid... by Thomas Wormwood... Planter... do... Sell... Salt marsh or meadow Scittuate...in... Wells... on ye Northerly Side of ye river Comonly Called Mousom river... to a points of upland belonging to Thomas Wormwood... this Thirty first day of Decembr... 1717... Sameul Littlefield, Frances X Littlefield... in presence of us Nicholas Cole, Jonathan Sinkler, Ichabod X Cusins".(10)
Thomas was admitted to the church in Wells 3 July 1726. Jane was admitted to the church 6 Aug. 1726.(3)
"I Thomas Wormwood of Wells... Husbandman in Consideration of one certain Piece of Salt Marsh conveyed to me by Eleazer Clark & Samuel Clark... have... exchanged... One certain tract of Salt Marsh lying in sd Wells... by Mousem River... containing about one acre & one Half... I Jane the Wife of the sd Thomas Wormwood do... Relinquish all my Right of Dower... this First Day of Janry... 1734/5".(11)
In June 1749 Thomas testified that "over fifty years ago Nicholas Cane and myself helped my father-in-law (ie. step-father) Mr. John Spencer, late of York, deceased, fence the land where Mary Bulman's house now stands."(4)
Thomas deeded his homestead to his son Benjamin 24 Feb. 1743/4 in return for life support for himself and his wife Jane.(5) He was evidently still living in 1753 as his son Thomas was still refered to as Thomas Jr.
Thomas built a garrison house on the homestead which was protected by a wall twelve feet high.(9)Issue- Thompson lists all of the following except Elizabeth and includes Jane and Hepsibah. Davis lists Elizabeth but does not include Jane or Hepsibah.
Ref:
(1) The Ancestry of Annis Spear- p.114
Records of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport Families- Wm. S. Thompson, Vol. V, p. 2010
4II. THOMAS (WILLIAM 1, WILLIAM 2, THOMAS 3)
m. 15 Feb. 1738/9 HANNAH (3) EVANS
Thomas was admitted to the church in Arundel 11 July 1736.
"York Ss we the Subscribers being appointed and impowered by the Honble Judge of Probate to prize the estate of Thomas Wormwood Late of Wells Decd and according to a warrant directed to us we have attended to the same as follows ( ) what was shewn to us by William Wormwood admin to said Estate-----
forty two acors of Land in the home state with a barn and half the house thereon.......... 42=10=0Wels Novembr ye 10 1766...................................................................................... 93=1=5
Stephen Larabee
James Hubbard
Gideon Wacker"(1)
Inventory of Thomas Wormwood's Estate
Issue-
Ref:
(1) York Co. Probate- No. 20844
Records of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport Families- Wm. S. Thompson, Vol. V, pp. 2010-1
5II. WILLIAM (WILLIAM 1, WILLIAM 2, THOMAS 3, THOMAS 4)
b. 17 Aug. 1743 Kennebunk, ME
In 1773 the pews were assigned to members of the church. A committee was formed to rank the people and the pews were assigned based on their standing in the community. William was assigned pew no. 37 in the third rank.
Mr. Bourne tells an interesting story about encounters with bears in Kennebunk at the time:
"Mr. William Butland had several encounters with them while he lived at the Larrabee village on Mousam River. "I was", he says, "hoeing in my field near the house. It being in a time of peace, I had not taken my gun with me. My hog had strayed a short distance from the house to near the edge of the woods. All at once he began to squeal. In a moment it occurred to me that he was attacked by a bear. What was to be done? Before I could get my gun he would surely kill him. There was no alternative. I must risk my life or lose my hog. I could not hesitate, but ran with my hoe to the scene of action. The hog was struggling with the bear. I at him with my hoe, with all my strength. He immediately left the hog and pursued me, while I kept up a running fire with the hoe; but as the hog was getting out of the way, he turned back and seized him again. I at him a second time, giving it to him hot and heavy with the hoe. He again left the hog and renewed the combat with me; but I managed the hoe so addroitly that he was not able to get so close to me as he wished. Being so earnest after the hog, he again turned his back, while I followed him pell mell. He seized the hog, but at the same moment a gun was fired, which put an end to the contest by killing the bear." Mr. Wormwood, who lived in the house below, hearing the noise, seized his gun and ran to the spot, and seeing the bear shot him before Mr. Butland was aware of his coming to the rescue. But few persons now, we think, would have the courage to rush into such a contest." (1) You got that right! Mr. Butland had another run-in with a bear and with the assistance of Sergt. Larrabee and Mr. Wormwood the bear was dragged home and found to weigh between four and five hundred pounds.
Issue-
Ref:
(1) "History of Wells and Kennebunk"- Edward Bourne, B. Thurston & Co., Portland, 1875- pp. 560-1
Wells VR- book I
Records of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport Families- Wm. S. Thompson, Vol. V, pp. 1999ff
