USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Durham > History of Durham, Connecticut, from the first grant of land in 1662 to 1866 > Part 3
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Before dismissing this general topic, I would state, that the parsonage land north of the burying ground, the burying ground itself, the ministers' lot south of it, and the public green, were taken from the land which was owned by John Talcott, the whole tract thus lying in one body, being a portion of that fourth part of the several farms, granted by the legislature, which was sur- rendered to the proprietors of Durham by the owners of the farms, when the General Assembly established the Town plat.
HIGHWAYS AND ROADS.
The roads connected with the Town plat have already been mentioned. At a Town meeting September 2, 1707, the town ordered three public highways to be laid out across Coginchaug swamp four rods wide. These three roads were one from the
25
TERRITORY.
Broad street to the north "west side," one to the middle " west side," one to the south " west side." The term " west side" means the west side of Coginehaug river, and not the west side of the Town, though it is in the west side of the town. At a Town meeting, August 23, 1709, a committee was appointed by the Town to lay out a highway, four rods wide, across the swamp, westward of Joseph Hickox. His house stood near where Bela Davis's house now stands. The committee in their report, March 28, 1710, say that they "had laid out the road across the swamp four rods wide, and one mile in length." This is the road south of the place ownedby Col. Samuel Camp, now owned by Phinehas Meiggs.
" At a Town meeting, Sept. 24, 1712. The Town by voate made choyse of the selectmen for the time annually, to take effectual care that the several highways throughout the Town bounds be not encroached upon by any person, and that the said ways are to be kept free their full width." Other aets of a similar kind were afterwards passed.
BOUNDARY LINES.
In 1701 the boundary line was run between the Town of Wal- lingford, and the Town of Durham or Coginehaug. The Guil- ford committee were Josiah Rossiter, Abraham Fowler and John Collins. The Wallingford committee were Thomas Holt and John Merriman.
In September, 1705, Caleb Stanley, surveyor of lands, by the desires of the committees appointed by the Towns of Haddam and Killingworth ran the line between Haddam and Killing- worth and between Haddam and Durham.
In 1707 the boundary line was run between the town of Guil- ford and the town of Durham. The Guilford committee were John Fowler, brother of Abraham, and Daniel Evarts, and An- drew Ward. The Durham committee were Caleb Seward and James Wright.
In June, 1708, the agreement was made between Killingworth and Durham in regard to the restoration of the land to Durham which had been granted by the General Court, 1686, to Killing- worth. The Killingworth committee were Henry Crane, Samuel 4
26
HISTORY OF DURHAM.
Buel, John Buel, Robert Lane and John Crane. The Durham committee were Joseph Seward, John Sutliff, James Wadsworth.
In March, 1708, the line was run between Killingworth and Durham The Killingworth committee were William Well- man, John Lane, Henry Crane. The Durham committee were Joseph Seaward, John Sutliff, James Wadsworth.
In April, 1711, the boundary line was run between Middletown and Durham. The Middletown committee were Hezekiah Wet- more, William Harris, Thomas Miller. The Durham committee were James Wadsworth, John Sutliff.
It should be added that it was the practice, for many years, for suitable men appointed by the selectmen, to "perambulate " the borders or bounds of the Town, and renew the boundary where necessary.
PROPRIETORS.
Before the patent was issued the owners of the farms granted by the Legislature, were called proprietors, that is of the land granted. They were absentee owners or non-residents.
After the patent was issued, only those were henceforth con- sidered as original proprietors of Durham, who were inhabitants of Durham at the time the patent was issued. They became owners of all the land in Durham which had not been granted to the above named grantees, and also of one-fourth part of what had been granted, which was surrendered by the owners of the farms for the benefit of the first inhabitants. A list of the original pro -. prietors has already been given.
OTHER PROPRIETORS VOTED IN.
Others were afterwards, by vote, admitted as proprietors, some to a full and some to a half share. The following is a list of the proprietors in 1724: Nathaniel Sutliff, Ministry, David Robin- son, Sen., Josiah Fowler, Joseph Seward, Sen., Jonathan Wells, Samuel Fairchild, James Baldwin, V. Clement's heirs, Thomas Wheeler, John Camp, 1st, Noadiah Graves, Joseph Tibbals, David Robinson, Jun., Hezekiah Talcott, John Gaylord Caleb Seward, Samuel Camp, Joseph Coc, Daniel Merwin, Samuel Parsons, John Seward, Nathaniel Chauncey, Joseph Norton, Henry Crane, John Norton, James Wadsworth, William Seward, Stephen Hickox's
27
TERRITORY.
heirs, Joel Parmelee, Samuel Norton. The following were half share proprietors : Richard Beach, Noah Lyman's heirs, Moses Parsons, Benjamin Beach's heirs, Nathan Camp, Thomas Ly- man, Timothy Parsons, James Curtis, Isaac Chauncey, Eben- ezer Lyman, David Fowler. Some of the rights were afterwards transferred, so that in 1742 the list differs con- siderably from the list above.
The reason why the original proprietors consented to admit others to a full or a half share with themselves was, that they wished to induce them to become inhabitants of the Town. Some of those thus admitted, owned farms under the original grants from the Assembly.
PROPRIETORS' MEETINGS.
Even before the above named agreement was made, and be- fore the patent was issued, the owners of land in Durham had meetings in Guilford. Dec. 28, 1700, they had a meeting at which Abraham Fowler was appointed a committee on the lands, and was appointed a grand juror, and Hon. JOSIAH ROSSITER, of Guilford was appointed Recorder or Clerk. Besides being an owner, he had been appointed by the General Court to lay out some of the farms, granted to individuals. He acted as clerk until Feb. 10, 1707-8, when Hon. JAMES WADSWORTH'S name first appears as clerk. He in turn, appears to have acted until his death in 1756, when his grandson, Gen. James Wadsworth, was appointed clerk. He acted as clerk until January 6, 1819, when Worthington G. Chauncey was appointed clerk. He per- formed the duties of the office until 1824, since which time there have been no meetings.
PROPRIETORS' MEETINGS DISTINCT FROM TOWN MEETINGS.
After the grant of Town privileges in 1708, the proprietors held their meetings in Durham, and occasionally admitted new members by name, some whole share, and some half share mem- bers. They generally held their meetings at the same time that the Town held their meetings ; but these meetings were kept distinct, and committees were generally appointed by one body to confer with committees appointed by the other body. When a grant of a certain number of acres was made to each proprietor, a com-
28
HISTORY OF DURHAM.
mittee was chosen to make Surveys, or rather give them. The committee was clothed with power to keep off encroachments, commence suits, exchange and lay out highways, and occasion- ally to lease certain tracts of common land or a useless highway.
For instance, in 1762, the selectmen, under instructions from the Town, made application to the proprietors for the Green and the Burying Ground. Their language is, "The favor request- ed is of a public nature and is not greater than is necessary and convenient to answer the purpose asked for." The Green is asked for "the purposes of a parade to perform military exer- cises, musters, &c. upon, and also for building public houses as Meeting houses, Court houses, Town and School houses, or the like, as the inhabitants of said town may have occasion. The Burying hill asked for is not larger than is necessary for the pur- pose of a burying ground." In this, as in other cases, the Town understood what were the rights of the proprietors and what were the rights of the Town, and that these rights were not in all respects the same.
Besides the Durham proprietors, there were also the Killing- worth proprietors, and the Haddam proprietors, that originally owned land in what is now called Durham.
ENCROACHMENTS UPON PUBLIC LANDS.
We have seen that the Town was laid out and settled by men of enlarged views and generous purposes. Liberal donations of land were made by the proprietors for highways, for a Burial Ground, for a Public Green, for the support of the ministry. The first generation of settlers were generally animated by the enlightened views which they endeavored to carry out, under the influence of an enlarged public spirit. Committees were from an early period appointed to watch over the lands thus given, and prevent all encroachments by individuals. The pub- lic weal was cared for. But it has to be confessed that some who came after the generous fathers of the Town, endeavored to obtain for themselves what had been given to the public. En- croachments were made, some of them more than a century ago and some later, upon the streets in closing them and removing them ; upon the Green by enclosing half of it or more than half and placing private houses upon it; upon the old Burying Ground
29
1
TERRITORY.
by enclosing and cultivating a portion of it, and by cutting a road through it without the shadow of a right.
Encroachments, if such they may be called, have been made by virtually selling, under the name of a lease for 999 years, the land which was granted for the support of the ministry. That there was no authority to sell is evident from the wording of the grant by the proprietors' clerk, Col. James ¿ Wadsworth. See p. 31. He was their clerk and Town clerk for nearly fifty years. Gen. James Wadsworth was after him proprietors' clerk until his death, and Town clerk for thirty years. Worthington G. Chauncey was proprietors' clerk after him and Town clerk twenty years. These men all agreed in the declaration that neither the Town nor the Ecclesiastical Society had any right to sell the parsonage lands.
THE EVIL OF THESE ENCROACHMENTS.
Had these Parsonage lands been retained, they would, at the present time, have been much more valuable than any money obtained for them, and would have been a bond of union. By selling these lands in violation of the trust, the Ecclesiastical Society must have weakened confidence in the public mind, so that cautious men would hardly dare to convey property to such societies in trust, lest the trust should be violated, when they are sleeping in their graves.
Several of the first proprietors of Durham were the sons or grandsons of emigrants from England, where trusts of this kind were held sacred.
Had no encroachments been made on the Burying Ground hill, there would have been ample room for the burial of the dead of the present generation, and for a long time to come.
Had no encroachments been made upon the Green, as laid out originally, what a convenience, what an ornament it would have been, adorned with rows and groups of trees! Beautiful, for situation, is the Town plat of Durham, skirted by a prairie on one side, and by a cultivated valley on the other, and girded about by mountains, neither too near nor too remote ! Beautiful is the? village of Durham with its long, broad, street, studded with neat habitations, the abodes of peace and virtue, and con- tentment and religion. But how much more beautiful would it
30
HISTORY OF DURHAM.
have been, if the ideas of the first fathers of the Town had been carried out without any encroachments !
MODE OF DISTRIBUTION.
I would add that the lands in Durham were distributed ac- cording to the mode adopted in Guilford. A settler had a home lot of six or eight aeres upon which he lived, while the principal part of his land was elsewhere in the township, sometimes at a dis- tanee. This mode of distribution in Guilford and in some of the other older towns, perhaps grew out of the exposed condition of the first settlers, which rendered it necessary that they should reside in elose proximity for mutual defense. Whether this is a more convenient mode than what is common in England and Virginia, may be doubted. It is remarkable that most of the settlers from Guilford lived on their farms and not on the Town plat.
-
THE PICTURESQUE APPEARANCE OF DURHAM.
The Territory of Durham, as already remarked, has a good deal in it to gratify the taste, and it may be the pride of the in- habitants. Just north of the Swathel House, on Bare Rock, on Pisgah, or at Frederie Parmelee's house, you can see the whole or nearly the whole of Durham, as you do a picture. When the Town was on the great mail route between Boston and New York and six stages daily passed through it, passengers, as they stopped for breakfast, or dinner, at the Swathel House, would often declare they had seen nothing on their way which for beauty of landscape surpassed it. Here General Washington and other distinguished men stopped for rest and refreshment. When Silas Deane, the minister to France, passed though, in a private carriage and four, which was a new thing in this country, he was met by a troop of boys, a mile beyond the limits of the territory of the Town on the north ; and after dinner a troop of boys trotted before and after his carriage, as far as the causeway below the Wadsworth place.
As we in this generation are surrounded by our comforts and conveniences, our County lines, our Town lines, our titles to our lands recorded, our farms separated from others by fences, our religious, our literary, our civil institutions all established,- we can hardly appreciate the amount of our obligations to our
31
MINISTRY OF REV. NATH'L CHAUNCEY.
fathers, who obtained and transmitted these advantages to us. They labored, and we have entered into their labors. They sowed the seed, and we are now reaping the abundant harvest, abundant beyond their brightest visions. They looked forward to us with hope, let us look back upon them with gratitude.
CHAPTER II.
MINISTRY OF REV. NATHANIEL CHAUNCEY.
TOWN ACTION.
"AT a Town Meeting, June, 1708, the Town by vote agree and grant to pay unto the much esteemed Mr. Nathaniel Chauncey for the present year's labor in the work of the minis- try, provided he continueth with us in said labor, the sum of fifty-five pounds in grain, at country price, also the sum of sixty pounds in grain, at country price, yearly, so long as said Mr. Chauncey shall continue in the work of the Gospel ministry as above."
" Also at the same Meeting, the Town, by vote, did enact, agree, and grant, unto Mr. Nathaniel Chauncey, his fire wood, that is, so much fire wood as shall be needful for the said Mr. Chauncey and a family, if he should see cause to have one; the said fire wood to be brought unto Mr. Chauncey upon a day ap- pointed yearly by the Select-men."
" At a Town Meeting, October the 4th, 1708, the Town, by a full vote, did agree and desire the much esteemed Mr. Nathaniel Chauncey to settle with us in the office of Pastor."
" At the same Meeting, the Town, by vote, did agree and grant that the much esteemed Mr. Nathaniel Chauncey should have, and do by these presents grant unto the said Mr. Chaun- cey, the house and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging,
32
HISTORY OF DURHAM.
that was built for the first Minister, and the lot upon which said house standeth, with all the several tracts and parcels of land formerly set apart for the first Minister, to be and remain to be, unto Mr. Chauncey, and his heirs, forever, on the condition fol- lowing, viz. :- That the said Mr. Chauncey shall and doth con- tinue with us to be our Minister, during the term of his natural life ; provided, nevertheless, that if the said Mr. Chauncey shall at any time expire his natural life, he being from us upon his occasions, and intending to continue in said work, or that the said Mr. Chauncey shall continue with us in the work of the Ministry until he be disenabled, by age or weakness, from being any farther serviceable in said work, that then no advantage shall be taken of said Mr. Chauncey, or his heirs, in their hold- ing said house and lands. But if said Mr. Chauncey shall fail in his performing said condition, in his removing or otherwise, then the said land with all and every part thereof, together with said house, shall return unto the Town, to be disposed of as they think meet."
Mr. Chauncey declined this eall, but continued to preach in the Town. The reasons for his declining the call may be under- stood from his statement, of the "relations between him and his people," given in the following pages.
LIBERTY TO FORM A CHURCH.
" At a Town Meeting, October 4, 1708, ye Town by voate did order and empower ye present Select Men to petition ye Honor- able General Court, at their next sitting, to grant liberty yt a Church may be heare embodied acording unto ye rules of God's holy Word."
" At a General Assembly holden in New Haven, October 14, 1708, This Assembly grant their consent and full liberty to the Town of Durham, to embody themselves into church estate with the approbation of the neighboring churches."
No Church was formed for more than two years after this per- mission was granted. It is to be noted that the Town, that is, the inhabitants of the Town, have liberty to form themselves into church estate. This was done at the ordination of Mr. Chaun-
33
MINISTRY OF REV. NATH'L CHAUNCEY.
cey, when pastors of neighboring churches ordained him. "The approbation of the neighboring churches " was expressed by the pastors of the churches.
RENEWED CALL OF REV. NATHANIEL CHAUNCEY.
"Dec. 10, 1710. Wee, the inhabitants of Durham, having desired the much esteemed Mr. Chauncey to settle with us, in the office of pastor, and also several persons have showed their willingness both to embody into church estate and also to desire Mr. Chauncey to take upon him the office of a pastor, and we are now informed that Mr. Chauncey doth at present decline settling with us by reason that there are several of our people against his settlement; unless he be advised thereto by a coun- cil called heare for that end, and accordingly Mr. Chauncey doth advise ye Town to joyne with him in calling a council both to advise him what may be his duties in the matter, and also to direct the town in what may be necessary respecting his settle- ment; the Town having seriously considered Mr. Chauncey's advice, do thankfully accept the same, and do earnestly, by voate, desire the Rever'd Mr. JAMES PIERPONT, the Rever'd Mr. . TIMOTHY WOODBRIDGE, the Rever'd Mr. NOADIAH RUSSELL, in conjunction, to give us advice in relation to the above settle- ment. We hope we shall always show a hearty Readiness and willingness to comply with what advice shall be given to us ; and also we desire Mr. Chauncey to write to the said Reverend Elders to pray their help and advise, and also we desire James Wadsworth and Caleb Seaward to write in ye behalf of the Town earnestly to beg the help and advise of the ye said Rever'd Elders in our difficult circumstances."
" Also the Town, by voate, did appoynt James Wadsworth and Caleb Seaward to take care about calling said counsell and take care of their entertainment, and what may be necessary res- pecting the premissees."
" At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Durham, December 22, 1710, Mr. Pierpont's letter being read, wherein he expresseth his unwillingness to serve us in a counsell, as he was desired by a voate at a Town Meeting on the 12th of this instant 5
34
HISTORY OF DURHAM.
December, the said inhabitants, by vote, did earnestly pray the Rever'd Mr. SAMUEL RUSSELL for to joyne with the Rever'd Mr. TIMOTHY WOODBRIDGE, the Rever'd Mr. Noadiah Russell, in a counsell to be heare attended on ye first Tuesday in Janu- ary in giving us direction and advise according to the Town voate which is above mentioned : Also it was voated yt ye Rever'd Mr. Thomas Ruggles should be addressed to be heare and joyne in ye above sd counsell if Mr Russell should fayle in coming."
ORDINATION OF MR. CHAUNCEY.
" At a Meeting of the inhabitants of Durham, Dec. 26, 1710, ye sd Inhabitants by voate did agree yt ye much esteemed Mr. Chauncey should be advised in all convenient speed, provided he consent thereto, while they earnestly desire him to comply with all, the ministers to advise Mr. Chauncey he hath already pro- pounded, viz. : ye Rever'd Mr. TIMOTHY WOODBRIDGE, Mr. NOADIAH RUSSELL, Mr. SAMUEL RUSSELL, and ye Rever'd THOMAS RUGGLES, which ministers the Town do pray to ordaine Mr. Chauncey and also to be helpful to us in ye affair, by advising us, or in gathering a church and what may be neces- sary. Also the Town by voate do make choyce of DAVID ROB- INSON, CALEB SEAWARD and JAMES WADSWORTH as a comit- tee to take care yt ye sd ordination be attended as above sd, and also to make what provition may be necessary for sd ordina- tion and to take such methods relating to said ordination as they shall think best."
It should be noticed that the Council who ordained Mr. Chaun- cey, were invited by the Town, or the inhabitants, and not by the church. There was no church, at that time, in Durham. It was an act of the Congregation, and was thus Congregational. A church was formed the same day on which Mr. Chauncey was ordained. It should also be noticed that in the permission granted by the General Assembly to the "Town of Durham to embody themselves into a church estate," a condition is inserted, namely, "with the approbation of the neighboring Churches." The Town performed the condition by acting under the author- ity of Ministers, who, as pastors, represented the neighboring churches of Middletown, Guilford, Branford and Hartford.
MINISTRY OF REV. NATH'L CHAUNCEY.
35
OF LAYING OUT FOR YE ORDINATION OF REV. NATHANIEL CHAUNCEY.
S.
d.
From Joel Parmerly 15 lb Pork and ¿ Bushel Mault, 4 4
By Beef from Mr. Wadsworth, 16 0
By 20 1b Butter, 10, 10
0
By 20 1b Sugar, 10,
10 0
By 4 Bushl Wheat,
17 0
By Cheese, 4 2, -
4
2
By Hens, Goose, Turkie, -
16
6
By a Sheep and fetching from Town,
9
0
By 3 Bushel Apples,
3
6
By 2 Quarters of Mutton,
3
0
Mault for Beer,
4
0
Barrel of Cyder, - - 8
0
Chocolate, Pepper, Spiee, Currant, Nutmeg, 6
0
Metheglin and Rum, - 12
- 6
Two Piggs, fresh Pork, Salt Pork and Beef,
6 6
Hiring 5 Horses, -
2 0
Labor and trouble of my Family, 10
2
8
To ye Camp's girl, 5 6,
5
6
Good wife Taylor, 6
0
Good wife Seward, -
3 0
Good wife Hecox,
-
3
0
Good wife Squire, - -
- -
3 0
£8 5 8
An ordination was, in those days, a great event in the history of a Town. The generous provision here made shows that they expected friends from other Towns to rejoice with them.
THE WOOD FURNISHED.
" At a Town Meeting, Dee. 9, 1740, voted that one hundred loads of wood is the number of loads which the Town thinks sufficient for Mr. Chauncey, and that all the loads be viewed and approved by some one of the Committee hereinafter to be named."
-
0
Four Neats' Tongues, -
36
HISTORY OF DURHAM.
The persons chosen by a Major vote to view the wood to be furnished by the Town to Mr. Chauncey, namely, Sergt. Ebene- zer Guernsey, Serj. Daniel Merwin, Sergt. John Camp, the Sec- ond, Deacon Israel Burritt, Jonathan Wells, Ebenezer Robinson, James Wadsworth, Jun., and Samuel Fowler.
Those that undertake to get and carry the wood to Mr. Chaun- cey, are Henry Crane, Jun., who undertakes to carry 10 loads, and Isaac Norton, 10 loads, John Norton the first, 6 loads, Noa- diah Graves, 4 loads, Sergt. Joel Parmeley, 8 loads, Thos. Sey- mour, 3 loads, Sergt. Joseph Seward and Ensign Nathaniel Seward, 20 loads, Deacon Israel Burritt, 6 loads, Jonathan Wells, 4 loads, Samuel Norton, 4 loads, John Norton, 2d, 5 loads, Samuel Picket, 10 loads, Josiah Fowler, 4 loads, John Parmely, 3 loads, Caleb Seward, 3 loads, Silas Crane, 2 loads ; in all 100 loads, which are to be carried to Mr. Chauncey's house."
The Town, by the terms of settlement, were to furnish Mr. Chauncey with fire wood, besides the annual salary of sixty pounds. The above vote shows their liberality in carrying out the agreement.
HOW THE SALARY WAS PAID.
His Salary of £60 was, to a large extent, paid in the products of agriculture, which was the chief business of his people, at " Country price." "Country," in those days, meant the Colony of Connecticut. Sometimes in the annual vote of the salary, the prices of articles are given, as Wheat, five shillings a bushel ; Indian Corn, two shillings and sixpence. The wheat which he received, he sent to merchants in Boston, by vessels from Mid- dletown, to be disposed of at Boston prices. With his own wheat, and other articles, he sometimes sent his parishioners' for their accommodation. The following is a letter to a merchant in Boston, showing his lively gratitude for the favors thus re- ceived :-
To MR. JONATHAN BELCHER, MERCHANT IN BOSTON.
SIR,-I have sent you by Mr. James Lewis, as the enclosed will show sixteen bushels of wheat, hoping it may, if the Mar-
37
MINISTRY OF REV. NATH'L CHAUNCEY.
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