USA > Connecticut > A complete history of Connecticut, civil and ecclesiastical, from the emigration of its first planters, from England, in the year 1630, to the year 1764; and to the close of the Indian wars > Part 31
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South-Carolina and Georgia were put to considerable expense, in the expedition against Florida, and in the Spanish invasion. All the colonies suffered in their trade and husbandry.
Towards the close of the war, especially, they sustained very great losses in their shipping and commerce. The Losses by ships which had been placed on the coast, for the protec- the French tion of the trade, were called off to form a squadron under privateers. admiral Knowles, for the reduction of St. Jago, the capital of Cuba. While the coasts were left bare, the French privateers seized the opportunity, and carried off many of their vessels, without molestation. They became so bold, as to sail up Delaware river, almost to Philadelphia .* They ventured up many leagues into Chesapeake bay, and they sailed up Cape Fear river, in North-Carolina.
In the expeditions against Cuba, and Louisburg, in gar- risoning the latter, and in the defence of Nova-Scotia, Loss of the New-England lost three or four thousand of her young men. colonies. Such were the losses of the two colonies of Massachusetts and New-Hampshire, in this, and in the last Indian war, that from seventeen hundred twenty-two, to seventeen hun- dred forty-nine, a term of twenty-seven years, there had been no increase of the number of their inhabitants. In this time they would, otherwise, have doubled their num- bers. At the time when governor Hutchinson wrote his history,t he observes, "It is probable that there would have been two hundred thousand souls more than there are at this time in New-England, if the French had been ex- pelled from Canada an hundred years ago." Such a scourge were the French to New-England. The wars with the French and Indians, first and last, swept off great numbers of the inhabitants of New-York, as well as of New-England.
* Douglass, vol. i. p. 343, 344 and 564. + In the year 1766.
295
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CHAP. X.
In this war, the colonies had exhibited most striking ev: Book II. idences of their loyalty and zeal for his majesty's service. But neither from these, nor for all their losses and expen- 1748. ditures, did they derive any considerable advantage to themselves, Though it be true, that the crown, in some good part, repaid the bare expense of the expedition to Louisburg, yet this did by no means compensate the coun- try. Nothing was done to compensate its loss of men, nor the damage sustained by the depreciation of the currency, nor its other numerous losses and services. Great Britain engrossed all the advantages of the reduction of Louisburg. It was finally given up, to recover what she had lost in Germany, and to purchase peace for the nation. The large quantities of clothing, arms and ammunition, pur- chased by the colonies for their soldiery, and for the de- fence of the country, while it impoverished the colonies, increased the trade of Great Britain, and was no inconsid- erable emolument to the parent state.
. During the war, the colonies were obliged to emit such sums in bills of credit, that they were scarcely able to re- deem them before the commencement of the next French war. Before the complete redemption of the bills, in the colonies where their credit was the best supported, the depreciation was nearly twenty for one. This was a great injury to commerce, public credit, and the morals of the people, for years after the termination of the war.
CHAPTER X.
The reception of the towns of Woodstock, Suffield, Enfield and Somers, under the jurisdiction of Connecticut ; und the grant of the same privileges to the societies and churches in those towns which the ecclesiastical societies and the churches in this colony enjoyed. The opposition made to it by the province of Massachusetts, and means of defence adopted by Connecticut.
0 N the running of the line between Connecticut and Massachusetts, an agreement was made with Massa- chusetts, on certain conditions, that the towns which had been settled by that government, should abide under its jurisdiction. This was matter of great grievance to the inhabitants of those towns, from the time of it until the col-
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296
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Book II. ony assumed the government over them, and they were ad- mitted to the civil and religious liberty of the other inhab- 1747. itants of the colony. The longer they continued under the government of Massachusetts, and were denied the privileges of the people of Connecticut, the more uneasy they were. Therefore, determining if possible to rid them- selves from the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and to enjoy the privileges of the other inhabitants of the colony, they preferred a memorial to the general assembly of Connecti- cut in May, 1747, representing that they had, without their consent, or ever being consulted in the affair, been put un- der the jurisdiction of Massachusetts : that as they were within the limits of the royal charter, they had a just and legal right to the government and privileges which it had granted; and that they were deprived of their charter rights : that the legislature had no right to put them under another government; but that the charter required that the same protection, government and privileges should be extended to them which were enjoyed by the other inhabit- ants of the colony. For these reasons they prayed to be taken under the government of this colony, and to be ad- mitted to the liberty and privileges of its other inhabit- ants.
The legislature, sensible of the weight of the reasons suggested, and willing to grant the petition, provided it could be done amicably, with the consent of the govern- ment of Massachusetts, appointed Jonathan Trumbull and John Bulkley, Esq'rs. Benjamin Hall and capt. Roger Wolcott, or any three of them, commissioners, to meet and confer with such gentlemen as should be appointed by the province of Massachusetts bay, at such time and place as should be agreed upon by them, to hear, consider and re- port to the next assembly after their conference.
The legislature, after a trial of two years, finding that no amicable settlementrelative to the claim of jurisdiction over the towns which had preferred their memorial, could be made, and in consequence of the agents of said towns urging that the agreement relative to them was made through mis- take : that this government had received no equivalent for the jurisdiction of the said towns : that the inhabitants were thereby deprived of their charter rights : that the agreement never had been completed but in part : and that it never had been confirmed by his majesty : the as- Resolution sembly resolved, " that as it did not appear that ever the of the As- said agreement had received, so it never ought to receive sembly re- the royal confirmation : and that as the respective govern- lative to ments could not give up, exchange or alter their jurisdic-
CHAP. X.
CONNECTICUT.
297
tions ; so the said agreement, so far as it respects jurisdic- Book II. tion, is void : And thereupon this assembly do declare, that all the said inhabitants which live south of the line 1747. fixed by the Massachusetts charter, are within, and have the towns a right to the privileges of this government, the aforesaid which had agreement notwithstanding."
been set- tled by
May; 1742,
The assembly further resolved, that as there might be Massa- some uncertainty, both with respect to the beginning and chusetts, running of the line, it was necessary to ascertain the same according to the royal charters, to the respective govern- ments. Jonathan Trumbull, John Bulkley, Elisha Wil- liams, and Joseph Fowler, Esq'rs. were appointed a com- mittee, to join with commissioners from the government of Massachusetts, to ascertain and fix the line : and provided that, if the legislature of Massachusetts should refuse to appoint commissioners, or in case they could not agree, that then the agent, in London, be directed to lay the case before his majesty, and pray that he would appoint com- missioners, for the purpose of ascertaining and fixing said line.
The legislature, having taken the towns of Woodstock, Oct. 1752, Suffield, Enfield, and Somers, under the jurisdiction of this the socie- colony, and having determined to maintain their charter Wood- ties in rights, within two and three years after, ordained, that the stock, &c. ecclesiastical societies in those towns should enjoy all the vested privileges of such societies, according to the constitution with the privileges of other and laws of the colony.
The province of Massachusetts was totally opposed to societies, relinquishing the right of jurisdiction over the towns which had been settled by the inhabitants, and under the gov- ernment of it. A petition was preferred by the agent of the province to his majesty, in opposition to the proceed- ings of the legislature of Connecticut. The legislature of Connecticut, suspecting that such a measure would be adopted, had previously desired the governor to make a statement of the case, and prepare all the proofs relative to it, and transmit them to the agent of the colony, in London. He was directed to make the best use of them, which he could, for the defence of the commonwealth, against any motion which might be made in behalf of Massachusetts, for the establishment of any former line or agreement. If it should be judged advisable, and most expedient, by the best counsel he could obtain, to petition for commissioners, to ascertain, and run the line between Massachusetts and Connecticut, according to their respec- tive charters, that he should then adopt that measure.
When they were apprised by letters from their agent,
Ń 2
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Book II. that Mr. Bolland had preferred a petition to his majesty on the subject, in behalf of the province of Massachusetts, 1759. a committee was appointed to prepare a plan and survey May, 1755. of the line run by the commissioners in 1713, between the two colonies, and the desire of the said towns to be under the jurisdiction of Connecticut, and to enjoy the privileges granted to its inhabitants by the royal charter; and the evidence of their desire at, and ever since the running of the line, in 1713; with all other exhibits which could be serviceable in the case : and directions were given, that they should be transmitted, as soon as might be, to the agent in Great-Britain .*
The colony was successful in maintaining its claims and jurisdiction, and the inhabitants of those towns have unin- terruptedly enjoyed the government and immunities of the people of Connecticut, from that, to the present time.
CHAPTER XI.
Spanish ship arrives at New-London, in distress. The cargo is unladen, and stored in that port. When it was called for by the supercargo, a great proportion of it could not be found. Don Joseph Miguel, the supercargo, refu- ses to sail, without the whole of his cargo. Petitions the assembly. The resolution of the legislature respecting it. Ferment in the government, in consequence of il.
A BOUT this time an unhappy event took place, dis- honourable to the colony, injurious to foreigners, and which occasioned a great and general uneasiness, and many unfriendly suspicions and imputations, with respect to some of the principal characters in the colony. A Span- ish ship coming into the port of New-London, in distress, ran upon a reef of rocks, and so damaged the vessel, that it was necessary to unlade her, and put her freight into stores at New-London. The cargo was delivered into the cus- tody of Joseph Hill, Esq. collector of the port of New-Lon- don. The supercargo was Don Joseph Miguel de St. Juan. That he might sail with his cargo early in the spring, he obtained a ship of about two hundred tons, and was ready to sail in April. But when he had shipped part of his car- go, other parts of it were withholden from him, or lost, and Colony records in the several years to which reference is had.
Spanish ship, 1753,
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CHAP. XI.
could not, by any means of his, be found and recovered. Book II. As he could obtain no relief, and was determined not to sail without the recovery of his cargo, or some indemnifi- 1753, cation for the loss of it, he waited until October, and then Oct. 1753. preferred a memorial to the assembly, representing his ar- rival in the snow St. Joseph and St. Helena, from Havan- na, bound to Cadiz, at the port of New-London ; and that he had stored his cargo there, in the custody of Joseph Hill, Esq. the collector; and that when he had procured a vessel in April, and required his cargo, that it might be re- shipped, that a considerable part of it vas withholden, lost, and embezzled; and praying for relief, or that he might reland that part of his cargo which remained, and secure .it at their expense, and, also, that his men might be discharged.
The assembly, after hearing and deliberating on the me- morial, resolved, That whatever losses he had sustained, it was either by means to them unknown, or which they were by no means able to prevent. The assembly repre- sented, that nothing appeared to them, but that he might have put all his cargo on board, about the 23d of April, when he shipped part of it: That Joseph Hill, Esq. col- lector of the port of New-London, had, at that time, deliv- ered his money, and part of his cargo, and they knew not why the residue was not put on board. They resolved, that they could not, according to law, discharge the mas- ter and mariners, nor oblige and compel Mr. Hill to receive the goods again into his custody, according to the desire of the petitioner ; especially at their own cost and risk, as the petitioner declared that he would be at no expense in the affair. It was declared, That the requests of the pe- titioner were unreasonable, and, therefore, could not be granted: but, that as protection and assistance were due to a foreigner, cast among them, the assembly did advise the governor to grant all due protection and relief to the said Dou Miguel, according to the laws of trade, nature, and nations. The governor was also desired and empow- ered, in case the said Joseph Miguel should desire it, to. elirect a full search after any part of his cargo, which might have been embezzled, or lost; and to take all such reason- able measures therein, as should be necessary to do jus- tice in said case .*
Before the meeting of the freemen in April, it was gene- rally known that the Spaniards had been robbed ; or, at least, that an important part of a rich and very valuable cargo, had been stolen, embezzled, or, by some means,
* Records of the colony.
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Book II. lost, or kept back from the owners; and it occasioned a great ferment through the colony. It was imagined, that 1753. it might involve the colony in great difficulties; that it might be obliged to indemnify the owners, and that it would bring a heavy debt upon it; or that it might effect a rupture, and hostilities between the two nations. Others were moved with a sense of honour, sympathy, and jus- tice. They were ashamed and grieved, that, when fo- reigners, in distress, had cast themselves upon, not only a civilized, but christian people, they had been plundered and injured, as though they had fallen among heathens, thieves, and robbers. All the feelings of covetousness, honour, sympathy, and justice, were touched. Great blame was imputed to some of the principal characters in the colony, especially to governor Wolcott. It was imagined by many, that he had not taken such care, and adopted such measures, to secure the property of those foreigners, and to save them harmless, as he ought to have done. Whether there was any just foundation for faulting him or not, it so disaffected the freemen, that, notwithstanding his former popularity, he lost their suf- frages, and Thomas Fitch, Esq. was chosen governor, in his place. Mr. Hill did not escape a share of blame, among others. How such a quantity of stores, of various kinds, should be lost, or embezzled, without his know-
ledge or privity, and that no thorough search should be made for them, in so many months, is very unaccount- able. But where the fault lay, or what became of the lost goods, never came to public view. Nor does it ap- pear that the colony was ever put to any extraordinary expense or trouble, on that account. The war was now commencing, and private concerns were neglected and forgotten ; while national interests, of greater moment, and more general concern, engrossed the public mind. both in Europe and America.
CHAP. XII.
CONNECTICUT.
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BOOK II. 1730.
CHAPTER XII.
The history of the College continued from Chapter I. Its state under the rectorship of Mr. Williams. Donations made to it while he presided. He resigns, and the Rev. Thomas Clap was chosen president. A new charter grant, ed. A new college, or Connecticut hall, built. Professor of Divinity settled. Labors and donations. Enemies of the college write against it. Petition the assembly to take it out of the hands of the corporation, appoint visitors, &c. The president appears and pleads the cause of the college before the assembly. Chapel is built. An account of do- nations is interspersed.
R ECTOR WILLIAMS, was a gentleman of solid learn- ing, great prudence, and popular talents. He was rector about thirteen years, during which period, the col- lege enjoyed peace and flourished. A number of valuable donations were made to it. In 1730, the trustees received a deed of 628 acres of land in Salisbury, of Messrs. Fisk and Leavins, in exchange for lands given them many years before, by major James Fitch. The title to it had been controverted, and it was supposed that the trustees had expended nearly half the value of the land in defence of the title.
In October, 1732, the General Assembly made a gene- Grant of rous donation of 1500 acres of land to the college ; 300 acres in each of the new townships of Norfolk, Canaan, Goshen, Cornwall and Kent. A patent was given in con- firmation of the donation in May, 1741.
The Rev. Dr. GEORGE BERKELEY, then dean of Derry, Dean in Ireland, afterward bishop of Cloyne, made a number Berkeley's of donations to the college. He came into America, with donations. a view to found an episcopal college. He made a pur- chase of a country seat, with nearly an hundred acres of land, at Newport, in Rhode-Island. He resided there a- bout two years, in which time, he formed a correspond- ence with rector Williams, and became acquainted with several other principal gentlemen in Connecticut. From them he learned the state and genius of Yale College. He, therefore, while he resided at Newport, made a present of all his own works to the college. He finally gave up the design of founding a college in North America, and return- ed to London.
After his return, in 1732, he gave the rents of his farm
Connecti- cut, 1732.
30℃
HISTORY OF
CHAP. XII.
Book II. to the college, to be appropriated to the maintenance of the three best scholars in the Greek and Latin languages, 1732. who should reside at the college, at least nine months in a year, in each of the three years, between their first and second degrees. He directed, that on the 6th of May, an- nually, or in case that should be the Lord's day, then on the 7th, the candidates should be publicly examined by the president or rector, and the senior episcopal missionary within this colony, who shall be then present ; and in case none be present, then by the president only. And that in case the president and senior missionary should not agree in their sentiments, who are the best scholars, the case should be determined by lot. It was further directed, that any surplusage of money which should happen by any va- cancies, should be distributed in Greek and Latin books, to such under-graduate students, as should make the best composition, or declamation in the Latin tongue, upon such a moral theme as should be given them.
This donation happily answered the design of the donor, proving a great and lasting incitement in the students to excel in the knowledge of the classics.
At the same time, Dr. Berkeley, in pursuit of his be- nevolent and noble designs, transmitted to the college the finest collection of books which had ever before, at any one time, been sent into America. It consisted of nearly a thousand volumes, including those which he had sent be- fore ; 260 of these were folios, and generally very large. It was estimated that the collection cost at least four hun- dred pounds sterling.
Mr. Williams, though highly acceptable to the students, and to the colony in general, was nevertheless obliged to resign his office, and leave the college, on account of bodily indisposition. The sea air and southerly winds at New-Haven, so affected his constitution, as, sometimes, to incapacitate him for business. He resigned his office the last of October, 1739. He received the hearty thanks of the trustees, for his good services to the college.
After his resignation, he retired to his seat at Weathers- field. He soon became a member of the assembly, and speaker of the house of representatives. He was further promoted, to be one of the judges of the superior court, and to the command of a regiment, in an intended expedition against Canada. He afterwards went to England, to re- seive the wages due to himself and his regiment. Having contracted an intimate acquaintance with Dr. Doddridge, and several other gentlemen of distinction, in that country, and married a lady of superior accomplishments, he re-
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turned to Weathersfield. Here, after a pious, useful and Book II. honorable life, he died, July 24th, 1755.
He received his education at Harvard college, in Cam- 1732. bridge, in New-England, where he was graduated, Anno Character Domini, 1711. He was well furnished with academical of rector literature, was a thorough calvinist, and is characterized Williams, as one of the best of men. Dr. Doddridge, in a letter to a friend, writes thus of him : " I look upon Col. Williams to " be one of the most valuable men upon earth : he has join- " ed to an ardent sense of religion, solid learning, consum- " mate prudence, great candor, and sweetness of temper, " and a certain nobleness of soul, capable of contriving " and acting the greatest things, without seeming to be " conscious of his having done them."
The trustees, sensible of the great inconveniences which the college had suffered, by the long intervals in which it had been without a rector, proceeded immediately to a new choice, and the Rev. Thomas Clap, minister of Windham, was chosen. successor to rector Williams. A council of neighboring elders and churches, advised Mr. Clap to ac- cept the appointment. Mr. Clap viewing it, as the coun- cil had done, as a call to greater and more extensive use- fulness, complied with their advice.
At a meeting of the trustees, on the 2d of April, 1740, Installa- he was installed. He first gave his consent to the confes- sion of faith and rules of church discipline, agreed upon April 2d, by the churches of the colony of Connecticut, assembled 1740. by delegation at Saybrook, in the year 1708 ; and also gave the trustees satisfaction, with respect to the sound- ness of his principles, according to their act in 1722.
The trustees and students were then assembled in the college hall, and the Rev. Mr. Whitman, moderator, made a prayer, and one of the students delivered an oration adapted to the occasion. The moderator then made a speech, committing the instruction and government of the college to rector Clap; and he concluded with an ora- tion.
The committee of the first society in Windham, made application to the trustees to give them a recompense for the removal of their pastor. Upon this, they mutually agreed to refer it to the judgment of three gentlemen of the General Assembly, what compensation they should have. Those gentlemen, considering that the Rev. Mr. Clap had been in the ministry at Windham fourteen years, which in their estimate, was about half the term of a minister's life in general, judged that the society ought to have half the price of his settlement. This was about fifty-three pounds
- tion of rec- tor Clap,
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Book II. sterling. Upon the memorial of the trustees, the General Assembly granted that sum to the people of Windham, as a
1740. compensation.
No sooner had rector Clap entered upon his office, than he endeavorcd, by all means in his power, to advance the college to as great a degree of perfection as possible. There had never been made a complete body of laws, for regulating the college, nor had the customs and man- ners of other colleges been sufficiently made known. On the first founding of the college, it was agreed, that wherc no special provision was made by the trustees, the laws of Harvard college should be the rule. About the time the college was fixed at New-Haven, a short body of laws was drawn up. But this was only in writing, and each schol- ar, on his admission, was put to the labor of transcribing it. This, upon trial, was found defective, and several of its laws were become obsolete. Rector Clap, therefore, considered it as a business of prime importance, to com- pile a complete body of laws for the college.
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