History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 162

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 162

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The amount of said fund received by this town was $8734.91. In 1837 a law was passed requiring school visitors and society committees to make annual re- turns of their doings in the premises to the comp- troller of the State. In 1838 an act was passed creating a board of commissioners of common schools, to consist of the Governor, commissioner of the school fund, and eight persons, one from each county, to be appointed by the Governor, and the returns required the previous year to be made to the comp- troller were to be made to this board. In 1839 an act concerning schools was passed, in which a school district is for the first time made a " body corporate," so far as to be able to purchase, secure, hold, and con- vey real and personal estate for the benefit of common schools. This act empowered school districts to ap- point their committees, which before this had been done by the school societies. It specified the branches which a person must be found qualified to teach be- fore he could receive a certificate from the school visitors, providing also that school societies might apportion the public money among the district, either according to the number of persons between four and sixteen, or according to the number in attendance for a period of six months in each year. It also gave the district authority to tax themselves for school libraries, and that two or more districts might asso- ciate for supporting a high school.

In 1841 an act was passed authorizing the school societies to divide the public money either according to the number of persons in the district between four and sixteen years of age, or according to the number who had attended school, but no district was to receive less than fifty dollars. Dividends from the school fund were not to be paid to any district unless its school had been kept at least four months of the year. Union schools were provided for in this act. In 1842 the act constituting a board of commissioners was repealed. The purpose for which it was enacted was not attained, and so the State control of the schools for the time was abandoned, to be subsequently re- enacted in a different form.

In 1845 the school fund commissioner was made ex officio superintendent of common schools, with the

same duties imposed upon the secretary of the former board of commissioners. In 1846 the act passed in 1841 requiring the school societies to appropriate to each district at least fifty dollars was amended, re- ducing the amount to thirty-five dollars, provided there were not less than twelve children in the district drawing school-money.

The object of the constitution and laws of this State relative to all school-moneys is to afford to each child between four and sixteen years of age an equal educational privilege. But to reduce it to practice under the attending circumstances so as to secure that result is not an easy task. The children in the rural districts are not sufficiently numerous to furnish but a limited number of scholars from an area where small children can conveniently reach the school, especially in winter weather. So it is impossible to provide schools in the rural districts of so high an order as can be afforded in the cities and villages, where the children are more numerous and the means from that cause more abundant and available to secure and pay more advanced and experienced teachers. The want of some general superintendence of the common schools of our State had long been felt. But the people were divided as to the best way of doing it. Some preferred the board of commis- sioners on the part of the State, others that the school fund commissioner could exert all the influence necessary to advance the interest of the schools. But a few years' practice convinced all parties that further and different legislation was indispensably necessary to arouse public sentiment in favor of com- mon schools. So in 1847 a resolution was passed directing the superintendent of common schools to employ four or more suitable persons to hold "schools of teachers, for the purpose of instruction in the best modes of governing and teaching common schools, between the 15th of September and 30th of October in that year." In 1848 this law was amended, and improved the next year. In 1849 an act was passed to establish a State normal school, providing for a board of eight trustees. The object of this institu- tion is to educate young persons for teachers of our common schools, to fit them by experience for that occupation with the best possible qualifications. The principal of this school was made ex officio superin- tendent of common schools, and authorized to hold schools or conventions of teachers in each county. In 1852 the time for the enumeration of scholars was changed from August to January, and that the public money should be distributed in March only in each and every year.

Notwithstanding the repeated acts of legislation relative to common schools, it was painfully apparent that the people did not manifest that interest in them that their importance would seem to demand. The schools were so much neglected in this town that the active friends of education induced our selectmen to call a town-meeting, which was held Oct. 31, 1853.

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

After an exhaustive discussion the town voted to lay a tax of one cent on a dollar of the grand list for the benefit of common schools in this town. Also, that the money raised by said tax should be expended under the direction of Benjamin F. Langworthy, Charles H. Mallory, and Richard A. Wheeler for the benefit of the schools : first, in paying lecturers for their services ; second, to bring up the funds of the small districts to seventy-five dollars ; third, to divide the balance among the children of all the districts equally. This additional expenditure for educational purposes did not make any perceptible difference in the schools, except perhaps in some of the modes of instruction, which required time to develop. But this measure adopted here for the benefit of common schools made an impression all over the State, and resulted the next ycar in a public act requiring each town to raise by tax- ation a sum equal to one cent on the dollar on their re- spective grand lists for the support of common schools, and the whole amount so raised to be distributed un- der the direction of the selectmen and town treasurers. Towns that did not embrace a city were authorized to consolidate their school districts, and were required to keep a school six instead of four months. All dis- tricts receiving under the then existing mode of dis- tributing the public money less than thirty-five dol- lars were to be made up to that amount from any moneys raised for the purposes of education. Still, the interest in the common schools was so indifferent that it became necessary to institute some new meas- ures to arouse public sentiment. The old school so- cieties were then taken in hand, and declared to have outlived their usefulness ; that popular education was so intimately connected with all the other inter- ests of the town that it would be far better to abandon and dissolve the old school societies and put the towns in charge of the schools. This was done by the Assembly in 1856, and the old school societies, which had controlled our schools in one way and another ever since 1799, were laid aside, and a new era dawned on the hopes of the people. But further legislation became necessary, and in 1858 school districts were authorized to fix a rate of tuition, not exceeding two dollars for any term, but they might exempt there- from all persons whom they considered unable to pay the same, and the town was to pay the amount abated. From this time up to 1865 various acts were passed by the Legislature relative to common schools, not par- ticularly affecting them one way or the other. But the Legislature of 1865 made some important changes.

It repealed the act that made the principal of the normal school ec officio superintendent of the com- mon schools, and constituted a State Board of Educa- tion, to consist of the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, and four persons to be appointed by the General Assembly, one in each year, and selected one from each congressional district, with the general super- vision and control of the educational interests of the State, with power to direct what books should be

used in all of the schools of the State; but no book shall be changed oftener than once in five years; shall prescribe the form of registers for the schools, and all other forms necessary to enforce the act. Educational conventions were provided for under the control of the Board of Education, for the purpose of instructing in the best modes of administering, gov- erning, and teaching public schools, with power also of appointing a secretary, who shall exercise a gen- eral supervision over the public schools of the State, gathering necessary information from the school visitors and other sources to make such reports as the law provides for. He shall visit, as often as is prac- ticable, different parts of the State, for the purpose of awakening and guiding public sentiment in relation to the practical interests of education. In 1868 a law was passed laying the burden of maintaining common schools on the several towns of the State, and were required to make them free, specifying the amount to be raised by taxation, etc. Small districts were to have fifty dollars anyhow, and the balance to be di- vided according to the average daily attendance. In 1870 the law was so changed that the time schools must be kept in each year in order to secure the public money was fixed at thirty weeks in districts where there were twenty-four or more persons between four and sixteen years of age at the last enumeration, and for at least twenty-four weeks in the other dis- tricts ; but no school need be maintained in any dis- trict in which the average attendance of persons at the school in said district during the preceding year was less than eight. Boards of school visitors, com- posed of six or nine members, as each town may de- termine, divided into three classes, the first to hold office to the next annual meeting; the second, until the second annual meeting ; the third, until the third annual meeting following, and until others are elected in their places.

In 1872 the General Assembly determined the mode of their election, viz. : no person can vote for more than two-thirds of the members to be chosen, and those having the highest number of votes will be elected ; school visitors may be authorized by the towns to employ the teachers for all the public schools. The law further fixed the obligation of the several towns, prescribed the duties and power of the board of school visitors, establishes districts, with clearly defined powers, privileges, and obligations. In 1872 a thorough overhauling of the school laws was taken in hand by the Legislature, and all the laws relating to common schools were re-enacted with slight vari- ations, fixing with more certainty the powers and duties of each department of public trust. The towns now receive all the public moneys designed and ap- propriated for common schools, and in turn they are bound and held liable to maintain common schools in districts numbering one hundred and ten at the last preceding enumeration for at least thirty-six weeks, and in all other districts for at least thirty weeks,

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STONINGTON.

where the last enumerated persons of lawful age should be twenty-four or more, and in all other dis- tricts for at least twenty-four weeks ; but no school need be maintained in any district in which the aver- age attendance of persons at the school in said district during the preceding year was less than eight. The statute still further provides all the necessary machin- ery to establish and maintain common schools on the foregoing basis. Such is a brief outline of the laws of Connecticut relating to her common schools, and an imperfect sketch of the same. Connecticut was the first State in the Union to set apart and establish a fund for the support of common schools.

The first schoolmaster in Stonington was the Rev. James Noyes. He came to Stonington in 1664, and preached as a licentiate for ten years before he was ordained and settled, during which time he was en- gaged in teaching more or less. Mr. John Searls taught school here at the same time, and was suc- ceeded by his son, Ebenezer Searls, John Fish, and others.

The Press of Stonington.1-The peninsula upon which the greater part of the borough is built was, from its settlement to the year 1753, called "Long Point." In that year the village of "Long Point"' was constituted a port of delivery and called "Stoning- ton Port," which name it retained till 1801. Having obtained a charter from the Legislature of Connecti- cut, the freemen met and organized a borough gov- ernment June 15th of that year, choosing a warden, eight burgesses, secretary, treasurer, and bailiff. From 1801 the village has been known as Stonington Borough. It has also been called "Stonington Point."

In 1798, Mr. Samuel Trumbull, son of John Trum- bull, printer, of Norwich, Conn., came to this village (known then as "Stonington Port"), and on October 2d issued the first number of a newspaper entitled The Journal of the Times. The motto of the paper was,-

"Pliant as reeds where streams of freedom glide, Firm as the hills to stem oppression's tide."

The first twelve numbers were printed on small- sized paper, but in January, 1799, paper of demi- folio size was used. The next year the title of the paper was changed to The Impartial Journal. Mr. Trumbull conducted his paper with as much ability as the editors of contemporary papers. He was a Democrat in politics, and a firm supporter of Thomas Jefferson, and wrote many articles in defense of the President and his policy. His paper was discontinued in 1805, the editor becoming a merchant.

Mr. John Munson, of New Haven, came to Stoning- ton, and on July 6th issued the first number of a newspaper entitled America's Friend. How long this paper continued is not known, as but few numbers have been preserved, but probably not more than one or two years.

In March, 1824, Mr. Samuel A. Seabury came here from Long Island, and commenced the publication of a newspaper entitled The Stonington Chronicle. Only one number was issued. The editor did not live to issue another number. He died suddenly from bleed- ing at the lungs.

In July, 1824, Mr. William Storer, Jr. (who had previously published a newspaper at Caldwell, situ- ated at the head of Lake George, Warren Co., N. Y.), came here, and on July 28th was issued the first number of a newspaper entitled The Yankee, and took for its motto,-

" Where liberty dwells there is my country."

After three years the title was changed to The Stonington Telegraph, under which title the paper existed till July 22, 1829, when it was discontinued. Nearly complete files of these two papers are in the possession of the writer.

Mr. Storer was an experienced and able editor, but his enterprise was a financial failure. He was deeply in debt when he came here, and after a desperate struggle with fate for five years, he departed, if possi- ble, still more deeply in debt. During his residence here Mr. Storer was chorister at the Congregational Church, and was an ardent admirer of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, in which he attained high degrees.

The next adventurers in the newspaper line were Charles W. Denison, a native of the borough, and William H. Burleigh, son of Rinaldo Burleigh, the famous one-armed preceptor of Plainfield Academy. With these editors E. B. Kellogg, of Hartford, was associated as printer. Messrs. Denison & Burleigh were both good writers, and many excellent articles appeared in The Stonington Phenix and The Stoning- ton Chronicle, the successive titles under which their paper was issued. The first number was published in May, 1832, and the last number in May, 1834. The enterprise was a complete failure, since the re- ceipts from subscribers and advertisers were not suffi- cient to support two editors, a printer, and that neces- sary functionary, the printer's devil.

Notwithstanding the ill success which had hitherto attended newspaper enterprises, Thomas H. Peabody, of North Stonington, came here and commenced the publication of a newspaper entitled The Stonington Spectator, the motto of which was,-

" We are the advocates of no party."

Mr. Peabody at first was assisted by David Austin Woodworth, of North Stonington, and after he left by Marcus B. Young, of Norwich. The health of the editor under his exhausting labors broke down, and he was forced to discontinue the paper after it had existed six months from May, 1834. Mr. Pea- body was a young man of excellent character, and his paper was conducted with considerable ability.

After him a few ephemeral attempts were made at newspaper publishing, when at length Mr. Jerome S.

1 By David S. Hart, M.D., A.M.

664

HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

Anderson (who had many years ago, when a very young man, in vain attempted to publish a newspaper here) commenced the publication of The Stonington Mirror, Nov. 27, 1869. This paper has been continued without intermission to the present time (September, 1881), a period of nearly twelve years. Its circula- tion is becoming more and more extensive, and reaches nearly every State in the Union.

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

STONINGTON-(Continued). ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

THE first church organized in the town of Stoning- ton was formed June 3, 1674. The preliminary steps taken for the organization of the church originated in the following vote, passed at a town-meeting held at Stonington on the 6th day of April, 1669:

"It was voted that those of the inhabitants whose hearts God shall move that way may have liberty to address themselves to the General Court for liberty to erect and gather a Church amongst us.

" It was legally passed by vote that there should be another town meeting on thursday next come a seven night, being the 15th day of April next ensuing the date hereof, for any who have a desire to pro- pound themselves as to be beginners of the Church, may give in their names to Mr. Noyes at that meet- ing, at the meeting House about nine of the clock in the forenoon."

Whether this adjourned meeting assembled or not does not appear from the record, but a petition to the General Court was preferred, asking liberty to asso- ciate in church order, which after due consideration was passed upon as follows, viz. : several inhabitants of Stonington petitioning this court for their appro- bation that they might settle themselves in church order, this court grants them their petition. But be- fore they organized themselves into church order they (the town) set out five hundred acres of land for the support of the ministry, met and agreed to build a new meeting-liouse and fixed the site, and laid out home-lots of twelve acres each for every inhabitant around it. Built the meeting-house in 1672-73, dedi- cated it, and on the 3d day of June, 1674, organized the church with nine members, viz. : Mr. James Noyes, Mr. Thomas Stanton, Mr. Nathaniel Chese- brough, Mr. Thomas Miner, Mr. Nehemiah Palmer, Mr. Ephraim Miner, Mr. Thomas Stanton, Jr., Mr. Moses Palmer, Mr. Thomas Wheeler. They estab- lished a covenant when they formed the church, as follows :

" Covenant .- In order to begin and Geather a Church of Christ in Stonington, this third day of June 1674 do Covenant that whereas God having Graciously received us into the Covenant of his Grace, which he hath sealed to us in Baptism, we acknowledge ourselves indispensably bound to hold fast the Doctrine of faith and manners contained in the

scriptures, of Truth, and aftend all those duties wherein prescribed for the increase of our Faith and growth in holiness, and maintaining a good conscience, and knowing that the confession of the name of Christ is not to be separated from faith in the Heart, Rom. 10th, 9th, and that he that is united unto Christ, and hath Communion with him, ought to maintain Communion regularly with all his members. We whose hearts God hath moved in this place to joyn together in the worship of God, and partake of the Lord's Table, and therein desire to have the Prayers and approbation of the Churches of Christ who may take knowledge of us, de for the satisfaction of all men declare as followeth, that we un- feignedly resine ourselves and our seed unto the Lord, receiving Jesus Christ the Son of the living God, being God, being Man, and the only Mediator between God and Man, as our Lord and Saviour, relying upon the Grace of God for salvation and Blessedness, heartily submitting our- selves to be ruled by his word and spirit, and as he is the author of Unity and peace, we solemnly promise that by the assistance of God's Grace we will Labor mutually to watch over one another, and to observe all other Christian or Brotherly offices over one another which Christ hath enjoyned, according to our respective places in this Church, and to submit to the discipline of Christ, which we desire may take place amongst us, and the worship of God to be upheld in the power and spiritualness thereof, as also to oppose Error, and teach all under our care as far as in us lies to know and serve the Lord.

" A Confession of Faith .- We believe that there is one only God. Being from himself and for himself, of whom and for whom are all things, who is infinite, Eternal, and unchangeable, in power, wisdom, Goodness, jus- tice, Holiness, and truth.

" There are three sacred Persons of the Godhead : God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, equal God and yet but one God. God hath from all eternity fore ordained what shall come to pass, and did not only foro see but fore determined. The eternal estate of Men and Angels, together with God's general providence, which is exercised about all things, there is a special Government over the rational Creatures. God made the Angels and Man in holiness, but some of the Angels abode not in the truth, which are called Divils. God gave to man when he made him a rule of obedience for Life, and thretned Death in case of disobe- dience, which rule of Obedience our first Parents transgressed by eating the forbidden fruit, and we in them, and so Death passed upon all men ; the sin of our first Parents became the sin of all mankind by imputation and derivation, and in such as are Adult by invitation and approbation. God and father having eternally elected some of mankind unto life, did in the fullness of time send his son to redeem them, and God the Father, and God the Son sent the spirit to sanctify them. We believe that Jesus Christ, taking our Nature upon him as Mediator between God and man, hath made full satisfaction to God for the sins of his Elect, and pur- chased life for them by the merit of his active and passive righteousness, and having received all power from the Father, doth in Execution of his prophetical, Priestly, and Kingly office reveal unto and work in his Elect whatsoever is necessary for salvation by his holy and blessed spirit.

" In the new Covenant God hath promised to all that believe in his name, through Jesus Christ, and the immediate object of Justifying faith in Jesus Christ in person and office as he is revealed in the Gospel, and by Union with Christ by Faith, believers are made partakers of his Righteousness, sonship, grace, and glory. Whereby through his Grace they are Justified, Adopted, Sanctified, and shall enjoy etarnal life. We believe the scriptures of the old and new testament to be the word of God, by the dispensing which the spirit, convinsing of sin and misery, and giveing knowledge of Christ, doth beget Faith, Repentance, and new Obedience in the Elect.

" We believe that the Moral Law in the hand of Christ is a rule of Obedience to believers, and that the sum of the Law is to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.

"We believe that there are two seals of the Covenant of Grace, Bap- tism and the Lord's Supper; Baptism is a sign of our entrence into Grace, and the Lord's Supper is a sign of our groth in Grace.

" We believe the Communion of Saints, the Resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

" We believe, Lord help our Unbelief."-Church Records.

Mr. James Noyes, who had been preaching here for the town since 1664, was ordained pastor of the church Sept. 10, 1674, and was married the next day to Dorothy Stanton, daughter of Thomas and Anna (Lord) Stanton.

The pastorate of Mr. Noyes was very acceptable to

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STONINGTON.

the people with whom he labored for about fifty-five years ; dying Dec. 30, 1719. During his pastorate he baptized eleven hundred and seventy-six persons; admissions to the church were three hundred and twenty-nine persons. Previous to 1693 marriages in Connecticut were celebrated by magistrates. After that year ministers were invested with power to per- form such ceremonies. But even then, such was the feeling against the forms of the Church of England that but few comparatively were married by the ministers. Mr. Noyes celebrated forty-four marriages. Previous to the death of Mr. Noyes, the planters in the northern part of the town complained of the distance they were compelled to go to attend church, and often asked to have services in that part of the town. Their request, being reasonable, was complied with, and soon after his death the town was divided into two religious societies, June 25, 1720, and was duly organized as such the same year, and on the 8th of February, 1721, met and voted to build them a house of worship.

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History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 162

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