USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Seymour > History of Seymour, Connecticut, with biographies and genealogies > Part 3
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In the township of Milford-of which the land which is now covered by our vil- lege was then a part-a Congregational church was formed on the 16th day of An- gust, 1639-the year after the beginning at New Haven, 237 years ago. As the basis of the plan on which this oldest church was organized, those who were to consti- Inte it took the text Proverbs ix, 1: " Wis- dom hath builded her house, she hath hewn ont her seven pillars," and selected seven of their number to join together in cove- nant to be the church, and to be called the pillars, to whom the rest were afterwards added.
Thirty-seven years later, in 1677, the Congregational church in Derby was con- stituted. So it was two centuries ago, lacking one year, that this church, in what then became our town, was organized. It was long ago for this continent. It was only 93 years after the death of Luther, and it was 26 years before John Wesley was born, that this ancient church, only five miles away from us, was formed. It was after that church had been in exist- ence and doing its work abont a hundred and thirteeen years that Jesse Lce, one of Wesley's followers, passed through, for the first time, the place where it had been standing until it aad grown gray with age, and hired a bell man to ring the people out that he might preach to them.
A CENTURY AGO TO-DAY, the father of Gen. HIumphrey's had passed the middle of his pastorate, of more than half a century in length. A century ago to-day, the Rev. Daniel Humphreys had been doing the work of a pastor of the flock of Christ, five miles from where we are, forover forty years. Many times had he been over onr hills and through our valleys, on errands for the Master. A century ago to-day, his son David, (whom he had named after the King of Israel, and whom he hoped would make something,) was a young man 24 years of age, looking up into the future to see what he could carve out of it. Those who were living in this part of the town- when they wanted to attend services of public worship-(and people in those days expected to, and were expected to)-went to what is now Derby, to hear Mr. Hum- phreys-it was all Derby then. There were families here a century ago who could have gained something by a steady going to meeting, and it is to be hoped they did go.
The Indian Sachem whom we know best as Chuse, (Joe Mauwehu,) was here a cen- tury ago, probably not far from where we are, only across the river; his wigwam standing on the south border of the flat, west of the residence of Mr. Raymond French, beautifully set among a grove of white oaks there. (He may have been, just then, in the vicinity of where Dr. Stoddard now lives.) A century ago his youngest child-Eunice-was an Indian girl 14 years old, her father an athletic, skillful hunter, with some knowledge such as civilization has to give, but with the in- stinets of his race strong within him. At some point of his long life (he died when about 80) he united with the eburch in Derby. But even after he came to hope that he loved the Lord, he knew that he loved- that which biteth like a serpent and sting- eth like au adder.
The first house of worship-that built for the Rev. Benjamin Beach-was erccted 86 years ago. The frame of it was proba - bly raised in the month of April, 1791. The second house of worship ever erected at what is now our village is the pleasant and commodious one belonging to the
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SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
Protestant Episcopal Church. The Epis- copal Society was organized Feb. 20, 1797. This house was originally built by two societies in union, but has been recon- strneted at heavy expense, by the society owning it now, into its present attractive form. The third house of worship creeted at our village was the second Congrega- tional house, buit on the hill overlooking the river. This was commenced-or prep- aration was begun for it - in 1818. The fourth is this house in which we are-the third Congregational house-built in 1846. The fifth is the honse owned by the Metho- dist Episcopal Church. The corner stone of this editiee was laid on Saturday, June 19, 1847. The sixth is the house built by the Baptist Church. The church was or- ganized in 1848, and the honse was ereeted in 1851. The house built by the congrega- tion connected with the church of Rome, is of more recent date.
So there have been three years, not far apart, of the life of our village, which have been, characteristically church - building years. This temple-building work is of itself, on the surface, I know, but it tra- ces away to something which lies deep down in human hearts-interest in the things of God's worship. It has self-denial underlying it-and mixed with it. There is prayer and faith back of it and below it. There has been a life lived within our vil- lage, invisible of itself, but which has come to view in these results. It has been quietly lived by many, It has been a bless- ing to us.
Within these sanctuaries which have arisen from the impulses and purposes of this life, (God aiding and blessing,) the gospel of our salvation has been preached, with earnestness and success. The health- ful influences exerted by these different churches, through these 86 years of time past, has been, to our village, an advantage which cannot be estimated. These influ- enees penetrate, to a greater or less extent, business and social life, encouraging integ- rity, and honesty, and honor, and discour- aging evil. The more vigorous these church- es of our village are, the better will be the village, as a place to have a home in-a
place in which to spend, pleasantly and use- fully, these days which bear us along to the end. Our days are all journey days- days of travel along our life-way.
These churches of Christ have been schools of the Master, from which a great many have been gradnated and ealled up. These houses of worship have been centers from which have radiated invisible tenden- cies toward what is good and true-forees stimultive of elevating thought and feel- ing and action.
A church becomes localized, as it builds a house of worship around itself. It gains for itself a religions home. Then the home feeling has opportunity to aet and react within the religious nature. A church is not infrequently moulded, to an extent- its daily and weekly life materially affected -by the house which belongs to it, and to which it belongs; not as it belongs to Christ, but as it can belong to earthly things.
The whole history of this church, taken in connection with the church ont of which it came, most naturally divides itself into three periods, marked by the erection of its three different houses of worship.
The first period of 27 years in length, from the beginning in 1789 to the assemn- bling of the Council of Five in 1817. This is the pioneer period, the period of struggle for the necessities of religious life. Of the church, as it lived through this period, we knew something, but much less than we should be glad to know. The 27 years of meeting within that house had sunshine and shadow within them, as years have now. There was trial bravely borne, and, proba- bly, trial not bravely borne. They were years with days of weeping and days of rejoicing within them. The 26 men whose names are on this old paper-discolored by these 80 years and more through which it has come down to ns-represented families, households, with young and old in them, and into which joy and sorrow came, as it comes into our dwellings now.
This earliest church gathers itself most naturally, in our thoughts, around the man who was, for 15 years its pastor; a man who honored God and sought to aid man to
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SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
find God ; a man ready to do whatever his hands found to do, and whoso hands, both of them, did find enough do.
The church, in this earliest period of its history, is sometimes spoken of as one of what were called the " separate" churches of the tinie.
The great awakening of 1740-of the time of Whitfield, and Edwards, and Bel- lamy-enkindled new zeal, and desire of larger liberty than the relation which then existed between the church and state al- lowed, and a number of churches arose as the result of this feeling, which were known as "separate" churches; some of them com- posed of the better elements, and somo of the discordant ones. I do not, however, find this church in any list which has come to my knowledge thus far, of these churches. The fact that it was Congregational, and known as such, is not decisive, for the separate churches-some of them-claimed to be more truly Congregational than any others. The single fact which I do find, relating to the matter is that its first and only permanent pastor had been, before he came here, minister of a separate church in Prospect. I have found evidence enough that this early church was an earnest church. There was human nature in it, unquestionably. We find scars of misun- derstanding and difficulty as we trace out its history ; but this is not so strange a thing in churches of other times as I wish it was. After all the labor which I have given to the gathering of every item of in- formation concerning it which I could find, in any quarter, I think of it as a praying, self-denying, earnest, energetic church of Christ; adjusted to its time, of course, as it needed to be in order to be most useful; but loving and serving the Master, and obeying God rather than man. I look back upon that first church of our place with a great deal of interest.
The second period is of 29 years in length ; from the meeting of the Council of Five in 1817, to the dedication of this house in which we are assembled. This is the period of quiet, steady work and pro- gress. The men whom we see ministering to it-going in and out of its house of
worship, and of the dwellings of those who composed its congregation -sharing joys and sorrows with them-the Rev. Zepha- niah Swift, the Rev. Bela Kellogg, the Rev. Ephraim G. Swift, the Rev. Charles Thomp- son, the Rev. Rollin S. Stone, the Rev. John E. Bray and tho Rev. William B. Curtiss-form a company whom it is an honor to the church to have had within it. Among the laymen who come into promi- nent view, within this period -[among those who have gone home; of the living I will not speak ] are Bradford Steele, Nehe- miah Botsford, Sheldon Kinney, Alfred Hull, Ira Smith and Daniel White. Miles Culver, energetic, self denying, generous, prompt, serving the Master and loving to do it, and continuing to do it to the end, united with the church Jan. 5th, 1845, not far from the time when this house was built.
The third period is, up to this point of time, of just 30 years in length, but open for more to follow, of work for Christ, and of blessings coming-to the worker in the doing of the work, and to others through the work.
The merest sketch of the history of this church could not be, in anywise, complete, if it failed to include some notice of its vigorous SUNDAY SCHOOL, which has had life within it which has helped itself, and other good things around it.
The Sunday School can be traced back to the year 1828. The names of those who have been superintendents of it, so far as they can be collected, are: Joel White, George F. DeForest, Andrew DeForest, Sharon Y. Beach, W. M. Tuttle, P. B. Buck- ingham, George E. Lester, Robert C. Bell, Theodore S. Ladd, Andrew Y. Beach and James Swan. The present number of names on its roll is 222.
But it has what is better than mere mnem- bers-vitality-vigor. The weekly teach- ers' meeting is a very live meeting ; I never saw anybody asleep in that meeting; and teachers awake cannot easily help having a school awake. Both the school and the teachers' meeting breathe a little heavily just now, as we are suffering this excessive heat, but it is exhaustion only, not sleep.
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SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
In the revival of last winter almost all |certain what the connection was. I take who came to Christ came from and through our Sunday School.
The superintendent is now an officer of the church, elected annually by ballot. This plan was adopted about four years ago, (May 28, 1872.) Up to that time no minnte appears on the records of the church of the names of the officers of the Sunday School. Now they are put on distinet rec- ord every year.
There is one fact belonging to the origin of the church in its later form, which I have picked out of the old record with a good deal of interest. In less than two months after the church was organized, and when its first deacons were chosen, (at a meeting held May 9, 1817,) a librarian for the VILLAGE CHURCH LIBRARY was ap- pointed. A committee of three also re- ceived appointment as a " Committee of Selection ;" their duty evidently under- stood to be to select books for this library. Now to select books for a library involves money, furnished by somebody; and that three men were needed on this commit- tee seems to indicate that there was something important for them to do. Now to do anything important in the way of selecting books, involves and implies a good deal, and more then than now.
I suppose this could not have been a Sunday-school library ; if it was, the Sun- day school originated a good deal earlier than the date which I have given. The library is called a church library. In either case the book power was recognized by the young church, and it was determined to make use of it. What a marvelous power has it become since that time !
This church has raised up, for service in the great field of christian labor, one min- ister and one missionary. The minster is the Rev. Ira Smith; and the missionary is the Rev. H. A. DeForest [class of 1832, Yale ], who went to Syria, returned with the seeds of fatal disease in his system, and so ended his work on earth. I am glad to find that a missionary to that old land has had any connection with us. I am not quite | May it have a FUTURE !
the fact, as I have stated it, on trust, not having had opportunity to verify it. I have searched the old records for his name but have not, thus far, succeeded in finding it. I shall trace out the matter as fully as I can. It is certainly a benefit to us to have such a point of contact with the great mis- sionary enterprise. To follow a missionary of the cross, who is a personal acquaintance, with prayer, and interest, and faith, is in- vigorating to the heart which does it, and is honorable to God, whose service the work is.
The Rev. Robert C. Bell, now the efficient pastor of the Congregational Church in Darien, in this state, was, for a time, be- fore his entrance npon his ministry, a mem- ber of this church, and conies here to the family home. His name belongs to our history.
I designed to say more about the rivivals which have occurred within the church, noticing not only its larger ingatherings, but also its other harvests. It ought to be characterized by them to be true to its ori- gin, for the church in its later form was born in a revival. In the record left by the Council of Five, of the work which they performed on that 12th of March, 1817, they say :- " The meeting proceeded to con- sider this application, and the state of this village, especially the increase of godly people in the present revival of religion, and are of the opinion that a compliance with the above request may conduce to the pros- perity of Zion."
I desired also to, at least, mention some of the lessons to be gathered from the facts which I have presented to yon. But I will not. You are weary, and you can do this work for yourselves. I will only express the wish, which I find so distinctly in my heart that I cannot deny it some utterance, that this church of the Lord Jesus Christ may be ever true to the Master, earnest in the doing of his work, and receive of his blessing till it shall overflow. It has a PAST.
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HISTORY OF SEYMOUR.
FIRST ORGANIZATION OF THE
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
IN 1789.
The following is a literal copy of an old MS., fixing the date of the forma- tion of the first ecclesiastical society in Seymour :
DERBY, November 3d, A. D., 1789.
This may sertify all whom it may concern, that the subscribers have joined and paid towards the support of the Gospel at the Congregational Society, in Derby, near Bladen Brook, and mean for the future to support the Gospel there :
Capt. Timothy Baldwin,
Asahel Johnson,
Gideon Johnson,
Capt. Bradford Steel,
Elisha Steel,
Isaac Baldwin,
Ebr. Turel Whitmore,
Amos Hine,
Bradford Steel, Jr.,
Medad Keney,
Hezekiah Wodin,
John Adye,
Ashbel Loveland,
Truman Loveland,
Ebenezer Warner,
Leveret Pritchard,
Levi Tomlinson,
John Coe,
Ebenezer Beacher Johnson,
Nathan Wheler,
Bezalel Peck,
Frances Forque,
Joseph Loines,
Moses Clark,
Philo Hinman,
Thomas Hotchkis.
Sertifyed by me,
LEVI TOMLINSON, Society Clerk.
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HISTORY OF SEYMOUR.
COINS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
SE
A
S
1652
7.50
XII
MA
IN
20:0002000000000 V
NO
PINE TREE SHILLING.
One of the most interesting of the early coins is the variety known as the "Pine Tree Shilling," once known as the Boston or Bay Shillings, which was issued at intervals for more than twenty-five years, though these coins all bear the original date, 1652.
AS.
YOU
PP
3 W . E AT
O
LEASE
AM
٥
1737
GRANBY COPPER.
The earliest Connecticut com of which we have any record is the Granby Copper, issued in 1737, by a Mr. Higley of Granby and made of copper from Copper Hill, afterward the seat of the famous Newgate Prison. Within the exergue of the reverse are three sledge hammers crowned. Another variety with a similar obverse bears on the reverse the head of an ox, with the legend, I. CUT. MY. WAY. THROUGH. As these pieces were only private tokens and their issue quite limited, specimens are now rare and highly valned.
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HISTORY OF SEYMOUR.
ONNECT:
*INDE
ETLIBO
18
17 87
CONNECTICUT CENT.
The above, issued by authority of the colony of Connecticut, (Auctori Connec,) were struck only four years, viz : 1785-8, the further issue of money by the colonies being then prohibited by Congress. The motto, "Inde et Lib.," (Independence and Liberty.) was full of siguificence to the colonists, after the long war for liberty and independence in which they had suffered so much. Of the cents issued in these four years there are extant nearly a hundred types, distinguished by the bust of Liberty facing right or left, by the misspelling of the word AUCTORI, as AUCTOPI, AUCTOBI, AUCTOBE and AUCION, by variations in the punctuation, by correct obverses with a variety of reverses, &c. The cents of 1787 are the most common, and the varieties of this date the most numerous.
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SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
TRINITY CHURCH.
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL.
At the request of Theophilos Miles, Jona- than Miles, and Benjamin Davis, a warrant was issued by Levi Tomlinson, a Justice of the l'eace for New Haven County, directed to Benjamin Davis, an indifferent person, requesting him to give notice to all the inhabitants professing the religion of the Protestant Episcopal Church, residing with- in certain prescribed limits, to meet at the house of Dr. Samuel Sanford, on the 20th day of Feb., 1797 ; then and there to form an Episcopal Ecclesiastical Society.
This warrant was dated Feb. 12th, 1797, and was served on thirty-nine persons, viz : Renben Lnm, James Manville, Nathan Mansfield, William Tucker, Benjamin Haw- ley, Russell Tomlinson, Martin Beebe, Enos G. Nettleton, Ephraim Wooster, Nathaniel Holbrook, Jeremiah Gillette, Josiah Net- tleton, Philo Holbrook, Edward Hayes, Nathan Stiles, Wilson Hurd, William Church, Abel Church, John Griffin, Daniel Davis, Bowers Washband, Alexander John- son, Timothy Johnson, Joseph Johnson, Charles French, Israel Bostwick, Moses Riggs and John White. The persons met at the time and place named in the warn- ing, (the house now owned by Mr. Henry Wheeler), when Benjamin Davis was ap- pointed moderator, Samuel Sanford clerk, and Joel Chatfield, Israel French and Jonathan Miles Society's Committee. As there had been a union of the Parish of Great Hill with the Episcopalians of the new Parish it was concluded to call the new organization Union Church.
Beyond the organization of the Society no other business appears to have been trans- acted at this time, and the meeting adjourn- ed to meet at the same place at the end of the week, Feb. 27th. At this meeting they began in earnest to lay the foundation of a house for the Lord ; and Benjamin Davis, Edward Hayes, Nathaniel Johnson and John White were appointed a committee to furnish materials for the building of the Church. The land upon which the Church stands was purchased of Leverett Pritch- ard, and cost $60; the deed is dated March
23rd, 1797. The committee to whom was intrusted the provision of funds and ma- terials for a church building immediately commenced their labors, and if their ener- gy be judged by their success they are entitled to the award of industry and per- severance. Early in the spring the corner stone was laid by the Rev. Edward Blakes- lee, then an assistant to Rev. Dr. Mansfield of Derby; during the summer the build- ing was raised and before winter entirely enclosed. After the building had been in- closed the committee found the funds at their disposal exhausted, and not willing to involve the Society in debt, concluded to suspend their work, and the finishing of the building was reserved for a later day. Seats were however provided, benches made of slabs. To accomplish this much great sacrifices were made ; for their num- ber was not only small and limited in their worldly means, but they also had to con- tend against what was terncd the "estab- lished order," viz : against the Presbyterian influence which had at that time complete power in the state, and which regarded every such effort as a direct attack upon itself.
Of this Church Dr. Richard Mansfield was the first pastor, and for his support the So- ciety voted to pay him 3pence ou the pound on the grand list of 1797. He was at this time rector of the Church in Derby. This connection between the two parishes does not appear to have been harmonious ; for early in the year 1800, a committee was appoint- ed to devise some means for uniting Derby and this Society under one pastoral charge. How long Dr. Mansfield continned in the rectorship of the Parish can not be cor- rectly ascertained ; but probably not longer than 1802; for in that year a committee was appointed to employ a clergyman for one quarter of his time. But as he had been settled for life, this Society assisted in supporting Dr. Mansfield after his pas- toral connection had terminated, and con- tinned to do so for eighteen years, until the time of his death in the year 1820. Jonathan Miles was appointed the first delegate to the Convention of this Diocese. lle was a member of the 13th annual cou- vention, beld in the year 1798.
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SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
In the year 1802 the Union Bank was es- tablished, ont of which a fund was to be raised for the support of the ministry. Of this bank Abijah Hull was treasurer. The amount of subscriptions was about $2,000, by fifty-seven persons. This bank during its existence proved a bone of contention, and in 1811 action was taken for its disso- Intion, and subsequently the notes and money which constituted the bank were returned to the original proprietors, they paying interest on the same up to the year 1808. After the resignation of Dr. Mansfield in 1802, the church remained for a year unsup- plied. In 1803 a committee was appointed to confer with committees from Oxford and Derby, in relation to employing a clergy- man with power to agree with Derby and Oxford for one year, or to make proposals to the other committees, or either of them, to confer with a clergyman for a settlement and get his proposals, and report the same to a subsequent meeting. The clergyman about whom they were to confer was Rev. Samuel Griswold. These conferences were unsuccessful.
The next year they succeed in settling the Rev. Solomon Blakeslee; and yet he only remained three months, when the ser- vices of the Rev. Calvin White was secured for six months, at the end of which time he removed. In 1805 the Rev. Ammi Rodg- ers was engaged for one-third of his time for three months. At the expiration of three months the engagement was renew- ed and a resolution expressing the satisfac- tion of the Society with his services was adopted. This resolution was probably of his own proposal, and designed to varnish a character deeply stained with guilt. The Society subsequently became convinced of the charges made against him and he was dismissed. how long he continued in the Rectorship is net certainly known, but probablynot more than one year; for in 1807 the services of the Rev. Ambrose Todd were secured for one-third of his time for one year. Who succeeded Rev. Mr. Todd the records do not show; but the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee was again rector in 1810, in which he continned nearly three years.
In 1812 an effort was made to unite this church and Oxford under one pastoral
charge, but it failed. In 1813 the Rev. James Thompson became Rector, but he only remained one year. In 1814 the Rev. Mr. White was again employed. Like Mr. Thompson his connection with the parish was of short duration, and the following year, 1815, we find the Rev. Chauncy Prindle, Rector. In 1813 the Parish paid an assess- ment of $60 towards establishing a fund for the supportof the Bishop.
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