Octant by Bradford, London. Sold off by an "old engineer" in Troy, New York about 1961.

Know all men by these presents that I, Jonathan Foster of Castine in the County of Hancock and State of Massachusetts yeoman in Consideration of Fifty Dollars paid me by John Crie of Vinalhaven County & State afersaid the Receipt whereof I do acknowledge....a certain neck of land adjoining the South Fox Island in Penobscot Bay so called. Bounded as follows: Beginning at Calderwood Sawmill so called and running by the mill pond to the head of the Pond thence running by an old Fence over the neck to the Water and thence by the Water on the Shore round to the bound first mentioned only said Foster reserves one Acre of land for a brow for the use of said Calderwood mill and a Road to said Mill....

"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I the said Jonathan Foster have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this Eleventh Day of May in the year of our LORD One thousand seven hundred and ninety seven. Jonathan Foster"

[Witnessed by John Lee and Saml A. Whitney, acknowledged for Eli Forbes, Jus. Peace and recorded with the Record of Deeds for the County of Hancock in Lib: 5 Folo: 217 by Eli Forbes, Reg. on 12 May 1797.]

It appears that John Crie was a landowner of sorts on the shore. It would be interesting to see what became of this land following this purchase. It is possible that this was the Crie "pied a terre" and enabled Crie to tie up his ship at his own facility.

The price in 1797 is listed in dollars while just in 1794 the Vinalhaven taxes were assessed in pounds, shillings and pence, ten years after the British had left Castine.

"Know all men by these presents, that I John Crie of the Island of Metinecus in the County of Hancock and State of Maine yeoman in Consideration of the love and good will & five Dollars paid by my wife Mary Crie The Receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, do hereby give, grant, sell, and convey unto the said Mary Crie a certain Lot or Parcel of Land lying & being on the said Island Butted & founded as follows viz-- [a twenty acre parcel and an eight acre parcel are described] To HAVE and to HOLD the afore-granted Premises to the said Mary Crie[etc.]

"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I the said John Crie have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourteenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven John Crie"

[This deed was witnessed by Joseph Ingraham and Mary Ingraham and affirmed by Joseph Ingraham, Justice of Peace. There is no note that it was recorded.]

Regarding the spelling, a deed of 1790 spelled the name "Mentinicus" and the county was Lincoln and the state was the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at that time.

On the reverse of the six-panel-fold document there are three markings. One identifies it as "Deed--John Crie to Mary Crie". The second is a pencil note "$50000 Mercy Crie" and the third, "This is to certify that I give up this Deed to My son John in his Mother place Deceased after My Deces that after your Deces to your son William if in life. John Crie Sener Mitncus febry 1835"

This looks like John Crie sold his land to his wife, expecting his wife to outlive him, and thereby avoid probate and taxes. Since his wife died 17 Feb 1835, it appears that John senior, who had reacquired the land as part of his wife's estate and endorsed the deed over to his son John with a stipulation that grandson William be the next owner.

The 1827 and 1835 signatures are very similar although the latter is rather unsteady. I believe son John Crie (jr) 1788-1858 is the first heir and that William Crie 1820-1886 is the next. William's wife Mercy (Young) Crie 1821-1919. Their children were Reuben F. Crie and Sarah Frances Crie who married Judson Haraden.

Prior to the dates noted in the deed, the land had been officially titled to the residents, "under a Resolve of Maine, passed Feb 14, 1825. James Irish, Land agent, Aug. 10, 1828, 'deeded to James Hall, John Hall, Joseph Condon, Ebenezer Peirce, Benjamin Condon, John Crie, Ebenezer Crie, Joseph Young, Jacob Smith and all other persons owning or possessing land on Matinicus, all the interest which the State had in said island, about seven hundred acres.'" [NEHGR]

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