Since 1807, widows in Newcastle and Nobleboro have been entitiled to a share (now two bushels) of alewives in the spring run. Here, in 1955, a widow and her two daughters are receiving their share. (Photo courtesy Newcastle Historical Society, Janice McGrath collection)
The February 2016 issue of my “The Maine Genealogist” had an article on the treatment of paupers in Maine towns. I began to wonder what Newcastle did in the early years for people “fallen into distress.”
