USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Farmington > History of New Britain, with sketches of Farmington and Berlin, Connecticut. 1640-1889 > Part 9
USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Berlin > History of New Britain, with sketches of Farmington and Berlin, Connecticut. 1640-1889 > Part 9
USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > New Britain > History of New Britain, with sketches of Farmington and Berlin, Connecticut. 1640-1889 > Part 9
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" To the Hon. General Assembly of his Majesty's English Colony of Connecticut in New Eng. to be convened at Hartford 10 May 1739, which is to show that we the subscribers hereunto, Inhabitants of the North part of Kensington parish in Farmington, are uncer great difficulty to attend the public worship of God by reason of the length and badness of travel especially at some seasons of the year -- Whereupon your memoralists humbly pray that this Hon. Assembly would consider our difficulty and afford us some relief, by granting us the liberty of four months to meet at some convenient place for the ease of our travel to attend the public worship of God-for the time above specified, we humbly pray that we may be released from paying one third part of the year to our present minister, provided we procure some suitable person to preach to us the time above specified, or to find some other way as this Hon. Assembly in their great wisdom shall think best for our ease and comfort to attend the public worship, & we as our duty is shall ever pray.
Dated at Kensington 9 May, 1739.
Stephen Lee, Benjn Judd, Uriah Judd, James Judd, Zeb. Curtice, Thomas Curtice, Isaac Lee Jun, Joshua Mather, Benjn Judd Jun., John Judd, Phineas Judd, Anthony Judd, Daniel Dewy, Saml Hollister, Elijah Bronson, Joseph Woodruff, Jonathan Lewis, Ebenezer North, John Kelsey, Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith Jun. Azariah Smith, Jedediah Smith, Josiah Lee, Simmons Woodruff, Isaac Lee."
The above signers are supposed to have lived east and south of the center of New Britain, on East Street and Stanley Street, but within the present limits of the town. The prayer of the petitioners was not granted by the Gen- eral Assembly ; but portions of the parish were not satis- fied. Dissensions arose, and in May, 1742, a petition from twenty-four of the principal men in the southern and
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FARMINGTON AND KENSINGTON CHURCHES.
central portions of the parish was presented to the General Assembly. The petitioners, after reciting the difficulties which. existed, and giving some account of what had been done, say :
"Your Honor's memorialists are obliged in this manner to address this Assembly, humbly praying your Honors once more to take the broken & divided circumstances of poor Kensington into your wise consideration, & if consistent with your wisdom appoint & authorize a judicious committee (at the societies charge) to come and view our whole circumstances as to the affairs above mentioned, and make return of what they think best to be done for the best good of each quarter of said parish, or some other way prevent the confusion, we are in danger otherwise of falling into."
This petition seems to have been caused by the division of sentiment in the parish, the difficulty of maintaining the ordinances of the gospel, and the feeling that the want of union was disastrous to the prosperity of the society. But as this petition did not secure the relief desired, further action was taken in December :
KENSINGTON, DECEMBER YE - 1742.
" This may Certify whome it may Concern that we ye subscribers Inhabitants of ye parish of Kensington considering the uneasiness that appears in many of our neighbors about dividing this parish into several parishes notwithstanding the discouragements their attempts therefor have met with. We do hereby propose to our sd neighbors, for a final issue of our debates on that affair, viz : that a committee be appointed by ye whole parish if it may be to pray yo general assembly at their session in May next to appoint us once more a Com't of able and disinterested persons to come into the parrish view ye whole circumstances thereof relating to the premises, here ye pleas and challenges of all parties concerning the same and make report to ye same session, what they judge will be the best good for the whole-allways provided that our said neighbors do now in some suitable manner & become bound with us to be firmly concluded about ye premises by yo doings of sd. Court on or about ye same- otherwise we the subscribers do hereby agree that it is our duty to meet & attend upon the publick worship of god at ye House already erected for that purpose, and Indavour that it may be supported there - and in order thereto, with the consent of ye Rev'd Mr William Burnham our present pasture & ye advice of yo Rev'd Elders of ye association to which we belong first had & obtained we do agree that ye much estemed Mr David Judson may be settled in ye work of ye ministry among us if he may be procured.
In Witness Whereof we here set our hands."
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HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
There were thirty-five signers to this petition, nearly all from the central and southern parts of the parish.
In the meantime, the minister, Rev. William Burnham, who had long had great bodily infirmity, on May 18, 1743, signified to the society committee his inability longer to discharge the pastoral office ; upon which, at a meeting of the society held on the 26th of the same month, it was agreed and voted, "If necessary, to call some person on probation in order to settle among us in the ministry." Other propositions were made with reference to applying to the Association for more special advice, but the disagreement was so great, that the meeting broke up without deciding the question or making provision for the future. Several members of the society believing that the society committee did not intend to call another meeting, petitioned the General Assembly to empower some one else to warn a society meet- ing and "To appoint some suitable person to lead and be the moderator of such meeting." This petition also set forth the great disorder in the parish, declaring :
" That so unhappy are our circumstances as not only to be actually destitute of the Gospel ministry among us. .. . but unable to obtain a man upon probation for the ministry, or so much as by any public vote or act of the society to manifest our desire to have or call one."
The General Assembly complied with this request by passing the following resolution :
" Resolved by this Assembly that Dea. Thos. Hart, Samuel Thompson and Nathaniel Hart, of said Kensington shall warn all the inhabitants of said society that have a right to vote in parish meeting, to meet on the 6th day of June next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of said day, at the meet- ing-house in said parish, then and there to transact in such affairs as may relate to said society, and this Assembly do appoint and fully empower Mr. Joseph Buckingham of Hartford, to conduct and lead said meeting as their moderator, and the said moderator is hereby directed to lead said meeting in all such matters and things as he shall think proper, that so peace and order (if possible) may be restored to said society and those people conducted in a proper method to the gaining a suitable person to settle with or supply the place of their aged and infirm minister who hath acquainted that parish that he is not able to serve them longer, to be done at the cost of the parish."*
* Colonial records.
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FARMINGTON AND KENSINGTON CHURCHES.
Before Mr. Burnham signified to the society's committee his inability to perform the parish work devolving upon him, Mr. David Judson of Stratford had been employed to render assistance in the ministry and had been paid for his services by the society. On September 13, 1744, the society passed the following vote :
" Voted to call in some suitable person to preach the gospel amongst us, provided Rev. Mr. Wm. Burnham will oblige himself to relinquish his salary at or before ye settlement of said person."
The 120 votes given upon this question indicate consider- able interest, but the 43 votes in the negative, more than one-third, show that there was by no means unanimity in sentiment in regard to the matter.
" At the same meeting, it was voted to call the much esteemed Mr. Edward Dorr on probation, provided the Rev. Elders of the South Asso- ciation* advise thereto."
Mr. Dorr soon after commenced his labors in Kensington, and at a parish meeting held Nov. 22, of the same year, it was voted, 94 to 56, to call and settle him. At a subse- quent meeting the following votes were passed :
" Voted, if Mr. Edward Dorr be ordained to the work of the ministry in this society, he shall have a salary of £50 lawful money for six years, after that, £60 lawful money or grain equivalent thereto.
Voted, to desire and entreat the Rev. Mr. Samuel Whitman of Farm- ington, the Rev. Mr. Wm. Russel and Mr. Edward Eells of Middletown, the Rev. Mr. Ashbel Woodbridge of Glasenbury, and the Rev. Mr. James Lockwood of Wethersfield, as soon as may be to come into this society and hear and consider the circumstances and pleas of the inhabitants in relation to the settlement of a minister, and to advise in the two follow- ing particulars : first, whether it be for the honor of God and the interest of religion for us in our particular circumstances to endeavor to settle a minister among us over the whole parish ; and second, whether it be our duty to proceed in our endeavors to have Mr. Edward Dorr settled in the gospel ministry among us."
These persons met in council at Kensington, Jan. 2, 1744, and as a result of their deliberations, after hearing the state-
*Hartford South Association, organized in 1709, included the ministers of Colchester, Glastenbury, Haddam, Middletown, Waterbury, Wethersfield, and Windham.
8
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HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
ments of the committee and others, submitted the following decision :
" Having heard your pleas, and considered your circumstances, with respect to the first question, we are of opinion you are one entire body under the obligations of maintaining the public worship of God among you so long as he in his Providence continues you so, it is for the honor of God and interest of religion among you that there be a pastor over the whole parish. With respect to the second question, considering your divided circumstances, we advise that Mr. Edward Dorr be con- tinued to preach among you till June next, by which time it may be God in his Providence may more open and clear the way of his and your duty with respect to his settlement among you, and that then application be made to the Association for their advice in your further proceeding."
This document was signed by all the members of the council. A committee was appointed to obtain the advice of the South Association, and this was rendered the following June, as follows :
"The society at Kensington applying to us for advice in respect to Mr. Dorr, we advise them to proceed to his settlement, with the care, deliberation, and caution needful in so weighty an affair, it not appearing to us, there is any sufficient objection against their proceeding to his settlement, in case on a proper examination, he appears suitably qualified for the work of the ministry."
A few months after receiving this communication from the Hartford South Association, the society proposed terms of settlement to Mr. Dorr, which were satisfactory to him, but he was not settled over this church. Mr. Burnham's health improved and he discharged the duties of a pastor a few years longer. His salary was increased to £190 in 1746, to £200 in 1747, to £350 in 1748, and in 1749 fixed at £300. He died Sept. 23, 1750.
The last years of Mr. Burnham's pastorate were far from being peaceful in the parish. The following extract from the Colonial records, May session, 1747, indicates the wide- spread dissatisfaction :
" Upon the memorial of the parish of Kensington, and on the part of James Paterson and others in the west part of the parish of Newington, and on the memorial of Thomas Stanley and others living on the south- east part of Farmingtown old society, and on the memorial of Stephen
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Lee and others living partly in Farmingtown old Society and partly in Kensington Society praying to this Assembly for relief in respect of their parish affairs in manner and form as set forth in said memorials : Re- solved by this Assembly, that William Pitkin Esqr. Colo. Benjamin Hall and Major Elihu Chauncey, be a committee to repair to said parishes and places of said memorialists' residence, and to notify all parties concerned, to hear them thereon and view their circumstances, and to report their opinion thereon to this Assembly, if it may be, or to the next Assembly."
No practical results were secured by the action of this committee. Soon after the death of Rev. Mr. Burnham, in 1750, another committee of three was appointed by the Gen- eral Assembly with similar instructions and results. For several years the church had no pastor, but preaching from " probationers" and others was somewhat regular. Rev. Ezra Stiles, afterwards president of Yale College, was in 1751 requested to preach " as a candidate upon probation in order to settel in ye work of the gospel ministry in this society." Mr. Stiles came from his home in North Haven and preached several times, but did not accept the call. Rev. Aaron Brown,* Rev. Samuel Sherwood,; and Rev. Elizur Goodrich,# and perhaps some others, preached for a few Sundays, and to some of these ministers a formal invitation to settlement was given.
The want of harmony, and the increasing desire of some parts of the society for a division, caused the place to present no very hopeful field for ministerial work. The appeal to the General Assembly had been unsuccessful, that body not deeming it wise to order a division of the parish at this time. The prudential committee were authorized to provide a min- ister or ministers for a limited time, but whenever any ques- tion relating to permanent arrangements arose, the vote
* Rev. Aaron Brown was licensed by Hartford North Association June 5, 1750, was settled in Granby in October of the same year, was dismissed in 1751, preached in Kensington and other places, and was settled in East Putnam in 1754.
+ Rev. Samuel Sherwood, after preaching a few times in Kensington, re- ceived a call to the church in Weston, where he was settled in 1757.
# Rev. Elizur Goodrich, D.D., was urged to come to Kensington, but he ac- eepted the call to Durham, where he was settled in 1756.
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HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
usually indicated only a small majority in favor of such ar- rangements.
In the meeting held Dec. 11, 1751, the vote to obtain advice in regard to calling some suitable candidate upon pro- bation was carried by only 82 to 63. At a meeting held five months after this, or on May 19, 1752, when it was proposed to send a committee to the General Assembly to remonstrate against the memorials, asking for a division of the society, the proposition was adopted by a vote of 81 to 64, and the question whether the society would continue as one parish and settle a minister over the whole was decided in the affirmative by nearly the same vote, or 81 to 66. The ques- tion of the division of the society was brought to the atten- tion of the General Assembly every year by petition or memorials, which were usually opposed by a committee of the society, or by members residing near the meeting-house.
CHAPTER VI.
KENSINGTON SOCIETY DIVIDED.
T THE numerous society meetings held in the Kensington parish, to consider the question of repairing the meet- ing-house, or building new, or settling a pastor, had shown a strong and increasing minority in the north part of the parish, who were dissatisfied with the condition of things then ex- isting. This minority endeavored to obtain permission to have preaching within the present limits of New Britain for a part of the year, and desired to be relieved of a portion of the rates paid in Kensington. Their request in 1739 for this permission was denied, as already shown, but the feeling of uneasiness was not allayed, and the difficulties in the southi- ern part of the parish did not seem to lessen the dissatisfac- tion in the northern part. It is possible that the death of Rev. Mr. Burnham, the pastor, in 1750, led to greater urgency of what were believed to be rightful claims. The question of the division of the society began to be forcibly presented to the attention of the General Assembly by peti- tions or otherwise. At the October session, 1753, the Gen- eral Assembly appointed Jonathan Trumbull, Jonathan Huntington, and Shubel Conant a committee for the following work :
"To go into said parish of Kensington & call a Society Meeting, or meetings of the Inhabitants of said society, and to lead & Moderate in said meeting or meetings, & also to use all proper measures to know the minds, names and number of said Inhabitants that are of the mind to divide said Society into several Societies, and also the forms & lines that those who were for dividing said Society would have drawn to divide said Society, .... also to hear the pleas of all parties, and upon the whole to judge & determine whether or no, it would be for the best good & wel- fare & peace of said parish to continue in one entire society or otherwise, whether it would be so to divide said parish into several societies & if
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HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
upon the whole the committee should judge that it might conduce most for the peace & welfare & interest of said Society, then to divide said society into so many societies and draw such lines as they should judge might conduce most to the peace, good & welfare of said society."
This committee, in pursuance of the foregoing order, went to Kensington, warned a society meeting which was at- tended and moderated by the committee of the General As- sembly, and was adjourned from time to time as found nec- essary. The committee also notified the surrounding parishes of the contemplated action, and invited them to be present by committee at an adjourned society meeting in Kensington. After patiently hearing all parties and carefully examining the territory, the committee made its report recommending that the Kensington Society be divided into three parts, each part to constitute a separate society. When the report was acted upon by the General Assembly it was not adopted, there being a strong opposition to the setting off of a new society in the south part of the parish, but the petitioners of the northern part still pressed their claims. These were heard by the Assembly, which passed the following act at the May session, 1754, limiting the Society of Kensington and constituting the new Society of New Britain.
" A General Assembly holden in Hartford in the Colony of Connec- ticut, on ye 2end Thursday of May, A. D. 1754.
An Act limiting the bounds of the parish of Kensington and for establishing one other Ecclesiastical society in Farmington, in the County of Hartford.
Be it enacted by the Governor & Council & Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same,
That the bounds of the parish of Kensington for the future shall extend no further north than to the east and west line drawn across the Bridge called the " Beach Swamp " Bridge from Weathersfield Town line to Southington Parish line, Easterly by the Antient line of said Kensing- ton, including those two pieces of land taken off from Weathersfield and Middletown ; and from the southwest corner of the said Middletown part of Kensington, to run Westerly until it comes to the middle of the highway where they cross each other, between the houses of Elisha Cole & Stephen Cole, from thence westerly until it comes to the south west corner of John Cole's house lott, from thence due West to said Southing- ton society line, thence Northerly as that line runs, to the line first
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KENSINGTON SOCIETY DIVIDED.
Mentioned, & that the Parish Taxes arising or that shall be Levied on the Improved Land in said Kensington shall be paid to said Society only.
And it is further enacted by the Authority, aforesaid, that said Parish of Kensington shall have full power & authority is hereby Granted to said Parish att their Legall Meetings to Tax all such Inhabitants as Live South of said Society and within the Antient Bounds of said Kensington, Equily with themselves for Defraying the Charge of Preaching only & that their Colectors have full power to colect the same until this Assembly shall Order otherwise.
And it is further Enacted by the Authority Afore said, that the Society of Kensington exclusive of those Inhabitants that Live in Weath- ersfield part, shall pay ye Society of Newington the Some of twenty pounds Lawfull Money on the first day of May A. D. 1755 ; & twenty pounds more on ye first Day of May, A. D. 1756, & twenty pounds more on ye first day of May A. D. 1757 : Each payment to be made with the Lawfull Interest Arising from such Sum from the first day of June next, & said Society of Kensington Exclusive of said Weathersfield part, shall have full power att their Legall Meetings to Tax themselves for ye payment of sixty pounds & the interest thereof : And that the Society committee Make a rate Accordingly : & that the colector chosen in said society shall have full power to colect the same as other Society rates by their colectors & pay the same to the Society committee for the Use Aforesaid : And that the Inhabitants living south of said Parish of Kensington shall have free liberty to attend the Publick worship with the said society of Kensington till this Assembly shall order otherwise.
And it is further enacted by the Authority Aforesaid : that there be another Ecclesiastical Society Erected & Made & is hereby Erected & Made within ye bounds of Farmington, Bounded and Described as foloeth, viz : South on the North Bound of Kensington Parish and Easterly on the Town Line as far north as the North side of Daniel Hart's Lott where a Drinking trough now standeth & from thence to run west on the north side of said Hart's lott to the west end of that Tier of Lotts, from thence to run southerly to the old fulling mill so called on Pond river, & from thence southerly to the east side of a lot of land belonging to the heirs of Timothy Hart late deceased near "Bares Hollow " from thence due south until it meets with the north line of Southington Parish, thence by said Southington line, as that runs, until it comes to Kensington north line, excluding Thomas Stanley, Daniel Hart & John Clark* & their farms on which they now dwell, lying within the bounds above described, & the same is created & made one distinct Ecclesiastical society & shall be known by the name of ' New Britain,' with all the powers and priviledges that other ecclesiastical societies by law have in this colony, & that all the improved lands in said society, shall be rated in said society excepting as before excepted."
* These three persons lived in the north part of Stanley Quarter. The farms were included in New Britain, in 1765.
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HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
Though this act of incorporation did not dismiss any members of the Kensington Church, it virtually removed about fifty, for on the organization of the First Church in New Britain, in 1758, fifty of the persons constituting that church were from the church in Kensington. The old church and society continued to worship in the meeting-house which had been " set up in Thomas Hart's home lot." When the New Britain Church was organized, 174 members were left in the Kensington Church. Nearly six years after the death of the first pastor, Rev. William Burnham, and a year after the New Britain Society was established, at a meeting of the inhabitants of the parish of Kensington, held September 26, 1755, it was voted nearly unanimously " to proceed by regu- lar and suitable means to endeavor to obtain Mr. Samuel Clark to be our gospel minister." The records of the society show that :
"Att the same meeting the society made choice of Mr. Samuel Galpin Jr. to go to Mr. Samuel Clark att Elizabeth town to show him the voat of the society and endeavour By all regular and suitable means to obtain the much esteemd Mr. Samuel Clark to preach with us in the Gospel ministry in endeavour furthur proceedings settling of him amongst us." .
After Mr. Galpin's return, another society meeting was held, and a formal invitation with definite proposals for salary and settlement were sent to Mr. Clark, to which he returned the following reply :
" This may shew all whom it may concern that I having taken under consideration the state of the church and congregation of Kensington, with the society for my settling amongst them in the gospel ministry, and the proposals of said society for settlement, salery, &c., though with a Deep Sense of my bare unworthiness of so holy and important a place, I think I cant consistent with duty as yet Refuse and therefore Doo humbly declare my acceptance of said call on their conditions of the 11th. of March A. D. 1756. Samuel Clark.
Kensington May 27 A. D. 1756."
Arrangements were soon after made for the formal installation of Mr. Clark, an account of which from the church records is as follows :
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KENSINGTON SOCIETY DIVIDED.
"Kensington, July 14th, 1756.
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