Acadiensis/Volume 2/Number 4/Robert and Miriam Pagan
Robert and Miriam Pagan
ROBERT Pagan was one of three brothers who immigrated to Falmouth, Casco Bay, Mass., from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1769. Of these, Robert established himself as a merchant at Falmouth, now known as Portland. Lorenzo Sabine, in his Biographical Sketches of the Loyalists of the American Revolution, and quoting from an older authority, remarks that though a young man, Robert Pagan "pursued on a large scale the lumber business and ship building. The ships which were built were not generally employed in our trade, but with their cargoes sent to Europe and sold. Mr. Pagan kept on the corner of King and Fore streets the largest stock of goods which was employed here before the war. He was a man of popular manners and much beloved by the people."
Sabine further remarks that in 1774 he was a member of a committee appointed to ascertain the names of the holders of tea in town, and the quantity and quality of that obnoxious article. A year later he became involved in the controversies of the time and abandoned his business and the country soon after the burning of Falmouth by Mowatt.
In 1778 Mr. Pagan was proscribed and banished, and in 1784, he settled at St. Andrews, New Brunswick, of which place he was one of the principal grantees. His name also appears as a grantee among those of Morristown, now St. Stephen, and which was known as the Port Matoon Association.
From the New York Public Library the writer has recently received a copy of the claim fyled by Robert Pagan, on his own account, and also on account of the firm of which he was a member. These records, with the evidence taken under oath at the time, throw a great deal of light upon many incidents of the Revolution and of the abandonment of property at Falmouth and Penobscot, and of the early settlement of St. Andrews, with which Mr. Pagan was prominently connected.
For the benefit of students who might wish to examine this or similar claims, it might be mentioned that the copies of the claims of the Loyalists for compensation from the British Government, in consequence of losses incurred through the American Revolution, form a very extensive and voluminous collection, consisting of about sixty large manuscript volumes in the New York Library. They are entitled " American Loyalists; Transcript of the Manuscript Books and Papers of the Commission of Enquiry into the Losses and Services of the American Loyalists held under Acts of Parliament of 23, 25, 26, 28 and 29 of George III., preserved amongst the Audit Office Records in the Public Record Office of England, 1783–1790."
The first reference to Robert Pagan will be found on pages 269–283 of Volume 14, which volume is entitled "Examinations in Nova Scotia, etc., Memorials, Schedules of Losses, and Evidence of Massachusetts (continued) and New Hampshire Claimants." A further reference will be found upon page 295 of Volume 28, entitled "Determinations on Claims in Nova Scotia, etc., Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Jersey."
From the various memoranda, we gather that at the time of the breaking out of the war, Robert Pagan was a member of the firm of Lee, Tucker & Co., of Greenock, Scotland, of which the remaining partners were Joseph Tucker, Robert Lee and Ewen Meetts, all residents of Greenock, and who resided there all through the war. Under the terms of the partnership, Robert Pagan had an interest to the extent of one-eighth of the property on this side of the water. The firm name under which business was transacted in America was Robert Pagan & Co.
The following is the personal "claim of Robert Pagan for property lost at Falmouth, Casco Bay, New England:"
Household Furniture, etc., burnt in the fire of 18th October 1775 Value in Sterling,
|
£50 | |
th of Goods burnt in different stores at the same time, value £120 Sterling,
|
15 | |
th of the Schooner Favourite, James Dillworth Master, Burthen 120 Tons, about 15 Months old when she sailed from Caso (sic) Bay for Tobago in January 1776 £750, Sterling, from which is to be deducted the sum of £337. 10 Sterling the amount she sold for at St. Eustatia after escaping from Tobago to prevent her being seized in the Restraining Act
|
180. 9. 4 | |
th of the Brigantine Falmouth, John Martin, Master, value when she sailed from Falmouth, Caso Bay, in February 1776 with Provisions and Advanced Wages £1000 Str. Condemned
|
125 | |
Cabin Stores laid in for himself & Family for our Voyage to the West Indies and Britain plundered by the Crew of the Argo
|
33 | |
th of Lumber on hand left at Falmouth Casco (sic) Bay part of which was used by the Rebels erecting Batteries &ce. the remainder entirely lost, amount £112. 7. 8
|
14. 2. 2 | |
th of Lawyers Fees &ce. in endeavouring to recover the Brigantine Falmouth at St. John Antigua
|
1. 17. 6 | |
Paid for Certified Copies of the Brigantine Falmouth's Condemnation now produced
|
2. 19. 3 | |
Expence for Self & Family in the West Indies from 1st April to 1st July in consequence of the Capture & Condemnation of the Brigt. Falmouth
|
75 | |
His Loss of time in consequence of the Dissentions from 18th October 1775 when the Town of Falmo. was burnt until he arrived in New York in April 1777, during which time he was obliged to live at an heavy Expence and could do no kind of Business
|
||
| Total, | £497. 8. 3 |
In addition to his personal claims, Robert Pagan made claim on behalf of his partners in Scotland for the remaining seven-eighths of the property mentioned in the foregoing schedule, and in which their interest amounted to £1901. 18.
A third claim is also found for property, in which Robert Pagan, with his brothers, William and Thomas, were interested, situate at Penobscot, and which is as follows :
| The Claim of Robert Pagan for Property lost at Penobscot owned by himself and his brothers William & Thomas, claimed by him by virtue of the Act of Parliament of 1783. | |
| A Dwelling House & Outhouses burnt at the Evacuation also a Garden with the House Lot, value in Sterling | £120 |
| A Dry Good Store the Frame of which was taken down and carried to St. Andrews value £108 Sterling—Deducting value of the Frame & Boards £20 | 88 |
| A Store on the Water Side £80, deducting the value of the Frame & Boards £20 | 60 |
| An inclosed Lumber Yard & a Breast work | 50 |
| A Saw Mill with fifty Acres of Land in Deer's Island in Penobscot Bay | 243 |
| Another Saw Mill at Deer's Island | 288 |
| Sterling | £849 |
| A Lot of Land granted him by Brigadier John Campbell on which he encouraged him to make sundry of the above Charged Improvements. |
From the sworn statement of Robert Pagan, which is on fyle, it appears that he sent his claim to England by the transports which carried the 74th Regiment of Foot from Penobscot in 1784. Foreseeing that the country must eventually be lost to Great Britain, he had applied in 1775 for leave to quit Casco Bay with the property belonging to himself and co-partnery, but this was refused.
In the month of February, 1776, he embarked his family on board a brig, which he had in the harbour of Falmouth, and sailed for Barbadoes. From that "he went home."
He afterwards carried on trade at New York and Penobscot, remaining at the latter place, with many others, supposing that this river would eventually, be made the boundary between the new Republic and the British possessions. His hopes, however, were doomed to dis.png)
.png)
Robert and Miriam Pagan.
From paintings in the possession of Mr. T. Herbert Street.
Mr. Pagan produced before the Commission a document signed by J. C. Mowat, dated the 22nd October, 1775, certifying to his uniform loyalty to the British crown.
At St. John, N. B., on the 12th March, 1787, Mr. Pagan gave further evidence under oath with respect to his affairs.
When the town of Falmouth was burnt by Capt. Mowat, the house in which Mr. Pagan lived was burnt, and he lost furniture and effects to the extent of £50 sterling, although he had time to save a considerable part. Of the personal effects lost by this fire, and of the goods which were burnt in the store, he appears to have kept a careful memorandum, which he produced before the Commission.
In settling his accounts with his partners in Scotland, he was held liable for his share of the loss in consequence of the war.
In January, 1776, the schooner Favourite, valued at £750, of which seven-eighths was owned by Mr. Pagan, sailed from Falmouth for the West Indies. She was sold at St. Eustatia on the 27th March, 1776, for £337. 10, to prevent her becoming a prize under the Prohibitory Act. In support of his evidence regarding this schooner, Mr. Pagan produced a letter from the captain, James Dillworth, stating that he had sold her for 188 Johanneses.
The Brig Falmouth, of which Mr. Pagan owned an eighth interest, must have been a well built and well found vessel. In February, 1776, he embarked with his family on board of her at Falmouth, and was given a private clearance by the king's officers for Barbadoes. She was seized going into Bridgetown by the Argo, under command of Captain Gardner, was condemned under the Prohibitory Act on the 8th May, 1776, sold for £501, Antigua currency, of which 8s. 6d. equalled one dollar, and was again purchased by Mr. Pagan.
The Falmouth cost the Company £1200 Sterling, in 1775. She had sailed two voyages at the time of her capture and was victualled for six months.
The brig was plundered of all her stores, sails, boats, and in fact everything moveable, and the large sum of £300 Sterling was expended in refitting her, in addition to £35 spent by Mr. Pagan for stores for himself and family during their voyage to Great Britain.
Respecting the claim of himself and his brothers, William and Thomas, Mr. Pagan in his claim remarks that they had both come to America before the war, that they both continued within the lines during the whole time of the trouble, and that in 1787 they were engaged in business with him in British North America. It will be remembered that Robert Pagan carried on business at St. Andrews under the firm name of Robert Pagan & Co., while his brothers opened business at St. John under the firm name of William & Thomas Pagan & Co., where they were still in business in June 1802, as appears from their advertisement in the Royal Gazette and New Brunswick Advertiser, published on the 9th of June in that year.
Robert Pagan would appear to have been the principal partner in both concerns, and it is not surprising that he made his headquarters at St. Andrews, for the trade of that port for many years rivalled, if not surpassed, that of the port of St. John.
The dwelling house and outhouses at Penobscot, for which compensation was claimed, had been purchased in 1781 from Lieut.-Colonel Campbell, of the 74th Regiment, with the consent of Brigadier-General John Campbell, for £105 Sterling, and improvements were made to the extent of £15.
A dry goods store was built by him on land to which General Campbell gave a deed in 1781, and which cost £108 Sterling. A store was also built at "Waterside" which cost £108. The frames of both of these buildings were afterwards removed to, and set up in, St. Andrews.
The land at Deer Island upon which the saw mill had been constructed consisted of fifty acres, and was purchased in 1782 from Nathaniel Brae. A second saw mill appears to have been constructed and operated at Deer Island, the cost of which was £288. This appears to have been built upon leased land, for Mr. Pagan states, in March 1787, that it "is in possession of Nathaniel Robins, the Proprietor of the Land."
In the concluding portion of his deposition, Mr. Pagan complains that encouraged by the assurances that Penobscot would not be abandoned by the British government, he had laid out his money there in good faith, that he had never received any allowance during the war, that he had been out of employment for eighteen months, and estimated his share of the profits from the business at £250 Sterling, in addition to an allowance of £120 per annum, which he received for managing the business of the firm.
In support of the testimony of Mr. Pagan, his father-in-law, Mr. Jeremiah Pote, also made affidavit to the effect that he was a loser to a considerable extent in furniture and goods; that he and Mr. Pagan were the joint owners of the schooner Favourite, of which his share was 9–16ths, that upon abandoning Falmouth they left behind a considerable quantity of lumber and masts; that Mr. Pagan carried on a considerable trade, and that personally he was engaged in trade at Penobscot and had expended money in the construction of mills at that point.
Respecting the claim of Robert Pagan, the Commissioners determined on the 14th of March, 1787, that he had been loyal to the Crown and made him the following allowance: For furniture burnt at Falmouth and one-eighth of goods the property of Robert Pagan & Co., burnt at the same time £45; for one-eighth of the Brig Falmouth taken by the Man-of-War Argo, £65, making a total of £110.
The other claims were disallowed for the following reasons: The claim of 7-16ths of the schooner Favourite, she having been sold for the advantage of the owners.
The claim for 1-8th of expenses while in the West Indies.
The claim for losses at Penobscot, the purchases having been made during the troubles.
They considered, however, that the various claims had been fully proved.
In addition to the three brothers already mentioned, there appears to have been a fourth, John Pagan, of Montreal, whose son, George Pagan, married Catherine Putnam, daughter of Judge Upham. She, surviving her husband, died on the 26th November, 1878, aged 78 years. John Pagan was a grantee at St. Andrews, and was also a member of the Penobscot Association, by which name those who received grants with Stephen Roberts and others in Charlotte County, N. B., were commonly known.
Robert Pagan was a prominent figure in the social and political life of Charlotte County. He served the crown as agent for lands in New Brunswick and assisted in superintending affairs connected with grants to Loyalists. He was also a Justice of the Peace for Charlotte County, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and was Colonel of Militia. He represented Charlotte County in the House of Assembly at Fredericton for several years, and was a leading and influential member of that body.
He married Miriam, daughter of Jeremiah Pote, originally of Falmouth, and who was a sister of Joanna Pote, the first wife of Col. Thomas Wyer, also of St. Andrews. No children resulted from this union.
A letter, dated 17th September, 1902, from Miss Mary Wiggins, of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, but who is at present on a visit to Mrs. Stickney, at Royalton, Vermont, contains an interesting anecdote regarding the courtship of Robert Pagan:
"Mrs. Pagan came from Castine, or North Yarmouth. Mrs. Stickney says that Mr. Pagan and Mr. Thomas Wyer (my great-grandfather) went down together to Castine or North Yarmouth, and while there a public ball was given to which they both went: there they met Miriam Pote, who was remarkably handsome. At that time she was engaged to be married, but became so fascinated with the courtly manners of Mr. Pagan and his superiority to the other man that she determined to break off the match; of course the admiration was mutual, and she eventually married her new admirer. After the wedding she went to Scotland and visited her husband's relatives, who were very much taken with her beauty and wit. While there she formed an acquaintance with a Mrs. Grant, of Sagan, a literary celebrity of that time who wrote 'Letters from the Mountains.' The original letters were in the possession of the family for many years."
The trip to Scotland was perhaps the occasion referred to by Mr. Pagan who makes affidavit that " In the month of February, 1776, he privately embarked his family on board a Brig he had in the Harbour of Falmouth and sailed for Barbadoes. From there he went home." This was the Brig Falmouth, which was "taken going into Bridgetown by the Argo, Captain Gardner" and on which occasion he lost " His Stores for a voyage to Britain for Self and Family £33 Sterling."
As Mr. Pagan settled in Casco Bay in 1769, and no record of the date of his marriage is at present obtainable, only a mere surmise can be made upon the subject. This trip may have been the occasion referred to by Mrs. Stickney, or it may have been on one of the several annual voyages which his business may have rendered expedient. From the nature of his business relations with Lee, Tucker & Co., it is not unlikely that a "trip to Scotland" was by no means an uncommon occurrence.
The originals of the portraits of Robert and Miriam (Pote) Pagan are in possession of Mr. T. Herbert Street, formerly of St. Andrews, N. B., now of Vancouver, B. C., and are said to be good likenesses.
Robert Pagan died at St. Andrews, N. B., on the 23rd of November, 1821, aged 71 years, and Miriam, his widow also died at the same place in January, 1828, aged 81 Years.