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 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96
Thirdly ye sd sachem, his counsell & company desireing liberty to hunt & fish [withi]n the bounds of Quinopiocke now given and graunted to the English as before, doe [hereby] jo [in]tly covent & bind themselves to sett noe traps neare any place where ye [ ] whether horses, [ox]en, kine, calves, sheep, goates, hoggs or any sort [
to take] any fish out of any ware belonging to any English, nor to doe any thing neare any such ware as to dis[turb] or affright away any fish to ye prjudice of such ware or wares; & that upon discovery of any inconveni [en]cy growing to ye English by the Indians disorderly hunting, their hunting shalbe regulated and limited for the prventing of any inconvenience, & yet with as litle damage to ye Indians in their hunting as may be.
Fourthly, ye sd sachem, his counsell & company doe hereby covenant and bind themselves yt none of them shall henceforth hanker about any of ye English houses at any time when the English use to meete about the publique worship of God ; nor on ye Lords day henceforward bee seene within ye compass of ye English towne, beareing any burdens, or offring to truck with ye English for any comodity whatsoever, & yt none of ym henceforward without leave, open any latch belonging to any English mens dore, nor stay in any English house after warneing that he should leave the same, nor doe any violence, wrong, or injury to ye pson of ye English whether man, woman, or child, upon any prtence whatsoever, and if the English of this plantation, by ymselves or cattle, doe any wrong or damage to ye Indians, upon complaint, just recompence shalbe made by ye English ; and yt
1
33
EARLY HISTORY.
none of ym henceforward use or take any English mans boate or canoe of what kind soever, from ye place where it was fastened or layd, without leave from the owner first had & obtayned, nor yt they come into ye English towne wth bowes & arrowes, or any other weapons whatsoever in number above 6 Indyans soe armed at a time.
Fifthly ye sd sachem, his counsell & company doe truly covenant & bind ymselves yt if any of ym shall hereafter kill or hurt any English cattle of wt sort soever, though casually or negligently, they shall give full satisfaction for the loss or damage as the English shall judge equall, But if any of ym for any respect, wilfully doe kill or hurt any of the English cattle, upon proofe they shall pay ve- double valew, And if, at anytime, any of them find any of the English cattle straying or lost in the woods, they shall bring them backe to the English planta- tion, & a moderate price or recompence shalbe allowed for their paynes, provided, if it can be proved yt any of ym drove away any of ye English cattle wheresoever they find them, further from ye English plantation to make an incre [ase] or ad- vantage, or recompence for his paynes finding or bringing ym back, they shall in any such case pay damages for such dealings.
Sixthly, the number of ye Quinopyocke Indyans, me[n] or youth growne to stature fit for service being forty seven at prsent, they doe covenant and bind ymselves not to receive, or admitt any other Indians amongst them without leave first had & obtayned from ye English, & that they will not, at any time hereafter, entertaine or harbor any that are enemies to ye English, but will prsently aprhend such & deliver ym to ye English, and if they know or heare of any plott by ye In- dyans or others against ye English they will forthwith discover & make ye same knowne to ym, & in case they doe not, to be accounted as partyes in ye plott, and to be proceeded against as such.
Lastly ye sª sachem, his counsell & company doe hereby promise truly & care- fully to observe & keepe all & every one of these articles of agreemt, & if any of ym offend in any of ye prmisses, they jointly hereby subject & submitt such of- fendor or offendo's to ye consideration, censure & punishmt of the English mages- trate or officers appointed among them for government without expecting yt je English should first advise with ym about it, yet in any such case of punishmt if the sd sachem shall desire to know the reason & equity of such pceedings, hee shall truly be informed of the same.
The former article being read & interprted to ym, they by way of exposition desired yt in ye sixth article it might be added, that if any of the English cattle be killed or hurt casually, or negligently, & proofe made it was done by some of the Quinopiock Indyans, they will make satisfaction, or if done by any other Indyans in their sight, if they doe not discover it, & if able to bring ye offendor to ye English they wilbe accounted & dealt with as guilty. 3
34
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
In consideration of all which, they desire from ye English, that if at any time hereafter they be affrighted in their dwellings assigned by the English unto ym as before, they may repayre to the English plantation for shelter, & that ye Eng- lish will therein a just cause endeavor to defend ym from wronge, But in any quarrell or warres which they shall undertake, or have wth other Indyans, upon any occasion wtsoever they will manage their affayres by ymselves without ex- pecting any ayd from the English.
And the English planters before mentioned accepting and graunting according to ye tenor of the p"mises, doe further of their owne accord, by way of free & thankefull retribution, give un [to] ye sd sachem, counsell & company of ye Quin- opiocke Indians, twelve coats of English trucking cloath, twelve alcumy spoones, twelve hatchetts, twelve hoes, two dozen of knives, twelve porengers & foure cases of French knives and sizers; All which being thankfully accepted by ye aforesd & ye agreements in all points perfected ; for rattification & full confirma- tion of the same, the Sachem, his counsell & sister, to these prsents have sett to their hands or markes ye day & year above written.
his marke.
Momaugin
Sugcogisin
his marke.
Quesaquaush
his mark.
Carroughood
his marke.
Weesaucuck
his mark
Shaumpishuh
her marke
I, Thomas Stanton, being interpreter in this treaty, doe hereby profess in ye prsence of God, yt I have fully acquainted the Indyans with ye substance of every article, & truly returned their answer & consent to the same, according to ye ten- nor of the foregoing writeing, the truth of which, if lawfully called, I shall read- ily confirme by my oath at any time.
Thomas Stanton.
1
35
EARLY HISTORY.
Articles of agreemt betwixt Theophilus Eaton, John Davenport, & sundry oth- er English planters at Quinnypiock on ye one part, and Mantowese sonne of an Indyan sachem liveing att Mattabezeck, and nephew to Sequin on ye other part, made & concluded the IIth day of Decembr 1638. 1137041
First ye sª Mantowese in prsence & wth allowance and consent of Sawseunck an Indyan wch came in company wth him, doth profess, affirme and covenant, to & wth ye sd Theophilus Eaton, John Davenport & others above, that ye land on both sides the river of Quinnypiock from ye Northerly bounds ofye land lately purchased by the sª English of ye Quinnypiock Indyans, namely from ye pond in ye great meadow, about two miles above ye great hill, to ye head of ye river at ye great playne toward ye plantations settled by ye English upon ye river of Quin- tecutt Southerly, which is about tenn miles in length from north to south, the bounds of which land run alsoe eight miles easterly from ye river of Quinnypiock toward ye river of Quintecutt, and five miles westerly towards Hudsons river, doth truely & solely belong to him ye sª Mantowese in right of his deceased mother, to whom ye sª land did appertaine, & from whom it justly descends upon him as his inheritance, soe yt he hath an absolute & independant power to give, alien, dispose or sell all or any part of ye sd land, as he shall think good ; and yt neither his sd father, or any other pson whatsoever, have any right, title or interest in any part of ye land described and limited as above, whereby he or any other may here- after justly question what ye sd Mantowese now doth, or lay any clayme to any part of ye sª land now disposed of by him.
Secondly the sd Mantowese being fully acquainted wth ye agreemts lately passed betwixt ye sª English planters & ye sachem of Quinnypiock, his counsell & company, did freely, of his owne accord, upon full & serious deliberation, give, grant and yeild up all right, title and interest to all ye land mentioned and bound- ed as above, with all the rivers, ponds, trees, and all liberties and appurtenances whatsoever belonging to ye same, to the sd Theophilus Eaton, John Davenport and other English planters att Quinnypiock, and to their heyres & assignes for ever, desireing from them, the sª English planters, to receive such a small portion of land by the rivers side about two miles beyond ye tree over ye river, in the pas- sage from hence towards ye townes at Quintecutt, as may be sufficient for his small company, being but tenn men in number, besides women and children, wch portion of land they desire may hereafter, upon a view, be assigned, appointed and limited unto them by ye sª English planters, reserveing alsoe to himselfe and his forenamed company, liberty in fitt seasons & due manner without prudice to ye English, to hunt, & fish & kill beaver, yet therein alsoe to be regulated by ye sª English upon discovery of any annoyance, as the Quinnypiock Indyans are in that case.
Lastly, the said Theophilus Eaton, John Davenport &c accepting from Manto- wese this free gift of his hand as above, doe by way of thankfull retribution, give
36
CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
unto him eleven coates made of trucking cloth, and one coate for himselfe of Eng- lish cloth, made up after the English maner, wch being thankfully accepted by the sd Mantowese, and the agreements in all points pfected, for ratification, and full confirmation of ye same, Mantowese and Sawseunck have hereunto sett their hands or markes the day and year before written.
his mrke
Mantowese
Sawseunck
his mrke
I, John Clarke, being interpreter in this treatie, doe hereby professe in the prsence of God that I have fully acquainted the Indyans with the substance of every article, to ye wch they have freely agreed, that is to say yt Mantowese have given to Mr. Davenport & Mr. Eaton all his land wch he had by his deceased mother, wch he saith is from ye head of ye great playne to the pond wch he professe to be his, & promise to make it good to or English, & for this hee is satisfyed with twelve coats, onely reserve a piece of land by the river for his men which are IO and many squaws, to plant in, & when or cowes come there what harme their doggs doe to or cattle, they will satisfye for, and we for what harme or hoggs doe to them in corne, & as for hunting & fishing, to be free to them as o"selves, pro- vided or cattle suffer not by them, & with these particulars they are acquainted, & doe freely consent to them, as their marke wittness, the truth of which, if law- fully called, I shall readily confirme by my oath at any time.
per me John Clarke
We Robert Coggswell, Roger Knapp and James Love, doe hereby renounce all right to any & every part of the forementioned land.
Wittnes our hands hereunto
Robert Coggswell James Love
Roger Knapp ?
his mrke.
1
37
EARLY HISTORY.
Letter from Rev. John Davenport of New Haven Colony to John Winthrop, Jr.,1 of Connecticut Colony.
To the Right Worshipfull John Winthrop, Esqr., Governour of Connectacute, these present at Hartford
Honoured Sir-Scio sapiunt Phryges.2 If I had as wel used my IIpovola 3 in preparing a letter as I was dilligent in harkening after opportunities for transmit- ting it, I had not bene thus surprized, before I had begun my letter. Brother Benham just now tells me that his companie is gone before: & he is going to Hartford. I blame him for not letting me know last night, but in vaine; yet I urge his stay a very little, that I may write these few lines, while he is buisied about making up your Curtaines which had bene with you before now if my wife could have procured him or John Thomas to have carryed them. I hope you will now receive them by him. Concerning the matter of the Indians, I hope Mr. Gilbert hath or will give you a cleare account. If the Indians you are pleased to mention should revenge themselves upon ours they will greatly wrong the in- nocent : for our Indians had no hand in that buisenes nor have spoken the least word for ought I can learne, to animate our men to what is done. And that which it seemes bro. Yale & bro. Cooper have spoken to your Indians, I never knew nor heard of but by your letter. Nor will there be anything done by any of ours to hinder your Indians in theyre hunting. But for the purchase it was made above 20 yeares past, without any seeking, on our part upon an offer made to our then Governour & Co. It was of Mantoweeze that the land was bought, whereby N. H. bounds extended neare unto the Cold Spring beyond Pilgrims Harbour. But of these things if you desire it our Governour will give you full intelligence when he shall be able, which I hope will be shortly, for the wrightings of that transaction are in his hands.
My selfe wife and son present our affectionate salutacions to yours. I rest
Yours exceedingly obliged
John Davenporte
New Haven the 30th day of the 8th m. 1660.
This letter shows that New Haven, in Mr. Davenport's opinion, had bought of the Indians, land extending north of Pilgrims' Harbor as far as Cold Spring.
In Volume I. relating to colonial lands and on file in the office of the secretary of state in the capitol at Hartford is a deed from the Indians to the proprietors
1 Mass. Hist. Society Col., 4th Series, Vol. VII., pp. 517-519.
2 Equivalent to our saying "a Yankee's wit comes too late."
3 Forethought.
38
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
and inhabitants of Wallingford, dated May 24, 1681, a full copy of which ap- pears in Dr. Davis' History of Wallingford and Meriden, p. 27. Only a portion of this deed is here given, which shows that an Indian deed had been executed in 1645 extending the grant of 1638 ten miles farther to the north.
Wheras our predecessors Mantowese Sachem in the year 1638, December the eleventh, by a general deed of grant alienated, enfeoffed and sold a tract of land to Theophilus Eaton Esqr., Mr. John Davenporte minister & to other English planters of Quinipyog alias New Haven as by an instrument at large doth ap- peare, alsoe by a second Grant as by an instrument dated in the year 1645 in the moneth May of the sayd year renewed the former grant and tract of Land to run from a great pond in New Haven east meadow twenty miles North & to be thir- teen miles in breadth East & West which sayd tract of land was made over unto Theophilus Eaton Esqr & Mr. Stephen Goodyear & Mr. Thomas Gregson Gen- tillman, of the aforesayd New Haven" etc., etc.
This deed of 1645 is probably not now in existence as a very diligent search has failed to reveal its whereabouts. The great pond in New Haven East Mead- ow is of course Lake Saltonstall and twenty miles north from the "great pond" would more than cover the statement of Rev. John Davenport that New Haven had purchased of the Indians land extending "neare unto the Cold Spring be- yond Pilgrims' Harbour."
In the Connecticut State Library in the Capitol at Hartford are preserved inany manuscript documents. Among these archives in Vol. IV., Document 66, of "Towns and Lands," in a petition dated October 10, 1722, and signed by sev- eral of the inhabitants of Wallingford, praying to the general court for relief in a certain land dispute and controversy, occurs this passage: "Humbly Shew- eth That whereas there was a purchase of Land obtained by ye ancient Proprie- tors of New Haven in ye year 1638; of one Mantuese an Indian Sachem wch pur- chase extended northward even beyond ye northermost bound of yt wc is now ye Township of Wallingford; and Livery of Seisin was made to ye Gentlemen of New Haven by ye sd Indian Sachem of this Tract of Land being eight miles from N haven East River eastward and extending into ye north to a certain tree marked by ye said Indian sachem (wc tree is about a mile north of Pilgrims harbour.)"
Pilgrims Harbour was a territory of considerable extent and deeds early in the 18th century locate lands fully half a mile north of where South Colony St. crosses Harbor brook (just east of the office of Lyon & Billard Co.) as in Pilgrims Har- bor. If the territory was indicated in the above petition rather than the ford or crossing, then New Haven's purchase of the Indians must have extended to a point a little distance north of where Colony street is crossed by the Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River railroad.
1
39
EARLY HISTORY.
A few words as to the extent of the territory called by the name of Meriden. Mr. Alfred Andrews in his Genealogy and Ecclesiastical History of New Britain1 says: "This locality at the the 'south eastern boundary of ffarmington' called above 'Great Swamp' had an early English name, which seems to have been aban- doned for this of 'Great Swamp,' viz. Meridun, Meridan or Meridon, a name finally given 1725 to the present town of Meriden to take the place of 'Pilgrims Harbor.' But to settle the question of the old name to this locality I quote from a deed of Captain Daniel Clark, of Windsor, to Jonathan Gilbert, dated 22 April, 1672, of 300 acres of land (forty of which was to be meadow, by grant of the colony to Sª Clark) lying, situate, and laid out at a place called Moridan where Jonathan Gilbert's farm is & bounded partly on the Mattabesick River where it may be allowed of the town of Farmington" "This deed is in possession of the Gilbert family living 1867 on the same farm said above to be owned by Jonathan Gilbert previous to 1644" (1664).
Now this farm stated to be still in possession of the Gilbert family is about one mile northeast of the railroad station in Berlin on what is known as Christian Lane. The very ancient brick house is still in existence, built probably by Eben- ezer, son of Jonathan Gilbert. The first church of Great Swamp parish was lo- cated several hundred feet south of it and this whole locality was known as Great Swamp parish. It is fully four miles north of Jonathan Gilbert's "Meriden Farm" as we know it. Had he been in possession of these two farms and the land between he would have owned several thousand acres in the vicinity when he died in 1682. The best judge of what he owned was Mr. Gilbert himself. In his will, dated 1674, he says, "I give to my son Nathaniell Gilbert my farme at Meriden with all the houses and land thereto belonging, I give to my son Eben- ezer Gilbert & his heires forever all that three hundred acres of land I bought of Capt. Daniel Clark in Farmington Bownds with all priviledges thereunto be- longing & also that purchase of land I bought of Messaccup, commonly called & known by name of Pagon Chaumischaug."2 In the inventory the Meriden Farm is valued at £110 and Pagon Chaumischaug at £120. This shows that Mr. Gilbert owned two distinct and separate farms -- one at or called Meriden, and the other on Christian Lane in Berlin where stands the brick house built by Ebenezer Gilbert and called by the Indian name. Mr. Andrews was misled by the fact that Daniel Clark was conveying two separate tracts of land in the same deed, into believing that both tracts were one and bore the name of Meriden. and the mistake was a very natural one.
That two separate and distinct tracts were granted to Daniel Clark is proved by the following extracts from the Colonial Records of Connecticut. On March
1 Page 17.
2 Dr. Trumbull was unable to give the meaning of these Indian words.
40
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
13, 1661-62 "There is granted to Secy Daniel Clark & John Moor the number of 400 acres of land upon ye forementioned termes whereof 80 acres of meadow wych is to be divided between them and if it can not be found together they have liberty to seek it out severally." On Oct. 12, 1665, "The secretary hath granted unto him an augmentation to his former grant to ye sum of one hundred acres of upland and he hath liberty to take it up for his meadow the remainder of the meadow that is not taken up at Jonathan Gilbert's farme if it be there to be had with an hundred acres of upland adjoyening and the rest to make up his former grant at some place upon Mattabeseck River where he can find it free from those limitations inserted in his former grant." What Mr. Clark did was to take up 120 acres adjoining Mr. Gilbert's Meriden Farm and the balance else- where. This is proved by Farmington land records Vol. I, page 50, where it reads as follows: "Land in Farmington belonging to Mr. Jonathan Gilbert & to his heires forever in ye jurisdiction of Conecticut and county of Hartford, viz. one p'sell which he bought of Captin Daniell Clark Lying and being about Cold spring in ye roade from Wethersfield to New Haven containing sixe score acres butting p'tly on Mr. Gilbords owne land given him by ye country and p'tly on comon land to ye south, to ye east neare to the roade aforesaid & to ye west and the north on comon land."
"One p'sell more contayning nighne1 score acres which was allso bought of Captin Daniell Clarke lying & being about the branches of Metabesit River butting to je north p'tty on comon land & p'tty on p'ticuler lots. To ye south on p'ticuler mens lots and to ye west on p'ticuler lots now belonging to farmingtowne & to ye east on comon land belonging to Farmingtowne."
That these tracts were not contiguous is proved by the boundaries.
To put it in modern English,Mr. Gilbert bought of Sec'y Clark 120 acres which adjoined his Meriden farm near Cold Spring and 180 acres on the branches of the Mattabesitt River-a separate and distinct tract-making 300 acres in all, and all conveyed in the one deed which Mr. Andrews said was in the possession of the Gilbert family living in Christian Lane in 1867.2 This shows how the con- fusion or error arose of thinking that the name of Meriden was used to describe the territory afterwards called the Great Swamp. The words Cold Spring iden- tify the locality of the first or 120 acres for that name was used some time before the recorded use of Meriden to describe the territory within two or three miles of our famous spring near the poorhouse. In the deed quoted by Mr. Andrews the quantity of land conveyed was mentioned as 300 acres: On the Farmington records it is given as "sixe score acres" and "nighne score acres"; exactly the same amount. The writer has deemed it wise
1 Actual form of the word on the records.
2 The Gilbert family live there no longer.
-
4I
EARLY HISTORY.
to give this explanation because it cannot be other than an error to say that "Meriden" ever went wandering away up into Berlin. The error is repeated in the Memorial History of Hartford County,1 and Mr. Camp in his interesting work, the History of New Britain,2 says what is equivalent to the same thing. As a matter of fact, Capt. Belcher did not buy Meriden Farm of Mr. Gilbert, but of the Gilbert heirs on Sept. 6, 1686, when they sold him "Meri- den Farme being partly or all neere the comon roadway between Wethersfield and Wallingford, estimated at 350 acres." The deed is recorded in "Colony Rec- ords and Deeds" in Secretary of State's office. Curiously enough, the 120 acres adjoining, bought by Sec'y Clark went to Ebenezer Gilbert with Pagon Chaumis- chaug and was sold to Capt. Belcher on June 18, 1700, by Ebenezer as "6 score acres being about the Cold Spring bounded partly on Belchers farm & commons on south, east neare the Road west & north on commons." In the Connecticut
Colonial Records3 this distinction of the grants to Sec'y Clark being in two sep- arate places is specifically mentioned as "three hundred acres of land for the same use, to be taken up partly4 upon the branches of Mattabesitt River and partly upon the road from Wethersfield to New Haven at or neare a place called Cold Spring on the west side of a ridge of mountainous land comonly called or known by the name of the Lamentation Hills." Although it is not distinctly stated, it is probable that the 180 acres or "nighne" score acres adjoined the land called Pagon Chaumischaug bought by Mr. Gilbert of Messacup, lying in Christian Lane in the Great Swamp parish.
Jonathan Gilbert, in the record just quoted, is also said to have acquired the "native (Indian) right of the land adjoining his 470 acres, amounting in the whole to one thousand acres." This must have been land east of the 470 acres and east of Colony road, for when Andrew Belcher was granted the land from the east side of the farm to the top of Lamentation Mountain in 1703, it is stated as 280 acres only, whereas the land from the east side of Colony road to the top of mountain would have been considerably more than 280 acres. Lastly when the farm was sold by Andrew Belcher, Jr., in 1741-2, he conveyed 670 acres to Yale & Norton & 350 acres to Peck, Edwards & Peck, and the whole deed is of land in Wallingford bounds and is only recorded on Wallingford land records.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.