USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 14
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 14
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The first settlers were mostly emigrants from the counties of Kent and Surrey, in England, and came to America in 1639 in two vessels. They landed at New Haven and remained there a short time as a distinct company, and were not a part of the New Haven planters or company. Many of them were persons of position and influence in England and nearly all were farmers in that country. Their sole purpose in coming to the new world was that they might have greater religious liberty and the advantages of a community having a concordance of belief. Accordingly, while yet on ship- board, they organized themselves as a separate community and entered into relations which are expressed by the following cove- nant:
"We, whose names are hereunder written, intending by God's gracious permission to plant ourselves in New England, and if it may be, in the southerly part, about Quinnipiack: We do faithfully promise each to each, for ourselves and families, and those that be- long to us; that we will, the Lord assisting us, sit down and join ourselves together in one intire plantation; and to be helpful each to the other in every common work, according to every man's abil- ity and as need shall require; and we promise not to desert or leave each other or the plantation, but with the consent of the rest, or the greater part of the company who have entered into this engage- ment.
"As for our gathering together in a church way, and the choice of officers and members to be joined together in that way, we do refer ourselves until such time as it shall please God to settle us in our plan- tation.
" In witness whereof we subscribe our hands, the first day of June, 1639.
* R. D. Smith.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
"Robert Kitchell,
John Hughes,
John Bishop,
William Dudley,
Francis Bushnell,
John Parmelin,
William Chittenden,
John Mepham,
William Leete,
Thomas Norton,
Thomas Joanes,
Abraham Cruttenden,
John Jurdon,
Francis Chatfield,
William Stone,
William Halle,
Jolın Hoadly,
Thomas Naish.
John Stone,
Henry Kingsnorth,
William Plane,
Henry Doude,
Richard Gutridge,
Thomas Cooke,
Henry Whitfield."
It is said that the vessel which bore this company was a ship of about 350 tons burden and, sailing from London about May 25th, 1639, entered New Haven harbor some time near the beginning of July. It is claimed that Whitfield's vessel was the first that ever cast anchor in the waters of the Quinnipiac. "The sight did so please the captain of the ship and all the passengers that he called New Haven harbor the Fayre Haven.'" But for some reason it was changed to New Haven, and nearly two centuries later the very prosperous east part of the town was called Fair Haven.
After landing at New Haven they soon, under the friendly direc- tion of Mr. Davenport and Mr. Eaton, selected Menuncatuc as the place for their plantation, and not long thereafter named the new town Guilford, after a city in their native Surrey.
The leader of these 25 gentlemen and yeomen* was the Reverend Henry Whitfield, a gentleman of influence and wealth, both elements being freely used by him in establishing his plantation. In temporal as well as in spiritual matters he was the foremost of the "English planters of Menuncatuc," and the first improvements were made under his direction. One of the first acts was to locate a town site, which was done by following the English fashion of laying out a market place or green of oblong shape and building around it. This being done, they commenced building homes for themselves, the houses of some of the planters being pnt np in a very substantial manner of stone, and also after the style of the better English farm houses of that period.
The famous old stone house of Guilford was built by Mr. Whitfield in 1639-40, and was probably the best in the village. It was made un- usually strong, so that it would also serve as a means of defense against Indians. It is still standing, although in a remodelled condition.
* The first planters were of these two ranks-gentlemen and yeomen. The former were men of wealth and bore the title of Mr. The commonality were spoken of without a title prefixed, or were called goodman or neighbor. But none of these planters were poor, and but few had servants.
8
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Until 1868 the original form was preserved, and even now the large stone chimney and the north wall remain as they were put up, 250 years ago, making this the oldest English built house in the United States. It occupies a good site on slightly rising ground, which over- looks the great plain south of the village, and gives a fine prospect of the sound. Mr. Whitfield had a large family of grown children, and it is said that the first marriage in the town was here held, when Mr. John Higginson took to wife one of his daughters. The wedding feast was very simple, consisting of pork and pease.
The original Whitfield house was described, in 1859, by R. D. Smith, as follows:
"The walls are of stone from a ledge eighty rods distant to the east. The material was probably brought on handbarrows across a swamp, over a rude causeway, which is still to be traced. A small addition has in modern times been made to the back of the house, but there is no question that the main building remains in its original state, even to the oak of the beams, floors, doors and window sashes. * * * * In the recesses of the windows are broad seats. Within the memory of some of the residents of the town the panes of glass were of dia- mond shape.
" The height of the first story is seven feet and two-thirds, the height of the second is six feet and three-quarters. At the southerly corner in the second story there was originally an embrasure about a foot wide, with a stone flooring, which remains. The exterior walls are now closed up, but not the walls within.
"The walls at the front and back of the house terminate at the floor of the attic, and the rafters lie upon them. The angle of the roof is sixty degrees, making the base and sides equal. At the end of the wing by the chimney is a 'recess,' which must have been intended as a place of concealment. The interior walls have the appearance of touching the chimney, like the walls at the northwest end, but the re- moval of a board discovers two closets, which project beyond the lower part of the building.
" This noted residence was sold by Mr. Whitfield on his removal to England in 1652 to Major Thompson, of London, an important man in England during the commonwealth, and continued in his family until October 22d, 1772, when Mr. Wyllys Elliot, of Guilford, bought it for £3,000, Massachusetts money."
In 1890 this house and much of the original Whitfield plantation was the property of Mrs. Sarah B. Cone, and was in a well preserved condition.
Other stone houses were built soon after by Jasper Stillwell, on the lot north of Mr. Whitfield; by Mr. John Higginson, on the south- west corner of the green, on the south side of Bridge street; by Sam- uel Desborough, west, on the same side of the street. Opposite them lived planters Ward and Bishop. Mr. Robert Kitchell lived west of
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
the northwest corner of the green, and John Fowler lived on the op- posite corner. Mr. William Leete was farther west, on the river, and Mr. William Chittenden was on the opposite side of the street, the lots being still occupied by his descendants. But no building except the Whitfield house remains.
The next step of the planters was to increase the area of the town, so as to have ample lands for every one. Additional purchases were made of the Indians by Mr. Whitfield, September 20th, 1641, when he bought of the sachem Weekwosh the territory along the sound eastward from the East river to Tuxis Pond, for a small con- sideration of clothing. The right of Weekwosh to sell this land being doubted, the title was perfected by another purchase of Uncas, the sachem of the Mohegans, who claimed the land by right of con- quest of the Pequots in 1637, when the last of their warriors was slain by Captain Stoughton in the swamp at Fairfield. This purchase was made December 17th, 1641, by Mr. Whitfield. Robert Kitchell, William Chittenden and others of the English planters, and embraced the land on the sound between the points named and north through the town- ship. The consideration was four coats, two kettles, four fathoms of wampum, four hatchets and three hoes.
In the meantime the remaining territory of the old town had been secured of the Indians by Colonel George Fenwick, of Saybrook, who was a personal friend of Mr. Whitfield and other planters of Guilford.
" Mr. Whitfield being desirous of extending the township still fur- ther eastward, made repeated application to his friend Fenwick to convey to his plantation a tract lying between Tuxis and Hammon- asset rivers, which Mr. Fenwick had bought of Uncas, and in a letter dated October 22d, 1645, Mr. Fenwick gave this tract to Guilford, on conditions that the planters would ' accommodate Mr. Whitfield with land to his content,' and he was authorized to hold the land until the conditions should be fulfilled.
" This grant from Mr. Fenwick was accepted by Guilford, which made Mr. Whitfield several allotments of land, which he afterward deeded to the town, the 20th of August, 1650, for the consideration of £20, paid in wheat."
Other purchases were made of Indian claimants, the last being in 1686, when much of what is now North Guilford was bought of the Indian Nausup, for £16 12s.
For many years the great concern of the planters was the proper distribution of the foregoing land. Some of it was held in commons many years, and others were fenced as common meadows, common ox pastures and common young cattle pastures. Before 1666 two allot- ments of land had been made; the third took place in 1667: another, including North Guilford lands, in 1691. Subsequently other divisions were made, there being in all more than half a dozen allotments, and the business of the proprietors was not closed up until 1831.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
It is known that there were forty planters in 1639, but owing to the vagueness of the records their names cannot be given with any degree of certainty. In 1651 the following were the freemen of the town: Henry Whitfield, Jno. Higginson, George Hubbard, Mr. Samuel Disborow, Mr. Robert Kitchell, Mr. William Chittenden, Mr. William Leete, Thomas Jordan, John Hoadley, John Scranton, George Bartlett, Jasper Stillwell, Alexander Chalker, John Stone, Thomas Jones, Wil- liam Hall, Thomas Betts, John Parmelin, Sr., Henry Kingsworth, Thomas Cook, Richard Bristow, John Parmelin, Jr., John Fowler, Wil- liam Dudley, Richard Gutteridge, Abraham Cruttenden, Sr., Edward Benton, John Evarts.
The following were planters in Guilford before this period, 1652, but had not yet been admitted as freemen; or, in other words, they were not accepted church members: John Bishop, Sr., Thomas Chat- field, Francis Bushnell, Henry Dowd, Richard Hues, George Chatfield, William Stone, John Stevens, Benjamin Wright, John Linsley, John Johnson, John Sheader, Samuel Blachley, Thomas French, Stephen Bishop, Thomas Stevens, Willian Boreman, Edward Sewers, George Highland, Abraham Cruttenden, Jr.
Some of the original planters had died before this period, or had removed. Among these were John Coffinge and Thomas Norton. Thomas Mills died in 1648, John Mepham in 1649, John Jordan in 1649, William Somers in 1650, and Francis Austin in 1646; the last named being one of the drowned on the ill-fated Lamberton ship, which sailed from New Haven that year.
Some of the foregoing planters did not come directly to Guilford, but were first located elsewhere. John Higginson came from Salem, Mass., in 1641; John Fowler and Edward Benton came from Milford, and George Hubbard was first at Wethersfield and later at Milford. Doctor Bryan Rossiter came in October, 1651, having purchased the holdings of Samuel Desborough. William Seward came from England to New Haven and from the latter place to Guilford in 1651. He was the first tanner and was also captain of the train band.
John Baldwin came from Milford in 1651; William Johnson from New Haven in 1653; John Hill, a carpenter, from England in 1654; John Graves from Hartford in 1657, and Thomas Clarke and Thomas Meacock came from Milford about 1659 or earlier. Richard Hubball was admitted a planter in 1654, and the same year John Hodgkin* came from Essex, England.
In 1652 John Smith came from Fairfield as the blacksmith and took the oath of fidelity in 1654. A large tract of land was given him upon condition of his settlement, and that he follow his trade in the town five years. This he did, but for some cause did not remain much longer, removing, with others, to Killingworth in 1664. So urgent was the need for a smith that in 1675 Samuel Baldwin was invited to
* This name was modified to Hotchkin and still later to Hotchkiss.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
come from Fairfield and liberal inducements were held out for him to settle, by giving him a site on the village green for his shop, and lands elsewhere.
In 1657 the following were the freemen and the dates of their sub- sequent deaths: William Leete, removed to Hartford as governor, died April, 1683; Robert Kitchell, removed to Newark 1666, died October, 1671; William Chittenden, February, 1660; George Hubbard, January, 1683; Mr. Bryan Rossiter, September, 1672; Mr. John Bishop, January, 1661: Abraham Cruttenden, Sr., January, 1683; William Dudley, March, 1684; William Johnson, October, 1702; Benjamin Wright, Sr., March, 1677; William Stone, November, 1683; Thomas Cooke, December, 1692; John Stevens, September, 1670; John Fowler, September, 1676; John Hill, June, 1689; John Parmelin, Sr., November, 1659; John Evarts, May, 1669; Thomas French; William Seward, March, 1689; William Stevens, January, 1703; Henry Kingsworth, July, 1668; Richard Gutt- ridge, May, 1676; Henry Dowd, August, 1668; William Hall, May, 1669; John Seranton, August, 1671; Edward Benton, October, 1680; Daniel Benton, June, 1672; John Meigs, January, 1671; Richard Bristow, Sep- tember, 1683; John Johnson, November, 1681; John Sheader, June, 1670; Richard Hubball, 1692; John Parmelin, Jr., January, 1687; Abra- ham Cruttenden, Jr., September, 1694; John Graves, December, 1695; George Highland, January, 1692; John Rossiter, September, 1670; John Baldwin. removed to Norwich, 1661; Thomas Clark, died October, 1668: Richard Hughes. July, 1658; John Stone, February. 1687; George Bartlett, August, 1669: Henry Goldam, 1661; Nicholas Munger, Octo- ber, 1668; George Chatfield, June, 1671: John Bishop, Jr., October, 1683; Stephen Bishop, June, 1690.
Of the freemen in the former list a number had removed and a few had died. Francis Bushnell removed to Saybrook; John Linsley and Edward Sewers removed to Branford; a number removed to Killing- worth, and a few returned to England. But a number of new plant- ers and freemen were received into the town, so that in 1672. when the fourth division of land was made, the proprietors were more than a hundred in number. The list of freemen of that period embraced the names of 63 persons. Among these were Joseph Clay, Josiah Wilcox, Obadiah Wilcoxon, Joseph Hand, Jonathan Hoyt and Thomas Meacock. Edward Lee came about 1675; James Hooker, the first judge of the probate court. came from Farmingham before 1700; Peter Tallman, about 1684; Thomas Griswold, 1695; John Bailey, John Sar- gent, Matthew Bellamy and Ephraim Darwin came earlier. The latter resided near the rocks, at the head of Fairstreet, and owned consider- able property at that place. Hence the name Ephraim Rocks. Another wealthy planter was Mr. Thomas Robinson, who bought the allotment of Thomas Coffinge, one of the original settlers. Along about 1700 among the admitted planters were Comfort Starr. Charles Caldwell, Abraham Kimberley, Jasper Griffing and Joseph Pynchon, all of
118
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
whom, and their descendants, became prominent in the affairs of the town.
North Guilford was surveyed and divided in 1705. Soon after this was done some of the planters began to improve their allotments, going from their homes, in the First Society, on Monday and returning on Saturday. During the week they had a common habitation in the new section, from which circumstance the place was first called Cohabit. Their numbers increased so rapidly that in 1719 they received liberty to organize as a separate society. This community has always been noted for its excellent class of citizens, many of whom were highly educated. A large proportion of the present inhabitants are the de- scendants of the following, who were among the early settlers of this locality, namely: Timothy and Nathaniel Baldwin, George and Daniel Bartlett, Ebenezer and Joseph Benton, Samuel and Ebenezer Bishop, Joseph Clark, Daniel and John Collins, William Dudley, Samuel and Joseph Fowler, William Hall, Samuel Hopson, John Hubbard, Ben- jamin Leete, Jonathan Robinson, Josiah and Joshua Stone, all of whom were from the lower part of the old town. Nathaniel Parks and Ed- ward Parks, the latter a tailor from the East Guilford Society, were also among the first at North Guilford, as was Theophilus Rossiter, from the same society. Later settlers in that section were Eben - ezer Talman and John Chidsey. In 1800 the official census gave the population of North Guilford as 540; and thirty years later it was only eight more. In 1850, or twenty years later, the population was even smaller, being only 495. In the same period the population of the First Society indicated a small but steady increase, being 1,629 in 1800, and 2,158 in 1850. About two-thirds lived in the borough, and in this society also the rural population has decreased.
The inhabitants of Guilford have always been characterized for their conservative views and fixed purposes. These traits, continued from generation to generation, have been the means of keeping a large proportion of the estates of the original settlers in the family name, or in the hands of the descendants, who cherish the traditions of the past. Hence, here a larger proportion of the old homesteads have been allowed to remain unchanged than in any other part of the county. There are in the town more than a hundred houses a century old, and at least thirty that are 150 years old. And so substantially have most of these been built that nearly all of them are in good re- pair. Some of them seem to have partaken of the nature of the occu- pants to change but very little, and are now substantially as they were a century ago.
The quarto-millennial celebration of the settlement of Guilford was held in Madison and Guilford borough, September 8th, 9th and 10th, 1889. The exercises arranged for the occasion were highly in- teresting and instructive in the history of the town, and the attend- ance of citizens and visitors from abroad was in keeping with the im- portance of the event.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
It has been seen that the planters agreed that all public matters should be left in the hands of the six persons to whom the Indians deeded the land, to be held in trust until a church should be formed, when the management should be surrendered to that body. But in fact only four persons exercised the civil power until the church was organized, in 1643, viz .: Robert Kitchell, William Chittenden, John Bishop and William Leete. How they managed the affairs of the plantation in the interim, when Guilford was in reality an independent body, is not known, as no records of that period have been preserved. The church being formed they surrendered their trust, and that body now managed the affairs of the town.
As Guilford became a part of the combination forming the New Haven colony in 1643, the inhabitants now adhered to the agreement made in the Newman barn, in all their affairs, civil and religious.
"Their form of government was something singular. Like that of New Haven, it was a pure aristocracy, yet modeled and exercised in a peculiar way. They had one magistrate allowed them as part of the New Haven colony, of which he was one of the assistants and council, who was their head, and invested with the whole executive and judi- cial power. But the planters were allowed to choose annually three or four deputies to sit with him, in judging and awarding punishment in all civil cases, in courts held by him, called general courts. The inhabitants were divided into two classes or orders, by the names of freemen and planters. The freemen consisted of all the church mem- bers who partook of the sacrament, and no others were admitted. They were all under oath agreeably to their plan of government. Out of their number were those deputies and all public officers chosen; and by them was managed all public business that was regarded either interesting or honorable. The second class included all the inhab. itants of the town, who composed their town meetings, which were styled, emphatically, general courts. It was, however, required that they should be of age (21 years) and have a certain estate to qualify them to act in said meetings. In these town meetings, or general courts, all divisions of land were limited and established, and all the by or peculiar laws, for the well ordering of the plantation, were made. And, in general, all transgressions of the town laws, relating to the buying or selling of lands, were punished, and fines and stripes were imposed and executed according to the nature of the offense by the judgment of said judicial court. Besides these general assemblies of the planters and the said magistrate's court, they appointed particular courts for the administration of justice, much like our justices' courts at present. These were held quarterly through the year. The magis- trate presided in these courts and deputies were annually chosen to sit in council with him in these courts; also, by the freemen. Like New Haven, they had no juries in any trial; their deputies in some meas- ure supplied that defect. From this court lay appeals, in allowed cases,
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
to the court of assistants at New Haven. Mr. Samuel Desborow was the first magistrate who held the courts. In general, their judgment was final and decisive. Town officers were annually chosen, viz., marshals, a secretary, surveyors of the highways, etc., much as in the present manner. Military order and discipline were soon established, and watch and ward were kept, day and night, under a very strict charge; and the punishments for defaults in this duty were very severe and exactly executed.""
The early assistants of Magistrate Samuel Desborough, chosen by the freemen of the town, were William Chittenden, William Leete, Robert Kitchell, John Bishop, John Jordan, George Hubbard and John Fowler. Upon the return of Judge Desborough to England in 1651, William Leete was chosen magistrate and continued in that office until the union of the colonies in 1665, and several years thereafter.
A very good rule adopted by the planters of Guilford was that no man should put more than $500 into the common stock for purchas- ing and settling the town and that no person should sell or purchase his rights without leave of the town. After the attendant expenses were paid, lots of land were assigned in proportion to the money ex- pended in the general purchase, and the number of members in his family. These rules prevented too great disparity in the circum- stances of the people, and put the poor upon somewhat near the same plane as the rich. Another good provision was that all the planters should be present at the meetings of the general court (town meetings), where the second class or planters could be heard as well as the free- men, provided none of them should "continue speech longer by im- pertinences, needless repetitions or multiplication of words, which rather tends to darken than clear the truth or right of the matter."
The representatives or deputies of Guilford-Samuel Desborough and William Leete-first attended the general court of the New Haven colony jurisdiction July 6th, 1643, in the records of which session first appears, officially, the present title of the town. At this meeting Guil- ford was ordered to pay a tax of £5 " towards the charges about the combination." In this confederation Guilford took an important part and for many years furnished some of the principal officers. William Leete was the deputy governor from 1658 to 1660, and then governor until the colony ceased to exist.
In 1656 the town was agitated in consequence of a fear that the Dutch would make an incursion into this region, and that year Crom- well made an offer to such of the colony as desired, to remove to Ja- maica, where he could better afford them protection. In answer to this proposition they said that, " for divers reasons they could not con- clude that God called them to a present remove thither."
The union of Guilford with the Connecticut confederation was warmly advocated by some of the citizens of the town, especially by * Reverend Thomas Ruggles, Jr., mss. of Guilford, 1769.
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