From: Massachusetts and MAine Genealogies 1650 - 1930, Massachusetts & Maine Families Vol III -- West of Biddeford pp 601 - 603

1. John West was born about 1588, and probably came out of England in the "Speedwell in 1635. His name first appears in the meagre annals of the Province of Maine on April 4, 1637, when it was recorded in Saco that "J. West his corne was gathered contrary to order." The next year he becomes an established planter, renting a "mansion house" and one hundred acres of land from the patentee of Saco, Mr. Richard Vines, for the substantial term of one thousand years, upon the annual rental of two shillings and one capon. [York Deeds I: 80]

"Jn. West, gen." was one of the "Grand Jury sworne to enquire for our Soveraigne Lord the King, and the Lord of this Province" at the "first Generall Court holden here [Saco] the 25th day of June, 1640, before Richard Vines, Richard Bonython and Henry Jocelin, Esquires, and Edward Godfrey, gen. Councillors, unto Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Knight, Lord Proprietor of thei Province." [Early Records of Maine, I: 50-52] He served on the jury, at this court, in the suit brought by Mr. Foxwell of Blue Point againt Capt. Thomas Cammock of Black Point, nephew of Lord Warwick, for trespass, and also on the jury which decided in favor of the plaintiff the bitterly contested suit of George Cleeve v. John Winter over the title to lands at Casco and Spurwink, and at the same session of courts he gave evidence against Winter on the charge of extortion and lowering the value of the colony's currency, which was at that time beaver skin.

"Mr. Jno. West, being one of the Greate enquest, declareth that he bought by Willm Cutts of Mr. Jno. Winter a potle of aquavite at 20d. the quarte, and one pare of Irish stockins at 2s. and shott at 4d. the pound, about two monthes since, for which he paid by the said Willm Cutts in bever at 6s. the pound, being good skin bever, which he himselfe tooke at 8s. the pound."

In 1643, as a "Deputy for the Country," with Francis Robinson, Magistrate, he laid out the bounds of the Black Pooint patent of Capt. Cammock.

West submitted to the government of Massachusetts Bay on July 5, 1653. The Massachusetts commissioners immediately appointed him a selectman and a judicial officer of the town.

"for the present year Mr. Thomas Williams, Robert Booth, and John West are appointed and authorized to end all small causes under 40s according to law"

His estate was incresed on July 13, 1653, upon the division of town lands, by the "propriety & Title of Cow Yland, with all yr to belonging vpon ye sayd Yland." He was again selectman in 1654.

It is not surprising to find his name affixed, with sixty-nine others, to the petition of the Maine towns west of the Saco, addressed to Oliver Cromwell, for the continuation of the Massachusetts government.

In the winter of 1658/9, West's daughter, Mary, wife of Thomas Haley of Saco, died under suspicious circumstances. Almost immediately West moved to Wells, where on July 5, 1661, "John West of Wells, being 73 yeares of age is freed from Trayneings." He identified himself with Rev. John Wheelwright's parishioners in Wells and on May 22, 1661, joined in the petition to the Massachusetts General Court for the removal of the injunction restraining Rev. Seth Fletcher, Mr. Wheelwright's friend, from preaching. He sold his large holdings in Saco to Capt. Bryan Pendleton on March 15, 1658/9 [York Deeds I:81], and from the will of Capt. Pendleton, we learn that this property, on the east side of West Brook, near Saco Falls, contained six hundred and forty acres. Cow Island was included in the sale. West's wife, Edith, was living at this time. She was probably dead in 1661, when he sold his Wells estate of one hundred and twenty-four acres to that ready purchaser, Capt. Pendleton. [York Deeds I: 77] Two years later, between September 29 and October 5, 1663, John West died, leaving his property to his four grandchildren, with the strict direction that their father, Thomas Haley, should have no voice in its management.

His Will follows:

I the name of God Amen

I John West being very weake & sicke, but In pfect Memory In my sences praysed bee god, I do bequeath my soule to god Almighty & my body to dust, from whence itt came hopeing of a joyful resurrection through Jesus Christ

And for those goods which god hath lent mee, I do bewueath into the hands of Willialm Coole, for the space of three yeares, for the vsse of my four grandchildren that is to say Ann Haly, Lydea Haly, Samell Haly, & Tho: Haly, to be equally deuided amongst them at three yeares end, and that yr father Thomas Haly shall haue nothing todo with itt. And if my grand daughter Ann shall marry before three yeares time, shee shall haue my bedd & bedding & all belongeth to itt, for her whoole shayre, & the rest of my estate to them that are aliue: And the abousd William Coole I do giue him the Redd Heffer, and the fatt Hogg & all the Iron Towles, wch is mine freely, & the vsse of the the Cattle & Increase for three years, with the vsse of all the household goods, exept yt Ann Haly, do Marry before, & then shee is to haue the bedd & yt which belongs to itt, alsoe I giue him the young steare freely to himselfe, & William shall haue the hay towards keepeing the Cattle; I do ow vnto Mr Fryer foure pounds which shall be payd out of my goods I alsoe ow to Tho: & Francis Littlefield Jun jor & yr mother Twenty three shillings, which shall bee payd out of my goods I ow Mr. Will: Symonds 1 bushll of peas I giue vnto Francis woolfe my best Cayrsey sujte, & my best Hatt & my gray Capp, & my Coloured stockeings I giue vnto Mary Reade my Hollane pillow beare, & 4 Hollane napkins & a Remant of Cayrsey, & a small pcell of woll I ow Goodw: Crosse 10 s for worke s d

wt is owing to mee, Stephen Batson oweth mee 6 0

Mary Miles oweth mee about eight or 10

Willia: Loue of Newgewanacke oweth mee 17 6

John Syth of Cape Nuttacke oweth mee 01 00 0

William Norman oweth mee yt I must pay Mr Fryer 12 0

Mr Fletcher oweth mee 0 6 0

Mr Preble oweth mee wt I left in his hands wn was Con- stable, tp bee pd out of the Treasury 1 6 More I ow George Parker 1 bushll of Corne & I ow Jon Cloyse 6 days worke 0 15 0 And I ow William Ashley 7 or 0 8 0

AndI make William Coole my whole executor, & Adminsitrator of all my goods, & I desire Tho: Littlefejld & John Reade the ouerseers of this mu last Will & testament to see Itt fulfilled with out any frawd or debate Dated this 29th of September 1663: & wr the ouerseers cometh to any trouble or charge they shall bee payd Itt out of my goods

Assigned before vs John West Joseph Bowles his own marke Tho: Littlefejld his marke Mary Reade her marke

William Cole, West's friend and trustee, was a parishioner of Rev. John Wheelwright, and with him had begun the settlement of Exeter in 1638. In 1640 he was on the Cleeve v. Winter jury at Saco, and the date probably marks his removal to Wells, to which spot he was followed by his pastor. He is confused in the notes on the Trelawnay Papers [Coll of Me. Hist. Soc. New Series, Vol. III, p 235.] with William Cole of hampton, his contemporary, whose wife Eunice was persecuted by her neighbors for witchcraft. Cole could not have died in 1662, as therin stated, as John West's will was not made until the fall of 1663.

Child of John West: ----

Mary, m. Thomas Haley, of Saco, and d. in 1658/9 (see Haley)