History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 88

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 88

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The following list gives the number of votes cast for each State governor by this town since its organization as the town of Essex: 1855, William T. Minor, " know- nothing," 161; Samuel Ingham, democrat, 107; Henry Dutton, whig, 17. 1856, Minor, 114; Ingham, 160;

Gideon Wells, whig, 6. 1857, Alexander H. Holley, re- publican, 121; Ingham, 154 1858, William A. Bucking- ham, republican, 137; James T. Pratt, democrat, 138. 1859, Buckingham, 172; Pratt, 127. 1860, Buckingham, 228; Thomas H. Seymour, democrat, 162. 1861, Buck- ingham, 209; James C. Loomis, democrat, 158. 1862, Buckingham, 216; Loomis, 89. 1863, Buckingham, 223; Thomas H. Seymour, democrat, 125. 1864, Bucking-' ham, 207; Origen S. Seymour, democrat, 105. 1865, Buckingham, 209; Seymour, 92. 1866, Joseph R. Haw- ley, republican, 223; James E. English, democrat, 144. 1867, Hawley, 244; English, 170. 1868, Marshall Jew- ell, republican, 253; English, 168. 1869, Jewell, 245; English, 132. 1870, Jewell, 232; English, 121. 1871, Jewell, 249; English, 140. 1872, Jewell, 243; Richard D. Hubbard, democrat, 152. 1873, Henry P. Haven, republican, 214; Charles R. Ingersoll, democrat, 134. 1874, Henry B. Harrison, republican, 183; Ingersoll, 150; Henry D. Smith, temperance, 60. 1875, James Loyd Green, republican, 222; Ingersoll, 175; Smith, 36. 1876, Henry C. Robinson, republican, 213; Ingersoll, 178; Smith 24. The time for holding elections of governor was that year changed from spring to fall, and the gu- bernatorial term extended to two years, after which the returns show: 1876, Robinson, 299; Richard D. Hub- bard, democrat, 200; Joseph Cummings, temperance, 6. 1878, Charles B. Andrews, republican, 219; Hub- bard, 169; Charles Atwater, greenback, 11. 1880, Ho- bart B. Bigelow, republican, 292; James E. English, democrat, 207; George P. Rogers, prohibition, 5. 1882, William H. Bulkley, republican, 256; Thomas M. Waller,

343

ESSEX-TOWN OFFICERS-CIVIL WAR.

Presidential electors have received the votes of this town as follows: 1856, republican, 131, democratic, 143; 1860, Lincoln, 204, Douglas, 66, Breckenridge, 57, Bell, 29; 1864, republican, 239, democratic, 136; 1868, repub- lican, 248, democratic, 159; 1872, republican, 265, dem- ocratic, 127, temperance, 2; 1876, republican, 301, dem ocratic, 196, temperance, 4; 1880, republican, 291, dem- ocratic, 216, temperance. 5.

CIVIL, LIST.

The first town meeting in Old Saybrook was held in the new Methodist church in Essex the first Monday of October 1852. The officers of the town then were: five selectmen, a clerk, four constables, a collector, five grand jurors, ten tythingmen, six haywards, three pound- keepers, six fence viewers, two highway surveyors, nine wood inspectors, a town treasurer, a town agent, a treasurer for the town deposit fund, a registrar, two assessors, and five members of a board of relief. The selectmen elected in 1852 were: Richard P. Williams, William Willard, Ezra S. Mather, William R. Clark, and Stephen W. Starkey; and in 1853, the same except Wil- lard and Mather, the number being reduced to three. Gurdon Smith was clerk for these two years.

The officers elected by the town of Essex were two constables, four grand jurors, twelve tythingmen, five haywards, one pound-keeper, four fence viewers, five wood inspectors, a town treasurer, a town agent, a treas- urer of the town deposit fund, an agent of the town de- posit fund, a registrar, three assessors, three board of re- lief men, a sealer of weights and measures, a clerk, and three selectmen, and in 1855, three school visitors, and a school fund treasurer.

Representatives .- The representatives to the General Assembly from Essex have been: Obadiah Spencer, 1855; James Phelps, 1856; William H. Doane, 1857; Edward W. Redfield, 1858; Henry C. Wooster, 1859, 1860; Carnot O. Spencer, 1861, 1862, 1878, 1879; Cor- nelius R. Doane, 1863, 1864; Henry L. Pratt, 1865, 1866; William C. Hough, 1867, 1868; S. M. Comstock, 1869; Giles Potter, 1870-72; Edward W. Pratt, 1873, 1874; Selden M. Pratt, 1875; John I. Hutchinson, 1876, 1877; Charles Kelsey, 1880, 1881; William F. McCrery, 1882; Horace W. Starkey, 1883; James Milnor Pratt, 1884.

Town Clerks .- The town clerks have been: Gurdon Smith, 1854; James Phelps, 1855, 1856; John G. Hay- den, 1857; John L. Parker, 1858-60; Edward W. Red- field, 1861-74; Carnot O. Spencer, 1875-78; James L. Phelps, 1879; F. Augustus Tiffany, 1880; James L. Phelps, 1881 to the present time.

WAR RECORD.

The action of this town in regard to the late Civil war is gathered from its records in the following substance:

A special meeting of the town was held on the 28th of July 1862, and an appropriation of $2,000 made from the treasury of the town for the encouragenient of enlist ments for three years or during the war. A bounty of

$too was then offered to those who should enlist under the recent call, before the first of September. The pay- ment of this bounty was so arranged that those who had families should receive but one-fourth of it, while the re- maining three-fourths was to be paid to their families at such time or times, within one year, as the judgment or convenience of the selectmen should dictate. At the same time a committee was appointed to solicit Gov- ernor Buckingham and others to address a mass meeting in this town on the subject of enlistments. The follow- ing committee was also appointed to encourage enlist- ments, and to superintend the business: Jared E. Red- field, George Conklin, Henry L. Pratt, H. B. Parmelee, Richard L. Pratt, and Samuel Griswold.

Another meeting was held on the 25th of the follow - ing August, when the bounty was raised to $150, that should be paid to residents of the town who should en- list before September Ist, for the term of nine months. The bounties were to be paid as before, except that the three-fourths paid to the family should be paid within the nine months. At a subsequent meeting on the 8th of September, the same offer of bounty was extended to the roth of September, provided the quota should not be sooner filled. The acts of the selectmen in the payment of bounties were confirmed by the town at a meeting held on the 6th of October.

For nearly a year there seems to have been no effort on the part of the town, as a corporation, required to meet the demands of the Government for recruits. A special meeting was held September 14th 1863, at which it was voted that each drafted man, who should pass ex- amination, from this town, should receive $300 for his bounty if he entered the service, or to assist him in se- curing a substitute if he chose to do so. This action was confirmed at a meeting, January 18th 1864.

CONNECTICUT VALLEY RAILROAD STOCK.

When the Connecticut Valley Railroad was built the town took stock in it, and the records show the following action in regard to the subject. In response to the pe- tition of 157 voters or tax payers of the town a meeting was held on the 25th of September 1869, at which it was voted that the town should subscribe for 480 shares of the certified stock of the company, and Carnot O. Spen- cer was appointed the agent of the town to subscribe for the stock and cast its vote in stockholder's meeting.

THE SECOND ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETY.

This society was incorporated by the action of the General Assembly, May 10th 1722, on the petition of the inhabitants of the northern part of the town of Saybrook, which had been made the previous year but was not im- mediately granted because of their disagreement in regard to the bounds to be established. By the act of incor- poration it was endowed with such powers and privileges as were enjoyed by parishes in the colony generally, in the lawful settling and maintaining the public worship of God.

The bounds were set forth as follows :-

344

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

"Beginning at the southeasterly corner (by the brook) of Mr. Benjamin Lynds farm, and keeping the line of the said farm on the southerly side thereof unto the country road; and from the southwesterly corner of said farm a west line until it intersects the dividend line between Oyster River and Potapaug quarters: and from thence to the northward of the west so as to fall four miles from the sea upon the dividing line between the towns of Say- brook and Killingsworth; then bounded west on Kill- ingsworth, north upon Haddam, and East upon Connec- ticut River."

The act authorized the building of a meeting house by a tax upon the ratable estate within the bounds described, and in a similar manner sustaining an ortho - dox minister and meeting other parish charges. A proviso was inserted, however, that if the people of Pattaconk, now Chester, should afterward become a dis- tinct parish, they should be reimbursed in the amount they had paid toward the erection of a meeting house and minister's house in the Potapaug Parish. In May of the following year, the Assembly directed that the people of the new parish should be exempt from paying any part of the minister's rate in the old South Parish.

The following list of inhabitants, made April 26th 1723, probably comprises all or nearly all the heads of families residing in this parish at that time: John Clark, Andrew Warner, Benjamin Pratt, John Clark jr., Joseph Pratt, Nathaniel Kirtland, Robert Pratt, Ebenezer Pratt, Phillip Kirtland, Joseph Graves, Thomas Pratt, Abra- ham Andrus, Nathaniel Pratt, Hezekiah Buckingham, John Pratt, William Pratt, John Fenner, Joseph Clark, Thomas Starkey, Daniel Pratt, Samuel Comstock, David Pratt, Jabez Pratt, John Graves, Jonathan Hough, John Denison, John Whedon, Caleb Pratt, Daniel Denison, Samuel Pratt, Samuel Pratt jr., Jabez Denison, Samuel Williams, and Charles Williams.

The first meeting of the society was held on the 10th of September following its incorporation. At this meet- ing, Samuel Pratt was chosen clerk of the society, and Major John Clarke, Lieutenant Nathaniel Pratt, Charles Williams, Andrew Warner, and Samuel Pratt were made a committee to obtain an orthodox gospel minister for the parish. Ebenezer Pratt and Nathaniel Kirtland were appointed to give notice of parish meetings, whenever it should be necessary to hold them. At a meeting a month later, Lieutenant Nathaniel Pratt was chosen moderator, to stand as such until another should be ap pointed. John Clarke was chosen his successor in the following February. It was at once decided to employ the Rev. Abraham Nott for four months, after which service it was decided to give him an invitation to settle. He continued to serve the parish, receiving for his settle- ment 80 acres of land, 10 of which were to be cleared for a home lot; a house built for him, he furnishing the glass and nails; and a yearly salary of £50, and his fire- wood. The salary was to be increased as the estates of the society increased in value, until it should reach £70. It may be of interest to remark, that in the building of this house the carpenters were allowed three shillings

and sixpence per day, and the scorers two shillings and sixpence per day for their work. Rates were laid upon all the estates for the minister's salary, and other ex- penses of the parish, and these rates were paid in labor, or material by those who preferred to do so. The min- ister's lot was enclosed, and the post and rail fence was valued at three shillings per rod, and Virginia fence at one and sixpence a rod.

The people evidently desired to have Mr. Nott ordained as their pastor, but were in doubt as to his doc- trinal position. They accordingly, at a meeting Decem- ber 5th 1723, appointed a committee to request Mr. Nott to state in writing " in what way he intends to lead the church in discipline if God in his providence call him to be pastor of a church here." Whatever reply Mr. Nott. gave to this seems to have been satisfactory, for on the 20th of April 1725:

" It was voated by ye Inhabitance of ye North Parish in Say Brook yt they will send up to ye generall assem- bly for Liberty to ordaine ye Reverend Mr. Nott."

The record further states that " Abram Andrus pro- tested ye above written voat."

Previous to the erection of a meeting house public worship was held at the house of Charles Williams. In the early part of 1723 the society began to take steps to- ward the erection of a meeting house. Some differences existed in regard to its site, but April 26th of that year it was decided to place it on a knoll on the north side of the " cart path," near the southeast corner of the minis- ter's house lot. Work upon it progressed slowly, and indeed for some time can hardly be said to have pro- gressed at all. In January 1724, it was decided that the size of it should be 30 by 40 feet on the ground and 20 feet between joints. At that time work had probably been begun upon the frame. The society then agreed that Daniel and Jabez Pratt, who were probably skilled workmen, should have four shillings a day for their labor; while other laborers upon it were to be paid three shil- lings a day. The meeting house must have been nearly enclosed in May 1724, when the society directed the committee to finish the building sufficient to hold meet- ings in by three weeks from that time, which was the 13th of the month. They evidently considered it fit to hold service in during the summer at least, without a floor, for that was not laid until the following year.

In the spring of 1725, it was decided to lay the floor and have the sides plastered from sills to girths and have the underpinning pointed. Though it was not completed in several years, yet it was used for public worship, prob- ably from the year 1724. The building cost £94, 7 shil- lings, and 8 pence. The society, in September 1726, di- rected the committee to go forward with the work, lath- ing and plastering, building a pulpit, and seating the room below the galleries. In 1730, it was lathed and plastered overhead, and seats were put in the galleries, the front of which was also finished plain, and with ban- isters. That year two pounds were paid for sweeping the meeting house. The item of glass was an important one in those days. Up to 1743, the glass in the windows of this building had cost nearly f1I.

345

ESSEX-CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

After the completion of the meeting house a committee was chosen annually to seat the people. Their scheme varied from year to year to suit the exigencies of the time. The first of these committees was appointed Au- gust IIth 1727. The parish at the same time voted that " men with their wives should sit together in ye Pues." The following order of seating shows something of the interior arrangement of the building as well as the peo- ple who attended public worship then, and pictures viv. idly that custom of a long by-gone period:

" I. We desire and order Maddam Nott, ye elder Deacon's wife & mr. Fenner to take their place in ye Pew nex est of ye Pulpit.

" 2ly. Mr. Lay, mr. warner, mr. williams, mr. John Pratt & their wives to take their Places in ye first seats in ye square togither with widdow Sarah Pratt.

"3. The Pew nex west of the Pulpit Left. John Clarke, Left. Benjamin Pratt, Serg't William Pratt, David Pratt and their wives with ye Jun'r Decons wife.

" 4. Capt. Sam'll Pratt, Jos. Clarke & Nath'll Clarke and their wives in ye middle pew fronting to The Pulpit.

" 5. Mr. Balwin, Mr. Buckingham, Mr. Starkey, Mr. Dan'll Pratt, Mr. John fenner, Philip Kirtland and their wives in ye Pew at ye north est Corner.

"6. Mr. Jonathan Parker, Mr. Samuell Comstock. Dea. andrus, Jos. Graves, John Graves & their wives in ye north west Corner Pews.

" 7. Mr. Abner Parker, Mr. Daniell Denison & their wives with widow Parker in ye estern Pew fronting ye Pulpit.

" 8. Mr. John Pelton, Mr. Nath'll Kirtland, mr. Jona- than hough, mr. Jabez Pratt, and their wives in ye second seat in ye square.

"9. Mr. Sam'll Williams & wife samuell Bushnell, Will'm williams in ye western Pew fronting ye pulpit.

" 10. Mr. Gladdin, Robert Pratt, sam'll Lay, Benja- min waterhouse and their wives, and widdow haiden in ye third seat in ye square.

" 11. Mr. Jabez Denison, Mr. Sam'll Pratt, mr. heze. Pratt, mr. Jos. Pratt and their wives in ye middle Pew att ye est end.

" 12. Mr. anerist, mr. abram warner, mr. Caleb Pratt, and abraham waterhouse and their wives in ye midle Pew at ye west end.

" 13. In fore seat in ye galiry faceing to the Pulpitt Mr. John ward, andrew warner Jun'r, Mr. moses Baldin and John Pelton & their wives.

" 14. In the fourth seat in ye square Thomas Pratt, Jonathan Shipman, abraham shipman, Daniel williams and their wives.

" 15. In the fifth seat in ye square Josiah fornam, John Corbitt, Nehemiah haiden, Tit. Scovill and their wives.

" 16. Mr. John Lyn, mr. Jos. Shipman, mr. Geabe warner & John williams and their wives at ye south west Corner.

" 17. Benjam' fox, Gedion Web, Leftis newill and their wives in ye Pew att ye south est Corner Togeither with widow webb & widow Shipman.

" 18. We Order ye Young men Bearing Rate into the front seat in ye west gallery.

" By order of us, " BENJAMIN PRATT

" Dated Januar 25th 1731 | 2 "NATH'LL KIRTLAND "NATH'LL CLARKE SEN'R."

In 1748, Samuel Doty and his family were granted the privilege of building a pew "ouer the wimins stars for themselves to sit in," and at the same time it was voted that " Jabez Pratt, Jr., William Clark, Jeams Denesen, Hez'a Buckingham Jr. and John Clark ye 3 have the same Privelig ouer the mens stars."

In 1756 the house had become somewhat out of repair, and the attention of the society was called to it. The following year the " two ends and fore side " were clap- boarded anew, and new windows were put in. The build- ing was now in a fair condition for service, and so con- tinued until 1785, when it became necessary to do some- thing to make the house comfortable. There was evi- dently a strong party in favor of a new house, but the conservative element held tenaciously to the old one, and it was decided to repair it sufficiently to make it "com- fortable this winter." But the advocates of a new house gained strength, and October Ist 1789, it was decided to build one. For this purpose a subscription was raised which amounted to five hundred pounds. The house was built during the next three years. It was placed three or four rods west of the old one, and like that building it stood with its side to the road, facing west- ward. The old meeting house was sold at public vendue, August 6th 1792, and was struck off to Benjamin Wil- liams for twenty-five pounds. It was removed to New City Wharf, where it was used as a store-house and work- shop until about 1860, when it was taken down.

The new house, 40 by 60 feet in size, having been completed, was formally presented to the society by the subscribers who had built it, at a parish meeting held at the house of Danforth Clark, September 24th 1792. A bell was placed in it, and the parish voted that the ring- ing and tolling, which should be brought into the ordi- nary parish charges, should be according to the following plan:

" The Bell shall be Rung at Nine o'clock on Sundays and Rung again at 12 an hour before meeting shall be- gin, and continue to Ring and Toole Except a space of ten Minites till the Minister is seated and also on pub- lick Lecture Days and be Rung Every Evening at 9 o'clock."

The pay of the sexton was now made six pounds a year.

The tolling of the bell was regulated by the following society action, December 25th [797:

" Voted that when the Bell is Tolled for the Death of any Person in this place it shall be done in the following Manner, viz .:

"As soon as the Friends of the Deceased shall give Notice to the Bellman he shall toll the bell a short time as at a funeral then make a short rest after which he shall ring the Bell a little while then make another short rest and conclude by signifying the age or sex of the

346

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

Deceased by tolling the bell in the following manner, viz .: For a man four strokes, for a woman three strokes, for a Male child two, for a female child one, the strokes to be about the same distance from Each other as when tolling for the Minister."

The committee to seat the meeting house reported a scheme reserving certain pews for specified classes of persons, and selling all the others for the year to the highest bidder, which plan was adopted. For several years thereafter the society pursued the plan of selling the pews conditionally, on the amount so raised reach- ing a certain figure, in default of which the sale was void, the current expenses were raised by tax, and the meet- ing house was "seated " by the discretion of a com- mittee. It happened probably more than half the time that the sale of pews did not hold, and the society had to resort to the rate list. The plan of taxing the people to support the gospel was rapidly growing into disfavor. It was also attended with some new difficulties growing out of the uprising of other denominations than the estab- lished order. In the early part of the century this was partially provided for by a State law, under which per- sons who joined other churches and paid for the support of the gospel in them were exempt from paying minis- terial rates in this society on the presentation of proper certificates to that effect. But the plan of taxing for the support of the church was unpopular, as may be seen in the fact that it was in the main avoided in the erection of the meeting house. The plan of selling the seats was also opposed by a large class. In this emergency it was de- cided to raise a fund, the income from which should be sufficient to meet the current expenses. This plan was headed by Ebenezer Hayden, who offered to contribute $2,000 on condition that the people would raise $4,000 more. This subscription amounted to over $6,000, was dated November 23d 1815, and the list contained the names of 133 contributors. The society was already in possession of some property that afforded an income for the support of the gospel, derived from other sources, so that as early as 1819 at least, the fund amounted to $7,604.90. At that time the salary of the minister was $365 a year.

The wholesale taxation for the support of the gospel was now practically ended, though small sums were after- ward raised to make up some little deficiencies in the expenses. The seats were soon after again sold, and that course has ever since been pursued. The conference house, standing on the opposite side of the road a little east of the church, was built in 1831. At this time the first enrollment of a membership of the society appears, that body heretofore having comprehended the entire population of the parish, except those disconnected by their own volition. The interior of the meeting house was remodelled in 1859, the old pews being discarded and their places filled with seats, which remain at the present time. At the same time the steeple was taken down, and the belfry that now adorns the building sub- stituted. The house was also turned part way around, so that instead of facing west and showing its broadside

to the road, as it did before, it faces south and upon the road.

Although provision was made for public worship a few years earlier, yet no formal church organization was effected until 1725, when, in May, the Assembly granted " liberty unto the inhabitants of the North Parish in Sey- brook to imbody themselves into church estate, with the approbation of the neighboring churches, and to set- tle an orthodox minister amongst them." This liberty was carried out November 16th; following, at which time the Rev. Abraham Nott, who had been the minister of the parish from its incorporation, was duly ordained a gospel minister for the Second Society of Saybrook as this was then called. The salary of Mr. Nott was, at first, £50 a year, with prospective increase to £70, and the supply of his fire wood. The last item was after- ward commuted to £15 a year increase of salary. This salary, he declared in a complaint to the Assembly, in October 1750, had been paid in " bills of credit of the old tenour," which were of so small value as to greatly distress him. Mr. Nott died January 24th 1756. During his pastorate the size of this parish had been diminished by the investment of the people of Chester with parish privileges, in October 1740.

Mr. Nott was succeeded by the Rev. Stephen Holmes, a native of Woodstock, who was installed here Novem- her 24th 1757. He practiced medicine in addition to preaching the gospel. His tombstone in the old burying ground north of the village states that he died Septem- ber 13th 1773, "in ye 16th year of his Ministry, and 42d of his life." He was followed by the Rev. Benjamin Dunning, a native of Newtown, who was settled here May 24th 1775. The ministry of the latter continued until 1785. A tombstone in the old burying ground re- cords the fact that he died May 12th 1785, in the 22d year of his ministry, at the age of 45 years.

The Rev. Richard Ely was installed here in 1786, and performed the service of the gospel ministry until the settlement of his colleague, the Rev. Aaron Hovey, in 1804. He soon afterward retired from the pulpit and re- moved to Chester, where he died August 23d 1814, in the 8Ist year of his age, and the 57th of his ministry, and he was buried near his predecessors in the old burying ground on Little Point.

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 88

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