History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 70

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 70

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).

Mr. Douglas, about 1748, erected a large two-story house, which, about two years after its completion, was unfortunately burned down, and he built the house now standing on the same ground, which he occupied till his death. This is supposed to be the oldest occupied house in town. Capt. Hezekiah Gold, son of Rev. Hezekiah Gold, who married Rachel Wadsworth, granddaughter of Mr. James Douglas, purchased this property about 1790 of Mr. Joseph Wadsworth, a son-in-law of Mr. Douglas. This house and farm is at present (1877) owned by T. S. Gold.

Farmers were then their own mechanics. The old tan-vat, where James Douglas tanned his own leather, was but recently filled up,-on the bank of the small stream now called the "Gutter," near his house.

Mr. Douglas had three sons and four daughters. The eldest of the daughters, Sarah, married Capt. Samuel Wadsworth ; the youngest, Eunice, married Mr. Joseph Wadsworth; another, Olive, married for her first husband a Mr. Johnson, and after his death, Deacon Eliakim Mallory. The other daughter, Mary (or Rachel), married a Mr. Taylor, of New Marlboro', Mass. Two sons, William and James Marsh, having sold their property on Cream Hill, removed to Ver- mont, where some of their descendants at present re- side. James Marsh married Rhoda, sister of Judge Burnham, of Cornwall. The other son, John, died in 1763, aged fourteen.

In the old cemetery at South Cornwall we find the tombstones of James Douglas and his wife thus in- scribed :

" James Douglas, Died Aug. 18, 1785, æ. 74. Mortals Awake Your time review, think on Death, Eternity is near."

"Rachel, wife of James Douglas, died April 23, 1790, æ. 78. Life how short, Eternity how long."

THE WADSWORTH FAMILY .- Rev. Samuel Wads- worth was a minister in Killingly. He had three sons, who came to Cornwall about 1740,-Samuel, Joseph, and James.

Samuel Wadsworth married Sarah, daughter of James Douglas, and had only one child, Rachel, who married Hezekiah Gold. By her he received her father's farm on Cream Hill, which has passed by de- scent to the present owner, T. S. Gold. Samuel Wadsworth died Jan. 2, 1813, aged sixty-six. Sarah, his wife, died April 16, 1820, aged seventy-seven.

Joseph Wadsworth married another daughter of James Douglas, Eunice, and had three sons,-War- ren, Samuel, and Douglas. About 1800 he sold his farm on Cream Hill to Hezekiah Gold, and removed to Goshen, Orange Co., N. Y.

James Wadsworth married Irene Palmer, and had a'son, Deacon James Wadsworth, one daughter, who married an Ingersoll from Bethlehem, and a second daughter, who married Hawley Reed, of Cornwall.

Joshua Pierce, the father of Joshua, John, and Seth Pierce, and of several daughters, belonged to Pembroke, of Plymouth Co., Mass. He bought the place. now occupied by Maj. Seth Pierce, May 17, 1748, consisting of three hundred and three acres, of Joshua Jewel. Joshua Pierce was the venerable an- cestor of the Pierce family. He was a poor boy, put out to a hard master, who treated him with much un- kindness and severity.

Dr. Jonathan Hurlburt came from that part of Farmington now called Southington, having bought of Timothy Orton one hundred and twenty acres in 1746. He is thought to have been the first that prac- ticed medicine in the township. He was also a me- chanic, and made plows. His son Ozias lived and died on the same place where his father did, a little south of the Sedgwicks. His brother Joab lived near him, and died some years before him. Both are bur- ied in the old Cornwall Hollow Cemetery.

Mathew Millard, from East Haddam, was one of the early permanent citizens in Cornwall. He located and built on the west side of the street, opposite to the house of the late Judge Burnham. He was one of the largest land-holders in Cornwall ; was a very respectable citizen, and was authorized to obtain a minister at the first town-meeting. Mr. Millard had but one child that lived to mature age, a daughter, Achsah. She married Elisha Steele, of West Hart- ford, called Deacon Steele, who, after the death of his father-in-law, occupied his house and homestead.

Samuel Messenger, of Harwinton, was one of the first settlers, a surveyor ; a very active and useful in- habitant. His residence was on the spot where the

293

CORNWALL.

Rev. Hezekiah Gold built and lived at the Centre. Mr. Messenger was here in the summer of 1739. He bought a whole right of Ephraim Smedley, of Wood- bury, soon after the sale of the town in 1738.

According to town records, Mr. Messenger's son Daniel, who was born March 18 (old style), 1740, was the first birth of the early settlers of the town. Mr. Messenger, in four or five years, sold his place to his brother, Nehemiah Messenger, and he, in 1757, sold to one Joseph Mather.

George Holloway, from Pembroke, in Massachusetts, came with his brother John to this town from New Fairfield in the spring, 1740. He was the most prom- inent among the first settlers in office, character, and influence. He was directed by the Assembly to call the first town-meeting; was a justice of the peace, first town clerk, captain of the militia, and bore the title of Dr. Holloway.

John Clothier was one of the first settlers.

Samuel Abbott was one of the early settlers from Danbury. He located in East Street. He first erected a log house, and afterwards a large and commodious residence a few rods southwest of the house of the late Ebenezer Birdsey. Mr. Abbott was a very worthy citizen, and for several years a deacon of the Congregational Church. His children were Samuel, Abel Nathan, Sceley, and Daniel, and a daughter, who married Jesse Jerrods, from Long Island.

Thomas Tanner, one of the original settlers, came from Litchfield, with his son William, being of age. Thomas settled on the old road east of the Burnham place, and died there; house sinee occupied by John Kellogg.

Jethro Bonney and his brother Perez came from Pembroke, Mass., about 1760. Jethro owned the Beardsley place, and afterwards the Judson place. Perez settled on Clark Hill, and had sons,-Perez, Titus, Asa, and Jairus.

The Burnham place was sold in 1757 by Rev. Sol- omon Palmer to Noah Bull, of Farmington. Judge Burnham bought the place in 1792 of Jerrett Ket- tletop, of New York City.

Oliver Burnham married Sarah, daughter of Noah Rogers (3d), and had children,-Oliver Rogers, Franklin, William, Rhoda, married Victorianus Clark ; Mary A., married Rev. A. Judson ; Clarissa, married Alvin North ; Emily F., married Rev. John Clark Hart; Harriet, married Rev. Grove Brownell.

Dr. Russell came from Guilford; sold the Holle- way house, in April, 1777, to Salmon, son of Wood- ruff Emmons.

Ebenezer Sherwood, son of John Sherwood, of Fairfield, a Baptist minister, and one of the early proprietors, in 1770 settled on the farm afterwards owned by Parson Stone, now (1877) the estate of John C Calhoun. He died in 1785.

Timothy Cole, from New Milford, married Rebekch, daughter of old Sergt. John Dibble, lived south of

Truman Dibble, and died in 1783. He was uncle of John and David Cole, who came from same town.

Jonathan Squires, an original purchaser of two rights, was another enterprising pioneer from Plain- field. In 1739 he settled on Cream Hill, southwest from Mr. Douglas' place, on the road (long since discontinued) leading from Rexford's to the grist- mill. He was a man of activity, and was frequently employed in the public business of the town. But few of the first settlers were more wealthy than he. A daughter of his married Mr. Samuel Scovill, grandfather of Jacob Scovill, Esq. Mr. Squires died in this place at an advanced age.

Thomas Rugg, in 1739, came from Woodbury and built a house on Rugg Hill, near the Housatonic River. As the "hard winter" set in, he left his wife and three small children and went to Woodbury to obtain supplies, expecting to be absent but a few days. Before he could return there came on a ter- rific snow-storm, which lasted many days. The scanty supply of food in the house was exhausted, and one of the children died from starvation ; and they might all have perished from the same eause had not Mr. Douglas, living on Cream Hill, went on his snow- shoes to inquire after them. Finding them in this suffering condition, he brought them all on his ox- sled to his house, and kindly cared for their necessi- ties until Mr. Rugg's return. This family, disheart- ened by their afflictions, returned in the spring to Woodbury.

Amos Johnson removed from Branford to Cornwall in 1742. He was accompanied by his wife and two sons, Amos and Solomon.

Amos Johnson (2d) was a captain in the Revolu- tionary war. He married Elizabeth Pierce, a daugh- ter of Joshua Pierce. They had twelve children, of whom nine survived childhood, viz., Amos, Elizabeth, Timothy, Anna, Lucy, Samuel Pierce, Buckley, Urena, and Palmer.

Solomon married Eleanor Pierce, daughter of Joshua Pierce. Their children were Solomon, Elea- nor, Abigail, Stephen, Seth, Lucy, and David. The two last named died in childhood. Of the remainder a number went West, and Eleanor married Col. Ben- jamin F. Gold. They had several children.

Nathaniel Carter came from Killingworth, and hought the Jones homestead of Barzillai Dudley, in Dudley Town. In March, 1763, he removed to what is now Binghamton, N. Y.

John and Benjamin Dibble were brothers, and among the first inhabitants of the town. They came from Norwalk. Benjamin, who was called Dr. Dib- ble, was a sort of a root or Indian doctor. He hnd two sons and several daughters. The sons were Israel and George. Israel was severely wounded during the Revolutionary war, at White Plains, rendering him decrepit for life. He had nine children, sons and daughters. His youngest son, Seth, lived nt his father's house, and was an active business man.

294

HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

George, the other son of Benjamin Dibble, lived to the age of eighty-four.

Among the carly settlers, though not original pro- prietors, were three brothers, Samuel, Stephen, and Timothy Scoville,-spelt in the early records Scovel, -from Saybrook.

Samuel settled where Henry Rodgers now lives, building a house, probably of logs, just east of the present dwelling.

Stephen settled where Sylvester Scoville now lives.

Timothy settled just above the Mills place, north of Frank Reed's. These three lived and died where they settled, and are buried in South Cornwall ceme- tery.

From Stephen descended Levi, who was deaf and dumb, and Sylvester, his son, who still occupies the old homestead. Levi was a good farmer, a man of remarkable intelligence for a deaf and dumb mute, before they had any of the modern advantages of education. He had no difficulty in communicating with his neighbors by natural signs so apt that all could understand. He was a regular attendant at church, and, it was said, well knew what the minister had to say.

Timothy's children-Ira and Ithamar-moved West.

Samuel had a large family,-two sons by his first wife, Samuel and Jacob, familiarly known as " Uncle Jake." Both were Revolutionary soldiers, and were taken prisoners at the battle of Long Island, and con- fined in the terrible prison-ships, and eventually dis- missed on parole. When they came home their clothes were so infested with vermin that they had to bury them.

Samuel settled on the "Cobble," and it is said that when engaged in piling up the stone walls which still stand there, talking to his four yoke of oxen, he could be heard at Cornwall Centre and down on Corn- wall Plain.

A sketch of "Uncle Jake" is given among the " Heroes of the Revolution." Many stories of him are still extant. One time, while watching a redoubt, a British soldier being in the habit of coming out and slapping a portion of his person in contempt, he was appointed, as the best shot in the company, to put a stop to the performance. He watched his op- portunity, and had the satisfaction of seeing the sol- dier keel off the parapet before the slapping process was half accomplished.

At one time he bet a gallon of rum that he could outjump the company (the - Connecticut), and won it by clearing thirty-six feet at two hops and a jump.

Oliver Wickwire came from New London County before the time of the Revolution. He settled on the old road, long since discontinued, running northeast from near Chester Wickwire's. His nearest neighbor on the south was James Douglas.

George Wheaton, Esq., came from East Haven, where he was born, in 1790. He died Nov. 24,

1865, aged seventy-five. He studied law with Judge Church, of Salisbury, was admitted to the bar in 1813, and settled as a lawyer in Cornwall. Mr. Wheaton was a well-read, exact lawyer, a prudent business man, and a close reasoner. He was a valuable man in town affairs, and enjoyed the respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens.

THE ROGERS FAMILY .- The pedigree of this family is traced back by records in the British Museum to Thomas Rogers, of Bradford, County of Wilts, ser- geant-at-law, who died in 1485. He was great-grand- father of John Rogers, the martyr.

Noah Rogers (3d), with his brother Edward, moved to Cornwall from Branford in 1760.

Noalı Rogers (3d), though relieved from military duty by defect in one of his eyes, was a volunteer at the time of the surrender of Burgoyne, and brought home a British musket as a trophy.

Noalı Rogers (4th), born 1766, married Lydia, daughter of Rev. John Cornwall.

Capt. Edward Rogers was a lieutenant in the old French war, having received two commissions from George III., and an officer in the army of the Revo- lution ; more particular mention of him is made in that record.

Hon. Edward Rogers, oldest son of Capt. Edward, was a graduate of Williams College; studied law at the celebrated law-school of Gould & Reeves, of Litchfield ; married Sally Maria Gold, daughter of Hezekiah Gold; settled in the practice of his pro- fession in Madison, Madison County, N. Y. He was a member of the New York State convention for framing the constitution for that State; was presid- ing judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Madison County for many years. Judge Rogers represented the district in which he lived in the Congress of the United States.

Col. Anson Rogers was widely known as largely occupied with public affairs, having held almost every important office in the gift of his townsmen. He was drafted in the war of 1812, and served the town as constable and collector for fourteen years in suc- cession. It was said of him that "he never served a writ without making a friend." He was a zealous worker to secure the location of the church at North Cornwall.

Noah and Edward Rogers appear on the town rec- ords as purchasers of land in December, 1761. The principal pieces were bought of William Gould : those near the church in North Cornwall, now owned by Noah Rogers, and the estate of Anson Rogers, and a farm of six hundred acres lying in and on both sides of the Great Hollow ; price twelve hundred pounds. The family has always been one of the most substan- tial in town, always reliable in every good word and work. Several members have received a liberal educa- tion, and are noted elsewhere, as Rev. J. A. R. Rogers and Ambrose Rogers, and in the other branch, Hon. Edward and Hezekiah Gold Rogers.

295

CORNWALL.

A family gathering was held Sept. 28, 1864, on the farm of Noah Rogers (6th). One hundred and twenty-five members of the family were present. After dinner, in which all heartily engaged, a his- torical address was given by Ambrose S. Rogers, of New Milford, to whom we are indebted for many of these facts. Then followed short speeches, anecdotes, etc. One incident, related by O. Rogers Burnham, is worthy of preservation :

" The Rev. Nathaniel Hawes, minister of the parish, became embarrassed, and was intending to sell his little house, when it was proposed to raise the seven hundred and fifty dollars he needed by subscription, in shares of fifteen dollars each. The citizens gen- erally subscribed one share each; but two young girls in the bloom and beauty of maidenhood, daugh- ters of Noah Rogers, had put down their names for two shares each. 'And how,' he asked, 'did they ob- tain the money ?' 'By keeping school at one dollar a week ! and thirty dollars then was more than ten times thirty now.'"

Anson Rogers said that his father, Edward Rogers, was a captain in the Revolution, and as the government script was valueless, he advanced two thousand dollars in gold to pay his men, which sum the government had never restored. Revolu- tionary relics of Capt. Rogers were presented, speci- mens of the handiwork of the mothers; but more interesting was a Bible printed in 1575, brought over in the "Mayflower." It had appended a "Book of Psalmes collected into English meter by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins."

By intermarriage in North Cornwall the Rogers blood is mingled in most of the leading families that now reside there, as the Harrisons, Pratts, Harts, etc.

The Pratt family were among the early settlers. The family moved to Cornwall about 1780. Among the sons was Jasper, the third child, born in 1756, and Minor, the youngest, born in 1768. These two sons were the only ones of the family who became perma- nent residents in this town.

Before the removal from Saybrook, Jasper P'rntt had enlisted from that town, at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, into the Third Connecticut Regiment, and served in the army seven years and three months, or until the close of the war. For most of the time he was stationed in New Jersey, guarding the coast from foraging parties from New York, who were called "Cow-Boys." In one of these raids he was taken prisoner, and confined three months in the city, when an exchange of prisoners released him.

One winter the regiment was ordered to the banks of the Hudson River. The weather was cold, he, with others, was scantily clothed, their shoes were miser- ably poor, and blood from their feet was often left in their tracks. They suffered severely in that trip, but they endured patiently to the end that their country might be free.

In those days there lived on the premises now owned by Harvey Baldwin a man by the name of Samuel Butler. He came from Windsor, in this State, about 1775, with a family of several daughters and one son. Mr. Butler was in infirm health, and did not live long after coming to Cornwall. It was not long after Mr. Butler died before his wife was taken with the smallpox. She died and her remains rest under one of the old tombstones now standing in the meadow a short distance west of the North Con- gregational meeting-house. Three or four other per- sons, who died of the same disease about the same time, were also buried there.

Of the daughters, one was married to Ozias Hurl- burt, one to Simeon Emmons, one to Samuel Dem- ming ; and it so came about that the care of the farm devolved upon Abigail and Thankful. the two young- est of the daughters, and they were efficient in work- ing it. They sheared their own sheep, spun the wool, and wove it into cloth. They also themselves sowed the flax, and put it through all the necessary processes to get it into eloth. They disposed of con- siderable of their cloth for the benefit of the soldiers in the army, and took their pay in Continental money. They afterwards gnve one hundred dollars of it for a sieve. Some of the linen cloth made by Abigail in those days was more than thirty years afterwards worn by one of her grandchildren, and was in good condition. Thankful Butler married a Mr. Fellows, by whom she had one son, Ephraim. Calvin Butler, who had n large family, and who owned a large farm in the northwest corner of this town, and who died about 1860, wns a grandson of the aforesaid Samuel Butler. Soon after the war closed, Jasper Butler came to his Cornwall home, which was then on the south side of the road, opposite to where the foundn- tion of Elias Scovill's former blacksmith-shop now stands, and near the Butler place. The Butler girls hnd a hog to kill. They did not understand dressing pork as well as they did flax, and they employed Jasper Pratt, then just home from the war, to help do it. On that occasion an intimacy between him and Abigail Butler had its starting-point, which resulted in their marriage in 1785,-"tall oaks from little ncorns grow." The Butler property was sold, and they purchased from Noah Rogers a farm on Crenm Hill, to which they removed. He died Feb. 24, 1833, nged seventy-seven years.

Chalker married Lydia, daughter of Deacon Noah Rogers, and had two children,-Russell R., born Oct. 15, 1816; Helen A., born Aug. 24, 1818, married Ste- phen Foster, of Morristown, N. J., who died March 10, 1863. She died in 1875.

Chalker Pratt was a man of influence in the com- munity, ever rendy to lend his aid to every good work, and an netive member in the Church of Christ. He wns the agent for the Cornwall Iron Company for a number of yenrs, until about 1840, when, as the Hon- satonic Railroad drew near completion, he sold his

296

HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

farm on Cream Hill and removed to West Cornwall, where he had purchased land and erected buildings thercon, with reference to going into the mercantile business. He died Aug. 26, 1851, aged fifty-ninc.

Russell R. Pratt married Mary E., daughter of John Cotter. She died May 1, 1849, leaving one child, Har- riet C., who married Col. C. D. Blinn, of West Corn- wall, a merchant, now residing in New Milford. The second wife of Russell R. Pratt was Mary W. Bonney, of Danbury, Conn., a daughter of Rev. William Bon- ney, of New Canaan, Conn. He was a native of this town, and during his carly years lived on the prem- ises now owned and occupied by Edwin White, on Clark Hill. Russell R. Pratt and Stephen Foster, under the firm-name of Pratt & Foster, established a successful mercantile business at West Cornwall in 1841. Upon the death of Mr. Foster, in 1863, the business was continued by his heirs, and now Mr. R. R. Pratt and R. P. Foster constitute the firm. Mr. Foster was a man of pleasing manners, great indus- try, indefatigable energy, and shrewd in his business plans. As a railroad contractor he was the first one in the construction of the Housatonic Railroad to break ground north of New Milford, which was done at the Deep Rock cut, near West Cornwall. The ma- terial interests of the churchi had his especial regard. His death, in the full vigor of life, was a serious loss to the church and community. Mr. R. R. Pratt, as an energetic business man, as selectman for seveu years from 1856, as representative in 1858, as deacon of the church from 1854 to 1871, as superintendent of the Sabbath-school at West Cornwall since 1860, has filled, and still holds, a prominent position in the secular and religious interests of the town.

Widow Brewster came to Cornwall from Stratford in 1797, with two children,-George, eight years old, and his younger brother, Nelson. Her husband had been lost at sea with his vessel, of which he was owner and captain, three years before.

THIE JONES FAMILY .- Caleb Jones died in Corn- wall, Dec. 9, 1786, aged seventy-four years.

Zachariah Howe Jones, son of Caleb Jones, died July 31, 1817, aged seventy-two years.

Caleb Jones, son of Zachariah Howe Jones, died Ang. 3, 1854, aged seventy-two years. Jane Ann, only child of the above Caleb, was born May 17, 1814, and was married to John T. Andrew, Sept. 9, 1839, and resides in the village of Cornwall.

Zachariah Howe Jones removed from Wallingford, Conn., to Cream Hill, in Cornwall, and owned the farm since occupied by the late Deacon James Wads- worth. He afterwards removed to the south part of the town.

On the 28th of February, 1811, Caleb was married to Harriet Swift, daughter of Rufus Swift, and grand- daughter of Gen. Heman Swift, of the Revolutionary army, the friend and at one time the host of Wash- ington.

James Beirce, father of Joseph and James, came

from Eastern Massachusetts, probably Pembroke, about 1739, and settled on the old road east of the Burnham place. He afterwards removed to Cornwall Bridge. From him the late Peter Beirce, a promi- nent business man and politician, and James Beirce, of Cornwall Bridge, arc descended.

Ephraim Clark came from England early in the seventeenth century ; his wife came from France in 1740, and they settled in Stratford. He came to Cornwall and bought most of the hill called, after him, "Clark Hill." He was taken sick with the measles, returned to Stratford, and died there. His four sons, David, Hezekiah, Silas, and Uri, settled on his lands. David had a son, William, who lived on the place now occupied by his son, William L. Clark. William was a man highly respected by his towns- men ; had a family of six sons and six daughters, who grew to maturity. They are now widely scat- tered, one, William Leavitt, remaining on the old homestead ; has one son and three daughters.

Deacon Victorianus Clark was the son of Capt. Nehemiah Clark, and brother of Pierce Clark. They had no relationship with the other family of Clarks.

Andrew Cotter was a blacksmith by trade, and emigrated to Cornwall from Haddam, and set up his shop in North Cornwall.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 70

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