USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Cheshire > History of Cheshire, Connecticut, from 1694-1840, including Prospect, which, as Columbia parish, was a part of Cheshire until 1829; > Part 3
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
to provide "some convenient piggins," or wooden buckets, to be always filled and ready for use if "from any cause" a fire should break out.
When the guard went out to battle with Indians, they usually wore a thick canvas coat heavily wadded with cotton wool, and "quilted fitt for service," as a defence against Indian arrows, and the town went so far as to "order" every man who went out into "ye wilderness" to have and to wear such a coat; and "ye tail- ors about ye town shall consider and advise how to make them, and take care thatt they be done without unnecessary delay."
This public care for the safety of every member of the com- munity was no doubt considered onerous by the young and ven- turesome spirits, and we find numerous cases where severe dis- cipline was meted out to offenders. They were whipped and placed in the stocks, for what we should consider very trivial causes, but in times of public danger, in the early days, our fore- fathers were stern and unrelenting. Any order they considered it was necessary to make in their public councils, commanded the obedience of all, until it was repealed, or its enforcement ren- dered unnecessary.
The condition of armed watchfulness continued until the fall of the following year ; when, King Philip being dead, and the Indians who had committed so many ravages in the Massachu- setts and Connecticut valleys had been so severely chastised, it was believed the danger was about over ; so in town meeting Oct. 2d, 1676, "Itt was agreed thatt all the labor thatt has been be- stowed upon ye fortifications, shall be warned, and no account be made about them."
In other words, the people were to consider themselves amply repaid for their labor, by the protection they had been afforded ; and that as all had engaged in the defence, no one person should claim any pay for the services he or she had rendered for the public defence.
We are not to assume that our ancestors during all this time had neglected their individual or town affairs. They arranged for the improvement of the breed of their "cattell and sheepe and hogs." Their horses were allowed to run in the woods and
33
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
it was ordered "thatt whosoever shall bring in horses out of the woods, and after they have taken out whatt they see cause, do not drive back the rest a mile onward of the walk from whence they fetched them, shall be liable to pay all damage that may arise through their neglect." They also ordered that the own- ers of "cattell should pay for any damage done by those beasts," and that "two men whom the town shall appoint" should deter- mine, "what Hoggs shall be yoked and ringed, and what hogs have no need soe to be." They determined also in their town meetings the "plantings," and who should be of the planting com- panies sent to the common fields, to sow or reap the grain; and in all things paternally overlooked carefully all public matters, and generally also many of the private concerns of the towns- people.
The Indian troubles recalled to the planters of Wallingford the necessity of regularly establishing a church and building a meeting house. They had been worshipping in different houses, where John Harriman, a layman, preached to them for the first two or three years. Then they invited the Rev. Samuel Street to settle and become their pastor. He had been serving in that capacity for several years but the meeting house which was "voated" had not yet been erected. The Indian wars, and other heavy expenses for defenses, had prevented the planters from building a suitable house for the worship of God. Now, how- ever, it was determined at least that the church itself should be established, and as nothing could be done without the consent of all the inhabitants, this important matter was settled by ap- pointing the "pillars" or persons who were charged with the de- tails of the establishment.
This record, which reads as follows, is here inserted, as an ex- ample set by our ancestors, of the reverent way they proceeded in all their religious enterprises.
"Att a lawful and full meeting of ye inhabitants of ye towne of Wallingford, and upon ye 15th Day of ye 2d month (April) inst., 1676, itt was ordred and enacted by ye towne, that as there had been conference about establishing a church of Christ in ye aforsaid towne and allso a solemn day set apart and celebrated
34
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
by ye towne unanimously, to seek God's guidance in so great a work, they have now allso all freely and unanimously concluded, if it be the will of God that there shall be a Church of Christ gathered, and to walk according to ye Congregational way, and have also all freely and unanimously left ye management of ye same in ye hands of ye persons whose names are underwritten, thatt if it be ye will of God to incline their hearts, so many of them as may be a competent number for that great work, may in his time lay ye foundation.
Mr. Moss Lieut. Merriman
Eliasaph Preston
Mr. Samll Street
Sergt Doolittle John Hall Senr
Mr. Brockett
John Beach John Hall Jr
Thomas Yale
Nehemiah Royce
Nathan Andrews Benj. Lewes"
It does not appear that this church formation resulted in any very active efforts being made to provide a house of worship ; although men were chosen to fix the site, determine the size, and procure materials, it was five years or more before a structure "28 foot long, 24 foot broade, and tenn foot between ye grown sill and wall plate " was erected. The inhabitants were poor, they could not command sufficient means to pay for the mechanical labor required, and the lands they had already laid out and had under cultivation barely afforded them a scanty subsistence.
They now determined to make a second division of their lands, and at the town meeting of December 27, 1686, "The town agree to Divide and distribute in our 2nd Division as followeth: Thatt there shall be a lott cast, who shall first make his choice and soe by lott shall all have their choice ; as thus: The first choice shall take but halfe his proportion of land of his first division, and soe shall lay out to every man half his proportion of each man's first division, and then for the 2nd part of the 2nd Division. He that had his last lott, in the first part of the 2nd Division shall have his first choice. And soe the rest follow successively. This was a vote of ye Town. Ye Severall proportions or quantities of
-- -
--- --
-----
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
acres thatt falls by Right unto each Planter according to the Town's Agreement by which they would lay out ye 2nd Division, according to Ranks, Heads, and Estates is as followeth.
Sixty-six persons drew lots, and the land allotted to a Planter in the "Hiest" rank was 333 acres. To one in the "Meadle" Rank 222 acres, and to a planter of the "Loest" Rank 166 acres.
This 2nd Division disposed of nearly all the land north and west of the Long Highway to "Middletown bownds," and from the record made we learn that the Town of Wallingford has nearly doubled in population.
"At a meeting held on January 20th, 1686, a parcell or certain tract of land the town reserved for the admission of more Plant- ers Lieng on ye west side of ye River Beginning at ye common Field by ye Mill,I and running westward until it comes over ye Broad Swamp and from thence on a North line to the River and so from thence to Nathaniel Hows Medow and then running along by the edge of ye Hill until they come over against the New Mill Hiways excepted, and twenty Rodds from the River excepted."
1136968
This reservation extended from the present Yalesville three or more miles westward, then North to the River and back again to Yalesville Mill. It covered all the Northwestern part of the town now known as Cheshire and Cheshire Street, with a part of the present territory of the town of Meriden.
Not long before this reservation had been made "It was voated Thatt Doctor John Hull of Derby and two of his sons be ad- meated Planters on condition hee and ye Town agrees."
After the 2nd Division had been made, these new "Heads" ap- pear on the List, recorded as follows in a town meeting held May 5, 1687.
"The Town granted to Doctor John Hull of Derby and two of his sons, as a part of their first Division, the whole being two hundred and three score acres. Each of them six acres for a house lott a little above ye common field, leaving sufficient hie- ways, and soe much joyning to it as will make three score acres Also twenty acres on the back side of the Round Hill, part of it I Yalesville.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
in the common field and 40 acres in the lower end of the Broad Swamp. Also 100 acres at the beginning of the Bare Hills on both sides of the Brook."
"The allotment of five hundred acres of land to Dr. John Hull and his two sons was followed the next year, 1688, by the Towns- men and Recorder being impowered to issue the matter about Doctor Hull's Divisions of land we doe agree that he may have liberty to take up 520 acres 2nd Division land to him and two of his sons in any unlaid out land that lies for the 2nd Division, excepting that tract of land reserved for ye receaving of more Planters and we leave itt with Ensign Thomas Yale and Thomas Curtis to regulate them in their 40 acres which they have to take up, and if they see cause to give them liberty to take some of their 2nd Division land in that tract of land reserved for ad- mitting more Planters."
The Falls Plain Division of land came next, sixty-five lots be- ing laid out February 19th, 1689, at "ye head of ye Falls Plaine."I They were laid out for "home lotts" "on a Hieway tow (2) rods broade" and a quarter of a mile long, "two tiers" of lots. Those on the east side extended from "ye hieway to the River," and the lots on the west side extended "to ye Hills." Each lot contained
ISouth Hanover, Town of Meriden.
NOTE-The following action was taken by the town, which looks as if they had decided to have a little village of their own, at the bend of the river, where Hanover is now located.
"Att a Lawful Town Meeting Feby 19th, 1689-90 The town voted thatt the Falls Plain shall be cast lots for and laid out according to the written platform or Map :: The lots being cast each man's lot is as followeth : : Feby 19th, 1689-90.
"The town voted thatt the Destribution of ye Falls Plain shall be ac- cording to ye List of Estates in ye present List : : and Heds to be allowed att ten pounds per head : Male and Female."
The map contained memoranda evidently correcting errors, which have been eliminated from the map here given. The surveyor made very close calculations. He widened or lengthened the lots as he laid them out, so that as near as possible every lot contained about the same quantity of Land.
It does not appear that any who drew lots in the Falls Plain built houses there or turned them into "home lots." The "hieway" became later a "Country road."
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
FALLS PLAIN DIVISION.
32 Joshua Culver
Clark
February 19H 16 99
Now Hanover and South Meriden
Henry Cook
3.Thomas Hazz
29 Samuel Browne Samuel Cook Sur
Ye North END
28
West Side
33 Samuel Roise
27. Nathaniel Royce
34 John Alwater
26 John Non55
25 Joseph Benhan
35 Sant Einer Street 36 Walter Johnson
24 Noth? Merriman
Jr.
23 William Cole
37 John Mowzitter 38 Roger Piler
21 Joseph Thomson
39 John Ives deceast
20 Eliasaph Preston
40 Nathaniel Roice.
19 Eléazur Peck
Al Samael Manson
18 Ebenezer Clark
42 .Joseph Howitzer
13 Ruth Lothrop Widee
16 Nathan Andrews
snr
44 MY John Brockitz Sur
15 Sam? Cook Jr
46 Zast Beach
14. Simon Tallell
46 William Fonathe
13 Abram Towlintel
47 Joseph Roice
12 John. Moss S-
48 Even Lewis
Il Thomas Vaile
49 Mister Street
Sn John Peck
10 Benj" Holt-
9 Nathe How
32. DoctriJohn HzzZZs.
53 Send Merriman.
54. Thomas Beach
7 Samuel Street-
SS Sant Brockett.
6 Samuel Thorp
56 John Herriman
5 James Westwood
MUNSON
68 Thomas Curtis
6 Ensam Sam2 Andrews
59 Darrive Mix"
3 Samuel Hall :
60 John Jazz Sur
61 .Joseph Holz
2 John Hitchcock
62 Seret Qbr2 Dowlibel Jr.
I John Parker.
63 Joseph Benham SP
64 John Bear 65 David HatZ. Wecome Southvando 30 Vido from the brook on this side hethuis Hows meados au This is a reserve in case we chat evet on shot on tivo at last
Laid out on a "Hieway" tour rods broade" Two tiers of Lots- Those in the East side extended to the Quinnipiac River and the lots on the west side extended to the Hills. Each lot Contained from 32h 4 cores. Reduced from Original-
New Haven Bast River
Quinnipiack River
East Side
Samuel Cooke
Thorp
HIGHWAY
8 Edward Fenn
Cooke
17 Jeremiah How
22 Hugh Chappel.
31
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
from 31/2 to 4 acres of land. This division is now known as Han- over in the south part of the town of Meriden.
Scarcely had this division been made when the French and their Indian allies from Canada began to make war upon the English settlements of the Connecticut valley, and within two weeks the town ordered a fort to be built around the barely com-
0
Q Fortified House 16/9
pleted meeting house. This war lasted eleven years, and while danger was always imminent the planters of Wallingford, by rea- son of extra precautions escaped having any of their townsmen cut off by prowling bands of Indians, and carried into captivity to Canada. Many incautious persons in neighboring towns were thus either massacred, or carried off ; and in view of such depre- dations the town "Voated that settlements beyond ye Blew hills might not be made except ye persons desireing to goe, goe in Companys of eight or more men, with propper arms." It was also declared "thatt men who goe to ye west farmsI shall not goe until an hour after sunrise, and shall come back an hour befoar ye sun shall sett ;" "and shall bear armes."
While the French from Canada were harassing the English settlements, another division of land was made by the town of
I Cheshire.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Wallingford called in the records the "Cleared Plain Division." It distributed some land along the river, and north of the present town towards Yalesville where a new mill had been erected.
For some years before this, sundry planters having land al- lotted to them in the several Devisions had obtained "liberty of ye town" to exchange with each other their near at home out- lands, for other land they deemed more desirable for cultivation. They would "goe in parties of eight" with "propper armes into ye wilderness," and finding a suitable spot for their purpose, would plant corn, cut hay, fell timber, and do other farm work, protecting themselves at night in rude log forts, if they found themselves at too great a distance from the town to return there before sunset. Previous to the troubles with the French, a num- ber of these small parties had explored the neighborhood of Wallingford, and the records inform us that the earliest of these expeditions was to the westward of the Blew Hills, across the "New Haven East River" to the valley of the Mill River, "thatt goeth toward ye New Haven bownds."
This region was appropriately named "Ye Fresh Meddow" and was favorably known, as early as 1676-1680 to the adventurous planters and their brave full grown sons who assisted them in gathering hay and cutting pipe staves in this part of the Wal- lingford settlement. Later it was called the "West farms," and surveyors Curtice and Yale were authorized to "lay out" lands to such persons who chose to take up their 2d Division land, for similar allotments in the undivided lands on the "west side of ye Great River over by ye West Rocks."
A "lay out" of land did not permit the planter to locate him- self and his family upon the land thus "layed out" to him. It simply gave him a prior right to the particular spot he had chosen as suitable for him or his sons to cultivate and improve when the war clouds should have passed over.
A copy of one of these early "lay outs" finds an appropriate place in these pages from the fact that it was issued to Lieut. Samuel Hall, grandfather of the Rev. Samuel Hall, the first pastor of the church in Cheshire. It is as follows :
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Layed out for Left. Samuel Hall his second choyce of his second devision and it Lyeth adjoining to his first choyce so yt now both are one piece."
"Beginning at a white oak tree standing on ye East side of ye river called Nuhaven Mill River about 25 Rodds from ye River half a mile above Scots Rock: from thence Westward 132 Rods to a stone yt lyeth in ye line between Samuel Cook and ye said Samuel Hallı and from thence Southward half a mile above Scots Rock2 and from thence westward 132 Rods to a stone yt lyeth in ye line Between Samll Cook and ye above said Samll Hall and from thence southward half a mile to a black oak Tree ; this tree standeth westward from ye square line 42 Rodds. From this Tree Eastward 85 Rodds then gets away South 120 Rodds to a chesnut tree and then Eastward 80 Rodds to ye first square line yt cometh from ye first station. It is on ye East side of ye Mill River-for by reason of ye crookedness of ye river ye East Line crosseth ye River to ye Weast side of ye River 40 Rodds before we come to ye Southeand of our measure so we sett off from ye streight line 16 rods to a chesnut Tree yt stands on ye
IThis Samuel Hall was a "Dish turner," and he is the man to whom the following vote refers. "January 19th, 1691-92 ye town voted to allow Deken Samll Hall tenn shillings for turning ye ballesters for ye pues."
2"Scots Rock" mentioned twice in the foregoing "lay out" is located in the south part of the town of Cheshire (somewhat more than half a mile north of the New Haven line on the farm of the late Alonzo Brooks). It was known by that name at the time of the settlement of Wallingford.
When the men from Hartford settled at Farmington, prominent among them was one Thomas Scott, father of Edmund Scott. The Colony of Hartford chose him in 1639 "to goe and explore ye countrie" at Farm- ington "and other parts to ye southward and westward." A son of this Edmund Scott, one Joseph Scott (who had frequently accompanied his father from Farmington to New Haven, through this region), was ex- ploring the Tunxis Valley in 1666, and being captured by Indians was for a time held for ransom in the neighborhood of this rock. Afterwards men from Farmington came down by the Indian trail (then called "ye New Haven path") and encamped at the rock described to them by Scott upon his return from captivity. Thereafter Scott's name was always men- tioned when this rock was alluded to and his adventure was no doubt well known to the Wallingford surveyors when they laid out land in this neighborhood.
4I
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
East side of ye Mill River so yt the South end of this farm is 96 rodds wide and holds yt bredth 40 Rodds northward thence East to ye streight line againe so yt this farm lyeth for two hundred and thirteen acres more or less there is allowances for necessary highways.
"By Thomas Curtiss Survaer. "Aprill ye 4th, 1688."
It will be observed that the foregoing lay out of land to Left Samll Hall, was adjoining his "first choyce" of land in this part of Cheshire ; and, as he was a "Middle Rank" man he must have had something like three hundred and sixty acres "layed out" to him upon the Mill river.
A year before this-1687-Samuel Hall's brother, John Hall, had one hundred and eleven acres of land laid out to him, "upon a plaine, above ye rock," commonly called "Scot's Rock."
Other "West Farmers" are mentioned as having more or less land laid out to them in the south part of the present town, but this example of the way it was done will explain the mode of pro- cedure in the distribution of common lands to the proprietors of the town of Wallingford.
In like manner, but three or four years after the "Fresh Med- does" were frequented, land was laid out to planters who had gone up the river to the Northward of the "Falls Plain Division," but we have no record of any settlement at the "North Farms" until after the war with the French and Indians. In fact, the pa- ternal government in Wallingford would not permit such sparse settlements either there or elsewhere until they felt confident that their settlement would not be molested.
In 1694, the French and their Indian allies had been very ac- tive in the northern part of New England, committing many de- predations, but after burning several towns, and slaughtering many defenceless people, were so badly whipped by the English in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, that they retired into Canada, and transferred their operations to the exposed settle- ments of the English in Northern New York. Connecticut be- came comparatively safe, and in consequence our people could de-
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
velop the lands in their township, undisturbed by savage or French foes. Accordingly, at a town meeting held April 24th, 1694, "Sargeant Thomas Curtis, and Ebenezer Clark were chos- en to goe and perambulate ye bownds between New Haven and Wallingford on ye west side of ye river to the end of our bounds" and at the same meeting the town empowers "ye Deputys to search the public records (at Hartford) to know whether the grant of the 'Generall Courte' to Wallingford Township, or ye grant of Waterbury Township, be ye eldest, and to make return to ye town."
The Waterbury grant was several years later than that of Cheshire, but the Hartford Court claimed the Farmington In- dian purchases, and had laid out to Waterbury some land that Wallingford had, in 1685, bought from the Indian sachem, who was then making trouble about it in the Northwestern corner of "Wallingford town bownds." For some years these boundary questions kept cropping up, occasioning in some cases quarrels and bloodshed, until the Generall Courte took such matters in charge and called out surveyors to authoritatively settle all such vexing questions.
It was some of these boundary troubles that delayed the "lay- ing out of their lands" to those who had received allotments in the Second Divisions. After the surveyors had done their work and given their certificate to the planter, the latter had to get two of the "Townsmen" (men in authority), to sign his "lay out" of land, before it could be recorded upon the "Land Record Book." It frequently happened that after a "lay out" had been made by one of the surveyors, the other surveyor would be asked to "lay out" some land for another planter. This last surveyor, not be- ing aware that another surveyor had been over that ground, would run his lines sometimes so that his "lay out" would cut into, or surround the land laid out to the Planter employing the first surveyor. It is not to be supposed that our ancestors were so rigidly moral as not to take advantage of their neighbors, in- deed we find frequently to the contrary ; and in these surveys, it often happened that men had land "surveyed" to them, knowing that another man had been in those parts, and had had laid out
43
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
to him an especially fine plot of ground. Then would follow a dispute to be settled either in town meeting or by a Committee. As our ancestors never took from each other anything that was out of their reach, the records sometimes indicate that there were Planters in Wallingford who had a very long "reach." As a rule, however, they most always gave up any unlawful possession, and the business of clearing up the wilderness and preparing the ground for tillage went rapidly forward from the time that the two men were chosen to "goe and perambulate ye bounds" on the west side of the river. The "widoe" Doolittle had been given 25 acres of Second Division land, and by town vote April, 1694, she was "to take itt up on ye back side of ye blew Hills joyning to New Haven line-nott to come within a quarter of a mile of ye west end of ye river lotts, and ye timber is to be common." The widow, no doubt, soon had company on the west side of the Blew Hills, for March 26th, 1695, the town voted "two substantial bridges." One of these was located at Yalesville; and the other at "Goat poynt"-"or at Sergt Doolittles castway, at ye best place between ym tow." On the 30th of March, 1697, "The town chose John Parker and John Hitchcock to settle what high- ways are needful to ye Fresh medow, and ye Mill River yt runs to New Haven Mill."I Within three months after this appoint- ment, one of these men, John Hitchcock "asks liberty" from the
IOn the land Records of Wallingford the first evidence to be found of a grant of land within the present area of Cheshire is the one to John Moss, Senior. He was the venerable pillar of the church, and one of the four men chosen by the New Haven committee to manage the affairs of the village when it was first established. He had also been active and efficient in the public business of the town and it is probably because of his many services that we find the following record:
"1677-8. The townsmen grant 77 acres to John Moss Senior acros ye 'Tenn Mile River'
Abraham Dowlittel, Thomas Yale,
Test: Joseph Houlte, Recorder." Townsmen.
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