[daveanthes.FTW]

Francis was a Indian trader & lived much of the time in Maine.

[Sprague.FTW]
SOURCE: Our Smalley Lineage by Viola Smalley Miller; 1990 Durham Drive, Palatine, IL 1961.

Francis Smalle, oldest son of Edward Smalle, was born at Bideford, Devonshire, England between 1620 and 1625. He was baptized at that place in St. Marys Church, October 6, 1625. Bideford is located on the Bristol Channel.

There is evidence that he was named for Francis Champernowne, a relative of the family. Champernowne, was in turn related to the famous navigators the Raleighs and Gilberts.

Francis Smalle came to America in about 1635 when he was twelve or fourteen years and with his father and other early settlers shared the frontier life of the Province of Maine. He was intensely active. He matured under conditions that made him a real frontiersman. He and his father first located at Kittery but by 1643 they had moved up the river to a point "where the Newichawannock river changes its name to the Pascataqua." Here Edward had acquired a homestead of one hundred acres, made a clearing and built a home. This homestead fronted the east side of river. It was thirty rods wide and extended northeastward to Sturgeon Creek. It was about a mile and three-quarters in length. It appears that Francis and his father lived here until 1647 when Edward Small sold the homestead.

In later life Francis referred to himself as a planter but he was preeminently a fisherman, a trapper, and an Indian trader. He learned the Indian Language and was employed by Major Shapleigh and others to negotiate with the Indians.
He lived a roving life and established homes in different places.

The earliest written record of him in America is that recorded in the town books of Dover, New Hampshire, which was then a part of the Province of Maine, where he paid taxes in 1648.

In about 1652, he was married to Elizabeth Leighton who was born in 1634.

On Jul 27, 1657, Francis acquired a tract of upland and marshes on and running back from Casco Bay in what is now known as the township of Falmouth. For this land he bound himself to pay yearly to the Indian chief during the chief's life, one trading coat and one gallon of liquor.

The name applied to this tract of land is Capisic which is an Indian word meaning net-fishing place. Undoubtedly, Francis had been fishing in Casco Bay for some time. Casco Bay was famous for its sturgeon fisheries and perhaps Francis Smalley had helped to make it so. The land he acquired extended from the Casco River to what is now known as Cumberland Mills in Westbrook. Here Francis made a clearing, built a house, and improved the land.

In addition to carrying on his fishing interests, Francis trapped for furs and traded with the Indians. In 1659, he removed his family from Falmouth to the island of Sebascadegan the largest island in Casco Bay, where he had previously established a trading post. This was truly a wilderness and there the family lived for more than a year and it was there that Francis Jr was born. This child, Francis Jr, was the first child born of English parents on the Great Sebascadegan. Due to Smalles early residence there, the island was commonly called Smalle's Island. The place where he lived and where he kept his fishing boats is still known as Smalle's Point and Harbor. After a year of residence on the island, Francis and his family moved back to Falmouth.

Another trading post early established by Francis was near the place where the Big Ossipee River empties into the Saco River. This post was about thirty miles due west from his home at Falmouth. Here he had built a cabin and
carried on his trapping for furs and trading with the Indians. Francis was very much at home in the wilderness.

During this period Francis' ventures had not proven financially fortunate and by 1663 he was in debt to one John Phillips to the amount of "two hundred and fortie pounds - 7s, 5d." To settle this obligation he bound himself to turn over to George Mountjoy, the son-in-law of Phillips, all the debts then owing him by the Indians and along with it all other monies he could spare until the total amount "shall be fully satisfied."

Francis contined his life of hunting, trapping, and fishing while the family lived at Falmouth and later at Kittery. Much of his time was spent at his wilderness trading post known by tghe name of Ossipee and it was while engaged in this work that one of the most interesting experiences of Francis' life took place.

During the summer of 1663, as was his custom, Francis sold goods to the Indians on credit for which they were to pay in furs during the fall trapping season.

By this summer's transactions the Indians had become considerably indebted to Smalle and as the time of payment drew near some of the less responsible and more heavily indebted of the tribe decided it would be easier to kill Smalle than to pay him. They planned to fire his house during the night and shoot him when he sought to escape the fire. Captain Sandy, the chief of the tribe was very friendly to SMALLE and secretly told him of the plans and advised him to flee for his life. Smalle was not sure whether the chief was telling him the truth or merely trying to scare him away, but thinking it wise, he left his cabin on the appointed November night and spent the long, chilling hours in some pines on a hill nearby. As dawn approached flames shot up from his burning cabin. Smalle was now certain of the Indians' treachery and with all speed fled to the white men's settlement.

The chief Nick Sumbe, called Captain Sandy by the English, followed Smalle and to settle the trouble deeded the entire Ossipee tract to him, beginning at the Great Ossipee River and extending south beyond the Little Ossipee. The boundary lines of this tract were somewhat indefinite but it included an area of about twenty miles square or some 256,000 acres. This was the largest land transfer ever to bemade to a single person in Maine, and probably no deed ever executed in Maine was the cause of so many heartaches and law suits as this conveyence from the Indian to Smalle.

As Francis grew older he spent more of his time at Kittery where his family was living. In 1669, he deeded half of his Ossipee tract to his old time friend Major Shapleigh and still later in 1711 seems to have deeded the whole tract to his son Samuel. For some time during his residence at Kittery he wa interested in the fishing trade at the Isles of Shoals, some nine miles south of Kittery, because in June 1673 "he brought action in court at Dover against Andrew Newcomb" for withholding the hull of a fishing shallop. Later as Francis grew older he found the fishing business less profitable, his contentins with the Indians more troublesome and the hardships of frontier life less bearable.

Becoming discouraged, Francis moved with his son, Daniel, to Plymouth Colony where he had previously visited with his kinsman John Smalley and John's children. Here again he worked as a fisherman and called himself a fisherman as late as 1712.

On October 31, 1712, Francis Smalle appears to have made a third deed transferring his Ossippee land. This time the deed transferred the land to his son Daniel with whom he and his wife were spending the last years of their
lives. It was later charged that this deed was spurious and those who so declared stated that Francis Smalle would have signed name, not affixed a mark as was the case. Mrs. Dyer, granddaughter of Francis and daughter of Daniel,
explained this failure to sign the deed by testifying that in his last years he was sorely afflicted with palsy "so bad in his hands that he was not able to hold a coal of fire to his pipe. . . or to write his name."

In 1713, Francis Smalle died at Truro, Cape Cod, rich in years and richer in experience. His frontier life had developed a rugged constitution and he was nearly ninety years of age at the time of his death. Just where he is buried and at what time his wife died, we can only surmise from the facts thus far related.

***********Planter, fisherman, noted Indian trader, first seen in a Dover tax list of Dec. 1648.
Francis was baptized 06 Oct 1625 at Bideford, Devonshire, England; at Piscataqua in 1634; a planter, fisherman, Indian trader at Sebascodegan, Falmouth and Kittery, Maine. Baptized in St. Mary's Parish, Bideford. He purchased of the sagamore, Capt. Sunday of Newichannock, 20 square miles (all the land between the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers in York County) for two large English blankets, two pounds of powder, four pounds of musket balls, twenty strings of Indian beads and two gallons of rum. The Mass. General Court confirmed the titles, but the heirs had the matter in court until well after the American War for Independence. Francis and Elizabeth had settled part of Sebascodegan Island belonging to Major Mich. Shapleigh, and theirs was the first white child born on the island. {-"Desc. of Edward Small of New England," Revised Edition, by Lora A. W. Underhill (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1934)}

From the Maine Gen. Publications

Francis Small.....Born about 1627 and said to be the son of Edward Small of Pascataqua who settled there about 1632. This not proven by the info available at this time. Lived in Dover, NH in 1648 and was married to Elizabeth Leighton. In 1688, Francis bought a large tract of land known as "Ossipee" where he maintained a home and trading post in a location now known as Cornish, Maine. By 1688 he was living in Kittery, Maine and after 1700 he lived with his son, Daniel, in Truro, Mass. He died in 1714 or 1715

Children= Daniel of Truro, Mass., Edward married to Mary Woodman of Dover, NH(Edward died in Chatham, Mass in 1702), Francis married to Elizabeth Hicks (died in Truro, Mass 1709-10), Samuel and Benjamin.
**************************************
10/19/1648
Francis Small was one of fifty-seven persons appearing on a "List of the Inhabitants of Dover that were Tax payers"
NEHG Register, Vol 4, Jan 1850, page 31, Extracts from Old Town Records of Dover, N.H.

1657 Francis Small was a fisherman at Casco Bay, Maine.

7/27/1657 Francis Small purchased a tract of land, upland and marshes, from indian Sagamore. The tract was located at "Capsic", which is now Portland, Maine.

5/10/1658 Francis Small sold half of the Capsic tract of land to John Phillips.

7/4/1659 Francis Small was brought into court by George Cleeves over title to the Capsic tract of land. The judgement was for the defendant, Francis Small; and he established his title to the Capsic lands.

7/8/1659 Francis Small confirms his sale of half of the Capsic tract to John Phillips Five entries above: DESCENDANTS OF EDWARD SMALL OF NEW ENGLAND (page 44)

11/2/1658 Francis Small purchases a plantation at Martin's Point, Falmouth, Maine for 25 pounds 10 shillings.

Abt. 1659 Francis Small removed to Great Island, Maine aka Great Sebascodegan Island.

abt 1662 Francis Small removed to his land at Falmouth, Maine

7/4/1663 Ffrancis Small was one of several signers of "A Declaration of Ye Townes of Scarborow & Ffalmouth, Black Point & Casco to be presented to ye Hon. Court at York." The declaration affirmed the signer allegiance to the court but asked for a determination of who was the governing authority for the settlements in Maine, the General Court or the local magistrates authorized by Royal decree.

11/28/1668 Francis Small purchased a large tract of land of about 20 square miles, called "Ossippee". This tract was sold to him by indian, "Capt. Sandy". The deed for this tract of land WAS NOT RECORDED UNTIL 8/28/1773.
DESCENDANTS OF EDWARD SMALL OF NEW ENGLAND (PAGES 51-55)

1/28/1669 Francis Small deeded one half of the "Ossippee" tract to Maj. Nicholas Shapleigh. THIS DEED WAS NOT RECORDED UNTIL 7/6/1773.
DESCENDANTS OF EDWARD SMALL OF NEW ENGLAND (PAGES 51-55)

8/9/1686
The Account Book of Captain John Gerrish of Kittery, Maine records that Franc. Small was part of Mr Davisses Crew of workers on a bridge at Madbury, Maine. The account book also records that "i payr french sols to frank small" who supplied "miscellaneous goods".
NEHG Register, Vol 36, Jan. 1882, page 73

4/30/1711 Francis Small deeded the "Ossippee" tract of land to his son, Samuel of Kittery, Maine. THIS DEED WAS NOT RECORDED UNTIL 8/28/1773.
DESCENDANTS OF EDWARD SMALL OF NEW ENGLAND (PAGES 51-55)

Abt. 1713 Francis Small died at Truro, Barnstable, Massachusetts at 83 years of age.

DESCENDANTS OF EDWARD SMALL OF NEW ENGLAND (PAGE 110)

8/27/1781The following deposition was given by Anna (Small) Dyer, widow of Henry Dyer.
This deposition was made in connection with a dispute over ownership of a tract of land known as Ossippe in Maine by descendands of Francis Small born bet. 1620-1625 in England and later residing in Maine and Truro, Barnstable, Massachusetts. The original is recorded in the town records of Alfred, Maine

"Anna Dyer aged about Eighty six years Testifeth & Sayeth that she Well Remebereth when her Grandfather Frances Small gave her father Daniel Small his Deed that bears Date one Thousand Seven Hundred and Twelve and She was then about seventeen or eighteen Years of Age and further Sayeth She well remembers that her Grandfather aforesaid had the Palsy so bad in his hands that he was not able of himself to hold a Cole of fire to his Pipe for Several Years before the Deed aforesaid was given and is Very Sure he Could not write his name for near Seven years before and the Deponent well Remembers the Discourse Esquire Pain (Paine) & my sd Grandfather had together before the said Esqr wrote the Deed, my Grandfather Told him his son Edwd was Dead and his son Francis was Dead his Son Saml was then Living at Piscatagua on his Home Place and his son Benjamin had moved to Connecticut & his son Daniel had maintained him and his Wife Six or Seven Years and Must Maintain them as Long as they Lived and he had no other way to make him Satisfaction than to give him his Right & Title to his Eastward Lands & further Sayeth When the Deed was done Esqr Pain asked hur sd Grandfather to Sign & he said his hand shook so bad he Could not tho said Esqr told him that he must make his mark and She further Sayeth that hur Grandfather told the said Esqr his other Lands Mentioned in the Deed was a large tract Twenty miles Square Lying aback of Wells and he had a house there and Traded with the Indians and the Indian Names of the Place was Ossabe and She well Remebers That He sd he had Conveyed one half to one Shapley and She thinks hur Grandfather Called his Name Major Shapley-She further Sayes that hur said Grandfather frances Small told Esqr pain that When he was at Piscataqua Sometime before he Looked for the Indian Deed of the Tract of Land and Could Not find it & wondred what was become of it & sd he believed it was Sum how or other Husled out of the Way She well rembers that he Spoke of but one Indian Deed and not in the Plural number of Deeds She further Says that hur sd Grandfather said he did Not think his son Daniel would Recover the said Tract of Land without more Difficulty than the Capepisch Lands because he said the bounds of it was uncertain She further Sayeth that she Never Saw her Uncle Samuel Small as she Remebers in hur life but was Told that he was at Truro when She was about a Year Old and that her Grandfather had Lived at Truro where he came to from Piscataqua as long ago as she Coud Remember And that She Never heard of his going any where from Cape Cod within Ten or Twelve years before he Died. She further Sayeth she Never heard of any Deed to hur uncle Samuel Small from hir said Grandfather, but that hur said Grandfather said several Times that he would give all his Estate to his son Daniel because he was the onely help he had & his onely Dependance She further Sayeth that hur said Grandfather Died Two Or three Years after he gave the above mentioned Deed to his Son Daniel and further Sayeth that I was well aquainted with my sd Grandfather Frances Small and my father Daniel Small Deceased was Reputed Sone of said frances and that Elisha Small Defed wa the Reputed Sone of said Daniel."

her
Aanah A Dyer
mark

The Deponant being asked by Deacon Samuel Small whether She Remembered that hur said Grandfather Francis Small Could not write his name for Seven Years before he Signed sd Deed She answered no but She well Remembers he could Not write his Name for Several Years before he Signed said Deed at least More than Two Years before he Signed said Deed She thinks three or four She also being asked if she was Not Interested in the above mentioned Land She Replyed no my Father aforesaid gave all his Lands to his Sons-

Cumberland ss Cape Elizabeth august 17th 1781 The above Named Annah Dyer made oath to the Truth of the foregoing Deposition by her Signed also to the Truth of the answers to the above Questions taken in Perpetium Relememoriam

By the Subscribers Justices of the Peace for said County Quoram Unies

William Simonton
David Strout

the above deposition was reproduced by NEHG Register in Vol 55, October 1881 on pages 566 and 567
********************************
The descendants of Francis Small apparently took no interest in the "Ossippee" lands until about 1777 when squatters began to settle on the tract. There was a dispute by the descendants of Daniel Small on one hand and the descendants of Samuel Small and descendants of Major Nicholas Shapleigh on the other hand. The later prevailed over the former but then lost to the claims of the settlers ("squatters") who latter obtained title to the lands that they occupied.

Underhill gives a more detailed account of the above dispute in her DESCENDANTS OF EDWARD SMALL OF NEW ENGLAND (PAGES 51-100)

*********Reference: 1186
[Sanders Family.FTW]

Notes from "The Libby Family in America" (1882) by Charles Libby:

FRANCIS SMALE seems to have been the ancestor of a great portion of the Smalls and Smalleys, of New England. He was born 1726. It is probably that he was a son of "Mr." Edward Smale, who was of Kittery as early as 1640 and in 1645 had commission as magistrate; of whose family nothing appears. Francis Smale first appeared at Dover, 1648; was of Falmouth 1651 and 1663; of Kittery 1668; where he spent the chief part of his life; in old age removed to Truro, Cape Cod, where he died about 1714. He was an Indian-trader, and had a trading house "back of Wells" on land which he afterward bought of Capt. Sandy, the Indian, twenty miles square, afterward known as the "five Ossipee townships". His wife was Elizabeth-probably that servant of Capt. Francis Champernoune mentioned in his will. She was born 1634 and live to old age.

Author: Charles T. Libby
Title: The Libby Family in America 1602-1881
Publication: (B. Thurston & Co. 1882)

*******

• Married: in Kittery,York,ME ^{2 3 4 11}

1. Edward I SMALL b: 1652 in Falmouth,Cumberland,ME
2. Mary SMALL b: ABT 1656 in Cape Elizabeth,Cumberland,ME
3. Francis II SMALL b: ABT 1659 in Plymouth,Plymouth,MA
4. Benjamin SMALL b: 1665 in Truro,Cape Cod,MA (Great Sebasidoen,ME)
5. Samuel SMALL b: 1666 in Kittery,York,ME
6. Daniel SMALL b: 1674 in Kittery,York,ME
7. Alice SMALL b: 1676 in Cape Elizabeth,Cumberland,ME
8. Elizabeth SMALL b: 1680 in Cape Elizabeth,Cumberland,ME

1. Title: Caroline S. Rude 283 Avenue C New York N.Y. 10009
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