History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 78

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 78

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No. 39. This house was built by Ezekiel Hull, whose memory is at present associated with but few, as nearly all of his contemporaries passed away years ago. He lies in Greenfield. A stone thus inscribed marks his resting-place :

" In Memory of Capt. Ezekiel Hull, who died Octo 7th, 1802, Aged 70 years."

There are not a dozen alive who knew him, and his house was found with difficulty.

John Philips was the next owner,-a zealous leader in the Methodist Church. His first wife was the grandmother of Tom Thumb. Mr. Philips sold to Azariah Coggswell, who died there. His heirs sold to John Brothwell, who is the present owner and occu- pant, and who posts a notice: "This place is for sale."

Ezekiel Hull had a son, Thomas, for whom he built a house nearly opposite. One of his (Thomas') daughters married -Sanford, from Redding. They

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

occupied it for a time, then sold it to - Turner, who disposed of it to Samuel Morehouse, who sold it to another Samuel Morehouse (no relation to the former one) ; he died here. His son, Abel Morehouse, came into possession, and he also died there, leaving one son, John Morehouse, the present owner and oc- cupant.

No. 40. A house in Fairfield Woods known as Abel Jennings' place was once a tavern. It is supposed it was built by his father. From some records it is known to have stood in the Revolutionary war. After Abel Jennings, of whom Nelson Jennings bought it, his sisters owned it. It met with various transfers, and was under considerable mortgage when Christian Richards purchased it. He is an intelligent German, and has been the occupant thirty years.

No. 42. This "colonial" was erected by David Jen- nings, in 1762. It fell to the heirs and passed out of the family in 1832, when - Turner purchased it. He disposed of it to Thomas Merwin, who is the owner and occupant.

No. 43. This is also Jennings' property. It was built by Levi Jennings, between 1760 and 1770. It descended to his son David, who died here. His widow, Mrs. Eliza Jennings, with her family, is the present occupant. It was remodeled by her son, Richard Jennings, in 1877. He states there has never been a quarrel or a family feud in that house, which fact is deserving of a place in history.

Much of this property in this section ("Jennings' Woods," properly " Jennings' Farms") was owned by Joshua Jennings, who settled in Fairfield in 1655. From Joshua Jennings, who died in 1716, have sprung the many Jennings who have done much to- wards populating Fairfield, extending commerce and civilization, and enacting our laws.

Joshua Jennings and his wife, Mary, left seven sons and two daughters. Some report the marriage of Joshua in 1647 in Hartford, but it has not been fully authenticated. Their numerous descendants are traced down through the Probate and church records.

The house occupied by Burr Lyon, deceased, was owned and occupied by Isaac Jennings, and was the first house burnt by Tryon. Jennings' wife was sister to Col. Abraham Gould, who was killed while defend- ing Ridgefield. Interesting records of the family were obtained, through necessity, of each connecting with Joshua, to secure his individual share of the immense fortune reported to be left to his posterity in America.

In 1846 a preliminary meeting was held in South- port, and steps taken for a general meeting, which was held in Fairfield town-hall. A committee of five was appointed,-William Sherwood, of Fairfield; David Coley, of Westport; Gould Jennings, of Norwalk ; of Bridgeport; and Augustus Jennings, of Southport. The last named was secretary. They were instructed to raise funds to investigate the rumors by examining records in England as well as in this country.

William Sherwood, Esq. (see No. 38), was intrusted with the duty of proceeding to England, and with the counsel of the Hon. David Hoffman, the United States Minister, and others he obtained records from the Tower of London, the British Museum, the Doc- tors' Commons, and church records at Acton Place, where the great millionaire, William Jennings, was buried. He obtained a mass of information concern- ing the English family, but did not show any connec -- tion to Joshua Jennings of 1656. The efforts made here enabled the family to interest the different branches, so that each were enabled to show their connection with one of the seven sons of the first Joshua. These records are preserved, with those ob- tained from England, by Judge William Sherwood. Many of the descendants of Joshua are occupying the land set to him when the long lots were laid out.

Green's Farms, which was formerly Fairfield West Parish, is composed largely of people of that name ; still, there is a large number of them in the township of Fairfield. There is not a burying-ground but has its old freestone of a hundred years ago and the white marble of to-day to the memory of a Jennings, among whom were Deacon Moses Jennings (Congregation- alist), who died in 1813, aged seventy-nine; Dr. Seth Jennings, who died years ago ; Capt. Abraham Gould Jennings, who visited all ports and dealt in the East India trade.

Deacon O. B. Jennings and Capt. Isaac (member of the Connecticut Legislature), of Fairfield, and Mr. Augustus Jennings, of Southport, are three brothers in the Japan paper-ware business. The late Capt. Jo. Jennings, of Southport, and his sons were more or less engaged in commercial business. One, however, M. J. Fred Jennings, is a Southport druggist. The Jen- nings name is associated with thrift and prosperity.

No. 43. In the family Bible in this house is the record, "Daniel Willson was born July 26th, in ye year 1747, and was married to Sarah Squier in ye year 1769," when this house was built. Their son David was second owner.

David Willson, Jr., next in the genealogical line, hcired it. He dying, his sister, Eliza Willson, is the owner and occupant. She is a lady of intelligence, and her mind is replete with Revolutionary reminis- cences. Her mother was but six and a half years old when Fairfield was burnt, and the family escaped to the hills for safety. They lost everything, but were thankful that no one of their family was among the missing. Their house was opposite the Burr Betts place, in Fairfield, and was occupied later as a bel- lows-factory. After the conflagration the Willsons built farther back. Capt. Daniel Willson's, of Black Rock, was raised in the forenoon, and this Daniel Willson's in the afternoon, of the same day.

In this latter house may be found some rare old books. Among them are to be seen Josephus, in four volumes, printed by Shober & Loudon for John M. Gibbons and Robert Hodge (MDCCLXXV.). On

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the fly-leaf is the autograph of "G. S. Silliman, 1775." The books were obtained at an auction hield for the disposal of Gen. Silliman's property.

No. 44. This property is located on Holland Hill. A title was given by Robert Silliman to Ebenezer Silliman, Jan. 7, 1740.

" Daniel Silliman, the first of the name who settled in Fairfield, was understood, in the traditions of the family, to have been an. emigrant from Holland." " The Sillimans of Fairfield were settled from the be- ginning upon an eminence about two miles from the village of that name, and called-in consequenec, probably, of the reputed origin of Daniel Silliman- Holland Hill."*

The first Daniel Silliman, who died in 1690, had three sons,-Daniel, Thomas, and Robert. The father, dying in 1690, left unincumbered an estate amounting to two hundred and one pounds. Thomas died in 1692; his brothers were his administrators. He apparently left no children. Daniel, Jr., died in 1697, leaving six children, of whom John was a mer- chant and had a large estate. He married Ann Burr.

Robert married Sarah Hull, probably the grand- daughter of Rev. John Jones. Hc (Robert) died in 1748, leaving three sons-Robert, Jr., Nathaniel, and Ebenezer-and four daughters,-Ann, Sarah, Martha, and Rebecca. Ebenezer married Abigail Sellick, daughter of Abigail Sellick, in 1728. Their children were Gold Sellick, born 1732; Ebenezer, born 1734; Amelia, 1736; Hezekialı, 1739; Jonathan, 1742; Abi- gail, 1748; Deodate, 1749. He was ealled " Date."

The father of this family lies in Fairfield cemetery, and his resting-place is marked by a freestone slab containing this inseription :

" In Memory of the Honble Ebenezer Silliman, Esqr. For many years successively a member of the Council and one of the Judges of the Su- periour Court, in the Colony of Connecticut. Distinguished with a clear understanding, a sedate mind, and dignity of deportment, well versed in Jurisprudence, learned in the Law, and religiously upright, he sustain'd those high TRUSTS (and acted in other important Relations) with Honour to himself, to his Family, and to his Country.

" And having served his generation, by the will of God fell asleep, in the GSth Year of his age, on the 11th Oct", 1775.

"' I have said ye are gods, but ye shall die like men.'"

His wife's resting-place is thus marked :

"In Memory of Mrs. Abigail Silliman, Late Amiable Consort of the Honourable Ebenezer Silliman, Esq. She died March 16 A.D. 1772, Aged 65 Years one month, wanting one day. How lov'd, how valu'd once avails thee not ; To whom related or by whom begot : A heap of dust alone remains of thee, 'Tis all thou art, and all the proud sh'll be."

This Ebenezer Silliman was a graduate of Yale College in 1727. He was the proprietor of a large landed estate, and an influential man in publie affairs. In the Congregational Church records it is found that

Mr. Ebenezer Silliman was admitted as member un- der Rev. Joseph Webb, Dec. 24, 1727. At a meeting held in Fairfield, "ye 5th Day of Jan'y, A.D. 1733, Ebenezer Silliman was chosen Scribe," when they voted whether a choice be made of "ye Reva Mr. Noah Hobart for ye head and pastor" of said church. Later we find that "in 1768 Ebenezer Silliman and Dr. John Allen were appointed a committee to take an account of the church stock," showing that he held a place in Church as well as in State. Of his children, Gold Sellick was a graduate of Yale College in 1752.

" At a church meeting, April 25, 1779 :

"Voted, That Messrs. Dcodate Silliman; Peter Hendrick, Samnel Sturges, David Allen, Peter Jennings, James Penfield, Israel Bibbius, Jeremiah Jennings, and any others of the church or society who are skilled in psalmody, be desired to sit together in the gallery on the Lord's day and lead the congregation in that part of divine worship, they to agree among themselves as to the person who is to pitch the tune."t

Amelia's history is found on a tombstone in the Fairfield cemetery :

" This monument was erected by order of William Barr in commemora- tion of his honored mother, Amelia, who lived the partner and widow of Ebenezer Burr, son of Sammel and Elizabeth Burr, late of Fairfield, deceased. Also lived the partner and died the widow of Abel Gould, son of Samuel Gould, late of Fairfield, deceused. Was daughter of Ebene- zer Silliman, Esq., late of Fairfield, deceased; was born in New York, 1736, and died in the year 1794, aged 58 years."

This " colonial" passed from Ebenezer Silliman to Joseph Noyes, a lawyer, known as " 'Squire Noyes," and stepson of Gen. Silliman's.

Mr. Noyes, in 1799, disposed of it to Daniel Wilson, who transferred it to his mother, Sarah Wilson. From her it came to a son, John S. Wilson, in 1803. Distribution was made in 1870 from the estate of John S. Wilson to William S. Wilson, who is the present owner and oceupant. J. A. Wilson, the son of the latter, is principal of the Mill Plain graded sehool,-a position he has successfully oceupied three years and has entered on his fourthi.

The Wilsons, too, belong to Fairfield's early settlers, as the tombstones testify. A few inscriptions are here given :

" Here lies Buricd the body of Mrs. Sarah Willson, Second wife of Mr. Nathaniel Willson, and danghter of Mr. Robert Silliman, who was born Febuary 17, 1728, and departed this Life July 23, 1795, Aged 67 years 4 months and 26 days."

" Here lyes Buried y Body of Mrs. Mary Willson, Wife to Mr Nathaniel Willson, Jun, Who Departed this life Octbr 10th, 1740, in ye 25th Year of Her Age."

+ From the Congregational Church Records, Fairfield, Conn.

* From Fisher's Life of Benjamin Silliman.

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"In Memory of Mr. Daniel Willson, who was born August 6th, 1747 and departed this Life Aug. 17, 1795, aged 48 Years and 11 days.

Death is a debt to nature due, Which I have paid ; and so must you."

The age of this house is variously estimated at from one hundred and twenty-five to two hundred years. It is in good repair internally, and, with a good coat of paint, would last several generations. The fasten- ing to the door is a peculiar contrivance which the descendants of the original owners would like to pos- sess, as there is nothing like it in the country.

No. 45. This was built for Gen. Gold Sellick Silli- man, who was born in 1732 and graduated from Yale College in 1752. He married Martha Davenport in 1754. They united with the Prime Ancient Church, Fairfield, March 3, 1754, she having before been a member of the church at East Haven. She died in August, 1774, leaving one son, William, who was taken prisoner (by the British) with his father in 1779. She was buried with the Sillimans, and this is her inscrip- tion :

" Here lies buried the Body of Mrs Martha Silliman, Wife of G. Seleck Silliman, Esqr, who died August first, 1774, aged 41 years 1 mon. & 23 D. Sweet Soul, we leave thee to thy Rest ; Enjoy thy Jesus and thy God, Till we, from Bands of Clay releast, Spring ont & Climb the Shining Road, While the dear Dust she leaves behind Sleeps in thy Bosom, Sacred Grave. Or docs she seek, or has she found her Babe, Amongst the Infant Nation of the blest, And claspt it to her Sooul to Satiate there The Young maternal Love. Thrice happy child, That saw the Light & turned its Eyes aside From our dim Regions to the Eternal Sun And led the Parents' Way to Glory .- WATTS."

Gen. Gold S. Silliman married, for his second wife, in 1775, Mrs. Mary Noyes, widow of Rev. John Noyes, of New Haven, and daughter of Rev. Joseph Fish, of Stonington, Conn. She had three sons by her first marriage,-Joseph, John, and James. Joseph was owner or occupant of "colonial" No. 44. John graduated at Yale College in September, 1779; was licensed as a preacher, October, 1783 ; was ordained to the work of the ministry and installed as pastor over the church in Norfield, then a parish of Fairfield, May 31, 1786. He continued his public ministrations till March, 1806, when his health failed him, so that he was unable to perform the duties of his ministry ; and, seeing no prospect of speedy restoration after a lapse of more than a year, he took a dismission from his pastoral relation May 26, 1807. With much weakness he resumed pulpit labor Sept. 4, 1808. For many years he was employed in vacant societies within the county. He supplied his former charge a part of the time. At length he engaged for

them without intermission from year to year, and continued so to do for about fourteen years, and then proposed to the people that they should look out for a young man to settle with them, which they did. He continued to preach occasionally for ministers and vacant congregations, but never moved his resi- dence .*

In August, 1790, Daniel Osborn was chosen deacon in room of Gold Sellick Silliman, deceased. After he graduated from college he engaged a short time in business, and then studied law and " became a suc- cessful practitioner at the bar, as is indicated by his holding the office of prosecuting attorney for the county. He had interested himself in military affairs, and at the outbreak of the Revolutionary struggle was a colonel of cavalry in the local militia. But during the most of the war he held the rank of brigadier- general, and was charged with superintending the de- fense of the southwestern frontier of Connecticut, which, on account of the long occupation of the city of New York and Westchester County, as well as Long Island, by the British, was a post requiring much vigilance and efficiency. He took the field at the head of a regiment early in 1776, was in the battle on Long Island, and both in that retreat and on the retreat of the American forces from the city of New York his command was placed as the rear-guard. He bore a perilous and honorable part in the battle of White Plains, and on this, as on several other occa- sions, narrowly escaped the balls of the enemy. While serving in the camp of Washington, Gen. Sil- liman enjoyed his confidence. Gen. Silliman descried the British fleet when approaching to land the troops for the destruction of the military stores at Danbury. in 1777, and, rapidly collecting the militia, he, in connection with Gens. Arnold and Wooster, inter- posed a resistance to their progress, sustaining the at- tack of superior numbers in the conflict at Ridgefield and harassing the enemy on their way back to their vessels. The estimate that was put upon the value of his services is attested by the enterprise undertaken by the British in conjunction with the Tories, which resulted in his being detained in captivity for nearly a year."

The Silliman biographer quotes the account of the capture, as taken from some of the family papers, thus :

" My father's vigilance made him obnoxious to the Tories, and he was so much an obstacle in the way of British incursions that it became an important object to make him prisoner, especially as the British in New York were, as it now appears, about to devastate the coast of New England, plundering and burning their towns and destroying their resources; and as Connecticut, on account of its strenuous opposition to British aggres- sion on the rights of the colonies, was, in their view, peculiarly worthy of chastisement, it was determined to make this hated colony the first object of their resentment.

" A secret boat-expedition was sent by Sir Henry Clinton from New York, manned chiefly by Tories. This craft was a whale-boat ; the crew were nine in number, and only two of them were foreigners. They en-

* From letters, chiefly of a moral and religious nature, to friends of various couditions, by Rev. John Noyes (1844). ..

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tered Black Roek IIarbor, at Fairfield, drew up their boat into the sedge, and, leaving one of their number as a guard, tho remaining eight pro- ceeded across the hills, two miles, to my father's house, which at tho midnight hour was all quiet, and the family asleep.

" On May 1, 1779, between twelvo and ono o'clock A.M., the houso was violently assaulted by largo heavy stones banging against both doors with oaths, imprecations, and threats. My father, being awaked from a sound sleep, seized two loaded guns standing at his bedside, rushed to the front windows, and, by the light of the moon, seeing armed men on the stoop or portieo, he thrust tho muzzle of a musket through a pano of glass and pulled tho trigger ; but thero was only a flash in the pan, and the gun did not go off. Percussion-caps wero then unknown, and muskets were fired by flint and steel. Instantly tho windows wero dashed in, and the ruffians were upon him. Tho doors wero openod, and he became their prisoner. William, his son, although ill with agne and fever, was aroused from his bed, and became also their captive. Theso rude men, bearing guns with fixed bayonets, followed my father into tho bedroom, a terrific sight to his wife, she being in bed with her little son, Gold Selliek (Jr.), not yet eighteen months old, lying upon her arm. The invaders were soothed by my father, as if they were gentlemen soldiers, and were desired to withdraw from the presence of his wife. They sulkily complied, and my father, by tossing my mother's dress over a basket containing the saeramental silver (to bo nsod that day) of tho church, of which he was deaeon, thus concealed from them what would have been a rich prize. He also secured some valuable papers beforo he, with his son, was hurried off to the boat, leaving my mother diseonsolato and almost alone."

In the mean time she retired to the house of Mr. Eliakim Beach, at North Stratford, now Trumbull, seven or eight miles distant, where "Benjamin Silli- man, the most eminent of American teachers of natural science, was born." In later years, while speaking of his mother, he says: "Her cheerful courage contrib- uted to sustain her; and I ought to be grateful to my noble mother and to my gracious God that the mid- night surprise, the horror of ruffians armed for aggres- sion, and the loss of her husband, as perhaps she might fear, by the hands of assassins, had not pre- vented my life or entailed upon it physical, mental, or moral infirmities."

Gen. Silliman died in 1790, ten years after the family reunion. This bereavement brought upon his wife much trouble. She was obliged to decide how her sons were to be educated; the eldest was not quite thirteen, and the other not quite eleven. There was considerable property in land, farming-imple- ments, carts, carriages, horses, cows, oxen, sheep, and swine, but there was no income without labor. There were some slaves,-some by purchase and some by descent,-about a dozen in number. The slave- mothers served in the kitchen and the laundry ; the boys and girls were waiters. The principal slave was an able man with a master, but without was bold and impudent; his wife was kind and faithful.

Gen. Silliman would have been much better off with his legal business alone than with the horde of servants, who consumed the products of the farm and were, in general, triflers, and some of them dishonest. His resting-place (in Fairfield's illustrious ground) is marked by a freestone slab :

" Gold Selliek Silliman, Esq., attorney-at-law, justice of the peace, and during the late war Colonel of Horse and Brigadier-General of militia, died July 21st, 1790, aged 58 years, having discharged these and other public offices with reputation and dignity, and in private life shone the affectionate husband, tender parent, exemplary Christian, and man of fervent piety."

Mr. Benjamin Silliman was reared in Fairfield. After a year's absence his father, mother, and two children were reunited in their home (on Holland IIill), where he prepared to enter Yale College, which he did in 1792, the youngest of his class, save one aged thirteen. He graduated in 1796. In 1798 he resumed his residence in New Haven, and engaged in the study of the law. In 1799 he was appointed a tutor in Yale College. In the same year he entered upon the duties of that office, and remained in the instruction and government of the institution until 1853, when he fully resigned, having made an over- ture for a resignation in 1850, which was not accepted. He gave, by invitation of the corporation and faculty of the college, lectures on chemistry, mineralogy, and geology till 1855.

A freestone slab in the Fairfield old burying-ground contains an epitaph which gives his and his brother's history :

" In memory of Gold Sellick Silliman, Esq., who died in Brooklyn, N. Y., June 3, 1868, in his 91st year, and of

Benjamin Silliman, LL.D., more than 50 years professor of Natural Science in Yale College, who died in New Haven, Conn.,

Nov. 24th, 1864, in the 86th year of his age.

"Their remains are interred in the places of their decease. Emninent for honor, generosity, affection, patriotism, intellectual culture, and Christian principle, they were bound together through life by the strong- est of fraternal ties.

" They wero sons of Gen. Gold Sellick Silliman, who died 1790, and grandsons of tho Honorable Ebenczer Silliman, deecased in 1775, son of Robert Silliman, deceased in 1748, and grandson of Daniel Silliman, de- eeased in 1690. All of Fairfield.

" The children add this to the records of their ancestors, A.D. 1877."

After Gen. Silliman's death an auction was held, from which many relics are in various families of Fairfield to-day. The family Bible, even, was owned by Mr. Israel Bibbins, but was afterwards restored to the family at the request of one of the Silliman de- scendants.

Mrs. Mary (Noyes) Silliman married, in 1804, Dr. John Dickinson, of Middletown, which became her home. She died July 2, 1818, in her cighty-third year. Her son Benjamin, in speaking of her, says:

"She was a heroic woman, and encountered with firmness the trials and terrors of the American Revolution, in which my father was largely concerned. She did not lose her self-control when, three months before my birth, the house was assailed by an armed banditti at the midnight hour, the windows demolished, and my father and clder half-brother were torn away from her, and my father detained for a year at Flatbush, L. I., as a prisoner of war. Blessed Mother! In her widowhood, after my father's death, in 1790, she struggled on in embarrassed circum- stances, and gavo my brother and myself a public education, forming our minds at home to purity and piety. Whatever I have of good in me I owe, under God, mainly to her, and I look with mingled reverence and delight at her lovely picture which smiles upon nie still.">

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 78

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