Editing York County, Maine (section)

===1622 patent===
The first patent establishing the Province of Maine was granted on August 10, 1622, to [[Ferdinando Gorges]] and [[John Mason (governor)|John Mason]] by the [[Plymouth Council for New England]], which itself had been granted a royal patent by [[James I of England|James I]] to the coast of [[North America]] between the [[40th parallel north|40th]] and the [[48th parallel north|48th parallels]] "from sea to sea". This first patent encompassed the coast between the [[Merrimack River|Merrimack]] and [[Kennebec River|Kennebec]] rivers, as well as an irregular parcel of land between the headwaters of the two rivers. In 1629, Gorges and Mason agreed to split the patent at the [[Piscataqua River]], with Mason retaining the land south of the river as the [[Province of New Hampshire]].

Gorges named his more northerly piece of territory [[New Somersetshire]]. This venture failed, however, because of lack of funds and colonial settlement. Also failed was a venture by Capt. [[Christopher Levett]], an agent for Gorges and a member of the Council for New England. With the King's blessing, Levett embarked on a scheme to found a colony on the site of present-day [[Portland, Maine|Portland]]. Levett was granted {{convert|6000|acre|km2}} of land, the first Englishman to own the soil of Portland. There he proposed to found a settlement named [[York]] after the city of his birth in England. Ultimately, the project was abandoned, the men Levett left behind disappeared, and Levett died aboard ship on his return to England from the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in 1630. One part of Levett's scheme did survive: the name of York, which now adorns the county.

The now-decommissioned [[Fort Levett]] on [[Cushing Island, Maine|Cushing Island]] in [[Casco Bay]] is named for Capt. Levett.