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- John Libby came to Maine as a fisherman in the employ of RobertTrelawny, a Plymouth merchant who held a large grant of coast land atCape Elizabeth where, on Richmond Island, he had established an activefishing industry. John came over on the Hercules" which brought thefamily of John Winter, Trelawny's Maine manager, and many otherfishermen and servants and arrived in port at Richmond Island on 13February 1636/7, leaving his wife in England (he sent for her to join him here about 1640.It is suspected that John came from the area of Cornwall and that hewas born about 1614 even though in 1677 he signed a petition to thegovernor and council of Massachusetts Bay stating that he was thenseventy-five years of age. It seems more likely that he exaggerated hisage in an appeal for sympathy and assistance.In the history of Scarborough, he is said to have been "for many yearsone of the town's principal planters." He was constablein 1664 and his name stands first of the four selectmen in a town grantbearing date 1669. In King's Phillip's war (1675) he losteverything he had except his plantation. Captain Joshua Scattow's diarysays; "Eight of nine deserted houses belonging to Libbyand his children "were burned by the Indians 7 September, 1675."Source: Allen Humphries - John did not "colonize" Scarborough. ME. He, and his numerous family, were very influential in the establishment of Scarborough. It wouldn't have existed without the dogged determination of the Libby's, Larrabee's, and several other families who recognized the value of the area and sacrificed a lot (including family members who gave their lives) to make it what it became. But, he didn't hold the "Patents" or "Grants" that were used for colonization.
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