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 4
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Sam'11 Peck, Justice of the Peace.
This tract was afterwards divided between the above named proprietors, or their children, and such other persons as they chose to select, and on the twenty-seventh day of April, 1675, Lieutenant Jonathan Lockwood, Joseph Ferris, Angell Husted, John Reynolds, John Mead, Joshua Knapp and Sergeant John Bowers "were appointed and fully em- powered to lay out all ye lands lying between the Mianus and Byram Rivers, as it lieth below the Westchester Path [Post Road], and in May of the same year Angell Husted was appointed to draw the lots respecting each man's pro- portion in ye above lands and Mr. Holley was chosen to manage and order ye business respecting the lots to be drawn."
An Indian deed to that part of Greenwich, Old Town, not included in the first purchase, lying east of the Mianus River, is also recorded in the land records; as also an Indian deed to that part of the Town of Greenwich lying west of the Byram River, called the "Cauks Purchase."
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CHAPTER V.
REV. ELIPHALET JONES, FIRST SETTLED MINISTER-WILLIAM GRIMES' WILL-WILLIAM GRIMES' LAND-THE FIRST SOCIETY-DISSENSION IN THE FIRST SOCIETY-THE TOWN DIVIDED INTO TWO ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETIES- INCORPORATION OF THE SECOND SOCIETY.
IN order to comply with the requirements of the Colo- nial Legislature, which was that every town should maintain an orthodox minister (the Congregational Church was the authorized orthodox church of the Colony of Connecticut, and every freeman was obliged to contribute to its support unless specially exempted by some act of the Colonial Legis- lature), a call was extended by the town to the Rev. Eli- phalet Jones on the second day of February, 1669, with the understanding that if he should come and settle, "he is to have a parcel of land lying by Myanus River and a brook called Strickland Brook, and Sergeant Jonathan Lockwood, John Hobby and John Reynolds are hereby appointed to lay out said parcel of land." The call was accepted and the Rev. Mr. Jones remained settled as minister until 1672, when he was called to the church in Stamford, and in 1673 he was called to preach at Huntington, Long Island, where he died on the fifth day of June, 1731, leaving no children him surviving.
Huntington, in the History of Stamford, states that the Rev. Eliphalet Jones was the son of the Rev. John and Susannah Jones of Concord. His father came to New England in 1635 and settled at Concord, from whence he
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
removed to Fairfield in 1644, where he died the same year, leaving six children, among whom was Eliphalet, born Jan. 9, 1641, who entered Harvard College, but did not graduate. While settled here, he was a co-trustee with Joseph Mead and John Reynolds of the lands of William Grimes, late of Greenwich, Old Town (now Sound Beach), which were to be disposed of by them in such a way as they judged best for "inlarging of ye town of Greenwich," the details of which are herein fully set forth. After the Rev. Mr. Jones commenced his min- istry in Stamford, the parcels of land he was granted by this town were reconveyed to it on the tenth day of July, 1673.
Very little is known of an early settler by the name of William Grimes, except that he owned a tract of land con- sisting of something over thirty acres lying on the cove side of the point and west of the present trolley line, title to which was probably obtained by him before the incorpo- ration of the town in 1665. In 1670 he executed his will, and as far as can be ascertained from the records he died the same year. The will as it appears on the town records is as follows:
William Grimes, of Greenwich, his will. These testifie that I Weeliam Grimes of this towne of Greenwich, being of perfect memory and understanding, but being very sick in body, do give all my lands to ye disposal of Joseph Mead, John Renolds and Eliphalet Jones, to bee disposed of by them in such a way as thaye shall judge meet for ye inlarging of ye towne of Greenwich, by accommodating such inhabitant or inhabitants as shall bee admitted into ye towne in an orderly way, provided they be such men as the aforesd Mead, Re- nolds and Jones shall judge desirable for the prompting of church and commonwealth. This my deed of gift shall stand good and firme at ye time of my dissease.
Witness my hand this 18th July, 1670.
WILLIAM GRIMES.
Witness:
RUTH FERRIS.
DEBORA BARLOW.
. A VIEW OF PART OF THE OLD GRIMES TRACT AT SOUND BEACH, NOW KNOWN AS "SHORELANDS." THIS TRACT, CON- TAINING THIRTY-ONE ACRES WITH SHORE FRONT ON GREENWICH COVE, IS NOW BEING DEVELOPED BY THE SOUND BEACH SUMMER HOMES CORPORATION. THERE ARE NOW FIFTEEN COMPLETED HOMES ON THE PROPERTY.
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William Grimes' Will and Land
In 1691 the town received the following communication from the Rev. Eliphalet Jones in compliance with a request from it for information in regard to the disposal of the parcel of land formerly belonging to William Grimes.
Inasmuch as the Townsmen (selectmen) of ye towne of Greenwich have sent unto me for information about ye dis- posal of yt persale of land and meadow, which was William Grimes, to ye disposal of Joseph Mead, John Renolds and myself, to be disposed of by them, and as they saw most ad- vantageous to ye good and proffit of ye towne of Greenwich; so wee did all of us agree yt ye sd land should bee for ye use of a minister, as performing ye will, and it ought to have been so recorded and for as much as Joseph Mead is now deceased, and I myself being remote cannot act in my own person about it, I do constitute my friend Joseph Ferris of Green- wich, to act in my stead with John Renolds to see yt bee settled and recorded, as was firmly ordered. My mind is also that when at anytime the towne shall be without a minister, yt ye proffits of ye sd land shall go to helpe main- taine such as shall be imployed in teaching children to reade.
ELIPHALET JONES.
Huntington, Apr. 22, 1691.
This acknowledged by ye subscriber Eliphalet Jones, ye date aforesaid.
JOHN ARNOLD, EPENETUS PLATT. Theire Majesties Justices of ye Peace, County of Suffolk, on Long Island.
Greenwich, 1694, March ye 7th.
Wee, namely John Renolds and Joseph Ferris conserned in ye disposal of ye above so named Grimes' land as doth above appear, so for ourselves our heaires and sucksessors, now make this following disposal to stand good and Au- thentic for ever, namely, yt ye land and meadow yt was Grimes' be disposed of to ye towne for ye use of ye ministrie of personage land, and if no minister bee in ye place ye proffit of ye sd land and meadow be improved to help to maintain such as shall be imployed to teach children to read;
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
and wee do jointly agree that this our disposal do stand good for ye method of ye improvement of ye towne. Witness our hands ye date above sd.
JOHN RENOLDS. JOSEPH FERRIS.
Title to Grimes' land thereby became vested in the Town of Greenwich in trust, as aforesaid, and it held the same until the town was divided into two Ecclesiastical Societies in 1705, when it granted the same to the First Society "perpet- ually to ye use of ye ministrie," which was confirmed at the May Session of the General Assembly, 1705. The First Society held the title to the above premises until 1906, when it conveyed the same to George Archibald MacIntosh by deed recorded on the twenty-eighth day of November, 1906.
On the twenty-second day of August, 1671, the town set apart a meadow, consisting of three acres, to be a parsonage meadow for the minister's use, lying near Grimes' land, and on the twenty-second day of January, 1672, Sergeant Jona- than Lockwood, Angell Husted, and Joshua Knapp were ap- pointed a committee "to act in ye towne's behalf to treat and agree with Goodman Hobby for as much land as may be necessary and convenient for ye towne's use for to build a meeting house and for a common."
In 1673, May 23, Rev. William Leverich was called to be a minister of the gospel. 'He graduated from the Uni- versity of Cambridge, England, in 1625; arrived in the ship James at Salem, Massachusetts, on the tenth day of Oc- tober, 1633; was pastor of the church at Sandwich, Massa- chusetts, in 1638; pastor at Huntington, Long Island, 1658 to 1669; died at Newtown, Long Island, in 1692.
On the tenth day of May, 1675, Sergeant John Bowers, Joseph Ferris, and John Reynolds were chosen to be a com- mittee to arrange for a speedy construction of a comfortable house for a minister.
I See Thompson's History of Long Island, vol. i., p. 480.
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Dissension in the First Society
In 1676, Rev. Mr. Bishop was called to preach, but did not accept.
In 1678, March 22, Rev. Mr. Mather of Milford was called to preach, but did not accept.
In 1678, September 3, Rev. Jeremiah Peck was called to preach and accepted. He was one of the "27 Proprietors of 1672" of the Town of Greenwich, and in the fall of 1678 he was settled as minister of the First Society of Greenwich, and became the progenitor of the numerous Pecks still to be found in this vicinity. The first salary paid to the Rev. Mr. Peck was fifty pounds with firewood, or sixty pounds with- out. He chose the latter. A controversy arose in 1688, among the members of the society, upon the subject of in- fant baptism, and the Rev. Mr. Peck refused to baptise the children of non-professors, because he claimed to be unable to find any biblical command authorizing such a practice. He was for a time supported by a majority of the members of the Society. The matter, however, was brought before a town meeting held on the twenty-first day of May, 1688, and "ye major part of ye town did per vote desire Mr. Jeremiah Peck's continuance, and going on in ye work of ye ministrie amongst us."
PROTEST.
"We John Mead, Sen. and Jun., Nathaniel Howe, Francis Thorne, Thomas Close, John Hubbe, Sen. and Jonathan Heusted, do enter our protest against ye above sd rendering this our reason, which is as followeth, that this caule is not according to ye rules of ye gospel Mr. Jeremiah Peck refusing to baptise our children.
"Secondly, ye above sd John Mead's reasons are because sd Jeremiah Peck hath given him John Mead offence."
In compliance with the request of a majority of the in- habitants, the Rev. Mr. Peck continued to preach for the ensuing year, but at the end of that time there were so many to whom he had "given offence," that he was not again asked to continue, and was dismissed in 1689, after having preached
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
here eleven years. He is said to have removed to Water- bury, Connecticut.
In 1691, Rev. Abraham Pierson was called to preach and remained until 1694. IHis father, Rev. Abraham Pierson, graduated from the University of Cambridge, England, in 1632; came to Boston in 1639; united with those at Lynn, Massachusetts, who designed a settlement at Southampton, on Long Island, where he settled in 1640, and remained until 1644, when he removed to Branford, Connecticut, and from thence to Newark, New Jersey, in 1666, where he died on the ninth day of August, 1678. His wife was a daughter of Rev. John Wheelwright. His son Abraham, was born at Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1641; graduated from Harvard College in 1668; first assisted his father at Newark, New Jersey; re- moved to Connecticut and settled in Greenwich in 1691; settled at Killingworth in 1694; appointed first Rector of Yale College in 1701, which position he filled until the time of his death on the fifth day of May, 1707.
The town meeting on the ninth day of November, 1691, considered the necessity of a church and appointed the following building committee: John Mead, Sr., John Mead, Jr., John Hobby, Sr., Daniel Smith, Samuel Peck, and John Reynolds. At a subsequent meeting, held in 1694, it was decided that the meeting-house should be thirty-two feet long and twenty-six feet wide, and stand upon ye hill between the houses of Daniel Smith and Ephraim Palmer, which site was northwest of the old burying ground and southeast of the present church.
In 1695, Dec. 25, a call was extended to the Rev. Solo- mon Treat to preach, which was accepted, and he remained until 1697. The settlement at Horseneck (Borough of Green- wich) had increased so rapidly, that in the year 1696 the Rev. Mr. Treat preached there one Sabbath out of every three.
In 1697, the Rev. Joseph Morgan was called and settled as minister. His salary was sixty pounds and firewood. It was increased in 1698 to sixty-five pounds. He then
I See Thompson's History of Long Island, vol. i., p. 337.
41
Dissension in the First Society
preached one half the time at Greenwich, Old Town (now Sound Beach), and the other half at Horseneck (Borough of Greenwich), there being a steady increase of inhabitants at the latter place. In 1699 a sectional dispute arose between the inhabitants of Greenwich, Old Town (now Sound Beach), and those of Horseneck (Borough of Greenwich), and the Rev. Mr. Morgan took sides with the latter. The difficulty arose simply on the question of how much time should be devoted to the Horseneck people by the minister, they claiming one half and their brethren being only willing for them to have one third. The Horseneck people obtained the sympathy of the minister, and he lost the favor of the people on the east side of the Mianus River. The latter turned their anger upon the Rev. Mr. Morgan and circu- lated slanderous stories against him; while the former became his firmer friends, and were ready on every occasion to de- fend him.
It became evident, early in the year 1700, that should the Rev. Mr. Morgan choose to remain, a division would be the inevitable result of the difficulty, but he chose to resign rather than be the cause of bringing about a hopeless di- vision, and therefore tendered his resignation. It is as fol- lows on the town records:
Greenwich, 1700, May 9. Mr. Joseph Morgan's reasons wherefore hee seeth cause to leave ye work of ye Preaching ye Gospel in Greenwich.
Istly. Because there is not unitie in ye place, viz., Greenwich and Horseneck, for the publique worship of God.
2ndly. Because I do not see a probabilitie of there coming in Gospel order having given you warning long ago yt if thay were not promoters of unitie, I would desert ye towne.
3rdly. Because I see not yt masters of families do laye restraint upon there families on ye Sabbath night, which is a hindrance of my work.
4thly. Because yt ye aforesaid was one article which I declared to ye towne when I first came.
5thly. Because I see several good reasons yt I think it
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
may bee ye most for ye towne's of Greenwich advantage for me to desert ye towne, which several perticulars I have publiquely declared at a towne meeting, 1700, May ye 6th. Then having expressed my mind to ye towne at which time I tendered heare reason to ye outside of aneything yt aney person should bring against it expressing my desire to remain with you, if it might bee for ye best.
I not finding these things answered, I desire to leave ye towne, being loth in respect of thouse which will want me, offering to help to ye outside of my skill to gitt another minister.
JOSEPH MORGAN.
His resignation was accepted by the town, and later he became the first minister of the Second Society at Horse- neck (Borough of Greenwich).
In 1700, July 23, Rev. Nathaniel Bowers of Rye was called, and settled as a minister shortly afterwards. He re- mained until 1708.
On the seventeenth day of September, 1700, it was "in order to ye peace of ye situation and settlement of a min- ister ye major part of ye towne per vote do conclude that what lands are given for his settlement be layd out to him at Horseneck, the major part of ye inhabitants being at Horse- neck, that ye minister's place of residence be in Greenwich, old towne, and to preach one halfe of ye time in ye old towne and ye other halfe at Horseneck." In order to provide a suitable place for ye preaching of ye Gospel at Horseneck, it was, on the twentieth day of March, 1701, decided that "a meeting house be built at Horseneck, in all respects like the present meeting house, between John Reynolds and Angell Husted, Jr.," and the following committee for the new meeting-house were appointed: Thomas Close, Sr., Joshua Knapp, and Ebenezer Mead.
' In spite of all conciliatory measures, the troubles between the two settlements became so acute in 1705, that in order for ye peace of ye situation the town was divided into two ec-
I See Original Documents, Ecclesiastical Records, vol. i., pp. 166, 173, 194, 195, 196 in State Library and vol. ii., pp. 31-39.
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Divided into Two Ecclesiastical Societies
clesiastical societies by the following agreement, which was confirmed by the Colonial Legislature at the May session, 1705, and the incorporation of the Second Society duly au- thorized.
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT. I
Between ye inhabitants on ye East sid of Myanos River and ye Inhabitants of sd Greenwich on ye West sid of sd Myanos River.
Ist. That from the date of these presents there be liberty of calling, encouraging and settling the ministry of the gospel according to ye way of this Colony of Connec- ticut in two Societies on ye West side as well as on ye East sid of Myanos River.
2nd. That for ye encouragement of ye ministers on either sid of sd river there be a rate raised annually by ye yearly list of ye towne of Greenwich, of which ye one halfe to be collected for ye minister of ye East sid and ye other halfe to be collected for ye West sid of Myanos River, and yt for the present ye annual rate amount to forescore pounds in provision pay.
3rd. That all public charges consarning ye minister of ye gospel be equal, according to ye publick list.
4th. That thirty acres of land at Horseneck be se- questrated, to be continually for ye use of ye ministrie, according to ye way of sd Connecticut Colony at Horseneck, in ye lieu of Grimes' land commonly called, which belongs perpetually to ye use of ye ministrie on ye East sid of Myanos River, or Greenwich, old towne.
5th. That ye halfe of ye ordinary yearly salary for ye Minister in Greenwich be collected in proportion according to ye publick list of ye towne for ye minister residing at either place, whether Horseneck, or Greenwich, Old Towne, provided the other place be destitute of a minister.
6th. That it be at ye liberty of each Society to make choice of their respective ministers.
7th. That ye several percell of land on ye East sid of Myanos River, made choice of by Mr. Bowers and entered ·upon ye towne records, be absolutely given to ye minister on ye east sid, provided he be ordained, or Dye in ye place of his Improvement in Greenwich, and that upon ye same
1 Original Document in vol. ii., Ecclesiastical Records, p. 24, State Library.
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
provesion the lands on the west side of ye sd river offered unto but not accepted by sd Mr. Bowers be absolutely given and confirmed to ye minister of ye West sid.
8th. That eney right in common lands in Greenwich Mr. Bowers hath granted to him, or may have granted to him, as large and full a right in sd common lands be granted to ye minister at Horseneck.
9th. And finally, that it is ye desire and agreement of ye Inhabitants, both on ye east and also on ye west sid of Myanos River, that ye Articles be obliging and binding upon themselves and their heirs also after them. All ye above articles and primeses were published unto and voted by ye towne. Ye subscribers, committee of six Inhabitants of sd Greenwich, were appointed and ordered in ye name of ye towne to subscribe in confirmation of all and every ye. above articles.
Subscribed in presence of us:
JONATH. SELLECK, SR., JOHN DAVENPORT, SAMUEL HAIT, SR.,
DAVID WATERBURY.
On ye West sid of Myanos River:
EBENEZER MEAD,
TIMOTHY KNAPP,
JOSHUA KNAPP,
On ye East sid of Myanos River :
SAMUEL PECK, JONATHAN REYNOLDS, ROBERT LOCKWOOD.
Dated, March 5, 1705.
Separate church organizations will be continued later.
Up to 1703, all town meetings had been held in Green- wich, Old Town, but in that year it was voted that they should be held one half of the time at Horseneck. Also about this time so many settlers from Stamford and else- where had located in the western and northwestern parts of the town, that in 1704 the settlement had become so ex- tended that it was found impossible for one minister to at- tend to the wants of the inhabitants at both Horseneck and Greenwich, Old Town, therefore, in 1705 an agreement, by
Divided into Two Ecclesiastical Societies 45
and with the consent of the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut was made "betweene ye Inhabitants on ye East sid of Myanos River and ye Inhabitants of sd Green- wich on ye West sid of sd Myanos River, whereby the town was divided into two societies, as authorized by the General Court at the May session, 1705, the First Society being on "ye East sid of sd Myanos River," and the Second Society being on "ye West sid of sd Myanos River," as above set forth, thereby incorporating the Second Society.
CHAPTER VI.
BOUNDARY LINE-LIEUTENANT JONATHAN LOCKWOOD-LIST FOR 1688-YE OLD TAVERN-GREENWICH PATENT-LIST FOR 1697-REV. JOSEPH MORGAN, MILLER AT COS COB -- COS COB MILL AND LANDING-GRANTS FOR MILLS AT DUMPLING POND AND HORSENECK-WHARF AT HORSE- NECK-MIANUS MILL AND LANDING REV. JOHN JONES -PROBATE COURT AT STAMFORD-LETTER OF REV. STEPHEN MUNSON-INCORPORATION OF THE STANWICH SOCIETY.
AT a General Court held at Hartford on the eighth day of May, 1673, it was granted that the bounds of Greenwich were as follows:
'"That the line between Stamford and Greenwich at Tatomok Brook, where the lowermost path or road that now is to Greenwich cuts the said River and from thence to run a straight line to the west end of a line drawn from the falls of Stamford Mill River, which said line is to run a due west point toward Greenwich bounds, a meete mile; and from the west end of the said line to run due north to the present country road towards Rye; and from thence to run up into the country the same line as is between Norwalk and Stamford to the end of the bounds of the town."
2 " That the bounds between Greenwich and Rye is to be from the mouth of Byram River, to run up the river one quar- ter of a mile above the great stone lying in the cross path by the said river, and from thence the said course upwards, between Stamford bounds and the colony line, is to be equally di-
I Colonial Records of Connecticut.
2 See Collections of Connecticut Historical Society, vol. iv. for boundary dispute between New York and Connecticut.
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Lieutenant Jonathan Lockwood-List for 1688
vided between them by a parallel line with Stamford and Norwalk, to the end of their bounds up in the country."
The Greenwich bounds, as fixed by the General Court at Hartford on the eleventh day of May, 1671, ran to the north- ward twelve miles. The foregoing bounds were confirmed by the General Court on the fourteenth day of May, 1696.
Lieutenant Jonathan Lockwood, one of the leading and influential citizens, and commandant of the military forces of the town, died early in the year 1688, and the people met in town meeting and passed resolutions deploring the loss of so valuable a citizen. His brother, Gershom Lockwood, was chosen to fill his place on the various town committees.
The town during the same year took into consideration the building of a gristmill on the Mianus River, and also a bridge across the Mianus River at Dumpling Pond, now North Mianus. This was the first bridge built in the Town of Greenwich, and was built by Gershom Lockwood and his brother William Lockwood. They received for the work, according to an agreement made just before the construc- tion of the bridge commenced, "whatever the town should see fit to give after the work was done." This was originally part of the King's Highway between New York and Boston, later the Post Road, and remained so for one hundred years, until 1788, when the bridge at Mianus was rebuilt, and made into a cart and wagon bridge. The new arch bridge at Dumpling Pond, now known as North Mianus, was built in 1907, and it took the place of the bridge built in 1688.
The number of landowners had now increased to fifty- two, and the inhabitants probably exceeded three hundred. The list of landowners on the twenty-first day of May, 1688, as shown on the town records is as follows:
Austen, John, Banks, John, Bowers, John, Butler, Walter, Close, Thomas, Ferris, James,
Ferris, John, Ferris, Joseph, Ferris, Peter,
Finch, Joseph,
Howe, Nathaniel,
Hubbert, George,
1
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
Hubbert, William, Sr.,
Mead, Jonathan,
Hubbert, William, Jr.,
Mead, Joseph, Sr.,
Hubby, John, Sr.,
Mead, Joseph, son of John Mead,
Hubby, John, Jr.,
Hubby, Thomas,
Mead, Joseph, son of Joseph Mead,
Husted, Angell, Sr.,
Palmer, Ephraim,
Husted, Angell, Jr.,
Palmer, James,
Husted, Jonathan,
Palmer, Joseph,
Knapp, Joseph,
Peck, Caleb,
Knapp, Joshua,
Peck, Rev. Jeremiah,
Lockwood, Gershom,
Peck, Samuel,
Lockwood, Jonathan,
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