History and Description of New England, New Hampshire Classic Reprint

Excerpt from History and Description of New England, New Hampshire

In 1634, Mason and Gorges, whose brilliant visions of wealth and fame still sustained them, attempted to revive their plantation, and sent over a fresh supply Of servants, and materials for building, appointing Francis Tilliams as their governor. A short time after this, (163-51) the Plymouth Company surrendered their charter to the crown, it having been complained of as a monopoly; and though Gorges used every species of argument to defend it from the allegation, all was of no avail. Prior to this event, l\iason and Gorges secured to themselves a portion Of the territory thus escheated to the crown, Mason's grant compris ing both his former patents, which were further increased by a purchase from Gorges Of a tract on'the northeast side of the Piscataqua, three miles in breadth from its mouth to its farthest head, including a saw mill at the falls Of Newiehawannock.'1 Our brightest visions Often fail Of realization, and it was thus with Mason. Just at 'a period when the darling schemes which he had nurtured were assuming something of a tangible shape, he was removed by death, and his American estate, which was valued in the inventory at sterling, was left by will to his relatives. After his death, his widow and executrix sent over Francis Norton as her general attorney, to whom she committed the whole management of her late husband's estate. The expenses so far exceeded the income that she was unable to meet the demands, and was obliged to relinquish the care Of the settlement. Many of the set tlers removed from the plantation, while those who remained kept pos session of the buildings and improvements, claiming them as their own. Thus, that which had but a few years before promised so much, and had cost Mason his fortune, was lost to the heirs. These events hap pened between 1638 and 1644. The heirs, however, had no idea of giving up so valuable an estate without an effort, and a series Of suits were instituted, which reached through a number of years.

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