USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Meriden > An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it > Part 14
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1 Mr. and Mrs. Nathan S. Baldwin have given the writer much information pertaining to the old farms and early inhabitants of Meriden.
2 The writer is indebted to Albert H. Wilcox, clerk of the First Congregational Society, for much assistance in getting information from the old church records.
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
CHAPTER XI.
Having now mapped out the various farms and located their owners in the parish of Meriden those who have had the patience to follow the narrative ought to have a fair idea of the topography and general appearance of the country which has since grown into the town of Meriden. There was no part that bore an appearance of a village, for the farms were scattered here and there and the homes of the farmers were seldom contiguous.
The first notice of distinct religious services heid in Meriden appears in a vote on the town records of Wallingford under date of December Ist, 1724, as follows :
. "In respect of ye north farmers the town voated that they may hire a Minister four months this winter on their own charge."
The distance from Wallingford was considerable and the request to be al- lowed to hold separate services in the winter was such a reasonable one that it could not be refused. This vote was the first act that in any way separated the territory of Meriden from Wallingford or that recognized that these north far- mers were a distinct community. The year previous the General Assembly had added the territory north of Liberty street and south of Meriden Farm to the lists of Wallingford, as has been told in a previous chapter.
At a meeting held in "Wallingford Aprill ye 27 1725: the town voated & agreed conserning our North farmers petition-that in case the Generall Courte1 will grant ye land north of our bounds called purchase land to joyne to them that they shall be a society by themselves and shall have such bounds as shall be thought proper in yt case sett out by a committee chosen for that work by ye town." The
1 The following petition was presented to the General Assembly :
To the Honble the Govr Assistants and Deputies in Genll Court assembled May 13th 1725-The Prayer of Nathanll Meryam In behalf of himself and neighbours Inhabiting in or near the North part of Wallingford Humbly Sheweth
That the Town of Wallingford. att their meeting April 27th : 1725 Did by their vote grant that there should be a Society in or near sd north part of wallingford upon the Condition in sd vote men- tioned and appointed a committee to State bounds for Sd Society or Such part thereof as is Intended to be taken out of Sd wallingford wh together with the Lands Commonly Called Wallingford purchase Land not already granted to sd Wallingford west Society or to Farmington South Society we hope are and will be Capable of Carrying on and supporting the work of a Society and the Gospel ministry among themseives (especially if Mr. Belcher's farm were added) and the sd Inhabitants Living very Remote from anyplace of Publick worship viz. at the distance of 6: 7 & 8 miles and the nearest 4 : Wee therefore urged by these pressing Difficulties and Encouraged by yor Honbl wonted paternal Care and goodness Do Humbly Pray this Honble Assembly that we may (with the addition of Mr. Belchers
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EARLY HISTORY.
General Court did grant the lands "North of our bounds" as already related and they therefore became a separate society in May, 1725. In May, 1728, the farm of Meriden was added and the parish henceforth was known under that name as has been related on a former page. It is a fair inference, therefore, that from De- cember I, 1724, the Meriden farmers held separate church services in their own territory.1
The story of the building of the church has been told so often that the tradition must be familiar to every one who has paid any attention to our early annals. To thoroughly understand :" one must picture in one's mind's eye the appearance of Ann street. A highway ten rods wide, it ran from Curtis street eastward up Meeting House or Deer Hill, over the brow and nearly down to what is now Swayne avenue. The burying ground was in the highway and so was the church. The writer hunted in vain for an act of the town or of a pri- vate person, sequestering the land for these sacred purposes, until he suddenly discovered that the road was 165 feet wide; then the situation was apparent. Yale avenue was not in existence, and instead of by that route, one coming to the burying ground from Miller avenue used a road that can still be traced a little west of Swayne avenue and reaching Meeting House Hill highway a little east of the burying ground.
The tradition tells us that the farmers living in Milking Yard, Pilgrims' Har- bor and south of Meriden Farm wished the church to be located near the junction of Curtis and Ann streets, while those living about Dogs' Misery desired it to be placed further east on the spot that was finally chosen. The material was all in place in this latter locality, ready to be put into shape ; but during the night a party of men, presumably the Royces, the Merriams, the Fosters, the Collinses and Rob- insons, brought teams and hauled the material up the hill to the west, to the place
farm afore sd) be made a Distinct Society for Setting up and Carrying on and Supporting the Pub- lick worship of God among or selves with Such Liberties powers and priveledges as other Such So- cieties have and do by Law Enjoy
And yor Petitioners Shall Ever pray
Nathaniel Merriam
This petition was accompanied by another sheet containing the following names-all persons dwelling in Meriden and evidently fellow petitioners with Nathaniel Merriam.
John ives Josiah robeson
Samuel roys Ezekiel roys
Samll ives
Jacob persons
Nathaniell meriam William andrias
Elick Roberds John Meriam
Theophilus mix Timothy foster
Benjamin Ives
Abell roys
James Schovill Joseph meriam
Israel hall
Eleizer peck
Thomas yale Nehemiah may
Ebenezer pringle
William Meriam
John yale
Benjamin levit
John way
Samuell andrus
Roberd roys Jonathan Seemer
Benjamin Whiting
Thomas andrus
william Cole
Micael mitchell
Timothy jerram
Josiah roys
Nathaniel roys
Samuel butler
William hough
John meriam
Amos Camp
Ebenezer Cooper
Bartholomew foster Isaac roys
Joseph Cole
1 There is a tradition that until the meeting house was built the services were held in the Daniel Hall homestead.
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
where they wished the meeting house located. The next day when the act was di covered there was great wrath on the part of the Dogs' Misery residents, and tl Iveses, the Yales, the Levits, the Whitings and the Halls compelled the men, wh had worked all night to carry out their darling project, to spend the following da hauling the same material back to the spot whence they had removed it. Whethe there is any truth to the tradition one cannot tell, but it was firmly believed fift years ago. Mr. Perkins says that the church was about thirty feet square, an built in the very plainest style.
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VIEW OF MEETING HOUSE HILL FROM THE WEST.
Arrow No. 1 indicates the remains of the stone wall which was the northern boundary of the te rod highway. Arrow No. 2 indicates the boulder marking the site of the first meeting house, ar arrow No. 3 points to the south boundary of the highway. The graveyard is at the top of the hill.
From various evidences in the land records of which he has made a careft study the writer is convinced that the old meeting house site is accurately marke by the great boulder set on the western slope of Meeting House hill, by the Firs Congregational Society, in the fall of 1904. Around this church there were prol ably several Sabbath day houses. There certainly was one, which was distinct! mentioned in a deed in 1740 as standing on the land north of the church. Ther is no record of one in the highway except in an inventory of the estate of Robe
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EARLY HISTORY.
Royce. The first house mentioned was just a rod square, or at least the land was, on which it was built. One as large as this would perhaps be used by two or more families ; of course, during the "nooning," between "meetings," to re- pair the ravages caused by too close attention to long, doctrinal sermons ; to thaw out one's numbed extremities, before a blazing fire after sitting in an absolutely unheated church in the dead of winter; and to consume a little food during the brief intermission, in order to be fortified against a second doctrinal discourse. During the summer, probably the vicinity of the spring, under the grateful shade
UNVEILING OF THE GRANITE BOULDER AND BRONZE TABLET OCTOBER 22, 1904, MARKING SITE OF FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
ast by the old oaks around its source was the usual place of refreshment of those who lived too far away to go to their homes during the noon hour.
The meeting house was finished in 1727 and the farmers must have hired ked arious ministers to preach for them during the following year. On December irst rob- ictly here bert st, 1728,1 the Reverend Theophilus Hall began to preach here and probably reg- larly thereafter. Early in the following year a petition was presented to the eneral Assembly, for at the May session the following vote was passed :
Church Records.
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ten and
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
"This Assembly do grant liberty to the inhabitants of the society of Merrida in the town of Wallingford, to embody themselves into church estate and sett with them an orthodox gospel minister: the said inhabitants first obtaining tl consent of the neighboring churches."
The first church record, made by Mr. Hall, reads as follows :
"Wallingford (Meriden in Wallingford) Oct 9th 1729
on the 8th day of this inst the Christian Brethren of Meriden the North Socie in Wallingford met together at their meeting house with myself to come to a agreement as to matters of discipline in said church that was about to be settle in that place.
And the agreement between them and myself according to which it should practiced in the church when settled, is principally comprised in two things.
Ist the admission of members which was that such as desired admission full communion should stand propounded a fortnight at least, and none of tl Brethren making any motions or objections should be admitted.
2d as to duty with offenders that the church should have a vote in order to pa a sensure upon any, and at the conclusion of the meeting I repeated the agreemer as above written and told them that I should look upon it as an unanimous agre ment if none objected and not one did object anything against it.
Theophilus Hall"
This preliminary having been settled, on "the 22d of October a church wa gathered on a fast day observed by the society ; and the 29th of the same mont Mr. Hall was ordained their pastor. The number of communicants was then 5 males 21, females 30."1
The roll call was as follows :
Robert Royce Saml Royce and wife
John Hecock and wife John Cole
Thomas Yale and wife
The wife of Wm Hough
John Merriam
The wife of John Yale
Bartholomew Foster
Robert Collins
The wife of Joseph Cole The wife of Nath1 Royce The wife of David Rich
David Levit Ezekiel Royce and wife Abel Royce and wife
The wife of Daniel Harris
The wife of S. Andrews
1 Dr. Dana's Century Discourse 1770, p. 41.
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EARLY HISTORY.
Benj. Royce and wife
The wife of Tim Jerome
Nath1 Merriam and wife
The wife of Benj. Curtis
John Merriam Jr. and wife
The wife of John Ives
Joseph Merriam
The wife of J. Robinson
Dan Balding and wife
The wife of W. Merriam
Amos Camp and wife
The wife of Jos. Royce
Benj. Whiting and wife
Widow Royce
Sam'l Ives and wife
Mary Hough
Ebenezer Prindle and wife
Eunice Cole
John Way and wife
Although Mr. Hall began to preach in Meriden on December 1, 1728, he did not become a resident in the parish until Aug. 24, 1734.1 At this time his house at the southeast corner of Curtis and Ann streets was probably finished and hence- forth his residence was in Meriden. This delay in coming here to dwell was perhaps due to the small amount paid him for his services. He did not begin to keep accurate parish records until this date, showing that his whole time and at- tention had not been given to Meriden parish previously.
But the good parson after his removal to Meriden was faithful and unremit- ting in his attention to his duties and his forceful character made a great and en- during impression on his little flock ; discipline was firmly enforced in his church and the early records contain numerous evidences of this fact. The most striking case is told in the following votes taken from the records. The General Statutes of the colony contained a clause at that time that forbade young men from meeting together after nine o'clock at night on the streets and from "making any Rout" or committing "any disorders at any time in the night season," the penalty being a fine of six shillings. Seven young men one evening in March, 1745, impelled by the desire to give vent to the exuberance of their feelings, met together and made considerable noise with bells and horns, to the great scandal of those who desired to sleep in peace and quiet.2 These young men were all neighbors and lived in the territory south and east of the church. They were immediately apprehended by the civil authority ; and the church, not to be backward in any good work, met together and passed the following vote on March 6, 1745: "The case of Enos Curtis, Benjn Yale, John Livingston, Samuel Levit, Noah Yale, David Levit and David Ives, as being under suspension from the holy communion, on account of lewd disorders committed in the night season, for which they were prosecuted in the civil law-was laid before the church & the same remaining sub-judice &
1 Mr. Hall's record of burials.
2 Perhaps to celebrate the departure of some of their friends for the Nova Scotia campaign which resulted in the capture of the strong fortress of Louisburg. One young Meriden man, Samuel Royce, went as a soldier in this expedition and paid the penalty with his life. The troops embarked in March, 1745.
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
not yet determined in the civil law, the question was put, whether the said case re- lating to the said persons, as it now lies before the church, and under the present circumstances, should be suspended till the third Monday in April next for con- sideration & voted in the affirmative.
Test, Theo. Hall, Pastor.
At a church meeting in Meriden April 15, 1745, the case of the above men- tioned brethren was laid before the church for consideration, being brought on by the attested copy of the complaint to civil authority & the judgement of court against them, for disorders in the night season in assembling together with bells & horns, etc., which was laid before the Church & the said Enos Curtis, Noah Yale & David Ives before the church acknowledged that the said actions were neither justifiable nor commendable & they were really sorry that they had any hand in it & promised that they would do so no more & the church by their vote accept- ed them to communion -- & said Benjn Yale Samuel Levit & David Levit justify- ing their conduct in said affair, the church unanimously voted to apply themselves to the Association of N. Haven County at the next session for advice in the case- & then chose Mr. John Ives & Capt Nathaniel Merriam, their agents to lay the said case before the said Association, at the said session. Test. Theo. Hall, Pastor."
Mr. Ives refused to act and Capt. Merriam was made sole agent. The Asso- ciation advised the church to hold the recalcitrant members under suspension un- til they agreed "to do so no more."
This action shows that the members of the community were held severely in check and illustrates how closely the parson guarded his flock from worldly con- tamination.
The General Statutes also contained this clause :
"And that whatsoever Person shall not duly Attend the Public Worship of God on the Lord's Day in some congregation by Law allowed unless hindered by sick- ness or otherways Necessarily Detained or Hindered shall incur the penalty of Three Shillings for every such Offense."
This law was not a dead letter by any means. Among the papers treasured in the Oliver Rice homestead in South Meriden is one of which the following is a copy :
"Wallingford february ye 4th 1754: I the subscriber Do Enter this Complaint to Ezekiel roys Esq. and say : that Icabod Stark is guilty of the breach of the Law
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EARLY HISTORY.
by not Attending the public worship of God : on the Second third and fourth Lords day of January last past in any Congregation by Law Alowed
Ebenezer Cowles : grand Juryman."
It is fortunate for many that there is no such law now in force and that good Deacon Cowles has long been gathered to his fathers.
There are many references in old records to the custom of "dignifying the meet- ing house." It was a formal undertaking and one that required great care and cir- cumspection. Perhaps a better idea of the rules observed can be gained from the following vote passed in a Wallingford town meeting on Nov. 5, 1720, than by an attempt at a more elaborate description.
"Ye rules that sd committee are to attend in ye work of seating are as follow- eth viz. to have respect to ye aged amongst us that has been servisable in ye town, this to be left to ye comitee to do in yt matter as they shall think most just decent & reasonable & yt sd comittee shall have respect to those men that do & have borne commissions as they are to have respect to ye aged as above sd, that is to say what is just decent & reasonable & voated the generall rule for ye comittee in seatting ye meeting house shall be the lists on which ye charge has been raised heads only exempted & layed a two penny rate to be raised on this present list for the defray- ing the charge in finishing the meeting house" etc., etc. "April 25 1721 voated that no young men shall go up into ye upper gallery to sitt there on ye Sabbath day un- der 18 years old."
Would that we could have an adequate picture of this little church half way up the slope of Meeting House Hill with its faithful pastor and devoted flock. Per- haps we wrong them in calling it church. These Christians of colonial days bit- terly resented such a term for their house of worship. In their doctrine, the church was the body of believers and they sang their songs of praise, followed the the prayers of the minister, and listened to his exhortations, in the "meeting house." If on the Lord's day one of these early Meriden farmers had been asked "are you going to church?" the reply would have been swift and in no uncertain tones, "no Sir ! I am going to meetin'."
The temperature of the meeting house in winter must have been frightful at times, for there was never any artificial heat allowed except that the women in bitter weather carried foot stoves, little square metal boxes, filled with glowing coals from the home hearth and replenished, perhaps, at noon from the hearthstone of the Sabba' -day house. These were all that made the icy cold bearable to the women. "Men with bald spots on their heads were often compelled to put their mittens thereon to keep their heads warm,"1 and the stamping of feet sometimes
1 175th Anniversary First Congregational Society, p. 21.
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
quite drowned the voice of the preacher. The congregation stood while the min- ister led the prayers, and the sermons were timed by an hour glass which was sometimes turned twice before the word "lastly" was heard; while the tithing man saw that order was kept, particularly in the galleries1 and prevented any "tired" individual from leaving before "meeting" was ended.
The singing must have been anything but pleasing according to our modern ideas, for there was never instrumental accompaniment. At this date there were no singing schools2 and each congregation evidently had its own idea of producing sweet melody, and the results must have frequently been atrocious. Just what version of the psalms was used in Meriden we do not know. It may have been that contained in the Bay Psalm Book which was used in many New England churches. This book was anything but creditable to New England scholarship, for the versification was appalling, and the meter and rhythm was something almost ludicrous. But the hymns were certainly sung and prob- ably answered the purpose until perhaps' Sternhold and Hopkin's version' was adopted. "A New Version of the Psalms of David by N. Brady and N. Tate" could not have been used until after Parson Hall's death for we find on the society records of Wallingford at about that date, a record that for a number of months at Dr. Dana's desire they had made trial of that version and have now decided to adopt it permanently.3 Probably Meriden fell in line shortly after. We find now and then a society record relating to the choir as, for instance, on "Feb 7 1774 voted that choristers shall sit in next pew north of pulpit"; on March 8, 1777, "voted that Jonathan Yale and Caleb Merriman Jr assist the choristers." Feb. 3, 1783, "voted that Joel Rice assist in singing," and on Dec. 26, 1786, "Barnabas Meky was chosen assistant chorister."
The people were summoned to meeting by the beating of a drum, and the records of Wallingford contain one or two references to the election of an officer for this duty.
The election of deacons took place shortly after the organization of the society. On December 14, 1729, Samuel Royce was selected the first deacon, and some days
1 There were probably no galleries in the first meeting house.
2 At a society meeting held in 1808 it was voted that the committee provide for teaching singing. At a meeting held in 1821 it was voted that the singing committee be authorized to unite with the Episcopal Society in employing a singing teacher. These are the only references to singing schools on the early records.
3 At the annual society meeting in Wallingford first society 1st Tuesday of December, 1766, the following from Revd Mr. Dana was read in said meeting :
"Gentm-Since agreeable to a very full vote of the church I have read to you Brady & Tates ver- sion of the Psalms in the afternoon of Lords days and on other occasions for near a year past upon Trial whereby you have been able to form a judgment of the same I would now refer it to you wheth- er I shall continue to read it or desist. You are sensible that the old version of the Psalms has for some time been laid aside by almost all the congregations of this Government : and if it is your Judge- ment to receive Brady & Tates in its room you will know it will be very acceptable to
Gentm your friend & servant in the Gospel Jas. Dana.
Then the question was put whether Mr. Dana be desired to sing the version of Brady and Tate wholly-Voted in the affirmative."
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EARLY HISTORY.
later Robert Royce was elected as his colleague ; both these men lived in the south- western part of the parish, in or near to Milking Yard. They were undoubtedly of great asssistance to the pastor, and must have been satisfactory to the congre- gation as well for they served without additional colleagues until 1748 when Ben- jamin Whiting and Benjamin Royce were elected in November of that year.
The little meeting house on the western slope of Meeting House Hill continued in use for at least twenty-five years. As the inhabitants increased in numbers it was seen that it had served its purpose and that a new house must be provided.
We have learned that there was a very decided disagreement not to say quar- rel when the location of the first meeting house was chosen. Apparently the same conditions arose in deciding where to place the second. The society was unable to come to an amicable agreement, so the matter was brought to the at- tention of the county court at New Haven. At the January session, 1750-51, Josiah Robinson and Benjamin Royce as agents for the parish "preferred a me- morial representing that the inhabitants of sd parish had agreed by their vote to build a new meeting house, and praying the court to appoint a judicious and dis- interested committee to repair to sd parish and view the same and affix a place." Accordingly the court appointed John Hitchcock, Deodate Davenport and John Hubbard a committee and what they did appears in the following memorial on file in Vol. IX. relating to ecclesiastical matters in the State Library at Hartford : "We, the subscribers, Did on ye 16th Day of March, 1751, repair to sd Society and affix a place and set a stake and stones around it near a highway that is called Ly- man's highway1 at ye west part thereof. In our fixing sd stake we alowed in our computation 2000 acres more north of sd stake than there was south of sd stake by reason of broken & rough land, which [has] among sd broken land & north of it within ye bounds of sd Meriden about six or seven hundred acres of passable good land as we judge. In our setting of ye stake at sd time we did suppose ye high- way to be narrow yt runs northerly & southerly & thought we had set sd stake on ye edge of ye Revd Mr Halls land. But if it be six rods wide it stands a rod & a half in ye highway from ye westward side thereof." This location was very displeasing to Ezekiel Royce and Daniel Hough. The former, as we know, lived near Milking Yard and the latter at the corner of Curtis and Ann streets. There were, undoubtedly, others who agreed with them. These two men were so dis- turbed that they presented the following petition to the May session of the Gen- eral Assembly 1752: "The memorial of Ezekiel Royce, Daniel Hough, and others humbly sheweth That application being made to ye county court
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