USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > New Canaan > Canaan parish, 1733-1933, being the story of the Congregational church of New Cannan, Connecticut > Part 25
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71. Dr. Abott's "Centennial Address."
72. DesBrisay's "Historical Notes."
73. Parish Records.
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The Sunday School
The Betts family must be given credit for the origin of St. Mark's Sunday School. I have already referred to Capt. Stephen Betts' care as a godfather of his many godchildren. This must have been an inspiration to his daughter, Miss Esther Betts, for she it was who founded the school in 183374. She em- bodied the offices of superintendent, organist, librarian and teacher in her energetic person,75 for in her day there was no elaborate Sunday School organ- ization.
True to her inheritance of Betts thoroughness and devotion to duty- Miss Esther went to Trinity Church, New York, in the early 1830's and spent several Sundays studying the Sunday School administration inaugurated and carried on in that venerable parish.
The school had its quarters in the church building from its organization in 1833 until the improvements of 1857 provided a basement in the rear of the church under the chancel. This became the Sunday School room with the S. S. library in the little gallery under the steeple. Here the school was housed until 1893 when the present parish house was built.
Some Outstanding Parish Leaders
St. Mark's has had a long list of devoted adherents. Time forbids the mention of many of these but personality in action makes history and I must speak of a few.
After Miss Betts and her illustrious father had passed out of the life of St. Mark's the name that attached to itself great prominence is that of Captain Sereno E. Ogden,76 who owned the present Town Hall Cottage. From 1843 to 1865 he was a member of the vestry and continuously clerk for that period of time. To him we owe the splendid records of those 22 years. He was de- voted to every interest of the parish and especially the Sunday School. St. Mark's owes much to his memory who, for a quarter of a century amid all the storms of parish vicissitude, kept a firm hand on the wheel and undaunted by dangers or trial steered a straight course to the haven where he would be. He was succeeded in his work in the Sunday School by Mr. Wm. E. Street who later moved to Darien and became prominent there in affairs of St. Luke's parish. Then for years Mr. F. E. Weed, father of Wm. F. Weed served, to be succeeded by Mr. G. F. Lockwood, who in turn was succeeded by Mr. Henry F. Curtis who was the superintendent in my boyhood days.
Of outstanding ability and leadership in the life of the town and parish was Prof. Samuel St. John.77 Born in New Canaan March 29, 1813 he graduated from Yale College in the class of 1834. For a number of years he was Professor
74. DesBrisay's "Historical Notes."
75. Miss Esther Betts became Mrs. Lewis Raymond and lived the latter part of her life in Norwalk. She died June 19, 1881 and is buried beside her father, Capt. Betts, in the old church yard.
76. He was a brother of the Rev. David Ogden-Rector from 1837-1844.
77. Junior Warden at the time of his death.
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of Chemistry in Western Reserve College, Hudson, Ohio. In 1856 he was ap- pointed Professor of Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudence in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of N. Y. City which position he held until his death in 1876. On July 4, 1876 the year of his death he gave an Historical Address78 commemorating the organization and history of the town. Dr. Willard Parker paid Dr. St. John the following tribute, "I don't say that I have never seen a greater man in the profession, but taking him all and all I have never known a greater and better man than Samuel St. John."
The Parish Receives and Gives Missionary Aid
It is a fact of missionary importance and interest in parish history that there are frequent references to sums of money granted to St. Mark's by the Archdeaconry of Fairfield County. From 1837 until 1880 there occur refer- ences of such missionary grants. We were what you call an aided parish-a recipient of domestic missionary grants. Under date of Dec. 13, 1880 I find this entry; Resolved "that C. T. Raymond be a committee in behalf of this parish to make a formal offer to the Rev. George S. Pine of Bridgeport of the Rectorship of this parish at the salary of $600 per yr. exclusive of the aid received from the Archdeaconry of Fairfield."79 In no one of these frequent notices is there any statement of the amount of this aid. Let no one in this parish ever declare himself an unbeliever in Domestic Missions since apparently from 1837 until 1880 we were recipients of domestic missionary grants.
Of equal importance, in a missionary way, is the generosity of this parish in its contributions for special educational and missionary objectves. In one of the parish records there is an unusually careful listing of all communion alms and special offerings. From 1842 through 1871 your predecessors in this parish were giving generously for such objects as Kemper College now Nashotah Seminary, for the missionary work of Bishop Chase in Illinois, for the Christian Knowledge Society, for Aged and Infirm Clergy Fund, for the Freedman's Bureau, for Missions in Fairfield County, for Bishop Williams Mission in China, for the Missions in So. Carolina, for the endowment of Berkeley Divinity School, for Bishop Whipple in Minnesota, for Bishop Tuttle in the Northwest, for The Keble Memorial Fund, for the Society for the Increase of the Ministry. For these and other causes hundreds of dollars in specific amounts ranging from a few dollars to gifts of $100 went to the upbuilding of the work of the church at home and abroad.
How the Special Funds Were Raised
Of equal interest are the sources from which these special funds were derived. Communion alms, offerings, and many interesting social functions and parish entertainments provided the money. There were hard workers then
78. Upon the centennial of Declaration of Independence and given at the written request of New Canaan citizens.
79. The year 1880 was the last time the parish was aided.
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as now. Apparently the Ladies Sewing Circle has always been a kind of a fairy godmother to the parish. In memory of these early workers I must list just a few of the items of interest. In 1864 these special gifts amounted to $827 and that year charity began at home for they gave $735 to pay off the debt on the church. In 1866, June 27, 28, 29, a festival in the old town hall netted $353.92 for painting the church. On July 7, 1867 a Strawberry festival brought in $60 for the Sunday School library. On Dec. 29, 1867 "E. Hoyt's magic lantern and Mrs. Keeler's supper" netted $85.00. Apparently these sup- pers in the old farm house on Smith Ridge were annual events in the month of December from 1859-1870. On Feb. 14, 1867 a supper and reading by the Rector secured $80.00.
What is Ritual?
This parish is responsible for an interesting definition of ritual from the lips of that witty prelate, Bishop John Williams. From 1880-83 the Rev. George S. Pine was the Rector. He was a faithful pastor, a scholar and a very delightful character but for this parish there were those who thought him a "high churchman" and too ritualistic. Accordingly when the Bishop came, two ladies,80 prominent in the Sewing Circle and church affairs generally, spoke of the Rector's "high churchmanship." The Bishop thought their stric- tures too trivial for serious consideration and told them so. Whereupon one of them asked "Well, then, Bishop, what is ritual anyway?" "My dear ladies," came the reply, "ritual is anything you are not used to."81
Later Improvements in the Church Interior
After 1857 there were practically no structural changes in the church, with the exception of the installation of a furnace in the 1880's, until 1921. In that year the chancel of the church was deepened, the choir removed from the body of the church to the chancel and this great improvement was a memo- rial to Carrie Ransom Thayer. At this time, too, the pews were given their present color (they formerly were a lead gray) while the golden oak of the old choir and chancel furniture was mercifully removed. The repainting of the church exterior in white was a vast improvement over the curious brown- the familiar color of the church in my boyhood.
Later Family Names in the Parish
Earlier in this address I mentioned the family names of the founders of this parish, forty-one in number, of which all but seven leave descendants direct or collateral in this town and parish today. Later generations of loyal adherents have added the names of Monroe, St. John, Tournier, Benedict, Olm- stead, Street, Church, Ogden, Curtis, Travis, Bliss, Hoyt, Scoville, McKendry, Brinckerhoff, DeForest, Davidson, Purdy, Crofoot, Flandreau, Davenport,
80. Mrs. James Tournier and Mrs. Stephen E. Keeler.
81. Told me by my grandmather Mrs. Stephen E. Keeler.
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Lounsbury, Messinger, Wakeman, Chichester, Bossa, Simmell, Rockweil and others. To the list of founders and their immediate successors must be added in grateful appreciation the names of many families who have adopted the hills and valleys of old Canaan Parish for their beautiful homes. In my lifetime the town in its outlying ridges and localities has been rebuilt. St. Mark's is fortunate that so large a number of these new arrivals are like the first genera- tion, "professors of the Church of England." 'My mind travels backward and I see them coming into the fellowship of this old shrine of Apostolic faith and practice. Bright, Parker, Lindley, Bond, Child, Patterson, Gerrish, Sloane, Graham, Pegram, Coffin, Grannis, McLane, Burr, Frothingham, Litchfield, Brinley, Bleeker, Thayer, Rumbaugh, Clark, Adriance, Streit, Hartshorne, Cox, Coit, Hatfield, King, Shapleigh, McMullen, Browne, Baldwin, Parker, Lane, Whittemore, Ashwell, Bridgman, Stokes, Valentine, Bensen, Schweppe, Green- leaf, Cammann, and many others whose names are new to me, but who entering into the labors of those who have gone before have fellowship in the mystical Body of Christ-the Communion of Saints.
Parish Endowments
The endowments of the parish while not large represent a loving interest, here gratefully recorded. From the Ezra Seymour estate $1,200,82 Ellen McIlvaine Bond $1,000, Lucretia Ayres $100, Julia Warren $500, Sophia (Ray- mond) Brown-(Mrs. Seeley Brown) $5,000, Sarah Jane (Raymond) Lock- wood-(Mrs. William Lockwood) $2,000, Annie Weed $300, Mr. Sturgis Coffin $1,000. These gifts, in every instance by bequest, amount to $11,100.
A List of Rectors With Their Dates
St. Mark's has had a singularly fortunate experience in the leadership of its clergy. There have been the usual ups and downs in parochial administra- tion but in no instance has open rupture between priest and people occurred. The short rectorships of the earlier years seem to have been occasioned, for the most part, by failure adequately to provide for the Rector's salary. The list of Rectors and their tenure of office is appended here for it has reference value and has not been made before.
1830-1834 Rev. Chas. J. Todd (Half time in Ridgefield)
1836-1837 Rev. Jacob L. Clark (Half time in Ridgefield)
1837-1842 Rev. David Ogden
1843-1844 Rev. David Ogden (Resigned in ill health. Died 1845)
1845-1846 Rev. William Everett
1846-1852 Rev. David H. Short
1852-1855 Rev. William Long
1855-1858 Rev. William H. Williams
82. Mr. Seymour originally left the parish $5,000 but an unfortunate law suit reduced it to $1,200. (Des- Brisay's "Notes.")
248
1859-1864 Rev. William H. Cook
1864-1874 Rev. William H. DesBrisay
1875-1879 Rev. Isaac William Hallam
1879-1880 Rev. Thomas B. Fogg 1880-1883 Rev. George S. Pine 1884-1887 Rev. H. L. Myrick 1888-1889 Rev. M. M. Fothergill
Ret'd, 66 Benefit St., Providence, R. I.
1890-1918 Rev. Robert Howland Neide, D.D. (Died in office)
1918-1933 Rev. Charles Lawrence Adams. (Died in office.)
1933- Rev. Michael Roy Barton
The Past, a Challenge to the Present
What a challenge the record of past heroisms and loyalties gives us. It took great strength of conviction and purpose to lay the foundations which we enjoy today. As we rise up and call these founders "blessed" may we re- dedicate our lives to carry on their work with a new zeal and devotion. What better slogan for action can we have than the words of the Class83 motto of my boyhood days in St. Mark's Sunday School, "Watch ye, stand fast in the the faith, quit you like men, be strong.84
"Almighty and everlasting God, who dost enkindle the flame of thy love in the hearts of the Saints; grant to us, thy humble servants, the same faith and power of love that, as we rejoice in their trumphs, we may profit by their examples; through Jesus Christ our Lord."85-Amen.
83. Taught by Miss Nancy Hoyt Olmstead, my public school teacher for three years, and Sunday school teacher for seven years, all in all the most gifted teacher I have ever known.
84. I Corinthians, 16:13.
85. Book of Common Prayer, p. 258-Collect for A Saint's Day
n
Memory of
STEPHEN BETTS, who died Nov. 28,1832 Æ. 76 years.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Those who would search more particularly for local historical information will find the following original sources helpful:
Houses and Land-
The Land Record of Norwalk and Stamford, 1650-1800. The Land Record of New Canaan, 1800 to the present.
The Probate Court Record, Fairfield, 1650-1800. The Probate Court Record, Norwalk, 1800 to the present. The Probate Court Record, Stamford, 1650-1800.
Recollections and Reminiscences-
Scrap Books to the number of eight, in the Library of the Histor- ical Society. These contain miscellaneous letters published in the New Canaan Messenger from 1882-1897 contributed at the instigation of the Society by various old residents. They represent the richest source of data available in no other place, but up to the present time not indexed.
A General History of the Town Down to 1901-
The History of Canaan Parish from the founding to 1801; The History of New Canaan 1801-1901, both by Charlotte Chase Fairley, printed in the New Canaan Gazette in 41 installments beginning December 13, 1932 and ending April 3, 1934. This has not been published in book form but is available in the bound copies of the paper in the Historical Library.
Historical Account of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniver- sary of the Congregational Church, 1883.
Connecticut Historical Background-
Colonial Records, 1636-1689, by J. H. Trumbull, 3 Vols. Colonial Records, 1689-1676, by C. J. Hoadley, 12 Vols.
Colonial Records of New Haven, 1638-1665, by C. J. Hoadley, 2 Vols. Historical Society Library.
History of Connecticut, Osborne, 5 Vols., New Canaan Public Library. New England in Washington's Day, A. E. Stevenson, New Canaan Public Library.
251
Fairfield County-
History of Fairfield County, D. H. Hurd, 1 Vol., 1881. Ancient Historical Records of Norwalk, Edwin Hall, 1845. Norwalk, Rev. C. M. Selleck, 1896.
History of Stamford, E. B. Huntington, 1868.
Ecclesiastical History-
Congregationalism in America, Dunning.
Ecclesiastical History of Connecticut, compiled.
Three Hundred Years of the Episcopal Church in America, Hodges. Life of John Wesley, Lunn.
Outline of Christianity, 5 Vols., R. Harold Paget, editor.
Genealogy-
A great many family histories have been published but most of them are available only in large or special libraries such as the New York Public Library at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue or the State Library at Hartford. Most genealogical data exists only in unpub- lished form in the State, county and municipal archives and in the collections of historical societies and the American Genealogical and Biographical Society of New York. The firm of Goodspeed, Inc., 7 Ashburton Place, Boston, Mass., issues a list of all genealogies that exist in book or pamphlet form for public distribution.
The following is a list of New England families that have pub- lished genealogies. There are many others of southern families.
The New Canaan Historical Society has been collecting genealo- gical data for many years and maintains a filing cabinet especially for this purpose. The Society welcomes all such information and will supply blanks for the tabulation of genealogical data. A
Abbott, Adams, Appleton, Arnold, Aspinwall, Atkins, Atwater, Avery Ayres.
B
Babcock, Bacon, Bailey, Baker, Baldwin, Ballard, Ballow, Bancroft, Barber, Barker, Barnes, Barrett, Bartlett, Barton, Bates, Batchelder, Bayard, Beach, Beard, Belden, Beecher, Bell, Bellows, Bennett, Benson, Bicknell, Bigelow, Bingham, Bishop, Bixby, Black, Blake, Blanchard, Bliss, Boardman, Bogardus, Bolton, Booth, Bouton, Bowen, Bradley, Brewster, Brinckerhoff, Brooks, Brown, Bulkley, Burgess, Burrill, Burton, Butterfield, Button.
C
Cabot, Caldwell, Campbell, Carpenter, Carter, Carver, Cary, Catlin, Chamberlain, Chandler, Chapin, Chapman, Chase, Cheney, Child, Claflin,
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Clarke, Cleveland, Cochrane, Cody, Colburn, Collins, Colton, Conant, Coolidge, Cotton, Cox, Crane, Crawford, Crosby, Cross, Culbertson, Cummings, Curtis.
D
Daniels, Dart, Davenport, Davies, Davis, Davison, Dawes, Deforest, De Haven, Dennison, Dixon, Dodd, Dodge, Donaldson, Doty, Douglas, Dow, Drake, Du Bois, Dudley, Demster, Dwight.
E
Eastman, Eaton, Edwards, Eliot, Ely, Emerson, Endicott, Engle, Erskin, Everitt. F Fairbanks, Fales, Fanning, Farmer, Farnsworth, Farrington, Farwell, Fenwick, Ferguson, Field, Fish, Fisher, Fiske, Fitch, Flagg, Flanders, Fletcher, Foote, Ford, Forrest, Foster, Fowler, Fox, Francis, Freeman, French, Frisbee, Frost, Frothingham, Fulton.
G
Gale, Gallup, Gardner, George, Gilman, Glen, Goodrich, Goodridge, Goodwin, Gorham, Gould, Greely, Green, Greenleaf, Gregory, Griswald, Graves, Gurley, Gutherie.
H
Hadley, Haight, Haines, Haynes, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Harmon, Harrington, Harris, Harrison, Harvard, Hastings, Hatch, Hatfield, Hawley, Heath, Henderson, Henry, Higgins, Hildreth, Hill, Hilton, Hoadley, Hodges, Holbrook, Hollingsworth, Hollyday, Holmes, Horton, Houghton, Houston, Howard, Howe, Hoyt, Hubbard, Hughes, Humphrey, Huntington, Hurlbutt, Hutchinson.
I
Ingalls, Ingersoll, Ingraham. J
Jackson, Jarvis, Jayne, Jennings, Johnson, Johnston, Jones, Jordan, Judd.
K Keeler, Kelley, Kellogg, Kelsey, Kent, Kerr, Keyes, Keyser, Kimball, King, Kingman, Kirk, Kirkbride, Knox.
L
Landon, Lane, Lapham, Lawrence, Lee, Leland, Leonard, Lesslic, Lewis, Lincoln, Litchfield, Little, Lloyd, Lobdell, Long, Loomis, Lord, Lundy.
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Mc
McAusland, McClain, McCready, McDonald, McManus.
M
Mann, Marsh, Marshall, Martin, Marvin, Mason, Mather, Mead, Messinger, Middlebrook, Miller, Miner, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, More, Morgan,
Morrill, Morris, Morrison, Morse, Morton, Mullikin, Munroe, Murphy.
N
Nash, Neal, Nesbit, Newton, Noble, Northrup, Norton, Noyes. C
Olcott, Olin, Otis, Owen. P
Page, Paine, Palmer, Parker, Parsons, Partridge, Patten, Patterson, Paxton, Peck, Perkins, Perry, Peters, Phelps, Phillips, Pinkham, Pinney, Piper, Platt, Porter, Potter, Powell, Powers, Preston, Price, Purdy, Putnam.
R
Rankin, Ray, Raymond, Reed, Redfield, Reynolds, Rice, Richards, Richardson, Ritter, Roberts, Robinson, Rockwell, Rogers, Root, Russell.
S F
St. John, Salter, Sanford, Sargent, Scott, Seely, Selleck, Seymour, Shaw, Shepard, Sherman Simmons, Smith, Snow, Spooner, Sprague, Stark, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Sterrett, Stevenson, Stewart, Stokes, Silliman.
T
Taliaferro, Talmadge, Taylor, Thacher, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Tilley, Torrey, Townsend, Treadwell, Trowbridge, Trumbull, Tucker, Turner, Tuttle.
VW
Valentine, Wade, Wadsworth, Wakeman, Walker, Wallace, Walter, Ward, Warner, Warren, Waterbury, Watson, Watts, Webb, Webster, Weeks, Wells, Wheeler, White, Whittemore, Whitney, Williams, Wilson, Winslow, Winthrop, Wolcott, Wood, Worden, Wright.
XYZ Yale, Young.
The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 91 Volumes. New Canaan Historical Society Archives.
Family Bible Records.
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A PARTIAL CATALOGUE OF BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS OWNED BY THE NEW CANAAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
BOOKS
1. Colonial Records of Connecticut, by J. Hammond Trumbull, 1636-1689. 3 Vols. Presented by Mrs. William E. Raymond.
2. Colonial Records of Connecticut, by Charles J. Hoadly, 1689-1776. 12 Vols. Presented by Mrs. William E. Raymond.
3. New Haven Colonial Records, by Charles J. Hoadly, M.A., 1638-1649; 1653-1665. 2 Vols. Presented by Mrs. William E. Raymond.
4. Biographical Records of Fairfield County, Conn., by J. H. Beers & Co., 1899. Presented by J. J. Barrett.
5. The Great Historical, Geographical, Genealogical and Poetical Dictionary, by Jer. Collier, A.M. The First Volume. 1701.
6. A Supplement to the Great Historical, Geographical, Genealogical and Poetical Dictionary, by J. Collier. 1688. 2 cops. Vol. 3.
7. The American Edition of the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, by William Penn. Presented by the Misses Julia A. and Alicia F. Ayres.
8. Statutes of Connecticut. Acts and Laws. 1796. - Presented by E. J. Richards.
9. Comprehensive Geography and History, by S. G. Goodrich. 1858.
10. Record of Connecticut Men in the War of the Rebellion. 1861-1865.
Presented by Post No. 61, G. A. R.
11. History of Connecticut, During the War of 1861-1865. Presented by Post No. 61, G. A. R.
12. New York in the Revolution, by James A. Roberts, Comptroller. 1897.
13. History of Ohio, by Henry Howe. 1847. Presented by Clementine Comstock Conklin.
14. Goldsmith's Natural History, by Mrs. Pilkington. 1818. (Owned by Theophilus Smith.)
15. The Columbian Orator, by Caleb Bingham, A.M. 1797. Presented by the Misses Julia A. and Alicia F. Ayres.
16. History of Fairfield County, Conn. 1881. Compiled by D. Hamilton Hurd. 2 Cps.
Presented by Mrs. William E. Raymond and J. J. Barrett.
19. Memoirs of Catharine Seely and Deborah S. Roberts. 1844. Presented by Mrs. Mary Raymond.
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20. A System of Surgery, by Nicholas B. Waters, M.D. Second edition. 1802.
21. The Works of the Rev. John Newton. Vol. 1, Pub. 1826; Vol. 4. Presented by David H. Lockwood.
22 Letters, by Rev. John Noyes. 1844. (2 copies).
23. The Pleasure of Imagination, by Mark Akenside, M.D. 1819.
24. The Citizen of the World, by Oliver Goldsmith. 1800. Vol. 1 and 2.
25. Recollections of a Lifetime, by S. G. Goodrich.
Presented by Samuel Comstock. Vol. 1 and 2. 1857. Presented by Mrs. Mary L. McAusland. Vol. 2. 1857.
27. Reports of the Fairfield County Historical Society, Bridgeport, Conn. 1893-1895. Presented by Mrs. Albert S. Comstock.
28. Fairfield County Historical Society. 1893-1894. (2 copies) .
29. Annual Report of the Connecticut Historical Society. May, 1913.
30. The Scripture Account of the Faith and Practice of Christians. 1758. (Owned by William Drummond, Oct. 25, 1773) . Presented by Mrs. George Drummond.
31. Meditations and Contemplations, by James Harvey, A.M. 1760. (Owned by Joseph Fitch) .
Presented by the Misses Julia A. and Alicia F. Ayres.
32. Dr. Watt's Imitations of the Psalms of David. 1809. Presented by Hannah Boatts.
33. Seamen's Devotional Assistant. Mariners' Hymns. 1830.
34. The Life of Joseph the Son of Israel. 1819. Book 1. (Owned by Joseph Fitch) .
Presented by the Misses Julia A. and Alicia F. Ayres.
35. Seven Hundred Evangelical Hymns, by John Dodell. 1810. Presented by Miss A. M. V. Davenport.
36. Lyric Poems, by I. Watts, D.D. 1785. (Owned by Joseph Fitch) . Presented by the Misses Julia A. and Alicia F. Ayres.
3 8. Bible bought in London in 1732 by Hanna Guppy.
39. Bible belonging to Phebe Comstock, 1734. Presented by Mrs. Clementine Comstock Conklin.
43. Old Tax Book, 1848. Kept by Francis C. Raymond, Collector
44. Old Tax Book, 1854. Kept by Francis C. Raymond, Collector.
45. A Record of Contribution for Home Missions in 1838. Kept. by Rev. Theophilus Smith.
48. Record of Connecticut Men in the War of the Revolution, 1775-1783. Edited by Henry P. Johnston, A.M. Hartford. 1889.
Presented by Hannah Benedict Carter Chapter, D. A. R.
50. Peter Parley's Primer.
51. The Easy Reader. 1833. Onley Series.
Presented by Mrs. Thomas Tunney.
52. Onley's Primary Arithmetic. 1879. Presented by Mrs. Thomas Tunney.
256
53. The Gradual Reader. 1856. By David B. Tower, A.M. Presented by Mrs. Thomas Tunney.
54. The New England Primer. 1826. Presented by Miss Eva Hoyt.
55. The English Reader. (Owned by Joseph Fitch) .
Presented by the Misses Julia A. and Alicia Ayres.
56. Entick's New Spelling Dictionary, by William Crakelt, M.A. 1788. Presented by E. J. Richards.
57. Pinneo's Primary Grammar. 1854. Presented by Mrs. Thomas Tunney.
58. English Grammar in Familiar Lectures, by Samuel Kirkham. 1834.
59. English Grammar. Collin's Stereotype Edition, by Lindley Murray. 1820. Presented by Mrs. George Drummond.
60. The Philotaxian Grammar, by S. L. Howe. 1838.
62. Secretary's Book of the Band of Hope. 1881 to 1902. (2 books) .
63. Book of Inscriptions from eight cemeteries, copied in 1890.
64. Secretary's Book of the New Canaan Historical Society. Book No. 1. August, 1889-March, 1931.
65. Visitors' Register, School District No. 1, New Canaan, Conn. 1860-1886. Presented by Clifford Hall.
66. A Bible dated 1818, which belonged to "old black Grace." Presented by Mrs. Stephen E. Keeler.
68. Rhetorical Grammar. 1822. Property of Theophilus Smith. Presented by the Congregational Church.
72. Report of the Committee on Home Evangelization. 1860.
74. Major John Garrett. A Forgotten Hero of the Massacre of Wyoming. 1895.
77. Constitution of the Young People's Library in New Canaan.
78. Collection of ten sermons preached by J. Howard Hoyt, D.D. Presented by Mrs. Thomas Tunney.
79.
Sermons preached by Rev. Merrill Fowler Clarke. Presented by Mrs. Thomas Tunney.
80. Ancestry. Compiled by Eugene Zieber. Presented by Mrs. Nathan Chatterton.
81. The Descendants of Samuel Carter of Deerfield, Mass., by Samuel Carter. 1888. Presented by Mrs. Albert S. Comstock. (5 copies) .
82. The Deerfield Captive, by Rev. Titus Strong, D.D. 1834. Presented by Mrs. Albert S. Comstock. (2 copies).
83. The Redeemed Captive, by Mr. John Williams, Minister in Deerfield. 1853.
84. Narrative of the Captivity of Stephen Williams, son of Rev. John Williams. Edited by George Sheldon. 1889.
85. Negro Slavery in Old Deerfield, by George Sheldon. 1893.
86. The Carter Family Reunion at Woburn, Mass., June 11, 1884.
257
87. Centennial Notes, by A. L. Carter. 1876. Presented by Mrs. Albert S. Comstock.
88. William Carter, from the Congregational Quarterly. October, 1871.
93. Historical Landmarks of Connecticut. 1897.
94. Colonial Homes of Wilton, Norwalk, Westport, Darien, and Vicinity. 1901.
95. Davenport Ridge, Stamford, Conn., by .A. B. Davenport. Presented by Mrs. Albert S. Comstock.
96. Centennial Celebrations, The 100th Anniversary of the Congregational Church of North Stamford, Conn., June 6, 1882. The 100th Birth- day of Mrs. Clarissa (Davenport) Raymond of Wilton, Conn., April 25, 1882. Edited by A. B. Davenport. (2 copies) .
97. A Memorial to Mrs. Clarissa (Davenport) Raymond, by A. B. Davenport. 1887.
98. A Memorial Service for the Rev. Charles M. Selleck, M.A., June 26, 1911.
99. Genealogy of the Ayres Family of Fairfield County, Conn., by James Noyes States.
100. The St. John Genealogy, by Orline St. John Alexander. 1907.
101. The Mather Family, by Enoch Pond. 1844.
110. Stamford Soldiers' Memorial, by Rev. E. B. Huntington. 1869.
112. Planting and Care of Trees, by Edwin Hoyt. 1893.
113. History of New Canaan Fire Co. 1926.
114. Thirteen Historical Discourses of the First Church in New Haven, Conn., 1839, by Leonard Bacon.
Presented by Mrs. Clementine Comstock Conklin ..
115. History of Bedford Church, N. Y., by Charles W. Baird, D.D. 1882. Presented by J. Howard Hoyt, D.D.
116. The History of Greenwich, Conn., by Daniel M. Mead. 1857. Presented by Miss Alice Hobby.
117. Ancient Historical Records of Norwalk, Conn., by Edwin Hall. 1847. (2 copies) .
Presented by Mrs. R. R. LaMonte and Mrs. L. D. Alexander.
118. Historical Address of Prof. Samuel St. John, July 4, 1876.
Presented by Mrs. A. S. Comstock, Russell L. Hall and Gardner E. Hoyt.
119. Historical Account of the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Congregational Church of New Canaan, June, 1883. (4 copies). Presented by Miss Eva E. Hoyt, Annie D. St. John.
120. History of the Congregational Church, New Canaan, Conn., 1733-1876. By Joseph Greenleaf. (2 copies) .
Presented by Miss Annie L. Carter and Mrs. A. S. Comstock.
121. Manual of the Congregational Church in New Canaan, Conn. 1876.
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122 Manual of the Congregational Church in New Canaan, Conn. 1924.
123. Congregational Church in New Canaan, Conn. Confession of Faith, Covenant, etc. 1833.
124. Congregational Church in New Canaan, Conn. Calendar 1913.
125. Centennial of St. Mark's Church, New Canaan, Conn., November 15, 1891.
126. First Congregational Church in Norwalk, Conn., 275th Anniversary Service. 1927.
127. History of Darien from 1640 to 1928.
128.
Compiled by the Teachers of the Darien Public Schools. 1929. About the Neighborhood and Other Things. "The Mill," Silver Mine. (2 copies), by H. B. Thayer. 1919.
1281/2. About the Neighborhood. 1934. H. B. Thayer.
129. Early History of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday School of New Canaan, Conn. Presented by Clifford W. Hall. 1932.
130. New Canaan Centennial, 1901. A Scrap Book, compiled by William F. Weed. Presented by William F. Weed.
131. Bicentennial Celebration of New Canaan, Conn., July 4, 1932. The Guest Book, compiled by Mrs. Thomas Tunney.
132. The Hoyt Homestead, South Main Street, New Canaan, Conn., 1932, by Martha L. Hoyt. Presented by Miss Martha L. Hoyt.
133. The Old House at Four Corners, by Margaret K. Parker. 1891. Presented by Gardner Heath.
134. New Canaan Rural Cemeteries. Compiled in 1931.
135. Canaan Parish. 1731 to 1801. 2 Vols., bound in 1932.
138. The Columbus Letters. World's Columbian Exposition. 1893.
140. New Canaan Community Orchestra Association. President's Report 1932-1933.
141. Honor to George Washington and Reading About George Washington. 1732-1932.
142. Atlas of New York and Vicinity. 1867. Presented by Gardner Heath.
143. The Extraordinary Conversion and Religious Experience of Dorothy Ripley. 1810. Presented by Miss Harriet E. Selleck.
144. The Story of Connecticut. 1933. By the State Board of Conn.
145. Seventeenth Annual Report of the New Canaan Bird Protective Society. 1934.
146. The Lion of St. Mark. St. Mark's Parish of New Canaan. Vol. I. No. 1-4. Presented by Miss Jennie C. A. Weed.
147. The Lion of St. Mark. Centennial Sermon by The Rt. Rev. Stephen E. Keeler. May 13, 1934. Presented by Rev. Michael R. Barton.
148. Minutes of Olmstead School District. Presented by Miss Eva Hoyt.
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DOCUMENTS
Too numerous and miscellaneous to list here in detail, is the collection of deeds, journals, letters, old ledgers, commissions, wills, etc., which have been deposited with the society for preservation. They form a most interesting and illuminating record of our past and will become more valuable to succeed- ing generations. Most of them are kept in the vaults of the bank and only copies displayed for research. Among these may be mentioned:
Seven documents dealing with slaves in Canaan Parish.
Three papers bearing signatures of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence for Connecticut-given by Mr. J. J. Barrett.
Lincoln's signature on a pardon to Roswell McIntyre-given by Mrs. Benjamin P. Mead.
Bishop Seabury's signature on a Concordat-given by Mrs. Viola E. Hall. Deed to the old Parade Ground.
Will of Caesar, slave of Abijah Comstock.
Altogether about 250 original documents.
This collection has grown considerably during the past year owing to the interest awakened by the "old house research." The Society encourages the tendency to deposit such papers in its safe keeping or where owners do not wish to part with originals, copies or photostats are most helpful.
LAND RECORDS كـ
A filing cabinet contains abstracts of all land transactions in Canaan from 1681-1801 compiled from the Norwalk Land Records, also the "Acts of the Proprietors" of Norwalk designating the layout of our first highways.
This will be supplemented by a similar collection from the Stamford records as funds permit.
ARTICLES
Beside books and documents, there have been deposited with the Society since 1880 some two hundred or more interesting examples of the early house- hold arts of the town, ranging from needlework to furniture. Curios, heirlooms, and objects which are rich in associations help those of today to form a more realistic picture of our past.
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