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 6
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Wallingford May 7:1718
Howkins hart Nathaniel Curtis Gidion Ieves Jacob jonson Samuel Hall
1
celect Îmen."
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
The committee, appointed by the Assembly, reported as follows :
"To the Honble the General Assembly siting in N. H .-
October 1718.
"In complyance with your honers directions to us, we the sub- scribers have vewed and considered the State of the West farm- ers in Walingford, and finde there number of familys to be about 45 (Including in yt numbr sum few new beginners that have not fammilys) theire generall list of Estates, by the best account we can gaine is some few pounds above £2000 and amongst sd fam- ilys there are twenty, or more, against breaking off from the Town; but are willing to stay with them, and we suppose that many of sd number will be most convenient to ye Town Societie and therefore upon the whole matter we think it best that said farmers continue still with ye Towne of Walingford as hearto- fore : espetially considering theire deveided State and the small- ness of theire list :
N :H Octobr 16 day 1718
James Wadsworth Nathaniel Yale
Saml Bishop."
This report of the committee to the Assembly was not satis- factory to those who wanted to be relieved of the burden of sup- porting and attending the church and school at the center. They again petitioned the town, and the town "voated Thatt it would here (hear) our neighbours on the west side ye river if they have anything to say about thare Difecultys about schooling and ye Metting House."
The west side people probably did make themselves heard in town meeting, for it was "Voated to make choyse of a Comtee in respect to ye farmers petision conserning ye school & to consider of that matter and chose Leftenant Roys, Howkins Hart, Sargt Hochkis Wy Ward, Samll Cook & Samll Munson thare Comtee."
There was considerable other business transacted at this meet- ing. They "voated to fence in a ram pasture" :- and gave Doc- ter Hulls "liberty to sett up a sider mill on the plaine near Isaac
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Mosse's house : : and nott to have any right in ye land where he setts ye mill:no longer than ye said mill lasts."
Isaac Moss lived on the North Farms. He was a son-in-law of one of the numerous "Roys" (or Rices) who were owners, at an early date, of farms in that part of the present town of Cheshire.
The committee appointed at the meeting held in the fall of 1718 at the next meeting handed in the following report, which the scribe copied upon the record-with a line below it explaining that it was agreed to by the meeting.
"In complyance with ye trust reposed in us by ye town to con- sider in what way the town school may be rendred benefitiall to ye whole, which according to our measure we have considered & are of opineon yt if the town school should be keept at three places itt might be more generally benefitiall, & therefore agree for this year that ye school shall be keept two monts over the river in ye most convenient place to accomidate the children to be sent-& one month about Saml Andrews'es & the farmers in each place to provide a house to keep ye school in: & the school at the farmes shall be under ye Regulation & inspection of the commite for the town schoole.
Wallingford December 22, 1719.
Samuel Munson Samll Roys Howkins Hart John Hotchkis William Ward
Committee." "Voated in town meeting"
The votes at the following Town meeting explain the further action of the town in this school matter.
January 10th, 1721, "The town chose a committee conserning the schoole for ye west farmers viz : Capt Hall Left Roys Sergt Hart thomas miles Gedion Ives & Joseph parker to consider what is just & right conserning theire part or sheire of sd school; and
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
bring report to ye town: & chose Jeremiah Hull & Joseph Ben- ham collector for ye pole mony."
April 25th 1721-22. "The town voated the farmers on ye west side ye river & the north farmers shall have there proportionable part of our school & this act to stand untill the town see cause to alter it; and chose Sergt Roys & Howkins Hart & Joseph Parker to be joyned to the former committee about ye school to order ye matter conserning the farmers having thare proportionable part of the school & to regulate yt matter according to ye best advan- tage of sd school."
At an adjourned meeting Decr II :1722-3 "The town voated that a farthing on ye pound shall be added unto ye town rate for ye benefit of teaching ye children that live at ye farms that cant comfortably come to ye town schoole & to be left to ye reg- ulation of a committe namely Left Roys-Stephen Hotchkiss William Warder Jacob Johnson Gedion Ives & Samll Thorp Junr-they paying the pole money as children do in ye town."
At ye same meeting "The town by their voat granted liberty to ye farmers on ye west side ye river so many as shall subscribe etc to hire a minister to preach amongst ym for three months this yeare & voated to give them six pounds & voted to advance ye ministers rate six pounds."
These meetings furnish good evidence that at this time the far- mers on the west side of the river were sufficiently numerous to obtain from the town pretty much all that they asked for.
The west side farmers had now obtained only partial relief. They determined to renew their attempt to be made a village. This time they did not apply to the Assembly, they went to their own town meeting, and after the usual number of adjournments from week to week, notice was given for a town meeting to be held on the 30th of April, 1723, and at that meeting the fol- lowing vote was passed.
"At a town meetin in Wallingford April ye 30th, 1723:
"The town voated that there shall be a villiage on ye west side ye river and theire bounds shall be as followeth Beginning at ye south east corner of Saml Cook Junr his farm thence running
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
a south line to New Haven bounds & from sd corner north ward taking in said Cookes farm & Mathew Belamys farm, thence a streight line taking in Joseph Thomas his farm: from thence Northward taking Atwaters John tilers and Docters Hulls their farms at broad swamp thence to thomas Mathews his farm over Stoney River thence in ye east line of his said Mathews his farm taking in Joseph Curtis his farm: & William hendrick his farm to ye north line of our bounds; this to be ye east line of sad village with the proviso, that whatsoever farm or lott being cut by said line runing a crost : shall be to ye town sosiety or to ye village according as ye owner chief inhabit."
After this action by the town, the farmers on the west side prepared to take care of their own spiritual and educational con- cerns, and no doubt asked the town to advise them.
The town voted that they should "sett up papers in 4 or 5 plases giving tenn dayes notiss." The reason for the passage of such a vote is not made clear on the record, but it was probably for the purpose of giving individual West Farmers time to decide whether they would belong to "ye town Sosiety" or to "ye villiage."
Then the first meeting of the West Society was held on the 3rd of May, 1723. It is known that Joseph Thomson was appointed clerk, but the moderator's name is not known and only this brief record is made :
"Att a meeting of the west sosiaty in Wallingford May ye:3 : 1723 :by thair vot they Agree to perticion to the generall asembly for a conformation of what the tound has granted us in order for a vilag."
"By thair vots they maid chois of Thomas Brooks, Joseph Thomson and John Hitchcock for a comtee to lay their petion be- fore the generall cort : : "I
IThe records of the West Society appear to have been first kept upon pieces of paper, or in Mr. Thomson's private account books; and for this reason we have only the few brief record of "vots"-which were not probably written in the existing record book until Dec. 9th, 1728, when "the Sosiaty by their vot: agreed to give Jos. Thomson five shillings for entring ye vots into the Book of Records."
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
The Assembly met at Hartford on the 9th May 1723, and about the middle of the month the following action was taken :
"Upon the prayer of ye inhabitants of the westerly part of Wallingford do grant to said inhabitants" * "such liberties, powers & priviliges as other parishes in this Collony generally have & do injoy by law etc, etc" After de- fining the bounds (as they are set forth in the town vote of April 23d, 1723), the Assembly gave authority to run the line "to the north bounds of said Wallingford:" the act of assembly adds : "and so to ye west bounds of said town. Provided always that if the East line aforesaid shall run cross any farm or lotment of land, such farm or lotment of land shall be and belong to the old or new society in said town, as the owner thereof shall happen to live, belonging always to the society in which he shall dwell as aforesaid. And all the ratable estate within the aforesaid bounds shall pay towards the building of a meeting house, set- tilng and maintaining an orthodox minister amongst them, with other parish charges in said society."
A careful measurement of all the existing maps available, from one published in 1780, and another published by state au- thority in 1812, we find that the bounds of Cheshire were ap- proximately as follows when the vote was passed in 1723 au- thorizing a village on the west side of the river; the easterly bounds, as indicated by the farms mentioned, were about one mile to the eastward of the present town line. Assuming, how- ever, that the bounds laid down at the time the town was in- corporated in 1780, were substantially the easterly boundaries of the early parish. It included part of that part of the town of Meriden now known as South Meriden.
On the south, the bounds of Cheshire have been from the earliest record substantially as now laid out, the line being gov- erned by the Northern slope of the "Great Blew Hill" or Mount Carmel until it reaches the valley between the mountain and the range called Cook Hill. Thence the first line ran to the north- west five miles, and by the vote eof May 9th, 1672, this line was extended "too" miles, which brought our line to and included
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Mount Sanford. It crossed the Mill River in the neighborhood of where Mr. Julius Rice now (1891) lives-his barns being in Hamden and his house being in Cheshire.
The westerly line of the new society then took a northeasterly direction, passing a little to the west of the present center of Prospect ; continuing through that town in a north- easterly direction for about six miles, running something more than a half a mile into territory now a part of Waterbury, tak- ing in, in its further course, a corner of the present town of Wolcott.
The northerly line of the new parish has not been ma- terially changed from the bounds allowed by the Hartford Court of May 12th 1670, when the "New village" of Wallingford was in course of settlement. Hartford claimed as "Farmington bounds" the present town of Southington, and the General Court being appealed to by all parties in interest, the north line of Wallingford was occasionally changed as agreed upon, probably, by taking into consideration such natural boundaries as were shown by the mountains, valleys and streams in the ter- ritory through which the northern boundary line of the new parish ran easterly to its junction with the parent town of Wal- lingford, then the present town of Meriden.
Wallingford was very generous in granting to the West Farm- ers so much territory, reserving to itself barely one-half of the land granted to it in 1670 by the original New Haven owners and the subsequent act of the Assembly in 1672. This is probably due to the fact that the new parish began as a well grown infant, its inhabitants having absorbed a goodly portion of land long before the Proprietors of Wallingford had got ready to make their Third Division.
They had laid out and divided up everything within sight, of the village of Wallingford proper, up and down, and on both sides of the Quinnipiack river from ye "Great Plaine" and Mount Carmel to the Cat Hole Pass at "ye Hanging Hills." From Branford bounds and Pishtepaugh Pond on ye south and east and over the Bare Hills on the west of the village everything in
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
the shape of wood land and farming land, was occupied by a population that was growing strong enough to cast off its lead- ing strings, and no longer require the oversight it was the duty of the Wallingford authorities to extend over them, under the laws enacted by "ye Generall Courte" at Hartford. These peo- ple were, however, law-abiding. They strictly obeyed all the be- hests of their magistrates, and until it was deemed safe to go forth beyond the fences or stockades, the people remained where they could rally instantly, and seek the fortified houses, in cases of danger.
By the action of the Assembly, the West society were legally prepared to do business, and at a meeting held July 25, 1723, af- ter electing Joseph Thomson their clerk "for the year insuing," by their "vots" they agree to proceed "to settle a plais for thair meeting house"
They did not meet again until the 16th of September, 1723, when Timothy Tuttle was chosen moderator, and Thomas Brooks, Nathaniel Bunnil and John Hitchcock "a Comtee to man- age ye affairs of the society for the year insuing." At the same meeting the following "vots" were passed-"To hire a monitor for 6 months," "maik chois of Thomas Brooks house to meet : : " "thair comtee to agree with a monitor to preech six monts :: agree to hire Mr Hall to preech six monts : :
It now appears that the members of the West Society in Wal- lingford had failed to agree among themselves, as to where their first meeting house was to be placed. The majority were located in or near the West Farms, while those at the North Farms already had a meeting place across the river to the Eastward. The people to the eastward and westward were probably too few to more than dissent from the views of the majority. It was, there- fore, decided by the West Society Committee to present the fol- lowing petition to the General Assembly sitting at New Haven.
"To the Honorable Generall Assembly sitting at New Haven Oct. Ioth, 1723, the West Society in Wallingford humbly shew : :
"That whereas by the Paternal care and Goodness of this hon- orable Assembly we have been made a distinct society, for carry-
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
ing on the publick worship of God and having accordingly made some essays to fix the place for the setting the first meeting house for sd worship and finding our endeavours of that kind to be at- tended with some difficulties and dissatisfactions among orselves, we have unanimously agreed to address this Honable Assembly and do accordingly hereby humbly pray that a Commite chosen and appointed by this assembly may fix and determine the place for building the first meeting house in our society accordingly. (Signed) Thomas Brooks John Hitchcock Nathll Bunnil."
The Assembly appointed Mr. Samuel Bishop, of New Haven, Capt. Samuel Clark of Milford and Capt. John Riggs of Derby "a committee to fix a place for the meeting house according to the prayer of the Petitioners."
If this committee reported in writing their report is not on file, and if they reported verbally that verbal report was not entered upon the minutes, therefore, no authoritative record is left as to the location of that first meeting house, which in all probability was a mile or more south of the site fixed upon for the present church edifice.
Six months later, the society voted to pay the expenses of this committeee and therefore the "plais for ye meeting house" was determined by act of the Legislature.
The West Society held their next meeting Nov. 8th, 1723, and by their "vots" "agree to give a minister a coll for the work of the ministry : : agree to give muster Hall a coll for the work of the ministree if the neighbouring elders will advis us so to do :: they maid chois of Sargt (John) Hotchkiss, Thomas Brooks, Nathll Bunnil, John Hitchcock & Matthias Hitchcok for a Comtee to agree with Muster Hall in order for a settlement for the ministree : :
"On the 20th November 1723 agree to meet at Mr. Thomas Brooks House for 6 monts on the Sabath : : maid chois of Stephen Hotchkiss to set ye psalmes on the Sabath." ::
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Att a meeting of ye West Sosiaty in Wallingford Desember ye 4:1723 : : Joseph Thomson chosen clerk. Sart John Hotch- kiss, Thomas Brooks and Mathias Hichcock Comtee to manage affairs for ye year insuing : : agree to bild a meeting house this year : : they agree that the bigness of the meeting house shall be forty foot in length and thurty foot in bredth and eighteen foot between joynts : : they maid chois of Caleb Mathews, Timothy Tutle, Josiah Hotchkiss, Nathaniel Bunnil & Thomas Curtis Comtee to manage ye work of ye meeting house :: they agree to pay fore pene upon the pound to defray the charg of ye meet- ing house : : maid chois of Joseph Thomson to gather ye rait that was layed to defray the charge of ye meeting house :: Agree to give Muster Hall towards a setlement two hundred pounds money or grain att the market price to be payed within ye space of five years in Equall proportion provided Muster Hall cary on the work of ye ministre in said sosiaty :: (2) for his salery forty pounds money or grain att ye markit price yearly untill the abovesd five years are expired (3) After said term of five years to ris in addition to his salry as the list of sd sosiaty rises after sd five years untill it makes Eighty pounds :"
"At a meeting of the west sosiaty in Wallingford held January Ioth 1723-4 by thair vot agree to pay A peney haff peney rat towards Mr Halls salary to be payed by the last of March next in suing the date hereof : : they maid chois of Elnathan Beech to colect the peney haff peney rat that is layed for Mr Halls salary : : they maid chois of thomas broks and henry cook and mathias hichcock for a Comtee to manage afairs of the school for the year insuing : : they maid chois of sar John Hotchkis and Thomas Brooks and Mathias Hichcock a Comtee to dispose of the hun- dred acres of land for the use of the sosiaty which the proprie- tors sequestered for the saim land."
It would appear by the action taken in the General Assembly held at Hartford opened May 14th, 1724, that the amount raised by tax on the lists of the "West Society in Wallingford" was not enough to defray their expenses and so they applied for a per-
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
mission to gather rates on unimproved lands "laid out" to pro- prietors not living within the precincts of the Society.
The following was enacted :
"Upon the petition of the West Society in Wallingford: It is granted and ordered by this assembly, that it may and shall be lawful for the society of the parish aforesaid to levy a tax of one penny per acre annually, for the space of four years next coming, upon all the unimproved lands that is laid out within said society belonging to proprietors not living within said par- ish, except lands of the fourth division; and an half penny per acre annually for the term aforesaid, upon all the unimproved lands (belonging as aforesaid of said fourth division) ; and all the money hereby granted to said parish to be improved for sup- porting a minister settled according to ye establishment of the government, and building a meeting house in said society. And the collectors of the taxes of the said parish are hereby impow- ered to collect the same of the proprietors of the said lands, in such manner and forn as other collectors are enabled by the law to do, whether the said proprietors dwell in said Wallingford or in any other part of this government.
"And that the said parish for the future be called by the name of New Cheshier."
At the same session of the assembly it was enacted: "Upon the prayer of John Hotchkiss, for himself and the rest of the in- habitants in the parish of Cheshire, in the town of Wallingsford : This Assembly grants that a small piece of land lying between the original bounds of the towns of Farmington and said Wal- lingsford, and adjoyns to the said parish in part, and lyes west of the country road from said Farmington to said Wallingsford, shall be annexed to the said parish Cheshier, and the same is hereby annexed."
John Cook of Cheshier pleading "that his sons are by the Providence of God, all cripples, prays to be relieved for the fu- ture from paying publick taxes" and the Assembly relieved him.
"At the October session of the Assembly held in New Haven 8th of October in the Eleventh year of the reign of our sover-
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
81
eign Lord George of Great Britain &c King Annoque Dom 1724 it was Resolved
"This assembly grant liberty unto the inhabitants of the West Society in Wallingsford to imbody in church estate with the ap- probation of the neighboring churches and to settle an orthodox minister among them.
NORTH LI WATFORD 1635
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1097
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16.69
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Blue Hill
1638
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Mount
from Farmington
CARMEL
1660
GUIL FORD 1640
MARTHE VILLIAGE. On ye Weast Side of ye River, By vote of ye Town April ve 30" _ 1723 -
QUINNIPIAC RIVET
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899/
6791 SOUTH
BRANFORD Bounds 1644
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1644
The map shows, enclosed between the black lines, the original town of Wallingford, with the roads leading to the present town of Cheshire. The dates are given when the roads were voted, but those dates do not fix the time of migration from the town of Wallingford towards the present town of Cheshire.
W
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Many years before the roads were ordered, the "West Farm- ers" cultivated land in Cheshire, and the dotted line shows where they made "cartways" to the different neighborhoods.
The largest number of farmers located at the south end of the present town, and cultivated land there as early as 1676 (or five years after the town of Wallingford was established), sub- ject to the restrictions put upon them by vote of the town.
The "North Farmers" went up the river as early as 1677-8, but the land there, having been "reserved for new settlers," the records do not show many farmers there, upon the west side of the river.
The earliest housebuilding was at "ye West Farms" and the earliest "lay out" of land was in the south and western part of the present town of Cheshire .
The "Fresh Meddoes" and "West Farms" were under cultiva- tion long before the town had voted roads to them.
The "Village," and its bounds as established by the vote of April 30, 1723, is shown between the Waterbury bounds on the west, and the Wallingford line on the east.
In engraving this map, some of the dotted lines, representing local "hiways" have been accidentally cut away; one of the oldest of these "hiways" not shown on this map, went from the 1692 road, in a southwesterly direction to the boundary road between Wallingford and New Haven, and to the Mill River.
The "Backbone Road" ran through West Rocks to Farmington. The "New Haven Path," so-called by Farmington people, passed through "ye Fresh Meddoes," then followed Mill River to New Haven.
An "hieway" is spoken of in a deed of 1712-13 "that goeth north of ye Fresh Meddoe brook, to ye brow of ye hill ;"- one of the boundaries being given as "John Hall, his land."
It would require but little faith to believe that the "hill" men- tioned, was probably the hill upon which the town of Cheshire
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
is now built ; and considerable land in "New Cheshier Village" was owned by John Hall, of Wallingford (the father of Parson Samuel Hall). It was south and west of this "hill" -- where we know by "lay outs' and deeds, Mr. John Hall and Samuel Hall (his father), had many hundred acres of land; part of which eventually became the property of Parson Hall.
CHAPTER FOUR.
FIRST CHURCH SOCIETY-DESCRIPTION OF HOUSES-THE SPELLING LESSON-LIST OF FREEMEN, 1730-MONEY VALUES.
The Act of the Assembly of May, 1724, which gave to the West Society in Wallingford, the name of New CheshireI did not absolve the village thus established, from its allegiance to the parent town of Wallingford. It gave simply certain rights to set up a church and have a school located convenient of access to those who dwelt within the bounds established by the Act of the Assembly and the right to collect rates for the church establishment.
In other matters the town of Wallingford was the supreme authority ; and the people of New Cheshire soon discovered that they were still obliged to attend the town meetings, pay their share of town taxes, help build roads and bridges, and contribute either labor or rates to all public works resolved upon by vote of the town. They were however, kindly permitted to con- struct their own "hiways" wherever they might be most conve- nient to them, the town always stipulating that "ye timber felled, should be common ;" and there was no restriction upon "cutting firewood on ye undivided lands."
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