USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Glastonbury > Glastenbury for two hundred years: a centennial discourse, May 18th 1853 > Part 12
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1769. Also to Elisha Treat, " to build a lineet* mill on Roaring Brook on his own land."
1772. Liberty granted to Daniel Hale, " to build a grist mill on his own land near where Israel Brewer now dwells.'
1773. Jonathan Treat permitted " to build a saw mill on a stream in Ash Swamp, he getting liberty of the owner of the land."
1773. And Jonathan House, " to build a saw mill on the brook about 80 rods north of his dwelling house."
1773. And Nathaniel Talcott, " to build a grist mill on Roaring Brook, near the saw mill on his own land."
1773. And Samuel Brooks, "to build a saw mill where Ensign John Hills formerly built a mill."
1782. Liberty granted to William Chamberlain, "to build a grist mill on his own land, on a stream called Blackleach's River."
1783. David Dickenson, Jr., permitted "to build a saw mill on his own land."
Subsequent to this time, persons appear to have erected such mills, and undertaken such manufactures, on their own
* The meaning of the word lineet, is unknown to the oldest inhabitants, while the word is not to be found in any of the Dictionaries. The most probable conjecture seems to be that it signifies linseed oil, and that it was an oil mill that was to be erected.
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premises, as they chose, provided that in so doing they in- fringed upon no right of their neighbors.
MINISTERS OF THE FIRST SOCIETY FROM 1791 TO 1853.
REV. WILLIAM BROWN. Mr. Eells, as we have seen, died May 7th, 1791. After his death, Mr. Brown was hired to supply the pulpit for a time, and on the 16th of April, 1792, was called to settle, on a salary of £100, " lawful money," thirty cords of wood,-the use of the Parsonage land, and £200 as a settlement,-to be paid £50 annually, for four years. He was installed, May 17th, 1792. In December, 1796, Mr. Brown asked for a dismission, proposing to repay £50 of his settlement. The society declined receiving this, but subsequently accepted of £100, and consented to his dis- missal, which took place, January 25th, 1797. Mr. B. was graduated at Yale College, in 1789. He went to Tioga, N. Y., where he subsequently relinquished his profession and commenced practice at the Bar .*
REV. WILLIAM LOCKWOOD. In April, 1797, the Rev. William Lockwood was engaged to supply the pulpit in this Society, and was called to settle in the same, in the follow- ing June. He was installed, August 30th, in the same year. Mr. Lockwood's health proving insufficient for the discharge of the duties of his office, he was dismissed from the same, May 1st, 1804. Mr. Lockwood, the son of the Rev. James Lockwood of Wethersfield, born Jan. 21st, 1753, was grad- uated at Yale, 1774, and Tutor in the same, 1779 and 1780. Ile married Sarah Sturges of Fairfield, Dec. 16th, 1784, by whom he had-
Ann, b. Oct. 5, 1785, m. Geo. Plummer, Esq., Glas., May 7th, 1807. Sarah, b. April 4, 1787, m. Joseph Wright, Glas., Nov. 24th, 1807.
Samuel, b. Jan. 6, 1789, Merchant in Glastenbury.
William, b. Sept. 9, 1792, d. Dec. 6, 1827.
Priscilla, b. Nov. 21, 1796.
Mrs. Lockwood died Aug. 31, 1834.
He was settled over the first Church and Society in Mil- ford, March 17th, 1784, which he was obliged to leave on
* Am. Q. R. IV. 308.
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account of ill health, and was accordingly dismissed, April · 28th, 1796. He continued to reside in Glastenbury, until the time of his death, June 23d, 1828. He published a Ser- mon on the death of Mrs. Woodbridge, 1799 .*
REV. PRINCE HAWES. On the resignation of Mr. Lock- wood until February, 1807, the Society was without a settled minister. At that time the Rev. Mr. Hawes was invited to preach on probation, and in the April following, was called to settle among them on a yearly salary of $500. He was ordained June 24th, 1807. Mr. Hawes was born at Yar- mouth, Mass. and graduated at Williamstown, 1805. He married Hannah, daughter of Benjamin Hale of Glastenbury. At the annual meeting of the Society, December, 1819, it was " Voted, That it is the opinion of this meeting that the use- fulness of the Rev. Prince Hawes as a minister of the Gos- pel in the First Ecclesiastical Society in Glastenbury, is so far impaired, as to render a dissolution of the connection be- tween him and the Society desirable and expedient." There being no specific charges against Mr. Hawes upon which to urge his dismission, the Society accepted a proposition made by him to pay " him $250, as damages on account of his dismission," upon which condition he consented to a disso- lution of the connection between them, and which accord- ingly took place early in 1820. He was settled in Boston, from 1824 to 1827. He was subsequently at Woodbridge, and' at Clinton from Feb., 1835 to Dec., 1836. He died in 1848, aged 64. Welles Hawes, Esq., for some years a law- yer of repute at Putnam, Ohio, now of Brooklyn, N. Y., is son of the Rev. Mr. Hawes.t
After the removal of Mr. Hawes, the Parish called Mr. Henry Robinson, b. Guilford, Conn., 1789, graduated at Yale, 1811, and Andover, 1816, to settle among them in the work of the ministry, which was declined by Mr. R. An in- vitation was then given to Mr. Amzi Benedict, b. New Ca- naan, 1791, graduated at Yale, 1814, and Andover, 1818, to settle here, which was also declined.
* Am. Q. R. IV. 30S, 311. Brace's Hist. Ch. Milford, 18. Lamb. Mil. 103. + Am. Q. R. IV. 308.
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REV. CALEB BIRGE. On the 18th of June, 1821, the Socie- ty, "Voted, That we approve of the performances of the Rev. Caleb Birge, M. D., as a preacher of the Gospel." He was therefore invited to settle here on a salary of $600. He was installed in August, 1821. On the 17th of November, 1825, the Church expressed its opinion by its vote, "That the ministerial labors of the Rev. Mr. B. had not been at- tended with any special Divine blessing;" and, " That the prospect of his future usefulness was more clouded than ever," and hence, they desired a dissolution of the connec- tion between them. He was, therefore, dismissed on the 22d of November, of the same year. Mr. Birge was born at Tolland, Conn., 1782, graduated at Middlebury, 1806. He was settled first at Guildhall, in 1808, dismissed in 1814, and afterwards at Brattleboro, Vt., from 1814 to 1819. After leaving Glastenbury, he was settled in the State of New York for a few years, when he gave up preaching and con- fined himself to the practice of medicine. He died in 1838, aged 56, his death being caused by being thrown from his carriage. Mr. Birge was regarded by his cotemporaries as an able and discriminating preacher. He published a work on the Atonement, which is still regarded as valuable .*
REV. SAMUEL HOPKINS RIDDELL. From the departure of Mr. Birge, the Society had occasional supplies until April 23d, 1827, when Mr. Riddell was called, and accepted. He was ordained June 27th, 1827. Mr. Riddell was a native of Hadley, Mass., and graduated at Yale, 1823, and at Ando- ver, 1826. He remained at Glastenbury until 1837, when having been elected an Agent of the American Education Society, he was dismissed from his Pastoral charge, in order that he might enter upon the duties of his Agency. He was Secretary of the American Education Society,; for many years, but is now Editor of the Puritan Recorder.
REV. JAMES ALLWOOD SMITH, the present Pastor of this Church, was born at Hartford, Nov. 6th, 1806, was gradua-
* Am. Q. R. IV. 30S.
t Am. Q. R. IV. 308.
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ted at Yale in 1826. He studied Theology at Andover, two years, but completed his course at New Haven, 1830. He was settled over the Church and Society of Somersworth, N. H., from 1831 to 1837, when he was called to Glasten- bury .*
MINISTERS OF THE SECOND SOCIETY FROM 1805 TO 1853.
The REV. JAMES EELLS, having died on the 20th of Jan- uary, 1805, the Society in the September following, gave the Rev. - Clarke, a call to settle in the Gospel ministry on a salary of £100, with an additional £10 a year, the first ten years, by way of settlement. This call seems to have been declined. Which of the many Mr. Clarks this was, we are unable to learn, and consequently can give nothing of his history.
REV. JOSEPH STRONG, was called to settle in the parish of Eastbury, in April, 1806. The Society voted to give him " $300, for his encouragement a year, so long as he should supply the pulpit." The call being accepted, he was install- ed soon after. Mr. Strong remained at Eastbury until 1817, when the Society in August, voted " To go forward and call a Council for the purpose of dismissing Mr. Strong from his Pastoral office in said Society." The Parish at this time seems to have been weak and troubled to get along, and ac- cordingly they voted, " To apply to the Domestic Society of Conn., for some assistance towards supplying the pulpit," but, though some aid was extended, they were unable to settle any one until 1822. Theodore Strong, graduated at Yale, 1812, and since Professor of Mathematics and Natural Phi- losophy, first in Hamilton, and now in Rutgers College, is son of Rev. Jacob Strong. He ranks among the first schol- ars in the country in the abstruser branches of the Mathe- matics .;
REV. JACOB ALLEN, was called in June, 1822, on a salary
* Am. Q. R. VI. 247.
t Am. Q. R. IV. 308.
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of $300, "exclusive of the money the Domestic Missionary Soc. of Conn. shall pay." The call was accepted, and he was installed shortly after. Mr. Allen remained at Eastbury, un- til 1835, when measures were taken by the Church and Society to procure his dismissal, and a council was accord- ingly called by which he was dismissed. Mr. Allen was born in Columbia, but spent his early life in Somers. He was graduated at Dartmouth in 1811. He is now in the eastern part of the State .*
REV. AARON SNOW. After the departure of Mr. Allen, the Parish were without a settled minister until 1840, being supplied by occasional services, the principal of which were rendered by the Rev. Mr. Williams, who was hired to preach one year for $6 a week. In October, 1840, they called the present Pastor, the Rev. Aaron Snow, on a salary of $400 a year, "including what the Domestic Missionary Society of Connecticut should pay." Mr. Snow was born at Saybrook, June 26th, 1804, graduated at Yale 1835, and at the Theo- logical Seminary connected with it in 1838. He was ordain- ed, April 28th, 1841.
ST. LUKE'S CHURCHI, GLASTENBURY; EPISCOPAL.
There had been a few Episcopalians in Glastenbury from an early period, but no effort had ever been made (if the thought had been entertained) of establishing an Episcopal parish, until 1806. At that period, the peculiar doctrines of Calvinism were set forth with great prominence in many pulpits in this vicinity. The frequency and urgency with which these doctrines were preached gave offense to some, and were, no doubt, disagreeable to others. These things, taken in connection with the fact that there had been a very considerable increase of population at Nayaug, or South Glastenbury, and that the people there enjoyed the benefits of religious worship near home but rarely, led to the desire of the establishment of public service, of some sort, in that part of the town. The few churchmen residing in town, availed themselves of the opportunity to propose the establishment
* Am. Q. R. IV. 308.
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of an Episcopal parish, which was received with very con- siderable favor, fifty-one persons subscribing thereto. Of this number, a very few were churchmen, a considerable number were desirous of some mode of religious doctrine and wor- ship more congenial to their feelings than the Calvinistic, while still another class, if we may judge from their subse- quent conduct, sought relief from the minister's rate, rather than his doctrine.
Rev. MENZIES RAYNOR. The parish was organized by the choice of the Rev. Menzies Raynor, Rector of Christ Church, Hartford, Rector of this parish also, to which were added the proper officers required by the Episcopal organiza- tion. Mr. Raynor, who preached here occasionally during the first year, is supposed to have been a descendant of Thurs- ton Raynor, one of the earliest landholders in Naubuc. He was a native of Hempstead, L. I., and had been a Methodist preacher, from 1790, before receiving orders in the Episco- pal church. He subsequently embraced the doctrines of Universalism, and was displaced from the ministry.
Rev. MANOAH SMITH MILES was invited to take charge of this parish the year following, (1807,)-with the understand- ing that he should preach here one-fourth part of the time. Mr. Miles was also here from 1815 to 1820. Mr. Miles was a descendant of the early settlers of Glastenbury-was born at Derby, March 19, 1766-and was graduated at Yale, in 1791. He was ordained deacon in 1795, and priest in 1796. In 1797 he was called to the Rectorship of Trinity Church, Chatham-now Portland-retaining it until his death, Jan- uary 31st, 1830.
Rev. NATHAN B. BURGISS was invited to this Parish in 1808, and remained here two or three years, during which time a church was built, fifty-six by thirty-eight feet, and partly finished. He was here again in 1820, and remained about the same length of time. Mr. B. was born at Killing- worth (as is supposed)-was ordained Deacon in 1801, and Priest in 1802, and has since officiated in a great variety of places. He remained in Connecticut until 1834, since which time he has resided in Western New York.
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Rev. AMMI ROGERS. In the interval between Mr. Miles and Burgiss' first and second terms of service here, the Par- ish was visited with a sore affliction, in the person of Ammi Rogers. Mr. R. was a native of Branford-graduated at Yale, 1790-and was ordained by the Bishop of New York, Deacon in 1792, and Priest in 1794; the first office being obtained on the strength, in part at least, of forged creden- tials. He was a man of superior talent and tact, capable of great good, or immense mischief. In this place, all his energies seem to have been bent upon evil; and though he never succeeded in causing himself to be elected Rector of the Parish-having been previously displaced from the min- istry-he did succeed in dividing the Parish, and depriving it of some of its most active and valuable members. He died in 1851, aged 82.
Rev. ASHBAEL STEELE, who was here in 1824, was born at Watertown-educated an Episcopalian-ordained Dea- con in 1823, and Priest in 1825, and remained in the Diocese but a short time, and has since been mostly at the West and South.
Rev. HECTOR HUMPHREY, D. D., was called to this parish in 1825, and remained here until 1831. During his ministry, the Church was completed and Consecrated. Dr. Humphrey was born at Canton, June 8th, 1797-was educated a Con- gregationalist, and graduated at Yale, 1818. He was or- dained Deacon in 1824, and Priest in 1825. He was Profes- sor of Ancient Languages in Trinity College during all the time of his connection with this Parish, and has been Pres- ident of St. John's College, Md., ever since. He has pub- lished a few addresses and sermons.
Rev. SAMUEL FULLER, D. D., was born at Rensellearville, N. Y .- graduated at Union, 1822-ordained Deacon in 1827, and Priest a year or two after. He was Rector of this Par- ish, and editor of the Episcopal Watchman during 1831 and 1832. His time has since been spent in Litchfield, Conn., and Andover, Mass., as Rector of the Churches in those places, except a few years in which he was Professor of Di- vinity in the Theological Department of Kenyon College,
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Ohio. He has written several valuable articles in the peri- odicals of the day, some of which have been republished in a pamphlet form, and circulated as tracts. Several sermons have also been published by him.
Rev. THOMAS J. DAVIS was Rector of this Parish in 1834, 1835 and 1836, during which time measures were taken to erect a new church, which was completed and Consecrated in the time of Mr. Devins.
Rev. DAVID L. DEVINS, born at Boston, and educated a Congregationalist, was here in 1837. He was at one time a member of Amherst College, but seems not to have com- pleted his academical course. He was ordained Deacon previous to 1837, and Priest in 1839. An extreme nervous excitability, sometimes injudiciously excited, led him into many eccentricities and extravagances, and finally caused his renunciation of, and displacement from the ministry, in 1842, notwithstanding his talents and eloquence as a preach- er had raised high hopes of his usefulness.
Rev. WILLIAM BLISS ASHLEY, born at Portland, educated a Congregationalist, was graduated at Trinity, 1834, and at the General Theological Seminary in 1838-in which year he was also ordained Deacon, and immediately took charge of this parish. He received Priest's orders the year following. He remained here until 1842, when he removed to Derby. He was subsequently an Assistant Minister to Bishop McCoskry, at Detroit, but has now been several years Rec- tor of a church in Syracuse. He has published some ser- mons and addresses of interest.
Rev. GEORGE HUNTINGTON NICHOLS became Rector of this Parish, at Easter, 1842, and remained so until Easter, 1845. He was born at Bridgeport, 1819-graduated at Trin- ity, 1839-ordained Deacon in 1841, and Priest in 1842. After leaving this Parish he officiated for a while in Litch- field, but has now been for several years Rector of St. John's Church, Salisbury.
Rev. GILES HENRY DESHON was born at New London, 1820-graduated at Yale, 1840-at the General Theological Seminary, 1843. He was ordained Deacon in 1843, and
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Priest in 1844. He was Rector of this Parish from 1845. to some time in 1545. when his health compelled him to resign, and to seek its recovery in a foreign clime. After his return, with improved health, he was called to St. Andrew's Church, Meriden. where he still remains.
Rev. WILLIAM STAUNTON, an Englishman by birth. and for some years a Professor and Teacher of Music. in Bos- ton. was ordained Deacon in 1833. and Priest in 1834. Af- ter his ordination he remained a few years in Massachusetts, when he removed to New York, where he was for several years a special agent of the " Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Union." He then removed to Morristown, N. J., where he spent several years. subsequently returning to New York. Coming to Connecticut in 1949, he remained here until Easter. 1550. He is the author of a valuable work called The Church Dictionary, and has also published The Church Chant- Book-a collection of chants adapted to the worship and service of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Uni- ted States. enriched by some compositions from his own pen, with an Introduction, containing instructions in regard to chanting.
Rev. ABNER JACKSON, born in Washington County, Penn., in 1810-educated a Presbyterian -graduated at Trinity College, 1:37: was ordained Deacon, 1939, and Priest in 1947. He officiated in this Parish from Easter to the fall of 1850. He has been for a number of years Professor of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy, and Lecturer on Chem- istry, in Trinity College. He was also the editor of the Calendar from the Spring of 1848 to 1853.
Rev. ALONZO BOWEN CHAPIN, D. D., was born at Somers, March 10th, 1808. He received his early literary training under the eye and the direction of his father, whose superior scholarship and happy tact for communicating knowledge, rendered him an excellent teacher. For several years his studies had been chosen, and his education directed, with reference to the probability of his entering the ministry among the Congregationalists, in which body his father had also ministered, though then disabled by bodily infirmity.
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AMERICAN JETENIL OF SCIENCE 1
and Sandstone.
AMERICAN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 1550-Review of Wet-
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ster on English Orthography; Nature and Design of the Canticles, with a new translation.
NEW YORK REVIEW. 1837-Genuineness of the Epistles of Ignatius; 1838, Origin and Progress of Popular Liberty ; Discovery of America by the Northmen; 1840, Study of the Celtic Languages; Politics of the Puritans; 1841, Earliest ages of English Poetry.
AMERICAN BIBLICAL REPOSITORY. 1838-Ante-Columban History of America ; 1843, Review of Gliddon on Egyptian History and Chronology.
CHURCH REVIEW. 1848-Colonial Church Missions of the Seventeenth Century; The Apostolic Constitutions; 1849, Early Clergy of Connecticut; 1850-Neander as a Church Historian; 1851-A Half-Century's Progress; Colleges and the Ministry.
MERCERSBURG REVIEW. 1852-Theology of Linguistics.
His principal Pamphlets have been, 1839-Early Church- men of Connecticut; 1842-A Churchman's Reason for joining a Temperance Society; Associations for Benevo- lence, Ancient and Universal; The principles of English Orthography developed in a system of rules for the whole language ; 1843-A Churchman's reasons for not joining in other worship; Inquiry into the origin and meaning of English Suffixes; 1844-New Englandism and the Bible; The state of Religion in England and Germany compared; 1850-Christ Church, West Haven, for ten years; The era of the Crucifixion; 1851-Notes on the Rev. Dr. Thomp- son's Church, Ministry and Worship.
To these may be added the following, whose size might entitle them to the name of books : 1841-An English Spelling-book; 1842-the same stereotyped and entitled, The Classical Spelling-book; A view of the organization and order of the Primitive Church; 1845-The same revised and sterotyped; 1846-Views of Gospel Truth.
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CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, SOUTH GLASTENBURY.
The following documents, furnished by the Rev. Mr. Chap- man, describe the time, manner and cause of forming a third Congregational Society in Glastenbury :
"We, the subscribers, late members of the first Ecclesiastical Society in Glastenbury, residing in the South part thereof, considering that the Mecting House inwhich we usually worship is at an inconvenient distance from most of us, and when rebuilt, will probably be much further from us, and in view of the fact, that most of the families South of the centre of said Society have separat- ed themselves from the same, and a large proportion of them have not yet join- ed any religious Society, and considering the rapid increase of the population of the South part of this Society, and the recent establishment of large manu- facturing concerns in that part of the Town, and having obtained liberty of said Society to withdraw therefrom and to form ourselves into a new Society, for the reasons above stated, and trusting that we are influenced by a desire to promote the glory of GOD and the spiritual good of our fellow-men, do hereby mutually covenant and agree with each other, that we will, and we do hereby associate and unite ourselves together as an Ecclesiastical Society by the name of " the Congregational Society in South Glastenbury," and that the present form of Church government and the Confession of Faith practiced and acknowledged at this time in the Church and Society of the first Eccle- siastical Society, are and shall be the fundamental articles of Faith and Church government in this Society, and in the Church which may hereafter be formed in this Society ; and particularly it is hereby declared, that no min- ister shall be employed to preach or to be settled in and over this Society, but with the consent and approbation of the Church therein constituted, and who shall not assent to the aforesaid fundamental articles of Faith and Church government.
" South Glastenbury, Feb'y 26, 1836."
(Signed,)
Stephen Strickland,
Horatio Hollister,
Pardon Brown,
Lewis Strickland,
Thomas Hubbard,
Benjamin Hollister,
Josiah Strickland,
Howell W. Brown,
Ansel Andrus,
Jared Caswell,
John Caswell,
Amos Dean,
Duel Higgins,
John C. Robertson."
The formation of the Church is described in the following extract from the records of the First Church in Glastonbury :
" November 4, 1846. The following communication was laid before the Church at a regular Church meeting, viz.
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" To the Church in the First Ecclesiastical Society in Glastenbury :
" Rev'd and Beloved : We whose names are undersigned, Members of your Christian Communion, having with a number of others, been duly constituted into an Eeclesiastical Society in the South part of this Town, and having by the blessing of ALMIGHTY GOD, erected and nearly completed an Edifice to be occupied by us and those with whom we are associated in this sacred enterprise, as a house of worship, would respectfully represent that we are de- sirous of being formed into a distinct Church of CHRIST, upon the same doc- trinal basis and the same principles of Eeclesiastieal organization with the Church to which we now belong, and with a view hereafter to sustain and enjoy the ordinances established by CHRIST, in the new connection above re- ferred to ; and we do therefore request of you that letters of recommenda- tion in the usual form, may be granted to us, to be presented as testimonials of our Christian standing before the Council to be convened for the purpose of organizing the Church herein contemplated ; to take effect also, as letters of dismission in the event of said Church being formed, upon the grounds and principles above specified, and ourselves being admitted as its members.
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