USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut > Part 98
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During the early years of Ashford town life the question of maintaining schools received some backward blows. A party of ignorant and unenterprising men succeeded for a time in hold- ing the control of the public voice so far as to prevent a school
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being kept up. In 1722 the town voted " not to be at the ex- pense of hiring a schoolmaster." This state of affairs, however, did not continue for any great length of time. In October, 1723, a schoolmaster was hired by the town to keep school half a year. In 1726 the public interest was bending all its energies toward completing its meeting house, and in the pressure of economy for that purpose it was decided to "wave having a schoolmaster." But this suspension of the school was probably for only a short time. In 1727 we find the schoolmaster in the town, an active factor in society, in the person of John An- .drews.
In 1734 the one schoolmaster for the town was replaced by three "school-dames," for the three sections. These were de- scribed as follows: "One school to be east side of Bigelow river ; one to sute the middle of the town; one west side of Mount Hope river." A committee of three in each section was selected to attend to the business. The "school-dames " em- ployed that year were a Mrs. Chapman, Ann Eaton and Sarah Bugbee, and their pay was for each of them, four pounds for three months. In 1735 Samuel Snow, Edward Tiffany and Thomas Corbin were allowed to build a school house at their own cost and charge, on the meeting house green, south of the Hart- ford and west of the Mansfield road. A schoolmaster was hired to teach three months at each end of the town. In 1737 he was hired for nine months ; in 1739 for a year, he to find house room wherever practicable. Arrangements were now in progress for procuring suitable school houses. An agreement was entered into with Mr. Stoddard, by which, in consideration of the recog- nition by the town of his claim to 8,864 acres of land within its limits, he gave two hundred acres of land for school purposes. January 1st, 1739, this land was ordered to be sold and the money to be placed at interest for the benefit of a religious school in Ashford forever. The minimum valuation fixed upon it by the town was four hundred pounds. Afterward the town was di- vided into three districts for school purposes, each of which should pay its own expenses. These districts were respectively Eastford, Ashford and Westford. A rate of £150 was soon after ordered to build a school house in each section. Under this new arrangement Elijah Whiton and John Griggs were the first .schoolmasters of which we find any mention. The salary of the former was thirteen pounds for two months' school service and
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boarding himself. Mr. Knowlton was one of the public spirited men of the town, and was deeply interested in behalf of the schools. When he was chosen deputy to the general assembly in 1751 he begged the privilege of bestowing fifty shillings upon the school instead of investing it in the " treat " to the company which the custom of the day required in return for such an honor as he enjoyed. In the following spring he made a voluntary gift of twelve pounds "old tenor " to the school.
In February, 1716, the foundations of a civil settlement hav- ing been partly laid in prospective Ashford, it was voted that the meeting house be built first, that is, before the minister's house. The dimensions of this house were forty feet long, thirty-five feet wide and eighteen feet high. The wages paid the men who did the work of building were three shilling a day for the master mechanic, two shillings nine pence a day for jour- neymen hewers, and two shillings a day for ordinary laborers. The price of board for a mechanic then was four shillings and six pence a week. In the mean time a committee empowered by the town to secure the services of a minister obtained Mr. James Hale, of Swanzea, a graduate of Harvard in 1703, who served the people, and at the organization of a church became pastor. They gave him for settlement a salary of forty pounds a year for three years, after which it was increased annually for seven years till it reached sixty pounds, besides his firewood and a hundred acres of land. They also agreed to build him a two- story house " with a twenty foot room in it." This room is sup- posed to have been intended and used for public worship until the completion of the meeting house. The meeting house does not seem to have been carried forward to completion from the start.
November 26th, 1718, a church was formally organized in Ash- ford by Reverend Josiah Dwight, Mr. Samuel Whiting and Jo- seph Meacham, of Coventry. Mr. Hale was ordained pastor, and the following men subscribed to the articles of covenant: James Hale, John Mixer, William Ward, Joseph Green, Isaac Magoon, Matthew Thompson, William Chapman, Benjamin Russel, Daniel Fuller, Isaac Kendall, John Pitts, Nathaniel Fuller and John Perry. On December 9th following the female members named hereafter were added to the number of original names: Sarah Hale, Abigail Mixer, Judith Ward, Mary Fuller, Mary Russel, Elizabeth Squier, Mary Fuller, Mrs. William Chapman
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and the Widow Dimick. December 21st, Elinor Kendall and Sarah Bugbee were added to the number. John Mixer was made the first deacon. In September, 1721, he being about to remove from the town, his place was filled by the election of Isaac Kendall and Joseph Bugbee. "Brother John Perry " was at this time chosen "to set the psalm with respect to public singing." The meeting house had been finished sufficiently to afford a place to hold services in, but it remained unfinished in- side until 1723, when it was decided as desirable to finish with "plaster and whitewash all the lower part of the meeting house to the lower girth." Among the furniture of the house was an hour-glass, for which Nathaniel Fuller was allowed two shil- lings. The finish of the interior, however, was delayed many years, and the privileges of pews and the orderly seating of the congregation according to the ideas and usages of those days, were questions frequently under discussion and subject to va- rious and often opposing decisions. It was evidently a hard struggle for existence with the first church of Ashford. There were discordant elements in the population, and a factor of ig- norance laid obstacles in the way. Taxes were laid, school ques- tions were set aside, remarkable privileges were granted, all to help forward the matter of church and minister's house and sup- port, the South church of Boston donated fifteen pounds to help this church, but with all the means used and efforts made the work was backward.
The memorandum of a fact which has no essential relation to this church appears on its records, and for want of a more ap- propriate place at command in which to preserve it, we take the liberty of digressing a moment to mention it. In the records of Mr. Hale appears this statement: "The great earthquake on the Lord's day evening, October 29, 1727, was in an awakening manner felt in this town, as also the terrible storm of wind and hail the September before."
The discipline of the church was preserved with very much of the mint-tithing exactness which was characteristic of the period, while much liberality was exercised with regard to some matters which are now considered as of great practical impor- tance. For example, on one occasion Ephraim Bemis was charged with selling strong liquor in small quantities upon a certain occasion, and the question was raised as to whether he was guilty of a "confessable fault " in so doing, but the church
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decided in the negative. In 1739 the meeting house needed ex- tensive repairs. At that time the salary of the minister was raised to £100 a year. Mr. Hale suffered failing health for some time, and measures were taken to supply his place temporarily. But his pastorate closed with his death, November 22d, 1742, he being in the fifty-eighth year of his age. His successor was Reverend John Bass, of Braintree, who was installed September 7th, 1743.
In the time of the great revival of 1740 to 1750, Solomon Paine and other itinerants extended their labors to this field, and many of their hearers embraced Separate or New Light principles. These Separatists were divided on the question of baptism, mak- ing two factions, while the orthodox church people were also divided into the rigidly Calvinistic and the liberal classes, and thus four quite distinct factions existed in Ashford.
The methods and action of these Baptists and Separatists were very offensive to the strict church people, and the preach- ing of Solomon Paine especially was so obnoxious that efforts were made to stop him by legal process. February 15th, 1745, while Paine was preaching in a private house, complaint was made to Justice Tiffany, who, upon searching his legal author- ity, was clearly convinced "that it was an unlawful meeting for Paine to come to Ashford to preach and exhort," and thereupon granted a warrant for his arrest. Constable Bemis went to the house to serve it. Taking hold of Paine he told him that he had no right to preach, and that he must go before the justice to an- swer for his unlawful preaching. Paine vehemently stigmatized the law as being suggested by the Devil, and refused to respect it or obey the summons. Bemis then called upon several per- sons to assist him, who at first refused, but when reminded that the law had a penalty for such refusal, they "gently took Paine from the stage whereon he was preaching, and carried him out of the door and set him down." But Paine stubbornly refused to go before the justice, whereupon "they took him in a very gentle way and set him on a horse and led him to Justice Tiffa- ny's," where he was appropriately rebuked and then dismissed. The arresting party was afterward indicted for a riot, in which the charge set forth "that with riotous intent and with force and arms they did assault the person of said Solomon Paine, and pulled him onto the floor and carried him half a mile distant, to his great hurt and abuse and the disturbance of others." The
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county court acquitted them, but adjudged that they should pay costs, but on their appeal to the general assembly, this charge was also remitted. The church now enjoyed a season of quiet, during which, in 1747, some considerable repairs were made on the meeting house. But the question of the orthodoxy of Mr. Bass soon arose and gave occasion for prolonged disquietude. Councils were frequently called to investigate his orthodoxy. A final council, which met June 4th, 1751, found sufficient ground for their action, and dissolved the pastoral relation between him and the Ashford church, and Mr. Bass withdrew, leaving the church divided in sentiment and opinion, a strong party in it being in sympathy with the deposed pastor and his views. The church was much divided, and a number of efforts were made to secure society privileges in the eastern and northern parts of the town, but without success. Meanwhile repeated attempts were made to get a minister who could secure favor among the differing factions sufficiently strong to obtain a call to the pas- torate. Among the ministers who thus passed in review before this now hypercritical congregation were Daniel Pond, David Rip- ley, Messrs. Mills and Elderkin, Stephen Holmes, Daniel Kirt- land, Nehemiah Barker and Elijah Blake. At length, after six years of commotion and discord, Mr. Timothy Allen suceeeded in obtaining a call, and was ordained pastor of the church and town October 12th, 1757. He was a powerful and fervent preacher, of decided " New Light " proclivities. The northwest inhabitants were also favored with two months' preaching in the winter, paid out of the common fund. This concession en- couraged the people of that locality to press their claims for more distinct society privileges, which, after much agitation of the question, were granted by the assembly in October, 1765. The bounds of Westford society thus formed were "from the north- west corner of said township five and one fourth miles south on the west line of said town, from thence a strait line to the crotch of Mount Hope river, and thence a strait line to John Dimmock's south line, where said line crosses Bigelow river, thence north on said Bigelow river to Union line."
The town of Ashford at that time contained forty thousand acres, and a valuation on its grand list of £13,700. The West- ford Society thus formed included thirteen thousand three hun- dred acres, eighty families and a valuation of £3,500. The proposition to set off Eastford as a distinct society, with bound-
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aries substantially as they now appear with reference to the town, was agitated at the same time, but was not carried into effect until October, 1777, when that society was granted dis- tinct privileges.
The preaching of Reverend Mr. Allen was not agreeable to the people, and he became unpopular and his salary fell short. To make up the deficit he engaged in trading in land, and here he became involved in debt and his creditors sent him to jail. A council was called, which dismissed him from his pastorate, though clearing him from every serious charge. Several years passed before the settlement of his successor could be effected. During this interval the church was greatly weakened and scat- tered, but still continued in its efforts to secure a minister and preserve order. Baptisms were administered from time to time- by the neighboring ministers. Days of fasting and prayer were held in 1766 and 1768, " for direction and assistance in the affair of choosing a minister," and church and society at length hap- pily united in choice of Reverend James Messinger of Wren- tham, a graduate of Harvard College, who was installed into the pastorate February 15th, 1769. Under the leadership of this "much beloved spiritual guide," as he was called, the church increased in numbers, and regained something of its primitive standing, despite the political distractions of the times. The venerable Isaac Kendall, who had served the church as deacon, through the changes and pastorates, from its organization, died October 8th, 1773, in the eighty-eighth year of his age, and the fifty-second year of his deaconship. Benjamin Sumner, one of the fathers of the town, Jedidiah Dana and John Wright, also served as deacons. Deacon Elijah Whiton was dismissed to the church in Westford society.
Mr. Messinger died while in the service of this church, and his place remained vacant for several years, when Reverend Enoch Pond was ordained and installed over the church Sep- tember 16th, 1789. He was a native of Wrentham and a gradu- ate of Brown University. Possessing unusual ability and cultivation, he gained great influence over his people, and enjoyed a harmonious pastorate. Ebenezer Mason and Isaac Perkins were chosen deacons in 1789, and upon the death of the latter in 1795, they were succeeded by Matthew Reed and David Brown. The old meeting house, having now been in use seventy years, was enlarged and thoroughly repaired. A revival
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of religious interest soon followed the settlement of Mr. Pond, and about sixty persons were added to the church. Mr. Pond closed his labors with the close of his life August 6th, 1807. His epitaph, written by Reverend David Avery, thus estimates him :
"Generous in temper, correct in science and liberal in senti- ment, the gentleman, the scholar, and the minister of the sanctuary, appeared with advantage in Mr. Pond. The church and society in Ashford were favored with his Gospel ministry eighteen years."
His successor was Reverend Philo Judson of Woodbury, who was ordained and installed September 26th, 1811, and enjoyed a successful ministry for a still longer period. He was released · from his charge in 1833. His immediate successor, Reverend Job Hall of Pomfret, remained but three years. He was suc- ceeded by Reverend Charles Hyde of Norwich, who was in- stalled pastor of this church February 21st, 1838. Matthew Reed and Elisha Byles were chosen deacons in 1825. After the death of Deacon Kendall in 1829, his son of the same name was chosen to fill his place, being the third Isaac Kendall who had occupied the deacons' seat, and the fifth of the name in direct succession to occupy the Kendall homestead of 1714. A new meeting house was erected on the previous site in 1830.
Reverend Job Hall, the seventh pastor, was ordained January 15th, 1834. He was born in Pomfret May 11th, 1802, graduated at Amherst, 1830, dismissed July 17th, 1837, after a ministry of a little more than three years. Nineteen were added to the church during his ministry. He retired to a farm in Orwell, Vt., where he died a few years since, much respected in the com- munity where the closing years of his life were spent. Reverend Charles Hyde, the eighth pastor, was installed February 21st, 1838, and dismissed at his own request, and greatly to the re- gret of his people, June 26th, 1845. During his ministry of seven years and four months, ninety-one members were added to the church. He left to accept a call to Central Falls, R. I., where he remained for several years. After his dismission from this parish, he labored for a time in South Coventry, but failing health compelled him to give up the work of the active ministry. The ninth pastor was Reverend Charles Peabody, a native of Peterboro, N. H., born July 1st, 1810, graduated at Williams, 1838, at Andover, 1841; settled in Biddeford, Me., where he re-
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mained till June, 1843. He was next installed in Barrington, R. I., where he labored till 1846; installed in Ashford, January 20th, 1847, where he continued three years and eight months. Twenty-seven were added to the church during his ministry. His next field was Windsor, then Pownal, Vt. He then re- turned to Biddeford, where he labored till 1866, then to Eliot, Me. Several years since he retired to Longmeadow, Mass., where he still resides. The tenth and last installed pastor was Reverend Charles Chamberlain, who graduated at Brown Uni- versity, and was for a time a tutor in that institution. He was first settled in Auburn, Mass .; installed in Ashford, June Sth, 1854, dismissed March 29th, 1858. Twenty were added to the church during his ministry of nearly four years. Soon after his dismission, he was installed in Eastford. He afterward labored - in East Granby, where he died suddenly a few years since.
Among those who have labored as acting pastors or stated supplies, are Reverends George Soule, Thomas Dutton, Stephen Barnard, Benjamin B. Hopkinson, Andrew Montgomery, Charles P. Grosvenor, O. S. Morris, and S. M. May. In 1886 Nathaniel Kingsbury commenced his labors with this church, and the Baptist church in Warrenville, and continues with this church in his labors. Only one of all the ten pastors of this church, Rev- erend C. Peabody, is now living. Four of the acting pastors, Soule, Dutton, Barnard and Morris, have finished their work. The deacons of the church have been: John Mixer, Isaac Ken- dall, Josiah Bugbee, Jonathan Avery, Jedidiah Dana, Elijah Whiton, John Wright, Benjamin Sumner, Nathaniel Loomis, Ebenezer Mason, Isaac Perkins, Matthew Reed, David Brown, Isaac Kendall, Zachariah Bicknell, Matthew Reed, Elisha Byles, Isaac Kendall (the fourth Isaac Kendall in a direct line), Reuben Marcy, Royal Keith, Samuel L. Hough, James G. Gaylord, James Trowbridge, Andrew H. Byles and John A. Brown, the two last named now serving in this office.
The present meeting house was built in 1830, three years after Mr. Judson's dismission. The choir occupied the gallery back of the pulpit, looking down upon the head of the minister, where they were able to judge quite accurately, if he preached any sermons yellow from age. After a time the meeting house underwent thorough renovation. The gallery was closed up be- hind the pulpit, the pulpit lowered, the singers' gallery removed to the rear of the audience room, the large choir filling well the
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seats, occupying the entire breadth of the meeting house. About two years since the audience room was again remodelled, the pulpit giving place to a preacher's desk. This was placed in the rear part of the room, the singers on the east side, at the preacher's left hand, the slips changed to face the preacher and singers in their new location, and the audience room is com- pleted with much taste and beauty. Whether the "progress of the age " will compel new changes in the future, who can tell ? It now seems in too good taste to demand further improve- ments.
Until Reverend Mr. Allen's dismission, there had been but one Congregational church and society within the eight miles square of the town. The town had before, for several years, voted preaching for two or three months (probably the winter months) to the people of the northwest part of the town, and em- ployed a preacher for them; but they belonged to the center, and came to the meeting for the greater part of the year. After Mr. Allen's dismission, the town by amicable agreement in town meeting, was divided into three ecclesiastical societies -the East, the Center and the West. The aim was to give the same amount of territory to each. The Westford society was incorporated in October, 1765, the church in February, 1768. At first, meetings were held in private houses, notices of the meet- ings to be given at Solomon Mason's mills and Zephaniah Davi- son's shop. December 9th, 1765, it was also voted to build a meeting house, and hire preaching ; to raise a tax of two pence to pay for preaching ; that the meetings should begin the first Sabbath of April; that Esquire Whiton should procure a minis- ter; and that Ebenezer Dimmock, Christopher Davison, Manas- seh Farnum and Joseph Barney be a committee to count the cost. A minister was procured according to vote-the society further voted to meet at Captain Ward's for divine worship dur- ing his pleasure. June 7th, it was voted to choose a committee of three able and judicious men to fix a place for the meeting house, also five more, viz., Ezra Smith, Samuel Eastman, Benja- min Walker, Christopher Davison and Samuel Knox, to notify the first and "get them out." Negotiations were then opened with certain proprietors in Brimfield, Mass., and a convenient meeting house frame which they had given up was purchased for thirty pounds, provided the same could be taken down with- out damage. This was successfully accomplished, and was
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safely on the ground in Westford by June 13th. The quality of the liquor to be furnished for the raising brought out as earnest discussion almost as the fitness of a ministerial candidate. It was first voted to have gin, but this vote was soon rescinded and it was decided to have a barrel of the best West India rum, and one quarter of a barrel of sugar, the best in quality, for the rais- ing. Ensign Walker was to provide the same, and money was taken from the treasury of the society to pay the bill. "Under this potent stimulant the meeting house was raised without ap- parent accident, and hurried on to completion, workmen being allowed two shillings and six pence per day, they victualing themselves, and two shillings during the winter." After hear- ing several candidates, Ebenezer Martin, of Canada parish, was invited to preach for the winter.
February 11th, 1768, was set apart as a day of solemn fasting and prayer, in order to the gathering of a church and settling a minister. Reverend Gideon Noble of Willington, conducted the service, assisted by Deacon Nathaniel Loomis, and Deacons Wright and Dana from the old Ashford church. A suitable covenant was prepared and subscribed by James Ould, Ezekiel Tiffany, Ezekiel Holt, Elijah Whiton, Joseph Barney, Ezra Smith, James Whiton, Joseph Whiton, Benjamin Walker, Thomas Chapman, Manasseh Farnum, John Smith, Jonathan Abbe and Joseph Chaffee. At a meeting of the church four days later it was voted to call the Reverend Ebenezer Martin to settle in the gospel ministry in this place, at which time the covenant was probably signed by the pastor elect and the following brethren, viz: Joseph Whiton, David Chaffee, Ebenezer Walker, Christo- pher Davison and Jonathan Chaffee. The wives of many of these brethren, together with Stephen Nott, Daniel Eldridge, Hezekiah Eldridge, Ichabod Ward, David Kendall and Jacob Fuller were ere long added, making a membership of fifty-five. The society concurred in the call to Mr. Martin, offering sixty pounds salary, rising to seventy, paid half in money, half in prod- uce, viz., wheat, 'Indian corn, oats, pork and beef. Twenty pounds in land and sixty pounds toward building a dwelling house, secured acceptance of the call, and on June 15th he was ordained with the usual solemnities. Work on the meeting house was slowly carried forward. A large number of inhabi- tants received liberty to build stables for their horses on the meeting house green, provided they were “ set so as not to en-
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