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THEODORE SEDGWICK GOLD.
HISTORICAL RECORDS
OF THE
TOWN OF CORNWALL
LITCHFIELD COUNTY CONNECTICUT
4
COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY THEODORE S. GOLD
1
SECOND EDITION
Dartford press THE CASE, LOCKWOOD & BRAINARD COMPANY 1904
F
7
Preface to the 2d Edition.
THIS contains all the printed matter of the first edition, 1877, and correction of errors found in the same. Part second has been made up on the same plan as the first - largely from papers col- lected from those best qualified to give facts, especially the Rev. E. C. Starr - rather than fused and colored by the compiler ; also an appendix. Some repetition exists in Part 2d, but this has been avoided as much as possible.
In the appendix will be found: Major-General John Sedg- wick's funeral sermon, by Rev. Charles Wetherby, May 15, 1864; sermon of Rev. Dwight M. Pratt, in memory of Rev. Samuel Scoville, North Cornwall Church, Aug. 24, 1902.
The good words we have received for the first edition have in- duced us to make this second effort in recording events of the past and present.
THEODORE SEDGWICK GOLD,
Editor and Publisher.
WEST CORNWALL, March 2, 1904.
PREFACE.
The importance of preserving in permanent form the incidents in the history of every community has induced me to gather the materials for this volume. No one untried in such work is aware of the difficulties encountered in collecting unpublished facts.
My honored father, Dr. Samuel W. Gold, in his advanced years undertook this work, and I shall confine myself mostly to editing his papers, adding such historical discourses as present our life in its home details, omitting in large degree what the sons of Corn- wall have done in national affairs, as finding its appropriate place in national history.
Of course this implies some repetition, but it is better to give original records than to trust to reorganizing them, for thus much of their peculiar value will be destroyed. If undue prominence appears to have been given to any events, we must remember that they were not considered as small by the actors in them, and per- haps may thence derive some useful lessons for personal appli- cation.
I have solicited full details of family histories, and have waited a year for such documents. Too few have been presented. The leanness of this department is due to the neglect of those who ought to feel most interest.
T. S. GOLD.
WEST CORNWALL, CONN., Sept. 10, 1877.
HISTORICAL RECORD.
CHARTER AND SURVEY OF THE TOWN OF CORNWALL, RECORDED IN THE FIRST BOOK OF PROPRIE- TORS' RECORDS, PAGES 275-280.
At a General Assembly holden at New Haven, in His Majesties English Colony of Connecticut, in New England, in America, on Thursday, the 13th Day of October, Anno Ri R$ Georgii 2di Magn Britan, &c., 11 mo Annoq: Dom. 1737, and continued by several adjournments till the second day of November next ensuing.
An Act for the Ordering and directing the Sale and Settlement of all the Townships on the western Lands.
Be it enacted by the Deputy Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court Assembled, and by the Authority of the same, that all the Townships in the western Lands on both sides the Ousatunnuck River be disposed of and settled, and that each Town on the east side of said River shall be divided into fifty-three Rights, (exclusive of the Lands granted to the College and all former Grants of this Court that are surveyed and recorded in the public Records of this Colony and are lying in either of said Towns,) of which fifty-three Rights one shall be for the use of the Ministry forever that shall be settled in the Town, according to the Constitution and Order of the Churches established by the Laws of this Government, as is provided in the first Paragraph in the Act entitled an Act relating to ecclesiastical affairs; one for the first Gospel Minister as aforesd, and one other right for the support of the School in such Town, and the same Rule shall be attended in every of said Townships, being five in number; and the remaining fifty Rights in said Towns shall be sold at a public Vendue to the highest bidders, being of His Majesties Subjects Inhabitants of this Colony, that will settle and inhabit at least three years in such Towns, and to no other Persons. *
* * *
It is further enacted by the authority aforesaid that any person quali- fied as abovesaid, and being desirous to purchase an Interest in said Lands and proposing to settle the same, and his Agent being esteemed able and likely to do and perform all duties and orders of the Place, shall be allowed so to do; and every purchaser shall be obliged within three years next after their purchase to build and finish an House of eighteen feet square and seven feet studd and to subdue and fence at least six acres of land in such Town, where he is a settler or hath fixed his Agent, and no person shall have any benefit by their purchase, but shall be liable to forfeit the same unless by himself or his Agent he perform all duties, pay Taxes, &c., as shall be enjoined.
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
Further, that the Middle Town, bounded west on Onsatunnuck River, shall in like manner be Vendued and Sold at the Court House in Fair- field on the first Tuesday of February next, at one of the Clock after- noon, and continued by adjournment as aforesd, till the whole be sold, and that the same be set up at fifty pounds a Right ; and that John Burr, Esq., Edmund Lewis, Esq., and Mr. Ebenezer Silliman, or any two of them, are appointed a Courte to sell the Rights, take bonds, give Deeds with Defcazances in manner and form as hereafter in this Act shall be directed. * *
And it is further enacted by the Authority aforcsd that the several Committees appointed for the sale of the said Townships in the Respec- tive Counties are hereby authorized and fully impowered, in the name of the Governor and Company, to execute Deeds of Conveyance of the several Rights or parcels of Land aforesa to the highest bidders, quali- fied as aforesd, with conditions to each Deed annexed that if the pur- chaser do by himself or his Agent enter on the said land within two years next after the purchase of the Right, and do build and finish an House thereon not less than eighteen feet square seven feet studd, and do fence and clear six acres of land, and do continue thereon for the space of three successive years commencing after the two years aforesd, (unless prevented by Death or inevitable Providence,) then the said deed to remain in full force and virtue, but on default or neglect in either or all of the said Articles the same shall be void and of none effect, and the several Committees aforesd shall take Bond obligatory in double the sum for which each right shall be respectively sold, on each respective purchaser to whom the same shall be sold, together with one good surety with him, payable to the Treasurer of this Colony for the time being for the use of the Governor and Company of said Colony, within two years after the purchase of such Right.
SURVEY OF THE TOWN OF CORNWALL.
Vol. IV, pp. 663-665 of Deeds.
The Governor and Company of' the English Colony of Connecticut in New England in America to whom these Presents shall come .- GREETING.
WHEREAS, the said Governor and Company assembled at Hartford, May, Anno. 1731, Did Order that the Western County Lands on the cast side of the Ousatunnoc River, should be laid out into Townships, and appointed Messrs. Edmond Lewis, William Judd, and John Buel a Committee to lay out the same; and whereas, in Pursuance of said Order, the said Committee laid out the same into Two Townships, one of which in this survey is called the township of B, now called Corn- wall, bounded as followeth : Running from the southwest corner bounds of A, now called Goshen, West, ninety-two Degrees, North, five miles and Seventy-two Rods to the Ousatunnoc River, where is marked a white Oak tree, and set the letters, E. L. W. J. J. B., on said tree, and laid many stones to it for a monument, at the Southwest Corner of the Township of B. Then beginning at the White Oak Pole at the North- west corner of the Township of A, and run west ninety-two Degrees north, four miles and a half to the Ousatunnoc River, and made a monu- ment for the Northwest corner of the Township of B, and the South- west corner of the Township of C, now called Canaan, it being Three Black Oak trees growing from one root marked, and many stones laid to them with the letters E. L. W. J. J. B., set on them, thus the Town-
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SURVEY OF CORNWALL.
ship of B is surveyed and laid out, and the lines thereof are set forth by marked Trees and monuments and is bounded south on the Township of E, now called Kent, north on the town of C, east on the Township of A, and west on the Ousatunnoc River. And-
WHEREAS, Said Governor and Company in General Court Assembled at New Haven in the year of our Lord, 1737, by their act did order that the said Township should be divided into fifty-three rights exclusive of all former Grants of the General Court, that was thus surveyed and re- corded in the Publick Records of this Colony and lying in said town- ship, of which fifty-three rights one should be for the use of the minis- try that should be settled in said town according to the regulation in said act. Provided, one for the first Gospel minister settled as aforesaid and one other Right for the support of the school in said Town ; and ordered that fifty of said rights should be sold and that the other three rights should be for the uses aforesaid, and that the Committee by said Act appointed should sell and in the name of the Governor and com- pany aforesaid execute deeds of conveyance of the said several rights to the purchasers thereof respectively with conditions to each deed answered according to the directions in said contained ; and
WHEREAS, in Pursuance of and according to said Act the said Com- mittee have sold and by their several deeds under their hands and seals have granted unto George Holloway, Jonathan Squires, Samuel Robards, Stephen Burrows, John Sherwood, Joseph Allin, James Dennill, Daniel Harris, James Smedley and to the rest of the original purchasers of Rights or fifty-third parts of said Township upon conditions as afore- said, which Township is now called and known by the name of Corn- wall; and whereas Mr. Solomon Palmer is settled in the ministry in said Town according to the direction aforesaid, and the several purchasers aforesaid, their heirs or assigns, having performed the conditions in the said deeds expressed, and now moving for a more full confirmation of the land sold and granted them as aforesaid, Know ye, that the said Governor and Company by virtue of the Power and authority, granted unto them by our Lawful Sovereign King Charles, the Second, of Blessed memory in and by his letters Pattent under the Great Seal of England, bearing date the 23rd day of April, in the 14th year of his Magisties Reign, Have given and granted, and by these Presents for themselves and their successors,
Do give, grant, ratify, and confirm unto them the said George Hollo- way, Jonathan Squires, Samuel Robards, Stephen Burrows, John Sher- wood, Joseph Allin, James Donnill, Daniel Harris, James Smedley, and to the said Mr. Solomon Palmer, who is their settled minister in said Town, and to the rest of the original Purchasers, or their respective Heirs or assigns, or Legal Representatives of such Original Purchasers, to whom such Original Deeds were made and executed, all the aforesaid Township of B. now called Cornwall, within the bounds and limits described by the survey aforesaid to be the bounds of said Township of B., exclusive of former grants surveyed and recorded in the Publick Records aforesaid Forever as College Lands. Together with all and singular the woods, timber, trees, underwoods, Lands, water, Brooks, Ponds, Fishings, Fowlings, Mines, minerals, and Precious Stones within and upon the said Tract of Land and Township aforesaid hereby granted, mentioned, or intended to be granted as aforesaid, and all and singular the rights, Profits, Privileges, and appurtenances whatsoever of and within the said township and every part thereof to have and to hold the above said tract contained in the Township of Cornwall afore- said with the appurtenances unto them the said George Holloway,
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
Jonathan Squires, Samuel Robards, Stephen Burrows, John Sherwood, Joseph Allin, James Dennill, Daniel Harris, James Smedley, and to the said Mr. Solomon Palmer, and to the rest of the original purchasers, their heirs and assigns, or Legal representatives of such Original Pur- chasers to whom such rights do belong, and to their only proper use, benefit, and behoof, Forever, as a good, sure, absolute, and indefeasable estate of inheritances in fee simple without any condition, Limitations, use, or other things to alter and make void the same to be holders of his Majestie, his Heirs or successors, as of his Majesties Manor of East Greenwich in the county of Kent and kingdom of Great Britain in free and common. Socage and not in Capite nor by Knights' service yield- ing and paying therefor unto our soverign Lord the King, his Heirs and successors forever, only one fifth Part of all the ores of Gold and Silver which from time to time, and at all times hereafter shall be gotten, had, or obtained, then, or in Lieu of all services, duties, and demands what- soever. In witness whereof we, the said Governor and Company have caused the seal of said Colony to be hereunto affixed the 25th day of May, in the 21st year of the Reign of our Soverign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, &c., King, Anno Dom, 1748.
JONATHAN LAW, Governor.
By order of the Governor and Company of the English Colony of Con- necticut in New England in America, assembled in General Court, May, 1748. Signed,
GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary.
Received, May, 1748, and then recorded.
Test,-
The township of Cornwall, containing about thirty thousand acres, lies in Litchfield county, near the northwestern corner of the State.
The township was sold at public auction by a committee of the General Assembly; said committee were John Burr, Edmund Lewis, and Ebenezer Silliman, Esqrs., at Fairfield, February 8, 1738. The State had previously given three hundred acres, lying in the southeastern part of the town, to Yale College. There were fifty rights or equal shares sold, and three other shares were reserved, one for the first minister; one for the support of the gospel ministry, as a perpetual fund ; and one for the support of schools.
The length of the town is nearly ten miles, and the average breadth short of six miles. Its length on the Housatonic is greater than at the Goshen boundary. No right was sold for less than $99, or for more than $112. The average price per acre was not over twenty cents.
On the 14th of November, 1738, at a meeting of the proprie- tors held at Litchfield, Samuel Messenger was appointed surveyor of the lands of Cornwall.
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PROPRIETORS' FIRST MEETING.
Previous to the year 1738, there is no evidence that Cornwall contained any white inhabitant. The entire surface of the town at that period was covered with dense woods, composed of large trees and a thick growth of underbrush. The first inhabitant of the town, named in the records, was Peter Eastman ; where his house was, the record does not state. But it was at his house that the first proprietors' meeting was held in the town.
One of the conditions required by the proprietors of Cornwall was, that the owner of each right should erect a house sixteen feet square and seven feet in the clear, and occupy the same for three years, except in case of death of the owner. These were built of logs.
The first meeting of the proprietors of Cornwall was held at Hartford, in the state house, on the 6th day of September, A.D. 1738. Mr. John Hall of Fairfield was chosen moderator, and Timothy Collins of Litchfield, clerk of said meeting. He was sworn into office as proprietors' clerk, before Capt. Samuel Chap- man, a justice of the peace. The meeting was adjourned to the house of Mr. Ebenezer Williamson for a quarter of an hour, where the proprietors met according to adjournment.
At that meeting they voted to lay out fifty acres of land to each proprietor. Messrs. Benajah Douglass, Joseph Waller, Joseph Kilborn, Joseph Allen, and Samuel Roberts were appointed a com- mittee to lay out said lots, also to lay out the highways in Corn- wall. Each proprietor was to be at the cost of the survey of his piece of land, and in making the survey bill.
At the same meeting, it was voted to divide off another fifty acres to each proprietor by the same committee.
Ten shillings per day was voted to each of said committee from the time they set out from Litchfield, they boarding themselves. At this meeting, it was voted to give to Mr. Benajah Douglass £12 10 shillings for warning the same. The privilege was granted to Mr. Timothy Collins, and such partners as he should take with him, of the exclusive right to any streams on undivided lands for mill or mills, provided that he shall set up a saw mill by the Ist of November, 1739, and he was to have the privilege so long as he kept a saw-mill upon the stream in good repair.
This first meeting was adjourned to the house of Ensign Eben- ezer Marsh, in Litchfield, on the second Tuesday of the following November, at 9 A. M.
At this adjourned meeting, a tax of 26 shillings was levied on
2
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
each proprietor, to defray expenses of laying out; for the collec- tion of which tax, Joseph Allen was appointed. The lots were laid out and numbered ; they were then divided by drawing for them in the way of a lottery. Permission was granted that such as were dissatisfied with their lots, could change them before the next meeting of the proprietors, by paying the expense of the survey. Messrs. Osborn, Joseph Kilborn, and Daniel Allen were appointed a committee to make out the rate bill on the proprietors for the tax of 26 shillings, before named.
The highways were to be six rods wide (many of which, although they may be as long in our day as our fathers made them, have shrunk wonderfully in breadth).
At this meeting, it was voted to lay out a highway from Litch- field to Cornwall, also from Kent to Cornwall. Mr. Messenger was empowered to expend £25 in surveying and opening said highways, and Messrs. Waller, John Dibble, John Hall, Samuel Messenger, Daniel Allen, and Joseph Allen, were appointed a committee to lay out and clear up highways from Litchfield and Kent, as far as they could for the £25. One half of said sum to be expended on each highway.
This meeting was adjourned to the third Wednesday of Sept., 1739, at 12 o'clock, at the house of Peter Eastman in Cornwall.
These meetings of the Proprietors were adjourned from time to time and a division to the amount of three hundred acres set to each. The one who drew by lot the first choice was required to take the last in the following division; this plan was adopted to equalize the division of property in which all were equally inter- ested.
The names of those who drew in the first and second divisions were
Nathan Lyon,
Joseph Frost,
Stephen Burr,
Andrus Truby,
Jonathan Squires,
Gideon Allen,
J. Sherwood,
Stephen Boroughs,
James Smedley,
John Dibble,
James Dennie,*
Wm. Gaylord,
Reuben Dibble,
Samuel Roberts,
Nathaniel Spaulding,
Tim. Pierce,
Samuel Bryant,
Ebenezer Seely,
* Spelled in different records Dennil, Dennis, Donnil.
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RELIGION AND EDUCATION.
Benajah Douglass,
Jacob Patchen,
Samuel Hall,
Elizur Seely,
Peter Eastman,
Benjamin Osborn,
Thomas Harris,
Isaac Bissel,
Joseph Kilborn, Samuel Kilborn,
Samuel Smedly,
Ephraim Smedly,
Timothy Collins,
Joseph Waller,
Joseph Allen,
Ebenezer Whitlesey,
Daniel Allen,
Samuel Butler,
Eliphalet Seely,
Thomas Ballard.
Ten of the above had two rights each, and one three.
Previous to the allotment of any of these proprietors' rights, a division of three hundred acres was set apart and located for each of the three important objects, viz. : first, for a parsonage, second, for the support of a minister, third, for the establishment and maintenance of schools.
If we had no other evidence that these our fathers who were the early settlers of Cornwall were of Puritan origin than the adoption of such measures for the promotion of education and religion, the proof is well established.
These three divisions set apart for such important objects were called "public rights." How expressive the term, embracing all the great interests of society ? Even civil liberty so highly prized has a secure basis only in the maintenance of education and relig- ion. These measures were adopted even before the town had been incorporated.
At a Proprietors Meeting held on the 8th day of May, 1740, Mr. Joseph Allen was chosen Moderator. This meeting Voted To peti- tion the Assembly for town privileges and liberty to settle an ortho- dox Gospel Minister, also to grant a tax of four pence per acre on each of the three hundred Acres laid out to each proprietor to defray the charge of settling and maintaining a minister and build- ing a meeting house in the town, and that said tax continue for the space of three years, the first of said tax to be paid upon the 1st of August following. Also voted To pray the General Assembly to extend the time for the payment of the several rights; lawful interest to be paid for the same. Mr. George Holloway was chosen agent on the part of the township to attend the Assembly to obtain the object of their petition and everything else which Mr. Fitch, [who had been appointed at a previous meeting as a
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
member of a committee, for various duties, shall think proper to pray for.
· It was also voted at this meeting empowering the Committee pre- viously chosen to lay out the Mill Brook land, to lay out at the mouth of the Pond at the foot of Cream Hill what they shall judge proper for draining and damming said pond as a further encouragement of building mills upon the stream that comes out of said Pond. Voted, To sequester 30 acres of land on Mill Brook to encourage building a Mill or mills on said stream to be laid out by the Committee formerly appointed to lay out the Mill land.
This privilege of the Cream Hill Mill stream together with the sequestered land was given to Mr. Mathew Millard with liberty of damming and draining the pond and stream flowing out of it, he to build and maintain a good Corn Mill upon said stream by the Ist of August, 1741, also a good saw-mill by the same time.
Mr. George Holloway was chosen Clerk in the place of Timothy Collins.
According to their requests immediately an act of incorporation with town privileges was granted by the General Assembly. This was done in May, 1740. Mr. George Holloway was appointed to call the first town meeting.
Up to the year 1740, there probably were no other than log houses in this town. About forty of these rude tenements were erected, usually upon the owner's land, and of course scattered very widely over the different parts of the town. The occupants of the dwellings we are enabled to learn, to a general extent, from tradition. Samuel Abbott, who was from Danbury (1792), lived near the place formerly owned and occupied by Mr. Birdsey, now owned by Rogers White. (William Stratman, 1877.) Dan- iel and Joseph Allen, from Litchfield (1740); one lived opposite the house of Col. Anson Rogers, and the other on the Joel Catlin farm. (Harvey Baldwin, 1877.) Eleazer Barritt, from Plainfield, lived near Pangmans by Housatonic River. David Baldwin, from Litchfield, lived on Great Hill. John Blinn lived south of the Cotter place, near the Housatonic River. Thomas Ballard, from Plainfield, lived opposite Noah Rogers. John Clothier lived near Cotters (Shepard, 1877), at West Cornwall. John Dibble, from Stamford, lived a little west of the Capt. Miles place, now Edward Kellogg's. (A. Bennett, 1877.) James Douglass, from Plainfield, settled on Cream Hill. His log-house was located a few rods north-
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ORIGINAL SETTLERS.
easterly from the late residence of Capt. Hezekiah Gold, which house he afterwards built about the year 1750, making this prob- ably the oldest house in town now standing and still occupied. Reuben Dean was a celebrated hunter and doctor. He lived near Chandler Swifts. (Ira Frink, 1877.) He was from Norwalk. Woodruff Emmons came from Litchfield. He lived where Dr. Joseph North lately resided-north of the residence of the late Car- rington Todd. Nathaniel Green lived near the orchard of Capt. Miles, north of the ancient burying ground. He was from Stam- ford. Thomas Griffis, from Litchfield. He lived on Dudley Town Hill, near the residence of the late Caleb Jones. John and George Halloway, were from Middlebury, or Pembroke, Mass. They lived where Mrs. Ithamer Baldwin now resides. George died in 1750. He built the house used as a tavern in 1776, kept by Woodruff Emmons. Benjamin Hough, from New Milford, settled in the northwest part of the town. Thomas Harris was from Plainfield. He lived where the late Capt. Elias Hart resided. (Geo. Potter, 1877.) Moses Harris, from Plainfield, lived near the late Capt. Clarke's. (William Bennett, 1877.) Nathaniel Jewell, from Plain- field. He lived near the present residence of Mr. Fowler Brad- ford. Joshua Jewell, from the same place, lived on the present Maj. Pierce's farm. David Jewell, also from Plainfield, lived near the present residence of Wm. Hindman, Esq. (Tyler Miner, 1877.) Stephen Lee, from Litchfield, lived on Great Hill. Mat- thew Millard, from East Haddam, lived opposite the residence of the late Oliver Burnham, Esq. Samuel Messenger, from Harwin- ton, lived near the center of town, now Mr. Johnson's. James Packett, from Danbury, lived in Great Hollow. Timothy Pang- born, from Stamford, lived a little north of Mr. Luther Emmons' place. Benoni Palmeter lived near the Baptist meeting house. (Elias Scoville, 1877.) Thomas Tanner, from Litchfield, lived on the hill east of the late residence of the Hon. O. Burnham. He was grandfather of Tryal Tanner. Ebenezer Tyler lived in Corn- wall Hollow, on the Samuel Johnson place. Jonathan Squires, from Plainfield, lived south of the residence of the late Riley M. Rexford. Reuben Squires, also from Plainfield, lived near the late Capt. Joel Wright's. (T. Wilson, 1877.) Phineas Waller lived near the late residence of Deacon Samuel Adams (Judson Adams, 1877).
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