USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > New Britain > Memorial. Genealogy, and ecclesiastical history [of First Church, New Britain, Conn.] To which is added an appendix, with explanatory notes, and a full index > Part 3
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Item I appoint my eldest son Wm to be my sole Executor.
Signed & sealed by Wm Burnham in presence of
John Root
John Root jun & proved by the witnesses Ist Oct 1750
Eunice Root
24
INTRODUCTION.
Farmington as is reported, propose for my encouragement, be in some suitable manner made sure to me and my heirs, &c upon my settlement .* Second That the house begun by 2d society be finished in the manner & to the degree that is ordinary in this country for such sort of houses, be finished by them speedily, that is to say the two " Loer " rooms, at or be- fore the last day of March that shall be in the year 1710, the remainder within twelve months after, I only finding Glass & nails.
Third That for the four first years inclusively of the year past, my Salary be 50, £. per annum in grain, that is to say Wheat, indian corn, or " Ry " such as is Merchantable, at the prices that the General Court shall annually state them at, & from the period of the above mentioned time, 65, £. at the same prices, till such time as the Society shall see cause to raise it.
Fourthly That so much labor be done for me by the Society as may amount to the value of 5, £. per Annum for the four first years inclu- sively of the year past, & that a Comt be from time to time, during sd term appointed to see to the accomplishment of sd labor for me on that part of the land that I shall esteem most convenient.
.
Fifth That the Society from time to time procure me a sufficient sup- ply of fire wood for my family use, brought home and made fit for the fire. (Here follows the response of the society five days later.) At a meeting of the society at Great Swamp in the southeastern bounds of " ffarmington " 10 June 1709 it was by vote unanimously agreed, freely and heartily to accept of the above written Articles offered by the much esteemed " Mr william burnham " unto the above sd Society as conditions required in order to his continuance in the work of the Ministry, pro- vided the above sd Mr Burnham, at the confirmation of the lands men- tioned in the Articles, do give sufficient security to sd society .*
* That the above 50 acres of land was made sure appears by the following from the land records of Farmington.
"At a meeting held in Farmington 23 Dec 1707 At the same meeting there was granted to Mr. Wm Burnham 50 Acres of land to be taken up in our sequestered lands, not prejudicing highways, or former grants and after Mr Whitman hath made his pitch, for what the town hath granted him, this grant is upon conditions that ye said Mr Burnham shall settle a pastor of Church, in ye Society of ye Great Swamp- The above grant was laid out to the Rev. Mr. Wm Burnham Pastor of ye Church at ye Great Swamp upon the plains beyond ye Boggy meadow Southward & lyeth in length 8 Score rods, Butting East on ye highway 160 rods, West on common land, North & South on common land 50 rods.
It is laid out this 10 day of April A D 1713
Signed Thos Hart Jo'n Wadsworth Comt.
A true Copy John Hooker Register Farmington 11 Apl A D 1713.
*Whereas, the inhabitants in the southeastern bounds of the township of Farming- ton, commonly known by the name of the Great Swamp, in the County of Hart'd &
25
GREAT SWAMP PARISH.
At a meeting of the Society of Great Swamp ye 11th Jan 1713 Benjn Judd & Stephen Lee were chosen a Committee to provide, & see to the erecting of a Pulpit, & suitable seats in the Meetinghouse. " The pulpit & pews to be built in batten fashion."
Now comes the Annual meeting viz. 8th Dec 1713 John Woodruff was chosen Moderator for the year ensuing-Thos Hart recorder, Issac Hart collector, Nathnl Winchel to take care and get fire wood for Mr Burnham, Isaac Norton & Thos Hart chosen to be Rate makers. At the same meeting there was chosen Benjn Judd, Saml Smith & Thos Hart, to pre- serve our former records, on loose papers, &. transcribe such as they think needful into this book .* Thos North was paid 12, s. for sweeping the Meetinghouse, Nehemiah Porter was chosen to dig graves for such as have occasion from time to time. Another Annual meeting viz. 8 Dec 1714 Nathnl Winchel, Daniel Andrus, & Thos North chosen Moderators for the year ensuing.
Jonathan Lee, chosen Lister for the year ensuing, and Jonathan Lee and Thos. Curtice Rate-makers-John Woodruff "Brandor," and at the same meeting, the Society made choice of John Norton and Wm. Judd
Col. of Conn. in New Eng. in America, Have called William Burnham now resident within the bounds of the said Soc. aforementioned, to dispense the word of God amongst them, and for his encouragement unto the work, have according to one of the articles in the agreement bearing date 20 Sept. 1709, confirmed and settled upon him 3 parcels of land within the bounds of said Soc., do further agree as followeth : That provided the said Wm. Burnham shall continue with said Soc. for the space of 9 years to be ended and completed, beginning the account thereof from 11th N. 1707, then the abovesaid House and land shall be and remain in the possession of the said Wm. Burnham and his heirs and assigns forever without any demand of the said Soc. for any retribution to be made by him, or them for the same : But if it so happen that the said Wm. Burnham cannot see it his way to abide in the work the whole time abovementioned, then he shall either relinquish and make over all- the right and title he hath unto the house and land to the said Soc. again if he esteem it best, they returning him all his own expenses upon it; or else he shall pay to said Soc. such a sum of money or other specie as shall by indifferent and able persons be judged sufficient and convenient, the one-half of which arbitrators shall be chosen by the said Soc. or one or more in their behalf; and the other half by the said Wm. Burnham, or such as shall represent him. In virtue whereof, we John Hart, sen. and Benj'n Judd a com- mittee chosen by said Soc. to subscribe this agreement, and the said Wm. Burnham have hereunto set our hands this 20 day of Sep. in the year of our Lord 1709.
Wm. Burnham, John Hart, Sen., Benj'n Judd.
Signed sealed and delivered in presence of us
Stephen Lee, Thomas Curtice. Witnesses.
t It was done by Dea Thos Hart 5 Jan 1721-2 on his own responsibility he says, for which service he received 3 shillings.
26
INTRODUCTION.
Smith, to be fence-viewers. Annual Meeting, 1st Dec., 1715, they agreed by vote to give Mr. Burnham £70 money, or grain, as "as it passeth from one year after another, at the first of May, provided Mr. Burnham will release us from our former obligations, wherein we were bound to provide his fire wood"-also made choice of Sam'l Seymour for Consta- ble, and Sargt. Isaac Hart for Surveyor; also made choice of John Woodruff for brander-made choice of Stephen Lee and Issac Norton to demand and receive of Benj'n Judd* their proportion of Society money, "to be layed out as prudence shall suggest." Agreed by vote to grant to Thos. North 10 s. for sweeping the meeting house, and Thos. Hart made choice of to provide for, and give public Entertainment to travellers and others as the Law directs, and Stephen Lee, and Benj'n Judd chosen to make up the Society's account with Capt. John Hart, and make return to the Society.
"At a meeting of the society at the southeastern bounds of Farmington 20 May, 1715, The question being put whether the sd society did desire that the Southward part of the bounds of the Western Society in the township of Wethersfield should be annexed to the sd southeastern Soci- ety in the township of Farmington, and some part of the township of sd Farmington to be annexed to the Western Society of Wethersfield in Lieu thereof, it was voted in the affirmative, and the sd meeting made choice of, Sarg't Benj'n Judd to signify their above written desire, to the Gen. Assembly of this Colony." It is supposed that this is the origin of setting to Newington Ecclesiastical Society, formerly called Wethersfield West Society. Stanley quarter (now so called) as far south as the pres- ent residence of Henry Pratt, with the exception of Daniel Hart, John Clark and Thos. Standley 2d, with their farms at the extreme North end, who went to Farmington Village for public worship. And also a portion of the south part of Newington, being set (for convenience) to the Great Swamp Society .¡ This no doubt was a great convenience to these fami-
*This implies that Benj'n Judd was at that time Agent or Treasurer of the Colony for Farmington, to hold the Country money, [at a later period called excise money] for the encouragement of schools in that town.
¡For the better regulating and accommodating those people that do, or may hereafter live upon the lands within the west Division in Wethersfield West Soc. of Wethers- field so called-& those that do now, or shall hereafter live upon several lots in Farm- ington, butting on Wethersfield West Soc. which lots of Farmington are hereafter described-
Be it enacted by the Gov. & Council & Rep. in Gen. Court sssembled and by the authority thereof, that, that part formerly deemed to be of Wethersfield West Soc. from the North side of Hurlburt's lot, & the North side of Stephen & John Kelsey's lands, to Middletown bounds, including the Beckley land, shall be annexed to the Great Swamp Society, & obliged with all persons & Estates, requirable by law to pay
27
GREAT SWAMP PARISH.
lies, but made in after years much trouble and perplexity, in making Rates ; because the Lists of each inhabitant were of course made in the town to which he or she belonged .- 6 Dec., 1716. At the same meeting it was voted by the Society to give Nath'l Winchell ten shillings for his son's beating the drum on the Sabbath for the year past, to be paid in Mr. Burnham's rate this year-Also granted to Jonathan Hurlbert 19 s. for a journey to New Haven to "cort," and to Hartford and other ex- penses, as witness our hands.
THOS. NORTH. THOS. HART.
7 Jan., 1716-17. Thos. North and Thos. Hart were chosen a committee to take a deed of conveyance of the piece of land formerly obtained of the Rev Mr Wm Burnham for a burying place for ye said society in the behalf of said society, and cause it to be entered in the book of records for land at Farmington, that it may be secured to them and their Heirs
all Ministerial or parish charges, with the Great Swamp people, to that society, Pro- vided that the said people of that part of the West Soc. of Wethersfield above men- tioned shall help, & do their proportionable part with the rest of Wethersfield West Soc. in the finishing the Meeting house in said West Soc., & pay the said West Soc. in Wethersfield £50 according to their agreement under their hand and seal lodged in the Secretaries office.
And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the lots in Farmington butting upon Wethersfield West Soc. or township, that is to say, all the lands in the several lots in Farmington bounds, from the south side of John Norton's Lot on Wolf plain, to the North side of the bounds of the Great Swamp, shall be and are hereby annexed to the West Soc. of Wethersfield, & shall pay in propostion with the said West Soc. in Wethersfield, in all Ministerial and parish charges.
Done at New Haven at the session held 13 Oct. 1715.
Tax payers in Farmington part- Thos. Hart, sen. Jonathan Smith, sen. Thos. Bird, John Thompson, Thos. Thompson, Daniel Judd, Anthony Judd, Jonathan Smith, Jun. John Root.
Tax payers in Wethersfield part and in Beckley lands.t
Benj'n Beckley, Richard Beckley, Stephen Kelsey, John Kelsey, Jonathan Hurlburt,. Sam'l Belding, Leonard Dix, Thos. Morton, Jonathan Buck, Daniel Andruss, John Andrus.
TA Gen. Assembly held at Hartford 8 Oct. 1668. This Court grants Serg't Rich- ard Beckley 300 acres of land lying by Mattabeset River, half a mile wide of both sides the river, & to run up from New Haven path so far till it doth contain three hun- dred Acres-Serg't John Not & Serg't Hugh Wells are desired to lay out the land.
A true copy of record. Examined by
Geo. Wyllys, Sec.
-
28
INTRODUCTION.
forever, for the above said use .* At the same meeting Insign Isaac Norton was appointed to take care for the obtaining a fashionable and decent "cushing" for the desk of our Meeting house upon the society charge .- 17 Nov., 1717, was chosen for a school committee Ins. Isaac Norton, Sergt. Benj. Judd and Mr. Ebenezer Gilbird, to advise and consider what way may be most proper and convenient to order the prudentials of a School in this Society, for the time the Law directs, and offer their advice about it at the next meeting.
7 January 1716-17 This Society finding & considering at this meet- ing that all former methods and acts, taken & recorded in order to a reg- ular seating our Meeting house, being not effectual in order to said end, but many objections being made against them, & much disquietness, & dis- order appearing notwithstanding-It was at the same Meeting agreed & voted to seat the Inhabitants of said Society in our Meetinghouse as fol- loweth, viz-In the first "pue" next the Pulpit
1st Benjn Beckley, Lft Steven Lee, Benjn Judd, Mr Ebenezer Gilbird, Samuel Smith, Isaac Norton, Thos Hart.
2d pue John Woodruff, John North, Thos North, Saml Seamer, Hez. Hart.
3d pue, Samuel Bronson Cooper, Joseph Smith, Thos Curtice, Jonath Hurlbut, John Standley, Jonathan Lee.
*That this committee attended to their duty, is shown by the following from Farm- ington town records for lands : Ist Nov. 1718. Rev Wm Burnham for the regard he had for the public welfare of the parish at Great Swamp, in the Southeast part of Farmington & the Southwest part of Wethersfield, & in consideration of the society releasing him from 20 s. he promised to encourage the building the Meeting house, he gave, sold, conveyed & set over to Thos. Hart & Thos. North a committee of said so- ciety a piece of land containing by estimation half an Acre more or less, in length 10 rods & in breadth 8 rods. It is part of the same lot that originally was James Bird's, and which I purchased of Sam'l Semer, and it is understood that it is for the use of said Society, for a possession, for a Burying ground forever-said society is to main- tain a good fence at their own cost, and I am not to be taxed for any part of the ex- pense of a division fence as the law in other cases provides, and further until such division fence is made, the said society are not to feed the ground or any way use it except to bury their dead. Said land is situate on a knowl of up land lying a little to the North of a stream called "Gilbert's River," and abutteth east on the highway that passeth Northward from the Meeting House and butts 'North on land of Nath'l Not, West & South on my own land.
Signed, Wm Burnham.
Stephen Lee, Wit. Ebenezer Gilbert,
This time honored Cemetery, so minutely described above, had been sadly negleeted for many years previous to 1845, when by the enterprise and liberality of Mr. John Ellis, some few subscriptions were obtained from individuals, and an appropriation of $30 from the parish of Worthington, in which it is located, and a neat white fence, erected on sunk stones with iron braces, at a cost of $160, an undue proportion of which expense was paid by himself.
29
GREAT SWAMP PARISH.
4 pue East side, Isaac Hart, Samuel Thompson, Joseph "Steale," Isaac Lee, Gersham Hollister, Jonathan "Seamer," Robert "boothe"-
The 1st seat in the square Body, Thos Hancox sen, Nehemiah Porter, Nathl Winchel sen, Saml Bronson, miller, Thos moreton, Richard beckley. 2d seat, Saml peeke, Saml hubbard, daniel andrus, Steven Cellsey (Kelsey,) Jacob deming, Caleb couls. (Cowles.)
3d seat, Geo. Hubbard, John norton, John Cellsie, (Kelsey,) Thos Grid- ley, Saml Galpin, Ebenezer Seamer.
4th seat, Wm Bronson, Saml Couls, John Gridley, John Roote, John Andrus.
5th seat, daniel beckley, Joseph becly, Joseph harris,* Saml Gridley, Daniel hancox.
In ye pue at the North end East side, John Rue, Saml, hart, Wm hancox, John Gilbird, Saml Bronson jun.
In the fore seat, Widow "becly," goodde "buck," & Widdow "duey," Dea. Judd in the Deacons Seat, & his wife in ye fore " pue."
1st December, 1718, at the Annual Meeting Nathaniel knot was ap- pointed to provide a convenient Lock & "kee" for ye Meeting house "dore" & put it on ye said dore on the charge of the society.
At the same meeting it was voted and agreed that the "sheepe" in this society shall run at large in the common the year in suing-At the same meeting Mr Ebenezer Gilbird was appointed to provide a convenient " cushen" for our meeting house Desk, at the charge of "ye Societie"- And the Comt on Schools report as follows, viz-" This society being so very scattering in distances, & our ways so very difficult, for small Chil- dren to pass to a general School in the Society great part of the year, We the Subscribers advice is, that this society be divided into 5 parts or " Squaddams" for the more convenient schooling the children, Advice respecting the establishment of schools in each "squaddam" &c .- That the first part or squaddam be all the Inhabitants south of the river called " betses" " Honhius or Honehas" river (meaning we suppose Mattabesic or Mattabesset) including Middletown neighbors with them-And the Inhabitants in Wethersfield bounds be another part or squaddam-And that all from "betses" River to the River called Gilbirds, Northward be another part,-& that from Gilbirds River Northward, till it includes Dea Judd, & John Woodruff be another part, & that the rest of the society North be another part, & further that the money allowed by the country be divided to each " squaddam" according to the List of the Inhabitants within the limits thereof, & the rest of the charges so arising shall be leaved on ye parents or Masters of ye Children who are " taut"-
* This man moved to Litchfield and was killed there by Indians, August, 1723. He had been appointed town collector there 17th December, 1722. The town record of Hartford says Mary Harris married 16th December, 1725, Stephen Sedgwick ; (proba- bly she was then widow of Harris.) Ed.
30
INTRODUCTION.
The following may be of interest to the curious. It purports to be credits to Rev. Mr. Burnham's parishioners, entered by the collector, John Root, on his rate Bill for 1720 and shows how the Ministers' rates were paid in those days when money was scarce.
£. s. D.
John Standley by 1 bush Wheat,
5 6
Isaac Hart by 1} bush Corn,
3 9
Samuel Hart by 2 " Wheat,
11 0
Thos Hart by 1 bush. Corn, } bush Wheat,
5 3
Jonathan Root by 2} bush & 1 peck.of Wheat his rate,
and part of Wm Hancox rate, 11 8
Nathl Hart 1 bush Wheat,
5 6
Saml Smith by 3 bush Wheat,
16 6
Saml Hubbard by 3} bush wheat wanting 1 pt, 4s of it on Jonathan Nott's ac, 17 9
Benjn Bronson by 3 pecks Wheat,
4 1
Thos Porter by 1} bush Corn, 3s on his own ac, 3 and 9d on Thos Harts ac, 9
Jonathan Burnham by 1} bush Wheat,
8 3
Jacob Deming by } bush corn & 1} pt, 1 21
NOTE. It is supposed the persons named above were located south of the Meeting house.
But to return from this digression about the " squaddams," to the living activities of this people, and their new Meeting House, so happy in being relieved from their former fatiguing walk to Farmington with their chil- dren in their arms. Now many of these families could see the place of worship (were it not for the tall and dense forest) from the doors of their dwellings, Then they followed the trail of the Tunxis & Mattabesset In- dians, traces of which are still supposed to be seen in a direct line from the Stockade to Osgood Hill (or "Half-way-hill," as it was then called.) Now the place becomes attractive, families cluster in and about the local- ity ; a Blacksmith shop and a store and the place is known the state over as " Great Swamp Village." Some years have passed, & the good people feel a little stronger, and greatly encouraged. They talk of putting Gal- leries into their Meetinghouse, and finishing it up. The following is a copy of an agreement for this purpose :*
"This covenant made this 18 day of Oct. 1720, between Daniel An- drus, of Wethersfield, in the county of Hartford, & colony of Connecticut, in New England, & John Root, son of Stephen, & Samuel Bronson jun.
* This document was kindly furnished by Mr. Timothy Root, a descendant of one of the Committee. It has been wisely preserved by the care of himself and his ances- tors, has fallen into the hands of a descendant of another of the Committee and thus is brought to light and use.
31
GREAT SWAMP PARISH.
of Farmington, in said county, being a Committee for the parish or society in said county, called the Great Swamp on the one part, & Richard Aus- tin & Moses Bull both of the town, & county of aforesaid Hartford on the other part witnesses-that the said Richard Austin & Moses Bull have covenanted & agreed, & do hereby covenant & agree to, both jointly and severally to finish the Galleries in the Meetinghouse erected for the pub- lic worship of God in said parish or society called the Great swamp, in manner following, viz. to lay the floor of the said Galleries, planing the joice whereupon the said floor is laid,& the under side of the said floor, to build four seats in each of the side Galleries, running through the whole length of them & 8 seats in the front Gallery the foremost of which is to extend the whole length of said Gallery and to raise the high Ground for all the hinder seats in a due proportion, & also to ceil the walls between the said Gallery floor & the plates & beams of said Meetinghouse & to case all the windows that are above said Gallery floor & make fastenings for their casements & to lay the floor double under the three foremost seats in said Gallery, and to put and trim decently 4 pillars to be set under the beams of said Galleries & to set them up in their places, the said committee providing suitable pieces of timber, for the said pillars hewed square. The whole of said work above mentioned to be done workmanlike, & after the manner of the work in the Galleries in Farm- ington Meetinghouse, & all to be finished & completed at or before the last day of March next ensuing the date hereof. And the said Daniel Andrus, John Root, & Saml Bronson have covenanted & agreed & do hereby covenant & agree both jointly and severally to provide & bring to the said Meetinghouse all needful materials for the said work above mentioned, seasonably, such as nails, boards, slitwork & other timber, & as a reward for the above mentioned, to pay or cause to be paid to the said Richard Austin & Moses Bull or either of them, at or before the 10 day of May next ensuing the date hereof the full sum of £31 in Bills of credit of the aforesaid colony or the Neighboring provences or else in good Mercht Wheat, rye, or Indian Corn, at the price the Merchants generally in Hart- ford or Wethersfield will accept the said sorts of grain in way of payment of debts due to them, between the first & 10th days of May next ensuing the date hereof-in Witness whereof the said Committee and the said Richard Austin & Moses Bull have hereunto set their hands & seals the day & year above written.
Signed, scaled and delivered in presence of
Wm Burnham, sen. Wm Burnham, jun.
Daniel Andrus, John Root, Samuel Bronson. Richard Austin. Moses Bull.
32
INTRODUCTION.
The above instrument so complete in all its parts, I would here observe, seems to be written by the same hand and pen that signed as witness, Wm. Burnham, sen. It shows alike the beauty of his hand writing, the tact and talent he had for business, and the interest he took in the matter in hand. And now a year or two has passed and the village has come to its culminating point, has a finished Meetinghouse with Galleries like Farmington, may be the House painted white, and they are prepared for a better name, probably they asked for it. The State Archives show what and when.
"Resolved by this Assembly that the 2d Society in Farmington, with what of Wethersfield & Middletown is by this Assembly annexed thereto, shall for the future be,called and known by the name of Kensington.
Passed by both Houses, May, 1722.
It is supposed that the galleries are now done, the carved pillars erected for their support, and the house otherwise much improved. They hold a society meeting 23d May, 1721, where it was voted and agreed that the meeting house should be seated, on these rules, viz. age, list, and whatever else makes a man honorable. They also met again 12th July, 1721, to "dignify" the house. At this meeting it was voted and agreed that the fore seats in the square Body in ye meeting house of this society, shall for the time to come, be equal in dignity with those seats called the fore "pues," and that the pews next to the east door, shall be equal in dignity with those called the middle or second pews. At the same meeting voted to grant Corporal Lee, for the irons to the Communion Table, 3s. The annual meeting 7 Dec. 1724, it was voted & agreed that Thos Hart & Saml Bronson jun should oversee ye Youth on ye Sabbaths in the time of exercise, to Restrain them from unreverent behaviours therein, for the year ensuing. At the same meeting 10 shillings was voted to Wm. Ellis for making a "beere" for the Society. 5 Dec. 1726 was granted to Sargt Benjn Judd 1£ 5s. for a Cloth for the Society. 2 Dec. 1728, Ins Jonathan Lee, Wm Burnham, Ebenezer Hart & John Hinsdale were chosen Rate makers. "At the same meeting it was agreed by vote of the society to be their mind to call in the assistance of some wise, able & in- different persons, to hear, consider, and determine, the differences there are among them relating to a Meeting house for them."
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