ARTICLE VIII. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE GERMAN SETTLEMENT IN WALDOBOROUGH. BY REV. MR. STARMAN. AND A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MR. STARMAN. BY HON. NATH'L GROTON. GERMANS IN WALDOBOROUGH. WALDOBORO', 31st August, 1848. MR. WM. WILLIS, Portland: SIR,-Your favor of the 29th inst., has come to hand, and with gladness I give you all the information in my power respecting the settlement at Waldoboro', and in particular of German immigration. The following is an extract from the American Quarterly Register, of November, 1840, by the Hon. William D. Williamson, Bangor, Maine; a great part of it is communicated by me. A few German emigrants began the original plantation of Waldoboro'; it is supposed they came over in the summer or autumn of 1739. It was at first the abode of only two or three families, to which accessions were made in 1740. The Eastern and Canadian Indians, in what was called the Spanish war, fell upon the settlement in May, 1746, reduced their habitations to ashes, killed some of the people, and carried the residue away captives. The settlement lay waste till 1748, when the thoughts of other Germans were turned to the same region. for an abiding place. In the year 1751, between 20 and 30 families came over, and their necessities were relieved at the public expense, as well as by private charities. In the spring of 1732, General Samuel Waldo sent his son to Germany, who issued circulars, promising every man who would emigrate and reside upon his patent, 100 acres of land, and also assistance to make beginnings. Encouraged by these offers, about 1500 German emigrants settled at Broadbay. In the French war, some were killed, others carried to Canada. But the war was hardly closed when this quiet people were perplexed with other troubles. The greater part of the plantation found that the deeds received from Waldo gave them no title to these lands. Some purchased anew their lands in 1763, others left the settlement, and went to Londonderry and South Carolina, with a pious Moravian Clergyman, but the most returned, and were received with open hearts and arms. These pilgrims came from different parts of Germany, very few remain living of those who were born there, but they lived to an old age. These settlers, when they first planted themselves at Broadbay, now called Waldoboro', formed a church, in two branches, the Lutheran and German Reformed, these latter are the followers of Zwinglius. A number of them being a devout people, met every Sabbath for public worship, till the arrival of a minister, Revd John M. Schaeffer, who settled with them in 1762, when there were 80 or 90 families in all; his ministry was continued nearly twenty years. In 1785, he was succeeded by Reverend Mr. Craner, his period of preaching was only four years. The next minister of this people was Revd Augustus Ferdinand Retz, a native of Germany. He received a classical education in his native country, at the University of Helmstadt. He was a man of piety and learning; he emigrated to the State of Pennsylvania in 1751, became a member of the Lutheran Synod in that State, and was there for some time a pastor of 4 congregations. The church of Waldoboro', destitute of a Pastor, were directed to him for a sup |