USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut. Volume I, 1600-1760 > Part 30
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XXXVII.
BOUNDARY QUARRELS. MEETING-HOUSE SITE.
THE settlement of religious ordinances was followed, as foreseen by Plainfield and Preston, by other improvements and a more rapid development. In 1724, John Gallup had liberty to build a dam and sawmill, " where he hath begun on ye stream that runs out of Mon- hungonnuck Pond," and Robert Parke was allowed a similar privilege on the Moosup. The landed interests of the town were still managed by the proprietors, and their meetings held at New London, Norwich and Stonington, though often obstructed by great rains, heavy floods, bad roads and other inconveniences. As the original records of the grant were kept with Captain Bushnell of Norwich, and the inhabitants
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BOUNDARY QUARRELS. MEETING-HOUSE SITE.
" obliged to be at the oppressive and painful drudgery of going twenty miles to him for a copy of anything wanted," an unsuccessful attempt was made to have them transferred into the hands of the person who kept town records. On the death of Captain Williams of Plainfield, in 1723, a petition was sent for one of their own townsmen to serve as treasurer of the tax money, and Jacob Bacon appointed in the room of their deceased friend. Defects in laying out lots-lapping one upon another and want of proper bounds-were rectified in 1724, by a com- mittee appointed by the proprietors. More highways were then laid out, and pine and other cedar swamps sequestered. Various new inhabitants were from time to time admitted.
With some progress, Voluntown met with many difficulties and drawbacks. The bounds of the town were disputed on every side. Preston and Plainfield averred that the volunteers encroached upon their limits, and endeavored "to swallow up some thousands of pounds' worth of government lands more than their grant." The Rhode Island line was one of those bounds which refused to stay settled, and again and again the inhabitants of Voluntown were "cut off" or " beaten back," while an internal controversy raged with still greater violence between the proprietors of the original grant and the addition. John Stoyell, who had bought up many rights in old Voluntown, as it was called, was very active in this controversy, which was developed in laying out to the proprietors the patents of confirmation granted by the General Court in 1720. The true north bound of the original Volunteer's Land was the point at issue. By the terms of the grant, the volunteers were to begin at the pond at the head of Pawcatuck River-now known as Bailey's-" and from thence to run a north line to the road that goeth from Norwich to Greenwich, and thence a west line to Preston bounds." It was claimed by Stoyell, as agent for the original grantees, that these instructions had not been followed, and that the line established was considerably south of the most northerly point of the path, which had been intended. Plainfield, too, " had beat back Preston half a mile," so that the west end of the bound now abutted on Plainfield instead of Preston bounds, as ordered by the grant. A petition was, therefore, urged, October, 1721, " That the old path from Norwich to Greenwich, and so to Plainfield bounds, might be the north bound."
In response to this request, and to petitions from Plainfield and Preston, Messrs. John Plumb, Joshua Ripley and Josiah Conant were appointed a committee, at the charge of the Colony, to view the proper lines of Voluntown according to the several grants, and also to see whether there be any country land adjoining. These gentlemen met, September 17, 1722, at the house of John Amos, in Preston ; heard what
.
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
Preston petitioners offered, and then followed the alleged Voluntown bounds, south, east and north, to the head of Pawcatuck River, and thence traveled north in search of Greenwich Path, as indicated by the grant, but found it "very uncertain where it was, and hard to be found by reason of divers paths made since." They therefore crossed over to the west side of the town, where the path was still distinct, and beginning east of Plainfield bounds, ran east about four miles, to the Rhode Island bound, where a path called Dolwen's crossed the ancient Greenwich, " and the agents from Plainfield pleaded that this was the proper place to begin to run the line, and from Voluntown was objected that the path turned from this place more northward, and they should go further." Here, however, they stopped, and ran from this point a line due west a part of the way on the north side of Greenwich Path, then south, then north again, till they came to Plainfield line, four miles and forty rods north of her southeast corner. The line thus laid down was considerably north of that previously indicated, and included a large slice of the addition. No action was taken upon the report of this committee.
The inhabitants of the disputed tract, who had paid for their farms and expended much labor and pains in subduing them, were greatly alarmed at the prospect of having them taken away from them to be distributed among the proprietors of old Voluntown, and in a memorial presented to the General Court, October 11, 1722, averred for themselves and neighbors, "That John Stoyell, for several years, had troubled the Honorable Court with a very wrong representation of the land of Voluntown, by which he seemed to have a design to defraud several of the inhabitants; that he had told Thomas Cole and John Gallup, who had purchased land of him, that he should not hurt their interests they being his good friends, but as for Ebenezer Dow, he might look to the man he bought of, which was Thomas Stevens, for he should turn the said Dow off his land ; that Greenwich Path was eiglit and three-fourths miles from the south line of Voluntown, while the grant allowed but six ; that the lots laid out in the addition were all sold but one, reserved for the use of the ministry, and that a change in the patent would be to the great loss, if not ruin, of many of the inhabitants. In the following May, Lieutenant Leflingwell and Richard Bushnell-committee for volunteers-represented to the Assembly :-
" That Voluntown was not yet settled as it ought to be, and that the Volunteers and their heirs were under difficult circumstances. 1. Because several men had lots laid out to them, which other towns claim, so that the Volunteers did not know whether they were the true owners. 2. The tax- committee had sold several lots for one year's tax. 3. Preston's east bounds were never fixed as ye law directs, so that Voluntown's original west bounds are uncertain. They, therefore, prayed for a committee to view, measure,
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BOUNDARY QUARRELS. MEETING-HOUSE SITE.
fix bounds and likewise to examine towns' and particular persons' claims, so that all Voluntown's affairs, together with Plainfield's and Preston's, may be laid before Assembly, by which means they hoped Voluntown would settle and thrive, and needless oathis for the future be prevented. Again, in the act of the Assembly, if inhabitants and proprietors could not agree about the meet- ing-house spot, a committee was to be sent-and the inhabitants, without consent of proprietors, had stated a place not according to ye righteousness thereof, and had already stated dimensions-thirty-six by twenty-six,-and so they intended to swallow up the proprietors' money, and, therefore, the peti- tioners prayed that the committee might have power to state place and suitable dimensions-charge to come out of tax-money."
On the other side, Preston and Plainfield were equally urgent in complaints and petitions, showing :-
" That the committee to run Voluntown lines did not run one line according to order; did not run the north line from the head of Pawcatuck River to Greenwich Path, for they did not go there; did not run the west line; did not run the line of addition,-for themselves, they did not begrudge a good township to the Volunteers, for they well deserve it, neither would they have the country cheated out of land that would fetch thousands of pounds."
So obscure and complicated were the questions and interests involved in these controversies, that the various committees appointed from time to time wholly failed to disentangle them. After several unsuccess- ful attempts to settle their difficulties, James Wadsworth and Hezekiah Brainard were appointed, in 1726, to view the lands of Preston and Voluntown, and inquire into the whole affair relating to these trouble- some townships.
The erection of a house of worship in Voluntown was greatly delayed by these controversies and others of a more local and sectional character. The jealousy excited by the introduction of foreigners and Presbyterians was not easily allayed, and a lawless element long con- tinued to obstruct peaceable settlement. The chief cause of delay was, however, dissatisfaction with the site selected. The northern part of Voluntown was much the more prosperous and populous. The highway to Providence with its good bridge across the Moosup, con- venient access to Plainfield and Killingly, Smith's mill and tavern, better land and other attractions, had drawn thither the better class of settlers. Here Mr. Dorrance was settled, between what is now called Sterling Hill and Oneco. John and George Dorrance, the Gordons and other leading families had also settled in this vicinity. These settlers were very averse to the geographical centre found with so much care by the town's committee, and greatly preferred a fine, com- manding hill site, a mile from the Providence highway-the summit of Egunk,-now known as Sterling Hill. Unable, however, to induce the town to reverse its decision, they repaired to the Assembly, May 14, 1724, showing :-
" That the town agreed first that the meeting-house should be placed in the centre, which is not the centre of the present inhabitants, but in an obscure place, far from the country road, and withal surrounded by swamps and
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
precipices of rocks and bad lands, so that no good ways can be made there without excessive charge to the town, and beg for another committee :-
Robert Williams. Jacob Warren. Joseph Bugbee.
William Rogers.
Daniel Lawrence. Joshua Jefferds.
E. Wheeler.
William Deane.
Nathaniel French.
James Welch.
Robert Park.
Christopher Deane.
Samuel Welch.
James Marsh.
John Gordon.
Ebenezer Dow.
Miles Jordon.
Edmond Gordon.
Henry Cobb.
Samuel Church.
David Dill.
John Park.
Jacob Church.
Thomas Howard."
Several of these petitioners will be recognized as residents of Plain- field, who were anxious to secure this meeting-house in the north of the town to accommodate the inhabitants in the east part of their own township, and had long been accustomed to meddle in Voluntown affairs. A committee of five, was accordingly directed to repair to Voluntown, view, state, and ascertain the place for setting their first meeting house-which concurred with the petitioners, and selected the commanding site on the summit of Egunk so much admired by them. The town refused to accept this decision of the committee, and declined to make any provisions for building a meeting-house upon this site. Regardless of this rebuff, the northern residents proceeded to collect timber and prepare a foundation under the supervision of Thomas Dow. A letter from John Sprague and Joseph Backus-the com- mittee in laying out the addition-to the inhabitants of Voluntown, advised a still further removal of the site to the country road, "for the benefit of the north part of the ways, as more convenient for strangers and travelers; also to move the minister's lot." Benefits ensuing, they thought would more than countervail any damage sus- tained by the lower inhabitants, who, many of them could attend public worship in Preston. This suggestion was rejected, and in November, Thomas Dow succeeded in raising a meeting-house frame on Egunk Hill. The town still refused supplies and proposed to petition for a new committee. In January, 1725, twenty-seven subscribers judged it necessary for the benefit and peace of the town to acquiesce in the place ascertained by the Court's committee and declared their satisfac- tion therewith, "being convenient for water, beautiful for situation, free from many troublesome, unhealthy swamps and more beneficial for the greatest part of the people, and protested against any farther alteration in moving the frame." In May, both parties repaired to the Assembly-the northern, stating that the meeting-house was raised on the place ascertained by the committee and might have been finished had the carpenters been furnished with means, and therefore people were constrained to meet for worship in private houses near to one side of the town, which was inconvenient and troublesome and might have been remedied. The central party represented that a majority of the
BOUNDARY QUARRELS. MLETING-HOUSE SITE. 257
inhabitants still favored the central location. "Upon hearing the con- troversy and very great contention that has happened and still continues among the inhabitants of Voluntown respecting the place for setting up the meeting-house for public worship "-Captain James Rogers, Captain Tho. Huntington and Captain Jabez Perkins were appointed to inquire into the state of that whole affair, view the places and make report in October. This committee reported, "That after all, they had better have the meeting-house on the first place, that several non-residents had joined in petition for its removal farther north and that the proceedings were unjust." Upon this report, the Assembly enacted :-
" That Voluntown's first meeting-house shall be set up, erected and finished, with all convenient speed, by the town of Voluntown, upon the spot of land in said town that the inhabitants and proprietors of said Voluntown agreed upon, April 27, A. D. 1722."
This decision was very far from settling the difficulty. The northern party was unwilling to accept the situation, and reiterated to the Assembly, that the place assigned was so barren that no settlement could be made there, and no ways could be made without great cost, and that where the frame was now placed ways were passable and every way better, and that twenty men to one would say this location was the best, and asked for the admission of all church members, house- holders and proprietors to vote in town-meetings. The request was denied. November 8, a meeting was called to ratify the Court's decision. Several illegal voters were present. The town authorities, strengthened by their late triumph, resolved to maintain the purity of the ballot box. All were put out of the room bat original inhabitants ; John Tyler took the votes, and a committee was appointed to agree with a carpenter for building the meeting-house on the site first selected by the inhabitants. The northern party still resisted; peti- tioned that all honest men might vote in town affairs, declined to get new timber for another meeting-house frame when the first might answer, or in any way assist in its erection. The greatest strife and confusion prevailed throughout the town. "Good, honest freeholders, heads of families who paid their dues honestly-Alexander Gordon among them, with a list of a hundred pounds and more-were con- stantly debarred from town privileges," while men every way incom- petent were elected to fill public offices. John Smith was so aroused by the condition of affairs as to formally remonstrate, declaring :-
" That the law saith, those who are chosen for selectmen must be discreet and of good conversation to order ye prudential affairs of ye town, and now look back and consider ye qualification of some ye have chosen. if one of them be one of old Morcas' disciples, and ye other on record for lying, which it seemeth to me a very great scandal on ye town, and those who chose them void of ye fear of God and did not consider the welfare of ye church and commonwealth."
33
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
So great was the strife and division, that the town voted, "that it desired that the patent granted to Voluntown might be un-acted and made void, and that the town be divided by an east and west line into north and south ends, and each end to make and maintain their own bridges and highways." Attempts to go on with the building of the meeting-honse in this disturbed condition of affairs were quite suspended.
While Voluntown was thus torn and weakened by factions, she also shared in the distress and scarcity occasioned by the drouth and frosts of 1725-26. Adam Kasson, Jacob Bacon, Thomas Welch and others, who had purchased land in the addition and given security, were com- pelled to ask for an extension of payment-" more especially because of the providence of God at this present time, by reason of ye great scarcity of provisions amongst us, so that it is very hard to make money." The poorer classes suffered so severely that they were included among the recipients of the relief granted by the Assembly.
The Voluntown church, after its organization, increased steadily in numbers, and apparently enjoyed a good degree of harmony. Its members, though quarreling about the meeting-house, were united in their minister and views of discipline. January 1, 1726, a number of ruling elders were chosen-Deacons Bacon and Dow, Captain John Gallup, Robert Parke, Thomas Cole, Nath. French, Adam Kasson, Samuel Hopkins, Charles Campbell and Alexander Gordon-who, with their pastor, were to receive and hear all complaints proper for ecclesi- astic consideration, and determine and judge. Save in this respect, it did not differ from other Connecticut churches. It was duly recognized by the New London North Association, and Mr. Dorrance was accustomed to meet and act with that body. After the early jealousy of Mr. . Dorrance as a foreigner had subsided, he seemed to secure the affection and good-will of his people, and no further difficulty was manifest till a much later period.
In May, 1726, Voluntown organized its first military company, with John Gallup for captain, Robert Parke for lientenant and Francis Deane for ensign. The progress of the town had been greatly retarded, and at this date it was much behind its cotemporaries-having no schools nor even a meeting-house, and few roads laid out. Its population was large, but somewhat motley and disorderly, made up of substantial settlers from adjacent townships, sturdy Scotch Presbyterians and lawless Rhode Island borderers. The existence of this latter class, and a hint of its character, is indicated in the following entry, found among the church records :-
"January 17, 1726. The church seriously considering the impious practice of some persons in going to conjurors, commonly so called, to inquire con- cerning things secret, thought fit to show their dislike of such diabolical
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ERECTION OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
practices by the following declaration, to wit : That whatever person, member of the church, countenances, approves of, goes to, or consults with any per- son that pretends to declare things secret or forbidden-by a spirit of divination or by curious art, -we humbly conceive guilty of the breach of the first commandment, and ought to be suspended from all special ordinances."
The "old Morcas " referred to in John Smith's remonstrance, was probably one of the conjurors whose "diabolical practices " called out this declaration.
XXXVIII.
ERECTION OF WINDHAM COUNTY. £ GENERAL SUMMARY. ASSOCIATION OF MINISTERS.
TN 1686, the first settlement was made within the limits of the present County of Windham ; in 1726, eight towns were therein organized. In these forty years, much had been accomplished. The northeast corner of Connecticut was no longer a savage wilderness. Forests had been leveled, roads constructed, streams bridged, land subdued and cultivated. The aboriginal inhabitants were fast passing away, The wigwam had given place to the farm-house; the tomahawk to the plow. Strong men from the earlier settlements in Massachusetts and Connecticut had led the way to the Nipmuck wilderness-dangers had been braved, hardships borne, difficulties overcome, and now several hundred families were established in the eight townships. Details of the settlement and growth of these towns have been already given. Each had its own trials and difficulties, and each had succeeded in laying those foundations and establishing those institutions so dear to the early settlers of New. England. Some favored towns had made rapid progress, others had been impeded by land controversies and other weighty obstacles, but in 1726 each had achieved a church, schools and military organization. Each had settled " a learned and orthodox minister ;" had set up mills and tanneries and provided travel- ing facilities. Public roads connected each town with one or all of the leading business centres of New England-Boston, Hartford and Providence, -- and so great was the travel that almost every house on these highways served for a tavern. Woodstock was claimed by Suffolk County, Massachusetts ; Windham and Ashford by Hartford County. The remaining towns were included in New London County.
The distance of these towns from their county-seats gave them much
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
inconvenience, and in 1717, a movement was set on foot, "for the easing of their inhabitants and remedy of their grievance." "A bill that the towns of Lebanon, Windham, Mansfield, Plainfield, Canter- bury, Killingly, Pomfret, Coventry and Ashford, bounded easterly by the lines of the Colony, shall be and remain to be one entire county, with the privileges and powers as are given by law to the respective counties ; Windham to be the county seat and the county to be known by the name of Windham County," passed the Lower House, October 15, 1717. In the following October, a similar bill, with Hebron added to the towns, was passed by the Lower House, but rejected by the Upper. October, 1719, it was enacted by the Assembly, that there should be a Court of Probate held at Windham, for the towns specified in the bill of 1717-" to be held by one judge and clerk, with powers and privi- leges as the other courts of probate have in this Colony." This arrangement relieved the inhabitants of northeastern Connecticut. of part of their grievance, but as they were still put to the hardship of long travel to the court-houses in Hartford and New London, together with great expense by reason of the length of courts, the demand for a new county became more and more urgent. A bill to this effect was again defeated, in October, 1723. An attempt to procure a surveyor for the north part of New London County was also unsuccessful. The need of such an official was set forth in the following letter from Major Fitch :-
" To the Hon. Speaker of the Lower House, May, 1722.
Be so kind as to offer one thing to ye consideration of ye Lower House, viz., that a surveyor be appointed for ye five towns, viz. : Killingly, Pomfret, Canterbury, Preston and Plainfield, for these reasons : 1. Ye County is same forty miles in length, and but one surveyor. 2. When persons go to get him lose their pains, perhaps ride thirty or forty miles, sometimes he is in one town, sometimes another. 3. If a man rides thirty or forty miles to get at him he must be paid for two days' travel, perhaps to do five shillings' service. 4. Moreover, I lately went down to get him to run a line for me; he told me he could not do it, had for some considerable time been in an ill way, there was so much to do the matter was too hard for him. Then I told him we must have a surveyor in our parts. He answered, ' With all my heart,' he wished there was. This, gentlemen, in faithfulness to my neighbors in the several towns, I humbly offer .- Yt am your servant,
JAMES FITCH.
If ye question may be, who shall be the person? take this answer-Mr. Samuel Butts, who hath the most skill."
In October, 1725, it was resolved by the Assembly, " That sundry of the towns in the northeasterly part of the Colony be set off to be a distinct county, and be accordingly furnished with officers ; the com- pleting of which, together with the limits of said county, is deferred till May next." In May, 1726, Windham County was thus formally defined and established :-
" Be it enacted, by the Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same. That the west bounds of
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ERECTION OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
the town of Lebanon, the north bounds of Coventry, the north bounds of Mansfield, till it meets with the southwest bounds of Ashford, the west bounds of Ashford, the east bounds of Stafford, the Massachusetts line on the north, the Rhode Island line on the east, the north bounds of Preston and north bounds of Norwich, containing the towns of Windham, Lebanon, Can- terbury, Mansfield, Plainfield, Coventry, Pomfret, Killingly, Ashford, Volun- town and Mortlake, shall be one entire county, and called by the name of Windham.
And it is further enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That the said town of Windham shall be and remain the county or head town of said county, and that there be held annually two County courts-one on the fourth Tuesday in June, and one on the second Tuesday in December in each year, and two Superior courts for the trial of all causes both civil and criminal, as, and endowed with the same powers and authorities wherewith all the courts in the other counties in this Colony are by law impowered. The Superior courts shall be held on the Third Tuesday in March and the third Tuesday in September, annually.
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