USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut. Volume I, 1600-1760 > Part 36
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The building a meeting-house was next brought under consideration. The minister procured held divine service in the house of Mr. Sabin. September 9, it was put to vote, Whether the society would ever build a meeting house, and it passed in the affirmative. It was then agreed by successive votes, That the meeting-house should be fifty feet long and forty feet wide and twenty-four feet stud, and that John Comings should be improved to be the master workman in hewing and framing-having five shillings a day and his victuals. The very important question, Where to set our meeting-house, was debated September 20, and it was voted to place it, " south side and near to the road that leads from John Cooper's to Benjamin Bixby's, right before the door of the house of Hezekiah Sabin, about twenty rods from said house, near where was an old wigwam." The site thus selected is near the centre of the present Thompson common. Nathaniel Merrill, John Wiley, Uriah and Jaazaniah Horsmor, Hezekiah Sabin and Benjamin Bixby, were then appointed " committee-men, to look after the affares of building our meeting-house." It was voted, "To give every man that works about the meeting-house, three shillings per day, he finding himself; that every man allowed to hew timber shall have three and sixpence ; that the oxen that shall goe to work about the meeting house shall be allowed eighteen-pence per day ; a horse that draweth, one shilling ; for a cart, one shilling." The appointed committee had full
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
power to provide all things necessary for hewing, framing and covering, upon the society's charge.
Farther legislation in October, increased the powers and resources of the new society. The division line agreed upon by the inhabitants was ratified and confirmed, and liberty given them to embody in church estate. The country land west of the Quinebaug, bounded north by the colony line, west by Woodstock, and south by Pomfret, with all its inhabitants, was joined and annexed to the North Society of Killingly. Upon memorial of Benjamin Bixby, Hezekiah Sabin and Sampson Howe, it was granted by the Assembly, "That a yearly tax of ten shil- lings upon each and every hundred acres of land be levied on all the lands within their bounds, being ye bounds of said North Society, viz., north on Connecticut line, south on division line and Pomfret, east on Rhode Island line, and west on Woodstock. . . tax to continue for
four years society committee empowered with authority to use the money in building meeting-house and settling an orthodox minister non-residents to be apprized of the tax two months before exe- cution." "For the preventing law-suits and accommodating differences," the Assembly had also granted to Peter Aspinwall, Benjamin Bixby and the rest of the proprietors of Killingly, all the tract of land north- ward between old and new colony lines, except what had been confirmed to Massachusetts claimers or previously granted by Con- necticut, and needful equivalents upon this condition-that Killingly proprietors should not molest nor disturb any of the claimers on that part of the land which by the surveys were extended south of Woodward's and Saffrey's line." The Honorable Timothy Pierce and Joseph Adams, Esq., were appointed committee to lay out, settle and ascertain the lands of claimers and the remainder, and improve a sur- veyor if need be, to assist therein.
The North Society, encouraged by addition of territory, the generous land-tax granted and the prospect of settled government, pursued the work of building with great animation and alacrity. The people's hearts were stirred up and they willingly aided, as if with one heart and soul, in constructing this first tabernacle. In all parts of the large society, men were working upon the meeting-house. Bryant, Wilson, Cady and Whitmore in the South-neighborhood ; Howe, Shapley, Crosby, Jewett, Ellithorp and the Horsmors from the French River valley ; Wiley, Starr, Ellis, Atwell, Pudney, Coats and the Bixbys from Brandy Hill and vicinity ; Henry Green and his eight sons from Pottaquatic ; Samuel Converse and his four from the Quinnatisset farm and meadows ; Moffat, Munyan and Joslin from the borders of Rhode Island ; Johnson, Brown and others from Lake Chaubongagum ; John Hascall from the extreme northwest corner of the precinct-were all
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SECOND SOCIETY IN KILLINGLY, ETC.
engaged in felling, hewing, or hauling timber for this much-desired house of worship. Young Jacob Dresser, though but eighteen years of age, did his part with cart and oxen. Even the "peculers" west of the Quinebaug-Jonathan Eaton, John Dwight and Penuel Child- though so recently admitted to the society were ready and eager to share in the work. The only discordant voices in the community were those of Samuel Morris, William Chandler, John Corbin, Samuel Fuller and Christopher Peak-residents in the northwest of the parish and members of the church in Woodstock-who declared their inability to attend divine service at such a distance, and formally entered their dissent "against the meeting-house being raised before the door of Hezekiah Sabin's house, where it was agreed upon to be set."
With this exception, all was harmony. No meeting house in the county was built with such apparent joyfulness. The little word "our," prefixed to all meeting-house votes, pleasantly indicates the personal interest and proprietorship felt by the whole society. An acre of land including the appointed site was given to the society by Hezekiah Sabin, and in spite of rough ways and the lateness of the season the work went on so rapidly that on November 15, the people were called together, "To consider how and in what method we shall proceed in order for making preparation for the raising our meeting-house." It was voted, " That every man in said society shall have liberty to bring in provisions and drink, what may be thought his proportion." John Dwight, Benjamin Bixby, Hezekiah Sabin, Edward Converse, Jonathan Clough and Sampson Howe were chosen to take care to provide for raising, and under their supervision the work was faithfully accomplish- ed, and the frame raised before the setting in of winter. "Liberty to bring in provisions and drink " for this joyful occasion was so freely exercised, that John Wiley and John Dwight were directed, "To take particular account of what every man brought the over-plush to pay the 'rerages of hiring ministers." Provision was rated-pork at six-pence per pound ; beef at four-pence ; mutton, four-pence ; suet, eight-pence; sugar, twelve-pence ; butter, one shilling ; turnips, one and six-pence per bushel ; wheat, eight shillings a bushel ; rye at six, Indian corn at four ; cabbages at three-pence per head.
At a society-meeting, December 13, Sampson Howe was again chosen clerk ; Henry Green, Sampson Howe and Hezekiah Sabin, committee ; Urian Horsmor, collector. A committee was chosen to see "if they can agree with workmen, and also to provide boards, clap-boards and shingles sufficient to cover our meeting-house." Urian Horsmor was made choice of "to seek a minister to preach with us till the first of March next coming." Messrs. Eliot, Coolidge, Hale and Howlet were nominated ; Mr. Coolidge secured. January 20, 1729, Ensign Green,
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
Jonathan Eaton, Joseph Cady, John Dwight and Edward Converse were appointed a committee to " agree with a workman to finish all the outside work belonging to our meeting-house." It was voted, "That this committee shall make Woodstock meeting-house their pattern to go by in letting out our meeting-house to any workman to cover and enclose, and .do all the outside work as to carpenter and joiner work, accepting what said committee shall judge superfluous in said house." The house thus patterned, was Woodstock's second church edifice, whose fluted pillars and pilasters were quite beyond the means of the younger society. The previous committee was ordered to bring the boards, shingles and clap-boards provided, with nails sufficient, to the meeting-house by the first of March, so that the house could be covered and inclosed by the last of June. It was voted, "That for the future, every man that shall cart one thousand of boards from Green's Mill to the meeting-house shall have ten shillings money for the same."
The covering of the house was completed within the time specified, and on August 1, 1729, the society met for the first time in their meeting-house. The Rev. Mr. Coolidge had during this interval declined a call to settlement, and Marston Cabot of Salem was preaching on trial. A committee was now appointed to treat with the latter gentleman about hiring him for some time longer as he and they could agree. A rate of £150 was ordered to defray the expense of covering : money to be gathered from the land-tax in the coming year was " to be improved in procuring hinges and latches for our meeting- house doors, and for glazing." Penuel Child was employed as glazier.
October 16, it was put to vote, " Whether Mr. Cabot shall be the minister of this society," and it passed in the affirmative. It was then voted, to give Mr. Cabot eighty pounds salary for the first year, and so to add five pounds per year, till it comes to a hundred pounds per year, and that to be his stated salary. Also, to give him two hundred pounds settlement, paying one hundred pounds the first year and fifty pounds per year, the second and third years. Jonathan Eaton, John Dwight and Sampson Howe were chosen to treat with Mr. Cabot, and entreat his acceptance. At the same time, James Wilson, Benjamin Bixby and Jonathan Clough were directed to go to the Rev. Mr. Fisk, " as occasion shall be, for advice, in order to have the gospel ordinances settled in this society." Mr. Cabot, after considering the matter till December 4, thus replied :-
" To the inhabitants of the North Society of Killingly. Gentlemen-
I doubt not but you are sensible ye price of such things as are necessary for the support and comfort of human life is daily rising, and there is the pros- pect of dearer living still. I trust you are all agreed yt a minister of Christ ought to have an honorable maintenance, suitable to his sacred character and station, that he may not be forced to entangle himself with the affairs of this life ; and I make no question but you are heartily willing to communicate to
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SECOND SOCIETY IN KILLINGLY, ETC.
Ilim that teacheth in all good things, for so hath the Lord ordained yt they which preach ye Gosple should live of ye Gosple.
Persuading myself therefore, aud depending on this, that as your outward circumstances increase and grow better, you will proportionably and cheerfully contribute to the bettering ye condition and circumstances of him yt labors among you in word and doctrine, I accept of your call and invitation to settle among you in the great work of ye ministry ; provided, you fulfil the three following articles, viz. :-
1. That you answer ye £200 settlement you have offered me, to Mr. Cooper and his wife, who have engaged to let me have their place for the considera- tion of three hundred pounds.
2. That you always keep up the credit of ye salary you have proposed in your call.
3. That you bring me a sufficiency of cord-wood for my own use in the season of it.
Thus requesting an interest in your addresses to Heaven, and assuring you I shall bear you upon my heart before God continually, and wishing you all temporal happiness, but especially yt your souls may prosper and be in health, I subscribe. Yours for Jesus' sake,
MARSTON CABOT."
Upon the reception of this letter the society at once empowered Jonathan Russell, John Dwight and Sampson Howe to give bonds to Mr. and Mrs. Cooper for the payment of the two hundred pounds, and pledged themselves to keep up the credit of the salary and find and bring sufficient cord-wood. A rate of eighty pounds "out of our estates for the payment of Mr. Cabot's salary this present year " was immediately granted. This matter being settled, the society next began to consider about preparing for an ordination. The meeting-house, though now used for religious and business meetings, was but a covered frame with temporary floor and seats. A committee was appointed to agee with a workman to build a pulpit and a platform for the pulpit to stand on, and a deacons' seat, but no further improvements were attempted during the winter. The last Wednesday in February, 1730, was appointed for ordination. The formation of the church, a month previous, is thus recorded by Mr. Cabot :-
KILLINGLY, North Society, Jan. 28, 1730. This day was kept as a day of fast- ing and prayer, to humble ourselves before God for our past trespasses, and to implore the divine blessing on us and all our concerns, more especially on the solemn transactions that are before us. The Rev. Mr. Throop of Woodstock, made the first prayer in both exercises. The Rev. Mr. Williams of Pomfret preached in the forenoon from Psalms cxxii: 6; the Rev. Mr. Fisk of Killingly, in the afternoon, from II. Chiron. xxx: 8, and before the assembly were dismissed, we were incorporated and formed into a distinct churchi, by having the church covenant read, and owning our consent to it."
The persons signing were-
Marston Cabot, pastor-elect.
Samuel Converse.
James Wilson. John Wiley. Benjamin Bixby. Israel Joslin. Sampson Howe. John Russell.
Jonathan Clough.
Nathaniel Merrill. Hezekiah Sabin. Edward Converse. Nathaniel Johnson. Ivory Upham. Robert Plank. John Bowers. Ephraim Guile. Henry Green.
Benjamin Pudney. Comfort Starr.
Jolın Barrett.
Richard Bloss.
Jonathan Eaton. David Shapley.
Thomas W hittemore, Jr.
Thomas Converse.
Eleazer Green. Samuel Narramore.
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
The covenant thus adopted was evangelical in its spirit and scriptu- ral in its main features, though not explicitly making regeneration a condition of church-membership, its subscribers engaging-
" Art 4. To receive all such persons into full communion as are orthodox in their faith, free from scandal in their lives, able to examine themselves and · discern the Lord's Body; and also to rest satisfied with such admittance of adult persons as is performed by the pastor's examination of their knowledge and experience of the principles and practices of religion."
Their high regard for the ministerial office was further shown in the succeeding article, in which they covenanted, "to obey him that is by our present voluntary election, or those that may hereafter be set over us in the Lord, as such that watch over our souls, and whom we shall always account worthy of a gospel support and maintenance ; as also to adhere to a pious and able ministry in this church, laboring in a way of joint concurrence with him or them, to his or their conscientious dis- cretion, exerting the ministerial authority committed to them to recover and uphold the vigorous and impartial administration of discipline among us." Children of parents "owning the covenant," were admitted to baptism.
February 25, 1730, was the day appointed for ordination. This important event is thus described by Mr. Cabot : "The Rev. Mr. Throop of Woodstock began with prayer. The Rev. Mr. Fisk of Killingly preached from Acts xxvi: 18 and 19 verses. The Rev. Mr. Coit of Plainfield gave the charge, the Rev. Mr. Hale of Ashford prayed. The Rev. Mr. Williams of Pomfret gave ye right hand of fellowship ; then the twenty-third Psalm was sung and the congrega- tion were dismissed by pronouncing the blessing." A month later, March 25, " after seeking to Heaven for direction," Jonathan Eaton and Benjamin Bixby were chosen deacons of the church by a majority of votes, and accepted that service.
Very little is known of Mr. Cabot previous to his settlement, save that he was then twenty-six years of age, and a graduate of Harvard College in 1724. According to tradition, he was descended from the famous discoverer, Sebastian Cabot, whose name he gave to one of his sons. Soon after his ordination, Mr. Cabot married Mary Dwight, a daughter of the much-tried pastor of Woodstock, and established him- self upon the homestead bought of John Cooper, about a mile south- west of the meeting-house. This land was part of the Quinnatisset Farm laid out to John Gore in 1684, and was bisected by Woodward's and Saffery's so-called boundary line.
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LAND DISPUTES, THOMPSON PARISH CONFIRMED, ETC.
VII.
LAND DISPUTES. THOMPSON PARISH CONFIRMED. SCHOOL DISTRICTS SET OFF. MEETING-HOUSE COMPLETED. CONTROVERSY WITH SAMUEL MORRIS.
W HILE the north society of Killingly was thus harmoniously settling religious worship, its territory was still in conflict. Killingly, having obtained after so long a struggle a grant of this land, was by no means disposed to fulfill the required condition of not molesting its non-resident claimants, but resolutely asserted her purpose to hold as her own property that part of Thompson's land which lay south of Woodward's and Saffery's line. Surveyor Conant, when employed by Samuel Morris as agent for Thompson and Wolcott, to re-measure the land accruing to those gentlemen, found three hundred and twenty acres encroached upon and held by Simon Bryant, Robert Plank and Nathaniel Merrill. The Collins tract, made over to Captain John King of Taunton, had also been invaded. Messrs. Pierce and Adams, appointed by the General Assembly to lay out and settle these lands and " ascertain about claimer's lapping on their neighbors," were greatly embarrassed by these conflicting claims-"the town of Kill- ingly altogether denying that Thompson or Collins have any land to ye south of Woodward's and Saffery's line, it being granted to ye town of Killingly by this Court before ye agreement between the two govern- ments "-and unable to proceed in the affair. Upon the representation of Samuel Morris to the General Assembly, May 8, 1729, " that Thompson had not yet obtained his patent, and that his land had been encroached upon," it was ordered, "That three hundred and seventy acres be laid out elsewhere as equivalent," and Roger Wolcott, Jos. Whiting, Ebenezer Marsh, Benjamin Bushnell and Richard Abbe, appointed commissioners to investigate the whole affair. These gentle- men reporting favorably to the claimants, the Assembly, October 29, 1729, enacted the following :- "Explanation of an Act passed in this Assembly, May 13th, 1708, granting the township of Kellingly :-
Whereas the said act granting said township describes the bounds of said township to be, northerly on the line of the Massachusetts, south on Plainfield bounds settled May 11th, 1699, east on Rhode Island, and west on Ashawaug; and it is expressly said that the township being by estimation eight or nine miles in length : And, whereas, upon settling the line of the Massachusetts with this Colony by agreement, about ten years after the said grant to Kell- ingly, the said line is now run and ascertained about eight or ten miles north of their ancient claimed and reputed line, and above eighteen miles north of the said north bounds of Plainfield ; and hence may contentions and troubles arise upon this question whether the said grant to Kellingly shall be construed
40
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
to extend to the Massachusetts line, as it is now settled, or only to the ancient claimed and reputed bounds of the Massachusetts, at the south bounds of Woodstock, which is called Woodward's and Saffery's Line, which contentions to prevent : This Assembly have considered that, whereas the line of the Massachusetts, as it is now settled by agreement, was not known nor agreed to be the line till about ten years after the said grant to Kellingly, and instead of being eight or nine, is about eighteen or nineteen miles north of the said north bounds of Plainfield; and that at the time of the said grant to Kellingly, and long before, the Massachusetts had claimed their bounds upon Connecti- cutt to be a line on the south bounds of Woodstock, called Woodward's and Saffery's Line, and had then settled the town of Woodstock on that line, which town of Woodstock was then under the government of the Massa- chusetts and accounted to be within the same ; and that the mensuration of eight or nine miles from the north bounds of Plainfield will well correspond with the said ancient claimed and reputed line of the Massachusetts, at the south bounds of Woodstock; whereas, to measure to the line since settled by agree- ment is twice as far : It is therefore hereupon considered, resolved and declared by this General Assembly, that the Massachusetts line mentioned in the said grant of Killingly is no other but the ancient claimed and reputed line of the Massachusetts, called Woodward's and Saffery's Line, which is at the south bounds of Woodstock; and that the same is always hereafter' so to be understood and construed."
Thus Killingly, after all her efforts and temporary possession, was again cut off from the land north of her, and the inhabitants of that land debarred from town privileges and reduced to their former terri- torial condition. The setting up of schools and laying out of roads was impossible under such circumstances, and nothing was accom- plished for several years by the North Society, but the settlement of its minister and erection of a house of worship. A meeting of its inhabitants was held, May 18, 1730, to consider their difficulties, and it was decided to petition the Assembly, "That the society supposed to be the North Society of the town of Killingly should be erected into a township, or if that was not thought expedient, to establish the bounds of said society according as it was intended by us when first granted." Hezekiah Sabin was chosen to present this petition to the Assembly, and so forcibly represented the difficulties under which the society labored, " by reason of the explanatory act by which the north bounds of Killingly are restrained to Woodward's and Saffery's line, so that the line stated as the south line of the Parish is but a little south- ward of said Woodward's and Saffery's line," that it was resolved by the Assembly, May 30, 1730 :-
" That all the lands lying north of the said Woodward's and Saffery's line between the lines of the Colony of Rhode Island and the town of Woodstock, up to the divident line between Massachusetts and this Colony, shall be, and they are hereby added to the said North Society in Killingly, and all parish privileges are hereby granted to the inhabitants dwelling within the limits aforesaid, that is to say-south of the Massachusetts line (as it is now stated), west of Rhode Island line, north of the line heretofore made the divident line between North and South Societies in Killingly, and east of east line of Woodstock."
The society, thus confirmed and re-established, was then re-named- Thompson-in honor of the English proprietor whose claim was so offensive to Killingly.
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LAND) DISPUTES, THOMPSON PARISH CONFIRMED, ETC.
Thompson Parish, when thus stated and established, contained between forty and fifty families, but was still in a very unsettled con- dition. It had no roads regularly laid out, no military company, and neither schools for its children nor pounds for its cattle. About half of its unoccupied land was claimed by non-residents ; the remainder, despite enactments and injunctions, was laid out by the proprietors of Killingly, and distributed among her inhabitants. The cheapness and accessibility of land attracted many settlers. Samuel Narramore of Boston bonght of Philip McIntyre sixty acres north of Wolcott's line, in 1729. Much of the Wolcott land was sold out to previous residents, Hezekiah Sabin buying the northwest corner. The Converse brothers, Edward, Samuel, Josiah, as they settled in life, purchased farms of Wolcott. John Russel added Wolcott land to his farm, and the widow of John Cooper, after selling her homestead to Marston Cabot, bought land of Wolcott. Ephraim Guile bought two hundred acres of land, with dwelling-house and orchard, of Samuel Converse. Sampson Howe sold land on the French River, beginning at a ledge of rocks, " Nathaniel Crosby's northeast corner," to Isaac Stone. Land west of the Quinebaug was sold by Woodstock proprietors. Large tracts were purchased by John Post and Thomas Fuller. Half of the Rev. Josiah Dwight's land was made over to his son, John, the remainder to his son in-law, Penuel Child, who both were prominent in Thompson Parish. Mr. Dwight, himself, after a brief sojourn in Dedham, settled with his children in this new parish, and passed, it is hoped, "a sedate and quiet " old age on the wild land whose purchase had involved him in such difficulties.
The first act of the inhabitants of Thompson Parish was to organize a military company. Sampson Howe was chosen captain, Hezekiah Sabin, lieutenant ; John Dwight, ensign-and, thenceforth, the pre- scribed " trainings " were duly observed on Thompson Hill. A meeting " to consider about granting of a school or schools in said parish," was held, January 15, 1731, when it was agreed, "That there should be four schools kept in this parish, and the school-master to be removed into four quarters of this parish.". Jonathan Clough, Joseph Cady, Penuel Child and John Wiley-from the east, south, west and north- were then appointed a committee, "to divide this parish into four parts in order for the benefit and advantig of having their children educated each quarter in reading and wrighting and sifering." Instruc- tion in spelling was deemed quite superfluous.
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