History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 175

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 175

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

On the 19th of October it is rumored that the Stamford Indians are in arms, and the Governor warns the citizens to place themselves "in a fitting posture for all events."

That the citizens of Stamford apprehended danger is evideneed by the fact that at a meeting held in March, 1675, a committee consisting of Mr. Bell, Sr., John Green, Peter Ferris, John Bates, and Daniel Weed were chosen to superintend the erection of a fortification and stoekade, and at the same meeting it was voted the stoekading of the town shall be com- pleted.

The town was, however, never attacked. The in- vasion of Philip ended in disaster to the gallant chieftain, and not many years elapsed after the elose of the struggle ere this section settled down in a last- ing peace with the Indians, and in 1695 the following vote was passed by the townsmen of Stamford, for the disposal of the fortifieation :

"18 Dec. 1695, per vote outcry the town doth sell the fort wood about ye meeting-house to Stephen Clason for seventeen shillings and nine- pence. The town by outcry doth sell ye fort gates ye wheels of ye great guns and all ye wood belonging to ye guns it is now sold to Nathanall Cross and Jonathan Ilolly for five shillings and sixpence."

EARLY RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RECORDS.

Oet. 19, 1641, the pioneers designated six of their number to administer the affairs of the little settle- ment "according to equity, peace, law, and eonve- nienee." These men were Mr. Denton, Mathew Mitehell, Andrew Ward, Thurston Reiner, and Rieh- ard Crab.

At a "general town-meeting" held in December, 1641, it was decided that the fields of the freeholders should be feneed. Each man's share of the labor of building the said fenee was designated, and it must be completed " by the first day of April, 1642, and who- soever hath not completed his fence according to this order, by that time, forfeit ( ) shillings for every rod. Ri. Gildersleeve and Ro. Bates were chosen to inspeet the fence upon its completion, "under penalty of forfeiture of five shillings a man if they do not."

The necessity of having roads early claimed their attention, as the following record shows :

" It was ordered, That whereas every man man may count [all as his] Right before his lott to the middle of the street to be his [but the trees he may] fall for his own use, if he like not to let them stand so [

708

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

] the ground and clear the way of them, and if do not f[all them and clear] the way of them, to forfite for every tree not so fallen [ two shillings sixpeence."

Under date of June 23, 1651, is the following : " Mikill Shaw being arrained for working on ye Sab- bath to break of ye Sabbath, he being subject of it anknowledging sin and was sorry for it. So is fined 2d. for ye work in which he engaged."

At a town-meeting held Dec. 15, 1719, it was " Voted, that the town agrces if an person shall kill any dog forty rods from his master's house, his master not being present, shall have two shillings, provided if he be killed between sunset and sunrise."

£ s. d.

Clemance, William

27 12 0

Clark, Joseph

21 00

Dan, Fran is

27 00 0

Dibble, Zechary.

26 05 3

Dean, Samuel

13 0

Dean, John.

Dean, Mathew.

Ferris, Peter

118 12

Ferris, Joseph

02 00

Finch, Isaac, Sr

Finch, Abraham, Sr.

Finch, JJohn.

Finch, Samuel.

Finch, Joseph

Finch, Abraham, Jr .. 35 00

Garnsey, Joseph

46 10

Green, John

28 17

Green, Benjamin 55 09

Green, Joseph 81 01

I. EWI

B 0

S. T

POUNDRIDGE

NO.CASTIL.

Koroton

Totomok

STAMFORD IN 1685 .

FREEHOLDERS OF 1701.

The following is a list of the freeholders of Stam- ford, as appears on the town records for the year 1701, together with financial condition of each :

Ambler, John .....

10 0

Andrews, Jeremialı.

Austin, John

Bates, John, Sr.

135 00 0

Bates, John, Jr.

90 00 0

Bell, Mrs ..

105 00

Bell, Jonathan 55

143

10 0

Bishop, Joseplı.

12 0

Bishop, Ebenezer

Bishop, Benjamin

38 10

Brown, Joseph

8 10

Buxton, Clement.

Blachley, Samuel.

Crissy, John

Crissy, Jonathan

Cross, Nathaniel.

Closon, Daniel.

64 05

Closon, Samuel.

55 12

Chapman, Simon, 26 00

Gold, John.

Hardy, Samnel.

00 0

Iliggingbotlmm, Mr.

30 00

Holmes, Stephen

Holmes, Samuel

Holmes, John.

31 00 0

Hayt, Samuel, Sr.

94 10

Hayt, Samuel, Jr.

24 02

Hayt, John

19 00 0

Hayt, Benjamin, Sr.

12 00

Hayt, Benjamin, Jr ..

52 05

Hayt, Joshua ...

3L 12

Hayt, Samuel (smith)

12 G

Holly, Samuel, Sr

52 00

Holly, John, Sr.

71 10

Holly, John

Holly, Elizabeth

Holly, Jonathan

58 10

HIolly, John, Jr.

30 00

Holly, Samuel, Jr.

20 00 0

Holly, Josepli.

25 00 0 10 0

Holly, John, Jr.

Jagger, Jonathan.

39 05

June, Peter.

75 15

Jones, Orp (orphan ?).

4 00

Knap, Mases

45 05 0

Knap, John

111 05

Knap, Caleb 34 17

B E D.

Finch, Isaac, Jr. 00

Ferris, Peter, Jr.

]

Bishop, Stephen

GREENWICH

05 00

709

STAMFORD.

£ 8. d.

Lock wood, Joseph

Lock wood, Daniel

Lock wood, Edmund ...

28 10

Mills, William .....

21 00

Mills, John ...

Newman. Thomas ..

Pettit, John.

Penoyer, Thomas.

Pond, Nathaniel.

Slason, John, Sr.

10]

Slason, John, Jr.

Slason, Jonathan

Slason, James.

Slason, Stephen

00 =

Seeley, Jonas, Jr.

Scofield, Daniel, Sr.

115

Scofield. John.

03 0

Scofield, Richard

56 02

Smith, John

107

148

Stone, John

22 00

Selleck, Major

15 0

Selleck, Widow

106

Selleck, Captain

123

10 G

Selleck, Nathaniel

0 8

Seeley, Jonas, Sr

116

17 C

Trahern, Edward

Turney, Joseph

05 0

Waterbury, Daniel

136

10 9

Waterbury, Jona.

100 00

Weed, Jonas, Sr.

154

Weed, Daniel

Weed, Samuel

15 0

Weed, Joseph

55 06 3

Webb, Samuel.

Webb, Joseph

Webster, John

Webster, Daniel

Wood, Mr

119

10 0

Youngs, Jolin.

Davenport, Mr. John

100

00 0

Entered this 28th of January, 1701-2, by Samuel Holly, recorder.

The following choice morceau, found in the New York colonial records of this date, will enable us to estimate the influence of Stamford in what has since become the metropolis of the continent. It bears date New York, Nov. 28, 1700, and was written by the "Earl of Bellmont," to the English Lords of Trade, his masters. It will give us a pretty elear idea of the Yankce enterprise of at least one of the Stamford boys of that day. The record will also reveal the natural results of the nearness of Stamford to the great me- tropolis of the country, indicating thus early in its history how strongly our business men are tempted towards the city.

STAMFORD IN 1700.

Stamford in 1700 was a prosperous settlement, and ranked among the leading provincial towns in the colony. It was the residence of many leading spirits in the various professions and in trade. As an evi- dence of the importance of the town, or rather of the enterprise of "Major Selleck," the following extract from a letter written to the English Lords of Trade by the Earl of Bellmont, under date Nov. 28, 1700, is given :

"Theres a town ealled Stamford, in Conn. Colony, on the border of this province, where one Major Sel- leck lives, who has a ware house close to the sea, that runs between the mainland and Nassau (Long Island). That man does us great mischief with his ware house,

for he receives abundance of goods from our vessels, and the merchants afterwards take their opportunity of running them into this town. Major Selleck re- ecived at least £10,000 worth of treasure and East India goods, brought by one Clarke, of this town, from Kid's sloop, and lodged with Selleck."

The following sketch of Stamford as it appeared in 1800 is from the pen of Rev. E. B. Huntington :

"Connecticut, at this date, had more than quad- rupled the number of her towns reported in 1700,- from 27 having increased to 118. But Stamford, meanwhile, had gone forward in population, from the little seattered community of 585 souls to the respect- able township of 4465,-a growth nearly eight-fold in the century, and the growth in wealth had been even greater than in population; while the advance in facilities for travel, and in all the arts which minister to the social well-being of a community, had been still more rapid than in wealth.

"The territory had not yet suffered excision, though the citizens of the eastern part of the town were be- ginning to think of caring for themselves. The north- ern end of that portion had already concerted a plan for spcedy secession. But we find the town exceed- ingly loth to surrender a single foot of the territory, or a single vote of the subjects that for more than a century they had ruled and cared for as inalienably their own. The citizens entered upon the contest with those portions of the town which asked permis- sion to leave the old jurisdiction and set up for them- selves under new auspices, and the struggle was long and carnest until the secession of a part of New Canaan, and the whole of Darien was finally carried. "New York was not yet so accessible as to stimu- late very noticeably the business longings and educate the business talents of our young men. The days of the old stage-coach had indeed been for years wear- ing themselves out in the humdrum style of those quiet and sober times, and Stamford was simply a well-to-do town, whose honest and industrious people were mainly content with sueli gains and show as they could win from the soil, or as they could coin from the sobered prosecution of their varied handi- craft.

"In making up our estimate of the condition of the town at this date, let us first see who are occupying its varied offices of honor and trust. The list we shall report, without giving the offices assigned to the ser- eral names. Capt. Isaac Lockwood leads our citizens, evidently, as appears from the uniformity with which at this period he is called to preside in our public meetings, and with Nathan Weed, Jr., he also repre- sents the town in the State Legislature. John Hoyt, Jr., is still, as for the last twenty-five years, the faith- ful elerk of the town, and his large, fair hand-writing will be easily legible as long as the accurate records shall be preserved. Following these names stand the long list of those who in one way and another were

Stevens, Obadiah

Stevens, Thomas.

Stevens, Joseph

Seeley, Obadialı

Scofield, Daniel, Jr.

Scofield, Widow

Smith, Daniel.

Weed, Widow

710

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

found worthy to serve the town of their nativity or adoption. The list is worthy of preservation. It re- ports to us the names of the fathers and grandfathers of the present citizens of the town, as they sought to do their duty here, sixty-eight years ago.

"LIST OF TOWN OFFICIALS FOR THE YEAR 1800.

" Josiah Smith, Cary Leeds, Amos Weed, Isaac Pen- oyer, Stephen Bishop, Jesse Hoyt, Samuel Hoyt (3d), Jonathan Bates, Stephen Selleck, Jr., Samuel Whiting, Nathaniel Clock, Amos Lounsbury, Smith Weed, John William Holly, Robert Scofield, Isaac Smith, Jr., Ezra Lockwood, Charles Knapp, Isaac Quintard, Jeremiah Palmer, Zadoc Newman, David Smith (3d), Jeremiah Knapp, Jr., Josiah Dibble, Ebenezer Webb, Nathaniel Webb, John Nichols, Thomas Lounsbury, Thaddeus Hoyt, James Buxton, John Lounsbury, Bradley Ayers, Abishai Weed, Enoch Stevens, Epenetus Hoyt, Reuben Jones, Jacob Scofield, John Davenport (3d), Warren Scofield, Rufus Newman, Warren Hoyt, William Weed, Gold S. Pennoyer, Elisha Stevens, Joseph Smith, Nathaniel Waterbury, Elisha Leeds, John Waterbury (3d), Nathan Secly, John Bell, David Foster, Nathan Reed, Nathan Bouton, Josiah Smith, John Nichols, Joseph Bishop, Jonathan Brown, Charles Weed (3d), Enoch Comstock, Stephen Bishop, Benjamin Weed, Jr., Sylvanus Knap, Isaac Lock- wood, Joseph Waring, Jesse Hoyt, Shadrach Hoyt, Jr., Hoyt Scofield, William Waterbury (4th), Nathan Seely, Israel Weed, Benjamin Brush, Samuel Mather, Enos Waterbury, Gold Smith, Abraham Davis.

"So many and such are the names recorded in 1800 to transact the business of the town.

" There were standing within the Stamford limits in 1800 six church edifices. In the oldest, the First Congregational, Rev. Daniel Smith, a young man, had just entered upon his long ministry, and both as preacher and teacher was laying good foundations for his work. The Episcopal congregation were still worshiping in their first church, standing on the rocks, southeast from their present church on Main Street. They were still in sorrow over the recent death of their first rector, Dr. Dibble, though hoping inuch from the opening ministry of Rev. Calvin White, who had come here to his aid in 1798. The Baptists were rejoicing in their new meeting-house, so upright and square, overlooking the mill-pond on River Street. The patriarch of their denomination, Ebenezer Ferris, was still with them, and with the Rev. Marmaduke Earl, in charge over the congrega- tion at the Bangall church, was providing for the spiritual training of both branches of the denomina- tion. Two or three Methodist preachers officiated within the limits of the township, though as yet no church cdifice had been built for their worship, the private dwelling of Mr. Isaac Reed, thcir pioneer, still accommodating all who wished to attend their meetings at the centre of the town. In North Stam- ford, which by this time had outgrown the old title

of Woodpecker Ridge, a good congregation were edi- fied by the youthful ministry of their third pastor, Rev. Amzi Lewis. In Middlesex (Darien), the vencr- able Moses Mather, D.D., the same who for his rev- olutionary zeal was taken nineteen years before from his own pulpit and marched over the British lines into New York, was still doing good service in his ministerial work.

" Thus, instead of the simple church and its solitary pastor of 1700, the opening of this century gives us six church edifices with six settled pastors, and the gradual preparation for at least three other places of worship.

" Our schools were under the management of three ecclesiastical societies, and the whole territory had been divided into twenty-seven districts, and parts of three others, so as to bring the school within conve- nient distance of all parts of the town. In Parson Smith's house, still standing south of the Baptist church, and then the imperial mansion of the town, were thus early the rudiments of a town- and board- ing-school, in which, for many years, many of the youth of the town and not a few from New York received the finish to their preparation for college or business. Another of these institutions was soon to be opened under the auspices of a son of the town, Frederick Scofield, who graduated in 1801, and began here his career as a teacher. The children of the centre of the town in District No. 1, which then ex- tended from Mill River to the Noroton, were accom- modated in that little square structure, with its slight cupola on its top, now standing across Bank Street from the Congregational church. The play-grounds for these children were all that triangle now inclosed by Main, Atlantic, and Bank Streets, the school-house being then the only building on the entire opening. Some of our oldest citizens of 1868 remember to have used those grounds for their mimic navies in summer, and their ringing skate-steel in winter. But that was before they were needed for the various busi- ness uses to which this last half century has wrested them.

" Let us look now at the business of the village, that part of the town now in the borough. We shall find here four little stores, in each of which we might have bought whatever the frugal habits of that day needed for use, of dry goods or groceries, not except- ing even the 'good creature,' which then had not been voted contraband. These stores were standing, the first just east of where the Union House now stands, next to Smith Weed's house; the second, on the south west corner of the lot where Mr. S. W. Smith's new brick block stands, and was in the hands of that early woman's rights practitioner, Mrs. Munday, where some of our oldest citizens now living bought their first stick of candy and took their first lessons in commercial life; the third, where our citizens Hurl- butt are now carrying on their tailoring business; and the fourth, on the corner of South Street, where

711

STAMFORD.

Chas. Williams, Esq., now lives. Where the Rippo- wam Woolen Mills stand then stood the village grist- mill, which for one hundred and fifty-eight years had been maintained as the chief and most important business institution of the town. On the corner of Parson Smith's lot, about where our jeweler Weed has his handsome front, stood what was ealled a hat-shop, the age of factories not having yet dawned. The only other building used for business purposes, within the present borough limits, was the slaughter-house of the town, standing then where Dr. Trowbridge now lives, near the northwest corner of the old burying- lot. Of the seventy-seven families then residing on this territory, only one remains, in 1868, in actual oeeupaney of the same lot and residenee, and that is our eitizen Isaae Quintard. On all this territory there are no signs of an 'Algiers' or 'Dublin,' of eanal or of railroad. Our thoroughfares were one street, east and west, nearly eoineiding with our pres- ent Main Street; and one north and south, where Atlantie and Bedford Streets are now. Besides these, on this territory, was only a lane from the gate then standing on the corner southeast of St. John's Park, leading over to the eove and down to Shippan Point by the Indian Cave, which itself has disappeared in the progress of blasting ; and what was then ealled west South Street, now South, from the bridge on Broad Street, down to the landing. Broad Street was opened eastward only to Atlantic Street. All other parts of the territory from Norwalk to Greenwich were as well supplied with roads as the village itself, and sinee that date about one-half of the roads in the rest of the town have been opened. The business of the town was largely agricultural, the saw-mill, the grist-mill, and the tannery being the extent, as yet, of our other business enterprises. Darien, North Stamford, Long Ridge, and Bangall constituted four business eentres, each of which was no mean rival to the enterprise of the village itself. The old burying- ground of the first pioneers still held sepulehral sway over the very ground where our main street now runs; and but for the new cra of steam, soon to dawn, the Stamford of 1868 would but little exceed the sketeh which indicates its growth in 1800."

TROUBLES OF THE SETTLERS UNDER THE NEW HAVEN JURISDICTION.

In consequence of the limited franchise allowed the inhabitants under the jurisdiction of the New Haven Colony, the little settlement was the scene of various internal dissensions, and only three years after the first settlement, in 1644, a no inconsiderable number seceded and removed to Long Island, prefer- ring rather to live under the Dutch government than remain under the oppressive jurisdiction with which they had now beeome thoroughly acquainted, and as thoroughly dissatisfied.

This seeession was keenly felt, for among the num- ber were many of the leading spirits of the movement

whieli resulted in the removal from Wethersfield. The following is the list: John Carman, Robert Coe, Richard Denton, father and son, Jeremy Wood, Ben- jamin Coe, Richard Gildersleeve, William Rayner, John Ogden, Jonas Wood, John Fordham, Thomas Armitage, Edmund Wood, Simon Seiring, Henry Pierson, John Coe, Robert Jackson, Thomas Sherman, Francis Yates, and John Ellison.

By the secession of those who felt themselves espe- eially aggrieved under the New Haven government, it was hoped that all further disturbance would be averted. But such was not the case. No more lenient policy was adopted- by the government, and finally, in 1653, a formal protest was forwarded from Stamford, in which complaint was made of their rates and against various other obnoxious measures. Sub- sequently the commissioners, as the record states, " eaused the town to be called together, and being met they found them, for the most part, full of dis- content with the present government they are under, pleading that they might have their free votes in the ehoiee of eivil offieers; making objections against their rates ; and propounded to have their charges of watehing and warding the summer past, with some other work made about their meeting-house for their defense, borne by the jurisdiction; and that they might have twelve mnen sent them at the jurisdiction elarge to lye there all winter for their defense."

THIE GREENWICH TROUBLES.

In 1655, in consequence of what the Stamford set- tlers considered "indignities," which having been heaped upon them by the people of the neighboring territory of Greenwich, a complaint was made to the eourt against them and protection demanded.

"The grievanees were such as could not be toler- ated. The greedy Greenwichers had made use of the Stamford commons for pasturing their cattle; they were disorderly in their daily walk; they allowed both the English and Indians in drunkenness, and so brought on much mischief; they protected disorderly and vagrant children and servants who ran away from their proper guardians ; and they had converted their town into a notorious Gretna Green for all sorts of elandestine and illegal marriages. To avoid these irregularities in future, the deputies ask that the men at Greenwich be required to unite under this juris- diction."

An order was at onee issued commanding the ae- eused Greenwiehers to submit to the authority of the New Haven government. A reply was sent which seems to have incensed the court, and an order was issued commissioning two Stamford deputies, Low and Bell, to proceed at once to Greenwich and " de- mand, in the name of the court, the number of their males from sixteen to sixty years of age, to be deliv- ered with the other males of the jurisdiction to the commissioners the next year at Plymouth." The rc- bellious Greenwiehers seem to have entertained bellig-

and are

Ir re

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It i-

0 L, n e

it-

712

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

erent feelings for some time, but finally, in 1657, the following deelaration was presented to the court by Richard Law, John Waterbury, and George Slawson, at that time deputies of Stamford :

" At Greenwich ye 16th of October, 1656.

" Wee the inhabitants of Greenwich whose names are underwritten doo from this day forward freely yield ourselves, place and estate, to the gov- ernment of Newhaven, subjecting ourselves to the order aud dispose of that general court, both in respect of relation and government, promis- ing to yield due subjection unto the lawful authoritie and wholesome lawes of the jurisdiction aforesaid, to witt of Newhaven, &c.

" Angell Husted,'

Peter Ferris,

Lawranc Turner,

Joseph Ferris,

John Austin,

Jonathan Reanolds,

Richard Crab,

Hanc Peterson,

Thomas Steedwell,

Henry Nicholson,

Henry Accorley,

Jan, a Dutchman, commonly called Varllier."

The court then accepted the declaration and ordered that they " fall in with Stamford and be ac- cepted a part thereof."

ECCLESIASTICAL TROUBLES.

Among the grievances which seemed to breed the most trouble, and which indeed caused the most in- tense hatred among various of the settlers towards the New Haven jurisdiction, was the limitation of the franchise to church members. Then, too, among the fundamental laws of the colony was that of allowing no one to "maintain or broaeh any dangerous error or heresy," which meant simply a forced allegiance to what may properly be called the " established church."

As the years rolled on and the settlement inereased in numbers, the opposition to these tyrannical enact- ments inereased with alarming foree, until at length, in 1657, the following order was issued :

" It is ordered that no Quaker ranter or other heretic of that nature be suffered to come into, nor abide in the jurisdiction, and that if any rise up among ourselves, that they be speedily suppressed and secured for the better prevention of such dangerous errors;" and in the following year an act was passed guarding the churches against " the cursed sect of her- etics lately risen up in the world which are commonly called quakers."

THE FIRST HIERETICAL OUTBREAK .- THE EN- RAGED QUAKERS.

The alarm of the government at the innovations of the " cursed seet of hereties called Quakers" was not without just cause, for "while this latter enactment," says the Rev. Mr. Huntington, " was under diseussion before the General Court, the heresy which it would punish was being secretly spread through the juris- diction. It found its way into Stamford. Zealous diseiples of the new faith sought to propagate their creed, and found some who were ready to entertain and embrace them. Members of the church beeame tainted with the subtle heresy, and still more who owed the ehureh a spite were glad to find in the fiery apostles of this anti-church creed the heartiest sym- pathy and support.

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 175

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1572

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572