“Petition of Inhabts of Sterlingtown.

June 1782 To the Honble Senate, and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of a Plantation called Sterlingtown in the County of Lincoln Humbly Sheweth That this Plantation is very new, began in the year 1776 by one Family; in the year 1777 two more were added; and has since increased so that the whole number of Families and Settlers (including several single men) are now Fourteen the whole number of male Inhabitants above the age of sixteen doth not exceed twenty  That we are scituate in the Wilderness at a great Distance from any other Settlements, tho’ bordering on incorporated Towns, through which we have not as yet been able to obtain any Roads so as to get any of our Lumber or other Effects to market but with the greatest Difficulty—  That in December 1778 a large barn belonging to Philip Robbins was consumed by Fire with almost all the grain raised that year by all the Settlers in the Place, together with a large Quantity of Hay, which flung the Inhabitants into great Distress, and occasioned the loss of ten Head of Cattle in the Winter That in the Year 1779 several of our Settlers turned out at the Siege of Majorbagaduce as Volunteers without any Pay; and in the Summer following by Advice of Gen Wadsworth we kept a Watch & Scouting Party at our own Expence

That several Persons formerly Settlers here have left their Habitations on account of the Difficulties in the Eastward, and several of those now here, have been drove from their Farms on the Island, and other places by the Enemy. That in the year 1779 We were assessed by the Town of Warren as adjacent Inhabitants, & their Constable took by Distress some of our most necessary farming Tools. That in the Year 1780 We petitioned the Honhte the General Court setting forth some of our Distresses and praying to be exempted from paying Taxes; in Consequence whereof the Honble Court in 1781 ordered that we should be exempted; and that the articles taken by Warren should be returned; which Order has never been comply’d with, though often sought for and Requested, the same Reasons still Remain for our being excused from paying Taxes, which were set forth in that Petition, only that the Town of Waldoborough has granted us a Road to be laid out to their Settlement, but is not yet laid out nor opened

Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray your Excellency and Honors, that we may be excused from paying Taxes until we are in Circumstances of Ability equal with our Brethren in the Commonwealth, and then we will most readily pay our Proportion And your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c

Phinehas Butler

Joel Adams

Jesse Bobbins

Philip Robbing

Richard Comings

David Robbins
Moses Hawes

John Butler

Ezra Bowen

Jason Ware

Ebenezer Robbins

Matthias Hawes

Elisha Partridge”

Reference Data:

Documentary History of the State of Maine, Vol. 20, by Maine Historical Society, 1914, pages 40-1