Quoted directly from Windham in the Past by Samuel Thomas Dole, edited by Frederick Howard Dole. This book was reprinted courtesy of the Windham Historical Society. Please send additions and corrections to Bob Anderson.
Undoubtedly Thomas Chute was tile first white man to settle in what is now the Town of Windham. Thomas L. Smith, in his "History of Windham, " says that he commenced the first settlement in this town, " July 30, 1737, " and further states that Chute was born in England, in 1690. This is erroneous, as William E. Chute, in his genealogy of the family, makes him the great grandson of Lionel Chute, who was born in Dedham, England about 1580. He was by trade a "Tayler," but appears to have been a sort of general trader and kept for sale various kinds of merchandise, such as hardware, dry goods and crockery When the present Town of Windham was granted to sixty inhabitants of old Marblehead, Mr. Chute was one of the grantees. and, in the division of lands. drew Home Lot No. 12.
He soon decided to make himself a home in the new township, to which end he closed his business in Marblehead. and, in the spring of 1737, came with his family to Falmouth (now Portland), where he commenced his old business of keeping a house of entertainment and working at his trade. In the meantime. however, he was doubtless clearing some part of his land and erecting a house preparatory to removing his family to New Marblehead. He built his house on his original lot. No. 12. about twenty rods from the Presumpscot River, where the remains of his old cellar are yet to be seen. The precise date of his removal from Portland is not known. but it was doubtless either in the fall of 1737 or the spring of 1738. We think the latter date more likely to be correct, for he was then doing a fairly good business in Portland, as his old account book goes to show and his well-known forethought would have induced him to remain, at least through the winter months, in a civilized community. This, however, is simply an opinion based on the fact that Mr. Chute appears, according to the old Proprietors' book of records. as "of Falmouth" as late as March, 1738.
With his usual energy, he at once cleared seven acres of land on his home lot and purchased lots 13 and 14, which adjoined his original lot No. 12. On each of these he also cleared seven acres. Mr. Chute was not only the first settler, but when others came into the township, he became the acknowledged leader and adviser of the infant colony. The church records of the first parish in Falmouth (now Portland) have this entry, in October, 1738: "Thomas Chute, Mary his wife and Abigail, their daughter, being regularly dismissed from the Marblehead church, were admitted to the one here."
In December, 1743, when the church was organized in New Marblehead, he, with his wife and daughter, was dismissed to the church there. As the old record says, "He having in God's providence removed to a new settlement called New Marblehead, in order to the embodying a church there, there being a paucity of members." On Dec. 27, 1743, he was chosen Deacon of the newly-formed and weak church, in which office he remained until October, 1770, when, at his own request, he was allowed to resign, and Micah Walker was chosen to fill the office thus made vacant.
When the town was incorporated in 1762, Mr. Chute was elected Clerk and served in that capacity until 1765, covering a period of four years. He was selectman in 1765 and 1766. His wife, Mary died July 30, 1762, aged 70 years; and, according to the church records, his own long and valuable life came to a close in 1771, full of years and honors.
© All copyrights remain with Samuel Thomas Dole, Frederick Howard Dole and the Windham Historical Society.
Thomas4 and Mary (Curtice) Chute had the following children:
© G. Robert Anderson 1996
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