History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 45

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 45

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settler. He was not one of the first, as has been supposed. He left but one son, Daniel .; From him are the families in which that Christian name is often found, of whom there are as many families now in town as from either of the others. Mr. Beebe had two sons,-Jamies and Samuel. From his two sons sprang the families of Beebes now in town. The sons of Sanmel moved to Litchfield, and afterwards began the settle- ment of the town of Canaan. Mr. Gregory bad two sons, from whom are the numerons families of that name."

THE FIRST PHYSICIAN.

"One of the first settlers after the first eight families was Dr. Samuel Wood, a regular-bred physician, born and educated in England. Able and skillful in his profession, he was very useful iu the town for many years. From him are the families of that name now in town.

" Mr. Josialı Starr came to this town from Long Island soon after its first settlement. He had six sons, from whom the many families of that name have descended. Joseph Mygatt, froin Hartford, afterwards mar- ried Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin Starr, eldest son of Josiah, and settled in this town, from whom are the families of that name. The families of Picket, Knapp, and Wildinan are ancient families in the town, the latter of whom are now .very numerous. Some of the grand- sons of the original settlers are now living. Mr. David Taylor, of Wes- ton. and Mr. David Benedict, of this town, are grandsons of Mr. Thomas Taylor. Mr. David Shove is a grandson of Mr. Bushnell. Capt. Comfort Iloyt, Thaddeus Benedict, Esq., Mr. Isaac Benedict, and Mr. Joseph Beebe-the two latter of Bethel-are grandsons of the first settlers Hoyt, the two Benedicts, and Beebe. Mr. Abel Barnum, who died about a year ago at New Fairfield, was the last grandson of the first settler Barnum. The last grandson of the first settler Gregory was Samnel Gregory, Esq., who has been dead about eighteen years."

FIRST SURVEY OF THE TOWN .- THE PATENT.

"The first settlers, having purchased their lands of the Indian owners, became proprietors of the town. The town was surveyed iu February, 1693, by John Platt and Samuel Hayes, of Norwalk. The survey bill declares the length to be eight miles from north to south, and the breadth six miles from east to west. At the session of the General Assembly in May, 1702, a patent was granted, giving town-privileges to the inhab- itants and proprietors of Danbury. The patentees named are James Beebe, Thomas Taylor, Samuel Benedict, James Benedict, John Iloyt, and Josialı Starr. In this act the boundaries were fixed according to the former survey.

"The first justice of the peace who was appointed was Mr. James Beebe. The first town clerk was Mr. Josiah Starr. For many years after this time there were Indians living in town, who held their lands separate from the English people by known bounds. It does not appear that they were ever troublesome. But in the time of the wars, which were in the early part of the century, in which the French used great exertions to excite the enmity of the natives against the English settle- ments, it became necessary to provide some meaus of security. The house of Mr. Samuel Benedict, at the southeast corner of the street, and the house of Rev. Mr. Shove, on the eminence near where the two former meeting-houses stood, were placed in a postnre of defense. When they were apprehensive of danger all the families used to repair to these two houses, especially nights. But it does not appear that they ever had any serions alarm. In October, 1708, it was enacted by the General Assembly that garrisons should be kept at Woodbury and Danbury if the conucil of war shonld judge expedient. It thence follows that this was then a frontier town. But we have no acconut that any garrison was ever maintained here at public expense.

"The western part of the town, called Miry Brook, and the eastern part, which now composes part of the town of Brookfield, were settled within a few years after the centre. Many parts in the middle of the town which are now very fertile and prolific were considered by the early proprietors as not worth cultivation. Some of them, therefore, went from four to seven miles for land to raise their ordinary crops.

"One of the early inhabitants in this town was John Reed, a man of great talents, and thoroughly skilled in the knowledge and practice of the law. Ile possessed naturally many peculiarities, and affected still more. Ile is known to this day through the country by many singular anecdotes and characteristics uuder the appellation of . John Reed the Lawyer.' The first representative from this town to the General Assen- bly was Mr. Thomas Taylor. He was for many years a nseful man in the tawn, and died January, 1735, aged ninety-two. lle continned the

* In this I am positive, for three separate and independent sources of information all agree.

+ Daniel Benedict, Jr., married Rebekah, daughter of Mr. Thomas Taylor.

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

longest of any of the first settlers. The second justice of the peace was Mr. Josiah Starr. He held the office but a short period. He died Jan. 4, 1715,* aged fifty-seven. The next to him in office was John Gregory, son of Judalı Gregory, one of the first settlers. James Beebe, Jr., was successor in office to his father, who died April 22, 1728, aged eighty- seven. It is noticeable that James Beebe, the father and the son, each bore the several offices of justice of the peace, captain of the militia, and deacon of the church. The father, having commanded the military com- pany of the town for many years (said to be thirty), on his resignation led them to the choice of a successor, which fell upon his son. The fifth justice of the peace was Thomas Benedict, son of James Benedict, a first settler. Samuel Gregory, son of John Gregory, the former justice, was next appointed to that office. The next to him was Comfort Starr, youngest son of Josiah Starr, Esq. These seven justices of the peace are all that have been in town prior to those now living. It is worthy of remark that in five instances that office has been sustained by father and son. The town clerks have been, in succession, Josiah Starr, Israel Curtis, Thomas Benedict, Thaddeus Benedict, Major Taylor, and Eli Mygatt. The Probate district of Daubury was established by act of As- sembly, October, 1744. It then contained the towns of Newtown, Ridge- field, New Fairfield, and Danbury. Redding and Brookfield have since been added. Before that time this town belonged to the district of Fair- field. The first judge was Thomas Benedict, Esq. He held the office until his death, in 1775. The present judget was then appointed.

"Comfort Starr, Esq., who died May 11, 1763, in the fifty-seventh year of his age, left to the town a donation of eight hundred pounds, lawful money, for the support of a perpetual school in the centre of the town : to be under the direction of tho civil anthority and selectmen, the in- structor to be capable of teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, aud the Latin and Greek languages. In the general wreck of paper currency during the Revolutionary war, the fund depreciated to the sum of four hundred and eighty-eight pounds twelve shillings and nine pence, which now remains. In April this school was converted into a 'school of higher order,' agreeably to an act of Assembly passed May, 1798. A sketch of this school from the beginning has been lately written, which was copied off by several of the pupils, which they are again requested to preserve as a valuable memoir.

" At an early period in the town, of which the year cannot now be ascertained, a malignant nervous fever prevailed by which numbers of the iuhabitants died. Aside from that, there never was any prevalent epidemic in the town till the year 1775; in that year a dysentery raged with great fury in all parts of the town. The number of deaths in the town during the year was about one hundred and thirty, of which eighty- two were within the limits of the first society. Says Mr. Baldwin, in his Thanksgiving sermon of that year, ' No less than sixty-two have been swept away from within the limits of this society in less than eleven weeks the summer past, and not far from fifty in other parts of the town. Much the greater part of this number were small children. A terrible blow to the rising generation " A remarkable fact occurred that year. A military company of about one hundred men was raised in town and ordered to the Northeru army, on Lake Champlain. When they went it was viewed by their friends as next to a final departure. At the con- clusion of the campaign they all returned safely, and found that great numbers of their friends at home had sunk in death. The disorder sub- sided before their return .?.

" The town was again visited by the same disorder in the year 1777, but it was far less malignant aud mortal thau before. In the autumn of the year 1789 the influenza spread through the country. This town was visited in common with others ; few persons escaped the disorder, yet in very few instances was it mortal. In the following spring, 1790, the same disease again spread abroad ; it was less universal and much more severe than before. Many of the persons died of it in this and most of the towns through the country. In the years 1793 and 1794 the scarlet fever spread considerably, but was not mortal but in a few instances. The smallpox has uever beeu but little in this town, and there are now

few or no towns in the State where a less population of the inhabitants have had that disorder than in this."

THE REVOLUTION.

" In the latter part of the year 1776 the commissioners of the Ameri- can army chose this town for a deposit of a quantity of military stores. Large quantities of flour, meat, and various kinds of military stores were collected and deposited here. In April, 1777, Governor Tryon, of blazing memory, set out front New York with a detachment of two thou- sand men for the purpose of destroying the Continental stores iu this town. They landed at Compo Point, in the town of Fairfield, and marched without interruption directly to Danbry. There was in the town a small number of Continental troops, but without arms. They with the inhabitants generally withdrew from the town as the enemy approached. The enemy entered the town on Saturday, the 26th of April, at about three o'clock in the afternoon. They soon began those cruelties and excesses which characterize an unprincipled and exas- perated enemy. Several persons were inhumanly murdered. One very valuable house, with four persons in it, was burnt immediately. The utmost inhumanity was committed upon all except the persons and prop- erty of the Tories. The next morning, before the King of Day had arisen, the unhappy inhabitants who remained in the town saw the darkness of night suddenly dispelled by the awful blaze of their dwellings. The euemy, fearful of their retreat being cut off, rallied early on the morn- ing of the 27th, set fire to the several stores and buildings, and imme- diately marched out of town. Nineteen dwelling-houses, the meeting- house of the New Danbury society, and twenty-two stores and barns, with all their contents, were consumed. The quantity of Continental stores which were consumed cannot now be accurately ascertained ; accounts vary considerably. From the best information which can be obtained, there were about three thousand barrels of pork, more than one thousand barrels of flour, several hundred barrels of beef, sixteen hundred tents, two thousand bushels of grain, besides many other valu- able articles, such as rum, wine, rice, army-carriages, etc.| The private losses were estimated, by a committee appointed for the purpose, sixteen thousand oue hundred and eighty-four pounds seventeen shillings and ten pence.

"Gens. Wooster, Arnold, and Silliman immediately collected such a party of inhabitants as they were able, and effectually annoyed the enemy on their retreat to their shipping. A spirited action was fought at Ridge- field the same day they left this town, in which Maj .- Gen. Wooster re- ceived a mortal wound. He was brought to this town, died on the 29th, and was interred in the common burying-place. Congress resolved that a monument should be erected to his memory, and made the necessary grant; the charge was committed to his son, who has never fulfilled it. His grave still remains, and probably ever will, without a stone to tell posterity where he lies.

"Notwithstanding the public loss of this town, it was still used as a deposit for Continental stores throngli the war. A guard for security was maintained the whole period. A great hospital was also kept in this town from March, 1777, till the termination of the war, in which great numbers died. In the autumn of 1778 a division of the army, consisting of four brigades, under the command of Gen. Gates, was quartered in this town for a few weeks. Small detachments of the army were here occasionally afterwards.

"The people of this town wero united in one society till the year 1754. At that time a part of the town, with a part of the towns of New Milford and Newtown, was incorporated a society by the name of Newbury. The society of Bethel, which is wholly in this town, was incorporated by act of Asserubly, October, 1759. In May, 1761, a small part of the town, with a part of the town of Ridgefield, was incorporated a society by the name of Ridgebury."

FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY.

" A public library was established in this town in the year 1771, which afterwards consisted of about one hundred volumes. In the conflagra- tion of the town the books, except a few which wero out, were consumed. It remained in such a mutilated state till March, 1795, when it was dispersed. In January, 1793, a nmuber of inhabitants formed aud signed a constitution for a library company ; one dollar and seventy-five cents was paid on each share, and laid out for the purchase of books. An an- nual tax, generally of half a dollar upon a share, has been regularly applied for the purchase of books, judiciously chosen. The library now contains two hundred volumes; should the same care in enlarging and

* His tombstone.

+ Those who have been appointed to the office of justice of the peace, since those above mentioned, are Hon. Joseph P. Cooke, Daniel Taylor, Thaddeus Benedict, Samuel Taylor, Eli Mygatt, Thomas Taylor, James Clark, Elisha Whittlesey, Timothy Taylor, and Thomas Taylor, Jr. Daniel and Samuel Taylor are since dead, and Thaddeus Benedict is not now in office ; the remaining seven are.

Hon. Joseph P. Cooke.

¿ A strong evidence that the disorder was not brought from the army, as was generally imagined.

| Dr. Ramsey's account of the losses in this town is certainly far short of the truth.

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DANBURY.

preserving it continue, it promiscs to be a respectable and useful collec- tion. A library was founded at Bethel about the year 1793, which now contains one hundred volumes, and is increasing.

" By an act of the General Assembly passed in May, 1784, this town was made a halt-shire of the county of Fairfield. From that time to this the courts have met alternately in Fairfield and Danbury. A court-honse and jail were built in the town, with some assistance from the neighbor- ing towns, the year following; the sum of three hundred and eighteen pounds was raised by a tax, the remainder by subscription. In the year 1791 the first jail was consumed by fire, after which a second one was built, more valuable and secure. The expense was defrayed by the pro- duct of a lottery.

" A census of this State was taken in the year 1756. We know of no earlier euumeration of the inhabitants having been made. At that time the whole number was 130,611; the number in Fairfield County was 20,560 ; the number in this town was 1527. Another censns was taken in January, 1774. The State then contained 197,856 inhabitants; the eounty of Fairfield, 30,150; the town of Danbury, 2526. By the censns of 1790 the population of the State was 237,946; the number in Fairfield County was 36,230; in this town it was 3029. This was after the town was diminished by the society of Newbury being incorporated a town. Iu the census of the year past, returns from the whole State have not been made ; the county of Fairfield is found to coutain 38,160, and the town of Danbury 3274, inhabitants. The number of towns in the State in 1756 was 73; in 1774 it was 76; in 1790 it was 98; in 1800 it was 106.

"A printing-office was established in this town in March, 1790. A weekly news-print has been regularly published from that time to this, on demi-paper; it has generally bcen, as it is at present, respectable for good principles and information. The number of papers issued at first were but one hundred ; there have been as many as two thousand; the usual number has been about one thousand. In June, 1793, a second paper was published in towu, which continued several months.

" We now proceed to relate in a concise manner a sketch of the eccle- siastical history of the town. The time when a church was first or- ganized iu town caunot be exactly determined; it was probably at the ordinatiou of the first minister. The first minister in this town was the Rev. Mr. Shove, a very pious aud worthy juan, who was very successful in his exertions for the promotion of peace, virtuc, and true religion ; so that the general peace and union in his time are proverbial at this day. Ile was ordained in the year 1696, and died Oct. 3, 1735, aged sixty- eight .* The town was destitute of a settled minister but a short time. In a few months the church and people, in great harmony, invited Mr. Ebenezer White to settle with them in the ministry. He was accord- ingly ordained Mareh 10, 1736.| Universal harmony prevailed between the people and their minister for more than twenty-five years. The people of the town were considered by all the neighboring towns as cmi- - nent for morality and religion, for regularity of conduct, and for constaut attendance on the institutions of Christianity, though it is to be la- inented that there has never been any special revival of religion in this town from the first settlement. In the great awakening which spread through the land in the years 1740 and 1741, which was probably the most signal effusion of divine grace this country has ever experienced, this town was mostly passed over. In the great revival of religion in two years past, in the northern part of this State and many other places, which is doubtless the greatest display of divine grace, excepting the one before mentioned, which has taken place in this country the past century, this and the neighboring towns seems to have possessed no share. These cousiderations call for serious consideration and humility.

" It is supposed, on good grounds, that the first meeting-house was built prior to Mr. Shove's ordination; its dimensions were about forty feet in length and thirty feet in breadth. It is remarkable that after the frame was raised every person that belonged to the town was present and sat on the sills at onee. The second meeting-house was built about the year 1719; its dimensions were fifty feet in length and thirty-five feet in breadthlı. In 1745 an addition of fifteen fect was made to the whole front of the house. About the year 1762 religions controversy began in this town, and was carried to a great extent for many years. It is presumed that in no town in this State has there been more religious contention than in this. It is hoped that the flame is now mostly buried, never to break forth again.

" At the time above mentioned, Mr. White having altered his senti- ments and preaching in several particulars, some uneasiness arose among his people. The efforts of several ecclesiastical conseils to heal the di- vision proving ineffectual, it finally issued the dismission of Mr. White

* His tombstone.

f The records of the Eastern Consoeiation of Fairfield County.

from his pastoral charge, March, 1764.4 A major part of the members of Mr. White's church joined with him in denying the jurisdiction of eccle- siastical councils and renonneing the form of church government estaly- lished by the churches in this State. The remaining part, who signified their adherence to the ceclesiastical government, were established and acknowledged by the two Consociations of Fairfield Conuty, convened in council, as the First Church in Danbury. Soon after this Mr. White and his adherents separated from the church and society and formed a separate church; they were generally denominated "Mr. White's ad- licrents.' In October, 1770, a number of the inhabitants of the town in- dividually named in the act, principally those who composed this sepa- rate church, were incorporated a society by the name of ' New Danbury.' Prior to this they built a good meeting-house, its dimensions about fifty feet by forty, in the year 1768, which was consumed in the general con- flagration of the town. In the same year Mr. Ebenezer Russell White was ordained a colleague with his father over that church.

" In the year 1764, Mr. Robert Sandeman, a native of Perth, in Scot- land, a man of learning, of great genius and art, aud, according to his views of divine truth, a man of strict piety, who had had some corre- spondence with Mr. White and some other ministers in this country, eame from Scotland and landed at Boston. Ile came to this town near the close of the year 1764. After tarrying several weeks he returned to Boston, where he soon organized a church. Ile came again to this town and gathered a church, July, 1765; he died and was buried in this towu, April 2, 1771, aged fifty-three ¿ The principal doctrines which he taught were similar to those of Calvin and Athanasius, which have been re- ceived in all ages of the Christian Church. His distinguishing tenets were that faith is a mere intellectual belief; his favorite expression was, 'A bare belief of the truth,'-' That the bare work of Jesus Christ, with- out a deed or thoughit on the part of man, is sufficient to present the chief of sinners spotless before God.'| He maintained that his Church was the only true Clinrch then arisen from the ruins of Antichrist, his reign being near to a close." The use of means for mankind in a natural state he pretty much exploded. In the year 1772 the Sande- manian Church in this town moved to New Haven. In July, 1774, sev- eral persons who had been members of that church, together with a number that belonged to the society of New Danbury, united and formed a Sandemanian Church. That continued and increased for many years, till March, 1798, when they divided into two churches, which still con- tinne. There are also a few individuals at Bethel who compose a third church; they all adhere essentially to the doctrines aud practices which were established by their founder .**

" The society of New Danbury continned regularly, though constantly diminishing, till July, 1774, when the Rev. Ebenezer Russell White, with a number of the society, united with the Sandemanians. Public worship was maintained irregularly afterwards for two or three years, till the society finally expired.

" After the dismission of the Rev. Mr. White, the First Church and Society were destitute of a stated minister till Feb. 13, 1765, when Mr. Noadiah Warner was ordained their pastor. The Rev. Mr. Warner was regularly dismissed from Iris pastoral charge Feb. 23, 1768.++ The people remained destitute about two years and a half. The Rev. Ebenezer Baldwin was ordained Sept. 19, 1770.## He officiated with great reputa- tion to the ministry till a sudden death terminated his labors, Oct. 1, 1776, aged thirty-one years,22 a man of great talents and learning, a eon- stant student, grave in his manners, a constant and able supporter of the sound doctrines of the gospel. He left a legacy of about three hun- dred pounds to the society, which is carefully appropriated to the support of the gospel. From that time there was no settled minister in the society till the Rev. Timothy Langdon, who was ordained Aug. 31, 1786. The Rev. Ebenezer White died Sept. 11, 1779, aged seventy. Illi The deacons of this church have been in the following order : Samnel Benedict, James Beebe, John Gregory, Richard Barnum. Joseph Gregory, James Beebe, James Benedict, John Benedict, Nathaniel Gregory, Joseph Peck, Daniel Benedict, Thomas Benedict, Joshua Knapp, succeeded by those now in office. IT The present meeting-house, which is sixty feet in length and

# Records of the Consociation.

¿ His tombstone."

I Idem.

{ According to his calculations, the millennium was to have begun some years ago.

** This church is now extinet.

it Records of the Consociation,

## His tombstone. ¿¿ Idem.

I|| Idem. This gives no trait of his ministerial character.

ff Hon. Joseph P. Cooke aud Samuel Wildman.

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180

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 45

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