History:

In order to fully appreciate the conditions under which the people of the early church labored, it is necessary that we review as briefly as possible the early history of the town. The Town, Parish, and church were very closely linked. The Law required that each grant or township should build a church and that the first religious society should be called the First Parish. Every resident on becoming 21 years of age became a member of that parish and be required to pay his proportional share of its support.

Prior to the first French and Indian war, this section of Maine was claimed by both France and England. At the close of conflicts in the 1720's, France gave up all claims to the Main Land as far up as the Penobscot River. The English government and the Massachusetts Bay Colony were very desirous to settle this newly acquired land as soon as possible, and at once set about to grant townships, first to men who had taken part in the different Indian wars, and then to any group of sixty or more men who would agree to settle in such a place.

In 1735 a group of men in Boston made such a petition. On March 27th, 1736 they were granted a township six to seven miles square just back of North Yarmouth, by the General Court of the Province of Massachusetts. The proprietors met, organized, raised money and prepared regulations. A copy of these regulations is on record in the Massachusetts Archives and reads as follows. "Ordered that the said town be laid out into 63 equal shares. One of which is to be for the first settled minister, one for the ministry, and one for the school that on each of the other sixty shares the petitioners do within three years from the conformation of the plan have settled One Good Family, who shall have a house built on his home lot of eighteen feet square and seven feet stud at least, and finished that each right or grant have six acres of land brought to and plowed or brought to English grass and fitted for mowing and that they settle a learned orthodox minister and build and finish a convenient meeting house for the public worship of God and the said committee are hereby directed to take a bond of each settler of forty pounds for this faithful performing the conditions of the settlement, and in case any of the settlers fail of performing the conditions, then his or their right, share or interest, in the said town to revert to and be at the disposition of the province."