USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Haddam > The two hundredth anniversary of the First Congregational Church of Haddam, Connecticut, October 14th and 17th, 1900. Church organized, 1696. Pastor installed, 1700 > Part 1
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GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01148 7482
GENEALOGY 974.602 H11c
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
THE TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF HADDAM, CONNECTICUT
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Margaret Handan Wright. august 1902
1
THE TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF HADDAM, CONNECTICUT
OCTOBER 14TH AND 17TH, 1900
CHURCH ORGANIZED 1696 PASTOR INSTALLED 1700
HADDAM 1902
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CONTENTS
PROGRAM OF THE ANNIVERSARY
PAGE
vii
PASTORS OF THE CHURCH xiv
THE ANNIVERSARY
XV
THE EARLY HISTORY
1
THE PASTOR.
SUNDAY-SCHOOLS OF HADDAM
20
MRS. FRANK H. ARNOLD.
THE EARLY SETTLERS AND THEIR HOMES .
33
ROLLIN U. TYLER.
ADDRESS
53
REV. WILLIAM A. BRONSON.
THE DAY WE CELEBRATE
56
CEPHAS BRAINERD.
OUR DAUGHTERS: EAST HADDAM, 1704
59
REV. FRANCIS PARKER.
OUR DAUGHTERS: HADDAM NECK, 1740
64
HENRY M. SELDEN.
OUR DAUGHTERS : HIGGANUM, 1844 .
67
REV. WILLIAM J. TATE.
OUR LONGEST PASTORATE-THAT OF REV. ELEAZER MAY .
69
REV. THEODORE T. MUNGER, D.D.
THE REVIVAL ERA
.
.
.
81
REV. EVERETT E. LEWIS.
THE HALF-CENTURY TO 1850
96
REV. AMOS S. CHESEBROUGH, D.D
THE PASTORATE OF THE REV. JAMES L. WRIGHT
. 101
REV. SILAS W. ROBBINS.
THE DEACONS OF THE CHURCH
·
109
.
MINER C. HAZEN, M.D.
THE EARLY MISSIONARIES
119
REV. DAVID B. HUBBARD.
THE HOMES OF THE PASTORS
·
.
. 128
ADDRESS
EVELINE WARNER BRAINERD.
EDWARD W. HAZEN. , 137
·
CONTENTS
PAGE
ADDRESS
140
REV. WILLIAM C. KNOWLES.
GREETING FROM THE OLDEST CHURCHES ·
. 145
REV. AZEL W. HAZEN, D.D.
GREETING FROM THE MIDDLESEX COUNTY CONFERENCE
. 148
REV. ENOCH F. BURR, D.D.
ADDRESS
.
JAMES N. WRIGHT
.
151
ADDRESS
CHARLES MAY.
·
. 168
LETTERS
BENJAMIN KELSEY . 179
DAVID B. VENTRES 180
HON. GROVER CLEVELAND . 184
REV. HENRY M. FIELD, D.D.
184
HON. DAVID J. BREWER 185
LADY MUSGRAVE
185
REV. WILLIAM H. GILBERT 185
REV. ELISHA W. COOK
.
186
MRS. LUCY A. WRIGHT
187
FROM THE CHURCH RECORDS.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
191
HISTORICAL CATALOGUE OF MEMBERS 193
INDEX TO THE HISTORICAL CATALOGUE
. 238
NOTE ON BAPTISMS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS
. 254
BAPTISMS
255
MARRIAGES . 301
DEATHS
323
THE OLD MEETING HOUSE
. 357
vi
Two hundredth Anniversary of
The First Congregational Church
of haddam Connecticut
October 14th and 17th
1700-1900
ORGAN RECITAL.
First Congregational Church, haddam, Conn.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 17, 1900, AT 7 O'CLOCK.
MISS GRACE TUCKER,
. Soprano
MRS. F. CARROLL,
. Contralto
MR. A. B. PAYNE,
Basso
MISS GERTRUDE PAYNE,
. Organist
PROGRAMME-PART I.
Marche Solennelle,
MISS PAYNE.
Msp Redeemer,
MISS TUCKER.
·
Dudley Buck
The Bugler, .
MR. PAYNE.
·
Ciro Pinsuti
The Devoted Apple,
MRS. CARROLL. .
Communion in F, . ·
MISS PAYNE.
.
Selected
Duet, .
MISS TUCKER AND MRS. CARROLL.
PART II.
Offertoire de St. Cecilia, . Batiste
MISS PAYNE.
Stars,
MISS TUCKER.
. Carl Evers
Storm Wind,
MR. PAYNE.
A. H. Taylor
T Waited for The Salvation,
TRIO.
. E. B. Smith
.
MISS PAYNE. xiii
Frances Leoni
There's a Beautiful Land on bigb
MRS. CARROLL.
Processional,
Lemaigre
J. Roeckel
. Grison
Pastors of the Church.
*JEREMIAH HOBART,
1700-1715.
15 years.
*PHINEAS FISKE, . AARON CLEVELAND,
1714-1738. 24
1739-1746. 7
JOSHUA ELDERKIN,
1749-1753.
31/2 "
*ELEAZER MAY, 1756-1803.
47 66
DAVID DUDLEY FIELD, D.D.,
1804-1818.
14 66
JOHN MARSH, D.D.,
1818-1834.
16
TERTIUS STRONG CLARKE, D.D.,
1834-1837.
3
DAVID DUDLEY FIELD, D.D.,
1837-1844.
7
ELISHA WOODBRIDGE COOK,
1846-1852.
512 "
*JAMES LOCKWOOD WRIGHT,
1855-1871. 16
EVERETT EDWARD LEWIS,
1871-
* Died in office.
Acting Pastors.
JONATHAN WILLOUGHBY, 1666-1667
NICHOLAS NOYES,
1668-1682
JOHN JAMES, .
1683-1690
JEREMIAH HOBART, 1691-1700
THEODORE M. DWIGHT,
1844-1845
WILLIAM H. GILBERT, 1845-1846
ERASTUS COLTON,
1852-1854
xiv
THE ANNIVERSARY
A T the annual meeting of the church, December 20, 1899, the proposal to observe this anniversary re- ceived cordial and unanimous approval. Later, commit- tees were appointed whose untiring interest guaranteed from the first the success of the celebration. To their call the response with service was universal and con- stant. Especially gratifying was the helpful interest and generous aid volunteered by many of the Higga- num people whose church relations from 1696 to 1844 were identified with the mother organization.
After much thought it was deemed wise, for the con- venience of friends who wished to be present, and also for the larger anticipation of pleasanter weather earlier in the autumn, to have the exercises in October. The week beginning October 14 was chosen, the day of the month agreeing with that in November when, in 1700, Jeremiah Hobart was installed as the first settled pastor of the church. His settlement completed the organiza- tion, which now appears, for reasons given in the opening address, to have been first formed four years earlier. The year 1696 is the date of the earliest entering by the church into covenant relations, while November 14, 1700, marks the beginning of the regular pastorate.
Sunday, the fourteenth, and the following Wednesday were the great days of the anniversary; the first was cloudy with a light rain, but Wednesday was all that
XV
THE ANNIVERSARY
had been hoped for in weather and in attendance. The social feature of the day was peculiarly happy and ex- hilarating. Especially did the many joyful greetings of old friends remind us of the ties that bind the past to the present and give inspiration for the future. To many the anniversary was a delightful Home Week cele- bration. Visitors were taken to places of historic in- terest. At the old cemetery the graves of former pas- tors and deacons were decorated with flags and flowers. The "old pewter," polished anew, which once served at the observance of the sacraments, was in its place on the communion-table. Particularly did the Gerrard Spencer "flaggon" delight the lovers of the antique.
The unique feature of the celebration, coming as a great and delightful surprise, was the presentation to the church by Cyprian S. Brainerd, Jr., of a pipe-organ as a memorial of his beloved father and mother, Deacon Cyprian Strong Brainerd and his wife Florilla Hull Brainerd. Deacon Brainerd died in 1880 at the age of seventy-five, greatly respected and beloved, having worthily filled the office of deacon since his election in 1846, and for long years being the enthusiastic and faith- ful leader of the praises of the sanctuary. Mrs. Brain- erd was the joy of her home and circle, and ardently attached to this church. By her will five hundred dol- lars were donated to the church to become a part of its permanent funds. Five years since, in 1897, at ninety years of age, and after sixty-six years of fellowship in the earthly communion, she passed to the reunions of the heavenly home.
The church placed upon its records a resolution ex- pressing its grateful appreciation of this memorial gift by the use of which its worship will be greatly enriched.
xvi
THE ANNIVERSARY
Mr. Brainerd also arranged for the organ recital which was a most enjoyable feature of the exercises on Wed- nesday evening.
The welcome service rendered by Mr. Wallace Porter at the organ, on Sunday and again on Wednesday, and also by Mrs. Porter and Mr. Elwyn T. Clark in the choir, was appreciated. The generous gifts from the young men of the new hymn-books, "In Excelsis," for the church, and from Mr. Cephas Brainerd of the edition for the Sunday-school, were a greatly needed provision for the services of praise.
The arrangement of the program divided the history of the church into four sections of about half a century each. As far as possible, speakers were secured who, in some special way, were interested and qualified to represent the different periods. The first half-century was assigned to the pastor for the opening address on Sunday, with particular reference to the origin and early growth of the church. For the next period, speakers in whose veins runs the May blood were easily found. How happily Dr. Munger and Mr. Charles May filled the re- quirements of the occasion, who runs may read in these pages. The May half-century ended in 1803. The only serious disappointment was the inability to find some descendant to represent the Field and Marsh period; however, a letter from Dr. Henry M. Field was read on Sunday evening. Dr. Chesebrough, the nearest neighbor of Dr. Field during his second pastorate, also kindly furnished a reminiscent paper of peculiar interest. Ad- ditionally, and with special reference to the pastorates of Drs. Field and Marsh, a paper on the revival era was prepared, which for lack of time was not read, yet is included in this volume.
xvii
THE ANNIVERSARY
The last half-century was as fortunate as the second in its speakers. It was gratifying to welcome Mr. Rob- bins, whose memorial sermon at the death of Rev. James L. Wright was printed at the time, to speak again of the beloved pastor whose fruitful ministry of sixteen years closed suddenly by his entering into rest in 1871. No guest or speaker received heartier welcome than Mr. Wright, whose reminiscent paper refreshed the mem- ories of the living, and records some of the choicest im- pressions of his father's ministry. At the opening of his address, he read the message, given in this record, from his aged mother to the church for this anniversary. Coming from the only pastor's wife now living, and from one greatly beloved and respected, it touched the tenderest emotions of hallowed memories. By her re- quest the choir and audience sang, "Love divine, all love excelling," using an old and familiar tune.
Mr. Wright was asked by the chairman, in behalf of the church and of all the friends of former years, to bear to her the most affectionate greetings of esteem and re- membrance.
Special papers, too, were read relating to the first settlers, the deacons, the missionaries, the homes of the pastors, and the Sunday-school. The letters from Mr. Cook and Mr. Gilbert, both living in their eighties, re- minded us that they alone survived the pastors of other days.
The opening address was by Mr. Cephas Brainerd, the chairman. He introduced the speakers, and gave some account of Hadham of old England, visited during the summer.
Greetings came from Mr. Justice Brewer, whose mo- ther was the Emilia Field of the parsonage in 1807;
xviii
THE ANNIVERSARY
from Lady Musgrave, whose father, Honorable David Dudley Field, was the first-born of a most illustrious family; from ex-President Cleveland of the fourth gen- eration from our pastor, Aaron Cleveland; from Dr. John Fiske, the historian, whose ancestor was a brother of Rev. Phineas Fiske, and was the first clerk of the Ecclesiastical Society, formed in 1739, and a member of this church till he was dismissed to Portland in 1745. These, and letters from others, deepened our interest in the fathers. Particularly entertaining were the reminiscences of boyhood's experience written by Benjamin Kelsey of Indianapolis and David B. Ventres.
Graceful and generous words of congratulation were spoken by the pastors of neighboring churches.
Two relics of the May pastorate were shown-the May Bible and a sermon by Mr. May in two parts, one used in the morning and the conclusion in the afternoon, from the words, "There is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared." A few weeks later, the pastor read the sermon to an interested audience, thus preaching again the gospel of forgiving grace in the very words of the address which was first delivered one hundred and thirty-four years earlier, in November, 1766, to the great- grandfathers from the pulpit of the second meeting- house.
The recollection of the anniversary will linger long and cheeringly in the minds of all present, and its in- fluence will be the satisfying reward of those who wisely and faithfully labored to pay generous tribute of honor to the fathers, whose toil and prayer and sacrifice in behalf of the church is the priceless legacy of their children's children.
xix
THE ANNIVERSARY
THE last part of this volume gives a full list of the mem- bers of the church from the beginning of the records in 1756. In its preparation extended researches have been made, chiefly by Rollin U. Tyler, the clerk of the church, for the purpose of furnishing, as far as possible, a complete and trustworthy record. A careful tran- script from the record is also added of the baptisms, marriages, and deaths till about 1850, after which date the town records are complete in these matters.
It is believed that the increased historical value of the book from making these additions justifies the unex- pected delay in printing. Its publication is made pos- sible by the generous contribution of friends supple- menting what has been pledged by subscriptions for the volume.
MAY, 1902
1
XX
THE EARLY HISTORY
THE PASTOR
Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations .- MOSES.
TN the spirit of reverent thankfulness for the past we purpose this present week to recite the story of the early struggles and listen to the inspiring messages from the annals of this our beloved ancient church.
Two hundred years since, the fourteenth day of the month of November, the Rev. Jeremiah Hobart, accord- ing to the testimony of his colleague and successor, Mr. Fiske, was installed the first settled pastor of the church. This information is preserved in a brief sketch of the ori- gin of the church prepared by Mr. Fiske in 1729, and sent to Rev. Thomas Prince of Boston for use in prepar- ing a history of New England. Other evidence clearly indicates that, though Mr. Hobart received a formal call from the town August 24, 1691, "in some hopes to settle him as our pastor," and began preaching here late in the autumn of that year, it was not till the summer of 1700 that final action regarding his settlement was taken. At a town meeting, held June 5, 1700, the West Side says, "we cannot accept of Mr. Hobart as our minister until he be settled as pastor by the consent and advice of some Reverend Elders that shall be chosen and sent for."
The Reverends Thomas Buckingham of the second church and Timothy Woodbridge of the first church,
1
HADDAM CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
Hartford, Noadiah Russell of Middletown, Stephen Mix of Wethersfield, and Timothy Stevens of Glastonbury were nominated, and doubtless became the installing council of November 14; "the charges," it is added, "of the above settlement to be at the cost of the west side town." Mr. Hobart was never the installed pastor of the entire town, though the East Side contributed to his support till his death.
The question of "imbodying in church way and order" had been under consideration for many years. Many votes are on record encouraging Mr. Noyes to settle with the people as their pastor. Gerrard Spencer, in his will, dated September, 1683, when probably Mr. James was occupying the pulpit, says, "A pewter flaggon and a rim bason I give unto ye church att Haddam if there be one within five years after ye date hereoff." More than twice five years passed before a church could claim this gift of love. Trustworthy tradition, however, affirms that the heirs respected the wish of the donor, and that, after the formation of the church, the "flaggon and a rim bason" were the first of such gifts to be used in the administration of the ordinances. The "flaggon" is still preserved, and is our oldest relic of the past.
The exact date, however, of the organization of the church is not known. Mr. Fiske, who, without question, was well acquainted with the facts, expressly says in the letter referred to: "The church was first gathered No- vember 14, 1700; the number of males fourteen."
Trumbull, in his History of Connecticut, also marks this church as known to have been gathered at the date named, and states that "as far as can be found the forming of churches was universally on the day of ordination." Naturally, and therefore ordinarily, this .
2
THE EARLY HISTORY
would have been the usual method of procedure: the church, professing "the faith and order of the gospel," would enter into covenant, officers would be chosen, and a pastor settled on one and the same occasion, this being done with the approbation and assistance of a council called for the purpose.
In the historical sketch of the church, printed in 1879, these reasons were accepted as conclusive, and the ar- rangements for this celebration were based on that de- cision. What is here presented in revision of the accep- tance of Mr. Fiske's opinion, and in favor of dating the origin of the church at least four years earlier, is the result of considerable further investigation,1 since the anniversary, as to the theory and practice of the fathers in the gathering of churches; and also of finding, in old records, and especially among the baptisms in the records of the First Church at Middletown, unmistakable ref- erences to a church as in existence earlier than No- vember 14, 1700.
The most probable explanation of the variation as to dates seems to be that two views were current at the time of Mr. Hobart's settlement: the first, represented by Mr. Fiske's statement, that a church was not organ- ized, or at least not fully, so as to give date to its origin, till its officers were chosen and a pastor installed; the other, that the vital constituting act was the entering by the proposed members into covenant, which might take place months and even years, as seems now to be true of this church, in advance of the settlement of a pastor.
1 Special acknowledgment of help is tive; and also to Mr. Rollin U. Tyler, the church clerk, for his careful ex- amination of many old documents and copying of the records of baptisms from Haddam at Middletown, prior to the set- tlement of Mr. Hobart.
due to Professor Williston Walker, now (1902) of Yale University, whose expert acquaintance with early New England ecclesiastical history renders his aid in- valuable, for many helpful suggestions, of which free use is made in this narra-
3
HADDAM CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
In the latter case, the origin of the church would date from its entering into covenant rather than from the time of its being fully officered; though its organization would be incomplete, and, as the 1698 committee of arbitration lamented had been the case here, the church would be "prevented from enjoying God in all his or- dinances" till a pastor was inducted into office.
Early Congregational thought and usage as to the central, vitalizing act in the forming of a church is clearly stated. The Cambridge Platform carefully dis- tinguishes between the essential act in the gathering of a church and the subsequent appointment of its officers by saying, "A church being a company of peo- ple combined together by covenant for the worship of God, it appears thereby that there may be the essence and being of a church without any officer." Thomas Hooker, the first pastor at Hartford, whose successor, Timothy Woodbridge, was present at the installation of Mr. Hobart, and most probably when the church was organized, affirms that "mutual covenanting and confed- erating of the saints is that which gives constitution and being to the visible church." John Davenport, the leader of the New Haven colony, also teaches that "That whereby the church is as a city compacted together is the covenant." The application of this principle in giv- ing existence to the visible church appears in the record of the gathering of the church at Middletown, which begins with the words, "The profession of the faith and order of the gospel by those that first entered into cove- nant." Modern thought also agrees with this early and clear consensus of opinion as to the supreme place of the covenant in giving organized existence to a church. The first gathering, therefore, should date from the time of
4
THE EARLY HISTORY
entering into covenant, even if a pastor's induction into office is delayed.
Was the officering of a church invariably synchronous with its gathering; or, for sufficient reasons and by the intervention of serious difficulties, were exceptions to the prevailing custom occasionally recognized and allowed? Trumbull knew of no variation from the rule. Professor Walker, however, cites two instances, with possibly a third, in which the officering of a church oc- curred later than the entering into covenant, the churches first gathered at Boston and Hartford, and, for the third, at Salem, Massachusetts.
Mr. Hobart became the settled pastor of this church in 1700. April 22, 1695, nearly four years later than he received his call to settle and evidently after pro- longed discussion of existing difficulties, the town votes that they do not "esteem and account themselves under his charge as their pastor," but at the same meeting it "was voted with the consent of the General Court and the approbation of neighboring churches to imbody in church way and order." The colonial records of May say, "This Court upon the motion of the deputies of Haddam do countenance and encourage the good people of Haddam to imbody themselves in church estate, pro- vided they attend that good work according to law and with the consent of neighboring churches." Further action looking to the immediate gathering of the church is taken August 19, by two votes of the town. The first gives Mr. Hobart full possession and title to the house which, in accordance with the agreement of 1691, had been built for him and he was occupying at the time. The other vote declares "that those persons that made presintment of entering into church way, and as many
5
HADDAM CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
more as will join with them, have full consent to go on in that work." At this last date the probability is strong that a movement under such headway, already too long delayed, would be pressed as early as possible to some definite issue, even in the face of serious hindrances. Especially is it noteworthy that after this the town records are wholly silent as to any further effort to imbody in church estate; while June 5, 1700, when the members of the installing council were chosen, the primary question, were a church not in existence, would have related to its formation.
Three incidental references among the ecclesiastical papers on file at the State library witness, also, to the gathering of a church earlier than the installation of 1700. A committee from the General Court, appointed . at the request of both parties, had endeavored to secure a reconciliation between Mr. Hobart and the people. Their advice, dated at Haddam, November 25, 1698, closes with the hope that "a mutual endeavor to walk in love may happily issue in the cordial and unanimous desire of the church to call Mr. Hobart to the full exe- cution of the office of a pastor among them." The com- mittee understands that the town has a church. Still more positive are two allusions to a church in the petition of George Gates and others, who, far from being satisfied with the advice of 1698, ask the court the following May for a differently constituted committee on the ground that, "as the honorable committee (1698) was then in- formed, there never was by the church or major part of the inhabitants"-church and inhabitants being care- fully distinguished-"intended any such reconciliation as to accept of Mr. Hobart as our pastor for divers rea- sons which then did and still do seem to us weighty.
6
THE EARLY HISTORY
Resolved to desire the help of the Reverend Elders concerned in our first imbodying in conjunction with the Reverend Elders appointed as a part of the honorable committee, and to submit our thoughts to their judg- ment." The allusion to the first imbodying is in itself conclusive that the people believed a church had been regularly organized at an earlier date, though there is no indication whatever as to the time when it was done.
There are, in the Middletown records, twenty-three entries of baptisms of persons from Haddam for the years 1691 to 1700, that is, from the coming of Mr. Ho- bart to his installation.
The first distinct reference to a church is found under date of January 17, 1696 or 1697, new style, when "John Ventres, a member of ye church of Christ in Haddam, by virtue of communion of churches was baptized ac- cording to ye advice of ye elders and messengers yt were present at ye gathering of ye church ye being no officer to yt church." Later in the year, July 25, "Joseph Gates, a member in full communion with ye church at Haddam," had two children baptized. "June 9, 1700, Daniel Braynard in full communion with ye church of Christ at Haddam had his son Stephen bap- tized by communion of churches." These three bap- tisms, two of children and one of an adult, are the only instances in which the parties interested are stated to be in any way connected with a church at Haddam. In the other cases, the parents of the children baptized either own the covenant, under the "half way covenant" plan of allowing baptized persons of orthodox belief and moral life to have, on their public acceptance of the covenant, their children baptized, or their relation to other churches is definitely implied, and usually it is
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