USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Newington > Early annals of Newington : comprising the first records of the Newington Ecclesiastical Society, and of the Congregational Church connected therewith : with documents and papers relating to the early history of the parish > Part 16
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Volunteers.
M. W. Stoddard, D. H. Willard, Erastus Latimer, E. Whaples, Jr., S. J. M. Kellogg, R. W. Kellogg, William Wells, Newman Huntly, William Kirkham, Martin Brown, Henry S. Kilbourn, L. S. Deming, Henry Luce.
At a meeting held November 5, 1851, " Voted, That Mr. Brace be invited to remain as pastor until he shall have completed the term of fifty years."
At a meeting held November 9, 1852, " Voted, That a committee of three be appointed to take into consideration the enlargement of the church. That M. W. Stoddard, Levi S. Deming, and D. H. Willard be that committee.
At a meeting held November 16, 1852, " Voted, That the report of the committee on enlargement be accepted."
At a meeting held December 7, 1852, " Voted, That a committee be appointed to take into consideration the enlargement of the church, said committee to consist of one. That Dea. Jedediah Deming be that com- mittee."
At a meeting held January 4, 1853, " Voted, That the special committee
*Among other changes the pews were altered into slips.
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be directed to procure the opinions and estimates of some other architect. Dea. Jedediah Deming be that committee."
At a meeting held January 18, 1853, " Voted, That the committee report on or before the first Tuesday in March.
" Voted, That Homer Camp, Erastus Latimer, John M. Belden, and M. W. Stoddard be added to the committee."
At a meeting held February 15, 1853, " Report of committee on enlarge- ment accepted.
" Voted, That a committee be appointed and instructed to obtain a side and front elevation, with a view of the steeple raised and improved, with estimates of costs.
" Voted, Edwin Wells and L. S. Deming be that committee."
At a meeting held February 23, 1853, " Voted, That the sum of One Thousand Dollars be raised by subscription. That Levi S. Deming be agent to obtain subscriptions. That subscriptions shall be paid on or before the first of October next. That the agent be authorized to take notes in payment of subscriptions, to be paid with interest on or before the first of June, 1856. That a committee of seven be appointed as a building committee. That Albert S. Hunn, J. Deming, jr., Charles K. Atwood, John M. Belden, Willis P. Davis, Daniel H. Willard, H. L. Kel- logg be that committee."
At a meeting held March 14, 1853, " That a building committee be appointed and authorized to enlarge and improve the meeting house in accordance with a general plan presented, (called White's plan,) said plan to be subject to alterations and amendments, as to the committee shall appear best.
" Voted, That Levi S. Deming, Edwin Welles, and Albert S. Hunn be a building committee.
" Voted, That a resolution appointing a committee of seven as a building committee, at a former meeting, be rescinded."
At a meeting held December 13, 1853, " Voted, That the report of the building committee be accepted, and that the society assume the debt by them contracted.
" Voted, That this society present a vote of thanks to the building com- mittee.
" Voted, That this society present to Mr. Eliphalet Richards, (and his subordinates,) building contractor on their meeting house, a vote of thanks for the acceptable manner in which he has fulfilled his contract."
At a meeting held November 7, 1854, " Whereas Rev. Joab Brace notified this society three years since of his readiness to discontinue his active duties as pastor with us, and at the request of the society, by a committee appointed for the purpose, agreed to continue as pastor for three years more, and this period having nearly expired, Therefore, Voted, That a committee of three be appointed to confer with Mr. Brace, and ascertain his views and wishes on the subject, and report to the next meeting.
" Voted, That Homer Camp, Charles K. Atwood, and Marcus W. Stod- dard be that committee."
At a meeting held November 13, 1854, " Voted, That the report of the committee to confer with Rev. Mr. Brace be accepted, and that their report and his communication be recorded."
" Committee report that they met Mr. Brace at his house on the even- ing following their appointment, and after a very pleasant and somewhat lengthy interview, Mr. Brace, at our request, agreed to put his views in writing, which is herewith submitted."
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Communication from Mr. Brace.
NEWINGTON, November 9, 1854.
To the Ecclesiastical Society of Newington.
Your committee called on me last evening to converse on the question of my resigning my pastoral services among you, and now, through that committee I have to say, (1.) I thank you for the respect shown to me herein, by you and by the committee. (2.) I was ordained January 16, 1805, as the minister of this people. In the year 1851, I offered to cease from my labors, if my people wished it, as that was the year of my three score and ten, otherwise I would go on and complete, if God would give me strength and grace, the half-century of my ordination. The society voted that a committee be appointed to signify to me their pleasure that I should continue my ministry during those three years. I rejoice that having obtained help of God I continue to this time. (3.) I now propose, with your approbation and concurrence, to resign, not to be formally dis- missed, but to resign, all the active services of the pastor and minister, to the charge of my colleague, (as soon as he shall be settled,) at the close of the fifty years. (4.) I design, (if God be willing,) to preach my last pastoral sermon on Tuesday, the sixteenth day of January, 1855, at two of the clock, P. M.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
J. BRACE.
To H. CAMP, M. W. STODDARD, Special Committee.
CH. K. ATWOOD,
At a meeting held March 10, 1856, " Voted, That we concur with the church in extending a call to Mr. William P. Aiken to settle with us in the gospel ministry.
" Voted, That we will pay Mr. Aiken the annual salary of Nine Hun- dred Dollars.
" Voted, That Henry L. Kellogg, Albert S. Hunn, and John M. Belden be a committee to carry into effect the votes of this meeting.
" Voted, That the committee express to him the desire of this society that he come as soon as convenient to him."
TRADITIONS AND REMINISENCES OF NEWINGTON, COMPILED
BY THE LATE CAPT. DANIEL WILLARD .*
For quite a number of years, perhaps some thirty or forty years after the first settlers came to Wethersfield, in 1634, that part of the town lying west of Cedar Mountain, since called Newington, was a wilderness,
" Where nothing dwelt but beasts of prey, Or men as fierce and wild as they."
The Indians were somewhat numerous, many of them lived around a pond near the center of the place, where they had a little village of wigwams. From the pond they obtained an abundance of fish. Sequin was then Sachem, they were tributary to the Sachem at Middletown.
* Mr. Willard was contemporary with Dr. Brace, and lived to an advanced age. In the latter years of his life he gathered and compiled a mass of materials about "Newington, its family genealogies, with historical and biographical sketches, incidents, reminiscences, anecdotes, traditions, &c.," from which the following account has been condensed, retaining as far as possible his own language. The original manuscript is in the possession of his son, Daniel H. Willard. It con- tains genealogies of the families in Newington of great interest.
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The people of Newington need not be ashamed of their early ancestors. Most of them were descendants of the pilgrim fathers of New England, and retain much of the " steady habits " of Conneetient. Some thirty years ago a Connecticut historian, speaking of Newington, says, " Its inhabitants (about 650 in number) are chiefly engaged in agriculture, and are distinguished for their general intelligence, and attachment to the institutions of morality and religion." At a very early period they built school houses, and provided teachers for their children. "As soon as they were able they erected a house for public worship. Previous to that time they attended church at Wethersfield, they walked through the woods, the women carrying their infant children in their arms, and taking off their shoes and stockings to ford the streams, and the men carrying their loaded guns, for fear of the Indians. The early settlers of Newington were not more than two generations later than their Puritan fathers, who came to Hartford and Wethersfield about the year 1634, than whom a more worthy race of men cannot be found in Modern History.
The first settlers and their more immediate descendants were a strong, hardy, athletic race, capable of greater endurance of bodily toil than the more refined and better educated men of the present day. To reap, bind, and stack an acre of heavy, new-land wheat, was but a common day's work. The late Mr. Amos Andrus, who was born in 1765, said that he could well remember when. the old men were not so tall in stature, but larger, heavier, more thick set and hardy, as he expressed it, than the men of later generations.
Our maternal ancestors were the fit companions of the brave pioneers and founders of a new settlement, most of them pious women, some of them " mothers in Israel," with strength equal to their day; see them, after the toils and hardships of the week, without servants, without the modern improvements in houses, fires, and culinary utensils, see them, on the morning of the Sabbath, take their infant children in their arms and walk through the forests to Wethersfield to attend public worship. I ought to have added, that until the last half century, most of the clothing both for summer and winter, was of their own manufacturing, except the dressing of it by the clothiers. When all wore homespun, they were as proud of a new garment as many are now of the most costly fabrics.
I remember well when there was not a white house in the place, one was of a greenish color, a few were painted with Spanish brown, all the others of the natural wood color. Stoves were not known, many of the old fire places were wide and deep enough to seat a number of children on stools inside the jambs ; few or none of the rooms were plastered, papered, or painted ; women rode to church on side-saddles or pillions, except a few who owned a poor two-wheeled carriage, called a curricle, I know of only one one-horse wagon that was for the conveyance of people to church and other places.
The old meeting house was very much dilapidated. When a child I watched the swallows as they flew in and out, where some clapboards had fallen off near the ridge, chirping and twittering to their young in their nests under the ridge pole, while Mr. Belden was reading from the 84th Psalm-" Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts."
I do not blame our ancestors for not building a better house, they did all that they were able to do. I only blame those of later time for not building a good church sooner than they did. The people had to submit to the inconveniences and discomforts of the old house 80 years. The house was not finished inside except the pulpit, pews, galleries, and gallery stairs, which were at the northeast and southeast corners of the house.
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Children were often seated on the stairs, in full view of their parents and the minister. The tithingmen had the oversight of those in the galleries. There was a very wide sounding-board over the pulpit, suspended in part by an iron rod running from the board to the side of the house. I was not the only child who was afraid that the rod would break or draw from its fastenings, and let the sounding board fall on the minister's head. I remember well the neighboring ministers who exchanged with Mr. Belden, previous to the year 1800. I remember well their venerable forms, their solemn deportment, their dignified step, as they passed through the middle aisle and up the pulpit stairs. Such men as Dr. Perkins of West Hart- ford, Dr. Smalley of New Britain, Mr. Washburn of Farmington, Mr. Hawley of Northington, now Avon, Dr. Upson of Kensington, Mr. Fenn of Worthington, Mr. Robinson of Southington, Dr. Chapin of Rocky Hill, Dr. Marsh of Wethersfield, and once or twice Dr. Strong or Dr. Flint of Hartford. Dr. Flint was the best reader of Psalms and Hymns that I ever heard. Drs. Strong and Smalley were great theologians. These ministers were all faithful embassadors of Christ. Like all other good men they had some failings and imperfections. They were not so free and sociable with the youth and children as the ministers of the present day. Most of us could never divest ourselves of the awe and reverence we felt, when in the presence of Mr. Belden. He continued to wear his three- cornered, wide-brimmed, cocked hat, and Dr .. Marsh his great white wig, I think while they continued to preach. Their dress, address, and whole demeanor was calculated to inspire us with reverence, rather than win our love and affection. My father, who was one of the committee who engaged Mr. Brace to be our pastor, said to him, " I hope that my children will not stand in such fear of you as I have of Mr. Belden." "I hope not," said Mr. Brace, " I shall endeavor not to give them any occasion for it." The boys of former times took off their hats and made a low bow to a minister, whenever he passed by them in the street.
Many years before Sabbath schools were ever known, Mr. Belden, on certain Sabbaths in the suminer season, would request all the children of the Congregation to stay and recite the Assembly's Catechism, after the adult portion of the assembly were dismissed.
The sermons were more formal, less concise, too much time spent in the introduction, in enumerating the different heads (quite too many of them sometimes,) or divisions of the discourse, all tending to make it too lengthy, especially in a cold day, in a cold house, with no means of warm- ing it, but the few coals in the foot stoves, which the women carried to church with them.
The holy Sabbath is not so strictly kept by us as it was by our ances- tors. Like the Puritan . Fathers, they considered the Sabbath as begin- ning at sun down on Saturday evening ; all worldly avocations and secular business, (except works of necessity or mercy,) were brought to a close as near as possible at that time ; the evening, as well as the Sabbath day, except attendance at church, was spent in reading the Bible and other reli- gious books, of which those in the Charity library formed an essential part. The children often recited the Assembly's catechism, the little children were taught to learn Dr. Watts' catechism and divine songs, &c. It was considered sacred time from the setting of the sun on Saturday eve. to the same hour on Sunday evening.
The means of information have been multiplied many fold. I recollect well when there were but few books except those contained in our three public libraries, of which we were in advance of most country places. There were then no daily newspapers, no weekly papers accessible to us but the Courant and Mercury, both of which were smaller than our daily papers now are. There were no reports of Bible, Missionary, Tract, and
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Sabbath School Societies, &c., which were not then in existence, with the exception of the Connecticut Missionary Society, which employed a few laborers in the new settlements in the State of Vermont, Western New York, and later in New Connecticut, as it was then called. That society once a year, published a pamphlet containing an account of the labors of their missionaries, one copy only of which was sent to Newington for the whole society to read, on which Mr. Belden, with his characteristic precision, wrote, " This book belongs to the Ecclesiastical Society of New- ington, to be circulated from neighbor to neighbor as speedily as may be." There was one magazine, viz. The Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, the articles of which were very ably written by such men as Dr. Strong, Dr. Smalley, Dr. Perkins and others.
It is well known that slavery once existed in Newington, though our young children will hardly realize that several of their forefathers owned negro slaves. But the servitude here was much milder than it is in the Gulf States, in Cuba, Brazil, or, as I should think among the serfs of Rus- sia, who have lately been emancipated by the Emperor Alexander, 2d. It was more like that which existed in the family of Abraham, and the other Patriarchs of old. Our ancestors who owned them were humane, benevolent, and conscientious men, who taught them to read, especially the Bible, to go to church, and in some cases they were allowed almost as much liberty as members of their own families. A part of these slaves were emancipated by the voluntary acts of their masters, others by enact- ments of our State Legislature.
Deacon Josiah Willard, in his will, provided for the freedom of Guinea, whenever his old mistress died, which I should think was before he arrived at middle age. He was brought from the coast of Guinea in Africa and sold to Dea. Willard. Deacon John Camp bought a negro boy, named Pomp, said to have been brought from the West Indies. I was told that the Deacon paid pound for pound for him, that is, he paid twenty shillings in money for every pound that Pomp weighed. Pomp, after he obtained his freedom, married Zilpah, by whom he had eight children.
Mr. Gideon Hunn, I think, had a negro whose name was Toney; James Lusk had a negro named Peter; Unni Robbins, 1st, had one whose name was Benoni ; Daniel Willard, 1st, had one named Brisco; he died when a boy ; Rev. Mr. Belden had one whose name was Job; Lemuel Whittlesey had one named Dick ; Capt. Martin Kellogg owned two negroes, Step and Katrine, he permitted Step to marry Katrine. Step had a little child named Pegg. I remember that on the Mitchell farm in the south part of the place, lived two aged negroes, called Tom and Frank. Towards the close of Tom's life, at his own request, the pastor, deacons, and several members of the church met at his house and with him partook of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Capt. Jonathan Stoddard had one who was called Jim.
The names of some of the physicians who have resided in Newington are : Dr. Andrus, a shrewd, observing man, who had a very retentive mem- ory ; Dr. Richards was one of our early physicians, he introduced the innoculation of the small pox in Newington ; Dr. Joshua Belden was an excellent physician ; Dr. Archibald Hall practiced medicine more or less many years ; Dr. Wadsworth also during a much shorter period.
In 1776 the population of Newington was about 500. Many of its inhabitants have lived to a good old age. During the fifty years of Dr. Brace's ministry the number of deaths of persons between 70 and 80 years were 64 ; between the ages of 80 and 95 there were 36 persons; making in all 100 deaths of those 70 years old and upwards.
Newington has been blessed with several revivals of religion. The
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greatest of them was that of 1821, under the solemn and pungent preaching of Rev. Dr. Nettleton. It is often spoken of as the great revival. There were fifty heads of families, viz. 25 husbands with their 25 wives, that were soon afterwards received into the church at one time, as the fruits of that revival. Several others of different ages united with the church, Widow Charity Tryon, then 70 years old, was one of them, she lived to the advanced age of 94} years. This work of grace was previous to the era of Sabbath schools, since then, revivals have been greater in Dr. Brace's Bible class and in the Sabbath school than among other classes of people.
In 1831 there was a great revival, followed by another in 1844. These last two were the most powerful among the young people and children.
The Sabbath school has been well sustained ever since its commence- ment. It has proved to be an important auxiliary to the ministration of Divine truth. It has shared largely in the religious revivals. There has been a time when more than one-half of all belonging to or connected with the school were members of the church. The superintendents of the school have been Daniel Willard, superintendent the first 13 years, Wil- liam Deming, assistant superintendent and secretary during the same time, Dea. Origen Wells, Dea. Jedidiah Deming, Levi S. Deming, Marcus W. Stoddard, Charles K. Atwood, and Joseph J. Francis.
. After the revolution the schools in Newington progressed rapidly. By the year 1800, our schools were in a good state, and before 1830, the principal branches of a common school education, such as reading, spell- ing, writing, arithmetic, grammar, and geography were as faithfully taught as they have been at any time. Our old people well remember the times when the two oldest classes of the several schools, at the close of the win- ter sessions, were assembled at the church for a public examination and exhibition.
Newington has not fallen short of other country places in its military character. At an early period a militia company was organized, I find by a diary kept by Daniel Willard, 1st, that in the year 1741, there was a draft made of one half of the company, viz. 1 ensign, 2 sergeants, 2 cor- porals, 1 drummer and 23 privates, in all 29 persons, which would make the company at that early date to consist of 58 persons.
I can name but a part of those who were Captains of the Company before the Revolutionary war and during its continuance. John Camp, Josiah Willard, Martin Kellogg, 2d, Martin Kellogg, 3d, Robert Wells, Sen., Robert Wells, Jun., Charles Churchill, Jonathan Stoddard, Sen. Captains of the company after the Revolution, Levi Lusk, Absalom Wells, Robert Francis, Jonathan Stoddard, Jun., Martin Kellogg, 5th, James Deming, Joseph Camp. On the re-organization of the militia a Light Infantry Company was enlisted from the 1st and 2d societies, about two- thirds of them from Newington.
Captains of the Light Infantry Company who belonged to Newington : Joseph Camp, Simeon Stoddard, Daniel. Willard, Erastus Latimer, Erastus Francis, Selden Deming, Daniel H. Willard, Albert S. Hunn.
The light infantry company for many years after its organization was considered superior to any company in the regiment.
Newington has furnished its full share of soldiers in the war of the Revolution. It has furnished more Generals and Field Officers, in pro- portion to its population, than any place with which I have been ac- quainted. Four Colonels, viz. Roger Welles, Levi Lusk, Martin Kellogg, and Joseph Camp, three of them, viz. Welles, Lusk, and Kellogg were afterwards Brigadier Generals, and two of them, Lusk and Kellogg were. promoted to the Rank of Major Generals. Newington furnished many men in the Revolutionary war. Some of them lost their lives in that service. In the war of 1712-15, two small drafts were made from the company,
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and stationed at Groton to defend New London and the frigate Macedon- ian and the sloop of war Hornet, from any attack that might be made from the British fleet on the coast. Gen. Levi Lusk commanded the mili- tia and Lieut. Joseph Camp, (afterwards Col. Camp) had a command there.
CHURCH RECORDS, 1805-1857. I.
ADMISSIONS TO COMMUNION.
Feb. 3, 1805. Admitted to Com- Jan. 1, 1809. Josiah Willard and munion, Lucy, wife of Joab Rhoda his wife, per letter from Wethersfield. Brace, by letter from West Hartford .*
Feb. 17. Absalom Welles and Lorrain his wife, having stood propounded the usual time, viz. 2 weeks, as also those which follow.
March 3. Sally, the wife of Levi Deming.
April 28. Luther Latimer.
June 30. Elizabeth, the wife of Francis Deming.
June 30. Lucretia, the wife of Solomon Churchill.
April 5, 1812. Candace, wife of Jno. Stoddard.
April 5. Mary Wells, daughter of Dea. Wells.
April 26. Chloe Deming.
May 27. Thomas, a black man.
Aug. 23. Prudence Kellogg, daughter of M. Kellogg.
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Nov. 1. Mary A. Churchill, daughter of Samuel Churchill. Nov. 1. Julia Churchill, daughter of Solomon Churchill.
Nov. 1. Mercy Churchill, daugh- ter of Samuel Churchill.
Manch 1. John Phillips, per let- ter from Sangerfield, N. Y. Nov. 6, 1808. Nancy Seymour, daughter of Elias Seymour.
Nov. 1. Lucinda Sage of Middle- town. May 2, 1813. Nancy, the wife of Elisha Whaples.
* " This may certify that Lucy, the wife of the Rev. Joab Brace, is a member in full communion of the church of Christ in West Hartford, and in good standing ; and as such is hereby recommended to the enjoyment of all gospel ordinances in the the church of Christ in Newington, and will be considered as dismissed from our watch and care when received by the said church.
NATHAN PERKINS, Pastor,
In the name and behalf of the church."
West Hartford, Jan. 26, 1805.
March 5. Zerviah, wife of Reu- ben Whaples.
Oct. 29. Rosetta, the wife of John Squier.
July 1, 1810. Harvey Francis, son of Justus Francis.
Aug. 19. Mary, the wife of Jo- seph Hulet.
Aug. 25, 1811. Wm. Kirkham.
Aug. 25. Lucy, the wife of Sim- eon Stoddard.
Oct. 13. Jennette, the wife of John Kirkham, Elizabeth, the wife of Leonard C. Hubbard, and Lydia Churchill, daughter of Levi Churchill.
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