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 5
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In 1718 some speculators from Massachusetts entered into an agreement to reopen the mines within eight years (on a five hun- dred year lease), and there is no doubt that they were prepared for mining operations on a scale which would determine the value of any copper ore that might be found concealed in the earth in the town of Wallingford. Accordingly the Court at Hartford appointed three commissioners for the town of Wal- lingford and four other commissioners (well known men) on the part of the court for the term of two years or during the pleasure of the assembly-with power to wind up the business if it was found unprofitable, etc.
Great expectations were indulged in by the Hartford court and the Wallingford people that these mines would yield large profits ; and particularly confident was Mr. Matthew Bellamy, who sent, in October, 1721-2, to the General Assembly the fol- lowing petition: "That as your petitioner is living within the township of Wallingford and living very near the place where the miners are at work where there is many of them and especyally will be many more and there being no other person within six or seven miles that can well find them entertainment except your Petitioner whereupon your petitioner with the next owners of ye mines prayeth your petitioner may have a lycense by an act of this Assembly to keep a hous of entertainment that so your Petitioner may without danger provide for and enter- tain the miners and others as need shall require and your peti- tioner to be under ye same penalty as other persons that are lycensed by the Assembly Courte." ,
This petition is about all the evidence we have that the mines in the south and east part of the present town of Cheshire were worked, with a force of men sufficient to bring to the surface any valuable mineral that might be found.
Matthew Bellamy was a relative of Joshua Culver, and being "a good weever," the town (as an inducement for Bellamy to settle in Wallingford) gave him in 1703 "twenty-five acres of
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
land," later the town gave him "fifteen acres more;" to which "Goodman Culver" added "tenn more acres to my Cozen Mather Bellomy, in addition to what ye town gave him." This farm is described as lying upon "ye east side of ye Fresh Meadow brook, nere ye hiway ;" and was bounded "East by ye East bank of ye brook, and west by Culver his land."
This locates Mr. Bellamy as between the brook and what is now Cook Hill to the eastward, where adjoining each other Samuel Cook and Joshua Culver owned considerable land. As Bellamy says in his petition that he was "living near the place where the miners were at work," it is reasonably certain that the mines were first operated in the southeastern part of the present town of Cheshire. It was probably to the northward and eastward of Bellamy's place where the copper was first taken out, and after that, explorations must have been general all over those hills until the final failure of Mr. Belcher in 1723 and 1724. There is no evidence that copper was mined in this region previous to 1711-12.
It is, of course, impossible at this date to ascertain exactly the location of the copper mine discovered in 1711-12 by John Par- ker, but there is good reason to believe that it was in the south- east part of the town of Cheshire upon the earliest "hiway," that of 1692. That highway crossed the Mill River, and continued some distance north, giving access to the region in the neighbor- hood of Scott's rock.
The mines may be more nearly located by a deed given in 1716 by Thomas Matthews, who sells to William Merriam his "house, fruit trees, fences, etc., bounded north by Hiway, east by Highway or common land, south part on John Parker his land and part of land I bout (bought) of John Johnson, Jr., also a piece I bought of Thomas Richason and it lyeth neare ye mines, 20 acres more or less, bounded by land formerly of Samuell An- drews, north and west by Goodman Clark and the other parts by town land." He also sells to Merriam a piece of 17 acres: "It lyeth north side ye hiway which lyeth north end of Goodman John Parker's farm on ye fresh meddoe beginning at a stake, etc." and concludes : "It lyeth on ye west side ye mines on ye
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
south side Thomas Richason, 68 rods in length, 20 rods in bredth."
There can be, therefore, but little doubt that the earliest dis- covery of copper was in the lower southeast part of the present town. The above description would appear to locate it, to the westward of the Cook's Hill road of 1697 and south of the road ordered in 1692. The exact locality cannot be determined with- out an exhaustive examination of the ancient records.I
That the operations were abandoned within a few years is made evident by the following record of a "Proprietors meeting held in Wallingford june ye 23 :1723."
"Voated and agreed yt where as Mr. William Patridge and Mr. Jonathan Belsher : Did formerly hire our mines as will ap- pear by articles more fully described there in: said Patrig and said Belsher not performing ye covenants in said articles con- serning said mines: the proprietors do authorize and impower Capt. John Hall of Wallingford in his Majesties colloney of Con- nectycutt in New England: to render and deliver up said arti- cles on our part : and Demand and receive of said Patrig and Belsher or either of yem the Articles on their part reciprocally to be Delivered up according to ye covenants :
" :: We ye said proprietors do impower the said Captn John Hall to act for us : : as he would for himself in such a case : and to im- power such person or persons as he shall think fitt in this weighty affaire :__ "
The proprietors of Wallingford, after this experiment in min- ing, appointed a permanent committee of five persons to "act in their behalfe in all matters and conserns about said mines ;" and this committee, and "the proprietors by their voat;" a few months later chose a committee to sign new articles with Mr. Bel- sher of Boston, and others (living in England) associated with him. It would seem that this new company did not do much mining work; for we find upon the records a vote "that said
IThese mines should not be connected with the Golden Parlor Mining company, of twenty years later, organized in Meriden. That company mined for copper at "Ye Red Rocks" and thereabouts in the north part of the then town of Wallingford.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Belsher shall enjoy his half part of said mines : in case he pays tenn pounds yearly to ye proprietors of Wallingford"-and they will not take any forfeiture proceedings, against him "if he pays promptly."
Mr. Belsher probably did not pay for more than the current year and then we find another committee appointed to "manage ye whole affaire," make "new leases," etc., but no company appears as the successors of the previous mining concerns. Since these early attempts to obtain copper in the town of Wallingford, quite a number of individuals have periodically (up to the years within the memory of many persons now living) spent a great deal of money in expensive operations ; all resulting in failures more or less disastrous, and it is not believed that the mines will ever be profitably reopened.
There is no doubt that the discovery of copper mines in the neighborhood of the "West Farms" gave a great impetus to mi- gration from the town center to the region of "ye Fresh Med- does" and it is ascertained that some ten or twelve years before this mining boom, frame houses were erected and neighborhood settlements made on the several roads layed out by "voat" of the town to the "West Farms."
It was at this period that the increasing numbers of inhabi- tants caused the Proprietors of Wallingford to "voat" another "Devision of land" which was a matter of great moment to the farmers on the north and on the west side of the river. The meetings were frequent and every precaution was taken in the "voats" to assure the Devision of this land to "ye Proprietors" and their "hairs." It was again distinctly affirmed that only "proprietors" admitted as such, should be permitted to have a "Lott in this Devision," and not "ye inhabetants, or ye other men, who owned land that they had purchest;" and that "one haire only shall pitch for one propriety."
A very necessary precaution ; because, before this time, dis- putes had arisen as to the rights of heirs; the oldest boy claim- ing the right to a "pitch;" and when he got the land, taking a double share of it; and locating his double share on the most
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
available portion without much, if any regard, to the rights of mother, brothers or sisters who shared with him in the "pitch."
On the 16th of June, 1714, The Proprietors of Wallingford "voted and agreed that they will have their land sited" (sur- veyed ).
"Att ye same meeting ye Proprs voated and agreed yt ye Rule shall be for laying out this land to ye Loer Rank sixty acres. Ye Middell Rank ninety acres Ye Upper Rank six score acres (120 acres )."
Up to the year 1714 the Proprietors of Wallingford had al- lotted their land as follows:
To each High rank man, or his hairs, 476 acres.
To each Middell Rank man, or his hairs 357 acres.
To each Loer Rank man, or his hairs 238 acres.
This had been done upon a basis of 40 acres to the Lower rank, 60 acres to the Middle rank and 80 acres to the Highest rank.
At the meeting held on June 16th, 1714, this rule was en- larged but was substantially the same as in the former divisions ; giving to the higher rank twice as much as to the lower rank, and to the middle rank one-half more than to the lower rank.
Att ye same meetin : Itt was
"Agreed and voted yt ye land shall be layed out in teers half a mille course & one wide the first teer to flank upon ye North West line of the bounds & run from ye chestnut trees North Eastward until it comes to farmington bounds or corner & then a highway to run through : from ye one end of ye teere : to the other : & then theere shall be another parelall teere eastward of ye sd highway of ye same bigness of the former & then a highway againe of ye same bignes, length & bredgth with ye former: & so ye teer shall run in ye same order & highways bettween them all until all ye land is taken up yt is in ye maine body of land that lyeth together undivided & if there be not land enough in ye tract to give every proprietor his proportion according to agreement : then they shall have it out of other broken and undivided land.
"Agreed also yt ye lots shall be Drawn & cast in this order
"Beginning at ye south end of ye west teere & so run Northwd
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
until ye teere is out : & then to begin at ye south end of ye next teere and so to proceed in ye same order until all yt teere be taken up & then if any Lotts be wanting they shall be taken up out of ye other Broken undivided lands as it may be convenient, Agreed allso yt no rocks or land yt is the most of yt rock & so of no vallew shall be Divided, butt if any such fall in teers they shall not be mesured into lots that matter about ye rocks to be left to ye sizers : and after all ye land of ye teers are taken up if any lots are wanting they shall be layed out in this order to begin att ye south end of ye bounds nere the teere & run Northward-and turne about eastward into ye broken land as ye sizers and mesurers shall think convenient until all ye Lotts are layed out, agreed allso that ye high ways shall be six rods wide, and all Dificultye about rocks or swamps or other impedyments that may hapen in ye high ways the suvaiers & sizers shall have power to regulate by turning the highway a little out of a streight corse as it may be convenient, Agreed also that there shall be a hundred acres of land reserved for such use as ye pro- prietors see cause to put itt to near ye middel of ye second teer."I
"At the same meeting the proprietors chose Sargt Robart Roys & Sargt Saml Hall with ensigne Joseph Curtice to be sizers & measurers of this land and any two of them to act with ye surveir of his quarter."
"The survey in ye laying out ye land shall take care to set out propper hiways to ye lands they shall hereafter lay out."
"Att ye same meeting it was votted & agreed that ye commit- tee that are to settle highways shall have power to Despose of ye proprietors lands to make recompense for what they take of any particular mens property in lands."
"At ye same meeting William Tyler and others Demanded of ye Proprietors a right in ye undivided lands : : and to come in for a Devision with ye Proprietors in ye Devision now to be layed out."
IThe land here voted to be surveyed, comprised what is now nearly half of the town of Prospect, and nearly all of the western half of the present town of Cheshire, more particularly West Cheshire and Mixville.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Votted by ye Proprietors that they will not admitt thare claim nor allow yem to have any devision amongst us because we judge they have no legal or equitable right."
"Mather How forbids any laying out of land untill they have had a tryall."
The claims of Mr. Wm. Tyler, John Tyler, Edward Fenn, Hugh Chappel, Mather How and "ye hairs of Doctor Hull Decest" was based upon their belief that notwithstanding they had sold some of their Proprietary lands; they were still en- titled to full rights in whatever land still remained to be divided. The difficulty was settled at a subsequent meeting, at which it was "voated and agreed" that the persons above mentioned "shall have halfe a Devision in all oure undivided lands that yett Remain to be layed out. Itt is to be understood that they shall have proportionally according to what Rank they are of :: And this agreement to be a finally ishew about lands :past, present and to come."
"And Capt. Thomas Yale was chosen moderator att ye sd meet- ing : : at ye same metting ye proprietors drew or cast lotts & they fell as followeth-
A
Order
Lot drawn
drawn
IO John Atwater . 52
40 John Astin ( (Austin) 42
50 Joseph Andrews ..... 38 (for Abernathy see Ebnatha)
B
5 Ye hairs of John Brockit 9
37 Samuel Brockit 18
43 Ye hairs of Joseph Benham Senr 4
. . 48 Ye hairs of Joseph
Benham Jr. 8 51 Thomas Beach .. 24 53 Ye hairs of John Beach 44
C
Order Lot drawn drawn
9 Isaac Curtis 49
25 Ensign Curtise 4I
31 Joshua Culver 20
34 Ye hairs Samuel Cook 33
46 Ebenezer Clark . .. 52 Ye hairs of Henry Cook 29
43
58 Hugh Chaphill (Chap- pell) 58
D
13 Abraham Dooittle I6
49 John Doolittle 6
54 Ye hairs of Abraham Doolittle 34
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
E
Order
Lot
drawn drawn
45 Ye hairs of Wm. Eb-
natha
27
F
60 Edward ffen 60
H
8 Jeremiah How II
II Mr. John Hall
2I
12 Capt. Samll Hall 15
16 Ye hairs of Thomas
Hall
26
17 Ye hairs of John Hall Senr 22
22 Ye hairs of William
Holt
40
27 Ye hairs
of
Doctr
Hulls Senr 54
32 John Hitchcock 46
39 David Hall
37
4I Ye hairs of Zachh How 5
47 Samuel Hough
7
42 Nathaniel How I 55 Ye hairs of Joseph
Holt 55
59 Mather How 59
6I Ye hairs of Doctor
Hulls
6I
I
24 Ye hairs of John Ives 19
L
35 Ye hairs of John Lathrup 50
M
Order
Lot
drawn
drawn
4 Ye hairs of John Moss 32
6 Ye hairs of
Nath1
Merriman
13
3I
19 Capt John Merriman
20 Ye hairs
of
Samll
Munson
45
28 John Moss 35
36 Daniel Mix 47
38 Ye assigns
Mercy
Moss
30
P
18 Ye hairs of Eliasaph
Preston
I7
23 John Peck 36
29 Eliazur Peck 25
30 John Parker 5I
A.
R
14 Ye hairs of Samll Roys 53 -
15 Ye hairs of Neheh Roys 23 26 Ensigne Roys ..... IO 44 Robert Roys (or Royce) 14
S
I Mr Samll Street 12
7 Samll Thorp 2
21 Ye hairs of Joseph
Thomson 3
33 Roger Tyler 39
56 John Tyler 56
57 William Tyler
57
W
2 Mr Samll Whittlesey .. 28
3 Thomas Yale ..... 48
Total 61 lots
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
In this drawing for lots, it will be observed that the total was sixty-one "Propriety rights," then existing as represented in the list that was entered upon the Wallingford book.
By a comparison of this list, with those of 1701 and 1712-14, we perceive that quite a number of original and early proprietors had sold out or abandoned their rights, and their names are no longer found. We may therefore accept this list as that of all persons representing every legal proprietary right in the town of Wallingford.
Another list made ten years later (1724) is identical with this one, and at that time the "Rule of two, three and four" was voted-so that each Head or "Propriety" received, as follows "ye high rank 40 acres," "ye middle rank 30 acres," "ye Lower rank 20 acres."
It was this division of land that enabled the farmers who were already upon the ground to obtain legal rights to their acres, and set about "mending" their farms by exchanging with their neighbors, or applying to the surveyors for more of the commoon lands that adjoined the farms they occupied at this time, and to which they also desired better highway facilities.
Other persons from Wallingford, New Haven, now Hamden and North Haven, Milford, Derby, Farmington and Waterbury, came in as either "Inhabetants" or purchasers land, so that this "west side of ye Quinnipiac river from New Haven line" on the south to "Farmington bounds" on the north must have received an influx of population that called for the constant su- pervision of the townsmen and magistrates to control and pro- vide for. The record of the meetings for the following three years is mainly filled with minute directions disposing of strips of land, broken lands, rocky parcels, and with regulations against the unlawful cutting of timber an dthe encroachers on the public lands and "hiways on ye west side ye river." Committees of prominent men were appointed to settle numerous land disputes between individuals; and the Reverend Samuel Whittlesey of Wallingford and the Reverend Joseph Moss of Derby "being pro- prietors of Wallingford, were impowered to appear before ye
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Generall Court at Hartford on the 3d day of May 1715-16 to an- swer ye proprietors of Waterbury conserning certain lands they claimed, against ye proprietors of Wallingford," etc. In due time the Reverend "Deputes" argued this case at Hartford, and the petition of the Proprietors of Waterbury was "ejected" as related in the record of the Court's proceedings. This settled a long standing controversy and virtually gave Wallingford pos- session of all the land originally conveyed by the New Haven grant and by the subsequent grant of the Hartford Court in 1672.
The farmers on the West side of the river now had another grievance ; and they carried their trouble over to the parent town asking for relief. The town "voated yt all ye children yt go to schoole shall pay tow shillings a head, and all ye rest of ye money due to ye schoolemaster shall be payed out of ye town Treas- urey." There were twelve "dissenten" to this "voat" all "west side" men and they must have discussed the matter to a late hour for they "agreed and voated thatt no voat shall pass or be putt after sun sett in town metting."
There had been considerable friction in the town meetings, and this last vote was an indignant protest against keeping the North farmers and the West side farmers at the town meeting so late that they could not get to their homes before dark.
At the next town meeting held December, 1715, "The follow- ing memorial" was presented
"Wallingford December ye 19th 1715: The request of ye farmers on ye west side of ye river, to ye town of Wallingford Humbly showeth yt we your Neighbours have for sum consid- erable time many of us dwelt remotely from sd town & under great Disadvantage as to ye great Duty of Edicateing of our children & god haveing in his great goodness much increest our Number we Desire yt ye town would grant us our proportion- able part of that money yt we help to pay in order to ye Edicat- ing our children & ye time we are alowed we will keep a schoole according to Law & ye Bounds we Desire assigned is west from ye rever as high as Timothy tuttle & timothy Beach's & we hope yt you will in your wisdom & compassion consider & grant our
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
request in consideration whereof we your frinds in ye name of ye Rest.
John Hodkis Jacob Johnson Joseph Parker John Doolittle."
"The above request was voated & granted for this year accord- ing to ye date above specified by ye town of Wallingford and Capt Yale, Jacob Johnson & Nathl Curtis were chosen a Com- mittee to see what is ye farmers proportionable part of ye count- try mony ; that live within ye bounds above mentioned."
These bounds extended about four miles west from the river -- about a mile east of present church. Timothy Tuttle lived near the west end of the road "to ye south of Broad Swamp" (the present road to Yalesville). Timothy Beach lived on the lower road, about three miles west from the river and three miles south of Tuttle's.
This matter of schools had been previously brought up in town meeting and the majority living near the town center had always had their own way about it. In September, 1711-12, Henry Bates had agreed to be "scool master" for "fifty acres of land and £ 50 money a year," but at the December meeting it was "voated they would not give ye scoolmaster but £45 money." It is not known where this "scool" was located. It was evidently not convenient to the farmers on the west side; and then in 1713 the town voted "if children enter ye scool and goe six days he or they shall paye for ye whole year." The following year this was modified so that "children who goe six days : : paye 1/2 year Rats, on those living within a mile & half of scool house from 6 years old to teen." John Moss Senr and Samuel Culver were chosen "to look after ye scoolmaster to see yt he keeps his howers."
School differences continued to be agitated for several years ; but the attitude of the town towards the outside farmers was not at all satisfactory to the latter ; and accordingly some of the west side men preferred the following petition to the Hartford Court :
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"To the Honorable Governour & general assembly now sitting at Hartford-
"The humble petition of the inhabitants of the west farms of the town of Wallingford humbly showeth that by reason of dis- tance from the town and dificultys in the way are under grate disadvantages to attend on the publick worship of God & also for Edicateing our children, these with other dificultyes monish your humble petitioners to address themselves to your honours for a ramidye ; and humbly pray this honorable assembly to grant yt we may be a parish Cosiaty by ourselves & have ye privilidge of setting up ye worship of god among us and yt our bonds may be East ward to the first fences and West to the West mountain and north and south about six miles in lengthI or that a Comitee of indifferent wise and judicious men may be apointed and im- powered to inspect and inquier into our dificaltys and circum- stances that as they in discration shall think fitt or from other ways as this honourable court shall think best we may be fur- thered and priviladged with the advantage of the worship of god and good Edication amoung ourselves. So your humble petitioners shall ever pray.
may ye I ano domne 1718
thomes Brooks Stephen hotchkis Mathew belamye."
"Upon this Petition-ordered that James Wadsworth esq of Durham, Mr. Nathl Yaile, and Mr. Saml Bishop of New Haven be a Committee to view and consider the Circumstances of said farmers as to number of persons and estates-how capable they be of being a Parish, and what limits may be most suitable for said Parish, and make report to this Assembly in October next.
Past in the Upper House Test Hez Wyllys Secry Past in The Lower House Teft E. Williams Clerk."
IHere they ask for north and south six miles in length. From South Road the six miles would be as far as the road on the north of Broad Swamp.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Jonathan Law the assistant Governor issued May 2d 1817, a warrant to one of the constables to notify "ye celectmen of Wallingford to appear at Hartford if they see cause." This warrant is endorsed as "served." Thomas Miles Constable.
The selectmen of Wallingford appeared and replied as follows : "To the honorable Generall assembly in hartford now siting : whereas the west farmers of the town of Wallingford have sited us the subscribers to make answer if we see caws to a petition by them in tenor to be preferred to this assembly :- we answeer first that we would be free from impeding those or (our) nei- bours from ye most convenient injoyment of the meens for them- selves and childeren: yet we fear att present that they are not able to suport the worshipe of god amongst themselves as it aught to be ; secondly we answer ; that they desired of us that they might have opetunity to ask of the towne liberty to be a village which they had and when the towne had agreed to send a comtee to look into ye matter and confer on how far it might be reasonable the bounds should extend they opposed so hard as that they occationed a stay therein-
"3ly as to this thirde petition we object and say that if the bonds prayed for be granted it will be greatly detrimental to ye towne and severall inhabitants living in sd bounds who cannot be so well acomidated to attend ye worship of God by a village as in ye towne and we believe ye great wisdom and prudence of this assembly will never destroy a town to make a village: but desire and praye that the Representatives of or towne may be allowed to say what is further needful in ye case :
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