USA > Connecticut > New London County > New London > History of New London, Connecticut, From the First Survey of the Coast in 1612 to 1852 > Part 9
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" GEORGE TONGE."
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
George Tongue about this period bought the house and lot of Thomas Stanton on the Bank, north-east of the Picket lot; and here he opened the house of entertainment which he kept during his life, and which, being continued by his family, was the most noted inn of the town for sixty years.
The establishment of a regular ferry over the river was an object of prime importance to the inhabitants, all of whom had shares of land in two or three parcels on the east side. The waters at this spot may be technically termed rugged. There is no bar, as at Say- brook, to mitigate the vehemence of the swell, and the mouth of the river lying open to the Sound, it sometimes rolls like the sea. The width across in the narrowest part opposite the town, is a little less than half a mile, but it spreads both above and below this point to nearly three-quarters of a mile. November 6th, 1651, arti- cles were drawn to lease the ferry to Edward Messenger for twenty- one years. This arrangement lasted two or three years, and then Messenger gave up his lease and removed to Windsor.
In 1654 the disposal of the ferry was left to Mr. Winthrop and the townsmen, who entered into "articles of agreement" with Cary Latham, granting him a lease and monopoly of
" The ferry over Pequot river, at the town of Pequot, for fifty years-from the twenty-fifth of March, 1 1655. The said Cary to take 3d. of every passenger for his fare, 6d. for every horse or great beast, and 3d. for a calf or swine :- and to have liberty to keep some provisions and some strong liquors or wine for the refreshment of passengers .- No English or Indian are to pass over any near the ferry place that they take pay for,-if they do the said Cary may re- quire it."
Mr. Latham, on his part, bound himself to attend the service im- mediately with a good canoe and to provide, within a year's time, a sufficient boat to convey man and beast. He also engaged to build a house on the ferry lot east of the river before the next October, to dwell there and to keep the ferry carefully, or cause it to be so kept, for the whole term of years.
In October, 1654, the first levy of soldiers was made in the plan- tation. The New England confederacy had decided to raise an army of two hundred and seventy men and send them into the Narragan- sett country to overawe the Indians. Connecticut was to furnish forty-five men, with the necessary equipments ; and of this force the
1 This was the first day of the civil year.
8*
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
quota of Pequot was "four men, one drum, and one pair of cullers." The expedition was a fruitless one : the soldiers suffered many hard- ships, but had little fighting to do.
In May, 1657, Mr. Brewster was made an assistant and Mr. Win- throp chosen governor of the colony. This last act caused the re- moval from town of its friend and patron. The varied information of Mr. Winthrop ; his occasional practice as a physician; his econom- ical science ; his readiness to enter into new paths of enterprise ; his charity, kindness and affability, made him extremely popular. His residence in the town was a privilege, although public affairs for two or three years, had kept him much of the time away. But it was manifestly inconvenient for the chief magistrate to reside at Pequot, which was then in a corner of the colony, with a wilderness to be traversed in order to reach any other settlement. At the solicitation of the General Court, he removed with his family and goods to Hartford.
" 12 Aug : 1657-This Court orders that Mr. Winthrop, being chosen Gov- ernor of this Colony, shall be again desired to come and live in Hartford, with his family, while he governs, they grant him the yearly use or profits of the housing and lands in Hartford belonging to Mr. John Haynes, which shall be yearly discharged out of the public treasury."
"Oct. 1. The Court doth appoint the Treasurer to provide horses and men to send for Mr. Winthrop, in case he is minded to come to dwell with us."1
Before Mr. Winthrop's removal to Hartford he leased the town mill to James Rogers, a baker from Milford, who had traded much in the place, and in 1657 or 1658 became an inhabitant. As an accom- modation to Mr. Rogers in point of residence, he also alienated to him a building spot from the north end of his home-lot, next to the mill; on which Mr. Rogers erected a dwelling-house and bakery, both of stone.
Mr. Winthrop's own homestead, in 1660 or 1661, passed into the occupancy of Edward Palmes, who had married his daughter Lucy. Mr. Pahnes was of New Haven, but after his marriage transferred his residence to the Winthrop homestead; which, with the farm at Nahantick, the governor subsequently confirmed to him by will. In that document this estate is thus described :
" The Stone-house, formerly my dwelling house in New London with gar- den and orchard as formerly conveyed to said Palmes and in his use and pos- session, with the yard or land lying to the north of the said house to join with
1 Col. Rec., vol. 1, pp. 301, 306.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
James Rogers :"-" also a lot of 6 acres lying east of the house bounded north by the oxe-pasture and east by the Great River, and having two great oak trees near the south line."
This stone house, built in 1648, stood near the head of the cove on the east side, between the street (since laid out and appropriately named Winthrop Street) and the water. The ox pasture to which the will refers was inclosed the same year. Samuel Beeby, in a deposition of 1708, testified that he and his brother made the fence to it "sixty years since," and that "Mr. Winthrop's goats and cattle were kept therein as well as his oxen." The "old stone house" is mentioned in the will of Major Palmes, in 1712, who bequeathed it to his daughter Lucy, the only child of his first wife; who, having no children, left it to her brothers, Guy and Bryan Palmes. This home- stead is supposed to have been for more than a century the only dwelling on the neck, which was then a rugged point, lying mostly in its natural state and finely shaded with forest trees. It was sold about 1740 to John Plumbe.
The mill, being a monopoly, could not fail to become a source of grievance. One mill was manifestly insufficient for a growing com- munity, and the lessee could not satisfy the inhabitants. Governor Winthrop subsequently had a long suit with Mr. Rogers for breach of contract in regard to the mill, but recovered no damages. The town likewise uttered their complaints to the General Court, that they were not "duely served in the grinding of their corn," and were thereby " much damnified ;" upon which the Court ordered, that Mr. Rogers, to prevent "disturbance of the peace," should give " a daily attendance at the mill."
After 1662, the sons of the governor, Fitz John and Wait Still Winthrop, returned to the plantation and became regular inhabitants. Between the latter and Mr. Rogers a long and troublesome litigation was maintained in regard to bounds and trespasses, notices of which are scattered over the records of the County Court for several years. In 1669, Capt. Wait Winthrop set up a bolting mill on land claimed by Mr. Rogers, who, as an offset, immediately began to erect a build- ing, on his own land, but in such a position as wholly to obstruct the only convenient passage to the said bolting mill. This brought mat- ters to a crisis. Richard Lord, of Hartford, and Amos Richardson, of Stonington, were chosen umpires, and the parties interchangeably signed an agreement as a final issue to all disputes, suits at law and controversies, from the beginning of the world to the date thereof.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
Winthrop paid for the land on which the mill stood; Rogers took down his building frame, and threw the land into the highway, and all other differences were arranged in the like amicable manner.1
In March, 1658-9 the General Court appointed John Smith com- missioner of the customs at New London. This was the first regular custom-house officer in the town, and probably in the colony.
May, 1660, the General Court granted New London to have an assistant and three commissioners with full power to issue small causes. For the year ensuing Mr. John Tinker was chosen assist- ant; Mr. Bruen, James Rogers and John Smith, commissioners.
Feb. 25th, 1659-60. At this annual town meeting a paper of instruction and advice was prepared for the use of the townsmen and sanctioned by the public voice, which furnishes a clear summary of the various duties of those unsalaried officers called townsmen or selectmen, so essential in the organization of our New England towns. This document appears to have been drawn up in answer to a previous application of the townsmen, "to know of the town what their duties were." In substance as follows :
1. To keep up the town bounds, and see that the fence-viewers discharge their duty with respect to individual property.
2. To take care that children are educated, servants well ordered and in- structed, and no person suffered to live in idleness.
3. That the laws of the jurisdiction be maintained ;- no inmates harbored above two or three weeks without consent of the town; and the magazine kept supplied with arms and ammunition.
4. That the streets, lanes, highways and commons be preserved free from all encroachments and that they appoint some equal way for the clearing of the streets in the town from trees, shrubs, bushes and underwood, and call forth the inhabitants in convenient time and manner for effecting the same.
5. That they take care of the meeting-house and provide glass windows for it, with all convenient speed.
6. " That they consider of some absolute and perfect way and course to be taken for a perfect platforme of settling and maintaining of the recordes respect- ing the towne, that they be fully clearly and fairly kept, for the use, benefit and peaceful state of the town, and after posterity."
7. That they consult together and with the moderator, of all matters to be propounded at town meetings, so as better to effect needful things and prevent needless questions and cogitations.
8. That they determine all matters concerning the Indians that inhabit amongst us.
1 The Rogers homestead was purchased by Madam Winthrop in 1713, and reunited to the original estate. John Winthrop, Esq., the son of Wait Winthrop, about that period removed to New London, and fixed his residence on this spot.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
9. That they regulate the felling, sawing and transporting of timber ; masts, boards, planks, pipe-staves, &c.
10. That they see the ferries well kept.
11. That they determine all.complaints respecting land grants ; except the difficult and doubtful cases, which must be referred to the town.
12. That they have regular meetings for business and give notice of the time and place thereof, by a paper upon the meeting-house.
Signed by JOHN TINKER, Moderator.
Before quitting this period it will be proper to gather up the names (not yet mentioned) of residents that came in during the in- terval for which Mr. Bruen's minutes are lost.
Addis, William : came from Boston 1658 or 59.
Bartlet, Robert : brother of William, first mentioned 1657.
Bloomfield, William, from Hartford, 1659: removed in 1663 to Newtown, L. I.
Bowen, Thomas, 1657: removed to Rehoboth, and there died in 1663.
Brooks, Thomas, 1659 and '60 : afterwards removed.
Chapman William, 1657 : bought the house and lot that had been Capt. Denison's of Mr. Blinman, agent of John Chynnery.
Cowdall, John, a trader who became bankrupt in 1659, and left the place.
Crocker, Thomas : bought house in New Street, 1660.
Douglas, William : from Boston, 1659.
Lenard, Thomas, 1657 : house lot at Foxen's-removed in 1663.
Loveland, Robert : mariner and trader from Boston, 1658.
Mooie, Miles : from Milford, 1657: purchased the homestead and other allotments of John Gager.
Raymond, Joshma, 165S.
Richards, John. The first notice of him is in 1660, but he may have been in the plantation two or three years. He purchased, on what is now State Street-the south side-two houselots originally given to Waterhouse and Bru- en. He built his house at the corner of the present Huntington Street, and this remained for more than a century the homestead of the family.
Royce, Robert, 1657.
Shaw, Thomas, 1656 : was afterward of Pawkatuck.
Smith, Edward, 1660 : nephew of Nehemiah and John Smith.
Tinker, John : a grave and able man, from the Massachusetts colony.
Wetherell, Daniel : from Scituate, 1659.
Wood, John, 1660.
CHAPTER VI.
General sketch of grants,-west and east of the river,-at Mystic and Pawka- tuck .-- Early grantees east of the Mystic .- Contention for the jurisdiction .- The plantation named Stonington.
THE first grants had been made on a limited scale, and with refer- ence to immediate occupation and improvement. But after 1651, the ideas of the planters expanded ; there was an eagerness for the spoils, a thirsting after large domains, and a lavish division of farms both east and west of the river-at Nahantick-up the river toward Mohegan-three miles out of town, if it be there-four or five miles, if he can find it-at Mystic-at Pawkatuck :- a little meadow here, a little marsh there,-the islands, the swamps, and the ledges,-till we might fancy the town was playing at that ancient game called Give away. Divisions to old settlers and grants to new ones, follow in rapid succession, and the clerk and moderator record little else. A brief survey of the most prominent grants, is all that will be here attempted.
The first farm taken up at Nahantick was by Mr. Winthrop. It is not found recorded, but is mentioned as the farm which Mr. Win- throp chose. It consisted of 6 or 700 acres, east of the bar and Gut of Nahantick, including what is now Millstone Point, and extending north to the country road. In October, 1660, the General Court added to this farm the privilege of keeping the ferry near it, which caused it to be known as the Ferry farm. It was a part of the por- tion bestowed by Mr. Winthrop on his daughter Lucy, the wife of Edward Palmes.
Adjoining the Ferry farm was that of John Prentis, and north of these, on the bay, Hugh Caulkins and William Keeny ; at Pine Neck, Mr. Blinman ; " rounding the head of the river," Isaac Willey ; and yet farther west, Matthew Beckwith ; whose land, on the adjustment of the boundary with Lyme, was found to lie mostly within the
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
bounds of that town, though his house was on the portion belonging to New London.
Mr. Bruen had an early grant on the west side of Jordan Cove, which is still known as Bruen's Neck: George Harwood's land joined Bruen's. This 'locality was designated as "old ground that had been planted by Indians." Robert Parke had a valuable grant at Poquiogh-the Indian name of the tract east of the cove-and next to him, smaller portions were laid out to the Beeby brothers. " The three Beebys" had also divisions at Fog Plain, a name which is still in familiar use. Many of the small grants on this plain were bought up by William Hough.
In the course of a few years, James Rogers, by purchasing the divisions of Robert Hempstead and Robert Parke, called Goshen, and various smaller shares of proprietors, became the largest land- holder on the neck. Himself, three sons, and son-in-law, Samuel Beeby, all had farms in this quarter. The Harbor's Mouth farm, was an original grant to Mr. Blinman, but was afterward the prop- erty of John Tinker. Andrew Lester was another early resident upon the neck.
In the district now called Cohanzie, north-west of the town plot, was Mr. Winthrop's Mill-pond farm, which was probably a grant attached to his privilege of the mill stream. His right to a portion of it, being afterward contested, the witnesses produced in court tes- tified that Mr. Winthrop occupied this farm " before Cape Ann men came to the town."
Not far from the town plot, on the north side of the mill brook, was a swampy meadow called Little Owl Meadow : this was given to James Avery. Advancing still to the northward we meet with a tract of high ridgy land, often called the Mountain. Here Edward Palmes, and Samuel and Nathaniel Royce had grants, which were called Mountain farms.1 This was a rough and barren region.
North of the town on the west bank of the river, was a long array of grants : the most extensive were those of Winthrop, Stebbins, Blinman, Lothrop, Bartlet and Waterhouse. Mr. Blinman's farm included " Upper Mamoquack Neck." The grant of Waterhouse covered " the Neck at the Straits' Mouth."
Winthrop had other important grants in this quarter. April 14th,
1 An English emigrant at a later day settled on one of these farms; and the witti- cism was current that he selected the spot on the supposition that from the top of the rocks he could see England.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
1653, the whole water-course of Alewife Brook was granted him, with ample privileges of erecting mills, making dams and ponds, cutting down timber, and taking up land on its banks. He erected a house near the saw-mill in 1653, probably the first on the west side of the river, so far north as this. This was followed a few months later by a grant of land, and saw-mill privileges still farther north, on the Saw-mill Brook, near the present Uncasville factory. On the same Saw-mill Brook, John Elderkin, in the course of a few years, accu- mulated 770 acres, which he sold April 22d, 1662, to Mr. Antipas Newman, of Wenham, son-in-law to Mr. Winthrop.1
Daniel Comstock, who was the son-in-law of Elderkin, was an early resident in this vicinity. A farm on Saw-mill Brook, origin- ally given to Lieut. Samuel Smith, was purchased by Comstock, in 1664, and has remained ever since in the occupation of his descend- ants.
The earliest grants in the southern part of Groton or Poquonock, have been already mentioned. They were highly valued, as the soil could be brought into immediate use. Some of it was meadow and marsh, and a considerable portion of the upland had been formerly cultivated by the Indians. Allusions in the boundaries of grants, are made to the Indian paths and the Indian fort. Many of the original small grants were afterward bought up by merchants for speculation. Major Pyncheon, of Springfield, and his partner James Rogers, en- grossed more than 2,000 acres. In December, 1652, a highway was laid out running directly through the narrow lots, above the head of Poquonock Cove to Mystic River. This answers to the present main road to Mystic Bridge. The earliest settlers on the west side of the Mystic, were Robert Burrows, John Packer, and Robert Parke. Burrows had a grant of " a parcel of land between the west side of the river and a high mountain of rocks," dated April 3d, 1651. It is not probable that houses were built and actual settle- ments effected before 1653. Aaron Starke and John Fish were said to be of Mystic, in 1655 ; John Bennet, in 1660; Edmund Fanning, in 1662, and Edward Culver, in 1664. Edward Culver's farm was called by the Indians Chepadaso.
William Meades, James Morgan, James Avery, Nehemiah and John Smith, were early resident farmers in South Groton. They
1 A tripartite division of this land was made in 1703, among Mr. Newman's heirs, viz., John Newman, physician of Gloucester, Elizabeth Newman, spinster, and Sybil, wife of John Edwards, of Boston.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
received their grants in 1652 and '53, but continued to reside in the town plot with their families till about 1655. Between this and 1660, they transferred their residence to the other side of the river. Cary Latham, as lessee of the ferry, was the first to be domiciliated upon Groton Bank. Thomas Bayley settled north of Winthrop's land on the river. The Chesters, Lesters, Starrs, were somewhat later upon the ground-not settlers till after 1660. Andrew Les- ter, Jun., settled upon land given to his father.
Proceeding up the river to that division of the township which is now Ledyard, we find a series of farms laid out on the northern boundary, adjoining Brewster's land, early in 1653, to Allyn, Avery, Coite, Isbell,1 Picket, and others, which were called the Pocketan- nock grants. Some of these were found to be beyond the town bounds.
Robert Allyn and John Gager removed to this quarter about 1656. The country in the rear of these hardy pioneers was desolate and wild in the extreme. It was here that the Indian reservation Ma- shantucket was laid out, and the remnant of the Pequots settled in 1667. Allyn and Gager were so far removed from the town plot as to be scarcely able to take part in its concerns, or share in its privi- leges. The General Court at their May session in 1658, consider- ately released them from their fines for not attending the town train- ing.2 They appear, however, still to have attended the Sabbath meeting, probably coming down the river in canoes. George Geer married a daughter of Robert Allyn, in 1659, and settled in the neighborhood. A grant to Mr. Winthrop, May 6th, 1656, would probably fall within the present bounds of Ledyard.
" Mr. Winthrop hath given him the stone quarry, south-east of Pockatannock River, near the footpath from Mohegan to Mistick."
Near the eastern boundary of the township, toward the present town of North Stonington, is an elevation that from the earliest set- tlement has been called Lantern Hill. The name is said to be deri- ved from a large naked rock not far from the summit, which, seen from a distance, in a certain position, or at a certain hour of the day, shines like a light. The Indians had probably named it from this peculiarity, and the English adopted the idea. East of this hill is a great pond, and a chain of ponds,-sources of the Mystic-which
1 Isbell's farm was bought, 1665, by George Geer.
2 Col. Rec., vol. 1, p. 317.
9
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
at first was regarded as "our outmost bounds" in that direction. In 1652 and 1653, Mr. Winthrop obtained grants of " Lanthorne Hill," the swamps and meadows between the hill and the great pond, with water and timber privileges at liis pleasure, and also a strip of land twenty poles wide on each side of the Mystic, "from the place where the tide flows to the end of our bounds up the river."
Capt. Mason's grant east of the Mystic has been noticed. A series of other grants on that side commenced Dec. 30th, 1652, with 200 acres to Capt. Denison, whose eastern boundary was the Pequot- sepos, mentioned in Mason's grant ; and 260 to Mr. Blinman, to be laid out in the same form as Denison's, viz., 100 poles in breadth upon the river. Other grantees of nearly the same date were James Morgan, Mr. Winthrop, John Gallop, Mrs. Lake,' Mr. Parke and tlie Beeby brothers, (now increased to four.) Mr. Blinman after a year or two relinquished his Mystic farm to Thomas Parke, in exchange for the accommodations of the latter in the town plot. Denison, Gallop, Robert and Thomas Parke, and Nathaniel Beeby, probably removed to their farms in 1654. Denison sold what he styles "my new dwelling-house," in the town plot, to John Chynnery, of Water- town, early in that year.
The grants to John Gallop are recorded as follows :
" Feb. 9, 1652-3.
" John Gallop in consideration and with respect unto the services his father hath done for the country, hath given him up the river of Mistick, which side he will, 300 acres of upland."
" Feb. 6, 1653-4.
" John Gallop hath given him a further addition to his land at Mistick, 150 acres ; which he accepts of and acknowledgeth himselfe satisfyde for what land he formerly laide claime unto upon the General Neck, as a gift of his father's, which as he saith, was given to his father by General Stoughton, after the Pequot warr."2
Between . Capt. Mason's farm and Chesebrough's, were several necks of land, extending into the Sound and separated by creeks. The neck east of Mason was allotted to Cary Latham, who in a short time sold it to Thomas Minor. Beyond this were two points or
1 The wife of John Gallop inherited the land given to her mother, Mrs. Lake.
2 This second John Gallop, as well as his father, had performed service against the Pequots. In 1671, the General Court gave bounties of land to various persons who had been engaged in the Pequot War :- among them were three names belonging to New London,-John Gallop, granted 100 acres,-James Rogers, 50,-Peter Blatch- ford's heirs, 50.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
necks, one of them called " a pyne neck," with a broad cove between them : these were granted to Isaac Willey, and sold by him to Amos Richardson. Another still larger neck, called Wampassock, and containing 550 acres of upland, with a smaller neck adjoining, was given to Hugh Caulkins. This was subsequently sold to Winthrop.
Next beyond Caulkins, and separated from him by a brook called Mistuxet, was a tract of several hundred acres allotted to Amos Richardson and his brother. A part of this division was known by the Indian name of Quonaduck.
The number and value of the grants made at various times to Mr. Winthrop, afford conclusive proof that the town was not ungrateful to its founder. It has been seen that at Fisher's Island, at Pequot Harbor, at Alewife Cove and Saw-mill Brook, (north of the Harbor,) at Nahantick, at Groton and at Mystic, he was not only the first and largest proprietor, but apparently the first operator and occupant. It was probably the same on the Pawkatuck River. Roger Williams writing to him in March, 1649, says :
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