USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Windsor > The history of ancient Windsor, Connecticut > Part 15
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This system was continued several years; the name and amount of each subscription is still on record. In 1666, the smallest given sum was Is 6d, the highest (Mr. Wolcott's) was £1:10s. (Bk. 1, 48-49).
1662, May 15th. The troopers of the several towns had hith- erto trained at some place of general rendezvous, but the court of this date, in consideration of " the inconvenience " and " un- necessary expense of time to no profit," allowed them to train in the several towns to which they belonged, "with their own foot company." They are, however, to be considered as " one entire Troop, consisting of several parts, who are to unite and attend the General Training as one entire body of horse." The stand-
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
ing of the different train-bands was also determined, as follows: 1st, Hartford, 2d, Windsor, 3d, Wethersfield, 4th, Farmington.
Oct. 9. " The new Charter of Connecticut was publicly read in an audience of the freemen [at Hartford], and declared to belong to them and their successors." (Col. Rec.)
1663, May 14. A lively picture of the police regulations of the several towns is gleaned from the following court order.
" The Constables in each Plantation are hereby empowered to charge the watch and ward duly to attend their watch and ward by walking in such places where they may best discover dan- ger by the approach of an enemy or by fire, which if they do discover, they are to give notice thereof by firing their guns, and crying Fire, fire, or Arm, arm. And in case they meet with any persons walking in the streets unseasonably, they are to exa- mine them, and in case they can not give a good account of themselves, they are to return them to the Constable, who is to require them to appear before a Magistrate or some Assistant, to give account of their unseasonable walking."
The watchmen were also ordered to report themselves for instructions to the constable, " in the evening, by the shutting in of the daylight;" and were not to leave their watch before daybreak on pain of Is for each default.
At this time, the good townsfolk were much annoyed by Indians strolling up and down in the towns, "in the night season to buy liquors." The court therefore decreed that any Indian found walking the streets, after nightfall, should be fined 20s (15s to the public treasury, and 5s to the informer) or else be whipt with " six stripes at least." (Col. Rec.)
In the Annual Estimate of Town Payments:
October 31. " This was a town meeting, and all that were present voted that Mr. Warham should [have] for this year following as formerly £90. Also manifested themselves willing that there should be a looking out for a help for him."
"Also a request was made by some to set a housel to shelter their horses in on Sabbath days, and other days when they ride to meeting; on one side of the street against Begat Eggleston's orchard, about 9 or 10 feet in breadth, by his fence, and in length 23 or 24 feet - and it [was] granted."
1664-5, March 7. "Nath'l Bissell hath paid for his seat in the gallery to Josias Hull in pay for his wolf, 6.s."
1665, May 11. Jas. Enno was fined for his wife's fault, in selling cider to the Indians.
Nov. 30th. Items of Matthew Grant's account.
"For drawing up Mr. Warham's pay into a method, that he
155
EXTRACTS FROM TOWN ACTS.
might understand what he was to receive of each man by his free will offering, which cost me a great deal of time. I had better to have made two rates as formerly, yet I set down but 6s 6d.
Then for time I spent last July at the lending out of powder and lead, and making bullets, and taking again of some, and the setting down the accounts of these things, cost me about 4 days time, I put down 7s 6d."
1666. It is probable that during this year, the fort was built at Windsor, which is alluded to in the following court record of the next year:
October 10, 1667. At a General Assembly held at Hartford:
" The inhabitants of Windsor having improved themselves in building a fort, this Court, for their encouragement, doth release the Train soldiers of Windsor two days of their training this Michael Tide, and one day in the Spring."
This fort may have been merely a rebuilding, or strengthen- ing, of the old Palisado; but our own impression is that it was the building since known as the Old Stone Fort. This
The Old Stone Fort, or Stoughton House.
edifice, which is remembered only by the oldest persons in Windsor, was situated about one mile north of the Congrega- tional Meeting-house, on the east side of the road, opposite to and a few rods north of the present residence of Mr. Lemuel Welch. It stood back from the road, near the brow of the hill overlooking the meadows, where an old well still marks the
156
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
spot. The building itself was pulled down about 1809. From the description of some of the old people now living, we have been able to obtain a pretty good idea of its appearance, and to make a picture of it, which will (so the aforesaid old people say) give the "rising generation," a very correct representation of this almost forgotten and interesting piece of antiquity.
The Old Fort, or Stoughton House, was composed of two portions, one built of stone, and the other of wood. The stone part, which was somewhat the oldest, stood parallel with the road; and its walls were built of heavy, uncut stones, pierced with two small diamond-paned windows set in lead, and numerous lurking port-holes which peeped suspiciously out from under the eaves of the high, peaked roof. At the northern end or gable of the house, a gigantic chimney was built into the wall. At the east, or back part of the house, as we should now call it, facing the river, was the door, framed of heavy oaken timbers, strongly studded and clenched with iron spikes, and bearing, if we may believe tradition, sundry suggestive hacks and cuts of Indian tomahawks.
Joined to, and at a right angle with this stone building, with whose front its gable end was parallel, stood the larger and more modern frame dwelling. Its general appearance, as will be seen from the engraving, was similar to the other part, except that its windows and doors were more numerous and larger; and in its huge chimney was inserted a stone sculptured with the initials Ts" and the date of, its erection 1666.1 The initials were those of THOMAS STOUGHTON and MARY his wife, whose descendants have retained the property almost ever since.
But if the exterior of the Old Fort was quaint, the interior seems to have left upon the minds of those who knew it, a still stronger impression of mysterious and romantic interest. They love to dwell upon the pleasure which they, as children, experi- enced, in roaming about its rambling apartments; in climbing the ancient winding stairway, which even in their day was
1 There is, in the minds of all the old people with whom we have conversed, an uncertainty, as to whether the date on this stone was 1666 or 1676. The majority, however, concur in the opinion that it was 1666.
157
EXTRACTS FROM TOWN ACTS.
"tottering to decay;" thus endangering both life and limb to obtain the happiness of a peep through the loopholes in the wall. They dwell with particular delight upon the many queer nooks and dark corners with which the place abonnded, as well as divers curions prints and articles of furniture which excited their childish admiration and wonder. The old house also contained an ancient helmet and piece of armour, undoubt- edly one which had been used by some valiant Windsor soldier, in the Pequot wars; but these valuable relics, which would be so carefully preserved in these days, were sold, ignobly sold, to a pedler, for - mention it not in antiquarian ears - old iron ! Shade of worshipful Major John Mason ! this steel cap and breast-plate, which perhaps even protected thy stalwart form in the " battle's heat and roar," sold - disregardless of its inspiring associations - at one cent and a half a pound. A curi- ous Indian bow and sheaf of arrows, of gigantic proportions, was also contained in the building, and afterwards passed into the Ellsworth family, but is now lost.
1667, April 1st. Luke Hill took the charge of the Rivulet ferry for £12 per annum " besides what he gets from travellers and persons by night."
"This day Nat. Cook hath condescended to perform the work of cleansing the meeting house for this next year for 50s."1
April 27th. " When the freemen inet for choice of deputies, Luke Hill made a sad complaint that if the town would not add to the sum they had set him for keeping the ferry, at the former meeting, he must leave the ferry; and his wife came in and sadly bemoaned their condition. Whereupon it was voted that they would add the other £3 as it was before."
July 3d. " Those of the dragoons that have received pouches of Thomas Dibble, which he got made, and is to be paid by the town.
Deacon Moore, one for his man.
Anthony Hoskins, one. Michael Humphry, one.
Ebenezer Dibble, one. Josias Hull, one.
Nicholas Senchion, one. Thomas Stoughton, one.
Henry Stiles, one. Thomas Dibble, one.
1 John Owen, the former sexton, felt aggrieved by this appointment of Cook's - and it was agreed that "John Owen should have part of the pay with Nathaniel, though he did not of the work. It is issued that John Owen shall have 5s of Nathaniel's £3, of the last year's pay."
158
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
These 9 Dibble delivered, and he delivered 7 more, which make up 16 - which comes to 40s. John Rockwell had one of the old ones; he has received this again." (Bk. II, 7.)
September 30th. The freemen voted to give 17 shillings (besides the Ss offered by the County ) for all wolves killed within the limits of Windsor and Massaco [Simsbury]. Indians were to have for each wolf 20s in wampum at 6 for a penny. (Bk. II, 7.)
1667-8, February 3d. The Townsmen, upon complaint of Thomas Hopewell's Wife, [as to] their straights of firewood because of his lameness. The Townsmen, had appointed Samuel Marshall to carry them two loads and now appointed William Thrall to carry them three loads more, and put it on account in a town rate. (Bk. II, 7.)
March 11th. " In preparation for a town rate for this year past, to gather up what debts the town must pay.
First to begin with wolves killed.
The whole amount for Wolves was. £22, 08s, 00d. Mr. Wolcott, for seven [ ] cartridges, de- mands. 1,15, 00.
Thomas Dibble, for making soldier pouches 2,01, 00.
Stephen Taylor, for barrel of Tar for boat .. . 15, 00.
William Thrall, for 3 loads of Wood for Hopewell . 9, 00.
Walter Gaylord, for beating the drum and new cord.
1, 1, 00.
Ebenezer Dibble, for his part to make half pikes. 15, 00.
4, 00.
2, 08.
House and fire.
1, 02.
3, 00.
3 Townsmen dining with the Magistrates .. Deacon Moore, his part making 36 pikes ... 15, 00. Thos. Burnham, for making 36 Heads for pikes 5,10, 00. Tahan Grant, for some Smith work, mending the ferry chain and some nails, and hinges for town house, and nails for pike rods. 4, 06.
April 15th. " Mr. Allen came to my house to give notice to Thomas Marshall and Daniel Hayden to be free men of this corporation." (Bk. II, 7.)
May 16th. "Mr. Wolcott brought to me 84 cartridges, so many as to set off his town rates 20s 11d."
" Baggot Egleston undertakes the cleansing of the meeting [house] for this year coming for 50s, and the beating of the drum to meetings for 28s. Also it was voted that Granfield men should have liberty to improve their land this year, but not to be allowed Inhabitance by this; and the difference between the Town and this, is deferred till the whole Town be made acquainted with it, and meet about it." (Bk. II, 7.)
4 Lister's Expenses
4 Townsmen.
159
EXTRACTS FROM TOWN ACTS.
September 28th. " Voted that the town should be at the cost to procure a new rope for the ferry, because Luke Hill is not able to be at the cost himself."
October 31st. " Also, Deacon Moore is to speak with John Gibbard, to get him to come to mend the glass of the meeting house windows.
Also, George Griswold is to get somebody to clab up the walls of the meeting house that are broken."
1668, November 23d. "The townsmen met concerning the old ferry Boat. The townsmen are content that Samuel Mar- shall shall have it to make the best of her; and if the town will exact 10s of him for it he will pay it."
November 30th. "It was desired of all that were at this meeting that they would give in their papers, that we might know their minds, what they would give to Mr. Warham for this year going, which ends the 25th of next March; and some per- sons, to the number of 50 did give in; and the sum of all which they presented rose to £27. What more will be done, I yet know not." (Bk. II, 13.)
1668-9, January 18. " The town voted to allow the Indians for every wolf they kill, and bring their heads in wampum, at 6 a penny, 10s. And they that pay it to them must take up in our pay among ourselves with 5s."
February 15th. Accounts taken of town debts that have to be paid by a town rate to be made, or by pay that is to be paid of former rates:
John Owen, for clabing [clapboarding] he did, the £ s. d.
meeting house before winter, 7
4
Ephraim Strong, for 2 years setting in the yard, 2
0
Nathaniel Pinney, the like, 2 0
Samuel Rockwell, for making the ferry rope, . 13 4
Nath'l Bissell, for 40 lbs. of hemp for the ferry rope, betwixt his father and himself, 1 6
Jacob Drake, for 2 gallons of Tar,
1 6
John Grant, for carting boults from Pipe Stave
Swamp for clabboards for the meeting house walls, . 7
6
For paying Hogernosset for his wolf, 5
0
Several men, for setting in the yard, 16 0 There is also demanded by Mr. Stone, for preaching 3
sermons some years past. (Bk. II, 14, 15.) ..... 3 00 0 March 11, " Voted that those who reside in town but are not allowed inhabitants, to pay ferriage as strangers."
April 3d. " Mr. Wolcott sent 41 cartridges more to those he brought May 16th, 68, 84, together 125. (Bk. 11, 15.)
April 23d. A great flood which ruinated and carried away abundance of fencing, and caused much trouble. (Bk. II, 16.)
8
Baggot Egleston [for] 4 wolves, meeting house,. 3 10 0 Drum and drum head,. 3 0
160
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
May 11. (Clause of an agreement with John Willington to keep the rivulet ferry.) "He is also to have the use of the celler, which the town has now bought of Luke Hill - for his use to dwell in, and the little house by it, and the use of a corner of land below the cartway that lies between the river and the brook, during the time of this year, for his improvement, he securing it; and for his wages he is to have 16 pounds paid him by a rate, &c." (Bk. II, 16.)
May 24th. " This was a day of training, and by reason of the deatlı of Samuel Phelps, it was voted that Benajah Holcomb should supply his place of a way warden."
Also Nathaniel Loomis is allowed to entertain Andrew Hillyer as a sojourner, seeing that he carries well and orderly accord- ing to order. (Bk. II, 17.)
October 12th and 13th. " Wm. Buel came and brought two new casements for the corner windows of the meeting-house, and fitted them up, and he counted for his work 7s, - which took of his own town rate for 68 - 3s ld, and Timothy Palmer's town rate, 68-3s 6d - so there is due to him 5d."
1669-70. February. John Willington is to keep the rivulet ferry one year more.
October. At Court of 15th. "Windsor recorder certified that they had 300 lbs. of Powder and 700 lbs. of lead for their town stock.
The Court granted liberty to Capt. Daniel Clark " to add to his troop so many as may make them complete sixty besides officers - provided that none be taken out of Windsor without the Capt. of the foot company's leave, and that they are volun- teers and maintain a horse and arms complete according to law, without any charge to the country."
1671. May. "The Court extends the bounds of Windsor 2 miles beyond the former grant."
May 14. "The Court orders the bounds between Hartford and Windsor shall begin on the East side Connecticut River at the lowermost Elm that was discoursed about between the two Committees." And " whereas, the stated bounds between Hart- ford and Windsor, on the west side of the Great River, gives Hartford some advantage of land, in varying from the west line from Brick Hill Swamp, northerly - This Court orders that the line betwixt the said towns on the E. side of the Great River shall take its rise at the Elmo Tree appointed by this Court to be the bound tree, and to run to the south of the east from the said tree, so much and so far as it doth vary from the west, northward from the abovesaid swamp to the end of the north bounds."
July 19. " We entered upon the use of Corporal Marshall's boat for the ferry, and are to have the use of it for the ferry, 13 weeks, paying him 50s.
161
EXTRACTS FROM TOWN ACTS.
August 16 .- Nathaniel Pond borrowed one of the town mus- kets, by Capt. Newbury's allowance.
Also, Thomas Parsons had a musket, August 19.
And John Parsons had a musket, August 21.
And Thomas Eggleston, had a musket and a sword with scab- bard, August 23.
All by Captain Newbury's allowance, and told me John Lon- don has a musket that was at his son John Madgly's. [Mosely's.]
(Same date). A count given of the locksmith of his work done to some of the town guns.
All the particulars he did to the gun of the town.
Nathaniel Pond, had, he put down, 8s 6d
For a gun Thomas Parsons had, he put down .. 5s 0d
For a gun John Parsons had, his work about it. . 2s 6d
And for a great spring and cock pin for a town lock. 3s 0d
And mending a lock, Captain Newbury brought. 1s 0d
All £1:0s:0d
" March 24 .- The town met to give information to the persons chosen to run the line between Windsor and Simsbury. First, you must understand that our south bounds betwixt Hartford and Windsor extend half a mile beyond the Chesnut tree westward, and extends itself something beyond the foot of the mountain where you will find a tree marked, and from there you are to traverse a way by your compass North and by West, which is the line to be set out between Windsor and Simsbury, and you are carefully to extend this line till you meet with our North bounds."
MATTHEW GRANT, SAMUEL MARSHALL, JOHN LOOMIS, JACOB DRAKE, THOMAS STOUGHTON. (Bk. II, 37.)
" Items in Grant's estimate of town debts. (Bk. II, 38.)
Here I set down what town debts will be to be paid this year. There must be pay ordered to make 2 new pounds .. £6:00s:0d Nathaniel Bissell, for three days himself to run lines, and a quart of rum demanded . £0:10s:0d There must be pay looked for the meeting house drum £1:00s:0d For 2 quarts of rum, and 2 quarts cider £0: 5s:0d For 3 quarts of rum, and a bottle and 2 quarts of
cider . £0: 8s:0d John Bissell, for himself and horse 4 days east side river. £0:10s:0d And for 2 gallons cider he will have £0: 2s:0d
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162
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
Account of Tahan Grant, of iron work done for the town: A scourer for the great gun; two extra pins and washers for the new carriage; 3 binders for the ferry boat, all are" .. £ 0: 7s:0d
"Thomas Powell, packer, his mark on meat cask. His mark with two P. P. with a racing iron on the head if it be good. If not, then only with an X on the belges." (Bk. II, 46.)
CHAPTER IX.
AN EPISODE OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
1663-1684.
The harmony and efficiency which had hitherto characterized the churches of New England, now began to be seriously threat- ened and disturbed by questions of church membership, discip- line and baptism. Commencing first in the church at Hartford, shortly after the decease of Mr. Hooker, the dissension spread into the neighboring churches, and finally the whole colony, as well as all New England, became warmly engaged in the' dispute.
Important changes, it must be remembered, had taken place in the country since its first settlement. The ancient pastors were mostly dead or removed, and the worthy fathers who had fol- fowed them hither, had given place to a generation who neither inherited their spirit of self-denial, nor, perhaps, their strict piety. There were many, also, who had immigrated at a later period, and with different motives and principles. In this man- ner a large party had arisen, who favored the admission of all persons of "an honest life and conversation," to the full com- munion of the churches, upon their profession of the Christian religion, without regard to any change of heart. Some even claimed that all those who had been members of the Established Church of England; or who had belonged and contributed to the support of regular ecclesiastical parishes there, should be al- lowed the privileges of full communion in the churches of New England.
164
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
The right of all baptized persons to the privileges of church membership, and of baptism for their children, though they par- took not of the Lord's supper, was also much desired and in- sisted upon. The first settlers came to this country as church members, regularly embodied in a church state, and their child- ren, of course, were all baptized. But, says Cotton Mather, " when our churches were come to between twenty and thirty years of age, a numerous posterity was advanced so far into the world, that the first planters began apace in their several fami- lies, to be distinguished by the name of grandfathers; but among the immediate parents of the grandchildren, there were multitudes of well disposed persons, who partly through their own doubts and fears, and partly through other culpable neg- lects, had not actually come to the covenanting state of com- municants at the table of the Lord. The good old generation could not, without many apprehensions, behold their offspring excluded from the baptism of Christianity, and from the ecclesi- astical inspection which is to accompany that baptism; indeed it was to leave their offspring under the Shepherdly govern- ment of our Lord Jesus Christ in his ordinances, that they had brought their lambs into this wilderness."1
Thence arose a very natural and general desire to extend to this class of respectable persons, who could not conscientiously feel that they were regenerated, and who were otherwise unable to comply with the rigid terms of congregational churches, the privileges of church membership for themselves, and of baptism and church watch for their children.
Involved with these questions, was another, as to the exclu- sive rights of the churches to choose a pastor for themselves and the congregation. It was argued that as all the inhabitants of a town had an equal interest in the qualifications of a pastor, and were all obliged to contribute to his support, they had an equal right to vote in his election.
The innovations thus proposed met with much opposition from a large number of the clergy, and most of the churches of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Church, with perhaps a
1 Magnalia Americana, II, 238.
165
AN EPISODE OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
too exalted idea of its sphere and privileges, yet with an honest desire to return to the purity of its earlier days, was battling with the World, whose war-cry was "Expediency, Democracy!" The public mind was greatly agitated. The General Court became interested, and endeavored to interpose its judicial authority to adjust the dispute. Councils were called, but so far from quieting the unhappy Church of Hart- ford, they only spread the flame into every part of the colony. Scarcely a church in Connecticut escaped the contagion. As Dr. Mather quaintly observes: "From the fire of the altar, there issued thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, through the colony." The civil authorities of Massachusetts and Con- necticut now decided, although in the face of a strong opposition from many churches in the latter colony, to call a council at Boston, to decide upon the subjects in dispute. The council met June 4th, 1657, and after a session of some two weeks, re- turned an elaborate answer to twenty-one questions which had been referred to them. Several of these questions are involved in each other, and were sufficiently answered by the reply to the principal one, concerning baptism and church membership. On this point the council asserted, that it was the duty of those who had been baptized in infancy, "when grown up unto years of discretion, though not fit for the Lord's supper, to own the covenant they made with their parents, by entering thereinto, in their own persons," and that having so done, they had a right to claim baptism for their children. This was, "in effect," says Trumbull, "an answer to the other respecting the right of the towns to vote in the election of ministers; for if they were all members of the church by baptism, and under its discipline, they doubtless had a right to vote with the church in the elec- tion of their pastor."
All the painstaking and wisdom of the learned Boston Coun- cil, however, served only to inflame rather than reconcile the churches. Wethersfield partook of the general disturbance, and together with Hartford, refused to be comforted, until about 1660, when the disturbing elements were withdrawn, by the removal of many of the disaffected, of both churches, to Hadley, Mass.
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