USA > Connecticut > New London County > New London > History of New London, Connecticut, From the First Survey of the Coast in 1612 to 1852 > Part 6
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2 Alewife Brook, three miles north of the town plot, a stream flowing into what is now called Bolles Cove. On the Great Neck, south-west of the town, were another stream and cove, bearing the same name, and still retaining it.
3 Foxen's Hill was that beautiful ridge of land on the west side of the river, north of the town plot, where is now the mansion of Capt. Lyman Allyn, with the Congdon place, and the farms of the Messrs. Bolles.
4 Great River, or Great River of Pequot is the name uniformly given in the early records, to the river opposite the town, while farther up the stream, it was invariably called Mohegan River.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
ably proposed, but not sanctioned by a majority. No such stringent law in regard to inhabitancy was ever in operation. The following regulation of the same date, would be regarded at the present day as sufficiently exacting and arbitrary.
" It is agreed by the inhabitants that any man being lawfully warned to apear at any generall towne meeting, that refuse, or that do not com at the time ap- poynted, or within half an houre of the apointed time, if he be at home, or have notice of the citation, that man shall pay to the constabell two shillings and six pence for the use of the towne, or if any person do voate after the com- panie be com to voate, or before the meeting be ended, without the companies leave, that partie shall likewise pay two shillings and six pence for his disorder ; and further it is agreed that if any failes in either of these two thinges before mentioned, and refuse to pay the penaltie, when the constabell demandes it, the constabell shall have power to distraine.
" March, 1648. It is agreed if any person do kill any wolfe or wolfs within the town of Nameeug, he that kills the wolf shall have of everie familie in towne six pence conditionaly that he bring the head and the skin to any two of the townsmen.
"The 16 of Januarie, 1648. [1649.]
" It is agreed by the townsmen of Nameeug that Mr. John winthroup is granted to set up a were and to make huse of the river at poquanuck1 at the uper end of the plaine for to take fish and so to make improvement of it, to him and his heires and asings.
" The 17 of februarie, 1648. The meadow that Robert hempsteed did formerly mow liing by quittapeage Rocke2 is granted to Andrew loungdon and giles smith from the great Rock at the north end and so to hould in breadth of the pon as far towards the plombeech as any was mowed by Robert hempsteed."
Young as the township was, we find that this last extract reverts to what had formerly been done. This and other similar references add strength to the intimations given that a band of planters was here as early as 1645, making preparations for a permanent settlement.
It will be observed that in the record of the next annual meeting the formula is varied ; the name Nameeug is dropped and apparently no more authority is given to Winthrop than to the other townsmen.
" 22 Feb. 1648, ['49.] The inhabitants of Pequit plantation have chosen by a joynt consent Mr. John Wintliroup, Robert Hempsteed, Carie Latham, John
1 Poquanuck is the name of a small stream which runs south through Groton and enters a cove or creek of the Sound, about two miles east of the Thames. The name is also applied to the village and plain in its vicinity, but is now generally written Pe- quonuck. The aboriginal name of Windsor and of a part of Stratford was similar.
2 Quittapeag Rock, may have given name to what are now known as Quinnapeag Rocks, on the west side of the river's mouth, but the former must have stood farther in upon the shore. Quittapeag was either the Light-House ledge or Long Rock, half a mile south-west of the Light-House.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
Stubens and Thomas Minor for this yeare following to act in all towne affaires as well in the disposing of lands as in other prudentiall occasions for the towne. " The same day the inhabitants did consent and desier that the plantation may be called London."
It was proposed also that in the records the town should be styled " Pequit plantation or London," joining the two together.
Thus early did the inhabitants select their name ; fixing upon the one, which of all others should be most generally suggestive of the far-off home they had left behind. To this choice they faithfully ad- hered through many discouragements. The General Court demur- red at their favorite name, declined to sanction it, and as we shall see suggested another, which the inhabitants refused to adopt. The Indian names therefore continued to be used in the records, though we may readily suppose that the chosen designation of the planters came into colloquial use, and that the growing settlement was soon known in the abbreviated style of the olden time, as Lon'on town or New Lon'on.
Other regulations made in '48 and '49, are not of sufficient interest to be given at large. They relate to the marking of cattle ;- the im- pounding of cattle and swine, and the disposition to be made of strays,-the order in which the owners of cattle were by turns to relieve the cow-keeper on the Sabbath,-the laying out of highways east of the river, and the penalty attached to taking away another person's canoe, when fastened to the shore. The cattle of the in- habitants, the swine, the corn-fields, the salt marsh, and the wears, were evidently their principal pecuniary concerns. Waterhouse and Stubens were chosen overseers of the wears for the year '49.
We turn now to the record of house-lots, and the names of the first planters. It is plain that no grants had been recorded before 1647, but many of the planters were before this in actual possession of lots. When therefore, they were confirmed and registered, reference was occasionally made to the fence that inclosed the lot, or the house built upon it.
The home-lots were originally numbered up to thirty-eight ; but erasures and alterations were made, reducing the names of grantees to thirty-six ; of these, the first six are missing, and several of the remainder are partially erased, but by comparison with subsequent records, the whole thirty-six can be ascertained.
1. John Winthrop, Esq., whose home-lot was undoubtedly selected by himself before all others : it covered the Neck still known by his name. The next five were probably John Gager, Cary Latham,
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
Samuel Lothrop, John Stebbins, and Isaac Willey, whose home- steads lay north-west of Mr. Winthrop's, on the upper part of what are now Williams Street and Main Street.
"7. Jacob Waterhouse is granted by a general voate and joynt consent of the townsmen of Nameeug to have six ackers for an house lot next to John Stu- bens, be it more or less."
Such is the style of all the house-lot grants : a parcel of meadow,! and of upland, at a distance from the home-lot is added to each.
8. Thomas Miner ; 9. William Bordman ; 10. William Morton. These three were in the south-west part of the town-plot, between Bream and Close Coves, covering what is now known as Shaw's Neck. Miner's lot was one of the earliest taken up in the planta- tion. Bordman in a short time sold out to Morton, and left the place.2
After these are William Nicholls, Robert Hempsteed, whose lot is said to lie " on the north side of his house between two little fresh streams," Thomas Skidmore, John Lewis, Richard Post, Robert Be- dell, John Robinson, Deane Winthrop, William Bartlett, (on the cove called Close Cove; this lot is dated in the margin 15 Oct., 1647 ;) Nathaniel Watson, John Austin, William Forbes, Edward Higbie, Jarvis Mudge, Andrew Longdon; (" at the top of the hill called Meeting-house Hill, by a little run of fresh water ;") William Hallett, Giles Smith, Peter Busbraw, James Bemis, John Fossecar, Consider Wood, George Chappell. After these the grants are re- corded in a different hand, and are of later date. Mr. Jonathan Brewster, Oct. 5th, 1649. Thomas Wells, Peter Blatchford, Na- thaniel Masters, all dated Feb. 16, '49-50.
In the above list of grants, those which are crossed, or indorsed as forfeited, are, Watson, Austin, Higbie, Mudge, Hallet, Smith, Bus- braw, Fossecar, Wood, Chappell. Mudge and Chappell, however, settled in the town a little later.
The list of cattle-marks in the writing of this first clerk, that is, before 1650, furnishes but sixteen names, viz., Winthrop, Morton,
1 The " salt meadow on Mamaquacke" was added in portions of two acres each to the house-lot grants, as far as it went. A marsh called Spring meadow was ex- hausted in the same way. Mamaquack, or as written afterward, Mamacock, was the neck of land on which Fort Trumbull is situated. A neck of land two miles up the river bore the same name.
2 A William Boardman died a few years later at Guilford, leaving no issue. He was probably the same person. [Judd, MS.]
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON
Waterhouse, Stebbins, Willey, Nicholls, Skidmore, Lothrop, Bedell, Latham, Lewis, Hempstead, Bordman, Gager, Miner, Bartlett. That of Mr. Brewster is next added.
Preparatory to a division of lands on the east side of the river, two grants are recorded to Mr. Winthrop, who was allowed a first choice of his portion, while the other shares went by lot. The first is a farm of princely dimensions at Poquonuck, and the other a lot on the river. The lands in these situations, on the Sound and on the river, being those which the inhabitants could immediately make available, were the first divided. The upland on the river furnished planting fields, and the Poquonuck plains, meadow and grass land.
Winthrop's farm embraced a tract about three miles in length from north to south, averaging perhaps a mile in breadth, lying between Poquonuck Creek or River and what was then called East or Straight Cove, (since known as Mumford's Cove.) On the south it was washed by the Sound and intersected by inlets of salt water. In this compass were all the varieties of forest and meadow, arable land, pasture and salt marsh, which are useful to the farmer, and pleasing to the eye of taste. It lay also in an opposite position to Winthrop's island farm, so that the owner of these two noble domains could look over Fisher's Island Sound, from either side, and rest his eye on his own fair possessions.
Winthrop's grant on the east bank of the river was " right against the sandy point of his own home lot, the length eight score pole and the breadth eight score pole;" that is, on Groton bank, opposite the eastern spur of Winthrop's Neck. These grants being settled, the other planters drew lots for their shares on the 17th and 31st of Jan- uary, 1648-9. From these lists we obtain two catalogues of those who may be considered as first comers.
" A division of lands on the east side of the Great River of Pequoet, north of Mr. Winthrop's lot."
The list contains but eighteen names : the shares were of twenty, thirty and forty acres. The division of Poquonuck plain was in lots of the same average size, and the number of grantees twenty-two, viz., Austin, Bartlett, Bedell, Bemas, Bordman, Bussbraw, Fossi- ker, Gager, Hallet, Hempstead, Latham, Lewis, Longdon, Lothrop, Miner, Morton, Nicholls, Robinson, Smith, Stebbins, Waterhouse, Willey. These were undoubtedly all actual residents of the town plot at that time, and expecting to cultivate the land the next season ; but Austin, Bordman, Bussbraw, Hallet, Robinson and Smith soon 6
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
disappeared from the plantation, forfeiting or selling their grants. Deane Winthrop, after a short residence with his brother, returned to Boston, and is no further connected with our history. It is no matter of surprise that a portion of the planters determined to look further for a more favorable position. The sterile soil, yielding but a scanty return in proportion to the labor required for its cultivation, must have discouraged many, who were expecting to gain a liveli- hood by husbandry.
The first house lots were laid out chiefly at the two extremities of the semicircular projection which formed the site of the town. Be- tween these, were thick swamps, waving woods, ledges of rock, and ponds of water. The oldest communication from one to the other, was from Mill Brook over Post Hill,-so called from Richard Post, whose house lot was on this hill,-through what is now William St. to Manwaring's Hill, and down Blackhall St. to Truman St. and the Harbor's Mouth Road. Main St. was opened, and from thence a cut over the hill westward was made, (now Richards and Granite Sts.) Bank St. was laid out on the very brink of the upland, above the sandy shore, and a spur (now Coit St.) was carried around the head of Bream Cove to Truman St., completing the circuit of the town plot. No names were given to any of the streets for at least a century after the settlement; save that Main St. was uniformly called the Town St. and Bank St. the Bank. Hempstead St. was one of the first laid out, and a pathway coincident with the present State St. led from the end of the Town St., west and north-west, to meet it. Such appears to have been the original plan of the town. The cove at the north was Mill Cove; the two coves at the south, Bream and Close. Water St. was the Beach, and the head of it at the entrance of Mill Cove, was Sandy Point.
The streams were larger than at present. Mill and Truman's Brooks were called little rivers. A considerable stream1 crossed the Town St., (above the intersection of Church St.,) and flowing east and north-east ran into the cove not far from Federal St. A rivulet, meandering from Manwaring's Hill, along the side of Rob- ert Hempstead's lot into Bream Cove, was called Vine Brook. Small gushing rills of pure water were numerous; and ponds and miry thickets, from whence the shrill-voiced frogs announced approaching spring, were freely scattered over the surface of the town plot.
1 Afterward called Solomon's Brook, from Solomon Coit, through whose garden it flowed.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
The earliest houses were undoubtedly built of timber that grew on or near the spot where they stood. Along Mill Cove some large trees were left standing;1 the hill-side, sloping from the summit to the water, was probably at the time of the settlement a dense wood- lot, very rugged and in some parts precipitous and rocky. It seems to have been Winthrop's original design, that a meeting-house should be built on this height, and therefore from the first, the whole ridge lying between the present First and Second Burial-Grounds, was called Meeting-house Hill.
Near the center of the town plot was a prominent ledge of gran- ite, lying north and south, (near Union St.,) which was left for a century and a half in its native condition, forming a kind of back- ground to the eastern portion of the town, with only here and there a house west of it. This ledge is now in the crowded part of the city, having all its projecting and rugged points lowered, or entirely blasted away, and wearing a beautiful crown of churches.2
Nothing appears on the town books from first to last, relative to the contending claims of Massachusetts and Connecticut for the ju- risdiction of the place. No one would even conjecture, from any thing recorded here, that the right of the latter colony was ever called in question. After the decision of the commissioners in July, '47, in favor of Connecticut, the jurisdiction was quietly conceded to her.
An order of the General Court, Sept. 9th, 1647, intimates that the question of jurisdiction is at rest.
" The Court thinks meet that a Commission be directed to Mr. Wynthrop to execute justice according to our lawes and the rule of righteousnes."
This commission was renewed the next year, and Winthrop con- tinued in the magistracy until chosen to higher office in the colony.
At the session of the General Court in May, 1649, the following regulations were made respecting Pequot :
1. The inhabitants were exempted from all public country charges, i. e., taxes for the support of the colonial government, for the space of three years ensuing.
2. The bounds of the plantation were restricted to four miles each side of the
1 These particulars are gathered from the descriptions of grants, bound-marks, and old deeds.
2 The First Congregational Church, the old Methodist, and two Baptist Churches' are on this ledge.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
river, and six miles from the sea northward into the country, " till the court shall see cause and have encouragement to add thereunto, provided they enter- tain none amongst them as inhabitants that shall be obnoxious to this jurisdic- tion, and that the aforesaid bounds be not distributed to less than forty fam- ilies."
3. John Winthrop, Esq., with Thomas Miner and Samuel Lothrop as assist- ants, were to have power as a court to decide all differences among the inhab- itants under the value of forty shillings.
3. Uncas and his tribe were prohibited from setting any traps, but not from hunting and fishing within the bounds of the plantation.
5. The inhabitants were not allowed to monopolize the corn trade with the Indians in the river; which trade was to be left free to all in the united colonies.
6. " The Courte commends the name of Faire Harbour to them for to bee the name of theire Towne."
7. Thomas Miner was appointed " Military Sergeant in the Towne of Pe- quett," with power to call forth and train the inhabitants.
At the same session, orders were issued with respect to certain individuals at Pequot, viz., Robert Bedell, Cary Latham and Isaac Willey, charged with resisting a constable, and letting go an Indian committed to their charge; "one Hallett," accused of living with another man's wife ; and Mary Barnes,1 whose offense is not speci- fied ; all of whom were summoned to appear at Hartford and answer for their conduct. The inspection of the General Court at that pe- riod apparently extended to every household, and took cognizance of the character and conduct of every individual within their jurisdic- tion.
William Hallett about this period, and probably in consequence of the warrant against him from the court, forfeited his grants and left the plantation.
In May, 1650, the General Court added to the bounds of the town two miles from the sea northward ; and a year later extended the western boundary to Bride Brook, where it had been at first marked out by Winthrop. This grant, with the condition annexed, was in the following terms :
"Act of Assembly, May 15, 1651.
" This Court taking into consideration the proposition of the inhabitants of Pequoet for some enlargement of meadowe at Naihanticot and whereas there was 500 ackers of ground lying in Pequoet granted to five of Captin Mason's souldiers at the Pequoet warr, wch being taken up by Pequoet they doe desire may be recompensed at Naihanticot : the Court desires and appoynts John
1 This person has not been further traced.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
Clarke and Thomas Berchard of Seabrooke should goe to Pequoet and vewe the said parcell of land there given to the souldiers and taken up by Pequoet as before, and then goe to Naihanticot and lay out there unto the said souldiers such and soe much land, as may be fully equivalent to there former grant of land at Pequoet.
"And for the inhabitants of Pequoet the Court grants that there bounds shall come to Bride Brook, (the former grant excepted) provided that it doth not come within the bounds of Seabrooke, and provided that what meadowe or marsh there is above 200 ackers it shall be reserved for the Countries use and for there dispose."1
The above named grant was laid out to Lieut. Thomas Bull and four others of Mason's soldiers. The town record says, "the land given to Lieutenant Bull and other well deserving soldiers, lies at a place called Sargent's Head, on the west side of Nahantick Bay."
The next election of town officers, which was probably the fourth regular annual election, is recorded in a different hand from the pre- vious records, and varies from them in orthography.
" At a town meeting at Namearke,2 the 25th of Feb. 1649 ['50] these fower men chosen for townesmen.
Mr. John Winthrop, Mr. Johnnathan Brewster, Robert Hempstead, William Nicholls.
" At the same meeting John Stubbines is chosen Constable for the towne Namearke."
Mr. Brewster must have been chosen clerk or recorder about the same time. The succeeding records of that year are in his hand, and he adds to his signature " Clarke of the Towne of Pequett." His business as an Indian trader, kept him much abroad, and he held the office but one year.
Winthrop and Brewster were made freemen of Connecticut col- ony, in May, 1650. In September of that year Mr. Brewster and Thomas Miner appeared at the General Court as the first deputies from Pequot.
The first town grants to Brewster were in September, '49. He established a trading-house with the Mohegans, at a point on the
1 See Col. Rec. of Conn., p. 221. The text is copied from New London Town Book, No. 1, p. 89. The only variations from the colonial record are in the spelling : the latter has Niantecutt, Pequett; the town copy, Naihanticot, Pequoet.
2. In the orthography of Indian names some clerks made use of k, where others em- ployed g. Thus, one class wrote Nameeug, Mohegan or Monhegun, Massapeag, Nip- mug, and another Nameark or Namy-ok, Mauhekon, Massapeak, Neepmook.
6*
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
east side of the river opposite to their principal settlement. At this place which is still called by his name, Brewster's Neck, he laid ou for himself a large farm. The deed of the land was given him by Uncas, in substance as follows :1
"April 25, 1650. I, Unquas, Sachem of Mauhekon, doe give freely unto Jon- athan Brewster of Pequett, a tract of land, being a plaine of arable land, bounded on the south side with a great Coave called Poccatannoc ke, on the north with the old Poccatuck path that goes to the Trading Coave, &c. For, and in consideration thereof, the said J. B. binds himself and his heirs to keep a house for trading goods with the Indians."
[Signed by the Sachem and witnessed by William Baker and John Fossi- ker.]
This deed was confirmed by the town, Nov. 30th, 1652, and its bounds determined. It comprised the whole neck on which the trading-house stood, " 450 acres laid out by the measurers."2
The General Court in May, 1650, censured Mr. Brewster for the steps he had taken in establishing this trade.
" Whereas Mr. Jonathan Brewster hath set up a trading house at Mohegan, this Court declares that they cannot but judge the thing very disorderly, nev- ertheless considering his condition, they are content he should proceed therein for the present and till they see cause to the contrary."3
On the 10th of Nov., 1650, a town meeting was held to arrange a system of cooperation with Mr. Winthrop, in establishing a mill to grind corn. Sixteen persons were said to be present, though only fifteen are enumerated, viz.
Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Parke, Jonathan Brewster, Robert Hempsted, William Nicholls, John Gager, Thomas Stanton, William Bartlett, Peter Blatchford, William Comstock, William Taylor, Mr. Blinman, Samuel Lothrop, John Lewis, William Morton.
The establishment of a mill was an object of prime importance. It was decided that the inhabitants should be at the charge of " mak- ing the dam and heavy work belonging to the milne ;" six men were
1 New London Deeds.
2 Actually, 600 or 700. It was subsequently left to Mr. Brewster's option to have his farm included within the bounds of New London or of Norwich. He chose to be- long to the latter.
3 Colonial Records, p. 209.
Mr. Brewster had been previously engaged in trading along the coast from New England to Virginia, and had met with losses. When he came to Pequot his Bay creditors had stripped him of his estate. This explains the reference of the Court to his condition. See Mass. Hist. Coll., 2d series, vol. 9, p. 281.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
selected to perform the work, and make it substantial and sufficient, (to be paid two shillings per day,) and six others were to rate the town, to defray the charge.
" Further, it is agreed that no person or persons shall set up any other milne to grind corn for the town of Pequett within the limits of the town either for the present, nor for the future, so long as Mr. John Winthrop or his heirs, do up- hold a milne to grind the town corn."
A considerable addition was made to the number of grantees dur- ing the year 1650. Robert Parke and his son Thomas had resided for several years in Wethersfield, from which place the former was deputy to the General Court in 1641 and '42. They came to the Pequot plantation in the spring of 1650. Mr. Parke purchased the house lot of Mr. Brewster, with its improvements, on Meeting-house Hill, (corner of Granite and Hempstead Sts.) Mr. Brewster re- ceived a new lot from the town, (which better accommodated him as an Indian trader,) at the lower end of the bank, south of the present Tilley St. It was long afterward known as the Picket lot. Rob- ert Burrows removed from Wethersfield, about the same time with the Parkes. His first grant is dated June 2. He had a house lot in the southern part of the town, but appears to have settled at Poquo- nuck that year or the next. Grants were also made during the sum- mer to Richard Belden, Philip Kerwithy, (Carwithy,) Samuel Mar- tin and William Taylor, but they proved to be transient inhabitants. Taylor remained till 1653; the others forfeited their grants.
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