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Gc 974.602 L68b 1740373
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01151 3410
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00bish_0
563 Historical Sketch of
Lisbon, Conn.
From 1786 to 1900
BY HENRY F. BISHOP
Published by H. F. BISHOP, D.D.S. 332 E. 88th Street, New York, N. Y.
563
1740373
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HENRY FITCH BISHOP, D.D.S.
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Thanks are due to Mr. Calvin Duane Bromley, present Town Clerk of Lisbon, for giving free access to all records, and to the late Rev. R. M. Chipman, whose unpublished manuscript contained much valuable data.
H. F. B.
COPYRIGHTED 1903 BY H. F. BISHOP.
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PREFACE.
In locking up the records of Lisbon's history, one finds very little help in any written historical descriptions thus far published. The explanation is to be found that she is so unimportant relatively with her larger sister towns. She has had a small, contracted terri- tory, a sparse population, and a short period of existence since she was incorporated into a separate town in 1786. This necessarily makes but a brief sketch of history when all of it is collected for publication.
Barker's "Historical Collections." published in 1837, speaking "of all the towns in Connecticut." describing their geography, soil. inhabitants, churches, and manufacturing interests, gives about as good a description of Lisbon as is found anywhere, but it is only a half-page record.
Hurd's "History of New London County," published in 1882, gives Lisbon's boundaries as follows: "On the north by Canterbury, Windham County, east by Griswold, south by Preston, west by Norwich and Sprague." It only gives us two of its early settlers, "James Burnham, admitted as a settler in 1710," and "Benjamin Burnham, admitted as a settler in 1726."
Having had a difficult task in research for genealogical informa- tion the last few years ( with imperfect and fragmentary records), the writer has deemed it a fitting service to render his native town to more conveniently arrange for observation and preservation its records : that hereafter students looking up family history may be greatly helped in finding what is needed, if it exists. Lisbon has a large representative body scattered through the States of the Union. descendants of her noble stock, who have to come back to her for biographical and genealogical family history. They have often turned away in despair that they could find so little to enlighten them.
That delightful historical writer and author, Dr. Hale, of Boston, says, speaking of writers: "For one, I am much obliged to anybody who tries to make it easy for me to read." and again he makes the following memorandum: "N. B. When you know any- thing worth knowing, which few other people know, write it down at once.'
If I have failed to fulfil the idea of the first quoted paragraph, as doubtless I have, may I not hope in some small measure to rescue some facts which would have been otherwise lost to posterity? The effort has cost me much thought. time. and labor. to which my townsmen are welcome if they will but look lightly upon my failure to have made a more interesting and perfect sketch.
HENRY F. BISHOP. D.D.S.
332 East 88th St .. New York. July. 1903.
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CHAPTER I.
It is the intention of the writer to give herewith a short historical sketch of Lisbon, both before and after its incorporation as a town in 1786-down to the present time.
Its history prior to its incorporation as a separate town was iden- tified wholly within the town of Norwich.
Its importance was duly appreciated by the people of that ven- erable town, Norwich, which gave abundant evidence of her esteem for the worthy inhabitants of this part of her territory, sharing with them the responsibilities of conducting their government, seeking . the most eminent and efficient talent among her best citizens in all their councils to meet the trying times of the period of our revolu- tionary war. The situation of this active territory of Norwich and vicinity was peculiar : so closely connected with the exposed city of New London on the one side (causing therefore anxiety and fear), and of Lebanon on the other side, where "Brother Jonathan" (Wash- ington's friend) lived. thereby giving hope and encouragement to the inhabitants, who had already been struggling for life and liberty with King George the Third for many previous years.
This part of Norwich quite distinguished herself by her pa- triotism : she enrolled upon her records some quite eminent officers and soldiers in our revolutionary war, some of whom never lived to see the glorious results which came out of their devotion to their country for which they gave their precious lives.
Reviewing Lisbon for its hundred years' existence as a town, is not so much a task of searching its town records for its history : as to take up its ecclesiastical parishes and give them a fair view of their important influences upon the inhabitants of the said town. Nearly all prominent men and persons of influence in those days were actively connected with their local churches in that early period of our history.
Thus necessarily we must take into view these component parts from which Lisbon's antecedents had already existed, and from which it was possible to create and make a new town from the Nor- wich societies. Newent and Hanover were familiar names before Lisbon was known. or had any significance in this locality.
The historian of Norwich relates that in 1718 sixteen persons enrolled among its inhabitants were denoted "Farmers settled in ve crotch of ve Rivers." but these families of farmers, which included women, children, servants, and helpful mechanics, must have num- bered at least sixty, or even more than seventy people. These set- tlers had now come to a conviction that they needed an assembly for
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public worship, and were willing and ready to make appropriate ef - forts to secure one near their own homes. So in May of the year 1718 a petition was presented to the Colonial Legislature bearing the following names :
THOMAS WALBRIDGE,
WILLIAM ADAMS,
SAMUEL BISHOP,
NATHANIEL DEAN,
JOSIAH REED,
JOSEPH READ,
WILLIAM REED,
JOHN BISHOP,
DANIEL LONGBOTTOM,
ISAAC LARANCE,
ELIEZER JEWETT,
ISAAC LARANCE, Jr.,
DAVID KNIGHT,
SAMUEL LOTHROP.
DAVID KNIGHT, Jr.,
JOHN READ,
GEORGE ROOD,
SAMUEL COY,
JOHN LAMB,
JEREMIMIE TRACY,
SAMUEL ROOD,
FRANCIS TRACY,
JABESH ROOD,
WILLIAM W'ALBRIDGE,
JOIN BACON,
TIMOTRY ALLEN.
MOSES HAGGET,
The humble petition of the farmers on the Northeasterly part of Norwich called the Crotch of the River. to the Honorable Gen- eral Assembly, now sitting.
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"WHEREAS our habitations have been, by the Providence of God. very remote from the place of public worship, not only by reason of the distance, but by reason of a great river, which is not only difficult, but at all time dangerous to cross, and for which reason we have obtained liberty from the town to be a distinct society from them. We, whose names are underwritten with the rest of our inhabitants do humbly pray this honorable General Assembly will grant us the liberty of being a distinct society from them of the town plot, so as to call and settle an orthodox minister to be with us and to dispense to us the ordinances of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If we may have your establishment of us in the capacity of a society so as to have the liberty and benefit of the law to advan- tage us to maintain a minister and we hope we shall improve the same to the honor of God and to our spiritual profit. We, the subscribers do humbly pray for your favorable answer to this our petition."
The reply came as follows :
"At a general Assembly holden in Hartford, in his Majesty's colony of Connecticut in New England on Thursday, the Sth day of May in the fourth year of the reign of our Sovereign, Lord George, King of Great Britain, etc., A. D. 1718 .- Upon consideration of the farmers inhabiting between the rivers Quinabaug and Shou- tucket on the Northeasterly part of the town of Norwich: This As- sembly do now grant to the said farmers the liberty and privilege of a parish and society by and of themselves within the said town of Norwich for the settling, upholding and maintaining the public wor-
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ship of God amongst them, with all such liberties, powers and priv- ileges as other societies and congregations in this colony generally have and do enjoy by law ; always provided that the said farmers bear their proportionable charges in the town until they have procured an orthodox minister among them."
Thus was constituted the third ecclesiastical society in Norwich called "The North East Society," but no dates, no records earlier than the 5th of March, 1734, can be found of it officially, although es- tablished in 1718. It may be well to observe here that the early custom of our ancestors when they settled the country was to form these associations as time advanced and they felt the need of them. Thus Parish societies ante-dated the church organizations often times-yet were supposed to be harmonious and to be consulted whenever any important questions were to be decided, such as the settlement of a minister or pastor among them to preach to them ; the Parish might not always acquiesce with the choice of the Church for a candidate, which awkward situation would show this double- headed authority at times to be quite inconvenient.
Norwich proprietors lost no time in endowing the new Parish with lands for its minister's aid. Their appropriations made the first month by the records are as follows: "Land belonging to the minis- try in the crotch of the river Quena Bauge and Shoutuckett in Nor- wich, Item forty-three acres beginning at a stone by a run of water on the south side of ve road against John Bacon's house," &c., &c., "which further describes as abutting westerly on Comons fifty-eight rods, &c .. &c .. and thence by land of Joseph Read and easterly to road or highway to ye first corner.
Laid out May, 1718.
J. C. HUNTINGTON, Saml. Lothrop.
We find also another record of a deed laid out of forty-five acres, lying in the place called Wales on the east side of Shoutuckett River-with bounds recorded-abutting westerly upon Joseph Roaths (Roads ?)
JAMES HUNTINGTON,
Laid out 1718. BENAJAH BUSHNELL, S Committee.
The above imperfectly represents the very vague descriptions of their plots of land, but are noticed here to show the generous and fair spirit of the people of Norwich toward her out-lying towns- men in the North East Society.
We see that Wales is one of the old abandoned names once known to Lisbon's early locality. On its eastern side Pabaquamsque was the name for that part located where Jeremiah Tracy's estate was just below Jewett City,-not long since owned by Dr. Rockwell of Norwich. . Wequonnuc was on the west another name known locally. These names, however, were soon lost by those legally established by the colonial assembly.
"January 17th. 1720. In town meeting ordered that if the Per- kinses at their return from Boston do not bring with them a minister to preach in the crotch of the river or satisfy the select men. they
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shall have one speedily. the rate-makers shall put them into the (Norwich First Society ) minister's rates."
Whether a minister was then brought or not cannot be said. It appears that one seasonably came, and that an edifice for worship was soon erected. "By over exertion in the effort the energies of the people were strained." They sought aid from the Legislature thus :
"To the Honorable, the Governor, and company of his Majes- ty's Colony of Connecticut, in New England, in General Court as- sembled at Hartford, May ye 10th 1722 humbly showeth .- That it hath pleased Almighty God to settle ye bounds of ye habitations of ye inhabitants of ve North East Society in Norwich between two great rivers, so that it hath ever been exceeding difficult for us ( when our families were but few in number ) to attend upon ye public worship of God on Sabbath dayes and at other times ; but now our families being more numerous we find it is impossible for us and our families to attend ye publick worship of God as we should do; therefore, we ve said inhabitants did make our address to this Honorable Assembly for to make us a distinct society by ourselves and to give us ye liberty for to set up ye publick worship of God amongst them, and it was granted, for ye which favor we render this Honorable Assembly humble and hearty thanks and we have proceeded in ye premises so far yt we have raised and covered a meeting house big enough for to hold our inhabitants, and at present we have (with us) a min - ister yt preaches ye gospel amongst us to our good satisfaction, and we humbly hope we are heartily willing for to expose ourselves and our estates for to carry on such a great and good work, and there- by to promote ye Glory of God and ye good of souls, but we being but few in number and but little and low in estate, and therefore un- capable to carry on so great a work as we ought to do, without ve help and assistance of this Honorable Assembly. Therefore we think it is our undoubted duty to spread our case before this Honor- able Assembly and humbly begg yt favour of this Assembly for to give us, ye inhabitants of ve said Society, ye liberty for to improve that money yt is, or may be, due from our estate to this colony, for three years next ensuing. towards the setting up of ye publick wor- ship of God amongst us, and we as in duty bound shall ever pray."
JOSEPH PERKINS, JABEZ. PERKINS, SAMUEL BISHOP. Committee in behalf of Society.
The answer obtained was as follows :--
"Upon the prayer of the North East Society in Norwich, rep- resenting their difficulty in respect to settling a minister: This as- sembly grants them their parts of the country's rates, or taxes, that may be granted for the space of two years to come : and the constable of Norwich who collects the country rate there, is hereby ordered to collect the same as usual and deliver the same to the committee of
mẹ ----
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said Society, according to their list, for the space of two years as aforcsaid."
Thus the colonial Legislature at its session October, 1722, in granting the prayer of the petitioners of North East Society in Nor- wich for rebate of three years' taxes gave them two years' taxes and established a new name for it as follows :
"Resolved by this Assembly. That for the future the North East Society or parish in the town of Norwich be called by the name of Newent.'
Before proceeding to the history of Newent, it is quite proper to speak of Norwich in its earlier relation to Newent and subsequently Lisbon.
Norwich was founded and settled in 1660. Part of her settlers came from Saybrook, Ct., where the Rev. James Fitch has the record of having been settled and preached in both Saybrook and Norwich. A greater part of the settlers, however, were from Ipswich, Mass., and among them we have noticed on the Parish Committee Joseph and Jacob Perkins and Samuel Bishop, and later Mathew Perkins and other men of Ipswich. As early as 1659 the Indian chief Uncas, with his brother Wawequaw. and his two sons, Owaneco and Atta- wamhood, united in giving Major Mason (so well known in our early history) a deed of sale in the months of June and August of that year for a tract of land nine miles square for seventy pounds ; a part of this land afterwards became Lisbon.
The Ipswich settlers, as above stated. had become large land proprietors here, and it is supposed that many of them originally came from Newent. England-a town 112 miles from London and eight miles from Gloucester -- to Ipswich, and had then made choice of the name Newent for this new North East Society of Norwich.
This territory has a right to claim and share with Norwich in all her historical fame and honors of the past.
It was but a few years later when Capt. Fitch, another well- known early settler, obtained a deed of trust from Uncas's son Owaneco giving him absolute possession of the first tract, and of other tracts of land. This confusion gave the Norwich proprietors very much trouble and anxiety till settled.
In 1725 the Mohegan title was quitclaimed to Lieut. Samuel Bishop and others ; and in 1745 was altogether surrendered by a deed to Capt. Samuel Bishop and others. Much dissatisfaction was felt against Capt. Fitch, who was a son of the Pastor, Rev. Mr. Fitch. who was fond of conferring spiritual blessings upon the Indians ; while the son sought to get temporal advantage from them. As pur- chasers from Capt. Fitch there were five prominent men then of Ips- wich, Mass ..- Samuel Bishop, Mesbach Farley, Mathew Perkins. Joseph Safford and Richard Smith. Capt. Fitch made over to them the so-called eighteen hundred acre grant. Jacob Perkins and Joseph Perkins, also of Ipswich, and brothers of the forementioned Mathew Perkins, bought soon after a grant of what the five associ- ated had purchased, and also more of the territory adjoining. Rich-
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ard Adams of either Sudbury or Chlemsford, Mass. (in addition to three thousand acres north of this territory, which in 1703 he by deeds of gift partitioned to his five sons), obtained soon, perhaps before 1700, land within this locality, which land, descending from one of his sons through a continued series of male heirs, his pos- terity have retained until to-day.
Following up this Connecticut Newent we find that the Rev. Levi Nelson says, in his half century sermon, "I have been unable to learn when the first meeting house in Newent was erected. It stood where Mr. Daniel Hatch's house now is. This was the only place in what is now Lisbon ( with one exception, which we shall notice here- after) where the inhabitants used to attend public worship, till after the Hanover Society was organized, which was in the year 1766." The exception Mr. Nelson referred to was the meeting house of the separatists which stood on the hill west of the present church's local- ity as long as needed, when it was taken down and its frame was carted to the easterly section of the parish and was made into a barn on the Tracy farm. Quoting further from Mr. Nelson's half cen- tury sermon. "The whole town of Lisbon was formerly called Newent society the third in Norwich. According to the best information I have been able to obtain. it received this name from Newent, Glou- cester County, England, from the inhabitants of which many of the first settlers of this town descended. Though their relations, who re- mained in England, might never have seen some of them, it is evident they cared for them. for when organized as a church these friends in England made them a present of a large folio work of the venerable and indefatigable Richard Baxter, containing a very complete set of his works." The church made good use of it, as he says an aged member once informed him that he had spent many a Sabbath inter- mission hearing the book read.
The site of this first meeting house was about half a mile south of the present church edifice. west of where the Providence. Hartford and Fishkill Railroad crosses the highway. But little or nothing is know of its style or size, but parish records show that it was not des- titute of decoration, at least a "cushen" had a piace in its pulpit.
At the Spring session of the colony's Assembly now sitting at Hartford May ve oth. 1723. the petition of the inhabitants of Newent in Norwich humbly sheweth :- "That we inhabitants of s'd society have called Mr. Daniel Kirkland to be our minister to carry on the worship of God among us, and have peaceably agreed with him both for a salary and settlement. therefore your petitioners pray that they may have liberty to ordain the said Mr. Kirkland and to em- body a church there, by and with the consent of the neighboring churches. And your petitioners shall ever pray.
Dated Newent, May 7th. 1723.
JABEZ PERKINS, - JOSEPH PERKINS.
Committee.
SAMUEL BISHOP.
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At the same session the petition received was answered as fol- lows :- "This assembly grant unto the inhabitants of the parish of .Newent in Norwich liberty to imbody themselves into church estate and to settle an orthodox minister amongst them, with the approba- tion of the neighboring churches."
Towards the end of that year there was sent to neighboring churches a "call" expressed, subscribed and dated thus, viz. :
"We the bretheren of the North East Society in Norwich sub- scribing hercunto have, after sufficient time of Probation, and with mature deliberation, unanimously invited and called Mr. Daniel Kirk- land to the work of the ministry among us in this place desiring he may have the pastorate charge of us in the Lord.
Newent in Norwich, November 18, 1723.
JOSEPH PERKINS. JABEZ PERKINS,
WILLIAM READ, Jr., JOHN SAFFORD,
JOHN READ, NATHAN BUSHNELL,
ISAAC LAWRENCE, SAMUEL LOTHROP.
ISAAC LAWRENCE, Jr., TIMOTHY ALLEN,
JEREMIAH TRACY, DANIEL KNIGHT, Jr.
The ministers and churches which assisted in the constitution of the church and ordination of the Pastor on the 10th of December, 1723, were :
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Whiting and the messengers. The Rev. Mr. Solomon Treat, of Preston, and the messengers. The Rev. Mr. Samuel Estabrooks, of Canterbury. and the messengers. The Rev. Mr. Azariah Mather, of Saybrook. and the messengers. The Rev. Mr. Benjamin Lord, of Norwich, and the messengers. The Rev. Mr. Henry Willis, of Norwich, and the messengers.
On the roth of December. Anno Domini 1723, the church was constituted and Daniel Kirkland ordained Pastor, the Rev. Sam- uel Whiting gave the charge and the Rev. Mr. Samuel Estabrooks the right hand of good fellowship.
This council called to ordain Rev. Mr. Kirkland was quite a dis- tinguished selection of men, important not only as ministers, but as well in other spheres of life. Rev. Samuel Whiting was from a Boston (England ) family and his grandfather had been Mayor of that City. Rev. Mr. Treat was a graduate of Harvard College 1694. Mr. Ma- ther. a graduate of Yale College 1705 ; his kinsman, Cotton Mather. is more widely known. Rev. Benjamin Lord was a graduate of Yale
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College 1714. and had been pastor in Norwich six years (the first year of which he had been sole pastor. He lived to see eight pas- tors and churches on the same territory and to see it partitioned into four towns. ) The Rev. Henry Willis, graduated Vale College 1715, and the Rev. Mr. Estabrooks, who was graduated from Harvard College 1696.
In the first year after the birth of the Newent Church she re- ceived into complete fellowship twenty-seven persons ; in the second vear after, seventeen ; in the four next following years, twenty-one ; so that the thirteen original members composed, with the additions, a number in the seventh year scarcely differing by one from its num- ber when the church was one hundred and fifty years old. There were no other additions recorded until 1741-2, when were received thirty-five, showing a religious revival had been experienced in their immediate past. But very soon Newent Church as well as other churches in this part of the State were in much trouble and confu- sion in consequence of prevailing ideas which were supposed to be too restrictive wherein the general custom had been to ostracize or keep men out of office who were not closely connected in church membership, etc. Then there had in this vicinity sprung up a very general following of a sect called Separatist, who were active, almost aggressive, who seemed to make great inroads upon these earlier established churches, and for a while gave no little trouble and anx- iety to these orthodox existing societies. However, they had their day, and not long afterwards they seemed to have died out and lost their vital interest. The first of their churches was formed in Can- terbury, 1744. Not long after a Separatist Church was formed in Newent. made up of disaffected, but undismissed members of the Newent Church. Owing to the distraction the Newent Church rec- ords are entirely a blank in respect to that period. 1744 to 1755. Some few records were afterwards added, but nothing like a full report. The reasons alleged for leaving the regular church were :- want of edification from the church's minister ; church's lacking gospel order, - as having no ordained ruling elder, and no ordained deacons : owned Christ in words, but in deeds denied Him, etc., etc. The Separat- ists generally encouraged lay-preaching more than most Congrega- tionalists were wont to do. By credible information we find a record that one "Jeremiah Tracy, Jr., has taken upon him to be a preacher, a calling which we don't apprehend God has called him to."
So far as known the Separatist Church in Newent had none other than lay-preachers till Mr. Bliss Willoughby was ordained its pastor in 1753. Its meeting house, as has been described, stood upon the hill-crest directly north of where the late Sanford Bromley's dwelling house stood, and was later torn down. The Separatists tol- erated some serious errors. Their practice was not wholly the "Meekness of wisdom." However, they opposed the unrighteous management of the civil power in forcing men by taxes, and severer means to uphold church ministrations, and in many other ways they wrought some good, but also excited sensitive men who were
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