USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Stratford > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 17
USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 17
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"26th March, 166S. The contents of this writing we present as our advice to
191
Regulations for Inhabitants.
whole established certain rules to settle the question of legal voters in town matters, and as proprietors in the township. One of these had become an important question in view of the voting in ecclesiastical or society matters, and the other from the fact that some persons had settled on lands which were not yet divided or if divided were not their own.
By these rules some persons were allowed, apparently, to vote in ecclesiastical matters who could not vote in receiv- ing inhabitants or disposing of land.
The practical illustration of these rules may be seen in the following town acts :
"Nov. 22, 1667. Voted and agreed that Thomas Kimberly, sen., may come and dwell in said town after the manner of a sojourner."
" Feb. 5, 1671, William Roberts, by a certificate under the townsmen's hands is ordered to be enrolled as an inhab- itant."
" Whereas, John Wheeler hath let his accommodations in Stratford, unto John Levens, and presenting his desire to ye town this Ist January, 1674, that the said Levens be accepted, presenting also a certificate of his blameless conversation according to law; The town voted and consented the same day to his admittance as a tenant."
Soon after or about the time this advice of the Governor and his associates was accepted, the second society secured
the inhabitants for their future settlement and peace, and to that end to be confirmed by vote at their next town meeting.
John Winthrop, Wm. Jones, Benjamin Stone, Jehu Burr, John Burr.
" An explication added to the paper of advice, &ºc.
" It is declared that the inhabitants of the Mill lots are to be accounted and enrolled in the number of the freeholders and not to be looked upon as those who are named outlivers, in the paper presented to the town ; and those that are of the outlivers who have also other town proprietors are to be also looked upon and esteemed freeholders.
March 27, 1668.
John Winthrop. William Jones.
192
History of Stratford.
the services of Mr. Zecharia Walker as their preacher and established regular services; and having no meeting house, they applied to the first society for the use of their house some part of each Sunday. This was the first house of wor- ship which stood at the Harbor.
The request was rejected at first, and the division in the community became greater than ever; but afterward it was granted, and in 1669, still further granted.7
In May, 1669, one year later, the matter went to the General Court by petition, and the Court requested that " till October Court there may be liberty for Mr. Walker to preach once in the day, as they have hitherto done by their agreement, the Church allowing him full three hours between the Church two meetings for the same ;"' and at the October meeting of the Court the same recommendation was contin- ued, but liberty given for Mr. Walker's people to provide another place for meeting if it should be found necessary.
Connecticut and New Haven Colonies were united in one by a new charter granted by King Charles Il. dated April 23, 1662 ; under which the freemen of the jurisdiction, the "one body corporate and politic in fact and in name," by their representatives, were "annually to hold two general assemblies-one on the second Thursday in May, and the other on the second Thursday in October-to consist of the governor, deputy governor and twelve assistants, with the more popular element of two deputies from every town or city."9
1 " May, 1669, Genl Court. Upon the petition of the church at Stratford, this court doth declare that whereas ye church have settled Mr. Chauncey their officer and doe desire that they may peaceably injoy the full improvement of their minister and administrations without hindrance or disturbance, the Court grants their petition therein, only the Court seriously adviseth both parties to choose some indifferent persons of piety and learning to compose their differences and settle an agreement among them, and that till October Court there may be liberty for Mr. Walker to preach once in the day, as they have hitherto done by their agreement, the church allowing him full three hours between the church two meet- ings for the same."
Conn. Col. Rec., i. III.
9 Hollister's Conn. History, i. 209.
193
Colonial Surroundings.
This established the General Assembly in place of the old General Court, and constituted a popular government of great constructive force and executive ability ; and was the second " key note " to the government afterwards established for the United States; Ludlow's first constitution of Con- necticut being the first. This union affected Stratford but little, since it had been under the Connecticut Colony from the first, but it created some considerable excitement and trouble in New Haven and the plantations in union with it.
New Amsterdam-now New York-had been a trou- blesome neighbor to the Connecticut and New Haven people, and whoever was most in fault, it is certain that the needless Dutch and Indian war in 1643, was the cause of great excite- ment, some loss of life and much expense to these two Col- onies. This old calamity had not been forgotten in 1653, when by the irritating conduct of the Dutch Governor, the Commissioners of the United Colonies determined on an expedition with 500 soldiers against that government, and of this number of men Stratford was to furnish six and Fairfield eight. After the Commissioners had voted for the war and ordered and proportioned the men and war provisions among the Colonies, the Massachusetts General Court refused to cooperate in prosecuting the war, and the expedition was delayed and finally failed. This was the occasion of some irruption between Stamford and New Haven, because of this delay and failure, and because only church members were allowed to vote in those plantations; and also when Mr. Ludlow-by far the most capable statesman then within the two Colonies, determined to leave the jurisdictions.
When King Charles II. was restored, he gave to his brother, the Duke of York, large possessions in America, and the Duke proceeded to secure possession of his territory by sending in the summer of 1664, Col. Richard Nicolls to take possession of them, and his appearance at Boston created great excitement, the colonists fearing there might be some new trouble, but the only demand that was made was for soldiers to go against New Amsterdam. Col. Nicolls, how- ever, proceeded to his place of destination, and in August of
194
History of Stratford.
that year the city surrendered, without bloodshed, and it was named New York in honor of the Duke of York.10
Woodbury Plantation was settled by a company organized for the purpose at Stratford in the year 1672. The Woodbury History says this settlement " was the result of difference in religious opinions among the inhabitants of Stratford," but it seems to have been the result rather of a spirit of enterprise, progress and ambition to secure comfort- able homes and inheritances for their descendants.
The plantation at Derby had been commenced in 1654 by Milford people, and several men in Stratford, namely : Joseph Hawley, Henry Tomlinson, Ebenezer Johnson, Doct. John Hull and Jabez Harger, had become interested in the settle- ment of that place, by purchases of land from the Indians of the Paugasset tribe.
In 1666, a company had been organized, principally from Milford and Branford, for a settlement at Newark, N. J., and with this movement some of the inhabitants of Stratford had joined.
Individual families had removed at various times from Stratford to Fairfield, Long Island, Westchester, N. Y., New London, Durham and Stonington.
In 1667, Mr. Samuel Sherman, Mr. Thomas Fairchild, Lieut. William Curtis, Ens. Joseph Judson, Mr. Joseph Hawley, John Minor and others had received liberty to establish a plantation at Potatuck, afterwards Newtown, but the enterprise was soon abandoned, for in 1670, the same parties nearly, led by the then comparatively wealthy Mr. Samuel Sherman, petitioned the General Court for liberty to make a plantation at Farmill river, then within the territory of Stratford, which failed, apparently, for want of room.
In 1671, Mr. Henry Tomlinson and others of Stratford, purchased, under a grant from the General Court, territory of nearly 30,000 acres of land for a plantation, at what after- wards became the town of New Milford.
The next plantation proposition was a grant by the Gen- eral Court, in May, 1672, to " Mr. Samuel Sherman, Lt. Wm.
See Hollister's History, i. 228.
195
Woodbury Planters.
Curtice, Ens. Joseph Judson and John Minor, themselves and associates, liberty to erect a plantation at Pomperoage," which was made a grand success in a very short time.
" Early the next spring," fifteen of Mr. Walker's congre- gation started with their families for the wilderness of Pomperaug." Seventeen had signed the " Fundamental Articles " for the settlement, but two, Mr. Samuel Sherman and Thomas Fairchild, did not remove thither.
The signers were :
SAMUEL SHERMAN, SEN.,
SAMUEL STYLES,
JOSEPH JUDSON, SEN.,
TITUS HINMAN,
JOHN MINOR,
DAVID JENKINS,
ISRAEL CURTISS,
MOSES JOHNSON, -
JOHN WHEELER,
SAMUEL MUNN,
JOHN WYATT,
ROGER TERRILL,
JOHN SHERMAN,
ELEAZER KNOWLES,
JOHN JUDSON,
THOMAS FAIRCHILD.
JOSHUA CURTISS,
By this list it may be seen that only two of the original minority of eight12 who inaugurated the division of the church at Stratford-Joseph Judson and John Minor-re- moved to Woodbury, and hence that the removal was more a question of personal interest and civil advantage than of church division.
Other families soon removed from Stratford to Wood- bury, and the emigration continued many years. In King Philip's and the Narragansett war, several of the families returned to Stratford for temporary protection until the close of the war, when they again took possession of their home- steads in Woodbury.
This temporary return is proved by a town vote of Strat- ford in the autumn of 1675, when several of the leading Woodbury men were appointed on the committee to attend
11 Woodbury History, i. 35.
12 See page 173 of this book.
I96
History of Stratford.
to the fortification of the village of Stratford.18 These men- Lt. Joseph Judson and Sergt. John Minor, who was reelected town clerk and served two years, were among the most prominent of the Woodbury company, and they with others of their number were here in Stratford in the autumn of 1675, and doubtless remained all winter and the next summer, for in October, 1676, Rev. Zechariah Walker himself being then at Stratford, with several other of his parishioners addressed a letter to the General Court seeking special protection if they should at that time return to Woodbury ; but they did not all return that year, for some of them remained until into the year 1678.14
King Philip's War, which became largely a war with the Narragansett Indians, then much the most numerous tribe in Connecticut and Rhode Island, if not in all New England, broke out in July, 1675, and continued one year or a little more.
It was fortunate that the military forces of the Colony had been well organized during the previous nine years, for otherwise there probably would have been great slaughter of the whites in New England.
In May, 1666, the General Court organized the four counties of Hartford, New London, New Haven and Fair- field, they being the first in the Colony.15
13 " Nov. 1, 1675. At a lawful town meeting at Stratford, It was voted and agreed to, and Capt. [Wm.] Curtiss, Left. Joseph Judson, Sergt. Jere. Judson, Sergt. John Minor, Sergt. Jehiel Preston, Robert Clark, John Pickett, Sen., were chosen a Committee to act according to ye order of ye General Court respecting fortification.
John Minor, Recorder.".
14 " Nov. 18, 1678. It was voted that that society formerly contributing to ye maintaining of Mr. Chauncey should as formerly allow him seventy pounds, the other inhabitants that have neglected to contribute to the maintenance of the min- istry should pay to Mr. Chauncey in proportion with the rest of that society, to be aded to the seventy pounds, the others that have yearly payed to Mr. Walker have their liberty to pay to Mr. Chauncey as much as they please for the year past."
15 " May, 1666. This Court orders that from the east bounds of Stratford to the west bounds of Rye shall be for future one County which shall be called the County of Fairfield. And it is ordered that the County Court shall be held at Fairfield on the Second Tuesday in March, and the first Tuesday in November yearly." Col. Rec., ii. 35.
197
The Narragansett War.
In May, 1673, the militia companies of the towns were placed into county organizations, and a Major appointed for each county, and these were the highest officers in the mili- tary ranks at the time, except the Governor. Capt. Robert Treat of Milford, was chosen Major of New Haven county and Capt. Nathan Gold, of Fairfield, Major for Fairfield county.
The train band of Stratford had officers appointed June, 1672, as follows: William Curtiss, Captain ; Joseph Judson, Lieutenant, and Stephen Burritt, Ensign ; and at the same Court William Curtiss was appointed one of the " Committee for the well ordering of the militia in case of any sudden exi- gency," for the Colony.
At the same Court it was "hereby declared that till farther order be taken, Captain Nathan Gold shall be deemed chief military officer of the county of Fairfield, and Capt. William Curtice his second."
Also, at the same time, the Court "ordered that 500 dragoons should be forthwith raised; the proportion for Fairfield county was fixed at 120, thus: Fairfield, 38; Strat- ford, 33; Stamford, 24; Greenwich, 8; Norwalk, 7; Rye being near16 is excused; the officers being Thomas Fitch, Captain ; Jehu Burr, Lieutenant ; Matthew Sherwood, Ensign. Each dragoon was provided with a sword and belt, a "ser- viceable musket with a shott powch and powder and bullitts."
All these military organizations were preparatory in view of self-defence against any emergency. During the last few days of July, 1675, the disturbances by King Philip's men which had commenced in Massachusetts in the early part of the month, rapidly increased, and on the 6th of August the first draft of soldiers was made-one hundred dragoons from Hartford, sixty from New Haven, and seventy from Fairfield counties, to be ready " at an hour's warning." Drafting men for the militia and collecting provisions, ammunition and arms was continued from this time forward for several weeks. Confusing reports of the hostile movements and the depreda- tions of the Indians near Norwich, Connecticut, and up the
16 This is obscure.
14
198
History of Stratford.
Connecticut river, reached the war council, and small parties of soldiers were sent in different directions. Major Treat, with an army of about two hundred men was sent into Massa- chusetts to aid the forces in that Colony, when an alarming report was circulated that the Paugasset Indians at Derby " were with their arms prepared in a hostile manner," and Mr. Alexander Bryan, of Milford, sent to Hartford for protection, in consequence of which Major Treat was recalled from Massachusetts.
At this time the greatest alarm prevailed throughout the Colonies, and great military exertions were made.
The war Council, Sept. 3, 1675, ordered, "that in the several plantations of this Colony there be kept a sufficient watch in the night, which watch is to be continued from the shutting in of the evening till the sun rise; and that one- fourth part of each town be in arms every day by turns, to be a guard in their respective plantations ; to be ordered and disposed as the chief military officers shall appoint ; and all soldiers from sixteen to seventy years of age (magistrates, commissioners, ministers, commission officers, school masters, physicians and millers excepted) are to attend their course of watch and ward as they shall be appointed. It is also order- ed that, during these present commotions with the Indians, such persons as have occasion to work in the fields shall work in companies ; if they be half a mile from the town, not less than six in a company, with their armes and ammunition well fixed and fitted for service."
This put all the capable men of the Colony into the ranks and into the service, and the excitement and calamity were great. One event of war followed another in quick succes- sion. On the 19th of September, the Fairfield dragoons, under Ens. Stephen Burritt of Stratford reported at Hartford and were sent north, the regular army having preceded them ; and about fifteen days later while Major Treat and his army were at Westfield, Mass., Springfield was attacked by the Indians, but the Major and his forces arrived in time to save the lives of the people and about half of the buildings of the town; the rest were burned.
17 Conn. Col. Record, ii. 361.
199
The Narragansett War.
Thus continued the war, the troops marching to New London and Norwich and back, and into Massachusetts and back, great fear and startling reports prevailing. Simsbury was burned, private houses were burned and the families killed, and companies of white people while traveling were massacred in the eastern part of the Colony and in Massa- chusetts.
Frequent drafts were made for wheat in quantities of one and two hundred bushels from a county ; and for January and February, 1676, the amount for Fairfield county was 120 bushels each month.
In October, 1675, upon the reports of the Indians being ready at Narragansett to attack Connecticut, Major Treat was sent in haste to Norwich to take charge of the forces raised in that vicinity and act in defence of the people until other troops should arrive ; and each county was required to " raise sixty soldiers, well fitted with horses, arms and ammunition, as dragoons who shall be imbodied for motion in their several counties for the defence of the Colony ;" and Capt. Wm. Curtiss was to command those raised in Fairfield, and appoint his inferior officers.
At this time the war cloud thickened fast over the Nar- ragansett Indians, they having, after some hesitancy con- cluded to join King Philip, and venture their all on the field of war.
On the 23d of November the draft from Fairfield county was 100 bushels of wheat, and 72 soldiers, to be at New Lon- don before the 10th of December, the plan being to make an attack on the Narragansett fort in the winter, and thereby make a more complete destruction of the enemy than could be effected at any other season.
The Narragansett "swamp fight" or "fort fight," oc- curred on the 19th day of December, 1675, when there had just been a great snow fall and the weather was severely cold. The Indian fort was situated in the midst of a dense swamp, but it was finally reached and entered, captured and burned, and 1000 Indians and 200 English were killed and wounded. The Connecticut troops suffered more than the Massachusetts because they entered the fort at the place of the greatest re-
200
History of Stratford.
sistance. Of these forces three of their five captains, Seeley, Marshall and Gallop were killed and one other, Mason, mor- tally wounded; and 40 men were killed or died of their wounds.
The next month a new army was raised and Fairfield county was called upon for 37 men, which were sent forward ; and the next May, of an army of 300 soldiers, Fairfield was required to furnish 82, and of wheat 400 bushels.
The draft for meats was in proportion ; and the taxes were raised from a penny and a half to twelve pence on the pound throughout the Colony.
Fortunately the war terminated in June and July of that year, king Philip and his brave, terrible warriors having been exterminated.18
Of those who distinguished themselves as officers from Stratford, in this Indian War, were Capt. William Curtiss, a faithful, reliable officer; Lieut. Joseph Joudson, mentioned specially as a capable field officer ; and Ensign, afterwards Lieutenant Stephen Burritt, who became a distinguished Indian fighter, and was kept much of the time in the saddle with small squads of men hunting roving parties of Indians intent on depredations, along the Connecticut river.
The calamity of such a war falling upon new settlements in a wilderness country may be estimated somewhat from the number of freemen in the Colony. This, in 1669, was only 790.19 Besides these the number of men from 16 years of age
18 For a carefully prepared, although abbreviated and beautifully written ac- count of King Philip's War, see Hollister's History of Connecticut, vol. i. 253.
19 The number of Freemen in cach of the towns of Connecticut, then incor- porated, reported in October, 1669, except Middletown, Lyme and Rye, from which no report is recorded. Col. Rec., ii. 518.
Branford, S
Killingworth, 19
Stamford, 8
Fairfield, 45
Milford, 46
Stonington, 17
Farmington, 43 New London, 21
Stratford, 6.4 Guilford, 36 New Haven, 91
Wethersfield, 58
Haddam, 9
Norwalk, 33
Windsor, I 26
Hartford, IIS
Norwich, 25
Saybrook, 23
-790
201
A New Meeting-house.
to 70, subject to military duty who were not yet made free- men, may have been equal to this, but then a draft of 300 would be a very serious matter from 1600 men, but there were more than double that number called out within the year the war continued ; probably more than 1000 different men went out in the service.
But this was six years before the war. The list for Oct., 1676, gives 2303, which was a prosperous increase, notwith- standing the war,20 and by the grand list for that year it may be seen how burdensome a tax of 12 pence on the pound must have been.
Such were some of the interests and calamities which occupied the attention of the people of Stratford for twenty years previous to 1680, during which, notwithstanding all the depletions from various causes, the numbers increased, and general prosperity attended their labors.
A New Meeting-house was resolved upon only two years after the close of the Narragansett war, by a town vote, Nov. 18, 1678, "as soon as may be, for the use of the town." Several sites were proposed,21 and at a meeting one
20 The list of persons and estates for purposes of taxation in each town, in October, 1676, was as follows :
Persons.
Estates.
Persons.
Estates.
Hartford,
241
I4559
New Haven,
237
I2993
Farmington.
102
6128
Milford,
151
8524
Wethersfield,
141
IOOS2
Branford,
48
2579
Windsor,
204
13053
Guilford,
98
6215
Middletown,
94
48II
Wallingford,
43
1660
Haddam,
29
1 690
Fayrefield,
152
9428
New London,
153
9061
Stratford,
78
5522
Norwich,
71
4598
Norwalke,
65
4073
Stonington,
79
6016
Stanford,
81
4673
Lyme,
45
2846
Greenwich,
36
1719
Saybrook,
85
5041
Rye,
32
1591
Kenilworth,
38
2342
Col. Rec., ii. 518.
21 "Nov. 18, 1678. Voted that there should be a new meeting-house built as soon as may be, for ye use of ye town." Five places were mentioned " for ye set- ting of the meeting-house upon." First, in the street by the pond ; 2dly, in the street by the north-west corner of widow Peat's lot ; 3dly, in the street between "Mr. Hawley and John Beach, their home lots ; 4ly, in ye street between Caleb Nichols and Daniel Beardsley ; 5th, upon the hill called Watch-house hill."
The same day it was voted that these places should be decided by lot.
202
History of Stratford.
year later, Nov. 25, 1679, they settled the question to build it on Watch-house hill, facing South down Front street, as then called. This site was, as it is still, on the public commons. The dimensions of the house were voted to be " 48 feet in length, 42 feet in breadth and 16 feet between joints;" and the building committee were "Capt. [Wm.] Curtiss, Sergt. Jerem. Judson, John Curtiss, Sergt. Jehiel Preston and John Birdsey, Jr."
On the 10th of December, 1678, they voted to raise a tax of one hundred pounds " to pay charges about the building of a new meeting-house."
This meeting-house was built in the summer of 1680, for the site was not established until November, 1679,22 and in September, 1680, it was approaching completion so far that they proceeded to fix the rules by which it should be seated as follows :
First, that "every inhabitant in Stratford, both men and women, shall be seated and placed in the proper seats in the new meeting-house," and Mr. Samuel Sherman, Sen., Capt. Wm. Curtiss and Mr. Joseph Hawley, were appointed to seat the inhabitants. The rules of dignity were established :
" First, Magistrates and Commission officers according to their place of dignity.
" 2ly, that all persons past the age of sixty years should be accounted honorable, notwithstanding their payments and be seated accordingly.
3ly, that all other persons under the age of sixty years should be seated according to their disbursements and pay- ments to the new meeting-house which has been according to law."
It was, however, nearly three months before the place of
22 " Nov. 25, 1678. It was voted that the new meeting-house should be built and settled upon the hill commonly called the Watch-house hill.
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