USA > Connecticut > New London County > Norwich > History of Norwich, Connecticut: from its possession by the Indians, to the year 1866 > Part 10
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April 26, 1709, the town passed a resolution, "that they will have a school-master, according to law." This emphatic determination seems to imply an antecedent neglect. Richard Bushnell was again employed for a short period.
Jan. 26, 1712. In town meeting, Lieut. Joseph Backus, moderator :
" It was voted that a good and sufficient school-master be appointed to keep school the whole year and from year to year ; one half of the time in the Town Plot and the other half at the farms in the several quarters."
At this period 40s. on the list of every thousand pounds was granted by the country,-that is, by the General Court, for the benefit of schools, and each town was by law obliged to maintain a school for a certain part of the year.
After this we find nothing of importance in regard to schools until far into the century. The old course kept on with gradual improvements in teaching and a wider range of subjects, but with no systematic change of plan, to the era of boarding schools for misses and classical schools for boys.
CHAPTER VII.
TOWN AFFAIRS. GRANTS. PRUDENTIAL REGULATIONS.
LAND at this period was given away with a lavish hand. Grants were often made in this indefinite manner, -- "where he ean find it,"-"over the river,"-"at any place free from engagement to another,"-"at some con- venient place in the common lands,"-"a tract not included in former grants,"-"what land may be suitable for him,"-"as much as he needs in any undivided land," &c. A man obtains a lot, "for the conveniency of joining his lands together,"-another five or six acres "in order to straiten his line,"-and frequently in lieu of a lap, of somebody else, on his land. These laps, owing to imperfect surveys, were very numerous.
Several of the original home-lots measured double their nominal extent; the convenient terms, more or less, used in the grant, fortifying the owner's right. Often the grants were not only indefinite in situation and extent, but imperfectly recorded, and without date. In 1681, a resolution passed, that if no other date could be ascertained for the grant of any inhabitant, it was to take date from that period, and the title remain good and firm. Committees were frequently appointed to ascertain dates and add them to the old book of records. In 1683, one hundred acres of land-" where he can find it"-is granted to Capt. Fitch, "for being helpful to the town Recorder, in making a new record of lands." This gentleman commenced a register of the proprietary lands, in a volume distinct from the town books. It is endorsed thus, "Norwich Book of Records of the River Lands. Capt. James Fitch writt this booke." This register was after- wards partially copied and continued by Richard Bushnell and others, Clerks of the Proprietors, until the year 1740, when the final division of the common lands was made, the accounts of the proprietors closed, and their interests merged in those of the town.
Grants were uniformly made by a town vote. Examples :
1669. " Granted to one of Goodman Tracie's sonnes 100 akers of land in ye division of ye out lands.
" Granted to Sergent Waterman liberty to lay down twenty acres of upland over Showtucket river, and take it up again on the same side of the river, against Potapaug hills, adjoining to some other lands he is to take up, and the town leaves it to the meas- urers to judge respecting any meadow that may fall within the compass of it, whether it may be reasonable to allow it to him or not."
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" Granted to Mr. Brewster and John Glover two bits of land on the east side of Showtucket river, near their own land, they two with the help of Goodman Elderkin to agree peaceably about the division of it between them, and in case they cant well agree about the division then it falls to the town again."
" Granted to Chr Huntington, Sent. an addition to his land at Beaver Brook to the quantity of seven or eight acres to bring his lot to the place where the great brook turns with an elbow."
In 1682 we find the following entry :
"It is voted yt there shall be a book procured at town charge for the recording of lands, and allso a boat cumpas and yt there shall be allowed to any of the inhabitants of this towne to make a new survey of their land provided they take their neibors with ym whose land lyeth adjoining to them."
To the confusion produced by contradictory deeds, grants without date, and careless surveys, was added that of undefined town limits. This led to vexatious and long-continued disputes with the Indians, and after- wards with the neighboring towns. The Selectmen were obliged to per- ambulate the bounds, in company with a committee from the adjoining towns, every year, and to see that the boundaries and meres were kept up. The preservation of boundaries, both public and private, was extremely difficult, where the only marks were a white oak tree, or a black oak with a crotch,-a tree with a heap of stones around it,-a twin tree,-a very large tree,-a great rock,-a stone set up,-a clump of chestnuts,-a wal- nut witlr a limb lopped off,-a birch with some gashes in it, &c. If a man set up a stone in the corner of his grant, with his initials marked on it, he was much more precise than his neighbors. A strip of land, about three miles in breadth, lying between the northern boundary of New Lon- don and the southern of Norwich, gave rise to much litigation and contro- versy, not only among individuals, but between the two towns, and the whites and Indians. Three parties claimed it, and each was officious in selling and conveying it to individuals, so that a collision of claims and interests was inevitable. It was long before this affair was satisfactorily settled. Many committees were appointed; and the town hoped to arrange the difficulty by referring it, as far as they were concerned, "to the wor- shipful Samuel Mason and the Rev. Mr. Fitch." This tract is now included in Montville.
Dec. 31, 1669. "Ordered by the town concerning the outlands that there shall be only one allotment for the said lands and every man shall take his allotment in the place where God by his Providence shall cast it, Mr. Fitch only excepted."
The meaning probably is, that Mr. Fitch had the liberty of choice, but others must abide by the lot.
Every enterprise that tended to advance the public convenience was patronized by a grant of land. The advancing settlements began to
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HISTORY OF NORWICH.
require a regular ferry over Shetucket river, about the year 1670. Sam- uel Starr proposed to keep this ferry, and for his encouragement land was given him upon the east side of the river, where he began to build and make fences ; but soon relinquished his purpose and forfeited the grant. In November of that year, the town reclaimed the grant and authorized reprisals ; to wit :
Nov. 6, 1670. " The towne have given liberty promising defence to any that shall demolish whatsoever building or fencing is done upon said lands by Samuel Starr."
In 1671, Hugh Amos was engaged to keep the ferry, and the land made over to him.
Nov. 18, 1679. The ferry place over the Showtucket shall be at the upper end of the Island against the land of Levt. Leffingwell .- The adjoining lands granted to Hugh Amos for keeping the ferry are to extend as far as his neighbor Rockwell's land. -None to set up a ferry between this place and the mouth of the river."
A blacksmith was encouraged to enter upon business by a similar reward :
March 11, 1699. Granted to Joseph Backus so much land upon the hill by Thomas Post's house, as may be needful for him to set a shop and coal-house upon, provided he improves it for the above use.
This grant was confirmed the next year. The place was between the roads, just below Bean Bill, and remained in the Backus family for three generations.
July 7, 1704. The town being sensible of their need of another blacksmith desire that the son of Capt. Edmonds of Providence, may be invited to settle in the town, engaging that coals and a place to work in, shall be provided by the town.
This application was not successful. Jonathan Pierce was subsequently engaged as a smith, and land given him for his encouragement both in 1705 and 1712.
A miller, a ferryman, and a blacksmith, were important personages for the infant settlement.
A saw-mill would seem also to liave been a desirable acquisition, but this convenience was not early obtained. In 1680 a grant of 200 acres of land was tendered to Capt. Fitch for his encouragement in setting up a saw-mill. This was reiterated in 1689, with the condition that if the mill was not forthcoming within two years, the privilege should be forfeited. In 1691 no mill had been built, and the town proposed to erect one on its own account. This was not done, and it does not appear that any saw- mill was set in operation, within the town limits, until about 1700.
The first planters might have had some of their work done at Mr. Win- throp's saw-mill on the river above New London, from whence the trans- portation by water was easy. But in general, the timber and plank that 7
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HISTORY OF NORWICH.
composed the first habitations were hewed and shaped entirely by hand. Many of the houses were covered with short clapboards, overlapped like shingles, and these were split and cut without the aid of the saw-mill. The beams and rafters of old buildings still extant, are scarred with hatchet clefts. The axe was a mighty instrument, when wielded by these hardy pioneers. With a brave heart and a strong arm they marched into the wilderness, and it took but a short time to transform a clump of trees into a comfortable dwelling.
In 1690, a committee was appointed to fix upon a suitable position for a fulling-mill.
In 1704, Eleazer Burnham applied for "liberty to set up a fulling-mill upon the stream that runs into Shetucket river by the Chemical Spring." Thirty acres of land were granted to encourage the undertaking, and more promised if the enterprise should prove successful.
The project, however, failed. Competent workmen in this trade were then scarce in the country. Before the year 1710 there was but one clothier in the whole colony of Connecticut.
The regulation of swine was a subject brought up at almost every pub- lie meeting for a number of years. Innumerable were the perplexities, the votes and the reconsiderations respecting them. Sometimes they were ordered to be rung and yoked,-at others not: sometimes strictly confined, and then again suffered to go at large. There is no municipal act of those early days introduced with such prosy solemnity as the report of a com- mittee on this subject, accepted and confirmed by the town :
" When Providence shall so order, (says the act,) that there are plenty of acorns, walnuts or the like in the woods then it may be considered and determined what liberty to grant in this respect that the swine may have the benefit and profit of it."
"In the time of acorns we judge it may be profitable to suffer swine two months or thereabonts to go in the woods without rings."
The stringency of these laws in regard to the confinement of swine, they justified by the necessity of the case : "Our corn-fields being remote from the settlement and our mowing lands not in one parcel, but scattered here and there through the town."
Yokes for swine were to be two feet in length, and six inches above the neck.
The recording of cattle-marks was a work of no small labor, and one which the increasing herds made every year more and more arduous. The pasture lands being mostly held in common, and private fences often rude and insecure, and therefore strays frequent, it was absolutely neces- sary that each man's cattle should bear a peculiar mark, and that this mark should be made matter of public record. These marks were made on the ear, and were of this kind-a cross, a half-cross, a hollow cross, a slit perpendicular, horizontal or diagonal, one, two, or three notches, a
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HISTORY OF NORWICH.
penny, two pennies, or a half-penny, a crop or a half-crop, a swallow-tail, a three-cornered hole, &c.
All public affairs were transacted town-wise; and of course some mis- takes were made in their legislation, which experience or mature delibera- tion corrected. Occasionally, under a town vote which had been recorded, an endorsement to this purport is found : "Ondon next meeting."
All the effective males turned out at certain seasons of the year, to labor on the highways, or to build and repair bridges. Two horse-bridges were very early erected over the Yantic, at each end of the town-plot ; and before many years, six bridges over the same river were maintained by the town.
The roads leading into the country, and from town to town, were at first merely foot or bridle paths. It was a great advance when they were widened or cleared into cart-paths. The path to New London was exceed- ingly rough and circuitous, with several pitches meriting the name of break-necks. The path to Connecticut, often referred to in old records, was the road leading westward through Colchester, toward Hartford and Wethersfield.
The town street was originally laid out four rods wide in the narrowest part. Most of the branches or side-roads, leading into the woods, were kept as pent-ways, closed with gates or bars. Mill-lane was the regular avenue to the old Landing Place. There was no direct path to that rock- incumbered, forest-crowned Point between the rivers, where now an im- posing city sits upon the hill, with her shining garments trailing far around her. The road thither from Mill-lane and No-man's Acre was very cir- cuitous, following the turns of the river and the declivities of the hills. The whole point was considered scarcely worth a pine-tree shilling. For the first fifty years, almost the sole use made of that quarter of the town was for a sheep-walk, and for that purpose it was kept within fence and gate.
1670. "It is ordered if any person shall pass with horse or cattle over the general fence and so come through the Little Plain, to or from the town, he shall pay a fine of 5 shillings."
A gate was maintained at the town charge below the house of John Reynolds, another at Thomas Bliss's, or Leffingwell's corner, a third at the end of the Green by Mr. Fitch's, a fourth at Quarter-bridge lane, near the houses of John Calkins and Samuel Griswold, and a fifth at Stephen Merrick's on Bean Ilill.
The fences were a continual source of vexation. One of the duties enjoined upon the townsmen was, "that they take effectual care to secure the fields in which is our livelihood." The winter was the season for making fences and cutting bushes. It was repeatedly ordered that all
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HISTORY OF NORWICH.
front fences should be done up by the first of March, and the general fences by the first of April. The front fences were to be "a five rayle or equivalent to it, and the general fences a three rayle or equivalent to it." Afterwards a lawful fence upon plain ground was thus defined-" A good three rail fence, four feet high ; or a good hedge, or pole fence, well staked, four and a half feet high." Two pounds were erected in 1669, one at each end of the town, which appear to have had plenty of occupants ; for cattle, swine, sheep and goats often roamed at large, and trespasses were frequent.
March 2, 1685-6. " Voted that the town will cut bushes two days this ensueing year ; one day on 'ye hill, the other in ye town, and that the townsmen procure hay- seed at the town charge."
In 1687, the order for bush-cutting was repeated in urgent terms, as absolutely necessary for the successful raising of sheep and swine, and the townsmen were empowered to call ont for the customary two days' service, all the inhabitants between fourteen and seventy years of age, farmers only excepted.
The inhabitants being principally employed in agricultural pursuits, their trading must have been chiefly in the way of barter. Clothing and provisions formed the circulating currency. Loaded boats, however, fre- quently passed up and down the river, and the beginning of commerce was soon beheld at the old Landing Place.
No shopkeeper or merchant appears among the early inhabitants. In- cidental allusions are found to temporary traders, but for a considerable period most of the commodities required for comfortable house-keeping, not produced among themselves, were probably procured at New London. Alexanger Pygan, an early merchant of that place, but originally from Saybrook and doubtless well acquainted with Norwich people, had many customers among them, receiving in return for his merchandize, the rich produce of the field, the stall, and the dairy. A note-book of Mr. Pygan has been preserved, which contains the names of thirty-two persons in " Norwich and Windam," with whom he had accounts before 1700.
ยท Inn-keepers were considered as town officers. The appointment was one of honor and respectability, and to obtain a license to keep a House of Entertainment, a man must be of good report and possessed of a comfort- able estate. The first of whom we have any notice was Thomas Water- man.
"Dec. 11, 1679. Agreed and voted by ye town yt Sergent Thomas Waterman is desired to keepe the ordynary. And for his encouragement he is granted four ackers of paster land where he can convenyently find it ny about the valley going from his house into the woods."
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HISTORY OF NORWICH.
To him succeeded, about 1690, Dea. Simon Huntington. Under date of Dec. 18, 1694, is the following appointment :
" The towne makes choise of calib abell to keep ordinari or a house of entertayne- ment for this yeare or till another be choosen."
In 1700, liberty was given to Thomas Leffingwell to keep a House of Entertainment. This is supposed to have been the commencement of the famous Leffingwell tavern, at the east corner of the Town-plot, which was continued for more than a hundred years.
In 1706, Simon Huntington, Jr., was licensed; in 1709, Joseph Rey- nolds.
Dec. 1, 1713. "Sargent William Hide is chosen Taverner."
These were in the town-plot.
The frequency of taverns in the early days of the country, when the population was slender and travelers were few, excites some surprise. But our English ancestors had a prescriptive love for a common gather- ing-place,-not a bar-room, nor a caravansery, nor even a club, but a fire- side, a porch, or a bench under the trees, where current events and private opinions might be circulated, and a kind of "portico parliament" held, with an accompaniment of a mug of flip or a drawing of cider. They have sent down to us a maxim which their own practice contradicted :
"Taverns are not for town-dwellers."
The following order shows that an erroneous principle prevailed among the authorities of the town, viz., that church-membership conveyed civil rights and privileges. A regulation so remarkably prescriptive and sect- arian in its bearing, could not have been long enforced in a mixed and rapidly increasing community. It has more of the Blue-law tincture than any other item upon the records of the town.
Dec. 11, 1679. Agreed and voted at a town meeting,-
"That the power and privilege of voting in town meetings in ordering any town affairs shall only belong to those who are the purchasers of the said plantation and con- seqnently to their lawful heirs and not to any others who have been or shall be admit- ted to be inhabitants upon other considerations. Only it is granted to those who are or shall be church members, in full communion, equal privileges with us in the above mentioned town concerns."
WEARS.
March 7, 1686. " Sheticket river from the mouth to the crotch of Quinnebang is granted to Sergt Richd Bushnell and three others with liberty to increase the number to twelve or twenty for the purpose of making wears and taking fish for the term of seven years, they attending to those things that are customary in other places in New Eng- land in respect to opening the weares."
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Great care was taken to admit no inhabitants that were not industrious and of good moral character. Transient persons, and those who had no particular way of getting a livelihood, were quickly warned out of town.
A few instances will be given to show the solicitude of the townsmen to keep the community free from vagrants and contemners of law and order.
" At a towne meeting January 24, 1678, the Towne having seryously considered the desires of Frederick Ellis lether dresser respecting his admission into the towne to set up and make improvement of his trade,-we hearing some things yt doe apeare much discouraging and allso his comeing to us not being so orderly haveing no testymony from the place from whence he came of his comely behaviour among them but reports passing rather to the contrary, yet notwithstanding he being providentially amongst us we are willing to take a tryall of him for one yeare provided yt if he carryeth not comely and comfortably amongst us yt he shall now at his entrance give security under his hand yt upon a warning given him by the Select Men of the town he shall without delayes remove his dwelling from us."
With the passage of this vote, space for a tannery was granted to Ellis upon Hammer brook, and seven acres of land promised conditionally, but after a short trial a collision occurred between him and the town authori- ties, which ended in his expulsion from the place, and a fruitless resort on his part to the courts for redress.
" 1692 .- Whereas Richard Elsingham and Ephraim Philips have petitioned this town that they may live here one year, the town do agree that they may dwell here the year ensuing, provided that they then provide for themselves elsewhere."
No exchange or alienation of house-lots and no sale of lands could be made without the consent of the town. If a man sold house or land with- out first tendering it to the town and obtaining permission, the compact was declared null and void. An early exchange of allotments, made by Wade and Abell, is recorded with a ceremonious preamble :
" Forasmuch as in Anno Dom 1677, January 1, Caleb Abel and Robert Wade by mutual agreement and consent of their wives did then see canse to make an exchange of their home-lots, making over the property each to other by deed," &c.
[Confirmed by the town, and signed by Robert Wade and his wife Susannah, Caleb Abel and his wife Margaret.]
In 1704, Thomas Rood sold his house and land without the consent of the town, and the sale was declared null and void.
The Annual Town Meeting was held at first in February, but afterward in December. Warnings for town meetings were set up six days before the time, at the smith's shop, (between the roads,) at the corner of the Green, at Ensign Leffingwell's, and other conspicuous places. The meet- ings were opened at 9 o'clock A. M., and must be dismissed half an hour before sunset, at the latest.
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HISTORY OF NORWICH.
Sheep- Walks and a Shepherd. Several sheep-walks were laid out in different parts of the town', to accommodate the several districts. One of these was at Wequonuck Plains, and another, agreed upon in 1673, lay "between the Great River and the Great Plain," reaching south to Trading Cove.
Two others were reserved expressly for the benefit of sheep-owners living in the town-plot, and not for farmers, and were called the East and West sheep-walks. These remained long intact. The eastern reserva- tion, of 900 acres, covered the Point between the rivers, now the central part of Norwich City. No special appointment of a shepherd to preside over this walk has been found. The west sheep-walk, of 700 acres, ex- tended over West Wawecos Hill, and Richard Pasmoth was appointed the shepherd, Feb. 12, 1682. He was to have a salary of 40s. per annum, and twelve acres of land on the hill for a house-lot, and the sheep-owners were to take their turns with him in guarding and folding tlie flock on the Lord's days.
Sheep-raising, however, was never carried to its expected extent in Norwich, and in 1726 the two reservations were relinquished and divided as commons among the inhabitants, according to the following general principles :
No one to have less than a fifty-pound share.
First-comers who had fallen in estate, to be rated as at first.
All other shares to be laid out according to estates in the list.
CHAPTER VIII.
INDIAN HISTORY. ATTEMPTS OF MR. FITCH TO CHRISTIANIZE THE INDIANS. PHILIP'S WAR.
THE Mohegans were eager to exchange their services for the food, clothing and other comforts which they received from the English. Many of them erected wigwams in the vicinity of the settlers, and some even in their home-lots. The plantation soon swarmed with them, and the whites found them rather troublesome neighbors. Their habits of indolence, lying and pilfering were inveterate. At first, a strong hope of converting them to Christianity was very generally entertained, but the major part of the planters soon relinquished the task in despair. It was now found a work of no small difficulty to shake them off, or to keep them in due sub- jection and order. Laws were repeatedly made for their removal from the town, but still they remained. Restrictions of various kinds were thrown around them ; a fine of 10s. was imposed on every one who should be found drunk in the place; the person who should furnish an Indian with ammunition of any kind, was amerced 20s., but they were neither driven away, nor their morals improved.
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