USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut. Volume I, 1600-1760 > Part 37
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The appointed committee, February 17 :-
" Made report as followeth; that is to say : First, ye north est part to begin at Edward Munyans, and so to tak in King's farm and Squire Wollcott's farm, so far as it is inhabited, and Lieut. Sabin's, and so all that fall to ye northest and north of sd plantations. Secondly, the northwest quarter to begin at
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Cooper's, and so to take in John Russel's farm and Nathaniel Johnson's and Stephen Cummins', and from thence to ye Widow Dresser's, and so all that fall north and north-west of sd plantations. Thirdly, ye southwest part to begin at Cooper's, above mentioned, and so a straight line so far as to take Mr. Simon Bryant into ye southwest quarter, and so all ye inhabitants belong- ing to ye southwest of said line in said society to belong to ye southwest quarter, and all the remaining inhabitants in said society to belong to ye south-est quarter."
These " quarters," it will be seen, differed greatly in size, the dimen- sions being regulated by the distribution of inhabitants. It was voted to accept the division as reported ; also, " that to ye inhabitants belong- ing to each quarter, having legal warning for to meet together, that the major part of them that shall meet shall have liberty for to erect a school-house in their quarter." Committees were chosen in each section to warn the inhabitants to meet together to agree where to set their school-house, viz. : Comfort Starr and Nathaniel Brown for the northeast quarter ; Christopher Peak and Isaac Jewett for the north . west, James Cady and Samuel Cutler for the southwest and Thomas Whitmore and Henry Green for the southeast. School-houses were built as soon as possible, and the management of school affairs was left chiefly in the hands of each division-the school money being " equally divided between each school, according to the number of families that sent their children to school."
The completion of the meeting-house was next provided for. It was voted, "That John Wiley and Sampson Howe should be the men to lay the meeting-house floor; also, to give Jacob Bixby after the rate of three pounds pr thousand for five hundred pitch pine boards that are good." A body of seats was next ordered, " after the form of the body of seats in Woodstock meeting-hous." Simon Bryant, Henry Green and John Wiley were appointed in charge of this work, and directed, " to git the stuff for the body of seats in our meeting-house of good sound oak timber." It was also agreed, "That Henry Green, Jun. should provide plank for seats for our meeting-house, at 7s. per hun- dred, and the shit-work for the seats at 4s. 6d. per hundred, and plank for the heads at 9s. per hundred of good white-oak timber. "Seats and floor having been finished after a year's delay, the question of pews was next in order. Seventeen pew-spots had been reserved against the walls of the house, and, September 1, 1732, the society met to consider some regular method of disposition, and to give them to the persons they most properly belong unto. This delicate point was settled by a committee of nomination-Captain Howe, Simon Bryant and John Wiley naming those thought worthy of this honor, and each nominee in turn being voted upon by the whole society. The persons thus selected as pew-owners were, Henry Green, Simon Bryant, David Shapley, John Russel, Captain Howe, Lieutenant Sabin, Joseph Cady,
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Comfort Stair, Nathaniel Wight, James Wilson, Urian Horsmor, John Younglove, John Wiley, Mrs. Dresser and her son, Jacob, Mr. Dwight and his son, John. Deacons Eaton and Bixby were also allowed one pew " for their wives and families to sett in." It was then voted and agreed upon by ye society, " That each person that hath a pew granted him shall take it for his seat. and shall take in as many of their family as can conveniently set therein ; also, that each person shall finish the meeting-house up to the lower girth, and maintain the glass belonging to his pew." A "ministerial pew on the north side of ye house adjoining ye minister's stayrs," was also ordered.
February 2, 1733, the sum of five pounds was granted to Hezekiah Goff, " for to build ye ministerial pew in our meeting house, his finding of boards and all things necessary for said work, and to seal the house unto ye window and case ye window." It was also voted, " To finish ye meeting-house with lath, and plaster with lime. Seven shillings for making the rods for the Cannopee in our meeting-house, and eight shillings for the twelve pounds of iron made into these rods, were allowed at this meeting. March 9, an attempt was made "to asseartain ye place where each person may build his pew," but none was settled but that of Mr. Dwight and his son, John, "joyning ye Reverend Mr. Cabot's pew in ye northwest corner of ye meeting-house." April 9, it was voted and agreed, "To give unto Hezekiah Goffe, forty-one pound ten shillings to build two pair of framed stairs and lay ye gallery floors and face ye fore-seats round with good, handsome panel work, and find all materials and provisions necessary for said work, and to be done workman-like, as it shall be judged by indefrent workmen ; said Goff is also to cart ye bordes to ye meeting-house." This work was accepted on the 4th of March following-" provided ye said Goff will line the inside of said facing, ye society finding boards sufficient." Captain Howe, Urian Horsmor and Thomas Converse were then chosen to agree with workmen to build seats in the gallery, copying, as usual, "ye form of Woodstock seats in their gallery," and John Wiley ordered to provide boards, planks and timber " fitting, suitable and suffi- cient for building five seats in ye front, and four seats in each side gallery." These being erected by the close of another twelve-month, and suitable allowance made for nails, planks and carting-the meeting- house, after six and a half years' labor was fairly accomplished, and on March 18, 1735, the society met to arrange its seating. Joseph Cady, Jun., Henry Green, Simon Bryant and Urian Horsmor were chosen committee for that purpose. Their rule to go by was simply, " com- puting all the charge of settling the gospel in said society, having respect, also, to age." Messrs. Cady and Green were also appointed " to take a deed of Lieutenant Sabin of a certain piece of land round
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about our meeting hous, as is already bounded for the Society's use." " A peace of land," near the French River, a mile or more southwest of the meeting house, was also given by David Shapley "for a burying- place for said Society."
The liberal land tax allowed by the Assembly enabled this society to meet its expenses with comparative ease, though some assessments were found needful. The collecting this tax was a matter of some delay and difficulty. Non-resident proprietors found it extremely burden- some. Committees were more than once chosen "to discourse with Captain Howe, and see how far he hath proceeded in gathering the land-tax." February, 1733, Henry Green, Jun., and Ivory Upham were directed, " to cast up Captain Howe's account, which he brought in respecting ye land-tax." This committee reported that the money already received amounted to £438 17s., and that £108 3s. were still due. Penuel Childs was appointed to collect this remainder, and it was further agreed, " That each person that hath not paid the land-tax in full, according to the grant of the Assembly, A. D. 1728, shall be prosecuted by the committee in the law. The gradual depreciation of currency and consequent rise in the price of "necessaries for the upholding of human life," made it needful to provide for the keeping up the credit of Mr. Cabot's salary according to agreement. Twenty pounds additional were granted in 1734 and 1735, but this being opposed by Christopher Peak and other remote residents, four contribu- tions were allowed him in 1736, to be taken " up once a quarter." The stipulated supply of wood was usually provided by one individual, at the cost of the society, but in 1736, it was agreed to procure it by each man cutting one day. January 9, was the day appointed to cut and cart this wood, each man not appearing on said day to forfeit three shillings. The first work of the society after completing its meeting- house, was to order a capacious pound "worthy of that edifice." December 26, 1735, it was put to vote, " Whether the society would build a good, substantial pound of thirty feet square, with good white- oak posts, with six rails and a good cap on the top of the posts, with a good gate well hanged with good iron hinges, and a good lock and kee, with a good staple and hasp," and it passed in the affirmative. A suitable sum was allowed Jacob Dresser for building this pound, he finding and providing all things necessary. The pound was set near the northeast corner of the meeting house, and Hezekiah Sabin duly installed as its keeper.
Thus, within eight years of its organization, the North Society of Killingly was well settled and established, with minister, meeting-house, military company, schools and pound, and was in very thriving and prosperous circumstances. Nearly all its residents were now admitted
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inhabitants, and allowed the "priviledge of voting in any of the pru- dentials therein." The Rev. Mr. Cabot was greatly beloved by his people, and his preaching so acceptable that his first Fast and Thanks- giving sermons were deemed worthy of publication. Mr. Dwight, too, proved himself a valuable member of the society, ready to bear his part of charges and " do service by preaching." Mr. Cabot was like Mr. Dwight, an advocate of a "regular method in singing," and his church is believed to have been one of the first in Windham County to employ a stated " querister," Mr. Penuel Child being appointed in 1742 to that service.
The remarkable harmony enjoyed by Thompson Parish during this period was only interrupted by an unfortunate controversy with Mr. Samuel Morris, the builder of the first bridge across the Quinebaug, agent for Thompson and other non-residents, and nominal " governor" of the remaining Nipmucks. Mr. Morris had settled on a tract of land, bought of Governor Dudley before its assumption by Connecti- cut and united with the church in Woodstock, and for many years was allowed to worship there without molestation, but after the erection of Thompson Parish he was bound by Colony laws to do his part in establishing and maintaining religious worship in that society. The heavy land-tax first assessed was paid by him without remonstrance, but when the society committee proceeded to call upon him as a resi- dent for the minister's salary and ordinary expenses-Mr. Morris demurred. All his associations and interests were with the Massa- chusetts Colony, and at his time of life he could not think of leaving the church of his fathers to worship with a new people at so great a distance. To pay for religious services which he could not attend seemed to him a great injustice, but the collector of Thompson Parish, unmoved by his protestations and refusal, took forcible possession of sufficient goods to satisfy his demand. The only remedy for this grievance was from the General Assembly, and thither Mr. Morris resorted, May 13, 1731, with his neighbors, William Chandler, Edward Bugbee and others, showing :-
" That we were laid out to Thompson Parish; live seven miles away ; way very rough; have never attended service there, and never shall; live some miles nearer Woodstock, and have attended there till last winter, when we, with some others, obtained a young gentleman to preach with us, and cheerfully went through with the great charge thereof, that so our families might have the benefit of Christian instruction, and not live like heathen; that we have paid a full tax and helped build a meeting-house in Thompson, which house does not accommodate us, being very much one side of the parish, and pray to be excused from paying anything more."
This request was refused, on the ground that Thompson had not been properly notified. In October, Mr. Morris further represented to the Assembly :-
" That he could not, even in summer, attend worship in Thompson with
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any tolerable convenience, nor in the winter without extreme peril; that he had helped contribute generously to the meeting-house in Woodstock, and paid charges there; that he had kept up bridges and roads to great public benefit, yet, notwithstanding all these public services, the North Society of Killingly now came upon him for great sums of money to support the charges of said society, when it was impossible for him to secure any benefit, they having placed their meeting-house so far east that, in process of time, it would be inevitably necessary to build another."
Mr. Simon Bryant and Joseph Cady were summoned to answer these charges, and a slight abatement ordered. Encouraged by this, Mr. Morris continued his pleas in October, 1732, insisting : "That to be obliged to travel such a distance over bad ways to Thompson meeting- house would have a tendency to discourage religious inclinations ; that a great part of holy time would be spent in very servile labor, both to man and beast, by the practice, and that the great public charges he had borne in making bridges ought to exempt him from further payment." Again were Bryant and Cady summoned, and having con- sidered the circumstances, the Assembly decided, that though the attendance of Mr. Morris upon public worship in Thompson would be " very difficult in the winter part of the year, yet it is not farther than inany people live from the place of public worship in other parishes, and he must therefore pay half-rate."
Against this decision, Mr. Morris most indignantly protested. He could not go to Thompson even in summer, because of mountains and rocks to go over and many swamps to go through. He had a very great regard for the excellent Mr. Cabot, and would like to sit under his ministry but it was not possible, and were there no other place of wor- ship he should count it a less evil to stay at home and read good books than to go through so much difficulty and hazard to attend at Thompson Parish. The General Court says, " others go as far to church, but "- continues Mr. Morris-" I durst challenge the whole Government to find another person in like circumstances in two respects. I. In not being annexed with Woodstock to the Bay. II. In being annexed to Thompson, where I have not, nor cannot receive any benefit, and count it very hard to be annexed to a parish, to do deeds of charity and maintain the gospel where it is impossible for me to attend, and if I cannot be allowed, with my family, to worship out of Connecticut allow me to hire preaching in my own house, with those of my neigh- bors in like circumstances, that I, with those on my farm, may pay my ministerial dues where we can have the Word preached to us."
Despite the urgency of this plea and many following, the Govern- ment persistently refused to release Mr. Morris from his parochial obligations. Annexation to some accessible Connecticut parish would have been acceded, but to remit lawful "ministerial dues " in favor of Massachusetts was a highth of magnanimity not then attained by the
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Connecticut Assembly. That Thompson authorities should refrain from collecting this tax was equally out of the question. Laws they supposed were made to be enforced, and the half-rate allowed must be secured to the uttermost farthing. The character and standing of Mr. Morris only made the duty more imperative, and thus the young parish was involved in a controversy with its most distinguished inhabitant. Again and again the people were called together, "to consider how to proceed in our difficulties with Samuel Morris." Simon Bryant, Joseph Cady, Sampson Howe and other leading men were sent successively to represent the society, and answer the memorials. Attorneys were employed to plead their cause at great expense, and so unwelcome was the service of collecting this obnoxious tax that the society was obliged to enact, "That every person chosen collector and refusing to serve should be prosecuted in the law." As Mr. Morris refused to pay, his goods or lands must be distrained, and so the contest went on year after year, to the great annoyance and expense of both parties. At length, after Mr. Morris had connected himself with a new church in Dudley, much nearer his residence than Woodstock, he again peti- tioned, May, 1742, " that he might be exempted from paying parish rates to Thompson, where he never had and never could attend wor- ship, and be allowed to pay where he did attend, at Dudley, and had helped build a meeting-house there and maintain a minister; being sensible that Thompson was more able to maintain their own minister than the memorialist to help maintain two, and for him to pay so much money to Thompson for nothing was more than God does, or more than man can, reasonably, require of their fellow-creatures." Release from the payment of country taxes and one-half of all parish taxes, provided he maintained a good and sufficient bridge over Quinebaug River and allowed a free road through his farm over this bridge, was thereupon granted. No further exemption was ever attained, but Mr. Morris was compelled through life to submit to this unjust taxation. His son, Samuel, established himself in business as a " trader," appa- rently upon the family homestead, buying up produce and exchanging it for goods in Boston, and was largely patronized by residents of Woodstock, Dudley and the west part of Thompson.
41
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
VIII.
ROADS LAID OUT. NEW INHABITANTS. THOMPSON LAND CONTROVERSY.
THOMPSON, when thus happily established, was still deficient in traveling facilities. Road-making was not a parochial prerogative, and Killingly's town authority was doubtful and intermittent. One of the first acts of that town after the annexation of the land north of her, was to choose a committee "to go to the parish of Thompson, and to take a view and see what ways they need to go to their meeting-house, and lay out what they think fit, and make return of their doings." The gentlemen selected-Isaac Cutler, James Leavens, and Sampson Howe-found their task not an easy one. The large parish, with its fifty families, had not a road laid out in it, save the wretched old country gangways leading to Boston and Hartford. Crooked bridle-paths winding around among "rocks, mountains and miry swamps" had been trodden out by its inhabitants. The soil was stony and hard to be worked, and the people so scattered that almost every family required an especial "way " of its own. The committee, however, set themselves sedulously about the work, and in process of time completed "views " and a number of surveys. The first road reported, October 4, 1732, appropriately accommodated the earliest settlers, beginning on the west side of Quinebang River, near Mrs. Dresser's, "and then running over said river," (probably on John Dwight's bridge at the present crossing-place east of West Thompson village), and on between Captain Howe's house and barn to the French River, thence down and over it and on past the burying- ground, David Shapley's and Mr. Cabot's, and " so as the road is now trod to ye meeting-house." No other road was completed until 1735, when a committee " chosen to view ye circumstances in ye quarter of Green's at Thompson," laid out a road from Thomas Whitmore's in the southeast section, which meandered around in the most bewildering manner to houses and pastures of Phinehas, Ebenezer and Henry Green, crossing bridges and upper and lower ford-ways of the Five- Mile River, passing Merrill's barn and improved land " on to the old road over Quinnatisset Brook," and so following the same till they " turn out to come into the country road, southwest corner of Hezekiah Sabin's little orchard, fore side of ye meeting-house." Two years later, a road was laid out from Sabin's bridge, below the Great Falls of the Quinebaug, to Thompson meeting-house, accommodating Deacon Eaton, Captain Joseph Cady and others in that remote locality, and
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intersecting the path by which "Simon Bryant already traveleth from his own dwelling house to Thompson meeting-house."
These roads, when opened, were found quite insufficient. A large part of the parish was yet unaccommodated. When the cherished meeting house was fairly completed, cries for better ways to it arose from every quarter. Moffatt, from, " the edge of Rhode Island," asked for a road past Timothy Green's to the meeting-house ; Joseph Munyan desired one " for the convennency of his neighborhood." Another road was asked from the Quinebaug, past Jewett's to Ellithorp's bridge over the French River, " where it would be most convenient for that neighborhood to go to Thompson meeting-house." " A considerable number of nabors" wished a bridle-road laid out from James Fuller's west of the Quinebaug, to Thompson meeting-house. Nathaniel Merrill and Robert Plank required a road for their especial accommoda- tion. Individuals as well as neighborhoods were clamorous in impor- tunity. A committee, called out to inquire into the circumstances of Squire Hascall on Dudley line, and furnish a road for him to travel to meeting on, found twelve pairs of bars intervening between his house and any traveled way. John Corbin, William Alton, Alpheus Converse, Ephraim Guile, Israel Joslin and Amos Bixby, each asked for a sepa- rate way to enable him to go to meeting. The only apparent use for a road in those days was " to travel to Thompson meeting house" upon. No petitioner hinted at any other end or object save Captain William Chandler, from Woodstock line, who was so secular as to ask for a road allowing him "to do business in Killingly as well as attend meeting in Thompson." These innumerable petitions were received by Killingly with the most exemplary patience. So that Thompson but acknowl- edged her authority, she seemed heedless of expense or trouble. Every petitioner was accorded a way, however distant and difficult, to his beloved meeting-house-though in self-preservation she was finally compelled to enact, "That for the future every person that shall move to this town to have any way altered or removed, it shall be done at the petitioner's cost and charge." Under this provision, by persistent efforts, the people of Thompson were in time provided with suitable and convenient roads to their meeting-house from all parts of the parish.
The first interment recorded in the burial-ground given by David Shapley, was that of Captain Sampson Howe, who died in 1736, and was buried with military honors. He left a large estate to his widow and sons. Mrs. Howe had half the house and a proportionate share of land and furniture. Should she marry again like most widows of that day, eighty pounds were allowed her, and in case she out-lived her second husband she was to return to the house if she pleased, and "her son Sampson to take good care of her." Captain Howe left stock
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
valued at £236; beds and bedding, £92; clothes, £45; armor, £25 ; books, £8; linen, £12; brass, £13; pewter, £11; iron, £8; glass, £1 ; earthenware, 8s. ; wooden-ware, 19s. : two negroes, £200. The woman Leah was left to his son Sampson ; Cesar, the man-servant, to Perley. Sampson Howe purchased land west of Killingly Hill and removed to the south parish ; Perley settled as minister in Dudley, Mass.
The captaincy of the company was filled successively by Joseph Cady and John Dwight. The former was for several years clerk of the society. Jacob Dresser, the first male born within the limits of Thompson, was now one of its most active citizens, buying much land and filling many town offices. In 1741, he was chosen society clerk, and retained in office many years. Williamn Larned, after some years' residence in Sutton, returned with seven sons to his former home in Thompson. Henry Green, Sen., in 1733, gave farms in the region of Pottaquatic to his sons, Henry, Seth, Amos, Timothy and Phineas. The eastern border of the parish was now becoming quite subdued and civilized. A substantial framed house was built on the Munyan farm by Joseph Munyan in 1739. Six sons of Israel Joslin settled a few years later on farms in this vicinity. New settlers, too, were constantly arriving. Nathan Bixby of Topsfield, in 1733, bought a hundred acres of land of John Sabin beginning at Wolcott's northwest corner, and there established himself. Joseph Town, also of Topsfield, bought land afterwards included in the Town Neighborhood, in 1733. Stephen Cummins purchased of Town, a tract adjoining Benjamin Bixby's in 1736. John Holmes of Stoughton bought land near Nathaniel Brown's and Lake Chaubongam, in 1738. Samuel Porter and Joseph Flint of Salem, the same year, purchased part of the Whiting farm of Howe and Starr, and settled south of Lake Chaubongagum. Land given to John Mills of Braintree by Captain John Chandler of Woodstock "for love and friendship," and afterwards confirmed to his sons, was apparently first occupied by Josiah Mills at about this date. Lusher Gay in 1737 settled in the South Neighborhood on land first improved by Samuel Lee. Land bordering on Pomfret, " north of the road leading to Lieu- tenant Dwight's," was sold by Bartholomew of Woodstock to David Barrett in 1738. William Alton not long after settled in that vicinity. James Dike of Dudley removed to Thompson in 1740, marrying a daughter of Samuel Narramore. In 1741, Nathaniel Jacobs of Bristol, Rhode Island, after a brief residence in Woodstock, purchased of John Wiley for £900, old tenor, the remaining part of the Saltonstall tract. Wiley returned to Woodstock. Jacobs and his five sons took possession of this wild tract, which afterwards was known as the Jacobs District. Deer still ranged its woods, and bears were not infrequent. His house, as the last preceding a long stretch of wilderness, became a
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