USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A history of the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 14
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Early in 1799 he ventured in the same ship (Citizen) to Vera Cruz, in the Gulf of Mexico, and endeavored to open a trade and dispose of the investment he had on board, adapted to the wants of the inhabitants of the city of Mexico. Disap- pointed in gaining permission to land his goods, he proceeded to Honduras, thence to Havana and New York.
The information Captain Hubbell obtained at Vera Cruz of the vast wealth of the Spaniards in their South American
11 History of the Burr Family, 96.
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States on the Pacific coast, and the fabulous reports of the demand for certain descriptions of goods, enabled him, on returning home, to plan an important and enterprising ven- ture to those countries. Being a man of great prudence yet indomitable energy, he at once enlisted the confidence of his friends, purchased the ship Enterprise, of 250 tons, and joined capital with Isaac Moses and Son, and Hoyt and Tom, each owning one-third of the ship and cargo. After taking on board an invoice of costly goods, of little bulk, adapted to the wants of the Spaniards in Chili and Peru, and in addition, to guard against possible failure and disappointment, as at Vera Cruz, shipping a quantity of goods suited for traffic with the Indians on the northwest coast of America, he sailed from New York in October, 1799, with intelligent officers and a reliable crew, numbering thirty men and boys. Mak- ing slow progress in crossing the equator and coming into the high southern latitudes with lengthening days, they decided to seek a harbor on the east coast of Patagonia, which they effected in the latitude of about 45° south, where they cleaned the ship of barnacles and sea grass, for further and swifter progress. Passing Cape Horn early in February, after a stormy and tempestuous time, they were favored in the Pacific Ocean with fine southerly breezes, which carried them along the coast of Patagonia and southern Chili, and about the first of March, 1800, anchored in the harbor of Valparaiso.
As many of the crew were suffering with scurvy for the want of vegetables, of which they had been without for many months, the governor granted permission for the ship to remain in port for a reasonable time, but as no vessels except those bearing the Spanish flag were allowed to enter the port for purposes of trade, the Enterprise was closely watched and guarded, by revenue officers. During this stay Captain Hubbell obtained a passport to visit the capital, Santiago de Chili, ninety miles in the interior, and was the first citizen of the United States allowed to visit that city. He was espe- cially noticed by the Viceroy, General O'Higgins, upon whom he called, and requested to land and sell his cargo under any restrictions His Excellency might see fit to enjoin.
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While permission was refused, yet the beautiful city was shown to him and he returned to his vessel. Lingering at Valparaiso for ten days he succeeded in making a conditional sale for the greater portion of his cargo to the governor, deliverable at Conception, a bay about three hundred miles south of Valparaiso. After arranging the terms an agent was placed on board the vessel, who, after it had sailed, examined the cargo, and following instructions, they ap- proached Conception Bay, where a payment of 150,000 Span- ish dollars was to be made on board, in advance of the deliv- ery of the goods. The morning was fair, the scenery mag- nificent, a beautiful bay and harbor could be seen, overtopped by the snow-capped Cordilleras in the distance, as the ship glided to her haven. The agent landed and proceeded tow- ards a thicket at a short distance, but instead of finding friends to answer his countersign, he was surprised by a squad of cavalry in ambush. Seeing at once the treachery of the officers and his own defeat, he sprang for his life towards the boat, into which the crew took refuge also, he barely escaping the coils of a lasso as they pushed off for the ship, which was reached in safety except a wound received by one of the officers from the ambush. Some years after- wards it was learned that the governor's friends betrayed him and the silver coin sent to Conception Bay was seized by the viceroy and confiscated.
Captain Hubbell then sailed toward the northwest coast of America, and approaching the coast of New Spain he stood into the harbor of San Blas, with the hope of landing the Spanish agent, but being fired upon from the forts he continued his course northerly to Nootka Sound. At this place and the adjacent coasts he traded such suitable goods as he had with the Indians for their valuable furs, and pro- ceeded to China, calling at the Sandwich Islands and the Russian settlements near Kamtschatka, where he sold them at a great price, with which he purchased a large portion of a cargo of cheap Bohea tea and other goods. Sailing in January he arrived off Bridgeport, in Long Island Sound, June 27, 1802, one hundred and forty days from Canton on his way to New York City. Being the first navigator of the
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globe from New York, his arrival caused much excitement. Many of his friends had mourned for him as lost for he had not been heard from during his absence of nearly three years."
In the spring of 1803 Captain Hubbell purchased an interest in the Catharine Ray, a fine vessel of about 200 tons, and took command of her as captain and supercargo, on a voyage to China, with a view to an important investment in silks, which voyage was performed in regular course, return- ing to New York in the spring of 1804. Under a similar arrangement with the same owners he made a second voyage to China, returning home in the spring of 1805, when the vessel was sold.
In May, 1805, he resumed the command of his old ship, Citizen, under the auspices of the firm of Hoyt and Tom, and fitted her for a voyage to China, which was performed by investing $150,000 in Spanish coin in the purchase of silks, he receiving only his commission, and returned to New York in May, 1806. In October, 1807, he sailed on another voyage to China, in the ship Augustus, owned by Isaac Moses and Son, Hoyt and Tom, and himself, stopping on his way at the Isle of France, where he purchased a cargo of cotton. Disposing of his cotton at Canton he, after some unexpected delays and difficulties, shipped a cargo of tea, upon the recommendation of Houqua, the senior Hong merchant, to whom, in want of sufficient funds, he gave the following note :
CANTON, CHINA, January 15, 1808.
"$103,000. Twelve months after date, for value received, I promise to pay to the order of Houqua, Hong merchant, one hundred and three thousand dollars for cargo of tea per ship Augustus, with interest at 12 per cent. per anum.
EZEKIEL HUBBELL."
Leaving Canton he sailed for Amsterdam, Holland, for the sale of his tea, but on arriving at Plymouth, in the Eng- lish Channel, found that in consequence of war between England and Holland the port of Amsterdam was blockaded. After consulting London merchants he proceeded on his
1? It is stated that another vessel from New York had been around the globe, completing the voyage in 1799.
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voyage through the North Sea, where, after some delay, lying in sight of the blockading squadron, he ran the block- ade in the night. The sun rose brightly the next morning and found the good ship Augustus embeded in the sandy beach, near the main channel to Amsterdam, fully protected by the fortifications, while in the distant offing the British fleet was seen powerless to reach her. Permission being obtained from Louis Bonaparte, then King of Holland, the cargo was soon landed in the king's warehouses at Amster- dam, from which it was afterwards disposed of through the aid of London merchants, and Captain Hubbell returned to New York, arriving in December, ISO8. After enormous expenses the result, still, was a large profit, leaving Captain Hubbell, for those days, not only independent, but rich. He paid his note, which was receipted as follows: " Received pay in full, with interest, as adjusted, $119,000. HOUQUA."
Under this Captain Hubbell wrote: "Paid, thank God ! E. H."
From 1809 until 1812 Captain Hubbell resided at his country home in Bridgeport, where he occupied his time in gratifying his tastes and assisting his friends in their various pursuits in life. In 1813 he entered into an extensive specula- tion by purchasing large tracts of woodlands near West Point, on the Hudson river, with the object of furnishing ship tim- ber, but the enterprise proved a losing investment. This, with other losses in consequence of the war, led him again to project foreign adventure.
In 1817, after nine years spent mostly in retirement, he planned a voyage to the eastern world, and in combination with his friends Hoyt and Tom and others, sailed in his old ship, Citizen, as captain and supercargo, with ample means in Spanish dollars, for Manila. There he loaded with sugars and indigo, and returned to New York, realizing but moder- ate returns on the expenditures and risks. Retaining his interest in the Citizen, she was despatched again to Manila in the spring of 1819, under the command of Captain Loring, with Captain Hubbell's son George William, then twenty- three years of age, on board as supercargo in charge of the business of the ship. She loaded at Manila for Hamburg, where she arrived in May, 1820. His son, after dispatching
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the ship from Hamburg back to Manila, in charge of Captain Loring as master and supercargo, returned to New York, where he arrived in February, 1821.
Captain Hubbell continued to reside at his home in Bridgeport from the spring of 1818 until 1821, when he embarked in the ship Ajax, a new vessel in which he was interested, and the building of which he superintended. His two sons, George William and Henry Wilson, the former twenty-five and the latter sixteen years of age, were passen- gers on this voyage, and had in view the establishing of a mercantile house in Manila. The Ajax sailed from New York April 21, 1821, and arrived at Manila the following August, after 120 days passage. She loaded and returned to New York, arriving in May, 1822, leaving his sons at Manila, who during the year prepared a cargo for the Ajax on her return as a regular trader in the monsoon season. Captain Hubbell made four voyages in the Ajax, taking out valuable investments of English and French manufactures adapted to the wants of that people. The Ajax was finally sold, and within four months afterwards, in August, 1825, foundered in crossing the Atlantic on a voyage to England.
In June, 1825, he took conimand of the ship Sabina, and proceeded to Manila, where he loaded and arrived home April 22, 1826, bringing with him his younger son.
On December 26, 1826, he sailed on a voyage in the ship Sabina to Rio Janeiro and Valparaiso (where he landed under very different circumstances from those encountered on his former visit to Chili in 1801), thence to Lima and Pata in Peru, Guayaquil, in Ecuador, thence to the Sandwich Islands, and thence to Manila. At the latter place he loaded his ship from proceeds of treasure which was taken over in the ship from Lima, together with returns from cocoa shipped from Guayaquil, and sandal wood from the Sandwich Islands. After an absence of fifteen months and eighteen days he arrived at New York April 14, 1828, in a passage of one hundred and eighteen days from Manila. His son, Henry Wilson, in the capacity of supercargo, was with him through- out the voyage. This was Captain Hubbell's last voyage.
The following extract is from a letter written by Capt. Hubbell under date Dec. 7, 1833 :
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" I have retired from going to sea, some five or six years, but to give you some idea of my travels, I have traveled 245,000 geographical miles since I passed my fourteenth year, which distance was made up in eight voyages to the Indies, which average over 30,000 miles each voyage. I am 65 years of age- now set myself down in this village enjoying the fruits of my travels and for passtime accepted the Presidency of the Connecticut Bank, which has been in operation two years very successfully thus far."
Capt. Hubbell was a member of the First Congregational Church in Bridgeport, to which he was strongly attached. He died from the effects of an influenza April 1, 1834.
George William Hubbell and Henry Wilson Hubbell, sons of Capt. Ezekiel Hubbell, were captains, supercargos and merchantmen, and followed the sea most of their lives. George William, after traveling round the globe many times, performing efficient and successful service as a merchant, died at Manila, Philippine Islands, May 3, 1831, aged 35 years. Henry Wilson continued to follow the sea as a mer- chant more than twenty years after the decease of his brother, and his voyages in distance sailed sums up to over 370,000 miles.13
Two other illustrations of Bridgeport sea captains are given in "A Centennial History" of 1876, by Major W. B. Hincks, in some sketches of men of the Revolution.
" Early in the war Capt. David Hawley, of Stratfield, sailed to the West Indies for a cargo of gunpowder, which, upon his return, was divided between the towns of Stratford and Fairfield, a part of it being stored for a time in Nichols' tavern on the old county road. In March, 1776, he sailed again from Stratford in command of a privateer sloop, but was captured, when four days out, by a British man of war, Bellona. Large inducements were offered him by his captors to change his allegiance and act as a pilot to the British fleet, but these were firmly declined. He was taken to Halifax, but after a captivity of only two weeks made his escape with eight companions in a small boat, and at length found his way back home. In August, 1776, he was commissioned by
13 See History of the Hubbell Family, 144.
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the legislature to raise a naval detachment for service upon Lake Champlain, and a few months later he took part in the disastrous action fought upon this lake between the British and American flotillas. After this, Long Island Sound was his cruising ground, and besides capturing Judge Jones we find him in May, 1777, and again in August of the same year, bringing a number of prizes into Black Rock harbor. After the war he resided in Bridgeport until his decease in 1807. He built on the corner of Water and Gilbert streets the first brick house erected within the city limits."
" Capt. Samuel Smedley sailed upon the Atlantic as commander of the brig Defense, perhaps the most successful vessel in the Colonial Navy. He captured many prizes, among them the British ship Cyrus, mounting eighteen guns and laden with a cargo that sold for about £20,000, one of the most valuable captures made during the revolution. After the war Capt. Smedley was for many years collector of Cus- toms for this district, residing and having his office at Fairfield."
Capt. Isaac Burroughs, son of Stephen Burroughs, born in Bridgeport or Newfield, Conn., in 1778, and died at his residence in Bridgeport, Conn., January 8, 1861, was also a sea captain. Like his father before him, he was exten- sively engaged in navigation and owned a large number of vessels, which plied between Boston, New York and nearly all the southern ports, besides visiting many of the islands of the sea. He was a large owner of real estate in this city, and a director in the old Bridgeport bank. He was a life-long Whig and Republican, and as such represented his town in the State Legislature. He was a warden for several years of St. John's Episcopal Church, and one of its most liberal sup- porters. He married Rebecca, daughter of Andrew Hurd, of Old Mill, Conn. Their children were six in number, all of whom are deceased. Catharine A. married A. A. Pettingill, an accomplished gentleman and scholar, of Bridgeport. She gave in her will the elegant building known as the Burroughs Block, to the Bridgeport Public Library for a perpetual library building.14
14 See Bridgeport Public Library and Reading Room.
CHAPTER IV.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
EWFIELD village people, both Congrega- tional and Episcopal, went to Stratfield, a distance of one mile or more, about twenty- five years, to church, but as soon as the bor- ough was organized in 1800 movements began to bring these churches into the borough, where then were located the post office and stores.
The Episcopal people were the first to build a church edifice here.
St. John's Church, Bridgeport.
The first edifice built as a house of wor- ship for this church in Stratfield was erected in the summer of 1748, as indicated by the following record :1 " I have formerly mentioned a Church built at Stratfield, in which they are very urgent to have me officiate every third Sunday, because we have large congregations when 1 preach there. The people living in the town and westward are very much against it, because Mr. Caner used to keep steadily to the Church in town, but then there was neither Church nor Congregation at Stratfield."
Mr. Caner resigned his pastorate in Fairfield and re- moved to Boston in the year 1747, and Mr. Lamson was his successor as missionary pastor at Fairfield, and he says there was "neither Church nor congregation at Stratfield," under
1 Church Documents of Connecticut, vol. i, page 246, letter of Joseph Lamson, dated Fairfield, Nov. 10, 1748.
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Mr. Caner, and hence the interest in establishing a church in this locality must have taken form and the church been built after Mr. Lamson came and in the year 1748, and Mr. Lamson held services in it that year. It was called St. John's Church and was a frame building with a steeple, and stood on the corner of Church Lane (now Wood avenue, of Bridgeport). Among the contributors for its erection were Col. John Burr, John Holburton, Timothy Wheeler, Joseph Seeley, John Nichols, Richard Hall and Samuel Beardslee. For some years the Rev. Joseph Lamson officiated, dividing his labors so as to minister here and in other localities, and was suc- ceeded by the Rev. John Sayre.
Tradition says Mr. Lamson was engaged to marry Abi- gail Rumsey, of Fairfield, that she went to Stratford to visit friends, was taken very ill, and being attended by her parents and Mr. Lamson in her illness, she directed just before her decease, that a string of gold beads which she wore should be taken from her neck and placed on his, which was done and he wore them as long as he lived. The following is the tomb- stone inscription memorial of the young lady : "Abigail Rum- sey, Daughter of Mr. Benjmn & Mrs. Rebecka Rumsey of Fairfield, Who Died Octb' 14, 1743, Aged 16 years & 7 months.""
Although there was neither church nor congregation at Stratfield, there were communicants of the Episcopal Church residing here while Mr. Caner preached at Fairfield, for the following vote is recorded in the Stratfield society's book : " December 24, 1746. Voted a tax or rate on all the polls and ratable estate of the Society, of nine pence on the pound to defray the ministerial charges in the society, Professed Churchmen exempted." This vote, however, to exempt the churchmen was rescinded at a society meeting the next Feb- ruary.
It is certain that some of these men who contributed to build this Episcopal Church were prominent persons in the Congregational society until the great stir made soon after Whitefield's visit to Stratford and Fairfield in October, 1740.
? See page 227 of this book.
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The following record is conclusive: "At a lawful meeting of the Society of Stratfield held on 22 day of December, 1743, it was voted that Capt. John Burr, David Sherman, Jr., and Timothy Wheeler be a committee to order the prudentials of the society for the year ensuing." Col. John Burr was moderator of this same meeting, so that his position as a prominent man of the Congregational society at that date is also decided. It is indicated that Col. Burr and Timothy Wheeler united with the Episcopal Church in the year 1744, since in the annual meeting of the Stratfield society, Decem- ber, 1744, neither of their names occurs.
John Beardslee, who has been supposed to have been a member of the Episcopal Church some years earlier, was moderator of the Stratfield society's meeting in October, 1743. Samuel Beardslee was not prominent in the Stratfield society ; he conformed to the Episcopal Church, probably, with others in 1744, and after several years joined the Baptist Church.
It is therefore quite certain that in 1740 there were very few if any communicants of the Episcopal Church residing within the boundaries of the Stratfield society.
The records of this St. John's Church now in existence, begin with a copy of the summons of "those persons profess- ors of the Episcopal Church, inhabitants of Stratfield Society, to appear at the Church in said Society, Thursday the ninth day of instant December, at two of the clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of forming themselves into one body Corpo- rate, or Society, for to chuse Society officers for the well- ordering and governing the prudential affairs of said Episco- pal Church as they in their wisdom shall judge meet and fitting." This document bears the date December 1, 1784. The first meeting was held on the day designated and after choosing the parish officers it was " voted to settle Mr. Philo Shelton in this Society." Mr. Shelton at that time was a candidate for orders, and continued to officiate as lay reader until the arrival of Bishop Seabury, who admitted him to the order of Deacons of Christ Church, Middletown, and to the order of Priesthood in Trinity Church, New Haven, in 1785. Aside from the fact that his rectorship was the first after the
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organization, and the longest that the parish has known, he is also to be remembered as the first individual who received Episcopal ordination in this country, as appears from the inscription placed over his remains, which were interred in the Episcopal Church which was at Mill Plain, Fairfield, also under his charge. The increase of business and the popula- tion in the borough of Bridgeport, necessitated a change in the locality of the church, and accordingly in 18of the second edifice was erected at the southeast corner of State and Broad streets in Bridgeport. Mr. Shelton's rectorship continued until Easter in 1824.
The following sketch of his life and labors is taken largely from the "Seabury Centenary of Connecticut," published in 1885.
Rev. Philo Shelton. son of Samuel and grandson of Daniel Shelton, was born in Ripton-now Huntington -- May 7, 1754. He was graduated at Yale College in 1775, and offi- ciated as lay reader in several places, principally at Fairfield, Stratfield and Weston, after 1779. While waiting for ordina- tion he married, April 20, 1781, Lucy, daughter of Philip Nichols, Esq., of Stratford-now Bridgeport. In February, 1785, a formal arrangement was made that his services in each of the three places should be proportioned to the num- ber of churchmen residing in them respectively, and until he should be in orders it was stipulated to pay him twenty shillings lawful money for each day that he officiated. Rev. Ashbel Baldwin, his nearest neighbor in parochial work, and most intimate friend and associate in efforts to build up the church in Connecticut, used to say that the hands of Bishop Seabury were first laid upon the head of Mr. Shelton on the 3d of August, 1785, so that his name really begins the long list of clergy who have received ordination in this country by Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church. In the Diocesan Convention, under an established rule of that body, he invariably outranked Mr. Baldwin, and so was frequently the presiding officer in the absence of the Bishop, which is another proof that he was his senior by ordination as well as in years.
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After his admission to Holy Orders, according to his own statement, Mr. Shelton took full " pastoral charge of the cure of Fairfield, including Stratfield and Weston, dividing his time equally between the three churches, with a salary of one hundred pounds per annum from the congregations, and the use of what lands belonged to the cure." Five years passed away before the enterprise of building a new church in Fairfield was really begun, and then it was erected about a mile west of the site where the old one stood, and was only inclosed and made fit for occupancy at the time and not fin- ished and consecrated until 1798.
Then the population was drifting from Stratfield toward the borough of Bridgeport, and in 1801 it was deemed advisa- ble to demolish the old church and build a new one in a more central locality : and Mr. Shelton, seeing the wisdom and advantage of this movement, encouraged it.
This new church in the borough was so far completed that it was used in the beginning of Advent, 1801, and two years later "the ground floor was sold at public vendue for the purpose of building the pews and seats thereon, and fin- ishing the church, and the money raised in the sale amounted to between six and seven hundred dollars." The building cost about thirty-five hundred dollars above this, and was met by voluntary contributions of the people. Mr. Shelton, in speaking of the whole work, said : " It has been conducted in harmony, with good prudence, strict economy, and a de- gree of elegance and taste which does honor to the committee and adds respectability to the place."
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