History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 150

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317

USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 150

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About this time a movement was set on foot to build a new and better meeting-house, to lay out public lands for the support of the gospel ministry, and to form a church in accordance with the estab- lished religion of the colony. In 1667 the planters convened in town-meeting and decided to set apart and lay out five hundred acres of land, to be styled the ministry land, the avails of which were to be applied to the support of the gospel ministry. In July of the same year the town established what they called a town plot, and appointed a committee to lay out as many lots as there were inhabitants then living in the town. Their home-lots contained twelve acres each, and were so arranged that each lot had a street front. Two hundred acres of this ministry land was laid out around the place where the Road Meeting- house now stands, the eastern line of which extended along a few feet east of said meeting-house, running nearly north and south. The western boundary was Mistuxet Brook. The northern and southern lines cannot now be traced, but the form of the plot can nearly be seen when we look at the distance between the east and west lines and the number of acres that were laid out. The home-lots were laid out around and upon each side of the ministry land. They ex- tended as far east as Stony Brook, and south as far as Smith's Mill; one tier was located north, and the remainder west and south of said land.

sidered the same doe hereby declare that what irregularties or abusiue practices haue proceeded from them, whereby they haue seemed to offer contempt to the authority here established it shall be forgiven and buryed in perpetuall oblivion and forgetfullness, and this to extend it selfe to all ye members of the afoarsayd plantation, Captayn Denison onely excepted whoe hath neglected er refused to submitt himselfe peaceably to the order of the Councill of this Colony."-Trumbull's Co- lonial Records, vol. i., p. 499.

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STONINGTON.

In 1668 a census of the inhabitants of the town was ordered to be taken, embracing those only who were inhabitants or heads of families. February 2d there were found to be forty-three inhabitants, viz. : Thomas Stanton, George Denison, Thomas Miner, John Gal- lup, Amos Richardson, Samuel Chesebrough, James Noyes, Elisha Chesebrough, Thomas Stanton, Jr., Ephraim Miner, Moses Palmer, James York, John Stanton, Thomas Wheeler, Samuel Mason, Joseph Miner, John Bennett, Isaac Wheeler, John Denison, Josiah Witter, Benjamin Palmer, Gershom Palmer, Thomas Bell, Joseph Stanton, John Fish, Thomas Shaw, John Gallup, Jr., John Frink, Edmund Fan- ning, James York, Jr., Nathaniel Beebe, John Rey- nolds, Robert Sterry, John Shaw, John Searls, Robert Fleming, Robert Holmes, Nathaniel Chesebrough for Mrs. Anna Chesebrough, his mother, Gershom Palmer for Mrs. Rebecca Palmer, his mother, Henry Stevens, and Ezekiel Main. A home-lot was laid out for each inhabitant, and the title was obtained by lottery on the following conditions, namely : if built upon within six months and inhabited the title would be complete, except that each proprietor must reside on his lot two years before he could sell it, and then he must first offer it to the town and be refused before he could sell the same to any person and give good title. How many of these home-lots were built upon by the then inhabitants cannot now be ascertained.

Up to this time all religious services had been pro- vided for and conducted by the authorities of the town. Ministers were employed by the selectmen, and paid from the town treasury. The town also appointed committees to examine candidates for the ministry, to see if they were sound in the fundamentals. "They did not by their acts recognize Councils, Assemblies, or ecclesiastical machinery in any way until 1669, when they preferred a petition to the General Court of the colony asking liberty to settle themselves in church order, which was granted at once;" but the church was not formed until 1674. During the time that these preliminary steps were moving for church organization the inhabitants were worshiping at Pe- quot, in their dwelling-houses and the old meeting- house. They had repaired it several times, in pur- suance of town votes. It was also occupied by the town for holding town-meetings. At a meeting held therein in June, 1670, it was voted, with a joint con- sent, " that a bigger and better meeting-house shall be built." Nothing appears to have been done about building a new house, for the reason that they could not agree upon a location. In April, 1671, another meeting was held, which voted, " That the meeting- house agreed upon shall stand upon the most conve- nient place of the ministry land," and the selectmen were directed "to view said land and approve the place where they find it most convenient, according to the order of the town, to set the meeting-house."

The selectmen could not agree upon a location, and called another town-meeting, which was held

Thursday, Dec. 14, 1671. At this meeting, after spending most of the day in fruitless motions and discussions, it was voted, That the meeting should continue till Friday night, and that all the inhabit- ants meet Friday morning by nine of the clock at the meeting-house, and to go from thence to view a place to set the new meeting-house on.

They met the next day, and looked over the minis- try land, and unanimously agreed upon a location for their new house, and then went back to the old meet- ing-house and passed the following votes, viz. : "That the New Meeting House shall for time to come be set up and stand without removing upon the hill called Agreement Hill, so named by the town at the same place." The dimensions of this house were agreed upon at this meeting, and were as follows : " Forty feet long, twenty-two feet wide, and fourteen feet posts from joint to joint." It was also voted at this meeting " That the present minister, Mr. James Noyes, for the time that he continues to be the minister of this place, shall have the use of all the ministry land to himself, besides his fifty pounds currency per annum, and at his death or departure to leave it wholly to the town." A committee of five were appointed to superintend the erection of the new meeting-house. It was built by subscriptions of timber, planking, shingles, ceiling, nails, and labor of men and teams, etc. At the time the meeting-house was located upon Agreement Hill by the town the hill was covered with heavy tim- ber, which was removed by the inhabitants by volun- tary labor, who then laid the foundation for the new house, and raised it Jan. 15, 1673. This house stood a few rods west of the present meeting-house at the road. It was not finished for several years. At first there were no slips or pews, except for the deacons, magistrates, and minister's family ; benches were used by all people, and a committee was appointed to seat them according to their notions of propriety. This state of things did not last long, for the town voted the next year to have the floor of the house and of the gallery assigned to the inhabitants for pews. A com- mittee was appointed to make the assignment, who encountered much opposition, but finally agreed upon a plan, which was submitted to the town and accepted. Those who were dissatisfied with the section assigned them did not make their pews, and occupied the old benches. Some of them after a while reconsidered their determination and built them. The inside of the house was never lathed and plastered. After the pews were built the space between them and the gal- lery was ceiled, and this was done by sections, which had been assumed by some of the wealthier inhabit- ants. When this house was dedicated is not known. Religious meetings were held there in the summer of 1673, and ever after that until it was taken down to make way for a larger one, which was erected in 1729.

Soon after this town was incorporated by the Gen- eral Court of Massachusetts the planters became apprehensive of trouble with the Narragansett and

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

Wampannoag Indians, whose western limits bordered along on the eastern boundary of Southertown. The danger of the planters here had been increased by a union with the Massachusetts Colony, for the reason that it was with that and the Plymouth Colony that the trouble originated that finally culminated in King Philip's war. Becoming a part of the Massachusetts Colony, they were regarded by the Indians as their enemies. Their isolated condition and the neutral position of Rhode Island marked them as an easy prey for savage vengeance.

Nor did the new charter in 1662 and their annexa- tion to the colony of Connecticut better their condi- tion, for as the difficulties with the Indians increased the whole of New England became involved in the conflict.

King Philip's emissaries visited the remnant of the Pequot Indians, and besought them to join in the grand plan of exterminating the English. They were partially successful at first in their endeavors, but the influence of Chesebrough, Stanton, Denison, Gallup, and others prevailed with the Pequots, and they re- mained friendly with the English, and rendered them most important services when the war actually com- menced. They participated in the great swamp-fight in Kingston, R. I., which took place Dec. 19, 1675. Capt. John Gallup, of Stonington, commanded the Pequots and Mohegans, who, urged on by Oneko, fought with unyielding determination. Capt. Gallup was among the slain, but how many of lesser grade, and of the rank and file of our town, were killed and wounded cannot now be ascertained.

Almost all of the able-bodied men of Stonington were engaged in the Indian wars of their time. Capt. George Denison raised and mustered into the service of the colony a large force of English and Indians. He was provost-marshal for New London County and Rhode Island. He had a stockade fort just west of his dwelling-house in Stonington, where his soldiers encamped previous to their forays into the Indian territory. During the year 1676, Capt. Denison or- ganized three expeditions, who pursued with unre- lenting vengeance the shattered remnants of King Philip's forces. It was during the third of these ex- peditions-which began March 28, 1676, and ended April 10, 1676-that the brave Narragansett chieftain, Canonchet, was taken prisoner. He was brought to Stonington, where a council of war was held at Au- guilla, near the present residence of Gideon P. Chese- brough. He refused to negotiate for peace, or for the cessation of hostilities on any terms, so the council decided that he must die, and when told of his fate, replied " that he liked it well, and should die before his heart had grown soft, or he had said anything un- worthy of himself." He was executed after the Indian mode, being shot by Oneko and two Pequot sachems, the nearest to his own rank among his conquerors. This was done by his captors without consulting or advice from any one superior to them in authority.

No list or roll of the Stonington men who partici- pated in the carly Indian wars has been preserved. The nearest approach to which may be found in " a list of the English volunteers in the late Narragan- sett war," as prepared by a committee for that pur- pose in order to secure a grant of land for their ser- vices, as follows : Capt. George Denison, Sergt. John Frink, Capt. John Stanton, Capt. Samuel Mason, Rev. James Noyes, Lieut. Thomas Miner, Samuel Youmans, John Fish, George Denison, Jr., William Denison, Nathaniel Becbe, Henry Stevens, Edmund Fanning, Thomas Fanning, John Bennet, William Bennett, Ezekiel Main, William Wheeler, Gershom Palmer, Samuel Stanton, Daniel Stanton, Manasseth Miner, Joseph Stanton, James York, Henry Bennett, Capt. James Pendleton, Robert Holmes, Thomas Bell, Henry Elliott, Isaac Wheeler, John Gallup, Nathaniel Chesebrough, Ephraim Miner, Joseph Miner, Samuel Miner, John Ashcroft, Edmund Fan- ning, Jr., John Denison, William Billings, and Samuel Fish.

After the close of King Philip's war nothing oc- curred to interrupt the progress of the settlement. Some matters, however, connected with the contests between the colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Isl- and, relative to the boundary line between them, lingered to make trouble for the adjoining towns of Stonington and Westerly.

The boundaries between Connecticut and Rhode Island as fixed by the new charter were not satisfactory to the Connecticut people, nor entirely so to the Rhode Island people. But after years of contention and litiga- tion measures in the interest of peace prevailed, and the present boundary line was established. The attempted overthrow of the charter of the colony by Sir Edmund Andros, acting in pursuance of the policy of King James II., did not particularly affect the interest of the planters here, though they were bitterly opposed to the measures adopted by the king for the purpose of consolidating all of the New England colonies into one, shorn of the liberties granted them by the char- ter of 1662. The sudden collapse of King James, his abdication of the government of England in 1688, the arrest of Andros in Massachusetts, and his forced return to England gave great satisfaction to the inhab- itants of this town, as well as to all of New England ; and when William and Mary ascended the throne in 1689 they were hailed with universal respect and esteem. Their beneficent policy was felt on this side of the Atlantic, and with the restoration of the char- ter and the assurance of the protection of the mother- country, the planters here went on from year to year electing their town and colonial officers, levying and collecting taxes for church, town, and state, and fur- nishing without dissent their quota of men to resist the invasion of the French and Indians from the north.

During the latter part of the Rev. Mr. James Noyes' pastorate his health began to fail him, and the people

621

STONINGTON.

of his charge were anxious to afford him all the as- sistance in their power.

By this time the northern part of Stonington, now North Stonington, had become settled, and the old place of worship at Agreement Hill was felt to be too remote for them to attend.

So they began to take measures to divide the town into two societies for religious purposes, pending which the town held a meeting in 1715, and voted and agreed to call the Rev. Joseph Noyes1 to assist his father in the work of the ministry, one of whom was to preach to the people remote from the old meet- ing-house. Mr. Joseph Noyes did not accept of this call, anticipating one from New Haven, which he subsequently received and accepted. Another town- meeting was held in 1717, and adopted measures for the division of the town, which was consummated by the General Court in 1720.2

1 " At an adjourned Town Meeting held April the 14th, 1715, It was voted and agreed to call Mr. Joseph Noyes to be helpfull to the Rev. Mr James Noyes in carrying on ye work of ye Ministry amongst us in this town, and that one of ye two Ministers shall preach to the People living remoat from the Meeting House, at sum conveniant place where they ye People agreived shall unanimously agree upon, and that after the death, removall or inability of either of ye two Ministers to carry on ye work of ye Ministery, or so soon after as the uper people shall so cause the Town to be divided into two Sosiaties for carrying on ye work of ye Min- istery : And ye Town to be devided so as may be consistant with ye rule of Justice & rightorasness and the Northern Sosiaty when set ont as above shall have an equal part of the Ministery Land in this Town and for incurigment of ye upper sosiaty the lower sosiaty shall when divided as aforesaid, pay unto them the sum of One hundred pounds towards ye settleing of a minister amongst them. It was also Voated that if Mr James Noyes shall except of a call of this town to be minister with his father the Revd Mr. James Noyes that then ye Town will give him ye gd Mr Joseph Noyes for his incuragement ye sum of one hundred pounds towards settling him amongst us, and to pay him annually ye sum of seventy pounds as money so long as they ye sd Mr James and Mr Joseph Noyes shall carry on ye work of ye ministry amongst us in this town, and if it please God that Mr Joseph Noyes shall succeed ye Revd Mr. James Noyes, and doe continnew to carry on ye work of ye Ministry amongst us that then he shall have his salloroy raised to make it a comfortable and credable maintainance from this Town."-Stonington Town Records.

2 " General Assembly May Session A.D. 1720 Holden at Hartford-Upon consideration of the petition of the inhabitants dwelling in the north- ward part of Stonington, praying that a committee may be appointed to settle and establish a line that shall divide Stonington into two societies : Ordered, by this Assembly, that Mr John Plumb of New London, Lt. John Sprange of Lebanon, Lt. Joseph Bacchus of Norwich, and Lt. Tim- othy Peirce of Plainfield, or any three of them, be a committee to settle the line desired, and make return of their doings therein to the Assembly in October next, and that the town of Stonington be at the charge of it."-Hoadley's Colonial Records, vol. v., page 180.

" Whereas the Generall Assembly held in May 12th 1720: Did appint us ye subscriber to fix and settle a line in Stonington to divide it into two societies, and we having heard ye Parties what they had to offer in ye premises and viewed ye list of Estates as also taken a view of severall Quarters in ye sd town and seriously considered ye same, do fix and sittle ye aforesd line which divides ye gd town into two societies as follows, Be- ginning at ye house and farme of Mr William Wheeler, from thence west north west line to Mistick River brook about one mile, and from ye sd house and farme of Mr. William Wheeler a line easterly to ye house and farme of Mr Josiah Grant and from thence a line eastwardly to ye house and farme of Mr John Brown and from thence a line easterly to ye house and farme of Mr. Thomas Brown, and from thence a line east- erly to ye house and farm of Mr John Randall, and from ye sd Mr Ran- dall's house, an east line to Shoonuck River and so by Shoonuck River to Pawcatuck River, the aforesaid line taking in ye sd Mr William Wheeler, Mr Josiah Grant, Mr John Brown, Mr Thomas Brown, and

The legal effect of these proceedings thus far was to divide the town into two societies, and leave them without authority to assemble and elect their officers, there being no general statute at the time providing for calling the first society meeting for that purpose. Whereupon a petition was preferred to the Governor and Council in December, 1720, asking that a time might be fixed for a meeting of the inhabitants of said parish qualified to vote in the affairs thereof. The petition was granted, and the 28th day of De- cember, 1721, at the old meeting-house, at twelve o'clock noon, was designated as the time and place for said meeting, and three men were selected to warn it, by giving five days' notice thereof; and when assem- bled either of said persons was to preside and lead the parishioners to a choice of society officers.3

The meeting assembled in response to the notice and elected Samuel Stanton, Jr., clerk ; Samuel Stan- ton, Sr., Daniel Palmer, James Miner, Joseph Deni- son, and Samuel Chesebrough, Sr., committee; and Nehemiah Williams, collector. These proceedings completed the organization of the First Ecclesiastical Congregational Society of Stonington.

Ministers' rates were no longer laid and collected by the town, that duty devolved upon the society ; also the settling of ministers in connection with the church, building of meeting-houses, and all the temporal matters of the church.

Pending the proceedings that were instituted in England for the subversion of the charter of 1662, and the overthrow of the colonial government estab-

Mr John Randall with their present improvements into ye North Society and to be a part of it as witness our hands,

"JOHN SPRAGUE, "JOHN PLUMB, " JOSEPH BACHUS, " TIMOTHY PEIRCE, " Committee. "STONINGTON, June 25th 1720."-Society Records.

3 " At a meeting of the Governor and Council in New London, Decem- ber 20th, 1720. Present. The Honorable Gurdon Saltonstall, Esq., Gov- ernor, Richard Christophers, Esq., Assistant; Jonathan Prents, Esq., John Picket, Christopher Christophers, Jonathan Star. Upon applica- tion made by several inhabitants of the southermost of the societies or parishes in Stoningtown, lately established by the General Court, desir- ing that a time may be appointed for the meeting of the inhabitants of said parish, qualified to vote in the affairs thereof, and an order given for notifying them of the time for their convening for that end.

" Ordered, That Wednesday the 28th of this instant December at 12 of the clock at noon, and at the old meeting house in said parish, be the place and time for the meeting of the said inhabitants parishioners.

"Ordered, That Capt. Manassah Miner, Mr Adam Gallup, and Mr Sylvester Baldwin, all of the said parish, or either of them, do give at least five days notice to the inhabitants within the precint of said parish, who are qualified voters in the said society, that on the said Wed- nesday the 28th instant at twelve of the clock at noon, at the old meet- ing-house in said parish, a meeting of the said society is appointed and ordered by this board for choosing a clerk and committee, and for man- aging other affairs of the said society or parish. And the said Capt. Minor, Mr Gallup and Mr Baldwin, or either of them, are appointed to lead the said parishioners at the said meeting to the said choice.

"Ordered, That the clerk of the council inclose in a letter to the said Messrs. Minor, Gallup & Baldwin or either of them, a copie of this order, attested by him, which shall be a sufficient warrant for their at- tending to the service which they are herein directed to."-Hoadley's Colonial Records, vol. v., pages 228, 229.

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

lished by virtue thereof, the General Court in May, 1685, enacted that "This court, for the prevention of future trouble, and that every township's grants of land, as it hath been obtained by gift, purchase, or otherways of the natives and grants of this court, may be settled upon them, their heirs, successors, and assigns forever, according to our charter granted by his late majesty of happy memory, this court doth order that every township in this colony shall take ont patents for their said grants of the Governor and company, which this court doth hereby order shall be granted unto them for the holding of such tracts of land as have been formerly or shall be hereafter granted to them by this court, and to their heirs and successors and assigns firm and sure, according to the tenure of our charter in free and common vocage, and not in capite nor by knight service, which patent shall be sealed with the seal of the colony, and signed by the Governor and by the secretary in the name of this court and entered upon record, which patent or record of the patent shall be sufficient evidence for all and every township that hath the same to all intents and purposes, for the holding of the said lands firm to them, their heirs, successors, and assigns forever."

The town of Stonington, for reasons not now under- stood, did not take out a patent under the act afore- said until 1716, which is as follows, viz. :

" To all persons to whom these presents shall come. The Governor and company of his magesties colony of Connecticut, in general Court, assembled send Greeting. Whereas we ye said Governor and company, by virture of Letters Patients to us, granted by his Royal Majesties Charles ye Second of England &c King, bearing date ye (23d) twenty- third day of April in ye fourteenth year of his Reign, Annoque Domini 1663, Have firmly by certain acts and grants passed in General Assem- bly, given and granted to Thomas Stanton Esq., Ephraim Miner Esq., Nehemiah Palmer Esq., Nathaniel Chesebrough Esq., the Revend Mr. James Noyes, Mr. Daniel Mason, Mr. John Gallup, Mr. Daniel Denison, Mr. Isaac Wheeler, Mr. Stephen Richardson, Mr. John Frink, Mr. Wil- liam Bennet, Mr. Robert Stanton, Mr. Sammel Stanton, Mr. Joseph Stanton, Mr. Gershom Palmer, Mr. Moses Palmer, Daniel Palmer Esq., Lieut. Ichabod Palmer, Joseph Pahner, William l'almer, George Palmer, Walter Palmer, Samuel Stanton Secundus, Samuel Stanton Jr., Daniel Stanton, Capt. Manasseh Miner, Capt. Ephraim Miner, Mr. Joseph Miner, Ensign Elnathan Miner, Ensign Samuel Miner, James Miner, John Miner, Thomas Miner, Mr. Samuel Chesebrough, Mr. William Chesebrough, Mr. Elihm Chesebrough, Elisha Chesebrough, Sammel Chesebrough Secundus, Ebenezer Searl, Thomas Noyes, John Noyes, Mr. Benadam Gallup, Lient. William Gallup, William Denison, William Denison Seeundus, William Wheeler, Capt. John Mason, Samuel Mason, Mr. Benjamin Ilewit, Mr. Henry Stephens, John Frink, Jun., Mr. Eben- ezer Billing, Jeremiah Main, Daniel Shaw, Thomas York, Mr. George Denison and to their heirs and assigns or such as shall legally succeed or represent them or either of them a just and legal propriety in a cer- tain tract of land, now commonly called aud known by the name of Stoningtown, lying and being within ye Colony aforesaid (to us by ye said Letters Pattents granted to be disposed of), and boumled as herein- after followeth. And ye said Thomas Stanton, Ephraim Miner, Nehe- minh Palmer, Nathaniel Chesebrough, Mr. James Noyes, and ye rest of ye above named persons, with such other persons, as are at this present time by virtue of ye aforesaid grants and acts, proprietors of the said tract of land having made application to us, for a more ample confirma- tion of their propriety in ye said tract of land (which they are now in possession of.) by a good and sufficient instrument, signed and sealed with ye seal of this corporation, Therefore, know ye that we ye said Governor, and company in general Court assembled by virtue of ye aforesaid Letters Patents, and for divers good causes and considerations pursuant to yo end of sald Letters Patent, us hereunto moving, have Given, Granted, Itattified, and confirmed, amd by these presents do fur-

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History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 150

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1317

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317