Saint Croix Courier, St. Stephen, NB
March 1, 1894
GLIMPSES OF THE PAST
Contributions to the History of Charlotte County and the Border Towns.
CV – THE OLD SETTLERS OF PASSAMAQUODDY.
(Additional to Articles lii and xcii.)
[By Rev. W. O. Raymond, M. A.]
Jeremiah Frost, son of James and Sarah Frost, (referred to in notes appended to article cii.,) was born about 1749, and came to Passamaquoddy in his 21st year. As already stated in this series, he, with James Brown, built the first log house at St. Andrews, in 1769, and the next year settled at St. Stephen. In his deposition of July 19, 1797, laid before the Boundary Commission, he is described as ‘Jeremiah Frost of St. Stephen, Farmer, aged 48 years or thereabouts, and has lived in the said settlement ever since 1770.’
Unless, however, there were two Jeremiah Frosts at Passamaquoddy, which at that early period seems to be very improbable, Frost lived for a short time on the St. John river. The reasons for such a conclusion may here be briefly stated.
The multitude of Loyalists who desired to settle on the St. John river had rendered it necessary to secure all the ungranted and escheatable lands for their accomodation. A committee was appointed by Major Studholme to report on the situation; and their report, which is to be found in the Secretary’s office at Halifax, is one of the most interesting and valuable papers extant dealing with the pre-Loyalist settlers on the river St. John.
Their work was executed in as expeditious a manner as possible. The committee apparently investigated in a week’s time some forty cases scattered along the river for a distance of forty-five miles. They afterwards made similar reports respecting the other townships on the river St. John. In the volume to be shortly issued by the New Brunswick Historical Society, the reports of this committee will appear. The following letter will speak for itself:
St. John’s River, June 30th, 1783.
To Major Studholme, Commandant at Fort Howe, &c.
SIR:-Agreeable to your instructions on the 15th Inst., we proceeded up the River St. Johns on the 24th, and have endeavored in the most accurate manner to collect the best information that was possible respecting the titles, claims, characters, principles and deserts of those people settled on the lands commonly known by the appellation of Amesbury tract, the townships of Gage, Burton, Sunbury, Newtown, and the lands formerly granted to one McNutt, and after full examination report as follows:
[Then follow reports on the various settlers, those given below being of special interest in this connection.]
5. Stephen Dow, has a wife; is settled on Musquash Island (Township of Gage,) has no claim but possession. Has built a log house and cleared about 3 acres of land. Came from Passamaquadde about 4 years past and says he was drove off by the rebels.
. . . . . .
19. Daniel Rolf an aged man, has a wife and one child. Came on last spring from Passamaquoddie. He came on to this river about 4 years past and has cleared 1 ½ acres of land.
20. Jeremiah Frost has a wife and four children. Purchased the improvements of William Curtis. Has a log house and about 12 acres of land cleared. Came from Passamaquoddie.
. . . . . .
The foregoing are all the persons that are settled on the lands at Amesbury and Gagetown and all that we could find that have the least reasonable pretence of claim. Those that we thought worthy of any particular favor for their loyalty, attachment or any services to the government we have properly noticed and refer the whole to the determination of the authority proper to decide.
The returns of Burton, Sunbury, Newtown and McNutts shall be handed you as soon as compleat.
We have the honour to be &c.
EBENEZER FOSTER,
FYLER DIBBLEE,
JAMES WHITE,
GERVICE SAY.
Two of the committee were “old inhabitants,” viz., James White and Gervice Say. The former, with James Simonds, as is well known, were early at the mouth of the St. John river. White was of course extremely well acquainted with the river and the settlers on it. He was sheriff for the county of Sunbury before the coming of the Loyalists, a fact which I have never seen noted in print, but which he mentions under oath in an old chancery suit. Gervice Say was an old Sunbury magistrate, who afterwards taught the Indian school at Sheffield. There are many references to him in old Sunbury county documents.
The other two committee men were Loyalists. Ebenezer Foster was a member for Kings county in the first house of assembly. Fyler Dibblee, formerly attorney-at-law of Stamford, Conn., came to St. John as deputy agent in charge of the ship Union, which arrived at Partridge Island May 10th, 1783, having led the spring fleet all the way from Sandy Hook light.
After his death, his widow, Mary (or Polly) Dibblee, with her youngest son, William, removed from the Nerepis to Woodstock.
In order to corroborate the supposition that Frost remained but a little while on the St. John river, it may be mentioned that there is no reference to any of his family in the records of baptisms, marriages and burials solemnized there by Rev. Richard Clarke (1786-1792), and by Rev. John Beardsley (1787-1800). Very probably, if he had a good title to his land, (which is not by any means certain, since most of the old inhabitants had very defective titles and some none at all,) he surrendered it for the accommodation of the Loyalists and received some compensation for improvements.
Sarah Frost resided at Gagetown in 1785, at St. Stephen in
1789, and at Deer Island in 1792.