History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 54

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 54

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After the death of the Rev. Mr. Norton the society voted to hire Mr. Lemuel Parsons to preach on proba- tion until the Ist of January 1779, and on the 5th of that month they voted to give him a call to settle with them in the work of the gospel ministry on a settlement of 200 pounds, to be paid in four years in installments of 50 pounds a year. His salary during the four years they were paying the settlement was to be 70 pounds a year, and after that was paid it was to be So pounds a year so long as he should continue to be their minister. This amounted in the present currency to $266.67. They voted to pay this salary and settlement in country pro- duce at the following prices: wheat at five shillings per bushel: rye at three shillings and six pence per bushel; Indian corn at two shillings and nine pence per bushel; pork eight score per hog at twenty-five shillings per hundred, and smaller or larger in proportion; grass-fed beef at twenty shillings per hundred; butter at eight pence per pound; cheese at four pence per pound; sheep's wool at one shilling and four pence per pound; and flax at eight pence per pound; or equivalent in money to above said articles. Mr. Parsons accepted these terms on con. dition that a committee should be appointed by the society each year who should consult with him in rela- tion to what should be deemed an equivalency in money. This precaution was made necessary by the unsettled state of the country at that time, passing through the stormy period of the Revolution, and the consequent depreciation of the currency. The uniform rate at which the committee usually settled with Mr. Parsons was twenty-four to one. Mr. Parsous was the son of Lieutenant Samuel and Elizabeth (Chipman) Parsons, and was born in Durham, Conn., May 2d 1753; gradu- ated from Yale College in 1773, and was ordained at

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

East Hampton, February 10th 1779. Mr. Parsons lived near the site of the present parsonage, and died Febru- ary 14th 1791, four days after completing the 12th year of his ministry, and was interred by the side of his first wife in the cemetery near the lake, where two large red sandstone slabs, ornamented with a winged head, were erected to their memory. The following are the entire inscriptions:

"In memory of

The Reverend Mr. Lemuel Parsons pastor of this Church His temper was cheerful manner kind and heart benevolent He lived beloved by relatives dear to his people in friendship and esteem with his brethren and respected by his acquaintances

IIc was born in Durham May 2nd 1753 Educated at Yale College 1773

Ordained over this flock Feb. 10th 1779 and after a short but useful course he departed in the hope of the Christian Salvation

Feb. 14th 1791

in the 38th year of his age.

The memory of

an amiable and virtuous consort Mrs Katherine Parsons who died April 9th A D 1780

in the 26th year of her age

by an affectionate husband the Reverend Lemuel Parsons God adoring and in silence mourning his own and new born sons affecting loss on this monument is inscribed

Virtuous bands of Hymen's yoke By death rough hands can ne'er be broke Each kindred mind by grief refined With angels joined its mate shall find."

This last inscription was undoubtedly composed by Mr. Parsons, and the epitaph has been much commented upon, and also deemed worthy of a place in a printed collection of curious epitaphs. Mr. Parsons' ancestry has been traced to Comet.

A period of one year and eight months intervened be- tween the death of Mr. Parsons and the ordination of the Rev. Joel West, the third pastor, six months of which time the pulpit was supplied by ministers hired by Mrs. Parsons, widow of the late pastor. The society records also make mention of a Mr. Porter, who preached as a candidate. This was David Porter, D. D., a native of Hebron, and a graduate of Dartmouth College, who com- pleted a long and able ministry in Catskill, New York, dying there in 1851, at the age of 89. Joel West, son of Captain Samuel, and Sarah West, was born March 12th 1766, in that part of the town of Lebanon that has since been incorporated as the town of Columbia. He grad- uated from Dartmouth College, in August 1789, and was ordained to the pastoral care and charge of the church of Christ, in East Hampton, October 17th 1792. Mr. West was a man who always looked on the bright side. He labored faithfully during his long pastorate, and was beloved by his people. Religion was at a low ebb during the first part of his ministry, there not being a member of the church for many years on whom he could call to offer public prayers. There was a time of revival, in

1818-19, and 52 persons united with the church during those two years, many of them being strong men, pillars of the church and society, who exerted a powerful in- fluence in the community. After a pastorate of 34 years Mr. West died suddenly, October 26th 1826, at the age of 60. He kept a careful record of the doings of the church, and of the baptisms, marriages, and deaths during his pastorate, which has greatly aided the writer in preparing this history. The plan of raising the cur- rent expenses of the society by tax was gradually done away with during this pastorate, many persons having withdrawn from the society by certificate and cast their lot with the Baptists and Methodists. His wife was born November 28th 1774, and died September 29th 1853, and is buried by his side in the Lake Cemetery. The mem- bers of the association to which Mr. West belonged, sup- plied the pulpit for some time after his death for the benefit of his widow.

March 14th 1828, the society voted that " the members of this meeting feel a willingness to settle the Reverend Timothy Stone in the work of the ministry, if they can obtain the sum of ninety-six dollars from the Domestic Missionary Society, and raise a sufficient sum by sub- scription to pay him his salary." Accordingly commit- tees were appointed to confer with the Missionary Soci- ety and circulate subscription papers. The plan proved a success, and Mr. Stone was installed, June 4th 1828. During his ministry here the articles of faith and cove- nant which are now in use by the church were adopted at a church meeting held May 31st 1829. There was also a very uncommon religious excitement among the people, and many were without doubt truly converted The Meth- odists took an active part in this revival, with whom Mr. Stone was on very friendly terms. He was dismissed by a council of neighboring churches, February 7th 1832, and cordially recommended as a faithful and worthy minister of Christ, to confidence and employment. After his dismission he returned to his family in Cornwall, from which place they had not removed owing to the ill health of his wife, which was the cause of his asking for a dismission. He was a man of great simplicity of char- acter and purpose, and seemed to be a living Christian, a pastor of high and steady aim to promote the best good of his flock. He died in South Cornwall, April 14th 1852, aged nearly 78 years.

After the dismission of Mr. Stone the church and society procured the services of the Rev. Samuel Ives Curtis, and a council was called to ordain him as the fifth pastor. At this time there was a very strong feel- ing over the question of old and new school. Mr. Curtis was a new school man, having been educated theologi- cally at the Yale Divinity School in New Haven. The ministers of this region were strongly old school, with Mr. Parsons, of East Haddam, and Dr. Harvey, of West- chester, as leaders. It was no easy matter to ordain a candidate who came fresh from Dr. Taylor's instruction. After a long examination the council refused to ordain the candidate, but the church, not willing to abide their decision, chose a new council which ordained and in-

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CHATHAM-CHURCHES.

stalled Mr. Curtis, November Ist 1832. He was dismiss- ed from the pastoral charge of the church, November 2Ist 1837, the principal reason for his asking for a dis. mission being the fact that no suitable tenement could be found for himself and family. He died March 26th 1880, aged nearly 77 years.

The sixth pastor was the Rev. Rufus Smith, son of Matthew Smith, of Chaplin, Conn., where he was born April 26th 1795. He commenced to supply the pulpit June 10th 1838. He was for a time a physician in Gris- wold, but afterward studied theology and was licensed to preach. He was ordained September 19th 1838. He was a strict disciplinarian. He was in truth the bishop of his church. His prayer meetings were conducted in this way: " Bro. West, will you pray? Bro. Skinner, will you remark? " and it was by no means allowable to go outside of this routine. After a pastorate of seven years, which was his only pastorate, he was dismissed on account of impaired health, June 24th 1845, and re- moved to East Hartford, where he died after a residence of some years. His wife's maiden name was Clarissa Huntington.

Rev. William Russell was hired by this society for nine months from January 9th 1846, and was installed as the seventh pastor October 14th of that year. He began to supply the pulpit the second Sabbath of October 1845. He was born in Stratford, February 15th 1815, and graduated from Yale College in the celebrated class of 1837, and from Yale Divinity School in 1841. He was ordained during this latter year in Wakeman, Ohio, re- maining there three years. He was dismissed from the church, October 11th 1855, by the, Middlesex Consocia- tion, at his request, on account of the divided state of the church, at that time building a new house of worship. .

During the four years that followed Mr. Russell's dis- mission Rev. Lewmas H. Pease, who is now employed as agent of the Seamen's Friend Society at New Orleans, La., supplied the pulpit about one year and one-third. Mr. Pease was born in Colebrook, Conn., January 20th 18II, and graduated from Williams College in 1835. Dur- the remaining two years and eight months the church extended several calls and listened to scores of candi- dates.

November 24th 1859, a unanimous call was extended to Rev. Henry A. Russell, who was installed the eighth pastor, December 14th 1859. He was the son of Charles A. and Lockey (Beebe) Russell, and was born in Pros- pect, Conn., August 14th 1826, graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1853, and received the honorary degree of A. M. from Yale College in 1855. He was called here from the pastorate of the first church of Winsted, which began April 19th 1854. His pastorate here of about four years and a half closed April Ist 1865. He is now settled at Moers, N. Y. He married, September 8th 1858, Sarah Smith of Winsted.

The Rev. Gustavus D. Pike, who is now in the em- ploy of the American Missionary Association as district secretary, supplied the church during the following two years, from the middle of 1865 to the middle of 1867.

The Rev. George Whitefield Andrews was ordained the ninth pastor of this church, November 13th 1867. By vote of the society the request of Mr. Andrews that he be released from officiating as pastor for one year, from November 14th 1870, on account of ill health, was complied with, and he ceased to be pastor from that date, and was formally dismissed by vote of the consoci- ation. Mr. Andrews was born February 4th 1833, in Wayne, Ohio, his ancestors being from among the early settlers of East Haddam. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1858, and from Andover Theological Semina- ry in 1867.

The Rev. Burritt A. Smith supplied the pulpit until April Ist 1874, about three years and a half.

May 17th 1874, the Rev. Joel Stone Ives commenced to supply the pulpit, and September 29th he was or- dained the tenth pastor. Mr. Ives is the son of Rev. Alfred E. Ives (Yale, 1837), of Castine, Me., and was born in Colebrook, Conn., December 5th 1847, gradu- ated from Amherst College, July 16th 1870, from Yale Divinity School, 'May 14th 1874, and was licensed to preach by the New Haven Central Association, May 4th of the same year. He was dismissed, at his own request, October 18th 1883, in order to accept a call to the pas- torate of the Congregational church, in Stratford, Conn., where he was installed the November following. Mr. Ives preached a centennial sermon in this church, July 9th 1876, which was published, and from which the au- thor has drawn largely for this account. He married, July 15th 1874, Emma S. Butler, daughter of Joel Ives Butler, of Meriden.

November 20th 1883, the church voted unanimously to invite the Rev. Edward P. Root to settle as their eleventh pastor, and he was installed February 7th 1884. Mr. Root graduated at Amherst in 1871, and from Yale Divinity School in 1875. He commenced to preach in East Hampton, January Ist 1884.

The deacons of the church have been: Ebenezer Clark, Isaac Smith, John Clark, James Bill, Gideon Arnold, Moses Cook, Isaac Smith, Joseph Sage, David Clark, Warren A. Skinner, Diodate B. West, Samuel Skinner, and Allen C. Clark. The early records of the church having been lost, there is no means of determining the number of its constituent members, or their names, though it is probable that the major portion of them were from the church in East Middletown. At the time of Mr. Parson's ordination there were 40 male members, but of the female members he made no record. Their names were: Seth Alvord, Gideon Arnold, Ezra Ackley, Darius Adams, Joshua Bailey, Othniel Brainerd, Samuel Brown, James Bill, Elijah Cook, Joshua Cook, John Clark jr., Moses Cook, Moses Cole, William Clark, Dea- con John Clark, Moses Clark, Zacheus Cook, Joseph Caswell, Silas Dunham, Abijah Hall, Ebenezer Hall, Na- than Harding, John Hinckley, Daniel Hill, Dewey Hall, Samuel Ilodge, John Johnson, Isaac Kneeland, Stephen Knowlton, Nehemiah Lord, John Markham, John Nor- ton, William Norcott, Edward Purple, Bryan Parmelee, James Rich, Ebenezer Sears, Deacon Isaac Smith,

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

Isaac Smith jr., and William White. During his pastor- ate of 12 years, 67 members were added and 32 are re. corded as renewing their baptismal covenant. At the time of Mr. West's ordination there were 45 male and 49 female members, making a total of 104. There were re. ceived during his pastorate of 34 years, 35 males and 93 females-a total of 128. The number of members in 1828 was 70, and during Mr. Stone's pastorate 16 mem- bers were received. In 1832, there were 71 members, and during the next five years 40 were added to the church. Mr. Smith admitted 22; Mr. William Russell, 49; Mr. Pease, 40; Mr. H. A. Russell, 40; Mr. Pike, 34; Mr. Andrews, 20; Mr. B. A. Smith, 5; and Mr. Ives, 100. The number of members, January Ist 1884, was 190, the oldest being Amos Clark, who was admitted in 1829. At a society meeting, held December 20th 1750, the following vote was passed: "To build a meeting house for Divine Worship," two-thirds of the qualified voters being present, and voted also that said house be of the following dimensions, viz., 46 feet long, 36 feet in width, and 22 feet between joints. There was much difficulty in deciding upon a location. In November, a vote was passed praying the General Court "to affix a place for a meeting house for Divine Worship," by ap- pointing Capt. Jonathan Hill, and Capt. Samuel Willes, of East Hartford, and Joseph Frary, of Middletown, a committee for that purpose. The doings of the commit- tee appear not to have been satisfactory, for in March 1752, the matter was again left to the General Court. There is no record when the first service was held in the meeting house, which was at last located where the present edifice stands. The audience room was nearly square, with galleries occupying three of its sides, while the pulpit occupied the fourth. Over the pulpit was sus- pended a sounding board or canopy, to prevent the voice of the minister from being lost in the regions of the upper air. The first edifice contained many square box pews, which compelled one-third of the audience to sit with their backs to the minister. It became much dilapi- dated, and in January 1854, it was injured by fire to that extent as to render it unfit for holding services, and March 4th of that year a building committee, consisting of Hiram Veazey, Amiel Abell, T. R. Markham, Stephen G. Sears, Alfred Williams, Abner G. Bevin, Amos Clark, A. N. Niles, and Henry Skinner were appointed and in- structed to proceed to build as soon as convenient. Dur- ing that summer the present edifice, 65 feet in length, 40 feet in width, with a spire 125 feet in height, was erected, and, January 2d 1854, it was voted "that the meeting house be now received into the hands of the society." In 1866, the society built a parsonage at an expense of $3,000, and is now free from debt. The society also has a small fund of about $1,000 left by Miss Eunice Norton and Silas W. Smith.

UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, EAST HAMPTON.

The members of the ecclesiastical society, living in the vicinity of the lake, becoming dissatisfied with the lo cation of the meeting house, in 1855 erected an edifice

of stucco work, 56 feet in length, 35 feet in width, with a spire 120 feet in height, about three-fourths of a mile north of the old meeting house. It was finished in the summer of 1856, and in September of that year 25 persons who had been dismissed from the First Church for the purpose of organizing a new church, called a council of pastors and delegates from the neighboring churches. They were constituted a Christian church under the. name and title of the Union Congregational Church of East Hampton. The names of the constituent members were: David Buell, Calvin Hall, Horace Clark, Oren W. Bowers, Elijah Norcott, Nathaniel C. Smith, Timothy R. Markham, Stephen G. Sears, Cyprian Hinckley, Warren Veazey, Dolly L. Hall, Amelia M. Hall, Emeline M. West, Amy Clark, Charlotte Smith, Electa M. Buell, Sarah S. Bevin, Harriet Markham, Rosepha Ann West, Emily V. Sears, Mary E. Sears, Anzolette D. Parsons, Betsey L. Veazey, Evelina O. West, and Marian R. West.

The Rev. James J. Bell, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was in- vited to supply the pulpit, and he officiated as acting pastor until April Ist 1863. No records of the doings of the church during his pastorate have been preserved, but during the winter of 1859-60, there was a powerful revival of religion among the people connected with this congregation, and a number of persons were added to its membership. For a long time meetings were held nearly every evening during the week. Mr. Bell was greatly aided in these services by the Rev. George Whitaker, a student of Wesleyan University, at that time teach- ing a select school in the basement of the church. The Protestant Methodists also worshipped with this congre- gation during Mr. Bell's pastorate. After the dismission of Mr. Bell the church was without a settled pastor for about a year, but was supplied on the Sabbath by various individuals.

On the 2d of May 1864, the church and society invited the Rev. F. W. Chapman to become their resident pas- tor. He immediately commenced his labors, and on the Ist of July of that year, at a meeting of the members of the church, the articles of faith and covenant and stand- ing rules were adopted, and from that time commences its history as a Strict Congregational Church. Timothy R. Markham and Stephen G. Sears were chosen deacons at the same meeting. Mr. Chapman labored with this church about two years. He was a native of Canfield, Ohio, where he was born, November 17th 1806, a descend- ant in a direct line of the seventh generation from Robert Chapman, one of the first settlers at Saybrook. He graduated from Yale College in 1828, from Yale Di- vinity School in 1832, and he was ordained in Sep- tember of that year. He died at Rocky Hill, July 2Ist 1876.

August 26th 1866, the church gave the Rev. Henry E. Hart a call to settle, and, on the 19th of September of that year, Mr. Hart was ordained and installed pastor. Mr. Hart is a son of Ruel and Rosanna (Barnes) Hart, and was born in Southington, Conn., June Ist 1834, grad- uated from Yale College in 1860, and from East Windsor Theological School in 1863. From 1863 to 1866 he sup-

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CHATHAM-WESTCHESTER PARISH.

plied the church in Ridgewater. He was dismissed from East Hampton, October 3Ist 1871.

After the dismission of Mr. Hart the Rev. John B. Griswold, a native of Manchester, Conn., where he was born November 11th 1830, acted as pastor for about two years. Mr. Griswold graduated at Dartmouth College in 1860, and Bangor Theological Seminary, 1863, and was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, January 28th 1872.

June 7th 1874, the church and society invited the Rev. Francis B. Hornbrook to become their pastor, and on the 27th of August of that year he was ordained and installed. Mr. Hornbrook was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, May 7th 1849, graduated from Ohio State Uni- versity in 1870 and from Union Theological Seminary, N. Y., in 1874, received degree Ph. D. from Harvard in 1877. He was dismissed from the pastoral care and charge of this church, September Ist 1876.

After his dismission the Rev. William H. Fultz acted as pastor of the church until May 1880, since which time the church has had no regular services.

John Watrous and Elijah C. Barton were elected deacons, September 27th 1874, to fill the vacancies caused by the resignations of Deacons Sears and Markham. One hundred and thirty-five persons have been connected with this church since its organization, and upward of sixty are now in good standing upon its roll. The Episcopalians of Middle Haddam held services in the meeting house for a short time during 1882-3.

WESTCHESTER.

The ecclesiastical society of Westchester was formed from the towns of Colchester, Haddam, and Middletown, in October 1728, and the church was organized in De- cember 1829. The part taken from Middletown was "the tier of lots or so many of them as butt upon Col- chester bounds east between Haddam bounds and Salmon River, which lots lie in length one mile east and west." This part of Chatham is known as the Waterhole District, so named from a small pond on the farm now owned by D. C. Williams. There is a cemetery in this district, 150 feet long and 132 feet wide, in which the first interment was made in 1793. An association was formed in 1874, and the grounds enlarged 66 feet in length and laid out in family lots. A fine monument has been erected here to the memory of Jonathan G. Bigelow and family, whose ancestors for a number of generations occupied a large farm just over the town line in Colchester. The first family who moved into this locality was that of Stephen Brainerd, who settled on an elevation of ground in Westchester Parish, not far from the town line in Colchester, about the time of the organi- zation of the society. When they moved here all was a dense forest, and deer were so plenty that they could be shot from their door. Mr. Brainerd was a son of Deacon Daniel and Susannah (Venters) Brainerd, of East Haddam, and a grandson of Daniel Brainerd, of

Hartford, one of the first settlers of Haddam. He was born February 27th 1699, and married, December 24th 1730, to Susannah Gates. She died April 29th 1793, aged 87, and was the first person buried in the Water- hole Cemetery. He died March 30th 1794, in his 96th year. Their children were: Susannah, born Septem- ber 24th 1731, married Joseph Day; Elizabeth, born December 17th 1733, married Samuel Brown, of East Hampton; Hannah, born November 2d 1737, married Bezaliel Brainerd; Mary, born February 15th 1740, married Daniel Bigelow; Stephen, born March 24th 1742; Sarah, born April 30th 1744, married Judah Lewis; and William, born August 27th 1746, married Lucy Day. Stephen Brainerd jr., married, October 30th 1765, Rachel, daughter of Joseph and Esther (Hunger- ford) Day, and lived in the Chatham part of Westchester. He was the captain of a company of militia called to White Plains, and to New London in the time of the Revolution. He died June 26th 1820, and his widow died July 14th 1839, aged 93 years. Their children were: Levi, born December 5th 1766, married Sarah Smith; Stephen, born February 22d 1769. married Olive Ackley; Rachel, born December 23d 1770, married Elisha Fuller; David, born October 5th 1772, died De- cember 20th 1775; Elisha, born October 3d 1774, mar- ried Ann Scoville; David, born July 2d 1776, married the daughter of Michel Hale; Olive, born September roth 1778, married Ezra Brainerd; Mary, born January 14th 1781; Reuben, born September 24th 1782, married, Ist, Roxanna Brainerd, 2d, Ann Savage, and died at the old homestead, November 18th 1859; Clarissa, born October 6th 1784, married William Lord; and Sarah, born September 13th 1787, married Orrin Brainerd. All these children, except the first David, who died young, and Mary, Reuben, and Clarissa, removed to Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y.

Dr. Robert Usher, son of Hezekiah and Abigail Usher, was born in Millington Parish, in 1743. When eight years of age he went to live with Dr. Huntington, of Windham, Connecticut, and with him studied medicine. When quite young he commenced the practice of his pro- fession in Westchester, locating in the Chatham part, and soon became a successful and distinguished practi- tioner. As a physician he occupied a high position, es- pecially in Westchester, where he lived and died. Upon the breaking out of the Revolution he joined the army as a private, and was present at the battle of Bunker Hill. In January 1776, he was appointed surgeon to Colonel Wads- worth's regiment, and accompanied the army in its perils and hardships during the war. He married, May 25th 1765, Susannah Gates, who died December 13th 1777, and he married, January 25th 1779, Ann Cone, of Milling- ton. He died March 27th 1820, and his widow died May 20th 1849, aged 94 years. By his first wife he had five children: Oliver, born September 10th 1766; Jona- than, born July 4th 1768, died September 22d 1768; Robert, born December 144th 1772; Susannah, born Au- gust 23d 1774; Jonathan, born November 7th 1777. By his second wife he had eleven children: James, born

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 54

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818