USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The churches of Mattatuck : a record of bi-centennial celebration at Waterbury, Connecticut, Novermber 4th and 5th, 1891 > Part 7
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The centenary of the incorporation of the town was celebrated with public ex- ercises, including addresses and a procession, on Thursday, June 17th, 1880. An account of the proceedings, with a report of addresses by the Hon. F. J. Kings- bury, the Rev. Nathaniel Richardson, D. D., and others, was published in the Waterbury American of June 17th and 18th. At this celebration an interesting account of Episcopacy in Watertown was given by the Rev. Dr. Richardson, but the existence of a Congregational church was not recognized .- EDITOR.
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THE CHURCH IN WATERTOWN.
the ordination took place at the house of Deacon Hickox, about two miles east of the place where the church now stands. Mrs. Rebecca Judd, who lived to be ninety-nine years old, was baptized a few days afterward, being the first child baptized in the parish. Mr. Trumbull continued in sole charge of the church until May, 1785, when a col- league was settled. His pastorate was terminated
by death in 1787. He was known as an "old light" in theology, but was very popular with the people, and acquired great influence by his generosity, hos- pitality and kindness. It is said that if one of his parishioners had lost a cow, or had met with any similar calamity, he would interest himself in the matter, head a subscription for his relief and per- suade others to sign it. Mrs. Younglove Cutler used to describe another way in which on a certain occasion the pastor raised money for those in trouble. He placed a dollar in his cocked hat and said, " I am sorry a dollar;" and then, carrying the hat around the room, asked of each person, "How much are you sorry ?" In this way the required amount was soon obtained. Mr. Trumbull was a wealthy man and a large land-holder. In Bronson's " History of Waterbury " we read that he "was not tall, but a stout, athletic man; he was sound, shrewd, humorous, and loved innocent sports." During the forty-six years of his sole pastorate 256 persons were added to the church. The follow- ing is the inscription upon his monument in the old cemetery:
Sacred to the memory of the Rev. John Trumbull, A. M., senior pastor of the Church of Christ in Westbury, and one of the Fellows of the Corporation of Yale College, who died Dec.
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13. 1787, in the seventy-third year of his age and the forty- eighth of his ministry.
If distinguished learning, industry and abilities, the most unaffected piety of heart, the firmest attachment to the doc- trines of the gospel, the most unblemished moral character, a studious attention and friendship to the people of his charge, the most cheerful hospitality to his friends, and ardent charity to the poor, which rendered him respectable in life, and, in a firm reliance on the merits of the Redeemer, raised his mind above the fear of death, can render the memory of the deceased dear to the survivors, and afford a worthy example to pos- terity; Go, reader, and imitate his virtues ! Behold the upright man ! His end is peace.
The second pastor was the Rev. Uriel Gridley. He graduated at Yale College in 1783, and was ordained as Mr. Trumbull's assistant, May 25th, 1785. He remained pastor until his death, which took place December 16th, 1820, in the fifty-eighth year of his age and the thirty-sixth of his minis- try. He was a man of more than ordinary size and finely proportioned. A writer says of him, "I shall never forget his majestic dignity and easy grace as he walked, bowing reverently, up the broad aisle, ascended the steps to the pulpit, and turned his placid, benign face toward the audience." During the thirty-five years of his ministry, 232 persons were added to the church. A portion of the inscrip- tion on his tombstone reads thus:
Here rests in hope all that on earth remains Of one, whom late we knew, and much we lov'd, As husband, parent, friend and guide to heaven,- These ties all sever'd by the hand of death. Yet mourn we not as those who have no hope, Our loss, his gain; our grief, we trust his joy. For him to live was Christ, and in His steps He humbly trod, a follower of the Lamb.
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Since that date, the church has had fifteen min- isters, in the following order: Horace Hooker, Darius O. Griswold, W. B. DeForest, Philo R. Hurd, D. D., Chauncey Goodrich, George P. Pruden, Sam- uel M. Freeland, Benjamin Parsons, Stephen Fenn, George A. P. Gilman, Franklin Tuxbury, Charles P. Croft, Benjamin D. Conkling, George A. Pelton, Robert Pegrum. All the earlier pastors have fallen asleep in Jesus; and the divine word says concern- ing such, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."
The church has been served by twenty deacons, as follows: Dr. John Warner, Jonathan Guernsey, Timothy Judd, Thomas Hickox, Samuel Hickox, Thomas Fenn, Thomas Dutton, Jared Harrison, Noah Richards, Jonah Hungerford, Charles Day- ton, Clark Davis, Truman Baldwin, Benjamin M. Peck, Joel Hungerford, Lucius Woodward, Dayton Mattoon, Amos P. Baldwin, Samuel T. Dayton and Henry T. Dayton. The last two are still in office.
According to a report in the archives at Memo- rial Hall, Hartford, this church has enjoyed various seasons of spiritual refreshing, resulting in the conversion of many souls. From the commence- ment of Mr. Trumbull's ministry until the present time, 1290 persons have been received into its mem- bership. Eight ministers have been raised up, as follows: Stephen Fenn, Israel B. Woodward, Aaron Dutton, Matthew R. Dutton, Anson S. Atwood, Frederick Gridley, John L. Seymour and Jesse Guernsey, D. D.
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For many years the church has had an excellent reputation for helping forward the Lord's work in this and other lands. Mrs. Dorcas Southmayd, who died in April, 1832, bequeathed one hundred dollars to constitute a perpetual fund, the income arising therefrom to be expended annually for the benefit of the poor members of the church. The annual interest of the small amount with which the fund was begun rendered but little aid; it was, however, an excellent example, and that example has been copied by successive generations, until at the pres- ent time the income is sufficient to be of real ser- vice to the Lord's poor. The additions made to this fund in later years, by Benjamin DeForest, Jr., and others, have brought the amount up to $4,300. The original gift was like a grain of mustard, in- significant in appearance ; but it has germinated and become a tree, the branches of which afford shelter to those who are destitute.
In olden times, church discipline was carried out very strictly. As an example of what was required of those under discipline, we quote the confession of a brother who was charged with falsehood and other offences:
In view of all these my faults and inconsistencies, and the evils resulting therefrom, I desire to humble myself before God and this church, and do sincerely ask his and their forgiveness, and earnestly request this church to continue to extend their fellowship to me.
Of church votes we give two specimens, the first relating to singing and the second to prayer. In 1792 the church voted that Watts's hymns be sung on sacramental occasions, at the discretion of the pastor. In 1795 the church voted to unite with sis- ter churches in a concert of prayer on the first
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Tuesdays in January, April, July and October, according to the recommendation of the General Association.
In the early history of the society, it was the custom to register not only the date but also the cause of death. There are several curious entries. One of them, relating to the death of a lady, reads thus:
She lived with her husband but ten weeks. He has buried two wives in ten months-a providence which never took place in Watertown before, and probably there are but few such instances in the Christian world. The ways of the Lord are past finding out.
In this death-list almost every kind of disease is mentioned from small-pox to wilful starvation. The diseases prevailing here most widely at the close of the eighteenth century were consumption and fits; in seven successive years twenty died from consumption and twenty from fits. The last word is evidently employed in a generic sense, as it is applied to persons of all ages. It has, how- ever, occurred to me that not only individuals, but churches have fits; and "Died of fits " would form an appropriate epitaph for scores of extinct churches. Hence, the value of the apostolic exhor- tation, "Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
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THE CHURCH IN PLYMOUTH.
BY THE REV. E. B. HILLARD.
The "grand committee " appointed by the Gene- ral Court of Connecticut to superintend the settle- ment of Mattatuck (that is, Waterbury) ordered that "for benefit of Christian duties and defense against enemies" the inhabitants of the new plan- tation " should settle near together." Accordingly, prior to the year 1700, all the inhabitants lived in the town centre or its immediate neighborhood. But as the lands at the centre were taken up, the new settlers had to find room in the remoter parts of the town. In 1725 or 1730 we get trace of set- tlers in the northern part, and here the history of Plymouth as a distinct community begins.
The northern and north-western section of the town, embracing what is now Thomaston and a part of Watertown, was called in the early time Wooster Swamp, and the settlers in it the " North- ern " or " Up-river inhabitants." The first mention made of these in the Waterbury records is the fol- lowing:
December 14, 1730,-it was agreed by vote that at Wooster Swamp, according to their families, they shall have their school money according to their list, which families are Jona- than Scott, Sr., Jonathan Scott, Jr., Gershom Scott, David Scott, Samuel Thomas, Ebenezer Warner, Ebenezer Dickason, Dr. John Warner, Geo. Watton, James Williams, Joseph Nich- ols, Jonathan Koley, Abraham Etter, John Sutliff, Isaac Cas- tle, Joseph Hurlbut, Henry Cook.
Most of these belonged in the western part of the "Swamp," afterwards called Westbury, now Water-
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town. Of the settlers in the northern or North- bury part, Henry Cook was the earliest, coming with his family about 1728; and John Sutliff fol- lowed him a year or two later. Others joining these, they began to organize as a distinct commu- nity.
In all the early New England towns the first movement towards distinct organization was in the direction of religious privileges. The first pub- lic body organized was the church; the first public building erected was the meeting-house; the first public officer provided for was the minister. As an old writer says: "In the first settlement of New England, when the people judged their number competent to obtain a minister, they then surely seated themselves, but not before, it being as un- natural for a right New England man to live with- out the minister as for a smith to work his iron without fire." Accordingly, no sooner had the " northern " inhabitants become numerous enough to do something for themselves than they began to move for religious provision independent of the church at the centre of the town, to which by law they were required to pay taxes for the minister's support. At first, in 1732, they joined themselves with the "northwestern" inhabitants, in the en- deavor to obtain "winter privileges," that is, the privilege of hiring a minister to preach among them during the winter months, with exemption during that period from parish rates at the centre. The first movement of the "Up-river " people to- ward a distinct organization was a petition to the town for winter privileges in the fall of 1734. But the town "voted they would do nothing in the
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case.". Two years later (September 29th, 1736), fif- teen residents in the northern section-namely, Thomas Blakeslee, Henry Cook, Jonathan Cook, John Howe, Jonathan Foot, John Sutliff, John Sutliff, Jr., Samuel Towner, Samuel Frost, Barnabas Ford, Ebenezer Elwell, Gideon Allen, Isaac Castle, Daniel Curtis and John Humaston-united in the following touching appeal to the town:
Whair as it is well known to you all, that we, whose names are hearunto affixed, have our abode at such a distance from ye fixed place of publique worship in this town, and that ye cir- cumstances of ye way, are such as yt is with difficulty yt we come to ye house of God at any time of ye year, and especaly in ye winter season is extreamly difficult and sometimes wholy imposable, and being much consarned for our poor children, yt they also might have ye opportunity of atending ye publick worship of God more conveanantly, and nothing douting of your readiness to shew cindness to us and to our children, we do therefore hearby pray and ask for yor willingness consent and approbation, yt all those who live within Bounds hearafter mentioned, may at our cost and charg, have ye preaching of ye word of life among ourselves in ye three winter months of desember jenewary and febeuary, and be freed from paing min- isteriel charg with ye town for the said three months, (being willing to pay our proportion and ministerial dues for ye other nine months of ye year), which privilidg to be enjoyed from year to year, and every year for such term of time as ye hon- ourable general assembly in their wisdom and goodness shall grant and determene, whereby you will much oblige your chris- tian brethren and neibors .*
It would seem that such an appeal must have prevailed. But it did not. The original petition, which is still in existence, is endorsed as follows:
* This and one or two other documents are given in the form in which they have come down to us, without alteration in spelling, punctuation, etc. These may serve as a sample of all. To place orthographical curiosities before our readers is not our main purpose, and we adopt as a rule the orthography of to-day .- EDITOR.
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" The within petition negatived at a town meeting in Waterbury, September 29th, 1736. Attest, JOHN SOUTHMAYD, Town Clerk." Of the record of the town meeting at which this appeal was rejected, only a fragment remains. From this we learn that the "subscribers of the first negatived petition" asked of the town whether they would grant them the privilege of hiring a minister during the three winter months (with exemption from ministerial charges in the town during those months) "for the three following years," and that "this liberty was voted and answered in the affirmative." In April following, an indefinite extension of this privilege was asked for, but was refused by the town. Not only so, the former privilege was in practice revoked, and the northern inhabitants were still required to pay ministerial charges at the centre.
The following month, despairing of further favor from the town, they brought their complaint and appeal before the General Assembly, which in those days was supreme in matters concerning the church as well as in those relating to the state. The memo- rialists describe themselves as "living on a tract of land about five miles square, whereof Barnabas Ford's dwelling house is the centre." This tract of land "adjoineth to Litchfield bounds and lieth northward of those farmers"-that is, the farmers of Westbury-" unto whom this honorable Assembly hath granted liberty to have the gospel ministry among them in the winter months, with exemption from paying rates to the support of the ministry in the town. Our habitations are eight or nine miles from the meeting house in the town, to which parish we do belong, neither are we convenient to
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the above farmers, therefore were not by the act of Assembly annexed to them." The memorial pro- ceeds:
And forasmuch as we could not attend the publick worship in s'd town therefore we applyed our selues to our town at theire meeting September 26th 1736, and they kindely granted us the libertie to haue a minister among our selues for the three winter months, and to continue for three years with exemption from ministeryall charges in the town for the s'd term ; upon which we rested, and have hired and sup- orted a minister. But to our greate surprise, the said town haue forced us to pay taxes to the suport of the ministry in the town, for those very months they had by vote (upon record) freed us, and yet we haue maintained our own minister, without the help of the town. Therefore our humble request to your honours is that you would in your wisdom consider our ciercomstances and grant us libertie to suport the gospel ministry among our selues upon our own charge, for so many months in each yeare as we shall finde our selues able, with freedom from paying taxes to the suport of the ministry in the town dureing such time and times as we shall have a minister amongst our selues. And whereas there are several other persons that are comeing to settle with us in the above mentioned Tract of Land, we therefore pray that such as may settle with us may have granted to them the same libertie and preuledge we ask for our selues, hopeing thereby we shall more easilie suport the gospel ministry amongst us, or that your honours would grant us such other relief in referance to the premeses, as may be thought con- venient.
The petition was rejected in both houses, but the northern inhabitants made preparations for a renewal of their appeal. Their second memorial, presented in October, 1737, referring to the appli- cation to the town meeting of September 29th, 1736, for winter privileges for a limited period, says:
The afores'd Town meeting knowing our distressed circum- stances, with all readiness Granted our request, only the
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Libertie was to continue but for three years next ensuing the date of said meeting. Now our humble Request to this Assembly is that you would confirme and Ratify to us the vote of s'd Town, and make adistion theretwo if you in your wisdom think fit.
This time their application was partially success- ful. The Assembly enacted "that during said three months granted by the town of Waterbury to the memorialists in the three years then next ensuing, the memorialists shall be exempted from paying any charges to the support of the ministry in said town society, provided they maintain a gospel minister among themselves "; but the sug- gestion that the Assembly should "make addition thereto,"-that is, should lengthen the three years' period-was not adopted. The act of the Assembly was, however, an official recognition of the "north- ern inhabitants" as a distinct community, and from this all the rest, to the full investment of Plymouth as a town, naturally follows.
Encouraged by this initial success, they prepared to move on the General Assembly at its next session (May, 1738), for independent privileges "for such time as they should have the word dis- pensed among them," that is, the whole year round, if they should support a minister; instead of the three winter months only, already granted. This third memorial enlarges upon the difficulties beset- ting a regular attendance upon public worship at the centre of the town, and humbly requests
That in your great goodness and tender regard for us in our spiritual and most valuable interest, you would consider us, and grant us an exemption from paying ministerial charges with the town, for such time as we have the word dispensed among ourselves, at our own cost and charge.
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The application failed, but defeat did not dis- courage the persistent memorialists. At the October session they applied for an extension of the three years' period by an addition of two years, relating at the same time more fully the difficulties of their situation:
Your Honors hath in your wisdom and goodness given us liberty to hire a gospel minister among ourselves three months in a year for the space of three years, in the winter season, with exemption from ministerial charges in said town during said time, which will be out in February next; and we now beg leave to lay our distressed circumstances before your honors once more,-which are that we live some eight, nine, ten and eleven miles from the public worship in said town, and must pass a difficult river nine times, and go through seventeen pairs of bars and gates, some of us, and the rest of the way being generally very bad; and unless we have the gospel preached among ourselves, there are one hundred and thirty- nine persons that must be the greatest part of the year destitute thereof; and we pray that your Honors would grant us this privilege; further, that we have liberty to hire a gospel min- ister among ourselves for the space of two years next after the aforesaid term of time.
This modest appeal was not in vain. It was resolved by the Assembly "that the memorialists shall and hereby have granted unto them the liberty of hiring the gospel preached among them for the space of two years, to commence and be computed from February next, with exemption from paying ministerial charges to said town for such time only as they hire the gospel preached among them."
The case was now evidently going against the old society and in favor of the new community. The victory secured in 1738 was promptly followed up. The northern inhabitants, at a town meeting
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held on the 17th of September, 1739, "prayed the old society to give them certain bounds," and secured a vote that they, the said old society, would not oppose them in praying the General Assembly "for a committee to state the bounds of their society and view their circumstances." Armed with this vote, they applied to the Assembly to be "made a society, with the privileges of a society, that they may settle a gospel minister among them," and with a view to this end asked the Assembly to "appoint a committee, and send them to view their circumstances and state the line between said old society and said inhabitants, and to make return to this board with their doings." The petition was granted, and a committee was appointed, consisting of Captain Thomas Miles, Mr. Stephen Hotchkiss and Captain Joseph Thom- son, all of Wallingford, who, on the 25th of October, reported to the Assembly that the "north- erly inhabitants" were "well able to bear the charges of a distinct society," and that the lands contained within the indicated bounds constituted " a good sufficiency for a society." Whereupon the following action was taken:
Resolved by this Assembly that the said memorialists, within the limits above specified and described, be and become a separate and distinct society, or parish, and that they shall have and be invested with all the powers and privileges where- with other parishes within this colony are endowed, and shall be known and called by the Parish of Northbury.
And so, after four applications to the town, and five to the General Assembly, the new community at last gained its end, and Northbury went on the roll of the ecclesiastical societies of Connecticut.
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The boundaries adopted by the Assembly's com- mittee were as follows:
Beginning at the north-west corner of the First society in said Waterbury. and the north-easterly corner of Westbury society at two white oak trees, known by the name of Two Brothers; then running south-easterly by the West Branch until it comes into the river; then by the river until it comes where Spruce Brook emptieth itself into the river, a little below Upson's Island; then from the mouth of said brook a straight line to the falls of Hancock's Brook, and from thence a straight line to the south side of Mr. Noyes' farm, lying partly on a hill by the name of Grassy Hill; and from thence a due east line to Farmington line; then north by said Farm- ington line to Harwinton bounds; then by Harwinton bounds and Litchfield bounds to the bounds first mentioned; bounding south on said Waterbury, First society; east on Farmington bounds; north, part on Harwinton and part on Litchfield bounds; and west on said Westbury society.
The society was constituted, but not yet organ- ized. The General Assembly had built the ship, but left it on the stocks; those who were to sail in it must launch it. This they proceeded to do. The law provided that upon application of any three inhabitants of a society to any justice of the peace, he must warn a meeting of that society. Accord- ingly three of the inhabitants of Northbury made application to one of the justices of Waterbury, who issued his warning to those living within the parish bounds in the following form:
Whareas the law provides that when parishes, or any three of ye inhabitance of ye sosiaty, appliing to any assistant or justis of ye peace, shall by a waront by him issued out, warn all ye inhabitance within ye bounds of ye sosiaty, etc.
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