USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Windsor > The history and genealogies of ancient Windsor, Connecticut, Vol. I > Part 95
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1 Some years ago a man who purchased a part of the old Ellsworth farm, took up the stone which marked the spot where Lieut. Ellsworth was killed, designing to use it for a door step ; but Mr. Miller, a neighbor, hearing of his proposed vandalism, pur- chased it from him, and set it up where it now is, - H. R. S
2 Town lets of Windsor, Bk. III, 18.
813
ORGANIZATION OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY.
1780 only eleven families. But in 1731 they hired a minister, and two years later they made arrangements to pay him forty pounds a year and his firewood. This they continued to do for four years, though they numbered all told in 1734 only one hundred and ten persons.
As was the custom in those days, they applied to the General Assembly of the Colony for aid in parochial matters. From papers in the archives of the State the following summary has been prepared con- cerning the ecclesiastical affairs of Ellington : In May, 1732, the in- habitants [- of East Farms"] petitioned for exemption from ministerial taxes in East Windsor. Upon this memorial the Assembly voted " that the memorialists shall be allowed to improve the minister's rate levied upon them by the society on the east side of the river in Windsor for this present year for the hiring of a preacher, among themselves ; and so for the future as long as the society shall consent thereto." - (Col. Ree .. p. 382.) In May. 1734 ( Col. Ree .. p. 510), they again petitioned the Assembly to continue the same exemption. They stated that it had been granted them by vote of the town two years of the three in which they had supported a minister of their own, but in the preceding year ministerial faxes had been laid upon them. They desired to be freed from them entirely. The Assembly freed them from ministerial taxes in East Windsor so long as they maintained an orthodox minister among themselves. This memorial of 1734 was signed by thirty-tive persons residing " in the east part of the township of Windsor, commonly called Goshen," and upon it was written, "there are one hundred and ten souls in the parish." " Accompanying it was a paper which read thus : " Windsor, May 13, 1734, we the subscribers are perfectly willing that our neighbors that live at the Great Marsh shall be excused from pay- ing rates to Mr. Edwards, so long as they hire a minister among them-
1 Names of the signers of the petition of 1734. Those marked [*] had no male de- scendants in the town bearing their name in 1820.
Samuel Pinney,
* Daniel Eaton, Jr.,
* Ephraim Chapin, Jr ..
* John Burroughs,
Simon Pearson,
* Nathaniel Davis,
* Ephraim Chapin,
Samuel Russell,
* Joshua Booth,
* Isaac Davis,
* Isaac Davis, Jr.,
* Roger Griswold.
* Nathaniel Grant.
* Josiah lalock,
Daniel Eaton,
* Daniel Pearson,
Samuel Pinney, Jr.,
* John Graves,
* Nathaniel Taylor, William Thompson,
Joseph Pinney,
* . Joseph Graves,
Benjamin Pinney,
.John Burroughs,
Samuel Thompson,
* Jonathan Grant.
* Samuel Gibbs,
* Nathaniel Grant, Jr.,
? Simon Chapman, Jr ..
* Samuel Gibbs, Ir ..
* Benjamin Grani,
Ephraim Person.
* Giles Gibbs.
* Daniel Ellsworth, * David Chapin,
Nearly all the signers of this petition resided near the marsh - mostly west or northwest, two or three a mile and a half N E. of the present meeting-house Settle- ments on the mountain probably had not commenced. - H. R. S.
814
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
selves : we live on the street and are the Rev. Mr. Edwards' constant hearers." This was signed by 59 persons.
In May, 1735, a petition ( Col. Ree., p. 564) signed by twenty-three persons was presented to the General Assembly, asking for the erection of their precinct into a distinct parish, the western line of which should be four miles from the Great River, " and that we may have liberty to ordain and settle an orthodox minister among us, that so we may have the ordinances of Christ in the gospel dispensed to us in our own territories." They reproached their brethren of East Windsor for taxing them in two years of the four in which they had supported a minister of their own, and requested that indemnity might be made in freeing them from country rates the two ensuing years. The paper was endorsed, " The petition of the Great Marsh people."" The Assembly appointed Ozias Pitkin, Esq., Capt. Thomas Wells, and Mr. Jonathan Hills " to repair to and view the lands which the memorialists live upon, and land adjacent, and if they judge it is best to have a society there, to set them a line, and make report thereof to this Assembly in October next." At the Oe- tober session this committee reported that they had performed the duty assigned to them, " and considered the circumstances of the inhabitants there, [and] did judge it best they should be a distinct society there." The Assembly did
"thereupon grant that the said inhabitants be one distinct society by themselves, and that they have the same parish powers and privileges as other Societies allowed by law in this government have, and that the bounds of this society shall be the following lines: to begin upon the Colony line between the towns of Windsor and Endfield five miles and a half east from Connecticutt River, and from thence to run south nine de- grees west until it intersects a west line drawn from Bolton bounds half a mile south of said Bolton north west corner, and from thence east to said Bolton bounds, then north to said Bolton north west corner, then east to Tolland bounds, then north to said Tot- land north west corner, then east to Willimantic River, then north to Stafford bounds, then west to the South west corner of said Stafford bounds, and from thence further west by the said Colony line to the place first mentioned; and that the said society shall be known by the name of Ellington Parish."
In 1760, when the parish of North Bolton was established, now the town of Vernon, a traet in the south part of Ellington, half a mile in width from north to south, and one and five-eighth miles in length from
' Names of the petitioners of 1735. Names marked [*] were extinct in 1820.
Samuel Pinney, * James MeCarter, Ephraim Parsons,
* Isaac Davis.
* Benj. Grant,
* John Burroughs, Jr ..
* John Burroughs,
* Nath'l Davis,
* Samuel Gibbs, Jr.,
Samuel Piney, Jr.,
* Nath'I Grant, Simon Person,
Wm. Thompson,
* Nath'l Drake, Jr.,
* Ephi'm Chapin, Jr ..
Samuel Thompson,
* Josiah Drake, Daniel Pearson,
* Nathaniel Taylor,
* Ephraim Chapin,
* Samuel Gibbs.
Simon Chapman, Jr.,
* Daniel Ellsworth, -II. R. S.
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815
INCORPORATION OF ELLINGTON.
east to west, was included in that parish, and now forms the northwest part of Vernon.
At the same session of the Assembly (October, 1735), a petition was presented by a committee of three - Isaac Davis, Daniel Ellsworth. and John Burroughs - asking " liberty that we may ordain and settle a good orthodox minister among us." In response it was voted : " This Assembly do grant liberty to the inhabitants of the easternmost society in Windsor to imbody themselves into church estate, they first having obtained approbation of their neighboring churches." The church was organized not long afterward, probably in 1735, though the exact date cannot be determined.
The continuation of this history of the church will follow the ac- count of the formation of the town, and the lists of some of its officers.
IV. Incorporation of the Town - Officers.
As early as May, 1762, the inhabitants of Ellington parish, through their agents, Aber Burroughs and Stone Mills, petitioned the General Assembly for incorporation as a town. They stated that they were so remote from the main body of their fellow townsmen and from the place of holding public meetings, that they had little advantage of voice or vote in town affairs; they made no complaint of the management of those affairs, but claimed that the people of the town being generally un- acquainted with the concerns of the parish could not take dne care of their interests, so that they, in great measure, lost their town privileges. They alleged that no parish in the colony was in such urgent need of re- lief, as the town meetings were generally held at Windsor, on the west side of the Connectiont River.
This petition was negatived by the lower house. In May, 1764, through the same agents, they renewed their petition, setting forth the great extent of the town of Windsor, which without Ellington was equal in size to some four towns in the colony. They alleged that Ellington was nearly seven miles square, and that their list was over $7,000 ; that the middle of the parish was more than ten miles distant from the river, and fourteen from the place of holding town meetings, the more impor- tant of which being held in December could not be attended by Elling- ton people. The transaction of business with the town officers required an absence from home of two days, and the expense of a man and horse one night. They also wished the power of reviving a " good discipline," and redneing to good order some who, living so remote, " are now a law unto themselves." This petition, like that of two years previous, was negatived in the lower house.
Three years afterward, in May, 1767, their petition was renewed, Matthew Hyde appearing as agent for the parish. Action was postponed
816
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
till October following, and then again till May, 1768. Meanwhile, in December, 1767, the town of Windsor in town meeting voted to be divided into two towns, with the Connecticut River as the line between them. In May, 1768, the Assembly took action in accordance with this vote, and constituted the part of Windsor lying east of the river the town of East Windsor. This action afforded essential relief to the poo- ple of Ellington, though the principal town business was still trans- acted eight miles away. A few years later, in 1786, the claims of El- lington to a separate organization were coneeded, and the parish, with the boundaries established in 1735 and modified in 1760, became the town of Ellington. The population of the town at each United States rensns has been as follows: In 1790, 1,056 ; in 1800, 1,209; in 1810, 1,341; in 1820, 1,196; in 1830, 1,455; in 1840, 1,356; in 1850, 1,399; in 1860, 1,510; in 1870, 1,452: in 1880, 1,569: in 1890, 1,539. The more recent increase has been due to the growth of a settlement at the southeast part of the town, adjoining Rockville.
At a town meeting held on the second Monday of November, 1787, Ebenezer Nash was chosen to represent the town in a convention to be held at Hartford on the first Thursday of January, 1788, to vote upon the question of accepting the proposed new constitution of the United States. At a town meeting held December 17, 1787, the question was put to the town whether they approved of the proposed new constitution. The town voted in the negative. In accordance with this vote, Mr. Nash voted in the convention against the constitution, being one of the minor- ity of 40, the vote standing 128 affirmative, 40 negative.
The delegate from Ellington to the convention which formed the State constitution, in 1818, was Asa Willey. The vote of the town, Or- tober 5, 1818, on the question of accepting the State constitution, was : affirmative, 41 ; negative, 93.
Although the town contained at the time of its organization about one thousand inhabitants, the number of " freemen," i. e., electors or legal voters, was very small. The original list, dated Sept. 12. 1786, contains only 42 names, though 16 more were added that day. These two lists are as follows: Col. Joseph Abbott, Ithamar Bingham, Jabez Chapman, John Charter, Adonijah Day, Jonathan Damon, John Cross. Daniel Ellsworth, Esq., Gurdon Ellsworth, Thomas Goodrich, Ziba Gif- ford, Timothy Holton, Matthew Hyde, John Hall, Benjamin Isham, Samuel King, James Kinney, Jr., William Kinney, Andrew Kinney, Eze- kiel Mckinstry, John MeKnight, Nathaniel Newell, Stone Mills, Ebene- zer Nash, Joseph Pinney, Ephraim Parker, Eleazar Pinney, Lemuel Pin- ney, Elijah Pember, Ephraim Parker, Jr., Ezra Purple, Silas Read, Sam- vel Sessions. James Steele, Abraham Wallace, Col. Levi Wells, Capt.
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817
ELLINGTON TOWN OFFICERS.
Ichabod Wadsworth, Daniel Warner, Col. Stephen Moulton, Philip War- ner, Jabez Emerson, William MeCray, = 42.
Additional List : Nathan AAldrich, Daniel Newell, Aaron Damon, Jacob Fuller, Welcome Clarke, Daniel Clarke, William Grosvenor, Heze- kiah Russell, George Charter, Warcham Foster, Samnel Thompson, Jonathan Porter, Reuben Porter, Jolin MeCray, Moses Smith, Jr., Samt- nel King,= 16.
In 1787 eight more were admitted; in 1788, live: 1789, two: 1790, five: 1791, ten: 1792, thirteen: 1793, four; 1794, five. Thus only one hundred and ten persons, out of a population of over one thousand, or one out of every ten, became electors in the first eight or nine years of the town's existence.
Town Clerks, Registrars, and Treasurers.
The office of registrar of births, marriages, and deaths was created in 1854. Since that time the same person has been chosen both clerk and registrar. The three offices have been filled by the same person since 1866.
Town Treasurers : 1786-97, Gurdon Ellsworth ; 1797-1802, Levi Wells, Jr .: 1802-05, John HI. Goodrich ; 1805-15, Levi Wells (the same person previously named ) : 1815-16, Jolm Hall; 1816-35, Robert Hyde (also town clerk ) : 1835-40, Oliver W. Steele (also town clerk ) ; 1840- 41, Daniel Kimball : 1841-43, Oliver W. Steele; 1843-47, Daniel Kim- ball; 1847-50, Oliver W. Steele; 1850-52, Daniel Kimball ; 1852-56, Oliver W. Steele; 1856-60, Benjamin Pinney; 1860-63, Ilorace M. Chapman ; 1863-64, Oliver M. Hyde ; 1864-65, Sylvester Morris ; 1865- 66, Horace M. Chapman ; 1866-67, Oliver M. Hyde ; 1867-68, Sylvester Morris; 1868-86, Oliver M. Hyde; 1886 -, E. Brainard Kibbe.
Town Clerks : 1786-1806, Matthew Hyde; 1806-35, Robert Hyde; 1835-64, Oliver W. Steele: 1864-66, James 11. Steele ; 1866-67, Oliver M. Ilyde; 1867-68, Sylvester Morris ; 1868-86, Oliver M. Hyde ; 1886-, E. Brainard Kibbe.
The second town clerk was a son of the first, the fifth was grandson of the first and nephew of the second ; the fourth was son of the third. During the first century of the town the office was in these two families, except for a single year.
Representatives from Ellington in the General Assembly :' The town was incorporated in May, 1786.
' Explanatory Note. Previous to 1819 there were two sessions of the General Assembly in each year, one in May, the other in October. Where two names are given for any year in the following list, the first was the representative in May, the sec- ond in October. Where but one name is given (in any year previous to 1819), the same VOL. I. - 103
818
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
1786. 1787. 1788. Matthew Hyde : 1789. Col. Joseph Abbott. Col. Levi Wells ; 1790, Col. Levi Wells, Matthew Hyde : 1791, Levi Wells, Matthew Ilyde : 1792. Matthew Hyde ; 1793, Levi Wells, Matthew Ilyde : 1794, Levi Wells, Matthew Hyde : 1795, Matthew Hyde : 1796, Matthew Ilyde, Isaac Wells : 1797. Elijah Pember, Eleazar Pinney : 1798. Isaae Wells: 1799, Isaac Wells, Joseph Abbott, Jr. : 1800. Eleazar Piney. Joseph Abbott, Jr. : 1801, Levi Wells, Jr., Robert Hyde : 1802. Robert Hyde, Levi Wells, Jr. : 1803, Levi Wells, Jr., Joseph Abbott, Jr. : 1804. Levi Wells ; 1805. John HI. Goodrich ; 1806, Willis Russell : 1807. Daniel Ilyde : 1808, Willis Russell : 1809, John II. Goodrich : 1810. Asa Willey : 1811, Willis Russell, Robert Ilyde : 1812, Willis Russell ; 1813. Levi Wells: 1814, Asa Willey : 1815, Peleg Martin, John Hall : 1816, 1817. 1818, Asa Willey : 1819. John Hall: 1820, Asa Willey : 1821. Joseph Abbott ; 1822. Asa Willey : 1823, 1824, Benjamin Pinney : 1825, 1826. Asa Willey : 1827. Joseph Abbott : 1828, 1829, Asa Willey ; 1830, 1831, Oliver W. Steele; 1832, John II. Brockway : 1833, Benjamin Pin- ney : 1834. Asa Willey: 1835. Joseph W. Bissell: 1836. 1837. Asa Willey : 1838, John H. Brockway ; 1839, Stedman Nash : 1840, Calvin Chapman : 1841, Jabesh Collins: 1842. Joel W. Smith: 1843, Asa Willey : 1844, Jabesh Collins ; 1845, Daniel Kimball : 1846, Oliver W. Steele; 1847, Stedman Nash : 1848, Austin Tiklen : 1849, Hermon C. Griswold : 1850. Darius Crane : 1851, Horace Warner: 1852, Benjamin Pinney : 1853, Joseph Snow : 1854, Horace MeKnight : 1855, Henry Hollister: 1856. Julius A. Kibbe: 1857. Benjamin Pinney, Jr. : 1858, Asel Johnson : 1859. Erastus P. Pease : 1860, Cornelius Farmer ; 1861. Horace M. Chapman : 1862. Calvin Pease, Jr .; 1863, Henry Gnn : 1864, Deloraine P. Chapman : 1865, John W. Thayer : 1866, Asaph MeKinney : 1867, Oliver M. Hyde : 1868, Robert Patton Esnecessfully contested by Henry Bissell] : 1869. Guy P. Collins : 1870, 1871, Nelson Warner; 1872, William HI. Cogswell; 1873, Henry C. Aborn : 1874, J. Abbott Thompson : 1875, John Beasley : 1876, Franeis Pinney ; 1877. Otis Snow : 1878. Ira II. Lewis : 1879, Russell Thrall: 1880. Elam S. lyde : 1881, Ortive C. Eaton: 1882. 1883, J. Abbott Thompson ; 1884, Alfred U. Charter : 1885. John Thompson : 1886, Frederic A. Pearson : 1887,* Otis Snow ; 1889,+ Marens A. Piney : 1891,* William Crane.
Senators from the twentieth district, residents of Ellington. 1834, John Il. Brockway : 1837, Benjamin Pinney: 1849, Flavel Whiton ; 1853, Darius Crane : 1860, Ephraim II. Hyde : 1871, John W. Thayer : +1879. 1880, Robert Patton.
person attended both sessions. Where several years are named together, with only one name following them, the same representative was chosen for several consecutive lerms.
* Biennial Elections.
819
ELLINGTON PROBATE DISTRICT>.
V. Probate Districts to which Ellington has Belange.
Previous to 1759. Ellington was included in Hartford probate dis- triet. In that year the Stafford district was established, which included the part of Ellington which lies north of Tolland. In 1782. on the form- ation of the East Windsor district, Ellington, except the part north of Tolland, was included in that district, being at that time included in the town of East Windsor. The Ellington probate district was established in 1826, including the towns of Ellington, Vernon, and Somers. In 1834. Somers was made a separate district.
Judges were appointed annually by the General Assembly till 1851. Since that time they have been elected by the people. These elections were annal till 1876, when they were made biennial.
The judges of Ellington probate distriet have been as follows : 1826 to 1833, Asa Willey : 1833-34. Benjamin Pinney : 1834-35. Asa Willey : 1835-38. Benjamin Pinney : 1838-41, Asa Willey : 1841-42. Oliver II. King: 1842-44, Thaddeus C. Bruce ; 1>44-46, Phineas Tal- cott : 1846-47. Joel W. Smith: 1847-50. Phineas Talcott : 1850-51. Thaddeus C. Bruce: 1>51-54, Phineas Talcott : 1854-55. Dwight Loomis : 1855-57, Frank W. Perry: 1857-58. Phineas Taleott : 1855- 70, Caleb Hopkins : 1870-90, Gelon W. West : 1890 -. Lyman T. Tingier.
In sixty-five years eleven different persons have held this office. Messrs. Willey, Pinney. Smith, and Hopkins lived in Ellington, the others in Vernon. Asa Willey was judge eleven years, Benjamin Pin- ney four years, O. H. King one year. Thaddeus (. Bruce three years, Phineas Taleott nine years, J. W. Smith one year, Dwight Loomis one year. F. W. Perry two years, Caleb Hopkins twelve years, G. W. West twenty years, and L. T. Tingier one year.
Judges of the County Court : Three citizens of Ellington have been judges, or associate judges. of the Tolland county court. Asa Willey was presiding judge from May, 1826, to May, 1835. Some account of him is given a few pages farther on. under the title " Lawyers residing in EHington." Benjamin Pinney was associate judge from May, 1835, to May, 1538, and presiding judge from May, 1842, to May, 1844, and from May. 1846, to May, 1847. Hle was born in Ellington July 4, 1780. He was a man of strong will and determination of character, and an ardent politician. He held many town offices, and was representative in the General Assembly in 1823, 1821, 1833, and 1852. He died June 9, 1860.
John Hall was associate justice from May, 1812, to May, ISIS. Ile was born in Ellington Feb. 26, 1783, was graduated at Yale in 1802. and was tutor in that institution from 1801 to 1807. On account of feeble health he did not enter a profession. but purchased a farm on the
820
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
west side of the village, which, by thorough and scientific cultivation, became very productive. He was also the pioneer in planting trees along the village street and thus improving the town. His most important work was the establishing of the Ellington School, an account of which is given on subsequent pages. In 1815 and 1819 he represented the town in the General Assembly. Through life he enjoyed the respect and confidence of his townsmen. He died October 2, 1847.
VI. The Congregational Church and Society.
As stated on previous pages, the society or parish was established in October, 1735, and the church was organized soon after. On the 20th of December, 1737, the parish voted to build a meeting-house forty-five feet long and thirty-five wide, with twenty-foot posts: more than two- thirds of the parish being in the affirmative, and being well agreed as to the site. In May following they petitioned the Assembly to confirm their choice withont putting them to the expense of a committee to select a site : also, on account of the increased value of the lands by building a meeting-house, they requested leave to tax the lands owned by non-resi- dents ; but their petition was negatived in both houses. In May, 1739, a petition was again presented to the Assembly, stating that timber for the meeting-house had been prepared, and requesting the appointment of a committee to fix upon a site before the elose of the session, that it could be accepted by the Assembly and the work proceeded with. They also requested the appointment of the same gentlemen who fixed the limits of the parish. The Assembly appointed Capt. Thomas Wells, Capt. Joseph Pitkin, and C'apt. Jonathan Hills, who at once attended to their duty, selected the spot already chosen by the society, and made their report : whereupon the Assembly resolved " that the place so affixed shall be the place whereon said inhabitants shall build their meeting- house for divine worship ; and the said inhabitants are hereby ordered to proceed to build the same at said place accordingly."
The first meeting-house was built some fifty or sixty feet cast of the fence which extends north and south nearly in front of Edwin Taleott's house. It fronted southward and continued to be used sixty-seven years, till 1806. It was never painted, either within or without, and never plastered, but sheathed up inside to the rafters, which were exposed to view within. [It is said, on excellent authority, that, at its raising, all the men belonging to Ellington sat down together on the east sill of the frame .- H. R. S. ]
On the 24th of December, 1800, the society voted, 56 to 21. to build a new meeting-house, and appointed a committee to go to the county court, to have a committee chosen by the court to fix the site. Three such committees were chosen in succession, but their several re-
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821
ELLINGTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
ports were rejected by the society. At length a report made by a com- mittee chosen by the society was accepted, Dee. 6, 1802, by a vote of 27 to 17, and on the 16th of March, 1803, the society voted, 39 to 7, to build on the spot thus chosen, the expense to be met by vending the pews. It was also voted that the new meeting-house be completed by Oct. 1, 1805. It was not finished till a few months later, and was dedi- cated Jume 25, 1806, on which occasion a sermon was preached by the pastor, Mr. Brockway, which was afterward printed. On the 27th of June, 1806. the society voted that the Rev. Mr. Broekway, in future, should abandon the old meeting-house and preach in the new meeting- house, one conservative member voting in the negative. This building stood on the park, directly opposite the present church, and fronted sonth. It was taken down and removed to Rockville in 1868, where it is now known as " White's Opera House."
It received extensive modifications in 1839, a floor being laid over the whole building on a level with the galleries, the lower part being used after that time for a town hall, and the upper part occupied for re- ligions services.
About 1860 there began to be discussion about building a new meeting-house. Several years afterward a considerable sum was sub- seribed for that purpose, and on the 28th of March. 1867, the sub- scribers met for organization and action. Six months later a committee was appointed to press the matter, which was done so effectively that the new edifice was speedily completed and was dedicated Aug. 26, 1868. It stands on the south side of the street, directly opposite the location of the previous meeting-house. The town voted a large appropriation in aid of the building, in consideration of which a room for a town hall was fitted up in the basement.
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