| Notes |
- NICHOLAS, Kittery, s/o Alexander, born in England, a man of eminence was first of Portsmouth, sold his estate there in Dec. 1644, chosen Treasurer of the Province of Maine 1649, captain in 1653, major in 1656, superseded in 1663 by William Phillips, being in 1662 a magistrate next to the right worshipful Henry Josselyn. He had wife, Alice, no. children, went home probably seven years later, and lived long, yet came not again to our side of the ocean, I presume, but died in England 1681 or 2. His name is not included with. those the royal commissionners honored in giving office, who might seem to prove his absence though special reason may be, his tenderness for Quakers.
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Alexander's son, Major Nicholas Shapleigh (1618-1682), for whom the Town of Shapleigh was named, had no children, but brought from England and raised his nephew John Shapleigh, s/o his brother, Alexander, Jr. who died quite young.
"Noted for his ability in public life and for his hospitable nature and tolerance for those not always in favor with others, he early became a distingushed man in the Province of Maine."
An article in the Boston Globe indicated that the first cup of tea made in this country was brewed on the Shapleigh Estate in Eliot, Maine, in the 1600s. This was indeed Sandy Hill (Kittery), and probably was as early as 1636.
Nicholas Shapleigh had a grist mill on Sturgeon Creek, about a mile away from Sandy Hill. Still today can be seen the remaining timbers of Major Nicholas Shapleigh's sawmill and gristmill, preserved for over 300 years by the salt waters.
"When York and Kittery were taken into the Bay Government (Massachsetts), the "bounds of Yorke and Kettery were laid out by Nico Shapleigh...." On28 May 1659 Capt Nicholas Shapleigh and three others were appointed to lay out Scarborough, Falmouth, and Saco bounds.
"At the time that Maine submitted to the governance of Massachusetts,with others of Governor Godfrey's counsil, he contended violently with the Massachusetts commisssioners in opposition to submitting to that Province, but as most of the people had yielded, Godfrey, Shapleigh, and most of the other members of the council signed a submission in 1652.
"Despite his opposition to Massachusetts governance and he being far from a supporter of the Puritan faith (then the established religion of Massachusetts), Massachusetts appointed him as collector of the Province of Maine, Shire or County Treasurer. On 27 May 1663, the Massachusetts court met to "conferr the power of Major upon Captain Nico Shapleigh, for ordering of the militia in the county of Yorke..."
Nicholas Shapleigh was evidently of the established Church of England, however, he appears to have had a strong leaning toward the Quakers and was at times considered to be one of them by the authorities of Massachusetts. In 1669 he and two others (one of them the town clerk), elected by the people selectmen of the town, were all removed from office on the charge of being Quakers, and the town was required to elect others.
Less than a mile from the town site is a bronze plaque marking the site of the Signing of the Submission (to Massachusetts territorial rule), in1652. Major Nicholas Shapleigh was a signer of that document.
From Shapleigh Family Association website: On 21 Feb 1676 Maj Richard Waldrene and Nicholas Shapleigh, were appointed a committe to "treat with the Eastern Indians for Peace."
"In 1678, Nicholas Shapleigh, Captain Champernoon and Captain Fryer of Portsmouth were appointed by Massachusetts to settle a peace with Squandoand all the Sagamore upon the Adroscoggin and Kennebec rivers. They met the Indians at Casco and entered into articles of peace 12 April 1678. This treaty put an end to the distressing Indian wars which had existed three years and had greatly reduced the number of inhabitants."
Major Nicholas Shapleigh was killed at the launching of a boat at John Diamond's shipyard in Kittery in 1682.
His widow Alice, his deceased sister's three daughters, and his deceased brother Alexander's son John, were all heirs to his estate. His property consisted principally of land and mills.
From Families of Old Kittery, Maine:
"Nicholas, s/o Alexander Shapleigh, who built the first house atKittery Point, was one of the most prominent men of old Kittery. Heserved as one of the Provincial Councillors from 1644 to 1652 with theexception of one year. He was also County Treasurer and one of theCommissioners to hold the first term of Court in York County, in June,1653. He was several times on the Board of Selectmen and Deputy to theGeneral Court. He was appointed, in 1656, Major in the Militia. AsJustice of the Peace he was qualified to marry, and once, in 1660, he waspresented at Court for marrying Capt. John Mitchell and Widow SarahGunnison before their bann publication. He gave sympathy andentertainment to the early Quaker preachers, for which he, with two otherSelectmen, was deposed from office and disfranchised. Yet he wasafterward elected as Deputy. In 1667 he had command of the Militia inMaine and in 1678 was one of the Commissioners to conclude a peace withSquando and the Sagamores on the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers. He wasextensively engaged in lumbering and milling, owning with others mills onSpruce Creek, Cammock's Creek and Sturgeon Creek. He had a long lawsuitwith Hugh Gunnison about sale of land at Kittery Point, the record ofwhich in the Supreme Court at Boston has been published in the MaineHistorical Collections. He was in 1674 imprisoned and fined two hundredpounds for the offense that, to use his own words, "I did inconsiderately and out of foolish pity receive and conceale William fforrest and two others being in a sudden hurry, my compassion overcoming my reason."These fugitives were accused of piracy. His sister, Katharine Hilton, sent in a touching petition that he be released, reminding the Court that "38 years since, in a time of great scarsity, in this land, our father layd out a good estate, for the supply of this Country, & the setleing some part of it, & in a seas/o there want supplyed them soe reasonabley with provisions, that it was thankfully accepted and acknowledged by the Authority then in being." He was at one time owner of Sebascodigan Island, off the coast of Harpswell. The town of Shapleigh was named in honor of him, he having once bought that township of Francis Small. He was killed at the launching of a vessel at the shipyard of John Diamond, at Kittery Foreside, 29 April 1682. A spar struck him on the head as the vessel moved. The early prosperity of Kittery was due as much to this man as to any other. He left no children, and his nephew, John Shapleigh, inherited his estate. The farm at "Sandy Hill" has been held by a Shapleigh ever since about 1636.«s3»
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Old Dead Relatives
Abt 1610 - 1682 (~ 72 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
