History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 104

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532

USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > History of Litchfield county, Connecticut > Part 104

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Thomas Buckingham, home-lot laid on Second Hill, east from town, probably where B. W. Buckingham now resides.

Jobn Buckingham's home-lot was laid to the wife of Joseph Treat, Jr., son of Lieut. Treat, in Shepaug Neck.

Wm. Wheeler did not come here to reside. He died soon after the purchase.

Nathan Farrand's, Sr., interest passed into the pos- session of Zachariah Ferriss.

Geo. Allen did not remove here. The home-lot to this right was in the Still River Neck, near Danbury bounds.

Samuel Camp's (mason) interest went to John Bost- wick, Sr. Home-lot on Town Street, etc.

John Smith (4th) and Samuel Clark, Sr., did not come here to reside, and their lots were laid out to others.

Ephrahim Burwell's home-lot was in Shepaug Neck, near Samuel Brisco's.

Joseph Beard had a home-lot laid out on the west side of Town Street.

Joseph Camp's home-lot was laid in Still River Neck, by the path towards Newtown, and was sold to David Luke in 1725.

Samuel Camp's (Land's End) home-lot was just north of Paul Welch's, Park Lane.

Nathaniel Farrand, Jr., and Thomas Tibbals had no home-lots laid out to their right.

John Merwin. The lots to this right were laid on Second Hill.

Wmn. Gold's home-lot, where he resided, was on the Poplar highway which went north of Town Street,

just above the village. Samuel Adkins lived near Mr. Gold.

The right of Joseph Wheeler came into the pos- session of Rev. Mr. Boardman.

John Prime's right was sold to Thomas Cushing, of Boston, and the home-lot was laid on West Aspetuck River, at south end of Great Mount Tom. Neither of them came here.

Andrew Sanford's home-lot was laid to Andrew Tuttle, on the northeast end of Bound Hill.

Samuel Camp's (son of Edward Camp) lot was laid to Joseph Garnsey, north of the village, on Poplar highway, since discontinued.

Eleazar Prindle's home-lot was laid to Ebenezer Fisk, son of Doc. Fisk, on east side of Town Hill.

Wm. Scone, Widow Mary Baldwin, and Nathaniel Baldwin, cooper, had no home-lots laid to their rights.

Samuel Baldwin, wheelwright, had a home-lot laid on Still River Neck.

Lieut. Joseph Platt had no home-lot.

Sergt. Miles Merwin's home-lot was laid on Bear Hill, east from Wolf-Pit Mountain.

Samuel Sanford's, Sr., right was finally the Rev. Mr. Boardman's.

John Beard's home-lot was on the east side of She- paug Neck. The whole interest came into the pos- session of Joseph Ruggles in 1733.

Mr. Samuel Andrew's, Jr., home-lot was on south end of Bear Hill, on both sides of Cross Brook.

Geo. Clark and Joseph Clark had no home-lots laid.

Joseph Peck had a home-lot laid near Danbury line.

John Camp and Sergt. John Smith had no lots laid. Sold.

Jonathan's Law's, Jr., linme-lot on Strait's Hill, west side Great River.

John Allen died, and Henry Allen, his brother, sold his interest to Samuel Clark in 1710.

Joseph Ashburn. This right was bought by The- ophilus Baldwin, and the home-lot was laid to Samuel Burwell, who owned it.

John Summers had no lots laid out.

James Finn had his home-lots laid in Shepaug Neck, at the planting-field.

Zachariah Whitman had no home-lots laid.

Win. Adams. The home-lot to this right was laid to Peter Peritt and Roger Brownson, north of Samuel Brownson's home-lot, west on Great River in part, and in part on Joseph Bostwick's land, west on Town Hill.

Joseph Rogers, home-lot on east side, Second Hill.

Samuel Stone's home-lot was laid to John Stone, and was northeast from Round Hill, on the east side of East Aspetuck River.

Jonathan Baldwin, Jr. There were never any home- lots laid to this right, and he never came here.

Jesse Lambert's right or home-lot was laid to his sons Jesse and David, at Shepung Neck.

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

Jesse Lambert came to Boston and New Milford from England, where he settled about 1680. Hle had been an officer in the British navy. He was great- grandfather to Edward R. Lambert, author of a his- tory of the colony of New Haven, giving a descrip- tion of Milford, published in 1838.

Samuel Prudden had a home-lot in Still River Neck, near the south end of the bounds, but did not come here to reside.

Henry Summers and Samuel Smith Walter did not come here, and had no lots laid.

Sergt. Zachariah Baldwin. He did not come here ; his son, Ebenezer Baldwin, resided here, and his father's home-lot was on Town Street.

Benjamin Smith, Sr., did not come here, neither did John Clark.

John Smith, Jr., had a home-lot in Still River Neck.

Josiah and Richard Platt had no lots laid to their rights.

William Fowler sold a portion of his land to Samuel Prindle and Joseph Bostwick, who came here to re- side. Joseph Bostwick had a lot on Town Street, near Great Brook.

Samuel Prindle had his home-lot where he lived, on Town Street, near Great Brook.

Sergt. Samuel Northrop's right was deeded by his sons to John Turrill in 1714, and John deeded to his son Nathan in 1717. His home-lot was Town Hill probably.

George Clark, Jr., had no home-lots.

Samuel Coley laid to William Gaylord.

Samuel Marwin had no home-lots laid.

Lieut. Samuel Burwell's home-lot was on Aspetuck Hill.

Samuel Miles. Samuel Brownson had this lot, and it was north on lot John Bostwick, Jr., had built up, south on lot Roger Brownson had built upon.

James Beard had a home-lot laid on road to chest- nut-land.

Samuel Nettleton did not come here, but his home- lot was laid out to his sons, John and Samuel, in She- pang Neck.

Joseph Treat, son of Lient. Treat, married a daugh- ter of John Buckingham, and there were two home- lots laid in Shepaug Neck, one in the original right of each.

Jeremiah Canfield's home-lot was on the plain by the Round Mountain. His whole right went to his son, Jeremiah, Jr.

Thomas Smith, Sr., John Weller, etc.

Nathaniel Baldwin, Sr., Jeremiah Brand had no home-lots.

Buthuel Langstaff's home-lot was on Second Hill, on Woodbury road. Joseph Manning owned one-half of it.

Andrew Sanford, Jr., had no home-lots laid.

Nathaniel Sanford's right was sold to Benjamin Hurd, of Woodbury, in 1724.

John Marwin, Jr., had no lots.

Joseph Tibball's home-lots were laid in Shepaug Neck to Daniel Collins.

B. Baldwin's home-lot was laid in Shepaug Neck. Samuel Mather had no lot laid.

The meetings of the proprietors were held at New Milford after 1723-24. In 1714 the town voted that there "should be a grist-mill set up and maintained for the benefit of the town," and in 1715 the proprie- tors voted that they should "agree with some person to build and maintain a grist-mill on some part of Still River or elsewhere," and that the committee " execute any instrument or instruments for the grant- ing the stream and some land, in the name of the pro- prietors." John Griswold came, on the invitation of the committee, and built the mill on Still River, but did not long survive. The proprietors, however, car- ried out their agreement with his heirs by granting them a house-lot and other lands as a recompense for building the mill.

The early settlers also saw the necessity of having a blacksmith among them, and eighteen of them agreed with James Hine that, if he "do become our smith and faithfully endeavor to do our work for rea- sonable satisfaction for four years," they would give him a certain number of acres of land. He came.

It was not till 1728 that the effort to secure a cooper was successful. Jonathan Buck, Jr., was an appren- tice to Benjamin Bunnell, of Milford, and about ten of our leading citizens,-such men as the Rev. B. Roger Brown, Benoni Stebbins, Nathan Talcot, and Paul Welch,-upon his desire to come here, made him a contribution of land, money, and labor, upon con- dition that he " settle in this town as soon as his time is out with his master, Bunnell, and also he obliged to supply the town with needful cooper-work,-viz., set work and rhine work,-at a reasonable price, so long as there shall be an occasion for his work, or while there is not another or others of his trade sufficient to supply said town, or while he shall have life and abil- ity so to serve the town." Some gave land and some ten shillings in work, some two days' work, and his father, Jonathan Buck, agreed to give " considerable labor ;" and so he came, and carried on his trade, the first cooper in the town.

The town charges, at the commencement of man- aging the affairs of the proprietors town-wise, were paid either in money or in grain, the price of which was fixed in town-meeting. At the annual town- meeting of December, 1715, it was voted "that grain should pass for paying town charges as follows: wheat at four shillings per bushel ; rye at two shil- lings and eightpence per bushel ; Indian corn at two shillings per bushel ; oats at one shilling fourpence per bushel, and flax at sixpence per pound." These prices varied by vote of the town from year to year. In 1718 the price was fixed for Indian corn at three shillings per bushel (50 cents) ; wheat, six shillings per bushel ($1); rye, four shillings per bushel (66§

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NEW MILFORD.

cents) ; oats, at one shilling per bushel ; pork, three- pence per pound (4 cents) ; flax, 7 cents per pound (93 cents).

Every public matter in these early times was done either in the meetings of the proprietors, the town- meetings, or the meetings of the proprietors of the common fields. One of the hardships of pioneer life would have been the necessity of inelosing their di- visions of land by proper fences, which would have caused a great amount of labor and expense. To avoid this difficulty in a measure, the earliest settlers had meetings of the proprietors of the common fields, as they were called, and decided to co-operate, under such rules and restrictions as might be agreed upon, in supporting common fences to inclose certain por- tions of their lands. These meetings were held from time to time, as might be necessary, called by a per- son designated for that purpose, either under his own or the direction of the meeting. Fences were thus established, and built under the direction of commit- tees appointed for that purpose, and each of the pro- prietors paid his share of the expense. The length of fence was set in rods to each proprietor, for which he was liable to pay a pro rata share of the expense incurred.

The east side of the Great River, from the Great Falls to Aspetuek River, some ways back from the river, was thus inclosed by a general line of fence, and the west side of the Great River, from Rocky River, by the mountains, to Wood Creek, and north of the Still River meadows to the Great Falls, were all inclosed in one common line of fence, built and supported by votes in the meetings. In these meet- ings it was decided where the gates should be, at what time of the year or week the common fields should be open for pasturage of horses and cattle, and to make regulations about planting, etc.

In October, 1717, the proprietors decided " that the fields should be opened for cattle and horses upon Saturday, Oct. 5th, at sunset." They generally or- dered that the fields should be opened from Saturday sunset till Monday morning or Sunday night, and some years they voted to keep them closed entirely. Cattle, sheep, or horses found in the fields at any otlier time than designated were to be considered " damage frusant," and were liable to be impounded. Sheep and swine were sometimes allowed in the fields.

As a result of thus allowing their cattle, sheep, and swine to run together, and from the necessities of these early times, the town established marks on the cars of the cattle, sheep, and swine, called ear-marks, which were made for each owner or proprietor, so that he could distingnish his animals from those of his neighbors. These marks were described and re- corded in the town records to the individual. As early as 1728 this method of identifying animals was put into practical operation, and all the proprietors had their peculiar ear-mark made and recorded.

THE NORTH PURCHASE.

About the year 1721 the inhabitants of the town be- gan to agitate the subject of enlarging the northern frontier, and the suggestion was received with such favor by the citizens that it was finally agreed in town-meeting, June 12, 1722, " that if in case we can purchase any of the land northward from our town, that we will divide equally to each man above twenty- one years of age; and also that we agree that every man that hath a son under age shall have liberty to purchase for one son that is under the age of twenty- one years, and no more, and that those so purchased for shall be equal sharers with the rest of the pur- chasers." A few days after this meeting a meeting was held to determine how many of the inhabitants of the town would agree to make the purchase, and sixty-four persons subscribed their names to a paper, which was entered on the town records, " that they would proceed to purchase one mile and a half across the north end of New Milford bounds." None of the purchasers were to have a share or interest in the land but those who paid the purchase money within two months after June 22, 1722, the date of the meet- ing. The purchase of this strip of land was made of a committee of Hartford and Windsor by Samuel Brownson, William Gaylord, and Stephen Noble, agents for the inhabitants of New Milford, for thirty pounds, on the 23d day of June, 1722, in the eighth year of the reign of King George I. Hartford and Windsor obtained a grant in 1686 from the colony of Connecticut of all the land on the north of Wood- bury and Mattatuck, and on the west of Farmington and Simsbury, to the Massachusetts line north, and to run west to the Housatonic River, which covered the north purchase. The native right of the Indians, also, of this tract had been purchased by Hartford and Windsor before the New Milford purchasers re- ceived their deed.

NAMES OF PURCHASERS.

The names of the original purchasers of the " North Purchase" were Zachariah Ferris, John Ferris; Benja- min Bostwick, John Weller, Sr., Obadiah Weller, Thomas Weller, Enoch Buck, Lemuel Bostwick, Thomas Picket, Thomas Brownson, Daniel Board- man, Samuel Camp, James Camp, Abraham Bost- wick, Ebenezer Bostwick, Benjamin Bunnell, Sr., Benjamin Bunnell, Jr., William Corns, Ebenezer Washburn, George Corns, John Bostwick, Jr., John Bostwick (3d), James Prime, William Prime, John Bostwick, Sr., Stephen Noble, Jonathan Noble, Paul Welch, Theophilus Baldwin, Benoni Stebbins, Eben- ezer Picket, Samuel Brownson, Roger Brownson, Samuel Prindle, John Welch, Sr., John Welch, Jr., David Noble, Daniel Noble, Robert Bostwick, Nathan Bostwick, Samuel Hitchcock, Sr., Samuel Hitchcock, Jr., Jonathan Hitchcock, John Hitchcock, Samuel Prindle, Jr., Roger Brownson, Jr., John Weller, Jr., John Noble, Samuel Atkins, Gamaliel Terrill, Jonn-

436

HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

than Buck, John Noble, Jr., Nathaniel Bostwick, Joseph Buck, Robert Bostwick, Jr., Nathan Terrill, Ebenezer Buck, Joseph Bostwick (2d), Henry Gar- lick, Ebenezer Baldwin, Sr., Ebenezer Baldwin, Jr., William Gaylord, Benjamin Gaylord, Joseph Bost- wick, Sr.

July 25, 1726, the proprietors of the north pur- chase commenced to hold meetings, and at that meet- ing Ensign William Gaylord and Roger Brownson were chosen a committee to assist the surveyor to run the lines in bounding out the proprietors' land, and a rate of twelvepence for each proprietor was raised to defray the expenses, which was afterwards raised one shilling and sixpence on each right.

The land was laid out and surveyed by Edward Lewis, Esq., surveyor of the county of Fairfield, on Aug. 1, A.D. 1726.

It was not, however, till December, 1730, that the proprietors took steps to have the land laid out, and they then decided "that the lots should run but half- way through the tract; or thus, one lot on the north side and the other on the south side." In 1731 the proprietors had laid out the greater part of the tract into sixty-four lots, making suitable allowances for highways. There were thirty-two lots laid out on the north tier, the first to Benoni Stephens and the last to Mr. David Boardman. The other lots were laid out on the south tier, in accordance with the votes passed in proprietors' meetings.

The proprietors thought it would be to their ad- vantage to secure the annexation of their purchase to the town, and thus have it under one government. They could then discontinue their separate meetings. The General Assembly was finally memorialized by Samuel Brownson and David Boardman in behalf of New Milford, and in October, 1731, a patent of the north purchase was granted, signed by Joseph Talcot, Esq., Governor, and it thus became a part of the town of New Milford. It is bounded in the patent " west on the Great River, one mile and half of a mile in breadth, from thence to run a parallel with the north bounds of New Milford, unto the land sequestered for the use of Wereaunaug." The remaining unsettled lands north of this traet in the wilderness were then claimed by the towns of Hartford and Windsor.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF SOME OF THE FIRST SETTLERS.

John Noble was born in Springfield, Mass., March 6, 1662, and was the first settler of New Milford, having made this town his place of residence in 1707. When he emigrated to this town he was an inhabitant of the town of Westfield, Mass., to which place he came with his father in childhood. His father, Thomas Noble, the emigrant ancestor of the largest family in the United States bearing the name of Noble, was born in England abont 1632, and died at Westfield, Mass., at the age of at least seventy-two years. The names of his parents, the place of his

birth, and the year in which he came to this country are unknown, but it is supposed he came to Boston in 1653. He came to Westfield about the year 1669.

John was the oldest of ten children. His first wife was Abigail Sacket, daughter of John and Abigail Sacket, of Northampton and Westfield, Mass., who died in 1683, aged nineteen, four days after the birth of his first child; and in 1684 married Mary Good- man, daughter of Richard and Mary Goodman, of Hadley, Mass., who was one of the first original mem- bers of the first church organized at New Milford, in 1716. He had eleven children .* "When he first came to New Milford he brought one of his daugh- ters, then about eight years of age. He built his hut under what is called Fort Hill. It deserves to be mentioned to the credit of the natives, that he once left his daughter, when eight years of age, with the natives for three or four weeks, while he was absent from the town, and found on his return that she had been well cared for.t He had joined the First Congre- gational Church in Woodbury, Conn., in 1710. He was a very active and energetic man, serving faith- fully in all the various capacities in which he was, of necessity, called upon to aet in this new and undevel- oped country. He was very active in securing town privileges; but in the midst of his greatest usefulness in the new settlement, and before his plans had been carried out, he was called away hy death, which oc- curred Aug. 17, 1714. He was only fifty-two years of age.

The inventory of his estate amounted to one hun- dred and seven pounds, three shillings, sixpence.

John Noble, Jr., son of John, Sr., was born at Westfield, Mass., Feb. 15, 1685. He had three wives : 1st, Hannah Picket; 2d, Abigail Buck, of Wethers- field, Conn .; 3d, Sarah Slaughter, of Ridgefield, Conn. He had three children by his first wife, six by his second, and four by his third. He lived six or seven miles below the village of New Milford, next south of Gallows Hill, on the Danbury road, where he built a house and lived and died. He was one of the pioneers of the town, coming here to live soon after his father. He became a member of the Con- gregational Church in 1720. He was captain of the train band in New Milford in 1732. He died, 1783, at the age of seventy-one. His oldest son, Thomas, built the first house north of Gallows Hill, in New Milford, near his father, where he resided. He was for many years the owner of the iron-works known by that name, now in the town of Brookfield, then a part of New Milford. He was a member of the Gen- eral Assembly five sessions, and filled many offices of trust. He died in the summer of 1773, aged eighty- eight years. Most of the facts in this sketch are taken from Boltwood's history of the family of Thomas Noble.

* Boltwood's History and Genealogy of the Family of Thomas Noble. + Stanley Griswold's Century Sermon, 1801.

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NEW MILFORD.

Capt. Stephen Noble, son of John, Sr., was born in Westfield, Mass., Ang. 15, 1686, and died in New Milford at the age of sixty-nine. He was a black- smith by trade, and an extensive land-holder in the town, to which he probably removed as early as Jan. 24, 1714. He was a very influential man in the town, and was selectman fifteen years, and justice of the peace. He was one of the first representatives to the General Assembly, none having been chosen prior to 1725, and afterwards sent sixteen times.

He was the captain of the only military company in the town for twenty years after its organization. He joined the Congregational Church at New Milford in 1727. He married Abigail Morgan, Feb. 16, 1683, daughter of Isaac Morgan, of Enfield, Conn. He had seven children. The facts contained in this brief sketch of Capt. Noble are taken from Boltwood's " History of the Family of Thomas Noble," of West- field, Mass., loaned me by Russell B. Noble, town clerk, and a representative of the seventh generation from the first settler of the town.

John Bostwick was the second person who settled in New Milford, and came in the year 1707. He was one of three brothers of Scotch extraction, Arthur and Zachariah being the other two, who came abont 1668. He was one of the two persons who represented the town in the General Assembly, the first time in 1725, from the town of Cheshire, England, and located at Stratford, Conn. His seventh, and youngest son, Daniel, was the first white male child born in the town, and kept a public-house in the village for many years. Maj. John Bostwick, the oldest son of John, the second settler, was born in the year 1686. He married Mercy Bushnell, of Danbury, Conn., in 1712, and had five children.

Zachariah Ferriss was the third settler of New Milford, and came about 1709. He married Sarah Read, and had eight children. Sarah, the fifth, was the first female child born in the town, the date of her birth being Nov. 10, 1710. She married Stephen Noble.

Samuel Brownson was the fifth settler of the town, Samuel Hitchcock being the fourth. He was one of the first deacons of the Congregational Church ; town clerk for years .- Bostwick Genealogy.

William Gaylord was born in 1680. He married Joanna Minor, of Woodbury, Conn., the sixth daugh- ter of Capt. John Minor. They were both members of the Congregational Church, and removed to New Milford abont 1712, from Woodbury, where, as one of the first settlers, his services were always in great demand. He sprang from a long line of illustrious ancestors, commencing in Normandy, France. The Château Gaillard was begun and finished in one year, by Richard Cœur de Lion, for the defense of the frontier of Normandy. It was entire at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and was then considered one of the most magnificent specimens of military architecture in Europe. Henry Quatre cnused its

destruction in 1603, for fear that it might fall into the hands of some more powerful enemy. The name can be traced back prior to 1250. Some of them were knights, and one, Lord Dunfort, an admiral in 1475; one a distinguished Protestant minister in 1659; one a provincial bishop from 1634 to 1695; one a histori- cal writer of the seventeenth century ; one an engraver in 1752; and one a distinguished composer of music and sporting songs, "which were the delight of every play-house and public place in the kingdom."

Tbe Gaillard refugees, from whom have sprung all of that name in England and the United States, re- moved from France to Glastonbury, England, about 1550; and about 1630, William Gaylord, as it was now spelled in England, a native of Exeter, county of Devonshire, emigrated to New England, and was one of the pioneer settlers of Dorchester, Mass. He settled in Windsor. Conn., about 1638, which town he represented at forty-one semi-annual elections in the General Assembly. William, of New Milford, was the fifth son of Walter, the third son of William, of Dorchester. He removed to Gaylordsville, in New Milford, on the home-lot of the late David Gaylord, deceased, in 1720, and was the pioneer settler of that part of the town. The Schatacoke Indians, a few miles north, were very friendly, and he carried on an extensive fur-trade with them. He cleared up a dense forest, and lived in this secluded section until his own descendants gave him some social life. Some of the seventh generation of his descendants are now living near together in that part of the town where he settled. He died Oct. 25, 1753, aged seventy-three years. The facts contained in this sketch were taken from the history and pedigree of the sons of Gaillard, or Gaylord, in France, England, and the United States, by Wmn. Gaylord, of Cincinnati, Ohio.

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History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 104

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1532

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532