USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Part II > Part 31
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84
May 1819. Nathan G. Birdseye.
May 1795.
Mr. Elisha Mills.
1820. David B. Newton.
Oct. 1795.
Mr. Ebenezer Beach.
1821. Nathan G. Birdsey.
May 1796.
Mr. Joseph Birdsey.
1822. Samuel Beardsley.
Oct. 1796.
Mr. Stephen Babbitt.
1823. Abner Hyde.
May 1797.
Mr. George Healy.
1824. Lemuel Beardsley.
Oct. 1797.
Mr. Henry Curtiss.
1825. Christ'r N. Shelton.
May 1798.
Mr. Othniel DeForest.
1826. Donald Judson.
Oct. 1798.
Mr. Ebenezer Beach.
1827. Nathan G. Birdseye.
May 1799.
Mr. Agur Judson.
1828. Hezekiah Marks.
May 1800.
Mr. Agur Judson.
1830 Hezekiah Marks. -
May 1801. Mr. Othniel DeForest.
1832.
Edwin Shelton.
Oct. 1801.
Mr. LeGrand M. Lewis.
1833.
Sylvester Post.
May 1802.
Mr. Agur Judson.
1834.
Lewis Downs.
Oct. 1802.
Mr. Elisha Beardsley.
1835. Thad. Beardsley, Jr.
May 1803.
Mr. Agur Judson.
1836. Lucius Gilbert.
Oct. 1803. Mr. L. M. Lewis.
1837. Wm. M. Hubbell.
May 1804.
Mr. Agur Judson.
1838.
Thaddeus Beardsley, Jr.
Oct. 1804.
Mr. Samuel Beardsley.
1839.
Elisha Shelton.
May 1805.
Agur Judson.
I840. William L. Bennett.
Oct. 1805. May 1806. Samuel P. Mills.
1842.
Ebenezer Wakelee.
Oct. 1806.
Legrand M. Lewis.
1843.
Peter Beardslee.
May 1807.
Samuel Hawley.
1844. William A. Judson.
Oct. 1807.
Timothy S. Wells.
1845.
Lemuel Beardslee.
May 1808.
David Hawley.
1846. Thomas Burlock.
Oct. 1808.
Abel French.
1847.
Stephen Beardslee.
May 1809. Lemuel Judson.
1848.
William A. Judson.
Oct. 1809.
Ebenezer Beardsley.
1849.
Elly Lewis.
May 1810. Othniel DeForest.
1850. 1851.
Ebenezer Wakelee.
May 1811. David Hawley.
1852 .
William L. Bennett.
Oct. 1811. Andrew Leavenworth.
Orville Booth.
May 1812. Elisha S. Mills.
Oct. 1812. Gideon Beardsley.
1855. Wells Hubbell.
May 1813. Lemuel Judson.
1856. John C. Buckingham.
Oct. 1813. Ephraim Sherwood.
1857, David Lewis.
May 1814. John Curtis.
1858. John M. Beardsley.
Oct. 1799.
Mr. Ebenezer Beach.
1829. Thad's Beardslee, Jr.
Oct. 1800.
Mr. Henry Curtis.
1831. Thaddeus Beardslee.
Elijah Curtiss.
1841. Elisha Beardslee.
Oct. 1810.
Philo Sherman.
William A. Judson.
1853. 1854. William A. Judson.
1004
History of Stratford.
I859. Eli N. Baldwin.
1
1870. James Byington.
1860. Samuel P. Buckingham.
1871. Smith Wheeler.
1861. Joseph E. Field.
1872. Erastus Bennett.
1862. J. L. Shelton.
1873. Sanford B. Cocks.
I863. Chris. N. Shelton.
1875. Gideon M. Wakelee.
1864. Ebenezer Wakelee.
1876. Horace Wheeler.
I865. Joel Beard.
1877. Charles Beard.
1866. Wm. L. Bennett.
1878. Horace Wheeler.
1867. Wm. L. Bennett.
1879. Horace Wheeler."1
I868. Wm. L. Bennett.
1880. Selah G. Blakeman.
1869. Charles Judson.
1881. William Buckingham.
Shelton is a new and prosperous manufacturing village on the west side of the Housatonic opposite Birmingham, in the town of Huntington, and was named in honor of Mr. Edward N. Shelton, who was very prominent in starting and pushing on the manufacturing enterprises which have caused the village to be built. It is beautifully located, being on the site of the Pootatuck Indian village, as found when the English first came to the shores of Long Island Sound. Some of the manufactories are very large and produce an immense amount of goods. The great dam across the Housatonic river just above the village secures such an immense water power as will give opportunity for great enlargement of the place. The water company that owns the dam has recently donated lands and forest such as will eventually make a beautiful park, lying adjacent to the village of Shelton. Mr. D. W. Plumb, a citizen, has given $5,000 to commence improvements in this park.
Post Masters at Huntington, Fairfield County, Conu., with the date of their appointment.
Agur Clark, Oct. 3, 1800.
Hall Beardslee, May 18, 1816.
Menzie Rayner, June 30, 1823. Samuel P. Mills, May 5, 1827.
Algernon S. Jones, April 4, 1833.
Lucius Blackman, May 25, 1841. William C. Wooster, March 29, 1844.
Christopher N. Shelton, May 25, 1844. Shelton M. Brownson, Jan. 25, 1854. Zachariah L. Shelton, Jan. 30, 1856.
Reuben W. Lindlay, Jan. 3, 1857.
Joseph Tomlinson, Nov. 14, 1861.
Sarah E. Tomlinson, April 24, 1865.
This post office was discontinued Sept. 30, 1868, and re-established Oct. 13, 1868, and the following appointments made thereafter :
Sarah E. Tomlinson, Oct. 13, 1868.
Frank W. Wooster, March 28, 1878.
Nathan W. Blackman, Nov. 8, 1869.
91 Successfully contested by Frederick G. Perry.
1
TRUMBULL
:
-----.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE TOWN OF TRUMBULL.
RUMBULL was organized into a township by the Legislature, October, 1797, which gives it the age of nearly ninety years. Previous to this the ecclesiastical societies had passed through a period of sixty-four years, during which they had in charge the religious and educational interests of the people. These societies were two: Unity, which existed fourteen years, and North Stratford, fifty, wherein great and many changes transpired, and the records of the churches and these societies furnish largely the reliable history of the people.
The first inhabitants resident within the territory now called Trumbull, so far as has been ascertained, was the family of Abraham Nichols, at Nichols' Farms, about or a little before 1690. There are intimations that after residing there, or perhaps only cultivating some land there, for a time they returned to Stratford village to reside, or removed to Woodbury, return- ing after some years, for after 1700 the locality for many years was called " Old Farm," as though it was or had been deserted for a time.
"The town record says that in January, 1722-3, "Gideon and Ephraim Hawley agree to build a mill or mills together on the stream of Paquonnock river at the narrows by White plain." This was probably just in the rear of the present Trumbull church. About the same time the White Plain road was laid out as far west as "Pulpit Rock," so called at that time.
"May, 1725. Upon the petition of the northwest farms of Stratford, called Nichols' Farms, praying for village privileges and for a committee to view their
1008
History of Stratford.
circumstances and make report thereof to the General Assembly in October next : This Assembly grant to the said inhabitants the privilege of a committee to view and report as aforesaid, and do hereby appoint, desire and impower, Capt. John Riggs of Derby, Capt. Samuel Clark of Milford, and Capt. Isaac Dickerman of New Haven, to be a committee for the affair aforesaid, at the charge of the said petitioners, to view and make report as aforesaid ; and the petitioners are to notify the neighboring inhabitants when and where they shall meet with said committee, at least six days before they enter upon said work."!
This committee reported in due time and the record of the General Court for October, 1725, is :
"Upon consideration of the petition of the northwest farmers of Stratford' called Nickols' Farms, praying for village privileges, with the report of the com- mittee appointed by this Assembly to view and make report of their circumstances to this Assembly : This Assembly do grant the inhabitants of said farms the liberty of village privileges, to be distinct from the town of Stratford and from the villages of Stratfield and Repton ; and do order their bounds to be as follows : viz : that they run from the west door of Stratford meeting-house three miles and a half in Bare Swamp Road as said road runs up ; the end of which to be their Southeast corner boundary ; and from said door aforesaid three miles and a half up Nickols' Farms Road, and there to be another boundary ; and then from said door in Little Success Road, as said road runs, three miles and a half, there to be another boundary ; and from said door up Rocky Hill Road, as said road runs, four miles and a half, or in the street just above Joseph Seely's house, there to be another boundary, which is the southwest bounds of said village ; and then a line from the aforesaid southeast corner bound to each of the aforesaid boundaries, terminating at the aforesaid southwest corner bounds, this line to be their south bounds; and from said southwest corner bounds to James Fairchilds, including- ing Doctor Sherwood's farm, and from thence northwardly in Putatuck Path, as said path runs, to the south end of James Hubbel's farm, and from thence east- wardly along White Plain Brook north of Ephraim Hawley's farm to Poquannuck River, and up said river to the head of Stratford bounds northward, and this to be their west line; and then from the aforesaid southeast bounds in Bare Swamp Road, to run as said road runs, up to Samuel Braggs, and from thence a straight line to the Farr Mill River at the going over at Joshua's ground, excluding Ambrose Thompson, Jun', and Capt. Josiah Curtice and John Clark Jun', their farms, and from the going over at Joshua's ground up to the head of the bounds of Stratford a parallel line with Stratford west line, this to be their east line ; and the north line to be the dividing line between Stratford and Newtown ; and the village be called by the name of Unity.""
Another town record shows further progress of settle- ment. In January, 1725-6, the town of Stratford did by vote grant to "Dea. James Seeley liberty to erect a corn mill and a fulling mill upon Jackson's river (so called) in his own land with liberty of the frame there."
1 Col. Rec., vi, 523.
? Col. Rec., vi, 568.
-
1009
Trumbull.
In Stratford town meeting December, 1739, a grant was made to " Mr. Nathan Curtiss and Judson Burton [who were then residents of Stratford village] of liberty to make a dam across and erect a saw mill over Unkaway Mill river, so called, being west of Tashua on their own land." That place is now known as Taylor's Mills.
The application for society privileges having been made in May, 1725, although the grant of the Court was not obtained until the next October, the people of Unity desired these privileges to begin in May and thereby secure the tax which would otherwise be paid to Stratford, for the six months ; but this the old society of Stratford would not allow, as seen by the following vote :
" January 26, 1726. Voted that the collector of the min- istry rate should demand of our neighbors in Unity parish the arrears of their rate, especially for seven months in the year that they obtained liberty from the General Assembly in October to be a society of themselves, and if they refuse to pay that which is due from them for said seven months it be taken by distress." To collect taxes by "distress" meant to sell their property by sheriff sale according to law ; and this proceeding was the same as that in regard to Ripton when it was made a society ; the tax due the old society to the last dollar, until the court act took effect, was required to be paid, and was the same in regard to all societies and denominations, for it may be seen that this is just the same requirement which the old Stratford society made of the communicants of the Episcopal church at its organization, about which there has not ceased to be made public complaint until this day. This shows, not whether the exaction was right or wrong, but that it was an impartial one.
No account of this parish from 1726 to 1730 has been seen or heard of, nor are there any records of the society of Unity, which existed for fourteen years under the Rev. Mr. Miner, as far as has been ascertained. Mr. Minor kept faithfully the church records during that time, which are of much value.
The first meeting house was located at the southeast end of White plain, near the corner of White plains road and the highway that leads up to the village of Nichols' Farms. It was used only during Mr. Miner's ministry.
IO10
History of Stratford.
The great efforts the people made in those days to sustain churches and schools are seen somewhat in the following records :
"General Court, October, 1737. Upon the Memorial of the parish of Unity, in the town of Stratford, shewing to this Assembly that they labour under great difficulties with respect to the support or upholding the gospel ministry amongst them, &c., and praying this Assembly to contribute to the support or upholding of the gospel ministry now settled amongst them : This Assembly do grant unto the inhabitants of said parish their country rate or tax for the term of five years, to be improved for the support of the gospel ministry amongst them ; and that the constable of Stratford, annually chosen and appointed to gather the country rate, shall annually gather the same of the inhabitants of said parish, and the same pay o the committee of said parish for the end aforesaid, whose receipt shall be suffi- cient so far to discharge the said constable with the said Treasurer of this Colony.""
This amount seems to have enabled the parish to go for- ward with success.
A church was organized first according to the following record, in the church book, made by the Rev. Richardson Miner :
"November 18th, 1730. There was a Church gathered and settled at Unity and the same day was ordained there the Revª Mr. Richardson Miner by Presbytery ; the Revd Messrs. Joseph Webb of Fairfield, Samuel Cooke of Stratfield, Hezekiah Goold of Stratford and Jedidiah Mills of Ripton. Mr. Cooke preached, Mr. Webb made the first prayer, Mr. Cooke gave the charge, Mr. Goold gave the right hand of fellowship, Mr. Mills made the last prayer."
On November 18, 1731, the following persons subscribed to certain declarations of faith and covenant :
" Richardson Miner, Abraham Nickolls, Joseph Nickolls, Benjamin Beach, Daniel Nickolls, Ephraim Booth, Daniel Brinsmade, Nathan Hawley, Zechariah Curtiss, Abraham Nickolls, Jr., David Calhoune, David Lake, David Beach, Josiah Beach, Daniel Beach, Stephen Mallary.
"At the same time were of the Communion in the abovesd Church at Unity not expressed above ; those that follow: Elizabeth wife of Richardson Miner, Daniel Mitchel and his wife Mary ; Sarah, wife of Abraham Nickolls, sen"; Sarah Lake, widow ; Mary, wife of Joseph Nickolls ; Hannah, wife of Daniel Nickolls ; Sarah, wife of William Peet ; Jemima, wife of Benjamin Beach ; Mary, wife of Zachariah Curtiss ; Abigail, wife of Abraham Nickolls, Jr .; Mercy, wife of Daniel Brinsmade ; Hannah, wife of David Beach ; Patience, wife of Josiah Beach ; Esther, wife of Daniel Beach ; Silence, wife of Nathan Hawley ; Abigail, wife of David Lake; Obedience, wife of Nathan Fairchild ; Ann, wife of David Booth ; Abigail, wife of Thomas Cranny ; and , wife of Richard Chapman.
8 Col. Rec., viii, 149.
.
IOII
Trumbull.
"And since, from the Church at Ripton hath been admitted to our Commun- ion, Jemima, wife of John Sunderland. And from the East Church in Windsor, Amos Elmer."
Following the above record the list of admissions to the communion of the church is continued, giving names and dates as they were received. The last entry is: "June 19, 1743. James Walker was recd to the communion of this Church from the Church in Stratford. The same day Sarah, wife of Andrew Booth, was admitted." The whole number admitted at the organization and during Mr. Miner's ministry was 104, 40 men and 64 women.
"Rev. Richardson Miner accepted Episcopal views and was dismissed March 21, 1744, by the Council at the Conso- ciation. He went to England soon after for orders and there died."‘
Rev. Richardson Miner, son of Elnathan and Rebecca Miner, was born November 25, 1704. He was graduated at Yale College in 1726, and married May 16, 1728, Elizabeth, daughter of Theophilus Munson and sister to his classmate, Daniel Munson, of New Haven. His daughter Henrietta was baptized in New Haven July 5, 1728, and his daughter Prudence was baptized in Stratford in November, 1729; and hence he probably studied theology at New Haven and Strat- ford, perhaps, while teaching school at these places, specially at the latter. He was ordained at Unity, November 18, 1730, where he continued as a successful minister of the gospel nearly fourteen years. "His declaration in February, 1744, of his change of views and of his intention to take orders in the Church of England, led his parishoners to appeal to the Fairfield East Consociation, who declared on the 21st day of March that he was by his own act dismissed.
The Episcopalians of Stamford and Greenwich joined in desiring Mr. Miner for their minister, and they accordingly helped to defray the expenses of sending him to England for orders, in June following. He was unfortunately taken by the French on his voyage, and after his release, while on his way from Port Louis, in France, to London, was stricken
" See Trumbull's History, vol. ii. 531.
.
IO12
History of Stratford.
with a fever and died at Salisbury, probably in the last part of the year 1744, in his 40th year.""
Mr. Miner connected with the work of the ministry the profession of medicine and had a large and lucrative practice, his visits being made not only in Unity, but throughout the old townships of Stratford and Fairfield. To him the town of Stratford gave land, upon his settlement at Unity and afterwards, probably amounting to about the same as they gave to the Ripton minister-100 acres-and yet with this, his salary as a pastor, and income as a physician, it is said, it was difficult for him to keep square with the world as to money. Of this notice was taken, for "it was said of him that he was a high liver, and that he was quite particular as to his personal appearance." It is said that Eli Walker, one of his grandsons, who died in 1879, aged 96 years, said Mr. Miner had calls to settle in other parishes but that he would not accept them because he could not afford to give up the income from his medical practice.
He was the family physician of the Rev. Samuel Johnson, of Stratford, and thereby became familiar with the doctrines and usages of the Episcopal Church, to which he finally decided to conform. It is also represented that upon hearing of the death of Mr. Miner in England, Mr. Johnson said, " had he lived he would have been foremost among the candidates for consecration as the first Bishop of the Episcopal Church in America." It was thought by many at the time, and is still repeated, that Mr. Miner changed to the Episcopal Church in full view of the possibility of a Bishopric.
After leaving the parish of Unity, March 21, 1744, Mr. Miner and his wife were entered upon the records of Christ Church at Stratford, as communicants, after which he offi- ciated at Stamford as lay reader until he embarked on his returnless voyage to England for Holy Orders.
Long Hill Winter Parish.
" May, 1740. Upon the memorial of John Edwards and others, of the parish of Stratfield in Fairfield county, representing that they cannot conveniently attend
" Graduates of Yale, by F. B. Dexter, i, 330.
Annual of the Fairfield County Historical Society for 1882, p. 17.
1013
Trumbull.
the public worship of God at their society meeting house in the winter and part of the spring season, and that their society school house (which the said parish oblige them to keep, maintain, and also to help support the school therein kept,) is so situated as that they can have no advantage thereby, and praying to be relieved in the premises: It is resolved and granted by this Assembly that the memorialists and their associates shall, and are hereby freed and exempted from paying anything to the support of the said parish school and school house, and that they may keep a school among themselves and have their share of the country money to support the school ; and shall [be] and are hereby freed and exempted from paying the ministerial charges of said society that shall and may arise in said society for the term of three months and an half yearly, for the term of five years from this time: that is, from the first day of December to the middle of March, yearly, during said five years ; and that the memorialists and their asso- ciates shall be all those that live in said parish east of the line dividing between the township of Stratford and the township of Fairfield, and north of a line drawn from the easternmost line of said parish to the said dividing line, leaving David Hubbell and John Edwards, Jr., on the north of said line amongst them, in case they improve an approved orthodox minister to carry on the public worship of God among them."?
This Long Hill winter society remained connected with Stratfield society during eight months and a half of each year for nearly seven years, but who preached for it during the winter months, or how they supplied themselves with preach- ing has not been ascertained, since no records of this society are known to exist.
These two societies, Unity and Long Hill, continued separate until after the dismission of Mr. Miner. The Long Hill winter parish joined Unity parish on the west, and Stratfield parish on the south, and was located wholly within the town of Stratford, but had been until this time a part of the Stratfield society.
In October, 1644, the parish of Unity and the winter parish of Long Hill petitioned the Assembly "to annex said winter parish to said Unity parish," and a committee of three men from New Haven was appointed to examine the circum- stances and report, which they did at that session, and the petition was granted in the following words, although strongly opposed by Stratfield society :
"Resolved by this Assembly, That said memorialists within the following lines and bounds, (vis.) The ancient bounds of said Unity parish on the east, and on the north and south, so far as said Unity parish bounds extended west, thence at
1 Col. Rec., viii, 300.
8 Col. Rec., ix, 50.
65
1014
History of Stratford.
the house of James Fairchild, at the southwest corner of said Unity parish, thence running westerly including the dwelling house and homestead of Mr. Joba Edwards, thence west until it intersects the dividend line between the towns of said Stratford and Fairfield, and from thence northward in said dividend line to the north bounds of said Stratford, and from thence easterly in said north line antil it meets with the said north line of said Unity parish, all which shall be one distinct ecclesiastical society, with the same powers and privileges as other eccle- siastical societies in this Colony are vested with, and shall be known and called by the name of North Stratford."
After two years' preparation for settling a minister and building a church, a candidate being found, he was ordained and a new church was organized.
Mr. Miner's church record of births and baptisms was made unusually complete. He adopted the method of giving the dates of the birth as well as the baptism. This probably was a result of his being a physician, and frequently baptized the child the same day, or a few days after, it was born. This method of recording births as well as baptisms was followed by the Rev. James Beebe during his ministry of thirty-eight years, and therefore the record is of unusual value. Unfortunately, neither of these ministers kept a record of deaths, although that of marriages and church membership was carefully made.
This church under Mr. Miner recognized the Halfway Covenant, for he made this record-page 80-" Here follow an account of those that Renew their Baptismal Covenant but at the same time do not see it their Duty under their present circumstances to approach the Table of the Lord." But only one person is recorded as having availed himself of the privilege during the fourteen years of Mr. Miner's minis- try, namely : "Andrew Booth renewed covenant Aug" 6", 1738." This reveals the state of religion in the community when Mr. Miner left. There was a large attendance on pub- lic worship, but the membership was small. Of the 23 men who united as members under Mr. Miner, after the organiza- tion, not more than 15 were married, or substantial support- ers of the church, and influential men of the community, the others were young, although some of them became Mr. Beebee's strongest supporters and helpers. When Mr. Miner
' Col. Rec., ix, 64.
1015
Trumbull.
left there were only about 75 members of the church and when it was "gathered anew," three years later, there were 74, 36 men and 38 women; therefore there were but few, if any, of the church members who followed Mr. Miner to the Episcopal Church.
The reasons for gathering the church "anew" instead of continuing the old seem to have been these: the parishes of Long Hill and Unity had been united in one in 1744, under the new name North Stratford, and the new meeting house was located further west, and the church necessarily must conform its name to that of the new society, and amidst so many changes the easiest and more direct way was to consti- tute the church anew. The following is the record of the reorganization, made by Mr. Beebee, and the list of those who became members at that time :
" May 6th, A. D. 1747. There was a Church gathered and settled at North Stratford, and the same day was ordained there and took the pastoral charge of the Church, the Revª Mr. James Beebee by Presbyters-the Revª Messrs. Hezekiah Goold of Stratford, Jedediah Mills of Ripton, John Grayham of Woodbury, John Bellamy of Woodbury North Purchase, David Judson of Newtown, Thomas Canfield of Rocksbury ; and Mr. Woodbridge of Amity was present and preached the sermon, from I Timothy 3, I, 'This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a Bishop he desireth a good work.' Mr. Grayham was moderator, Mr. Goold made the first prayer, Mr. Mills gave the charge, Mr. Judson gave the right hand of fellowship, Mr. Bellamy made the last prayer, Mr. Cooke present but by sick- ness indisposed of business."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.