USA > Connecticut > New London County > Stonington > History of the town of Stonington, county of New London, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1649 to 1900 with a genealogical register of stonington families > Part 4
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
The meeting assembled in response to the notice and elected Samuel Stanton, Jr., clerk; Samuel Stanton, Sr., Daniel Palmer, James Miner, Joseph Denison and Samuel Chesebrough, Sr., committee, and Nehemiah Williams, collector. These proceed- ings completed the organization of the First Ecclesiastical Congregational Society of Stonington. Ministers' rates were no longer laid and collected by the town, that duty devolved upon the society; also the settling of ministers in connection with the church, building of meeting-houses, and all the temporal mat- ters of the church. Pending the proceedings that were insti- tuted in England for the subversion of the charter of 1662 and the overthrow of the colonial government established by virtue thereof, the General Court in May, 1685, enacted that "This Court, for the prevent of future trouble, and that every town- ship's grants of land, as it hath been obtained by gift, purchase, or otherways of the natives and grants of this court, may be settled upon them, their heirs, successors, and assigns forever, according to our charter granted by his late majesty of happy memory, this court doth order that every township in this colony shall take out patents, for their said grants of the Governor and company, which this court doth hereby order shall be granted unto them, for holding of such tracts of land, as have been formerly or shall be hereafter granted to them by this court, and to their heirs and successors and assigns firm and
the clock at noon, and at the old meeting house in said parish, be the place and time for the meeting of the said inhabitants.
"Ordered, That Capt. Manassah Miner, Mr Adam Gallup, and Mr Sylvester Baldwin, all of the said parish, or either of them, do give at least five days notice to the inhabitants within the precinct of said parish, who are qualified voters in the said society, that on the said Wednesday the 28th instant at twelve o'clock at noon, at the old meeting-house 'in said parish, a meeting of the said society is appointed and ordered by this board for choosing a clerk and committee, and for managing other affairs of the said society or parish. And the said Capt. Miner, Mr. Gallup, and Mr. Baldwin, or either of them, are appointed to lead the said parishioners at the said meeting to the said choice.
"Ordered, That the clerk of the council inclose in a letter to the said Messrs. Miner, Gallup and Baldwin or either of them, a copie of this order, attested by him, which shall be a sufficient warrent for their attending to the service which they are herein directed to."-Hoadley's Colonial Records, vol. v., pages 228, 229.
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
sure, according to the tenure of our charter in free and common vocage, and not in capite nor by knight service, which patent shall be sealed with the seal of the colony, and signed by the Governor, and by the secretary in the name of this court and entered upon record, which patent or record of the court shall be sufficient evidence for all and every township that hath the same to all intents and purposes, for the holding of the said lands firm to them, their heirs, successors, and assigns forever."
The town of Stonington, for reasons not now understood, did not take out a patent under the act aforesaid until 1716, which is as follows, viz .:
"To all persons to whom these presents shall come. The Governor and company of his majesties colony of Connecticut, in General Court assembled, send Greeting. Whereas, we ye said Governor and company, by virtue of Letters Patents to us, granted by his Royal Majesties Charles ye Second of England &c King, bearing date ye (23d) twenty third day of April in ye fourteenth year of his Reign, Annoque Domini 1663, Have firmly by certain acts and grants passed in General Assembly, given and granted to Thomas Stanton Esq., Ephraim Miner Esq., Nehemiah Palmer Esq., Nathaniel Chese- brough Esq., the Revend. Mr James Noyes, Mr Daniel Mason, Mr John Gal- lup, Mr Daniel Denison, Mr Isaac Wheeler, Mr. Stephen Richardson, Mr John Frink, Mr William Bennet, Mr Robert Stanton, Mr Samuel Stanton, Mr Joseph Stanton, Mr Gershom Palmer, Mr Moses Palmer, Daniel Palmer Esq., Lieut. Ichabod Palmer, Joseph Palmer, William Palmer, George Palmer, Walter Palmer, Samuel Stanton Secundus, Samuel Stanton Jr., Daniel Stan- ton, Capt. Mannassah Miner, Capt. Ephraim Miner, Mr Joseph Miner, Ensign Elnathan Miner, Ensign Samuel Miner, James Miner, John Miner, Thomas Miner, Mr Samuel Chesebrough, Mr William Chesebrough, Mr Elihu Chese- brough, Elisha Chesebrough, Samuel Chesebrough Secundus, Ebenzer Searle, Thomas Noyes, John Noyes, Mr Benadam Gallup, Lieut. William Gallup, Wil- liam Denison, William Denison Secundus, William Wheeler, Capt. John Mason, Samuel Mason, Mr Benjamin Hewitt, Mr Henry Stephens, John Frink Jun., Mr Ebenezer Billings, Jeremiah Main, Daniel Shaw, Thomas York, Mr George Denison, and to their heirs and assigns or such as shall legally succeed or represent them or either of them a just and legal propriety in a certain tract of land, now commonly called and known by the name of Stonington, lying and within ye Colony aforesaid (to us by ye said letters Patents granted to be disposed of,) and bounded as hereinafter followeth. And ye said Thomas Stanton, Ephraim Miner, Nehemiah Palmer, Nathaniel Chesebrough, Mr James Noyes, and ye rest of ye above named persons, with such other persons, as are at this present time by virtue of ye aforesaid grants and acts, pro- prietors of the said tract of land, having made application to us for a more ample confirmation of their propriety in ye sd. tract of land (which they are now in possession of) by a good and sufficient instrument, signed and sealed with ye seal of this corporation. Therefore, know ye that we, ye sd. Governor
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
and company in General Court assembled by virtue of ye aforesaid letters Patents and for divers good causes and considerations pursuant to ye end of said letters Patent, us hereunto moving, have Given, Granted, Rattified and con- firmed and by these presents do further, fully, clearly and amply, Give, Grant, Rattifie and Confirm unto ye aforesaid Thomas Stanton, Ephraim Miner, Nehe- miah Palmer, Nathaniel Chesebrough, Mr James Noyes, with ye rest of ye above named persons aforesd. and to all other persons at this present time proprietors with them of this said tract of land, now being in their full and peaceable possession and seisen and to their heirs and assigns, or such as shall legally succeed or represent them or either of them, forever ye aforesaid tract of land commonly known by ye name of Stonington, lying in ye colony aforesaid and boundeth as followeth. Beginning at ye mouth of Mystic River, and northerly up said river and brook, falling in ye sd. river to ye pond by Lanthorn Hill to ye north end ye pond, where ye pond in seven chains and one pole wide, thence north to an ash tree formerly marked with eight notches, standing by a still brook, thence north to a white oak tree, formerly marked with ten notches known by ye name of Stonington north-west corner tree, from thence extended a little due east by heaps of stones, marked trees and monuments in ye line, nine miles to a rock about four feet high, of ye form of an ovell, marked with a letter S on ye south side and a white oak stand- ing by it, marked with with ye letter R which rock is about one hundred rods to ye southeast of a cedar swamp and from said rock south some- what westerly to ye south of Ashoway River, where said river falls into Paw- catuck River, and by ye middle of the stream of said Pawcatuck River unto the sea, taking in ye small adjacent islands to ye mouth of Mistick River aforesaid, together with all and singular ye messuages, tennements, meadows, pastures, commons, woods, underwood, fishing, small islands, islets and her- ridittaments whatsoever being, belonging or anywise appurtaining to ye said tract of land aforesaid, and do hereby grant and confirm to ye said proprietors, their heirs and assigns, or such as shall legally succeed them or represent them, his or their several, particularly respective proprietors in ye premises, according to such alotments or divisions as ye ancestors of ye said present proprietors or said proprietors themselves, have already made by virtue of any gifts or grants of said town or townsmen of Pequot, now called New London, or shall hereafter make of ye same. To have and to hold the said tract of land, with ye premises aforesaid to them ye said Thomas Stanton, Ephraim Miner, Nehemiah Palmer, Nathaniel Chesebrough, James Noyes, and all others, ye present proprietors of ye said tract and premises, their heirs and assigns or such as shall legally represent them forever, as a good, sure, right- ful, perfect, absolute and lawful estate in fee simple according to the aforesaid letters Patent, after ye most free tenure of His Majesties manner of East Greenwich, in ye County of Kent. To ye sole, only, proper use and behoof of them, ye said Thomas Stanton, Ephraim Miner, Nehemiah Palmer, Nathaniel Chesebrough, James Noyes, with all other ye present proprietors of ye said tract and premises, their heirs and assigns or such as shall legally succeed or represent them forever, as a good, sure, rightful estate in manner as aforesaid, reserving only to his Majestie, Our Sovereign, Lord George of England, King, and his successors forever, one fifth part of all gold or silver
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
mines or ore that have been or shall be found within ye premises so granted and confirmed and further we, ye said Governor and Company, the aforesaid tract of land and premises and every part and parcell thereof hereby granted and confirmed to ye said Thomas Stanton, Ephraim Miner, Nehemiah Palmer, Nathaniel Chesebrough, James Noyes, Daniel Mason, John Gallup, Daniel Denison, Isaac Wheeler, Stephen Richardson, John Frink, William Bennet, Robert Stanton, Samuel Stanton, Joseph Stanton, Gershom Palmer, Moses Palmer, Daniel Palmer, Ichabod Palmer, Joseph Palmer, William Palmer, Samuel Stanton Secundus, Samuel Stanton Jun, Daniel Stanton, Manassah Miner, Ephraim Miner, Joseph Miner, Elnathan Miner, Samuel Miner, James Miner, John Miner, Thomas Miner, Samuel Chesebrough, William Chesebrough, Elihu Chesebrough, Elisha Chesebrough, Samuel Chesebrough Secundus, Ebenezer Searle, Thomas Noyes, John Noyes, Benadam Gal- lup, William Gallup, William Denison, William Denison Secundus, William Wheeler, John Mason, Samuel Mason, Benjamin Hewitt, Henry Stephens, John Frink Jr, Ebenezer Bilings, Jeremiah Main, Daniel Shaw, Thomas York, George Denison, and to ye rest of ye present proprietors thereof, their heirs and assigns, or such as shall legally succeed or represent them to their own proper use in ye manner and under ye limitations above ex- pressed against us and all and every other person or persons lawfully claim- ing by, from or under us, Shall and Will Warrant and forever Defend by these Presents. In witness whereof we have agreed and concluded that this present instrument be signed in our name by ye Governor and Secretary of this cor- poration as also that our common seal be affixed hereunto.
"Dated in New Haven ye 24th day of October Anno. Domini 1716. Annoque, Regne Regis, George Magnes Britanies, Tertia.
"By order of ye Governor,
"G. SALTONSTALL, Gov."
In 1726 the first and south society in Stonington decided to build a new meeting-house and to locate it at the Centre, at a place now known as Putnam's Corners, about half mile east of the old meeting-house. The action of this meeting gave dis- satisfaction to a large number of the members of the society, who preferred the old site at Agreement Hill. Other town- meetings followed relative to the location of the proposed new house, the result of which was that no definite action was reached for several years. Petition after petition was addressed to the General Assembly until 1731 when an agreement was reached to divide the society north and south. Previous to this, two new meeting-houses had been raised, one on Agree- ment Hill and the other at Putnam Corners, neither of which were completed for a number of years. After this the east and west societies acted wholly independent of each other. The meeting-house at the Putnam Corners was the largest, with two
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
tiers of galleries, one above the other, with an immense sounding board. After the division of the old society, Mr. Rossiter, who was the second settled pastor here, continued his labors until his death, which took place in 1762. Previous to his death and during his pastorate, the town sold the old ministry land and divided the avails of the sale equally among the then three societies of the town. After the death of Mr. Rossiter some of the more prominent men in the two south societies favored a reunion, which was approved of by the pastors of the neighbor- ing churches and was subsequently adopted.1
1 "Terms of the Union .- 1st. That the two meeting-houses now standing in said society shall be common property and joint interest of ye two parishes to be united. When they are united and as ye peues in each meeting-house are a personal property, we ye sd. committee agree to give up our right and title to sd. peues that they may become a common stock with said houses and also to recommend it to ye other proprietors of ye peues to do the same that they may become ye legal property of all in common and improved as such with the said two meeting-houses.
"2nd. We agree that after ye sd. society's are united as aforesaid and by their legal vote think it convenient and best to build another meeting-house for public worship in ye room and stead of the sd. two meeting-houses now standing in said societyes for ye better accommodation of sd. society that ye said meeting-house shall be built on that acre of land that Nathan Chese- brough, Esq, has generously given to erect a meeting-house on, near ye dwelling house of Mr Nathaniel Hewitt's, sd. Nathan Chesebrough Esq. having first given a deed of sd. land for ye purpose aforesaid.
"3rd. It is also agreed that the ministry and school money of both ministry land money in each society be made equal by each Society if either be want- ing, and that ye school money, in ye sd. east society be improved in ye sd. east society on the east side of Stoney Brook, and that ye school money in ye sd. west society be improved in said society on ye west side of Stoney Brook, and this be a standing rule for said societies when made one, but to be so under- stood as not to hinder any that desire to take benefit of ye whole.
"4th. That ye Rev. Nathl. Eells shall have ye pastoral charge and care of said societies when united and ye Church of Christ therein, with ye same jurisdiction and authority over ye whole as he is now vested with over ye sd. east society and that his annual salary shall be raised and paid him at ye joint charge of ye sd. united Society.
"5th. It is agreed ye two societies shall assemble at ye east meeting- house to worship six months each year and ye west meeting-house the other six months and when a meeting-house is erected on ye place agreed on, then said societies so united as aforesaid shall meet and worship in said house as aforesaid.
"6th. It is also agreed in order to confirm each and every article of ye
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
In 1763 the matter was brought before both societies, and finally a plan of union was prepared and agreed upon and subse- quently adopted by both parishes, and accepted by the churches.
The Assembly established the same2 with such provisions as
foregoing articles of ye foregoing terms of agreement, offered to ye consid- eration of sd. societies that they may be certain and unchangeable, that ye sd. societies by their agents address ye Honorable and General Assembly in May next by a proper memorial to ratify and confirm their aforesaid proposals and agreement, that we may by their authority established our own acts herein be again one united ecclesiastical society, which is ye sincear and harty wishes and desire of all.
"Dated Stonington Jan. ye 17th A. D. 1765 all ye aboue and fourgoing articals was agreed on and voted by ye afoursd. Comtee. in ye affermative.
"JOHN HALLAM "SIMON RHODES,
"ELIHU CHESEBROUGH
"PHINEAS STANTON,
"NEHEMIAH WILLIAMS
"JOHN DENISON YE 3RD.
"AMOS CHESEBROUGH
"JOSEPH PAGE.
"NATHAN PALMER,
"JOSEPH MINER
"JOSEPH DENISON
"DANIEL DENISON
"JOHN WILLIAMS
"NATHLL. GALLUP
"Voted, That said report with ye additions to & alterations of ye 3rd Para- graph in said Report following, be inserted in said report, viz., That all ye school moneys belonging to sd. east society at this time, shall when sd. societyes are united and became one intire ecclesiastical society, be improued within ye limmits theirof or ye east side of Stoney brook, and that ye school moneys now belonging to said west society be improved within ye limmits thereof on ye west side of Stoney brook, and that be a sure and unalterable rule.
"Dated March 25th. 1725."-Society Records.
2 "At a General assembly of the Governor and company of the Colony of Connecticut holden at Hartford May Second Thursday, A. D. 1765, Upon the memorial of the East and West Society's in Stonington, shewing to this Assembly that on the Death of the Revd Mr Ebenezer Rosseter, Pastor of the Church in said West Society being advised by the Revd. Benjamin Lord, Asher Rosster, and Jonathan Barker Associations Committee again to unite into one. Ecclesiastical Society, and the said East and West Society's having accord- ingly agreed thereupon, and made application to this Assembly for that purpose as pr. Memorial on file, &c.
"Resolved by this assembly that the said East and West Society's in said Stonington, be again united and become one entire Ecclesiastical Society, to be for the future called and known by the name of the first Society, in said Stonington, and they are hereby united, created, and made one entire Eccle- siastical Society with all the Priviledges and Immunities by Law allowed to other Ecclesiastical Society's in this Colony, vested with and enjoyed the same Priviledges and Advantages which the said East and West Society's
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
were necessary to enable the old societies to merge and hold their property, and then directed the mode of organizing the new society. After the reunion they called the Rev. Nathaniel Eells the pastor of the east society to become the pastor of the reunited societies, which he accepted, and for several years preached alternately for six months in the east house, and for six months in the west house. A majority were looking forward to the erection of a new meeting-house at the place designated by the terms of the union. But they were doomed to disappointment. Long Point, now Stonington Borough, was not settled until 1752, but the settlement increased so rapidly that they demanded and secured the afternoon service of Mr. Eells; this produced great dissatisfaction in the east and northern part of the society, and various society meetings were held, and petitions to the General Assembly were preferred without satisfactory results. Finally eighty-three of the inhabitants of the village1 in 1774
have heretofore severally had and enjoyed,- and that they the said East and West Society's be and they are hereby enabled and empowered as separate and distinct Society's to act and transact any society or Parish affairs to com- pleat the settlements referred to in said memorial until the first day of December next, and Joseph Denison Esqr. of said Stonington shall be, and he is hereby fully empowered, authorized by himself or other Person by him for that purpose appointed and directed after said first day of December next, and during said month of December to give legal warning to all the inhabitants of said first Society that are qualified by Law to vote in Society affairs to meet at such time and place as he the said Joseph shall for that purpose in said first society, appoint, and being so met, that he preside as Moderator of such meeting, in the forming of said Society, and choice of all officers, and other Prudentials of sd. society as Occasion may require."
"A true copy of Record, examined by George Wyllys, Secretary, Conn. Colonial Records.
1 "To the Honorable General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut to be held at Hartford on the second Thursday of May instant. The memorial of William Morgan, Benjamin Park, John Denison 4th, Joseph Denison 2d, Oliver Hillard, Edward Hancox, Oliver Smith, and the rest of the subscribers hereto in behalf of themselves and the professors of the established Religion of the Colony, living at a place called Long Point in Stonington in the County of New London, humbly sheweth, that they are scituate near four miles from any meeting-house and that the inhabitants living at sd. Long Point are generally poor, they living principally by the whale and cod-fishery, there carried on, to the public advantage, by which means within a few years said place has increas'd to upwards of eighty families among which are twenty widows, seventeen of which have children as families there that the whole number of
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
addressed the Assembly for liberty to build a meeting-house by lottery, which was granted at the October session of 1774, limit- ing the amount to be raised thereby to four hundred pounds.2
inhabitants are nigh to five hundred, that there is not among them more than one horse to ten families so that but very few are able to attend meeting at the meeting-house except those that are robust hardy and used to travel on foot, which are very few, the greater number of said inhabitants consisting of women and children, that thereupon the society have for several years consented to have one sermon preached at sd. point every sabbath by their Rev. Pastor which he has performed and is still willing to continue, but their number has so increased that it is very inconvenient for those that do attend public worship (as they have no where to convene but in a small school house or private houses) and many more than at present do attend, would there were room to accommodate them, that for the want of a proper place to meet in for celebrating divine service, many who means the sabbaths are misspent and may be more and more misspent and prophaned, that those who would be glad to build a house and maintain preaching and good order among them, have been and continue unable of themselves to bear the expense by which the cause of religion much suffers there, and the good people among them greatly fear the increase of vice and irreligion. That the town of which ye memor- ialists are a part, have lately paid and are liable to pay upwards of one thousand pounds for the deficiency of several collectors, that have lately failed that your memorialists from great necessity, by their being very remote from any constant grist mill, have lately contributed £70 as an incour- agement to an undertaker to build a wind mill at sd. Point, which, with about the same sum lately subscribed by sd. inhabitants for a school house, with the great labour and expense they have been at to make roads and Causeways to said point, all of which with the poor success that attended the last year's fishery and the lowness of markets and the various and different sentiments in the religious denomination of Christians among them, viz: First day Bap- tists, Seven day Baptists, and the Quakers or those called Friends, are such real grief and great discouragement to your memorialists who are of the established Religion of this Colony that they can no longer think of obtaining a meeting-house by subscription or any other ways among themselves.
"Wherefore they humbly pray that liberty may be granted to build a meet- ing-house for public worship at said Long Point, and that your Honours would in your great goodness grant them a Lottery for raising a sum sufficient for the purpose aforesaid, or so much as your Honours shall think proper under such restrictions and regulations as your Honours shall think fit and your memorialist as in duty bound shall ever pray.
"Dated at Stonington May 10th 1774.
2 "At a General Assembly of the Governor and Company of Connecticut in New England in America holden at New Haven in said Colony on the second Thursday of October being the 18th. day of said month and continued by several adjournments to the fourth day of November next following, Anno Domini, 1774. Upon the memorial of Nathaniel Miner Esq., William Morgan
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HISTORY OF STONINGTON.
The managers of the lottery did not at once inaugurate their scheme, nor did they accomplish it until 1777, which was success- fully drawn and the necessary funds secured. But the Revolu- tionary war so absorbed the means of the people that a large part of this sum was used for the defense of the place, and balance invested in Continental bills, which after the close of the war be- came worthless. Whereupon in 1785,3 another petition was preferred to the Assembly, for liberty and authority to raise by lottery money enough to make up the four hundred pounds,
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