History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 19

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 19

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).

" It was then voted per the sd. Sosiety that Mr. Charles Chauncey, for his Incurigement In the ministrey shall Ilave Sixtey pounds in good provisions for the yr. Insueing, to bee paid Him By way of Rate, Each man acording to the Liste of his Estate given In."

Mr. Chauncey's salary was afterwards raised to eighty pounds, and was paid in provisions at market rates, which were about as follows: Wheat, 5s. per bushel; Indian corn and rye, 3s. per bushel; pork, 3ld. per pound. He was also annually supplied with fifty or sixty loads of firewood, worth about ten pounds more, one-fourth of it being of good hickory, the remainder oak.

The votes which follow relate to the custom of call- ing the people to church by beat of drum, of which mention has already been made. It will be seen that the drummer marched around the meeting-house so as to give the settlers on every side the full benefit of the summons :

1699, September : " Voted to give James Benit His rate to Mr. Chaun- cey for beating the drume on publick days." -

1710, Dec. 22 : "Voted that the Select men shall agree with a man to Swepe the meeting house & Beeat the Drume on Sabath days, but not to give above 40 s. pr. yer."

1715, July, 17: "Voted that the Drum shall bee batten round the meting hous ou Sabath Days."

About seven years after the meeting-house was built, an effort was made to render it more comfort- able. New seats, and iron window-casements with panes of glass, were among the improvements made. Before that time it is possible that oiled paper had been used in the windows as a substitute for glass. Following are some of the votes in relation to the matter :

1699, Oct. 30: " Voted that the Sosiety wold bee at the Charg of new seating the meating house.

" Voted to pay a Rate of one penny in the pound towards the Seating of said Meeting house and other Charges."

1700, April 3: " Voted that the Sosiety wold have the meeting house Seeated with wainscut work."

1701, April 28: " It was then voted by this Sosiety that the same Com- mitty which was apoynted to hier a mau to make the seats for the meet- ing house shall have the same power to hier workemen to make Iron Casements for the meeting house and glaze them as is needful."

The iron casements must have rattled, and the teeth of the worshipers chattered, when the January blasts swept over the hilltop upon which the meeting- house stood, for fires were a luxury unknown in the early Puritan meeting-houses. The zeal of the hearer and his interest in the sermon were supposed to be sufficient to make him oblivious to trifling discom- forts.

How the boys were cared for in time of service is

shown by entries like the following. The constable, with his staff of office, must have been an awe-inspir- ing personage, but less so than his successor, Noah Morehouse, who was the village gravedigger, and used to receive three shillings for digging large, or two shillings and sixpence for small, graves. An un- fortunate boy in his grasp must have experienced about the same sensations that Ichabod Crane did when pursued by the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow :

1699 (month illegible) : "Voted that the Constabell shall have the Charge of the boys on Sabath day, to keep them in order."

1712, Oct. 8: "Noah Morehouse Is Chosen to whip hoys on Sabath days."

1723, Sept. 17: " Voted that Thomas Chambers shall seet In ye West Gallery to look after ye boyes on Sabbath dayes to keep them in Good order. Also voted that John Hubble shall seet in ye front Gallery to look after ye boyes ou ye Sabbath dayes to keep them in good order for the year In suiug."

1725, Dec. 19: " Voted that Nathaniel Wackle should be the man to look after ye boyes a Saboth dayes in time of Exercise, that they play not."

But, however strict the discipline of the boys may have been, there is nothing to show that attendance upon public worship was ever made compulsory in Stratfield, nor do the records contain any instances of fine or imprisonment for non-attendance, as in some other places in New England.

As the reader will observe, the Stratfield records include a variety of matter, genealogical and com- mercial as well as ecclesiastical. Some of the former class are recorded with great minuteness. Witness the following :

" Benjamiu (?) fayrewethier was married unto Sarah Wheeler (date illegible).

"Their daughter Katherine born wensday morning, March 3, 1693-94.

" Hannah, born munday Evening December 28th, 1696.

" Andrew, born (illegible) feberuary 15, 1698-9.

"Jedediah, born Saturday evening, December 28th, 1700.

"Jolin, born thusday, sunsat, Deceuiber 28, 1703.

"penlope, boru Munday, febur. 18th, 1705-6.

" Joseph, born tursday, 11 o'clock att night, Nov. 4, 1707.

" thommas, born monday morning, october 17, 1709.

" wolter, born monday nit, 11 clock, Decem" 17, 1711.

"Sarah, born tusday morning, fore Clock, Sept. 22, 1713.

" mary, born friday nit, 11 clock, Januar. 13, 1715-16.

" Benj. was born october the first, about 9 att night on tuesday, 1717. and his brother born the Same time : they were twines hut ye last died instantly iu 12 au hour.

" walter died December ye 26th, 1717.

"James was born thisday night about 11 a clock, 1721, august the 24th, aud died the 29th Instant.

"Brought To record the Marriage of Samuel Hall and ye birth of his Children on the eighth day of February 1730-31, and the account thereof is as followeth :

" Namly Samuel Hall and Sarah Silliman entered Iuto a marriage state July the 29th day, in ye year 1714.

" his son David Hall was born July ye 12th day, 1715 on Tusday, about break of day.

" His daughter Martha Hall was born April ye 9th day 1717, on tusday abought ye middel of ye after noon.

" His son Samuell Hall was born Decerubr ye 16th day 1718, on tusday night.

" His son Nathaniell Hall was born Novembr ye third day 1720, Thirs- day.

" His son Ebenez. Hall was horn March ye 12th day 1723 on tusday.

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" His Daughter Sarah Hall was born february ye 20th day 1724 on Sat- urday.

" His son David Hall departed this life february ye 13th day 1725-26 on tusday.

"His daughter Mary Hall was born Septembr ye 18th day 1726, on Sabath day.

" His son david Hall was born June ye 20th day 1728 on thirsday.

. " His son abel Hall was born July ye 12th day 1730, on Sabath day."

Not less minute than this list of birthis is the record of deaths upon the ehureh register, in the beautifully clear handwriting of Rev. Samuel Cooke, Mr. Chaun- cey's sueeessor, a few extraets from which are annexed :

" 1731-32, March 20, Died Josiah Cooke, one of my twin Sons, in 2 hours after its birth.

" 1731-32, March 21, Died Eliasaph Cooke, ye other of my twin Sons, in 26 hours after its birth.

" 1732, May 26, Died my Dear wife Elizabeth, in ye 31st year of her Age of an Apoplexy.

" 1732, September 2, Died Deacon Lemuel Sherwood in ye - year of his Age : of a Dropsie.

"1732, September 3, Died Joseph Fayerweather at Boston, in ye 25th year of his Age ; of a Bloody flux.

" 1732, November 10, Died Capt. Sam1. Sherwood in ye - year of his Age, of a malignant Fear [fever?].

" 1732, November 21, Died at Fairfield Sam1. Morehouse, of a malignant Fever, Aged about - years.

" 1732, December 23, Died Sergt Samuel French of the Dry belly ach, aged about - years.

" 1732-33, Feb. 26, Died Hannah the infant Posthumous Daughter of Deacon Sherwood.

"1733, October 20, Died Eunice, the Daughter of Benja Beardsle of ye Bladder, aged 1 year.

"1733, October 30, Died Edward, the Son of Stephen Burrows, of the ; Bladder, aged 1 year.

"1733, November 17, Died Isaac Wheeler by bleeding of a Wound iu his leg wch seemed almost cured.

"1733-34, Janry 3d in the morning, Died Moses' Jackson's Wife, of a Lethergie.

" 1734-35, Feb. 8, Dorcas, the Negro Girl of Major Jolin Burr, of a feaver.

" 1734-35, Feb. 26, Francis Hall Jun", Died of a malignant pleurisie.

" 1734-35, March 7, David, the untimely infant of Obadiah Beardslee."

Sheep-raising was an industry of some importance in Stratfield. The sheep were of the old long-legged breed, and were pastured on land owned in common, or upon the highway, and at night folded together by a man hired by the town for that purpose: Madam Knight in her "Journey from Boston to New York in 1704" alludes to this practice. Rev. Samuel Cooke, besides being the spiritual shepherd of Stratfield, was at one time one of the owners of the town-flock.

"1706, Febury. At a meeting of the proprietors of the Sheepe in Strat- field it was then voted that the Sheepe shall bee Lett at Sharmon's cor- ner or near there about. Voted that Saml. Hubbell, Richard Hubbell & Sam" Sumers Bee Sheepe masters to order the prudentials of the flock for the yer Insuing. Voted that the Sheepe masters shall Have power to hier men to clear the Comons for the advantige of the flock & to pay the Charges from the Sheepe money."

1709, March 28: " James Hubbell agrees with the sheepmasters to keep the flock from March 29th until the time of taking up the sheep at Mick- elmas for 3s. per day in provision pay, or 2s. 6d. if he has a boy to help him."

1723, Dec. 24: " Voted that the Sheep Shall bee Lett at the School Hous for the year Insuing. Voted that they that do not bring in the number of their Sheep by ye middle of Jeneary shall loose their money."

Horses were branded not only upon the shoulder, but upon the ear, every owner having his own private mark, which was registered as carefully as trade- marks are at the present day. 6

Several pages upon the record-book are filled with the particulars of sales and exchanges like the follow- ing:

1701, August : "Saml. wheters marke is a smale forke on the ner er and a nick under it, and a halfe peny under the off er."

1703 : " francis Hall sold to John the frenchman at Milford one horse, Darke browne marked with 3 halfpennys under the off er, slit in the ner car, Branded on the ner sholder: sd horse was sold to said french man for -. "

The price paid by John the Frenchman for his horse is destined apparently to remain, like the au- thorship of Junius' Letters or the identity of the Man with the Iron Mask, one of the unsolved problems of history, the concluding words of the paragraph hav- ing bceome, through age and much handling, wholly illegible.

1702, Dec. 18: " Daniell Bardsley sold Joseph Benit a Dun horse, with a Large Star In the forched, Branded X on the ner Shoulder, and two half- pennys on the under side of the near ear."

1702, Dec. 18. "Joseph Benit Sold Daniell Bardsly one hors; Dark Browne with a bald face and foure white feet with a forke on the ner ear and a halfe peney on the off ear on the under side : about 7 yers old."

April.5, 1703 : "Sam1 french sold James Hubbell one horse, black with Abell Binghams eare mark, 2 yr old, for the some of 3 sheep and 2 Lams."

Jan. 2, 1705 : " Jonathan Taylor exchanged a roneish mare yt was for- merly Edward Lacys having a blaze down ye face, marked with a slit down ye near eare & half penny on y foreside of ye off eare, and branded with F on ye near shoulder with Benj. Fayerweather for a Bay mare with a blaze down ye face, a wall eye two white feete behind.

"Present at ye exchange Jno. Sealy, Math. Sharwood Junr."

" The under ritten being Desired to appris a black mare that was tacken up in the Woods above fairfield by Saml. hall, being about ten yer old, hath a Star in the forad, marcked with a half penny under the ner Ere, with Colchester braud & M. R. on the ner buttock : wee Doo apprise the sd. mare to be worth fifty shiling in mony. witness our hands August 16, 1714.

"BENJ. GRIGORY "SAML, ODELL."

Here is an entry which seems to indicate the ex- istenee of something like a guild or trade union among the storekeepers of the place,-hardly very numerous I imagine, though " majority of merehants in Stratfield" certainly has an imposing sound. The votes which follow show that keeping tavern without a license was not permitted :

1706-7 March (?) 21st : " Mr Jos Bennitt of Stratfield haveing payd full satisfaction to the Majority of Merchants in Stratfield for his tradeing in said place as a Merchant, the said Society acknowledges the same & allow him to enter on ye records of Stratfield Joseph Beunitt Merchant.

"SAMI HUBBELL Recorder."

1713, Sept. 23: " Voted that the wedow hubbell shall be tavern ceper for this yer."

1715, July 17: " Mr. Ben fairwether alsow cosen [choseu] tarven ceper for the yer in suing."

After the death of Mr. Chauneey, Stratfield Society extended a eall to Rev. Samuel Cooke to become their pastor. Mr. Cooke accepted, promising to serve them in the ministry for life if they would cheerfully and unanimously agree to pay him one hundred pounds per annum in eurrent money, or in provisions at the following rates : Indian eorn, 2s .; rye, 28. 8d. ; wheat, 4s. per bushel ; pork, 20d. per hundred.

A vote had previously been passed to repair the meeting-house, but nothing had been done. Imme-

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

diately after Mr. Cooke's acceptance of the call vigor- ous measures were taken in this direction :

1715, July 17: " John Burr, Benj. fairwether then added a Comtes unto Capt. John Barsley, Mr. Jaems Benitt, & Richard hubbell to git the galerey finched and to sue Sam" franch for not performin of his obliga- tion which he gaive to finch the galerey."

1715, December: " Richard hubbell, thomas hally, Jaems Sely chosen Comtee to Consult some Cafendurs for the In Largment of the meting hous."

The "Cafendurs" seem to have given it up as a hopeless case, and a new meeting-house, near what is now the northwest corner of Park and North Avenues, was decided upon :

1716, November : " Voted that the plas for the sating of a new metiug hous, if they shall afterward agree to bild one, shall be nere the Cor- ner of Joseph Trobige's orchard Lot, Deceased, ou the norwest sid the road, between that and the wedow Sharmans, Deceased.

" Also voted, same meting, that thay will bild a nue metiug hous of the folowing dimenchuns : 22 feet between joynts, 48 feet long, 38 feet wide, a long roof. Cost not to exceed £250."

1716-17, March 11 : " Voted that thair shall be sow much Rume Laft in the Nue meting hous for pues as the Comtee shall judge best. Also Agreed that the Comtee is impoured to lay out the bove sd. pues, and say hoe shall have them."

Col. John Burr and the family of Rev. Mr. Cooke were the first to occupy pews. The remainder of the congregation were assigned seats annually, according to the social position of each, by a committee chosen for the purpose,-an unchristian custom long preva- lent in Connecticut.

1717, Dec. 30: "Voted that the Nue meting hous shall be sated by Dignety Adge and a State [Estate] by the presant List.

" Alsow Voted that David Sharmen, Richard hubbell, John odell, Sam11 Sharword, John Burr, shall be a Comtee to Sate ye meting hous, and have pouer to Sate from time to time as thay see reasou."

1723, Dec. 24: " Voted that Mr. Edwards shall Have Liberty to build a little House somewhere near ye meeting house."

This must have been one of the Sabbath-day houses, common throughout the colony,-small build- ings divided into two apartments, one for either .sex, with ample fireplaces, around which those members of the congregation who came from a dis- tance gathered during intermission and partook of refreshments, discussing the while theology, or some- times perhaps more worldly topics.

1725-26, March 17: " Voted that they will have a bell for the meating House att the Charge of the Society. Also voted that Sear. Samuel Gregory, John Hall, And David Sherman Jun' shall be a Committee to agree with Mr. Lucus for said bell."

Apparently, the committee and Mr. Lucas failed to agree, and no bell was purchased at this time.

In 1770 a tall steeple was built at the west end of the church, paid for partly by subscription, partly by tax. In March, 1774, another committee was ap- pointed to take up subscriptions for a bell, and on September 12th of the same year, the bell having been hung, it was voted to ring it not only on Sun- days, but at noon and nine o'clock P.M., on other days.

It seems likely that the bell was speedily cracked, whether by ordinary use or by excess of patriotic zeal,

for on Nov. 1, 1775, it was voted to have it taken down and run over .*

Brief mention has already been made of the Rev. Samuel Cooke, who succeeded Mr. Chauncey as pas- tor of the Stratfield Church. Mr. Cooke was born in Guilford, Nov. 22, 1687, and was graduated at Yale in 1705. He married, Nov. 30, 1708, Miss Anne Trowbridge, of New Haven. In October, 1712, and for three years following, he was elected deputy or representative from New Haven, and by the Assembly at each session was chosen clerk. His pastorate in Stratfield began in June, 1715, and continued until his death, Dec. 2, 1747,-a period of thirty-two years.

Mr. Cooke was a man of much dignity, and in public always appeared in full ministerial costume,- a heavy curled wig, black coat . and small-clothes, shoes fastened with silver buckles, and over all a large cloak or gown. His homestead fronted upon the street long called by his name,-Cooke's Lane, more recently Grove Street, not far from the Roman Catholic cemetery. It was three times invaded by death. His second wife was Widow Esther Sloss, née Burr ; his third, Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Platt ; and his fourth, Abigail, widow of Rev. Joseph Moss, of Derby.

There is a certain pathos in the entry in which he excuses his failure to attend to the church records for a long period : "Whoever shall succeed me in the ministry liere, let him not neglect the records of bap- tism, etc., as through multiplied troubles and sorrows I have done for many years past, of which I can only say that I suppose all the white children belonging to this place, born from the beginning of the year 1719 to July, 1731, were baptized, excepting David Jack- son's. A particular account I hope will follow after- wards."

Mr. Cooke in his later ycars suffered also from the depreciation of the currency in which his salary was paid, old-tenor bills, worth hardly one-fifth of their face. His executors brought suit against the parish and recovered heavy damages, which the Legislature confirmed. His successor in the ministry here was Rev. Lyman Hall, some account of whom will be found in the next chapter.

Mr. Hall was in turn followed by the Rev. Robert Ross, who became pastor of the Stratfield Church Nov. 28, 1753, and remained over it for more than forty-two years. A remarkable occurrence took place during his ministry. The people had assembled for worship on the morning of Sunday, July 28, 1771. A thunder-shower was gathering, but the services went on as usual, until the congregation rose and re- mained standing while the minister led them in prayer. The room grew darker and darker as the heavy clouds rolled up, while the distant muttering

* This bell, after having been recast, was brought to Bridgeport in 1808, and placed in the steeple of the old North Church, where it re- mained until destroyed by fire in 1851.

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BRIDGEPORT.

of the thunder showed that a fearful storm was im- pending. The form of the pastor at length became almost invisible in the deepening gloom, but still he prayed on. Suddenly a dazzling glare of light filled the room, revealing in its swift passage the pale faces of the startled worshipers. The crashing peal of thunder which followed drowned the voice of the speaker, and he paused breathless. When the last echo of the thunder had dicd away, and the people were again left in darkness, there was an interval of awful expectancy. At length a solemn voice from the pulpit broke the stillness with the words, " Are we all here ?" For a moment no one could answer, but as the congregation moved out and left the church, it was found that two of the most respected citizens had been taken in an instant from the house of God below, into the nobler house not made with hands, above. They were two of the best men in the little congregation,-Lieut. David Sherman and Capt. John Burr,-both of them in full health and in the prime of life. The former lived on Park Avenue, half a mile above North Avenue; the latter upon the corner of North and Clinton Avenues. The so- ciety voted to repair the damage done to the steeple by the lightning, and to put up a lightning-rod, then a new invention.

No particulars respecting the first school-house or its teachers have been preserved. A second one was built in 1703, as shown by the following vote :

Sept. 20, 1703: "Pr. the inhabitants of Stratefild thien voted that Stratfield wold bee at the Charge of huildindg a Schoolhous sixteen foot Wide and 21 feet Long. Voted that the Schoolehous should bee sett neear the whit oack boundre, between that and the run of water that comes out of Capt. Sharwod's paster."

Where Capt. Sherwood's pasture was, the present writer does not know. The white-oak tree referred to was on the boundary-line between Stratford and Fair- field, and was used as a public sign-post. Probably the schoolhouse stood near the junction of Park Avenue and Pequonnock Street, not far from the site of the present one in "Old South" district.

In 1710, William Rogers was the schoolnaster, and his agreement with the school committee, Samuel Hubbell and Benjamin Fayerweather, is still extant :

"The said William Rogers, Schoolmaster of the said Plantation, is to keep a Reading and writing School in the said Plantation, to teach the children & Youth to Read, write, & cypher, the terme and time of Six months, commencing on the first day of the Instant Janty (1710). And if said Rogers shall be wanting in said six months, he is to keep a night school,-viz., five nights every week (unto) the Tenth day of March next, and the said Plantation is to pay to (said) Rogers the sum of Nineteen pounds as Provition pay, and the remaynder as hath been payd to other Schoolmasters, to he judged by the Treasurer of the place, at or before the first day of April next."

John Wheeler, born March, 1709-10, died Sept. 26, 1790, taught school for many years. His compensa- tion for teaching a summer school, in the year 1736, was sixty-three pounds, but the currency was then depreciated. "Master" Wheeler, as he was always called, was held in universal esteem. He was the son of Dr. John Wheeler, the village physician, and mar-

ried Dorothy, one of the nine daughters of Deacon David Sherman, and after the death of his father-in- law resided in the house built by the latter upon the top of Toilsome Hill. This was "a large two-story edifice built in the best style of the day, with long sloping roof, high porch in front, and windows of diamond glass set in lead sashes. The children of Master Wheeler were three, all daughters,-viz., Dolly, Eunice, and Drusilla, the latter the wife of Abijah Beardsley, a Revolutionary soldier."

The time when the school in Toilsome District was established, is fixed by an entry on the society's record-book dated Dec. 20, 1738:

" Voted that this Society will have two schools : one where it has heen formerly kept and tho other at Tilesome hill."

A third school was established in 1754 " at or near the upper end of Sport Hill, so called;" but this must have been discontinued, for in 1766 the following votes were passed. The spelling would seem to indi- cate that additional school privileges were not un- necessary :

1766, Dec. 12: " Voted that the Society will have a thurd School in the Society this year. Voted that the thurd School Shall be Keept at the Littlo house in the first Croass highway, neer Nathanicl Seeley's."

1766, Dec. 29: "Voted that the Society will Divid themselves in to proper and necessary Distreets for Keeping theire Schools, Voted that Sam" Sherwood, Benjan Wheler, and Sam" Sherwood the 3d, be a comtoe for that purpus,"

The committee reported a fortnight later, advising the formation of three districts, the boundary between the lower and middle ones to be " the highway south- ward of Elnathan Sherman's house,"-perhaps the one now known as Lincoln Avenue, a little above Beach's Woods. All the territory below this line was to be the South District,-a fact which explains the reason why the district in our present city limits ex- tending farthest northward is known by the name of " Old South." The boundaries of these districts were. afterwards slightly changed.

As early as the year 1707 services according to the form of the Protestant Episcopal Church were held in the parish of Stratfield. They were conducted by Rev. George Muirson, an agent of the English "So- ciety for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts," stationed at Rye, N. Y., but at this time upon a mis- sionary tour through western Connecticut. These ser- vices were held in a private house, as there was at that time no Episcopal church edifice in the colony. A few persons, mostly adults, were baptized.

The first missionary of this society settled in Fair- field County was the Rev. George Pigot, who in 1723 became stated pastor of the churches in Fairfield and Stratford, but in 1727 was transferred to Providence, R. I. He was succeeded by the Rev. Henry Caner, who was graduated at Yale College in 1724; studied theology with Dr. Samuel Johnson at Stratford; was ordained in England, and in 1727 appointed mis- sionary at Fairfield. Mr. Caner preached in most of the towns in Fairfield County and founded the Epis-

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 19

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