USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The town and city of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the aboriginal period to the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five, Volume I > Part 42
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389
WATERBURY IN THE COLONIAL WARS.
In 1753 Captain Daniel Southmayd was one of eight gentlemen appointed to audit the Colony accounts. The treasurer delivered to them £7527.125.9d. old tenor, received by the treasurer for duties on goods, exportation of lumber, for the sale of Weed's estate [in Waterbury], and for impost and powder money. This money the auditors "burnt and consumed to ashes." Its value, as lawful money, was but £855.8s.2d, or eight and more than two-third pounds for one of old tenor. This depreciation of the currency was due principally and we might add with an approach to truth, chiefly and altogether because the colony had been compelled to fight England's wars. The exact relationship to lawful silver money that bills of old and new tenor bore at this time is illustrated by a three-farthing silver-money tax, which it was declared permissible to pay in bills of credit-the new tenor, at fourteen shillings and seven pence for six shillings in silver, the old tenor at fifty-one shillings for the same six shillings.
Early in 1755 the call again came for "a considerable number of forces to be raised because of the invasion of his Majesty's just rights and dominions in North America, by the French and the Indians in their alliance." The order of King George, that Con- necticut Colony should contribute as far as could be afforded to repel the common danger, was at once complied with. More money was required than could be well obtained, but more Bills of credit were at once ordered to be imprinted, representing seven thousand five hundred pounds lawful money, and a committee was appointed to make preparations for enlisting, supplying, and furnishing troops at the cost and expense of the government. Almost immediately came the order from England for the raising of several regiments. England's designs in regard to the regiments-where and how they were to be used-remained unknown, when, at the session of The Assembly summoned in March, 1755, a proposition was received from Governor Shirley of Massachusetts. It was that the five New England governments should unite in an attempt to erect a strong fortress upon the eminence near the French fort at Crown Point. In order that the expedition might be eminently successful and the territory secured from any further encroachment of the French, it was proposed that New York should send 800 men, Connecticut 1000, Rhode Island 400, Massachusetts 1200 and New Hampshire 600. Connecticut was fully aware that the force asked of her was much too large in proportion to that of New York and Massachu- setts, but she stopped to consider the situation of her neighbors, and understood full well the importance of the undertaking, and at once began the task of getting together one thousand "effective
390
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
men," and empowered her Governor to raise 500 additional men, in case they should be required to reinforce troops already in service, and immediately advised her neighbors to do the same thing. Each member of the General Assembly in March 1755, was re- quired to swear to keep secret, until given leave to reveal them, all matters relating to the "defence of our frontiers, and all con- sultations and resolutions thereon." Mr. Stephen Hopkins and Mr. Caleb " Humistone " were the required oath-takers for Water- bury.
I think it may be said that at no time in our history has there been a season of greater activity in martial life than the year 1755. It is not known that any men from Waterbury were numbered among the three thousand warriors who regained Nova Scotia in June of that year; it is not probable that a single man of our town was with General Braddock in his memorable defeat near Fort du Quesne in July, but we have every reason to think that a goodly number accompanied General Johnson to Lake George in August of that year, and joined the brave twelve hundred who fought on its shores-for Gershom Fulford, the blacksmith, was appointed second lieutenant of the Fourth Company in the Major General's regiment, and Roger Prichard "quarter-master of Troop of horse in the Tenth regiment" in March of that year, but we have no muster-rolls to prove the thought to be according to facts. When, in May, Oliver De Lancey, Esqr. of New York, appeared before the Assembly and set before the deputies the exceeding great impor- tance of raising additional men for Crown Point, it was determined to give New York the opportunity to raise three hundred men in Connecticut, to serve under a major of that Province-other officers to be appointed by this Colony.
In August, General Johnson, at Fort Edward, sent for additional troops to be sent without delay, and the order went forth for two regiments of seven hundred and fifty men to be enlisted, and divided into nine companies in each regiment. The muster rolls of certain Connecticut companies in service from 1755 to 1762 have been recently recovered from their long resting place, and are now in the State library. They have never been published, and are of valuable interest. Between the first and the seventeenth of Sep- tember, 1755, the following men enlisted, or were impressed into service, in the company of Captain Eldad Lewis, of Southington. The men of this company were from Waterbury and its vicinity. Of its seventy-three men, thirty-four went from Waterbury. We have identified these from local records. Other names in the com- pany doubtless belong to Waterbury men, but for want of sufficient
391
WATERBURY IN THE COLONIAL WARS.
evidence at hand they are not included. The names marked with a t were from Waterbury.
CAPTAIN ELDAD LEWIS'S MUSTER ROLL. Sworn to at Hartford Feb. 17th, 1756.
First Lieutenant, Isaac Higbee; Second Lieutenant, David Whitney; Sergeants, Joel Clark,* +Samuel Root -- deserted Oct. 24th, +Timo Clark, John Webster.
Clerks, Drummers and Corporals-Joel Clark, clerk; tAshbel Porter, Samuel Higby, +Isaac Prichard, Ephra Parker, Ambros Sloper, corporals and drummers.
CENTINELS.
Abraham Waters,
Joseph Rogers,
+ Weight Woster, Sam1 Whedon,
+ Abel Gunn,
Elihu Morse,
Allen Royse,
+ Abraham Woster,
+ Sam1 Wheler, ?
Amos Cook,
Jesse Parker,
+ Jabez Tuttle,
+ Asa Barnes, Barna Hugh,
+ James Doolittle,
+ Thomas Way, John Collins,
+ Benj" Scott,
+ Joseph Ludington,
Willida William,
+ Benjn Wetmore,
+ Jonth Preston,
William Pike,
+ Benjn Turril,
Levi Thomas,
Zealous Atkins,
+ Benjn Stillwell,
Linus Hopsk", Medad Munson,
Zebulon Peck,
+ Caleb Jones, David Wetmore,
+ Moses Foot,
+ Sam1 Warner, Abijah Barnes,
+ Dan1 Upson,
+ Moses Bronson,
+ Enos Ford,
Dan1 Winston,
Nathan1 Hitchcock,
+ Thomas Fenn, Peter Judson,
+ Ezek1 Scott,
Peter Fenn, [?]
+ Elipha Scott,
Joseph Merion,
Eben' Bracket,
James Scarrit,
+ Sam'l How,
Elias Wetmore,
Job Bracket, Hail Hall,
+ Eben" Saxston, Matthw Johnson,
Joseph Twiss,
+ Sam1 Upson,
Nath1 Lewis,
+ Joseph Barrot,
+ Solº Barrit, Steph™ Winston,
Moses Austin,
+ John Barrot,
+ Jesse Alcock,
+ Steph" Blakslee,
+ Bartholomew Pond.
The above company served about three months and the men were allowed twelve days for the march from Lake George to their homes.§
Other Waterbury soldiers of 1755, were Henry Cook, Bartholo- mew Jacobs, Bela Lewis, and William Mancer, but these names do not conclude the list. It was to carry bread to these and other soldiers that the horses of the two Waterbury men were impressed in October of 1755. Bread and flour to the amount of 120,000 pounds
* Dr. Bronson gives Joel Clark as a Waterbury man, but I think he was from Farmington.
"Died on the 25th."
§ In the lists here given, the reader may make allowance for errors in the spelling of names, due to the muster-roll makers, and also for possible errors in the transcription of names from the muster rolls.
Remember Baker,
+ David Hungerford,
Moses Hall,}
Eben" Hopkinston,
Nathan1 Messenger,
Elnath" Sharp, or Thorp,
+ John Scott,
+ Josiah Stow,
392
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
were carried on horses (not more than 500 in number and impressed in Connecticut) from Albany or its vicinity "for the use of our troops at the forts at the Carrying Place, and at Lake George."
In the beginning of 1756 it was resolved by the four New Eng- land governments, and New York, to raise 10,000 men, Connecticut agreeing upon 2500 as her quota and immediately ordering her commissaries to procure flour sufficient for that number of men for four months. The troops were formed into four regiments of eight companies each. The Sixth company in the Second regiment is called on the muster roll :
THE WATERBURY COMPANY.
In the Expedition against Crown Point from April to December, 1756, this com- pany was commanded by Capt. Israel Woodward.
First Lieutenant, Asa Royse.
Second Lieutenant, Joel Clark.
Ethan Curtis,
Sergeants,
Oliver Welton, Enoch Curtis, David Clark, Corporals, j James Doolittle, Joab Hoerington,
( David Woodward.
Abiel Roberts.
Drummer, Moses Frost.
.CENTINEI.S.
Samuel Adams,
John Fenn,
Ezekiel Scott,*
Ephraim Allyn,
Joseph Foot,
Peleg Spencer,
Stephen Bagley,
Samuel Frost,
Israel Squire,
Remember Baker,
Luke Fox,
Simeon Stow,
John Barret,
John Gibbs,
John Strickland,
Nathan Benham,
Jerimi Gillet,
Isaac Terril,
Joseph Blake, Tho'. Bray,
Jotham Hall,
Seth Thayer,
Asa Brownson,
John Haystens,
John Tomas,
John Brownson,
Nath1 Hitchcock,
Charles Warner,
Moses Brownson,
Voluntine Hitchcock,
Nath1 Weed,
Joseph Bunnel,
William Horton,
Willm White,
Parmineus Bunn1,
Samuel Lounsbury,
Benja Williams,
John Butler,
Nath1 Messenger,
Nathan Woodward, clerk, Samuel Woodward,
Israel Calkins,
Wm. Munson,
Elijah Clark,
Judah Palmer,
Ezekiel Curtis,
Nath1 Pardy,
Benjn Woodworth,
Hezekh Davenport,
Eliab Parker,
Peleg Woodworth,
Jehiel Dayton,
John Parker,
Reuben Woodworth,
Stephen Dullf [?]
Samuel Pike,
Herrman Worster,
Benja Ellis,
Elnathan Prichard,
Jonathan Wright,
Benja Aly (Ely)?
Joel Roberts,
Nathan Wright.
Jacob Guild,
Oliver Terril,
All the men of this company were not from Waterbury. Enos Doolittle, Israel Dayton, and Benjamin Judd were of the soldiers of
* Advanced to Corporal Sept. 28th.
393
WATERBURY IN THE COLONIAL WARS.
1756. John Sutliff and Abel Curtiss were in Col. Elihu Chauncy's regiment at Crown Point in 1756. In Captain John Pettibone's company in the same regiment, among the men from Waterbury will be found Joseph Smith, John Slawter (sometimes spelled Slaughter), Samuel Lewis, Thomas Porter, and Joseph Bronson. This regiment served sixty-three weeks.
Dr. Bronson has given the following list of soldiers who went in Captain Eldad Lewis' company in the Fort William Henry alarm in 1757. At this time the militia marched away in headlong haste; some on horseback for a part or the whole of the way, the residue on foot-many subsisting themselves at their own expense on the march, and others at public and private houses and at small stores erected at certain stages of the course, going in haste too great to take blankets, or knapsacks, or anything but the soldier himself and his fire-arms to the rescue! So great was the risk of delay that the horses, when no longer needed, were left to wander away, and were taken up in New York, and elsewhere. Months afterward, by order of the government, these wandering horses were gathered in, and even the Waterbury horses were returned to their homes. Under such circumstances went forth the fol- lowing men from Waterbury:
Lieut. John Sutliff,
Sergt. Stephen Welton,
Moses Cook, [Drummer.] Ensign Gideon Hotchkiss,
CENTINELS.
Jesse Alcock,
Benjamin Cook [of
Stephen Matthews,
Benjamin Barnes (?)*
Wallingford,] Abraham Richards,
Daniel Barnes,
Nathaniel Edwards,
Thomas Richards,
Solomon Barrit,
Ambrose Field (?),
W- Scott,
Simeon Beebe,
Nathaniel Foot (?),
Oliver Terrill,
Shadrack Benham,
Joel Frost,
Charles Warner,
Asher Blakeslee,
Jonathan Garnsey,
Joseph Warner,
Reuben Blakeslee,
Thomas Hikcox,
Eliakim Welton,
Hezekiah Brown,
Samuel Judd,
Thomas Williams.
Thomas Cole,
Samuel Lewis,
Daniel Porter, Clerk.
In 1757, in Col. Phineas Lyman's regiment, Ephraim Preston was captain of a company raised for the expedition against Crown Point, which company was at Fort Edward in August that year, when "Fort William Henry at the head of Lake George, was besieged by the French forces under Montcalm. At this time the English general, Webb, was lying with an army of four thousand men at Fort Edward, fourteen miles distant." It is said that "instead of marching to the relief of Col. Munroe and thus saving
* Familiar as this name is and Waterbury born, there was no one of the name here at the above date.
394
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
the fort, Webb wrote him a letter advising his capitulation. The messenger and letter were intercepted by the Indian allies of Mont- calm. The latter, thinking Webb's communication would promote his own interests, forwarded it at once to the commander of the fort. A capitulation soon followed."*
The following is the story, as told by the messenger himself who bore the letter to Gen. Webb. It was entrusted to Sergeant Israel Calkin (later Calkins) a young man, who was married in Waterbury by the Rev. Mark Leavenworth, Aug. 11, 1752, to Sarah, the daughter of William Hoadley, and who lived at Judd's meadow. He told the General Assembly in Oct., 1758, that he "was a sergeant in Capt. Ephraim Preston's company in Col. Lyman's regiment, and was at Fort Edward in August, 1757; that he was sent by Gen. Webb express from Fort Edward, with despatches for Col. Munroe, commander of Fort William Henry-that notwithstanding the utmost caution, he unhappily fell into the enemy's hands, being taken by Indians. After the surrender of the fort he was by savages conveyed to Canada, but was there redeemed out of their hands by a French gentleman, but he was immediately taken with small-pox, which sore distemper he had very severely-in want of almost every comfort, convenience, and accommodation. Being by a kind Providence carried safely through that distemper, he sailed Nov. 5th, 1757, from Quebec for France, where, through inexpressible hardships, naked and famished, he arrived in the Port of Rochelle on the 2d of December (the day after his daughter Sarah was born in Naugatuck.) There, having been confined for fifteen days in a loathsome Gaol, he was again taken sick and carried to a hospital. After twenty-one days he was returned to Gaol, where he was kept under most disagreeable circumstances until placed on board a cartel ship for England, which ship was twenty-five days on its passage on account of storms, the ship being so crowded that there was scarce room enough to lie down, and almost without food or clothing. He obtained liberty after four months to return to America. He arrived at Boston, Oct. 6, 1758. He assured The Assembly that during his captivity he had endured calamities, dis- tresses, and fatigues that were more than words could express, or Imagination could paint, and that on his arrival at his home he found that almost all the little Interest he left behind him had been dissipated and lost in his absence, and that he, with his wife and three small children, was reduced to the lowest state of want and necessity "-and all because he had entered upon a most dangerous service for his country. He asked for his wages during the
* Dr. Bronson.
395
WATERBURY IN THE COLONIAL WARS.
time of his captivity and until his return home, and such addi- tional compensation as might be granted-and received thirty pounds out of the treasury, "in consideration of his fidelity while in the service of this Colony and the calamities he sustained in his captivity."*
In the muster roll of Captain Ephraim Preston's regiment we find the following Waterbury names in 1757:
Jonathan Beebe, Second Uzal Barker, Lieutenant, James Barret,
Justus Dayly,
Samuel Fenn,
Moses Matthews, Ensign,
Joseph Benham, Jesse Hotchkiss,
Israel Calkins, Sergeant,
Zera Beebe,
Aaron Luddington,
Phineas Beach, Sergeant,
Henry Cook,
Bartholomew Pond,
Gideon Allen,
Jesse Cook,
Josiah Stow,
James Baldwin,
Andrew Culver, Wait Wooster.
The above soldiers appear to have gone on the occasion of the "Fort William Henry Alarm."
The muster roll of the following company is given-its members being from Waterbury and the near-by towns :
2D REGIMENT-MARCH 27 TO NOV. 16, 1758.
Eldad Lewis, Captain,
Osee Webster, Clerk,
Joel Clark,
Lieutenants,
Cephas Ford,t
Gideon Hotchkiss,
Tim. Hotchkiss,
Thomas Richards, Ensign,
Sam. Wheeden,
Corporals,
Abel Woodward, 1
John Strecklin,
Joab Horsington,
Sergeants,
Moses Frost,
Ethan Curtis,
Samuel Adams,
David Clark,
Samuel Frost,
David Arnold,
Lemuel Collins,
Jon. Fulford,
Moses Ball.#
Jesse Cook,
Henry Grilley,
David Barnes,
Abner Curtiss,
Eben. Hart,
John Barrit,
David Curtiss,
Josiah Hart,
Merwin Beckwith,
James Curtiss,
Jason Harvard. T
Benj. Benham,
Joshua Curtiss,
Amos Hitchcock,
Samuel Berley,
Phineas Curtiss,
Reuben Hitchcock,
John Bill,
Cornelius Dunham,
David Hotchkiss,
Moses Bronson,
Nath1 Edwards,
John How. Samuel How,
Parmenius Bunnel,
Luther Evans,
David Hungerford, **
Parmenius Bunnel, Jr.,ś
John Fancher,
William Judd,
John Chapman,
David Fenn,
Samuel Kellogg,tt
Silas Chapman,
Samuel Fenn,
Bela Lewis,
* The next year Israel Calkins removed to Walpole, N. H., where his son Roswell was born. In 1764 he had returned to Waterbury, and continued to pay taxes until 1782.
+ Died Nov. 3. ¿ Died Oct. 7. § Died Aug. 23. Il Died Aug. 18.
T Died Sept. 29.
** Died July 22. tt Died Sept. 13.
Eben. Fancher, |
Joseph Ives,
James Brown,
Samuel Ellwell,
Ambrose Sloper,
Drummers,
Abiel Roberts,
396
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
2D REGIMENT-MARCH 27 TO NOV. 16, 1758-continued.
Abr. Luttington,
Aaron Parsons,
Benj. Stillwell.#
Joseph Luttington,
Samuel Pike,
Lemuel Thomas,
Solomon Luttington,
William Pike,*
Gideon Todd,
Eldad Mix,
Jonathan Prichard,
Samuel Upson,
William Munson,
Eben. Prindle,
Thomas Warner,
David Newel,
Sam. Richards, +
Thomas Way,
Wonks Nobikin
Eben. Robards,
Nath1 Welton,
James Noisons,
Barnabas Scott,
Oliver Welton.
Judah Palmer,
Eben. Scott,
Abner Wetmore, §
David Pardee,
Ezekiel Scott,
Barth. Williams,
Nath1 Pardee,
John Slater,
Benjamin Williams,
Eliab Parker,
Kinner Smith,
Jobe Yale, |
Gideon Parker,
Samuel Sperry,
Street Yale.
Other soldiers of 1758 were :
Joseph Atkins,
Dan. Chatfield,
Isaac Peck,
Joseph Blake,
Lemuel Chatfield,
Jabez Wooster.
Lieut. Phineas Castle,
Dan. McNamara,
In 1759 Abel Woodward was sergeant under Samuel Gaylord in the first regiment, and Benjamin Stillwell, corporal. In the second regiment, Moses Sanford and Jesse Ford were sergeants under Cap- tain Thomas Wilmot; Justus Blakeslee, Tille Blakeslee (perhaps of Woodbury), John Fulford, Caleb Granniss and James Hungerford, who died December 2, were " centinels " or private soldiers. Lieu- tenant Jonathan Beebe, and Sergeant Israel Calkins were under Captain Amos Hitchcock, as was also Jabez Tuttle. In Captain Joel Clark's company, Oliver Welton was sergeant, David Arnold, Wait Hotchkiss, Eliphalet Preston, James Scarret, Caleb Thompson and Gideon Webb were "centinels." In the third regiment, in Capt. Mead's company were Ira Beebe, Isaac Curtis, Samuel Curtis, Isaac Darrow, John Palmer and Abraham Prichard.
In 1761, in Colonel Whiting's regiment, were:
Samuel Adams, Ensign, Johnson Anderson, Corp., Titus Barnes, Daniel Byington,
Moses Cook,
Thomas Judd, William Judd,
Israel Dayton,
David Doolittle,
Abraham Lewis,
Moses Frost, Drummer,
Gains Prichard,
Ambrose Hikcox,
John Painter,
Jehiel Byington, Joel Byington, Jonathan Byington,
Jude Hoadley,
Nathan Prindle,
Bartholomew Jacobs,
Eben Saxton,
Benjamin Cook,
Brewster Judd,
Jehiel Saxton,
* Died Sept. 16. + Died Aug. 28.
Benjamin Stillwell was enlisted among other soldiers for this expedition by Lieut. Hotchkiss. Still- well broke his arm just after enlisting. Dr. Porter set it, and he marched with his company. In October, 1770, Lieut. Hotchkiss asked the Colony for remuneration for Dr. Porter's services, and received it.
§ Died Sept. 4. Il Deserted Sept. 4.
397
WATERBURY IN THE COLONIAL WARS.
Woolsey Scott, Hez. Tuttle,
Stephen Welton,
Stephen Scovill,
Jabez Tuttle,
Benj. Williams,
Nath1 Selkrig, Serg.,
Reuben Tuttle, Corp.,
Dan. Williams,
Joash Seymour,
Gideon Webb,
Obadiah Winters,
Sam. Stow,
Ezekiel Welton,
Rufus Yarrington.
John Stricklin,*
Captain Eldad Lewis served under Colonel Whiting in the first regiment from March 15 to December 3, in the year 1762. His officers were:
[Samuel] Judd,+ Lieutenants.
John Collins,
Oliver Welton. Ensign,
Asa Bray,
William Judd,
Eldad Mix,
Dan Collins,
Sergeants.
Joel Roberts, John Bronson,
Corporals.
John Miles,
Jesse Cook,
Waterbury names among the centinels were:
Abraham Barnes,
Jonathan Fulford,
Abner Munson,
Bordon Beebe,
James Harrison, John Parker,
Isaac Castle,
Elijah Hotchkiss,
Samuel Potter,
Charles Cook,
John Lewis,
Gains Prichard,
Jesse Cook,
Aaron Luddington, John Scovil.
Thomas Fancher,
Waterbury has been found nobly to have acted her part in the Colonial wars. The result of this expenditure of life, service and money, was, that every pound the English colonists taxed them- selves for; every soldier they furnished to fight England's war with France, cost the colonies themselves, a little later in their history, untold sums of money, and unrecorded lists of human lives. Their ability and achievement excited the attention of England and aroused apprehension regarding her own supremacy over this part of her kingdom. It also awakened the colonists themselves to the fact of their own united strength. Thus was sown the seed of Independence, the cotyledons of which the colonists themselves failed to recognize.
* Died August 6. + App. April 29, 1760.
Andrew Culver,
Jabez Tuttle,
CHAPTER XXXI.
A PETITION FROM THE WEST FARMS FOR WINTER PRIVILEGES-A COL- LECTOR OF EXCISE-MEN OF FARMINGBURY PETITION FOR WINTER PRIVILEGES-A PROPOSAL TO MAKE NAVIGABLE THE NAUGATUCK RIVER-DEATH OF DEACON THOMAS CLARK-MR. LEAVENWORTH MARRIES A BROTHER MINISTER AT MIDNIGHT-BURYING YARD AT PRESENT WOLCOTT-DEATH OF CAPTAIN SAMUEL HIKCOX-AU- THORITY OF THE FIRST CHURCH LAID ASIDE-THE STAMP ACT-A COLONIAL CONGRESS HELD IN NEW YORK-THE NEWSPAPER "GLORIOUS NEWS"-REPEAL OF THE STAMP ACT-A MAY THANKS- GIVING -HARTFORD'S SORROW-ISAAC FRAZIER - THE FRENCH FAMILY-WOODBURY COUNTY-A PETITION FROM THE SOUTH FARMS-BAPTISTS-MINISTRY LANDS AND MONEYS-FARMINGBURY SOCIETY-MIDDLEBURY BURYING YARD.
D URING the period of the French and Indian war and in the subsequent time down to the dawning of the war of the
American Revolution, Waterbury moved onward in her town life without any startling deviations from her accustomed course.
In October, 1760, Josiah Bronson and other inhabitants of present Middlebury and its vicinity, complaining of their sufferings endured in reaching places of public worship because of distance and the badness of roads, besought the General Assembly to grant them winter privileges under the usual forms. The petition was granted-the time being from the first day of December to the last of March, annually, for three years. In the lines given as the boundaries of the territory, mention is made of Eight Mile brook, Quassapaug pond, Israel Curtise's lot of mowing meadow land, the lane by Eliphalet Bristol's running to Lt. Samuel Wheeler's, the saw mill on Hop brook, and a large rock with a number of pine trees on it east of Ebenezer Richardson's. Ebenezer Porter was left out of the limits. Three years before this time a similar petition had been denied. To that of 1757 were appended thirty-three names, which names are here given:
Isaac Bronson, Isaac Bronson, Junior,
Ebenezer Smith,
Thomas Mallery,
Arah Ward,
James Burges,
Japhet Benham,*
Ebenezer pender,+
Josiah Bronson, Stephen Miles,
1
Edward Smith,
Daniel Mallery,
* [James ?]
+ Ebenezer Porter.
399
WATERBURY'S LATER YEARS AS A COLONIAL TOWN.
Nathan .?
John Scott,
Stephen Abbott,
Daniel Tyler,
Reuben Hale,
[Dr.] Peter Powers,
Gideon Mallery,
Noah Cande,
Nathaniel Richardson,
Benjamin Bristol,
Daniel Hawkins,
Abner Munson,
-worn away-
John Weed,
Amos Scott,
Ezekiel Tuttle,
Andrew Weed,
Samuel Sherman,
Japhet Benham, Jun.,*
James Bronson,
Thomas Masters.
All but seven of the above names were within the bounds of Waterbury.
The good Deacon Thomas Clark was yearly chosen town clerk as long as he lived; when Deacon Timothy Judd + was not chosen moderator of the great town meeting in December, Thomas Matthews or Caleb Humaston received the honor; Deacon Clark was town treasurer until 1760, when Mr. Joseph Hopkins was chosen to the office, which he held until 1764.
In 1755 "an act had been passed for licensing and regulating Retailers and for granting and collecting an Excise on Distilled Spirituous liquors." Accordingly, in 1756 a new officer was added to the town list-Jonathan Baldwin, Jr. was chosen "Collector of Excise." According to this act, any person desiring to retail any rum, brandy, or other distilled spirituous liquor was required to obtain an annual license from an assistant or justice of the peace in his own town, under a bond to the officer of twenty pounds, for which he was to pay one shilling and sixpence. To the collector of excise, the retailer was to render an account, upon oath, of all the liquors he had on hand at his taking the license, and all that he received during the year, and pay the excise thereon, subtracting one-fifth part for leakage and wastage. Four pence per gallon was to be paid to the excise collector for all liquors sold in quantity less than thirty gallons. A retailer could not sell less than one quart-although a tavern-keeper might under certain restrictions. The revenue under this act was for the benefit of schools. Occasionally, and chiefly because of town-line disputes, a town agent was appointed for the year-Captain Samuel Hikcox being so appointed "to represent the town in any action that might be brought against it at any court of justice whatsoever." Thomas Matthews, Captain Stephen Upson, Captain George Nichols and others were so chosen in subsequent years. In October, 1762, Joseph Adkins [Atkins] living in present Wolcott, with others, petitioned for the privilege of hiring preaching among themselves five months in the winter season, carefully setting forth the limits of the territory to be covered by the permission.
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