| 24 Oct/3 Nov 1620 |
Ludovic Stewart Duke of Lennox and others are incorporated as a "Body corporate and politick" under the name of the Council established at Plymouth, in the County of Devon for the planting, ruling, ordering, and governing of New England, in America, also known historically as the Council of New England, in accordance with letters patent (charter) issued by command of the King of England on 24 Oct/3 Nov 1620 (Hazard's Historical Collections, 1:103-118) |
| 10/20 Aug 1622 |
Sir Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason are granted part of the territory of New England in America between the Merrimack and Sagadahoc rivers to be called the Province of Maine, in accordance with an indenture of grant signed by the President and Council of New England, Sir Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason on 10/20 Aug 1622 (Maine Documentary History, 7:64-71) |
| 3/13 Apr 1639 |
Sir Ferdinando Gorges is granted part of the territory of New England in America, in accordance with letters patent (charter) issued by command of the King of England on 3/13 Apr 1639 (Maine Documentary History, 7:222-243) [1] |
| Jun 1640 |
the government of the Province of Maine under the charter of 1639 is established upon the arrival of the representative (deputy governor) of Sir Ferdinando Gorges and swearing-in of officials at the first General Court held in Saco on 25 Jun/5 Jul 1640 (Winthrop's History, 2:9-10; Maine Province and Court Records, 1:42ff) [2] |
| Jun 1640 - 25 May/4 Jun 1686 |
Province of Maine |
| Jul 1649 |
following the emergence of the Province of Lygonia on the territory claimed by the Maine proprietors, the residents of Gorgeana (York), Pascatquacke (Kittery) and Wells signed an agreement on creating "a boddy politick and Combination" to be governed by elected officials (Maine Province and Court Records, 1:133-134) |
| 16/26 Nov 1652 |
the inhabitants of Kittery acknowledge themselves subject to the government of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay at a court held in Kittery on 16/26 Nov 1652 (Maine Documentary History, 4:23) |
| 22 Nov/2 Dec 1652 |
the inhabitants of Gorgeana acknowledge themselves subject to the government of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, Gorgeana (Agamenticus) is renamed York at a court held in Gorgeana on 22 Nov/2 Dec 1652 (Maine Documentary History, 4:32) |
| 23 Jun/3 Jul 1665 |
a board of the Justices of the Peace is appointed as an executive and judicial authority to serve under direct rule of the Crown of England by the King's Commissioners on 23 Jun/3 Jul 1665 (Maine Province and Court Records, 1:213-215) |
| 7/17 Jul 1668 |
the restoration of authority of Massachusetts is proclaimed by the Massachusetts commissioners at a general court held in York on 7/17 Jul 1668 (Massachusetts Governor and Company Records, 4/1:401-404) |
| 20/30 Jul 1677 |
the validity of the charter of Sir Ferdinando Gorges of 1639 and the rejection of the claims of Massachusetts to the Province of Maine are approved by the King in Council on 20/30 Jul 1677 (England Privy Council Acts 1613-1680, pp. 722-725; Maine Documentary History, 7:335-340) |
| 13/23 Mar 1678 |
the Province of Maine is released and sold by Ferdinando Gorges to John Usher, in accordance with an indenture of grant and release signed by Gorges on 13/23 Mar 1678 (Maine Documentary History, 7:343-350) |
| 15/25 Mar 1678 |
the Province of Maine is released and sold by John Usher to the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay, in accordance with an indenture of grant and release signed by Usher on 15/25 Mar 1678 (Maine Documentary History, 7:350-356) |
| 25 May/4 Jun 1686 |
the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, the Provinces of New Hampshire and Maine, and the Narragansett Country (King's Province) are placed under the administration of a President and Council of the Territory and Dominion of New England, in accordance with a commission issued by command of the King of England on 8/18 Oct 1685, which was read and published in Boston on 25 May/4 Jun 1686 (Massachusetts Royal Commissions, pp. 37-43; Dudley Records, pp. 226-230) |
