USA > Connecticut > The public records of the State of Connecticut, from October 1776 to Ferbruary 1778, inclusive > Part 6
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Upon the memorial of Caleb Atwater, of Wallingford in New Haven county, representing to this Assembly that he has been at great expence in erecting works for the manufacturing salt-petre, and that he has long carried on that business, and that being an ensign in the 10th regiment of militia in Connecticut he is now ordered to join said regiment and march with them for the defence of the Colony &c. ; praying that he may be released from said service, as per me- morial &c .: Resolved by this Assembly, that said Caleb Atwater be released and freed from marching with said regiment in their present service.
Upon the memorial of Eliphalet Beecher of New Haven, shewing to this Assembly that he expended large sums during last war in pur- chasing and procuring teams for the use of the army, as per memorial on file: Resolved by this Assembly, that the memorialist receive on account of his disbursements mentioned, out of the treasury the sum of twenty pounds, lawfull money, and the Treasurer is hereby directed to pay the same accordingly.
Upon the memorial of Jabez Brainerd and others, shewing to this Assembly the necessity of a house of public entertainment on the road between the towns of Haddam and Durham, and praying that Nathan Smith of said Haddam may be authorized for that purpose : This Assembly doth appoint the said Nathan Smith to keep a house of public entertainment untill he or some other suitable person may be by law appointed for the purpose aforesaid : the said Smith giving sufficient bonds to the treasurer of the county of Hartford for a due performance of the same.
46
PUBLIC RECORDS
[October,
Upon the memorial of Isaac Ray, of Haddam in the county of Hartford, administrator on the estate of Joseph Ray of said Haddam, deceasd, shewing to this Assembly that the debts &c. due from the estate of said deceasd and allowed by the court of probate for the dis- trict of Midletown, with some allowance to the widow of said deceasd, surmount the inventoried estate of said decd the sum of £14 13 2, L. money ; praying for liberty to make sale of so much of the real estate of said deceasd as will raise the aforesaid sum with incident charges of sale ; as per memorial on file : Resolved by this Assembly, that the memorialist have liberty, and liberty and authority is hereby granted to him, to make sale of so much of the real estate of said deceasd as shall be sufficient to raise the sum of £14 13 2, lawfull money, with incident charges of sale; taking the direction of the court of probate for the district of Midletown therein.
Upon the memorial of Ebenezer Chaffee of Woodstock, shewing to this Assembly that on the 10th day of May, 1776, he purchased of Ebenezer Smith jun", Esq', then of said Woodstock, a piece of land therein and received a proper deed thereof of that date in and by which said land is described in the words following, viz: One cer- tain tract or parcell of land in said Woodstock called the Old Orchard, near the dwelling-house of the said Chaffee, containing by estimation two acres be the same more or less, and bounds north and east on highways and south and west upon land of the late farm of Samuel Howlet ; and paid to said Smith the sum of £12 10 0, L. money, for said land, and said Smith soon after died not having acknowledged said deed, whereby the same is not recorded ; and praying that the said deed may now be recorded in the records of deeds for said Wood- stock, &c., as per memorial on file : Resolved by this Assembly, that the said deed from said deceasd to the said Chaffee of the abovesaid land may together with this resolve be recorded in the records of deeds in and for said town of Woodstock and shall be received and treated as evidence of a title to said land in the said Chaffee as fully as if said deed had been acknowledged by said deceasd in his life time.
Upon the memorial of James Willson of Boston,* shewing to this Assembly that he was wounded while employed in the public service ; praying for relief, as per memorial on file : Resolved by this Assem- bly, that said Willson receive the sum of three pounds, L. money, and the Treasurer is hereby directed to pay the same accordingly.
Upon the memorial of Thaddeus Cook, Gideon Horsford, Andrew Andrews and Timothy Hall, selectmen of the town of Wallingford, representing that the civil authority and selectmen of said town har-
* He was boatswain on board the continental brig Betsy, taken by the Kingfisher in the fall of 1775. Rec. War, v, 24.
47
OF CONNECTICUT.
1776.]
ing taken under their care Elijah Hotchkiss of said town, who by idle- ness &c. was likely to be reduced to want, and him and his family have disposed of according to law, and that the debts now dne from said Hotchkiss amount to the sum of fifty pounds, and that he hath real estate sufficient for the payment of said sums ; praying for liberty to sell so much of the real estate of said Hotchkiss as shall be suffi- cient to pay said sum, as per memorial on file appears : Resolved by this Assembly, that the memorialists have liberty, and liberty and authority is hereby granted unto them, to sell so much of the real estate of said Hotelkiss as shall be sufficient to pay the sum of £50 0 0, L., money, together with the incident charges of such sale, which sum of £50 0 0, so to be raised out of the estate of said Hotch- kiss, shall be improved for the payment of said debts.
Upon the memorial of Gideon Hubbell of Fairfield, executor of the last will and testament of Ezekiel Sanford late of Fairfield, deceasd, shewing to this Assembly that the debts and charges allowed by the court of probate for the district of Fairfield against the estate of said deccas", with an allowance to the widow of said deceas" for necessaries, surmount the moveable estate of said deceasd the sum of £34 7 5 ; praying that some meet person may be impowered to make sale of real estate &c .: Resolved by this Assembly, that the memorialist have liberty, and liberty and authority is hereby granted him, to make sale of so much of the real estate of said deccasd as shall be sufficient to raise said sum of £34 7 5, with the incident charges arising on such sale ; taking the advice and direction of the court of probate for the district of Fairfield therein.
Upon the memorial of Eunice Curtiss, of Stratford in the county of Fairfield, executrix upon the last will and testament of Nathan Curtiss late of Stratford, deceasd, representing to this Assembly that the debts exhibited to and allowed by the court of probate for the dis- trict of Fairfield against the estate of the aforesaid Nathan Curtiss surmount the inventoried moveable estate of said decd the sum of £103 8 0, to pay which she, the memorialist, hath nothing in her hands ; praying this Assembly to authorize and impower her to sell so much of the real estate of aforesaid deceasd as shall be sufficient to pay the aforesaid sum of £103 8 0, together with the incidental charges arising upon said sale, as per memorial on file : Resolved by this Assembly, that the memorialist have liberty and she is hereby authorized and impowered, to sell so much of the real estate of said deceas" as shall be sufficient to pay and satisfy the afores" sum of £103 8 0, together with the incidental charges arising upon the sale of said estate ; taking the direction of the court of probate for the district of Fairfield in the premises.
48
PUBLIC RECORDS
[October,
Upon the memorial of Nathan Dennison, Esq', and the rest of the inhabitants of the district of Kingston in the county of Westmoreland, praying that said district may be constituted a distinct ecclesiastical society, as per memorial on file: Resolved by this Assembly, that that tract of land situate on the west side of Susquehannah River bounded east on said Susquehannah River, south on the district of Plimouth, north on the district of Exeter, and west on the wilderness, containing twenty-five square miles, be and the inhabitants living within said limits are constituted a distinct ecclesiastical society, with all the powers, privileges and immunities which other ecclesias- tical societies by law enjoy; and said society shall be called and known by the name of the Society of Kingston.
Upon the memorial of Gideon Ray of Voluntown and Mary Palmer of Stonington, administratrix on the estate of William Palmer 4th, late of Stonington, deceasd, shewing to this Assembly that said William in his life time agreed with said Ray to sell to him a tract of land containing one hundred acres be the same more or less, lying in said Voluntown, being all that part of the real estate of Jonathan Palmer late of Voluntown, decd, which was given to the said William in the last will and testament of said Jonathan, deceasd; that said William and Gideon in fact drew the deed and other writings neces- sary to compleat said bargain and sale but for want of a justice of peace in the vicinity to take the acknowledgment of said deed the same was delayed, soon after which the said William Palmer in the month of August, 1775, was taken sick and dyed, and that the circum- stances of the widow and family of said William deceasd are such as require the said bargain and sale to be compleated ; praying for liberty and authority to be granted to said administratrix to execute a deed of said land to said Ray agreeable to said bargain made by said Wil- liam &c., as per memorial on file : Resolved by this Assembly, that the said Mary Palmer, administratrix on the estate of said William deceasd hath liberty, and authority is hereby granted to her, to make, execute, acknowledge and deliver a deed of said land to said Ray, and to receive the pay for said land as the estate of said William decd, and to be accountable therefor as such, taking the advice and direction of the court of probate for the district of Stonington therein ; and such deed so executed and deliverd to said Ray and duly recorded shall be as good evidence of a title to the same in said Ray, his heirs &c., as though such deed had been executed in the same manner by said William in his life time.
Upon the memorial of the town of Kent in the county of Litchfield, praying for liberty that for the future the inhabitants of said town make, mend and maintain their highways by a town rate, and that it be passed into a law the better to enable said town to maintain their own highways as said town shall agree, and that the inhabitants of
49
OF CONNECTICUT.
1776.]
said town be excused from working at highways in the usual method ; as per memorial on file,
Resolved by this Assembly, That the said town of Kent have liberty, and authority is hereby granted to the inhabitants of said town, to tax the poles and rateable estate of said inhabitants to raise such sums of money as said town shall from time to time judge necessary and sufficient to repair all public highways in said town, which tax shall be collected by the several surveyors of the several districts for re- pairing highways in said town and be by such surveyors laid out and improved for the repairing highways in each district in said town ; and said town is hereby impowered, by the selectmen or a committee chosen annually or from time to time as occasion shall require, to divide the highways in said town into districts and to assign to each surveyor a certain proportion of highways to be repaired and main- tained, and to divide out and proportion to the several surveyors of the several districts the money so raised by said town according to the quantity or proportion of roads set out to them as aforesaid to be repaired and maintained ; and any assistant or justice of the peace is hereby authorized to issue forth warrants to such surveyors to levy and collect such taxes arising in manner aforesaid within their re- spective districts, in the same manner and form as other town taxes are collected ; and every such surveyor shall render a true account of such money by him so collected to the selectmen of said town in a reasonable time when thereto required after the same becomes paya- ble to said collectors ; and all surplus of such money as shall remain in the hands of such surveyors or any of them after such highways are sufficiently repaired shall be paid into the hands of the treasurer of said town for the time being, and by him and his successors in said office paid out to the next succeeding surveyors of the several dis- tricts respectively in the same proportion as the money raised by said town for the purpose of repairing highways for the then current year shall by said selectmen or committee be ordered to be divided.
And it is further resolved, That this liberty and authority shall be and remain to said town of Kent during the pleasure of this Assembly.
The Sums Total of the Lists of the Polls and Rateable Estate of the several Towns in this State for the Year 1776, as returned to this Assembly.
Hartford,
£41357 5s. 6d. Fairfield,
£44764 6s.10d.
Weathersfield,
30607 19 3 Norwalk,
38621 2 5
East Windsor, 27600 0
0 Danbury,
27312 14 9
Colchester, 30698 2 0 Newtown, 21937 0
2
Windsor,
23182 8 10 Ridgfield,
14876 13 8
Tolland, 11350 14 2 Redding,
12770 14 0
Glastonbury, 19001 0 0 New Fairfield,
12713 5
0
Chatham, 20654 13 0 Stratford,
49900 0 0
Stafford,
11179 5 6 Greenwich,
19565 10 3
Haddam,
13575 13 0 Stamford,
VOL. XVI .- 4
50
PUBLIC RECORDS
[October,
Bolton,
£08641
5s. Od. Windham,
£29375
9s. 9d.
Hebron,
23500
0
0 Lebanon,
38387 12
0
Infield,
10550 0 0 Canterbury,
21.216 14
9
Willington,
8197 15 3 Plainfield,
12175
3 0
Suffield,
18841 18 0
Pomfret,
23174 8
0
Summers,
8500 0 0
Mansfield,
21384 16
9
East Haddam,
23153
8
0 Coventry,
19105
4
0
Farmington,
64100 11 4
Ashford,
17348 12
6
Symsbury,
34000 0 0
Killingley,
26904
5
6
Midletown,
39700
0
0
Voluntown,
12930
1
0
New Haven,
60252
4
9
Woodstock,
20742 10
0
Wallingford,
43093 12
7
Litchfield,
25308
6
0
Waterbury,
37756
3
6
Woodbury,
57350
0
0
Guilford,
34165 6
5
New Milford,
28501 5
3
Branford,
22951 13
3
Salisbury,
16971 18
0
Milford,
27975 18 10
Goshen,
11158 18
6
Derby,
18138
6
9
Westmoreland,
16996 13
0
Durham,
12801 15
1
Torrington,
8854 16
0
New London,
27667 18
0
Sharon,
15936 10
0
Norwich,
60756
5
Cornwall,
9400
0
0
Stonington,
35449
6
9
Kent,
15829
7
6
Groton,
22860
1
3
New Hartford,
9892 15
3
Preston,
22767
4
6
Norfolk,
8756
3
0
Lyme,
25867
6
9
Hartland,
5421 10
0
Saybrook,
24731 14
0
Harwington,
8636 19
0
Killingworth,
19645 19
2
Canaan,
15163
3
0
Upon the memorial of Rufus Lathrop and the rest of the Com- mittee of Inspection for the town of Norwich, shewing to this Assem- bly that the cargo of molasses imported in the brig Nancy, lately be- longing to Joshua Winslow late of Boston, deceasd, is still in their hands ; praying for more explicit directions for the disposal thereof than was given to them in a resolve of this Assembly in June last ; as per memorial on file.
Resolved by this Assembly, That Rufus Lathrop, Esq", Capt. Jabez Perkins and Mr. Dudley Woodbridge of Norwich, be and they are hereby appointed a committee under oath to apprize said cargo and take a true inventory thereof and of the sales of said brig and appurtenances which have been sold and to call to account and make a full settlement with all such persons as have had the care of said brig and cargo or now have the same or any part or avails thereof in their hands and receive the same and lay a true stating thereof before this Assembly at their next session for approbation ; and said Lathrop, Perkins and Woodbridge, are hereby directed to deliver said cargo together with an invoice of what they deliver and charges thereon to the commissaries of supplies and refreshments for the Connecticut troops, agreeable to the orders of his Honor the Governor and Coun-
51
OF CONNECTICUT.
1776.]
cil of Safety, taking receipts therefor ; and the avails of said brig and appurtenances shall be deposited in the hands of the Treasurer of this Colony, and said inventory and receipt be lodged in the hands of the Secretary and duplicates or copies of said receipts shall be lodged with the Committee of Pay-Table ; and the whole amount of proceeds of said vessell and cargo shall be held to be responded by the Treasurer in the same manner as was ordered by this Assembly in their said resolve in June last.
To the Honble General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut now sitting at New Haven :
The Committee of Inspection for the town of Woodbury beg leave to represent to your Honors, that the Committee of Safety for the State of New York on the 21st instant sent nine prisoners, who were sailors except a child, and taken at Staten Island sometime last summer, to this committee. The said prisoners from the time of their first being captivated untill this time were stationed at Pound Ridge in West Chester county, which place the said Committee of Safety apprehend was not safe for them to reside in any longer as the en- emy are within a few miles of that place. This committee were and still are in doubt whether said Committee of Safety was authorized and impowered by the resolves of the Honble Continental Congress to send said prisoners into this State, and whether this committee are impowered by said resolves to provide for them. Yet nevertheless, considering the extraordinary circumstances attending the case and the apparent necessity of the said prisoners being removed from that place, this committee did receive said prisoners and have made pro- vision for them for the present and have appointed Colo. Increase Mosely to superintend their conduct untill we can receive particular instructions and directions from your Honors relating to the whole of said matters, which we humbly request. The said prisoners are so destitute of cloathing that it seems impossible they can subsist through the ensuing winter unless they are provided for by the pub- lic, as it is not probable they can provide for themselves at this season of the year by their labour. All which is submitted to your Honors by your Honors most obed humble servts.
In the behalf and by order of the Comtee,
EDWARD HINMAN, Chairman.
Dated Woodbury, Octobr 22ª, 1776.
The names of the within mentioned prisoners are, James Willson, John Murray, Samuel Coppin, Jeremiah Rierdon, Henry Killigrove, Michael Couney, Cesar Freeman, William Patterson and his daughter Mary Ann Patterson. Certifyed per Increase Mosely Ju., Clerk.
Upon the within representation made by the Committee of Inspec- tion in the town of Woodbury : Resolved by this Assembly, that said committee do safely keep and afford comfortable support to said pris- oners to the amount of the sum allowed by Congress, where said com-
52
PUBLIC RECORDS
[October,
mittee shall judge their own earnings not sufficient for that purpose, untill they may receive further proper order respecting said prisoners.
Resolved by this Assembly, That the stile of the public records of this State for the future, including the present sessions, be as follows, viz .: At a General Assembly of the Governor and Company of the State of Connecticut in New England in America, instead of the former stile made use of.
Whereas the state of public affairs is such that this Assembly cannot attend to the hearing of private business between party and party: Resolved by this Assembly, that all petitions and memorials between party and party depending before this Assembly be referred for the further consideration to the General Assembly to be holden at Hart- ford on the second Thursday of May next, and that all committees here- tofore appointed on any of said petitions and memorials have power and are directed to hear, examine and report, to said May Assembly, and also that all protections of persons and estates from attachments, arrest and imprisonment granted on any of said petitions and memo- rials shall be continued and remain in full force till the rising of said Assembly in May next.
This Assembly do grant to his Honor the Governor one hundred and fifty pounds, for the last half of his sallary the current year, and the Treasurer is ordered to pay the same accordingly.
This Assembly do grant to his Honor the Deputy Governor fifty pounds, for the last half of his salary the current year, and the Treas- urer is ordered to pay the same accordingly.
This Assembly was adjourned by Proclamation until the Governor, or in his absence the Deputy Governor, shall see cause to call it to meet again.
Test, GEORGE WYLLYS, Secrety.
53
OF CONNECTICUT.
1776.]
AT A MEETING OF THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF SAFETY AT NEW HAVEN OCTOBER 11TH, 1776.
Present : His Honor the Governor. His Honor the Deputy Governor. Eliph' Dyer, Titus Hosmer, Jabez Huntington, Wm Hillhouse, Esqrs.
Benj. Huntington,
A consultation was had concerning the Expedition of Colonels Richmond and Livingston to Long Island, and a mode of preparation adopted, which his Honor the Governor took in hand to give the necessary orders &c. with all possible secrecy ; and Mr. Shaw was sent home with orders to forward said expedition as fast as possible .*
AT A MEETING OF THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF SAFETY, N. HAVEN, OCTOBER 21ST, 1776.
Present : His Honor the Governor. His Honor the Deputy Governor.
Elipht Dyer, Titus Hosmer, Jabez Huntington, Wm Hillhouse, Richª Law, Benj. Huntington,
Esq's.
Voted, To draw on the Pay-Table for four hundred pounds, L. money, in favour of Col. Joshua Porter, to enable him to carry on the Cannon Foundery, and to be in account Order drawn the 21st Oct, 1776. Delivered to Col. Porter.
Voted and resolved, To direct Col. Joshua Porter, and he is hereby directed, to borrow forty bushels of salt on the credit of this State, for the use of the Cannon Foundery under his care; and the same shall be replaced by the State to any gentleman who shall lend him the same on credit of this resolve. Copy delivered to Col. Porter Octo. 21st. 1776.
-
AT A MEETING OF THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF SAFETY OCTO. 22D, 1776.
Present : His Honor the Governor. His Honor the D. Governor. Elipht Dyer, Titus Hosmer, Jabez Huntington, Wm Hillhouse, Richª Law, Benj. Huntington.
Voted, To allow Mr. Adam Babcock & Co., to export sixty barrels of salt beef to Rhode Island, for the use of their privateer.
Voted, To sell to Mr. Adam Babcock & Co. two of the cannon and car- riages taken on board the ship Guinea Man and brought in by Capt. Harding to New London.
Voted, To desire Mr. Hosmer to give orders to Mr. Buell for 40 fire-arms to be delivered to Capt. Wm. Coit for the use of the ship Oliver Cromwell.
* Letters of Gov. Trumbull on this subject are printed in 5th Am. Archives, ii.
-
54
COUNCIL OF SAFETY
[October,
Voted, To appoint an Ensign and give him orders to inlist 20 men without premium and at 40s. wages per month, to be for the defence of this and the United States of America, and to man the fort at Milford Harbour untill further orders, and to serve untill the 25th day of December next unless sooner discharged. And Capt. Benj. Hine is appointed an Ensign for said service with the pay of an ensign.
AT A MEETING OF THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF SAFETY OCTOBER 23D. 1776.
Present : His Honor the Governor. His Honor the D. Governor. Elipht Dyer, Titus Hosmer, Jabez Huntington, Wm. Hillhouse, Esqrs.
Richª Law, Benj. Huntington,
Voted, To draw on the Pay-Table for four hundred pounds in favor of Mr. James Tilly, for cordage, and to be in account. Order drawn Octor 23ª, 1776. Dd to Mr. N. Shaw.
Voted, To draw on the Pay-Table for £200. 0. 0. Favor of Capt. Uriah Hayden, towards his building the ship Oliver Cromwell, and to be in account. Order drawn Octo' 23ª, 1776. Dd to Capt. Williams.
Voted, To draw on the Pay-Table for £75. 0. 0, in favor of Capt. Benj. Williams, towards Iron Work for the ship Oliver Cromwell, and to be in account. Order drawn Octor 23ª, 1776. Dd to Capt. Williams.
Voted, That Mr. Levi Young be and he is hereby appointed Master of the ship Oliver Cromwell; and his Honor the Governor is desired to grant him a warrant to exercise the said office accordingly.
Voted, To order Capt. Harding with the brig Defence to sail on a cruise against the enemies of these States for about two months.
Voted, That Capt. Wm. Coit with the ship Oliver Cromwell under his com- mand be ordered on a cruise of about two months. Orders given Oct 23d, 1776.
Voted, Give orders to Mr. Nath" Shaw jun', to supply the ship Oliver Cromwell and the brig Defence with suitable stores of every kind for a cruise of two months each. Orders given Octo" 23ª, 1776.
AT A MEETING OF THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF SAFETY OCTOR 26TH, 1776.
Present : His Honor the Governor. His Honor the D. Governor. Elipht Dyer, Titus Hosmer,
Jabez Huntington, Wm. Hillhouse, Esqrs.
Richª Law, Benj. Huntington.
Voted, To desire his Honor the Governor to grant permit to Capt. Elizur Goodrich of Weathersfield, to export in the sloop Betsey, said Goodrich master, to Marygallant * the following articles, (viz :) 80 barrels of beef, 25 barrels of flour, 15 barrels of pork, six oxen, and sixty dozen of poultry, and to make returns in salt.
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