Stephen Harding

     Stephen Harding was the son of Israel Harding and Lydia (—?—) (Gooch-Harding).¹ He married Abigail Littlefield, daughter of James Littlefield and Katherine Heard, on 28 July 1701.¹ He died on 5 December 1747 in Arundel, York County, Maine.¹
     
     It is probably safe to assume that Stephen was born at Wells, York County, Maine, where his father had been granted land in 1670 in return for his services as a blacksmith. In trade, he followed in his father's footsteps, and also like his father, he was in trouble occasionally because of his Baptist faith. However, the son was apparently a more congenial man who didn't go to great lengths to buck the system, as he had a pew in the Congregational church.

     Residents of the Kennebunks were under continual threat by Indians and, in 1690 during King William's War, Cape Porpoise was wholly depopulated. Those who escaped with their lives would not return for ten years. Scarcely had they repaired their decayed dwellings, fenced in their fields, now overrrun with bushes, and began to erect their mills, and enjoy their little remaining property in peace and safety, when the French again endeavored to excite the Indians to acts of hostility against the long harrassed colonists.

     Queen Anne's War between England and France was declared, May 4, 1702, which was sure to lead to an Indian war. The following year, hostilities recommenced.

     Previous to this war, the French had succeeded in drawing the remains of the Indian tribes that survived the former wars to two settlements in Canada to which they could retreat after assailing the English colonies. These tribes formed what were called the St. Francoise Indians.

     Five hundred of them, mostly commanded by Frenchmen, divided themselves into six or seven parties, and attacked all the principal settlements in Maine, August 10, 1703, and "Cape Porpoise, being inhabited only by a few unshielded fishermen, was wholly laid desolate." How many of the inhabitants of this town were killed or taken prisoners, it is now impossible to ascertain, but it is probable, that having so long been expecting an attack, most of them had made preparations for escaping in their boats. Wells was asailed by a much larger force than attacked Cape Porpoise, and the loss of the whites was 39 killed and taken prisoners, besides a considerable number of wounded.

     Bradbury, in his History of Kennebunk Port, writes:

     Stephen Harding, then living on the western side of the river, heard the firing at Wells, but supposed it was a company of soldiers exercising; and he prepared the next morning to go a hunting. His wife was extremely uneasy, and endeavored to prevail upon him to stay at home. He assured her there was no danger; but fancying she had seen two men looking into their window the night before, she was too much frightened to cook breakfast. Impatient at what he thought his wife's uncrounded fears, he went towards his shop to wait till his breakfast was ready, when on Oaks's rocks, at the extremity of Gooch's beach, he descried a large number of men, women, and children coming directly towards his house. Mr. Harding, in his turn, now became alarmed, and told his wife to take her child, then about a year old, and carry it across Goochs creek, and remain under a particular oak, till he could ascertain who these persons were. He was still in hopes they were not enemies, and that the females and children had taken the opportunity of visiting their friends, under the protection of the soldiers. He went into his shop, which was not boarded on the back side, and thumped on it with an axe, at the same time giving an Indian whoop. Immediately four Indians started up from their hiding places, and rushed towards the shop, thinking it had but one door, and that they had made sure of their prisoner. Mr. Harding, however, escaped at the back part of his shop, into a field of corn, where within a few rods of his house, he found his wife, who from fright and faintness was unable to make her escape. He caught her under one arm, and the child under the other, and ran towards the creek. It being flood tide, it was with difficulty he forded it. He crossed it, however, and left his wife under an oak tree, till he could go back and ascertain the intention of the Indians, still hoping it might be friendly. He had not gone far on his return, before he met an enormous bear, the largest, he said, he had ever seen. Unwilling to leave his family exposed to this new danger, he returned and commenced his march towards one of the Wells garrisons. He was obliged to kill a small dog that followed them, for fear he should betray them to the Indians, by his barking. The first night, they got as far as the hill, where the stage tavern now is, in Kennebunk, and remained there all night, having subsisted upon berries. Late the next evening they reached Storer's garrison, the inmates of which were asleep. Mr. Harding then concluded he had left his house without sufficient cause, or there would have been a better watch kept; and mortified on account of his cowardice, he was on the point of retracing his steps. At the solicitation of his wife, he consented to make one more attempt to arouse them, when the lamentations of the women and children, for the loss of their relatives, convinced him he had not yielded to a false alarm.

     The Indians, when discovering Mr. Harding had made his escape, and having pulled up all his corn in order to find him, said it was no use to extend their hunt for him, as he was as good an Indian as themselves. They killed his hogs, and took all his clothing and bedding, even to the ticks, throwing away the feathers, but did not injure his house; leaving that standing, as they afterwards told him, for a trap to catch him in at some future time. Their object was to take him alive, and carry him to their settlements in Canada, where his services as a blacksmith were much needed.

     This story is obviously traditional in nature, and as Bourne points out in his History of Wells and Kennebunk, "a very imperfect account" of the facts:

     Harding must have known that the Indians were away from their wigwams just over the creek. When abroad on their raids they did not have with them their wives and children, as seen on Oaks' rocks. It is hardly probable that Harding could have passed through the cornfield with his wife and child, without so moving the stocks as to make his track plain; and he could not have crossed the brook and ascended the bank on the upper side without exposing himself to their sight, and leaving foot-prints behind him. Nevertheless, there is no doubt of the accuracy of the leading facts. In passing down through four or five generations, they may have been extended somewhat.²

     King William's and Queen Anne's Wars caused tremendous suffering in Maine. The whole of the Kennebunks was hard hit with many casualties and a number of its citizens captured and carried to Canada. Cape Porpoise, having been depopulated twice, probably lost many of its inhabitants. In 1713, when a treaty was made with all the eastern tribes, residents began returning to commence their business of milling, fishing and farming.

     In 1713, Stephen was living in Wells and was a Selectman. That year he was presented for selling rum without a license, but in 1716 he was licensed to keep a house of entertainment. He and his wife being Baptists, they neglected to attend the Congregational meeting. In 1717, Abigail was presented for not going to meeting. Not appearing at court, the constable of Wells was ordered to apprehend her. At the next term of the court, Stephen was also presented for the same offense. Neither of them appeared, but they petitioned to be excused from a fine. The court ordered John Wheelwright, Esq. to investigate the affair, and he acquitted them, by their paying fees of court. In March 1717/18 he bought from Samuel and Mary Fuller of Salem their half of her father's estate.

     Induced by grants of land, settlers began to flock to the Kennebunks. In Arundel, a committee was chosen to select a place to build a meeting house, and measures taken to provide for schools. The ferry over Kennebunk River was re-established and the right of the town therein, with 50 acres of land, was granted to Stephen Harding of Wells "provided he and his heirs or assigns do well and truly form time to time, and at all times forever hereafter keep and maintain a good feary boot in said River, and Carry All the Inhabitants of Arondell from side to side, feary free at all times, and whatsoever they have to transport; Excepting it be good and safe Riding said River, and not to lett people wait on Either side for the booat if it can Posiablely be goot off."

     In July 1720 he bought from John Reynolds of Oyster River his right in the Reynolds 200 acres at Arundel, a resulting dispute with Thomas Perkins who had bought from other heirs being arbitrated 21 Feb. 1721/22. The outcome was in favor of Perkins, causing a breach between the families that a subsequent marriage did not wholly close.

     By 1722 he was living near the Galloping Place at Arundel and kept the ferry. After several violent confrontations on the New England frontier that year, Massachusetts (Maine was under their jurisdiction at that time) declared war on the Abenaki. Dummer's War (English-Indian War, Räle War, or Father Rasles' War) was New England's last major Indian war and lasted until 1725. During the war, Stephen was used as a skilled pilot, having hunted many years from the Saco to the Winnipesaukee Ponds.

     In March 1726, at a proprietor's meeting in Arundel, he and others "ware Entred Proprietors in the Rights of the Ainchient Proprietors." Stephen was made proprietor in the right of William Runnels "according to the Rights that there Predesessors had, and as they have bought it, and no other way." Proprietors were entitled to one-half vote for every fifty acres owned.

     In 1731, the first meeting house was built in Arundel. When it was first built, it had neither pulpit, galleries nor pews. Before a settled minister was ordained, a pulpit and galleries were built, and eight pews which were assigned to the wealthiest or most influential men in town on the following terms: "The one at the Right hand of the frunt to be offred to Capt. Perkins at £14;—at the Left hand to Mr. Fairfield for £13;—the two next to the stairs, the womens Stairs, Mr. Major £8, next to the mens Mr. Baxter £8;—the pue in the west Corner to Ensign Perkins at £10; the pue at the Left hand of the Pulpit next to it to Mr. Harding at £12; the next, to Mr. Downing at £8; the next, to Mr. Treeworgy at £7." Apparently, Stephen and Abigail were no longer Baptists, for this was a Congregational Church. (Note: Four of the eight are direct ancestors of Ruth Minerva Fairfield, and a fifth, Mr. Treeworgy, was the second husband of another.)

     13 Oct 1747, soon after the death of Abigail, Stephen deeded to daughters Miriam and Elizabeth over and above their shares for their care of their mother.

     Bradbury writes:

Harding was a very athletic man, but remarkably good natured. He always treated the Indians kindly in times of peace; and his life was frequently spared by them, when they had an opportunity to shoot him. He was fond of hunting, and would frequently be gone from home a fortnight on a hunting expedition; and wander as far as the White Hills. So much had he become accustomed to the Indian mode of warfare, that he was a match for them, in their own peculiar method of fighting.

     At the time when he had to leave his house, as has been narrated, the Indians best acquainted with him, complimented him upon his cunning, which was esteemed by them a high qualification, by saying in their sententious style, "Much man Stephen.—All one Indian.—Stephen's fled." The Indians were very anxious to get him alive, to carry to Canada, but after waiting for days, for an opportunity, they had not the courage to embrace it, so well acquainted were they with his great bodily strength.

     On the marsh, near his house, Mr. Harding kept a hollow stack of hay, inside which he frequently secreted his family, in times of danger.

     Stephen's ancestry has not been proven, but Bradbury gives the following account of the family:

     One of the original proprietors of the Lygonia, or plough patent, was Grace Harding, merchant of London. (In 1630 The Council for New England granted the Lygonia or Plough Patent of about sixteen hundred square miles, south of the Sagadahock or Kennebec river and including the site of the present city of Portland, to a group of London merchants. The organization is known both as the Company of Husbandmen and as the Plough Company and their proposed colony was to be called Lygonia.) Whether the family in this town descended from him or not, is not known. There were two of the name, probably brothers, Thomas and Israel, residing in this county before 1670. Israel, who was a blacksmith, came from Providence and lived in Wells; and in 1672, he married Lydia, the widow of John Gooch. Mr. Harding was appointed administrator of Gooch's estate, in consequence of his widow's "suddaine marrying agane." Gooch left three sons and one daughter. Gooch's mother, whose name was Ruth, was alive when he died, and was provided for in settling the estate.

     From the following extract from the county records, 1682, it would appear that Israel Harding, who was a baptist, was a preacher as well as blacksmith. "Israel Harding being convicted for very disorderly practise, and presumptuously taking upon him the office of a Minister, to preach and baptise contrary to rule and his Majesty's laws here Established, the Court here declare against such unwarrantable and presumptuous practices as having no Call from god or his people yr. unto." The court decreed, that if he continued to offend in this way, he should forfeit his estate.

     Stephen was undoubtedly the son of Israel, although his descendants say he was born in Providence; and that they never understood that his father was at any time a resident of Wells. From the fact of their being of the same religious faith, and occupation, it is probable that Stephen was the son of Israel, and was born in Wells; for Israel is still a family name in the Harding family, and they have a tradition that they were distantly connected with the Gooches.^1,3