USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Stratford > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 39
USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 39
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" Brigs Nottingham, 266 tons and 4 guns, and Britania, 4 guns, both from Onega, Russia, for Hull, cargoes lumber ; after an action of fifteen minutes, no lives lost; taken by the Scourge.
" Prosperous, 260 tons and 4 guns, in ballast, from New- castle ; given up to dispose of the prisoners by the Scourge.
" Latona, of Shields, by the Scourge.
" Experiment, of Aberdeen, by the Scourge.
"Ship Brutus, taken by the Scourge and Rattlesnake ; given up to dispose of the prisoners.
" Westmoreland, from London, partly laden with sugars ; taken by the Scourge.
" The Brothers, of 126 tons, from Lancaster ; by the Scourge.
" Brig. Burton, Ludlin, of 266 tons, and 4 guns, from Onega for Hull ; by the Scourge.
" Brig Hope, 260 tons, 4 guns, cargo of linseed ; also the Economy, of 181 tons, and 2 guns, with tar; both from Archangel for England ; by the Scourge.
" After these captures the Scourge was refitted, at Dron- theim, and rigged into a brig, for a new cruise under the command of Capt. J. R. Perry, Captain Nicoll remained in Drontheim to look after the prizes.
433
Biographical Sketches.
The Chandelier.
It is said that during these cruising voyages as a pri- vateer, Captain Nicoll obtained the very elegant chandelier which he gave to the Episcopal Church of Stratford, and which was used many years for lighting the Church. It was a richly ornamented article, for which he was offered in New York eighteen hundred dollars, and if it was still preserved whole would be worth a large sum of money, but it was dis- tributed some years since in pieces, to any who desired.
Scatter, Men, Scatter.10
In this conflict of 1812, with Great Britain, vessels of war frequently came up the Sound and lay off Stratford to obtain supplies from the Housatonic river ; and their presence was alarming to the people of Stratford, they fearing the soldiers would land, plunder or burn the town or carry off men as prisoners of war. To prevent such calamities a guard of sol- diers was stationed at the mouth of the river to keep watch and give alarm, should there be any occasion.
One afternoon such a war vessel came and lay off the harbor late in the afternoon, and just at night Sergeant James Coe, with several soldiers under his command, was sent as a guard to watch the movements of the enemy. It being near dark when they took their post of observation, and hence they thought they saw several men, in groups, slightly mov- ing, as if in consultation, ready to move forward. Charles Burritt, who had worked about there in the day time, and had guarded there in the night, knew that what seemed to be groups of soldiers were only bunches of thistles which grew there and were moved by the wind, said softly to Ser- geant Coe, "Shall I shoot? I have two in range ; I can kill them both." "No, no !" said the sergeant, " don't fire, but Scatter boys ! Scatter ! or we shall all be killed." And scatter they did, in double quick, still carrying on the joke. Soon
10 Manuscript of Nathan B. McEwen.
434
History of Stratford.
the story was taken up by the younger men, and the ser- geant being a man easily teased, did not soon hear the last of " Scatter, men ! scatter !" which was the proper command to be given had there been real danger.
The Old Pump of the Cedar of Lebanon would furnish quite a history if it could reveal secrets.
Capt. Samuel C. Nicoll built the dyke at the Lordship farm about 1815. In 1818, the dwelling and barns were built. That year he brought from New York a red or Spanish cedar pump, some say a cedar of Lebanon, taken from a Spanish vessel that was being repaired at that port; the pump being old and hence unfit for further service. He set it in his yard for watering his cattle at the Lordship farm.
After standing there about forty-three years, it was taken out, somewhat rotten at the lower end, but was afterwards used by the Spiritualists to pump water from the hole at the gold diggings about a mile east from the Lordship farm, near the shore.
The old pump was made of two pieces bound together with iron hoops. After a time it was brought to the village and became the property of Nathan B. McEwen for some work he did in pay.
So the old pump, after being transported in active ser- vice over the great seas, many years, did about sixty years service on land, and then, although much of the wood was filled with nails yet Mr. McEwen secured quite a number of beautiful canes, and thus, in parts, the old cedar pump travels on.
Mosquitoes sure. It is said mosketoes are not as plen- tiful as they were fifty years ago.
In 1822, the lighthouse keeper lost a cow by the mos- quitoes. He shut the cow in the barn, but the mosquitoes attacked her so numerously that she broke out of the barn in order to get away from the torment. Then they came in clouds and stung her so that she swelled as large as a hogs- head and died from the effect.11
11 Manuscript of Nathan B. McEwen.
435
Biographical Sketches.
John Selby lived near the lower wharf in Stratford. He was a young man who had worked his way to the com- mand of a brig running to the West Indies. In an evil hour he was tempted to smuggle a few hogsheads of rum, the do- ing of which proved his ruin.
He commanded a brig built all of mahogany in the West Indies, with which he came into and went up the Housatonic river to Friar's Head, where in the night he unloaded some casks of rum and put them into a building to save the tariff or duties. A young man being near, courting late in the night, discovered the transaction and complained to the au- thorities that he might get the reward, which was half the vessel and half the cargo. The vessel was seized by the gov- ernment, condemned and sold. Capt. Selby was fined and imprisoned. After lying in prison a long time, his wite smuggled a saw in to him with which he broke jail and went pirating, and was gone several years.
Finally, becoming tired of the business, and desiring to see his family, which consisted of a wife and three children, he, through agents, made a compromise with the government and was pardoned by paying nine thousand dollars. He came home a dissipated, wretched man.12
Oysters are now a commodity of large growth and commerce.
When the white settlers first came they found piles of oyster shells in various places on Great Neck and where now the village of Stratford is located. These beds of oyster shells when now dug up as they frequently are, reveal the fact that many of the oysters that the Indians gathered were remarkably large, and probably very rich as food.
There has been found no town acts for the first one hundred years restricting the taking of oysters by the Indians or inhabitants of the town.
In December, 1764, for the first is found a vote of the town restricting the time for taking oysters, thus: "That if any parties should take oysters between April 20th and the Ioth day of September they should pay a fine of ten shillings,' and a committee was appointed to prosecute if necessary.
12 Manuscript of Nathan B. McEwen.
436
History of Stratford.
From 1790, to 1810, the matter received considerable attention, restricting not only the time for taking them but also the instruments with which the work should be done.
At present the territory for oyster beds is mapped out, bought and sold, and deeded with as much precision as the cultivated land on the shore, and every year the matter assumes new interest and additional proportions.
Ferries in Stratford.
The Ferry was started by Moses Wheeler, as heretofore stated, but while the ferry property belonged to Mr. Wheeler the privilege of conducting a ferry across the river did not. This privilege was given to Mr. Wheeler for the first twenty- one years, and afterwards leased to him and other parties.
In January, 1690, a committee of the town was appointed, who leased " the Stratford Ferry to Samuel Wheeler, son of Moses Wheeler for 21 years from the 18th of November next."
To this record Moses Wheeler appended the following, he being then ninety-two years of age.
" To ye Committee of ye town of Stratford, Gent™. These may inform you that for the natural love and affection yt I have to my dearly beloved son Samuel Wheeler, I doe by these presents transmit all my right, title and interest of ye ferry in the bounds aforesaid with all benefits and profitable improvements accrewing thereunto by virtue of any gift, grant or lease whatsoever in as full and ample manner as ever it was made to me or intended, as witness my hand this 6th day of January, 1690.
MOSES WHEELER.
Signed in presence of ) Thomas Hicks.
Previous to 1719, Richard Blackleach had leased and conducted the ferry some years, and a town committee was appointed to lease it twenty-one years longer.
In 1727 the Assembly granted the liberty to the town of Milford to establish a ferry and keep a boat on the east side of the river. Whether the ferry on the east side was
Ferries and Bridges. 437
established or not, or how long it continued, if at all, is not known, but in May, 1758, the subject came up again before the Assembly and they gave notice for the towns and ferry- man-Josiah Curtiss of the Stratford side-to appear in the next October session and give their reasons, if any, why a ferry should not be established on the east side, and at that session they ordered that " there be a boat kept on the cast side of Stratford Ferry River for transporting passengers, etc .; " and the privilege was granted to the town of Milford, upon the condition of their erecting a dwelling house at or near said ferry place, commodious for the reception and en- tertainment of travellers, and procuring and keeping a good boat, etc."
In May, 1761, Peter Hepburn, of Milford, having taken the ferry on the east side, petitioned the Assembly and re- ceived liberty " to keep a house of public entertainment at said ferry the year ensuing."
In this way the ferry was continued until a little after the year 1800.
In 1802, the Legislature, upon the petition of Jonathan Sturges and others, incorporated a company to build a bridge across the Housatonic river at or near the ferry place between Stratford and Milford, by the name of The Milford and Strat- ford Bridge Company, and in 1803, the same body changed the name to that of Washington Bridge.
In 1807, the company were released from building the bridge on "stone abutments and stone piers," and were allowed to build it " on piers and abutments constructed with wood and stone, in a substantial and workmanlike man- ner; and the privilege of a lottery was granted to raise money in aid of building the bridge, provided the bridge should be built within five years.
In 1813 the bridge was standing, and rates of toll were established.
This Washington Bridge is still a standing institution of very complete and substantial construction, but how many times it has been rebuilt is not known.
The Zoar Bridge Company was granted incorpora- tion in May, 1807, and rates of toll established. This was
29
438
History of Stratford.
then at the northern extremity of Huntington, but before 1789 the place was at the north end of Stratford.
In 1762, the privilege was granted to Edmund Leaven- worth to establish a ferry "at the narrows a little above Derby Neck."
In May, 1716, Sergt. Joseph Hawkins was granted liberty by the Assembly to establish a ferry across the Housatonic river at what is now Birmingham Point, and also to run across the mouth of the Naugatuck river a little below, when- ever he had occasion.
In 1737, the Assembly granted this privilege to Moses Hawkins, son of Sergt. Joseph, he having the exclusive right at that place.
In 1745, Capt. Moses Hawkins being deceased, the Assem- bly granted this ferry privilege to Joseph Hawkins.
In 1763, John Stephens had a ferry at Derby Narrows, across to Stratford side. When this ferry was removed from Hawkins Point down to the Narrows, the Leavenworth ferry was established above Derby Neck.
The ferry at Derby Narrows continued many years after the year 1800, and was often called the Huntington ferry, as it landed passengers on the west side of the river, in the town of Huntington.
More about Mills.
In 1730, Robert Wheeler was granted liberty to " set up a grist mill on the east sprain of the Farmill river below Pine Swamp, a little below the beaver dam."
" December 31, 1739. Voted liberty to Mr. Nathan Cur- tiss and Judson Burton to make a dam and erect a sawmill over Unkaway mill river, so-called, being west of Tashua on their own land."
The Tide Mill at the Eagle's Nest was built first on the east side of Nesunipaws creek, and was the first flouring mill in Stratford, and was probably conducted by the Hurd family at first ; then some years by the Blakeman families, the two sons of Rev. Adam, James and Samuel. After that it is prob-
439
Mills and Sailing Vessels.
able that this mill was left and went to decay, and no mill was there for nearly one hundred years. To this first mill there seems to have been a road or horse path from the southern end of Stratford village, southwest across the swamp, perhaps near or in the path still called Chauncey's Lane ; the Rev. Mr. Chauncey having owned land on that lane it was called after his name.
In 1765, a new mill was built on the old site, still on the east side of the stream, and a house was also built the same year on Eagles' Nest, the highest land in that vicinity, by Samuel Judson ; the cellar of which was plainly to be seen a few years since.
Afterwards the mill was kept for a time by Nicholas Darrow. About the year 1800 a great freshet carried away the foundations, the mill and several rods of earth where it stood, making the stream much wider. There was a dike about three feet high around the mill inclosing considerable land, to keep out the high tide, which was also destroyed, and drowned all the miller's hogs and poultry.
After a short time a large mill was built at the same place, on the west side of the stream, but using the same dam. This mill was four and a half stories high, about 60 feet in length and 40 in width. It was built of very heavy timber, the posts being twelve inches square, for the purpose of stor- ing corn, which was ground, kiln-dried and shipped to the West Indies, packed in large hogsheads. Within the mem- ory of the late Nathan B. McEwen, William S. Johnson and William A. Tomlinson were engaged in this enterprise. The mill was also used to grind wheat and rye, as a grist mill.
The mill was owned and kept by William Samuel John- son and afterwards by his son Edward, as a grist mill, until August 30, 1851, when it was consumed by fire. .
The water was so deep that large sloops came to the side of the mill and took on their loads for the West Indies.
Vessels were owned, built and sailed from Stratford. Many have been the men who were owners and part owners, sailors and masters of vessels which sailed from Stratford, and the list of the sons of Stratford whose dust was buried in the deep, deep sea is a long one. The items or particulars,
440
History of Stratford.
and names of these which have been gathered for record here are scarcely worth mentioning, yet by time and search much fuller record could be secured.
Among the first ship owners and ship builders at Strat- ford was Joseph Hawley.
" October 27, 1678. This writing witnesseth that I, John Rogers, of New London, in the Colony of Connecticut, doe acknowledge that I have received of Joseph Hawley of Strat- ford the full and just sum of fifty-eight pounds one shilling two pence ; which said money was improved in the building of a ship, which said ship now rideth in Fairfield harbor, called the John and Esther."
In the remainder of the record, this sum is said to be one-eighth of the value of the ship.
In 1680 John Prentice bought of Joseph Hawley one- eighth part of this ship.
In 1679, Richard Blackleach bought one-eighth part of a vessel called the " Katch Tryall of Milford," for sixty pounds money.
James Bennitt, a shipwright, built a vessel at Stratford in 1696.
Stratford was among the established ports of entry in 1702, but had been the same many years before, probably from the first, since there was a collector of customs here soon after the settlement.13
13 "May, 1702. Be it enacted by the Deputy Governor, Council, and Repre- sentatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same : That the maritime towns and places hereafter named and no others shall be held, deemed and adjudged to be Lawful Ports within this Colony, that is to say, New London, Saybrook, Gilford. Newhaven, Milford, Stratford, Fairfield and Stamford, at every of which aforesaid ports an officer shall be held and kept for the entring and clearing of all ships and other vessels trading to or from this Colony, to be called and known by the name of the Navall Office, with such fees as have been accustomed ; and at one of the ports aforesaid and not elsewhere, all ships or other vessells is trading to or from this Colony shall lade and unlade all goods, commodities, wares and merchandise whatsoever, which they shall import or export."
Col. Rec., vi. 374.
44 1
. Stratford Churches.
The Universalist Church of Stratford.
A church of this denomination was built in Stratford, as appears from the following extract from the paper of that day called the " Universalist Union."
" The Church recently completed at Stratford by the First Society of Universalists in that place was solemnly ded- icated to the service of 'God the Saviour of all men, espe- cially those that believe,' on the 24th of November, 1837. The day was unusually fine and the house well filled with attentive worshippers. This small, but neat and commodious edifice has been tastefully planned and finished in a style which does great credit to the architect. It is thirty by forty feet, has a gallery at one end, the pews are arranged in the modern style and it will seat comfortably from 200 to 250 persons. It does not stand on so high ground as the other churches of the place, nor reach quite so high towards heaven, but we are fully justified in the belief that its propri- etors and attendants rank as high in point of moral worth, sincerity, zeal, and pious devotion as any church in Stratford.
" The order of exercises on the occasion were : Voluntary by the choir; Reading the Scriptures by Br. F. Hitchcock ; Hymn; Introductory prayer by Br. F. Hitchcock ; Hymn ; Sermon by Br. S. J. Hillyer, text I. Chron. xvi. 29 ; Dedica- tory prayer by Br. B. B. Hallock; Hymn ; Benediction.
"The morning, afternoon and evening services werc attended by large congregations." Mr. F. Hitchcock was the pastor of this Church.
In the Manual of the Congregational Church of this place it is stated that " when Mr. Dutton was called to this Church, its spiritual condition was very low. Various causes, long operating, had greatly adulterated the doctrinal belief of many members. Some of the most prominent had become believers in Universalism."
This belief resulted in a new society and a church edifice in 1837, as recorded above.
442
History of Stratford.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in Stratford.14
Tradition says that the Rev. Jesse Lee preached in Strat- ford on the 4th of July, 1789, it being the first sermon preached here by a Methodist minister. The first Methodist class was organized here on the 19th of May, 1790, by Mr. Lee, consisting of John Smith, John Peck, and Margaret and Amy Plumb. Bishop Asbury preached in the town house on June 7, 1791, and met the class, which, organized only a little over one year before, now numbered twenty members. From this time to about 1810, when the first house of worship was erected, the preaching services were held in private houses ; much of the time in the residences of Capt. John Peck and Elnathan Wheeler. No record is known to be preserved of the precise date when the first church was built, nor of the names of the first officers and members. The Conference records show that in 1810, Nathan Emery and John Russell were preachers on the Stratford Circuit, and Joseph Crawford was the presiding elder ; in 1811, Aaron Hunt, Oliver Sykes and J. Reynolds were preachers, and William Anson was presiding elder ; in 1812, Seth Crowell, Gilbert Lyon and S. Beach were the preachers, and Elijah Hawley was presiding elder; in 1813, E. Washburn, James Coleman were preachers, and Nathan Bangs, presiding elder.
The preachers from 1814 to 1879 were as follows: 1814; E. Wolsey and H. Ames ; in 1815, E. Hibbard and B. English ; in 1816, R. Harris and Dickerson ; in 1817, R. Harris and E. Canfield ; in 1818, S. Bushnell and A. Pierce ; in 1819, B. Northrop and D. Miller; in 1820, Bela Smith and D. Miller ; in 1821, Bela Smith and James Coleman ; in 1822, Laban Clark and Eli Bennett; in 1823, Laban Clark and John Nixon ; in 1824, E. Denniston and William Pease ; in 1825, E. Denniston and Julius Field ; in 1826, S. D. Ferguson and V Buck; in 1827, E. Bennett and V. Buck; in 1828-9, John Lovejoy and J. H. Romer ; in 1830-31, H. Bartlett and Charles Sherman ; in 1832, S. Martindale and L. C. Cheney ; in 1833, J. P. Youngs and J. Tackaberry ; in 1834, R. Gilbert ; in 1835,
14 Compiled for the Fairfield County History by Mr. H. A. Sutton.
443
Churches in West Stratford.
D. Miller ; in 1836, D. Miller ; in 1837, C. W. Turner; in 1838, Clark Fuller a part of the year, and Asahel Brons the other part ; in 1839-40, Abram S. Francis, during whose pas- torate the present church was built; in 1841-42, Paul R. Brown, under whose labors a number were added to the Church ; in 1843-44, Daniel Smith, a successful laborer ; in 1845-46, Harvey Husted ; 1847, - - Frost ; in 1848-9, C. Kelsey; in 1850-51, Morris Hill; 1852-53, Jacob Shaw; in 1854, G. C. Creevy ; in 1855-56, L. D. Nickerson ; in 1857-58, William T. Hill; in 1859-60, S. A. Seaman ; in 1861-62, J. W. Simpson ; in 1863-65, Bennett T. Abbott ; in 1866-67, T. D. Littlewood; in 1868-70, Joseph Smith ; in 1871-73, Joseph Vinton ; in 1874-76, A. V. R. Abbott : in 1877-79, Benjamin Pillsbury ; in 1880, S. A. Seaman.
Summerfield M. E. Church in Stratford.15
About the Ist of January, 1871, the following persons met in a room on Barnum street, West Stratford, and established a mission : Rev. W. W. Bowditch, pastor of Washington Park M. E. Church, Rev. George A. Parkington, George W. Bacon, Solomon Bachelor, W. W. Stannard, and a number of others.
Rev. George A. Parkington, then a local preacher, but since a member of the New York East Conference, was se- lected to preach in the mission. He preached his first sermon here January 15, 1871, and on January 29, 1871, a Sunday- school was organized, with Wesley W. Botsford, Superin- tendent ; Frank N. Cox, Secretary and Treasurer, and David Clark, Librarian. The school began with thirty members, and in due time a membership class and regular prayer meet- ing were established, with Solomon Batchelor as class leader.
Soon after a committee was chosen to proceed in prepar- ing for and building a church, consisting of George W. Bacon, Solomon Batchelor, Calvin Hall, I. Hurd and L. B. Vaill ; and George A. Parkington, having joined the Conference in
15 Fairfield County History, 765.
444
History of Stratford.
April, 1872, was sent to the Summerfield Church, this being the name selected for the new enterprise.
The subscription list commenced with the name of Susan Hubbell, who gave five hundred dollars, and George W. Bacon gave the same amount, which were followed by Solo- mon Batchelor, Isaac Hurd, P. T. Barnum and Francis Ford, who each gave one hundred dollars. A site was selected, the building commenced, and on March 16, 1873, the edifice was dedicated by Bishop Edmund S. Janes.
The Trustees elected June 3, 1872, were Solomon Batch- elor, L. B. Vaill, James Lobdell, Calvin Hall, Smith Lewis, Sylvester Bradley, Gilead L. Andrews, Emmanuel Sciviter and Frank Fairchild.
The pastors have been : 1872-73, George A. Parkington ; 1874-76, A. P. Chapman ; 1876-78, Larmon W. Abbott; 1878, Edward L. Bray.
Trinity Memorial Church in West Stratford.16
On the 20th of September, 1871, the first of a series of Wednesday evening services was held in West Stratford, at the house of Silas Scofield, Esq., in Rivere Place, by the Rev. Sylvester Clarke, Rector of Trinity Church, Bridgeport. On the following Sunday, September 24th, a Sunday-school was begun in the school house of the same Newfield district. The corner-stone of a chapel was laid by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Williams, of Connecticut, on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 1871. The building, after being inclosed, waited through the winter before it was plastered.
The first service in it was the celebration of the holy communion on Sunday morning, May 19, 1872.
The chapel is in memory of the Rev. Gurdon Saltonstall Coit, D.D., rector for nearly thirty years of St. John's Church, Bridgeport, who died in Southport, Conn., Nov. 10, I 869.
This parish is a mission of Trinity Church, Bridgeport.
16 From Fairfield County History, page 766.
445
Churches in West Stratford.
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