USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > Thirteen historical discourses, on the completion of two hundred years : from the beginning of the First Church in New Haven, with an appendix > Part 32
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" 1. That the first beginners of these plantations by the sea-side in these western parts of New England, being engaged to sundry friends in London, and in other places about London (who purposed to plant, some with them in the same town, and others as near to them as they might) to provide for themselves some convenient places by the sea-side, arrived at Boston in the Massachusetts, (hav- ing a special right in their patent, two of them being joint purchasers of it with others, and one of them a patentee, and one of the assist- ants chosen for the New England company in London,) where they abode all the winter following ; but not finding there a place suitable to their purpose, were persuaded to view these parts, which those that viewed approved; and before their removal, finding that no English were planted in any place from the fort (called Saybrook)
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to the Dutch, proposed to purchase of the Indians, the natural pro- prietors of those lands, that whole tract of land by the sea-coast, for themselves and those that should come to them ; which they also sig- nified to their friends in Hartford in Connecticut colony, and desired that some fit men from thence might be employed in that business, at their proper cost and charges who wrote to them. Unto which letter having received a satisfactory answer, they acquainted the Court of magistrates of Massachusetts colony with their purpose to remove and the grounds of it, and with their consent began a plan- tation in a place situated by the sea, called by the Indians Quillipi- ack ; which they did purchase of the Indians the true proprietors thereof, for themselves and their posterity; and have quietly pos- sessed the same about six and twenty years; and have buried great estates in buildings, fencings, clearing the ground, and in all sorts of husbandry; without any help from Connecticut or depen- dence on them. And by voluntary consent among themselves, they settled a civil court and government among themselves, upon such fundamentals as were established in Massachusetts by allowance of their patent, whereof the then governor of the Bay, the Right Wor- shipful Mr. Winthrop, sent us a copy to improve for our best advan- tage. These fundamentals all the inhabitants of the said Quillipi- ack approved, and bound themselves to submit unto and maintain ; and chose Theophilus Eaton, Esq. to be their governor, with as good right as Connecticut settled their government among themselves, and continued it above twenty years without any patent .*
"2. That when the help of Mr. Eaton our governor, and some others from Quillipiack, was desired for ending of a controversy at Wethersfield, a town in Connecticut colony, it being judged neces- sary for peace that one party should remove their dwellings, upon equal satisfying terms proposed, the Governor, magistrates, &c. of Connecticut offered for their part, that if the party that would re- move should find a fit place to plant in upon the river, Connecticut would grant it to them ; and the Governor of Quillipiack (now called New Haven) and the rest there present, joined with him, and prom- ised that if they should find a fit place for themselves by the sea-side,
* Connecticut, in the year 1644, purchased of the Lords Say-and-Seal, Brook and others, their establishment at Saybrook and their patent under the earl of Warwick, the bounds of which were the same with the bounds afterwards given to the colony by the charter of 1662. See Trumbull, I, 27, 148. The patent proved to be of no value.
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New Haven would grant it to them, which accordingly New Haven performed ; and so the town of Stamford began, and became a mem- ber of New Haven colony, and so continueth unto this day. Thus in a public assembly in Connecticut, was the distinct right of Con- necticut upon the river and of New Haven by the sea-side, declared, with the consent of the governor, magistrates, ministers and better sort of the people of Connecticut at the time.
"3. That sundry other townships by the sea-side and Southold on Long Island, (being settled in their inheritances by right of pur- chase of their Indian proprietors,) did voluntarily join themselves to New Haven, to be all under one jurisdiction, by a firin engagement to the fundamentals formerly settled in New Haven; whereupon it was called New Haven Colony. The General Court, being thus constituted, chose the said Theophilus Eaton, Esq., a man of singu- lar wisdom, godliness and experience, to be the governor of New Haven Colony ; and they chose a competent number of magistrates and other officers for the several towns. Mr. Eaton so well man- aged that great trust, that he was chosen governor every year while he lived. All this time Connecticut never questioned what was done at New Haven ; nor pretended any right to it, or to any of the towns belonging to this colony ; nor objected against our being a distinct colony.
"4. That when the Dutch claimed a right to New Haven, and all along the coast by the sea-side, it being reported they would set up the Prince of Orange's arms, the governor of New Haven, to prevent that, caused the king of England's arms to be fairly cut in wood, and set upon a post in the highway by the sea-side,* to vindi- cate the right of the English, without consulting Connecticut or seek- ing their concurrence therein.
"5. That in the year 1643, upon weighty considerations, an union of four distinct colonies was agreed upon by all New England, (ex- cept Rhode Island,) in their several general courts, and was estab- lished by a most solemn confederation ; whereby they bound thetn- selves mutually to preserve unto each colony its entire jurisdiction within itself, respectively, and to avoid the putting of two into one by any act of their own without consent of the commissioners from the four United Colonies, which were from that time, and still are,
* This was done in Feb. 1648, and the record of it is the only allusion to the king which I find before the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
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called and known by the title of the four United Colonies of New England. Of these colonies, New Haven was and is one. And in this solemn confederation Connecticut joined with the rest, and with us.
"6. That in the year 1644, the general court for New Haven colony, then sitting in the town of New Haven, agreed unanimously to send to England for a patent; and in the year 1645, committed the procuring of it to Mr. Grigson, one of our magistrates, who en- tered upon his voyage in January that year, from New Haven, fur- nished with some beaver in order thereunto as we suppose. But by the providence of God, the ship and all the passengers and goods were lost at sea, in their passage towards England, to our great [grief] and the frustration of the design for the time ; after which the troubles in England put a stop to our proceedings therein. This was done with the consent and desire of Connecticut to concur with New Haven therein. Whereby the difference of times, and of men's spirits in them, may be discovered. For then the magistrates of Con- necticut with consent of their general court, knowing our purposes, desired to join with New Haven in procuring the patent, for common privileges to both in their different jurisdictions, and left it to Mr. Ea- ton's wisdom to have the patent framed accordingly. But now they seek to procure a patent without the concurrence of New Haven ; and contrary to our minds expressed before the patent was sent for, and to their own promise, and to the terms of the confederation, and without sufficient warrant from their patent, they have invaded our right, and seek to involve New Haven under Connecticut jurisdic- tion.
"7. That in the year 1646, when the commissioners first met at New Haven, Keift, the then Dutch governor, by letters expostulated with the commissioners, by what warrant they met at New Haven without his consent, seeing it and all the sea-coast belonged to his principals in Holland, and to the Lords the States General. The an- swer to that letter was framed by Mr. Eaton, governor of New Haven and then president of the commission, approved by all the commis- sioners, and sent in their names with their consent to the then Dutch governor, who never replied thereunto.
"8. That this colony in the reign of the late King Charles the first, received a letter from the committee of Lords and Commons for foreign plantations, then sitting at Westminster, which letter was delivered to our governor, Mr. Eaton, for freeing the several distinct
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colonies of New England from molestations by the appealing of troublesome spirits unto England, whereby they declared that they had dismissed all causes depending before them from New England, and that they advised all inhabitants to submit to their respective governments there established, and to acquiesce when their causes shall be there heard and determined, as it is to be seen more largely expressed in the original letter which we have, subscribed, 'Your assured friends,
' PEMBROKE, ' MANCHESTER, ' WARWICK,
' W. SAY AND SEAL, 'FR. DACRE, &C. 'DENBIGHI.'
" In this order they subscribed their names with their own hands, which we have to show, and they inscribed or directed this letter- 'To our worthy friends the governor and assistants of the plantations of New Haven in New England.' Whereby you may clearly see that the right honorable, the Earl of Warwick, and the Lord Vis- count Say and Seal, (lately one of his majesty King Charles the sec- ond's most honorable privy council, as also the right honorable Earl of Manchester still is,) had no purpose, after New Haven colony, sit- uated by the sea-side, was settled to be a distinct government, that it should be put under the patent for Connecticut, whereof they had only framed a copy before any house was erected by the sea-side from the fort to the Dutch, which yet was not signed and sealed by the last king for a patent ; nor had you any patent till your agent, Mr. Winthrop, procured it about two years since.
"9. That in the year 1650, when the commissioners for the four united colonies of New England, met at Hartford, the now Dutch governor being then and there present, Mr. Eaton the then governor of New Haven colony, complained of the Dutch governor's encroach- ing upon our colony of New Haven, by taking under his jurisdiction a township beyond Stamford, called Greenwich. All the commis- sioners, (as well for Connecticut as for the other colonies,) concluded that Greenwich and four miles beyond it belongs to New Haven ju- risdiction ; whereunto the Dutch governor then yielded, and restored it to New Haven colony. Thus were our bounds westward settled by consent of all.
"10. That when the honored governor of Connecticut, John Winthrop, Esq., had consented to undertake a voyage for England to procure a patent for Connecticut in the year 1661, a friend warned him by letter, not to have his hand in so unrighteous an act, as so far to extend the line of their patent, that the colony of New Haven
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should be involved within it. For answer thereunto, he was pleased to certify that friend, in two letters which he wrote from two several places before his departure, that no such thing was intended, but rather the contrary ; and that the magistrates had agreed and ex- pressed in the presence of some ministers, that if their line should reach us, (which they knew not, the copy being in England,) yet New Haven colony should be at liberty to join with them or not. This agreement, so attested, made us secure, who also could have procured a patent for ourselves within our own known bounds ac- cording to purchase, without doing any wrong to Connecticut in their just bounds and limits.
"11. That notwithstanding all the premises, in the year 1662, when you had received your patent under his majesty's hand and seal, contrary to your promise and solemn confederation, and to common equity, at your first general assembly, (which yet could not be called general without us, if we were under your patent, seeing none of us were by you called thereunto,) you agreed among your- selves, to treat with New Haven colony about union, by your com -. missioners chosen for that end within two or three days after the assembly was dissolved. But before the ending of that session, you made an unrighteous breach in our colony, by taking under your patent some of ours from Stamford, and from Guilford, and from Southold, contrary to your engagements to New Haven colony, and without our consent or knowledge. This being thus done, some sent from you to treat with us, showed some of ours your patent ; which being read, they declared to yours that New Haven colony is not at all mentioned in your patent, and gave you some reasons why they believed that the king did not intend to put this colony under Connecticut without our desire or knowledge; and they added that you took a preposterous course, in first dismembering this colony, and after that treating with it about union ; which is as if one man proposing to treat with another about union, first cut off from him an arm, and a leg, and an ear, then to treat with him about union. Reverend Mr. Stone also, the teacher of the Church at Hartford, was one of the committee, who being asked what he thought of this action, answered, that he would not justify it.
" 12. After that conference, our committee sent, by order of the General Court, by two of our magistrates, and two of our elders, a writing containing sundry other reasons for our not joining with you ; who also, finding that you persisted in your own will and way, de-
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clared to you our own resolution to appeal to his majesty to explain his true intendment and meaning in your patent, whether it was to subject this colony under it or not ; being persuaded, as we still are, that it neither was nor is his royal will and pleasure to confound this colony with yours, which would destroy the so long continued and so strongly settled distinction of the four United Colonies of New England, without our desire or knowledge.
"13. That, accordingly, we forthwith sent our appeal to be hum- bly presented to his Majesty, by some friends in London, yet out of our dear and tender respect to Mr. Winthrop's peace and honor, some of us advised those friends to communicate our papers to Hon- ored Mr. Winthrop himself, to the end that we might find out some effectual expedient, to put a good end to this uncomfortable difference between you and us,-else to present our humble address to his Ma- jesty. Accordingly it was done; and Mr. Winthrop stopped the proceeding of our appeal, by undertaking to our friends that
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[Here the hand of the Secretary rested; and before he found time to finish the transcript, the New Haven jurisdiction had ceased to be.]
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No. XI.
LETTERS FROM JOHN DAVENPORT TO GOV. WINTHROP.
[THE following letters are from the autographs in the possession of Francis B. Winthrop, Esq., of this city. They have never before been published ; though they are occasionally referred to by Mr. Savage, who had access to them in preparing his invaluable edition of Winthrop's History.]
I.
Worthily honored Sir,-Upon frequent reports of God's gracious blessing your labors with good success in sundry cases, I was de- sirous to have made a journey to Pequot to confer with you about the state of my body, and desired Brother Andrews to signify the same unto you, by whom I understand that there is no conveniency for mine, and my wife's, and my son's lodging, and other accommo- dations there, and that yourself are upon a journey shortly for the Bay. I have therefore hired this Indian to be the bearer of these lines, and pray you to return by him your advice, not concerning my distemper, which I cannot so fully declare by writing, to your satis- faction and my own, as is meet, but concerning my way. My wife inclineth to our traveling with you to Boston, if you judge that a place and time fit for me to enter into any course of physic; but I hear the apothecary wants supplies of things, unless Carwithy be come ; and I hear that Mr. Ling, &c., newly returned from the Bay, saw a vessel at sea, about 200 tons, coming towards Boston, and I fear that your business there will not permit liberty for that, and that my body and the season will not suit it ; yet if you advise it as con- venient, I shall consider what you propound. If not, my desire is to know when you purpose to return if God please. I was glad when he told me that you had some purpose of coming into these parts ; and shall be more glad if I may understand from yourself that you continue that resolution, and will be pleased to put it into execution at your return from the Bay, and to accept of my house for your en- tertainment during your abode in these parts, there to refresh your- self with assurance that you shall be most heartily welcome to us. If you require it, for the preparing of directions suitable to my case,
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that I give you notice of it particularly beforehand, I shall by the next opportunity, answer your desires, upon notice when my letter may probably find you at home ; or if you encourage me to come to Pequot after your return, we shall attend you there. But if you can afford me some liberty of discourse with you here, before you journey to the Bay, I think that would be best ; and I should be very much obliged unto you for that your labor of love. However, let me re- ceive such answer as you can, by this bearer. Present my true re- spects to Mrs. Winthrop, with loving salutations to Mr. Blinman. The Lord Jesus dwell with you in peace! In whom I rest.
Sir, yours assured, JOHN DAVENPORT.
New Haven, this 20th d. of the 6th m. 1653. [Aug. 20th, 1653.]
To his honored friend, JOHN WINTHROP, Esq., these present in PEQUOT.
II.
Hond. Sir,-Your welcome lines dated Jan. 16, I received by this Indian, and read with gladness, giving thanks to God and you ; -to God for your health, and the health of your family and town ;- to you for your loving remembrance of me and mine, and for your mindfulness to prepare for us against the fit season, as also for my brother Hooke, who returneth by my pen hearty thanks for your re- spects towards him, which I signified unto him. The winter hath been extraordinarily long, and sharp, and sickly among us. Sundry have been afflicted with pain in their head and sides, and stoppings at their breasts; some were taken with great cold and shivering, others with sweating, but most with inward cold. Some are taken away by death, viz. four of this Church, and some of the town, be- sides children ; but most are restored to health again, though slowly. Your presence with us this winter might have been by the provi- dence of God, a great blessing to the whole town. I hope the season will shortly be altered ; and then I desire that we may proceed unto further use of means, for the perfecting of what remains to be attended in order to my health by the blessing of God, whereby I found some good as I apprehend, in the strengthening of my spirits for perform- ance of my ministerial work this winter, with some abatement of one cause of my weakness, whereof I gave you notice, though it still abideth with me in some degree. My family hath been kept from the common sickness in this town, by the goodness and mercy of
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God, this winter ; only Edmund, my man-servant, hath been exer- cised with it near unto death, but he is now, through the mercy of God, in an hopeful way of recovery. I have received some letters from England in Trumboll's vessel, whereby I perceive that things are there in a doubtful state ; and because I should be too tedious if I should relate particulars, I send you by this bearer, such books of intelligence as were sent me,-and in the same you will find enclosed some notes of the cases of some among us who desire to improve this opportunity to crave your advice and help. It is a singular fruit of God's favor to you, that he is pleased to make you his instrument in doing good to many. Yet I would not that your family should be endamaged thereby, which cannot be without guilt of unthankfulness in them who return not according to the benefit received. The fleet is gone from England for Hispaniola. Mr. Winslow is one of the council, not governor for aught I can learn. The small pox hath been the death of many in England, and the spotted fever. Capt. Astwood of Milford, is there dead, having first taken a great cold after his arrival, whereupon he was smitten with a dead palsy on one side, of which he died. I hope we shall enjoy your much desired company, with Mrs. Winthrop, at our house, sometime this month, where you may be assured of hearty welcome as the best part of your entertainment. The Lord Jesus dwell with you in peace and loving kindness; to whose grace I commend you and yours, affec- tionately, with respective salutations of yourself and Mrs. Winthrop, and Mrs. Lake, in both our names. I rest in him,
Yours obliged,
JOHN DAVENPORT.
Mrs. Disborough and Goodman Jones of Guilford, died of the small pox, in England or Scotland. Mrs. Bressey, [Bracie] a mem- ber of this Church, hath buried three children in a month, of the small pox, in England ; yet it is thought by some that the third child died of the plague, as Mrs. Evance informeth me ; but Mrs. Bressey in her letter to me saith they all died of the small pox. I find myself somewhat weaker in my spirits, and in my back, since our last Fast, which was ten days ago.
To his honored friend, JOHN WINTHROP, Esq., these present at PEQUOT .*
* No date is given to this letter. From the contents, however, it appears to have been written at the close of the winter of 1654-5,-ten days after
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III.
Honored Sir,-It troubled me not a little that the want of a pil- lion to carry my wife, and of horses to bring us back from Brother Moulthrop's, and some business to be attended by appointment at three o'clock that afternoon in the town, compelled us to part with you at the water-side, whom we purposed to accompany unto his farm. But I hope the Lord brought you safe and well to your family, and there comforted you with the effects of his good providence to- wards yours in their welfare. Mr. Samuel Eaton and his wife re- turned lately from Hartford where they were both ill. They say it's thought that air is infected at present. Sundry have been exercised with a distemper like to that which prevailed here the last winter ; but they are in a hopeful way of recovery ; and Capt. Conant is bet- ter. They have put such household stuff as they shall have use of, into a vessel bound hitherward, purposing to keep house here. The three weeks, during which you purposed to be absent from us, are now expired ; therefore here is now a general expectation of your re- turn. For which cause, Brother Moulthrop is sent to wait upon you, or to know the precise time thereof, that horses may be seasonably sent to meet you at the river's mouth, (so many as may suit your family,) and that something may be done towards the fitting of your house for their entertainment. My earnest and hearty desire is, that you would be pleased to accept this town's offer, and to settle your habitation among us, though you should dwell here but some part of the year, and another part at Pequot or wheresoever else your occasions may invite you to be. My wife joineth with me in that request, and in presenting respective and affectionate salutations to yourself, with Mrs. Winthrop and Mrs. Lake; and she prayeth you to be assured that any thing we have shall be at your service. Sister Glover, newly returned from Long Island, puts us in fear that you are in some thoughts about transporting your family to the Bay or to Connecticut ; but I cannot believe either, though I believe you may be inclined to both. I hope that this messenger will put a period to
the fast. At a General Court convened that winter, on the 30th of January, " the court considering the sad state of things in old England, our native country, as appears by what intelligence they have received from thence since they came together, thought it their duty to set a day apart in the whole jurisdiction, for humiliation and solemn seeking of God," &c., " which will be on the last day of February next." Ten days after that fast, would make the date of the letter 10, 1, 1654, [10 March, 1655.]
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all such intimations, either by your personal return with him hither, or by some letter from you signifying the determined time when we may expect you. For you freely promised to stay with us at least a month or six weeks this spring, for the carrying on further what you have begun in my case and Mrs. Hopkins's, &c. Then we shall have opportunity of conferring de futuris. In the mean time, and ever, the good Lord recompense all your labor of love an hundred fold unto you and your family, and make your journey to us speedy and prosperous ; in whom I rest,
Your obliged and thankful friend and servant, in any office of love, JOHN DAVENPORT. New Haven, this 14th day of the 2d m. 1655 [Apr. 14, 1655.]
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