History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 96

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 96

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376

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

The ministry of Mr. Fisk closed suddenly by his death, October 17th 1738, when at the age of 55 and in the midst of a career of usefulness and successful labor.

It was during his pastorate that we find one of the earliest suggestions of that custom that prevailed in many New England towns, the observance of an " Elec- tion Sermon." It was considered by the town ecclesias- tical as a very proper thing to have religious services and a sermon connected with the annual election of officers and transaction of important town business. The elec- tion sermon was preached in 1726 by Mr. Fisk.

The town very soon appointed a committee to secure the services of another minister. The Rev. Aaron Cleve- land was chosen, and negotiations having terminated sat. isfactorily, he was ordained as pastor of this society on the second Wednesday of July 1739. He was to receive for settlement, £500 and a yearly salary of £150, which should be increased £10 every year until it reached £200. Through the depreciation of currency the salary of Mr, Cleveland a few years later became so small that he could barely subsist upon it, and on his own mo- tion he was dismissed in 1746.

The house in which Mr. Cleveland lived stood at the top of " Jail Hill " in the corner field on the north side of the Beaver Meadow road and west side of the road from the school house that intersects the other here. The remains of a cellar, beneath an apple tree a few rods from the bars, mark the site of the house.

At the time Mr. Cleveland became pastor a change seems to have been made in the organization of the society. It became more distinct as such, and perhaps less an integral part of the town political. The society was organized more perfectly according to law, and its records were kept subsequently more distinct from those of the town generally, though still the body politic main- tained its guardianship over the interests of the body ecclesiastic.

The Rev. Joshua Elderkin, after having served a while on probation, was installed as pastor of this society in the latter part (probably September) of 1749. Being of a feeble constitution, he was not able long to bear up under the duties of the position, and after a few years was obliged to give up preaching altogether. He had received at his settlement the value of about £1,600, on the supposition that he was to spend his life with them. At his own request he was dismissed April 18th 1753. The town then 'petitioned the Assembly to direct him to refund a part of the settlement money, he having served them only about three and a half years. The Assembly accordingly decided that Mr. Elderkin should reimburse the parish to the amount of £550, " old tenor," he be- ing allowed, at his request, time to sell his " mansion house " at such appraisement as Jabez Hamlin, of Mid- dletown, and Elihu Chauncey, of Durham, should set upon it, and either Mr. Elderkin or the parish should have liberty to sell it at the appraised value.

He was followed by Rev. Eleazer May, a native of Wethersfield, and a graduate of Yale College in 1752. He was ordained and installed here June 30th 1756.

His salary was, for some of the time at least, raised by the rate of two pence on the pound annually levied on the lists, but was not to fall below £70, nor to exceed £100. The parsonage occupied by him stood on the west side of the road, just north of what is now Meeting House Park. At the ordination of Mr. May, the church con- sisted of 100 members, 38 males and 62 females. The pastorate of Mr. May continued through all the trying years that intervened between that time and the year 1803, when his term of service, covering nearly half a century, was closed by his death, which occurred April 14th of that year. During his time 239 persons were admitted to the church, and during 42 years of the time he administered baptism to 977.

The question of building a new meeting house began to be agitated as early as 1758, but for several years the site could not be agreed on. Twice a committee from the County Court at Hartford was sent down to settle it, but their reports were not satisfactory and were not acted upon. The Assembly was petitioned to help them out of the difficulty, and a committee was sent down to decide the matter. Even after this was done the people were slow to accept it, but finally it was determined that the house should be built on the site indicated by the Assembly committee, which was at the northwest corner of what is now laid out as Meeting House Park. A con- tract for its erection was entered into between James Hazelton, jr., Eliakim Brainerd and Daniel Ventres, for the society, and John Coach and Joseph Shailer. The society was to erect the foundation of stone and raise the frame when it was ready. Beyond this Messrs. Coach & Shailer were to complete the building for £800. Its size was 45 by 65 feet "and a proportionable height," and without a steeple. The frame was raised by September following the last date, and the house so far completed . as to receive the seats by a year from that time. The church was dedicated October 24th 1771. This house was the Sabbath home of this society during its most prosperous years. It was then that the number of the congregation reached its maximum. It was the principal church, and for many years the only one in the town on the west side of the river.

At the beginning of the occupancy of the new church, the music received additional attention. In July 1759, " Stephen Smith Jun., and Jeremiah Spencer were chosen choristers or to tune the psalm, as occasion shall re- quire." In October 1773, the society voted that Dr. Watts' hymns should be used in public worship. It was soon after granted that the " singing men and women " should have the front seat in the gallery on the women's side of the house. Thus early was the choir organized, and then rehearsals were provided for by a vote that they should have " liberty to sing a psalm or two in the meeting-house in the time of intermission." The liberal disposition of the society was still further evidenced in a vote "that they be indulged in singing without reading line by line, the psalm being first read." Afterward still further efforts were made to improve the singing. In 1800, a tax of $50 was voted "to revive

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HADDAM-ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETY.

singing," though it is not specified how it was to be done. A few years later, the clarionet and bass viol were intro- duced, and in 1806 the society, by its express vote, approved of the use of instrumental music in their worship.

Mr. May was followed by the Rev. David Dudley Field, D.D., whose name is the most conspicuous of any of the ministers of this parish. He was the sixth pastor of the church. He was a native of Madison, then East Guilford, and graduated at Yale College in 1802. A call was given him from this society February 14th 1804, at a salary of $500 a year. It was accepted, and he was accordingly ordained on the 11th of the following April. He entered on his work with the enthusiasm and ardor of a young man, and during his pastorate made a deep impression of himself upon the hearts and character of the people. The church numbered 107 members when he came, and 188 were added during his ministry. At its close, the church numbered 165. He was dis- missed, at his own request, at the end of his 14th year, April 11th 1818. While here, he occupied two parson- ages; first the old house that now stands on the east side of the village street, nearly opposite from the school house, and second, the house now owned and occupied by Mr. Zachariah Brainerd, opposite from the Methodist church.

The Rev. John Marsh, a native of Wethersfield and a graduate of Yale, began preaching here on the first Sab- bath in June 1818, and having received a call on a salary of $700, was installed on the 13th of December. About this time the church enjoyed a revival of remarkable power and fruitfulness. Seventy- four of the converts united with the church at one time, January 17th 1819, and during the year 41 more were received, making an accession of 115 during the first year of Mr. Marsh's pastorate. Several other revivals followed during the next ten years, and in 1828, 70 members were received at one time. At that time the influence of the awakening spread throughout the town, and was felt by the other denominations that had been established. Altogether the number of converts in the whole town was estimated to be from 200 to 300.

Besides the revival work, which seems to have been taken hold of so earnestly by Dr. Marsh, the temperance reformation found in him an indefatigable and outspoken advocate. He preached abstinence from the use of in- toxicants, from his pulpit, by his practice, in social inter- course, by printed tracts, and by organized association. Probably through his efforts, the Middlesex Association for the promotion of temperance was formed at a meet- ing in the old church, September 16th 1828, to which delegations from all parts of the county had been called. Among those who became initial members of that society from this town were: Jonathan and Selden Huntington, Benjamin H. Catlin, Ira Hutchinson, and Davis Brain- erd. Owing to the active part he took in this matter he was made secretary and general agent of the Connecticut Temperance Society at its formation in 1829, and in 1833 received a call from the American Temperance Society

of Boston, to become their agent at Philadelphla. To accept this call required his dismission from this church, which was effected April Ist 1833.

This church has an honorable record in the active part it has for many years taken in the support of missionary enterprise, both home and foreign.

In 1822, the frame of a house which was needed by the Sandwich Islands Mission was hewed and fitted, and sent as a gift to that mission, the captain of the vessel that carried it generously refusing any pay for its trans- portation.

Before the introduction of a stove into the old church, the conveniences for making the congregation comfortable in cold weather were few and quite imperfect. The old foot stove was brought, with its supply of coals from the hearth, in the morning, and at the intermission it was re- filled from the hearth of some indulgent neighbor who lived near the church. But the congregation was large, and their comfort called for more accommodations than the generosity of the few homes that were located near the church could supply, so the " Sabba-day houses" came into use. These were small houses, each one of which was probably erected by the united efforts of a number of families living distant from the church, and in them fires were made for the accommodation of the people during intermission between the forenoon and afternoon sermons. Here lunch was eaten, social conversation en- joyed, and the foot stoves filled for the afternoon. Per- mission to build them was granted by the following vote of the town:

" January 13th, 1735: Voted to grant liberty to any of the inhabitants of Haddam to build and set up small houses on the common or town land anywhere within .

the half mile for their conveniency and comfort on the Lord's Day provided they in no ways damnifie any high- way."

These buildings were set up around the second and third meeting houses, and it is said that the corner stone of one of them remains in the path a little north of Mr. Cephas Brainerd's residence.

The next minister of this church was the Rev. T. S. Clark, who commenced preaching here in the latter part of 1833, and was installed April 15th 1834. After a short pastorate, he resigned August 25th 1836

Dr. David Dudley Field was again settled as pastor of this church April 11th 1837. During his second pastor- ate Brainerd Academy, perhaps the offspring of his influ- ence, was built in 1839; a revival which added 40 mem- bers to the church occurred in 1841; and the church at Higganum was formed, withdrawing 135 members from this church. The old church was now left with a mem- bership of only 127. The dismission of Dr. Field oc- curred April 11th 1844, after which the church remained without a settled pastor for about two years and a half. During this time the pulpit was filled for longer or shorter terms by Revs. D. C. Tyler, T. M. Dwight, W. H. Gilbert, and I. P. Warren.

Rev. Elisha W. Cook began preaching here the first Sabbath in July 1846, and was installed on the 18th of

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

the following November. His labors closed here April Ist 1852.

At the separation of the Higganum church a division of the real estate that had fallen to the eclesiastical so- ciety was made, and each of the two societies was at lib- erty to manage its own affairs without any interference or patronage from the town.

In November 1845, the old society decided to build a meeting house, and appointed a building committee and a committee for raising funds by subscription. A site was secured by a lease for 999 years, from George S. Brainerd, and the corner stone was laid June 21st 1847. The house was completed at a cost of about $4,000 and was dedicated on the 3d of November 1846. In the new house was placed a communion service of silver, the tankard of which had been presented in 1836 by Mr. Stephen Tibbals, and the plates and chalices in 1847 by a contribution of the widows of the church .. The former gift was valued at $100 and the latter at $80.

Rev. Erastus Colton was the acting pastor of the church, though not installed, from October 1852 to Au- gust 1854.

In the early part of 1855 the Rev. James L. Wright began preaching here, and, proving acceptable to the congregation, he was called to the pastorate, and duly in- stalled on the 16th of May. He remained until his death, which took place, after a short illness, January 18th 1871. He was deeply mourned by the congregation whose respect and affection he had gained by his winning qualities. In numerical order he was the tenth pastor, and the fourth who had died on the field.

The present pastor, Rev. Everett E. Lewis, preached his first sermon here, September 17th 1871, and receiv- ing a call, began his labors on the first Sabbath in De- cember. His installation took place January 17th 1872. January Ist 1872, the membership of the church was I20.

A conference room was built in the rear of the church in 1866, at a cost of $650. The society had been with- out a parsonage for more than 20 years when the present house was purchased in 1868. Its cost was about $1,800. In 1871-2, repairs and improvements were made on the church and parsonage at an expense of $800, and a few years later a debt of $700 was cleared from the society by their vigorous effort. The conference room was en- larged and a church parlor added during the summer of. 1884.

The following were some of the early deacons of the church, elected previous to the present century: Daniel Brainerd, Esquire, died 1715; Thomas Brooks, died 1734; Joseph Arnold, died 1752, at the age of 86; James Brainerd, died 1742; Thomas Brooks, elected about 1742; Elisha Cone, elected about the same time; Elijah Brainerd, elected 1759; Col. Hezekiah Brainerd Esq., elected 1764; Joseph Smith, elected 1771; Nehemiah Brainerd Esq., elected about 1784; Eliakim Brainerd, elected about the same time.

The " half-way covenant" was once introduced into the Haddam church, but was soon rejected.

This church has raised up the following persons to en- ter the ministry, all of whom it is supposed have found their work in Congregational churches: David, John, Elijah, Eleazer, Chiliab, Nehemiah, Israel, Israel second, James, and Davis S. Brainerd, Aaron Cleveland, Heze- kiah May, Jonathan Hubbard, Israel Shailer, Daniel Clark Tyler, and David B. Hubbard. Others from Had- dam who have entered the ministry in other denomina- tions have been: Simon, William H., David T., Na- than E., and Julius S. Shailer, and Andrew M. Smith, in the Baptist Church; and Charles Dickinson, Phineas Doane, William R. Brainerd, and H. M. Smith in the Methodist Church.

Although attention may have been given to the instruc- tion of children in the catechism, there is no record of a Sunday school in connection with this church previous to 1819. Under the energetic influence of Mr. Marsh a school was organized that year. It was opened on the second Sabbath of May, and continued until the last of August. Sixty boys and 100 girls were in attendance with considerable regularity. Their ages ranged from seven to 16 years. The school was divided into five classes, had five teachers, one to each class, and five su- perintendents, who rotated in their official action.

From that beginning the Sabbath school has gone on to the present time.

TOWN AND SOCIETY ACTION.

There are some acts of the town and items of historic record that do not come under any topic of connected narrative, but still are of interest, inasmuch as they throw light upon the conditions under which our ancestors lived, and help to a clear understanding of them and their times.

Among the first matters which the existing records show that the town acted on were orders regulating the laying out of highways, erection of bridges over the numerous streams which they found everywhere crossing their path, providing for fencing the common fields, granting parcels of land to individuals, regulating the time for turning swine and cattle upon the pasture com- mons, and providing pounds for the imprisonment of stray cattle, swine, or other animals.

A landing was probably made upon the river bank near the town plot, though no record of it can be found. April 9th 1667, a landing was agreed on, to be located at the southeast side of the creek then called " Beaver brooke." It was to be for the use of the lower end of the town, and a convenient highway was to be made from it to the common highway through the land of John Wyatt. This was probably the second landing estab- lished by the settlers of this town.

Ear marks were in use here as early as 1688. These were certain cuts and nicks upon the ears of cattle and sheep, which by their kind, combination, and position distinguished the animals belonging to one man from those of another. The various kinds of marks were the " crop," "slope," half-penny," "swallow-fork," "ell," "square crop," " hole," "nick," "slit," "hollow crop,"

HADDAM-FROM TOWN RECORDS.

379

"latch," "flower-de-luce," and perhaps some others, and they might be on the upper or under side of the ear, and on the right or the left ear. A register of each man's mark was kept by the town clerk.

In its primitive condition the town acted directly on matters that in later years make of the details of business that is left to the discretion of representative officers. The following is a curious and interesting example of the kind, as well as a reminder of the tedious process by which nails were produced in those days, and their con- sequent value.

" At a toune meting at hadom october 20th, 1668, it was ordered and agreed by the toune that the tounesmen shall Proquer ffouer thousand of nailes: thre thousand and a half of sixpeni nailes and haluef a thousand of eaight peni nailes and the toune doth in Gage to paye them in wheat for them and allso to satisfi them for thear trobell in Geting of them."

Regulations in regard to the extermination of wild ani- mals were not very common in this town. In 1669, the town agreed to pay 12 shillings each for every wolf that should be killed in it.

Some consideration appears to have been exercised for widows in straitened circumstances, as is shown by this extract from the records: "At the same meting it was agreed that the town will forgive the widow Jones her towne rate that is be hind of last yeare."

Burying grounds were provided for by order of the town, and land for them was set apart from the common land of the town. The town also made choice some. times of those who should dig their graves, as the follow- ing entry will show:

" Jan. 27, 1714-15.

" Ebenezer Frisbey is chose to digg graves for the year ensuing and shall be allowed five shillings pr. grave for grown persons and equivalent for lesser persons."

The bloody and destructive war known as King Phillip's war, seems to have troubled this town some. Weak and unable to offer much resistance as it must have been at that time, the town made what preparation it could for self defense, and probably sent a petition to the Council at Hartford for some manner of protection or assistance. What equipments they had were put in order, and the inhabitants presented to the Council the name of Jarrad Spencer, asking his appointment as en- sign, and also that of William Ventres as sergeant of their " Trayn Band." Their further action in regard to Haddam is expressed in the following paragraph from their records:

" Upon inteligence and occasion of some parties sculk- ing ennimies that are come downe to lye about and amongst these plantations to annoy and destroy as they can catch, the Councill doe advise and order that the people of Haddum doe forthwith agree and come to- gether into the two uppermost best garrisoned places in their towne to assist and defend each other, or agree to remove to some other plantation upon the River, as they may best for themselves and families."

Some trouble appears to have been occasioned by wildcats, as the subjoined entry suggests.

" Jan. 13, 1723,

"At said meeting it was by vote agreed that what per- son or persons shall within the precincts of this west so- ciety Kill any wild Cat or wild Cats and do to the satis- faction of the constable make it evident that he or they have so done shall for each Cat so killed shall be allowed for each Cat four shillings per Cat."

The small-pox caused considerable alarm about here soon after the Revolution. January 11th 1787, the town granted to Dr. Hezekiah Brainerd the exclusive privilege of inoculating persons to prevent small-pox, for a term of four years, provided he should erect a building in which to receive for attendance such persons as should be in- fected with that disease, and he should himself have the care of such persons as should be placed in it. . A loca- tion was given and a hospital was erected upon it, in the southwestern suburbs of the town center neighborhood. A few years later, the people were assured that no further danger of the dreaded disease was imminent, and the the house was removed, but the field in which it stood is still known as the ".Pox House lot."

GROWTH AND PROGRESS.

Haddam was originally included in the county of Hart- ford, and on the formation of Middlesex in 1785, became a part of the latter county. It was the central town of new county and was made a half-shire town.

The Indians who remained in the town, exercising the rights of hunting and fishing wherever they pleased, which rights they had reserved in their deed to the white settlers, it is said were troublesome for many years. For half a century the people were in the habit of carrying arms with them whenever they left their homes, and what now appears as a strangely discordant custom, that of carrying the instruments of war into the church on the Sabbath, was a regular pratice with them. But though the settlers seem to have suffered more or less alarm, yet there is no record that the Indians ever committed any serious depredations or acts of violence.

Highways were laid out through the town, or to dif- ferent points in it from the earliest settlement. Perhaps the first one was the common highway through the town plot and to the lower plantation. The record of this is not dated, and as some changes were made either before or after, it does not agree with the impressions gathered from other parts of the records in all particulars. The record recites the establishment of a highway through the town, that from James Wells' four acre home lot to Daniel Cone's home lot should be four rods wide and thence to the lower end of the town it should be five rods wide. This was probably the first road that the settlers laid out. The first record of the laying out of highways other than the above is as follows:

" Whereas Mr. Piper, Daniell brainrd and John Cha- pell weare ordered and appoynted by the towne to laye out high wayes for townes use thay haveing dunne them as heire thay stand entred.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

" One high waye at the reare of the thre acre Lots twelve rods wide.

"One high way that goeth from the high way that is betwen will Clarke and George Gates runeing by richard pipers fence so over muddy brooke and through the land of Mr. James bate and from thence southwest to the ende of the boundes eaight rods wide.

"One high way lying by muddy brooke Lying by John beailyes Lote up the hille to the high way that goeth by Garrird Spensers lote ten rods wide.

"One high way that runes by mudy brooke betwen the liteell swamp and the Great hill over beaver brooke by the parsonag lote: so to the side of tirkey hille: so to the end of the bounds ten rods wide.

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 96

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