USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The history of Waterbury, Connecticut; the original township embracing present Watertown and Plymouth, and parts of Oxford, Wolcott, Middlebury, Prospect and Naugatuck. With an appendix of biography, genealogy and statistics > Part 36
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Timothy Clark,
£167, 3s. Od.
Stephen Ives,
£100, 8s. Od.
Joseph Hopkins,
156, 11 8 George Nichols, 98, 9 0
Wid. Abigail Gunn,
148, 4 6
David Bronson, 98, 6 0
John Welton,
135, 17 6 Nathaniel Richardson, 96, 4 0
Seba Bronson,
131, 7 6
John Thompson, 92, 11 6
Amos Scott, 124, 7 0
Richard Welton, 92, 4 0
Jonathan Baldwin,
111, 16 6
Isaac Bronson, Jr.,
92, 3 0
Stephen Bronson,
109, 3 3 James Bronson, 91, 6 6
Benjamin Upson,
106, 8 6 Abraham Hotchkiss, 90, 19 0
Aaron Benedict,
102, 18 6
Phineas Porter,
86, 5 0
Manufacturing Stock, .
· $2,205,342 00,
State and other Stocks,
620 00
Railroad and other Bonds,
9,790 00
Amount employed in Trade and Merchandising,
140,672 00
Amount employed in Mechanical and Manufacturing Operations,
Investment in Vessels and Commerce,
111,000 00 300 00 180,886 00
Money at Interest,
= on Deposit,
10,430 00
All other Taxable Property,
2,050 00
Additions by Board of Relief,
16,617 00
Amount,
$4,664,094 00
Deduct indebtedness, &c., 143,052 00
$4,521,042 00
Amount of Assessment at 3 per cent., 1772 Polls at ten dollars each,
135,631 26
17,720 00
Taxable amount for 1856, 153,351 26 792 Military subjects at 50 cents each, 351 00
* One of the great principles for which our fathers contended in the war which had just closed, was that taxation and representation should go together ; and yet, they taxed minors, as they always had done.
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
Ezra Hull,
£86, 3s. 0d. James Porter, Jr., £85, 8s. od.
Thomas Richardson, 86, 2 6 Samuel Bronson, 84, 10 0
Eli Bronson,
86, 1 6 David Clark, 79,12 6
Benjamin Hine, 85, 19 0 Phineas Castle, 78, 2 0
Joseph Beach, Jr.,
85, 14 0
Of the acres of land listed, Joseph Hopkins owned the greatest number, 442 standing against his name. Roger Prichard owned 249, Seba Bronson 240, Stephen Bronson 233, Jonathan Baldwin 217, Wid. Abigail Gunn 213, John Welton 200, Timothy Clark 196, Aaron Benedict 168, Amos Scott 163, Stephen Ives 163, Benj. Upson 119. Of inclosed lands, Roger Prichard had 172 acres, Seba Bronson 150, Wid. Gunn 148, Joseph Hopkins 144, John Welton 122, Jonathan Baldwin 114, Stephen Bronson 110, Timothy Clark 96, Aaron Bene- dict SS, Amos Scott 73, Benjamin Upson 69. Of the 1st and 2d quality of inclosed land, Joseph Hopkins had 91 acres, Seba Bronson 90, John Welton 81, Wid. Gunn 74, Timothy Clark 72, Roger Prichard 60, Stephen Bronson 53}, Amos Scott 50. Of the 1st quality of land, Seba Bronson seems to have had the greatest number of acres, and the most valuable farm. He had 80 acres of first quality land, John Welton 40, Roger Prichard 34, Benjamin Upson 30, Timothy Clark 26, Joseph Hopkins 25. Of uninclosed land, Joseph Hopkins had 298 acres, Lemuel Nichols had 160, Stephen Bronson 133, Ste- phen Ives 120, Jonathan Baldwin 103.
Now let us look at the luxuries which our fathers enjoyed. There are, in the list of which I have been speaking, four steel and brass clocks. These were owned by Jonathan Bald- win, Joseph Beach, Jr., Wid. Abigail Gunn and Joseph Hop- kins, (who was a watch-maker.) There are also seven watches, (silver,) and these were the property (much valued doubtless) of Ezra Bronson, Dr. Abel Bronson, Wid. Abigail Gunn, Jo- seph Hopkins, Stephen Ives, Abner Johnson and Ephraim Warner. The column for wooden clocks is blank except in a single instance. Far down, against the name of Benjamin Upson, the space is filled by "1." This rare piece of mech- anism was originally the property of Thomas Clark, (2d.) It was bought by Mrs. Clark for their convenience in keeping tavern, as early as 1772, and cost about $20. It was made by
366
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
Solomon Crittenden of Kent. Abraham Truck of Waterbury made the case. It is thought to have been the first of its kind brought into Waterbury.
Mr. Clark died, and Benjamin Upson married his widow, in Jan. 1781, and thus came into possession of the wooden clock. It is the only one that appeared on the taxable lists till after 1790. Its face, with the maker's name on it, is still in existence (or was a short time since) in the safe keeping of Mrs. Aurelia Clark, the daughter of Thomas Clark.
The only wheeled vehicle of any sort in the list, is " a rid- ing chair," set down to the account of Ezra Bronson. I sup- pose it was a two wheeled carriage without a top, for a single person, which the owner, who was much engaged in public life, used in business. It is affirmed that Parson Leavenworth also had a two wheeled carriage, without a top, with a double seat, which, being exempted from taxation, does not appear in the list; and that this was the first thing of the kind which was owned in Waterbury. Bronson's " chair" is on the lists of 1782 and 1783, but after that disappears. The column for carriages is then wholly blank till after 1791 ; ex- cept, in one instance, (1789,) a "sulkey " is entered against the names of the administrators of George Nichols.
Joseph Hopkins owned the " silver plate " which is men- tioned in the summary I have given. It consisted, probably, of silver spoons of his own manufacture. No other person had any " plate " till after 1791.
The person who stood highest in the town list, in the town of Waterbury, in 1782, and for several years afterwards, so far as I have examined, was Jobamah Gunn of Salem society. In 1782, he owned 418 acres of land, and stood in the list £191, 17s. 6d. In 1791, he had 563 acres of land, (363 of which were inclosed,) and stood in the list £245, 5s.
Of the 242 names of male persons over 21 years of age found in the list of 1783, 82 will be identified as those of orig- inal families, representing less than half the old names. Sev- eral of them were not descendants of the first settlers. Of the 82, there are of the names of Barnes 2, Bronson 25, Clark 2, Gaylord 1, Hickox 5, Hopkins 2, Judd 4, Peck 1, Porter 11, Richards 1, Richardson 2, Scott 7, Scovill 6, Upson 1, War- ner 7, Welton 5.
367
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
On the list of the voters of Waterbury, published in the Waterbury American, Oet. 24, 1856, all the above names, with the exception of Richardson, are found, and three others that were borne by original families. I give the number of persons represented by each of these names, as they are enter- ed in the American's list. There are of the name of Andrews 4, Barnes 1, Bronson 22, Carrington 1, Clark 12, Gaylord 1, Hickox 4, Hopkins 1, Judd 8, Peck 7, Porter 12, Richards 1, Scott 10, Seovill 5, Stanley 2, Upson 10. Warner 20, Welton 20, (including in the last number five names printed Welon.)
The adoption of the Constitution of the United States, and the organization of the government under it, in 1789, put a new aspect upon affairs. . At that period, our existence as a nation, and our greatest good and prosperity as a people, began. The blessings of that constitution were felt in every hamlet of the land and have extended to the present time. No sooner was its influence perceived than order came out of confusion. Discord was exchanged for harmony, uncertainty for confi- dence, poverty for plenty, humiliating and confederated weak- ness for national strength.
[The following miscellaneous items, being chiefly extraets from records, for which I have not found a fitting place, in the preceding pages, I introduce here by themselves. ]
Nov. 14, 1702 ye town by noat order yt ye new books should be sold in ye town to ym yt will by ym at 18 6d in cash or half a bushill of wheat down payd to ye town treasurer only ye bound book to be keept for ye town yous to be keept in ye hands in [of ] ye justis in being from time to time. [The preceding vote seems to refer to certain law books, copies of the statutes, doubtless, received from the Assembly. There are frequent votes ordering the sale of the "law books."]
Jany wary 6 1718-19 it was agreed upon by uote to grant a ratt of five pounds as money to be raised on the present list of estat as a town stock [or charitable fund] for the nesesity of the pore or disstrakted parsons to be dissposed of at the discrestion of the present townsmen according to law.
- of Buckshill was married in April, 1736, and his first child was born in September following. For his misfortune, he and his wife were summoned to appear before the County Court, in April, 1737, to show cause, &c. Such cases were very common in the courts 100 years ago. The penalty was £5 or ten stripes (for each offender, I suppose.) Afterwards, in casesin which married offend- ers pleaded guilty on trial, the courts were ordered to exact but half the penalty.
363
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
One poor fellow, John Tuttle, of New Haven, confessed 12 years after the offense. His confession is entered on the N. H. County Court Record, Vol. II, p. 486.
Dec. 14, 1741, the prayers of Daniel Scott, Ebenezer Elwell and Gideon Allen for the abatement of their fines for killing deer were "negatived" by the town. March, 1755, Samuel Warner was excused from paying his note for £2, 10s., given for kill- ing a deer. In 1765, Zera Beebe's note for £3, given for destroying a deer was or- dered to be given up. The town was equally lenient to Samuel Williams, in 1767.
Jan. 1756, William Selkrigg of Waterbury was killed by falling with a stick of wood which he was carrying on his shoulder.
June, 1760, Miles Wooster and Samuel Sperry were brought before a justice's court and fined each 3s. for "rude and profane behaviour between meetings in the meeting house on the Lord's day."
December, 1760, the town voted to give a premium of three shillings for "kill- ing or destroying any grown wild cat, and half so much for their whelps, and two shillings for a fox and half so much for their whelps," the selectman or men to cut off the right ear of such cat or fox to prevent fraud.
In 1761, the premium on wild cats was raised to five shillings, and on their whelps to two and six pence. In 1763 and 1773, 1s. only was paid for foxes.
In 1765, Isaac Frazier broke into the shop of Joseph Hopkins and stole £123 value of goldsmith's work. He was sentenced to be executed, but asked for per- petual imprisonment, banishment or slavery instead. The request was not granted.
Feb. 1768. The town voted to give the French family in this town, in order to transport them into the northward country, not exceeding ten pounds, including charitable contributions, to be paid in provisions.
At the same meeting, voted that Obadiah Scott should have liberty to live in this town.
Dec. 7, 1771. Moses Paul, a Mohegan, while at the house of Mr. Clark in Beth- any, (then New Haven,) and under the influence of liquor, seized a flat iron weighing 4} lbs., (Paul said "a stick or clubb,") and while aiming, it is alledged, at Mr. Clark, missed him, and the blow fell upon Moses Cook of Waterbury, who was standing by. The wound terminated fatally Dec. 12. The Indian was tried in February, and sentenced to be hanged June 17; but the General Assembly, on pe- tition, postponed the execution till Sep. 17, 1772. Sampson Oecum, at the request of Paul, preached the funeral sermon, which was published.
1783. Peter Gilkley was sentenced to two years imprisonment in Newgate and forfeiture of estate. The only evidence against him was the tools found in his house. He denied that he had counterfeited, though he confessed that he had in- tended to do so. He said that his wife and children were destitute ; that he was wounded in the hand, the use of which he had lost ; that he was sick and worn out, and asked for a remission of punishment and a restoration of his estate. He was discharged from prison.
Isaac Hine was charged with being an accomplice of Gilkley and arrested, but for want of evidence was acquitted.
Dec. 27, 1784, at a town meeting, a memorial was received from Isaac Bronson and others, asking liberty to erect a saw mill "on the Great Brook where the old one now standeth," (which would accommodate the neighborhood of Breakneck,) and to build a dam which would cause the water "to flow across the public road," on condition that they maintained a bridge, &c. The request was granted.
369
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
1785. John Porter and Elnathan Jennings of Waterbury were apprehended for counterfeiting coin. They escaped twice and were rearrested and imprisoned. They then broke goal and fled.
Dec. 21, 1786. Two of the five selectmen were to collect the town rate and provide for the poor, and "be allowed a reasonable reward;" but the other three were to "have no reward for their service except for laying out highways, and a dinner on such days as they are employed in the service of the town."
Dec. 8, 1788, Noah Cande asked for liberty of the town to set up a blacksmith's shop for his own use, "at the west end of a cider mill yard, a little east of Col. Baldwin's dwelling house, against the southeast corner of Col. Porter's pot-ash lot."
Dec. 30, 1789. On motion of John Welton, Esq., the selectmen were instruct- ed to purchase a piece of ground, in the northern part of the town, for the pur- pose of a burying yard, if they thought proper.
Sep. 20, 1791, Doet. Abel Bronson Capt. Isaac Bronson, and Col. Phineas Porter were chosen a committee to confer with Woodbury and the neighboring towns on the subject of a new county and to hear proposals, &e. Another com- mittee was appointed, April 9, 1792, " to treat with the neighboring towns east- ward and westward respecting a new county."
Jan. 27, 1794. On petition of Mr. Eli Bronson praying for a burying ground for Middlebury society, the seleetmen were authorized to purchase ground for that purpose.
Jan. 16, 1797, the town directed the selectmen to pay the seleetmen of Wolcott £3, 10s. od., lawful money, to be applied to the payment, in part, of their burying ground.
April 22, 1801. The selectmen were "authorized to purchase so much land as they shall judge necessary for the convenience of the public to be improved as a burying ground on the east side of and adjoining to the present burying ground, at the expense of the town," and to sell so much land at the south end of the old yard as they judged unsuitable for the purpose of a burying ground.
Feb. 21, 1803. The town voted to prefer a petition to the next General As- sembly praying said Assembly to quiet the present possession of land in the said ancient town of Waterbury, in the full and peaceable enjoyment of the same, so far as their titles may be defective in consequence of the usual custom of locat- ing lands within said town without a title to the common lands by deed, with which said surveys or locations are filled up.
24
APPENDIX.
I. BIOGRAPHY .*
AMOS BENEDICT,
Son of the late Aaron Benedict of Middlebury, and an elder brother of Aaron Benedict of Waterbury, was born July 6, 1780. He was graduated at Yale College in 1800; studied law at the Law School in Litchfield ; married a daughter of Capt. Stone of that place, aud settled in Watertown, Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1807, where he soon became a leading member of the bar. He was the second district attorney, being first appointed in 1810, and again in 1813 and 1814.t The district then comprised the counties of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Law- rence. In 1816, he returned to Connecticut, visited his friends in Litch- field, was taken ill, and after a week's confinement, died of "a car- buncle on the back." He was buried in Litchfield.
ISAAC BRONSON,
The son of Isaac and Mary (Brocket) Bronson, was born at Break- neck, now Middlebury, March 10, 1760. His father, grandfather, great grandfather and great, great grandfather, (the original plant- er,) all bore the name of Isaac, and all except the last, were eldest sons.
The subject of this notice was extensively known for his intimate acquaintance with the principles of banking, currency and finance. His father was a farmer of highly respectable character, and often a mem- ber of the Legislature. A small farm was his chief source of revenue,
* Several of the biographical notices in the following pages have been furnished, wholly or in part, by others. For those of Isaac Bronson, Reuben Holmes, Samuel L. Hopkins and Mark Leavenworth, I am indebted to friends who have taken a special interest in this work.
t See Dr. Hough's History of Jefferson County.
371
APPENDIX.
and to support the expenses of his family required all his industry and economy. For this reason, neither of his sons received a collegiate education, but they had the best advantages which his limited means would afford. There are few country places where intellectual culture was more highly prized than in Middlebury. The people were conside- rate, industrious and moral, and united their efforts to provide means for the general diffusion of knowledge among themselves. The influ- ence of such a community was favorable to the development of the talents and virtues of Mr. Bronson, and had a salutary effect in form- ing his character. Few persons of regular education were more familiar with the history of the world, and with those branches of information which constitute useful and practical knowledge.
While a youth, Mr. Bronson pursued the study of medicine with the late Dr. Lemuel Hopkins of Hartford, and entered the army as a junior surgeon in the Revolutionary war, on the 14th of November, 1779, in the 2d regiment of light dragoons, commanded by Col. Elisha Sheldon, in the Connecticut line, under the immediate command of General Washington. He continued constantly in the discharge, not only of the duties of that office, but he also acted as the senior surgeon until the end of the war. The senior officer was, from his age and infirmi- ties, unable to endure the hardships incident to the peculiar service re- quired of that regiment-the protection of the inhabitants of the coun- try lying between the outposts of the two contending armies, unprotect- ed by the civil or military power of either, and exposed to the perpet- ual incursions of the enemy. This service required the troops to be constantly moving, as well for the protection of the inhabitants, as to guard against surprise, which a stationary position of twenty-four hours would at all times have exposed them to. Not a single tent belonged to the regiment, nor had they any other covering except the occasional shelter which uninhabited houses and barns afforded. These privations of course exposed the troops to unusual hardship. The wounded, as well as the sick, were frequently left under the protection of flags of truce, attended by the surgeon only ; the New York levies being with- out any medical officers even in name. Mr. Bronson, though a junior surgeon, performed all the medical duties for several campaigns for all the troops attached to Sheldon's command.
At the close of the war, Mr. Bronson abandoned the profession of medicine, made a voyage to India, traveled in Europe, returned about 1789 and married. About the year 1792, he settled with his family in Philadelphia ; but after two years residence in that city, remov- ed to New York, where he continued the business of a banker, which
372
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
had been commenced some time before, in connection with Mr. Fowler of New York and Mr. Pomeroy of Hartford. In 1796, he purchased the property of the late President Dwight on Greenfield Hill, in this State, for a summer residence, to which place he retired during a large portion of each year.
Mr. Bronson was distinguished for his great intellectual power, a moral courage that nothing could intimidate, untiring industry and the most scrupulous integrity. Upon any subject to which his attention was at any time directed, his views were clear and profound, and on all proper occasions, expressed with great frankness and freedom.
Having closed his partnership firm, he engaged in the banking busi. ness in Bridgeport, Conn. He possessed the controlling influence in a bank in that place, and managed its affairs for more than thirty years. His bank was opened on the 21st day of May, 1807, and a rule was established on that day of the following import .- " No paper, offered at this Bank for discount, will be accepted having more than 60 days to run to maturity, and every note or bill discounted must be paid at ma- turity. No renewal or new discount will be made in substitution for or in aid of the payment of an existing indebtedness." There was no set form of by-laws enacted. This simple, searching and effective rule was the solitary but inflexible law for the government of the institution. In the outset, some of its debtors, regarding a bank in the light of a benevolent institution, possessing recognized and special privileges, and therefore bound to accommodate the public, (a heresy alike fatal to the country and the banks,) denounced the rule as arbitrary and unaccom- modating. It however was invariably enforced, and its requirements obeyed. It induced and compelled debtors to carry out the same con- servative principle in all their private transactions. Each trader con- ducted his business, not on borrowed bank credit, but on his own capi- tal, and thus brought the amount of his transactions within his own means-short credits and quick returns were characteristic of the trans- actions of the customers of the bank. The gains of the people, the fruit of honest and patient industry and well considered economy, were not sudden and spasmodic, but sure and steady. The bank, in short, only cashed sales, and it was soon proved, after the bank was fairly in operation, that its ability to discount had no sort of connection with or dependence on the amount of the capital, and that the latter was of no use except to inspire confidence. A currency fully equal to the de- mands of trade was sustained, and more could not have been sustained, however large its capital. Its circulating notes were issued only in ex- change for business paper, representing commodities in transitu, and
373
APPENDIX.
were, as has already been observed, practically secured by a lien on those commodities. Once in every 60 days the whole debt due the bank was canceled by payment. There was no attempt by the bank to regulate trade or exchanges, but it was itself regulated by them. It was the servant of trade, not its master. Its circulation vibrated largely. At certain seasons, when the products of the country were coming forward to market, it expanded ; at others it shrunk within very narrow limits, as the records of the bank will show.
The foregoing is a brief sketch of the principles of banking employ- ed by Mr. Bronson, and the result bears ample evidence of their sound- ness and safety. The bank maintained its credit and solvency through the war of 1812 and two financial crises, during which all the banks of the country suspended specie payment ; and at no time in that long interval, and during the severe financial difficulties that disturbed and embarrassed the commercial world, did its notes or obligations ever fall below the specie standard.
Mr. Bronson carried out the principles which have been explained and exerted his influence to secure their general adoption. His courage and greatest, energy were put to a severe test. Ile had engaged against him the wealth and influence of the mercantile classes, sustained by most of the legal talent of the city of New York, when he, at two im- portant commercial crises, persisted in his efforts, and succeeded by legal proceedings, in compelling the banks of that city to contract their circulation, and finally to resume specie payments. His discernment in whatever related to political economy has seldom been equaled. He would foretell the effects of a given measure upon the general system of trade, with all the precision of past events. The fulfillment of his predictions, in regard to the result of many momentous steps taken by the banks or the government, seemed almost to indicate the supernatu- ral gift of prophesy. No political bias, or regard for public opinion, or sinister motive connected with his own interests, ever seemed to in- fluence his judgment. In all his opinions and actions, he was swayed by truth and rectitude. Hamilton and other distinguished men con- nected with the federal government, in its early annals, confided in his talents and virtues, and often consulted him, with great deference for his opinions, especially in regard to financial questions. IIis wealth acquired in the pursuit of his business, was the result of his financial wisdom.
His liberality was great but unostentatious, and whenever he confer- red a favor, he endeavored to conceal it from the world. In his own family, he was beloved for all that could endear a husband and father.
374
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
For thirty years prior to his death, he devoted much attention to the Christian religion, and never for a moment was shaken in his clear con- viction of the great truths of the Bible. He lived and died with a firm reliance on its promises. His great age cast no shadow over his men- tal powers, which continued in their full force and brilliancy to the close of life.
After his return from India and Europe, Mr. Bronson married Anna, daughter of Thomas Olcott of Stratford. By this marriage, he had ten children. 1. Oliver; died in infancy. 2. Maria ; died in infancy. 3. Maria ; born Aug. 18, 1793, in New York city ; married, Dec. 27, 1814, Col. James B. Murray of New York city; had seven children, and died Dec. 21, 1851. 4. Harriet ; born Jan. 14, 1798, in New York city, and died, unmarried, in November, 1835, in Switzerland. 5. Car- oline; born Jan. 14, 1798, in New York city ; married Doctor Marinus Willet of New York, son of Col. Marinus Willet, and died of consump- tion, March 1, 1853, leaving six children. 6. Oliver ; born Oct. 3, 1799, at Greenfield, Conn. ; married Joanna Donaldson and has four children. 7. Arthur ; born Jan. 14, 1801, in New York city ; married Anna Eliza, daughter of Gen. Theodorus Bailey of New York, Nov. 20, 1823; died of pneumonia, Nov. 19, 1844, leaving three children. 8. Frederic ; born May 2, 1802, in New York city ; married, March 1, 1838, Charlotte Brinckerhoff of New York, and has three children. 9. Mary ; born Aug. 2, 1806, at Greenfield ; unmarried. 10. Ann ; born March 25, 1810, at Greenfield ; died July 19, 1840, unmarried.
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