USA > Connecticut > New London County > Norwich > History of Norwich, Connecticut, from its settlement in 1660, to January 1845 > Part 13
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CHAPTER XXIII.
Chelsea. Highways. Warnings. The Cove. Commerce. Delaware Purchase. French Neutrals. Trade.
IN the year 1748 two highways to the landing were opened, east and west of the Little Plain and Wawe- cos Hill. These coincided with what are now called Crescent and Washington streets. The road across the Hill from the Little Plain to the Landing was henceforth but little used, and permission was given to Benajah Bushnell to enclose it, he maintaining con- venient bars for the people to pass. This hill, a prom- inent feature in the scenery of the place, was called by the first planters Fort Hill. The conjecture may be allowed, that the rude Indian fortress which crowned its summit, stood near where Mr. Rockwell has erected an observatory. It might there keep a look-out both ways from the Shetucket to the Yantic. This hill was afterwards called Wawecos, from Waweequaw, the brother of Uncas, who claimed it as his personal property.
1750. A highway was opened " by the water, from Nathaniel Backus' dwelling-house, to Capt. Bush- nell's ware-house." At these points it met the cast and west highways, and formed a continuous road round the base of the hill. This is now Water street. There was also a highway laid out leading down to Sandy Beach. The boundary between Chelsea and the Town Plot, was "at the parting of the paths on the Little Plain, at Oliver Arnold's corner."
NORWICH CITY AND RIVER
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Chelsea was now an important section of the town, and it was voted " that all future warnings for town meetings be set up at the Landing-place, on some post to be provided by the inhabitants there." A sign-post was accordingly set up "at Mr. Peter Landman's corner," as the most conspicuous place, and remained there many years. Another noted station where public notifications were soon after this directed to be posted up, was " the Little Elm before Capt. Lothrop's door." This was at the Lathrop farm, on the Shetucket, where a public ferry or bridge had been kept up ever since the settlement. Upon these posts, and those before mentioned in the town plot, all warnings and an- nouncements which any way affected the interests of the people were affixed; with the exception of inten- ded marriages, which always appeared on the meeting- house doors.
Mr. Peter Lanman's corner mentioned above, by the opening of Main street, and other changes, has long ceased to be a corner. It was on the spot afterwards occupied for a long term of years as a druggist's store, by Dr. Dwight Ripley. The sign of " Lee & Osgood" now indicates the location.
The common lands and flats upon the Cove, extend- ing as far up as " Elijah Lathrop's Grist Mills," were laid out in 1760, or near that period. The shares were divided into tenths, and each tenth into eight several parcels or lots, as the sheep-walks had been.
Mr. Elijah Lathrop, whose name was thus early connected with the mills of Norwich, was for a long period almost the sole resident at the Falls. Elderkin and Lathrop are the only names popularly connected with that quarter of the town previous to the year 1800.
In 1794 Mr. Lathrop had a valuable oil mill de- stroyed by fire. The canal around the Falls was con-
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structed by him at a great expense. For a considerable distance it was blasted through solid rock, and, at the period when it was done, was considered a great work. Mr. Lathrop was the second son of the brave Col. Simon Lathrop, of Cape Breton memory. He died in 1814, aged ninety-four.
Mr. Andrew Huntington and Mr. Ebenezer Bush- nell, were also early proprietors at the Falls. They established a paper manufactory in 1794.
From the General List of 1757, it appears that there were then cighty-seven resident proprietors of rateable estate in " the society of New Chelsy," and twenty- five non-residents.
The year 1760 may be taken as the era when the commerce of Norwich, which at two distinct periods, before and after the war, became important, received its first great impulse. A foresight of this prosperity was obtained by the fathers of the town, in 1751, when they made the following declaration.
" Whereas, the town did formerly grant to Mr. Joseph Kelley, shipwright, to build vessels at the Landing-place, where he is now building, during the town's pleasure, and would give him twelve months notice, do now declare that their will and pleasure, as to his building in said place, is at an end, the place being much wanted for public improve- ment, and do now give him notice thereof accordingly, and order the selectmen to notify him, by sending him a copy of this act."
The coasting trade was now carried on to some ex- tent, and many sloops and schooners were owned and fitted out. In the " New London Summary," then the only newspaper in this part of the colony, the adver- tisements of the merchants and packet masters of " New Chelsy," are frequently inserted. Very soon
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also, the place began to take its proper name and or- thography, Chelsea.
By the peace of 1763 a large territory was acquired by the English in Nova Scotia. A part of this was laid out into towns and sections by the provincial govern- ment, and associations of individualswere formed in the colonies to purchase and settle these lands, which were offered them on very easy terms. The inhabitants of the castern part of Connecticut, and several citizens of Norwich in particular, entered largely into these pur- chases, as they did also into the purchases, made at the same period, of land on the Delaware river. The pro- prietors held their meetings at the Town-house, in Norwich, and many persons of even small means were induced to become subscribers, in the expectation of bettering their fortunes. On the Delaware they pur- chased of the natives, Coshaiton. In Nova Scotia, Dublin, Horton, Falmouth, Amherst, &c., which were laid out and settled by New England emigrants-a considerable number of whom were from the eastern part of Connecticut. Sloops were continually plying back and forth, from Norwich and New London to Menis and Chignecto, with emigrants and provisions; one hundred and thirty-seven settlers sailed at one time from these two places.
Norwich, as well as many other towns was inunda- ted with the French Neutrals, a harmless and much abused people, who, in the year 1755, had been driven from their peaceful seats in the Northern Provinces, by their English conquerors, and forced to take refuge in New England. They met with sympathy and charity in Connecticut : New London, in particular was over- run with them, but most of them afterwards returned to Canada. Capt. Richard Leflingwell, of Norwich,
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in the brig Pitt, carried 240 of them, with their priest, to Quebec, in the year 1767.
The West India trade also began to thrive in Chel- sea, about the year 1760. A back country of some extent made its deposites in Norwich, and its citizens were induced to enter largely into commercial affairs. Chelsea was their Port, and instead of exhibiting, as heretofore, nothing but ship-yards and warehouses, fishermen's cabins and sailors' cottages, it now began to show some respectable buildings. Let us suppose ourselves walking through its streets about this period. We might see lying at the wharves, perhaps departing or entering, the coasting sloops, Defiance and Ann, the London Packet, Ebenezer Fitch, master; the Norwich Packet, Capt. Fanning ; the brig Two Brothers, Capt. Waterman ; sloop Betsey, Capt. Billings ; the Nancy, Capt. Rogers ; the Charming Sally, Capt. Matthew Perkins, &c., &c. Here is the new establishment of Jacob De Witt, just settled in town, and opening an assortment of merchandize : that of Gershom Breed, for all sorts of shipping materials and groceries : that of John Baker Brimmer, who keeps a little of every thing, and gives " cash for ox-horns, old pewter and hopps :" that of Ebenezer Colburn, iron-monger and cutler, at the sign of the Black Horse : that of Isaiah Tiffany, who keeps " ribbons, fans, calicoes, lawns and china- ware, just imported from London :" and that of Na- thaniel Backus, Jr. This last store was the comer building, long occupied by Messrs. Charles and George Coit. The door, which by the gradual filling up of the street, was in later years, on a level with the ground, was then entered by three steps; the broad one at the top serving for a horse-block, where females from the country, who came into town for shopping, mounted and dismounted from their horses. Main street
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was not then opened, and the position was not as conspicuous as afterwards. If we enquire the prices of articles, we shall find some of them as follows :- best London pewter, 1s. 6 per lb. : Bristol do. 1s. 5; brass kettles, 2s. 2; German serge, 5s. per yard ; black Taffety, Ss. ; blue and red Duffles, 4s. 3; Barbadoes rum, 3s. 4 per gall. ; molasses, 1s. 8; Bohea tea, 4s. 8 per lb. ; Muscovado sugar, 6d.
The goods in the retail stores of that day were some- what oddly assorted. For instance, one man adver- tised sheep's-wool, codfish, West India products and an assortment of European dry goods. "N. B. As the subscriber has an interest. in a still-house at Chelsea, he expects to have New England rum constantly to sell."
At this period, the best assortments were all up town, and the ladies of Chelsea were as much accustomed to go thither to do their shopping, that is, if dry goods or fancy articles were wanted, as the ladies of the town now are to go to Chelsea. Social intercourse was at this time, on the most easy and delightful footing, in both divisions of the town. Visits were frequent, long and familiar. The customs, in some respects, were the reverse of the present. The visit was made, and the visiters returned home by day-light. Instead of the lady giving out invitations to her guests, the guests sent word to the lady, (all the neighborhood joining together on such occasions,) that they would come and spend the afternoon with her.
At the period of which we are speaking, West Chel- sea consisted of some two or three small buildings and a ship yard. There was no bridge over the river, and no road from that side, except a cart track to the Great Plain. The Ferry extended from the rear of Mr. Clark Kinney's house, to the opposite bank, and here
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for many years, old Capt. Adams used to ply his boat. for the accomodation of passengers. In 1764, a high- way was opened from the Landing to the Great Plain.
Water Street, in the time of the spring floods, was usually impassable. Every high tide brought water into it, and people now living can remember the scow, bottom upwards, that served as a causeway for foot- passengers over the worst place. To show how much the streets have been gradually raised, we may men- tion that the King house in Union street, which is now entered by a descent from the streets, was when built, so far elevated above the street, as to have an ascent of one or two steps to the front door.
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CHAPTER XXIV.
Ecclesiastical Affairs.
THE ministry of Dr. Lord was eminently useful and successful. When he settled in 1717, there were about thirty male members in his church, and as many females. In the first fifty years of his ministry, three hundred and thirty were admitted. In 1721, there was a revival in his church. In 1735, he took a journey to Northampton, in order to see with his own eyes, and hear from Mr. Edwards himself, the particulars of the great revival there. His report, and his labors on his return, were the means of another revival in his church, and again in 1740 there was another. It is remarka- ble, that at each of these periods, there was also a powerful revival in Windham, a town ten miles from Norwich, a place which after that period, was, for a long time said to be, in a spiritual sense, like Egypt, without rain.
Dr. Lord's public services were always impressive. One of his contemporaries said, that " he seemed to have an inexhaustible fund of proper words, pointed sense, and devout affections." The revival in his church in 1721, was at a time of very general religious declension throughout New England. The great revi- val period in America commenced in 1735, but was most extraordinary in 1740 and 1741. Whitefield was at this time laboring in America, and his great success led many others into a course of itinerant and often
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erratic preaching. Irregularities, and sensible demon- strations of the effects of the Spirit, were too often coun- tenanced, but the clergy, as a body, opposed them. and in some instances carried their zeal so far, as to condemn the revival itself. The work however was generally considered a great and glorious work, and several associations of ministers gave testimony in its favor. June 23, 1743, twelve ministers convened at Norwich, for the purpose of acknowledging the good- ness of God in this revival. The churches in this quar- ter, however, had for some time been in a state of internal commotion with respect to doctrinal points, and this was aggravated by the difference of opinion in regard to revival measures.
At Mr. Lord's ordination, the Church had renounced the Saybrook Platform; but in 1744, the pastor and a majority of the members were in favor of it, and a vote was passed to receive it as their rule of discipline. This led to an important schism in the church. Thirty male members, including one of their deacons, drew off, and forming a separate church, were known by the name of Separatists. They had among them sev- eral of the most wealthy and respectable men in the Society. They built a house for public worship, just at the foot of Bean Hill, and for a number of years had the Rev. Mr. Fuller for their minister.
Another church of this description was organized at Norwich Farms at the same period, and ministers pro- vided for both. Thomas Denison being ordained at the Farms, Oct. 29, 1746, and Jedediah Hide at Nor- wich Town the next day, Oct. 30. Similar disputes also agitated the Rev. Mr. Kirtland's church, in the third or Newent Society, and a seceding church of seven members was formed there in 1750-Jeremiah Tracy, one of the seven, becoming their minister, and preach-
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ing to them-a work which the Newent Church, in their records, solemnly declare that they believe the Lord had not called him to do.
The reasons given by the seceders in this society, for withdrawing, were various. One said it was be- cause he found no edification in the church : another, because " the church in words profess Christ, but in works deny him." Mr. Joseph Safford, one of the most zealous of the Separates, gave his reasons as fol- lows :- 1st, because the church was not organized with sufficient church officers ; 2d, they admitted members who could not say that Christ was formed in them, or that they had acted faith in him; 3d, they admitted members into covenant, who were not in full com- munion.
The Newent church was greatly harrassed by these divisions ; that at the Farms still more so, as it led to the dismission of Mr. Wills in 1749. Indeed there was scarcely a church in the whole state, which was not at this time troubled and tom by conflicting opinions, respecting church government and the terms of com- munion. In the course of ten years, as many as twenty churches of Congregational Separates were formed in different parts of Connecticut ; but they have since, one after another, become extinct, or been merged in other denominations, particularly the Baptist.
As these churches were not recognized by the Legis- lature, the members were still taxed to support their former ministers, and this led to various instances of petty persecution and private suffering, imprisonment and distraining of goods, the memory of which is still hoarded and perhaps aggravated by tradition. At Norwich the number of Separates was considerable, and their influence still greater, so that at one period, they out-voted the standing regular church, and de-
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clared that they would not support a minister by a tax. The other party appealed to the Legislature, and ob. tained an order to enforce the rates. Violent commo- tions were the consequence, and it is said that no less than forty persons were imprisoned on this account in one season. One of the most aggravated cases of this kind, was that of a respectable widow lady, of the name of Backus. Her son had previously suffered an imprisonment of twenty days, and herself, on a dark night in October, 1752, about nine o'clock, was seized by the collector, carried to jail, and kept there thirteen days. Her tax was then paid, but without her consent, by her son-in-law, Gen. Jabez Huntington. At a sub- sequent period, her grandson, Gen. Jedidiah Hunting- ton, pledged himself to pay her rates annually, that the venerable lady might not be disturbed by any soli- citations for that purpose. This lady was mother of the Rev. Isaac Backus, of Middleborough, Mass., who, in his Church History, has preserved a letter from her, giving an account of her imprisonment, and the abun- dant measure of divine support that she received under it. She states, that Mr. Griswold, formerly a deacon of Mr. Lord's church, and then officiating as deacon of the Separate Church, and Messrs. Hill, Sabin and Grover, were imprisoned at the same time. Mr. Backus adds-" They went on in such ways for about eight years, until the spiritual weapons of truth and love, vanquished those carnal weapons, which have not been so used in Norwich since."
The last instance of distrainment that is remembered to have taken place, was in the case of Mr. Ezekiel Barrett, who died recently, at a very advanced age. IIe had refused to pay the usual rates, and was arrest- ed at the Court House, just at the close of a town meet- ing. He made an obstinate resistance, and it took the
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constable and six other men to convey him to jail. He was considerably bruised in the souffle, and by being dragged upon the frozen ground. After a week's im- prisonment, he gave his note for the sum demanded, and was released. Subsequently he refused to pay the note, alleging that it was forced from him by oppres- sion. It was sued at law, and his cow taken and sold at the post to pay the rate and costs.
It is undoubtedly this instance which has given rise to the reports that these taxes were always rigorously exacted, even to the seizure of the poor man's cow and his last bushel of grain. The cases above men- tioned are believed to be the only ones that occurred in which any severity was exercised. Dr. Lord al- ways treated the Separatists with kindness and respect, and this led the way to the restoration of a considerable number of them to his church. But the mode of rais- ing the minister's salary, by rates, soon became exces- sively odious to the society. In 1783 a liberal sub- scription was made and a fund established, in order to do away with the necessity of rates. Dr. Daniel La- throp, by his will, left £500 towards this fund, his successor, Dr. Joshua Lathrop, added £150 more; it was raised by other gentlemen of the society to £2000. Another step was to induce the pew-holders to relin- quish their rights, so that the pews might be sold annu- ally, and the avails applied to the same object. This was happily accomplished except in the case of three individuals, who obstinately refused to give up their pews, averring that if they could not sit in the same place where they had hitherto sat, they would not go to meeting. This matter was, however, at length ac- commodated, the pews sold, and the fund advanta- geously employed ; so that a sum was annually raised
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sufficient to discharge all ecclesiastical expenses, and the minister's rate tax happily abolished.
The first annual sale of pews was in 1791. This was in the fourth Meeting-house of the society, which seemed to have been destined to misfortune from its first origin. Its erection was vehemently opposed by a strong party. A vote to build was, however, ob- tained, in 1748, seventy-two to thirty-two, and again, in a second meeting, seventy-six to thirty-eight. Eb- enezer Backus, Esq., was directed to lay the matter before the General Assembly, to ask leave to build, to request that the site should be fixed, and that the Sep- arates should be exempted from paying any thing towards it. The next year it was determined not to build a new house, but to repair the old one. In 1750 they rescinded this vote, and ordered the building com- mittee to renew their operations. £7000, old tenor, was subscribed towards it, and the shell was soon com- pleted. But the sum was insufficient to go any farther, and it long remained in this unfinished state. The bell was, however, hung, the clock fixed in its place,* and divine worship performed in the half-built house. Mr. Whitfield, in one of his tours through the coun- try, preached in it while in this rough and incomplete state; fourteen years afterward he came round again, and it was still in the same condition. He publicly re- proved the people for their negligence, and in conse- quence measures were taken for its completion. They did not proceed with much spirit, but a little was done every year. Spaces for pews were bought by individ- uals, and enclosed at a common expense. Four slips in front of the pulpit were reserved for old men and
* This was the first Town Clock, and cost £S; the fixtures some- thing more. It was purchased in 1745.
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women, and low benches were placed in the aisles for children. The galleries were built, stone steps set up, bannisters placed around the bell, and finally, in 1769, a vote was passed to colour the meeting-house.
This house, like others of that day, had doors on three sides. Watt's version of the Psalms was intro- duced in 1772. In 1801 this church was destroyed by fire, together with a store and dwelling-house near it. The fire was supposed to have been kindled by an in- cendiary, but the culprit was never discovered. The present Church was built the succeeding year, and the expense defrayed partly by subscription, and partly by a lottery.
The Church of the Separates flourished for some years ; Mr. Fuller was an excellent man and a good preacher, but eventually he re-united with the Con- gregationalists, and was settled at Plainfield. After his removal the Church dwindled away; most of the females, and some of the males, returned to their an- cient home, and were received with cordiality. Among these was the venerable Deacon Griswold. It created considerable emotion in the meeting-house when, for the first time after his secession, his gray locks were seen in the old man's scat. As he was somewhat deaf, he soon afterward asked permission of the young pas- tor to go up the pulpit stairs and lean over the door while he was preaching, that he might hear more dis- tinctly. Mr. Strong immediately invited him to take a seat in the pulpit, which he ever afterwards did, when able to attend meeting.
Before the final extinction of the Separate Church, a small party seceded from these Seceders, and embra- ced the doctrine of the universal salvation of all man- kind, or the final restoration of all to a state of happi- ness. These proved to be a soil ready prepared, into
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which Murray and Winchester afterwards cast their seed, and reaped something of a harvest in Norwich. They held their meetings in the large front kitchen of the house then occupied by Mr. Ebenezer Grover, and still known as the old Grover honse-the Grovers, father and son, mother and daughter, down to the ven- erable spinster and school-mistress, Miss Molly Grover, the last of the family in Norwich, sympathizing heart- ily with all seceders from the prevailing order. Here Mr. Hide used occasionally to hold meetings, and after him Mr. Gamaliel Reynolds. The latter was a stone mason by trade, a man of no education, but of consid- erable native talent. He was one of that original class of men,-keen, witty and observing; famed for hu- morous sallies, and those apt remarks that are treasured up, and retailed as sayings, of which the present day seems to exhibit fewer specimens than of yore. Nor- wich, in former days, possessed many of these original characters, both of the whimsical and shrewd species.
The meeting-house built by the Separatists after the extinction of the sect, was used for a female academy, which, under some of its teachers, was sufficiently dis- tingnished to call in a considerable number of pupils from the neighboring towns. Dr. Morse, so well known for his Geographies and Gazetteers, was for a short time its preceptor. The building was always in use for the joint purposes of education and religion. The upper part was occupied for many years as a place of worship by the Methodists. They relinquished it in 1834, on the completion of their present Chapel on Bean Hill. It was taken down in 1843.
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