USA > Connecticut > New London County > Norwich > History of Norwich, Connecticut, from its settlement in 1660, to January 1845 > Part 4
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Jan. 6, 1661. " Chosen by the town, Thomas Tracy, Thomas Leffingwell and Francis Griswold, with the Towns- men, to end all disputes value of forty shillings, and their power to adjudicate is according to the power the Court usually grants in cases of that nature, Voted."
Aug. 28, 1661. " It is ordered by the town, that the sur- vaiers have power to call men out to work in the high waies, and if any refuse to go at their call to hire another in his room, and pay him 3s. 6d. ye day. And the survaiers have also power to destrain the goods of such as refuse to worke, for the payment of those that workes in their room, Voted."
The regulation of swine was a subject brought up at almost every public 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 : some- times 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 committee on this subject, accepted and confirmed by the town, the substance of which was, that "in the time of acorns, we judge it may be profitable to suffer swine two months or thereabouts to go in the woods without rings."
Yokes for swine were to be two feet in length, and six inches above the neck.
The following entry is from the Records of the Gen. Court, at Hartford, May 10, 1679.
" Whereas, Uncas his son hath damnified Thomas Tracy, Jun., in his swine, and Uncas is willing to make him satis- faction for the same in land, this Court grants him liberty to
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receive of Uncas to the value of 100 acres of land for the said damage, if he see cause to grant it him, provided it be not prejudicial to any plantation or former grant made by the Court. Lt. Thomas Tracy and Lt. Thomas Leffingwell are appointed to lay out this grant to the said Thomas Tracy, Jun., according to this grant."
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 necessary, 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 car, and were of this kind-a cross, a half-cross, a hollow cross, a slit perpendicular, hori- zontal or diagonal, one, two, or three notches, a 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 mistakes were made in their legislation, which experience or mature deliberation corrected. Occasionally, under a town vote, which had been re- corded, an endorsement, to this purport, is found : " Ondon next meeting."
The grist-mill-after many attempts to erect one in the Town Plot, upon waters which either failed in sum- mer, or ran off furiously with all incumbrances at the spring freshets, was finally established upon the Cove below the Falls. Forty acres on the south side of the Little Plain side hills, upon the cove, were given to the mill, " to lye to it with the Landing Place, for the use of the town," and to be improved by John Elder- kin, the miller. A tract of land along " the Mill River," above and below the Falls, was granted to
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Elderkin, and in 1680, the town also voted to him " the island that lyeth before his house at the Mill Falls."
Elderkin's grant covered the Indian burying-place, which had been guarantied to Uncas by the town. In the first division of the common lands, April, 1661, " the Indian Graves" was included in the grant to Thomas Tracy; upon which the town, by way of ex- change, gave him eight acres of pasture land in anoth- er place. And though the same spot was afterwards granted to Elderkin, it was stipulated that the Indians should always be allowed to pass and repass up the cove and ravine to their burying-place, and to cut wood, if they chose, half-way up the side hill. These privileges were reiterated in succeeding acts of the town, and the land is still held with this reservation of the Indian right.
Though Norwich was a place of frequent resort with the Indians, and anterior to the English settlement, their hunting field and battle ground, very few memo- rials of the red race have been found within its pre- cincts. That race indeed seem to have lived and died from generation to generation, without ever passing out of themselves, and stamping an evidence of their existence, either upon the material forms around them, or the annals of time. They pass over the earth like the wind, or melt away like a dream, and leave no vestige behind, or if any, it is but the names that they bestowed on the hills and streams. These still linger among us, and always have a wild and melancholy sound, recalling the dark history and sad fate of the departed owners of the land.
The only aboriginal relic of any note left in the town, is the Sachem's Burial Ground above mentioned. A few skeletons, supposed to have belonged to Indians,
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have, at various times been disinterred in other places, but nothing of interest has been discovered.
There were three places within the bounds of Nor- wich, where, if any dependence is to be placed upon traditionary names, we may locate an Indian fortifica- tion : viz. upon Waweecos Hill, at the Landing, which was called by the first settlers, Fort Hill-on Little Fort Hill near the Great Plains -- and on the south side of the Yantic, in the town plot, on a rugged and woody height, south-east of the place where the Hammer Brook comes in. It is difficult to conceive for what purpose a fort could have been erected upon this barren and secluded spot ; but a tradition has always been current among the inhabitants on the opposite side of the river, and particularly among the Hides and Posts, who first owned the spot, that here was an ancient Indian fortress. It consisted merely of a stone wall, enclosing an area upon the brow of a hill. The stones were removed about the year 1790, and used in the building of a cellar, and for other purposes, by the owner of the land.
CHAPTER V.
Houses. Books. Schools. Food
THE first houses were generally of one story ; the better sort two stories in front, ending in a very low story in the rear. Two rooms in front, viz. a great- room and kitchen, with a bed-room and pantry in the rear, was the usual plan of the ground floor. It seems formerly to have been the fashion of our country to have the houses cover a large area, but they were sel- dom thoroughly finished, and the upper rooms of course were cold and comfortless. A snug, well-finish- ed house, adapted to the family and circumstances of the owner, is an improvement of modern times. Our ancestors appear to have had no conception of such comfort.
Towns were not built in those days like a factory village at the present time,-all at once, and after one model. The houses were, .in fact, unpainted, mis- shapen and patched, with crooked, heavy chimneys of stone, that occupied a large space in the centre of the building. Frequently on one, two, or three sides, they presented additions or leantos, that were made from time to time.
At intervals through the town, three or four houses were fortified ; that is, a nude stone wall was built around them; port-holes were prepared to fire through, and they were perhaps furnished with a small field piece. One of these fortified houses was the old Gro-
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ver-house, still standing, and supposed to be the oldest building extant in the place. In later times, during Philip's war, the house at Huntington's corner was fortified. This was an important station, as was also Leffingwell's corner, for the old Indian track from Nar- ragansett to Mohegan, over Ox-hill, led down to these points. A block-house was also erected during Phil- ip's war :- can any one tell where ?
The rooms were generally large, and agreeably to the taste of the old colonists, well supplied with little cup-boards, closets, and other receptacles of rubbish and vermin. The windows were small and few ; most of them furnished with panes of diamond glass, cased in lead. As late as the year 1810, windows of this kind were remaining in the old Post house.
Fire-places were enormously large; from six to eight feet wide, and two or three feet deep. Wood was cut four feet in length, and the rolling in of a log was a ponderous operation, that made all the timbers creak, and crushed the bed of burning coals upon the hearth into cinders. The reduction of chimneys and fire-places is a great improvement of modern architec- ture, promoting at once, comfort, economy and sym- metry. In new countries, where wood is so abundant that it is an object to destroy it, there may be a con- venience in a large fire-place, where any quantity of it may be stowed away and consumed. But such a fire- place requires more air to force the smoke up the chimney than any common room can furnish, and of course the room is filled with smoke unless a door is kept open. As it is usually inconvenient to keep an outer door open, recourse must be had to the cellar door, which in old houses usually opened into the kitchen, and as fast as the air is drawn from the cellar, just so fast the cellar is replenished with cold air from
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abroad. Consequently our ancestors had their cellars filled with frost during the winter.
The kitchen was the principal sitting room of the family. Blocks for children's seats, were placed in the ample corners of the fire-place; a large settle kept off the air from the door; a tin candlestick with a long back, was suspended on a nail over the mantel, and the walls were adorned with crook-necks, flitches of bacon and venison, raccoon and fox skins, and im- mense lobster-claws. Afterwards, as fears of the In- dians died away, and weapons of warfare were less used, occasionally a musket or an espontoon might be seen, suspended transverse from beam to beam, and bearing as trophies, strings of dried apples, chains of sausages, and bunches of red peppers. A small open recess for books was usually seen on one side of the fire-place, a little below the ceiling, where even the cleanest volumes, soon acquired a dingy hue. Vene- rated were these books, for they came from the father- land, and were mostly of that blessed Puritan stamp whose truths had inspired the owners with courage to leave the scenes of their nativity, to find a home in this distant and savage land. This little recess, dis- playing its few books, often appears in the back ground of ancient portraits; for example, in that of Col. Dyer, of Windham, formerly among the pictures in the Wyllis mansion at Hartford.
In these houses the Family Bible was never want- ing. It occupied a conspicuous station upon the desk or best table, and though much used was well preserv- ed. It came from home, for so the colonists loved to call the mother country; it had voyaged with them over the billowy waters, and was revered as the gift of Heaven. One of these blessed volumes, long preserv- ed as a precious relic in the Lathrop family, and now
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deposited in the archives of the American Bible Socie- .ty, merits a particular notice. It is in the old English text, and of that edition usually called Parker's, or the Bishop's Bible. It was brought from England by the Rev. John Lathrop, who reading one night in his berth, fell asleep over the book, when a spark escaped from his lamp and falling upon the leaf, ate its way slowly through a large number of pages, committing sad havoc in the sacred text. He afterwards with great neatness and patience, repaired the ravage.
Some few of the proprietors were men of education, but the greater part had but little of what is called school learning. Some of the most active and judi- cious among them, could not write their names. Eight of the first thirty-five, it is ascertained by actual in- spection of deeds and conveyances, affixed their marks for signatures instead of hand-writing; yet among them were men who acted as townsmen, deacons, constables, and arbitrators. But they all alike sought to obtain the advantages of education for their children. The establishment of a school was the next object after that of a church. John Birchard is the first school- master mentioned ; he was engaged for nine months of the year, to receive £26 in provision pay. Each child who entered for the whole term, was to pay the value of nine shillings ; and others in proportion : the town to make up the deficit. In 1678, it was voted that " Mr. Daniel Mason should be improved as a school-master for nine months ;" terms as before, ex- cept that nothing was said about provision pay.
In 16SO, a special meeting was called for the settle- ment of a town school, and the whole matter delivered into the hands of the select men, with a solemn charge that they should see, " Ist. that parents send their children ; 2d. that they pay their proportion, accord-
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ing to what is judged just; 3d. that they take care parents be not oppressed, espeshally such who are dis- abled; 4th. that whatever is additionally necessary for the perfecting the maintenance of a school-master, is a charge and expense belonging to all the inhabit- ants of the town, and to be gathered as any other rates; 5th. whatever else is necessary to a prudent carrying through this occation, is committed to the discreshon of ye sd select men."
There is no account that the planters ever experien- ced any scarcity of food, or were deprived at any time of the real comforts of life. Though their modes of cooking were more simple than those now in vogue, the variety of sustenance was nearly as great. To obviate the necessity of going often to mill, pounded maize, called by the Indians samp, was much used. Another dish which the Indians taught them to make, was succotash, a mixture of tender Indian corn and new beans, forming a delicious compound, still a great favorite all over New England. They also learned of the natives to bake corn-cakes on the hot hearth, un- der the ashes, forming a sweet and wholesome ban- nock ; and to pound their parched corn and eat it with milk or molasses. This was called in their language, Yo-kè-ug. The first planters were also famous for baked beans and boiled Indian puddings; dishes which have been kept up by their descendants with such constancy and spirit as to become characteristic of the place. The beans were put into the oven early in the morning, crowned with a choice portion from the pork barrel, and having been kept all day seeth- ing and browning, appeared upon the supper table, hot and juicy, and with their respectable accompaniment, the slashed and crispy pork, gave dignity to the best tables. This was the universal Saturday night treat ;
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so that wits would say the inhabitants knew when Sunday was coming only by the previous dish of baked beans; and that if the usual baking should at any time be omitted, the ovens would fall in. Bean-por- ridge was also, in those early days, a frequent break- fastdish. The name of Bean-hill was bestowed on that part of the town plot now called West-ville, from the preponderance of these customs. With respect to the puddings, it is reported that they were frequently made of such size and solidity as to carry ruin in their path if the pyramid chanced to fall. An extra-good housewife would put her pudding in the bag at night, and keep it boiling until dinner time the next day. The carving commenced at the top, and as the pile lowered to the centre the color deepened to a delicious red. One cannot help. being curious to know whether these local customs could be traced back to those parts of England from which the planters came.
In addition to the flesh afforded by the flocks and herds which they fed, the bounty of Providence fur- nished them with rich supplies. Deer at the time of the settlement were not infrequent ; wild fowl, espe- cially pigeons, were at the proper season very abund- ant ; all the smaller game, such as squirrels, foxes, wood-chucks, and rabbits might be caught in snares at the very doors of the houses, and the rivers and brooks around them, furnished first rate bass, innumerable shad, fine lobsters, delicate oysters, and highly-prized trout. Such were the dainties spread upon their board.
CHAPTER VI.
Grants of Land. Highways. Fences. Boundaries. Selectmen. Innkeepers. Town Clerk.
LAND at this early period was given away with a lavish hand. Grants were often made in this indefinite manner,-" where he can find it"'-" over the river" -"at any place free from engagement to another"_ " at some convenient 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,"-an- other 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. Every new inhabitant, publicly accepted as such, obtained a grant of land, comprising a building lot, pasture ground and wood land, sufficient for a family ; frequently in three parcels. No one was permitted to settle in the town without the consent of the majority.
Grants were uniformly made by a town vote. Ex- amples.
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
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town leaves it to the measurers 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."
" 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 peace- ably 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, Senr . 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."
1684. " Granted to Capt. Fitch, a gusset of land from the S. E. corner of the old meeting-house to the corner of his father's homelot."
The carlier grants being thus indefinite in situation and extent, and imperfectly recorded, after the lapse of a few years great perplexities began to be experien- ced, and more were apprehended. Several votes were passed by way of providing remedies. Additions were inserted in the records here and there, or new surveys recorded, so contradictory to the old, that the confu- sion was every day increased. In 16S1, 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. Com- mittees 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 proprie- tary 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 afterwards partially copied and con- tinned by Richard Bushnell and others, Clerks of the
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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.
Every enterprize which had any tendency to pro- mote the public convenience was patronized by a grant of land. Hugh Amos, who first established a regular ferry over Shetucket river, received one hun- 1671. dred acres of land by way of encouragement. John Elderkin was repeatedly remunerated in this way for keeping the town mill. A blacksmith was induced to settle among them by a similar reward. A miller, a blacksmith and a ferryman were important personages for the infant settlement. Saw mills met with the same liberal patronage. In 1680, two hun- dred acres were granted to Capt. Fitch, on condition that he built a saw mill in a certain place : he to have the benefit of the stream and the timber near it, and no other person to set up a saw mill on the same stream to his damage. This mill, however, was not erected and the privilege, according to contract, re- verted to the town. A person who proposed to estab- lish a fulling mill was promised a large grant of various immunities if he succeeded. The project, however, failed, and there was no fulling mill in the place till at a much later. period the town had one erected at the public expense. 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 planters were often deceived in their first esti- mation of the quality of the land. Some bog meadows in the interior of the township, the Podgeum and We- quanock lands, and other tracts of inferior quality, were eagerly taken up, from an idea that when drained,
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they would make good mowing land. Experience has proved the fallacy of this opinion. The more a man docs to them, the poorer he grows. Among other grants is one of the island in Wequonuk river, to Thomas Leffingwell, 2d., for which he preferred his petition, as though it was of some considerable value. No such island is at present known. Grants in the Cranberry Pond and Swamp, were considered advan- tagcous, but whether for the fruit or the land is now doubtful. In an agricultural point of view, some parts of Norwich have disappointed the expectations at first formed. That part of it which is restricted within its present limits, would have made, on the whole, but indifferent farms; much of the sward being thin and loose, the pasturage rocky, and of little value.
Most of the highways at first laid out, began at the meeting-house plain, and branched out diverse ways into the farms ; but they were, at this period, little better than cart paths. In 1699, mention is made of the path to New London, and the path to Connecticut. The town street had been left from the first, four rods wide in the narrowest part. It was afterwards much straitened and improved. The present road from Hun- tington's corner to Strong's corner, is of comparatively recent origin. On this path at the time of the settle- ment, there was a bold and almost impassable ravine, twenty feet deep, with a gurgling stream in its bed, just beyond the dwelling house of the late Deacon Caleb Huntington. Another rivulet came down the hill near the house of Dr. Daniel Lathrop, both passing into the meadow below, which was then a dense alder swamp. It was to avoid this swamp and other obstruc- tions, that the town street made a detour at this place. A path was early laid out along the margin of the river,
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and though fenced in, it was well understood to be a highway. The following is the first notice of it.
Aug. 1661 ._. " Memorando : the footway six foote broad which goes through the homelot of Mr. Fitch, John Holm- stead and Steven Backus was laid out by Towne order and agreement for the use of the towne."
Between the Little Plain and the Town Plot, there was a very thick swamp, known then, and for many years afterwards, as Capt. John Mason's Swamp. A foot-path led through it.
The sheep walks were laid out at some distance from the Town Plot. Two, of five hundred acres each, lay on the eastern and western borders. One of them cov- ered a part of Long Hill and Wequonuck plains, bor- dering on " the White Hills and Pople Swamp." The other spread over " Wolf pit-Hill," in the western part of the town. Chelsea formed another sheep- walk-pas- rure of nine hundred acres ; and a fourth is described as lying " between the Great River and Great Plains, beginning at the brook below the clay banks, and so running down to Trading Cove." In these Walks, the sheep of the town plot residents, as distinguished from farmers, were to be kept, and among the appoint- ments made by the town, we sometimes find that of a shepherd to oversee the flocks.
Labor on the town lands was usually accomplished in the same way as highway work. Laws were made which provided for the clearing of the commons by degrees. A certain quantity was every year laid down to grass, the hay-seed being procured at the town charge. Every citizen, excepting those who lived on remote farms, between the ages of fourteen and seventy, were required to ent bushes two days in the
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