USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
At this time they were building their new meeting-
157
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
house, (the same building which is still in use,) and they voted at this meeting "to direct the Society's Committee to procure a suitable person to ring the bell, and that the bell be rung for all public meetings on the Sabbath and other days, on funeral occasions, and at 9-o'clock at night."
At a meeting April 11, 1814, they voted "to pay Michael F. Mills, Esq., $150 for his services as agent for building the meeting-house; to raise $700 by subscription to complete the same, and authorized Mr. Mills to procure steps for the meeting-house and lay them, provided the expense does not exceed $150." They also voted, "To give the African descendants living in this Society two pews in the gallery, situated at the head of each staircase."
May 5, they voted "to procure a cushion for the pulpit, blinds for the pulpit windows and a suitable number of chairs to stand by the communion table." June 27 of that year they "Voted to dedicate the meeting-house the last Tuesday of August next; to procure a clergyman to preach a sermon on the occasion; to lay a tax of 2 1-2 cents on the dollar on the August list, 1813, to defray the expenses of the Society; that any person who shall be convicted of cutting or scratching any part of the meeting-house shall be liable to pay a fine of $7." "Appropriated $40 for in- structing the singers for public worship."
May 22, 1815, "Voted unanimously, 101 votes, to call Mr. Ralph Emerson to settle with this church and society as their gospel minister, and to pay him an annual salary of $700." Sept. 25, "Voted to request Mr. Emerson to preach all the time he can be spared from Yale College, (where he was employed as Tutor,) through the winter, and that we will wait until May next for him to return and settle."
June 10, 1816. A formal contract was entered into, signed and recorded, between the Society and Mr. Emer- son. The Society to pay him $700 a year salary; he to faith- fully perform the duties reasonably to be expected of him as a gospel minister. The Committee who signed this con- tract were: Dr. Benjamin Welch, Nathaniel Stevens, Mi- chael F. Mills, Eleazer Holt, Joseph Battell, Augustus Pettibone.
158
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Dec. 2, 1816. "Appointed a committee of five to dignify the seats in the meeting-house;" and "appointed a com- mittee of seven to seat the meeting-house."
(This dignifying committee were at one time instructed by vote of the town, that one year additional of age should count the same as £5 upon the grand list.)
Dec., 1817. "Voted that this meeting approves of the plan proposed for building a conference room, a second story on the new schoolhouse to be built by the middle school district, provided it may be done by subscription." "Voted to reseat the meeting-house; and that each mem- ber of this society be requested to send in their name and age to Mr. Battell's store within one week."
Dec, 1820. "Appointed a committee to solicit subscrip- tions to pay Barzel Treats' loss in building the Conference- room."
Nov., 1821. "Instructed the Society's Committee to fur- nish Barzel Treat with suitable strings for his Bass Viol so as to enable him to assist the choir of singers in this society."
Nov. 4, 1822. Appointed a committee to solicit subscrip- tions to purchase an Organ now offered to this society.
Nov. 7, 1825. Authorized the Committee to remove the pews each side of the organ, and make slips in their stead for the convenience of the choir of singers, provided the expense to the Society shall not exceed $12.
I will here quote from Rev. J. W. Beach's Centennial Sermon of July, 1876, in which he mentions Church music, so often mentioned in the business meetings and votes of the Ecclesiastical Society, and many other matters. He says: "It will be proper in this connection to speak of the history of your church music, since it was from this beginning by the first pastor, followed up by his descend- ants in the Battell family, that it came to be what it was. The first chorister was Isaac Pettibone. Ezekiel Wilcocks was his alternate and after 1768 his successor. For some years the singers were scattered through the congregation and caught the tune and time from the leader, whose chief
159
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
need was a strong voice. The psalm was first announced and read by the minister; then the senior deacon from his prominent pew under the pulpit would read the first line, which was sung, and then the singers paused till the next line was read, and so on through the psalm. This method appears to have continued until December, 1778, when in connection with a new seating of the house, the town ap- propriated the whole of the front gallery and the lower tier of seats in the side galleries to the singers. The chor- isters were at first appointed by the church, but in May, 1774, the town evidently jealous of its prerogative in ex- ternals, voted 'that the town have right to order and direct in respect to singing in public worship,' and forthwith chose a set of choristers.
The church ceased to do this from that time and it was managed by the town, new appointments being made in case of vacancy until December, 1794,-the last recorded instance of their appointment. It is probable that then began the custom, now in use, of the choir selecting its own leaders. Money to aid the choir was also voted by the town from time to time until the Society was organized in 1813. The first appropriation for this purpose was De- cember 10, 1798, when it was voted, 'that the selectmen make the rate bill for Mr. Robbins' salary twelve dollars bigger than to pay him, and have a right to appropriate that money to the use of singing if they see cause.' After the Ecclesiastical Society was organized, money was raised for this purpose commonly by subscription. In 1824 Mr. Joseph Battell, son-in-law of Mr. Robbins, made a donation of $833.34 to the fund of the society, on condi- tion that $50 a year be expended for the improvement of sacred music. The church still enjoys the benefit of this generous gift. Of Hymn Books, the earliest now known to have been used was Barlow's Psalm Book, though it is quite possible some other may have preceded it. This was discontinued by church vote in February, 1804, and Dr. Dwight's Psalms and Hymns taken in its place. This did more than forty years' service, and only gave way to the
160
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
'Psalms and Hymns' of the General Association of the state, in November, 1845. In 1869 Robinson's 'Songs for the Sanctuary,' with tunes, superseded this. ('Watts' Vil- lage Hymns' were used at all meetings in the Conference Room probably for fifty years.) There was less prejudice against instrumental music than in most places, yet the feeling was not altogether wanting. The violin and bass viol were in use early in the present century.
An organ was obtained much earlier than in most churches, but not without some objection to it on the score of propriety. It was set up May 10, 1822, and was replaced by the present one in April, 1852. Irene Battell, (Mrs. Prof. Larned,) then a child of 11 years, and grand-daughter of Mr. Robbins, was the first organist. She was then so small that she had to stand up to play. She retained this posi- tion as long as she remained in town, and to her skill and enthusiasm in music after she arrived at maturity is chiefly due the superiority of this choir, which was for many years conceded to be the best in the county.
In 1826 an association was formed for promoting sacred music, in connection with a County organization, of which she became the leading spirit, and at the annual festivals in Litchfield the Norfolk members were noted for their su- perior drill. The rest of Esquire Battell's family helped on the same end, and have furnished to this day a strong element in the choir, both in leadership and numbers."
At this point I will insert a sketch of the formation and doings, and names of donors to the Ecclesiastical Society's Fund.
Constitution of the "Norfolk Ecclesiastical Fund," Adopted De- cember 1, 1817.
"The Ecclesiastical Society of Norfolk, impressed with the im- portance of the preached gospel to the present and eternal welfare of man, and feeling it their duty to do what a gracious Providence has placed in their power towards providing for its permanent sup- port among themselves and their posterity, do for that purpose agree to establish a fund, and for the establishment and direction of the same do adopt the following constitution:
161
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Article 1. This fund shall be denominated The Norfolk Ecclesi- astical Fund.
2. This fund shall consist of all the monies accruing to this society by an act of the Legislature passed October session, 1816, entitled 'An act for the support of Literature and Religion,' to- gether with the society's funds now on interest, amounting to $869.67, and such donations and grants as may hereafter be made to the society for the above purpose or for any other purpose which will consistently and legally admit of their being applied to this Fund.
3. This Fund shall be vested in stock of incorporated banks, or stock in the funds of the United States,-and all avails of said fund, except $50, which is to be used for the support of preaching annu- ally, shall also be appropriated to the purchase of more stock, until the principal of this Fund shall amount to $6,666.67.
4. When the principal of this Fund shall amount to the above sum of $6,666.67 or more, the annual income thereof shall be ap- plied to the support of the preaching of the gospel in this place by Orthodox ministers of the Congregational or Presbyterian denomi- nations, and to no other purpose. The surplus shall be dis- posed of by vote of the society.
5. . . It is expressly ordained that no part of the principal shall be expended for any purpose.
6. . . Whatever may at any time be given to this Fund shall be placed under the foregoing regulations.
7. The names of all donors to this Fund . . shall be an- nexed to this Constitution and recorded with the same.
8. The Committee of this society, together with their Treasurer, shall, ex officio, constitute a board of Trustees for the management of this Fund, whose duty it shall be to collect monies, . . to sell and convey all real estate or other property which may be given to the society and which can be funded, to give direction when and where the money shall be invested, and to attend to all other necessary business in the management of the said Fund; and said Trustees shall receive no pay for their personal services.
9. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive all monies that shall accrue to the Fund, . . to make all purchases and in- vestments of stock under the direction of the Trustees, . . and the said Treasurer shall give sufficient bonds with security for the faith- ful management of his trusts.
DAVID FRISBIE, JOSEPH BATTELL, Esq., AUGUSTUS PETTIBONE, Esq., Committee.
Norfolk, Nov. 17, 1817.
162
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Nov. 13, 1820. Voted that the principal of the Ecclesiastical Society Fund be reduced to $5,000, at the receipt of which sum into the Fund the interest may be appropriated as mentioned in the constitution of said Fund.
REVISION OF CONSTITUTION OF ECCLESIASTICAL FUND.
Nov. 15, 1824. Whereas, Joseph Battell has stated that, pro- vided the society shall pass the annexed votes it is his intention that the subscriptions to the Ecclesiastical Fund he shall make here- after shall amount, with the accumulation of interest on the same, when the Fund is filled up, to eight hundred and thirty-three and one-third dollars, the annual interest of which will pay the sum proposed for sacred music, and to leave a provision in his will, if it is not done at his decease, to accomplish the object; therefore
Voted, That the vote passed by this society at their meeting Nov. 13, 1820, authorizing the society to use the income of the Fund when the principal sum amounted to $5000 be, and the same is hereby repealed.
Voted, that the following article be annexed to the Constitution of the Society's Fund and become a part of the same, viz :-
Art. 10. The 4th article of this Constitution shall be so amended that it shall be the duty of the Trustees or a Committee appointed for that purpose by the society to appropriate $50 a year to the in- come of this Fund to the improvement of sacred music, and that the same shall be applied and used as often as once in three years.
Persons who subscribed to this Fund:
1818 to 1824, at various times, Joseph Battell. $ 460.21
1822, 1825 and 1826, Rev. Ralph Emerson. 200.00
1823, Moses Cowles. 3.00
1830, Jerusha Spaulding. 28.80
1831, Jos. Battell's subscription for loss on Eagle Bank. 1000.00
1844, Old Parsonage Fund, estimated at (see Art. 2). 869.59
1844, Ephraim Coy's Legacy, estimated at. 4821.00
Dec. 12, 1887. "Have received notice that Mrs. Urania Bat- tell Humphrey has willed the Ecclesiastical Society of Norfolk, to be added to the Fund. .$5000.00" April 9, 1896.
From the Will of Oliver L. Hotchkiss, December, 1893.
"I give, devise and bequeath to the Society's Committee of the Ecclesiastical Society of Norfolk, the sum of .. to be held by them and their successors in office, and the avails and uses of said sum to be paid over for the benefit and support of said society."
$500.00
163
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Rev. Ralph Emerson, who was called to the pastorate of this church in May, 1815, received a call to the presidency of Western Reserve College, which call it would appear he was desirous of accepting, and asked that a council of the North Consociation of Litchfield County be convened to consider his dismission from this church. The society voted September, 1828, 95 to 18, not to submit the question of his dimission to the council.
Oct. 22, 1829. Upon the question whether the Society will concur with Mr. Emerson in referring to a council of the consociation the question of his dismission from this church to accept a call to a professorship in the Theolog- ical Seminary at Andover, the vote was: yes, 11; no, 70.
Nov. 19, 1829. Upon a renewed request of Mr. Emerson, he having received a renewed call to the Andover Theo- logical Seminary, it was "Voted that we consent to his re- quest of a dissolution of the pastoral connection with this church and Society."
May 17, 1830. Voted to extend a call to Rev. John A. Albro, to settle as our minister. This call was declined.
October, 1830. The Society voted to extend a call to Mr. John Mitchell to settle as pastor. He declined.
April 26, 1831. Society voted unanimously, 103 votes cast, to extend a call to Mr. Theophilus Smith to settle with us as pastor. Mr. Smith declined.
Nov. 15, 1831. The Society's Committee were instructed "to procure two suitable stoves and set them in the meet- ing-house." This was the first attempt of the Church and Society to warm the house.
January 23, 1832. The .society voted to extend a call to Mr. Joseph Eldridge, Jr., to settle with us as our minister at an annual salary of $650. Mr. Eldridge accepted the call, and April 24, 1832, a contract was entered into be- tween the Society, by their Committee, consisting of Au- gustus Pettibone, Benjamin Welch, Jr., and Darius Phelps for the Society, and Mr. Eldridge, to settle at an annual Salary of $650, and upon the next day, April 25th, he was ordained and installed,-thus commencing a most success-
164
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
ful pastorate which continued for more than forty-two years; Dr. Eldridge tendering his resignation on account of age and impaired health, which resignation was reluc- tantly and most sorrowfully accepted by the Church and Society, taking effect November 1st, 1874.
February 10, 1834. "The Society's Committee were au- thorized to take up the pews in the lower part of the house and in the galleries and make slips in their place, pro- vided the expense shall not exceed $200." For some reason this change was not made until twelve years later, this vote having been rescinded at a meeting in the following November.
Mr. Ephraim Coy, who died in 1834, by his will be- queathed to the Ecclesiastical Society's fund at the death of Mrs. Coy, the farm and hotel on Beech Flats, which has for many years been known as the Bigelow place, Mrs. Coy to have the use of the farm during her natural life. At a meeting of the society November, 1836, it appearing that it was Mrs. Coy's desire that the farm should be sold, War- ren Cone, Lawrence Mills and Luther Butler were ap- pointed a Committee and given full power to act for the Society in making sale and conveyance of the farm and an equitable settlement with Mrs. Coy.
It was nearly two years before the matter was finally adjusted,-the farm having meantime, in 1837, been deeded to Edmund Curtiss Bradley, by the Committee of the so- ciety and Mrs. Coy. This bequest added to the Society's Fund in 1844, as appears, $4,821.
In 1838 blinds were put upon the windows of the meet- ing-house, and soon after an insurance of $4,000 was placed upon the house.
In 1842 a committee was authorized to build a chimney in the N. W. and the S. W. corners of the house, "for the purpose of placing the stove pipes," and in 1845 "a com- mittee was instructed to take proper measures to prevent the smoke from issuing from the stoves in the meeting- house."
March 30, 1846, the pastor, Rev. Joseph Eldridge, made
165
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
a statement to the Society's meeting of the proposal of Mr. Charles Thompson of New Haven for altering the house. His plan was approved and adopted, as was also a method for raising the money necessary "by subscription according to each man's proportion on the grand levy." Michael F. Mills, Esq., who alone superintended the build- ing of the meeting-house in 1814, Rev. Joseph Eldridge and Dea. Amos Pettibone were the committee to superintend the repairs. The alterations upon the interior of the house during this summer of 1846 were quite extensive, embrac- ing the removal of the remaining old square box pews from a part of the lower part of the house and of the gallery. (Part of the occupants of these pews sat necessarily with their backs to the minister.) The arch in the audience room of the house was at this time closed, but has since been restored, much as it was when the house was first built. The pulpit windows and other windows in the west end of the church were at this time closed up. During the four months or more of these repairs service upon the Sabbath was held in the Academy, as the writer remem- bers, the congregation sitting in the school-rooms as they were then in both the first and second stories of the build- ing, and the minister standing upon a little platform upon the stairs, having a shelf in front of him for the Bible and his manuscript,-the speaker being unable to see the face of a single one of his hearers, or they to see him. Up to this time cushions for the seats in the church had never been provided except in a few individual cases, and now the good women of the church under the direction of Mrs. Battell worked for several weeks preparing corn-husks and making cushions for the seats below, and the choir in the gallery; the society in October of that year voting $100 "to purchase carpets and Marine cloth for cushions," and in November "$50 for cushions and similar expenses." The society also "authorized and directed the purchase of a furnace and apparatus built on the most approved plan to warm the meeting-house;" and still for a long period of years from this time the house was warmed by wood
166
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
stoves standing on either side of the centre doors, with pipes running under the galleries to the west end of the house, and many still recall the crackling of hemlock wood which was sometimes used. Upon the dedicatory Sab- bath, in addition to many other appropriate words, Mr. Eldridge expressed the "hope that this thoroughly reno- vated house of worship will not be marred by the use of knives, pencils, and the filthiest of all weeds."
November, 1849. The society "appropriated $150 toward purchasing a new clock, provided the town or individuals will raise $50 more for said purpose,-the esimated cost."
October, 1851. Authorized the committee to pay $500 to purchase a new organ.
November, 1852. "The thanks of the society were voted to Mr. Joseph Battell for his liberality in giving $200 toward the purchase of our organ, which cost $700." Voted, "that we consider it desirable that the congregation rise during the singing of the choir." This was the beginning in this town of the congregation standing during the sing- ing of the hymns. In early days it was the custom for all to stand during prayer.
April 27, 1853. The following vote was unanimously passed at a meeting of the society :
"Whereas, the Rev. Joseph Eldridge has requested the consent of the society that he may be absent from the so- ciety five or six months for the purpose of visiting Europe, etc., resolved by this society that we cheerfully grant his request; and that his salary be continued during his ab- sence; and the society will take upon themselves the re- sponsibility of supplying the pulpit during his absence."
Accordingly Mr. Eldridge started for Europe early in May, 1853, Mrs. Eldridge accompanying him to New York, expecting to take the N. Y. & N. H. train for home the fol- lowing morning . Most fortunately, providentially cer- tainly, Mrs. Eldridge decided to remain another day in New York with her sister, Mrs. Urania Humphrey, instead of taking the train for home with her aunt and cousin from Lenox, Mass., Mrs. and Miss Robbins, the wife and daugh-
167
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
ter of James Robbins, as she had fully expected to do. That proved to be the ill-fated train that ran into an open draw-bridge at Norwalk,-several of the cars plung- ing into the water,-a very large number of passengers being drowned, Mrs. Eldridge's friends, whose companion she fully intended to have been, being among those drowned.
This was many years before there was an Atlantic cable. Nearly a week after Mr. Eldridge landed safely in Eng- land, the next steamer arrived there bringing news of the terrible disaster at Norwalk,-the news being published by the evening papers in London. Mr. Eldridge upon reading the account of the accident, the names of those killed not being given, believed that without a doubt Mrs. Eldridge was one of the victims, and the suspense, the agony, in which he was held for that long, terrible night, as, accord- ing to his own words later, he walked the floor of his room and walked the streets, may be imagined but cannot be described. His letters were to be sent to a certain bank, and ascertaining the residence of the banker he called there at as early an hour in the morning as seemed proper, and was told that the gentleman was not yet up, but the banker hastened a little, and reached the bank a little earlier than usual. The relief, the joy, the gratitude which Mr. Eldridge felt upon learning by his letters that Mrs. Eldridge reached home safely, having been providentially prevented by what seemed a trifling thing from taking the fatal train, may possibly be imagined.
During the months of his absence the pulpit was sup- plied by Rev. Mr. Blodgett, a young man not long out of the Seminary, and who a few years later went out to China as a Missionary, Rev. Mr. Russell afterwards settled in Colebrook, and Rev. Wm. E. Bassett, who later married Miss Mary Dowd of this town, and was settled in Warren.
In Nov. 1854 Mr. Eldridge's salary was raised by the So- ciety to $800, and in 1858 to $1,000 a year.
Nov. 5, 1866. The Ecclesiastical Society at its annual meeting "Voted to increase the Salary of Rev. Joseph Eldridge to $1,500 per aunnm from this date.
168
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Some weeks later the following communication was re- ceived :-
"To the Congregational Ecclesiastical Society in Norfolk:
"The Congregational Ecclesiastical Society has dealt very hon- orably with the present pastor in respect to salary during the whole of his long ministry. The salary has always been promptly and fully paid on the very day on which it became due. In the begin- ning it was six hundred and fifty dollars. The society has from time to time, without any request or intimation, direct, or indirect, from the pastor, spontaneously increased the amount. At its last annual meeting it voted to add to it five hundred dollars, thus raising it to fifteen hundred. As times now are, I believe this sum would be needed by a minister wholly dependent on his salary for support in order that he might live as you desire to have your pastor live. It evinced an honorable sense of justice on your part to vote to give me what you would expect to give any one else. I am proud of your action, and heartily grateful for it, yet I re- spectfully decline three hundred dollars of the proposed addition.
Owing to the great fluctuation in business affairs for the past ten or fifteen years, many of my friends and friends of the society have sustained serious losses. Then the great war through which we have recently passed made a great draft upon our pecuniary resources during its continuance, and left at its close a vast debt which necessitates increased taxation. Revolving these things in my mind, I can accept only two hundred dollars of the five which you voted to add to my salary. Earnestly desiring the best good of the parish and of the entire community in matters temporal and spiritual, I remain,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.