USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Derby > The history of the old town of Derby, Connecticut, 1642-1880. With biographies and genealogies > Part 11
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Hence, "At the General Court, May, 1666, a committee as follows : Capt. John Nash, Mr. Banks, Mr. Fairchild and En- sign Judson or any three of them are desired and appointed to view a tract of land that Towtannamo hath made over to Rich- ard Baldwin of Milford, and to consider what the nature and quantity is of meadow and upland and swamp, and also to hear a difference between the Indians and English at Paugassett and the Indians at Pootatuck and also to view the land at Pau- gasuck whether it may be fit for a township."20
What difference there was between the Pootatucks and the English, if any, is not suggested anywhere in the records, but one of the greatest annoyances the English endured was the manner of the Indians in coming into their houses without giv- ing any notice or warning, and this would have been endurable if they would stop when they had entered, but this they would not do. The Indian must see everything in the house, in all the rooms, upstairs and down cellar, in the pantry, the pork barrel-anywhere and everywhere unless hindered by the bar- ring of doors or peremptory commands by those who had strength to execute their orders. The toiling housewife, going out to hang the washed clothes on the line, would return to find a not very tidy squaw peering through the cupboard, hand- ling the dishes, the meats, vegetables, breads-no matter
20 I Col. Rec. 1665-77.
28
HISTORY OF DERBY.
what nor how, only that the marvelous curiosity should be grat- ified. And, the most trying of all, any amount of gentle re- monstrance or otherwise would be met with that cold, indefina- ble, meaningless look that nobody could exhibit but a squaw, not even an "injun," that patience would seem no longer to be a grace, and yet any other grace would be risky, unless a large amount of force was near at hand in case of need. Therefore, between the trouble of the Englishman's hogs in the red man's corn and the Indians in the white man's houses, there was so little choice as to challenge the wisdom of the General Court and the ingenuity and endurance of the planters and the In- dians to the utmost extent. How Lieutenant Wheeler's family endured six years on Great Neck, the only English family there or within reach without crossing a river, close to the thickest of the Indian settlement, is a marvel, almost beyond belief in the present day. He made seven thousand dollars, apparently, by the enterprise ; his wife should have had twice that amount as her part. No wonder they returned to civilization before they could sell the farm !
Then Edward Wooster's and Thomas Langdon's families at Old Town several years, and not another family within eight miles, except Edward Riggs's on the hill and Thomas Wheeler's on the Neck, and in one respect Wheeler was favored, the In- dians protected him on the north from the wolves, but not so with Wooster and Langdon ; they alone must kill the wolves or the wolves would clear their barn-yards to the last pig, and not be very delicate about the little ones of the family. Prob- ably Wooster's seven sons had about as many wolf stories in which they were actors as was agreeable, without reading any romance of that character. It is not all romance, however, when we read as we do, a little later, of Samuel Riggs's wolf pit probably half a mile north-east of Wooster's dwelling and the Bear swamp; they were realities uncomfortably near to those solitary homes. It is not much wonder that the New Haven court threatened to remove Edward Wooster to the abodes of Christian people if Christian people would not go to him.
Nor is it surprising that the General Court had the opportu- nity of recording this request in May, 1667, "Edward Woos-
29
HARVESTING CORN.
ter, in behalf of some in Paugassett, petitioned for the privilege of a plantation and a church," and the court gave them two years to increase their number so as to be able to maintain a minister, but it is surprising that the court would not allow them to admit any inhabitants except such as might be ap- proved by Mr. Bryan, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Fairchild and Mr. John Clarke, all of Milford, and in the meantime should pay rates at Milford, thus placing them wholly at the pleasure of that peo- ple. And upon his petition at the end of two years, the court condescended to continue their privileges and encouragement on the same conditions as at this time, that is, two years more of hope and delay. But the court did take one little step for- ward, so gently as not to hurt any one, by appointing Edward Wooster constable for the year 1669; Mr. Bryan to administer the oath to him. This was really the first officer with which the plantation had been honored, and it was properly bestowed on Edward Wooster, the wolf-killer, and for living so long alone in the wilderness, the Lion-hearted. Hence they en- dured long, and some of the wonderfulness of that endurance we shall see in the progress of this history.
Trouble and difficulty in saving their corn in the autumn af- ter it was grown, led to the following
AGREEMENT.
" Paugasset inhabitants met together and have made the following agreement to secure their corn which was as followeth, that they were to measure their fence to the mouth of the creek that goeth into Nau- gatuck river and set so much upon the hill, and Joseph Hawkins and John Brown is to measure theirs (or as much) and set it upon the hill, and if any be wanting of their railing they are all of them to join to- gether and make it up and then to divide it equally. They have also agreed that every man's yard shall be a pound and that any cattle that are found in the meadow without a sufficient keeper shall be poundable except when the meadow is common ; and it shall not be laid common without a joint consent ; and if any swine come into it and take the corn, the owner of them shall shut them up and keep them up after they have warning till the meadow is common ; and if any man shall willingly put in any beast, horse or any other beast into the meadow he shall forfeit five shillings for every such offence. This agreement is to
30
HISTORY OF DERBY.
stand authentic till we see cause to alter it." This agreement was made " this 4th of Sept., 1667.
John Brown21 Francis French Samuel Riggs
Ephraim Smith Abel Gunn Joseph Hawkins Edward Wooster."
The fence was built around the meadow land lying below Ansonia, and between the hills on either side of the valley. The fence was outside, leaving the river inclosed with the meadow, for if set inside the floods would have swept it away every year. The fence being removed back on the hill for a distance on either side would make two small fields, secure from the water, and yet fenced in from the cattle that roamed in the adjoining woods. It is said, and there are many evi- dences confirming it, that the main bed of the river was on the west side of this lot, where the railroad now is, but after the settlement of the place the river went to the east side of the valley, as now, while considerable water continued on the west side and was called the Old river and the other the New.
A gentleman (Mr. William B. Lewis) recently deceased, at an advanced age, a native of the town, an old school teacher, quite intelligent and reliable in all he said, and given also to scientific investigations, gives, in a letter to Dr. A. Beardsley, an account of the change of the river bed in this place.
"When our ancestors came to Paugassett the Naugatuck pursued a different course through the meadow from the pres- ent one. From near the present Birmingham dam, south of the Ansonia bridge, the stream continued down the west side of the valley, not so direct as the race now is, but sometimes closing up to the bank, at others inclining eastward, entering the Ousatonic where the race of the Iron and Steel Works and Foundry now does, leaving a narrow strip of meadow attached to the Point House farm, on which our regimental trainings were held before Birmingham was built.
"A continuation of the Beaver brook wound through the meadow along the east side, carrying the drainage of that side of the valley, and entering the Ousatonic through the creek
21This is the last appearance of John Brown's name on the records.
31
THE OLD NAUGATUCK.
south of the causeway which now makes an island of the south part of the meadow, which then joined the Paugassett shore. This alluvial bottom land, being mostly clear of trees and cov- ered with grass suitable for hay, was found to be of great value to the new comers before they had opportunity to clear and cultivate artificial meadows. The upper end of this meadow, being rather dry and sandy, Mr. Wooster undertook to irrigate by plowing and digging a trench from a bend in the river, and flowing the meadow ; in which he succeeded admirably for the first summer. But, neglecting to close his ditch in the fall, and old Naugatuck being unusually swollen at the following spring freshet, found it a very convenient means of disposing a part of its surplus waters, and thus in a few years the main body of the river passed down the east side of the valley, forming what was then called the New river; the west branch which con- tinued for a long time to carry a part of the water, being called the Old river. The southern portion of it continued to drain the west part of the meadow and its adjacent bank after it had been closed above at the building of Hull's mills, which was done to connect their race with the creek from Beaver brook, as that gave a better outlet. The restless Naugatuck being dissatisfied with the monotony of the east bank, has, within the last sixty years, seceded from it and gone into the meadow westward, and filling up the channel on the east side so that cultivated fields and timbered land now occupy the place where vessels were built and launched, before the bridge and cause- way were built.
"The south part of the Old river was formerly famed for fish. Eels were abundant ; large numbers of the delicious smelt were caught in a deep hole or enlargement of the stream a few rods east of the present waste-weir which is not yet quite filled up, notwithstanding the erasive effort of the annual flood. Ros- well, the aged colored man of Ansonia, was celebrated when a boy for skill in taking trout from the Old river. He was often secretly watched to learn his art, but was never excelled. The Derby boys once saw his two little brothers stirring up the mud up stream, and felicitated themselves, like Deliah and the Philis- tines, but a repetition of the experiment proved its fallacy and Roswell bore the palm alone."
32
HISTORY OF DERBY.
This description agrees with all terms used in the records of the town, except that for a time the New river, on the east side, did not continue close to the bank as far down as the pres- ent Derby bridge, but when a little below the old burying ground it crossed the meadow to Birmingham side into the old river, and afterwards cut the channel by Derby village where the vessels were built. That may not have been long after 1665, at which time in laying the meadow lots at that place they are bounded on the east by the hill and not by the river, which must have been if it were there. The Indian field, spoken of frequently in the records, consisted of the upper part of this meadow land, extending down to about the present New Haven road, crossing the valley ; and the Long lot extended from that road south, or down the valley, to where the river crossed from a little below the old burying ground south-westerly to the Point, now Birmingham. Some years later the whole valley from Ansonia to the causeway, or a little below, was probably in one lot, as the fence on either side measured about two miles long, as recorded.
In 1665, the General Court required that the owners of Paugasuck22 should purchase no more lands until they had be- come a separate plantation, and for three years they gave heed to the injunction, but the temptation was too powerful, there being so much land to be had, and the Indians being charmed, almost to a frenzy, with the possibility of selling land and receiving pay. The latter seemed to have no idea that such sales would ever necessitate their removal from the community, but only that they should thereby obtain such things as the Englishman had, guns, dogs, clothing, ornaments and drinks. The Indians afterward complained that the white man had taken away their lands for inconsiderable considerations, but every circumstance of the sale of the lands here, indicates most unmistakably that they were urged upon the English over and over, and upon various parties under a diversity of circum- stances, some of which indicate debts that would not otherwise have been paid.
At this time Mr. Joseph Hawley and Henry Tomlinson of
22 In the Conn. Col. Records, this name for some years is spelled mostly Pawgasuck.
33
NEW PURCHASES.
Stratford, (they not being proprietors of Paugasuck,) purchased a piece of land on the Great Neck, north of any owned by the English, and opened anew the real estate enterprises of the wilderness.23
" Be it known . . that I, Puckwomp, by virtue of full power unto me given . . by my brother Kehore, now living in Hartford, who hath sent his son Nanatoush to join with me to sell to Joseph Hawley and Henry Tomlinson, both of Stratford . . all that tract of land lying upon Great neck near unto Paugassett, bounded by the Great river on the south-west, north and north-west by a small river and the south end of the Great hill, South and south-east by marked trees ; all which land . . reaching into the middle of the neck, for which land we do confess to have received now in hand . . in several goods to the just value of five pounds sterling.
Subscribed 16th Aug., 1668.
Atterosse, Sagamore, his mark, Poquonat, his mark,
Nanatoush, his mark, Cherakmath, his mark,
Kehore, his mark, Chesusumock, his mark,
Rourkowhough, his mark, Machetnumledge, his mark."
Mr. Alexander Bryan the merchant of Milford, followed, by a purchase on the east side, (the Indian deed of which has not been found,) and sold Dec. 17, 1668, to John Hulls and Jabez Harger of Stratford, "a tract of land at Paugassett called Pequacs plain, with meadow adjoining called by the name of James meadow, with all privileges." This land lay north of any covered by former deeds, which left its owners unpro- tected by any grants already made to Paugassett ; they agree- ing to inhabit and fence this land and these improvements to stand as security to Mr. Bryan for the sum of twenty-four pounds in current pay at or before the first day of March in the year 1668, or the next March, as they then divided the year.
These were new men and both settled in the place, but Mr. Hulls not until some years later, and their descendants are still residents of the old territory as well as being numerous and scattered in all directions through the land. Doctor John Hulls, after being in Stratford a short time, settled here and became
23 A part of this and other Indian deeds are given in order to preserve the local names; names of the Indians, and to indicate the progress of the settlement.
5
34
HISTORY OF DERBY.
a prominent man ; remained about thirteen years and removed to Wallingford, where he deceased. Jabez Harger married in 1662 the daughter of Henry Tomlinson, who had now (1668) made the purchase on the west side with Mr. Hawley, and made his home here in 1668-9.
Abel Gunn made two entries in his book about this time that are a little too much abbreviated as to dates to give perfect sat- isfaction :
THE FIRST ENTRY.
"March 15, 166, 70: The Trew And Right Proprietares of Pagaset, That Have the sole Dispose of all Lands That are By Them Pur- chased, They Are as Foloeth, Mr. Haly [Hawley] : Ed. Woster : Frances French : Samuel Rigs : Abell Gun : Ephram Smith : Joseph Hawkins : Hen. Boxford."
THE SECOND ENTRY.
"March 15, 166, 70. The inhabitants of Pagaset are as followeth : Ed Woster : Francis French : Joseph Hawkins : Samuel Rigs : Ephram Smith : Abell Gun : Stephen Person : Jeremiah Johnson."
The one entry was made probably in 1667 and the other in 1670, as the latter gives us two new names, Stephen Pierson and Jeremiah Johnson, who became settlers in that year (1670). Mr. Pierson came here from Stratford where he had married Mary, daughter of Henry Tomlinson.
Mr. Johson was from New Haven with a family, and was the grandfather of Bennajah, the early settler at Beacon Falls, and his father, Jeremiah Johnson, Sen., was with him.
Why Doctor Hull and Jabez Harger are not mentioned as proprietors is supposed to be, because they were not ".of Pagaset " or of the . territory recognized by the court ; the rea- son why Mr. Hawley is mentioned as a proprietor and Mr. Henry Tomlinson as not, is unexplainable, unless the former retained something of the purchases made previous to this last.
In the first of these enumerations the persons are called pro- prietors, some of whom resided elsewhere; in the other they are inhabitants. Samuel Riggs had married the daughter of Richard Baldwin, June 4, 1667, and she was without doubt the second bride in Paugassett, or the town of Derby. Abel Gunn
35
THE HAWLEY PURCHASE.
married the sister of Ephraim Smith Oct. 29, 1667, the third bride in the place; about which time, probably, Joseph Haw- kins, Jr., married, April 8, 1668, a sister to Ebenezer John- son's second wife, and settled on the Neck. The result of the settlement at the end of sixteen years as to resident families and number of persons may be supposed as follows :
Families.
Children.
Families.
Children.
Edward Wooster
9
Ephraim Smith
O
Francis French
5
Abel Gunn O
Joseph Hawkins Jr. .
2
Stephen Pierson
2
Samuel Riggs
I
Jeremiah Johnson Jr. . 4
In all thirty-nine persons besides servants and help employed ; which was quite an improvement on the lonely habitation of Edward Wooster a few years previous.
In May, 1670, Alexander Bryan received another deed24 of land on the Neck, lying north of the one he had sold recently to Hawley and Tomlinson, and sold the same to John Brins- made, Sen., Henry Tomlinson, and Joseph Hawley [senior] of Stratford, completing a belt of land from the Ousatonic to the Naugatuck river, extending north to the four mile brook and the brook coming into the Naugatuck at West Ansonia, con- taining, as we afterwards learn, about five hundred acres. This land, with the other sold to Mr. Hawley, is afterwards for many years called the Hawley purchase.
At this time (spring of 1671) the Paugassett company ac- cepted the Hawley purchase, if it had not been previously, as company property ; and divisions were made to those of whom the tracts of land had been received. For the Hawley pur-
24 " A tract of land lying in the Great Neck, between Paugassett river and Poota- tuck river, bounded with Pootatuck river on the west side, with a little brook and the English purchase on the south, with a brook that runs from Naugatuck river to a brook called the four mile brook, . . and Naugatuck east, . . to Alexander Bryan . . in consideration of the sum of seventeen pounds in hand received.
Chubbs, his mark
Wasawas, his mark
Coshoshemack*, his mark
Atrechanasett, his mark
Ke Ke Sumun, his mark
Johns,
his mark
Wataquenock, his mark
Sasaoso,
his mark "
*This is Chusumack,-and probably Momanchewaug alias Cush (or Chuse) of Pootatuck, of Mauwee, whose son or grandson was Old Chuse, of Chuse Town. Everything in the several deeds indicates this relation of these families.
1
36
HISTORY OF DERBY.
chase Abel Gunn and Samuel Riggs gave their bond to Alex- ander Bryan for thirty-four pounds, and afterwards the follow- ing persons bound themselves with the former to pay the sum :
Edward Wooster. Joseph Hawkins. Ebenezer Johnson. John Tibbals.
Francis French.
Ephraim Smith.
Jonas Tomlinson.
Moses Johnson.
The reason for this leading of Abel Gunn and Samuel Riggs is, probably, that they were the most energetic business men in the place, and hence were more ready to run a venture than the others, but there was another one coming, yea, already at their doors, they knew it not, who was, by his marvelous endurance and energy, destined to surpass them all so far as to scarcely allow friendly comparison ; the marvelous Ebenezer Johnson.
From this time for many years the question of dividing lands was most important and most difficult. Those persons already in the company must be made equal in proportion to the money invested. New-comers were in the plantation and others pro- posing to come, and to encourage those without to come, they entered upon a plan of making appropriations gratis, upon con- ditions that the individuals should build themselves houses and fences, and with their families become residents of the place. They were to come within two years and stay four, or the ap- propriation should revert to the company.
Under this plan grants were made in 1670 to John Tibballs, Stephen Pierson, and to those already in the place various grants were made that year ; and in April, 1671, to Ebenezer Johnson a lot bounded on the north with the common, on the west with the Great river, on the south with the Devil's Jump, so called, and on the east with common land. Mr. Johnson had been in the town probably a short time, and in the next November married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward Wooster, and fullfilled his engagement to settle on the land granted him. The Devil's Jump was a narrow, deep ravine a little north of the mouth of Two-mile brook.
Whether this land extended so far east as to include that whereon afterwards his house was built, a mile east of the nar- rows, is not known, but soon after this date he received other
37
PROPOSED BOUNDARIES.
grants of small pieces on the " east side of Sentinel hill," and made a purchase of land in the vicinity, so that he became very early a large land-holder, for that day ; and on it built a fine estate, noted for many years.
In February, 1672, it was " voted that Francis French, Sam- uel Riggs, Henry Botsford, Ephraim Smith, Abel Gunn, Mr. Hawley, are to be made up equal in lands with Edward Wooster, according to proportion. Edward Wooster gave in his land which he had more than those above mentioned, and he gave it in as twenty acres of sizable land, and it was agreed that those men should have forty acres of sized land on Sentinel hill ; they are to have ten acres for one; forty for a double share and twenty for a single share; and they are to take this land upon Sentinel hill where they see cause, provided highways be not obstructed." There was already a fenced lot on Sentinel hill inclosing lands laid out to ten persons, the older owners.
Circumstances and toil having brightened somewhat, the ap- pearance of success and the subject coming up in the May court, that body seemed to wake out of sleep, as to this corner of their vineyard, and issued their encouragement in a tone so spirited as to put new life into the whole enterprise.
"Whereas this Court have manifested themselves ready to encourage a plantation [at] Paugasuck provided the people there may be in a capacity to maintain an orthodox minister amongst them there, which this Court cannot see it will be capable unless there may be thirty fam- ilies entertained ; and for the encouragement of such as shall see cause to plant there, this Court are willing and do hereby grant that their bounds shall be on the south on Milford bounds, on the west on Poota- tuck river, and from their South bounds into the north, twelve miles ; and that they shall have liberty to improve all the meadow lying on Pompawraug river, although it be out of their bounds, till the Court shall see cause otherwise to dispose of it."
This deliverance gave confidence to every movement, and a warrant of success, and the only wonder is that it was not said years sooner.
" April 11, 1672. The inhabitants of Paugasuck being lawfully warned, met, and voted that all that now are or shall be to the number of thirty, shall pay to the purchasing of the minister's lot, every man alike, and . . all inhabitants shall go equal in all purchases that here-
38
HISTORY OF DERBY.
after shall be made by them, and shall have alike in all divisions, to the number of thirty inhabitants ; only those that shall come after the making of this order shall be made up equal in lands with those that are the last comers to the place, as Ebenezer Johnson, Moses Tomlin- son, John Tibballs, Stephen Pierson and Joseph Hawkins."
They also agreed, a little later, that no inhabitant should be admitted without the lawful meeting of all the inhabitants ; and that no land should be granted except on a vote of two meetings.
In 1670 a division was made to Joseph Hawkins of quite a tract of land, which seems to indicate that he surrendered to the town his part of the Wheeler farm, although no deed to this effect has been seen. The boundaries to Mr. Hawkins's grant reads : " bounded with the present fence east (along the west branch of the Naugatuck) with the channel of Poota- tuck river west, with the land between Mr. Alexander Bryan and Joseph [Hawkins] on the south, and with the present path that goes to the old fort and the brook on the north. The terms are as followeth, that no highway convenient for Mr. Alexander Bryan shall be hindered, and that the company shall take up land elsewhere according to proportion." Here it is clear that Mr. Bryan was still in the possession of the Wheeler farm on the point; and if so, was probably engaged in building ships, as the reason why special care is taken not to obstruct the highways to his injury. And it is probable also, that, mer- chant as he was, he had some kind of store or trading house here, which he and his son Richard continued some years later and which was passed into the hands of Mr. Joseph Hawkins, probably about 1685, or a little earlier.
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