USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Windsor > The history of ancient Windsor, Connecticut > Part 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93
351
THE FRENCH WAR.
THOMAS PARSONS (Wby), aged about 26, died and was buried in Cuba.
JOHN EGGLESTON (Wby), aged 34, and ELIPHALET LOOMIS (Wby), aged 32, died and were buried in the ocean coming from Ha- vana.
REUBEN COOK (Wby), aged about 36, died at New York on his return from Havana.
Dr. ELIHU TUDOR (E. W.), was on the surgical staff.
Capt. ICHABOD WADSWORTH and ISAAC HUBBARD (Ell.), were in Putnam's Regiment during this siege.
BENJ. PIERSON, son of Simeon, (Ell.), died at New York, No- vember, on his return.
BENJ. PINNEY, son of Benjamin, (Ell.), died at New York, November, on his return.
JOSEPH PINNEY, son of Joseph, (Ell.), died at Havana, Novem- ber, on his return.
REUBEN STILES was in the expedition, and returned safe and sound.
Sudden and unforseen changes in European affairs soon after turned the scale of fortune in favor of England, and enabled her to treat for peace, without relin , ishing a single advantage which she had gained in North America. Accordingly a defini- tive treaty of peace between England and France was entered into on the 10th of February, 1762, and the series of long and bloody FRENCH WARS was ended.
It may perhaps be thought by some that we have occupied more space with this subject than is appropriate in a local his- tory. But when we consider how devotedly the colonies sacri- ficed lives and means in the service of their king; when we remember how great a change the French wars produced in the character of New England society and manners ; above all, when we reflect that they were pre-eminently THE SCHOOL in which God was drilling and disciplining the American Colonies for that greater struggle for their own independence, it does not seem that we have given it too prominent a place in our Wind- sor history. For in the long Canadian campaigns, the colonial troops, fighting by the side of the disciplined masses of Eng-
352
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
land's choicest soldiery, and under the eye of England's best generals, were silently learning their own defects and strength- ening their own powers.
Nay, more, for as they measured their own success with the cumbersome inefficiency of the regular troops, they gradually learned to rely on themselves. And when in after years, they met those same troops, as foes, upon the battle grounds of American liberty, it was not with the fears of timid novices, but as practiced athletes, wrestling with those whose prowess and abilities they had already tested in former contests.
We append the names of some who served in the French wars, but of whose time or place of service we have not been able to find the exact data.
JOHN, son of Nathaniel and Ruth (Stiles) TAYLOR (E. W.), died January 6th, 1757.
BENONI Stiles (E. W.), died in war, aged 24 years.
JOHN and HEZEKIAH BISSELL (E. W.), were in one or more campaigns.
THOMAS (son of Roger) NEWBERRY of Windsor, at the age of 16, went to East Windsor to learn a trade, and there enlisted under Capt. Erastus Wolcott, with whom he served several years in Canada.
NATHANIEL OWEN, was in one or more campaigns.
DIVISION OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
We have now arrived at a point in our history which is of some considerable interest, viz : the incorporation of Windsor, east of the Connecticut River, as a distinct town, under the name of East Windsor.
As the settlements of Old Windsor gradually extended in size and influence, a necessity arose for such a division of the ancient limits as should better accommodate the circumstances and interests of the inhabitants. Those who in these days of rail roads and easy carriages, are prevented by the breadth of the
353
DIVISION OF THE TOWN, 1768.
noble Connecticut from visiting their relatives on the opposite side, oftener than once a year, if indeed as often, can readily understand that in those early days of rough roads, sparse settle ments, and horseback riding, it was no small joke for those on the east side, tough and hearty though they were, to be obliged to travel from twelve to six miles, and cross a river, in order to attend town meeting's or transact any business with the town officers. The only wonder is that they bore it so long and so patiently as they did.
But everything has an end, and so did the trials of the east side Windsor folks.
The subject was first agitated at a town meeting on the 30th € of January, 1748-9, but was not acted on. Again in July, 1753, it was voted that they would divide the town of Windsor into two distinct towns, "as Connecticut River runs." At a meeting on February 11th, 1756, the same vote was passed, and a committee appointed to apply to the assembly about the matter.
In 1759, the same subject came before the town, and William Wolcott, Samnel Eno and Peletiah Mills were appointed agents to apply to the assembly.
Again, on December 7, 1767, Erastus Wolcott and Josiah Bissell were appointed a committee for the same purpose, and at last their efforts were crowned with success. At a town meeting on the 3d Monday in March, 1768, the details were agreed upon, as follows: that the town should be divided as the river runs; that Windsor should keep all the records and half the money which might remain in the treasury after all town debts were paid; and support ten of the town poor, who were named, and have the free use of the stone quarry (Snake Hill) on the east side. The east side folks were to take the charge of eight of the town poor.
And thus, " Windsor, east of the Connecticut River," including the present towns of East and South Windsor, and Ellington, was duly set apart, and incorporated as the town of
EAST WINDSOR.
45
354
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
Extracts from Newspapers.
Hartford, Feb. 27th, 1767.
One night last week, a panther having killed nine sheep in a yard at Windsor, the owner of the sheep, one Mr. Phelps, the next morning, followed the pauther by his track into a thicket abont half a mile from his house, and shot him. He was brought to this town, and the bounty of five pounds allowed by law was paid for his head .- New London Gazelle, No. 172.
From the Connecticut Courant, dated Hartford, August 10, 1767.
"Last Tuesday two transient persons were taken up at Windsor, for committing, each of them, two thefts, and received sixteen lashes on each of their backs; eight for each offence. The next day they were committed to Gaol in this Town, to take their trial at the Superior Court next month, for breaking open and robbing a house at Windsor."
From the Connecticut Courant, dated Hartford, September, 1767.
"Last week, David Campbell and Alexander Pettigrew, were indicted before the Superior Court, sitting in this Town, for breaking open and robbing the house of Mr. Abiel Abbot. of Windsor, of two watches, to which Indictment they both plead guilty, and were sentenced each of them to receive 15 stripes, to have their right ears cut off, and to be branded with a capital letter B on their foreheads; which punishment was inflicted on them last Friday. Pettigrew bled so much from the amputation of his ear, that his life was in danger."
From the Connecticut Courant, No. 191, dated August 22, 1768.
" On Saturday, the 13th inst., the following melancholy acci- dent happened in Windsor, viz .: Four young women whose names were Thrall, who had been at work abroad in the after- noon, after they had completed their labor, agreed to divert themselves in the water, in a small river at that place. Accordingly they pulled off their stockings and shoes, and join- ing hands, immediately went into the river; but not being acquainted with the depth of the water, and the bottom being very uneven, the young woman that was foremost fell into a deep place, which she did not discover till it was too late to save herself, and pulled two of her unhappy companions after her, by which means they were all unfortunately drowned; and the other very narrowly escaped sharing the same fate. Two of the above young women were sisters, one of which was about 21, the other about 19 years of age. The other was a near relation. Their bodies were soon after taken up, and the next day decently interred. The Rev'd Mr. Russell preached a ser- mon suitable to the occasion.
A few days after, one Henry Chapman of the same place, accidentally fell from a beam in a barn, upon a cart that stood
355
EXTRACTS FROM NEWSPAPERS.
upon the floor, and split his head, and dicd instantly. He was about 40 years of age."
Tradition relates that Mr. Chapman, at the time of this acci- dent was at work for a neighbor on the north side of the Rivulet; his own residence being on the south side. That afternoon, his wife sent a little daughter up to Hoyt's Meadow, to look after or drive home the cows. The child went, but shortly returned, crying violently and appearing greatly frightened and agitated. On being questioned as to the cause, she affirmed that on reach- ing the pasture where the cows were, she had seen her father standing on the stump of a tree, and covered with blood.
In a few minutes after, word was brought to the family, of the sudden accident by which the husband and father had lost his life. It was undoubtedly one of those cases of premonition which sometimes precede coming events, but which all our phi- losophy fails to explain.
"We hear from Poquonock, a parish in the western part of Windsor, that about half an acre of the surface of the ground there has lately sunk or fallen to a considerable depth below the common surface or level; not unlike to what is frequently occasioned by earthquakes, though attended with no eruptions, either of water or fire; for which event no natural cause has as yet been assigned. And it is morc unaccountable, as the ground that is sunk was not contiguous to or bordering upon any pre- cipice or declivity, nor adjacent to any collection of water that should occasion it to sink."-Conn. Journal, June 22, 1770.
CHAPTER XVIII.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF WINDSOR, FIRST OR OLD SOCIETY.
1712-1776.
After 1712, the ecclesiastical history of the town is found in the records of the School Society, and will therefore be here- after treated of, distinctly from its civil history.
February 3, 1712-13. Voted. "To give the Rev. Samuel Mather, this year, and also during his life for the future, the sum of £45 in pay, or two-thirds in money. yearly, and so pro- portionately for a lesser term of time."
January 30, 1716-17. " Voted, That the south and north sides of the Meeting House, and the east end be made into pews.
Voted, It shall now be determined in what manner the said pews shall be built.
Voted, That the Society shall be at the charge of making the pews around the Meeting House as above."
Dr. Mather and Samuel Allyn were appointed a special com- mittee, to act with the Society Committee, in the matter. A major part of the said five to act.
" Voted, That Dr. Samuel Mather shall have room to erect a pew from the Gallery stairs, going into the women's gallery, to extend to the South Guard, including one casement."
February 14, 1717-1718. Thos. Griswold, Sgt. Israel Stough- ton and John Palmer, were appointed a committee to " seat the meeting house."
" Voted, That Corporal Allen and Dr. Matber and Lt. Barber should dignify the seats."
The seaters were specially instructed, in the performance of their duty, to have due regard to age and estate, " none to be degraded."
Also " voted, Those that have seats of their own granted are not to be seated nowhere else, except they resign up their seats to the Society."
357
ECCLESIASTICAL, 1712-1776
Also voted, "That the seaters shall not seat the minister's pew."
" Voted, To permit Isaae Skinner, Stephen Palmer and Enoeh Drake to have liberty to make a pew over the women's stairs, provided they fill the said pew, and don't hinder the light."1
Deeember 30th, 1718. " As to the middle pew in the gallery, the Society voted that notwithstanding any former right, any person had, by building or being settled, in the aforesaid pew, the Society takes it into their own eustody, to dispose of it as they shall think fit, allowing those persons what they shall think reasonable that built it."
" Voted, That the Society will give to the persons that built the pew in the gallery, 31s. for it."
The committee were ordered to seat it.
December 31, 1719. Voted "that the pew next to the pulpit shall be for the use of Mr. Marsh's family and no other."
In the year 1724, the inhabitants of the Poqnonnoe distriet were set off as a distinct parish, and the style of the " Society West of the River," is after this date changed, on the records, to the Old, or First, or Middle Society.
January 29, 1729. It was voted, that Deacon Thomas Mar- shall shall set the psalm on sabbath day.
April 5, 1731. " Voted, that this Meeting-House shall be repaired, with new window frames, sash frame, and well glazed forthwith, and clab-boarded anew where it is needful; also that the under-pinning be well repaired and the dormant windows, so called, taken down and the space filled up with boards and shingles."
At a subsequent meeting this vote was reconsidered, and it was ordered that " the meeting-house windows shall be made in the same form as they now are, and that the dormer windows be unehanged."
1 In the Town Records is a " Pewman's Bond," dated Dec. 19, 1718, which corresponds with the above. It was executed by Enoch Drake, Jolin Stiles, Isaac Skinner, Nath. Allyn and Thos. Allyn, Jonathan Barber and Daniel Griswold, for the sum of £5 each. It bound "all and every one of them, their heirs and administrators, to well and truly pay, or cause to be paid, his or their ratable part of building a Pew, which we are now about to build in the gallery of the Meeting-House." None were to sell out their right with- out the consent of all the rest; and none to sell it for more or less than its original cost. Matthew Allyn afterwards sold his right to his brother Thomas, and he to Simon Chapman.
358
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
February 4th, 1734-5. The society committee were instructed to "purchase a good suitable black broadcloath, which may be creditable to cover corpses withall when buried, and that the same be left with Mr. Thomas Filer, so that any person may know where to take it when any person is buried ; and it is to be purchased on the society's cost, and the cloth to remain for the use aforesaid."
Also, " Voted, that the Society drum be fitted in good rig, and some person hired on the Society's cost to beat it on the Sabbath days."
About this time the meeting-house was seated anew, and it was ordered, "that each person is to be seated according to his age and rates, and not to have any regard to anything else, but only no man to be seated lower than he is now seated."
In society expenses, the next year, are the following items:
" John Wilson, for pall, £8:15s.
to turning a pair of drumsticks, 6d. Josiah Allen for beating drum. John
In 1736, or thereabouts, there seems to have been quite a commotion in various churches of the colony, occasioned by a new fangled method of singing, introduced by a certain Mr. Beal, and called Singing by Rule. In the Church of Windsor, its attempted introduction gave rise to much excitement, during which an amusing incident occurred, which is thus naively de- scribed on the Society Records:
July 2d, 1736. At a society meeting at which Capt. Pelatiah Allyn was moderator,
"The business of the meeting proceeded in the following manner, viz., the Moderator proposed to the consideration of the meeting in the 1st place what should be done respecting that part of Public worship called singing, viz; whether in their Public meetings, as on Sabbath days, Lectures, &c: they would sing the way that Deacon Marshall usually sang in his lifetime, commonly called the " Old Way," or whether they would sing the way taught by Mr. Beal, commonly called " singing by Rule," and when the Society had discoursed the matter, the Moderator proposed to vote for said two ways as followeth, viz: that those that were for singing in public in the way practiced by Deacon Marshall, should hold up their hands and be counted, and then that those that were desirous to sing in Mr. Beal's way, called "by Rule," would after show their minds by the same sign,
ECCLESIASTICAL, 1712-1776. 359
which method was proceeded upon accordingly. But when the vote was passed, there being many voters, it was difficult to take the exact number of votes in order to determine on which side the major vote was: whereupon the Moderator ordered all of the voters to go out of the seats and stand in the alleys, and then that those that were for Deacon Marshall's [way] should go into the men's seats, and those that were for Mr. Beal's way should go into the women's seats, and after many objections made against that way, which prevailed not with the Moderator, it was complied with, and then the Moderator desired that those that were of the mind that the way to be practised for singing for the future on the Sabbath, &c. should be the way sung by Deacon Marshall as aforesaid would signify the same by holding up their hands, and be counted, and then the Moderator and myself went and counted the voters, and the Moderator asked me how many there was. I answered 42 and he said there was 63 or 64, and then we both counted again and agreed in the number be- ing 43. Then the Moderator was about to count the number of rotes for Mr. Beal's way of Singing called "by Rule," but it was offered whether it would not be better to order the voters to pass out of the meeting-house door and there be counted, which method (though by many objected against) was ordered by the Moderator, and those that were for Deacon Marshall's way of singing, as aforesaid, were ordered to pass out of the Meeting- House door and there be counted, who did accordingly and their number was 44 or 45. Then the Moderator proceeded and desired that those that were for singing in Public the way that Mr. Beal taught, would draw out of their seats and pass out of the door and becounted; they replied that they were ready to show their minds in any proper way where they were, if they might be directed thereto, but would not go out of the door to do the same, and desired that they might be led to a vote where they were, and they were ready to show their minds, which the Moderator re- fused to do and thereupon declared that it was voted that Deacon Marshall's way of singing called the " Old Way," should be sung in Public for the future, and ordered me to record the same as the vote of the said Society, which I refused to do under the cir- cumstances thereof, and have recorded the facts and proceed- ings."
At the next meeting in January, 1736-7, Deacon Marshall's method was dropped, and it was " voted, that the Society would sing in their public meetings, for the year ensuing, one part of the day in the old way of. singing, as it is called, and the other half of the day in the new way of singing, called singing by Rule."
In February, 1739-40, Beal's method of singing was adopted for the current year; and Deacon John Wilson was continued
360
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
as chorister, while Dea. John Cook was to "read the Psalm in public."
In the winter of 1740-1, occurred the famous revival of reli- gion known as the Great Awakening. Commencing at North- ampton under the preaching of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, it extended throughout the breadth and length of New England, until almost every church had partaken of its influences. The first parish in Windsor, under Mr. Marsh, was richly blest, as Mr. Edwards says, " about the same time as we in Northampton, while we had no knowledge of each other's circumstances; there has been a very great ingathering of souls to Christ in that place."1 About this time the celebrated Whitfield preached, at least once, in Windsor. The meeting-house, which at that time stood on the Palisado green, opposite Dr. Pierson's, was very large and had two galleries, yet it could not accommodate hun- dreds who came to listen to the burning eloquence of the Man of God.
In 1747, the Rev. Jonathan Marsh, third pastor of this society, rested from his labors. He possessed great amiability of temper, with strong powers of mind; and fervid piety was happily blended with sound judgment. Tradition relates that not un- frequently, when the sands of the pulpit hour-glass had quite run out, he would turn it over, and preach almost to the end of the second hour. His life was one of laborious effort, and his ministry was attended with great success.
His monument, in the old cemetery at Windsor, bears the following truthful epitaph:
" Here lies interred the body of the Revd Mr Jonathan Marsh, a faithful and successful Pastor of the first church of Windsor, who died Sept ye 8, 1747 in the 39th year of his Ministry. Ætatis Sui 63. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi."
The love and respect with which he had inspired his people, and their tender care for his family, is evinced in the following society votes:
" At a Meeting of the 1st or Old Society in Windsor lawfully warned and assembled in the Old Meeting House in Windsor on the first Monday of October, A. D. 1747, to consider what we shall do under our sore and heavy bereavement, brought on us
1 Jonathan Edwards's Hist. of the Great Revival.
361
ECCLESIASTICAL, 1712- 1776.
in the Death of our Late, Revd Mr. Jonathan Marsh, our pastor, voted, that Deacon John Wilson, Deaeon John Cook, Ebenezer Hayden, Daniel Bissell, Jonathan Stiles, John Palmer, Jr., and Henry Allyn, or the major part of them be a Committee for this Society to seek after and provide some meet Person to preach with us under our present circumstances."
Voted to raise £200 for the Gospel ministry, and to pay Mr, Marsh's heirs the balance of his salary.
The Society in April 1748, voted in consideration of the "late depression of our paper currency, and the charge of the deeent Interment of the Rev. Mr. Jonathan Marsh, our late worthy Pastor, it is now voted to grant to his heirs £175, money, old Tenor, in addition to what has hitherto been granted."
Shortly after the deeease of Mr. Marsh, and before his suc- cessor had, as yet been decided upon, the society began to agi- tate the subject of having a new meeting-house; and straight- way became involved in one of those quarrels, which - alas for poor human nature- are so frequent in the history of New England churches. The matter in dispute was the location of the new edifice. From the first settlement of the town, the meeting-house had stood on the Palisado green, north of the Rivulet. A rule very generally recognized in locating churches was to take the sum of the distanees from each dwelling, and find the common centre. Tradition says that a centre thus ob- tained, measured by the usual path of those who resided in what is now the Fourth school district (the vicinity of the old mill), who usually erossed the Rivulet in their own boats near the present rail road bridge, would have located the new meeting- house on the site of the old one; but those who lived south of the Rivulet, on and below what is now known as Broad Street, claimed that their distanec ought to be measured by the public road and ferry, which was considerably below the present bridge.1 The war of contending factions rose high, but those
1 There is now in the town clerk's office a map which was drawn up at this time, and with special reference to this question of locating the meeting - house. From some notes on its margin we gather the following items :
The travel of the inhabitants on the south side of the Rivulet to Dr. Wolcott's (the house now occupied by the Widow of Sidney Bowers), is, 112 miles. The travel from Dr. Wolcott's to the meeting-house, is - 56 miles.
168 miles.
46
362
HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
south of the Rivulet finally carried the day - and the society, in 1754, agreed to erect the new meeting-house in Broad Street.
It was built, as we learn from the date on its corner stone, inserted in the foundation of the preseut edifice, in 1757. The dissatisfaction, however, of those who lived north of the Rivu- let, resulted, in 1759, in the passage of a legislative act, au- thorizing the formation of a distinct ecclesiastical society. This was done, and the Seventh Society, or the Society in North Windsor, as they were styled, erected an edifice on the west side of the road, nearly opposite the present residence of Mr. Hiram Buckland ; and in Sept. 1761, were by act of the Consociation of the North District in the county of Hartford, solemnly set apart as a distinct church of Christ. In October, 1765, a unan- imous call was extended to the Reverend Theodore Hinsdale to become their pastor. Mr. Hinsdale entered upon his. pastoral duties on the 30th of April following. He was a graduate of Yale College in 1762, and a man of deep piety and excellent attainments.
The same year, 1766, the new society received from the First, or Old Society, certain propositions, intended as a basis for a reunion. The latter offered to finish their meeting-house, where it then stood, at their own cost, within five years, or as soon as the state of the times and circumstances of the society should permit. Also, to exempt the North Society people from their ministry taxes for the next four years, and to admit them to a proportionable share of all public stock and privileges of the said First Society. The only condition imposed upon the Seventh or North Society, was, that they should "freely and cordially" annex themselves and their public stock to the First Society; and in case of future division, cach were to have their own back again; and such property as should have been acquired after
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.