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 43
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 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105
*[James Jr. ? ] + Timothy Judd was a captain, a deacon, and sometimes a "preacher."
400
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
It began on the first long lots in Farmington on the mountain next to Water- bury, and ran westerly three miles by the south end of the society of New Cambridge, and to where Cambridge comes into the society of Northbury two miles to a birch tree at the north end of a ledge of rocks in Stephen Blakslee's lot, about sixty rods east of his house, then south two degrees east four miles to a white oak tree marked, thence south twelve degrees east one mile and seven rods to a bunch of cherry trees by the west side of the Mad river, thence south two degrees east about half a mile into a line drawn west from Farmington southwest corner, thence east a mile and three quarters to said corner, from thence in Farm- ington line until it comes to the east side of the original twenty rod highway across the long lots in Farmington, thence northerly straight to the top edge of the mountain west of Phineas Barns' house, thence on the height of said mountain to the first mentioned place.
The above petition included " liberty of setting up a school " and freedom from ministerial rates during the five months. The Assembly granted the petition in its every part, also yielding them liberty to tax themselves for the support of the ministry and school, as societies by law had power to do. The next May, the First Society presented before the Assembly its side of the question, setting forth the fact that within the above limits lived all the inhabitants in the northeast quarter, except two or three families-that their "meeting house was thrown from the centre into an extreme part of the society, giving a dangerous aspect and tending to their destruction."*
Among the events of the period were the following: Grove street was narrowed two feet near its west end for one hundred feet; a premium of three shillings was offered for killing or destroying any grown wild cat or fox-provided that the animal was killed within the bounds of the town-the selectman to cut off the right ear of the cat or the fox to prevent any other selectman from giving an order for the same animal; this premium soon rose to five shillings, and later was but one shilling; the selectmen were given power to abate town rates on the application of any four persons-at their discretion; it was in 1761 that Abraham Hikcox and Stephen Upson, Jr., laid before the town the following notable memorial: "Whereas it hath been conjectured that the river from Waterbury to Derby might with a little cost be made Navigable for Battooing, we pray that this meeting would Grant that whoever shall subscribe and work at clearing said River, shall for each day's work be allowed to have it go off for a Highway day"; in 1763 it was voted that the Town Rate might be received by the collectors in provisions-wheat at four shillings, rye two shillings and eight
* Dr. Bronson has entered so fully into the details of the formation of the ecclesiastical societies of Farmingbury and Middlebury, that it has not been deemed necessary to repeat them here.
40I
WATERBURY'S LATER YEARS AS A COLONIAL TOWN.
pence, Indian corn at two, oats at one shilling a bushel, and flax at six-pence per pound-provided the payment of rates was made at a specified time; in the same year the old question of the ministerial lands and moneys came before the town again, and a committee was to search the records and report at an adjourned meeting- adjourned for that purpose-but when the meeting was met, it decided only on the manner of impounding rams, and the annual premium for killing foxes and wild cats; and when it was pro- posed to hear the report of the committee which had been appointed to search the records of the ministerial land and moneys, dissension seems to have arisen. It is indicated by the words-the last penned in our records by the then town clerk-" Answered in the Negative voted to Dismiss the meeting."
Nov. 12, 1764, died Deacon Thomas Clark-"Town Clerk and Treasurer"-a man of most excellent attainment and of valuable reputation, who had lived here as boy and man for more than sixty years .* Mr. Clark lived on the ground now occupied by the City Hall. Across the meeting house green lived the Rev. Mark Leaven- worth. Within a few months of the time of Mr. Clark's death, his third daughter, Hannah, was to be married to the Rev. Solomon Mead of New Salem, New York. Wedding festivities were pre- pared for. The guests assembled to witness the marriage cere- monies, but the Reverend bridegroom did not arrive. A bridge in his journey of forty miles on horseback had been carried away, but of this the guests knew not. They waited until the unseemly hour of eleven at night, when they all went home. At half-past eleven Mr. Mead reached Waterbury. At New Salem every preparation had been made by his people to welcome their pastor's bride the next evening, and the tiresome journey of more than forty miles must be begun early in the morning. A messenger aroused Mr. Leavenworth, and a midnight marriage took place. Very early the next morning the bride took her departure, the same horse carrying Mr. and Mrs. Mead, the wedding apparel of the bride being securely strapped to the pillion.
Ezra Bronson was chosen town clerk and town treasurer a month after Deacon Clark's death. At this meeting it required eighty- two officers to fill the town's quota, two or more offices frequently being represented by the same person. It is interesting to note
* Thomas Clark was also a merchant, and the book in which he kept his "accounts," commencing in 1727, Dr. Bronson tells us was loaned to him by Mrs. Aurelia Clark, Deacon Clark's granddaughter. Dr. Bronson deposited it for security with the New Haven Colony Historical Society. He very courteously gave to the writer an order for its recovery, that it might add to the interest of this work. A most patient and earnest search for it in the Society's rooms in the late State House and in the Insurance Building, and also in its new home, has been without reward.
26
402
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
that the Proprietors are still holding the balance of power-more than one-half of the places being filled by their lineal representa- tives. Unfamiliar names, in the unfamiliar characters of Ezra Bronson's pen look up at us from the open page. The Culvers and Dunbars and Frisbies; Eliphalet Hartshorn, Philemon Sanford, Isaac Spencer, and Randal Evans have come into office; and young William Southmayd, grandson of the Reverend John Southmayd (a few months married to Irene, the daughter of the Rev. Samuel Todd) we find surveying highways.
Mr. Jonathan Fulford branded the horses; Aaron Harrison, Richard Seymore, and David Blakslee sealed the leather, Isaac Prichard still repacked the provisions, in which the people paid their colony rates; Captain Stephen Upson, Jr., sealed the measures; eight men were required to make the tax lists; thirty, to survey the highways; and, so unruly had Waterbury and its dependencies become, that fourteen tithingmen were deemed none too many to keep order in the community, and to properly attend to the observ- ance of the Sabbath Day according to the established law, in a town of four parishes, three meeting houses, and one church edifice.
On the last day in the year 1764, the town instructed Capt. George Nichols and Capt. Stephen Upson, Jr., "to go out Eastward near Joseph Atkins to view and purchase half an acre of land upon the Town cost in that neighborhood where they shall think it most convenient for a burying yard." They selected the land now used for that purpose near Wolcott centre.
In May, 1765, at the age of sixty-three years, Captain Samuel Hikcox died. He was an efficient and a prominent citizen, holding an important place in the community.
The authority of the First Church was publicly laid aside in 1765. For nearly a century the governing power had there inhered. The words of its dethronement were few-a simple announcement in town meeting declaring that "no regard should be paid to society nominations for Town Officers." However, a century of impetus is not soon overcome, and the same men, in so far as we may discern, were duly elected under the new regime-Captain Ezra Bronson was chosen town clerk and town treasurer; the selectmen were "Capt. Stephen Upson, Jun", Joseph Hopkins, Esq", Capt. John Sutliff, Capt. Edward Scovill, Timothy Judd, Esq", and Lieut. Daniel Potter."
Upon the termination of the French and Indian war the English government began to devise ways and means to recover from her English colonies in America that portion of the cost of the conflict which the colonies had received from England in part payment for
403
WATERBURY'S LATER YEARS AS A COLONIAL TOWN.
their colonial expenditures. To this end were devised certain stamp duties, which gave to the bill of particulars its popular title- "The Stamp Act." The full title of the bill was:
An Act for granting and applying certain Stamp Duties and other Duties in the British Colonies and Plantations in America, towards defraying the Expenses of defending, protecting, and securing the same, and for amending such parts of the several Acts of Parliament relating to the trade and revenues of the said Colonies and Plantations, as direct the manner of determining and recovering the penalties and forfeitures therein mentioned. Also ten publick bills and seventeen private ones.
It is not the province of this simple narrative of the early years of a colonial town, to enter into circumstantial details of the causes that led to the Colonial Revolution-and we may only refer to the general gloom and discontent that crept down upon the people, as they found themselves deprived of their constitutional rights as British subjects, by having taxes imposed upon them without their own consent-the colonies having no representation in Parliament. The colonists claimed that liberty and freedom were taken from them, being involved in the above power. In October, 1764, the General Assembly, convened at New Haven, resolved to petition Parliament against this bill for a stamp duty, or any bill for an internal tax on the colony-which resolve was carried into execu- tion. Mr. Joseph Hopkins and Mr. Ephraim Warner were the dep- uties from Waterbury who voted on this petition. One year from that time a Congress was held in New York, composed of the several governments, "to confer upon a general and united humble, loyal and dutiful representation to his Majesty and the Parliament, of the present circumstances of the Colonies, and the difficulties to which they were and must be reduced by the operation of the acts for levying duties and taxes on the Colonies, and to implore relief. One of the instructions to the members of this first Congress must be noted, because of its true Connecticut ring: In your proceedings you are to take care that you form no such junction with the other Com- missioners as will subject you to the major vote of the Commissioners present. One feels like giving a cheer for Connecticut Colony in 1765!
And all this time while the government was aroused and in action for its constitutional rights of representation, and privilege of trial by jury; and expressing in every conceivable way its distress and alarming apprehensions that the English parliament "should entertain sentiments so different from its own, respecting what was ever reckoned among the most important and essential rights of Englishmen," Waterbury continued her planting and harvesting, her living and dying, only now and then giving a word here, and a
404
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
line there, whereby we may faintly discern the paths in which her people were led. There are no records for town meetings in the year 1766. The missing leaf was probably lost in re-binding. It may have been that it is because of these missing pages that Water- bury's action on the reception of the following news is unknown. Certain "rate books" found in the Kingsbury house were enclosed in newspaper covers. One of the covers is a newspaper, of a single issue, printed at New Haven on Monday morning, May 19, 1766, bearing for its title: Glorious News. At eleven o'clock on Friday, May 16th, there arrived at Boston a brig belonging to John Han- cock, Captain Shubael Coffin, in "6 Weeks and 2 Days from Lon- don." Mr. Jonathan Lowder set off to bear the news the brig brought and "rode very hard," reaching New London at 9 o'clock Saturday night, and waiting, without doubt, until sundown on the Sabbath day before taking up his journey to New Haven, where he arrived on Monday morning. And this was the news, from the London Gazette, of March 18th, 1766: "This day His Majesty came to the House of Peers, and being in his royal robes seated on the Throne with the usual solemnity, Sir Francis Molineux, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, was sent with a Message from his Majesty to the House of Commons, commanding their attendance in the House of Peers. The Commons having come thither, His Majesty was pleased to give his Royal Assent to An Act to Repeal an Act made in the last Session of Parliament. When the King went to the House of Peers, there was such a vast concourse of People, huzza- ing, and clapping hands, that it was several hours before His Majesty reached the House. As soon as the Royal Assent was affixed to the Repeal of the Stamp-Act, the merchants trading to America dispatched a vessel which had been waiting, to put into the first port on the Continent with the news. The greatest rejoic- ings possible by all Ranks of People were held in London, the ships in the river displayed their colors. Illuminations and bonfires abounded, and the Rejoicings were as great as ever was Known on any occasion." In Boston, it "was impossible to express the Joy the Town was in on receiving the above great, glorious, and impor- tant news." The bells in all the Churches were set a-ringing, and a day for general rejoicing was to be held. An hour after Mr. Lowder reached New London, the guns in the fort were firing, and New Haven on Monday morning, was in like rejoicings. No paper it is safe to say was ever more welcome in Waterbury than was this issue of "Glorious News." We do not know who brought it here or how long the rider lingered at Stephen Hopkin's gate to tell the tidings, or who held him fast at Judd's Meadow until the story was
405
WATERBURY'S LATER YEARS AS A COLONIAL TOWN.
retold, but we do know that four days later, on Friday, a special Thanksgiving day was held throughout the colony. The rejoicings at Hartford were not only religiously observed, but bells and colors and cannon played their parts, and "preparations were making for a general illumination in the evening, when, accidentally, fire was communicated to a quantity of powder put in one of the lower rooms of the new brick school house (which stood where the Ameri- can Hall is now, 1881,) to be delivered out to the military and used on the joyful occasion. In an instant the building was reduced to a heap of rubbish. A number of young gentlemen had met to make sky rockets in the chamber over the room where the powder was deposited. About thirty were buried in the ruins, of whom six died."
A few days after this Thanksgiving was held, Joseph Hopkins of Waterbury asked the Assembly for "£32 4 814, or any part thereof, because Isaac Frazier, a transient person, broke open his shop (on the north side of West Main street) in the night, between the 5th and 6th days of October, 1765, and stole and carried away a large quantity of goldsmith's wares, with some monies." Mr. Hop- kins pursued the thief with men and horses, and found him at South Kingston in Rhode Island. He was returned to Waterbury, and committed to prison at New Haven at the above cost. Dr. Bronson tells us that Frazier "was sentenced to be executed, but asked for perpetual imprisonment, banishment or slavery instead, and that the request was not granted." We confess to a sense of relief at finding Dr. Bronson in probable error. According to Mr. Hopkins' plea, he was convicted before the Superior court, and punished- but as, after the punishment, he was bound to Mr. Hopkins for the payment of the sums expended in his capture, "but continued in service but four days and then absconded;" and, several years later, as one Isaac Frazier was "a prisoner in Fairfield county, for a cap- ital crime," we have ventured to infer that Isaac Frazier was not executed for stealing Joseph Hopkins's goldsmith wares in Water- bury.
A committee to remove encroachments from highways had for some time been an almost annual appointment, but in 1768 the same committee was impowered "by the majority of its members to lease for a reasonable rent during the pleasure of the Town, such parts of the highways as might reasonably be spared." In the same year the selectmen were bidden to allow the cost of building a room, eight feet long and six wide, for the use of keeping the Town stock (guns and ammunition), to any person who should build the same.
When England, at the close of the war with France in 1763, dis- persed the helpless Acadians and they were doomed to service in
406
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
the English colonies, six of the number were allotted to Waterbury. Special provision was made by Connecticut for the transfer from town to town of these most helpless mortals. In this year, the following act in our records is supposed to refer to a family of French Acadians : "Voted, to give the French Family in this town, in order to Transport sd. French Family into the Northward country, not exceeding Ten pounds, including Charitable Contribu- tions." It is supposed that they were landed, as were our soldiers in the Cape Breton expedition, at New London, and were then passed on from town to town to their appointed destination.
In May of 1768, "the proposal of a New county being erected in Woodbury " came before the town. This county was to include Woodbury, Waterbury, New Milford, Newtown, and New Fairfield. Waterbury's vote on the question was passed in the negative.
During sixty-seven years the inhabitants at Judd's meadow had, however rough the roads, or bitter the wintry winds, toiled upward to the Meeting-House green at the Town spot to attend divine service. In January, 1769, a modest petition for "priviledges " from Gideon "Hecox " and others of Waterbury, reached the Assembly. There is about that petition a pitiable little pathos, a half-guilty something, that is indefinable but potent to tell that Judd's meadow men felt their position to be that of an erring child. I suspect it was because they had so often joined in denying winter and society privileges to their own townsmen, that they were half ashamed to ask for themselves. Judd's meadow or South Farms is not even mentioned in the plea. The usual five-months' term of release was granted during the pleasure of the Assembly. In the same year Samuel Scott was collector of the colony tax. He became insolvent and conveyed his estate to the town as security for his collections. The town ordered his estate sold at a "Publick Vandue" at the dwelling house of the second Thomas Clark. In 1769 there were three Baptists in Waterbury. They are so noted in the rate-book for that year-their names being James Blakslee, Jacob Richmond, and David Cole. This was the same year in which Joseph Meacham, a Baptist minister, was prosecuted "at the suit of the king before the county court of Hartford, for solemnizing a marriage between Frances Baxter and Abigail Saxton." His punishment was a fine of twenty pounds, and six pounds cost, in lawful money. On prov- ing his innocence of intended evil-doing, his fine was forgiven him, but not the costs.
In 1770 the old question of the disposition of the school moneys which had been received by the town from the colony-funds which had arisen from the sale of the seven townships-came anew to the
407
WATERBURY'S LATER YEARS AS A COLONIAL TOWN.
front. The sales had taken place at a time when there was but one head in the township, and that head was the First church. West- bury and Northbury had already claimed their proportion according to their lists in 1732. Of the money arising from the Proprietor's gift, in 1715, of a £150 right in lands, the sale of which was to be used for the support of the ministry, the Church of England now claimed its equal proportion, and the town agreed that from 1770 the above money should be divided according to the claims of the various parties, and that the societies or parts of societies that should thereafter be formed should share in a like privilege. Cap- tain Samuel Hikcox (son of Deacon Thomas), Captain John Welton, and Captain Phineas Royce were chosen to go to the Secretary's office and search into the affairs relative to the matter, and to draw orders and give receipts relative thereto. The above vote very naturally was more than distasteful, and it was believed to be "against the common sense and practice of mankind." . Party strife entered into the struggle. It was the Town of Waterbury vs. The First Church and Society. From the latter emanated most vigorous protests. That of the Societies' committee of the First Society ran thus :
Whereas the town of Waterbury formerly (when consisting of but one ecclesias- tical society) was possessed of certain large quantities of lands devoted to the use of the ministry in the same. And whereas, since the sd town has been divided into several ecclesiastical societies, the inhabitants of sd societies convened in a town meeting did formerly undertake by their votes to sell part of the sd lands, and to divide the interest of the moneys raised thereby to and amongst sd societies- And now the said inhabitants have also voted that a certain party called the church of England, (which had no existence in sd town when sd lands was granted to the use of the ministry therein,) shall have their equal proportion of sd moneys, all which votes are an affringement on the property of the first society of sd Water- bury and contrary to the laws of this Colony-Therefore we the subscribers, society's committee in sd first society, do enter this our protest more especially against the last of the above sd votes made this day, as it is also against law and equity and the most important rites and interest of this society and against the common sence and practice of mankind, and request the same may be recorded in the office of the town clerk in sd Waterbury. Dated March 12, 1770.
(Signed) Andrew Bronson, Joseph Hopkins, Ashbel Porter, Dan. Welton, Ezra Bronson, society's committee of the first society of Waterbury.
On the same page the School committee of the First Society caused its protest to be recorded:
Whereas the Honble General Assembly of this Colony, in the year 1733, Granted certain moneys raised by the Sale of the Western [lands] (then so called) to the First society in Waterbury for the use of the schools in sd First society forever- And Whereas on this Day the Inhabitants of the several societies in a Town meet- ing have taken upon them to vote, and have voted that the said moneys shall be Divided to the, several societies in Waterbury contrary to the laws of this colony
408
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
Therefore we the subscribers school committees (intimating two schools as then existing at the town centre) in the First society Do Enter this our Protest against said vote as being unlawful unquitable and Injurious to Posterity, and Request that the same may be Recorded in the office of the Town Clerk in said Waterbury.
Dated this 12th Day of March, A. D. 1770.
Also Mr. Isaac Bronson Protested against sd. vote and Desired the same might be entered.
JONATHAN BALDWIN, ISAAC BRONSON, Ju". EZRA BRONSON, REUBEN BLAKSLEE,
School Committee of the First Society of Waterbury.
[The meeting Dismist.]
The First Church, without doubt, felt grieved and defrauded of that which had been its inheritance. Its power and its riches had joined hands and were fleeing away from it. A similar hour enters every human heart in its earthly course.
The next town meeting opened with "Prayer by the Rev'd Mark Leavenworth." It would seem that it was only on momentous occasions (born of sorrow or some weighty consideration), that the civil meetings of the community were fortified by prayer, before the year 1770.
In October 1770, the Society of Farmingbury was duly incorpo- rated on lines somewhat less in extent than those over which winter privileges had held sway. The society line passed through the middle of the dwelling houses of Caleb Barnes and Elijah Frisbie. After a series of mistakes in regard to the center of West- bury Society, the site for the second meeting house was finally deter- mined. The stake " was set about half a mile north of the old meeting house, on the west side of the highway from the old meeting house to Benjamin Richards Junr., in Wait Scott's orchard, about seven- teen or eighteen rods southwest from Wait Scott's dwelling house, and about fifteen or sixteen rods west from the highway." The stake, set by " Bushnel Bostwick, Abijah Catlin, and John Whiting Esq's. was to be included within the sills of the house."
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.