USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Cornwall > Historical records of the town of Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut; > Part 10
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This church has had ten settled pastors, whose united pastorates cover one hundred and thirty-six years; and allowing twelve years for intervals between the pastorates, the length of each is about twelve years and six months.
Since the formation of the church nineteen deacons have been ordained, viz .:
DEACONS OF FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH SINCE ITS FORMATION.
Jolın Harris, -
- Date of appointment unknown.
Phinehas Waller,
Benjamin Sedgwick, - Samuel Abbott, Thomas Porter, Elijah Steel,
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-
66
Chosen Oct. 8th, 1765.
June 24th, 1773.
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
Judah Kellogg,
-
Chosen June 20th, 1776. 66 66
Josiah Hopkins,
Benjamin Gold,
July 9th, 1812. 66
Abel C. Carter,
Jedidiah Calhoun,
66
Dec. - , 1819.
Victorianus Clark,
March 4th, 1831.
Henry Swift,
July 21st, 1839.
Silas P. Judson,
Marcus D. F. Smith, -
Jan. 5th, 1855.
Robert T. Miner,
George H. Swift,
Jan. 6th, 1867. 66
Silas C. Beers, Harlan Ives.
Dec. 13th, 1868.
Of these deacons, Phinehas Waller and Elijah Steel, at the time of division, went with the Second Church. It is said that Deacon Steel became a Quaker in sentiment, and his successor was chosen four years before the division, and that Deacon Waller was not act- ing. So far as I have been able to learn, these nineteen deacons were all true men. They may sometimes have erred in judgment, but by divine grace they honored their profession and office. Of course some of them were more marked in their intellectual strength, moral power, and Christian activity, than others.
Among the first elected was Benjamin Sedgwick, patriarch of a large and distinguished family, some of which have ranked high in civil and military life.
If time would permit, we might speak of Deacon Judah Kellogg, a gentleman of liberal education-a graduate of Yale College-a man whose counsel was sought when questions of civil law were involved; of Thomas Porter, Josiah Hopkins, Benjamin Gold, Victorianus Clark, Henry Swift, Silas P. Judson (for many years clerk of the church), Jedidiah Calhoun, always prompt and lib- eral, and kept "loose ends " well tied up. These having witnessed a good profession, died in faith and hope.
In passing, we would not fail to pay our tribute of respect to the late John C. Calhoun, the warm friend and benefactor of this town and church. He was the founder of the Cornwall Library, and bequeathed to it $2,000, the interest of which is to be annually expended in the purchase of books. He also bequeathed $2,000 to our cemetery, the interest to be annually expended in improv- ing and ornamenting the grounds. These noble bequests can but perpetuate his influence and embalm his memory in the affections of the citizens of this town.
I have been giving a short history of the Spiritual temple of God; I will now briefly speak of the house or houses made by hands.
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
The first resolution passed by the people of Cornwall-in town meeting assembled A. D. 1740-was to get a minister; and the second was like unto it, viz., to build a " Meeting-house." In due time the minister was obtained, and the house was commenced-I will not say built-I think it never was built.
In 1745 the town passed a resolution accepting the house of the builders, so far as the work had progressed, and ordered that it be set apart to God for purposes of worship.
The house was only covered with shingles and clapboards, and in it the people worshiped, summer and winter, without fire, except what burned upon God's altar. The church was located in Corn- wall Center, a mile distant from this village.
In 1790 this church was taken down, enlarged, and put up again in this village, near where the liberty-pole now stands.
In 1840 or 1841, the " old house " was torn down, and the pres- ent one built.
While upon this subject I would call your attention to this pul- pit, from which I am now addressing you. A few days since Esquire Kellogg said to me that he had in his garret a relic which might be of some interest on this Centennial year. He brought it out from its hiding place, brushed the cobwebs and dust from it, and it proved to be the veritable primitive pulpit of the town of Cornwall.
When the old church was being torn down, Esquire Kellogg requested that he might have the pulpit as his share of the spoils. We owe him a vote of thanks for his thoughtful care of what is primitive. The Pope places his relics on exhibition, why not we ours ?
This pulpit has not a seam or joint in it. It is carved solid from a primitive pine tree that grew upon these primitive hills.
Rev. Solomon Palmer was the first to read the word of God and preach the gospel of Christ from this pulpit; and after the lapse of one hundred and thirty-one years, I have the honor to be the last who has read this same word of God and preached the same gos- pel from this pulpit. And what a history that of which this relic is witness, lying between the dates 1745 and 1876 !
In 1874 our beautiful chapel was built upon the grounds upon which the old mission house of the American Board once stood.
One century ago we became a free and independent nation. It is wonderful to contemplate the progress made during this time. In what is useful and facilitates the labor of man, there has been
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
more progress than in many centuries before. Light is shining brightly in some places, and beginning to dawn in others; and progress, slow and sure, is a clear omen that in the end the whole earth shall be radiant with the light of science, art, literature, free institutions, and the knowledge of God.
We joke about seeing the next Centennial. It is no joke.
It is no joke that none of us will be present when the next Centennial Sermon is preached from this desk; that we shall all be on that shore of life where years and centuries are like the seconds and minutes on our clock-dials; where " a thousand years is as one day." O Time ! thy greatest measurements are but the tickings of eternity's watch.
On Sunday, July 15, 1866, when there was no one to supply the pulpit, Deacon R. R. PRATT read to the congregation the substance of the following discourse on the history of the Second Ecclesias- tical Church and Society in Cornwall. He subsequently extended it to a later date, and furnished it for publication in this work:
HISTORY OF NORTH CORNWALL CHURCH AND SOCIETY.
I think I may safely infer that there are none present here to-day who have arrived at mature years, who do not often find themselves communing with the past and listening to the voices that come out of it.
The hours thus employed may be sad or joyous, but whatever their character, if they are properly viewed and improved they will be a source from which we may get strength and power for present work and duty, and our pathway in the future may thereby be made more distinct, bright, and hopeful, for
" There is a history in all men's lives, Picturing the nature of the times gone by, The which-observed-a man may prophesy, With a nearer aim, the chance or form of things That are yet to be."
From the standpoint which we occupy to-day I will speak to you of the past history of our church and society. My words may be dull, and my thoughts feeble, but as I have examined the subject, I have felt that it was full of eloquence. There are memories, and associations, and events linked with it, that, if properly presented, would be inspiration to our hearts.
It is about one hundred and fifty years since the rays of civiliza-
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
tion first dawned over these hills, and began to lighten up these val- leys. At first this new order of things unfolded itself but slowly, but gradually the better days were ushered in.
In 1731 the Governor and Company of the Colony of Connecti- cut, in council assembled at Hartford, ordered that the western county lands lying on the east side of the Housatonic River be laid out into townships.
In that survey the boundaries of Cornwall were established. The town is said to be five miles and seventy-two rods wide on the south end, four and one-half miles wide on the north end, nine miles in length, and to contain 23,654 acres of land.
Tradition says that when this original survey was nearly com- pleted the surveyor came to the top of the hill a short distance north of where the residence of Hon. T. S. Gold now stands. As he stood looking at what presented itself from that point, he said, " This is the cream of the town;" and from that day that part of the town has borne the name of "Cream Hill."
The town was divided into fifty-three rights, one of which was to be given to the first orthodox gospel minister that should be settled in the town; one was to be for the use of the ministry; and one for the benefit of schools. The fifty remaining rights were sold at auction at the court-house in Fairfield on the first Tuesday in February, 1738, at 1 o'clock P. M. They were not to be sold for less than fifty pounds for each right. Each purchaser was obli- gated to build, or have built, upon the land he might purchase, within three years, a house not less than eighteen feet square, with not less than seven-foot posts, and to fence in not less than six acres of the same. A failure on these points forfeited his title to the property.
The sale was made, and averaged £110 for each right, which was at the rate of 822 cents an acre. In 1740 there was quite a settlement in the town, and in May of that year a town organiza- tion was formed, and measures adopted to settle a minister and build a meeting-house. The first minister was Rev. Solomon Palmer, who was ordained and settled in August, 1741. He lived at what is now known as the Oliver Burnham place.
He continued here until March, 1754, when from the pulpit, on the Sabbath, he announced himself an Episcopalian in sentiment, and asked for a dismission, which was granted. The next pastor was Rev. HEZEKIAH GOLD.
He came from Stratford, was educated at Yale College, and
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
settled here in 1756. He lived at the place now owned and occu- pied by Benjamin P. Johnson. At his installation Dr. David Bellamy of Bethlehem preached the sermon from Jeremiah iii, 15. Rev. John Graham of Southbury gave the charge to the pastor, and Rev. Daniel Brinsmade of Washington, the right-hand of fellowship.
He appears to have been a man of good ability and an acceptable preacher, and to have exerted quite an influence in the town, not only in its religious but also in its civil affairs.
He once or twice represented the town in the General Assembly of the State. He continued to preach until about 1786, when he retired from active ministerial labor, and died here in 1790, at fifty-nine years of age.
He had five sons, all of whom became prominent and influential men. Two of them only remained in this town, one, Hezekiah, settled on Cream Hill, the other, Benjamin, in South Cornwall, and we are all witnesses of, and can testify to, the good his descendants have done and are doing in this town.
During the first forty years of our town history, there was but one church and society in the town of the Congregational order. Their meeting-house stood very near the present residence of Jas. D. Ford. To that point, from all parts of the town, for about forty years, the tribes went up to worship God.
But it was not thus to continue. Then, as now, there were " many men of many minds." Saybrook platforms, church cove- nants, Congregational theories and customs, ecclesiastical connec- tions, and divers other matters, were exciting topics of discussion. Discussion led to action; action brought forth a division; and in 1780 the Second Ecclesiastical church and society of Cornwall came into being.
Soon after the separation the First Society moved their meeting- house to near where it now stands.
This society hired the Rev. John Cornwall, not to supply their pulpit, for they hadn't any, but to officiate as their pastor and teacher in things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven. They had no stated place of worship, and the meetings were held around at the houses of the members, being more often than elsewhere at the house of Mr. Cornwall, which was where Mr. Carrington Todd now resides.
Mr. Cornwall came from Branford, in this State, as did quite a number of the early settlers of this town. He was a poor boy, and
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
was bred to the trade of a shoemaker. In his family Bible there was this record in his handwriting: "Lived without God in the world until twenty years old." This would indicate that his con- version occurred at this date.
After Mr. Cornwall became a Christian he seems to have been possessed with the feeling of the great apostle when he exclaimed, " Wo is me if I preach not the gospel." He was a young man of much native ability, and he applied himself as diligently as his circumstances and means would permit to a preparation for the gospel ministry. While engaged in his daily labors as a shoe- maker he would have his book lying open before him, and thus his studies and his work went on together, and by a diligent use of his time he acquired means for, and obtained his education. In due time he was licensed to preach, and this church, in the early morn- ing of its existence, while recognizing Christ as the Great Shepherd, chose Mr. Cornwall as the under shepherd of the flock. It is re- ported of him that he was an earnest preacher, a warm-hearted Christian, a good man. In 1787, five years after its organization, the society having obtained the needful authority from the Gen- eral Assembly, made arrangements for, and proceeded to build a meeting-house. It stood where the school-house near Mr. John R. Harrison's now stands, and there, for many years, our fathers gathered to worship the Most High God.
It was for a number of years but little more than the shell of a building, with some kind of a rough floor, and rough, uncomfort- able seats. There was no lath or plaster, and it was often the case that while the worship was going on below the birds held high carnival and built their nests among the rafters overhead. The only railing around the gallery was some strips of timber standing upright, nailed on to the front, across the tops of which were nailed strips of boards. On one occasion, while the services were going on, a boy by the name of Job Simmons leaned his head down against this railing and soon feel asleep. When he had got fairly under way in a good sound nap, his head slipped from its support and pitching forward, he landed on the floor below. It was not as fatal as in the case of the young man who fell out of the window on one occasion when Paul was preaching. Job soon gathered himself up, order was restored, and the services went on as usual.
Mr. Cornwall remained here until about 1792, when he removed to and was settled as pastor over a church in Stamford, New York, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1812. Noah
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
Rogers the 4th married a daughter of his, and thus his (Mr. Cornwall's) blood runs in the veins of quite a number who are living in this society.
In those early days ecclesiastical matters were managed to a large extent by the town when in town meeting assembled. Thus in one instance we find the town voting, that we will unite to call and settle a serious, pious, godly, orthodox, and learned minister in the town, according to the rules of the gospel. In another instance they voted a tax of four pence on the pound upon all polls and ratable estate of the inhabitants of the town of Cornwall, to be collected forthwith, to be paid to Rev. Hezekiah Gold, Rev. John Cornwall, and to the missionary of the Church of England who hath preached to the inhabitants of this town the past year who are professors of the Church of England, and each individual person in the town may pay his proportionate part of said tax to the minister whose worship he attends-he or she giving the col- lector directions to which minister or candidate who officiates in the town, his or her proportion of said tax shall be paid. Noah Rogers 3d, was collector at this time.
About the year 1795 the Rev. Israel Holley was employed by the society, and he preached here for five or six years. He was an old man of nearly seventy years when he came here. Whence he came or whither he went I don't know. That he was a priest of the Most High God we have good reason to believe, for under his ministry occurred, so far as is now known, the first one in that series of revivals with which this church has been so signally favored. The questions here naturally arise, Who were the co- laborers with Mr. Holley in that revival ? Who were the men and who the women that in those early days held up the pastor's hands while the work of the Lord went on ? Who were they who offered the effectual, fervent prayer that called down the blessing ? Who were they that thus helped to lay the foundations of this church, sure and steadfast, on the unfailing promises of a covenant-keeping God ? There are no original records that give their names that can now be found. Our church manual gives the names of eleven males and two females who were members of the church at the time of its organization in 1780. They were James Douglass, who lived on Cream Hill, Phineas Waller and wife, who lived where Judson Adams now lives or near there, Noah Bull, Andrew Young, David and Hezekiah Clark, of Clark Hill, Elijah Steele, Berialı Hotchkin and wife, who resided where Mr. Jacob Scovill now
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
lives, Noah Rogers the 3d, Ethan Allen, and Jesse Hyatt, who lived in the house next south of that of Noah Rogers.
In 1784 five more were added to the church, viz., Mrs. Silas Dibble, Mrs. James Travis, Mrs. Samuel Scovill, Mrs. Uriel Lee, Joseph Wadsworth, and Mrs. Henry Fillmore, who was grand- mother of ex-President Millard Fillmore.
In 1789 and 1790 there were further additions of Mrs. Asa Emmons, Joseph Hotchkiss and wife, Mrs. Silas Clark, Mrs. Solomon Emmons, and Abigail Rogers (afterwards Mrs. Asahel Bradley of Stockbridge, Mass.). Thirty names, fourteen males and sixteen females, thus appear as having been members of the church from its organization in 1780 up to the time of the first general revival in 1795.
If there were any others, we know of no source from which their names can now be recovered. The "Lamb's Book of Life " will alone reveal them. How many of the thirty whose names we have, were left to help on that work of ninety-five we do not know, as removals and deaths had considerably lessened their number. But this much is evident, there were enough, so that meeting in the name of Christ, they could claim and secure the fulfillment of Christ's most precious promises. Those few disciples, whether more or less, were surely with one accord in one place, and that the place of prayer. They felt the need of a divine blessing-for that they prayed-and it came. Sinners were converted, additions were made to the church, and among the number then brought into this fold of Christ were Nathan Hart, James Wadsworth, Ichabod Howe, Thomas Hyatt, Thaddeus Cole, and others. Men who, clothing themselves in the armor of God, fought valiantly the good fight of faith, and on many a well-contested field, with the Great Adversary, were enabled, by the grace of God assisting them, to bear the banners of this church on to victory. Of all the number who composed the church at the beginning of this century none remain; all have passed the dark river, and, as we trust, they to-day worship in a "building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Rev. Mr. Holley remained here until about the year 1801. About twenty persons united with the church during his ministry.
The deacons of the church from 1780-when it was organized-to 1800, were Beriah Hotchkin and Phineas Waller. Mr. Hotchkin lived near where Mr. Jacob Scovill now resides. He was a man of much intellectual ability. About the year 1798 he removed to
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
Black River country, and was afterwards licensed to preach. He had a son who was also in the ministry. Mr. Waller filled the office of deacon with credit to himself and to the edification of the church.
He also removed into the western country about the year 1800. From the time Mr. Holley left in 1801 until 1805, we do not know who supplied the pulpit. We expect the people then, as now, were somewhat afflicted with deacons' meetings.
Hezekiah Clark and Jesse Hyatt were deacons at this time, having been chosen in 1800. Mr. Clark was quite gifted in ideas which he was able to communicate intelligently to others. Mr. Hyatt was a strong, substantial man, upon whom the church could lean with trust and confidence. In addition to the deacons, Eliakim Mallory and Noah Rogers the 3d were relied upon to a consider- able extent to sustain the meetings, although there were some of the younger members who were getting on the harness and aided in religious work and labor to some extent. In 1805 the church and society called the Rev. Josiah Hawes, of Warren, Conn., who was then a young man, to be their pastor. He accepted the invita- tion, and was installed March 14, 1805, on a salary of three hundred dollars. Rev. Mr. Starr of Warren preached the ordination sermon; Rev. Mr. Cornwall gave the charge to the pastor-elect, and Rev. Timothy Stone of the First Society gave the right-hand of fellowship.
Mr. Hawes occupied a house now owned by Theodore Ives, which stands a few rods north of the Burnham house.
The first written records of our church history that now exist commence immediately after Mr. Hawes came here. We conclude he stirred the people up to good works in that line, for just then we find, that by a vote of the church, a committee was appointed, consisting of Noah Rogers, Sr., Nathan Hart, David Clark, and Eliakim Mallory, who, in connection with the pastor, were to examine the church records and select such as they thought proper, and have them recorded in a book to be kept for that purpose. (The records up to this time seem to have been written on loose papers and kept in a file.) And what was the result of this ex- amination ? Simply this : the committee reported that " they had attended to the duties of their appointment, and that they did not deem it expedient to introduce into the book any transactions of a date previous to the settlement of Mr. Hawes."
They had the records on file, a few hours' writing would have put every important transaction that had occurred in the history
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
of the church up to that date into a permanent form, but they did not do it, and after a few years they were lost past recovery. We expect that committee had not searched through the musty records of a past age to ascertain what those who had gone before them had said or done, to the extent that some of us who are here to-day have done; if they had, they would never have passed a vote like that.
Mr. Hawes, during his ministry, kept a fair record of the trans- actions of the church, but from the time he left, except at brief intervals, they are very imperfect, and not at all what they should have been. In matters of this kind we are too apt to think only of the present, and the future is left to take care of itself.
Mr. Hawes recorded the names of those who were members of the church at the time of his settlement in 1805. They are as follows:
Noah Rogers, Sen. (3), Eliakin Mallory and wife,
Hezekiah Clark,
David Clark,
Wife of Joseph Ford,
Jesse Hyatt and wife,
Wife of Philo Hawes,
Nathan Hart and wife,
Mrs. Silas Clark,
Abigail Hart, widow of John Hart,
Thaddeus Cowles and wife, Titus Hart,
Wife of Asa Emmons,
Ichabod Howe,
Ira Gleason,
Silas Meacham,
Wife of Joseph Hotchkin.
Mrs. Samuel Scovill, Sen.,
Mrs. Samuel Scovill, Jr.,
Wife of Capt. Williams, Clarissa Irene Rogers,
The whole number, so far as we can discover, who had belonged to the church from its organization to this date (1805) was forty- eight persons.
Twenty five (twelve males and thirteen females) only remained when Mr. Hawes was settled. In the winter of 1806-7, there was another revival of religion, which was very general throughout the society, and the result of it was an addition of fifty-two mem- bers to the church. Among them were James Wadsworth and wife (Mr. Wadsworth was a subject of the revival in 1795, but did not unite with the church until this time), Joel Millard and wife, Elias Hart and wife, Capt. Hezekiah Gold and wife, Eliakim Mallory, Jr., and wife, James D. Ford, James Bunce, and others. For more than twenty years this church, comparatively weak in numbers and in financial strength, but strong in faith, had struggled with difficulties, beset with dangers without and fears within, until at length a blessing came wlrich filled their hearts with a new joy and caused them to sing aloud of the goodness and mercy of God.
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
From twenty-five they were at once increased to seventy-five in number, and a new life and power was infused into the whole body.
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