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Gc 974.602 L71wo 1770936
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
3 1833 01149 1138
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofl00wood 0
HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF LITCHFIELD,
CONNECTICUT.
BY GEORGE C. WOODRUFF.
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
LITCHFIELD : PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY CHARLES ADAMS.
1845.
Y
HISTORY
1770936
OF THE
TOWN OF LITCHFIELD,
-S-
1
CONNECTICUT. -
BY GEORGE C. WOODRUFF.
-C
Y
1845.
1:
F 846361
Woodruff, George Catlin, 1805-1885.
.98 History of the town of Litchfield, Connecticut. By George C. Woodruff. Litchfield, C. Adams, 1845. 64 p. front. (fold. plan) 22em.
CHELF CARD
1. Litchfield, Conn .- Hist.
Rc-3253 Revised
Library of Congress.
F104.L7\V7.
-
MALA
3
.
10 %
"THE following facts relating to the early History of Litch- field, resting either in tradition, or concealed amidst a mass of other matter, I had the curiosity to collect in moments of leis- ure, and to arrange for subsequent reference. And I have deemed it well to incorporate therein, extracts from Morris' statistical account of Litchfield, as that work is nearly out of ;print, and the facts it contains being interesting to a native of this town. I am also indebted to gentlemen in this village, for some of the facts herein recorded. Many others are doubtless in the memory of our older inhabitants, and valuable docu- ments may be found among the papers of those no longer liv- ing, developing the manners and customs and early history of our ancestors. Should such be communicated to me, I may hereafter take measures to embody them for preservation and the benefit or gratification of posterity.
GEORGE C. WOODRUFF.
LITCHFIELD, AUGUST 1815.
23 May 33
.
HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF LITCHFIELD.
CHAPTER I.
By the charter of King Charles the 2d, to the Governor and Company of the Colony of Connecticut, granted A. D. 1662, the boundaries of the Colony were, the Narraganset River on the East, the Sea on the South, the line of the Massachusetts plantation on the North, and the South Sea on the West. Within these boundaries, were included the town and county of Litchfield, which town, until the organization of the county in 1751, was a part of the county of Hartford.
In 1685, on the decease of Charles, his brother James the 2d, ascended the throne. He is represented as having been an " obstinate, cruel tyrant, and a bigoted Roman Catholic, desti- tute of all the principles of true honor, faith, justice or human- ity. The most humble petitions, arguments from reason, char- ters, the most solemn compact, and royal promises ; from jus- tice, humanity, or any other consideration which a subject could plead, had no weight or influence with him. Nearly fifty corporations in England had been deprived of their charters."
With a monarch of such a character, the institutions of New England found no favor. The charter of Massachusetts was vacated. Rhode Island submitted. Its inhabitants, and those of the Narraganset country, were discharged from all obedi- ence either to Connecticut or Rhode Island.
Writs of quo warranto were issued against the Governor and Company of Connecticut, requiring them to show by what warrant they exercised certain powers and privileges, and this under circumstances which showed that it was no part of the King's intention to do them justice.
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The government of Connecticut omitted no probable means for the preservation of their chartered rights. But in the year. 1687, Sir Edmund Andross, (a fit instrument for such a king,) failing to obtain the surrender or possession of our charter, for- cibly assumed the government of the Colony. The charter, the possession of which he coveted, (at the present time in the State House at Hartford,) was secreted, as is well known, in the hollow of an oak now standing in Hartford, called the Charter Oak.
During this period, and, as it was said, for the purpose of " saving the lands from the grasp of Sir Edmund, and to prevent his enriching himself and his minions by a sale of them," the legislature, on the 26th of January 1786, conveyed to the towns of Hartford and Windsor, as follows : "This Court grants to' the plantations of Hartford and Windsor, those lands on the north of Woodbury and Mattatuck,* and on the west of Farm- ington and Simsbury, to the Massachusetts line north, to run west to the Housatonic or Stratford river ; provided, it be not or part of it granted to any particular person to make a planta- tion or village."
This conveyance subsequently created serious difficulty in the Colony, and gave rise to forcible resistance to the public authority.
It was claimed on the part of the colony, that the grant was without consideration, and that those towns were to hold the lands in trust for the Colony till the time of danger should be past.
But those towns denied the justice of the demands of the Colony, and claimed the lands as absolutely their own, and in contravention of the laws of the Colony proceeded to survey and sell them. Some of the offenders were arrested and pun- ished, some were committed to the prison in Hartford. The inhabitants of Windsor and Hartford armed themselves, and in spite of the power and authority of the sheriff, and the assem- bly, broke open the goal and rescued the prisoners. These .events occurred in 1722.
The towns still continued to lay out the disputed lands, and
· Waterbury.
7
the legislature to pursue spirited measures to prevent it. The controversy assumed a still more serious aspect, but was final- ly amicably adjusted in May 1726, by dividing the lands in controversy, between the towns of Hartford and Windsor on the one part, and the Colony on the other.
From this division, however, the town of Litchfield, though . a part of the disputed territory, was exempted, as were also other lands previously conveyed by those towns.
Those interested in the town of Litchfield had, indeed, some time before the controversy attained its height, with commend- able prudence, taken measures to perfect their title by obtain- ing grants from all claimants.
CHAPTER II.
Our ancestors were not of those who pretended that the ab- originees had no right to the soil which had for centuries been occupied by them and their fathers. The settlers of Connec- ticut deemed it a matter of conscience, to abstain from trespas- sing upon the lands of the natives, much more from depriving them of those lands until they were fairly purchased.
It is said that before the settlement of this town by the whites, a tribe resided here, probably on the borders of the lake, in alli- ance with the powerful tribe of Indians at New Milford, but still independent of them.
The Tunxis or Farmington tribe of Indians adjoined them on the cast, and how far their territories extended into this township, if at all, is uncertain.
But I find that as early as the year 1657, certain Indians of that tribe conveyed to William Lewis and Samuel Steele of Farmington, certain privileges as appears by the following copy of their deed, viz. :
" This witnesseth that we Kepaquamp and Querrimus and Matancage have sould to William Leawis and Samuel Steele of
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8
ffarmington A p sell or a tract of land called Matetucke, that js to say the hill from whence John Standley and John An- drews brought the black lead, and all the land within eight mylle of that hill on every side ; to dig ; and carry away what they will and to build in jt for ye use of them that labour there ; and not otherwise to improve ye land. In witness whereof wee have hereunto set our hands, and thos Jndians above men- tioned must free the purchasers from all claymes by any other Indyans.
Witnes ; John Steel. february ye 8th 1657.
William Lewis, Samuel Steele.
:
The mark febru ye 8th
of Kepaquamp. 1657.
The mark febru ye Sth
of Querrimus. 1657.
The mark of february ye 8
Mataneage. 1657."
Precisely where the hill referred to in this deed was situated, I have been unable to discover, but from the subsequent claims of the grantees, from tradition, and from the deed itself, it would seem that it was in the southern part of Harwinton, and em- braced that town, and also some portion of Plymouth (then Mat- atuck or Waterbury) and Litchfield. This purchase was made by the grantees in behalf of themselves and a company com- posed of certain other inhabitants of Farmington. And on
9
the 11th of August 1714 the whole Indian title to the land de -. scribed in said instrument, in the successors of the grantors, . was conveyed as appears by the following deed :
"To all christian people to whom these presents shall come, Pethuzso and Taxcronuck with Awowas and ye rest off us ye subscribers, Indians belonging to Tunxses or otherwise ffarm -: ington jn theyer majesties Colony of Conecticute jn New Eng- land send greeting-Know ye that whercas, Kepagam, Quero- mus, and Mattaneg our Predisessors, did febr ye eighth 1657 : sell and convey unto Capt. William Lewis and Left. Samuel Steele a certain Tract or prcell of land called Mattatuck ; that is to say the hill from whence John Stanly and John Andrews brought ye black Lead, and all ye Land within eight miles of that hill, on every side ; to jmprove as appeareth on Record jn. ye second book of Records Page : 17th : which Purchas was made, for ye most considerable part, of ye jnhabitants of ffarm- ington as may appear by a List of theyer Names, who with s'd Lewis and Steelc, Payd a considerable sume for ye Purchas. A considerable Part of which Tract or prcell of Land is com- prised within ye bounds, of Watterbury and ffarmington, we haueing allso about ye year, one thousand, six hundred and 87 ; with sume of our Predecessors Received of Left. John Stanly, about the sume of eight Pounds for Part of said Land which are confirmed to him, and we do now Quitt our claime to ye same and do confirm ye same to him and his successors according as we or any of our predicessors did before us : and hauing considered what sumes of mony, and that which hath been to or predecessors, and our full sattistaction for ye said ' prcell of Land, mentioned ju ye p'misess, with what further, gratuities we have lately received, from Left Stanly and Sarjt Eben Steele, and Now therefore know all men, by these Pres- ents that we Pethuzso and Toxeronock, with Awowas, and ye rest of us that have subscribed do well approve of what Kepa- quam, Queromus and Mattanege, have done jn selling ye abouc sd Tract or percell of Land aboue sd to Capt. William Lewis and Left. Stecle, and do hereby give, grant, bargain, sell, alien- ate, confirm and convey all or Right jn or to sd tract of land whatsoever, we ye sd Pethuzsoe and Toxcronuck, with ye rest
2
10
Now, hane or jn time to come, might ought or should haue had jn or to sd Land abouc mentioned as it is described jn ye Rec- ord, and deeds within all ye extent of ye buttments bounded or Reputed to be bounded, Together with all such Rights Liber- tyes ; Profits, Privileges, jmunities, Profits, commodities, im- molluments and appertenances, as jn any kind appertain there- unto, belonging unto ye sons of sd Capt Lewis and Left Steele; Namely unto William Lewis Sarjt Ebenezer Steel, and allso Left John Stanly aboue sd all belonging unto sd ffarmington, with ye associats of sd Capt Lewis and Left Samuel Steele, as may appear, by ye List of theyer Names on ye other sid of this Instrument, which were ye men yt Payd ye first Purchas ; we say to William Lewis junt Eben. Steel and John Stanly with ye ancient Purchasers, we say ye Tract of Land with all ye pre- veledges which in any kind appertain thereunto with ye Re- uersions and Remainders thereof and all ye estate Right Title, Interest, jnheritance, Property claime and demand whatsoever, we ye sd Jndians haue, might ought or shold haue, had to ye sd Land, and Priueledges, and do hereby Quitt any claime thereto, unto ye sd William Lewis and Ebenezer Steel, and ye ancient Purchasers to haue and to hold all ye aboue granted prmises with all and singuler ye appurtenances thereof unto ye sd Lewis Steele and theyer fathers associats, as aboue expresst and to Left John Stanly jn speciall, fifty acres Layd out and confirmed to him near ye sd hill, and fifty aeres more where he shall see cause to take it up, or his heirs, which we have had full sattisfaction for, with our Predecessors, the sd Purchasors to haue and to hold ye Land bought as is expressed of our grandfathers and Relations, with ye apurtenances thereof to them theyer heirs and assigns to their own sole and Proper use, and behoof from henceforth forever. Allso ye sd Pethuzso, and Toxcronuck with ye Rest of the Judians subscribing do hereby for our selves and our heir executes admintrs covenant promise, grant and agree, to and with ye sd John Stanly Steel and Lewis in manner and form as followeth, that ye sd Keepa- quam, Querimus and Mattancage at ye time of ye ensealing ye conuayance above expressed, they were ye true and lawfull owners of ye Land contained jn ye Premises and stood seized
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11
of the whole tract of land contained in ye book of Records in ye premises : after ye meathod that other Indians useed to do, jn theyer own right ; yet for A further sattisfaction of ye heirs of Capt. Lewis, Steel, and Stanly we haue giuen this Jnstru- ment to Left Stanly and William Lewis, son of Capt Lewis, and Ebenezer Steele to be A further confirmation to them and ye ancient Purchasers forever. Now this Jndenture wittness- eth for a further confirmation to them ye sd Stanly, Lewis and Steel, that we ye sd Pethuzso and Toxcronuck with ye rest of us ye subscribers do grant Release and Quitt any claime to ye aboue sd Tractor Percell of Land and do hereby assigne, enfe- offe, Rattefie and Confirm unto the aforesd Willm Lewis Sarjt Ebenezer Steel and Left John Stanly theyer ancient Purchas- ers and theyer heirs forever, all ye forementioned premises that is to say the hill from whence John Stanly and John Andrus brought ye blacklead and all ye Land within eight mile of ye hill on euery side, with all ye timber trees, woods brooks rivers, mines, minerals thereupon, and hereby surrender and Quitt our claime to ye same for them to have and to hold Possess and enjoy and their heirs forever, and do hereby warrant maintain. and defend ye sd Purchasers theyer heirs and assigns jn ye Qui- et and Peaceable Possession, and enjoyment thereof as above described, against our selves our heirs executrs adminirs and as- signs and and all and euery other person or prsons lawfully claim- ing Right Title Jntrest therein from by, or under us.
Jn wittness whereof we ye said Petthuzso Toxcronuck Awo- was, with ye Rest haue to this Indenture Put our hands, and seales, this eleventh of August in ye year of or Lord one thou- sand and seven hundred and fourteen : 1714
Signed sealed and deliv- )
. ered in ye presence of
Petthuzso : his × mark. [L.S.]
Toxcrunuck : his .C. mark [L.s. ] us, John Thomson,
Hez. Hooker.
farmington September ye eleuenth day, Anno qe Dom. 1714, Petthuszo, and Toxcronuck, farmington Indians, and subserl- bers to this aboue written Justrument came prsonally before me and acknowledged ye same to be theyer own willing and free act and deed. JOHN HOOKER, Justic.
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Wittnesses to Taphow and his squa sign- ing sealing and de- livering Tho's Lee, Hez. Hooker.
Young Taphow his 5 mark. [L.s.]
Young Tapho w Squa 3
Witnesses to Awo- was signing seal-
Petasas granchild her c mark. [L.s.]
ing & delivering.
Timothy Portter, J Josiah Hart. Awowas his mark 3 [L.s.] ffarmington Octobr ye 12th, Anno Domi : 1714 : Taphow ye younger and his squa ; allso Wowowis all ffarmington Jndians came prsonally before me, and acknowledged this aboue writ- ten Instrument-which they have signed and sealed to be thyer own willing free act and deed.
JOHN HOOKER, Justic.
By virtue of these deeds, certain inhabitants of Farmington claimed a title to a portion of this township. But it will be ob- served, that their title, whatever it was, was derived from the natives only. And that the title of the Colony, was vested in the Towns of Hartford and Windsor. Those Towns therefore claimed the exclusive right to purchase the Indian title, and on doing so, to survey and sell the Lands.
The affairs of "The Western Lands," as they were called, were managed by committees severally appointed by those Towns, who acted in conjunction. As early as 1715, those Towns took measures to explore the Township of Litchfield, and to purchase the native rights. Mr. John Marsh of Hart- ford, one of the first settlers of this Town, and the ancestor of the Marshes of Litchfield, was one of the committee appointed for that purpose, by the Town of Hartford. He was an ener- getic and courageous man, and in May 1715 undertook what was then a perilous journey into the pathless wilderness. His bill as appears from our ancient records was as follows :
The Town of Hartford Dr.,
To Jolin Marsh,
May 1715, For 5 days man and horse with expenses in viewing the Land at the New Plantation,
£2
13 '
I find also the following charges made in January following to the Town of Hartford, by a committee for managing the af- fairs of the Western Land.
The Town of Hartford Dr.,
Jan 22 1715-16, To 6 days journey to Woodbury,
to treat with the Indians about the Western Lands,
by Thomas Seymour, £1 4
To expenses in the journey, 1 14 9
£2 18 9
The Town of Hartford Dr.,
To Thomas Seymour Committy.
May 1716, By 2 quarts of Rum, £0 2 6
Expenses at Farmington, 4 9
Waterbury, 1 7
Paid Thomas Miner towards the Indian purchase, 7 10 0 Expenses at Woodbury, 2 11 0
for a Pilot and protection, 1 10 0
Fastening horse shoes at Waterbury, 2 0
Expenses at Waterbury, 1 S
The result of the negotiations with the Indians, was the sale by them to the Towns of Hartford and Windsor of the Town- ship of Litchfield. For aught that appears, it was fairly pur- chased, and we have no evidence that the natives became dis- satisfied with it, or expressed any unwillingness to surrender the possession. They subsequently gave the settlers little trou- ble. The capture of Griswold and the murder of Harris were the only exceptions, and whether these were the acts of the na tives of Bantam, or of the fierce and warlike Mohawks who ex- tended their predatory excursions into these regions, and to whom our tribes were tributary, is uncertain.
The Indian deed of this Town was executed at Woodbury March 2d, 1715, (probably 1716 N. S.) and is as follows, viz :
" To all people to whom those presents shall come-Know ye that we CHUSQUNNOAG, CORKSKREW, QUIUMP, MAGNASI, KEHOW, SEPUNKUM, PONI, WONPOSET, SUCKQUNNOKQUEEN, TOWEECUME, MANSUMPANSU, NORKGNOTONCKQUY-Indian na- tives belonging to the plantation of POTATUCK within the Colo-
·14.
ny of Connecticut, for and in consideration of the sum of fifteen pounds money in hand received to our full satisfaction and con- tentment, have given granted bargained and sold and by these presents do fully freely and absolutely give grant bargain sell and confirm, unto Colo William Whiting, Mr. John Marsh, and Mr. Thomas Seymour, a Committee for the town of Hartford, -Mr. John Eliot, Mr. Daniel Griswold, and Mr. Samuel Rock- well, a Committee for the Town of Windsor, for themselves, and in the behalf of the rest of the Inhabitants of the Towns of Hartford and Windsor,-a certain tract of Land, situate and lying, north of Waterbury bounds, abutting southerly, partly on Waterbury and partly on Woodbury,-from Waterbury River westward cross a part of Waterbury bounds, and cross at the north end of Woodbury bounds to Shepaug River, and so noth- - erly, in the middle of Shepaug River, to the sprains of Shepaug River below Mount Tom, then running up the east branch of Shepaug River, to the place where the said River runs out of Shepaug Pond, from thence to the north end of said Pond, then east to Waterbury River, then southerly as the River runs, to the north end of Waterbury bounds upon the said River ; which said Tract of Lard thus described, To HAVE and to HOLD, to the said Col. William Whiting, Mr. John Marsh, and Mr. Thomas Seymor, Mr. John Eliot, and Mr. Daniel Griswold, and Mr. Samuel Rockwell, Committees for the Towns of Hait- ford and Windsor, as aforesaid, in behalf of themselves and the rest of the Inhabitants of said Towns, to them, their heirs and assigns, to use occupy and improve, as their own proper right of Inheritance, for their comfort forever ; together with all the privileges, appurtenances and conditions to the same belong- ing, or in any wise appurtaining. And further, we the said Chusqunnoag, Corkscrew, Quiump, Magnash, Kehow, Sepun- kum, Poni, Wonposet, Suckqunnokqueen, Toweecume, Man- sumpansh, and Norkgnotonckquy, owners and proprietors of the above granted Land, do for ourselves and our heirs, to and with the above said William Whiting, John Marsh, Thomas Seymor, John Eliot, Daniel Griswold, and Samuel Rockwell, committee as aforesaid, them, their heirs and assigns, covenant and engage, that we have good right and lawful authority, to
15 €
sell the above granted land,-and further, at the desire and re- quest of the aforesaid committee, and at their own proper cost and charge, will give a more ample deed.
. And for a more full confirmation hereof, we have set to our hands and seals, this second day of March, in the second year of his Majesties Reign, Annoq. D. 1715.
· Memorandum ; before the executing of this instrument, it is to be understood, that the grantors above named have reserved to themselves a piece of ground sufficient for their hunting houses, near a mountain called Mount Tom.
Signed sealed and deliv-
ered in our presence.
e. Chusqunnoag 5 hismark. [L.s.]
Weroamaug R his mark. Corkscrew his mark. [L.s. ] Wognacug 2 his mark. Quiump his mark. [L.s.]
Tonhocks This mark.
Magnash 1 his mark. [L.s.]
John Mitchell
Joseph Minor.
Kehow his mark. [L.s.]
Sepunkuin
his mark. [L.s.]
Poni his mark. [L.s.]
Wonposet
his mark. [L.s. ]
Suckqunnockqueen his mark. [L.s. ]
Taweeume Nuo his mark. [L.S.]
Mansumpansh L his mark. [L.s.]
The Indians that subscribed and scaled the above said deed, appeared personally in Woodbury, the day of the date thereof, and acknowledged the said deed to be their free and voluntary act and deed. Before me JOHN MINOR, Justice."
The Committees, named in this deed, conveyed all their in- terest in said Lands, to the Towns of Hartford and Windsor, by Deed dated August 29, 1716.
. The conflicting claims to this Township, between the Towns
16
of Hartford and Windsor on the one part, and "certain con- siderable persons in the Town of Farmington," on the other, arising out of the preceding conveyances, were subsequently amicably adjusted by the parties. The Farmington company, by their attorney John Stanley, on the 11th of June 1718. con- veyed their interest to the Towns of Hartford and Windsor, and in consideration thereof, those individuals were invested by those Towns with one sixth part of this Township.
CHAPTER III.
The title to this Township having thus been entirely vested in the Towns of Hartford and Windsor, and in certain inhabi- tants of Farmington ; in 1718, a company was formed for the settlement of the Town.
The Township was divided into sixty rights or shares, three of which were reserved for pious uses. Purchasers having been found for the remaining fifty-seven shares, on the 27th of April 1719, Deeds of conveyance of that date, were made, by committees of the Towns of Hartford and Windsor, and certain inhabitants of Farmington, conveying to the purchasers the whole plantation called Bantam.
Exclusive of three rights reserved for pious uses, the consid- eration paid for forty-eight of the shares, was £229, 10, in bills of public credit. That paid for seven shares, was £31,4. The deeds of the above fifty-five shares, are recorded on our Records. How much was paid for the remaining two shares, which were purchased by Mr. John Marsh, does not appear.
The Township contains about 44,800 acres, and the pur- chase money did not exceed one penny three farthings per acre.
The three home lots, with the divisions belonging thereto, i. e. 1-20 of the whole plantation, devoted to public purposes, were, one home lot with the divisions and commons thereto pertaining, to the first minister his heirs &c. forever ; one, to
4
17
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the use of the first minister and his successors ; and one, for the support of the school.
It was provided in the Deeds, that, " the Grantees or their sons, should build a tenantable house on each home lot, or on their division, not less than 16 feet square, and personally in- habit them, by the last day of May 1721, and for three years en- suing ; and do not lease or dispose of their share for five years hereafter, without consent of Inhabitants or first Planters."*
The title thus acquired, was immediately after still further confirmed by act of Assembly in May, 1719, as follows, viz :
" At a General Assembly holden at Hartford, May, A. D. 1719 :
Upon the petition of Lieut. John Marsh of Hartford, and Deacon John Buel of Lebanon, with many others, praying liberty, under committees appointed by the towns of Hartford and Windsor, to settle a town westward of Farmington, at a place called Bantam :
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