USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > An old New England church, established religion in Connecticut; being an historical sketch of the first Church of Christ and the Prime ancient society, Fairfield, commemorating the two hundred and seventieth anniversary of public worship in the town > Part 11
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The musical abilities of the Gold family are commemorated by a vote taken May 29th, 1729. "At a church meeting in the old parish of Fairfield it was voted that the worshipfull Mr. John Gold should set and read the Psalm ; and in case he was absent or indisposed that his brother Mr. Samuel Gold should do it."
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THE OLD RECORDS.
Four years later Mr. Andrew Burr was elected to this pleas- ant and responsible office.
The year of the town's destruction, Mr. Eliot writes in the book that "at a Church meeting, Voted that Messrs. Deodate Silliman, Peter Hendrick, Samuel Sturges, David Allen, Peter Jennings, James Penfield, Israel Bibbins, Jeremiah Jennings and any others of the Church or Society who are skilled in psalmody, be desired to sit together in the gallery on the Lord's day and lead the congregation in that part of divine worship-they to agree among themselves as to the person who is to pitch the tune."
The pitch pipe, the tuning fork, the violin, the base viol, the harmonicon or melodeon, one after another, served their worthy purposes as aids to worship until a pipe organ was installed in the fifth Meeting-House and the mixed choir sang their elaborate anthems-Sunday night being practice time until the custom of "keeping" Saturday night was given up and the choir met on this latter night at private houses for their drill in music and their delightful social hour. Great occasions these for the sweet interchange of confidences among the young people and the long walks home in little companies, which rapidly disinte- grated into congenial sets of two and two.
Interspersed through the records of the Society are the cer- . tificates of the individuals who propose to pay their taxes to other churches than the old parish church.
" William Squier of this Society lodged his certificate on the 26th day of March 1801 that he attended the Baptist meeting and meant to support the Gospel in that way. "
"Samuel Beers Jr., lodged his certificate, that he no longer considers himself as a member of the Presbyterian Society, but shall for the future contribute for the support of the Episcopal profession." July 9th, 1808.
"John Wilson dissents and joins the Baptist Society, Dec. 25th, 1817."
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THE OLD RECORDS
Then we read the names of numerous tax payers who are elected to membership in the Ecclesiastical Society. This is termed " An Account of the Inrollment of Several persons into the first Ecclesiastical Society in Fairfield, Done by me Daniel Osborn Clerk of said Society."
" Barlow Sturges of this Society had his name inrolled into the first Ecclesiastical Society in Fairfield by virtue of his rec- ognizing his Baptismal Covenant in our Church on the Ist, day of August, A. D. 1790."
Mr. Osborn writes a firm, vigorous, legible hand and his record is one easily read.
A good deal of time in Society's meetings was devoted to the schools of the town-the appointment of school commit- tees-the discussion of school-house repairs and the general man- agement of this important part of parish business.
The Moderators of these meetings make a notable company. The Goulds and the Burrs are conspicuous. There was Judge Silliman and General Silliman, Captain Job Bartram and Judge Jonathan Sturges, Honorable Lothrop Lewis and the Rowlands, Col. Andrew Burr, Chief Justice Burr, High-Sheriff Thaddeus Burr and Gen. Burr, Col. James Smedley, Gen. Abel, Judge Roger M. Sherman and the later worthies.
Take the records as a whole (there are seven volumes in all) and they are written in admirable style. There are many pages which have the appearance of copper plate-so straight and regu- lar are the lines, so bold, distinct and symmetrical every letter.
Samuel Rowland made an ideal clerk, a long apprenticeship in the town house training him into a most exact and painstaking writer. Nathan Beers Jr., in 1800 "keeps" the Society's book and sets down as the tax for expenses of said Society two cents on the dollar. The " letting of the pews" which had come into vogue with the new Meeting-House the latter part of the 18th century, brought in a sum which added to the general receipts so that the tax on the " Polls and ratable Estates of the Inhabi-
SHERMAN PARSONAGE
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THE OLD RECORDS
tants" was reduced in 1804 to one cent and five mills on the dol- lar." This fact is recorded in the beautiful penmanship of Mr. Beers.
When Judge Sherman was moderator of the Society and Walter Perry clerk in 1822 it was voted that a " Funeral Pall be purchased out of the pew money and that the Committee be di- rected to call on the Episcopal Society to join in the expense of one third of the cost."
"At a meeting of the First Presbyterian Society "-so runs the record through a succession of years-illustrating the large- ness of liberty with which the Church and Society were designat- ed. "The Prime Ancient Society," "The Prime Society," " The First Society," "The First Presbyterian Society," "The First Ecclesiastical Society " were names used interchangably, various clerks apparently choosing the title which suited the fancy.
The last pages of the first record book belonging to the parish contains "An Account of ye Interest money Rec'd on ye School Bonds since ye 28th of March, 1758 " and the "School money paid Out." John Allen, Thaddeus Burr and Jonathan Sturges, committee, attest the correctness of the account.
It is recorded by Walter Perry, December 31, 1822, that the Society's Committee "shall do as they thought proper whether to permit the Court to sit in the Meeting-House or not to try a capital crime." The reason of the Court's request is not given.
Deacon Samuel Nichols made a model clerk-the hand- writing plain, dignified, prominent. Judge Hobart, elected U. S. Senator from New York (which office he declined), willed to the Fairfield church for the minister's use the works of Sir William Jones " as they were published by his widow, in which are included his Asiatic researches." So reads the testimony of Deacon Nichols, indicating the fact that a minister's library already flourished in the Prime Ancient Society. In fact another member of the Hobart family had enriched the parish with a gift
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of books during the pastorate of the famous controversialist, the father of our New York Judge. The Hobart collection contained 98 volumes. The most important legacy of this kind came from Judge and Mrs. Sherman and to-day reposes behind glass cases in the Study of the parsonage, brass plates on the cases being properly inscribed with the words ; " Private Library of Judge Roger Minott Sherman-A Gift to the First Ecclesiastical Society of Fairfield-For the use of the Minister's Library." The cata- logue of books names 426 titles and volumes.
Moses Betts was the clerk who had the pleasure of recording the names of the subscribers to the building fund in 1848. The . amount of each subscription is named and the sum required for the erection of the new house being pledged, it was voted to proceed with the work. More than eight thousand dollars was expended at the time, and later improvements cost several thous- and dollars additional.
The " Calls " and the "Letters of Acceptance " marking transitions in the pastorate are interesting although they have a characteristic sameness. One observes the uniform cordiality and reciprocation of christian sentiment and hopefulness.
The Rev. Andrew Eliot writes : " It affords me the greatest pleasure to reflect on the agreeable manner in which I was at first introduced among you. I acknowledge with gratitude the kind, obliging, generous treatment which I have received from the Society and from persons of other denominations-such treat- ment as has given me a favorable idea of the people of Fair- field."
When Rev. Heman Humphrey thirty-three years later suc- ceeded Mr. Eliot, he wrote the Church and Society that "In the mean time I approach the altar with trembling ; and as I have but recently commenced preaching, as much study is requisite to obtain a thorough knowledge of the great doctrines of our holy religion, and as the various duties of the ministerial office are peculiarly arduous to the young and inexperienced, I hope you
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will permit me for a year on to exchange the labors of the desk with my fathers and brethren in the ministry more frequently than is customary for those who have been long engaged in the great work." The proverbial kindness and goodwill of the peo- ple made easy the granting of such a reasonable petition.
Favored is the church whose records are so uniformly "well kept," with pages free from any intimation of defeat or discord ! The story of two hundred and seventy years becomes a revelation of steadfast faith and quiet growth in the things of the King. dom.
CHAPTER XX.
A PASTORAL SURVEY.
YEARS ago Fairfield was a rare example of the high-class, conservative, quietly prosperous, ideal rural community. The business which had flourished in this centre until the British burned the town was largely given over to the neighboring, am- bitious city of Bridgeport. When the Court ended its sessions . here in 1853 and the village was no longer a county seat, an at- mosphere of tranquility and reserve brooded above the place. The coming of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad through the town was a matter of profound interest for it brought the citizen into close relations with the metropolis ; but the essen- tial character of the village remained. It was a residence town. Little business was transacted here. The man of means, the retired sea captain, the city merchant, the well-to-do farmer, the cultured gentleman of leisure made Fairfield the home place-a secluded and delightful realm where the daily flow of life was sweet, gracious, happy-altogether apart from the rush and tu- mult of the great world. The beautiful hills, the alluring patches of woodland, the companionable sea-great fields of wild flowers and bird haunted marshes all contributed to the charm, imparting a characteristic loveliness to the place.
But the dawn of another period was drawing on apace. Signs of approaching changes became manifest. There was a forward movement in behalf of better sanitary conditions. Large sums of money went into drainage. A fine civic spirit expressed itself in various helpful enterprises. The old burying ground had a substantial wall placed around it and the tombs of the an- cestors were rebuilt.
The splendid beach which attracted larger and larger num-
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bers of people induced some of the citizens to erect a convenient and commodious pavilion for bathing and social purposes. Then an impulse toward betterment revealed itself in macadam roads. At length the trolley road was built and frequent, rapid commu- nication with near-by towns and cities became established. The bicycle and the automobile began to riot along the streets. Bridgeport pushed this way, not satisfied with absorbing a fair portion of the town and taking the Court from Fairfield, but evi- dently intent upon drawing into such close relations with the prime settlement that the entire territory would be practically one civic center. Growth could not be checked. The Memorial Library opened its generous portals. The State Audubon Society was organized here. Stores, halls, shops multiplied. A chaste, substantial stone fountain graced the triangle fronting the Library. Monuments appeared in different parts of the town commemorating men and events-the boulder on the Green, the lich-gate at the cemetery, placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution-the massive stone in Southport marking the ending of the Pequot War in 1637-the dignified granite shaft erected in the old burying hill to the memory of Andrew Ward. Independence Day was regularly observed on the Green. The Village Improvement Society entered upon its campaign. The Historical Society founded its library and museum and organized its far-reaching and important work. The historic sites in town were named and marked, public water flowed across Ash Creek from Bridgeport and served the citizens in their homes and places of business, a fire department sprang into being so that people had a larger feeling of security, the New Haven railroad changed its grade, and thereby eliminated peril of death at the crossings, the three miles of safe and lovely beach received a great influx of summer residents who dotted the sands with a host of cottages.
It has been the dawn of another period-a daybreak of activ- ity. Recall the old time quiet with its easy flow of restricted
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village life and contrast it with the new time movement, streets often thronged with swift moving machines, trolley cars filled until they imperil the traveller, clang of bells, tooting of horns, kaleidoscopic changes-all the signs of a vigorous suburban life and an identity of interests with the city which seems bound to absorb the territory of Fairfield.
These social and industrial changes have necessarily affected the status of the Prime Ancient Society.
It is impressed upon the mind to-day that a church with its numerous organizations-its many functions-and its varied interests makes a large demand upon men for its successful ad- ministration. Our Theological Schools are teaching their stu- dents that administration is a factor which must not be neglected. Infinite are the details which make the aggregate of church life. Here is a handful of trivial incidents in illustration. When the Meeting-House burned, the old bell became five hundred bells diffusing their musical notes all through our homes. In the vestry of the Sixth Sanctuary, the portraits of former pastors have been placed. For many years Children's Day in June marked the turning of the season. Bibles are given to the chil- dren of the congregation who pass the seventh mile stone. The old system of electing deacons for life was superseded in 1894 and the deacons elected since that period have been chosen for three years.
Church cards containing useful information, names of com- mittees, invitations to worship in church, topics of sermons and like matter have been used several seasons. The Prime Ancient Society has year after year invited the congregations of the daughter churches to worship in the parish church on Thanks- giving Day. These occasions have been exceedingly enjoyable. The prayer meeting manuals issued by the Congregational Pub- lishing Society are distributed each season throughout the parish. The general public are under great obligations to the church for the shelter which our sheds afford to innumerable horses and
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carriages seven days of the week. These convenient refuges placed on ground belonging to the parsonage property were con- structed by that good servant of church and town the Chairman of the Building Committee. For many years our church has taken special interest in Mr. Elwood, a missionary con- nected with the Madura Mission. We assisted in his ordination, and we have welcomed him to this place on more than one occasion. We have shared his support. In 1906 a six months' vacation was given the pastor when a friend sent him and his companion on a happy pilgrimage to Egypt, Palestine, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and the British Isles. It proved to be a prosperous journey-a time when rich treasure was gathered for service and the old world yielded a rare har- vest of enjoyment.
When the Tablet in the vestibule was unveiled the minister returned to the custom of the fathers and wore the Gene van gown-a custom which is now revived in many of our churches.
Two of our young men have entered the ministry. Rev. Charles L. Hill was ordained in this church on June 8th, 1906, and has been for several years a faithful home missionary and pastor in Minnesota. Rev. John M. Deyo, son of one of our deacons, was chosen assistant pastor of the Church of the Re- deemer, New Haven, in 1909. Our church has assisted many young men in their preparation for gospel work. Not only the students which we have annually employed at Hope Chapel- some years one and some years two men-perhaps twenty of them altogether-but also students in numerous schools and col- leges-students who have received from the Sunday School or by private gifts, scholarships which have enabled them to pursue their studies-perhaps twenty-five of this class.
I do not know a church where the doors swing open more easily-where a more varied and harmonious congregation enjoy the privileges of the sanctuary. The white man and the colored man have a common home with us. There are at least twelve
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nationalities represented in these pews or in the chairs of the Sunday School room. And strangers are greeted with cordiality. The seats here are free.
It is a great privilege to have been associated with the work- ers who have given their love, service , and devotion to this church. It would be hard to find more zealous and helpful people than many whose names are upon our lips. How they have spent their time, their energy, their wisdom, their money, their moral force, their daily prayers, their Christian manhood and woman- hood in response to human need and the divine call ! They are not few in number who have built their lives into the life of this church and the Church Universal.
And what kindness, what liberality, what patience and sym- pathy, what stimulating encouragement, what large-minded charity have been manifested in the relation of this people with their pastor !
Freely have they loaned the minister to the public when he was called to serve as Registrar of the Consociation, Corporate Member of the American Board, Local Secretary of the Church Building Society, Trustee of Rollins College, Tougaloo Univer- sity, and several other institutions of learning, Corresponding Secretary and Trustee of the Francis Asbury Palmer Educa- tional Fund, Trustee of the Aged Christian Minister's Home, Trustee and Officer in several local organizations like the Memorial Library, the Fresh Air Home, the Historical Society, the Gould Vacation Home-freely have they loaned their minister to these and many institutions which sought his services, pleased to share with him and other servants of the Master in this upbuilding of christian society.
Your present minister is happy in the twenty-second year of his pastorate among this people. Four ministers have served the church a longer period-Noah Hobart forty years, Joseph Webb thirty-six years, Andrew Eliot thirty-one years, and Samuel Wakeman twenty-seven years. But I do not believe that any
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other pastor has enjoyed a greater measure of goodwill or received more genuine and tangible expressions of affection.
To-day we are called to face new conditions. There is an influx of people. Life in our town has assumed another phase. How few homes on the main street remind the observer of the former times. This generation presents fresh problems for us to solve here in Fairfield.
What shall be our answer to the demands of the day ? Have the changes in our church been along the line of wise adjustment to the work of the present? Are we prepared to adopt such helpful methods and make such needed sacrifices as shall best equip for largest service a church located in an impor- tant suburb of a thriving, manufacturing city? It is imperative that we should labor together for the conservation of that ancient, honorable spirit-that atmosphere of culture and worth- that high moral tone and civic eminence-which has character- ized Fairfield these many generations.
INDEX
Atwater, Rev. Lyman, 102, 105, 107, 109, 137 American Revolution, 90 ยท Bridgeport, First Church, 28 Burr, Hon. Thaddeus, 85 Burr, Judge Peter, 60 Buckingham, Rev. Stephen, 65 Black Rock Church, 105 Bar, Fairfield, 100 Beecher, Rev. Lyman, 96, 99
Bartram, Job, 81, 85, 86
Bushnell, Dr. Horace, 106, 109
Burroughs, Dr. George S., 135, 143 Bushnell, Dr. John E., 129, 134, 143 Church of Christ, 27 Covenant, Half-Way, 41, 98
Caner, Rev. Henry, 57 Chauncey, Rev. Charles, 63 Congregationalism, Trend of, 73, 74 Congregationalism Dis-established, 95, 96 Congregationalism, 113, 114, 115, II6 Consociationism, 72, 77, 110 Consociation, Fairfield. West, 106, III, 115 Council, National, 113, 114 Charitable Society, 145 Children's Day, 162 Davenport, Rev. John, 62 Danbury, First Church, 69
Dwight, Pres. Timothy, S7 Deacons, Names of, 144, 162 Deyo, Rev. John M., 163 Easton, 29
Extent of Fairfield Parish, 27 Eliot, Rev. Andrew, 83, 90, 92, 130, 136, 154 Episcopal Separation, 54, 57 Fifth House of Worship, 105 Female Prayer Meeting Society, 146 Fortnightly Society, 148 Greens Farms Church, 28 Greenfield Hill Church, 28 Gold, Lieut-Governor, 49, 60 Gold, Major Nathan, 34 Hooker's Survey, 37
Humphrey, Rev. Heman, 97, 136 Hewit, Dr. Nathaniel, 100, 102 Hartford Theological Seminary, I02
Hobart, Rev. Noah, 52, 57, 58,
59, 75, 80, 81, 123, 124, 153, 157 Hunter, Rev. John, 14I Hancock, Hon. John, 154
Hope Chapel, 149 Home, Fresh Air, 148 Historical Society, 161 Historical Tablet, 130, 163 Hill, Rev. Charles L., 163 Intemperance, 99, 101, 103 Jones, Rev. John, 32, 38, 134 Johnson, Rev. Samuel, 56
INDEX
Lord Dr. Willis, 109, 142 Ludlow, Roger, 26, 27, 31, 151 Lewis, Hon. Sturges, 123 McLean, Dr. Alexander, 109, 134, 138, 142 Music, 118 Mission Circle, Young Ladies', I48 Missionary Society, Ladies' Home, 147 Medallion Windows, 130, 132 Memorial Library, 161
Norwalk, First Church, 70 Norfield Church, 29, 51 Order of Service, 119, 120 Osborne, Judge Thomas B., 108
"Owning the Covenant," 42 Prime Ancient Society, 26, 162 Quincy, Dorothy, 154
Religion, Established in Conn., 23 Redding Church, 29 Rowland, Andrew, 85
Rowland, Samuel, 156
Rankin, Dr. E. E. 109, 129, 134
Saybrook, Platform, 48
Sherwood, Rev. Samuel, 51, 53 Society for Propagation of the Gos- pel in Foreign Parts, 56, 59, 92 Stratfield Council, of 1709, 61 Silliman, Judge Ebenezer, 60, 81, 86
Shove, Rev. Seth, 64 Stoddard, Rev. Anthony, 66 Stratfield, 68 Scoville, Rev. Samuel, 69 Silliman, Gen. Gold Selleck, 84, I23 Silver, Church Communion Ser- vice, 84, 122
Sturges, Jonathan, 85, 123 Sayre, Rev. John, 87, 88, 91 Sherman, Judge Roger M. 100, 108, 125, 158
Saltus, J. Sanford, 130, 132 Sixth House of Worship, 127, 162
Silliman, Captain John, 122, 124 Southport Congregational Church, 105 Trinity Church, 87, 94 Thanksgiving, 162 Ward, Andrew, 33 Wakeman, Rev. Samuel 42, 43, 122, 134 Webb, Rev. Joseph, 35, 50, 56, 64, 152
Woodbury, First Church, 70 Walker, Prof. Williston, 113 Wakeman, Captain Joseph, 122 Y. P. S. C. E., organized, 148 Yale College, 46, 134
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