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 6
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At a meeting of Kensington society held 8th May, 1753, John Hooker, Esq. Moderator, voted that John Hooker, Esqr. & Sarg't Isaac North be a committee to Remonstrate against the Memorial of Capt. Jonathan Lewis & others of this society that may be preferred or offered to the General Assembly of this government to be convened the 2d Thursday of May Inst.
September 5th, 1753, A society Meeting was held in which the question was tried by vote whether it was their minds to keep together in one entire parish, and the vote was 59 affirmative & 53 Negative.
October 19th, 1753, At a meeting lawfully warned, it was voted to em- ploy John Hooker & Isaac Lee to remonstrate at the Gen. Assembly now sitting at New Haven, against the Memorial of Josiah Burnham,* now depending before said Court.
December 14th, 1753, at a society meeting it was voted that John Hooker & Isaac Lee be a committee to appear before the Gen. Assembly to be holden at Hartford May next, and remonstrate against the petition of Josiah Burnham against this Society on account of arrearages of Mr. Burnham's Salary.
To the Hon. Gen. Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut sitting at Hartford on the 2d Thursday of May, 1754. Whereas this Assembly did at their sessions at New Haven in October last, upon the Memorial of the Inhabitants of the parish of Kensington showing to this Assembly the great difficulty they were under with respect to their settling a Gospel Minister among them by reason of the Inhabitants of said Society being divided in their sentiments with respect to their being divided into several Societies, appointed us the subscribers a Committee & empowered us with
* This is the man whom Mrs. Willard, in her beautiful poem entitled " Stealing the Bride," makes the hero of the stealing party, and in a note at the margin, represents him as having murdered and been hung in Haverhill, New Hampshire. Her mistake is, in putting the father for the son, as the murderer, (both having the same name.)
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INTRODUCTION.
instructions to go into said parish of Kensington & call a Society Meeting or meetings of the Inhabitants of said Society and to lead & Moderate in said meeting or meetings & also to use all proper measures to know the minds, names & number of said Inhabitants that are of the mind to divide said Society into several Societies, and also the forms & lines that those that were for dividing said Society would have drawn to divide said Soci- ety, & to view the Society of Kensington & the Inhabitants near to the parish of Kensington & adjoining Kensington, & also to hear the pleas of all parties, & upon the whole to judge & determine whether or no it would be for the best good & welfare & peace of said parish to continue in one entire Society or otherwise, Whether it would be so to divide said parish into several Societies, & if upon the whole we should judge that it might conduce most for the peace & welfare & interest of said Society and the interest of Religion there, to divide said Society, then to divide said Soci- ety into so many Societies and draw such lines as we should judge might conduce most to the peace, good & welfare of said Society, & that if we should judge it best that said parish should be divided into two or more Societies, then we should give due attention into such adjoining parishes any part of which we might think best to be added to such Society, by signifying to the committee of said Society our desire that they would call a meeting of such society, if they should think fit & acquaint them, that they might appear by their Committee appointed by such Society & be heard thereon, if they see cause & make our report thereon to this Assembly. Whereupon we take leave to report to this Assembly, that in pursuance to the instructions aforesaid we caused a society meeting to be legally warned in said parish of Kensington to meet on the 27th day of November last past, and they accordingly met, and we attended and mod- erated in said meeting, and took the number and names of those who were for continuing in one society, and there was the number of 96, and the number and names of those who were for dividing into more societies than one were 31 of the legal voters in said Society, and the two next follow- ing days, we viewed the said Society in the circumstances of it and then adjourned to the third Tuesday of April next following, and gave notice unto the parish of Newington and first parish of Farmington, and first So- ciety of Middletown, and the parish of Meriden, to appear in the parish of Kensington on the said third Tuesday of April, by their Committee, to show reasons if they see cause, why there should not be some part of these adjoining parishes taken off from them to be added to accommodate the dividing the parish of Kensington into several parishes and all parties then and there met, by their committee except Meriden, and were fully heard by us in the premises, and upon consideration we judge it would be for the best, and most for the peace of the said parish of Kensington to be divided into three distinct Ecclesiastical societies, with some small addi-
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KENSINGTON PARISH.
tions from other societies, and have drawn the lines for the several socie- ties in the manner and form following, viz: The bounds of the North part or Society, to be a line drawn across the Bridge called the Beach Swamp bridge, and to be on a line due East & West from Wethersfield town line to Southington parish line, and on Wethersfield line Northward until it comes to the North side of Daniel Hart's land, where he now lives, and from Wethersfield line to run on the North side of said Hart's lot to the Northwest corner thereof, and thence to run southerly to the old fulling- mill place, so called, on Pond River, and from thence to a lot of land be- longing to the heirs of Timothy Hart, deceased, near Bares hollow, on the east side of the lot, and from thence South until it meets with the North line of Southington parish, then by Southington line as that runs until it meets with the west line afore mentioned.
And the South part or Society we have bounded and described, begin- ning at the middle of the highway where they cross each other, between the house of Elisha and Stephen Cole, and from thence to run Northwest- erly to the Southwest corner of John Coles' lot, where he now dwells, and from thence a west line to Southington parish, thence Southerly by South- ington parish line to the Southeast corner thereof, then running Easterly to Farmington Southeast corner bounds, in such form as to include those families in Meriden that are living North of the Mountains, and from Farmington corner to the Southeast corner of that part of Kensington that was taken off from Middletown, then Westerly to the Southwest cor- ner of said Middletown part of Kensington, and then a straight line to the place first mentioned.
And that the middle part of said Kensington between aforesaid two described places or Societies be and remain one entire Society, and that the middle society exclusive of that part annexed from Wethersfield, pay unto the said parish of Newington the sum of £20 a year lawful money three successive years next coming, with the interest arising thereon, and that the improved lands in each parish shall be rated in the parish where it lieth.
And further that the South part or parish have the liberty and privilege of meeting with the Middle Society six months in each year until they . shall be accommodated with a Meeting house and Minister among them- selves ; all which is submitted to this Hon. Assembly by your Honor's humble and obedient servants.
Signed, Jonathan Trumble, Jonathan Huntington, Shubel Conont.
Hartford, 16th May, 1754. The question was put whether this report be accepted and approved. Resolved in the Negative.
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INTRODUCTION.
May 1754. An Act Limiting the bounds of the Parish of Kensington, and for establishing one other Ecclesiastical Society in Farmington, in the county of Hartford.
Be it enacted by the Governor & Council & Representatives in Gen. Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the bounds of the parish of Kensington for the future shall extend no farther North than to an East and West line drawn across the Bridge called the Beach Swamp Bridge from Wethersfield town line to Southington parish line; Easterly by the Ancient line of said Kensington, including those two pieces of land taken off from Wethersfield & Middletown; and from the South West corner of the said Middletown part of Kensington, to run. Westerly until it comes into the middle of the highway where they cross each other, be- tween the houses of Elisha Cole & Stephen Cole, from thence Westerly until it comes to the south West corner of John Coles home lot, from thence due west to said Southington Society line, thence Northerly as that line runs, to the line first mentioned, & that the parish Taxes arising, or that shall be levied on the improved lands in said Kensington shall be paid to said Society only.
And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that said parish of Kensington shall have full power & Authority, & full power & authority is hereby granted to said parish, at their legal meetings to tax' all such In- habitants as live South of said Society, & within the ancient bounds of Kensington, equally with themselves for defraying the charge of preaching only, & that their collectors have full power to collect the same until this Assembly shall order otherwise.
And it is further Enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the said Soci- ety of Kensington, exclusive of those Inhabitants that live in the Wethers- field part shall pay to the Society of Newington the sum of £20 lawful money on the 1st day of May, 1755, & £20 more on the 1st May, 1756, & £20 more 1st May, 1757, each payment to be made with the lawful in- terest arising on such sum, from such sum, from the 1st day of June next, & said Society of Kensington, exclusive of said Wethersfield part, shall have full power at their legal meetings, to tax themselves for the payment - of said £60 & interest thereof, & that said Society Committee make a Rate bill accordingly, & that the collector chosen in said Society shall have full power to collect the same as other Society Rates by law are collected, & pay the same to the Society Committee for the use aforesaid.
And the Inhabitants living South of said parish of Kensington shall have free liberty to attend the public worship with the said Society of Kensington, till this Assembly order otherwise.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that there shall be one other Ecclesiastical Society erected & made & is hereby created & made within the bounds of the town of Farmington, & described as follows,
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KENSINGTON PARISH.
viz: South on the North bounds of Kensington parish, & Easterly on Wethersfield town line as far North as the North side of Daniel Hart's lot, where his Dwelling House now stands, & from thence to run West on the North side of said Hart's lot to the West end of that tier of lots, from thence to run Southerly to the old fulling Mill so called on Pond river, & from thence Southerly to the east side of a Lot of land belonging to the heirs of Timothy Hart late deceased, near "Bares Hollow," & from thence due south until it meets with the North line of Southington parish, thence by said Southington line, as that runs, until it comes to Kensington North line, Excluding Thomas Stanley, Daniel Hart & John Clark & their farms on which they now dwell, lying within the bounds above described, & the same is hereby created & made one distinct Ecclesiastical Society, & shall be known by the name of "New Briton," with all the powers & priviledges that other Ecclesiastical Societies by law have in this Colony, & that all the improved lands in said society, shall be rated in said Society excepting as before excepted.
It is to be regretted that we have no history of the church in Kensing- ton from the pen of Rev. Mr. Burnham himself, and that the catalogue of members is so incomplete. We have to rely on the record and remarks of Rev. Samuel Clark, who succeeded Mr. Burnham 14th July, 1756, and on the testimony of Rev. John Smalley, of New Britain, who began his record 19th April, 1758, of the organization of that Church, by a list of members from Newington Church, and a like list of members from Ken- sington Church. This last is the only source we have to supply the gap in the record of Mr. Burnham, which was lost or carried away, except the list of Rev. Mr. Clark, of the resident and living members, he says, when he came.
We give here his account of the condition of the record, with a list of his living resident members, and also a list of those who withdrew to help constitute the church in New Britain; (we find no record, but only an in- timation by Rev. Mr. Clark that they were ever dismissed from Kensing- ton Church.) We give these lists and this account on the ground that the history of Kensington is a part of the history of those portions that seceded, to the date of their organization, or time of assuming another name.
Rev. Mr. Clark's record and remarks.
Kensington, 14th July, 1756. I was this day set apart to the sacred office of the Gospel Ministry, by the laying on of the hands of the Pres- bytery, and the Reverend Ministers assisting were,
Ashbel Woodbridge, of Glastenbury.
Daniel Russel, of Stepney.
Grindel Rossen, of Hadlyme.
Edward Eells, of Middletown, upper houses.
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INTRODUCTION.
Moses Bartlet, of East Middletown. Samuel Newel, of New Cambridge. Joshua Belden, of Newington. James Lockwood, of Wethersfield. Elijah Latrop, of Gilead. Timothy Pitkin, of Farmington.
And I took the solemn charge of the church of Christ my Blessed Lord and Master, in this place, (signed) Samuel Clark. And I received the records of the church which were very imperfect and broken, on the 16th day of the above said month ; and by those records I find the following relating to the affairs and state of the Church in this place. The Rev. Mr. William Burnham, my predecessor, was ordained in this place on the tenth of December, 1712, and the Reverend Ministers assisting were,
Mr. Timothy Woodbridge and Mr. Thomas Buckingham, of Hartford. Mr. Stephen Mix, of Wethersfield, & Mr. Samuel Whitman, of Farmington.
The names of persons taken into the Church since the first forming of ; as to those taken in before I came, I can find but an imperfect account; I have their names for a little while at first, and such as were members when I was settled, except a large number which belonged to "New Brit- ton" Society when I was settled, but were not embodied or dismissed from this Church till afterwards.
December 10th, 1712, the Church was formed and consisted of the fol- lowing members:
Rev. William Burnham, Pastor. Stephen Lee and his wife. Anthony Judd, Deacon. Samuel Seymour and his wife. Thomas North. Thomas Hart, Deacon, and his wife. Caleb Cowles.
March 2d, 1712-13, accepted from other Churches, Isaac Norton and his wife, Elizabeth. Benjamin Judd and his wife, Susannah.
February, 1718-19, accepted from other Churches,
Samuel Bronson, sen. and his wife, Abigail, from Farmington. Daniel Andrus and Samuel Hubbard, from Hartford. Ebenezer Gilbert, from Hartford." Samuel Peck and Abigail, his wife, from Hartford. The wife of Samuel Hubbard, from Hartford.
"Such as were Members when I came." Supposed to be living and resident. (ED.) 1756. Timothy Hubbard and Abiah his wife. John Beckley and Mary, his wife.
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KENSINGTON PARISH.
Isaac North and Mary, his wife.
Ann Steele, daughter of Joseph ; (she married John Root.) Ann Burnham, Widow. Ashbel, (Negro.)
Ebenezer Hart and Elizabeth, his wife. Isaac Hart and Elizabeth, his wife.
Samuel Thompson and Sarah, his wife. Martha Norton, Widow.
Jedediah Norton and Acsah, his wife. Elnathan Norton and Rachel, his wife. Joseph Deming.
Thomas Goodwin and Sarah, his wife. John Gridley and Ruth, his wife. Jonathan Gilbert and Kesia, his wife. Samuel Peck.
Elisha Peck and Lydia, his wife. Mary Hooker, wife of Andrew. Mary Beckley, wife of Benjamin. Mary Andrus, widow of John. v Eunice Andrus, wife of Daniel. Jerusha, wife of John Bartholomew, (removed.)
Ann Porter, daughter of John, (married Stephen Mix.)
Samuel Galpin.
Samuel Galpin, jun., and Abigail, his wife. Lois Peck, widow. Aaron Bronson. Samuel Gridley, jun. Hezekiah Winchel and Mary, his wife; (she married Samuel Lankton.) Luke Stebbins. Abigail Bronson, widow. Elisha Bronson and Sarah, his wife. Mary, widow of Deacon Jonathan Lee. Lucy, daughter of Jonathan Lee. John Lee and Sarah, his wife.
Elijah Peck and Mary, his wife. Abigail Cowles, widow. Daniel Cowles and Martha, his wife. John Gilbert and Eunice, his wife. Josiah Boardman and Rachel, his wife. Isaac Norton and Elizabeth, his wife; (she married to Deacon Thomas Hart; age 79.) Abram Pierson and Sarah, his wife. Samuel Peck, jun.
+
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INTRODUCTION.
Hannah Porter, widow.
Ruth Porter, wife of William. John Cole and his wife. Elizabeth Gridley, widow. Judith Gridley. Joseph Porter and Hannah, his wife. Hannah Newel.
Job Norton and Susannah, his wife, (removed.) John Kisby.
John Squire and Elizabeth, his wife.
Elisha Goodrich and Rebecca, his wife, (removed.)
Abijah Peck and Abigail, his wife.
Elizabeth Galpin, widow.
James Steele and Mercy, his wife.
Daniel Beckley, jun. and Ruth, his wife ; (married to Abram Harris.)
Josiah Burnham and Ruth, his wife.
Charles Kelsey and Mehitabel, his wife.
Watts Hubbard and Mary, his wife, (removed.)
David Sage and Bathsheba (Judd,) his wife.
Richard Hubbard.
Roger Norton. Huit Strong, (chosen Deacon, 1756.)
Ruth Burnham, widow.
Elisha Burnham.
James Hurlbut and his wife.
Ebenezer Gridley.
Amos Gridley. Nathaniel Winchel.
Nathaniel Winchel, jun.
Moses Deming and Sarah, his wife.
Thomas Standley and Martha, his wife.
Charles Bronson.
Samuel Smith. Josiah Bronson. Martha, wife of Daniel Beckley.
Nathaniel Dickinson.
William Allis.
August 8th, 1756, Members to Church from this date. Jerusha (Lee,) wife of Elisha Burnham. Lydia, wife of George Hubbard, received from Hartford. October 3d, Sarah, wife of Richard Hubbard. September 19th, Servia Allis, wid. of John, (mar. David Webster, Esq.) Joel Mitchel.
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KENSINGTON PARISH.
October 10th, Seth Hooker.
December 19th, Job Heart and Eunice, his wife. Aaron Porter. Thomas Gridley and Hannah, his wife.
February 6th, 1757, Hezekiah Winchel.
Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Deming.
Azuba (Orvice,) wife of Ebenezer Gridley. Deborah, wife of Samuel Gridley, jun.
April 10th, Jonathan Lankton. Daniel Elderkin.
Sarah (Sage,) wife of Ebenezer Steele.
June 19th, Azuba (Eno,) wife of Amos Gridley.
August 28th, Keziah, wife of Elisha Cole.
December 25th, Elijah Heart, of New Britain.
Thus far from Rev. Samuel Clark's record and remarks. (The inter- linings by the Editor.)
Here follows a list from the record and remarks of Rev. John Smalley, D. D., in the words and order in which he recorded them, viz:
April 19th, 1758. A Church was gathered in the parish of New Brit- ain, John Smalley being Ordained to the pastoral office in & over the same. From the Church in Kensington, (Rev. Samuel Clark, Pastor.) The widdow Hannah Seymor, the Widdow Mary Andrus, the Widdow Anna Booth, Benjamin Judd & his wife, Widdow Elizabeth Lee, Joseph Smith, Rebecca, wife of Daniel Dewy, Hannah, wife of Gideon Griswold, Martha, wife of Samuel Goodrich, Joseph Smith, jun. & his wife, Jedediah Smith & his wife, Josiah Lee & his wife, Isaac Lee & his wife, Stephen Lee, James Judd, Uriah Judd & his wife, Nathan Judd & his wife, Phin- eas Judd & his wife, John Judd & his wife, Joshua Mather & his wife, Elijah Hart & his wife, Judah Hart, Elijah Hart, jun., Moses Andrus & his wife, William Patterson, Widdow Hannah Root, John Kelsey & his wife, Joseph Woodruff & his wife, Simmons Woodruff & his wife, Nathan Booth & his wife, Ladwick Hotchkiss & his wife.
The compiler has inserted the above list because the persons originally belonged to the Kensington Church, and the early history of that church is not complete without them, and even with them there will be wanting the names of such as died, or otherwise removed, not only during the in- terim between Rev. Mr. Burnham and Rev. Mr. Clark, but also from the last entry of Mr. Burnham, February, 1718-19, to the settlement of Mr. Clark, July 14th, 1756, a period of some thirty-seven years. This omis- sion or gap in the record never can be supplied unless Mr. Burnham's record can be found. A few of the names might be supplied, however, by a thorough antiquarian, from neighboring church records, scraps of family
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INTRODUCTION.
history, and incidental notices of individuals, titles of officers, and by tra- dition.
A century and a half has expired since the organization of this church, and December, 1862, the present pastor, Rev. E. B. Hillard, very appro- priately noticed the occasion by a historical sermon to his congregation, the closing reflections of which the compiler has begged leave to quote for this work.
" Mr. Burnham continued to be the minister of the Society till the time of his death, September 23d, 1750. His remains lie buried in the old burying-ground, his gift to the Society, in Christian Lane, the stone that marks his grave bearing the following inscription: "Here lies interred the body of the Rev. William Burnham, Senior, first pastor of the church of Christ in Kensington, who having served his generation according to the will of God fell on sleep September the 23d, 1750, in the sixty-sixth year of his age, and the thirty-eighth of his ministry." The foot-stone is in- scribed, " The Rev. Mr. William Burnham, 1750." The grave is near the western end of the ground, the stone an upright slab of freestone, the inscription on the east side facing the road. There, together, in that sacred enclosure, sleep the fathers ; the martial leader of the settlement, in his nameless but not forgotten grave; the first pastor surrounded by his flock; the staid and thoughtful men with whom he took serious, manly counsel, their tombstone telling the simple story that they lived and died, " Serving their generation according to the will of God and then falling on sleep," but in that simple inscription telling the whole story of their pious faithfulness, their modest worth; the wives who loved them and helped them by their side; and the little children who came with them into the wilderness, no longer trembling at the wolf's howl or the Indian's yell ; there, clustered on the knoll beside the still-flowing river, they lie, their faces to the east, in readiness to greet him whose coming shall be as the coming of the morning; their tombstones lettered on the side towards the road, as though in their old human love still longing to greet with the old words of kindness the passer-by. I visited, a short time since, that sacred spot. I stood beside the ancient graves. I looked around upon the scenes on which the silent sleepers in them used to look. I turned my eyes, as the sun was setting, to the summit of the western mountain, whither, at sunset, their eyes had so often turned when home and friends lay beyond, and all was forest-wild between. In sight and near at hand was the swell on which stood the old meeting-house, in which they first covenanted together to walk with Christ and with each other; where they heard the lessons that took from death its sting, and cheered the gloom of the grave with the light of immortality ; within sound of the Sabbath- psalm sung in concert by those, the living, that loved them still, and which, mingling in the stillness of the holy day, with the whispering of the forest
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KENSINGTON PARISH.
foliage and the murmuring of the forest stream, soothed their pious rest. The trees were bare. The snow lay on the ground, as a century and a half before it had lain there on the December day when they first, collect- ing from their scattered homes, had gathered at the meeting-house to see him whom they had chosen to be their shepherd in the wilderness, set apart to his sacred work, and to covenant with him to be his people. That early covenant they kept with him, and he with them, and now they sleep together near by, in hope of a glorious resurrection. As I stood there and looked around me, these thoughts in my heart, I felt that the ground on which I stood was holy ground. Reverently I trod amid the ashes of the fathers. Silently I prayed that I might be faithful to the charge they had transmitted to me, and that when like them I had done my life's work, I too might die the death of the righteous and my last end be like theirs.
The spot where they sleep seems fit place for their long rest. It is re- tired and lonely, as is now the history of their lives. The age in which they lived has passed away. The present is new and strange. It is meet that in their final rest they should be withdrawn from it, their slumbers be undisturbed by its tumultuous whirl. And so it is. They sleep in peace. The age is busy around them but it leaves them lonely still. The " desolate corner of the wilderness" in which they planted their lonely settlement, has become the centre of a region of life and activity ; their business vexes it ; their sounds disturb it; but the scene of their early homes is still almost as quiet as when no sounds were heard there save those of the Indian's footfall or the forest cry. There let us leave them to their sleep, beneath the trees, beside the river.
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