17th Century | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century
Early settlers commonly lived near the coast, both due to lack of interior roads and as a way to escape if attacked. The people of York needed a way to cross the several internal water boundaries of York, so ferries were needed. Ferriage, being the simplest, was the earliest means of meeting the requirements. Ferries came about for crossing the tidal creek at Braveboat Harbor (the boundary between York and Kittery), the York River and the tidal river at Cape Neddick.
The first action relating to a ferry in town was taken at the Provincial Court held in March 1647, when the following order was passed:
“It is ordered this Court that Thomas Crocket is for to keepe a Ferry at Brabote harbor & to have for a free man iii d per man & for a Forriner iiii d. per man.”
A price of a “d” stood for the latin word “denarius,” the word for coin. In England, this would have meant the coin that was called a pence. The value of a pence from 1647 would be equivalent about 45 cents U.S. currency in 2025. So it was 3 pence per man and 4 pence for a stranger.
It is believed that this ferry was of short duration, as a road and bridge superseded this method of travel between the two towns.