USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Southington > Ecclesiastical and other sketches of Southington, Conn > Part 31
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Apr. 1, 1831,
Frederick Cowles.
May 6, 1828,
George Washington Cowles.
Jan. 5, 1831,
Pitt Cowles.
Nov. 27, 1825,
Samuel Cowles.
Jan. 14, 1832,
Sarah D. Cowles.
Ang. 5, 1828,
Silena, Wife of Selden Cowles.
Sept. 23, 1825,
Wm. Day, Infant of Carlos Curtiss.
Sept. 6, 1826,
Child of Chester Curtiss.
Oct. 4, 1826, Oet. 9, 1826,
Widow of Chester Curtiss.
Apr. 4, 1825,
Erastus Curtiss,
Ang. 17, 1828,
Widow Ezek. Curtiss.
Oet. 13, 1826,
Leverett Curtiss.
June 14, 1831,
Mrs. Levi Curtiss.
Nov. 10, 1826,
Lncy Curtiss.
Oet. 25, 1826,
Lydia Curtiss.
Ang. 19, 1829,
Rodney Curtiss.
Mar. 9, 1824,
Widow of Samuel Curtiss.
Sept. 30, 1822,
David, colored man.
Sept. 28, 1822,
Harriet Richardson, Infant of A. R. Deming.
Sept. 29, 1829,
Ammi R. Deming.
Sept. 1, 1830,
Polly Deming, at Berlin, buried here.
Ang. 8, 1829,
Peter Doyle, a foreigner.
Nov. 27, 1823, Jan. 6, 1823,
Cornelius Dunham.
Oct. 21, 1823,
Infant of Harvey Dunham, Jr.
July 17, 1836,
Harvey Dunham.
Mar. 18, 1827,
John Durren.
Mar. 4, 1825,
Dea. Benj. Dutton.
Mar. 23, 1829, Infant of Moses Dutton, Jr.
Mar. 13, 1835, Infant of Orrin J Dutton.
Sept. - , 1828, Child of Eliza'th Edwards.
June 16, 1827, Child of Benoni Evans.
Nov. 29, 1826, Widow Prudence Evans.
Sept. 22, 1831,
Amelia Finch.
Nov. 16, 1833, Infant of Augustus Finch.
Jan. 10, 1832,
Wife of Asahel Foot.
May 4, 1831,
Candace Freeman, Colored.
Wife of Esq'r Frisbie.
Dec. 4, 1834, June 5, 1828, Infant of Martin Frisbie.
Nov. 4, 1834, Child of Martin Frisbie.
Apr. 24, 1834,
June 21, 1834,
Sept. 13, 1831,
Phile Clark.
Oct. 3, 1831,
David Cogswell.
Child of Chester Curtiss.
Rosanna, Wife of Channeey Dunham.
283
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
Feb. 13, 1829,
Sept. 1, 1832,
Feb. 22, 1823,
Sylvester Frisbie.
Oct. 4, 1826,
Wife of Chester Granniss. John, Infant of Henry Granniss.
Oct. 4, 1829,
Sept. 29, 1831, Wife of Jacob Granniss.
June 30, 1823,
Child of Scabury Granniss.
Seabury Granniss.
Wife of Stephen Granniss.
Mar. 29, 1835,
Ashbel Gridley.
Dec. 20, 1825,
Marietta, Dau. of Edwin Gridley.
Jan. 21, 1834, Wife of Noah Gridley.
Sept. 17, 1822, Sally, Wife of Root Gridley.
Mar. 20, 1833, Miles Griswold.
Oct. 19, 1822,
Child of H. Harrison. Salmon Harrison.
Dec. 15, 1830,
June 9, 1832,
Wife of Edward Hart.
Mar. 7, 1825,
Child of Edward Hart.
Oct. 21, 1823,
John A. Hart.
Rachel, relict of John A. Hart.
Infant of John Nelson Hart.
Ang. 10, 1829, Oct. 4, 1831,
Mrs. - - Hart.
Child of Reuben Hart.
May 23, 1825,
Romanta Hart.
Roswell Hart.
Child of Sherman Hart.
Dec. 21, 1834, July 13, 1826,
Jared Hemmingway.
Mar. 17, 1828,
Caleb Hitchcock.
Clara Hitchcock.
Mar. 8, 1831, Mar. 6, 1826, Oct. 29, 1826,
Cyrus Hitchcock. Wife of Franklin Hitchcock.
Nov. 8, 1827, Mar. 10, 1822,
Two Infants of Jason Hitchcock.
May 6, 1826, Aug. 24, 1834,
Josephus Hitchcock.
May 12, 1824,
Wife of Samuel Hitchcock, Jr.
May 3, 1828,
Child of Samnel J. Holmes.
June 19, 1831,
Mrs. D. Hotchkiss.
Jan. 19, 1822, Mar. 25, 1822,
Child of Carmi Johnson.
Child of Carmi Johnson.
June 6, 1835,
Wife of Carmi Johnson.
Sally Johnson.
Amelia Jones. Charles, Son of Dr. Jones.
Timothy, Sou of Dr. Jones.
Sarah Amelia, Child of Jehoida Jones.
Child, (female) of Jehoida Jones.
Nathaniel Jones. Child of Theodore Jones.
Child of Theodore Jones.
Charles Timothy Jones. Immer Jndd.
Jocl Judd.
Sally, Wife of Sarshall Judd. Mark Lane.
Oct. 15, 1825, Child of Andrew Langdon.
Dec. 28, 1826, Wife of Asahel Langdon.
Sally, Wife of Giles Langdon.
Apr. 6, 1824, Jan. 30, 1823, Eliza, Child of Levi Langdon.
Jan. 7, 1824, June 8, 1828, Oct. 26, 1828,
John Nelson Hart.
May 18, 1828, June 10, 1823,
Wife of Abilund Hemmingway.
Franklin Hitchcock.
Child of Jason Hitchcock.
July 11, 1829, July 17, 1831, Dec. 30, 1824, Jan. 2, 1825, Sept. 22, 1822, Oct. 9, 1822, Sept. 11, 1825, Feb. 8, 1829, Aug. 23, 1831, July 29, 1831, May 14, 1825, Apr. 5, 1835, July 15, 1824, Dec. 8, 1831,
Child of Samuel Frisbie. Wife of Samuel Frisbie.
Nov. 15, 1831, Oct. 30, 1825, Feb. 18, 1828,
Stephen Granniss.
284
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
June 1, 1826,
Child of Levi Langdon.
July 30, 1829, Clarissa, Wife of Levi Langdon.
Feb. 2, 1829, Child of Perry Langdon.
Oct. 13, 1824,
Sally Langton.
Apr. 8, 1825, July 2, 1822, Feb. 26, 1826,
Child of Camp Lee.
Esther, Widow of Timothy Lec.
Child of Truman Lee.
Oet. 19, 1831,
Wife of Truman Lee.
Apr. 7, 1830,
Mary, Infant of Dana Lewis.
Apr. 17, 1822,
Uramia, Wife of Ebenezer Lewis.
Sept. 29, 1826,
Wife of Elisha Lewis.
Dec. 3, 1826, Elisha Lewis.
Sept. 11, 1822,
Lemuel Lewis.
May 27, 1828,
Lemnel Lewis.
Dec. 15, 1832,
Widow, Lemuel Lewis.
Oct. 18, 1828,
Child of Nath'el Lewis.
Apr. 22, 1824,
Maria, Wife of Oliver Lewis.
May 10, 1824,
Infant of Oliver Lewis.
Nov. 15, 1824,
Phinchas Lewis.
Nov. 29, 1823,
Widow Lois Lewis, Relict of Sam. Lewis.
Nov. 28, 1824,
Mary, wife of Selah Lewis.
Sept. 14, 1827,
Selah Lewis.
Feb. 8, 1828,
Child of Selah Lewis.
Dec. 29, 1828,
Child of Timothy Lewis.
Nov. 2, 1827,
Richard Lowrey.
Sept. 14, 1836, Widow Rachel Lyman.
Dec. 26, 1821, Mercy, coloured woman.
Ang. 3, 1827, Albert Merriman.
Oct. 11, 1826,
Betsey Merriman.
Sept. 3, 1836,
Harmon Merriman.
June 28, 1829,
Iram Merriman.
July 25, 1823,
Orrin Merriman.
Oct. 16, 1825,
Wife of Stephen Merriman.
Dec. 5, 1824,
Nelson Moore.
Nov. 2, 1825,
Marcus A. Munn.
Feb. 19, 1827,
Child of Amzi Munson.
June 19, 1827,
Child of Amzi Munson.
July 24, 1828,
Amzi Munson.
Apr. 17, 1829,
Widow Belinda Munson.
Jan. 5, 1825,
Child of Chester Neal.
May 8, 1826, Elizabetli, wife of Chester Neal.
Aug. 12, 1823, Sarah Marin, Infant of Joseph Neal.
Jan. 31, 1828,
Esther, wife of Joseph Neal.
-, 1836, Feb. 15, 1834,
Ashbel Newell. Widow of Dea. Newell.
Dec. 26, 1831,
Isaac Newell. Jennette Newell.
Oct. 22, 1831,
Dea. Pomeroy Newell.
Oct. 20, 1823, Oet. 30, 1826, Sophia Newell.
July 25, 1836, Widow Emily Norton.
Dec 14, 1824,
Catharine, wife of Sylvester Norton.
Sarah Judson Ogden. Aug. 10, 1834, Nov. 27, 1834, Catharine A. Ogden.
Jan. 27, 1825, Mar. 22, 1836,
Ravner Page. Lemuel Pardee.
Oct. 10, 1831, Wm., child of Dea. P. I'ardee.
Apr. 3, 1822, Child (female) of Levi Parsons.
Levi Parsons.
Sept. 1, 1828, Apr. 15, 1826,
Infant of Ralph Pearl.
Nov. 5, 1825,
William Mix.
Oet. 29, 1830,
Child of Slmbael S. Moore.
Nov. 14, 1835,
June 4, 1835,
Widow Mary Newell.
Widow Rhoda Newell.
285
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
Dec. 31, 1821,
Feb. 20, 1835,
Feb. 26, 1822,
Susan, wife of Henry Penfield.
Jan. 21, 1827,
July -, 1834,
Feb. 10, 1823,
May 23, 1826,
Mar. 4, 1827,
June 28, 1823,
Apr. 4, 1832,
Oct. 5, 1833,
Aug. 2, 1823,
Stephen Pratt.
Aug. 7, 1834,
*Lois Pratt.
Feb. 24, 1834,
Oct. 3, 1822,
Oct. 25, 1831,
Elizabeth, child of Charles Robinson.
Mar. 20, 1833,
Charles Robinson, jr., at New Haven-buried here.
Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Wm. Robinson.
Rev. Wm. Robinson.
Widow Eunice Root.
Mariah, wife of Francis Root, in Chesterfield, S. Carolina.
Child of Wm. Root.
Clark Royce.
Widow Thankful Royce.
Almera Jane Rugg.
Feb. 28, 1828,
Wife of Micah Rugg.
Sept. 12, 1835,
Avery, child of Micah Rugg.
Aug. 11, 1835,
Widow Phebe Rugg.
May 22, 1832,
Apr. 15, 1822, Apr. 11, 1826, Feb. 20, 1828,
Sally Ann Sloper.
Widow Sarah Sloper.
Wife of David Smith.
Mary, widow of Elnathan Smith.
Elizabeth, wife of Harvey Smith.
Martin J. Smithi.
Mary Smith.
Russel E. Smith.
Aug. 2, 1831, Oct. 14, 1826,
Clark Stanley.
June 16, 1833,
Infant of Erastus Stanley.
Oct. 28, 1826,
Harriet Stanley.
Mar. 4, 1832,
Norman Stanley. Caroline, child of Ira Steele.
July 6, 1828,
Widow Elizabeth Stevens.
Mar. 29, 1832,
Margaret Stow.
May 25, 1832,
Ursula Stow.
Apr. 17, 1830, Infant (male) of Lucius Sutliff.
Mrs. - Thorp.
Charlotte, Dau. of Widow Polly Thorp.
Child of Widow Eunice Tisdale.
Aug. 26, 1831,
William J. B. Tisdale.
Jan. 7, 1822,
Wm. P. Tuttle.
July 18, 1830, Aug. 28, 1829, Aug. 9, 1823, Jan. 20, 1833, Nov. 22, 1824,
Widow of Amos Upson, sen.
Dana J. Upson.
Widow Elizabeth Upson.
Emma Upson, at Cheshire-buried here.
Wife of Freeman Upson.
Wife of Freemond Upson.
Freemond Upson.
Nov. - , 1821, Nov. 13, 1835, Aug. 14, 1823, Gad Ely Upson.
David Peck. Widow Huldah Peck.
Henry Penfield. Peter, colonred man. Philip, coloured man. Lois Pond. Naomi Pond. John Porter. Albert C. Son of Joel Potter. *Infant of Seth Pratt.
Wife of Caleb Ray. Child (female) of David Ray.
Dec. 21, 1824, Aug. 17, 1825, Nov. 2, 1832, -, 1836, June 18, 1827,
Feb. 18, 1826,
Mar. 28, 1832, Apr. 27, 1836,
Jane, child of Amos Shepard. Ambrose Sloper.
Feb. 22, 1823, 8, 1826, 20, 1824,
Jan. Jan.
Aug. 21, 1831, Aug. 2, 1825,
Sept. 3, 1831,
Apr. 13, 1832, Jan. 6, 1824, July 12, 1823, Sept. 21, 1832, Mrs. Laura Tisdale.
286
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
Sept. 24, 1825,
Child of Levi Upson.
July 11, 1831,
Mareus Upson.
- - , 1821, Child of Salmon Upson.
Mar. 5, 1825,
Infant of Salmon Upson.
July 14, 1826,
Child of Salmon Upson.
Feb. 26, 1829, Widow of Timothy Upson.
July 10, 1824,
Samuel Waisteott.
Sept. 9, 1827,
Iram Wakelee.
Sept. 20, 1826,
Snsan Walker.
Oct. 26, 1826,
Phebe Walkley.
Mar. 26, 1823,
Nancy E., wife of Chester Whittlesey.
June 9, 1826,
Henry Whittlesey.
May 4, 1826,
Child of John Wightman.
Dec. 31, 1826,
Infant of Francis Wileox.
Apr. 12, 1832,
Alpheus Woodruff.
Dee. 8, 1836,
Ashbel Woodruff.
June 21, 1829,
Daniel Woodruff.
Mar. 29, 1822,
Ebenezer Woodruff.
May 17, 1831,
Child of Widow Fanny Woodruff.
Sept. 14, 1834,
Widow Fanny Woodruff.
Sept. 13, 1832,
Wife of George W. Woodruff.
Aug. 31, 1826,
Isaae Woodruff.
May 6, 1823,
Mary, wife of Jason Woodruff.
- - , 1836,
Jason Woodruff.
June 22, 1831,
Mrs. Jotham Woodruff.
Apr. 28, 1826,
Philemon Woodruff.
Aug. 9, 1829,
Widow Ruth Woodruff.
May 26, 1822,
Infant of Sheldon Woodruff.
Jan. 8, 1825,
Child of Stephen Woodruff.
Jan. 20, 1828,
Child of Stephen Woodruff.
Mar. 28, 1833,
Stephen Woodruff.
Aug. 29, 1824,
Infant of John Youngs.
NOTE. The foregoing records have been indexed for the conven- ience of the reader, and this work has added greatly to my labor. There are several errors of date and name if family records can be trusted. The discrepancies in these two classes of authority will appear in the genealogical tables. Great care has been bestowed upon the transcription and proof-reading, so that if errors are detecfed they may be attributed to the original hand. Sometimes pastors fail in recording a baptism, marriage, or death, for several days, and the memory may not recall the precise date or namne. Hence the disa- greement of family Bibles and church records. It is due to myself that attention be called to this fact.
June 22, 1823,
Ard Woodruff.
Dec. 28, 1823,
Child (female) of Asahel Woodruff.
Jan. 25, 1829,
Child of Daniel Woodruff.
CHAPTER XVII.
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS.
THE BAPTISTS IN SOUTHINGTON AND ADJACENT PARTS.
Errors of previous histories ; Church Manual; Benedict's History; Backus's; Wal- lingford Church; Baptists and Separates ; Rev. John Merriman; Baptists in West Britain and Red Stone Hill; Earliest Deacons; None in Southington ; First Bap- tism; First Certificates.
THE date of the introduction of distinctive Baptist views into this town is involved in uncertainty. A careful examination of old deeds and documents, from which the names of residents may be gathered, and comparing them with the records and papers belonging to the Congregational Society, has disclosed the fact that in 1740 there was not a single landholder within the limits of the town that did not be- long to the standing order. I think the same is true of the years down to about 1750. So far as I could, I have examined all documents that can throw light upon the subject. The records at Wallingford, Farm- ington, and Hartford, have been faithfully searched, as well as those belonging to this town. And all the more careful and protracted have been these investigations, because I have found myself in direct conflict with standard authorities upon the subject.
The manual of the Baptist church, prepared with great care by E. H. Plant, Esq., dates the origin of the church back to 1738. When I first saw this date it struck me as suspicious, from the fact, that then the Congregational church had been organized only ten years, and the society fourteen, and also that the locality which afterwards was well known as that occupied by Baptist families, was then exclusively occu- pied by those of the standing order. And then, too, this was about the time that the Wallingford 1 church became independent of the New London church, and the thought occurred that there had been a con- fusion of places. Mr. Plant had trusted to Benedict's 2 History as au- thority, and had thus been misled. Benedict had been misinformed in this as in some other things by the authorities he consulted.
1 See History of Wallingford.
2 History of the Baptists. Ed. 1848, p. 365.
288
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
Backus1 also (and his editor) had been led into error, probably by the fact that Rev. John Merriman had removed from Wallingford to Southington, and the names of the two towns had become inter- changed.
In the spring of 1874, I began an independent investigation, and examined all the traditional and documentary authority of which I could avail myself, and very soon reached this conclusion, that what- ever the date of the origin of the church, it was not 1738.
Backus (vol. II, p. 309) dates the origin in 1739. On page 397, he gives the name Farmington to the church, and accords the same date, but assigns to Wallingford the date of 1787. On page 525, he says, " The first Baptist church in the county of Hartford was first consti- tuted in Wallingford," (which is in New Haven county,) and then pro- ceeds to narrate the establishment of the church in 1739. Benedict1 in his history (p. 365) makes the date 1738, and does not name Wal- lingford among the churches organized before 1750, and afterwards (on p. 472) he gives an account of the origin of the Wallingford church which dates back really to 1731. He says, "In 1731 some of the Pedo-baptists of Wallingford, thirteen miles north of New Haven, by reading Delaune's Plea, etc., became convinced of the error of their for- mer creed, were baptized, and united with the church at New London, but usually met for worship in their own town where a church was soon afterward established." In this the author is correct; but I have quoted the above inaccuracies to show that the opinion current in this town for a few years past as to the date we wish to determine, arose in a confusion of names. I find not only in the histories above quoted, but in some old papers this confusion. Wallingford, South- ington, and Farmington, have become interchangeable. Mr. Merri- man labored in the first of these churches several years, and then re- moved to the south-west part of Southington parish, which at that time was in the town of Farmington. He was followed after a time by a few families from his former charge. How natural, that the ori- gin of the church, its early history, and all its traditions, should be historically located here. To the Baptist brethren in the other parts of the state and country, the transition from the one name to the other would be easy. And writers like Backus had to depend very much
1 History of the Baptists. On p. 123, vol. II, he says " The Baptist meeting at Wal- lingford was removed twenty miles to Southington, four years before Mr. Whittlesey died, in 1756." Red Stone Hill is probably meant, as that is twenty miles distant, while Southington is from twelve to fifteen. But Mr. Whittlesey died Aug. 15, 1752, so that there is an error in the date of Backus.
2 Ou p. 482 he speaks of Southington church as "of more than forty years stand- ing," by which he intends to refer to the close of the last century or about 1780.
289
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
on verbal statements or letters from parties that might or might not be personally familiar with the facts. At any rate it is unquestioned now that many errors crept into such works notwithstanding the authors were painstaking and cautious.
In the contentions and divisions that prevailed during the latter half of Mr. Curtiss" ministry, it was not strange that some should withdraw altogether from the Congregational church. Such excitements inva- riably end in unsettling church relations. There were those who had been carried off on the highest waves of the movement, and finally stranded. There are temperaments that cannot resist or survive reaction. When public feeling became less inflamed, the fervor and zeal of many waxed cold, and in not a few, expired. In the case of such, it was deemed hard to be compelled to support and attend the services of the standing order. There could be no evasion of the law that insisted that every one should support some religious service. Anything that would relieve from taxation by the Congregational So- ciety was hailed as a blessing. As early as 1750 there were some of this class in town.
There were also those who belonged to the Separates, as they were then called. For several years they were not organized, but boldly took a stand against supporting ministers by civil regulations, and as boldly maintained the principles of the most advanced New Lights. Some years later they were organized into a "Strict Congregational Church " in Cheshire, or Prospect as it is now. The most of these families lived along the west mountain road and in the south-west part of the town.
After about 1745, a few families had left the vicinity of Walling- ford, who belonged to the Baptist church of that town, and settled north of Southington. Possibly about 1750 two of these familes set- tled on Wolcott mountain, then within the bounds of Southington parish.
In these various elements we find the material that made up the first assemblies that are traditionally known as Baptists, but which might have been as consistently called Separates. Although the latter are supposed to have entered into union with this body, they nevertheless held on to the rite of infant baptism, as the family Bibles plainly show.
There have been current very erroneous opinions as to the locality, in this part of Hartford county, first occupied by Baptist families. Published accounts fix upon Southington, and these have heretofore passed unchallenged. But there is the strongest traditional and docu-
1 See Chap. VII.
37
290
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
mentary 1 proof, that the first families of this persuasion, and the first religious services held by them, were within the limits of the present towns of Plainville, Bristol, and Burlington. The deeds show the pres- ence of a few names from Wallingford in this region about 1745-50, but whether they held denominational services is not known. Already had the Baptists of Wallingford begun to diminish in strength and in- fluence, and there was a general disposition to remove elsewhere. The unpopularity of the denomination there was most intense, so that the few who adhered to it were practically social outcasts .?
Some of these families moved to the western part of Farmington, where friends had gone before them. As to the first preaching ser- vices held, nothing is known as to the date, but there are facts that lead to the supposition that it could not have been before 1750. It is not improbable, however, that Rev. John Merriman may have occasion- ally held services in some of the homes of his former parishioners who had now removed thither, and yet his broken health and spirits would hardly justify frequent attempts of this kind. But after 1750 tradi- tions become more trustworthy. The Rev. John Merriman came here about 1751-2. Within two or three miles of his home there could not have been more than one or two Baptist families. As will be seen hereafter, he did not come here to organize a church. Traditions in his own family 3 point to a region north where he attended church when able to do so. With these traditions come in others, perfectly consistent with them, from Red Stone Hill and localities further north.
In what is now the town of Burlington there had settled families from New London county, Conn., and also Rhode Island, as early 4 as (if not before) about 1760. In 1771 Rev. Joshua Clark, of Hopkinton, R. I., moved to Burlington (then West Britain) and preached 5 for about nine years when a Seventh Day Baptist church was organized, Sept. 15tl, 1780. Nineteen persons were constituted into the church by Revs. John Burdick and Elihu Stillman of R. I. Mr. Clark, after the formation of the church, returned to Hopkinton. He was suc-
1 I refer to the town records, with which I have carefully compared church records. Also traces of the fact appear in old family manuseripts.
2 " It was once so unpopular in Wallingford to be a Baptist that when certain men were baptized, their wives felt that they had lost caste in society, and yielded to tears to assuage their sorrow for their fallen husbands."-Davis' Hist. of Wallingford, p. 268.
8 Through Stillman Merriman, his grandson.
4 The date exact I cannot discover. But unless there were parties of the same name, it must have been as early as 1758 when two or three families removed there, and who were Seventh Day Baptists.
5 See Porter's Hist. Discourse, p. 72; Mss. of Chester Hart, Esq. ; and Utter's letters.
291
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
ceeded by Rev. John Davis,' who remained until his death, which oc. curred Aug. 20, 1792. He was succeeded by a Mr. Burdick who had been ordained the first deacon of the church. From the first, Mr. Clark preached in adjacent regions. He had a station near where Unionville now is, and was zealously supported by Ebenezer Hawley,2 a member of Farmington Congregational church who had become a Baptist. He also preached on Red Stone Hill, and at Bristol.
It is evident that the original Baptist families of this entire region embraced what are known by the names of "Six Principle," " Sabba- tarian," and "Free Will," as well as the Regular Baptists. They seemed to unite in views as to the form of baptism, and in opposition to the standing order.
I can find no evidence whatever, that there were any stated 3 preach- ing services south of Red Stone Hill earlier than the time Mr. Merri- man prepared a room in his house for the purpose, which according to the best traditions was not until after Mr. Wightman came here to live. And it is not known that Mr. Merriman was ever able4 to preach much in his own house, or ever did.
But there is further evidence that the earliest preaching services and church organization were outside the limits of Southington. The rec- ords of the Baptist church of Southington date no farther back than 1792, and there does not seem to be in existence any document that alludes to such services before 1780. This is only negative proof, but in a community like this, where theological controversies were preva- lent and excited, and where so many seem to have preserved memo- randa of events connected with religious disputes, it is strange that no allusion is made to the introduction of a new denomination within the limits of the parish. I find the names of Mr. Merriman and Mr. Wightman as freely interchanging courtesies with Mr. Chapman of the standing order. And there are allusions to services held on Red Stone Hill in which Mr. Chapman and Mr. Wightman joined. But I can find nothing in tradition or documents that points to stated services here. But after 1780 we find both tradition and documents to guide us. As before said this is only negative proof, as is also the fact that there can be found no trace of Baptist records before the time we are speaking of.
But about 1785-8 there suddenly appear in the town two deacons, one of whom lives at a distance of from five to seven miles, and one over fifteen miles. While there is nothing to show that they were
1 In 1784, he is put down by Backus as pastor of Farmington Baptist church. See History, Vol. II, p. 309.
2 Afterward Dea. Hawley.
3 By this I mean regular, or continuous, at stated times.
4 See sketch of his life.
292
HISTORY OF SOUTHINGTON.
elected in this town, circumstances indicate their election and service elsewhere before this time. Cornelius Cornwall is known to have be- longed to Burlington, and with Ebenezer Hawley of Farmington, ap- pears as an office bearer at Red Stone Hill, somewhere about 1780-2. Soon after, Samuel Hart of Berlin joins them, who also is called dea- con. While we get no clue to their election, the fact that they are known as office1 bearers, is indisputable. And aside from local or fam- ily traditions are allusions in the earliest records of the Southington church that necessarily imply the existence of some organization on Red Stone Hill. On the very first page of the records we have min- utes of a meeting held to consider the question of building a meeting house. The date is Dec. 19, 1791, and it was held "at the house of Seth Clark;" " Ebenezer Hawley moderator; Mr. Stoddard Whitman (Wightman) Clerk." The wording of the record is very significant; "There met a committee from the Baptist society in So. Town (South- ington) and Red Stone Hill, etc." And as late as 1795? the record reads, " At Sd. meeting made chois of Eber Merriman to act with the anual comitee in treating with the comittee at Red Stone Hill in order to procure preaching."
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