Gott's Island, Maine
It has been thought best to include in
this work a notice of the early settlers of Gott's Island, as
the people from that island have so often intermarried with the
people of Swan's Island, and many of them have changed their
residences from the one place to the other that their histories
are almost inseparable.
Champlain was the first explorer who
makes mention of Gott's Island, which the French then called
Petit Plaisants (Little Placentia), by which name this island
was called until 1789, when it was purchased by Daniel Gott,
since which it has been known as Gott's Island. Champlain, while
on this voyage of discovery in September, 1604, made the first
map of this coast. On this map we' find the French had given
names to many of these islands, either at this time or previous
to Champlain's visit. Many of the names given to them by the
French have been retained to the present day, e. g.. Isle au
Haut, Grand Menan. Petit Menan, Mount Desert (which means "The
Isle of the Desert Mountains"), Petit Plaisants and Grand
Plaisants (Little and Great Placentia) which mean, when
translated, "The Little Beautiful Island" and "The Large
Beautiful Island", and Brule-cote, afterwards incorrectly
translated into Burnt Coat by which Swan's Island was formerly
known. The French from this time had possession of the coast
from the Penobscot bay to the St. Croix River. This claim was
not conceded, however, by the Massachusetts Bay colony, which
was jealous of the encroachment of the French. The French had
established trading posts at many places along the coast.
During the spring of 1688 Sir John
Andros, of the Massachusetts Bay colony, desiring to determine
the number of those stations and the strength of the French
occupation, sent a whaleboat down the shore to reconnoiter and
check the French advance. They found two French families,
(1) at Penobscot (Castine) Baron Castine,
his family and Ranne, his servant;
(2) at Eggemoggin reach Charles St. Robin, his son and daughter,
La Fleur and wife;
(3) near Mount Desert, Little Placentia (Gott's Island), he
found Lowry, wife and child who were French, and Hinds, wife and
four children (English under French protection);
(4) east side of Mount Desert, Winscheag Bay, Cadalac and wife;
(5) at St. Machias, Martell, John Breton, wife and child, of
Jersey. Latter, wife and three children;
(6) Passamaquoddy and St. Croix, St. Robin, wife and son
Lettrell, John Minus, wife and four children, Lambert, Jolly
Clive, his servant, Torza, Lena, his servant.
The above enumeration is found recorded
in the Massachusetts historical society, and was made May 11,
1688.
So the first account of a settlement on
Gott's Island was this record. How long they had been there, or
where they came from, is not known. Traces of where Hinds and
Lowry lived are still to be seen, one of which is in Charles
Welch's field, and another nearby in Samuel Gott's field. A
thorn tree still grows near where each one of these houses was
located, which is supposed to have been planted by these
families, as they were found growing there when Daniel Gott came
to the island in 1789. The thorn tree in Mr. Welch's field is
but a few rods from the shore, and the traces of where the house
stood are pretty well obliterated. The thorn bush in Mr. Gott's
field stands at what is called the fore shore bank. This bank,
which is made up mostly of clam shells, has been gradually
washed away by the action of the sea, so that only a part of the
cellar over which one of these settlers lived is visible; the
rest is washed away, and the thorn tree now is partly over the
bank.
The Massachusetts Bay colony, in May,
1704, sent out an expedition under Capt. Church against the
French and Indians along the coast. The French trading posts
were broken up, and many of the settlers were taken prisoners;
this may have been the fate of Hinds and Lowry. I do not find
any further record of settlers on Little Placentia until some
eighty years later, when it became the property of Mr. Gott. It
is probable that this island was the temj5orary abode of
fishermen during a greater part of the interval between the
departure of Hinds and Lowry and the arrival of Mr. Gott; but if
such there were, no records of them have been preserved.
The Gott family which first settled at
Mount Desert came from Gloucester, Mass. They had very large
families, and were a vigorous, hardy race; most of their large
families of descendants reached adult age, married, very often,
among their own relations, they in turn having large families.
So they have spread far and wide, and they and their descendants
form a large proportion of the inhabitants in all the towns
surrounding their early settlement. They are especially numerous
at Mount Desert, Gott's Island, Swan's Island and Deer Isle. On
account of their frequently marrying people of their own name,
and the frequent repetition of names in the different branches
of this family, their genealogy is confusing.
Charles Gott, the ancestor of the Gott
family in America, came to this country in 1628, and was of the
company that came over with John Endicott, afterwards governor.
This company sailed from Weymouth, England, June 20, 1628, and
arrived at Salem on Sept. 6, of the same year.
Daniel Gott, of Gloucester, had a large
and interesting family. Several of his children came to the
towns mentioned above. A part only settled on the island under
consideration, but their families are so connected that their
record will be given here. Three of his daughters married three
brothers, Richardson by name:
(1) Elizabeth married Stephen
Richardson, of Gloucester, and settled at West Bass Harbor, over
an old cellar in the field back of Jacob Sawyer's present
residence;
(2) Margaret married Thomas Richardson,
of Gloucester, and settled at East Bass Harbor; over a cellar
about half way between the store and present residence of Perry
W. Richardson;
(3) Rachel married James Richardson, of
Gloucester, and settled at Somesville about the time that
Abraham Somes made the first permanent settlement in 1762 or
'63. In August, 1763, George Richardson was born, he being the
first child born to white parents on Mount Desert.
Another daughter of Daniel Gott, of
Gloucester, named Eunice, married Capt. Benjamin Stockbridge, of
Gloucester; they had one son, Benjamin, jr., who settled at Deer
Isle. After the husband died Mrs. Stockbridge became the wife of
Capt. John Thurston, of Gloucester. By this second marriage
their children were: Ambrose, who married Polly Gamagy; Amos,
who married Mary Gott: Stephen married Mis. Pierce Carter:
William married Nancy Foster; John, jr., who married Sarah
Foster. All these were born in Gloucester. Then about 1784,
Capt. Thurston moved his growing family and his stepson,
Benjamin Stockbridge, to Deer Isle, where the following children
were born: Solomon, who married Sarah Gott; Lois, who was the
wife of a Mr. Hooper; after his death she married Charles Gott,
her cousin: Eunice, who was the wife of David Smith, of Swan's
Island; Susan, who was the first wife of Charles Gott. So the
Thurston and Stockbridge families of Deer Isle were closely
related to the Gotts, of Gott's Island. Most of these children's
families have been considered more in detail elsewhere in this
book.
Daniel Gott, of Gloucester, also had two
sons, Daniel, whom we shall notice as the original purchaser of
Gott's Island, and William. Peter Gott, whom we have recorded as
having settled and reared his family on Swan's Island, was a
cousin to this family.
William Gott, a son of Daniel Gott, of
Gloucester, married Patience Richardson, and settled at Mason's
point (Somesville) about 1776 or 1778. He died soon after, when
his widow married Andrew Tarr and settled at Fernald's point
(Southwest Harbor). By her first marriage Mrs. Gott's children
were: Elial, who was never married; he was killed in a drunken
fray in 1790; Rachel, who married a Mr. York; they had no
children; after Mr. York's death she became the wife of a Mr.
Dean; they^ had one child, Rhoda, who died young. By her second
marriage her children were: Comfort, who married Tobias Fernald,
of Kittery, Maine; Andrew, jr., married, in 1795, Esther
Stanwood; Daniel, who married, in 1799, Tryphosia Hudlock.
(1) Comfort and Tobias Fernald's
children were: Daniel, born in 1808, was never married; is
living (1894); Eben, born in 1810, married Sophronia Wasgatt.
(The above were the parents of Rev. O. H. Fernald.)
(2) Andrew Tarr, jr., married Esther
Stanwood. They had one son, also Andrew Tarr, born in 1796.
(3) Daniel Tarr married Tryphosia
Hudlock. Their children were; Daniel, Jonathan H., Samuel H., of
whom there is no record. Another son, Aaron, walked overboard in
his sleep from the steamer "Royal Tar"; Sarah married a Mr.
Stephens.
Daniel Gott, a son of Daniel Gott, of
Gloucester, first settled at Norwood's Cove, Tremont, sometime
previous to the Revolutionary war. His wife was Hannah Norwood.
Here, in 1777, their first child was born. Soon after this, Mr.
Gott moved to Gott's Island, it receiving its name from him;
previous to this time it was called Little Placentia Island. He
afterwards bought this island of the commonwealth of
Massachusetts, in consideration of the sum of £18. His deed was
dated March 25, 1789, and is still in a good state of
preservation; it is in the hands of Mr. Gott's descendants; he
thus became, as far as we have any record, the first owner of
the island. The two Bass Harbor residences of the sisters and
the Gott's Island residence were in full view.
These families, after settling here, had
hard work to support their families, depending almost solely
upon the fishing business, and being so far away from any place
where supplies could be obtained. An incident of great trial in
the family of the Gotts and Richardsons occurred at Bass Harbor.
They were short of provisions. Late in the fall of 1765 (or
thereabout) they sent a load of staves to Gloucester to be
exchanged for provisions to last them through the winter. When
the provisions arrived they were stored at Thomas Richardson's,
East Bass Harbor. That night Mr. Richardson and wife, having put
their two children, Thomas, jr., and Puah, in bed, they
harnessed an ox single and started for Beech Hill by moonlight,
following a wood track one mile east, and then along an Indian
trail seven or eight miles to Beech Hill and Somesville to
notify them that provisions had arrived. On their return near
midnight, when at the top of Beech Hill Mountain, they saw a
fire in the southwest direction and they knew that their cabin
was burning, and their two children probably burned to ashes.
Hastening their speed they happily met the children coming to
meet them, unharmed. This was a long, sad winter for them. All
their families moved to Gott's Island and made all things
common; fish, clams and some game helped them through the
winter.
Mr. Gott, with his two sons, Charles and
David, was drowned by the capsizing of a boat while returning
from the fishing grounds, July 7, 1814. Mr. Gott, sr., was near
fifty-five years of age. After his death his widow married Peter
Gott, of Swan's Island, in the year 1824. Peter then lived at
Gott's Island until his second wife's death, when he returned to
Swan's Island, and lived with his sons there until his death in
1839.
Daniel and Hannah Gott were the parents
of twelve children, all of whom reached adult age, married and
had large families of their own. There were ninety-seven
grandchildren, of whom eighty-one were married. Of these eight
were married the second time. The following were the children,
eight sons and four daughters. The daughters were: Hannah, wife
of William Appleton, who settled at Tremont: Elizabeth, wife of
James Somes, who settled at Beech Hill; Mary, born in 1775,
married her cousin, Amos Thurston, and settled at Deer Isle;
Sarah, born May 26, 1786, married Solomon Thurston, and settled
at Fox Island; she died August 23, 1869. The sons were: Daniel,
jr., Nathaniel, Joseph, Benjamin, William, Charles, David and
Isaac.
The families of the children of Daniel
and Hannah Gott will be further noticed.
I. Daniel Gott, jr., in 1785 married Deborah
Richardson, and settled at Beech Hill. They were the parents of
nine children as follows: Daniel, who died at the age of
twenty-one; Susannah, who married, Dec. 21, 1809, Rufus Wasgatt;
Sarah, who married, Nov. 30, 1815, Asa Wasgatt: Nathaniel, who
married, in 1814, Jane Dodge; Deborah, who became the second
wife of Daniel Ladd; Eliza, who was the first wife of Daniel
Ladd; Benjamin, who died unmarried; all the above settled at
Beech Hill; Isaac, who married Mrs. Tryphosa Atherton; after her
death he married Margaret Richardson and settled at West
Ellsworth; Ann, who married Luther Park, and moved out West.
II. Nathaniel Gott was
born Feb. 11, 1765. His wife was Betsey Richardson, who was born
April 14, 1767. They were married November 28, 1786. He settled
on Gott's Island. They were the parents of twelve children, all
of whom but one married and reared large families. Mr. Gott died
January 27, 1841. His wife died March 15, 1844.
The following were their children, one
son and eleven daughters: Asenath, wife of Philip Moore, of
Gott's Island; Jane, wife of James Greening, of Southwest
Harbor; Lucinda, wife of Thomas Stanley, of Little Cranberry
Isle; Esther, wife of Philip Longley, of Southwest Harbor;
Clarissa, wife of William Gilley, of Cranberry Isles; after his
death she became the wife of David Gates, of the same town;
Hannah died unmarried; Deborah was the wife of John Clark, of
Beech Hill; Nathaniel, jr., married Huldah Hudlock and settled
at Gott's Island; Rhoda, wife of Daniel Hamblen, of Bass Harbor;
Betsy, wife of Nicholas Tinker, of Southwest Harbor; Mary wife
of Benjamin Richardson, of Somerville; Judith, who was the first
wife of Mr. Gates.
III. Hannah Gott was
the wife of William Appleton. They settled at Tremont. They were
the parents of the following six children: Hannah, wife of a Mr.
Davis, of Ohio; Polly, wife of Robert Nichols: Reuben married
Jane; after his death she became the wife of Alfred Harper;
Charles died unmarried; Sally, wife of William Reed, of Goose
Gove, Tremont; Betsy, wife of William Harper, of Tremont.
IV. Elizabeth Gott
married James Somes and settled at Beech Hill, where all their
children were born. They afterwards moved to Solon, Maine, where
they died, Mr. Somes at the age of sixty-eight years and his
wife at the age of sixty years. They were the parents of nine
children, three sons and six daughters, as follows: Hannah, wife
of Stephen Manchester; they settled at Solon; Naomi died in
Bangor unmarried; Sarah, wife of Benjamin Merrill, of Solon;
Elizabeth married Daniel Durrill, who settled in Los Angeles,
Gal.; his widow still resides there; Mary died in infancy; Mary,
another child of that name, was the wife of Ezra Averill; they
settled at Twin Lake, Mich.; James married Louisa Wright and
settled in Dry Greek, Gal.; they are both living; Abram died in
Florence, Cal.; Daniel G. married Charlotta L. Thorn and settled
in Los Angeles. There are only three of this family now living
(1895), Elizabeth, aged eighty-two, James, aged seventy-seven,
and Daniel, aged sixty-nine years.
V. Mary Gott married
her cousin, Amos Thurston, of Deer Isle. (Mary's mother, Eunice,
was a sister of Daniel Gott, of Gott's Island. She married John
Thurston, of Gloucester, who settled at Deer Isle in 1784.) Mr.
and Mrs. Amos Thurston were the parents of eight children. They
owned a large part of the land on which the village of
Oceanville is now located. Mrs. Thurston died in 1866, at the
advanced age of ninety-one years. For many years before her
death she was totally blind. Their children were: Mary, born in
1798, died in 1803; Eunice, born in 1800, married Edward Small,
of Deer Isle; Susan, born in 1802, married John Webster Small,
of Deer Isle, December 7, 1820; Mr. Small died in 1874, aged
seventy-four years; Mrs. Small died in 1889, aged eighty-seven
years; Mary, born in 1804, married Nathaniel H. Richardson, of
Somesville, in 1826; Ambrose, born in 1806, married Serena
Morrill Gott; Amos, born in 1809, married Ann Stinson, of Deer
Isle; Elizabeth, born in 1815, married Walter Butler Hamblen;
after his death she became the wife of Capt. Jesse Stinson;
Hannah Ann, born in 1819, died in 1836.
VI. Joseph Gott married
Lydia Barton and settled at Little Gott's (Bar) Island. They
were the parents of nine children, viz.: Joseph, jr., married
Hannah Carter (a sister of David Gott's wife); Lydia was the
wife of William Hopkins; Ruth was the wife of Francis Gilley, of
Orland; Daniel married Lydia Benson; after her death he married
Cornelia Dodge; Joanna was the wife of Daniel Robinson, of
Southwest Harbor; James married Hulda Dawes; Martha was the wife
of Earl Lane; Hannah was the second wife of Earl Lane; Robert
married Rebecca Robinson, after her death he married a Mrs. Ober.
VII Benjamin Gott
married, in 1796, Lydia Morgan, and settled at Bass Harbor. They
were the parents of nine children as follows: Lydia, born in
1797, married Robert Mitchell, of Placentia; Benjamin died
unmarried; Joseph married Martha Gott and settled at Goose Cove;
Susan married Josiah Leach; David married Susan Kelley, and
lived at Goose Cove; John, born in 1812, married Nancy T. Gott,
who was born in 1819; Ezra was lost at sea; Ellen married and
lived in Boston; Elizabeth married John Dawes; after his death
she became the wife of a Mr. Hodgdon.
VII. William Gott was
born Oct. 17, 1777. He married Susannah Milliken Nov. 3, 1806,
and settled at Gott's Island. They were the parents of live
children. Mr. Gott died Feb. 17, 1856; his wife died June 6,
1856. Their children were: William, who married Mary Smith;
Samuel, who married Hannah Richardson and settled at Gott's
Island; Daniel, who died unmarried; Salome, who was the wife of
Abram Morrison; Phoebe, who was the wife of Daniel Jordan, of
Orland; Susan, who was the wife of Daniel Rich, of Bass Harbor.
IX. Charles Gott was
born in 177 1; married Susan Thurston; after her death, which
occurred in 1808, at the age of twenty-seven years, he married
Mrs. Lois Hooper, a sister of his first wife. Mr. Gott was
drowned, together with his father and brother David, Juh' 7,
1814, at the age of forty-three years. His widow moved to
Sedgwick where she reared her family. There were eight children,
as follows: Susanna, born 1798, died 1817; Lois T., born in
1800, was the wife of David Walker; she died in 1886; Nancy F.,
born in 1802, was the wife of John Thurston, of South Deer Isle;
Amos T., born in 1805, married Joanna Gott, a daughter of David
Gott; after her death he married Mrs. Margaret M. (Douglass)
Gott, widow of Solomon Gott; Charles jr., born in 1807, married
Alice Carter, of Sedgwick. The children by his second wife were:
Solomon T., born in 1810, married Margaret Douglass; Eunice T.,
born in 1812, married Joseph Herrick, of Sedgwick; Hannah, born
in 1813, was the wife of Daniel Douglass.
X. David Gott married
Joanna Carter and settled on Gott's Island. He was drowned, as
stated in the last notice, July 7, 1814. His widow moved to
Bluehill, where she reared her family of four children. They
were: Abigail, wife of Moses Friend, of Sedgwick; Joanna, wife
of Amos Thurston Gott: Hannah married in 1832 Preston Preble;
Mrs. Preble is still living in Sedgwick at the age of
eighty-three years (1895); David, jr., died in infancy.
XI. Sarah Gott born in
1786 married Solomon Thurston. They were the parents of nine
children. Mr. Thurston died in 1854, aged seventy-one years; his
wife died August 23, 1869. Their children were: Sarah, born in
1809, was the wife of Enos Cooper, of Rockport; Solomon, born in
1811, married Mary Annis; after her death he married Calista
Calderwood; Martha was the wife of Jesse Thayer, of West Deer
Isle; Hannah was the wife of James Witherspoon, of North Haven;
Sophronia was the wife of William Harrison Smith; John married
Lizzie Grindle, of North Haven; Daniel was lost at sea in 1848;
Mary Ann married, in 1832, J. W. Ingraham; William married Abbie
Wright, of Rockland.
XII. Isaac Gott married
his cousin, Mary Thurston, and settled at Bass Harbor. They were
the parents of eight children, as follows: Mary, wife of John
Verrill; Isaac, who married Betsy Thurston, of Deer Isle; Serena
was the wife of Ambrose Thurston, of Deer Isle; James, who
married Martha Small, of Deer Isle; after her death he married
Eliza Webster, of Goose Cove; Hannah was the wife of Sullivan
Webster; Mary was the wife of John Gott; Lydia died unmarried;
Almira T. was the wife of Ambrose Thurston, of Tremont.
Source: A History of Swan's Island,
Maine, by H.W. Small, MD, Ellsworth Me, Hancock County
Publishing Company, Printers, 1808
Index
|