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GAYLORD |
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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924074487913
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JOSI'l'll PI'.RKINS 1{1-:aCII.
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HISTORY
OF
Cheshire,Connecticut
FROM
1694 to 1840 •
INCLUDING PROSPECT, WHICH, AS
COLUMBIA PARISH, WAS A PART
OF CHESHIRE UNTIL 1829
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY
JOSEPH PERKINS BEACH
PUBLISHED BY
LADY FENWICK CHAPTER, D. A, R.
Cheshire, Conn.
1912.
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Copyright, 1912, by Lady Fen wick Cp after, D. A. R.
PRESS OF THE JOURNAL PUBLISHING CO., MERIDEN, CONN.
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Like leaves on trees the race of man is found;
Now green in youth, now withering on the ground. Another race the following spring supplies;
They fall successive, and successive rise. So generations in their course decay;
So flourish these zvhen those have passed away.
— Speech of Diomedes, Homer, Book VI.
How the stately years march onward!
Hoiv the centuries increase! Hoiv the cycles roll and gather!
How the lives of mortals cease! Life is hut a repetition —
For the man zvho lives to-day, Loves and hopes lilee countless millions.
Who have lived and passed away.
— Chester.
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PREFACE
Few persons realize how much labor is involved in the prep- aration of a work of this kind. The collection and selection of the material is often the work of years. Many weary hours must be spent in copying faded records and deciphering weather-worn grave stones. Names and dates must be ver- ified, necessitating frequent journeys to other places to con- sult reliable sources of information, all involving expense of time and money. Finally, good judgment must be used in separating the wheat from the chaff, and skill exercised in making the story clear and interesting. This is all the work of no lazy man.
My father, the late Joseph P. Beach, the author of this his- tory, was a pupil at the Episcopal Academy in Cheshire dur- ing the years 1840 and 1841, and thus became interested in the town in his early years. Frequently, during his active busi- ness life, he made vacation trips to the scene of these pleasant school days, thus refreshing his memory of faces and places connected with them.
In 1869, when he retired from business, he became a per- manent resident of Cheshire, and from that time to the end of his life much of his leisure time was occupied in genealogical, and historical research. While gathering material for a paper to be read at the Centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Cheshire, he became especially interested in the early history of the place.
Declining many requests for the publication of this paper, he began the compilation of this more comprehensive history which, he knew, would be of more permanent value. With his faithful little horse "Dolly," he made frequent trips to con- sult the records of the town of Wallingford, with which
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» PREFACE.
Cheshire was closely connected during its early history; and he often journeyed to New Haven and Hartford to examine the colonial records of those towns and satisfy his desire for truth and accuracy.
For a number of years after the preparation of this history it remained unpublished, but when the Lady Fenwick Chap- ter, D. A. R. requested the privilege of printing it, my father willingly consented. It is now sent forth with the earnest hope that it may strengthen the purpose of the town to make its present history worthy of its past and that all who read it may renew their interest in old Cheshire.
Louisa B. Beach. New Haven, Conn.
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INTRODUCTION
The delay in publishing this History was caused by finding among Mr. Beach's papers (which were turned over to me) sev- eral pages of manuscript with notes and data down to about 1840. As it had been Mr. Beach's wish to have this important period covered, and as it seemed unfair to him that so much of his labor and time should go unnoted, it was decided that the work should be carried on to that date, writing it out from these notes and memoranda. Necessarily this took time, as much copying and verifying of old records was necessary.
Mr. Beach's own work ends with the first paragraph on page 238, and while the remainder lacks his skillful pen and happy phrasing, yet we have tried to make it accurate, and we hope our readers will feel that we did well to add it.
Any additions or corrections discovered in the progress of the work will be noted at the end of the book.
Nettie C. Smith.
Cheshire, April, 1912.
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ILLUSTRATIONS
Pack
Joseph Perkins Beach . r Frontispiece
Map of the Town of WaUingford, 1670-72 22
On ye Guard, 1640 31
Map of Falls Plain Division, 1689-90 37
A Fortified House, 1679 38
Map of the "Villiage," 1723 81
Congregational Church, built in 1736 ,. 239
Congregational Church, 1826-1912 241
Peter Hitchcock's House 243
Bowden Hall, 1796 247
Cheshire Academy Buildings about 1850 251
Rev. Reuben Ives 253
St. Peter's Episcopal Church, as built in 1839 254
Tracing of a Map published in 1812 258
The Governor Foot House 261
Methodist Church, built in 1834 270
Entrance to Barytes Mine at Ginny Hill 272
Drawing of Cheshire Green about 1850 282
Tombstone of Parson Hall and Wife 314
Tombstone of Captain David Hitchcock 401
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE.
Quinnipiac Colony — Discovery of the Site of New Haven by Eaton and Davenport — Settlement of New Haven — Prosperity of the New Colony — New Plantation Started — General Court Established at New Haven — The Regicides — New Haven Colony Unites with the Colony of Con- necticut Pages ii-iS
CHAPTER TWO.
The New Village — Colony Road — Bounds — Allotments of Land — Rank of Proprietors — King Philip's War — Plans for Defense — Fortifications — Arms — Church Society — Church Building — Two Division Allotments — Cleared Plains Division — "Lay-outs" of Land — Bridges — Highways to Fresh Meadows — Cheshire Street — -Deed from General Court — List of Proprietors, Heirs and Planters — ^Train Bands Pages 16-53
CHAPTER THREE.
Permanent Settlement in Cheshire — List of Inhabitants — Copper Mines — nellamy's Inn — New Division — Lots Drawn — Petition for School at West Farms — Refusal of General Court for Society Bounds — New Schools — Town and General Assembly Finally Grant Parish Bounds — Election of Committees — Calling the Minister — Building Meeting House — Rates Pages 54-83
CHAPTER FOUR.
Seating the Meeting House — Ordination of the Minister — Difficulties About Highways, Timber, etc. — Inhabitants in 1725 — Houses — Cost of Building — Honey Pot Brook — Ten Mile River — Taxing of Non-resi- dents— Burying Place — Indian War Rumors — Sixth Division of Land — Enlarging Meeting House — New School Houses — List of Freemen, 1730 — Appointment of Magistrate — Smallpox — Seventh Land Divi- sion— New Highway — New Meeting House — Application for Town Privileges Refused — War — Money Used and Value of . . . Pages 84-116
CHAPTER FIVE.
Sunday Observance — Sabbath Day Houses— War with French — Letters from Soldiers — Commissions — Governor's Proclamation — Lack of Loy-
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10 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
alty to King — Surrender of Quebec — Montreal Expedition — Amasa Hitchcock's Commission — Accession of George III. — Pottery Intro- duced— Ebenezer Fisk's Petition^Episcopal Church Established Here — Tax List Minister's Rate— Rev. Mr. Foot Ordained — Sons of Liberty — Stamp Act — Second Application for Town Privileges Refused — Tax Rate and List — Number of Inhabitants Pages 1 17-154
CHAPTER SIX.
Boston Tea Party — Appointment of Committees — Slave Owners — Dele- gates to Assembly— War Declared — Continental Congress — Inspection Committees — Prisoners — Bounties — Tories — Oath of Fidelity — Cost of Food — State Money — Salt — Articles of Confederation — Petition of New Cheshire Parish Granted — Bounds of the New Town — Names of Par- ish Officers — First Town Meeting — Town Officers and Committees — Revolutionary Soldiers — Letters from Soldiers — Pension Appli- cations Pages 155-234
CHAPTER SEVEN.
Votes of Town Meetings — Bounties — Highways — Town Poor — Church Controversy — New Church — Votes on Sale of Western Lands — Episcopal Academy Established — Episcopal Parish and Building of New Church — School Committees — Town Officers — Building of Turnpike — State Con- stitution Adopted — Workhouse — Building of Canal ..Pages 235-264
CHAPTER EIGHT.
Petition from People at West Rocks — Society of Columbia — Deeds to "Strict" Congregationalists — Names of Parish Members — Town of Prospect Incorporated — Methodist Society — Church Built 1834 — Town Deposit Fund — Additional Ballot Boxes — Industries — Barytes Mines — Western Emigration — War of 1812 — Closing Words of Mr. Beach — Additional Names of Revolutionary Soldiers Pages 265-282
Parson Hall's Records Pages 283-338
Parson Foot's Records Pages 339-445
Town Records of Cheshire ; Pages 446-499
Congregational Church Records Pages 499-502
Tombstone Records Pages 502-513
Deaths Not in Tombstone List Pages 513-518
Record of Burials from Episcopal Church Pages 518-521
List of Freemen Pages 522-532
Amasa Hitchcock's Records .' Pages 533-540
Marriages from Wallingford Records Pages 541-572
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CHAPTER ONE.
QUINNIPIAC COLONY — DISCOVERY OF SITE, AND SETTLEMENT OF NEW HAVEN THE REGICIDES COLONY OF CONNECTICUT.
"A History of the Town of Cheshire" would not be complete without alluding to the original settlement of the surrounding territory by those who came from England in the early years of the seventeenth century, and settled the Quinnipiack Colony, so called for many years by the people who came hither to establish homes where they should be free to worship God after their own forms and convictions.
It does not appear from an examination of historical and other records that the Quinnipiac Colony under the leadership of Theophilus Eaton and John Davenport had what may be called a "Royal Warrant" for taking possession of their "Plantation." They sailed for New England many years after the colony of Massachusetts Bay had been established; and their first stopping place was near Boston at Watertown (now Cambridge) in Mas- sachusetts, where they remained for nearly a year, resisting every inducement urging them to settle in Massachusetts.
In the fall of 1637 Mr. Eaton and others, in a pinnace or small sloop, left Boston, and skirting the New England coast, entered Long Island sound, sailing westward until they anchored off a "fair haven ;" and subsequently sailed into a broad harbor which they found was overlooked by two high mountain peaks, now known as East and West Rocks. They explored the country suf- ficiently to determine that the present site of New Haven was a suitable place for the settlement of their "Plantation." Then, after erecting some huts, consisting partly of logs, and partly of excavations in the bluffs (at present known as Water street, near Meadowi) they left eight men to spend the winter, felling tim- ber and clearing the land.
iN. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. office building.
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12 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Early in the spring of 1638 Mr. Eaton and his company sailed from Boston, reaching Quinnipiac in a couple of weeks, where they held their first religious service under the shelter of a "large spreading oak." They next proceeded to erect houses, having previously purchased the land from the Indian sachems who were then in possession. These purchases occupied the greater part of the year 1638. The territory acquired by the New Haven Colony embraced a tract bounded on the south by Long Island sound, and extending from Saybrook bounds to Stamford and Greenwich, with an average width to the northward of twenty miles. Two or three years previously the Colony of Connecti^ cut had purchased lands at the mouth of the Connecticut river extending up to Wethersfield, Hartford and Windsor, to the Springfield plantation in Massachusetts. The Connecticut col- ony under Mr. Hooker, had come overland with all their cattle and "household gear" to the present site of the City of Hartford. Their possessions extended southward twenty miles or more. Its southern boundary after all the negotiations with the Indians had been concluded, became the northern boundary of the New Ha- ven or Quinnipiac Colony. The Indian titles being extinguished, and terms of "Peace and Amity" having been made ; the set- tlers under Messrs. Eaton and Davenport proceeded to erect their "Plantation," taking a form of government based largely upon "the Word of God" which our ancestors recognized as the ."true foundation stone of all government."
They formulated a "Plantation Covenant" which was agreed to and signed by one hundred and eleven persons on "ye 4th day of ye 4th month," called June, 1639.
Under this Covenant the proper officers of the Colony were appointed, and the machinery of government was put in opera- tion after the manner approved of by the people of those days.
An oligarchy similar to that established at New Haven would not be tolerated at the present day, but in those days, with In- dians all around them and a Dutch settlement at New York, it was not only a necessity but the only defence they could adopt for the well being of the community. Its laws were, no doubt, far more onerous than many of those restrictions put upon the
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. I3
people of the old country by the King of England and his cour- tiers ; but as these pioneers governed themselves, and submitted cheerfully to the majority rule, obeying without complaint "all those in authority over them ;" they were happy and contented.
From 1639 the colony of New Haven prospered. The city was laid out half a mile square, and sub-divided into nine squares (the central square being the present "Green") with "suburb lands" sufficient to give all the "free planters" "house lotts" and farm lands, and also accommodate many persons who came from other "Plantations" to the New Haven Colony. These persons were "admitted" as "after planters" and by purchase many be- came "Free Planters," having obtained the consent of the "New- Haven Courte" to buy out all the rights, titles and interests of some original "Free Planter." The new comers were given land as the commonwealth, by its magistrates or "Generall Courte" in town meeting assembled "saw fitt ;" but generally with the pro- viso that the "Courte might repeal the deed of gift at its good pleasure if the persons were found to be undesirable inhabitants."
From England and from Massachusetts, many persons came to New Haven Colony. Its population increased rapidly. The first houses, generally built of either stone or logs, thatched with hay and straw, gave place to framed buildings, and we have abundant evidence that within five years substantial two story, full framed buildings were erected ; that of Governor Theophilus Eaton being probably the largest, having many rooms.
A company went from New Haven to Milford, where they established a plantation in 1639. Another company planted themselves at Branford, another at Stamford, and others crossed the sound to Southold on Long Island. All these with- drawals from New Haven into separate plantations so weakened the Quinnipiac Colony that in 1643 they all reunited under one "Generall Courte" which thereafter governed them all under the name of the New Haven Colony.
Under this jurisdiction all the lands purchased from the In- dians and all the English settlements were governed at New Ha- ven, and there was assembled the General Court whose author- ity was paramount throughout that part of Connecticut lying
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14 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
along the sound from Saybrook on the Connecticut river to Greenwich; where the Dutch governor of New York state claimed jurisdiction.
The Connecticut Colony at Hartford, Wethersfield and Wind- sor, had been equally enterprising. They bought Indian lands, from the Connecticut river west to the borders of the State of New York; and northward to the confines of Massachusetts. This Hartford colony, however, claimed to hold its grant by pur- chases from different patentees, some of those noblemen who ob- tained from the king grants of land in America by furnishing Charles the First with money to squander among his favorites. This Royal Grant, at second hand, was deemed by the Connecti- cut colony a better title to its possessions than that of the colony of New Haven, which had no color of a Royal English title to the territory it had purchased of the Indians.
Nevertheless both colonies dwelt together in peace and amity. They united with the Massachusetts and Providence plantations by agreements for mutual defense against the Indians, the Dutch and the French, who had become somewhat troublesome on the northern borders.
This continued until, in 1660, King Charles the Second was re- stored to the throne of England. The head of his father, Charles the First, had been cut off by the sentence of a court convened by Oliver Cromwell and composed of prominent officers and magistrates who, after the restoration, were individually de- nounced in Royal Orders, as Regicides, and King Charles the Second sent out his "pursuivants" to capture any of them, wher- ever they might be found in his dominions.
Two of these men, named Goffe and Whalley, arrived in Bos- ton in 1660, and early in 1661, they came to New Haven, where they were concealed by Mr. Davenport, and afterwards at the Judge's Cave in West Rock. Then they went to Milford, where the king's ofircers being close upon their tracks, they, not wish- ing to get Governor Leete and Mr. Davenport in trouble, boldly exhibited themselves in New Haven city. Escaping the same day, they concealed themselves under the "Neck" or North Haven bridge, over which the officers galloped in pursuit. The
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 1 5
Regicides then left their hiding place and proceeded to Bran- ford, ultimately ascending the Connecticut river to Massachu- setts. It is well known to every student of history that the movements of these men, all of the time that they were in New Haven or its vicinity, was known to faithful friends. They were daily fed while in the Judge's Cave, and until their final departure they were concealed, if not by the authorities, it was at least by the unofficial encouragement of Governor Leete (suc- cessor to Governor Eaton), Mr. Davenport and others.
It is probable that this incident served to call the attention of the king's adherents to the New Haven Colony, and precipitated the annexation of the New Haven Colony to that of Connecti- cut at Hartford. The New Haven Colony, never having had a Royal Charter, was obliged to give up its independent existence, and in 1662 a Royal Charter was obtained by Governor Win- throp. After some resistance the New Haven Colony accepted the situation and became in 1664 a component part of the Colony of Connecticut. Thenceforward the "Generall Courte" was held at Hartford, and from that court issued all the laws that governed New Haven and other towns of the Commonwealth.
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CHAPTER TWO.
THE NEW VILLAGE KING PHILIP'S WAR CHURCH SOCIETY LAY- OUTS OF LAND LIST OF PROPRIETORS.
The union with the Connecticut Colony having been perfected, and New Haven (no longer a colony, but now an important town), having been confirmed in its ownership of the Indian lands it had purchased, began to consider ways and means for providing land and employment for the large surplus population within its borders. To this end some of the chief inhabitants and magistrates held meetings and decided to "erect a village upon our lands lieing above ye great plaine."
As this could not be done without consent of the "Generall Courte," the following record of a session held at Hartford Oct. loth, 1667, gives permission to the town of New Haven by the following resolution :
"Upon the motion of the deputies of New Haven this courte grants the towne of New Haven libertie to make a village on ye East River, if they see it capable for such a thing, provided they setle a villiage there within fower years from May next."
The New Haven townsmen now discussed this village matter in town meeting ; eventually voting to appoint a committee, who were to arrange the preliminaries necessary for a village settle- ment. The New Haven town committee issued an "Agreement" for the signatures of those proposing to become inhabitants of the new village. This paper, much torn, may still be found among the "Records" in the Town Clerk's office at Wallingford.
"We, whose names are underwritten being accepted by the Committee of New Haven for ye intended village as Planters and desireing that ye worship and ordinances of God may in due time be set up and encouraged among us, as the main concernment of a Christian People, doe sincerely and in the fear of God proniI.se and engage ourselves that we shall not neither directly nor in- directly, do anything to hinder or obstruct any good means that shall be used by ye said Comite, or others intrusted by them to
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. I7
promote the premises, by securing a Godly and able ministry among us to dispense to us the word of God, and when such min- istry, or a Church of Christ shall be settled among us, we engage by no means to disturb the same in their choice of a Minister or Ministers or other Chh officers or in any other of their Chh Rights, liberties, or administrations, nor shall refuse or with- draw due maintenance from such Minister or Ministry. And farther we doe engage ourselves peaceably to submit to such set- tlement, and Civil order as the said Committee shall direct among us either by themselves, or some other as a Comite by them ap- pointed, upon the place, until the said village come to be an or- derly establishment within itself, and lastly we doe engage per- sonally to settle upon ye place by May next, commencing next, come twelve month, if God's Providence inevitably hinder not, and to observe and perform all and every yet other Articles agreed upon."
It was signed by the following 39 persons, a sufficient number, in the opinion of the committee, to establish the proposed vil- lage, viz:
1 Samuel Street 21 John Milles
2 John Mosse, Sr- 22 Nathan Andrews
3 John Brockett 23 John Ives*
4 -Nathl Merriman, Sr- 24 Simon Tuttell
5 Abraham Dowlittle 25 Samuel Miles*
6 Jere How 26 William Johnson*
7 Samuel Andrews 27 John Harriman
8 Daniel Sherman* 28 Francis Heaton*
9 John Hall 29 John Fen*
10 Samuel Hall 30 Daniel Hogge*
11 Sam'l Cook 31 Samuel Whitehead*
12 Zach How 32 Benjamin Lewis
13 Nathl How 33 Thomas Curtis
14 Joseph Benham 34 Thomas Yale
15 Samuel Potter 35 Thomas Hall
16 Joseph Ives 36 John Beech, S""-
17 Eleazar Peck 37 Eliasaph Preston
18 Samuel Munson 38 Jehiel Preston*
19 John Peck 59 Eliazer Holt*
20 Samuel Browne*
The names marked with a star are those of signers to the
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l8 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Agreement, who did not "possess their lotts," which "lotts" were assigned to other applicants. Subsequently a few of these orig- inal signers were received as inhabitants the same as some other persons who applied for "accommodations" after the town was firmly established.
The New Haven committee selected from this list four persons, who were to oversee the work of laying out the new village, and act as the agents of the New Haven committee in matters per- taining to the distribution of house lots and the orderly disposi- tion of the land about to be settled upon.
It is not to be supposed that a committee composed of New Haven magistrates, and leading men would proceed in any other than an orderly way ; and therefore they formulated the follow- ing document dated New Haven 31st of ye nth month 1669 (31st of January, 1668) .
"i. The Committee do consent to put the said village designe into ye hands of a competent number of persons fitly qualified for that work, provided, they reasonably appear and engage to un- dertake ye same upon theire articles and further shall appoint some fit persons of ye said number to be a committee with full power to manage their plantation affairs, until the place come to be an orderly establishment within itself.
"2. For ye safety and well being of church affairs, for ye Min- istry and maintenance, the committee do order yt ye s'd under- takers and successors, before (they are) admitted shall subscribe to the following engagement, vide He, or they, as afs'd shal not by any means Disturb ye church when settled there, in their choice of Minister or Ministers, or other ch'h officers — or in any of their Ch'h Rights, Liberties, or administrations, nor shall re- fuse nor withdraw due maintainance from such ministry, and un- til such Ch'h be settled, shall submit to such order as ye said com- mittee shall make, for a Godly Minister to dispence ye word of God among them.
"3. That the said Committee to be appointed and their suc- cessors in receiving of Planters, shall have due respect to New Haven persons, being fit and offering themselves, so far as it can consist with the good of the place and capacity thereof.
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HISTORY OK CHESHIRE. I9
"4. Lastly. These articles being accepted, the s'd company and all others admitted planters among them, shall enjoy their accommodations and lands, without payment of purchase money to New Haven, to themselves, their heirs, successors and assigns, forever, so far as concerns New Haven town's purchase within the village bounds, the said town ' of New Haven consenting there unto. And we do nominate,
Mr. Samuel Street,
John Moss,
John Brockett and
Abraham Doolittle To be a committee whom we hereby impower to manage all plantation aflfairs in ye said village according to, and in pursu- ance of the above written articles, and to see the same attended and performed by the planters, either, are or shall be by them the said committee, and also for to disposal and distribution of al- lotments in some such equal way as shall best suit the condition of the place and ye inhabitants thereof, and to use their best means they can for procurement of some able and fit man to dispense the word of God among them, and lastly, we do im- power them, the above named committee to make choice of such other fit persons into the exercise of their power and trust with themselves, for their assistance, if any such shall appear among them, and the major part of the said committee, hereby ap- pointed or intended, have full power to act in all the premises, as they shall see cause, in pursuance of the said articles and un- dertakings. In testimony whereof, and to all the said articles and premises, we, the committee appointed by New Haven, thereunto, have set to our hands.
William Jones John Harriman
Matthew Gilbert John Humiston
William Broadley Abraham Dickerman
Jeremiah Osborn."i The governmental machinery of the "new village" being thus arranged for by the assignment of the four supervisors or town
iThese men were the Lieutenant Governor of New Haven, the Mag- istrates and principal men.
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20 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
agents, the other persons interested began to make their prep- arations for the settlement.
From all the information, which we of the present day can gather, by a careful perusal of public records, and an inspection of many other documents that have come down to us, with many letters and private papers now in the collection of the Connecti- cut, New Haven Colony and other Historical Societies we are enabled to understand why our ancestors considered the plant- ing of their new village a "very great undertaking."
The town of New Haven had been established for thirty years. The country northward was still an almost unbroken forest, in- fested by Indians, howling wolves, fierce bears, catamounts, and other wild animals who made both day and night fearsome to all except the most courageous of the settlers. The Indians living in the vicinity of New Haven, had been so well treated by the former Governor, Mr. Eaton, and his associates, that they were as a rule, very friendly. Nevertheless, about the time the men who had signed the "Wallingford Agreement" were prepared to go forth into the wilderness, tribes of Indians (living far to the northward), who had habitually frequented the shores of Long Island sound, for the purposes of fishing, "powwowing" and gathering shells wherewith to fashion their "wampum" or Indian money, began again to infest the white settlements, caus- ing friendly Indians to become restless and creating in the minds of the New Haven and Wallingford people a feeling of impend- ing danger against which it was important to take the most am- ple precautions.
To this end arrangements were made for the enrollment of a guard, the fortification of houses, and so placing of their village that all of its inhabitants could be speedily gathered together at the call of danger.
A year or more was thus occupied, the road toward Hartford, which had been but little more than an Indian trail leading through the mountain pass at the Hanging Hills, was carried over the hills to the eastward and widened. It now assumed the dignified title of the "Colony road," and became the chief high-
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 21
way and one of the most important avenues of communication with all of the New England colonies.
This road, which bordered upon the Quinnipiac river, gave convenient access to the plateau of land, "above ye great plaine," which had been agreed upon by the committee in charge of the Wallingford settlement. They located their village on high ground, about a mile from the river ; and chose a locality that was certain to furnish all the elements necessary for a commu- nity willing to conquer the wilderness, work hard, and improve their condition. Those who signed the Agreement, were gen- erally New Haven settlers with large families seeking a set- tlement for their children or dependents. Their descendants have since had reason to bless them for the exceptional wisdom these pioneers exhibited in selecting the site upon which the present Borough of Wallingford now rests.
The bounds of the new village were defined:
"Att a Courte of Election held at Hartford May 12th, 1670, as follows:
"This Court having been moved to state ye Bounds of ye New Village that is settling ; upon ye plains as you goe to New Haven — Do grant that ye Bounds shall come from the little Brook at the south end of the great plain to ye Northward Ten Miles, and from the said brook southward to Branford Bounds and on each side of the River five miles — thatt is five miles on ye East side and five miles on ye West side of ye River provided that ye said Village be carried on and made a plantation with- out any relation or subordination to any other town and pro- vided the Bounds hereby granted to ye said village do not preju- dice any Bounds formerly granted to any Plantation or particu- lar person or do not extend to ye north any further than to reach the old road to New Haven yt goeth over Pilgrims Harbor.
"And this Courte orders yt ye Plantation shall be called Wal- lingford."
Two years later the following addition was made to the boun- daries of Wallingford: "May 9th, 1672. At a General Court at Hartford
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22
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Itt was granted that Wallingford should extend their Bounds to the westward of their former grant 'too' miles their whole breadth provided this grant shall not prejudice any grant made by this Court to any person or persons formerly of any part of that part of land."
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 23
The committee, Messrs Samuel Street, John Morse Senr, John Brockett and Abraham Doolittle, showed themselves fully com- petent; from the time of their appointment until a number of settlers had built sufficient houses, fences and other accommoda- tions to protect themselves in their new village, these men con- tinued to work for the success of this enterprise.
An inspection of the records made at this time informs us that "forty-two house lots," and an equal number of River lots ; "upon the river called 'New Haven East River' are laid out to severall of ye inhabitants." It is also shown by the records that of the original subscribers to the "Wallingford Agreement" ten or more did not "possess" their allotments, and their "house lots were granted by ye comtee" to other persons "with ye River lott belonging to ytt."
The committee and surveyors had carefully laid out these house lots, and all the persons accepted as inhabitants up to the month of April, 1671, drew lots therefor. Their names and the house lots each one obtained will be found in the map, which is a re- duced copy of a map, originally drawn upon a page of an early book of Wallingford Records.
The map here given, bears the names and numbers drawn by all "Inhabitants accepted by ye comtee," and who "possessed lots" from the 31st of January, 1668, to the 15th of February 1671-2 when it was voted "Thatt no more house lotts be granted, except upon ye west side of ye River."
At the present day it is interesting to note how carefully the "Comtee" planned the lay out of their settlement.
"Beginning att ye south part of ye hill, upon ye East side of ye Great Plane, commonly called 'New Haven Plaine' ; they laid out two house lots; next a piece of land (containing some forty acres) was left 'for a Planting Field' and then four more house lots were laid out. The record says 'These six lots having some land lieng (lying) at ye end of them towards Whartons Brook ; it is agreed by ye Comtee that yt be distributed to the aforesaid persons (meaning the six who obtained these lots) as part of their other outlands, Hieways excepted.'
"Next to ye aforesaid home lotts it is ordered that thear shall
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24 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
be a highway crosse ye hill from East to West of six rodds broade ; and from thence a Long Hiway of six rodds broade on ye top of ye Hill to runn Northward, and on each side of itt to (two) ranges of house lotts of six acres to a lott, and these lots to be distributed."
It was subsequently decided that there should be two ranges of House lotts: "five lotts on ye East side, and five lotts on ye west side of the Long High way. Then a cross Hieway six rods broade across the hills from East to West. Then two more ranges of six house lotts each on each side of the Long High way. Then another cross hieway of six rodds, and two other ranges of house lotts, five on ye East side and five on the west side ; and soe to have another highway East and west, and more house lotts, on the Long Hieway northward as the townsmen may see occasion."
It was also "Ordered by ye Comtee for ye town of Walling- ford, yt (that) no person or persons whatsoever that hath any lands granted to them within the Libbertyes of ye said town, shall have liberty to sell, let, give or any way allynyate itt or any part of yt, from himself to any other to bring in him or them to be inhabitants therein without ye consent or approbation of ye Comite now intrusted during ye tyme of their lives, or after- ward, without ye consent or approbation of ye inhabitants of ye said town, or such as by them be intrusted with ye management of those affairs."
Two of these lots were set apart for "Ye Ministry," and one lot for "ye use of the first six persons," probably meaning for other town purposes if it should be required ; as four of the "first six persons" were in authority as committee men.
The thirty-nine house lots were allotted as follows:
No. 26, Samuel Andrews M. No. 25, Nathan Andrews M. No. I, John Brockett, Sr. H. No. 4, John Beach H. No. 34, Richard Beach L. No. 10, Joseph Benliam, Senr, L. No. 8, Samuel Cook L. No. 36, Thomas Curtice M. No. 3, Abraham Dowlittle, Senr, H.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 25
No. 9, Samuel Hall M. No. 30, Daniel Hopper L- No. 22, Jeremiah How M.
No. II, John Hall M. No. 32, Thomas Hall M. No. 20, Zachariah How L.
No. 19, Nathaniel How L. No. 23, John Harriman M.
No. 21, Joseph Ives M.
No. 42, Benjamin Lewes M.
No. 2, John Mosse, Senr, H. No. 24, John Mosse, Jr. M.
No. 7, Nathaniel Merriman, Senr, H. No. 13, Nathaniel Mer- riman, Jr. M.
No. 14 Samuel Munson M. No. 27, John Miles M. No. 29, John Mix M.
No. 5, Eliasaph Preston M. No. 28, John Peck M. No. 7, Eleazur Peck L. No. 18, Samuel Potter M.
No. 37, Samuel Royce M. No. 39, Nehemiah Royce M. No. 40, Isaac Royce L. No. 41, Nathaniel Royce M.
No. 6, Rev. Samuel Street H.
No. 35, Simon Tuttell M. No. 33, David Tuttell M. No. 31, Samuel Thorp M.
No. 38, Thomas Yale M.
No. 12 to the I St 6 persons and Nos. 15 and 16 "to ye min- istry."!
It was agreed that the town rate or taxes should be laid upon such sum of money which each settler should declare he was willing "to pay rates for" and the "Ranks" were settled as follows :
II "Ye Hiest (Highest) Rank shall paye on £100.00.00. M "Ye Meadle Rank shall paye on £75.00.00. L "Ye Loest Rank shall paye on £50.00.00."
For the land Divisions it was "voted Thatt there shall be al- lowed for the first division of lands ; to each planter, taking in House lotts, River lotts, and all sorts of land. To the loest
iThe capitals, after each name in this list, denote the "Rank" as it appears in a later list drawn up to settle the amount of land each person should have in the several Divisions, as they should from time to time be made.
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26 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
ranke 40 acers, to the meaddle ranke 60 acres, and to the hiest ranke 80 acres, and soe to keep for ye present."
There is no doubt that this orderly arrangement of House lotts, and agreement for the division of lands, was in a great measure due to Mr. John Brockett and Mr. John Moss, who had, some years before, explored the region ; and Mr. Brockett hav- ing been the surveyor of the outlands for the New Haven plant- ers, was well qualified to lay out satisfactorily the lands of the new plantation.
In the spring of 1672-3 so many persons had erected houses and fenced in their allotments that the authorities in New Ha- ven concluded the inhabitants of Wallingford might safely con- duct their own affairs ; therefore the committee resigned in May, and thenceforward the community was governed by its own "Comte" or Town Meetings, at which the people elected their own officials, and a record was made by prominent inhabitants pledging themselves to "carry on ye town in an orderly manner."
At the same meeting the town chose John Mosse, Senr., John Brockett, Abraham Doolittle, Sr., Nathaniel Merriman, Sr., and John Hall, Jr., a "committee to approve the admission of new planters." About this time the New Haven people, mindful of their own interests, and fearful lest the growth of the new vil- lage should encroach upon their own reserved territory, ap- pointed a committee to meet with a like committee appointed by the town of Wallingford; and settle the boundary questions which had been troubling both town and village for some time.
The document agreed to by this committee is as follows :
"I. By the Comtee for New Haven underwritt that Walling- ford Bownds on the East side of the East River shall be from Brandford line Northerlie to Wharton's brooke where it crosseth the north branch, of the said brooke, and thence at the brooke runne into ye East River.
"H. That New Haven shall runn two miles and a halfe north- ward from the Foot of the Blew Hillsi on the Mill river, upon that river, and the line from a stake there to the foote of the
iMt. Carmel.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 27
Blew Hills on the East River ; and from the sayd Two mile and a halfe stake along our reare west and by north to the ends of their bownds.
"Which issue they, the committee for Wallingford, consented too and accepted, and this to be a issue in Love and Peace."
"Memorartdum thatt the committee for New Haven doe con- sent that the meadow between the Mill River and East River northward above the Blew Hills shall be Wallingford as to the bulk of itt, and Libertie of draweing itt as they shall see cause as though the line agreed too should cutt through itt."
The following year a committee was appointed by New Ha- ven to lay out the bounds of the New Village, and their report was duly entered upon the land record book of Wallingford, as follows :
"We whose names are under written being appointed to lay out the bownds of Wallingford According to the Generall Courtes grant. We did Rrnn from the East River commonly called New Haven River, upon an East and by South line, five . miles very nere Pishtapague ponds, and from there upon a North by East line until! it meets with Middletowne South bownds; and on East by South line until it meets with Middletowne West bownds. And on the West side of New Haven river, upon a West and by North line seven miles.
"As witness our hands this sixth day of November, 1674.
John Wilford, Nathaniel White."
The report of these surveyors having been accepted, new in- habitants from New Haven, Hartford, Boston and other settle- ments applied for "accommodations," and permission to live in the town. The town committee having examined the credentials of these applicants reported them to the town meeting where they were either accepted or rejected as the case might be. • Tliere was also a vast difference made between those who pur- chased parcels of land from residents in the town, and those who held a proprietorship in not only the land already divided, but in all the undivided lands. If the town permitted an out-
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28 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
sider to buy land and become an inhabitant, it jealously guarded itself against allowing that purchaser any share in the subse- quent divisions of the town lands which were held in common by the original Proprietors, or their heirs ; and to this end they voted — "That not any man shall have power to sell his accom- modation to another man, and leave the town until hee have dwelt upon itt three yeares, and after three years he may sell or lyniatei itt to any such as the town shall approve of."
The early records contain many town votes admitting persons to full town privileges by reason of their purchasing the former right of some other proprietor; or admitting new planters who were needed in the town because of their ability as blacksmiths, millwrights, shoemakers, and knowledge of other trades. Such men were not accepted, however, without first ascertaining all about them, whether they were religious men, of good moral character, and had always comported themselves in an orderly manner in the "parts from whence they came," and they were especially careful that all new comers should agree to the "due maintainance of the ministry," the rate being levied according to the "Rank" taken up if the person was accepted.
It was voted "Thatt those thatt hold lots in ye town of Wal- lingford and are not Resident upon ye place and do not pay their rates within one month after demanded shall be liable to forfeit thayre lots."
Soon after the boundary lines were settled in 1674-5 news spread through the New England towns that the Indians under King Phillip were attacking the settlements of Massachusetts, where they burned a number of towns, and massacred many ot the inhabitants.
In anticipation of trouble with the Indians a Town Meeting was held in Wallingford August 27th, 1675, at which the fol- lowing order was promulgated:
"In respect of ye present danger of ye Indians itt was ordered that the Inhabitants secure themselves and the principal of theire goods by fortyfying about two (2) houses, which houses are to be Mr. Samuel Street's and Lieut. Merriman's, and that this work
I Alienate.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 29
of fortyfieing be sett upon ye 28th day of this instant by ye whole town ; and followed until it be effected and whosever fails to pay a fine of 5 shillings. Also that every man bring his arms and ammunition complete upon ye. Sabbath day "thatt he may be able in a fitt posture to do service if need require.
"Thatt the select guard serve as sentnals on ye Sabbath ; the rest of the town ward 4 men every Sabbath and two every week day and be warned by order from ye constable by the watch and called and that they begin to ward when the ward breaks up and hold on till ye watch be set again. Thatt they begin and end att ye dawning and shutting in of ye day, and that both watch and ward come to ye constable yt their arms may be viewed if they be according to law. This untill further order, provided not- withstanding the select Gaurd is not hereby freed from warding on the week days. It is also ordered that the Drum beat at the setting and breaking up of the watch."
This vote, authorizing fortifications, furnishes abundant evi- dence that this Indian trouble was more serious than anything of the kind that had preceded it ; and the inhabitants of Wal- lingford did not rest until they had not only fortified the two houses ordered, but they also erected heavy fences or barricades at important points. The houses that had been chosen were probably the largest and best built of any existing at that time. They were built of hewn timbers, strongly framed, and covered with sawn boards, but most probably thatched with rushes, hay, or straw, as was nearly every house built about this time. The windows were small, and may or may not have been filled with glass, a very expensive material in early times. It is well known that our ancestors used oiled cloths, and papers, instead of glass, when they could not obtain the latter, and we may well believe that very few Wallingford houses had more than one or two window frames filled with even very small panes of glass.
The fortification of a house was accomplished only by the ex- penditure of a vast amount of labor. All the able bodied men, and no doubt some of the women, too, were mustered into com- panies. "Sergeant Andrews, and Corporall Hall were appoint- ed to call forth hands and teams," sufficient to bring in from "ye
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30 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
wilderness" the "palissadoes" that were to be "cutt and pinted" by another squad of men detailed for that purpose.
These timbers were from six inches to one foot in diameter, and from sixteen to twenty feet in length. They were planted close together in a trench from three to five feet deep, entirely surrounding the house to be fortified, the pointed ends upper- most. Tliis enclosure had a strongly framed gateway of logs with loopholes and arrangements for speedily opening, closing, and barring every entrance on the shortest notice of danger.
The Governor's Council at Hartford had ordered strict pre- cautions to be taken, for defending the several towns; prescrib- ing the number of men, to be on "ward" or guard ; and this was the reason the work of fortifying had been pushed forward so rapidly. "Att a town meeting held in Wallingford 28h Septem- ber 1675. Itt was ordered and agreed, hoping itt may be no offence to. ye Honble Council. Thatt as in other towns they have a stated number appointed for warding considering the neces- sities of occasions and inability to hold to ward on ye 4th inst of ye town every day. We also have presumed also to make some abatement for ye present until more danger appears, or our superiours see cause to reduce us to our former injunction."
There is no evidence that the "Superiours" at Hartford, found much fault with the Wallingford people whose records inform us that every care was taken to protect themselves from any in- cursion of the enemy. At the close of each day, when the drum was beaten the people repaired to the fortified houses, there to remain at rest until an hour before the dawn of day, when the guard was changed, and increased in numbers; that being the time the Indian^ usually chose for attacking a settlement. At sunrise, if there was no alarm, the gates were opened, and those who had spent the night within the fortifications, drove forth their cows and cattle and went about their usual avocations.
The "guard," divided into suitable squads, consisted of every able bodied man except the minister, the two deacons and one or more of the chief men. Every member of the guard fur- nished his own weapons and was obliged to keep them with plenty of powder and shot, in good order under penalty. The
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 3 1
firearms consisted of "match locks," and "fire locks." If a match lock, they were to be "charged with a fitt proportion of match ;" and from thirty to forty feet of match was considered a "fitt proportion." This "match" was made of cotton wick or threads soaked in rum and impregnated with fine powder. It was then tightly twisted, and wound upon a reel attached to the
gun ; a big mouthed long barreled affair requiring a "rest," which was carried by the soldier. Tliis rest was a short, steel pointed wooden cane with a crotch wherein the gun was placed after the sharp pointed end of the "rest" had been thrust in the ground, before the man was ready to take aim. At a signal on the drum all the matches were lighted, and must not be extinguished until the order was given. These matches were so constructed that they burned at the rate of about six inches an hour, and were kept lighted so long as the soldier was on ward or guard.
The "fire locks" were perhaps better weapons than the match locks, but were not considered as certain to oe discharged. A fire lock might also be used with a rest. The owner was re- quired to provide "half a score" of flints "well fitted to his fire- lock," with "shott and powder for at least five shotts." He was also to supply himself with two "bandoleers" or wide leathern belts crossing each shoulder, to which his gun, powder horn and other accoutrements were secured. The other weapons useil were swords and pikes. These latter were steel pointed lances, fashioned by the blacksmiths, and fastened to the end of poles from ten to twelve feet in length. The town furnished these pikes, and paid a man to care for them. They were usually kept in a long box at the meeting house, when not required for use by the guard. Training was an everyday affair, while an alarm existed, and severe penalties were exacted from all who did not appear, and practice with the pikes, swords and firearms, according to the orders of their superior officers. The guard was also trained in cases of fire, and every inhabitant was obliged
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32 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
to provide "some convenient piggins," or wooden buckets, to be always filled and ready for use if "from any cause" a fire should break out.
When the guard went out to battle with Indians, they usually wore a thick canvas coat heavily wadded with cotton wool, and "quilted fitt for service," as a defence against Indian arrows, and the town went so far as to "order" every man who went out into "ye wilderness" to have and to wear such a coat; and "ye tail- ors about ye town shall consider and advise how to make them, and take care thatt they be done without unnecessary delay."
This public care for the safety of every member of the com- munity was no doubt considered onerous by the young and ven- turesome spirits, and we find numerous cases where severe dis- cipline was meted out to offenders. They were whipped and placed in the stocks, for what we should consider very trivial causes, but in times of public danger, in the early days, our fore- fathers were stern and unrelenting. Any order they considered it was necessary to make in their public councils, commanded the obedience of all, until it was repealed, or its enforcement ren- dered unnecessary.
The condition of armed watchfulness continued until the fall of the following year ; when, King Philip being dead, and the Indians who had committed so many ravages in the Massachu- setts and Connecticut valleys had been so severely chastised, it was believed the danger was about over ; so in town meeting Oct. 2d, 1676, "Itt was agreed thatt all the labor thatt has been be- stowed upon ye fortifications, shall be warned, and no account be made about them."
In other words, the people were to consider themselves amply repaid for their labor, by the protection they had been afforded ; and that as all had engaged in the defence, no one person should claim any pay for the services he or she had rendered for the public defence.
We are not to assume that our ancestors during all this time had neglected their individual or town affairs. They arranged for the improvement of the breed of their "cattell and sheepe and hogs." Their horses were allowed to run in the woods and
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 33
it was ordered "thatt whosoever shall bring in horses out of the woods, and after they have taken out whatt they see cause, do not drive back the rest a mile onward of the walk from whence they fetched them, shall be liable to pay all damage that may arise through their neglect." They also ordered that the own- ers of "cattell should pay for any damage done by those beasts," and that "two men whom the town shall appoint" should deter- mine, "what Hoggs shall be yoked and ringed, and what hogs have no need soe to be." They determined also in their town meetings the "plantings," and who should be of the planting com- panies sent to the common fields, to sow or reap the grain; and in all things paternally overlooked carefully all public matters, and generally also many of the private concerns of the towns- people.
The Indian troubles recalled to the planters of Wallingford the necessity of regularly establishing a church and building a meeting house. They had been worshipping in different houses, where John Harriman, a layman, preached to them for the first two or three years. Then they invited the Rev. Samuel Street to settle and become their pastor. He had been serving in that capacity for several years but the meeting house which was "voated" had not yet been erected. The Indian wars, and other heavy expenses for defenses, had prevented the planters from building a suitable house for the worship of God. Now, how- ever, it was determined at least that the church itself should be established, and as nothing could be done without the consent of all the inhabitants, this important matter was settled by ap- pointing the "pillars" or persons who were charged with the de- tails of the establishment.
This record, which reads as follows, is here inserted, as an ex- ample set by our ancestors, of the reverent way they proceeded in all their religious enterprises.
"Att a lawful and full meeting of ye inhabitants of ye towne of Wallingford, and upon ye 15th Day of ye 2d month (April) inst., 1676, itt was ordred and enacted by ye towne, that as there had been conference about establishing a church of Christ in ye aforsaid towne and allso a solemn day set apart and celebrated
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34 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
by ye towne unanimously, to seek God's guidance in so great a worlc, they have now allso all freely and unanimously concluded, if it be the will of God that there shall be a Church of Christ gathered, and to walk according to ye Congregational way, and have also all freely and unanimously left ye management of ye same in ye hands of ye persons whose names are underwritten, thatt if it be ye will of God to incline their hearts, so many of them as may be a competent number for that great work, may in his time lay ye foundation.
Mr. Moss Lieut. Merriman Eliasaph Preston
Mr. Samll Street Sergt Doolittle John Hall Senr
Mr. Brockett John Beach John Hall Jr
Thomas Yale
Nehemiah Royce
Nathan Andrews
Benj. Lewes"
It does not appear that this church formation resulted in any very active efforts being made to provide a house of worship ; although men were chosen to fix the site, determine the size, and procure materials, it was five years or more before a structure "28 foot long, 24 foot broade, and tenn foot between ye grown sill and wall plate " was erected. The inhabitants were poor, they could not command sufficient means to pay for the mechanical labor required, and the lands they had already laid out and had under cultivation barely afforded them a scanty subsistence.
They now determined to make a second division of their lands, and at the town meeting of December 27, 1686, "The town agree to Divide and distribute in our 2nd Division as foUoweth: Thatt there shall be a lott cast, who shall first make his choice and soe by lott shall all have their choice ; as thus : The first choice shall take but halfe his proportion of land of his first division, and soe shall lay out to every man half his proportion of each man's first division, and then for the 2nd part of the 2nd Division. He that had his last lott, in thfe first part of the 2nd Division shall have his first choice. And soe the rest follow successively. This was a vote of ye Town. Ye. Severall proportions or quantities of
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 35
acres thatt falls by Right unto each Planter according to the Town's Agreement by which they would lay out ye 2nd Division, according to Ranks, Heads, and Estates is as foUoweth.
Sixty-six persons drew lots, and the land allotted to a Planter in the "Hiest" rank was 333 acres. To one in the "Meadle" Rank 222 acres, and to a planter of the "Loest" Rank 166 acres.
This 2nd Division disposed of nearly all the land north and west of the Long Highway to "Middletown bownds," and from the record made we learn that the Town of Wallingford has nearly doubled in population.
"At a meeting held on January 20th, 1686, a parcell or certain tract of land the town reserved for the admission of more Plant- ers Lieng on ye west side of ye River Beginning at ye common Field by ye Mill,i and running westward until it comes over ye Broad Swamp and from thence on a North line to the River and so from thence to Nathaniel Hows Medow and then running along by the edge of ye Hill until they come over against the New Mill Hiways excepted, and twenty Rodds from the River excepted."
Tliis reservation extended from the present Yalesville three or more miles westward, then North to the River and back again to Yalesville Mill. It covered all the Northwestern part of the town now known as Cheshire and Cheshire Street, with a part of the present territory of the town of Meriden.
Not long before this reservation had been made "It was voated Thatt Doctor John Hull of Derby and two of his sons be ad- meated Planters on condition hee and ye Town agrees."
After the 2nd Division had been made, these new "Heads" ap- pear on the List, recorded as follows in a town meeting held May 5, 1687.
"The Town granted to Doctor John Hull of Derby and two of his sons, as a part of their first Division, the whole being two hundred and three score acres. Each of them six acres for a house lott a little above ye common field, leaving sufficient hie- ways, and soe much joyning to it as will make three score acres Also twenty acres on the back side of the Round Hill, part of it
lYalesville.
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36 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
in the common field and 40 acres in the lower end of the Broad Swamp. Also 100 acres at the beginning of the Bare Hills on both sides of the Brook."
"The allotment of five hundred acres of land to Dr. John Hull and his two sons was followed the next year, 1688, by the Towns- men and Recotder being impowered to issue the matter about Doctor Hull's Divisions of land we doe aigree that he may have liberty to take up 520 acres 2nd Division land to him and two of his sons in any unlaid out land that lies for the 2nd Division, excepting that tract of land reserved for ye receaving of more t'lanters and we leave itt with Ensign Thomas Yale and Thomas Curtis to regulate them in their 40 acres which they have to take up, and if they see cause to give them liberty to take some of their 2nd Division land in that tract of land reserved for ad- mitting more Planters."
The Falls Plain Division of land came next, sixty-five lots be- ing laid out February 19th, 1689, at "ye head of ye Falls Plaine."i They were laid out for "home lotts" "on a Hieway tow (2) rods broade" and a quarter of a mile long, "two tiers" of lots. Those on the east side extended from "ye hieway to the River," and the lots on the west side extended "to ye Hills." Each lot contained
I South Hanover, Town of Meriden.
Note — The following action was taken by the town, which looks as if they had decided to have a little village of their own, at the bend of the river, where Hanover is now located.
•'Att a Lawful Town Meeting Feby 19th, 1689-90 The town voted thatt the Falls Plain shall be cast lots for and laid out according to the written platform or Map::The lots being cast each man's lot is as followeth:: l'"cby I9lh, 1689-90.
"The town voted thatt the Destribtition of ye Falls Plain shall be ac- cording to ye List of Estates in ye present List : :and Heds to be allowed att ten pounds per head :Male and Female."
The map contained memoranda evidently correcting errors, which have been eliminated from the map here given. The surveyor made very close calculations. He widened or lengthened the lots as he laid them out, so that as near as possible every lot contained about the same quantity of Land.
It does not appear that any who drew lots in the Falls Plain built houses there or turned them into "home lots." The "hieway" became later a "Country road."
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ITIStORY OF CIIRSIIIRI':.
37
iHi^n^ Zlltt^' '(^>-ea^ A-i.,^^ A,£^iU...o£M^ 4r.^^>^/^<^_
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38 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
from 31^ to 4 acres of land. This division is now known as Han- over in the south part of the town of Meriden.
Scarcely had this division been made when the French and their Indian allies from Canada began to make war upon the English settlements of the Connecticut valley, and within two weeks the town ordered a fort to be built around the barely com-
pleted meeting house. This war lasted eleven years, and while danger was always imminent the planters of Wallingford, by rea- son of extra precautions escaped having any of their townsmen cut off by prowling bands of Indians, and carried into captivity to Canada. Many incautious persons in neighboring towns were thus either massacred, or carried off; and in view of such depre- dations the town "Voated that settlements beyond ye Blew hills might not be made except ye persons desireing to goe, goe ia Companys of eight or more men, with propper arms." It was also declared "thatt men who goe to ye west farmsi shall not goe until an hour after sunrise, and shall come back an hour befoar ye sun shall sett ;" "and shall bear amies."
While the French from Canada were harassing the English settlements, another division of land was made by the town of
iCheshire.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 39
Wallingford called in the records the "Cleared Plain Division." It distributed some land along the river, and north of the present town towards Yalesville where a new mill had been erected.
For some years before this, sundry planters having land al- lotted to them in the several Devisions had obtained "liberty of ye town" to exchange with each other their near at home out- lands, for other land they deemed more desirable for cultivation. They would "goe in parties of eight" with "propper amies into ye wilderness," and finding a suitable spot for their purpose, would plant corn, cut hay, fell timber, and do other farm work, protecting themselves at night in rude log forts, if they found themselves at too great a distance from the town to return there before sunset. Previous to the troubles with the French, a num- ber of these small parties had explored the neighborhood of Wallingford, and the records inform us that the earliest of these expeditions was to the westward of the Blew Hills, across the "New Haven East River" to the valley of the Mill River, "thatt goeth toward ye New Haven bownds."
This region was appropriately named "Ye Fresh Meddow" and was favorably known, as early as 1676-1680 to the adventurous planters and their brave full grown sons who assisted them in gathering hay and cutting pipe staves in this part of the Wal- lingford settlement. Later it was called the "West farms," and surveyors Curtice and Yale were authorized to "lay out" lands to such persons who chose to take up their 2d Division land, for similar allotments in the undivided lands on the "west side of ye Great River over by ye West Rocks."
A "lay out" of land did not permit the planter to locate him- self and his family upon the land thus "layed out" to him. It simply gave him a prior right to the particular spot he had chosen as suitable for him or his sons to cultivate and improve when the war clouds should have passed over.
A copy of one of these early "lay outs" finds an appropriate place in these pages from the fact that it was issued to Lieut. Samuel Hall, grandfather of the Rev. Samuel Hall, the first pastor of the church in Cheshire. It is as follows :
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40 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Layed out for Left. Samuel Hall his second choyce of his second dcvision and it Lyeth adjoining to his first choyce so yt now both are one piece."
"Beginning at a white oak tree standing on ye East side of ye river called Nuhaven Mill River about 25 Rodds from ye River half a mile above Scots Rock: from thence Westward 132 Rods to a stone yt lyeth in ye line between Samuel Cook and ye said Samuel Halli and from thence Southward half a mile above Scots Rock2 and from thence westward 132 Rods to a stone yt lyeth in ye line Between Samll Cook and ye above said Sani'l Hall and from thence southward half a mile to a black oak Tree ; this tree standeth westward from ye square line 42 Rodds. From this Tree Eastward 85 Rodds then gets away South 120 Rodds to a chesnut tree and then Eastward 80 Rodds to ye first square line yt cometh from ye first station. It is on ye East side of ye Mill River — for by reason of ye crookedness of ye river ye East Line crosseth ye River to ye Weast side of ye River 40 Rodds before we come to ye Southeand of our measure so we sett off from ye streight line 16 rods to a chesnut Tree yt stands on ye
iThis Samuel Hall was a "Dish turner," and he is the man to whom the following vote refers. "January 19th, 1691-92 ye town voted to allow Deken Samll Hall tenn shillings for turning ye ballesters for ye pues."
2"Scots Rock" mentioned twice in the foregoing "lay out" is located in the south part of the town of Cheshire (somewhat more than half a mile north of the New Haven line on the farm of the late Alonzo Brooks). It was known by that name at the time of the settlement of Wallingford.
When the men from Hartford settled at Farmington, prominent among them was one Thomas Scott, father of Edmund Scott. The Colony of Hartford chose him in 1639 "to goe and explore ye countrie" at Farm- ington "and other parts to ye southward and westward." A son of this Edmund Scott, one Joseph Scott (who had frequently accompanied his father from Farmington to New Haven, through this region), was ex- ploring the Tunxis Valley in 1666, and being captured by Indians was for a time held for ransom in the neighborhood of this rock. Afterwards men from Farmington came down by the Indian trail (then called "3'e New Haven path") and encamped at the rock described to them by Scott upon his return from captivity. Thereafter Scott's name was always men- tioned when this rock was alluded to and his adventure was no doubt well known to the Wallingford surveyors when they laid out land in this neighborhood.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 4I
East side of ye Mill River so yt the South end of this farm is 96 rodds wide and holds yt bredth 40 Rodds northward thence East to ye streiglit line againe so yt this farm lyeth for two hundred and thirteen acres more or less there is allowances for necessary highways.
"By Thomas Curtiss Survaer. "Aprill ye 4th, 1688."
It will be observed that the foregoing lay out of land to Left Samll Hall, was adjoining his "first choyce" of land in this part of Cheshire ; and, as he was a "Middle Rank" man he must have had something like three hundred and sixty acres "layed out" to him upon the Mill river.
A year before this — 1687 — Samuel Hall's brother, John Hall, had one hundred and eleven acres of land laid out to him, "upon a plaine, above ye rock," commonly called "Scot's Rock."
Other "West Farmers" are mentioned as having more or less land laid out to them in the south part of the present town, but this example of the way it was done will explain the mode of pro- cedure in the distribution of common lands to the proprietors of the town of Wallingford.
In like manner, but three or four years after the "Fresh Med- does" were frequented, land was laid out to planters who had gone up the river to the Northward of the "Falls Plain Division," but we have no record of any settlement at the "North Farms" until after the war with the French and Indians. In fact, the pa- ternal government in Wallingford would not permit such sparse settlements either there or elsewhere until they felt confident that their settlement would not be molested.
In 1694, the French and their Indian allies had been very ac- tive in the northern part of New England, committing many de- predations, but after burning several towns, and slaughterina: many defenceless people, were so badly whipped by the English in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, that they retired into Canada, and transferred their operations to the exposed settle- ments of the English in Northern New York. Connecticut be- came comparatively safe, and in consequence our people could de-
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42 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
velop the lands in their township, undisturbed by savage or French foes. Accordingly, at a town meeting held April 24th, 1694, "Sargeant Thomas Curtis, and Ebenezer Clark were chos- en to goe and perambulate ye bownds between New Haven and Wallingford on ye west side of ye river to the end of our bounds" and at the same meeting the town empowers "ye Deputys to search the public records (at Hartford) to know whether the grant of the 'Generall Courte' to Wallingford Township, or ye grant of Waterbury Township, be ye eldest, and to make return to ye town."
The Waterbury grant was several years later than that of Cheshire, but the Hartford Court claimed the Farmington In- dian purchases, and had laid out to Waterbury some land that Wallingford had, in 1685, bought from the Indian sachem, who was then making trouble about it in the Northwestern corner of "Wallingford town bownds." For some years these boundary questions kept cropping up, occasioning in some cases quarrels and bloodshed, until the Generall Courte took such matters in charge and called out surveyors to authoritatively settle all such vexing questions.
It was some of these boundary troubles that delayed the "lay- ing out of their lands" to those who had received allotments in the Second Divisions. After the surveyors had done their work and given their certificate to the planter, the latter had to get two of the "Townsmen" (men in authority), to sign his "lay out" of land, before it could be recorded upon the "Land Record Book." It frequently happened that after a "lay out" had been made by one of the surveyors, the other surveyor would be asked to "lay out" some land for another planter. This last surveyor, not be- ing aware that another surveyor had been over that ground, would run his lines sometimes so that his "lay out" would cut into, or surround the land laid out to the Planter employing the first surveyor. It is not to be supposed that our ancestors were so rigidly moral as not to take advantage of their neighbors, in- deed we find frequently to the contrary ; and in these surveys, it often hai>pened that men had land "surveyed" to them, knowing that another man had been in those pairts, and had had laid out
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 43
to him an especially fine plot of ground. Then would follow a dispute to be settled either in town meeting or by a Committee. As our ancestors never took from each other anything that was out of their reach, the records sometimes indicate that there were Planters in Wallingford who had a very long "reach." As a rule, however, they most always gave up any unlawful possession, and the business of clearing up the wilderness and preparing the ground for tillage went rapidly forward from the time that the two men were chosen to "goe and perambulate ye bounds" on the west side of the river. The "widoe" Doolittle had been given 25 acres of Second Division land, and by town vote April, 1694, she was "to take itt up on ye back side of ye blew Hills joyning to New Haven line — nott to come within a quarter of a mile of ye west end of ye river lotts, and ye timber is to be common." The widow, no doubt, soon had company on the west side of the Blew Hills, for March 26th, 1695, the town voted "two substantial bridges." One of these was located at Yalesville; and the other at "Goat poynt" — "or at Sergt Doolittles castway, at ye best place between ym tow." On the 30th of March, 1697, "The town chose John Parker and John Hitchcock to settle what high- ways are needful to ye Fresh medow, and ye Mill River yt runs to New Haven Mill."i Within three months after this appoint- ment, one of these men, John Hitchcock "asks liberty" from the
lOn the land Records of Wallingford the first evidence to be found of a grant of land within the present area of Cheshire is the one to John Moss, Senior. He was the venerable pillar of the church, and one of the four men chosen by the New Haven committee to manage the affairs of the village when it was first established. He had also been active and efficient in the public business of the town and it is probably because of his many services that we find the following record:
"1677-8. The townsmen grant yy acres to John Moss Senior acros ye 'Tenn Mile River'
Abraham Dowlittel, Thomas Yale,
Test : Joseph Houlte, Recorder." Townsmen.
In this same year John Moss had been appointed and "ittipowered to 'joyne persons in mariage,' administer oaths, etc., and was thereafter en- titled to be called 'Mister.'"
Mr. Moss was then an old man. The author of the Family History says
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44 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
town, "to exchange thirty acres of land, in small parsells, for thirty akers of land on the west side of the river, former grants and hieways exsepted. In testimony hereof I have set my hand. John Hitchcok June nth, 1697."
In attending to the business of settling what highways were needed on the west side of the river both John Parker and John Hitchcock had discovered that it was a region of great promise, and they took care to get some of it, as soon as they could secure surveyors to lay it out for them. Their neighbors found 'Out this good thing, too, and it was not long before a small number of planters were located at the "West farms," and those farms were so popular that on April 28th, 1701, "The town declared by a vote that they would not dispose of or grant any more land, till the thurd Devision of land is layed out." They also, "seques- tered all land not already layed out in the bounds of the ist Di- vision on ye west side of ye River."
This action on the part of the town resulted in preventing oth- er planters from settling in the south part on the west side of the river, at this time, particularly, as at the same meeting they voted they would have a "two rod highway with ye woods beloe Dr. Hull's field, for ye towns yuse." This gave an outlet in a northerly direction on the west side of the river, and as the troubles between France and England had been settled for the time being, the Planters were now left at liberty to abide wher- ever they chose to locate their houses.
• It now seems evident that there had been an influx of new planters and inhabitants into the town of Wallingford, most of whom, with the sons and relatives of the original planters were seeking favorable locations on the west side of the river, unde- terred by such an incident as is told in the following:
"Wee, whose names are here under written, being pannelled as a Jury to view ye Corps of John Baker, doe give in our verdict
of the Mosses : "The place of his death is not reported. If he did not die at Wallingford, his death may have occurred at Jamaica, Long Island, at the residence of a daughter." His descendants are noted for their longev- ity, and there is an unauthenticated statement that Mr. John Moss died in Wallingford at the age of 103 years
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 45
under oath that we find nothing upon him that might he the Cause of his Death, but Providentially Drowning.
"Abraham Dowlittle, Sr-. Nathaniel Royce, Samuel Brockett, Eliasaph Preston, Samuel Andrews, Jr-> Abraham Dowlittle, Jr., Samuel Hall, John Atwater, Isaac Curtice, John Hitchcock, Eleazur Peck, Roger Tyler."
The poor man who was so "providentially drowned" was pos- sibly a victim of the imperfect modes of crossing "ye river." The fording places were frequently dangerous. The boats were either canoes or roughly built flat scows, while bridges had not yet been erected sufficiently strong for teams to pass over. We know that frequent freshets must have occurred, for the com- mittee in charge of the bridge building is warned "to see that ye timber got out for itt, att mill, is not carryed away by ye flud." The records of this period of the town's growth now indicate that the tide was setting towards the northwestern reservation, for on the 28th day of April, 1701-2, the town voted:
"Thatt, they would have tow draft ways, one the weast side of ye river, one out by Bengeman Hulls, one to run to weastward to the south eand of the Brod Swomp, ye other at ye north eand of ye brod Swomp."
This last road opened up the present Cheshire street, and was followed up by later permissions to build cartways to the farms of various planters.
At the same town meeting, April, 1701-2, "The town voated they would have a hiway on ye weast side ye river from ye meadle bridg somewhear by Goodman beachs in ye most con- veniants place, over to the farms to the Eastard of the West Rocks — for foot persons and saddled horses, this way to be tow rodds wide where it is not already laid out."
By this vote the farmers on the west side of the river obtained increased facilities, with a direct road from the "Meadle" bridge at the town of Wallingford over to the farms in the valley of the Mill river to the eastward of the "West Rocks," at that time the very appropriate title of the present town of Prospect. This road will now be recognized as the highway coming from the eastward and continuing across the hill, a little to the south of
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the present Congregational church in Cheshire. By subsequent votes it was widened and cartways from it granted to "ye par- ticular persons praying for ye same," for more "conveniant" ac- cess to their several farms at "ye fresh meddoes" and "ye Mill River." In some cases land was granted on the "weast side ye River" to those who would maintain a "sofishient hiway," the "timber to be common." In this way neighborhood set- tlements were encouraged at considerable distance from the parent town, and between 1 701 and 1706 there was a consid- erable increase of population , on the west side of the Blue hills. Then the town voted (Sept. i6th, 1706) to replace the old bridge (Humiston's probably) by a "horse bridge over the river in ye most convenient place." Jacob Johnson and John Parker were chosen "fence viewers for particular enclosures on ye weast side of ye River," and in 1707 Nathaniel Hitch- cock was chosen "surveyor of Hiways for the weast side ye River," and at the same meeting it was voted to go on with the work of the "Meadle bridge," and appointed "a Comite to look after the getting out of timber." On the 30th day of December, 1707-8, the town voted:
"Thatt there shall be a twenty rodd hiway from the hieway that was stated to John Cooks, Joseph Ives, and Benjamin Beach's in the most convenient places,"i and at the September 1708-9 meeting "voated" an addition to this highway "through our bownds, four or five rodds wide, joyning New Haven line." This road began at the Meadle bridge and took a west by south line directly over to the settlements at the West Farms and the "Fresh Meaddoes," about three miles south of the present center of the town of Cheshire.
At the 27th "December" meeting 1709-10, same year, "ye town voted that the hiway on ye weast side of ye River that goes to Stony River, thatt takes off ye south weast corner of Docttur Hull's land and the addition that Capt. Yale has laid out for itt, at the North East corner shall be as now the town has stated itt."
iThis was the highway that had been voted iri J692, and had been the most traveled road to the West Farms, where the persons named and others had been located for some ten years, or since the close of the In- dian troubles.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 47
These several "town votes" opened up that part of the town of Wallingford lying- between the Quinnipiac River, and the "West Rocks" or Prospect.
The highway voted at the town meeting of December 27th, 1709-10, gave an impetus to the settlement of Cheshire Street and the North Farms, which now began to rival the settlements at the West Farms, and on the Mill River or southern end of the town. The records show that about this time the surveyors were busy "laying out" land to men whom the town voted "as desire - ing to improve itt." They gave preference in all cases to the "hairs" and grown up sons of the original proprietors ; and in every vote admitting new inhabitants, they were very careful to specify the footing upon which these new men were placed. They jealously guarded their titles of proprietors to the lands they had obtained under the terms of the "Articles of Agree- ment" with the New Haven Committee of 1669-70, and they ap- plied to the May Courte of 1712 sitting at Hartford for a "deed of release, and quit claim" of and in the lands to the Proprietors of and within the town of Wallingford. The Courte granted the petition and such a deed was executed to them by the "Honourable the Governour and the Secretaries signing and sealing the same."
This was an important act, conferring as it did the land title ' given by the New Haven Colony, and settling for the time, some vexed questions in regard to the right of an "Inhabetant" to claim a share of land whenever the several "devisions" were made.
To obtain a clear idea of how these disputes arose, it will be in order to mention the case of William and Mary Tyler.
It appears that on the 23d of April, 1705, they sold "102 akers" of Second Division land "called the Lothrop farm," lying one mile from the New Haven Mill river and "eight acres" adjoining "layed" out on the east side of this farm. , It was well under- stood at the time, that William and Mary Tyler did not convey a "Proprietor's right" in selling this land. It was only a small portion of the land that had belonged to some of the numerous Lothrop heirs and the title by which it passed into the possession
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of the new purchaser is clearly set forth by the vote taken ten months later. "Att an ajurned town meeting the ninth January, 1706-7, the town admeated Thomas Broox an inhabetant upon thatt land he purchest."
We have a list of 23 other persons admitted as "Inhabetants" ; some of whom claimed rights in Land Divisions, which were never allowed; and on June i6th, 1714, the Proprietors voted "not to admit the right" of William and Mary Tyler and others who had bought land. Later the Assembly at Hartford by enactments made from 1729 to 1735, settled effectually the land disputes between the town "Proprietors," and the town "Lihabe- tants," and the latter could no longer claim ownership in the un- divided lands of the Proprietors.
On January loth, 1709-10, the town Proprietors voted "that the List that was made for the year 1701 should be entered upon ye records because it was ye list that our Thurd Devision was layed out upon.
"The reason of entering this list was becas our thurd de- vision was laid out upon this : — an acar to every pound in this list, only prentis and servants Heads exempted."
The List of Wallingford Proprietors, as then given, and as it had been added to up to the date of February 12th, 1712-13, when the Town "voated thatt the Proprietors of Wallingford were the original settlers, and their hairs, and ye others thatt were ad- meated as Planters ; and nott those admeated as Lihabetants by purchase, and so voated in Town Meeting."
That List, with the additions up to 1712-13 contains 154 names, and so far as can now be ascertained, represented every "Head" or his "hairs." It is as follows ; those names marked with an O are those to whom was allotted the first House lotts and River Lotts in 1670-1672.
A
Samuel AndrewsO William Abnatha, Sr.
Samuel Andrews, Jr. (sometimes written Ebnatha)
William Andrews William Abnatha, Jr.
Joseph Andrews John Astain (Austin)
Nathaniel AndrewsO John Atwater
James Aling (Allen)
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49
B
John BrockettO Joseph Benham SenrO Thomas Beach Isaac Beach Samuel Browne Irenus Benham John Beach SenrO Joseph Benham Jr.
John Beach Jr. Benjamin Beach Matthew Bellamy Richard BeachO John Brockett Jr. Samuel Brockett Jabez Brockett James Benham
Samuel Cook Sr.O Ebenezer Clark William Cook Joshua Culver Joseph Curtis Thomas CurticeO Henry Cook John Cook
Hugh Chappell Nathaniel Curtis William Cole Samuel Cook Jr. Joseph Cook Isaac Curtis Samuel Curtis
D
Abraham Dowlittle, Sr.O Samuel Doolittle Ebenezer Doolittle Abraham Doolittle Jr.
Joseph Doolittle Daniel Doolittle John Doolittle Theophilus Doolittle
Edward Fenn
William Fredricks
H
Samuel HallO Sergt Benjamin Hall David Hall Jonathan Hall Jeremiah How SrO Jeremiah How Jr. Matthew How Samuel How Dr. John Hull Francis Hendricks
William Holt Widows Joseph & Benja- min Holt John Hall Senr.O John Hall Jr. Daniel Hall Daniel HopperO Zachariah How SrO Ephraim How Zachariah How Jr.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
John HarrimanO Benjamin Hull William Hendricks Eleazur Holt Joseph Holt Thomas Hall Senr.O Thomas Hall Jr. Nathaniel Hall
Samuel Hough Nathaniel HowO Daniel How Elijah How John Hoghkis Ebenezer Hull John Hitchcock Benjamin Holt
Joseph IvesO John Ives decest
Gidion Ives Nathaniel Ives
Walter Johnson
Jacob Johnson
Benjamin LewesO Samuel Lothrop Ebenezer Lewis
Ruth Lothrop
"widdoe of John ye Miller" John Lothrop
M
John Mosse Senr.O Nathaniel Merriman SrO Samuel Merriman Weadoe Merriman Jr. Samuel Munson Senr.O John MilesO John Mosse Jr.O Nathaniel Merriman Jr.O Caleb Merriman
John MixO Samuel Munson Jr. Thomas Matthews Mercy Moss John Merriman Weadoe Merriman Senr. Daniel Mix Joseph Munson Phillip Miner
Eliasaph PrestonO Samuel PotterO John Potter Joseph Parker John Peck Senr.O John Peck Jr.
John Parker Senr. Eliphalet Parker Eleazur PeckO George Pardey Senr. John Parker Jr.
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Samuel Royce Senr.O Nathaniel RoyceO Samuel Roys Jr. Nehemiah RoyceO Joseph Roice
Benjamin Roys (Rice) Isaac RoyceO Robert Roise Thomas Richason
Revd. Samuel StreetO Samuel Elmer Street
Samuel Street Jr. Nicholas Street
Simon TuttellO Samuel ThorpO Roger Tyler David TuttellO Joseph Thomson
William Tyler Nathaniel Tuttell Walter Thomson John Tyler
Samuel Whittelsey James Westwood
W
Richard Wood William Ward
Thomas YaleO
Capt. Theophilus Yale
These "Heads" as they were called in the foregoing list, were not perhaps all of them alive at the date mentioned, indeed we know that some of them were dead; but they were carried on the books of the town because there was still considerable land to be divided, and every "Head" or "hair" was entitled to its share.
So many of the living "Heads" resided on the west side of the river in the year 1711-12 that the townspeople of Wallingford divided their trainband into two companies, and then applied to the assembly at Hartford to confirm the act, which it promptly did at the October session, as follows :
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52 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"This Assembly do allow and approve of the division made of the companies or trainbands in the town of Wallingford, and do establish and confirm Capt. John Merriman to be captain, Mr. Joseph Doolittle to be Lieutenant, and Mr. Samuel Munson to be Ensign of the West Company, or train band in said town."
The "West Farmers" were now well equipped with the means of taking care of themselves. They had fence viewersi and highway surveyors of their own, and the town drum was or- dered to be beaten on the west side of the river, from North Farms to ye West Farms, "on thirdsday or friday morning, pro- claiming 'Town meeting ye next tusday eight o'clock,' shall be soficient warning for time to come for town meetings," in short, those on the west side were a community in themselves for all practical purposes, except the onerous obligation of attending town meetings, and going so far for church services on the Sab- bath day, under penalty of two shillings and sixpence for each omission, unless there was some "propper" or reasonable excuse.
They were also much annoyed by "ye townsmen" looking so closely after them, in the matter of "falling ye timber," and "en- croaching upon ye highways." It was, they thought, a great hardship to be compelled to build fences in their sparse communi- ties, and disputes were not infrequently settled by "knockdown ar- guments," which often ended in some public punishment being inflicted. They were also annoyed by the rates ("rats") levied up- on them, claiming that their farms were comparatively wild lands, infested by wolves, and other beasts of prey, while in the town center other farmers were not subjected to the depredations of wild animals, who frequently stole their sheep and destroyed their crops. Under all the circumstances we must admire the patience and fortitude of our ancestors who had settled on "ye weast side of ye Great River," and had brought under subjection so large a part of the wild lands belonging to the Town of Wallingford.
iFence viewers on ye weast side ye river— Jacob Johnson and Joseph Parker.
Surveyors of hiways— "for tother side ye river" — Joseph Andrews, Ire- nus Benham, Elaphalet Parker.
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The division of the Wallingford train band into the East and West train bands, did not necessarily imply that all the members or officers of the West company lived on the west side of the river. A number of men belonging to the West company lived, no doubt, within the present boundaries of Cheshire, but it seems quite proper to consider Cheshire as having its real beginning at this time.
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CHAPTER THREE.
PERMANENT SETTLEMENT DISCOVERY OF COPPER ANOTHER DIVI- SION OF LANDS SCHOOL AND CHURCH MATTERS.
It is not possible to obtain all the names of those early men who went out from the parent town of Wallingford and erected for themselves homes in the then wilderness of the present town of Cheshire; nevertheless, the records of Wallingford furnish at least a partial list of some of the pioneers who were at this time settled upon or cultivating land in the territory west of the Quinnipiac River, on the then undivided lands of the "Walling- ford Plantation."
Nor is it possible to accurately determine who, of this num- ber were the first to locate and build houses within the precincts of the present town of Cheshire. By reference to the several votes of the town of Wallingford, the names of various men are given, as having been delegated to lay out roads, look after tim- ber, perambulate the bounds, and report generally upon the landed property in the western part of the town, which was about to be divided among the "Proprietors and their heirs," and some of these men became settlers on the west side of the river, and erected the earliest houses in Cheshire.
It will be understood that while there were quite a number of settlers upon these lands, and although the land had been "layed out," they were not yet in possession of legal titles to the same, notwithstanding their occupancy. They were, however, recog- nized as having the first right to take up their lands as soon as a division could be arranged.
We may consider the following list of these men as approxi- mately accurate:
54
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
55
John Hitchcock, Samuel Cook Jr. Joseph Parker William Hendricks Joshua Culver John Tyler Josiah Clark Timothy Tuttle Thomas Brooks Josiah Hodgfkis Ebenezer Johnson
Joseph Ives John Cook Francis Hendricks Dr. John Hulls Matthew Bellamy Thomas Matthews Nathaniel Andrews John Merriman Thomas Welsheare John Lothrop Stephen Hodgkis
Benjamin Beach- John Hodgkiss Joseph Curtis John Parker John Atwater Samuel Royce John Doolittle Joseph Doolittle Joseph Tomson John Moss Jr.
Reading across the page, these names are given in the order in which the men appear to have become permanent settlers from 1696 to 1711-12. The land records of Wallingford locate eight- een of them at the West Farms; eleven at the North Farms; one at West Rocks, and two a mile or more east of the present church.
The farmers at the south end of the town, during this year, 1711-12, were greatly excited by the report of one John Parker, that he had found copper and perhaps other precious metals in the vicinity of his farm. This report, like all of a similar nature in any community, created considerable of a stir, and the "Pro- prietors of Wallingford" took prompt measures to protect their interests in this valuable find of minerals. They instructed their Representatives at Hartford to secure from the Generall Courtc such legislation as would confirm to them and their heirs the full benefit that might accrue to them by reason of said copper mines being discovered within the boundaries of their town.
It was soon ascertained that these finds of copper were on the west side of the River about four miles west of the town proper, and upon the western slope of the hills to the eastward of the "West Farms" and as it seemed quite likely the enterprising farmers over there would lay claim to everything in the shape of minerals, within the confines of the land that had been laid out to them, a committee was appointed, an investigation was made, and at the May session of the General Courte of 1712 the follow- ing legislation was enacted :
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S6 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Whereas, there is a Copper Mine lately discovered at Wal- lengsford, in the undivided lands, which appertain to a certain number of proprietors, being the surviving antient inhabitants of said town and the heirs of such antient inhabitants, proprietors, who are deceased, together with such other person or persons who are admitted by common consent and agreement of the proprietors among themselves to a certain proportion of interest and right in the said mines ; and more such copper mines or other mines may be discovered within the township of Wallingsford, either in the undivided lands, or in the lands that are divided and belong to particular persons ; all which mines whenever discovered do belong to the aforesaid proprietors by virtue of a covenant or agreement of the inhabitants of Wallingsford made and mu- tually concluded on among themselves, as also by virtue of a formal and lawful quitclaim from the Governour and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut in New England in Amer- ica, under their common seal, settling and confirming the said mines unto the said proprietors and their heirs and assigns for- ever: And whereas the well managing and improving the said mines will be not only profitable to the proprietors themselve?, but also may be of publick advantage; which publick and partic- ular benefits arising from the improving of such mines may be greatly obstructed, by reason that several of the heirs of the de- ceased original proprietors are yet minors, and thereby not ca- pable of acting, and some few others of full age and capacity to act may now or hereafter refuse to act with the rest of the pro- prietors in the improving such mines as aforesaid, and thereby such mines rendered unprofitable:
"For the preventing of such inconveniences that either do or may arise,
"It is enacted and ordained by the Governor, Council and Rep- resentatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same. That the proprietors of the major part of the interest and propriety in the said mines, that now are or hereafter shall be found within the limits of the township of Wallingsford afore- said, being of full age and capacity to act, (although they should not be the greater number of persons interested in the said mines).
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 57
shall have power and authority, at all and every time and times hereafter, to improve all the aforesaid mines, and manage all the affairs and business anyways relating to the said mines, for the benefit and advantage of themselves, and the rest of the said pro- prietors, that are either minors or dissenters unto such their man- agements ; and the proprietors of the said greater part of the pro- priety and interest in the said mines may and are hereby enabled at any time or times hereafter, either by themselves or by their substituted attorney or attorneys, to lease out, demise, and let to farm, the whole or any part or parcel of said mines, to any other person or persons whomsoever, and for such term or terms of time, as well for such rents, incomes or yearly profits, or other considerations, as they shall think meet ; and such their leases, bargains or contracts, so made concerning the said mines, either by the said proprietors of the major part of the interest and pro- priety in said mines or by their substituted attorneys or agents, shall be accounted, deemed and reputed good and effectual in the law, although the proprietors of the lesser part of the interest or propriety in the said mines should happen to be the greater num- ber of persons and should be either minors or opposers of such improvements or of such leases, bargains or contracts, that at any time hereafter may be made concerning the said mines. Pro- vided always, that such rhjnors or others, incapable or refusing to act in the improvement or leasing the said mines, shall in no wise lose their interest in proportion of the profits arising from the said mines, because of their inability or refusing to act with the rest of the said proprietors."!
It may well be supposed that after the Proprietors had thus secured to themselves and their heirs all the legal rights belong- ing to them in the mines "lately discovered," they worked their find for all that it was worth. We have no record that either at this time, 171T-12, or that two years later, 1714-15; there had been very much copper found or mined. We may, indeed, as- sume that the mining industry was not very profitable; as will be inferred from the following vote passed June i6th, 1714:
iCoIonial Records, pp. 315, 316.
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58 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Ye proprietors agreed to give John Parker teen shillings in case sd Parker be forever hereafter quiet and contented with re- spect to ye mine money."
In 1718 some speculators from Massachusetts entered into an agreement to reopen the mines within eight years (on a five hun- dred year lease), and there is no doubt that they were prepared for mining operations on a scale which would determine the value of any copper ore that might be found concealed in the earth in the town of Wallingford. Accordingly the Court at Hartford appointed three commissioners for the town of Wal- lingford and four other commissioners (well known men) on the part of the court for the term of two years or during the pleasure of the assembly — with power to wind up the business if it was found unprofitable, etc.
Great expectations were indulged in by the Hartford court and the Wallingford people that these mines would yield large profits ; and particularly confident was Mr. Matthew Bellamy, who sent, in October, 172 1-2, to the General Assembly the fol- lowing petition : "That as your petitioner is living within the township of Wallingford and living very near the place where the miners are at work where there is many of them and especyally will be many more and there being no other person within six or seven miles that can well find them entertainment except your Petitioner whereupon your petitioner with the next owners of ye mines prayeth your petitioner may have a lycense by an act of this Assembly to keep a hous of entertainment that so your Petitioner may without danger provide for and enter- tain the miners and others as need shall require and your peti- tioner to be under ye same penalty as other persons that are lycensed by the Assembly Courte." ,
This petition is about all the evidence we have that the mines in the south and east part of the present town of Cheshire were worked, with a force of men sufficient to bring to the surface any valuable mineral that might be found.
Matthew Bellamy was a relative of Joshua Culver, and being "a good weever," the town (as an inducement for Bellamy to settle in Wallingford) gave him in 1703 "twenty-five acres of
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 59
land," later the town gave him "fifteen acres more ;" to which "Goodman Culver" added "tenn more acres to my Cozen Mather Bellomy, in addition to what ye town gave him." This farm is described as lying upon "ye east side of ye Fresh Meadow brook, nere ye hiway ;" and was bounded "East by ye East bank of ye brook, and west by Culver his land."
This locates Mr. Bellamy as between the brook and what is now Cook Hill to the eastward, where adjoining each other Samuel Cook and Joshua Culver owned considerable land. As Bellamy says in his petition that he was "living near the place where the miners were at work," it is reasonably certain that the mines were first operated in the southeastern part of the present town of Cheshire. It was probably to the northward and eastward of Bellamy's place where the copper was first taken out, and after that, explorations must have been general all over those hills until the final failure of Mr. Belcher in 1723 and 1724. There is no evidence that copper was mined in this region previous to 1711-12.
It is, of course, impossible at this date to ascertain exactly the location of the copper mine discovered in 1711-12 by John Par- ker, but there is good reason to believe that it was in the south- east part of the town of Cheshire upon the earliest "hiway," that of 1692. That highway crossed the Mill River, and continued some distance north, giving access to the region in the neighbor- hood of Scott's rock.
The mines may be more nearly located by a deed given in 1716 by Thomas Matthews, who sells to William Merriam his "house, fruit trees, fences, etc., bounded north by Hiway, east by Highway or common land, south part on John Parker his land and part of land I bout (bought) of John Johnson, Jr., also a piece I bought of Thomas Richason and it lyeth neare ye mines, 20 acres more or less, bounded by land formerly of Samuell An- drews, north and west by Goodman Clark and the other parts by town land." He also sells to Merriam a piece of 17 acres: "It lyeth north side ye hiway which lyeth north end of Goodman John Parker's farm on ye fresh meddoe beginning at a stake, etc." and concludes: "It lyeth on ye west side ye mines on ye
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6o HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
south side Thomas Richason, 68 rods in length, 20 rods in bredth."
There can be, therefore, but little doubt that the earliest dis- covery of copper was in the lower southeast part of the present town. The above description would appear to locate it, to the westward of the Cook's Hill road of 1697 and south of the road ordered in 1692. The exact locality cannot be determined with- out an exhaustive examination of the ancient records.i
That the operations were abandoned within a few years is made evident by the following record of a "Proprietors meeting held in Wallingford June ye 23:1723."
"Voated and agreed yt where as Mr. William Patridge and Mr. Jonathan Belsher: Did formerly hire our mines as will ap- pear by articles more fully described there in : said Patrig and said Belsher not performing ye covenants in said articles con- serning said mines: the proprietors do authorize and impower Capt. John Hall of Wallingford in his Majesties colloney of Con- nectycutt in New England: to render and deliver up said arti- cles on our part: and Demand and receive of said Fatrig and Belsher or either of yem the Articles on their part reciprocally to be Delivered up according to ye covenants:
" : :We ye said proprietors do impower the said Captn John Hall to act for us : : as he would for himself in such a case : and to im- power such person or persons as he shall think fitt in this weighty affaire : — "
The proprietors of Wallingford, after this experiment in min- ing, appointed a permanent committee of five persons to "act in tiieir behalfe in all matters and conserns about said mines ;" and this committee, and "the proprietors by their voat;" a few months later chose a committee to sign new articles with Mr. Bel- sher of Boston, and others (living in England) associated with him. It would seem that this new company did not do much mining work; for we find upon the records a vote "that said
iThese mines should not be connected with the Golden Parlor Mining company, of twenty years later, organized in Meriden. That company mined for copper at "Ye Red Rocks" and thereabouts in the north part of the then town of Wallingford.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 6l
Belsher shall enjoy his half part of said mines: in case he pays tenn pounds yearly to ye proprietors of Wallingford" — and they will not take any forfeiture proceedings, against him "if he pays promptly."
Mr. Belsher probably did not pay for more than the current year and then we find another committee appointed to "manage ye whole affaire," make "new leases," etc., but no company appears as the successors of the previous mining concerns. Since these early attempts to obtain copper in the town of Wallingford, quite a number of individuals have periodically (up to the years within the memory of many persons now living) spent a great deal of money in expensive operations ; all resulting in failures more or less disastrous, and it is not beUeved that the mines will ever be profitably reopened.
There is no doubt that the discovery of copper mines in the neighborhood of the "West Farms" gave a great impetus to mi- gration from the town center to the region of "ye Fresh Med- does" and it is ascertained that some ten or twelve years before this mining boom, frame houses were erected and neighborhood settlements made on the several roads layed out by "voat" of the town to the "West Farms."
It was at this period that the increasing numbers of inhabi- tants caused the Proprietors of Wallingford to "voat" another "Devision of land" which was a matter of great moment to the farmers on the north and on the west side of the river. The meetings were frequent and every precaution was taken in the "voats" to assure the Devision of this land to "ye Proprietors" and their "hairs." It was again distinctly afiSrmed that only "proprietors" admitted as such, should be permitted to have a "Lott in this Devision," and not "ye inhabetants, or ye other men, who owned land that they had purchest;" and that "one haire only shall pitch for one propriety."
A very necessary precaution; because, before this time, dis- putes had arisen as to the rights of heirs ; the oldest boy claim- ing the right to a "pitch ;" and when he got the land, taking a double share of it; and locating his double share on the most
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62 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
available portion without much, if any regard, to the rights of mother, brothers or sisters who shared with him in the "pitch."
On the i6th of June, 1714, The Proprietors of Wallingford "voted and agreed that they will have their land sited" (sur- veyed).
"Att ye same meeting ye Proprs voated and agreed yt ye Rule rhall be for laying out this land to ye Loer Rank sixty acres. Ye Middell Rank ninety acres Ye Upper Rank six score acres (120 acres)."
Ui) to the year 1714 the Proprietors of Wallingford had al- lotted their land as follows:
To each High rank man, or his hairs, 476 acres.
To each Middell Rank man, or his hairs 357 acres. ^
To each Loer Rank man, or his hairs 238 acres.
This had been done upon a basis of 40 acres to the Lower rank, 60 acres to the Middle rank and 80 acres to the Highest rank.
At the meeting held on June i6th, 1714, this rule was en- larged but was substantially the same as in the former divisions ; giving to the higher rank twice as much as to the lower rank, and to the middle rank one-half more than to the lower rank.
Att ye same meetin : Itt was
"Agreed and voted yt ye land shall be layed out in teers half a mille course & one wide the first teer to flank upon ye North West line of the bounds & run from ye chestnut trees North Eastward until it comes to farmington bounds or corner & then a highway to run through : from ye one end of ye teere : to the other : & then theerc shall be another parelall teere eastward of ye s<l highway of ye same bigness of the former & then a highway againe of ye same bignes, length & bredgth with ye former : & so ye teer shall run in ye same order & highways bettween them all until all ye land is taken up yt is in ye maine body of land that lyeth together undivided & if there be not land enough in ye tract to give every proprietor his proportion according to agreement : then they shall have it out of other broken and undivided land.
"Agreed also yt ye lots shall be Drawn & cast in this order
"Beginning at ye south end of ye west teere & so run Northw<l
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 63
until ye teere is out: & then to begin at ye south end of ye next teere and so to proceed in ye same order until all yt teere be taken up & then if any Lotts be wanting they shall be taken up out of ye other Broken undivided lands as it may be convenient, Agreed allso yt no rocks or land yt is the most of yt rock & so of no vallew shall 'be Divided, butt if any such fall in teers they shall not be mesured into lots that matter about ye rocks to be left to ye sizers : and after all ye land of ye teers are taken up if any lots are wanting they shall be layed out in this order to begin att ye south end of ye bounds nere the teere & run Northward — and turne about eastward into ye broken land . . . . as ye sizers and mesurers shall think convenient until all ye Lotts are layed out, agreed allso that ye high ways shall be six rods wide, and all Dificultye about rocks or swamps or other impedyments that may hapen in ye high ways the suvaiers & sizers shall have power to regulate by turning the highway a little out of a streight corse as it may be convenient. Agreed also that there shall be a hundred acres of land reserved for such use as ye pro- prietors see cause to put itt to near ye middel of ye second teer."i
"At the same meeting the proprietors chose Sargt Robart Roys & Sargt Saml Hall with ensigne Joseph Curtice to be sizers & measurers of this land and any two of them to act with ye surveir of his quarter."
"The survey in ye laying out ye land shall take care to set out propper hiways to ye lands they shall hereafter lay out."
"Att ye same meeting it was votted & agreed that ye commit- tee that are to settle highways shall have power to Despose of ye proprietors lands to make recompense for what they take of any particular mens property in lands."
"At ye same meeting William Tyler and others Demanded of ye Proprietors a right in ye undivided lands : :and to come in for a Devision with ye Proprietors in ye Devision now to be layed out."
iThe land here voted to be surveyed, comprised what is now nearly half of the town of Prospect, and nearly all of the western half of the present town of Cheshire, more particularly West Cheshire and Mixville.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
"Vetted by ye Proprietors that they will not admltt thare claim nor allow yem to have any devision amongst us because we judge they have no legal or equitable right."
"Mather How forbids any laying out of land untill they have had a tryall."
The claims of Mr. Wm. Tyler, John Tyler, Edward Fenn, Hugh Chappel, Mather How and "ye hairs of Doctor Hull Decest" was based upon their belief that notwithstanding they had sold some of their Proprietary lands ; they were still en- titled to full rights in whatever land still remained to be divided. The difficulty was settled at a subsequent meeting, at which it was "voated and agreed" that the persons above mentioned "shall have halfe a Devision in all oure undivided lands that yett Remain to be layed out. Itt is to be understood that they shall have proportionally according to what Rank they are of : :And this agreement to be a finally ishew about lands :past, present and to come."
"And Capt. Thomas Yale was chosen moderator att ye sd meet- ing : :at ye same metting ye proprietors drew or cast lotts & they fell as foUoweth —
Order Lot
drawn drawn
lo John Atwater 52
40 John Astin ( (Austin) 42
50 Joseph Andrews 38
(for Abernathy see Ebnatha)
B
5 Ye hairs of John
Brockit 9
37 Samuel Brockit 18
43 Ye hairs of Joseph
Benham Senr 4
48 Ye hairs of Joseph
Benham Jr 8
51 Thomas Beach 24
53 Ye hairs of John Beach 44
C
Order Lot
drawn drawn
9 Isaac Curtis 49
25 Ensign Curtise 41
31 Joshua Culver 20
34 Ye hairs Samuel Cook 33
46 Ebenezer Clark 43
52 Ye hairs of Henry Cook 29 58 Hugh Chaphill (Chap-
Pell) 58
D
13 Abraham Dooittle 16
49 John Doolittle 6
54 Ye hairs of Abraham
Doolittle 34
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65
Order Lot
drawn drawn
45 Ye hairs of Wm. Eb-
natha 27
60 Edward flfen 60
H
8 Jeremiah How 11
11 Mr. John Hall 21
12 Capt. Samll Hall 15
16 Ye hairs of Thomas
Hall 26
17 Ye hairs of John Hall
Senr 22
22 Ye hairs of William
Holt 40
27 Ye hairs of Doctr
Hulls Senr 54
32 John Hitchcock 46
39 David Hall 37
41 Ye hairs of Zachh How 5 47 Samuel Hough 7
42 Nathaniel How i
55 Ye hairs of Joseph
Holt 55
59 Mather How 59
61 Ye hairs of Doctor
Hulls 61
I
24 Ye hairs of John Ives 19
35 Ye hairs of John
Lathrup 50
, M Order Lot
drawn drawn
4 Ye hairs of John Moss 32
6 Ye hairs of Nathl
Merriman 13
19 Capt John Merriman 31
20 Ye hairs of Samll
Munson 45
28 John Moss 35
36 Daniel Mix 47
38 Ye assigns of Mercy
Moss 30
P
18 Ye hairs of Eliasaph
Preston 17
23 John Peck 36
29 Eliazur Peck 25
30 John Parker 51
R
14 Ye hairs of Samll Roys 53
1 5 Ye hairs of Neheh Roys 23
j6 Ensigne Roys 10
44 Robert Roys (or Royce)
14
S
1 Mr Samll Street 12
7 SaniH Tliorp 2
21 Ye hairs of Joseph
Thomson 3
33 Roger Tyler 39
56 John Tyler 56
57 William Tyler 57
W
2 Mr Samll Whittlesey. . 28
3 Thomas Yale 48
Total 61 lots
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In this drawing for lots, it will be observed that the total was sixty-one "Propriety rights," then existing as represented in the list that was entered upon the Wallingford book.
By a comparison of this list, with those of 1701 and 1712-14, we perceive that quite a number of original and early proprietors had sold out or abandoned their rights, and their names are no longer found. We may therefore accept this list as that of all persons representing every legal proprietary right in the town of Wallingford.
Another list made ten years later (1724) is identical with this one, and at that time the "Rule of two, three and four" was voted — so that each Head or "Propriety" received, as follows ^'ye high rank 40 acres," "ye middle rank 30 acres," "ye Lower rank 20 acres."
It was this division of land that enabled the farmers who were already upon the ground to obtain legal rights to their acres, and set about "mending" their farms by exchanging with their neighbors, or applying to the surveyors for more of the commoon lands that adjoined the farms they occupied at this time, and to which they also desired better highway facilities.
Other persons from Wallingford, New Haven, now Hamden and North Haven, Milford, Derby, Farmington and Waterbury, came in as either "Inhabetants" or purchasers land, so that this "west side of ye Quinnipiac river from New Haven line" on the south to "Farmington bounds" on the north must have received an influx of population that called for the constant su- pervision of the townsmen and magistrates to control and pro- vide for. The record of the meetings for the following three years is mainly filled with minute directions disposing of strips of land, broken lands, rocky parcels, and with regulations against the unlawful cutting of timber an dthe encroachers on the public lands and "hiways on ye west side ye river." Committees of prominent men were appointed to settle numerous land disputes Taetween individuals ; and the Reverend Samuel Whittlesey of "Wallingford and the Reverend Joseph Moss of Derby "being pro- prietors of Wallingford, were impowered to appear before ye
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 67
Generall Court at Hartford on the 3d day of May 1715-16 to an- swer ye proprietors of Waterbury conserning certain lands they claimed, against ye proprietors of Wallingford," etc. In due time the Reverend "Deputes" argued this case at Hartford, and the petition of the Proprietors of Waterbury was "ejected" as related in the record of the Court's proceedings. This settled a long standing controversy and virtually gave Wallingford pos- session of all the land originally conveyed by the New Haven grant and by the subsequent grant of the Hartford Court in 1672.
The farmers on the West side of the river now had another grievance ; and they carried their trouble over to the parent town asking for relief. The town "voated yt all ye children yt go to schoole shall pay tow shillings a head, and all ye rest of ye money due to ye schoolemaster shall be payed out of ye town Treas- urey." There were twelve "dissenten" to this "voat" all "west side" men and they must have discussed the matter to a late hour for they "agreed and voated thatt no voat shall pass or be putt after sun sett in town metting."
There had been considerable friction in the town meetings, and this last vote was an indignant protest against keeping the North farmers and the West side farmers at the town meeting so late that they could not get to their homes before dark.
At the next town meeting held December, 1715, "The follow- ing memorial" was presented
"Wallingford December ye 19th 1715: The request of ye farmers on ye west side of ye river, to ye town of Wallingford Humbly showeth yt we your Neighbours have for sum consid- erable time many of us dwelt remotely from sd town & under great Disadvantage as to ye great Duty of Edicateing of our children & god haveing in his great goodness much increest our Number we Desire yt ye town would grant us our proportion- able part of that money yt we help to pay in order to ye Edicat- ing our children & ye time we are alowed we will keep a schoole according to Law & ye Bounds we Desire assigned is west from ye rever as high as Timothy tattle & timothy Beach's & we hope yt you will in your wisdom & compassion consider & grant our
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68 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
request in consideration whereof we your frinds in ye name of ye Rest.
John Hodkis
Jacob Johnson
Joseph Parker
John Doolittle." "The above request was voated & granted for this year accord- ing to ye date above specified by ye town of Wallingford and Capt Yale, Jacob Johnson & Nathl Curtis were chosen a Com- mittee to see what is ye farmers proportionable part of ye count- try mony ; that live within ye bounds above mentioned."
These bounds extended about four miles west from the river — about a mile east of present church. Timothy Tuttle lived near the west end of the road "to ye south of Broad Swamp" (the present road to Yalesville). Timothy Beach lived on the lower road, about three miles west from the river and three miles south of Tuttle's.
This matter of schools had been previously brought up in town meeting and the majority living near the town center had always had their own way about it. In September, 1711-12, Henry Bates had agreed to be "scool master" for "fifty acres of land and £50 money a year," but at the December meeting it was "voated they would not give ye scoolmaster but £45 money." It is not known where this "scool" was located. It was evidently not convenient to the farmers on the west side; and then in 1713 the town voted "if children enter ye scool and goe six days he or they shall paye for ye whole year." The following year this was modified so that "children who goe six days : :paye J^ year Rats, on those living within a mile & half of scool house from 6 years old to teen." John Moss Senr and Samuel Culver were chosen "to look after ye scoolmaster to see yt he keeps his bowers."
School differences continued to be agitated for several years; but the attitude of the town towards the outside farmers was not at all satisfactory to the latter ; and accordingly some of the west side men preferred the following petition to the Hartford Court :
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 69
"To the Honorable Governour & general assembly now sitting at Hartford^ —
"The humble petition of the inhabitants of the west farms of the town of Wallingford humbly showeth that by reason of dis- tance from the town and dificultys in the way are under grate disadvantages to attend on the publick worship of God & also for Edicateing our children, these with other dificultyes monish your humble petitioners to address themselves to your honours for a ramidye; and humbly pray this honorable assembly to grant yt we may be a parish Cosiaty by ourselves & have ye privilidge of setting up ye worship of god among us and yt our bonds may be East ward to the first fences and West to the West mountain and north and south about six miles in lengthi or that a Comitee of indifferent wise and judicious men may be apointed and im- powered to inspect and inquier into our dificaltys and circum- stances that as they in discration shall think fitt or from other ways as this honourable court shall think best we may be fur- thered and priviladged with the advantage of the worship of god and good Edication amoung ourselves. So your humble petitioners shall ever pray.
may ye i ano domne 1718
thomes Brooks Stephen hotchkis Mathew belamye."
"Upon this Petition — ordered that James Wadsworth esq of Durham, Mr. Nathl Yaile, and Mr. Saml Bishop of New Haven be a Committee to view and consider the Circumstances of said farmers as to number of persons and estates — how capable they be of being a Parish, and what limits may be most suitable for said Parish, and make report to this Assembly in October next. Past in the Upper House
Test Hez Wyllys Secry Past in The Lower House Teft E. Williams Clerk."
I Here they ask for north and south six miles in length. From South Road the six miles would be as far as the road on the north of Broad Swamp.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Jonathan Law the assistant Governor issued May 2d 1817, a warrant to one of the constables to notify "ye celectmen of Wallingford to appear at Hartford if they see cause." This warrant is endorsed as "served." Thomas Miles Constable.
The selectmen of Wallingford appeared and replied as follows :
"To the honorable Generall assembly in hartford now siting: whereas the west farmers of the town of Wallingford have sited us the subscribers to make answer if we see caws to a petition by them in tenor to be preferred to this assembly : — we answeer first that we would be free from impeding those or (our) nei- bours from ye most convenient injoyment of the meens for them- selves and childeren: yet we fear att present that they are not able to suport the worshipe of god amongst themselves as it aught to be ; secondly we answer ; that they desired of us that they might have opetunity to ask of the towne liberty to be a village which they had and when the towne had agreed to send a comtee to look into ye matter and confer on how far it might be reasonable the bounds should extend they opposed so hard as that they occationed a stay therein —
"3ly as to this thirde petition we object and say that if the bonds prayed for be granted it will be greatly detrimental to ye towne and several! inhabitants living in sd bounds who cannot be so well acomidated to attend ye worship of God by a village as in ye towne and we believe ye great wisdom and prudence of this assembly will never destroy a town to make a village: but desire and praye that the Representatives of or towne may be allowed to say what is further needful in ye case:
Wallingford May 7:1718
Howkins hart Nathaniel Curtis Gidion leves Jacob jonson Samuel Hall
c elect
> y,
men.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 71
The committee, appointed by the Assembly, reported as follows :
"To the Honble the General Assembly siting in N. H. — October 1718.
"In complyance with your honers directions to us, we the sub- scribers have vewed and considered the State of the West farm- ers in Walingford, and finde there number of familys to be about 45 (Including in yt numbr sum few new beginners that have not fammilys) theire generall list of Estates, by the best account we can gaine is some few pounds above £2000 and amongst sd fam- ilys there are twenty, or more, against breaking off from the Town ; but are willing to stay with them, and we suppose that many of sJ number will be most convenient to ye Town Societie and therefore upon the whole matter we think it best that said farmers continue still with ye Towne of Walingford as hearto- fore: espetially considering theire deveided State and the small- ness of theire list:
N :H Octobr 16 day 1718
■ James Wadsworth Nathaniel Yale Saml Bishop."
This report of the committee to the Assembly was not satis- factory to those who wanted to be relieved of the burden of sup- porting and attending the church and school at the center. They again petitioned the town, and the town "voated Thatt it would here (hear) our neighbours on the west side ye river if they have anything to say about thare Difecultys about schooling and ye Metting House."
The west side people probably did make themselves heard in town meeting, for it was "Voated to make choyse of a Comtee jn respect to ye farmers petision conserning ye school & to consider of that matter and chose Leftenant Roys, Howkins Hart, Sargt Hochkis Wy Ward, Samll Cook & Sam'l Munson thare Comtee."
There was considerable other business transacted at this meet- ing. They "voated to fence in a ram pasture": — and gave Doc- ter Hulls "liberty to sett up a sider mill on the plaine near Isaac
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Mosse's house ::and nott to have any right in ye land where he setts ye mill:no longer than ye said mill lasts."
Isaac Moss lived on the North Farms. He was a son-in-law of one of the numerous "Roys" (or Rices) who were owners, at an early date, of farms in that part of the present town of Cheshire.
The committee appointed at the meeting held in the fall of 1718 at the next meeting handed in the following report, which the scribe copied upon the record — with a line below it explaining that it was agreed to by the meeting.
"In complyance with ye trust reposed in us by ye town to con- sider in what way the town school may be rendred benefitiall to ye whole, which according to our measure we have considered & are of opineon yt if the town school should be keept at three places itt might be more generally benefitiall, & therefore agree for this year that ye school shall be keept two monts over the river in ye most convenient place to accomidate the children to be sent — & one month about Saml Andrews'es & the farmers in each place to provide a house to keep ye school in : & the school at the farmes shall be under ye Regulation & inspection of the commite for the town schoole. Wallingford December 22, 17 19.
Samuel Munson Samll Roys Howkins Hart John Hotchkis William Ward
Committee." "Voated in town meeting"
The votes at the following Town meeting explain the further action of the town in this school matter.
January loth, 1721, "The town chose a committee conserning the schoole for ye west farmers viz : Capt Hall Left Roys Sergt Hart thomas miles Gedion Ives & Joseph parker to consider what is just & right conserning theire part or sheire of sd school; and
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 73
bring report to ye town : & chose Jeremiah Hull & Joseph Ben- ham collector for ye pole mony."
April 25th 1721-22. "Tlie town voated the farmers on ye west side ye river & the north farmers shall have there proportionable part of our school & this act to stand untill the town see cause to alter it ; and chose Sergt Roys & Howkins Hart & Joseph Parker to be joyned to the former committee about ye school to order ye matter conserning the farmers having th.are proportionable part of the school & to regulate yt matter according to ye best advan- tage of sd school."
At an adjourned meeting Deer 11:1722-3 "The town voated that a farthing on ye pound shall be added unto ye town rate for ye benefit of teaching ye children that live at ye farms that cant comfortably come to ye town schoole & to be left to ye reg- ulation of a committe namely Left Roys — Stephen Hotchkiss William Warder Jacob Johnson Gedion Ives & Samll Thorp Junr — they paying the pole money as children do in ye town."
At ye same meeting "The town by their voat granted liberty to ye farmers on ye west side ye river so many as shall subscribe etc to hire a minister to preach amongst ym for three months this yeare & voated to give them six pounds & voted to advance ye ministers rate six pounds."
These meetings furnish good evidence that at this time the far- mers on the west side of the river were sufficiently numerous to obtain from the town pretty much all that they asked for.
The west side farmers had now obtained only partial relief. They determined to renew their attempt to be made a village. This time they did not apply to the Assembly, they went to their own town meeting, and after the usual number of adjournments from week to week, notice was given for a town meeting to be held on the 30th of April, 1723, and at that meeting the fol- lowing vote was passed.
"At a town meetin in Wallingford April ye 30th, 1723:
"The town voated that there shall be a villiage on ye west side ye river and theire bounds shall be as followeth Beginning at ye south east corner of Saml Cook Junr his farm thence running
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74 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
a south line to New Haven bounds & from sd corner north ward taking in said Cookes farm S: Mathew Belamys farm, thence a streight hne taking in Joseph Thomas his farm: from thence Northward taking Atwaters John tilers and Docters Hulls their farms at broad swamp thence to thomas Mathews his farm over Stoney River thence in ye east line of his said Mathews his farm taking in Joseph Curtis his farm: & William hendrick his farm to ye north line of our bounds ; this to be ye east line of sad village with the proviso, that whatsoever farm or lott being cut by said line runing a crost: shall be to ye town sosiety or to ye village according as ye owner chief inhabit."
After this action by the town, the farmers on the west side prepared to take care of their own spiritual and educational con- cerns, and no doubt asked the town to advise them.
The town voted that they should "sett up papers in 4 or 5 plases giving tenn dayes notiss." The reason for the passage of such a vote is not made clear on the record, but it was probably for the purpose of giving individual West Farmers time to decide whether they would belong to "ye town Sosiety" or to "ye villiage."
Then the first meeting of the West Society was held on the 3rd of May, 1723. It is known that Joseph Thomson was appointed clerk, but the moderator's name is not known and only this brief record is made:
"Att a meeting of the west sosiaty in Wallingford May ye :3 : 1723 :by thair vot they Agree to perticion to the generall asembly for a conformation of what the tound has granted us in order for a vilag."
"By thair vots they maid chois of Thomas Brooks, Joseph Thomson and John Hitchcock for a comtee to lay their petion be- fore the generall cort::"i
iThe records of the West Society appear to have been first kept upon pieces of paper, or in Mr. Thomson's private account books; and for this reason we have only the few brief record of "vots" — which were not probably written in the existing record book until Dec. gth, 1728, when "the Sosiaty by their vot : agreed to give Jos. Thomson five shillings for entring ye vots into the Book of Records."
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 75
The Assembly met at Hartford on the 9th May 1723, and about the middle of the month the following action was taken:
"Upon the prayer of ye inhabitants of the westerly part of Wallingford do grant to said inhabitants" * * * * "such liberties, powers & priviliges as other parishes in this Collony generally have & do in joy by law etc, etc" * * * After de- fining the bounds (as they are set forth in the town vote of April 23d, 1723), the Assembly gave authority to run the line "to the north bounds of said Wallingford:" the act of assembly adds: "and so to ye west bounds of said town. Provided always that if the East line aforesaid shall run cross any farm or lotment of land, such farm or lotment of land shall be and belong to the old or new society in said town, as the owner thereof shall happen to live, belonging always to the society in which he shall dwell as aforesaid. And all the ratable estate within the aforesaid bounds shall pay towards the building of a meeting house, set- tling and maintaining an orthodox minister amongst them, with other parish charges in said society."
A careful measurement of all the existing maps available, from one published in 1780, and another published by state au- thority in 1812, we find that the bounds of Cheshire were ap- proximately as follows when the vote was passed in 1723 au- thorizing a village on the west side of the river; the easterly bounds, as indicated by the farms mentioned, were about one mile to the eastward of the present town line. Assuming, how- ever, that the bounds laid down at the time the town was in- corporated in 1780, were substantially the easterly boundaries of the early parish. It included part of that part of the town of Meriden now known as South Meriden.
On the south, the bounds of Cheshire have been from the earliest record substantially as now laid out, the line being gov- erned by the Northern slope of the "Great Blew Hill" or Mount Carmel until it reaches the valley between the mountain and the range called Cook Hill. Thence the first line ran to the north- west five miles, and by the vote eof May gth, 1672, this line was extended "too" miles, which brought our line to and included
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Mount Sanford. It crossed the Mill River in the neighborhood of where Mr. Julius Rice now (1891) lives — his barns being in Hamden and his house being in Cheshire.
The westerly line of the new society then took a northeasterly direction, passing a little to the west of the present center of Prospect; continuing through that town in a north- easterly direction for about six miles, running something more than a half a mile into territory now a part of Waterbury, tak- ing in, in its further course, a corner of the present town of Wolcott.
The northerly line of the new parish has not been ma- terially changed from the bounds allowed by the Hartford Court of May i2th 1670, when the "New village" of Wallingford was in course of settlement. Hartford claimed as "Farmington bounds" the present town of Southington, and the General Court being appealed to by all parties in interest, the north line of Wallingford was occasionally changed as agreed upon, probably, by taking into consideration such natural boundaries as were shown by the mountains, valleys and streams in the ter- ritory through which the northern boundary line of the new parish ran easterly to its junction with the parent town of Wal- lingford, then the present town of Meriden.
Wallingford was very generous in granting to the West Farm- ers so much territory, reserving to itself barely one-half of the land granted to it in 1670 by the original New Haven owners and the subsequent act of the Assembly in 1672. This is probably due to the fact that the new parish began as a well grown infant, its inhabitants having absorbed a goodly portion of land long before the Proprietors of Wallingford had got ready to make their Third Division.
They had laid out and divided up everything within sight, of the village of Wallingford proper, up and down, and on both sides of the Quinnipiack river from ye "Great Plaine" and Mount Carmel to the Cat Hole Pass at "ye Hanging Hills." From Branford bounds and Pishtepaugh Pond on ye south and east and over the Bare Hills on the west of the village everything in
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the shape of wood land and farming land, was occupied by a population that was growing strong enough to cast off its lead- ing strings, and no longer require the oversight it was the duty of the Wallingford authorities to extend over them, under the laws enacted by "ye Generall Courte" at Hartford. These peo- ple were, however, law-abiding. They strictly obeyed all the be- hests of their magistrates, and until it was deemed safe to go forth beyond the fences or stockades, the people remained where they could rally instantly, and seek the fortified houses, in cases of danger.
By the action of the Assembly, the West society were legally prepared to do business, and at a meeting held July 25, 1723, af- ter electing Joseph Thomson their clerk "for the year insuing," by their "vots" they agree to proceed "to settle a plais for thair meeting house"
They did not meet again until the i6th of September, 1723, when Timothy Tuttle was chosen moderator, and Thomas Brooks, Nathaniel Bunnil and John Hitchcock "a Comtee to man- age ye affairs of the society for the year insuing." At the same meeting the following "vots" were passed — "To hire a monitor for 6 months," "maik chojs of Thomas Brooks house to meet : :" "thair comtee to agree with a monitor to preech six monts : : agree to hire Mr Hall to preech six monts::
It now appears that the members of the West Society in Wal- lingford had failed to agree among themselves, as to where their first meeting house was to be placed. The majority were located in or near the West Farms, while those at the North Farms already had a meeting place across the river to the Eastward. The people to the eastward and westward were probably too few to more than dissent from the views of the majority. It was, there- fore, decided by the West Society Committee to present the fol- lowing petition to the General Assembly sitting at New Haven.
"To the Honorable Generall Assembly sitting at New Haven Oct. loth, 1723, the West Society in Wallingford humbly shew::
"That whereas by the Paternal care and Goodness of this hon- orable Assembly we have been made a distinct society, for carry-
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78 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
ing on the publick worship of God and having accordingly made some essays to fix the place for the setting the first meeting house for sd worship and finding our endeavours of that kind to be at- tended with some difficulties and dissatisfactions among orselves, we have unanimously agreed to address this Honable Assembly and do accordingly hereby humbly pray that a Commite chosen and appointed by this assembly may fix and determine the place for building the first meeting house in our society accordingly. (Signed)
Thomas Brooks John Hitchcock Nathll Bunnil."
The Assembly appointed Mr. Samuel Bishop, of New Haven, Capt. Samuel Clark of Milford and Capt. John Riggs of Derby "a committee to fix a place for the meeting house according to the prayer of the Petitioners."
If this committee reported in writing their report is not on file, and if they reported verbally that verbal report was not entered upon the minutes, therefore, no authoritative record is left as to the location of that first meeting house, which in all probability was a mile or more south of the site fixed upon for the present church edifice.
Six months later, the society voted to pay the expenses of this committeee and therefore the "plais for ye meeting house" was determined by act of the Legislature.
The West Society held their next meeting Nov. 8th, 1723, and by their "vots" "agree to give a minister a coll for the work of the ministry : :agree to give muster Hall a coll for the work of the ministree if the neighbouring elders will advis us so to do:: they maid chois of Sargt (John) Hotchkiss, Thomas Brooks, Nathll Bunnil, John Hitchcock & Matthias Hitchcok for a Comtee to agree with Muster Hall in order for a settlement for the ministree : :
"On the 20th November 1723 agree to meet at Mr. Thomas Brooks House for 6 monts on the Sabath : :maid chois of Stephen Hotchkiss to set ye psalmes on the Sabath." : :
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 79
"Att a meeting of ye West Sosiaty in Wallingford Desember ye 4 11723 -Joseph Thomson chosen clerk. Sart John Hotch- kiss, Thomas Brooks and Mathias Hichcock Comtee to manage affairs for ye year insuing : :agree to bild a meeting house thii year : :they agree that the bigness of the meeting house shall be forty foot in length and thurty foot in bredth and eighteen foot between joynts : :they maid chois of Caleb Mathews, Timothy Tutle, Josiah Hotchkiss, Nathaniel Bunnil & Thomas Curtis Comtee to manage ye work of ye meeting house : : they agree to pay fore pene upon the pound to defray the charg of y,e meet- ing house : :maid chois of Joseph Thomson to gather ye rait that was layed to defray the charge of ye meeting house ::Agree to give Muster Hall towards a setlement two hundred pounds money or grain att the market price to be payed within ye space of five years in Equall proportion provided Muster Hall cary on the work of ye ministre in said sosiaty:: (2) for his salery forty pounds money or grain att ye markit price yearly untill the abovesd five years are expired (3) After said term of five years to ris in addition to his salry as the list of sd sosiaty rises after sd five year? untill it makes Eighty pounds :"
"At a meeting of the west sosiaty in Wallingford held January loth 1723-4 by thair vot agree to pay A peney hafif peney rat towards Mr Halls salary to be payed by the last of March next in suing the date hereof : :they maid chois of Elnathan Beech to colect the peney hafi peney rat that is layed for Mr Halls salary : : they maid chois of thomas broks and henry cook and mathias hichcock for a Comtee to manage afairs of the school for the year insuing ::they maid chois of sar John Hotchkis and Thomas Brooks and Mathias Hichcock a Comtee to dispose of the hun- dred acres of land for the use of the sosiaty which the proprie- tors sequestered for the saim land."
It would appear by the action taken in the General Assembly held at Hartford opened May 14th, 1724, that the amount raised by tax on the lists of the "West Society in Wallingford" was not enough to defray their expenses and so they applied for a per-
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80 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
mission to gather rates on unimproved lands "laid out" to pro- prietors not living within the precincts of the Society.
The following was enacted :
"Upon the petition of the West Society in Wallingford : It is granted and ordered by this assembly, that it may and shall be lawful for the society of the parish aforesaid to levy a tax of one penny per acre annually, for the space of four years next coming, upon all the unimproved lands that is laid out within said society belonging to proprietors not living within said par- ish, except lands of the fourth division; and an half penny per acre annually for the term aforesaid, upon all the unimproved lands (belonging as aforesaid of said fourth division) ; and all the money hereby granted to said parish to be improved for sup- porting a minister settled according to ye establishment of the government, and building a meeting house in said society. And the collectors of the taxes of the said parish are hereby impow- ered to collect the same of the proprietors of the said lands, in such manner and forn as other collectors are enabled by the law to do, whether the said proprietors dwell in said Wallingford or in any other part of this government.
"And that the said parish for the future be called by the name of New Cheshier."
At the same session of the assembly it was enacted: "Upon the prayer of John Hotchkiss, for himself and the rest of the in- habitants in the parish of Cheshire, in the town of Wallingsford : This Assembly grants that a small piece of land lying between the original bounds of the towns of Farmington and said Wal- lingsford, and adjoyns to the said parish in part, and lyes west of the country road from said Farmington to said Wallingsford, shall be annexed to the said parish Cheshier, and the same is hereby annexed."
John Cook of Cheshier pleading "that his sons are by the Providence of God, all cripples, prays to be relieved for the fu- ture from paying publick taxes" and the Assembly relieved him.
"At the October session of the Assembly held in New Haven 8th of October in the Eleventh year of the reign of our sover-
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8i
eign Lord George of Great Britain &c King Annoque Dom 1724 it was Resolved
"This assembly grant liberty unto the inhabitants of the West Society in Wallingsford to imbody in church estate with the ap- probation of the neighboring churches and to settle an orthodox minister among them.
The map shows, enclosed between the black lines, the original town of Wallingford, with the roads leading to the present town of Cheshire. The dates are given when the roads were voted, but those dates do not fix the time of migration from the town of Wallingford towards the present town of Cheshire.
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82 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Many years before the roads were ordered, the "West Farm- ers" cultivated land in Cheshire, and the dotted line shows where they made "cartways" to the different neighborhoods.
The largest number of farmers located at the south end of the present town, and cultivated land there as early as 1676 (or five years after the town of Wallingford was established), sub- ject to the restrictions put upon them by vote of the town.
The "North Farmers" went up the river as early as 1677-8, but the land there, having been "reserved for new settlers," the records do not show many farmers there, upon the west side of the river.
The earliest housebuilding was at "ye West Farms" and the earliest "lay out" of land was in the south and western part of the present town of Cheshire .
The "Fresh Meddoes" and "West Farms" were under cultiva- tion long before the town had voted roads to them.
The "Village," and its bounds as established by the vote of April 30, 1723, is shown between the Waterbury bounds on the west, and the Wallingford line on the east.
In engraving this map, some of the dotted lines, representing local "hiways" have been accidentally cut away ; one of the oldest of these "hiways" not shown on this map, went from the 1692 road, in a southwesterly direction to the boundary road between Wallingford and New Haven, and to the Mill River.
The "Backbone Road" ran through West Rocks to Farmington. The "New Haven Path," so-called by Farmington people, passed through "ye Fresh Meddoes," then followed Mill River to New Haven.
An "hieway" is spoken of in a deed of 171 2- 13 "that goeth north of ye Fresh Meddoe brook, to ye brow of ye hill ■"' — one of the boundaries being given as "John Hall, his land."
It would require but little faith to believe that the "hill" men- tioned, was probably the hill upon which the town of Cheshire
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is now built ; and considerable land in "New Cheshier Village" was owned by John Hall, of Wallingford (the father of Parson Samuel Hall). It was south and west of this "hill" — where we know by "lay outs' and deeds, Mr. John Hall arid Samuel Hall (his father), had many hundred acres of land; part of which eventually became the property of Parson Hall.
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CHAPTER FOUR.
FIRST CHURCH SOCIETY DESCRIPTION OF HOUSES THE SPELLING
LESSON LIST OF FREEMEN, I73O MONEY VALUES.
The Act of the Assembly of May, 1724, which gave to the West Society in Wallingford, the name of New Cheshirei did not absolve the village thus established, from its allegiance to the parent town of Wallingford. It gave simply certain rights to set up a church and have a school located convenient of access to those who dwelt within the bounds established by the Act of the Assembly and the right to collect rates for the church establishment. .
In other matters the town of Wallingford was the supreme authority ; and the people of New Cheshire soon discovered that they were still obliged to attend the town meetings, pay their share of town taxes, help build roads and bridges, and contribute either labor or rates to all public works resolved upon by vote of the town. They were however, kindly permitted to con- struct their own "hiways" wherever they might be most conve- nient to them, the town always stipulating that "ye timber felled, should be common ;" and there was no restriction upon "cutting firewood on ye undivided lands."
The forty-foot meeting house was probably completed in December, 1724, for there was a vote taken on "ye ist of that
iTlie name of "New Cheshier" bestowed upon the new village at Wallingford by the Assembly does not appear to have been so give-.i to the village in response to any petition, or in consequence of any re- quest on the part of any of its inhabitants. It seems to have been de- termined by a vote of the Assembly in the same way that names were given to many other towns. In some instances, villages were given Indian names, which after a few years use were changed by Act of Assembly to the names of places in old England. As there was no town or village by the name of Cheshire in England, it is to be presumed that the Act of the Assembly proceeded from the usual course of business in such affairs.
84
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month, to put on the time they have on to the meeting house ;" and at the same meeting they "agree to sect the meeting house upon ye lists of 1723 and 1724, and consider Thomas Beach and Joseph Ives and John Cook for their age; they agree to seet the young men according to their age" and "to dignify the meet- ing house with the advice of Mr. Caner."i
The seating of a meeting house was one of the most important affairs of the time; and was pondered over and discussed by ministers and officials with great gravity. First: all those who bore titles or had borne titles as Civil magistrates or military officers, were disposed of ; then the rate list was taken up and high seats given to the men who paid high rates, down to those who paid low rates. Then came the single men and "sojourners" who were "accommodated" as occasion offered. The men were located upon one side of the church, and the women in the order of rank of their husbands or fathers on the opposite side. At times this seating business occasioned trouble, but the New Cheshire folks seem to have had less of it than those of neigh- boring churches ; and if they did agree "to talk out all beds but won (one) in order to seet the meeting house," these were jimior difficulties that do not seem very important to us at this time.
The year 1724 did not close until the 25th of March, 1725, of our reckoning ; and to this date we should add eleven days, which would give us the 5th of April according to the way we, of the present day, compute the dates we find on all ancient records up to the year 1752, when the English Parliament enacted a law whereby the year (within her own possessions), should begin upon the first of January, and by a subsequent enactment struck off the eleven additional days. Bearing this in mind it is not
iMr. Henry Caner was a master builder from Boston, who had erected Yale College and was then building for Yale Trustees another building. To "dignifjf" meant a pulpit erection and an arrangement for the seats or pews for the magistrates and titled men, for which the advice of such an experienced church builder was desired by the West Society — and subsequently Mr. Caner was paid by the rate collector for his valuable services "in dignifying ye meeting house."
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unusual to find that the dates given in old records for certain events are sometimes a year before, or a year after the actual occurrence owing to the omission of the scribe to give a double date to the year; and persons not conversant with "Old Style" chronology frequently get their dates mixed. The records of the New Cheshire Society are best interpreted by reference to particular dates, and as they had voted on the ist of December to put on the "time that they have on the meeting house" it was to get the edifice ready for some ceremony soon to occur. They had voted to fill the lower part of the meeting house with conve- nient seats "except a plais for a pue", and then they voted to appoint the second Wednesday of December to be the day for the ordination. Sargent John Hotchkiss, Stephen Hotch- kiss and Timothy Tuttle were a Committee "to manage the affair of the ordination," and they "maid chois of Sargent John Hotch- kiss to entertain the ministers."
The Rev. Samuel Hall was duly ordained, as he says himself, "by ye Rev. Mr. Chauncy and Mr. Whittlesey, and [ye church] declared to be according to ye establishment of ye Government, 1676." The two first deacons were Joseph Ives and Stephen Hotchkiss, and the name of "Deacon Meadow Hill" was probably at that time conferred upon a hill to the westward of the "med- doe," owned or bounded in great part by the land of these two deacons. Deacon Joseph Ives, who had come to Cheshire in 1696, owned the farm (a large one) he had resided upon for many years, on the east side of the meadow east of the hill, a part of which farm is now owned by Thomas Hull. Deacon Stephen Hotchkiss, in addition to land given him by his father at Hopper's Meadow, had purchased in 1712, a hundred acres of land on the west and north of the "meddoe" bounded "east by a four rod hiway and west by town land." He came to live in Cheshire about the time the church was established. Both of the deacons were located about two miles south of the present town center, and Deacon Meadow Hill will be readily recognized as that emi- nence to the westward of the residence of the late Burritt Brad- ley. Both of these deacons served in the church for many years. Tlie aged Deacon Stephen Hotchkiss died in 1755, having served
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. 87
thirty-one years. His son, Benjamin Hotchkiss, was chosen Deacon in 1766 and held the office twenty-one years ; a line of deacons fifty-two years long in one family — and it should not have been interrupted by the subsequent church and legal disci- pline administered to the latest of these two deacons.
The church establishment being disposed of, and the Assem- bly, at the session of May, 1725, having appointed and commis- sioned John Hotchkiss, Captain ; Joseph Thomson, Lieutenant ; Thomas Brooks, Ensign ; "of the Train band at the parish of New Cheshier," the settlers turned their attention to matters more near- ly concerning them, as they procured from the town liberty to establish a pound for imprisoning stray cattle. One of their most serious troubles was the encroachment on their highways and the cutting of timber on the undivided lands. Parties looking for desirable building material would come from the center at Wallingford to the woods on the west side of the river and fell timber growing in the twenty rod highways or on the public land and drag it off regardless of the protests of the men whose land adjoined the timber that was being taken. Then, too, the men of New Cheshire, where a number of new houses were being erected, were not always particular about where they cut timber. In consequence many town meetings were held, and frequent votes taken to prosecute encroachers, and the unlaw- ful taking of timber from the public lands.
Some of the New Cheshire inhabitants were severely "fyned," and then some of the men from the east side of the river were put on "tryall," only to be let off with nominal forfeitures, plead- ing in bar the undetermined line of bounds between the "Old society" and the "New Society on ye west side of ye river." These difficulties soon became so serious that the proprietors held a meeting and ordered all owners of land to "either by grant or purchase renew their boundary marks, and where there is none, shall set them up by aid of ye survaer." They ordered this to be done by the first of May next "as the law directs," and they appointed a committee to "take ye law on any man who shall refuse, and on all who should encroach on either public
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lands or hiways." The assembly had passed suitable laws, which were, however, more honored in the breach than in the observance ; and the well housed townspeople at Wallingf ord Center always turned out to vote for the prosecution of the out- side farmers, while the latter almost invariably voted against the appointment of committees to take up or punish encroachers. The New Cheshire inhabitants wanted to be "let alone" by the parent town, and so they usually voted against any stringent measures. It is by an inspection of these votes and from other sources equally reliable, that we are enabled to give the follow- ing list of persons as either having houses or homes within the limits of the New Cheshire society at the beginning of the year 1725-
John Atwater, Nathaniel Andrews, Daniel Andrews.
B
Matthew Bellamy, Timothy Beach, Thomas Brooks, Samuel Brockit, Nathaniel Bunnil, Nathan Benham, John Beecher, Elnathan Beach, Thomas Beach, Caleb Beach, Stephen Brooks.
Samuel Cook, John Cook, Joseph Curtis Josiah Clark, Silvanus Clark, Joshua Culver, Ephraim Cook,
David Cook, Henry Cook, Thomas Curtis, Samuel Curtis.
D
John Doolittle, Joseph Doolittle, Abraham Doolittle, Benjamin Dutton.
John Galard.
H
John Hitchcock, John Ilodgkis, Francis Hendricks, William Hendricks, Dr. John Hulls, Caleb Hulls, John Hall, Jr., Josiah Hodgkis, Stephen Hodgkis, Samuel Hall, Mathias Hitchcock.
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Joseph Ives, Nathaniel Ives, Thomas Ives.
R
Samuel Royce, Joseph Royce, Nehemiah Royce.
Ebenezer Johnson, Jacob Jonson, John Johnson^ Jt.
M
Thomas Matthews, Senr.,
John Merriman,
John Moss, Jr.,
Isaac Moss,
Thomas Matthews, Jr.,
Caleb Matthews.
Joseph Parker, John Parker.
Abraham Sperry, Daniel Sperry.
John Tyler, Timothy Tuttle, Joseph Tomson, Roger Tyler.
W Thomas Welsheare. Total— 65.
The town of Cheshire from its earliest occupation by those who first erected houses here, seems to have been initiated by a series of neighborhood settlements, and the first of these is known to have been at the south and east end of the present town, and to that part our attention is directed by the "vdat" which, in 1692, ordered a road to be layed out to "John Cook's, Joseph Ives', and Benjamin Beach's." A year or two later we find that John Hitchcock, one of the men selected by the town to lay out this road, had "liberty to exchange" some of his home land, for lands on this side of the river, and in 1696 he had one hun- dred and eleven acres of land at "Hoppers Meadow," bounded South by Samuel Cook. Samuel Cook owned a large farm which later on included Cook Hill. John Cook was his son, to whom he gave land, bounded south by Benjamin Beach. Jo- seph Ives (afterward the Deacon) had land adjoining Cook, and Benjamin Beach was son-in-law to John Hitchcock. In 1697 the town gave Benjamin Beach "25 akers of land where
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he can find itt, nere Joseph Eives." From an old account book, that still belongs to descendants of Deacon Ives, we learn that the Deacon probably built a house and settled on his place some time in 1696, and as he married in 1697 there is good reason to believe his house was one of the earliest. We know that John Hitchcock had built a house in that part of the town, and also that his son-in-law, Benjamin Beach, who was married in 1695, had built a house near his father-in-law. Mr. John Hitchcock was frequently chosen by the town to serve it in various capacities, but, as he, in 1708, conveyed 78 acres of land "joyning to Samuel Cook, with appurtenances, in consideration of fatherly love, etc., to John Hitchcock, Jr.," we know this son continued at the south part of the settlement and no doubt lived in the house built by his father. We may therefore honestly infer that at least four houses were erected as early as between 1695 and 1700 in the south part of Cheshire, in a neighborhood near which, before the year 1713-14, a dozen or more other houses had been erected.
These houses were not log cabins ; they were framed and substantial structures, not many of them perhaps of more than one story and a large attic, but sufficient . for these newly married young men, viz., Cook, Ives, and Beach, while perhaps that of John Hitchcock was of two stories and more pretentious, aa became an older man with a large family. It must be remem- bered that New Cheshire was the granddaughter of New Ha- ven, which had then been established seventy-five years, and the New Cheshire settlers were most of them derived from that town, where house building had always been modeled upon those erected in England, and possibly very much belter struc- tures than some of the houses built across the water, because of a greater supply of cheaper building material.
Among the inhabitants of Wallingford there were many ex- cellent carpenters, blacksmiths, masons and other workmen ; and of these there were quite a number who had become settlers within the precincts of the Society of New Cheshire. Besides these, nearly every able-bodied man, old or young, could take a turn at some part of the work needed in the erection of a
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house. The skilled men laid out the frames, and superintended the pinning of them together. The less skillful nailed on the boards, and put on the shingles, which had long since, in Wal- lingf ord and other towns, taken the place of the easily combustible and rotting hay and straw coverings, or thatch, still used on dwellings in England. Months previous, the timbers had been gotten out in the woods, and drawn to the place where they were to be used, and where the boards were to be sawed and the shingles riven. The process for sawing boards was crude but effective. A rough frame work of logs was erected seven or eight feet highland upon this logs were laid for a platform. Upon the platform was placed the, log to be slit into boards. Two men armed with a long double-handed saw were required for the operation necessary for slitting. One man stood on top and the other on the ground below him. The top man was paid sixpence per day more than the pitman, and the two to- gether would saw out in one day about one hundred and fifty white oak boards ten or twelve feet long by eight or ten inches wide. These men were paid the equivalent of fifty cents of our money for a day's work, their rate of pay being regulated by the "Generall Courte," which also fixed the price of boards at the saw pits at four shillings and sixpence per hundred, while plank cost only a trifle more. In the early days clapboards and shingles were sometimes riven from the log with sharp wedges, and to this day there is a house on Cook Hill almost en- tirely covered with this kind of "clabbords."
Cellars were almost unknown in these early times. Founda- tion stones were laid, and perhaps a pit four or five deep by eight or ten feet long was dug at one end of the house. This pit or cellar was to be entered after the house was floored, by n trap door in one of the ground floor rooms. Before the frame was raised a chimney had been built of rough stones plastered with clay at the bottom ; where it was usually a mass of boulders eight or ten feet square, which rose up to the ceiling of the first story, divided into a huge fireplace, and ovens. Tlie rest of this chimney was built of suitable stones held together by
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such tenacious lime mortar that masons of the present day have been heard to say the "secret of it has been lost." The lime mortar was no doubt made from oyster and clam shells at New Haven where there were many lime kilns constantly burn- ing. These chimneys frequently stood for a year or two awaiting the frames that were to be put around them.
The floor beams being laid, thick oak floor planks were pinned to them with wooden pins. Tlien the frame went up to a height for the first story of seven feet, where another floor was pinned down. The rafters were now set up and pinned to- gether, and bound with beams for a still higher attic if there was to be one. The roof boards were pinned on with wooden pins, and shingled, small wrought iron nails, costing one dollar a pound, being used. Six pounds weight of hand made nails were called "sixpennies," and there were always one thou- sand two hundred nails in the lot, which cost in our money $3-50. or nearly four nails for a cent. Of tenpenny nails there were 1200 to ten pounds in weight. From an account book kept in 1690 we learn that a carpenter was paid £3.12.00 ($10.80) for eighteen days' work, and in the same book there is a contract which reads: "this wrighting obligeth me: to get and shave four hundred good white oak clabords: five foot and five inches long: and of such a bredth: as will bare to lay out besides the lay : 5 or 6 inches : : the four hundred to be gott out of the two trees all redy failed." The same book informs us that the man was paid in rum at 40 cents (our money) a gal- lon, and he got three gallons and three quarts.
The house being roofed in and covered, the doors were made of two thicknesses of boards. Tlie outer boards were vertical, and the inner boards placed at an angle of 45 degrees. The nails were then driven from the outside and clinched in such a manner as to make a diamond-like finish to the outside where the fancy, or rose headed nails, protruded. The front door was usually in two parts, opening outwardly, and when shut held by a wooden latch, lifted by a leather thong passing through a hole. At night these doors were barred and the latch string withdrawn. The windows of such "an house" were costly
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affairs. Glass in those days was imported from England, and sashes already made could be purchased. The Cheshire men preferred to get their glass and set it in their own way. The panes, six by eight inches, were sold by the score, or twenty panes for from four to six dollars. A score of glass was ordi- narily used for each window sash, which was hung to the casing, and opened inwardly like a door. Sometimes two of these windows were used to make a wider opening, but this was not common, and only well-to-do people could afford such a luxury. The stairs were between the chimney and the front door, cased in paneled wood work, and not infrequently or- namented, with what the builders called "cut works." The sides of the rooms were cased up horizontally three feet, and then vertically with either plain boards, or paneling. Some- times an ornamental board ceiling would be put in, but the ma- jority of these early housebuilders were satisfied with the beams and upper floor boards as sufficient ceiling to their lower rooms. There were usually three large rooms, and a big "buttery" on the lower floor. The kitchen, pantry and living room occupied one side of the chimney, while the "keeping room" or parlor, and a bedroom was on the opposite side of the house. Up- stairs were two large bedrooms, and two smaller, with a gar- ret space between the two latter. Hallways were very infre- quent, and seldom were there any fireplaces in more than two of the lower rooms. The early housebuilders in New Cheshire expended for one of these dwellings about $300 of our money, paying in wheat at 90 cents a bushel ; "Ry" at 65 cents and In- dian corn at 60 cents, computed at the money value of the same in our day.
A two story leanto house cost about double, and a commo- dious barn that was "raised and horded" upon "ye forth day of the week," in June, 1701, cost "two gallons of rum to ye neigh- bors ; a roasted sheep ; five loaves of ry bread ; sum pies and £31.00.00 money." Less than a hundred dollars, to which should be added the labor of cutting and carting the timber, which was probably grown on the land where the building was erected. The paint may or may not have been homemade.
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It was usually of a red or blue color, and in New Haven at this time any other color except weather-beaten brown, would have probably called for official discipline.
The next house to be built in this vicinity was probably that of Matthew Bellamy. After him came Josiah and Stephen Hodgkis, who had bought over one hundred acres each, and who were "admitted upon land they had purchest." Josiah Hodgkis' land was "joyning to Hoppers Meadow," while Ste- phen Hodgkis had land part of which was on Mill river and part "nere Hoppers Meadow." They built, or at least one of them, Josiah, the uncle of Stephen, built a. house about 1706 or 1707. His brother-in-law, Thomas Brooks, owned land here but no building, as he appears a resident of New Haven for many years after. Joseph Thomson had land "on ye parsonage plain" wherever that may have been. It was "bounded south by John Parker." Timothy Beach was located a mile and a half north of this locality, on the road ordered in 1697, and nearly a mile nearer the town than the others. He had married one of Cook's daughters.
Joseph Parker had some land "lying east of Samuel Cook" (given him by his father), and he may have built, and it is certain that John Parker had a house on this side of the river as early if not earlier than that of Deacon Ives, but this John Parker was no doubt located a mile nearer Wallingford. Jo- siah Clark, Joseph Thomson and Ebenezer Johnson built be- tween 1710 and 1714, and ex-miller John Lathrop, or a son of his, may have built a house "at the head of a small brook half a mile to the eastward of the Mill River." Joshua Culver was on the "east side of the Fresh Meadow brook," and William Mer- riam bought a house at the south end of the settlement in 1716.
Two miles or more north and a mile or more to the eastward of these dwellings, Timothy Tuttle erected a house about 1706, at the end of the road to the south side of Broad Swamp, and in the following year John Merriman adjoined him.
Two or three miles northeast of these last named men, we have ten or a dozen settlers, the chief of whom seems to have been Dr. Hulls, who is known to have always lived on his Wal-
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lingford liome lot. His son may have put up a house at some early date, probably not before lyii. Abraham, John and Joseph Doolittle had land in 1710 "across a small brook that runs northward into ye ten mile river." John Atwater had land in i6g8 on a brook running into Broad Swamp and is be- lieved to have built in 1700. Thomas Matthews was on "Hunnepot Brook" "thence down streme to ye River." ThisJ was in 1716. Before this he had sold his "house and fruit trees" in the south part where he had lived (near John Parker's), to William Merriam. Samuel Royce, was, as early as 1698, at the north part of the town. His lands were bounded by "Hunne Pott" brook and by Abraham Doolittle (who owned land here in 1687). John Moss, Jr., owned in 1694, 100 acres or more on "ye Tenn Mile river alongside an irremovable hill." William and Francis Hendricks had land in 1701 to 1705 bounded on Dr. Hulls'. Joseph Curtis in 1723 had land bound- ed north by William Hendricks. John Tyler was in 1693 on the "west side of ye river, above ye brod swamp rode." On the west side of "ye Fresh meddoes," individuals owned considerable land; but had not built houses there previous to 171 1- 12. At all events there is no record.
The building of houses, particularly at the south end of Cheshire, had been actively prosecuted for at least five years before the church was established. John Cook had moved over to the West Rocks, where the road now comes down from Bethany. Benjamin Beach had sold his house in 1714-15 and gone with his family to Morris County, N. J. Thomas Brooks had built his house, and his brother-in-law, Nathaniel Bunnill, had bought of Matthias Hitchcock, "four or five acres more or less, nere Hoppers Meadow ; bounded north to a poynt west on Decon Hull, his land : Eastward on Stephen Hodgkis' land : : South on John Hitchcock his land." Elnathan Beach (who came from Stratford), had succeeded to some property that had belonged to his Wallingford grandfather. He was a nephew of Benjamin Beach. Elnathan had a wealthy brother in Stratford, who was a shipbuilder and an owner of vessels, and who was largely engaged in trade with the West Indies.
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Elnathan Beach became interested in the shipping business with Captain Cook, of Wallingford, who was buying corn and pipe staves for shipment to Santa Cruz and other southern is- lands, receiving in return cargoes of rum, molasses and sugar. When in 1721-2 Elnathan Beach (then a young married man), came to Cheshire, he erected a storehouse on the plain or meadow "south of ye hiway that comes in from ye town." This warehouse stood for many years in the south part of New Cheshire, perhaps half a mile east of the present Ninth Dis- trict schoolhouse, and a few rods south of the highway. There is no doubt he built his dwelling house near by, and a house that was torn down in that neighborhood some years ago, is reported as having belonged to Elnathan Beach. It was known as having once been the property of some of Elnathan's de- scendants.
There were about the time the church was built, sixty-five "heads" in the families living within the boundaries of the "So- ciety of New Cheshire," and this fact makes it apparent, that the Legislature in conferring upon the village its name of New Cheshire, and its ecclesiastical powers, was satisfied that the in- habitants of the new society were abundantly able to carry on the work they had been entrusted with. The Assembly at the May Session, 1725, completed its work by commissioning "John Hodgkis, Captain ; Joseph Thomson, Lieutenant and Thomas Brooks, Ensign of the Train band at the Parish of New Cheshire in the town of Wallingford."
Tlie advent of Mr. Hall and the enjoyment of religious privi- leges brought to the new society ten or more heads of families from Hamden, who worshipped at the Church of the West So- ciety at first by tolerance and afterward by permission of an act of the Assembly passed at one of its sessions held in New Haven ; and we know that later on, some of these "heads" or their sons, became residents of New Cheshire.
The "Society of New Cheshire in Wallingford" having ob- tained permission from the Assembly to tax the non-residents, Thomas Matthews, Jr., and Ephraim Cook were appointed a committee "for inspectors to see how much land those men
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have that do not belong to the sosiaty that is ratable" and they voted "to pay a school in the sosiaty as they do in townd in Equall proportion ;" and made choice of Matthew Belamy, Thomas Twiss, aand John Hotchkiss "as a committee on schools" notwithstanding "Thomas Brooks and Mathias Hitchcock gave their desent against all that was acted at ye meeting." And it appears that they "voted that thos on the East side of the river shall have their proportion of the country money : : provided they lay it out for scooling::and to be under the inspection of ye scool comtee." This vote probably relates to the "North Farms" where there was a settlement at Cheshire street clamor- ous for school privileges. About this time — 1726 — there was a committee appointed to run the line between the old society at Wallingford and the Society of New Cheshire. This committee failed to act, for no line was run. A year later, the same committee was ordered "to prosead to run the line."
This division line was not run at this time for there was a record made four years later — 1730 — appointing a committee to "indeavor for an agreement whare the deviding line should run." There is no report of this committee and the line doubtless re- mained substantially as it had been ordered by the general as- sembly.
In 1726 "The Society maid chois of Decon Ives, Decon Hotch- kis and John Hichcock, for a committee to agree upon sum con- veniant plais for a buring plais." Parson Hall in his notes writes "Anno Domini i726::Ye first yt was buried in ye New Cheshier Burying place was ye child of Daniel Smith's."
A society meeting after this "Agreed with Ebenezer Johnson to dig the graves for the year insuing, for five shillings a grave." The next year they gave him six shillings and he was "to have seven shillings for every grave he should dig in ye three winter monts."
At the October session of the Assembly in 1726, upon the news of the Indian enemy coming down towards our frontiers: "Resolved, that there be fqrthvyith thirty effective men raised in the towns of New Haven and Wallingsford, to march forthwith to Litchfield * * * Twenty of which to be raised in New
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Haven, and ten in Wallingford ; and that a sergeant march with them directly from each of said towns, etc. * * * *"
Six men were sent from WalHngford, and four from New Cheshire, but their names have not been ascertained. They were gone some ten days, and the assembly ordered each man to be paid two shillings per day, and their officers were compen- sated according to their respective ranks ; besides being compli- mented for the zeal and activity they had displayed.
This war scare, however, had its effect upon the people of New Cheshire, but the town voted no relief to them because of the expense they had been at in relation to a "common danger," and did not give them a share of the money that was received from the sale of some of the town's powder at two shillings and sixpence per pound. A sixth division of land was drawn for about this time, which gave to the "upper class" men forty acres, the "middle class" thirty acres, and the lower class twenty acres, and this probably made the farmers on the west side happy.
The meeting house by this time had been found too small and it was resolved to "build a galirey," and afterwards they "agree to buld the galeries in the meeting hous this summer" (1727-8). They probably did put in the "galeries," for they had another agreement as to the "seeting of the meeting house : :firstly to have respect to Thomas Beech & John Cook & Thomas Twist and secondly: to leave the matter about the new comers to the judg- ment of the settors : :and thirdly : then to goe by the lists havinu' A respect to but own (one) head in every list." The negroes were accommodated on an end seat "in the galry," and it was "agreed to sing, that which is caled the regular singing : :pro- vided they obtain a vot in the church therefor."
The same year the society of New Cheshire voted "to build two scool houses," and "agreed to buld own scool house near the meeting hous," and applied to the town to have "a scool in the three summer months;" but the town voted that "the west side farmers" should have the school, "the three middlemost monts in the year."
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It would appear from this action of the town of Wallingford that the act of Assembly creating the society of New Cheshire did not authorize them to have independent school privileges.
In this connection there has come down to us an interesting ac- count of how the children of those times were taught; and we cannot but think that the tenacious memories our ancestors are credited with are in a great measure due to their school disci- pline. At the opening of the school the teacher usually placed an hourglass upon his table, and alongside of that, a bundle of birch rods. Prayer was then offered, and while the scholars (some of them more than half grown men and women) read the Scriptures, the "scoolmaster" occupied his time by making pens, which he fashioned from, the goose quills each scholar brought. Sometimes instead of goose quills, the quills from an eagle's wing were taken to school and esteemed better for pens than the quills of the tamer bird. The pens having all been made, every one stood up and a verse or two was sung. Writing was the next brief exercise ; for paper was a dear commodity ; and only a few lines were written by each one ; and not infrequently, three or more children of one family, wrote upon the same piece of paper which their parents furnished. This was followed by simple arithmetic, generally examples that were solved mentally, the "scoolemaster" being about the only "book" that was used. There were, of course "arithmetic books," but few of the scholars had them, and in most of the country schools the master, or "dame," were obliged to provide themselves with such textbooks as might be needed. By this time the hourglass was turned for the second time, and an intermission granted, during which some of the birch rods were used upon refractory pupils. On re-assembling the class in spelling was called upon to "toe the mark" — a line at a joint of two floor boards. Then a full sentence would be read, to which all gave their best attention. The first sentence was
"A big bundell of long sticks."
The first scholar repeated the sentence, and then sung out, "great A, and there's your great A."
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The next would say "b," and sing "There's your little b;" "i," there's your "i"; and there's your "bi"; "g" and there's your "b-i-g ;" and there's your "big" ; and there's your great "A," and there's your great "A big."
This was followed by another, who pronounced "b" and sung out, there's your "b ;" "u," and there's your "bu ;" "n," and there's your "bun ;" and there's your "big bun" and there's your great "A big bun."
The next on the line said "d ;" then sung, there's your "d" ; "e," and there's your "de" ; "1," and there's your "del" ; another "1" and there's your "d-e-1-1," and there's your "dell" ; and there's your "bundell"; and there's your "big"; and there's your "big bundell" ; and there's your great "A" ; and there's your great "A big bundell."
The scholar who followed pronounced the letter "o" and sung there's your "o" ; "f.. and there's your "f"; and there's your "o-f" ; and there's your "of" ; and there's your "dell of" ; and there's your "bun" ; and there's your "bundell of" ; and there's your "big" ; and there's your "big bundell of" ; and there's your great "A" ; and there's your great "A big bundell of."
The sixth speller began "1" and there's your "1" ; "o" and there's your "lo" ; "n" and there's your "Ion" ; "g" and there's your "g" and there's your "1-o-n-g" ; and there's your "long" ; and theres your "of" ; and there's your "of long" ; and there's your "dell of long" ; and there's your "bun" ; and there's your "bundell of long" ; and there's your "big" ; and there's your "big bundell of long"; and there's your great "A," and there's your great "A big bundell of long."
Not to make this spelling lesson too long, the last scholar pro- nounced the letters, "s-t-i-c-k-s," and sung : there's your "sticks" ; and there's your "dell of long sticks"; and there's your "bun": and there's your 'bundell of long sticks' ; ; and there's your "big" ; and there's your "big bundell of long sticks" ; and there's your great "A" ; and there's your great "A big bundell of long sticks."
By this time the hourglass had again nearly run out ; and the class was dismissed with a probable reminder to one or two of
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the scholars in the spelling class, that the birch rods would be again brought into requisition when the school closed. A short lesson on the value of different parts of speech usually followed the spelling ; and if there was time, the "scoolemaster" or "scoole- dame" read to them a lesson in common geography, which they were to remember, and at the afternoon session this lesson would be the first thing taken up.
Each scholar was called upon in turn to relate what he, or she, remembered of the lesson read in the forenoon. If the first one blundered, he sat down; and the next took his place, repeating as much of the language of the lesson as had found lodgment within his brain. The brightest ones were permitted to stand; the dull ones sat down. Then the "scoolemaster" told each one of those standing up, what they had omitted ; and notified those sitting down that they would have an application of birch rods for their supper.
The school usually ended by asking each scholar to answer one or more questions from the catechism, and all repeated the Lord's Prayer.
An education thus obtained was doubtless sufficient for all practical purposes ; and if the scholars did not learn as much as the children do in our day, it was because the so-called "scoolc- masters" were not always educated men, or capable of teaching even the elementary branches.
Blackboards and slates were frequently to be found in the schools; but this was only in the larger towns, and where pa- rents were able to supply "lesson books" to their children. The "three middlemost monts" of the year was quite as long as the "New Cheshier" folks could afford to send their boys and girls to school ; and it is remarkable how many of them, later in life, gave evidence that they had fully improved even these short terms of school attendance.
At this time the society of New Cheshier was yearly growing larger. Their minister, Mr. Samuel Hall, was a beloved pas- tor, and if his firewood was not furnished promptly, the delin- quents were admonished that the committee would buy firewood for the minister, at "seven shillings and sixpence (or about one
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dollar of our money) per cord," and collect the pay in some "lawful way." There appears also to have been some trouble in New Cheshier because the parent town of Wallingford did not properly warn them of the town meetings, and fines had been unjustly imposed. This was settled by the town voting, "that for the futer * * * the Drum shall be beat as formerly :for ye old society : rand for ye other societys ye celectmen shall send word a week beforehand to some one of them ;that is of sad societys comtees:that there is to be a town meeting at ye time abousaid."
The "New Cheshier" men wanted a "cart brige whare the old brige stands," and they got it, "but they had to turn out & help build it." This was not all they got. The town, at a later date, "gave liberte to our neibours of Cheshier to build a pound at ye loer end of ye plais on their own cost and charge," and "chose Decon Hodgkis brander for Cheshier and chose John Hichcok pound keeper for Cheisher."
Here is the list of Freemen in Cheshire and Wallingford April, 1730, the best census we have of the men living at that time here- abouts.
At this meeting the complaints from Cheshire were fully venti- lated and some relief granted.
"The number of ye names of the Freemen in Wallingford which was taken as they appeared at a Freemans meeting Aprill the last day 1730 — are as followeth — "
James Ailing Caleb Andrews
Ebenezer Ailing Joshua Austin
Samuel Ailing Samuel Austin
John Atwater John Beach
Caleb Atwater Nathan Beach
Moses Atwater Moses Beach
Joshua Atwater Divan Berry
Ebenezer Atwater *Nathaniel Beadle
Benjamin Atwater Daniel Baldwin
Phenias Atwater Ensia:n Thomas Brooks
*Step]ien Atwater Stephen Brooks
John Allison Enos Brooks
John Andrews Thomas Brooks
Elisha Andrews Andrew Bartholomy
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Matthew Belomy Abraham Barnes Jabez Brockitt James Brockitt John Brockitt Samuel Brockitt Titus Brockitt John Brockitt Natlianicl Bunel Ilezckiali Bunel Ebenezer Bunel Parmenius Bunel Joseph Benham Enos Benham Joseph Benham Sergent Nathaniel Curtis Thomas Curtis Joseph Curtis Thomas Curtis Daniel Curtis Benjamin Curtis John Curtis Benjamin Curtis Nathan Curtis Robert Collins Amos Camp John Cook Samuel Cook Ephraim Cook Aron Cook Josh Cook Isaac Cook Senr David Cook Stephen Clark Daniel Clark Joseph Cole Joseph Cole Jr Joshua Culver Samuel Culver Theophilus Doolittle Daniel Doolittle John Doolittle Captain Doolittle Ebenezer Doolittle
Caleb Doolittle Stephen Doolittle Thomas Doolittle Joseph Doolittle Moses Doolittle Theophilus Doolittle Jr Frederick Doolittle John Doolittle Jr Daniel Doolittle Jr Thomas Dutton David Dutton Benjamin Dutton John Dunbar John Dible Alexander Dugles
(Douglass) Caleb Ebenatha (Abernathy) Enos Ebenather (Abernathy) Bartholomy Foster Timothy Foster Benjamin Frisbie Barnabas Ford Edward Fenn Thomas Fenn John Fenn Theophilus Fenn John Gailerd Joseph Gailerd Samuel Gailerd Edward Gailerd Benjamin Gailerd Timothy Gailerd James Humaston Luke Hill Isaac Hill Ebenezer Hill Richard Hackle Joseph Hoult Benjamin Hoult Daniel Hoult Jeremiah Hull John Hull Miles Hull Daniel How
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John How Jeremiah How Zachariah How Joshua How John Hotchkiss 2d Stephen Hotchkiss Capt John Hotchkiss Josiah Hotchkiss James Hotchkiss Joshua Hotchkiss Amos Hotchkiss Henry Hotchkiss John Hitchcock Mathias Hitchcock Benjamin Hitchcock Lieut Samuel Hall Amos Hall Thomas Hall Sergt Daniel Hall Caleb Hall 2d Benjamin Hall Nathaniel Hall Eliakim Hall Samuel Hall Moses Hall Jacob Hall Jonathan Hall Jr Thomas Hall Jr Isaac Hall David Hall Joseph Hall Peter Hall John Hall
son to Sergt John Israel Hall Joseph Hall Asel Hall Samuel Hall 2d Abram Hall Ensign Gideon Ives John Ives senr Samuel Ives Joseph Ives Lazarus Ives
Elnathan Ives
Abel Ives
Stephen Ives
Abijah Ives
Jotham Ives
Joseph Ives
Nathaniel Judd
Sergt Jacob Johnson
Abner Johnson
Ruben Johnson
Israel Johnson
Caleb Johnson
Enos Johnson
Dan Johnson
John Johnson
Timothy Jearum
Theophilus Jones
Caleb Jones
Samuel Jones
Benjamin Kellogg
Samuel Lathrop
Moses Lymon
Aron Lymon
Caleb Lewis
David Lewis
Benjamin Lewis
Samuel Lewis
Capt John Merriman
Eliasaph Merriman
Samuel Merriman
Israel Merriman
Moses Merriman
Samuel Munson
Waitstill Munson
Caleb Munson
Joseph Munson
John Merriam
William Merriam
William Merriam Jr
Captain Nathaniel Merriam
Joseph Merriam
Daniel Murwin
Thomas Matthews
Caleb Matthews
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
105
Joseph Matthews Thomas Mix Thomas Mix Jr Adam Mot John Makie Left Thomas Miles John Miles James Miles John Moss Benjamin Moss Theophilus Moss Joseph Moss Samuel Moss Eliasaph Preston Ephraim Preston Timothy Page John Parsons Stephen Peck Samuel Peck Stephen Peck Jr John Parker Joseph Parker Edward Parker Eliphalet Parker Samuel Parker John Parker Jr Eliada Parker Joseph Parker Andrew Parker Samuel Parker Thomas Roys Left Samuel Roys Sergt Robert Roys Timothy Roys Ezekiel Roys Samuel Roys Nathaniel Roys Joseph Roys Benjamin Roys Abel Roys Matthias Roys James Roys Evan Roys Phinehas Roys
Gidion Roys
Ebenezer Roys
Joash Roys
Ruben Roys
Abiah Robards
Alexander Robards
Josiah Robenson
Arthur Rexford
Thomas Richardson
David Rich
Samuel Standly
John Standly
Abraham Standly
Josiah Standly
Elnathan Street
John Street
Samuel Street
Daniel Smith
Enos Smith
John Sutlif
James Scovel
Abram Sperry
Sadiel Saeger
Timothy Tuttle
Daniel Tuttle
Ebenezer Tuttle
John Thomson
Stephen Todd
Samuel Thorp
Samuel Tyler
Ephraim Tyler
John Tyler
Nathan Tyler
Captain William Ward
Macock Ward
Ensign Whiting
John Web
John Way
David Way
Sam'l Whittlesey Jr
Capt Theophilus Yale S""
John Yale
Thomas Yale
Capt Theophulus Yale Jr
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I06 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
Elihu Yale NatW Yale
Samuel Yale
Benjamin Yale (Total 307)
It was perhaps some of these discussions that called the at- tention of young Benjamin Hall (then newly married), to the parish of "New Cheshier," where his elder brother, Samuel Hall, had been the ordained pastor for some five years. The father of Benjamin Hall, "Decon John Hall," o\vned considerable land on the Mill river, "above Scotts rock," and Benjamin Hall prob- ably settled upon some of it. It was afterwards occupied by Jahleel Law (son of Governor Jonathan Law), and his hous,c long since gone, was upon the road upon which William Heine- man now lives. The coming to New Cheshire of Benjamin Hall, about 1728, added to the community a man who was destined to be even more prominent than his reverend brother.
At first he appears to have been active in the settlement of dis- putes between claimants to scraps of undivided land adjoining their allotments, and which he accomplished satisfactorily with the aid of his "trusty friend, Elnathan Beach," as he calls him (who held an appointment from the town as "surveyor of hi- ways"). —
At this time Benjamin Hall and Elnathan Beach were probably the only two young men in the parish, with influence enough, and sufficiently wealthy in lands and money to stir up the community, and cause the inhabitants of the parish to petition the town for the redress of grievances. One of these complaints was the lack of a magistrate to perform the ceremony of marriage. Only magistrates could act, and in certain cases ordained clergymen of a plantation who were also magistrates. In 1702 ordained minis- ters could marry couples "in the town where he is settled." This law continued for eighty-one years thereafter, and it was not until 1820 that the word "settled" was dropped.
Such a law probably accounts for the fact that during his long ministry Parson Hall appears to have officiated at marriages only fifteen times, the first occasion being ten years after he became pastor. Then he married "Joseph Ives Jr to Mamre Munson."
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE. IO7
He probably doubted his right as the pastor of a parish, and left to Rev. Mr. Whittlesey as "settled in ye ministry of ye town," or the magistrates to perform this service.
Frequent applications were made for the appointment of a magistrate to reside in the parish, but it was not until 1732-3 that sufficient pressure was brought to bear. In that year the parish of New Cheshire was honored by having, for the first time, one of its inhabitants chosen as one of the Representatives for the town of Wallingford in the Assembly; and Mr. Benjamin Hall was thus honored and served several years. That same year he was commissioned not only a Magistrate but Captain of the Trainband, with Benjamin Hitchcock Lieutenant, and Elnathan Beach Ensign.
The meeting house had, for a long time, been found too small for the accommodation of the attendants. It was "agreed to build some more seats." A committee was appointed, but before anything was done the smallpox broke out and carried off, be- sides women and children, some of the leading men of the parish. This visitation was made the subject of a sermon by Rev. Samuel Hall, which was afterwards printed, with a preface by the Rev. Mr. Whittlesey of Wallingford, in which he says the "doors of the House of the Lord in the parish of New Cheshier, had been shut up some months," and this sermon of the Rev. Samuel Hall was preached soon after the "Author had recovered of the Dis- temper." Many of the people had been prostrated, and we are informed through letters, and other writings of the time, that when the disease first broke out, the people were curious to see what the sick people looked like, "being afflicted with a sickness, the like of which ye men of ye town skilled in Physick, had never before known." Another writer said the people stood at the doors, and climbed about the windows to look upon the sick ones. After this came men of authority, who drove the curious away ; and it was with difficulty thereafter that persons could be had who would willingly expose themselves to the disease.
This interruption to parish affairs, put aside for the time being all repairs upon the meeting house. With characteristic energy and thoughtfulness, Mr. Benjamin Hall carried a memorial of his
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I08 HISTORY OF CHESHIRE.
own to the Assembly," in behalf of "sundry families" in Chesh- ire, "that have been greatly distressed with the small pox": "Resolved, that there siiall be paid out of the publick Treasury, for the relief of said families, the sum of fifty pounds; which sum shall by the deacons of said Cheshire, with the advice of the minister; viz: Mr. Samuel Hall, of said place, be distributed to and among those that have suffered in said Cheshire with said distemper."
At an adjourned town meeting held in Wallingford, Dec. 26,