Annals and family records of Winchester, Conn.: with exercises of the centennial celebration, on the 16th and 17th days of August, 1871, Part 7

Author: Boyd, John
Publication date: 1873
Publisher: Hartford : Press of Case, Lockwood & Brainard
Number of Pages: 724


USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Winchester > Annals and family records of Winchester, Conn.: with exercises of the centennial celebration, on the 16th and 17th days of August, 1871 > Part 7


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).


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67


AND FAMILY RECORDS.


SAMUEL WETMORE, Jr.,2 better known as Deacon Samuel, came to the town with his father in 1771, and became a prominent and eminently useful member of the infant community. He was chosen one of the se- lectmen of the town at its first annual meeting, and one of the deacons of the church after its institution. He married Anna Roberts, born March 16, 1723 ; she died September 22, 1804 ; he died March 2, 1809, aged 86.


CHILD.


I. ABEL,3 b. in Middletown, April 6, 1753.


JOHN WETMORE,2 married Elizabeth Leaming; they settled in Tor- rington, where he died August 27, 1795.


CHILDREN.


I. ELIZABETH,3 bap. in Torrington, October 15, 1758; m. David Alvord.


II. SETH,8 b. March 20, 1761.


III. SAMUEL,3 b. December 31, 1763.


ABEL WETMORE,3 an only child, came to Winchester with his father on the first Wednesday in May, 1771; married, May 12, 1774, Jerusha Hills, daughter of John. She died April 30, 1780; and he married (2d), April 17, 1783, Mrs. Mary (Smith) Allen. He died May 20, 1796, and his widow married Loveland.


CHILDREN.


I. TRUMAN,4 b. August 12, 1774.


II. ANNA JERUSHA,4 b. March 6, 1776; m. January 21, 1801, to Elijah Starks or Starkweather.


III. JOHN,4 b. February 6, 1778.


IV. SAMUEL,4 (known as Samnel H.) b. March 24, 1780.


V. ABEL,4 b. September 23, 1783.


VI. ELISHA,4 b. April 11, 1785.


MAJOR SETH WETMORE,8 born in Torrington, March 20, 1761 ; lived in Winchester; married December 9, 1779, Lois, daughter of Colonel Ozias Bronson of Winchester. He died in Canajoharie, N. Y., April 16, 1836.


CHILDREN.


I. JOHN, 2d,4 b. in W., October 7, 1780.


II. SETH,4 b. « October, 1784; d. at Lake Pleasant, N. Y., November, 1831.


III. ABIGAIL BEACH, 4 b. January, 1787 ; d. at Eagle Village,


N. Y., October 1858.


IV. ARTEMISIA,4 N. Y., July, 1813.


b. November, 1789; d. at Canajoharie,


68


ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,


V. ALPHONSO,4 b. in W., February 5, 1793; d. at St. Louis, Mo., June, 1849. .


VI. SALMON B.,4 b. September 5, 1795.


VII. PYTHAGORAS,4


N. Y. b. April 2, 1798, a lawyer at Canajoharie,


VIII. LOIS MELINDA,4 b. " June 15, 1800; d. in Kentucky, July, 1841.


MAJOR SETH WETMORE,3 had by a second wife two children, born in Canajoharie, N. Y.


IX. LUCY ELIZABETH,4


b. May 9, 1802.


X. GEORGE CLINTON,4


b. June, 1809.


SAMUEL WETMORE,3 born in Torrington, December 31, 1763; mar- ried May 15, 1788, Hannah Griswold; he was known as Samuel Wetmore 2d; he lived in W.


CHILDREN.


I SELINA,4 b. in W., March 13, 1789.


II. LEAMING,4 (son) b.


February 13, 1791.


III. RUBY4, b. June 27, 1793.


IV. ALMEDA,4 b.


1795.


V. CANDACE,4 b.


1797.


( m. Jan. 10, 1827, Athea Skinner,


VI. CALVARY,4 b. 1799. m. 2d Jan. 14, 1834, Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac Bronson.


VII. SAMUEL, 4 b.


1801.


VIII. HANNAH,4 b.


1804.


IX. HARRIET T.,4 b. 1806.


X. HURLBUT G., 4 b.


1808.


XI. CLARISSA,4


1811.


DR. TRUMAN WETMORE,4 married October 18, 1799, Sylvia Spencer, daughter of Thomas; she died March 27, 1800, and in her memory he added the name "Spencer" to his Christian name, December 27, 1800; he married (second) Elizabeth Jarvis ; she died May 7, 1844, aged 58; he died July 21. 1861, aged 87. Soon after the death of his first wife he began the study of medicine, under Drs. Woodward of Torrington, Moore of Winsted, and McEwen of Albany, N. Y. Receiving his diploma in 1802 he commenced practice in Vermont, but in 1806 returned to Winchester, and in the following year, on the breaking out of the spotted fever in this county, he was the first who treated it successfully. He was a well-read and successful physician of the old school, a poet of local celebrity, a musical composer (some of his tunes being still retained in the worship of the churches), a man of genial humor and tender feelings, and a chronicler of olden times to whom the compiler is largely indebted. He continued in practice until the age of 75. His.residence until about 1828 was on the south side of Cooper Lane, about half a


69


AND FAMILY RECORDS.


mile west of the center, and during his remaining life in the old Parsonage house, now owned by his son-in-law, Leonard B. Hurlbut.


CHILDREN.


I. SYLVIA ELIZA,5 b. October 20, 1805 ; m. Leonard B. Hurlbut.


II. DARWIN WOODWARD, b. September 2, 1807 ; d. August 20, 1853.


III. WILLIAM JARVIS,5 b. June 30, 1809; resides in the city of New York; a physician, poet, and popular musical composer. He delivered the poem at the Centennial of the Winchester Church, August 16, 1871.


IV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD,5 b. October 1!, 1812 ; graduated M.D., at Pittsfield, 1838 ; m. November 29, 1843, Sarah Ann Thompson, b. April 28, 1819, danghter of Deacon Seth and Anne (Burton) Thompson ; has children. George Thompson, b. Amenia, N. Y., February 9, 1845 ; Elizabeth Jarvis, b. A., April 6, 1846 ; Mary Fitch, b. W., April 16, 1855.


V. CHARLES FITCH, b. August 21, 1815 ; grad. Washington College in 1841.


JOHN WETMORE,4 born February 6, 1778 ; married November 19, 1801, Lucy Nash, daughter of John. He settled on the homestead of his ancestors, where he died May 24, 1832; she died August, 1869. aged 85.


CHILDREN.


I. ABEL SAMUEL, 5 b. November 16, 1802.


II. LUCY ESTHER,5 b. December 12, 1806 ; m. September 11, 1833, Fred. P., son of Miles Hill.


III. HANNAII JERUSHA,5 b. June 11, 1809; m. October 13, 1840, Lewis Whiting.


IV. CLARISSA WHITING,5 b. May 14, 1816; m. March 30, 1836, George L. Whiting.


V. REBECCA NASH,5 b. December 8, 1812; m. November 11, 1846, Alonso Whiting.


JOHN WETMORE,1 2d, born October 7, 1780; married December 30, 1802, Huldah Spencer,. daughter of Thomas. He first lived in the house next north of A. S. Wetmore, then about 1817 to 1820, in the red house at the crossing of the roads between the two lakes, and finally in the house at the center now owned by Washington Hatch, where he died November 12, 1823, aged 43. She married (second) Jonathan Coe.


CHILDREN.


I. HORATIO LUCIUS,5 b. September 24, 1803 ; m. May 20, 1829, Hannah, Catlin, daughter of Horace; she d. September 20, 1856, leaving a daughter Sarah Louisa, b. April 12, 1833; he m. (second) ? 1862, Abigail Kilburn, daughter of Elisha.


II. CELESTIA,5 b. in W., May 30, 1805; m. January 20, 1831, Luman Catlin.


70


ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,


III. SAREPTA,5 b. in W., August 2, 1807 ; d. unmarried January 4,1862.


IV. LOUISA MATILDA,5 b. May 25, 1810; m. October 19, 1830, Jabez Gillett Curtis.


V. WILLARD SPENCER,5 b. May 8, 1813; m. October 24, 1839, Julia Ann Woodford, daughter of Erastus. Children : Willie, b. Nov. 2, 1841 ; d. same day ; Julia, b. May, 1849; d. same day.


. VI. JOHN GRINNELL,5 b. in W., April 27, 1817; m. October 3, 1841, Eliza F. Rossiter. She d. March 9, 1847, leaving a daughter, Eliza Rossiter, b. February 20, 1847. He m. (second) November 1, 1848, Eliza P. Lee.


VII. HULDAH ANN,5 b. July 1, 1821 ; m. April 17, 1844, Jonathan A. Rossiter.


SAMUEL WETMORE,4 known as Samuel H., married December 2, 1802, Sally Beach, daughter of Adna. They removed to Vernon, N. Y., where he died March 23, 1813.


CHILDREN.


I. MARY SOPHRONIA,5 b. May 10, 1803; m. (first) Silas H., and (second) Samuel A. McAlpine.


II. HARRIET ELIZA,5 b. November 8, 1806 ; m. John McAlpine, Jr.


DEACON ABEL SAMUEL WETMORE,5 married November 24, 1829, Lucy Almira Hills, born March 18, 1810, daughter of Miles. He owns and occupies by regular descent the farm of his ancestor Deacon Samuel Wetmore. Possessing a retentive memory, and a large fund of tradi- tional lore, his aid in the compilation of these annals has been highly prized.


CHILDREN.


I. JULIA ANN,6 b. August 18, 1830; d. June 5, 1831.


II. JOHN NASH, 6 b. in W., March 8, 1833.


III. ELLEN ELIZA,6 b. " October 29, 1834; m. August 14, 1856, . Stephen G. Beecher, New Milford.


IV. LE ROY WHITING,6 b. 66 September 28, 1836.


V. MILES HILLS,6 b. 66 September 6, 1840.


VI. SAMUEL ABEL,6 b. September 25, 1842.


VII. HUBERT PORTER,6 b .* February 21, 1847.


DAVID GOFF'S name is on the petition for incorporation of the town dated August 4, 1767, but it does not appear that he was ever a land- owner, nor is his residence ascertainable. He was an early member of the Church, and is occasionally named on the records as holding subor- dinate town offices. From an affidavit of Colonel Aaron Austin accom- pauying a petition of Goff for compensation for military service, it appears


71


AND FAMILY RECORDS.


that he served as sergeant in Captain Griswold's Company, in an expe- dition to Canada in 1775, and that in 1776 he and his son enlisted in the company of which Austin was captain, and that in the retreat fron Canada in that year, he was the means of saving the army from destruc- tion by devising and carrying out a plan of getting the boats up the Chamblee Rapids by means of drag-ropes, with men on the shores to tow them, instead of carrying them and their freight a circuit of some miles by land, as had been the custom, which it was impossible to do without teams, of which the army was destitute. It appears by the same doch- ment that he was afterwards a lieutenant in the Continental Army. It also appears by Sedgwick's " History of Sharon" that he resided in that town during a part of the revolutionary period.


CHILDREN OF DAVID AND MARY GOFF.


I. IRENA, b. January 9, 1770.


II. SARAH, bap. February 10, 1771.


III. ESTHER, b. November 10, 1772.


CAPTAIN BENJAMIN BENEDICT, from Danbury, was chosen a Sur- veyor of Highways at the first annual town meeting. His first deed dated April 4, 1771, in which he is named Benjamin Benedict, junior, conveys to him the Colonel Whiting Lot on both sides of Mad River where the Danbury School-house stands. His homestead stood on a discontinued road east of the present road, running east of the school- house, on the hill south of Mad River. He built a saw mill on the south side of Mad River, above the bridge, nearly all traces of which have now disappeared. He removed to Coventry, Chenango Co., N. Y., in 1807. He married, May 27, 1762, Mary Bouton.


CHILDREN.


I. NOAH,2 b. May 28, 1763; m. May 22, 1788, Chloe Andrews; lived on part of his father's homestead ; his last deed on record is dated 1805 ; had son Noah, b. March 18, 1789.


II. ABIJAH,2 b. April 30, 1765 ; m. June 11, 1789, Abigail Corbin ; lived south of Noah, on part of his father's original homestead ; he probably left town before 1800 ; had Daniel, b. February 26, 1790; Sylvester, b. December 4, 1794.


III. BENJAMIN,2 b. July 18, 1767 ; m. July 3, 1788, Sibyl Loomis. He was a. deacon ; had Wealthy, b. March 9, 1793 ; Sylvia Melissa, b. May 15, 1811. He lived on the east side of the old country road, south of the Corbins.


IV. EDEN, 2 b. May 6, 1770 ; m. May 24, 1792, Miranda Culver ; had son Ira, b. May 16, 1794.


V. MARY,2 b. November 10, 1772 ; m. October 25, 1792, Levi Bronson, second.


72


ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,


VI. PHEBE, 2 b: May 30, 1775 ; m. August 1, 1796, Levi Daw.


VII. ELIAKIM,2 b. March 9, 1778.


VIII. HULDAH,2 b. April 6, 1782; m. November 1, 1799, Lorrain Sweet.


CAPTAIN TIMOTHY BENEDICT, from Danbury, named in his first deed, Timothy Benedict, Jr., bought in 1771 the eastern half of the lot origi- nally purchased by Captain Benjamin Benedict, lying on both sides of Mad River, and enclosing the Danbury school-house, on which be re- sided until his death. His wife, Mrs. Lydia Benedict, died in this town February 21, 1824, aged 95.


The land records show that he had three sous, Timothy, Jr., William, and Joshua, who came with him to Winchester and to whom he conveyed portions of his land. There was an Elizabeth Benedict, married to Hezekiah Elmer, September 7, 1774, who may have been his daughter.


TIMOTHY BENEDICT, Jr.,2 owned land on both sides of Mad River east of the highway and running south from the Danbury school-house, and lived on the east side of the road nearly opposite the Danbury bury- ing-ground until his decease. He married, October 5, 1773, Mary Judd. She died September 8, 1822, aged 75; and he died November 27, 1836, aged 89.


CHILDREN.


I. DEBORAH,8 b. August 29, 1774; m. William Crocker.


II. TIMOTHY,3 b. March 8, 1777.


III. SARAH,3 b. August 17, 1781.


IV. MELA, 3 b. October 23, 1784.


WILLIAM BENEDICT,2 son of Timothy, is named of New Marlboro, Massachusetts, in a deed of 1786, July 5. No record of his family is found.


JOSHUA BENEDICT,2 son of Timothy, is not found on the records after 1786. He married, November 15, 1784, Mary Wilcox, and had a child, Anna, born March 13. 1786. He removed to Montreal, L. C., and is supposed to have died there.


TIMOTHY BENEDICT,3 son of Timothy,2 lived and died ( Mch. 29, 1820) in the house now owned by Joel Tuttle, on the easterly side of the turn- pike above the toll-gate. He married Lydia, daughter of John Crocker, and had by her


CHILDREN.


I. RHODA,5 b. September 1, 1800; m. Willard Hart; d. in 1824.


II. HANNAH,5 b. November 2, 1802; m. Eleazer Andrews.


III. LYDIA,5 b. December 8, 1809; m. Charles Selden ; d., 1834.


73


AND FAMILY RECORDS.


DEACON NATHANIEL DUTTON, from Woodbury, purchased in 1771, Lot 33, first tier, first division, and built a house thereon. He sold a part of the lot to Jolin Bradley the same year, and sold the remainder to Ichabod Loomis in 1773, and returned to Woodbury. He afterwards came and finished the second meeting-house in 1785. He afterwards had his permanent residence in Litehfield (Northfield parish). He was father to the late Professor Mathew Rice Dutton, of Yale College, and of ex- Governor Henry Dutton, of New Haven.


JOHN BRADLEY is described as of Winchester in Nathaniel Dutton's deed of December 19, 1771, conveying to him seventy acres from the north side of Lot 33, first division, lying on the west side of the road a little south of the Widow Everitt house, which he conveyed to Daniel Loomis in 1778, and probably then left the town.


DANIEL PLATT, from Danbury, bought of Benjamin Benedict a lot of land on Waterbury River turnpike, a little south of the Potter place, in 1771, which he conveyed to Phillip Priest in 1776. He and his wife, Thankful, had a son, Stephen, baptized March 13, 1774.


. LEMUEL STANNARD, Jr., from Saybrook, is a signer of the petition for incorporation of the town in 1771, and is a grantee of land in 1772. He first owned land on Blue street, and afterwards a little west of the center. His name disappears from the records about 1780. He was born April 13, 1750 ; married, April 14, 1774, Christian Spencer.


CHILDREN.


I. CHAUNCEY, b. December 23, 1774.


II. MARGARET, b. August 29, 1776.


ABEL STANNARD, supposed to be son of Lemuel, Senior, bought in 1779 a lot, lying immediately north of the Little Pond, and built and lived in a square-roofed house on the road running along the east side of the pond - nearly opposite the Dan. Beckley lane - and sold out to Amasa Wade in 1803. He married, June 23, 1774, Phebe Stevens.


CHILDREN.


I. PHEBE,


b. September 4, 1776.


II. TOMESIN,


b. April 10, 1781.


III. ABEL,


b. 20, 1784.


IV. SARAH,


b. March 28, 1786.


V. HERVEY,


b. February 18, 1788.


VI. RUTH (twin),


b. March 27, 1790.


VII. LYDIA (twin), b. "


VIII. ZINAS,


b. July 23, 1793.


IX. GILES, 10


b. September 14, 1795.


74


ANNALS OF WINCHESTER.


LEMUEL STANNARD, Senior, from Saybrook, is grantee, in 1778, of a lot in second tier, first division, near Reuben Chase's, which he conveyed to his son, William, in 1789, describing it as his homestead. In 1796, he is alluded to in a deed as " Lemuel Stannard, late of Winchester, de- ceased."


WILLIAM STANNARD occupied his father's homestead until 1790, when he sold out to Col. Ozias Bronson ; and afterwards owned land in Dan- bury quarter, which he conveyed to his father-in-law, Peleg Sweet, in 1800. He married, September 15, 1779, Hannah Sweet.


CHILDREN.


I WILLIAM, b. December 2, 1780.


II. MERCY, b. October 15, 1782.


SETH STANNARD, married, November 13, 1785, Martha Preston. He owned no land in town.


CHILD.


1. SETH, b. February 15, 1786.


EZRA STANNARD, son to Lemuel Stannard and Ruth, his wife, born " at Saybrook, March 13, A. D. 1766," married, January 19, 1786, Margaret Norton. He owned in 1793 and 1794, the Humphrey farm, on the east side of Long Pond, south of the Pratt farm, which he sold to Levi Ackley and Ozias Spencer. In 1795, he is named of Torrington.


CHILDREN.


I. CHARLES, b. October 16, 1786.


II. LORRAIN, b. May 9, 1788.


III. ORLOW, b. April 13, 1790.


IV. GRINNELL, b. January 30, 1792.


CHAPTER VII.


SOCIETY OF WINCHESTER ORGANIZED-FIRST HOUSE OF WORSHIP.


We have followed out the slow settlement of the town, from the first entry of Caleb Beach in 1750, to the year 1768, and endeavored to locate and commemorate its pioneers. We find them as yet confined to the cor- ner of the township bordered on the northeast by the Old South Country road, comprising little more than one-eighth of the territory. Of the families whose prior residence is ascertained, six were from Torrington, two each from Goshen and Hartford, and one each from Woodbury, Wal- lingford, Derby, Suffield, Stratford, and Farmington.


Their first utterance as a social community seems to have been. a pe- tition to the Colonial Assembly, dated August 4, 1767. It so graphically sets forth their condition and needs as to render it worthy of transcribing :


" To the Honorable the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecti- cut, to be convened at New Haven on the 2d Tuesday of October, .1757.


" The memorial of us the subscribers, Inhabitants of the Township of Winchester, in the County of Litchfield, humbly sheweth,


" That whereas there is about 18 families, containing 82 souls, have be- gun a settlement in said Township, and by reason of our distance from any place of Public Worship, it being near or quite seven miles to the nearest, makes it extremely difficult for any of us to attend public worship at any of said places, and utterly impossible for us to convey our families, so that we are laid under a necessity of bringing up our families in Ignorance, and Strangers to publick Gospel Preaching. not being able to hire preaching ourselves by reason of our infant state of settle- ment, and the greatest part of the land in said Township belongs to men of Wealth, who are under no necessity either to sell or to settle their land, which makes our case peculiarly difficult, and as the welfare of the soul is of vastly more importance than that of the body, your memorialists humbly pray that your honours will take the state of our Case into serious consideration and comiterate our miserable Circumstances, and that you would incorporate and form us into a Town with Town privileges, and lay a small tax on all the divided lands in said Township, in the first and third Divisions lying south and west of the Long Pond, such as may en-


76


ANNALS OF WINCHESTER.


able us to support the Gospel among us, or otherwise provide for our re- lief as you in your wisdom shall think best and most for the honour of God and interest of said religion amongst us, and your memorialists as in duty bound shall ever pray, &c. Dated at Winchester the 4th day of August, 1767.


SETH HILLS,


LENT MOTT,


AARON COOK,


ABEL BEACH, Proprietor,


ROBERT COE,


JOHN SMITH,


ROBERT MACUNE,


DAVID AUSTIN,


DAVID GOFF,


BERIAH HILLS, Proprietor,


WILLIAM FILLEY, JOEL BEACH,


ENOCH PALMER,


NOBLE AVRED,


THOMAS HOSMER,


SIMEON LOOMIS,


ADAM MOTT,


OLIVER COE,


JOHN HILLS, SAMUEL PRESTON."


Of these petitioners eighteen were residents of the town, and ten of them became members of the church at, or immediately after, its organi- zation.


It does not appear that any action was had by the Assembly on this petition. Another petition was brought to the May Session in 1768, · similar in substance to the former, and signed by fifteen of the former memorialists, and also by Jolin Preston, Jonathan Preston, John Wet- more, and Ebenezer Preston; in which the population is stated to be about twenty-one families and 110 souls. Upon this memorial, the General Assembly resolved " that the inhabitants living on the west side and south end of the Long Pond, and the lands south of the same, as far as Torrington line, and all those west of said Pond to Norfolk line, and north upon said line until it comes to Colebrook line, and east upon Cole- brook line, so far as to include the westernmost tier of lots on the second or northeast division of lots in said township of Winchester, be and remain for the future, one entire and distinct Ecclesiastical Society, and that a tax of one penny half-penny per acre per annum be laid upon all the lands lying within the lines and limits aforesaid, as well those belonging to non-resident proprietors as others, for the term of three years now next ensuing, and that David Austin be a collector with full power to collect and pay said rate or tax toward the support of the min- istry in said Society," &c.


Under this act of incorporation, a Society meeting was held, June 29, 1768, and the following votes passed :


" Voated, that John Smith should be Moderator for sd. Meeting. that Seth Hills should be Clark for sd. Sosiety.


that all free agents be lawful voaters.


that Thomas Hosmer should be fust Commety man for sd. Sosiety.


77


ORGANIZATION OF WINCHESTER.


" Voated, William Filey secad Commety man for said Sosiety.


66 Seth Hills be third Commety man for sd. Sosietay.


that the Sosiety will except 74 pounds of the tax yearly."


September 20, 1768, at an adjourned meeting, it was " voated, that the meeting on the Saboth should be continued att John Hills til December next."


" That the Sisiety will aply to the Association for advice." October 13, 1768, " Voated that ye Society wil wait til week after next for Mr. Mills."*


" Voated, that the Comity shall try for Mr. Pitkin proid Mr. Mills don't coin."


At the Annual Meeting, first Tuesday of December, 1768, Thomas Hosmer, Seth Hills, and John Hills, were chosen Society Committee : Seth Hills, Clerk, and Thomas Hosmer, Treasurer; and the Committee were instructed to apply to Samuel John Mills to supply them.


At the Annual Meeting, December 28, 1769, the privilege of voting extended to " all free agents by vote of a former meeting, was confined to all the inhabitants that are of age "; - and after choice of Committee, Clerk, and Treasurer, the following additional appointments were made : "John Hills, Corester ; Abram Filley, Corester ; David Austin, to read the Psalm ; Beriah Hills, to assist to read the Psalm."


And was voted " that our anuel meeting shall be warnid by the Coni- mity by setting up a paper on a post by the Meeting House at least eight days before ye meeting, telling the place and time of day."


At the Annual Meeting, December 11, 1770, after appointment of officers, the sweeping of the meeting house was set up to the lowest bid- der, and bid off by Jesse Wilkinson, at 5s. 6d. for the year. The expenses of the year were reported to be £60 4s. 3d., and of the years 1768 and 1769, £69 8s. 9d. - and the meeting adjourned to the first Monday of March, 1771, at which adjourned meeting it was "voted, that we will send a pe- tition to the Assembly next May for tound privileges."


" Voted, that we will send a Petition to the assembly next May for a Tax for the Settlement of a Minister and building a Meeting House."


" Voted, that Beriah Hills and Warham Gibbs shall assist in reading the Psalm."


" Voted, that John Hills and Abram Filley shall sett the Psalm."


The first mention of a meeting house in the infant society is made in a vote in 1769 already quoted. No record is found referring in any way to the building of this sanctuary ; nor is any traditionary account of its erec- tion, or by whom it was erected, discoverable. No tax was laid to pay for it, and no building committee was appointed to superintend it.


* Rev. Samuel J. Mills, afterwards the venerable and eccentric pastor of Torring- ford.


78


ANNALS OF WINCHESTER.


On the 20th September, 1768, it was voted that the Sabbath meeting should be held, until the next December, at John Hills' house, which stood near the Hurlbut Cemetery ; - then follows, in December, 1769, the vote requiring notices of society meetings to be placed on a post by the meeting house. These votes would indicate 1768 as the year of its erection. It stood on the slope of a hill, on the west side of a road long since discontinued, coming up from the Luther Bronson house, and pass- ing immediately in front of the houses of Marcus Munsill and Noble J. Everitt, to Winchester center. The traces of the old road are indistinct- ly visible, but no indication of a church having once stood on the sloping ground on its borders are visible. The place has no feature of conven- ience or beauty to recommend it. Its uneven and rocky surface would utterly preclude all attempts at improvement, while no village could have grown up around it. In the absence of facts as to its origin, it might be theorized that it was originally a barn, and was extemporized into a meet- ing house, - were it not that the height of the building fell short of the


FIRST MEETING-HOUSE.


requisite of a barn, and that no farmer would ever have put a barn in such an inaccessible position. A dwelling it could not have been intended for, as there was no cellar, and the rocky formation would have precluded excavating one.




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