Colonial · 1630s–1666
George Cleeves
Second English owner; founder of Portland
[C]Confirmedc. 1586 – 1666
Summary
Acquired the island via Levett's successors after being ousted from Spurwink. The 1636 Gorges grant of the Neck and Hog Island implicitly acknowledged his prior title to Cushing.
From the sources
Cleeves was involved in endless litigation over his mainland claims but his title to the island — passed from Levett to a 'Mr. Ceeley and Mr. Jope and Company of Plimouth' and then to a man named Wright — was never impugned. He never conveyed the island away; it passed with his only daughter Elizabeth to Michael Mitton.
Places associated
Sources
- [1] Trelawny Papers, p. 102 (1637 letter).
- [2] Sargent (1886), pp. 23–24.