USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut. Volume I, 1600-1760 > Part 60
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513
ABINGTON SOCIETY, ETC.
The memorialists declared, finally, that they had never been truly represented, and prayed the Assembly "to reduce and confine" the obtrusive parish.
The Assembly, reluctant to change bounds, and evidently favorably disposed to the younger society, deferred consideration of this memo- rial. Encouraged by this delay, Abington resumed attempts at settle- ment. At a society-meeting, December 6, it was voted :-
"1. To have three months schooling in the school-house the present winter.
2. To build a meeting-house of the same dimensions as that of Pomfret.
3. The meeting-house to be studded.
4. If any person or persons in said society will work on meeting-house or provide stuff as cheap as any other, he or they shall have the advantage.
5. It was put to vote, whether they inclined to hear any other gentleman that hath not yet preached with us, and it passed in the negative."
A committee having selected an acceptable meeting-house site, John Ingalls was chosen agent " to move the Court to establish the doings of the committee who were appointed by the Court to view the society and fix a spot to build a meeting-house on." Apparently no minister was engaged for the winter, as a rate was granted to pay the school- master and other necessary expenses ; but none for preaching. Services were probably held in James Ingalls' house, a little south of the present Abington Village. In April, it was voted to hire a school-dame three months, but not to appoint an agent, grant money for preaching, or settle the line between the south society. Later, James Ingalls was sent to the Assembly to oppose memorialists. A new " committee- man was chosen in place of Alexander Sessions, gone to sea."
Upon considering the memorial of Pomfret's first society, May, 1750, Luke Perkins, Jed. Chapman and Humphrey Avery were appointed to repair to Pomfret, view and report. These gentlemen met at the inn of Benjamin Sabin in August, heard the different statements, and reported in favor of maintaining Abington Society, but changing the bounds-" the line to begin where Mashamoquet Brook meets Black- well's ; from thence three and a half miles in a direct line to [towards] northwest corner of said Pomfret; " thence due north to the south line of Woodstock. By this change, a large slice would be cut off from Abington on the north and a small strip added on the south. The exclusion of Mortlake from Pomfret society was also recommended. This attempted amendment, as usual, pleased no one. A large num- ber of residents in both parishes indignantly represented "That the committee, not fully knowing the situation of the inhabitants, have drawn such a line as in no measure suits either party, and will have the most natural tendency to make a lasting quarrel in both parishes." Ebenezer Holbrook even went so far as to pray to be made one society again. Eight residents of Mortlake also protested most earnestly
65
514
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
against Perkins' report, as they desired not to be excluded from ecclesi- astie privileges. Godfrey Malbone, on the other hand, manifested his objections to annexation to the north society of Pomfret upon any terms, as it laid his interest under the disadvantage of being connected with two societies. Benjamin Chaplin and other residents of the south- west corner of Pomfret also stated their grievances, "That, whereas, by the providence of God, they were settled very remote from the centres of Abington and Mortlake societies, and were obliged to travel four or five miles to the public worship of God, and other public days, but were within one or two miles from the meeting-house in Canada Parish, and had been annexed thereto formerly as to parish privileges, but had now been transferred to Abington, which was very inconveni- ent and burdensome, and therefore begged to be allowed to continue in Canada by a line drawn, or any way." The Assembly, perplexed by these conflicting remonstrances, rejected Perkins' report, and deferred final decision.
Still sanguine of ultimate success, Abington proceeded to appoint a committee "to provide a minister and house for worship." The minister provided was Mr. Daniel Welch, afterwards pastor of the church in North Mansfield. January 14, 1751, John and James Ingalls, William Osgood, Daniel Trowbridge and Edward Paine were chosen a committee "for setting up, building and finishing a meeting- house-forty-eight feet by thirty-nine." Twenty pounds, old tenor, were allowed to Zechariah Goodell for one half-acre of land for building- site, and a rate was ordered to pay the minister and school-master. In the spring, renewed attempts were made to effect a settlement of boundary. Osgood and Craft had been previously empowered to view the line between Mortlake and Abington, and now a committee was appointed to meet with one chosen by Mortlake and agree upon the divisional line between these parishes. The first society now aroused herself for a final effort to regain the whole or part of her territory. Nathaniel Johnson, Leicester Grosvenor, William Sharpe and other old settlers, again appeared before the Assembly in May, averring :-
" That the first division granted by Assembly was unjust; that the second, by Perkins, would have accommodated and quieted all parties now remaining in confusion, but report objected against because committee had not reported with the care and impartiality which was their duty, and begged for its recon- sideration."
Against which, sixty-six inhabitants of Abington and seven of Mort- lake, thus remonstrated :-
" That in May, 1749, Pomfret was divided into two societies, since which sundry persons in first society have shown uneasiness from time to time, and have now presented a memorial, whereupon we would say : That we are well satisfied with the bounds, though they are small, and must undergo many hardships to build a meeting-house and maintain the Gospel, and have pur- posed to have a meeting-house spot fixed according to law and have proceeded
515
ABINGTON SOCIETY, ETC.
to build so far that said house will be raised immediately, and things at present look more smiling, but if your memorialists' petition be accepted [viz., Per- kins' division line be confirmed] it will take off' six of our able inhabitants and alter the form of said society so that its meeting-house will in no measure accommodate the inhabitants, and the society will be diminished and inevita- bly broke to pieces, so that they shall never have the Gospel settled among them nor be able to support the same. And the Mortlake people say that they were made part of Pomfret first society with powers and privileges equal to others, 'and had the privilege of the worship of God, but if the report of com- mittee be accepted, they will belong to no ecclesiastic society nor have the privilege of attending worship in any safety in this Government without in- truding on the rights of others, and are willing to do their proportion in main- taining public worship and schools, and those subscribers in Pomfret-not Mortlake and Abington-would show that the first society in Pomfret is well situate and considerable comfortable as to bounds, and although some inhabit- ants in the north are uneasy, yet to make an alteration would almost or quite break up Abington, and grieve the inhabitants of North Mortlake and deny then the common privilege of Christian people, and will grieve, hurt and make uneasy three persons in Pomfret for one now discontented, and pray you to reject memorial. April 30, 1751."
This prayer was granted, and the line between the parishes allowed to remain as stated. A tax of four shillings an acre for four years was also allowed to the new society. Having thus triumphantly surmounted so many threatening evils and secured confirmation of satisfactory bounds, Abington was able to accomplish the great object of all her labors and endeavors-finish her meeting-house and settle a minis- ter. In the summer of 1751, the meeting-house was raised and covered, and though still very incomplete, made ready for occupation. A three-months' school was ordered at Solomon Howe's in the south, and another at John Sharpe's in the north of the society. Mr. Jabez Whitmore preached through the winter, and made himself so accepta- ble to the people that after solemn fasting and prayer, with advice of the neighboring ministers he was invited to settle, April 23, 1752. Failing in this attempt, the society next secured the services of Mr. David Ripley of Windham, a graduate of Yale College, recently licensed by Windham Association, and on December 24, gave him a formal call to the pastorate ; voting-
" To pay him twelve hundred pounds in bills of public credit, old tenor, of this or the neighboring Governments; to be paid in two years, six hundred pounds in a year; the time of payment to begin when Mr. Ripley is ordained. This for his settlement; and for salary, to pay five hundred pounds a year and after two years to rise gradually as we advance on the common list till it rises to six hundred pounds, and then, that the sum of six hundred pounds be paid annually. . The money for the salary to be made equal to wheat at forty shillings, rye at thirty shillings, Indian corn at twenty shillings and oats at ten shillings a bushel; and pork at two shillings and beef at sixteen-pence a pound."
Mr. Ripley signifying his acceptance of these terms, it was voted, " That the committee of the society wait on Rev. Ebenezer Williams, and take his advice as to our keeping a day of fasting and prayer pre- vious to ordination." The subsequent proceedings are best described in
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
the "Book for church records given to the church at Abington by their unworthy pastor, David Ripley :-
After that the inhabitants of the society of Abington had for some con- siderable time publicly endeavoréd to settle themselves in a Gospel state, they . at length, by the permission and government of Divine Providence, having a prospect of settlement; those of them who belonged to the first church of Pomfret, which was by far the greater part, applied to the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Williams and to the brethren of the church, January 23, 1753, to be dismissed from their relation to that church that so they might be embodied in church state in their own society ; who were accordingly on the 28th day of the same month of Jan., in compliance with their desire, regularly dismissed from their relation to that church by the Rev. pastor with conference of the brethren; and on the 31st day of the same month, it being a fast appointed to ask the direction and guidance of God in the momentous concern of settling a pastor ; for the examination of David Ripley, their then pastor-elect, and for the em- bodying of the dismissed above mentioned-for which reasons and upon which account, the eastern committee of Windham Association was applied to; of which. upon said application, came Rev. Ebenezer Williams of Pom- fret; Rev. Marston Cabot of Thompson; Rev. Abel Stiles of Woodstock; Rev. Samuel Mosely of Hampton; Rev. Ephraim Avery of Brooklyn; Rev. James Cogswell of Canterbury : by whom the business of the day was solemnly and decently, suitable to its design and intention, carried on; after which, the dismissed having subscribed the subsequent covenant or agreement were, before the above-mentioned committee and many others, spectators from the neighboring societies, declared by Rev. Ebenezer Wil- liams to be a regular church of Christ, and they should be so looked upon and treated by the neighboring churches."
Thirty-four males and twenty-nine females subscribed the covenant, and were recognized as the church in Abington. A day was speedily appointed for the ordination of the minister. A committee of the church sent letters missive to the first and second churches of Pomfret ; the second and third churches of Windham ; the first of Woodstock, second of Killingly, and the church of Canterbury, desiring their presence and assistance. The society provided, " That the ministers and messengers and other gentlemen of a liberal education, with Mr. Ripley's friends and relations, should be entertained at the house of Mr. William Osgood." The ordination services were "decently and solemnly carried on," February 21, 1753-Mr. Devotion of Scotland, Mr. Ripley's early pastor, preaching the sermon. March 14, the church chose as suitable persons to serve as deacons, Samuel Craft and Samuel Ruggles-and thus religious worship and ordinances were at length established.
Efforts were now made to complete the meeting-house. A body of seats had been built, but pews were lacking. In May, 1753, it was voted, "To grant the pew room ; the highest on the list to have the first choice and so downward ; no man to dispose of his pew only with the farm by which he draws it." Land, it will be seen, was then king in Abington. Caleb Grosvenor had the honor to pay the heaviest rate, and draw the first pew spot. Mr. Ripley and family were allowed the pew by the pulpit stairs. The remaining pew spots were drawn in the following order :- John Shaw, James Ingalls, Edward Paine, John
517
MORTLAKE DISINSTATED, BROOKLYN CONFIRMED, ETC.
Ingalls, William Osgood, John Sharpe, Daniel Trowbridge, Captain Craft, Captain Goodell, Nathaniel Stowell, Richard Peabody, Jonathan Dana, Edward Goodell, Ebenezer Goodell. Each proprietor was to build his own pew within a year. A sum of money supposed to have been given by Abiel Lyon to the society, was appropriated to the building the pulpit.
Schools received continually more attention. In 1752, three schools were allowed, two months in each part-each part to provide a house ; middle school at Mr. Howe's. In the following year, two school houses were voted-Goodell, Paine and Grosvenor to fix spots. Spots were assigned the succeeding year, but the houses were not provided. December, 1755, it was ordered, "That the centre school be kept in the old school-house ; north school at Caleb Grosvenor's and south school at Edward Goodell's, if he is willing." In the following year, the school-house vote was reconsidered. Edward Goodell's southwest corner was selected for the south school-house. A cheerful site " between the hearse-house and stock-place," south of the meeting- house on Captain Goodell's land, was assigned for the centre ; the north school-house was ambiguously stated " on Ashford road." Again, in 1757, the matter was reconsidered and four school-houses were ordered, and two were actually built in 1760). In town and public affairs, Abington parish bore her full share ; her citizens filling a just proportion of needful town offices. Ebenezer Holbrook, Joseph Craft, William Osgood and John Grosvenor were sent successively as repre. sentatives to the General Assembly. An excellent house of entertain- ment was kept by James Ingalls, one of its most prominent and respected citizens. The first physician in Abington was Elisha Lord, who purchased land "on the road from James Ingalls, inn-holder, to the meeting-house" in 1760-having previously married Alethea Ripley, a sister of the young minister.
IV.
MORTLAKE DISINSTATED. BROOKLYN CONFIRMED. TROUBLES IN POMFRET. SETTLEMENT OF MR. PUTNAM. GENERAL PROGRESS.
YTVHIE society made out of parts of Pomfret, Mortlake and Canter- bury remained in great confusion till after the incorporation of Abington. The country around them was rapidly opening; population and business increasing ; yet this unfortunate parish was unable pro- perly to administer public affairs or facilitate improvements. Pomfret and Canterbury could not be brought to work together harmoniously
518
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
for its benefit, and Mortlake had no town government. The position of this anomalous township was becoming more and more uncomfortable ; a manor without a lord ; a town without organization or officers ; its inhabitants regarded as aliens and intruders, with no rights in Pomfret and no privileges in Mortlake, and not even in capacity for lawful country-rate paying-an entire change in status and administration was imperatively demanded. The inhabitants of the section had never forgotten the town privileges accorded to Sir John Blackwell by the General Court, and now again attempted to secure their confirmation. Pomfret, on the other hand, sought its annexation to her territory. A memorial, informing the Assembly, in May, 1747, "That the inhabit- ants of Mortlake had hitherto escaped paying country taxes ; were conveniently situated to Pomfret, and praying for their annexation," called out the following counter-statement from William Williams and Joseph Holland :-
" That in 1686, a patent was given to Capt. John Blackwell of the land included in Mortlake, for a distinct town, which was afterward renewed to Hon. Jonathan Belcher; by both which acts the privileges of a township are as well secured to the possessors or proprietors of said land, and their inde- pendence upon any other town as fully declared as to the proprietors of any town in the Government. The southern part was annexed to parts of Can- terbury and Pomfret as a distinct ecclesiastic society, and has been at propor- tionable charge in building meeting-house and keeping schools, which shows the readiness of the proprietors of Mortlake to pay taxes, and though the memorialists truly say we have not paid country taxes, it is not from unwill- ingness but incapacity, not being qualified with proper officers. Yet though the memorialists have desired only that we may be obliged to pay taxes, yet we humbly hope the Assembly will not do it in such a way as to deprive us of the privileges of a town, which they have repeatedly granted, and hope, instead of annexing them to any other town, you would annex parts of other towns to them; that is, the north of Canterbury and south of Pomfret, now included in said society, which land is mostly made up of that tract between the towns, and afterward divided among them."
Consideration of these memorials was deferred till the following May, and again earnestly urged upon the Assembly. The general dis- satisfaction at the exemption of Mortlake from tax-paying, was mani- fested somewhat violently, by Richard Adams, Moses Smith, Joseph Davison, Zechariah Spalding, Simon Cady and others, who declared, " That Belcher had sold his land to Godfrey Malbone, William Williams, Israel Putnam, William Earle, Joseph Scarborough, William Sumner and Robert Freeman ; that said persons had always been freed from paying country rates, and had had the usual proportion of school money, and that it was only right and reasonable that they should pay their part of the rate and pay their way." Hezekiah and Nathaniel Huntington were appointed a committee to examine the case, and reported, it is said, in favor of a new township. Renewed efforts were now made to secure confirmation. A meeting of the "society taken out of Pomfret," &c., was held, August 29, 1748, when the inhabitants
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MORTLAKE DISINSTATED, BROOKLYN CONFIRMED, ETC.
expressed their " desire to be annexed to, or incorporated with, the inhabitants of Mortlake into a township, of such form as the Hon. Assembly should judge convenient." Lieutenant Smith, Captain Cleveland and Benjamin Pierce of Canterbury ; Major Holland, Lieu- tenant Bacon and Joseph Davison of Pomfret, were appointed com- mittees to see if their respective towns "would consent that this society, with Mortlake, be made a distinct town, and if they do not consent they shall be cited to appear before the Assembly, and give their reasons." Their applications were unsuccessful. Pomfret was at this time involved in sectional commotion, her western inhabitants seeking for society, her southern for town privileges, and she would listen to neither. Major Holland's appeal to the Assembly was equally fruitless. That body decided to erect the parish of Abington, and was unwilling to subject Pomfret to farther curtailment. The petition for a township was positively rejected, and the north half of Mortlake annexed to Pomfret's first society-a result that pleased no one but the inhabitants of that section, who preferred even this connection to total isolation. The grievances of the complex society were not in the least abated while Pomfret was as much dissatisfied with her gain as with her losses, and vainly petitioned to have the north half of Mortlake removed from being part of her first society. Wearied out at length with inconveniences and disabilities, " the suffering inhabitants of the north of Canterbury and south of Pomfret " were glad to accept of relief upon any terms, and once more appeared before the Assembly, showing :-
" That about twenty years since, the Assembly set off the south part of Pomfret, north part of Canterbury and town of Mortlake, to be a distinct society, and that we have ever since enjoyed society privileges, and said Mortlake consists of about twenty inhabitants, who have most of them coll- siderable farms and improvements and large stocks of cattle and horses, and that they have always been free from paying country rates, which makes a great difficulty in said society, for their not being annexed to any town, and there being no convenient highways, and cannot be compelled to lay out nor mend highways, and the law is that there shall be a sign-post near the centre of each town in this Colony, and that there is no sign-post that is or can be in said society according to law, and Mortlake has always had her proportion of school money, and has never paid any rate, and we ask Assembly to annex her to Pomfret, and that they pay rates and have a sign-post erected.
Ezekiel Bowman. Isaac Allyn. Benjamin Fassett.
Henry Smith.
John Fassett.
Phineas Smith.
Matthew Smith.
Benj. Hubbard.
Josiah Cleveland.
John Pike.
Peter Adams.
Thomas Mighill.
Isaac Adams.
Richard Adams.
Ebenezer Pike.
Reuben Durkee.
John Farr.
Ebenezer Spalding.
Eph. Woodward.
Josiah Fassett.
Benj. Pierce.
Oct. 2, 1751."
The Assembly thereupon once more took the circumstances of Mortlake into consideration, and in May, 1752, thus enacted :-
" Whereas, the plantation or town of Pomfret, when first granted and
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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
patented, included in it, with other lands, a tract of 5,740 acres, now called Mortlake, which tract was after that, according to a division among the pro- prietors of said town, patented to John Blackwell, one of the proprietors, and in said patent to him it is said the said tract should be one entire town, whence it has been frequently called a township by the name of Mortlake, and by that means the inhabitants have claimed an exemption from Pomfret, by reason of which many disputes and difficulties have arisen, and, whereas, there appears to be no grant or resolve of this Assembly for dividing the said tract from Pomfret, or for making the same a township of itself, and it also appears that the same, upon latter application to this Court, hath been confirmed or patented to said Pomfret, without any regard or pretence of its being a town- ship-therefore, this Assembly is of opinion that Mortlake ought to belong to Pomfret, according to the true intent and meaning of the original grant, and that it is not a distinct town by itself, and to prevent all future mistakes, and for promoting and preserving due order and regulation, it is resolved, that this tract of Mortlake shall be accounted, taken and doomed to belong to Pomfret."
Thus, after so many years of independent existence, Mortlake manor was dis-stated and merged in Pomfret township; its inhabitants will- ingly resigning their manorial privileges for orderly town government and ability to pay country taxes. "The society taken out of Pomfret, Canterbury and Mortlake " could now levy rates in all parts of its dominion, and rejoiced in its liberty to erect the much-coveted sign- post, and in the new name of Brooklyn, which, by special Act of Assem- bly, replaced its former elongated and inconvenient appellation. This . society was now in a prosperous condition, having repaired the breaches caused by the Separate agitation. Population had increased largely throughout its borders. Numerous descendants of the first settlers- Adams, Cady, Spalding and Allen-filled the places of their fathers. A third Richard Adams succeeded to the family homestead upon the death of his father, in 1746. Peter Adams, Jun., upon his marriage in 1750, built himself a house in new clearings in the east part of the farm.
The society, with all its disabilities and disadvantages, had not neglected public improvements during this period of agitation. Its one school-house on the green had been very elaborately finished, with ceiling of pine boards, double floor below and single one in the chamber, chimney lined with brick as high as the mantle-tree, three windows glazed, a convenient writing-table, benches to sit on and a lock. Daniel Tyler was employed to mow the burying-place in season to kill the bushes. Israel Putnam, after his adventure with the wolf, had risen in popular favor, and, on condition of mending the glass in the meeting-house, was allowed with John Hubbard, Daniel Tyler and Benjamin Pierce, to replace the hindmost seats below with pews for their private use, " if they spile not above two seats on a side." The work when done was accepted by the society, and Putnam, Tyler and Uriah Cady appointed soon after to seat the meeting-house. Jonas Cleveland, Ebenezer Hubbard, Caleb Spalding and Leonard Cady were
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