History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 57

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: New York, Preston
Number of Pages: 1506

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The first effort of which we can learn in behalf of the schools of this locality was made in 1722. The people here then peti- tioned the town of Pomfret to which they then belonged that they might be exempt from taxes for building a school house in the center of that town, and also that they might have part of the money that was appropriated from the treasury of the colony to help them to keep a free school in their section. The request was granted by the town, and a school was then established here. For many years after that a school was provided, and in time a school house was built and then school was kept by a master three months and by a mistress eight months in each year, the mistress holding her school in different places to accommodate the smaller children. This one school house stood on the Green and was quite elaborately finished, with ceiling of pine boards,

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

double floor below and single floor 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.

After the society had been enlarged by the addition of Mort- lake greater school accommodations were required. In 1752 the society was divided into four districts by lines running east, west, north and south from the meeting house to the bounds of the society. It was then ordered that school should be kept in five places, an equal length of time in each place, viz. : 1, at the Widow Cleveland's, or Benjamin Hubbard's or near there ; 2, at Leonard Cady's; 3, at Mr. Dimon's, or near there ; 4, at Samuel or William Williams's; 5, at the school house in the center of the society.

In 1762 the school districts, which perhaps had from time to time increased in number, were remodelled, and the residents in each are shown in the following list :

"District 1. Containing Captain Spalding, Prince's place, that farm that was the Reverend Mr. Avery's, Nathan Cady, Adoni- jah Fasset, David Kendall, John Kimball, Reverend Mr. Whit- ney, Stephen Baker, Ezekiel Cady, Uriah Cady, Daniel Tyler, Thomas Williams, Samuel Cleveland and Joseph Cady.

"District 2. All the lands and houses of Colonel Malbone that are in the society, William Earl, Moses Earl, Jonas Frost, Jedi- diah Ashcraft, Joseph Hubbard, Abner Adams, Benjamin Fas- set, Nehemiah Adams, John Hubbard, Daniel Adams, Noah and Paul Adams and Samuel Wilson.

"District 3. To contain Peter and Richard Adams, Widow Allyn, Lieutenant Smith, Sergeant Woodward, Reuben Darbe, Jonas Cleveland, Josiah, James and Joseph Fasset, John Allyn, Lieutenant Spalding, Elijah Monrose, Joseph Dyer, Jonathan Backus, Andrew Lester, Captain Prince, Nehemiah Prince, Thomas Wheeler, William Copeland and Moses Smith.

" District 4. To contain Nehemiah Bacon, Joseph Scarborough, Samuel Jacques, James Bennet, Joseph Ross, Widow Barret, Lieutenant Smith, Doctor Walton, Barnabas Wood, Deacon Scar- borough, Colonel Putnam and Thomas Eldredge.

"District 5. To contain Samuel Williams, Jr., William Wil- liams, Jr., Deacon Williams, Samuel Williams, Ebenezer Weeks, Rufus Herrick, Jedidiah Downing, Widow Davyson, Benjamin Fasset, Jr., and Amoral Chapman.

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

"District 6. To contain John Litchfield, Israel Litchfield, Da- rius Cady, James Darbe, Senior and Junior, Samuel and Eleazer Darbe, Nathan Kimball, Benjamin Shepard, Nehemiah Cady, Caleb Spalding, Daniel, Nahum, John, Henry and Benjamin Cady.

"District 7. John Fasset, James Copeland, Gidion Cady, Sam- uel Winter, Nathan Witter, Asa Tyler, Lieutenant Hunt, the farm that was Thomas Stanton's, Jacob Staples, Jethro Rogers, James Bidlack and Aaron Fuller."

The school house was now moved to a suitable place in one corner of the common, and "fitted up as well as it was before." School houses were provided for the surrounding districts as soon as possible. A school was kept at least two and one-fifth months a year in each district.

In 1783 an attempt was made to establish an academy here. A teacher whose qualifications were vouched for by the "Gov- ernors of Cambridge College," where he had been educated, was employed by some of the enterprising citizens to teach Greek and Latin and " any other branch of literature taught at any pri- vate school in the state." The committee in whose charge this enterprise was placed was composed of Daniel Tyler, Jr., John Jefferds, Joseph Baker, Eleazer Gilbert and Jabez Allen. Fail- ing to succeed in this effort, the town gave more care to public education, and committees were appointed to take charge of the school monies and to hire schoolmasters.

In the early part of the present century the Reverend Samuel J. May, then minister of this town, was very active in agitating and promoting the cause of the common schools, and through his activity, influences were set to work which extended to the county and state, and resulted in widespread and much needed reforms in the school system. Being placed on the school com- mittee, he was astonished to find that the public schools were in- ferior even to those of Massachusetts; that the much vaunted school fund was actually detrimental in its workings; and that people generally were losing interest in schools which cost them nothing. By greater strictness in the examination of teachers, and more thorough supervision, he gave a new stimulus to the Brooklyn schools, and so aroused the attention of other public spirited citizens that they agreed to unite with him in bringing the question before the consideration of the general public. A call was sent out asking the towns throughout the state to send

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

delegates to Brooklyn for the purpose of considering the charac- ter and condition of the common schools of the state. The edu- cational convention was held in May, 1827. Its novelty elicited a large attendance from Windham and adjoining counties. Re- ports by letter or delegate from nearly a hundred towns revealed such deficiency in teaching and administration as to surprise and mortify the citizens of the state, thus arousing them to measures of reform, which in time effected an entire revolution of the sys- tem and its details. As a result of this convention a society of the "Friends of Education for Windham County " was organ- ized, with George Sharpe for president, which for sometime con- tinued to hold meetings and circulate information.

Some efforts had occasionally been made in the direction of a high school, and in 1829 an academy was formally incorporated, the proprietors of the enterprise being Benjamin E. Palmer, Vine Robinson, Philip Scarborough, Daniel P. Tyler and Wil- liam Hutchins. A suitable building was procured and consider- able pains taken to build up a flourishing school. Scholars came freely from surrounding towns, but were apparently more impressed by the court sessions and social attractions of the vil- lage than by the instructions received. Ex-Governor Gaston of Massachusetts, Hon. Abraham Payne of Providence, William S. Scarborough of Cincinnati, Brigadier General Tyler of Mont- gomery, Alabama, were among the notable men who at times received instruction in the Brooklyn Academy, during its pros- perous life, which passed many years ago.

The number of children of school age in this town in 1858 was 500; in 1881, 510; in 1887, 623; in 1889, 610. These were in 1889 divided among the school districts as follows: No. 1, 115; 2, 32; 3, 19; 4, 14; 5, 50; 6, 7; 7, 7; 8, 19; 9, 347. In this town there are, 1 graded school of 3 departments and 1 of 5 departments. The estimated value of school houses and sites is $20,400. The total school expenses for the year were $5,594.89.

The First church of Brooklyn had its beginnings among the people while as yet there was no organization either of society or town. The people inhabiting south of Mortlake and north of Canterbury were within the proper jurisdiction of the town of Pomfret, but remote some seven or eight miles from the meet- ing house at the center of the town. Some residents in the northern part of Canterbury were also remote from the meeting house of that town. With remarkable generosity the town of

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

Pomfret consented to allow the people of this part of their juris- diction to be clear of ministers' rates in case of their procuring a minister among themselves. About the year 1730 they secured the services of Mr. William Blossom, who for some time preached to them in private houses in different parts, as convenience dic- tated. Mr. Blossom had not been approved or licensed by the Windham County Association of ministers and churches, and that body, after vainly summoning him to produce his creden- tials, pronounced him guilty of "contempt of ecclesiastic author- ity," and forbade his preaching or the people listening to him within the bounds of the association. This was done November 29th, 1730. But Mr. Blossom continued to preach and the people . to listen to him, in spite of the decree. The association appealed to the assembly, and the people were divided in sentiment, a part of them rejecting Blossom and obtaining the services of another young man, one Mr. Newell, still without leave of assem- bly or association.

In the midst of this discord of sentiment, the society was char- tered by the assembly in 1731. The society now employed Mr. Newell for a year, at sixty-two pounds salary and his board and a horse to ride. The society in October, 1732, was enlarged by the addition of the south half of Mortlake and inhabitants Joseph Holland and Joseph Davison. A house of worship was erected in 1734, and on November 21st of that year a church was organized, consisting of the following persons : John Woodward, James Cady, Richard Adams, Benjamin Fasset, William Wil- liams, Joseph Holland, Henry Bacon, Joseph Davison and Jona- than Parks. Their number was soon increased by the wives of the constituent members, and by the addition of Joseph Leonard, Edward Spalding, Henry Smith, John Hubbard and their wives, and Joseph Adams, Jr., and Isaac Leonard. William Williams of Mortlake, and John Woodward of Canterbury, were elected deacons.

The church and society were quite unanimous in securing the services of Mr. Ephraim Avery'of Truro, and a graduate of Harvard, to be their minister. He was duly installed September 24th, 1735. The meeting house was now more completely fin- ished. Sundry improvements were from time to time made. In 1741 it was voted "To put a window in the minister's pew and plaster the gable ends of the meeting house." From the fre- quency with which the meeting house windows were out of

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

repair and had to be re-glazed, we are led to question the com- mon supposition that all the villainous street boys belong to the present generation. The glass in the windows frequently required mending. About 1750 Israel Putnam and three others were allowed to build pews for themselves in place of certain "hindmost seats," provided they would mend the glass in the meeting house windows. In 1752 the glass was again so badly out of repair that it was voted " To board up the meeting house windows."

Mr. Avery was also somewhat of a medical man, and in 1754, during an epidemic, he was so overcome with continued labors attending the sick, that he fell himself beneath the hand of the disease, and thus ended both his medical and his pastoral labors. Josiah Whitney, a native of Plainfield, graduate of Yale, was next called to the pastorate. He was ordained February 4th, 1756. A remarkable circumstance associated with this occasion was the fact that the day was so fine and warm that the audi- ence, which was too large to be accommodated in the meeting house, assembled on the Green, in the open air, where the cere- monies were conducted, the ladies meanwhile using their fans as in a summer day. Saybrook Platform was now adopted.

The church in Mortlake parish, known as the Second church of Pomfret, shared largely in the religious awakening, adding to its membership in 1741-2 one hundred and six. This church was more inclined to independence and less rigid in discipline than most of its contemporaries. Among its members were Josiah, an elder brother of John and Ebenezer Cleveland; Con- stance, sister of Elisha and Solomon Paine, and other Canterbury residents, all in full sympathy with the revival and eager to ex- ercise the privilege of laboring and exhorting. On lecture day, September 10th, several brothers and sisters of the church went so far "beyond their line as to break the peace and quiet of the church " by publicly exhorting the congregation after the ser- vice. Samuel Wilson actually had the temerity to speak for some considerable time to the people on the common before the meet- ing house door, attempting "to teach them the wretched estate they were in, and that their help was in God, and exhorting them to come to him." Ezekiel Spalding " also spoke very loud for a little space by way of exhorting the people," and Constance Paine " was heard to speak in a very loud, earnest and resolute manner." Great clamor and confusion followed. Some de-

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

nounced the speakers, some encouraged them. Disputing and jangling were heard on every side, even within the sacred walls of the meeting house. Tidings of the outbreak were speedily carried to Mr. Avery. He went out and rebuked the offenders, and as the ecclesiastic head of the parish, commanded them to forbear their irregular and improper exhorting, but met with public opposition and defamation while attempting to exert his official authority. One angry citizen even charged him with lying, and another declared, "That by his own words he showed that he did not know the Spirit of God."

This affair aroused great excitement, both in church and soci- ety. On the following Sabbath, before administering the Sacra- ment, Mr. Avery publicly debarred these five offenders from the Lord's table till the matter could be looked into, whereupon Jo- siah, Ebenezer and Lydia Cleveland and Ezekiel Bacon with- drew from the meeting house "in the face of the church." A church meeting was promptly called to consider the various offenses. The two brethren, who had been led by their sym- pathy with the exhorters to such unseemly defamation of their good pastor, were very willing to acknowledge that their con- duct had been indecent and unchristian and publicly con- fess the same to the congregation. The exhorters themselves, Wilson, Spalding and Constance Paine, were treated with great consideration and forbearance, and ample time and opportunity given them to procure testimony and defend themselves. After carefully weighing all the evidence presented and discussing the question in all its bearings, it was decided, October 18th, "That the church looked upon what the aforesaid Wilson, Spalding and Constance Paine did, on September 10th, as public exhorting. That public speaking, warning and exhorting of lay persons is unwarrantable and ought to be discountenanced ; but inasmuch as the church has not before declared its mind in this matter, and the persons that have done this that we look upon as unwarrantable might not intend to disturb the church, and also, since they seem to think they did their duty in it-it is adjudged, That we ought to be tender with them, and that it may be most for the interest of religion as circumstances are, to pass it over for this time without requiring satisfaction, and with desiring that they would forbear this practice for time to come, as they would not disturb the peace and quiet of the church, nor expose themselves nor the church to further trouble,

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

begging that God would lead them and us into the ways of truth and peace."

The tenderness of the church in forbearing to exact a public confession from the exhorting brethren was entirely thrown away upon their sympathizers so long as they were restricted in liberty of speech and exhortation, and in a few days they issued the subjoined spirited manifesto :-

" POMFRET, Nov. 5, 1742.

"These are to inform you that your way of discipline and opinion declared in your last judgment against some of the sub- scribers, doth so fully evidence to us that you of the number that have the form of godliness and deny the power thereof, that we can in conscience hold communion no longer with you, and do thereof declare that we do dissent and withdraw from you, praying that the Lord would be our guide and direct us in such a weighty affair; also, humbly entreating the Lord for you all, that the Lord of his infinite free sovereign grace would open your eyes and lead both you and us into all truth. Rebecca Freeman, Ezekiel Spalding, Martha Spalding, Eunice Adams, John Fasset, Josiah Fasset, Benjamin Fasset, Elizabeth Fasset, Richard Adams, Ebenezer Cleveland, Samuel Wilson, Betty Wil- son, Abigail Woodward, Hannah Jewell, Joseph Cady, Zachariah Whitney, Josiah Cleveland, Lydia Cleveland, Elias Sheavalier, Mary Sheavalier, Joseph Adams, Elizabeth Adams, Joshua Paine, Constance Paine."

The subsequent conduct of these dissenting members was in accordance with the spirit of this declaration. This company of offending members were called to account and admonished by the church, but without avail. Two or three confessed their errors, and were received again into the church. Richard Adams died during this year, "without giving any satisfaction." After waiting more than another year for the return of the delin- quents, the church reluctantly proceeded to consider the ques- tion of excommunication. Ezekiel Spalding and Joseph Adams " appeared and pleaded, 'That they ought not to be cut off from the church.'" Fourteen of the most obstinate, refusing to retract or ask for mercy, were publicly excommunicated, December 14th, 1746. Eleven others, after further trial persisting in separation, were formally admonished, April 13th, 1748, but none appeared in church to bear the admonition, and when it was carried to their houses, some refused to touch it and some "threw it into

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

the fire." Most of these Separates united with the church at Canterbury. Ebenezer Cleveland and some of the more promi- nent seceders were finally taken back into church fellowship. The Separates in Mortlake parish were treated with unusual deli- cacy and forbearance, and as they failed to effect any new church organizations within its limits, their defection left no permanent breach, and scarcely impaired the strength and prosperity of the church.

A meeting house was erected in 1771, which stood a few rods southeast of the old meeting house, with " its front foreside fac- ing the road." This building was pronounced a "very genteel meeting house," with its ample size, graceful proportions, con- venient porch, handsome steeple, and all "colored white." Five seats, eleven feet long were ranged on either side of the broad alley, and the remainder of the floor was occupied by pews, each one being allowed to construct his own, though the pew space was reserved to the forty-three largest resident tax payers. By be- quest of Mr. Joseph Scarborough a bell was placed in the steeple -- the second church bell in the county. A clock was also placed in the steeple. The progressive spirit of the people is also shown by their vote " That an Eleclarick Rod may be set up at the new meeting house, provided it be done without cost to the society." The ringing of the bell and taking care of the meeting house were matters that were entrusted only to responsible hands, and the charge was rather a mark of honor. This new meeting house, with all its improved appointments, was to be placed in able hands, so the society conferred that honor upon its most honored public citizen by voting "That Colonel Putnam take care of the new meeting house and ring the bell at three pounds a year." When he went to the war his minister took his place as beil ringer. It was ordered "that the bell should be rung on Sab- baths, Fasts, Thanksgivings and lectures, as is customary in other places where they have bells, also at twelve at noon and nine at night.

In 1788 an appropriation of one hundred dollars was made for painting and repairs. Thirty dollars were allowed Mr. Whitney to supply himself with wood at a dollar a cord. In 1794 a sing- ing master was employed and later considerable attention was given to recruiting the singing. The pastor, Mr. Whitney, re- ceived from Harvard College the title of Doctor of Divinity in 1802.

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

In consequence of the increasing years and infirmities of Doctor Whitney, Mr. Luther Wilson of New Braintree, was ordained colleague pastor of the Congregational church and society in 1813, which position he filled with fidelity and accept- ance till it was found that he had embraced the Socinian or Uni- tarian views, then becoming so prevalent in Massachusetts. Although the Brooklyn church was but moderately Calvanistic in belief and very liberal in its practice, these views broached by Mr. Wilson fell so much below its standard as to awaken appre- hension of disastrous results. But already a strong party sym- pathized with Mr. Wilson in his belief and desired his continu- ance. A majority of the church favored Doctor Whitney and Captain Tyler; a society majority sympathized with Mr. Wilson and Esquire Parish. The Unitarian controversy was exciting very great interest and alarm all over the land, and the ministers of the county joyfully hastened to join in the fray. February 5th, 1817, the county consociation met at the house of Captain Tyler. Moses C.Welch, D.D., the great champion of orthodoxy, was chosen moderator. Mr. Wilson and the church minority obeyed the summons to appear before the consociation, but chal- lenged its right of jurisdiction. The consociation, however, declared Mr. Wilson disqualified, and the pastoral relation dis- solved.

The adherents of Mr. Wilson declined to accept these decisions, and as a majority of the society, proceeded to exercise control of the meeting house. At a society meeting, March 3d, 1816, it was voted that no persons except the ministers of the society, and those belonging to the Eastern Association, should be allowed to hold religious meeting in this house without a written permit from its committee. Mr. Wilson was requested to preach when- ever Doctor Whitney did not occupy the pulpit. Much confu- sion and strife followed. The aged pastor went far beyond his strength in attempting to preach twice on every Sabbath to keep out the deposed colleague, and when at his special and earnest request Mr. Preston of Providence occupied the pulpit without obtaining the requisite order, the intruder was prosecuted by the society.

Mr. Wilson himself called a council in September to advise as to the action of consociation and the condition of things in gen- eral. The council decided to dismiss Mr. Wilson from his unpleasant position. But the breach grew wider and at last the

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

society, which had become decidedly Unitarian in its sentiment, locked the doors of the meeting house against the congregation and church gathered to hear Doctor Whitney preach. A Unita- rian minister from Massachusetts was placed in the pulpit and the society levied taxes for his support.

Thus driven from their elegant house of worship, the dis- tressed church hired the unfinished attic of a dwelling house for a room in which to hold religious services, and called upon the County Association to supply them with preachers. Different ones preached to them for a time. March 3d, 1819, all hopes of reconciliation being abandoned, the church voted a final remon- strance to John Parish, John Williams and Deacon Roger W. Williams, and withdrew from them its watch and care. It con- tinued its meetings in the upper chamber and now began to look for a permanent place of worship. In 1821 they were able to complete a chapel for this purpose, and different ministers aided Doctor Whitney in his pastoral labors. In the following summer a Sabbath school was organized, its first superintendent being Amos Prince, recently removed hither from Pomfret. In April, 1824, Ambrose Edson of Stafford was ordained and installed colleague pastor, on which pleasant occasion the use of the great meeting house was magnanimously tendered by the First society. Though in his ninety-fourth year, Doctor Whitney was still erect and vig- orous, his eye not dimmed nor his natural force abated. With flowing wig and antique garb he was often seen upon the street, exchanging pleasant greetings and happy repartees with his dear friends and neighbors. His face beamed with animation and his playful sallies were tempered by Christian dignity. As he entered the house of God, the congregation were wont to rise and remain standing in respectful attitude until he was seated. He died in 1824, thus closing an exceptionally long pastorate, covering about sixty-nine years, with this church. Mr. Edson .now continued in sole pastoral charge of the church. His pas- torate closed in 1830, and he was followed by George J. Tillotson of Farmington, who was ordained and installed May 25th, 1831. A revival soon followed and the membership was largely in- creased. The larger congregations called for better accommoda- tions and a larger church was built in 1832. The pastorate of Reverend George J. Tillotson extended to March 10th, 1858, when he was dismissed. He was followed by Edward Miles, as a stated supply from November, 1858, to November, 1859. Rev-

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History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 57

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: New York, Preston Number of Pages: 1506

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: New York, Preston
Number of Pages: 1506