USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Greenwich > Ye historie of ye town of Greenwich, county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, with genealogical notes on the Adams. > Part 3
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In 1649 the settlers here had cause to complain of the treatment they were receiving from the inhabitants of Stam- ford, and therefore sent the following communication to Governor Stuyvesant, who was then in charge of affairs at New Amsterdam.
RIGHT HONORABLE:
We the inhabitants of Greenwich doe make bould to present your honors with a few lins and to informe you with our state and condition as followeth:
Our neyghbors of Standford hath allways desired and endeavored to depoppolate this plase of Greenwich and to leave it without inhabitants that so the prophit may redoune to themselves as might be proved by divers instances; and now they lay howld upon a new ocasion as we aprehend, for such an end Mr. Feke being returned agayn from old Eng- land; they make use of his wekenes and sillines to wring the land out of Mr. Hallett's hands and they stand redy as we think to gayne a grant from your honor for such a thing. But we hoope your honor will seriously consider before they drawe forth such a request from you; we cannot see that
I See O'Callaghan's Documentary History of New York.
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
Mr. Feke has any right to it although he joined in the pur- ches, yet the former governor protested agaynst them and sent the vandrager [ensign] and souldiers and required them to submit to the government or avoyde the plase. Mr. Feke allways withstood it whereupon when the governor required their answer the captain and Mrs. Feke submitted to them; she having full power of his estate; whereupon the gover- nor judging him unfite to dispose a plantation, gave the land to Mrs. Feke as her own for inheritance to dispose of as she plesed and she has disposed of the land hithertoe and has given out it to this day; this therefore, is our request to your honor to mayntayn Mr. Hallett's right agaynst them and in his right our's, we having our land from her. If your honor conceive Mr. Feke should be payd for the purches Mr. Hallett is willing to be countable to him for it, . hous and that little land he improved Mr. Hallett will keep . . eldest sonne and will lay some more land to it; as for Mr. Feke . .. together according to the council of New England and doe not ... his own right, whos counsell we have ground to thinke according to . . custom will tend to the subversion of this plase for it is Greenwich, which they thirst for. Nayther would they sett satisfied with that; might they obtain their desires; we question not but many things might be brought to your honor which will never be proved; but we rest upon your honor's wisdom and fayth- fullness, that you will regard none of them; they persuaded Mr. Feke allso to take all the state from Mrs. Hallett, as we heer; not withstanding he had by writing given her halfe; your honor has established Mr. Hallett heer and we hoope you will mayntayn his right. We have told you above what they long for and soe being assured your honor will doe more and beter than we can direct we rest.
From Greenwich, September 18, 1649, New Stille.
Yours in what we may Robert Heusted, Thomas Sherwood, Richard Crab, John Coo [Coe].
The following year, 1650, the Dutch ceded to the New Haven Colony their claim to territory now within the bounds of the State of Connecticut.
CHAPTER IV.
GREENWICH UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE NEW HAVEN COLONY-GREENWICH A PART OF STAMFORD-EARLY DEEDS-JOHN MEAD-GREENWICH UNDER THE JURIS- DICTION OF THE COLONY OF CONNECTICUT- INCOR- PORATION OF GREENWICH INTO A TOWN-EARLY TOWN MEETINGS - PATRICK COMPROMISE - SETTLEMENT AT HORSENECK (BOROUGH OF GREENWICH).
As has been before stated, the Dutch laid claim to Con- necticut as far east as the Connecticut River, and when the English made settlements within this territory at Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford in 1633, the Dutch, in order to recover it and remove the English settlers, threatened a re- sort to arms and sent an expedition up the Connecticut River for that purpose, but the dispute was afterwards ami- cably settled. By an agreement made at Hartford in 1650, between the Dutch governor of New Amsterdam and the English, the territory in question was surrendered to the New Haven Colony, and the boundary line was made as follows:1 to commence on Long Island on the westernmost part of Oyster Bay, and so in a straight and direct line to the sea; and upon the mainland a line to begin on the west side of Greenwich Bay and so run in a northerly line twenty miles up into the country, and after as it shall be agreed upon by the two governments, provided said line come not within ten miles of the Hudson River. In 1673 the western bound-
I See Colonial Records of Connecticut.
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
ary line of Greenwich was made to commence at the mouth of the Byram River by an act of the Colonial Legislature.
Robert Feaks, one of the original purchasers of Green- wich, Old Town (now Sound Beach), from the Indians, through ill health, becoming unable to attend to his usual business affairs as early as 1642, had duly authorized his wife, Elizabeth Feaks, to act in his stead, and it was she and Captain Daniel Patrick, the other original purchaser, who surrendered the town to the jurisdiction of the Dutch in 1642, although they bought it as agents for the New Haven Colony. After the death of Captain Patrick in the fall of 1643, the Dutch governor placed the Manor of Greenwich in charge of William Hallett, who remained in charge until he was ban- . ished by the Council at New Amsterdam in 1648, after which Richard Crab seems to have been the leading citizen until the town formally submitted to the jurisdiction of the New Haven Colony in 1656. He was a freeman at Hart- ford in 1639, and one of the first settlers in Stamford in I64I.
Although Greenwich, by the terms of the agreement made at Hartford in 1650, between the Dutch governor of New Amsterdam and the English, became a part of the New Haven Colony, it must be borne in mind that it was con- sidered as part of the Town of Stamford, and it was in fact principally settled by people from Stamford, who exercised jurisdiction over it until it was formally declared a town by an act of the Colonial Legislature, passed in 1665.
I In 1656, representations were made to the General Court at New Haven that the inhabitants of Greenwich lived in a disorderly and riotous manner, sold intoxicating liquors to the Indians, received and harbored servants who had fled from their masters, and joined persons unlawfully in marriage. The Colony of New Haven thereupon resolved to assert its jurisdiction over the town and bring its citizens to a more orderly manner of living, and sent letters to the settlers in Greenwich requesting them to submit to its au-
I See Records of the New Haven Colony.
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Greenwich Part of Stamford
thority. They returned an answer, refusing on the grounds that Greenwich was an independent state under letters patent from the King of England; that New Haven had no right to set up such a claim, and that they would never submit to its jurisdiction unless compelled to do so by Parliament. The General Court, however, determined to maintain its position, and called upon the citizens of Greenwich to produce the alleged letters patent, and on their failure to do so, or submit to the jurisdiction of the New Haven Colony warrants for the arrest of Richard Crab and some others of the most stubborn would be issued. Richard Crab and his followers, being unable to produce the alleged letters patent and not ready for martyr- dom, promptly yielded to the jurisdiction of the New Haven Colony, and on the sixth day of October, 1656, the inhabitants of Greenwich declared their submission to the jurisdiction of the New Haven Colony by executing the following agreement:
At Greenwich ye 6th October 1656. Wee the inhabi- tants of Greenwich, whose names are underwritten, doe from this day forward freely yield ourselves, place and estate, to the government of Newhaven, subjecting ourselves to the order and dispose of that General Court, both in respect of relation and government, promising to yield due subjection unto the lawful authoritie and wholesome laws of the juris- diction aforesaid.
Angell Husted, Thomas Steed well,
Lawranc Turner, Henry Accorley,
John Austin, Peter Ferris,
Richard Crab,
Joseph Ferris,
Jonathan Reanolds, Hanc Peterson,
Henry Nicholson, Jan, a Dutchman, commonly called Varllier.
Greenwich was thereupon accepted by the New Haven Colony as a part of Stamford, and from the time of its sub- mission it was exempted from taxes for one year. The settle- ment and growth of the town thereafter progressed very rapidly.
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
I Richard Crab seems to have acquired the interest of Captain Daniel Patrick, and on the twenty-second day of February, 1658, he conveyed to Thomas Studwell a parcel of land consisting of three roods, more or less, lying between William Hubbard's land, the aforesaid Crab's house-lot, the highway bounding the front, and Angell Husted's land the rear. This parcel of land was afterwards, on the twenty- first day of December, 1661, conveyed to John Mead.
On the twentieth day of September, 1659, William Hubbard purchased a parcel of land from John Coe (being part of the Feaks' interest), consisting of a house with half an acre of land, more or less, with the swamp adjoining thereunto, bounded easterly by the land of Richard Crab, southerly by lands of Angell Husted, and westerly by the highway.
On the twenty-sixth day of October, 1660, John Mead made his first purchase of land in the Town of Greenwich from Richard Crab, as appears from the following deed found on the town records:
These presents witnesseth an agreement made betwene Richerd Crab, of Grenwich, on ye one side, and John Mead, of Heamstead, on Long Island, on ye other side, viz .: Ye said Richerd Crab hath sould unto ye sd John Mead all his houses and Lands, yt sd Richerd Crab hath in Greenwich with all ye Apurtenances, Rights, & Privileges, & Con- veniences, yt Doth belong unto ye sd houses & Lands, or shall here after belong unto them, viz .: ye house yt Richerd Crab liveth in, ye house yt Thomas Studwell liveth in, with ye Barne yt is on ye side of ye hye waye; also ye home lott yt ye house stands on, being bounded with a fence lying about them on ye northwest, against ye house lott; also Eightene Acres of Land in Elizabeth neck, more or less, being bounded by ye sea on ye east and southeast, and a fence on ye west, northwest, and ye north.
Also ye Rig, with 5 acres of Meadow lying in it, more or less; ye rig being bounded by ye Sea on ye southeast, william low on ye east, and ye fence on ye northwest, & north ye hye waye & hethcut's & angell Heusteds on ye west; also 3 acres
I Minutes of Town Meetings.
Early Deeds-John Mead-Greenwich a Town 27
of meadow in ye long meadow, & I acre of meadow by Ferris, bounded by Jeffere Ferris land on ye southeast, and ye cove on ye west and northwest; also 5 acres of meadow in myanos neck. all ye above spesiffied I do hereby acknoledge to have sould unto ye above sd John Mead, his heaires and asignes, fully and freely to be possest forever, and for ye quiet and full performance hereof, I have hereunto sub- scribed my hand, anno 1660, October 26 Daye.
Richerd Crab.
Adam Mott, Witnesses.
Robt. Williams,
John Mead married Hannah, daughter of William Potter of Stamford. Her father afterwards owned Shippan Point, and through her he received a considerable amount of property.
The following anecdote, which has been preserved by tra- dition, shows his character: One day when he was quite an old man, as he was going for his grist on horseback to the mill at Dumpling Pond, before he reached the Mianus River he overtook an old Quaker jogging slowly along loaded with a heavy budget. In a real spirit of kindness he offered to take the Quaker's load upon his horse, and thus give him a lift on his journey. "No," replied the Quaker, "thee don't get my bundle, for I can read men's thoughts. Thee wants to get my bundle, and then thee 'll run off. Thee don't get my bundle." "Very well," was the simple reply, and so they went slowly on together. At last they came to the brink of the Mianus River. Here the Quaker was really in trouble. How to cross a river, two or three feet deep, dry shod, was quite a puzzle. But he gladly accepted a second offer of assistance from the horseman. The bundle was mounted in front, John in the middle, and the Quaker behind. Arriving at the centre of the river, in pretending to adjust his stirrup, John caught the Quaker by the heel and gave him a gra- tuitous bath. Such treatment was too much, even for Quaker forbearance, and the victim, with his hands full of pebbles, would have taken summary vengeance, had not the other party threatened to put the bundle under a similar
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
course of treatment. This threat, and the lecture following it, gradually cooled off the Quaker's anger. John informed him that all had been done for his good, to teach him a lesson, and the lecturer said he hoped the stranger would never again profess to read men's thoughts. "For," said he, "I asked you to ride, kindly in the first place, when you refused; but at the second time of asking, I really intended to do as I have just done." So saying, and tossing the bundle back, he rode on, leaving his companion to apply the moral as he thought best.
In 1670 John Mead was propounded for a freeman of Greenwich by the Assembly, and was a member of the Assembly in 1679, 1680, and 1686.
The State of Connecticut was originally settled by two separate colonies, the Colony of Connecticut and the Colony of New Haven, the capital cities being Hartford and New Haven respectively. In 1665, these two colonies were united under one government called the Colony of Connect- icut, retaining, however, the two capital cities until May, 1875, and at a session of the General Court held at Hartford on the second day of May, 1665, Greenwich and Stamford were declared to be under the government of the Colony of Connecticut.
I At a session of the General Court held at Hartford on the eleventh day of May, 1665, "Upon ye motion and desire of ye people of Greenwich, this court doth declare that Greenwich shall be a township intire of itself, provided they procure and maintain an orthodox minister; and in the meantime and until that be effected they are to attend ye ministry at Stamford and to contribute proportionately with Stamford to ye maintenance of the ministry there." 2 The patent was confirmed and issued in 1697.
According to the town records the first town meeting was held on the fifth day of February, 1664; whether this was new style or old style is not known, but it was probably after the petition was made for the incorporation of Green-
1 Colonial Records of Connecticut.
2 See copy of patent post.
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Early Town Meetings, 1664-1667
wich into a town. At this meeting "the proprietors having taken into consideration what wee thought might make best for ye Comfortable Settlement of our towne in Refference to which wee do conclude to laye downe our Rites in common lands lying without fence, menn's particular allotment exempted. Wee do agree and conclude that our Rites as above specified are now to bee Settled upon all inhabitants that now are or shall hereafter bee added unto us, that they shall bee admitted unto all our lands as aforesd with our- selves and as ourselves by a Rule of proportion according to what each man's estate shall bee visable, upon these con- siderations that they with us shall constantly endeavor to maintaine and too uphold the ministre amongst us.
Secondly yt they with us shall maintaine and uphold, strengthen and confirme ye Privileges of ye town. The Proprietors are as followeth: Jeffre Ferris, Senre; Joshua Knapp, Senre; Joseph Ferris; Jonathan Reynolds; Angell Heusted, John Mead, Senre; John Hobbe."
The following year it was decided " that none shall bee admitted to bee an inhabitant, but only such who shall bringe under the hand of ministers and Magistrates, or selectmen of the place, from where they or hee come a Ser- teficate to testifie of their orderly life and conversation, and not untill then to be admitted inhabitants, excepting such who may bee well known to ye towne's good satisfaction without a Serteficate; also that ye minister of ye place is to have his libertie of vout in order to ye receiving in of any inhabitant into ye place."
In 1667 a schoolhouse was established, and on the four- teenth day of October it was " agreed uppon and voted that the scoolmaster's sum for teaching scoole must be payd ac- cording to ye number of scoullars that went to scoole." The town records do not show where the schoolhouse was situ- ated at Greenwich, Old Town (now Sound Beach), but it was probably on the Long Island Sound side of the point, and the school, thus early established, shows that Green- wich, then as well as now, properly appreciates the
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
advantages of a good education and the facilities for obtaining it.
In the year 1669, Daniel Patrick, the only son and heir of the original settler by that name, came hither from Flushing, Long Island, and opposed the doctrine of squatter sover- eignty, by asserting his claim to all the land which his father had owned here, but which had now passed to different hands. But as young Patrick, like his father, was of a roving disposition, a compromise was easily effected, and "all his right, title, and interest in any lands or estate in the settlement," were bought with a horse, saddle, and bridle, and fifty pounds, and a deed obtained from him on the four- teenth day of March, 1670, after which he left for parts unknown.
The town meeting held on the sixth day of May, 1669, considered for the first time the advisability of making a settlement at Horseneck (Borough of Greenwich), and Jonathan Reynolds, Sergeant Jonathan Lockwood, Good- man Huestead, John Hobby, and John Mead were appointed to make a survey "of Horseneck and the lands thereabouts to find whether or no ther can bee a sutable encouragement in point of land and other consideration for the settlement of a township." On the ninth day of December, of the same year, the committee on the proposed Horseneck Plantation were further empowered "to see how farr convenient it is to' exchange forty accres with Mr. Banks, and if these men do find it convenient, then to lay it out uppon ye exchange."
The above committee, owing to the ill health of Jona- than Reynolds, were unable to perform their duties as ex- peditiously as their fellow-townsmen wished, so a new committee was appointed, consisting of Sergeant Jonathan Lockwood, John Hobby, Joshua Knapp, John Reynolds, and Mr. Holley1 "to goe forth to take a survey of the afore- said land and to make report to ye towne how farr forth they find matters of encouragement for ye settlement of a town- ship and in case any three of ye first four men do goe forth, it
: John Holley, the leading citizen of Stamford.
31
Settlement at Horseneck
shall be as effectual as the four, only Mr. Holley is to bee one if it can bee." On the sixth day of February, 1670, the new committee made their report, and a committee was there- upon appointed, consisting of Mr. Holley, Sergeant Jonathan Lockwood, John Mead, and Joseph Ferris "to lay out a township uppon the land lieing near Horseneck Brook to ye number of thirty lots, four accres to a home lot, if ye tract will bear it, and bee mindful for a peece of land for a common whear it is most meet." Title to the property was obtained from the Indians as soon as possible and the land laid out into home-lots.
The landowners, at this time, in the Town of Greenwich were twenty-seven, and they were styled the "27 Pro- prietors of 1672," and their names as they appear on the town records, but alphabetically arranged, are as follows:
Asten, John,
Lockwood, Jonathan,
Bowers, John,
Marshall, John,
Butler, Walter,
Mead, John,
Close, Thomas,
Mead, Joseph,
Ferris, James, Ferris, Joseph,
Palmer, Ephraim,
Palmer, John,
Finch, Joseph,
Peck, Jeremiah,
Heusted, Angell,
Peck, Samuel,
Hubbert, William,
Ratleff, William,
Hubbe, John,
Renalds, John,
Jankens, Samuel,
Renalds, Jonathan,
Knapp, Joshua,
Rundle, William,
Lockwood, Gershom,
Sherwood, Stephen,
Smith, Daniel.
The original Indian deed for the Horseneck Plantation is still in existence, and is dated the first day of February, 1686, but was not recorded until 1701. It appears as follows on the town records:
Witness these presents, yt whereas, wee to witt, Kow- aconussa and Kouko, and Querrecqui and Peattun and Pakoh- chero and Rumppanus, we do all owne and declare ourselves to be ye true proprietors of all ye land or lands which lyeth
32
Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
or yt is betweene Mianus River and Biram River and to run to New York line to mett yt line which is for ye deviding New York Collony bounds and Conectuct Collony bounds Respecting lands. Now wee ye proprietors of ye above sd lands as is above mentioned wee do all and each of us do freely acknowledge to have sould all our right, title and interest to ye above sd lands unto Lieut. Jonathan Lockwood, Sergt. John Bowers, John Renalds, Senir, John Marshall, Joseph Mead, Senir, John Hubbe, Senir, and John Mead, Senir, which are ye towne's committee to act and do what is don which is to be in ye Towne's Behalfe, and now wee ye above named to witt, Kowaconussa, Kouko, Querrecqui, Peattun, Pakohchero and Rumppanus, wee doe freely and firmly resigne up and pase over all our right, title and interest in ye above sd land or lands unto ye above sd Lieut. Jonathan Lockwood, Sergt. John Bowers, John Re- nalds, Senir, John Marshall, Joseph Mead, Senir, John Hubbe, Senir, and John Mead, Senir, for them and their executors, administrators and assigns Quietly to possess and enjoye as their own forever, promising to free ye sd sale from all former bargains, claims, mortgages or incumbrances of what nature or kinde soever, and wee also doe freely acknowledge yt for an in consideration of ye above sd land or lands, we have re- ceived full satisfaction in land to witt, planting land, the which land is fenced in at Cos Cob Neck ye lower point which is below ye Seller, ye quantitie of ye planting land is by estimation about thirtie acres, ye medow land is all excepted and excluded and ye above sd land to witt, ye planting land yt is fenced in at Cos Cob is to abid ours for our use during our lives and to returne to ye towne for ye towne to make use of and improve as their own propertie in reference to ye four pappooses, it is to be understood yt three of ye four are each of them tenn years olde and ye fourth pappoose is now a year olde and Pakekcho is ye mother of ye gerle which is tenn years olde and ye mother of ye second being a childe is a boye tenn years olde ye sd boye's mother's name is Oruns, and ye third being a boye tenn years olde his mother's name is Wetorrum and Kowakconnisso is gran mother, ye younge. child is about a year olde a boye, and these four children as mentioned are ye four pappooses who are to enjoye ye above mentioned planting land during their lives and then at their decease or end of their lives ye land aforesaid is to bee as full satisfaction for ye land bought and sould as aforsd which is to be for ye use and beneffitt of Kowaconussa, Kouko,
Indian Deed
Querrecqui, Peattun, Pakohchero and Rumppanus during their lives and ye lives of ye children being in number four, and then to be returned to ye towne for their use and im- provement as their own propertie, ye towne to take pos- session and to be repossessed of ye aforesd land without molestation or aney disturbance and for ye true performance and making good ye premises . .. respecting what is here contained in every perticular yt is here mentioned, wee doe sett our hand as our now free act and deed in Greenwich. February ye 1, 1686. Witness Rumppanus, Thomas
Close.
Pakohchero,
Kowaconussa,
(Their marks)
Kouko,
C 2
Querrecqui,
€
Peattun,
February ye 2, 1686.
I, Wesskum, who am four score years old and upwards do testifie yt those Indians who have subscribed unto this Bill of Sale yt thaye were ye true proprietors of all ye land thaye sould as here mentioned on ye other side upon my sertaine knowledge of ye mater.
Given under my hand to be ye Truth by me ye above sd Wesskum, who am a sagamore of Wapping.
Wesskum (His mark).
We, Thomas Close and Henere Rich did heare two Indian sagamores say yt ye above named Indians who have sub- scribed yt thaye were ye true proprietors of all ye land thaye
3
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
have sould according to what is here mentioned and ye above mentioned sagamores are very olde in aperance. This is the Truth.
Given under our hands ye day and date above sd.
Thomas Close, Henere Rich, IR (His mark)
Anno, 1701, July, 31, Thomas Close and Henere Rich apered and gave oath unto ye above written to which they have subscribed before mee.
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