Text by Frances Pollitt
Images from Maine Historical Society
The Proprietors of the Township of Brunswick, also known as the Pejepscot Proprietors or the Pejepscot Purchase Company, began acquiring the land holdings of earlier owners and settlers in the areas of Brunswick, Topsham, Harpswell, and Lewiston in 1714. The company was formed at a time when the Massachusetts General Court was encouraging settlement and the laying out of townships in the "eastern country," which included the Province of Maine.
Shown here are a sampling of the maps and plans from this early settlement and depositions by and about Pere Pole, a Native American living in the area of the proprietorship. Even though the maps were carefully drawn, and depositions were taken regarding property boundaries and ownership, disputes often arose around property rights.
