Arthur Mackworth, of Falmouth

Named in indenture dated 30 April 1612 to John Garbett, as son of Thomas Mackworth for a period of seven years. He sailed to Portland from England on the "Swift" Apr 1630.

From A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May 1692, by James Savage. Boston, 1860-1862. vol.3 p.142:

MACWORTH, ARTHUR, Casco 1636, one of the most respected settlers of the early time, married Jane, widow of Samuel Andrews; but probably he had a wife, perhaps children before that union, when he lived at Saco, whither Willis thinks he came with Vines in 1630, and where he served on grand jury 1640. He died 1657, leaving Arthur, John, and several daughters of whom all would not be children of the widow Jane, who died at Boston 1676, though it may be difficult to discriminate those she bore to Andrews and to him. [See Willis, I. 32, 75, 165.] His daughter Rebecca married Nathaniel Wharff of the same.

From Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire. by Charles Thornton Libby, Walter Goodwin Davis and Sybil Noyes, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1965. Reprinted in 1996. The page number for the Mackworth entry is Page 451:

HIST: MACKWORTH: The Mackworths of Mackworth, co. Derby,
sent a branch into Shropshire in the 15th century. There they were lords of the manor of Meole Brace, now a suburb of Shrewsbury. Arthur Mackworth, son of Thomas, of Day House in the village -Newtown-, parish of Meole Brace, was apprenticed in the Drapers Co. of Shrewbury in 1612. Born ±1598, he was a 2d cousin of Mr. Thomas Lewis (19) of Shrewsbury and Saco, and I (Mr. Walter Goodwin Davis) believe him to be identical with Arthur, Gentleman, who recieved a grant from Sir Ferdinando Gorges:

Arthur (1) gentleman, who received a grant from Sir Ferdinando Gorges for 500 acres "for many years in his possession." at the mouth of the Presumpscot river on Casco Bay, known as Menickoeb"but hereafter to be known as - Newton -," together with a small island (still known as Mackworth's Island), on 30 Mar. 1635. He probably came over in 1630 with Vines or in 1631 with Lewis and had an early unrecorded grant from Vines at Saco. He married Jane Andrews, widow of (16). An outstanding member of the Gorges party, he acted for Sir Ferdinando in giving possession to Cleeve, was magistrate in 1645 and often employed as arbitrator (Bonython versus Gibson, Cammock v. Winter, both 1640; Cleeve v. Winter, 1641). Grand jury and juror 1640. Lists 21, 22, 23, 221. Alive 17 May 1657, he died before 28 March 1658, when his widow gave a deed. His nuncupative (oral) will was testified to by Rev. Robert Jordan 17 August 1660, all the property to go to his wife to distribute equally among her chldren, those whom she had by her first husband Andrews to have the advantage, if any. Mrs.nMackworth (Lists 221(2), 222b) obviously an intelligent and just woman, made various grants to children and in her will, 20 May, inventory 25 May 1676, gave all her lands and houses at Casco Bay to her sons-in-law Abraham Adams and William Rogers, executors, her clothes to her four daughters, small articles to daughters Rebecca Rogers, Sarah Adams and (Elizabeth) Purchase. A codicil providing that the child Rebecca Rogers had by Nathaniel Wharfe and that Sarah had by her now husband were to inherit as heirs. "John" M., witnessed with Francis Neale in 1660 (Y. D. 12.191) is probably in error for Jane.

notes

From page 7 of Creating Portland: History and Place in Northern New England. By Joseph A. Conforti.

When Cleeve and Tucker arrived at Machegonne, they already had at least one neighbor. Arthur Mackworth had already occupied the neck on the east bank of the Presumbscot River since 1630. In 1635 Mackworth secured title for the island, which still bears his name, and the nearby point of land from Ferdinando Gorges. ...

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