USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut, Volume II, 1760-1880 > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69
Rev James Cogswell continued in charge of the First church, which though weakened by secession and emigration maintained a respectable standing, and its old dislike of separation. A visit from Mr. Whitefield in 1764, excited much consternation. This distinguished preacher had lost favor with the more rigid churches and pastors. Mr. Cogswell was greatly exercised in spirit by the rumor of his coming, "not knowing how to conduet, viz: whether to desire him to preach,"-but, after deliberation and prayer, determined "to keep about his duty, viz: what would have been his duty it he had heard nothing of his arrival." Tidings of his actual arrival and entertain- ment at Colonel Dyer's failed to change the decision of the timid divine, whose natural politeness and curiosity were quite overborne by fear of ministerial censure, but at the request of a number of his people he ventured to call upon the great preacher and held considerable discourse, which he thus recorded in his diary :-
" He professed much unconcernedness at ye thought of death. Ile ap- peared a great enemy to Sandeman. He was gross in body but poor in health and declined preaching; wish I may be so weaned from the world and ready to die as he professed to be; can't think, however, there is the greatest propriety in being fond of speaking in such a manner to strangers.
Feb. 14, Mr. Whitefield came along; people seemed very fond of gazing on him. He rode in his chariot with a gentleman-had a waiter to attend on him, and Sampson Occum, ye Indian preacher, who rode on one of the horses, there being three to ye chariot. [Reverends] Messrs. Breek and Whitney came and dined here. Mr. Breek said he did not know but I was right in asking Mr. Whitefield to preach ; however he believed he should not have done it."
40
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
If Mr. Breck of Springfield, always inclined to Arminianism and heterodoxy, could thus seruple, it may be seen that the cautious pastor did indeed run some risk in extending eivilities to the great pulpit orator.
Mr. Cogswell's diary gives us a parting glimpse of another onee- famed preacher and religious leader-his old antagonist, Elisha Paine, revisiting Canterbury after many years absence :-
" Marchi 26, 1769. Lawyer Paine sent for me in the evening, said that he wanted to see me but did not desire I should tarry lecture, as Stephen Backus told me; however, when I came there the old gentleman said he had nothing special to say, and that he only sent word that he was going to preach, and began lecture soon. But I thought I would not go away imme- diately -- was not sorry I tarried as I have not heard a Separate teacher in a great while. He is much more moderate than formerly and indeed is a dull preacher; some part of his discourse was good but he preached many things erroneons as I thought, as that all religion which was established by civil au- thority was false ; . . . . that all Christians have assurance, and those who think they have not are to be suspected of knowing nothing of Christ's beauty experimentally. That though men should live peaceably together yet it was a vain and wicked attempt to reconcile converted and unconverted men for they would always have implacable enemity ; and tho' they should agree ever so well on an outward plan of church government which he called a hiarchee, meaning as I suppose an Hierarchy, it would be of no service unless men were converted -- and several other exceptional things.
27th. Mr. Paine visited me. Discoursed in a friendly manner. I mentioned to him his meddling with Connecticut Establishment in his sermon ; he said he did not mean so much Connecticut Establishment as all Establishments. I mentioned his notion of saving faith consisting in assurance. lle in effect gave up the point, for he said he believed many were good Christians who had not assurance but did not own he was wrong. He discoursed against several practices. - Presbyterian ordination, ministers being supported by a salary, &c., but with a pleasant countenance and to appearance with a temper much less bitter and severe than when he lived in town-but I believe he holds much the same doctrines."*
The Separate church once so flourishing had suffered many losses. The venerable Obadiah Johnson, one of the early settlers of the town, and a pillar of this church, died in 1765. Mary, wife of William Bradford and sister of John and Ebenezer Cleveland, -" an ornament to her sex and indeed to all her 'Christian friends,"-died the same year upon the birth of her fourteenth child, "in a perfect calm resignation to the will of God and assurance of faith." Her father, Josiah Cleve- land, dying some years previous had shown his love to this "Congre- gational church in Canterbury " (as its members called it), by bequeath- ing to it his whole part of the meeting-house, and £200 in bills of credit. Deacon Johnson left "the improvement of a farm and build- ings for the benefit of said church as for the poor of said church," and also twenty acres to supply firewood for the minister. But money
* The remaining years of the great Separate leader were spent in peaceful seclusion, preaching to his beloved flock at Bridgehampton, L. I., until within two weeks of his decease, which occurred Aug. 26, 1775, at the age of eighty-four.
41
CANTERBURY, WHITEFIELD'S VISIT, ETC.
and land could not make up the loss in membership. Emigration and disaffection had carried away many. The vote by which they had gained society privileges and exemption from ratepaying, gave great offence to many ardent brethren, and after many stringent letters from Ebenezer Frothingham of Middletown, the church decided to recon- sider the matter ; renewed their covenant one by one-during which God drew near and united their hearts in the love of the gospel-and appointed a committee, who reported :-
" May 21, 1766. 1. The Separate voting or acting with the society was wrong, as that civil body acted in a matter of conscience, or in an ecclesias- tic affair."
The church assented to this " as their minds, and what they meant to abide by, and acknowledged their fault in so far as any of them had been active in those things." Its relations with its pastor were next brought under consideration. This good brother was ardent and zealous to a fault, and offended many of his people by bluntness of speech and lack of discretion. After long labor and agitation a coun- cil was held, May 29, 1768, which decided " that brother Joseph Marshall be dismissed from the pastoral care of this church, on account of the contentions in church respecting his gifts and ordination, which ren- ders his improvement unprofitable." Mr. Marshall then followed some members of his flock to the new settlements in Western Connecticut, New York and Vermont, where his labors were greatly blessed. The Canterbury Separate church did not succeed in settling another minister and steadily declined in numbers. Some of its members signified their desire to attend worship with the First society, provided they might pay their part of the expenses by way of contributing and not by rate, whereupon that body voted, "That we are willing and desirons that they should attend public worship with us, and will never levy any tax or assessment upon them contrary to their minds, but will leave it with them to give what, and in what manner, they please." The increase of Baptist sentiments was very annoying to the Separates as well as the standing order. Mr. Cogswell heard with great grief "that several of his people and many of the Separates had attended at Mr. Backus's to hear Ebenezer Lyon, the Baptist teacher," and hoped that God would " convince them of their folly." Notwith- standing this opposition, "Lyon, the Baptist," continued his irregular services for many years, edifying a small number of hearers. These Baptists with the Canterbury Separates held to what was called " mixed communion," and often joined in worship and ordinances with Separate churches.
A division of the First society was accomplished during this period. Population had gathered in the western part of the town. Deacon 6
42
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
Stephen Frost, sons of Samuel Butts, and other influential families were among these residents, and in the spring of 1767, petitioned for society privileges. A measure and survey were ordered and divisional line run. The society accepted the report and voted to divide into dis- tinct ecclesiastic societies by a north and south line at the centre of the parish parallel with the line between Windham and Canterbury-line to leave 11,736 acres on each side; rate on east side £5,759; west side £4,251. With this vote the western inhabitants, viz :-
Stephen Frost, Robert and John Herrick, Solomon Adams, Ebenezer Deane, Ezra and Amos Woodward, Ebenezer Goodell, Stephen Downing, Benjamin and Nathaniel Cleveland, Samuel Parish, Matthias Button, Benjamin and John Durfee, David Munro, Solomon Allen, Stephen Ford, Jun., Joseph Burgess, Josiah, Joseph and Sherebiah Butts, Joseph Leach, John Curtis, William Foster. Benjamin Jewett, David Canada, Eliphalet and Zebulon Farnham, William Hebard, Frederic Carter, John Lewis, Jonas Bond-
appeared before the Assembly, and secured a committee which reported in favor of division. A favorable decision was confidently expected when to the consternation of the petitioners opposition was manifested. Notwithstanding previous declarations and agreements, fifty remonstrants headed by Elijah Dyer, Jabez Fitch and John Bacon now represented :-
" That the vote to divide was hastily passed; that the inhabitants princi- pally settled in the east; that a number of inhabitants settled afterwards in the west, and, not considering that the contemplated division would inevita- bly ruin said society, voted it by a bare majority ; list of whole, only nine thousand, exclusive of separate society ; give a minister now but seventy pounds a year which by no means supports him, and we are very much put to collect that now in this distressing time; people behindhand on account of great changes and seareity of money, and to divide in the way proposed will certainly ruin and break up the whole."
Residents near the centre of the town, viz., Thomas Bradford, Jo- seph Withe, Abijah Cady, Jacob Smith, John Wheeler, Jacob Green and John Pellet also remonstrated, declaring :-
" That the society will be eight miles in length and two and a-half in width, and that we live quite at the east part of new society, and have a good road to the meeting-house, and if we are stated to the west society shall be as far from their meeting house, if they ever build one, as we are now, with no road to travel on, and the way so bad that it is impossible there will ever be a good one made, and pray to be allowed to stay in the east society."
To forestall division it was now proposed that a new meeting-house should be erected in the centre of the town, but no vote could be ob- tained for it. In May, 1769, the western inhabitants farther repre- sented that their number had greatly multiplied and was constantly in- creasing, that the society would not allow them to be set off or build a new meeting-house in the centre, and begged for relief. Their request was continued till October, and thus answered :---
" Upon memorial of Stephen Frost, Robert Herrick, Ebenezer Goodell and others, inhabitants of first society of town of Canterbury, situated in west
43
CANTERBURY, WHITEFIELD'S VISIT, ETC.
part of said society, showing to this Assembly their great distance from the established place of public worship in said society, whereby they and their numerous families are very unable to attend the same; also, showing to the Assembly the vote of said society signifying their consent to have the same equally divided into distinct ecclesiastic societies by a north and south line parallel with the line dividing between the towns of Windham and Canter- bury, at the centre of said first society, ascertained by a late survey made by Seth Paine, county surveyor, approved by said society-praying this Assembly to make and constitute the men situate on the west side of said north and south line a distinct ecclesiastic society according to the form and extent of said vote, and to be invested with all the rights and privileges to such socie- ties appertaining (except such inhabitants as by law are exempt from contri- buting to the support of the established ministry). It is resolved by this As- sembly, that the inhabitants living within the limits aforesaid (excepting as before excepted) shall be, and they are hereby made, erected and constituted a distinct ecclesiastic society, endowed with all the powers, privileges and immunities usually belonging to ecclesiastic societies in this colony, and shall be known and ealled by the name of Westminster. October, 1769."
The organization of the new society was speedily effected. The re- ports of the first meetings have not been preserved, but there was evi- dently no lack of spirit and enthusiasm. Arrangements were soon made for building a meeting-house. There was no occasion here for quarrelling over its site. "Natural fitness " at once assigned it to a broad hill-summit near the centre of the society. About four acres of land at the crossing of the roads were given by John Parks for meet- ing-house spot, burial ground and common. The bushes were at once cleared off and ground made ready for building. Capt. Sherebiah Butts was employed as master builder, and served so efficiently that the house was made ready for occupation during the following summer, that same busy season in which the rival edifices of Brooklyn Parish were in progress. " At a convention of professing Christians belonging to Westminster society Nov. 2, 1770," arrangements were made for church organization. The neighboring ministers-Reverends Samuel Mosely, James Cogswell, Josiah Whitney-and Capt. John Howard, Dr. Jabez Fitch, Dea. Nathaniel Brown and Col. Israel Putnam, messengers, comprised the council. A number of brethren appeared before it, and after professing their belief in the articles of the Christian faith revealed in the Word of God, and engaging to walk together agreeably to the directions of his word, signed the following covenant and were acknow- ledged as a regular church of Christ :-
" 1. We do take the Holy Scriptures as the only ultimate rule of our faith and manners, and in subordination hereto, the confession of faith called the West- minster,* which we look upon to be agreeable to the Word of God. .
3. We submit ourselves to the watch and discipline of Christ's church, ac- cording to Cambridge platform.
Stephen Frost. Thomas Bradford.
Amos Woodward.
Robert Herrick. William Bond.
Ebenezer Davis.
John Lewis. Jacob Foster.
Anthony Glass.
Isaac Woodward. Enos Woodward.
John Herrick.
Daniel Davis.
Peter Woodward.
Westminster, Nov. 20, 1770."
*It is not improbable that the society adopted its stately name in honor of this venerable confession which held so high a place in their esteem.
44
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
Within a few months John Staples of Taunton, Mass., was called to the pastorate and ordained April 17, 1772. Stephen Frost, John Her- rick and Jonas Bond were chosen to serve as deacons; many were added to the church, and the society pursued its way in much peace and prosperity.
Although the First society in Canterbury managed to maintain its existence after the division of its territory, it did not escape many of the evils so dismally foreboded. During the preceding controversy ani mosities had been engendered, and it was found impossible to effect a peaceable settlement. Dea. Frost, for some unassigned reason, chose to retain the society records and papers, and also the school-fund money previously entrusted to him. John Felch was now society clerk and treasurer ; Jabez Fitch, Jun., Eliashib Adams and Joseph Woodward were the committee. At a society meeting Feb. 7, 1770, Capt. Dyer was appointed "agent, to go immediately in the name of society and demand the record books and other papers belonging to the society now in the hands of Dea. Stephen Frost, and in case of refusal, prose- cute." Asa Bacon was also empowered " to recover loan school money in the hands of Dea. Frost." These efforts proving unsuccessful, the society committee was instructed to sue for school money. An agent was afterwards appointed to lay the case before the Assembly. Finally, April 22, 1771, the leading men in the society, viz., John Felch, Capt. Elijah Dyer, Dea. Eliashib Adams and Captains Elkanah Cobb and Aaron Cleveland, were chosen "to treat with Westminster society about an amicable settlement of the dispute between said societies respecting loan school money, and also to make a final settlement and full con- clusion of all other matters of controversy subsisting between said so- cieties respecting a part of Mr. Cogswell's salary for the year in which said society was divided." Through their mediation the various diffi- culties were in some measure surmounted.
The most serious evil resulting from society division was the loss of Mr. Cogswell. The First society was unable to raise what he deemed needful for his support, or even to pay arrearages in full, and consented " to his quiet and peaceable dismission." The church, "taking into consideration our difficult circumstances, with much reluctance consent that our pastor be dismissed ; testify our sincerest regards and part with him not because we are dissatisfied with him as to anything relat- ing to his ministerial conduct, but think it may be for the good and peace of the society, and most cordially recommend him." Mr. Cogs- well preached for a short time at East Haddam, where his good friend and adherent, Deacon Samuel Huntington, had lately removed, and then returned to Scotland Parish. The Canterbury church remained for many years without a settled pastor to its great detriment. Nathaniel
45
WESTMINSTER SOCIETY.
Niles of Norwich, preached for a season but deelined a call to settle- ment. Samuel Spring, Job Swift and Ephraim Judson also served as supplies during this unsettled period. Eliashib Adams succeeded to the deacon's office on the removal of Dea. Huntington in 1769. Jabez Fitch, Jun., was elected deacon two years later. William Bingham, William Darbe and Benjamin Bacon were made choristers. Though destitute of a settled pastor, public worship was maintained with con- siderable regularity. Jabez Fitch, Esq., Timothy Baldwin, Jabez Ens- worth, John Bacon and Elijah Dyer looked after the proper seating of the meeting-house, and ordered needful repairs, and "if swept twelve times a year " paid twenty shillings for it. Tixhall Ensworth held the responsible position of key-keeper. In 1773 the resources of the so- ciety were somewhat enlarged by the annexation of Black Hill, the lands in possession of Timothy Backus, Isaac Allerton, William Under- wood, Joab Johnson, Curtis and Ezekiel Spalding, Jabez Fitch, Jun., William Bingham, John Hough, Elkanah Cobb and Obadiah Johnson being joined by act of Assembly " with the First Society of Canter- bury for society and ecclesiastie privileges, but not for schooling, mili- tary and other purposes."
Schools in Canterbury up to this date were receiving little attention, and the old system of "squadrons" was still maintained. In 1770, Ezekiel Park, Captain Elijah Dyer, Nathan Waldo, Joseph Clark, Jo- seph Woodward, Asa and Joseph Stevens were ordered, "To take care of the schools in their respective squadrons, and to hire suitable per- sons to keep the schools." A division into twenty-three districts was soon after effected and the number of schools increased. Private schools were often supported in different neighborhoods. A "night school " was kept at one time by Joseph Carter in "the school-house nighest to Westminster meeting-house." After his mercantile experi- ment in Pomfret this young man returned to Canterbury, keeping store or school as occasion offered, and, like a true-born Yankee, turning his hand to anything. Succeeding in time to the office of deputy-sheriff, he combined with it a carrying trade, conveying letters and packages back and forth with his prisoners, and serving his neighbors with house- hold supplies as well as warrants. With all his Yankee facility one duty came hard to him. He did not mind applying the lash to the bare back of a male culprit, but he hated to whip a woman, and unfor- tunately for him the number of female offenders was very large. Steal- ing, vagrancy and worse offenees brought many a hapless victim to the public whipping-post. The compassionate sympathy of the tender- hearted sheriff led him on one occasion to employ a substitute, but the neophyte in his zeal for justice inflicted the blows with so much more spirit and cogency that he was fain to submit thereafter to do his own
46
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
whipping. One petty pilferer escaped with a lighter punishment. A very respectable citizen living north of the Green was led to suspect that one of his neighbors was helping himself to his hay, and keeping a sharp look-out at last espied the offender creeping up to his barn one evening and coming out with a large bundle tied up with a rope. The good man might have roused the neighborhood with a hue-and-cry, but with sudden impulse he hurried into his house, snatched a blazing fire-brand, and managed unseen to overtake the thief, and thrust the brand into the bundle. Crackling flames suddenly bursting over his head terrified the poor fellow almost out of his senses, and thinking that the Lord had sent fire from Heaven to consume him, he dropped the blazing hay and ran home as fast as his trembling limbs could carry him. The next day he sought his neighbor in great distress and peni- tence. confessing all his misdeeds and the punishment that the Lord had sent upon him, and promising never to do the like again. This promise it is believed was faithfully kept, and the story was never told till after the decease of the penitent offender.
John Felch usually served as town clerk during this period. John Bacon, Jun., was graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1765, and after essaying ministerial settlement in various fields removed to Stockbridge, Mass., and distinguished himself in secular service. Aaron, youngest son of Josiah Cleveland, Elijah, son of Colonel Dyer, John, son of John Adams, were among Canterbury's rising young men at this date. Obadiah Johnson was colonel of the regiment which com- prised the militia of Plainfield and Canterbury. Mr. Cogswell reports a public library founded by the citizens in 1771.
IV.
TOWN AFFAIRS IN WINDHAM. WYOMING SETTLEMENT. SOCIAL LIFE. SCOTLAND PARISH.
W INDIIAM as head and shire town of the county was now exceed- ingly prosperous and prominent, surpassing, according to cotem- porary judgment, " every inland town in the Colony in trade and mer- chandize." It had four well-trained military companies, four meeting- houses, a court-house, prison and jail, numberless stores and taverns, and many handsome private residences. The officers requisite for the proper management of public affairs in 1760 were five selectmen, five constables and rate collectors, seven grand-jurors, ten tithing-men, seven listers, twenty-three surveyors, four branders and tollers, three pound keepers, three packers, one weight-sealer, one measure-sealer,
47
TOWN AFFAIRS IN WINDHAM, ETC.
two to take care of provisions paid for colony tax, one excise collector, two surveyors and packers of tobacco .* The Rev. Stephen White re- mained in pastoral charge of the First Church and society. Samuel Gray served efficiently as town clerk. Nathaniel Wales, with his son Nathaniel, filled many public offices to great acceptance. Eliphalet Dyer and Jedidiah Elderkin were actively engaged in the practice of law, and ranked among the prominent public men of Connecticut. The ex- cellent Jonathan Huntington retained his eminence and popularity as a medical practitioner, and while exhibiting "marvelous skill " in the art of healing, served as judge of the County Court and member of the Governor's council. His cotemporary in years, Dr. Ebenezer Gray of Boston, probably brother to Samuel Gray, Esquire, also "practiced physick" in Windham and its vicinity. Dr. Joshua Elderkin, the somewhat erratic brother of Jedidiah, practiced medicine, engaged in trade and experimented in manufactures. In that revival of business and commercial enterprise following the close of the French war, Windham actively participated. James Flint, Ebenezer Backus and Ebenezer Devotion, Jun., of Scotland Parish, engaged extensively in mercantile traffic, buying up domestic produce to exchange for West India goods and articles of taste and luxury. Under this stimulus, the products of the town were very largely increased. Much attention was given to wool-growing, the culture of hemp, flax and tobacco, and the making of cheese and butter. Great flocks of sheep and herds of cattle ranged over Windham pastures and commons. Wheat and other cereals were extensively grown and exported, and so brisk was trade in
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.