USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 39
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In behalf then of this church to which this Communion Service and this Baptismal Bowl are tendered, we receive them with lively
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emotions to Him who prompted the gifts, and to the generous givers, and beg to renew our thanks to the donors, hoping and trusting that for many years to come the members of this church and posterity may bring up hither and present their offspring at this service, long, very long, Sir, at your hands, the memorials of a Savior's dying love."
The writer has been asked as to the disposition of the old communion service. The following letter is the best answer:
"Greeley, Colorado, Dec. 23d, 1874. Rev. Joseph Eldridge, D. D., Norfolk, Conn.
My Dear Sir :- "Rev. Mr. Powell has already, I suppose, ac- knowledged to you, or to Mrs. Eldridge, the reception of the Com- munion Service. As Pastor of the church, I wish to make acknowl- edgment for the church, and to thank you for your kind response to Mr. Powell's suggestion, and Mrs. Eldridge especially, who, as I understand, procured the gift for us, or made it herself. Such a gift to a church is more than an act of charity or benefaction. It must become a means of grace to the church.
A communion service received in such a way is more valuable far, than if it had been purchased by the church. It becomes a means for communion with the brotherhood, and I judge this set, a part of it, has been in use by your own or some other church, and perhaps for a good while, though it has been made to look new again for us. From the fact that the plates were made in Lon- don, I infer that they are old, or that they were sometime sent from England, as they are now from New England. If I am right in this, associations with former use may give a value to them here, where all other articles in use are new, and without any con- nection with the past. I am sure we have reason for the heartiest thanks to Mrs. Eldridge; and I hope the future history of this church may be such that she shall not have occasion to be other- wise than pleased in remembering her kindness to it."
'Yours most sincerely,
W. K. Packard.'
JOSEPH BATTELL, JUN.
JOSEPH BATTELL, ESQ.
.
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
XXVI.
THE BATTELLE FAMILY.
Unquestionably the most important and prominent fam- ily in the whole history of Norfolk is that of Joseph Bat- telle, Esq. An extended mention of him is made, as the most prominent and successful merchant of the town, in another chapter.
Joseph Battelle was the sixth generation from Thomas Battelle, who emigrated from England, and settled in Ded- ham, Massachusetts, prior to 1648. He was born in Mil- ford in this state, July, 1774. In 1792, when eighteen years of age, he came to Norfolk, and opened a store in what was then a part of the Humphrey house, on Beech Flats, as is mentioned in another place. A few years later he built the store near the northwest corner of the meeting- house green, as it was then called, where he conducted a very extensive and profitable business until his death in November, 1841. That he was a remarkable man in many ways, there is the fullest possible evidence; not simply as a most successful business man, a rarely public spirited man, foremost in every good work in the town and the whole region, but he was also a man of great kindness of heart, thoughtful of others, not only of his own friends, but ready to assist anyone in trouble. This kind and thoughtful trait is illustrated by an act of his, mentioned in a letter which has come into the writer's hands, which was written in August, 1816, by a native of this town, Dr. Salmon Moses, addressed to his father, Mr. Thomas Moses. The young doctor was looking for a place to settle and commence the practice of his profession. He had travelled about quite a little in western Massachusetts, met with re- peated disappointments, and as he says in his letter, "I
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concluded to go to Petersburgh, in the state of New York, and at Dalton, seven miles east of Pittsfield, I went to the place where I directed my medicines to be left, and found Esq. Battell in the store. On relating the circumstances to him he took me into the counting room and said, I con- clude you did not expect this additional expense, and asked if I had money sufficient. On telling him I should want more than I had, he gave me a ten dollar bill, and I gave him my note. This favor I shall ever remember with grati- tude." This trifling circumstance showed a noble, generous spirit.
Quoting from the family memorial:
"In the year 1792 Mr. Battell, eighteen years of age, settled on the village green, having at his father's solicitation elected the life of a merchant rather than one of the professions. He prosecuted his calling in the way which lingered in Litchfield County till within a few years, receiving from the farmers the products of the dairy, and forwarding them to Hartford, Hudson, and New York. His trade was extended to other towns, and to foreign ports, and he was brought into close personal acquaintance with the people of an extended neighborhood. The capital of the county, Litch- field, had its festivals and gatherings, its court term, its agricul- tural, missionary, and musical associations; all giving to the county- life of those times an intensely active, as well as an elevated social character.
Mr. Battelle from being at first a country merchant, was grad- ually led to engage in other enterprises, and prominently, such as were opened or suggested by the occupation of wild lands in Ver- mont, New York, and Ohio, by settlers from Connecticut. His gains were rapid and sure, and he very early acquired the repu- tation of being one of the ablest men of business, and one of the most prominent in the State. As his family increased and grew up, his house became the centre of a large circle of visitors, who were entertained with sincere hospitality. His daughters gath- ered about them a great number of friends from towns and cities more or less remote, with whom they often exchanged visits. The stately house, which still stands upon the village green, was often thronged with guests, when it never failed to overflow with joyous life. Mr. Battelle was eminently intellectual in his habits and tastes, a great reader, as his well selected and diligently studied library attested. The quick-minded and never resting mother, who was also a great reader, was true to her traditions as a minister's daugh-
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ter, and held fast to the faithful discipline which became a Chris- tian household. She kept her children in constant and close as- sociation with the church and the parsonage. The influence of the entire family was identified as closely as possible with the religious life of the people of Norfolk, and their sympathies and aid were always generous and prompt for the comfort and relief of the suffering. As the manifold missionary and other associa- tions, for the progress of the kingdom of God, came one by one into being, the sympathy and contributions of Mr. Battell and his fam- ily cheerfully responded to them all. Their house was a home for clergymen, and a centre for all ecclesiastical and religious meet- ings of local and general interest. Literature of every descrip- tion gave strength and training and culture to all the household. Music, vocal and instrumental, was prosecuted with indefatigable zeal and with unfailing delight. This interest extended to the vil- lage church, which was one of the few churches in city or country that could boast an organ at the time when Irene, a girl of eleven, began to play upon it."
Esq. Battelle, as he was universally called, married Sarah, a daughter of Rev. Ammi R. Robbins, the first minister in this town. Mrs. Robbins was a great-granddaughter of William Bradford, Governor of the Plymouth Colony, and granddaughter of Francis LeBaron, a surgeon in the French service, whose strange arrival and settlement in Plymouth and his life there is so vividly portrayed in Mrs. Austin's work, "A. Nameless Nobleman," and others.
As might be expected from her distinguished ancestry, Mrs. Battelle was a lady of much force of character and worth, and was a power for good, not only in the pleasant surroundings of her beautiful home and her large and influ- ential family circle, but also in the entire community. An illustration of her readiness to take the lead in any and every good work of a public nature is given in the fact that at the re-furnishing of the church in 1846, she led the women of the church in their labor for many days, running into weeks, in hatchelling the corn husks and making the cushions for the entire lower part of the house and the choir gallery. She died September 23, 1854, aged 75.
"Mrs. Battelle, in her natural endowments, combined both the vigor and delicacy of organization apparent in her mental devel-
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opments. Her complexion was fair, hair and eyes dark, her per- son small, features intellectual and graceful. Through life she combined a resolution and force of mind, quickness and strength of the affections, and a deep relish for harmony and beauty as they appeal to the senses. She lived identified with native scenes, and though widely known desired nothing beyond the sphere of her friends for opportunities of usefulness or enjoyment. Her tastes sympathized with the beauty of nature, directing to the cul- ture of native trees, and the nurture of plants and flowers. in every kind adapted to the season. Mrs. Battelle ever honored her father and family by showing herself a firm and generous friend to the ministers of Christ. She appeared to esteem them highly in love for their work's sake. In her religious character there appeared great uniformity and stability with sincere piety."
Her purpose, of presenting a Communion Service to the church of which through life she was a devoted member, was carried out by her daughters after her death.
To Mr. and Mrs. Battelle were born nine children, four sons and five daughters, all of them living until advanced life. The eldest of the family was Joseph, who from in- heritance and education possessed all the excellent business qualities and traits of character of his distinguished father. At an early age he was placed by his parents for some time in an educated French family in Montreal, that he might acquire a thorough knowledge of, and be able to speak fluently, the French language.
At the death of his father, when Joseph was thirty-five years of age, the care and management of his father's large estate was placed upon him, and until his death in 1874 he continued most satisfactorily to every member of that large family to fulfill that important trust.
In a private family memorial, the following "brief sketch of Mr. Battelle's life and characteristics, written soon after his death by his valued friend, Rev. Dr. R. S. Storrs," was published, from which we are kindly permitted to quote:
"Joseph Battelle-born April 17, 1806, died July 8, 1874,-was a man of whom some things may now properly be said, to which his habitual and fastidious reserve would have forbidden any ref- erence during his life. In the business circles with which he was associated during a long commercial life, he was constantly recog-
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nized as a merchant of rare industry and sagacity, and of the most scrupulous integrity, who had well deserved the signal success which he had reached.
But it may be doubted if even those who knew him best as a business man, were always aware of the extent and variety of his intellectual attainments, of the accuracy of his knowledge on a wide range of subjects, of his delicate and discriminating literary taste. Born in Norfolk, Conn., in 1806, he was graduated at Mid- dlebury College in Vermont, in 1823, at the age of seventeen years, ranking second in a class, of which Professor Conant, the eminent Biblical scholar and critic, was the valedictorian. He made himself master of the French, German, and Spanish languages soon after leaving college, at a time when the study of the last two especially, was rare in this country; and he was through life a diligent and appreciative student of the best English literature. Influenced probably by the example and wishes of his father, he early engaged in business as a merchant, finding a congenial associate in the late Thomas Egleston, with whom his partnership continued in unbroken mutual confidence and regard until the death of Mr. Egleston. But his interest in literature never ceased, although with a charac- teristic and scrupulous reserve, he allowed it to appear only to those most intimate with him. One who had been his minister for years, did not learn till near the end of them, and then by chance, that when Mr. Battelle followed the reading of the Scrip- ture, Sunday by Sunday, it was with his eye on the Greek of the Septuagint, or of the New Testament, and not on the English trans- lation. Independent in his judgments, rapid and positive in his decisions, those who had occasion to know him only in a general, external way, would possibly fail to be attracted by him. But in moments of leisure, in seasons of relaxation, among his friends, he was one of the pleasantest of all companions. Cheerful in tem- per, courteous in demeanor, original in thought, abundant in witty and humorous anecdote, he added to the charm of every social circle in which he was familiar. Shrewd in judgment, energetic in expression, genial in feeling, the force of his strong individu- ality gave zest and piquancy to his conversation. As a presiding officer, too, in meetings for deliberation, or for the transaction of business, he was always distinguished for the grace and dignity with which he performed the duties of his office. Born of the genuine Puritan stock, Mr. Battelle was through life a firm be- liever in the evangelical doctrines in which he had been trained, a careful and attentive attendant on public worship, a liberal sup- porter of religious institutions and charities. Besides large gifts to institutions of learning, like Yale College, whose new chapel is to bear his name, he aided liberally other objects of public im-
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portance, and privately contributed to the success of many who will long remember and greatly miss his timely benefactions. Most of all, his sisters and brothers, to whom, after their father's death, he was the constant counselor and friend, have had reason to trust him with all their hearts, and will have reason to mourn his de- parture from them while life continues. He died after a brief illness, with a settled and tranquil trust in God, an unreserved submission to his will and an earnest avowal of his sole reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ for that salvation for which he hoped."
Among Mr. Joseph Battelle's gifts of large sums of money to various objects, it seems appropriate in this sketch to mention his interest in Yale University, this in- terest having been first awakened, it is said, by his sister, Mrs. Professor Larned. From the "Table of Gifts" in the book "Yale," published in 1899, we quote:
"In 1854 Mr. Joseph Battelle gave $5,000 to establish a musical fund, for the support of a teacher of music. To this fund in 1862 Mrs. William A. Larned added $5,000, and bequeathed another $5,- 000, to be applied in extension of the services performed under Mr. Battelle's donation."
"In 1874, by bequest, and by previous gifts, Honorable Joseph Battelle gave 'Battelle Chapel' Two Hundred Thousand Dollars.
"Since 1876, when the Battelle Chapel was finished, the musical service is supported by an organ of very superior construction, principally the gift of the almost solitary friend of music at the College, Mrs. William A. Larned."
"Mrs. Larned also endowed a Musical Library. With the in- come of this donation all the works of Handel, Bach, Beethoven and Mendelssohn have been purchased," etc.
From this same 'table of gifts' it is shown that Yale University has received, in addition to $215,000 mentioned above, and the endowment of the Musical Library, and the organ in Battelle Chapel, for various purposes, viz .: The Uni- versity Library Fund, for Increase of Endowment of Battell Professorship of Music; for founding the 'Ellen Battell Eldridge Scholarships'; for the 'Enlargement of Battell Chapel'; for 'Professorship of Semitic Languages,' and 'for general purposes,' by Mrs. Ellen Battell Eldridge, Mrs. Urania Battell Humphrey, Mr. Robbins Battell, and Miss Anna Battell, more than $107,000.
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Surely Yale University has reason to remember and honor the Battelle family.
It is hoped that through this beneficent family the little mountain town of their nativity may not be altogether for- gotten and unknown.
A sketch of Sarah, the eldest daughter of Esq. Battell, who married Rev. Joseph Eldridge, D. D., and spent her life in this, her native town, as the efficient and beloved "wife of the minister," will be found, with a sketch of Dr. El- dridge, in another chapter.
Another daughter of this distinguished family was Irene, born November, 1811. "She was baptized by her grand- father, Rev. A. R. Robbins, receiving 'the gentle name of Peace,' after his sister, Mrs. Irene R. Thompson." Fortu- nately, in a volume entitled "Memories," printed privately for the family and friends, there is a worthy tribute to the life, work and memory of "An Elect Lady," Mrs. Irene Bat- tell-Larned, from which we are kindly permitted to quote. These extracts will be read with deep interest by many former residents of the town, now in advanced life, whose only acquaintance with Mrs. Larned perhaps was, that in her and their early life she used to play the organ and sing in church in Norfolk, and to the writer's certain knowledge, that music has been one of the sweet and pleasant mem- ories, to many, all through life.
Some mention has already been made of her early home. Referring to this home we quote from "Memories:
"It was in this rural home and amid these domestic, social, and religious influences, that she was trained. It is impossible to un- derstand her character without keeping them all in mind. She seemed to have inherited from her father in a marked degree those traits which so fondly endeared him to her,-rare kindness and generosity of heart, great refinement, and ready sym- pathy for any work of benevolence. From her earliest childhood she manifested a singular devotion to the comfort of others, and a generous absorption of self in the interest of her kindred, the suffering, and the church of God.
She possessed uncommon personal beauty. She was some- what stately in form, and bore herself with a natural dignity which
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was tempered with so much grace, and softened by such sweet- ness of expressiion as to make her loving ways more attractive, and to impart a subtle charm to her manner. She had unusual physical strength and powers of endurance, which continued un- impaired through the buoyant days of her youth. Her universal kindness extended to all classes; to the uncultivated as truly as to the most accomplished, and the more highly favored. Her "natural piety," or what seemed such, took definite form, when at the age of fourteen she publicly assumed the vows of the Chris- tian profession. To these vows she was eminently faithful to the last moment of her life. In all the varied excitements of her youth, amid all the social gayeties of her girlhood, and the varied acquaint- anceships with which she was brought in contact, she was true to her Master, and was never ashamed of her profession, or in- consistent with the spirit and demeanor of an earnest and loving disciple. . . . "Her seriousness of demeanor was so marked in her early childhood, that she was sometimes called in the house- hold, "Sober Reny." It was rather the earnestness of her nature that so impressed itself upon her countenance .. I have told you of the care she assumed in the nursery, while mother was oc- cupied among her flowers, and in household duties, beginning with myself, whom she rocked, sitting in the cradle at my feet, and singing the solemn tune of Denmark. At eleven years of age she played the church organ, and continued to do so until her marriage.
When absent from home, engaged in the prosecution of her studies, she would be recalled from school to participate in all cele- brations, whether of a religious or secular character, to whose suc- cess her musical talents invariably contributed. She was instant in season and out of season in training young people in the art of holy song. To all who evinced an aptitude to learn she was a will- ing and indefatigable teacher on the piano, and at night she would gather about her those desiring instruction in vocal music. Hour by hour she would sit in the freezing atmosphere of the church, to drill bass, tenor, soprano, and contralto in their respective parts, in preparation for ordinary church music, or an occasional concert. One says, "She threw her whole soul into these concerts, impart- ing courage to the timid, correcting and assisting every one who had a part to perform, and always doing this so kindly that every one felt it a privilege to be under her criticism." . . .
"And so music became our pastime. At every gathering, in- doors and out, party, sleighride or picnic, we sang; and we gained from music that pure enjoyment which protected us against the introduction of other amusements that doubtless would have proved far less satisfactory.
My sister made confession of her faith under the ministry of
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Rev. Ralph Emerson in Norfolk, July, 1827. She combined the untiring diligence of Martha with the loving confidence of Mary. She inherited a most vigorous constitution, and her admirable phys- ique enabled her to endure great fatigue and ceaseless activity in her works of mercy, throughout her girlhood as well as in later life. Watching night after night, seemed to be a pastime, and in the illness of any of our family circle she would not remit her watch and care for an hour, unless forced to do so by the patient in charge. Our dear father's death occurred November 30, 1841. From that dread event, almost the first shadow that had crept over our home, my poor sister's hands hung down, and none but God could lift them up. But He triumphed in her faith, and she re- sumed her place with greater devotion to her family and to those who mourned or suffered, than ever before, though from that time her health seemed somewhat impaired. She clung to the memories of her youth with remarkable tenacity. Her last work at Norfolk was to superintend the erection of a monument to her beloved brother, Joseph, and among her latest legacies were those pro- viding for a permanent stone enclosure to protect the town burial ground, and a memorial music hall to be attached to the home in which we were all born and reared. Her last illness was the sud- den yielding of the forces of nature. The silver cord being loos- ened, she resigned herself to the will of the Creator. Surrounded by her family friends at her beloved home in New Haven, the heavens opened, and she passed into the open vision, to be seen of those on earth who so much loved her, no more, till they too shall enter into the inheritance secured to all who trust in our blessed Lord.
Mrs. Larned's last effort of praise in song was the night before her voice was silenced here forever. She often desired her nurse to sing favorite hymns, and that night requested her to sing, "There is a land of pure delight." The nurse responded in an unfamiliar tune. She said, "not that tune," and tried to sing the old familiar air of 'Jordan,' but the effort was beyond her strength, and she could not proceed."
"After her marriage in July, 1843, to Professor Larned of Yale College, her home was in New Haven, and those who were asso- ciated with her there will tell us how fruitful in blessing was her life. She was ever ready to contribute to society all that her natural gifts and fine culture enabled her to bring for its delight and elevation. She was devoted to her friends, deeming no task too trivial or too great, if by assuming it she could serve them. By her cordial hospitality and beautiful courtesy she made her house a home for many, and a charm for all. By abundant labors and substantial aid she proved her devotion to the college and to the
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prosperity of the church. Many, who were students in Yale Col- lege, felt a deep sense of personal loss as they have heard of her departure. Many will ever gratefully cherish her memory, as they recall her kindness, and the friendly and delicate ways she would take to find out and relieve their needs for sympathy, counsel, or assistance."
"Allusion has been made to her first great sorrow in the loss of her father. Her mother's death a few years later, was an over- whelming grief.
In 1868 there was a day of dreadful darkness in her house, when her beloved husband who had left her a few hours before, apparently in exuberant health, was brought in to her blighted home, lifeless. Hidden disease had suddenly unmasked itself, and he was gone, without a word or look of farewell to her who was his light and joy. ... This terrible calamity cast a shadow over her remaining life that made it pathetic, while she still struggled to keep on her way wherever she could yet hope to be of use or comfort. In 1874 she was called to mourn the departure of her beloved 'elder brother,' Joseph, in whom, especially after the death of her husband, she concentrated her love and ministrations with peculiar and touching devotion.
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