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HISTORICAL C( )IJ.KCTI()NS.

KECOHl) PKINT.

SEYMOUK, C'OXN.

1878.

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,65^4

Entered, according to act of Congress, in tbe year 1878, hy Williaai ('. Shaki'K, In the office of tlie Librarian of Confjress, at Washiii^on.

P R E ¥ A C E .

In the suniiner of 1876 several liistorical sketches were published in the Heymouk ItECORD, and with a view to put these sketclies in more conven- ient form for ])reservation the tvpe was made up in l)o()k form, comineucinir with page eighr, and then proceeding to search the old records for additional matters of local interest, the work has grown to the i)resent form. Owing to to the limited tinu^ which could he spared from other duties for this purpose, and having been printed in sections from time to tiiue, as there was oppor- tunity, it is not so systematically arranged as could he desired ; yet it is hoped and believed that the volume contains a large amount of information which will l»e of interest to all who have resided for any considerable length of time in this immediate \'icinity.

In glancing over these pages some may inconsiderately call this or that statement or date incorrect, but most of them have been verihed by old manuscripts and records, often a considerable time haviug been spent in sifting down and correcting accounts which have been given from memory or tradition. The writer will be grateful to any persons discerning errors in this volume if they will forward to him the particulars. No doubt there are nmwy old, and forgotten manuscripts laid away in garrets or closets, which would be liighly valued by autiquariaiis and till many an interesting page for the general reader. The composition of such a work as this may be an easy matter, but the collection of the material re(|uires long and patient research in hundreds of volumes and faded, worn and sometimes almost illegible manuscripts. The writer acknowledges indebtedness to llev. 8. C. Leonard, IJev. Sylvester tSmith and li. W. Smith, Es(|., for sketches of the several churches, and to (■. (\ Baldwin of Cleveland, Ohio, and others for much valuable information. The followiug works have been used for reference or ({uotation : Savage's Dictionary of the l^^arly Settlers, 1) wight's Travels, Lambert's History of Xew Haven Colony, Trumbull's History of Connecticut, Barber's Connecticut Historical Collections, Colonial Records of Connecticut, Peters' History of Connecticut, and Cothren's History of Woodbury.

Prices of produce, etc., have occasi(jnally been given as a basis of com- jiarison of values in earlier times and the present, and many comparatively unimportant incidents recorded which may some time be helps in hxing dates or deciding matters of greater interest.

Keferences to the town or its records })revious to the division in LS,")() will be understood as referring to the town of Derby.

Hoping that the perusal of the work nuiy be a source of pleasure to all its readers, and that our elderly friends who have been familiar with numy of the occurrences described may be gratified with the memories of " Auld Lang Syne," the "unwritten history," which will he called to mind, this lolumc in respectfully submitted.

W. C. SlIARPE.

Seymour, Xov. 13tli, 187S.

^HE early settlers were too much occupied in the arduous labors required in establishing homes in the wilderness to pay any unnecessary attention to the recording of their transactions, and the merest mention here and there, with occasional documents which have been handed down, afford but scant material for a narration of their lives, labors and liberties. This portion of the valley of the Naugatuck was first distinguished by the Falls, as the most remarkable feature of the kind in the length of the river. The long ridge of rock, through an opening of which the water rushed, foaming and tossing, into the depths below, were well known to the whites, as well as the red men, at a very early date. The especially fine fishing below the rocks, and the abundant game on the forest-clothed hills and in the natural meadows of the vales, were grand attractions to the hunter, trapper and fisherman, whether of aboriginal or Anglo-Saxon blood. Dr. Trumbull, is his history of Connecticut, says that as early as 1633 there was a tribe of Pequot Indians at the "Falls of the Naugatuc."

It appears from the early colonial records that the lands were generally purchased of the Indians by the early settlers at a fair valuation ; indeed, Dr. Trumbull, (p. 174-5) says that "many of the adventurers expended more in making settlements than all the lands and buildings were worth after all the improvements they had made upon them." In the account of the settlement of the controversy between Connecticut and Massachusetts in regard to the boundary line, the 107,973 acres awarded to Connecticut were "sold in sixteen shares, in 1716, for * * * a little more than a farthing an acre, and shows of what small value land was esteemed at that day. It affords also a striking demonstration, that, considering the expense ofpurchasing them of the natives, and of defending, they cost our ancestors five, if not ten, times their value."

In 1664, Okenance or Akenanco was sachem of "Pagassett,"* and Ansantwan (sometimes written Aiisantawae,) were chiefs, as appears in a deed given by them to Lieut. Thomas Wheeler, April 4th, 1664. Towtaemoe was then a sachem of another portion of the valley, according to a deed given Jan. 6th, 1664, by Lieut. Thomas Wheeler of Pagassett to Alexander Bryan of Milford. The land conveyed was "bounded with Potatuck river southwest, iSTaugatuck river northeast, & bounded on the northwest with trees marked by Towtaemoe, sachem, containing forty acres, more or less."

*This name is spelled in various ways, as Paugassett, Paguasuck, &c. Also the Naugatuck ■varies in orthography from Nau-ko-tunk to Naguatock. In copying old manuscript records the original spelling of the names is followed, although there are sometimes different spellings in the same document.

(5 SEYMOUR A^^D VICINITY.

Of the grants to settlers by the proprietors, in lawful meeting-, the follow- ing from the Derby records is a specimen.

"The inhabitants of Paugassett met together on April the 5th, 1071, and / have granted to Ebenezer Johnson a tract of land bounded on the north side with the common land, and on the west side with the great river, and on the south side with the Devil's Jump, so called, and on the east with the common land, and the said Ebenezer Johnson is engaged to build and fence and inhabit on this land within the space of time of two years after the date hereof: and if the said Ebenezer fulfill not the terms hereof the land is to return to the in- habitants again: and the said Ebenezer is to make a sufficient highway between his fence and the hill, and so maintain it."

On the first of April, 1G92, "Huntawah and Conchupatany, Indians of J Paguasuck," sold to David Wooster "a certain parcell of land on the north- west side of Naguatock river, in the road that goeth to Einimon, the long plain soe called in the bounds of Derby, be it bounded with Nagatuck river south and east, and north and west with the great rocks."

'Conquepotana and Ahuntaway, chieftains at Paugusset, on the 1 7th of June, 1685, in behalf of themselve^ and other Indians, sold to Robert Treat,*' Esq., Samuel Eells, Benjamin Fenn, Thomas Clark, and Sylvanus Baldwin, agents of Milford, a tract of land "lying above the path which goeth from New Haven to Derby, and bounded with said path south, and a brook called Bladen's brook, (on the south side of Scucurra,* or Snake Hill,) north, with the line that is the bounds between New Haven and Milford, east, and the line that is the bounds between Derby and Milford, west, which said land was a mile and six score rods in breadth throughout the length of it." The Indians "reserved the liberty of hunting on this ground." '

'A purchase was made on the UOtli of February, 1700, by Robert Treat, , Esq., Mr. Thomas Clark, Sen., Samuel Buckingham, Sen., Lieut. Sylvanus^ Baldwin, and Ensign Oeorge Clark, agents for 3IiIford, of a tract of land "lying northward of Bladen's brook, unto a brook called Lebanon brook, bounded north by said Lebanon brook, east by New Haven land, south by Bladen's brook, and west by the line between Derby and JNliiford ; said land being a mile and six score rods in breadth." The consideration given for this land was £15 in pay,f and lo.v. in silver. The deed was signed by nine In- dians, viz : Con(|u<'potana, Ahantaway, Rasquenoot, AVaui'arrunton, AYon- ountacun, Pequit, Suckatash, Dun^uin, and Windham. This tract of land was divided and laid out, in 1750, into one hundred and ninety-five shares or rights aud is connnonly called the "two bit purchase," from the circumstance of each buyer of a right paying for the same two Spanish bits, of eight twelve and a half cent pieces. This purchase now forms the northwest part of Woodbridge.' (Milford Record, Vol. 11.)

'Another and the last purchase of land within the old patent bounds of Milford, was made by the same committee, on the 2.jd of February, 170-!, of the same Indians, for £5 in money, or otherwise, £7 10,v. in pay,f bound south by Lebanun brook, east by jNlilford and New Haven line, north by Beacon Hill river or Waterbury line, and west by the line between Derby and Milford; being a mile and six score rods in width. This was trailed the ''one bit pur- chase,'" .and was laid out in 17(50, into one hundred and eighty-seven whole share rights. This land is now the western part of Bethany. (Milford Record, Xo]. 15, page 281.) Thus it appears that Milford once extended twenty miles north to Waterbury line, but its territory has been ceeded to

"* Xow callt'J JSkukorat. t See (.'X[)laiuitioii of curreucy terms on pajje 8.

SEYMOUR AXD VICIXITY. 7

help form other towus, till it is now contracted into a little triano'le, of about six miles in length on each si(l(^' — Lambert^ History of the Coloni/ of Xeu- Haven.

On the 15th of Aug., 1093, a tract of land "known by ye name of Aces- quantook and Eockhouseliill, bounded south with ye Four ]\Iile Brook, north with ye Five Mile Brook, east with Woodbury road as it now is, and west with ye Great liiver," was sold to "Wm. Tomlinson, Senior and Junior, and widow Hannah Tomlinsou, James Hard, ,Johnathatt iium and Timothy Wooster," for twenty pounds, by jMawquash, Cheshconeeg, Neighbor llutt, Cockapatouch, Nounawauk, Wouson, Keuxon, Raretoon, Tarchun, IJashkan- noot, Chomasfeet, proprietors of Weeseantook, with the consent of their saga- mores. The acknowledgement was made before Justice Ebeuezer Johnson. Four Mile Brook is the stream flowing into the Housatonic at Squantuck, and Five Mile Brook is the first considerable stream above.

On the 16th of April, 1700, Cockupatain, sachem, and Runsaway, gentle- man Indians of Derby, for four pounds ten shillings, sold to Capt. Ebenezer Johnson and Ensign Samuel Riggs a piece of land "bounded southward with y'' littel river, eastward & northward with David Wooster his land & y*" above sd Captain's & Ensign's land & nugatuick river, westward & north with * * * iiiJian purchase," The same day "Cockupatain and Huntaway, Indians of Derby," sold to Capt. Ebeuezer Johnson & Ensign Samuel Riggs "a certain parcel of meadow and upland lying at y'" upward of Chestnut Tree Hill, containing twenty acres, more or less.

Derby, including what is now Seymour, was taken from Milford, one of the six towns of the Xew Haven colony. It was incorporated b}- the authority of New Haven in 1075, when there were in it only twelve families. The bounds between J)erby and ^lilford were not laid out till 1080.

The following list contains the names of all settlers of the town who had taken the freeman's oath down to 1708.

-Maj. Ebenezer Johnson, Stephen Pierson, "^John Riggs,

-Ens. Samuel Riggs, — »Joseph Hawkins, —Francis French, -Lieut. Thomas Wooster, Timothy AVooster, Dea. Abel Holbrook,

William Nashbon, Samuel Briusmaid, John Thoobals,

John Johnson, -"Edward Riggs, —John Chatfield,

El)euezer Harger, Joseph Moss, Jeremiah Johnson,

John Durand, '-William Tomlinson, John Pringle,

Samuel Conors, Ens. Josei>li Hulls, Samuel Nichols,

Josiah Colding, '-David Wooster, — Johnathan Luni,

Deacon Isaac Nichols, Henry Wooster, James Hard.

John Davis, Ephraim Smith,

That wolves and panthers were still common is evident by the passage of an act by the (leneral Assembly in October, 1713, offering a bounty of forty shillings to any person wlio should kill a wolf, catamount or panther, "and half as much for every wolves' whelp."

In 1720, "it being moved by the proi)rietors of, and within the town of Derby, that a deed of release and quit-claim of and in the lands of said town," the Assembly granted that such deed be executed.

Auu)ng the military appointments by the General Assembly were those of Joseph Hulls as ensign of the local "trainband" ni May, 1707, lieutenant in 1800, and captain in 1710. Serj* Thomas Wooster was by the General Assem- bly appointed Lieutenant in October, 1700, and commissioned accordingly.

8 SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.

Samuel Nichols was appointed ensign in 1709. In 1716 John Riggs was appointed lieutenant, and in 1722 was made captain. He was one of the deputies to the General Assembly in 1717, and again in 1722. Ebene- zer Johnson was a lieutenant colonel in the expedition to Port Royal, (N. S.), in August, 1710, and soon after was promoted colonel. Ebenezer Johnson, Jr., was appointed ensign in 1810, and lieutenant in 1722. Samuel Bassett was appointed ensign in 1822.

The duties of the train-band were often difficult and dangerous. The In- dians were numerous, and the history of the colony in those early days shows but too well that constant vigilance was a condition of safety.

. The tract of land just OA^er the Oxford line and west of Little River, con- sisting of about one hundred acres, and known as the Park, was enclosed about the middle of the last century by a Mr. Wooster for the purpose of keeping deer. On one side of the inclosure there was an overhanging rock from which the hunted deer would sometimes leap into the inclosure, much to the discomfiture of the disappointed huntsmen. This was one of the parks referred to by Peters in his history of Connecticut published in 1781.

In the olden time they were particular to give every man his title : mag- istrates and ministers were called Mr., church members were called brethren and sisters, and those who were not in church fellowship were simply good- man and goodwife. As there were frequent demands upon the military, they were held in high respect and all military titles were scrupulously observed. The early records abound with the titles— ensign, sergeant, lieutenant, cap- tain and colonel. In cliristening infants scriptural names and religious terms were most common, as for example. Content, Charity, Deliverance, Desire, Experience, Faith, Orace, Hope, Justice, Love, Mercy, Makepeace, Patience, Pity Praisegod, Prudence, Rejoice, Sillence, Thankful, &c.

On account of the lack of money paynents were often made in produce of various kinds. The following extract from the "Travels of Madam Knight," who made a journey from Boston to New York about 1C95, gives a good representation of the currency of the tnne.

"They give the title of merchant to every trader who rate their goods according to the time an" specie they pay in, viz., pay, money, pay as money, and trusting. Pay is grain, porli, and beef, &.C., at the prices set by the general court that year ; money is pieces of 8, ryals, or Boston or Bay shillings, (as they call them,) or good hard money, as sometimes silver coin is called by them ; also wampum, viz., Indian beads, wch. serves for change. Pay as money, is provisions as aforesaid, one third cheaper than as the Assembly or generall court sets it, and trust as they and the merchant agree for time. Now when the buyer comes to ask for a commodity, sometimes before the mer- chant answers that he has it, he sais, is your pay ready? Perhaps the chap replies, yes. What do you pay in ? sais the merchant, The buyer having answered, then the price is set; as suppose he wants a 6rf. knife, in pay it is I2rf., in pay as money, 8rf., and hard money, its own value, 6rf. It seems a very intricate way of trade, and what 'Lex Mercatoria' had not thought of.'"

i#Poi:

Erected in 1S4G.

Tie Coiiraatioual Clinrcti of Seymour.

A sermon delivered iu the Cougregational Church by Rev. S. C. Leonard, July 9, lfi76 : PsA. 12fi: 6. He that goetb and weepeth, Bearing precious seed, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

On the 12th day of March, 1817 (a little less than .59^ years ago), live men had a meeting at our village — the influences of which are around us to-day. There was a house of worship — old and uncomfortable, but a house within which God had been honored, and wheie He had recorded His name — standing on the hill on the other side of the river, and it is not unlikely that the meeting was held within it.

The five men who had come together from different points for this council were well able to consider a matter. They composed, indeed, a more remarkable company than they could then have known themselves to be.

One was the Rev. Nath'l W. Taylor, known, at that point of time, as the young and promising pastor of the Center Church in New Haven, 31 years of age, ordained to the work he was then performing — with his whole heart iu it — five years, lacking a month, before. The theological depart- ment of Yale College, in which he was to grow to the stature of a giant, and do a work, and wield an influence which will never die, had not then been opened for in- struction. It was opened in 1822.

Another of the men was the Rev. Samuel Merwm, pastor of the North Church and Society in New Haven. He was a some- what older man, and had been in the posi- tion which he was then faithfully and suc- cessfully occupying for 12 years. It is of special personal interest to me that his coming here was the very year after he had received to membership in his church four sisters, tenderly attached to each other, one of whom was my own dear mother — the four, by this act, joining an- other of their number who had united with the same church previously ; the names of each of the sisters awaking memories of a happy childhood in my mind. They are all up higher now. It was before I was born that they, together with 13 others (one of whom was my father), united at the early spring communion season with Mr. Mer- win's church, and you will not wonder that the figur'es which stand for that year have interest for me. Mr. Merwin was the pastor whom I loved, and from whom I received religious instruction in my child- hood. The first Sunday school I ever at- tended was under his pastorate. The af-

fectionate pressure of his hand, one day when I was a child, as he met me at the close of a service, in a season of religious interest, I have never lost the feeling of — tlrough the 45 years between — to this day. He had been told that I was desiring to become a follower of Christ, and as ho took my hand iu his, it seemed to me, that with- out speaking a word, he condensed into the loving pressure of his hand a soul full of iuteiest in my welfare. I never see his name without feeling a thrill of joy.

Another of the five men who came to- gether for the meeting at our village was the Rev. Bennett Tyler, then of South Bri- tain, pastor of the Congregational church there, and at this time 34 years of age. The Theological Seminary at East Windsor, with which his now distinguished name is associated in our thoughts, was 17 years in the future, when the South Britain pastor came to the meeting at Humphreysville, as our village was called then. Nobody could have conjectured, at that time, that the names of Taylor and Tyler, so peaceably associated at this meeting would ever come to have such relation to each other, as they did in after years.

Another of the five men was the Rev. Bela Kellogg. Seventeen years before (class of 18U0) he had been graduated at Williams College and had afterwards studied theology with the vigorous and famous, and astute pastor of the church iu Franklin, Mass. ; the man who took a seventy years course of hard study and never got tired of it — enjoyed it all the way through; — who never shunned a sub- ject because it was difficult, and never hes- itated over any results to which his logic brought him.

The remaining member of the party was the Rev. Zephaniah Swift, who had then been for four j^ears pastor of the ancient church in Derby, a church 13G years old, when he was called to it, and when he answered the call by beginning a genuine life work with and for it — commencing a pastorate which was to ^irove to be of more than a third of a century (35 years) in length.

The object of this meeting of these men at oar village was to organize a church of Christ here, if it should seem to be best.

They prepared themselves for the work which they had been called to perform by appointing the Rev. Zephaniah Swift mod- erator, and Nathaniel W. Taylor scribe. When they were ready, uine persons pre- sented themselves before them, producing letters of good standing in other Churches of Christ, and asking to bo organized into a church. The nine persons were : Joel Beebe and wife, Bradford Steele and wife,

10

Ira Smith and wifti, Louis Holhrook, Ilaii- nail 1'. Johnson and Sally Whci'lcr.

'I'hc (jucstion was considered hy tlu^ council, the church was orfranizecl, and th(i name by winch it wascalleil was

THE VILLAGE CllUliCH.

The vote which the council left on record of tht! result which they reached on that <l:iy is very brief, but as distinct as it is lirief. These are the words of it : " V'oted, The above naniecl pt'rsons be and are hereiiy orj;auized into a church in this village."

This is not, however the earliest church constituted here. Twenly-eight years be- lore this, on the :}d day of November, 178'J, twenty-six piusons sif;ned a certiMcate settinj;' forth that they had joined the Con- j>,re<;ational society (evidently formed then) in ihis part of the town and withdrew from the Congre<;ational church in Derby, then 112 years old, to form a society in this l)ortioii of the town. 1 have in my hand th(! dixMunent which lies at the basis of the hrst Church of Chiist ever formed in what is now our village. [The document is published on second page. — Ei>.]

A vigorous entering upon their ntnv work this earlier christian company seem to have had the will and found the way to make. Few in number though .they were, they resolutely procured a, pastor and built a house of worship.

The house of worshi}) which was put up at this time is of iuteiest to us as the first hauHe of xpomlup ever erected in our rill(i(je. It was placed on land which had been owned by Mr. Isaac Johnson, and where the M. E. church now stands. It was built at sacrilice; it was built as those who erected it could Imild it, with the means which they could command. There was i'aith ami praycsr miugh^d with the work, as it went' forward, I have no (piestion.' One who ot'U'M worshipped within it (Mrs. Sarah Jones, afterwards of Erie, l*a., (laught*'i of Bradford Steele) wrote concerning it 20 years ago, to her sister :

" I i\'v\ a peculiar interest in that church, well knowing its histoiy from the tirst. This is not its first struggle. I well r»^- member, when but a mei'e child, of seeing tln! anguish of mj- mother's heart f(tr its (h^pression. # * * '['[^^^ buikling was where the Methodist church now stands. I well remember when it was done o!f (what doing olf there was). It was divided oO'inti) pews. It was neither lathed or plas- tcre<l, and but jxtorly clai>boarde(l. Many times have I brushed the snow otf the seats befori' sitting down. Its exterior resembled a l>arn more than a church. Still it was beloved, and jtroliably had as true worship- pers in it as those of modern style. * * * You, my dear sister, know, as yet, but very

little of the struggles of our ancestors to l»erpetuate the blessings we have enjoyed."

The man who was called by this early church to ministia- to it the gospel of the graets of God, was the Rev. Ijenjainin Beach, grandfather of one of our resi>ected citizens, Sharon Y. Beach. The liev. Benjamin Beach ])reaclu^d the gos|iel to thesi; earnest christian peoi)le lor about l.j years. The house, which was built either for or by him, for a parsonage, is standing now, and is the second dwelling east of the present house of worship of the M. E. church — next the new and tasteful parsonagi^ which has been built within the yeiir past \)\, the Methodist society. Tlu^ building which was to be the tirst past(n's honii^ was I'eaily for its occujiants very pnuniitly — within a tew months after the organization of the little church (things seem to have been done with a will then) — and Mr. Beach moved into it in March, 1790, having waited for a time for an o[ipoitunity to bring his houstihold goods from North Haven on snow, which did not, however, fall that winter, so as to reuder it pt)ssible for him to do so.

Two outlines of sermons preached by the Rev. Btuij. Beach are before me. Time, you see, lias Ic^ft tract^s of its passage on the old nianuscriiits. One of them was lu'eached in the year 179-!, from Luke.t): 42. The other is a fast day sermon, preached from II. Kings, l'.»: 14-^20, on the 25th of April, 17".>'.>, at the i)oint of time when ditlicul- ties with France were assuming a threat- ening, and even warlike, asiiect ; dillicul- ties which wtire, to the joy of all, adjusted, after a single, oi- rather a double naval engagement, in which the French frigate Insurgvnjte, and the Anu^rican i'rig.ate Con- stellation wen; prominent. The sermon was preached a. year and live months before the treaty, by which (leace was reston-d, was concluded, and nine months before the ileath of Washington. Of the genuine l»atriotism of tlm writer, it hsaves no room for qiu'stion. It has tlu! true ring of the words which were s])oken abundantly from our loyal Connecticut piil[»its, in the latter part of th<! last century. There; is \ igor of thought indicated by these old time-worn manuscripts; there was a live man be- hind them once. They indicate, I judge, the i)ossession, by this tirst pnstor of our village, of a good deal of the power of putting things in a telling way. They were, evidently, well adjust(;ii to the time to which they belonged, as every sermon ought to bo. One of them was pre.ached several times, and, as the marks on the margin of it show, once at Waterbury. The remains of this tirst pastor of our liist church lie in Milton, a parish of the famous

11

town of Litclitk'ld ; fiiinoiis not so nincli for itfs rocks and its pure, air, as for its mkn.

How large the. chnrcli became within these fifteen years ot the faitbfnl ministra- tions of its lirst pastor, I ha\'e not been abh'. to ascertain. I fear tiiere are no leconls of it in (^xisteiici!. Tiie Rev. Mr. Ucacli couipletetl liis work liere, anil re- UKJved to JMilton, in 1805.

Then the church was for a time scatter- ed. l>nt its nl(^nlbers liad tlie heart to worship God and they wiuit, some to Ox- iord, some to Great Hill, some to ISethany, as th<!y most couNcniently could. After a time the Rev. Zephaniah Swift became pastor of the church in Diu'by, and, with a genuine interest in the welfare of the church, preached for it occasionally.

Hut a new eleuient had, in the meantime, been introduced into (uir villai;'e. It lunl taken a new name, and was the scene of a new and busy life. One could not have told, at that point of time, into what proui- iniuiee it mi^ht rise. That nnin of emi- nence, ref>ar<led as an ornanumt to the ])eriod in which he lived, siTliolar, historian, poet and patiiot, Gkx. David Humi'iikkys, iiad lixc^l upon this sjyot in our valley to work out a noble idea which had taken ]iossession of his mind. He had gained his lionors before he estaidished his interests here. His experience of life had bt^en very Varied. He had seen the world in dilfei- ent phases ot it ; had seen it, and had help- ed to mould it. He had IxnMi a successful milit;iry man. H(^ had bet^i a personal fiieiid and associate of the great Washing- ton. He had been intimatidy connected with the brave and uuforlunate Kosciusko. He had been aiubassador to two important foreign courts, from whi<'h he retu'imd, bringing back to his native land — and to tliis, his native town — the "true (jolden fleece," as the phrase is in the inscription on the shaft of granite which marks the resting jdace of his remains, in the old cemetery in New Haven. He died Feb. 21, 1818. He entered Yale collegn^ when hti was 15 years old, only, and was gra<luated when lu^ was 19 ; — (class of 1771). He com- menced his enterprise here; — returning to his native valley from his residence abroad— w hen he was o'-i, enriched ))y all his ex- perience, using his wealth ficely, gather- ing into his plans all his l>road resources, and employing them without stint or n:ir- rowness. He laid tlie foundation of his W(uk, on the bank of our beautifid river — and at oni^ of tht^ most beautiful jjoints up- on it — in the year ISO-I ; and in 1-^10, when the new nianufactming company was in- corpohited, the village was wearing his inline.

The enterprise which GtMi. Humphreys

established here was, for its time, one to be looked at by a whole region, and it carried the name of our village, (Humpii- REY8VILLK) to (litfercnt and distant points, made it familiar at our nation's ca[)itol, and honored by the presidents of (jur re- public. Ur. Dwight, the able president of Yale College, who was persouallj', (and I tinnk intinuitely) ac(i[uainted with Gen. Humphreys, says of it :

"In Europe great complaints have been made of manufacturing esLablishmeiits as having been, very connnonly, seats of vice and disease. Gen. Humphreys began this with a iletermination either to prevent these evils, or if this could not be done, to give up the di'sign. With ri'gard to the health of the people it is stitiicient to ob- serve, that from the year l''-^04 to the year 1810, not an individual belonging to the institution died, and it is believed that among no oth<'r equal number of persons there has been lews <lisease. (Dwight's '1 ravels, vol. IH, p. :{9:j.)

A journey, of which a very graphic recoi(i has come ilown to us, was made by Pres. Dwight across our valley, in the in- terval marked b^"^ the establishment of this manufacturing institution — in the antunin of LSll. He speaks of it with enthusiasm. He h;id an tsye for natural beauty, and he foinid it her<\ His words are fairly aglow as he writes ai)out the sjjot which lies a few rods north of the place on which this house stands. He says: "The scenery at this spot is delightfully romantic. The Fall is a tine object. The river, the buildingH Ixdfmgiug to the insti- tution, the valley, the bordering hills, farms and houses, groves and forests united, form a landscape in a high degree inter- esting.'; (Travels, vol. Ill, p. 394.)

Pres. Dwight seems to have been es- pecially interestetl in the moral aspects of the manufacturing enterprise, of which he gives adetailt^d and very valual>le aceouul, established hcrei l)y Gen. Humphreys.

When Dr. Dwight wrote the account of this journey he was u 'ar the end of his life. He ilied a year and a month earlier than Gen. Hnmphn'ys, and two months before this churc.-h was reorganized.

Of course, in the year 1^17, when the council of which Dr. Taylor was scribe as- sembled here, our village was much larger than when the earlier chnrcli was organ- iz d. With the infusion of new life which it had received, it had gained a new out- look. It had passed through vicissitudes. The war of Lspi had alfeeted tin; manufac- turing industii<'s of the place very greatly, at lirst prosp(!rously and then adversely. I5ut the new Church of the Living Goil which was planted on that March day of

12

1817, bad oppoitnnity broad enonob of bearing fruit for tbo Master, on oiir bill- sides and iu onr valley; and it seems to bave desired to improve it. Tbo faets are tiiese : Tbe cburcb was constituted ou tbe 12tb of Marcb. Eigbteen days later, ou tbe SUtii of Marcb, tbe liev. Zepbaniab Swift, of Derby, was present at one of its meet- ings, and received IH otbers into niomljor- sliip. One of tbe 18 wbo united witb tbe new cburcb, on tbat day, is living now, a respected — and tbe oldest — member of onr cburcb, and is spending on tbis Sahbatb, ber 8(5tb birtbday, Mrs. Daniel Wbite.

Two moutbs after tbe cburcb was organ- ized, tbe Rev. Bela Kellogg received otber members. In tbo following September, six montbs after its organization, otbers still presented tbemselves to unite witb it, so tbat wben tbe cliurcb entered upon tbe second year of its new existence, it bad witbiu it — tbeir names enrolled ou its re- cords— between tbirty and forty men and women, wbo bad cbosen to stand up to de- clare tbeniscilves for Cbrist, and tbeir readi ness to do work for bim. Tbirty-four men and women iu vital earnest, can do a great deal. Tbe cbristiau age was introduced witb a company wbicb could bave been counted more easily tban tbis.

Tbese 34 disciples of Cbrist, tbus formed into a new cburcb, so beginning auew iu tbe cbristiau work, wanted to dedicate to tbe Master a new bouse of worsbip. So tbey prayed to God, and talked tbo matter over witb eacb otber. Tbe result was tbat, to tbe M. E. society, wbicb bad been pre- vionsljT formed, tbe old building, endeared to many bearts, was sold, Sept. 22, 1818, and tbe vigorous Cburcb of tbo Now Be- ginning, iu due time, and as it could, built lor itself a new bouse, on tbe spot over- looking tbe river, on tbe eastern side of it, wbere tbe old Congregational burying ground is now. Tbe cburcb began at once, in 1818, to prepare for tbe work of building, meeting for a time in tbe Belle scliool bouse, tbe steeple was added to complete tbe editice, in 1829.

Of tbose wbo ministered tbe gospel to tbe cburcb in tbe bouse of worsbip overlook- ing tbo river, some aro remembered very distinctly by individuals bere to-day. One of tbe earliest and most constant friends of tbe cburcb seems to bave been tbo Eev. Zepbaniab Swift, of Derby. He gave it counsel ; be gave it time ; be gave it work. At one period of its early bistory be was placed at liberty, by vote of bis own cburcb, to preacb for it a fourtli of tbe time, receiving from it a fourth of bis salary. Tbis cburcb owes mucb under God to tbat man, of stately dignity of bearing, but witb a warm beart beating witbiu bim, good, and true and faitbful ; tbe man wbo

made so powerful an impression on at least one wbo, came under bis influence, as to load bim witb extravagance of expression to say, tbat it would be joy euougii for bim, if be could ever get to beaven, to meet Zepbaniab Swift tbere.

Tbe Rev. Bela Kellogg was never pastor of tbe cburcb, but ministered to it for a time, not far from its beginning.

Tiie Rev. Ei)braim G. Swift was pastor of tbe cburcb from 1825 to 1827. He died iu Aug., 18.'')8.

On tbe lltb day of May, 1828, tbe Rev. Amos Pettiugil received to membersbip of tbe cburcb several individuals, among wbom were Isaac Sperry and wife, Alberi Carrington, Adaline and Emeline Sperry, and Olive Merriam. Of tiiose wbo united witb tbe cliurcb wbile tbe Rev. Epbriam G. Swift was pastor, one only is a member now, Mrs. Henry P. Davis.

Tbe name of tbe Rev. Cbarles Tbornpson fiist appears under date of July 20, 1828. Ho was installed pastor of tbe cburcb in April, 18o0. His ministry witbin it was of about live years in lengtb. He seems to bave labored faitbfuUy. I judge, from wbat I can gatber from tbe old records, tbat be bad genuine love of bis work. It seems as if it were overflowing from bis pen, at times, as be was making some of tbe entries wbicb we bave in bis band- writing. From wbat I bear about bim and bis family, from tbose wbo were personally acquaiuted witb tbem, I sbould judge bim to bave been a good man witb an excellent wife. He came bere from Dundalf, Pa. He, too, bas flnisbed bis work ou eartb. He died in Marcb, 1855. Of tbose wbo united witb tbe cburcb wbile tbe Rev. Cbas. Tbompson ministered to it, tbree aie members now: Mrs. Maria Holbrook, Mrs. Geo. Wasbburn, aud Mrs. B. M. Dnrand.

Tbe ministry of tbe Rev. Roll in S. Stone was also witbin tbis period. His arrange- ment witb tbe cburcb and society was a peculiar one. He engaged to be responsible for tbe weekly supply of tbe pulpit, witb tbe understanding tbat tbe Rev. Mr. Swift, of Derby, sbould preacb one-balf tbe time, by regular and stated excbange. Mr. Story spending tbe secular days of tbe week at New Haven, in tbe Tbeological Seminary. Tbis arrangement was contin- ued for fifteen moutbs — from June 2, 1833, to Se))t. 1, 1834, tbe relation was tben sev- ered, according to bis own record of tbo matter, " in peace aud love."

Tbe Rev. Jobn E. Bray ministered to tbe cburcb for about seven years and a-balf — from Sept., 1834, to Apri'l, 1842. Of tboso wbo united witb tbe cburcb witbin tbis time, two only are members now — Dea. David Jobnson, and Mrs. Sarab Collins.

On tbe 2Gtb of June, 1843, tbe Rev. Wm.

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B. Cnrtiss was called by the church to become its pastor. His ininistry was of somewhat over six years iu lenutli. He was a mail who loved to work, and who always found work to do, if it was to be found — and it always was, and is.

When the Rev. Mr. Cnrtiss entered upon his ministry here, the honse of worship ou tlie other side of the river was not, by any means, an old one. But the fact had be- come very apparent that it was not cen- trally located. As business developed, the village grew away from it , instead of around it, and the company who had chosen to be called The Village Church decided that a new house ought to be built. And there was enterprise enough to do it. It is this house, witiiiu which we are now (one of the easiest houses to speak iu I have ever used — of proportions conformed to acoustic law as fully as can be desired) which arose out of the energetic purpose formed at that time. The 20th day of April, 1847, was dedication day within it ; a day of joy and gladness. The Rev. Mr. Curtiss remained pastor of the church and society for two and a half years longer — until Oct. 15, 1H19. Of those who united with the church while he ministered to it, six are members now : Wm. Hull, Mrs. Euieiine Bliss, Mrs. Emeline Steele, Mrs. Laura A. Culver, Mrs. Esther Cantield, and Chas. Durand.

Four years and nine days after this J}ouse was dedicated to the worship of <j()d— on tlie 29th day of Apiil, 1851— it was opened for the lirst installation service «-ver held witliin it. On that day the Rev. E. 15. Chamberlain was constituted pastor of tlie church and society . The installation s«nmoii was preached by the Rev. Mr. Har- rison of Bethany. Mr. Chamberlain had been here for nearly a year before this day. The last record to which his name is sigiit-d, ,'is jtastor, is under date ot March 21, 1852 — nearly a year later. His request to have the pastoral relation dissolved was based on the ground of ill-health, and was ac- ceded to by the church May 20, 18.52 — two and a half years after his name first appears on the records of the church. Of those wild united with the chnrcli while he miu- istc^red the gospel to it, two are members aiow : Mr. and Mrs. Roswell Kinney.

The Rev. J. E. Wiilard, now, and for more than twenty years ])ast the successful ]iast('r of the Cougrcgalional church in \\'estville, comiiu'uccd his ministry here .Sept. 1, 1<,2, and contiinu'd it to May 1, 1855 — two years and two-tliirds. He left very warm friends here, and has made very warm friends elsewhere. Of those who united with the church while he minister- <'d to it, two are memiiers now: Mr. and Mrs. ,Shel(h)ii C. Santbrd.

At about this time our village sulfered the loss of a heavy manufacturing industry which involved the removal from the place of not far from thirty families connected with the congregation. Other disasters followed. A wave of huancial embarrass- ment swept over the land. It was a time of dejection and discouragement;, and this church and society felt the inHuences of it keeiilj\

Ou one of these days, a young man just out of college was passing through our vil- lage—Henry D. Northrop. He had never beeu ordained to the work of the ministry, but he had a soul aglow with the love of Christ — he had somethiug to say for Christ, and he could say it. Mr. Wallace M. Tuttle was not deacon of the church at the time, but ho was soon to become such, and he never did a wiser and better thing than when he sought out the young gradu- ate of Amherst College and almost com- pelled him to stop and work for Christ here. It was the Lord's plan. The Lord or- dained him hist, and man ordained him afterwards. No such revival as the Lord gave him to see that winter, had, up to that point of time, beeu witnessed, in connec- tion with the whole history of the church. The Lord set his own seal to the work faithfully- and efficiently^ performed. The time which seemed so adverse proved to be a glorious time in which to nurtui'e faith to- wards God. The ministry of the Rev. H. D. Northrop here was commenced in August, 1857, and continued through the larger part of the year 1858. Of those who united with the churcii at that time, twelve are members now : Henry P. Davis, Mrs. Han- nah Canheld, Mrs. Harriet E. Denney, Mrs. Emeline Ricks, Mrs. Fidelia E. Holden,' Miss Sarah L. Ormsbee, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. E. Lester, Mrs. William Losee, Miss Oriila E. Hnrlburt, Miss Grace E. Botsford and Mrs. Mary Worth.

The ministry of the Rev. E. C. Baldwiu was of a year in length, from May, 18.59, to May, 181)0. The ministry of the Rev. Syl- vester Hine was of about equal length. The ministry of the Rev. J. L. Mills, (now Prof, in Marietta College, Ohio,) was of about two ytiars iu length, from 18G2 to 1864. The ministry of the Rev. George A. Dickerman Avas of a single year in length, from 18f)4 to 1865. Of those who united with the church within these years, seven are members now : Mr. and Mrs. James L. Spencer, Mrs. Augusta Lathrop, Mrs. H. A. Rider, Mrs. Lucy DeWolfe, Miss Huldali DeWolfe, Miss Harriet Hotchkiss and Mrs. RaymoiKl French.

On the lirst day of February, 1866, this iionse was oi)ened for another installation service. Tiie Rev. A. .1. Quick had accepteil

14

the cull of the climcli and society, and on tliat day was coustitnted pastor. TLe Kev. J. L. VVillard, of Westville, preached the instalhitiou seimon, and tlie installin" prayer was ottered by the Rev, C. S. Slier- man, of Nauj'atuck. Mr. Qnick's pastorate was a brief one. The exact lengtii of it I liave been unable to ascertain. The facts wliich I have fonnd are — that he was en- <>aged as stated supply for one year coni- ineucinff April 'M, 18U5 ; that his name is to be tound on the records, for the last time, as moderator of the church, under date of April li), 1H()7 ; and that he was dismissed from membership on the l:ith of June, 18(58; a little less than two and a half years after his installation. Of those who were leceived within the time covered by his ministry, ten are members of the church now: Mr. and Mrs. James Swan, Mrs. S. J. Castle, Mr. and Mrs. John Whit- ney, Miss Frances Louusbury,William Bell, Miss Catharine Bell, Miss Catharine Bur- well and Mrs Mary Lockwood.

On the "J-id of Alay, 18iH, this house was opened for an ordination service. The Rev. Allen Clark was, on that day, ordained as an evanj>elist, by a council called by letters missive issued by this church, to which Mr. Clark was then ministering. The ordination sermon was preached by Dr. Churchill, of Woodbury, and the or- daining jnayer was oll'ered by Rev. C. Chandierlin, of Oxford. In connection with the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Clark, another gloi'ions rc^vival of religion oc- curred. It is of such recent datt; — only eight years ago — that there nmst be many verj' vivid recrollections of it in the minds of many of you \s ho are present. Of those who united with the church within the time covered by Mr. Clark's ministry, twenty are members now : Joshua Kendall, Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Hard, Miss Eunna Lock wood. Miss Hat tie M. Ford, Mrs. James Richardson, Mrs. A. A. Harris, Mrs. Frank Rusm*1I, Mrs. William Fife, Mrs. Ella F. Reynolds, Mrs. E. A. Robinson, Miss Hortie V. Swift, Henry B. Lock wood, Charles Sherman, Mrs. E. C. Barr, Mrs. F. Boeker, William B. Nichols, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Segar and Mrs. George Fowler.

The '2.^)tli of November, 18G9, was another ordination day. The Rev. H. 1*. Collin was, at that time, ordained to the work of an evangelist, by a council called by this church. The ordination sermon was j)r«ach- ed by the Rev. Mr. Adanison, of Ausonia, and the ordaining prayer was otfered by the Rev. Mr. Gray, of Derby. The scribe of the council was the Rev. Robert C. Bell. I have not been able to ascertain the exact length of the ministry of Mr. Collin here. His hand writing appears, on the

records of the church, for the first time at date of July 18, 18W», and for the last time, as 1 judge. May 1, 187U. Of those who united with the church within the years 1809 and 1870, sixteen are members now : Mrs. Laura E. Northrop, David Wil- liams, Mr. anil Mrs. Roswell C. Cantield, Richard Evans, Mrs. Charles liliss, Mrs. C. J. Olmstead, Mrs. Juliette B. Hull, William J. Barr, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Osbom, Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. Ge'irge A. Benedict and Mrs. Elizabeth C. Bier»(m.

The nunistry of the Rev. J. W. Fitch, here, seems to have been of from one to two years in length. His name appears on the records, for the first time under date of May 7, 1871, and for the hist lime, in his own hand writing, under date of May 28, 187'2. Of those who united with the church within this time, two are memlieis now : Mrs. Rhu^be A. Hubbell and Thoujas B. Minor.

The Rev. William J. Thomson was in- stalled pastor of the church and society on the 24th of January, 187:}. The installation sermon was preached, and the installing prayer ottered by the Rev. J. L. Willard of W^estville. The ministry of the Rev. Mr. Thomson here was closed on the 27th of October, 1874. of those who united with the church within this period, six are mem- bers now: Mrs. W. J. Thomson, Mrs. D. Simpson, Miss Eunna E. Beach, Miss Mai- garet Smith, Mrs. Benjamin Thayer and Miss Libbie O. Lockvvood.

The ministry which has not yet termi- nated, was commenced on the Ifjth of No- vember, 1H74. Of those who have nnitetl with the church since that date, all — twen- ty-nine in number — are mendjeis now : Mrs. and Miss Leonard, Mr. and Mrs. An- drew Bair, Mrs. Isaac Losce, Charles Sheard, W. I. Warren, Charles J. Reynohl.s Miss Jessie Swan, Miss Sarah S. Osborn, Miss Mattie Osborn, Miss Eliza M. Creel- man, Mrs. Charlotte Hayman, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Weaver, Mrs. Mary A. Hurlbnrt, Miss Freddie C^iiiering, Miss Carrie L. Pick- hardt. Miss Bertha E. Johnson, Miss Mary E. Spencer, Miss Mary E. French, Mrs. Annie E. Lyman, Frank H. Wyant, Walter W. Dormau, Miss Ellen C. Hard, Miss LydiaA. Hard, Miss Mary A. Hill, Frank A. Smith and Mrs. Sarah iVL Lines. May the number be increased, and there bo added to the church a multitude of such as shall be saved !

Of those who have ministe ed to the church as deacons, several have gone to their rest. The liist deacon of the earliest church was Mr. Baldwin, of Dei by. When the chinch was reorgaui/ed in 1817, the two chosen to this service were, Bratl-

15

ford Stecilo aii<l Niiliciiiiab Botsford. 'Jliey occupied tlio utlice lor almost all that niuained to tlieui of life. L»eacoii Steele, iu Septeiiibei', lri40 — after uearly a (juarter century of service, and a little more tliaii a year In-fore his death — asked to Ite released from tlie iieiforuiance a{ further otilicial <luty, aud, because of iiis a;ne an<l iidirujity, his re(|ue.st was grauted. Ueacon liotsfoi'd had, a little before, made a similar recpiest, which hatl been grauted also.

A hundred years ago to-day, Bradford Steele was a boy of not (juite lifteen years of age. But there was a dark war-cloud coming up into view. It was seen from «)ur hill sides and our valleys with very great distinctness. Many brave men and women looked u[»on it with the calmness ot heroic courage. Boys saw it, aud were ready to take their share in what it nnolv- ed. Bradford Steele was not (juite sixteen when he enlisted in the army which repre- sented the cause of freeilom. Terrible scenes he passeil through. There was one <lay memories of which seemed to lie gleaming in his mind through his whole long after life. It was the 22d day of August, 1777. He was taken prisoner and treated with a cruelty which was merciless, his veiy appearance becoming so changed by what he endured, (and the boys of that timeeoukl endure a good deal of hardshi[( without being greatly atfectetl by it,) that his own father, when he met him did not at lirst know who he was. lie died iu lieace, Dec. 2'.i, 1841, at the ripe age of «U.

There have been ■ ery few lirmer friends of tlie church than Deacon Sheldon Kinney, now among those who have gone before. It was out of a gift ni.wle by him to the society that our jdeasaut and convenient }»arsonage has ctinu\ He was a man, 1 judge from what 1 hear .about him, of a clear head and a large heart, fie was ai)- ]iointed deacon oi' the chuich on the tJth of .September, lri4U. The names of those who have served as deacons for a longer or shoiter time I have tried to collect antl ar- range in the order in which they have per- formed the service : Capt. Timothy Bald- win, ajipointed in 17.Si) ; Bradford Steele and Xeheniiah Botsford, appointed in 1817; Sheldon Kinney and Alfred flull, 184U; Andrew \V. DeFoiest, 1844; William Kin- ney, Miles Culver and .J. L. Spencer, is.");}; W. M. Tuttle, I8r)8; Charles Bradley, date of appointment not recorded; David John- son aud Levi Lounsburv, I8u5; Joshua Kendall, 18(;8.

A very incomplete idea, (but still one of some value,) of the religious inlluences exerted here within the century of our ex- istence as a nation, may be suggested by

an ennmeralion of the houses of worsliip which have been built.

What is now Seymour was, at first, .a ])artof the old "jurisdiction of New Haven." For a little less than forty years (KllW- 1G77) it was a part of Milford. For a hun- dred and sixty-three years, (1677-lHCji)) it was a i)art of Derby. For only twenty-six years has it had an existence as a town- ship with its present name. An<l then we are weai'ing now our fourth local name — Naukotunk (meaning one great tree) the tirst ; Chusetovvn, the second; Humphreys- ville, the third ; Seynutur, the fourth ; each of the names, but the lirst, being personal in their reference ; elevating into pioini- ueut view an individual ; the first name bringing into lu'oininence an object in na- ture. (They are all gone now.)

In the township of Milford — of which th(^ land which is now covered by our vil- lage was then a part — a Congregational church was formed on the ItJth day of August. 16:>9 — the year after the beginning at New Haven, 237 years ago. As the basis of the plan on which this ohlest chuich was organized, those who were to consti- tute it took tlie text Proverbs 9 : 1 :

"W^isdom hath builded her house.

She hath hewn out her seven ])illars," and selected seven of their number to join together in covenant to be the church, and to lie calliid the jiillars, to whom the rest were afterwards added.

Thirty-seven years later, in 1(177, the Congregational church in Deiby was coii- stitiiteil. So it was two centuries ago, lacking one year, that this church, in wliat- then became our town, was organized. It was long ago for this continent. It was only 9'.\ years after the death of Luther, ami it was 21) years before .J(»lin Wesley was born, that this ancient church, only five miles away from us, was formed. It was after that chuich had been in exist- ence and doing its work about a hundred and thirteen years that .Jesse Li-e, tme (d' Wesley's followers, jtassed through, for the first time, the place where it had been standing until it had grown grey with age, and hired a l)ell man to ring the people out that he might jireach to them.

A CKNTUUY A(i(>To-i).vv, tile father ofGcu. Humphreys had i)assed the mid<lle of his |>astorate, of more than half a century in length. A ctuitury ago to-day, the Rev. Daniel Humphreys had been doing the work of a pastor <d' the dock of Christ, five miles from where we are, for over forty years. Many times had he been over our hills aud through our valleys, on errands for the Master. A century ago to-day, his son David, (whom he had named after tlie King of Israel, and whom he hoped would

16

make sometliino,) was a young man 24 .years of ai;e, looking up into the future to tsce what he could carve out of it. Those who were living in this part of the town — when they wanted to attend services of l)ul)lic worship — (and people in those days expected to, and were expected to) — went to what is now Derby, to hear Mr. Humph- reys—it was (ill Del by then. There were families here a century ago who could have gained something by a steady going to meeting, and it is to be hoijed they did go.

The Indian Sachem whom we know best as (Jhuse, (.Joe Mauwehu,) was here a cen- tury ago, probably not far from where we are, only across the river; his wigwam standing on the south border of the flat, west of the residence of Mr. Eaymoud French, beautifully set among a grove of white oaks there. (He iniiii have been, just then, in the vicinity of where Dr. .Stoddard now lives.) A century ago his youngest child — Eunice — was an Indian girl 14 years old, her father an athletic skillful hunter, with some knowledge such as civilization has to give, but with the instincts of his race strong within him. At some point of his long life (he died when about (SU) he united with the church in Derby. But even after he came to hojje that he loved the Lord, he kitew that he loved — that whicii biteth like a serpent anil stingelh like an adder.

The fust house of worship — that built foi' the Kev. Benjamin Iieach — was erected 8(j years ago. The frame of it was probably raised in the mouth of April, 1791. The second house of worshii) ever erected at what is now our village is the pleasant and commodious one belonging to the Protestant Episcopal Church. The Epis- coi)al Society was org.iui/.ed Feb. 20, 1797. Tlii- house was originally built by two societies in union, but has been recon- structed at heavy expense, by the society owning it now, into its present attractive lorm. Tlie third house of worship erected at our vill.-ige was the second Congrega- tional Jiouse, built on the hill overlooking the river. This was commenced — or prepa- ration was begun for it — in 1818. The foiirti) is this house in which we are — the tiiiid Congregational house — built in 184(i. The lifth is the house owned by the Metho- dist Ei)!scopal Church. The corner stone of this (idilice was laid on Saturday, June 19, 1847. The sixth is the house built by the Bajitist Church. The church was or- ganized in 1848, and the house was erected in lsr)l. The house built liy the congrega- tion connected with the chuich of liome, is of moi'e recent date.

So thei'e have been fhree years, not far apart, of the life of our vilUige, which

have been, characteristically, church-build- ing years. This temple-buildiug-work ks, of itself, on the surface, I know, but ifc traces away to something which lies deei> down in human hearts — interest iu the things of God's worship. It has self-denial underlying it — and mixed with it. There is prayer and faith back of it and below it. There has been a lite lived within our vil- lage, invisible of itself, but which has come to view in these results. It has been qui(!tly lived by many. It has been a blessing to ns.

Within those sanctnaries, which have arisen from the impulses and ])urposes of this life, (God aiding and blessing,) the- gospel of our salvation has been preached, with earnestness and success. The health- ful intluences exerted by these dittereut churches, through these 8(3 years of time past, has been, to our village, an advantage which cannot be estimated. These influ- ences penetrate, to a greater or less extent, business and social life, encouraging integ- rity, and honesty, and honor, and discour- aging evil. The more vigorous these churches of our village are, the better will be the village, as a phice to have a home iu — a place in which to spend, pleasantly and usefullj', these days which bear us- along to the end. Our days are all journey days — days of travel along our life-way.

These churches of Christ have beeu schools of the Master, from which a gi-eat many have been graduated ami called uj). , These houses of worshij) have been centers- from which have radiated invisible tenden- cies toward what is good and true — forces stimulative of elevating thought and feel- ing and action.

A church becomes localized, ns it builds a house of worship aiound itself. It gains for its' If a religious home. Then tlie home feeling has o])portnnity to act ami re-act within the religious miture. A church is- not infre(iueiitly moulded, to an extent — its daily and )veekly life materially affeitted — by the house which belongs to it, and to- whiCli it belongs; not as it belongs tyy Christ, but as it can belong to e.'i.rthly things.

The wliole history of this church, taken in connection with the church out of which it came, most naturally divides itself into three ]>eriods, marked by the erection of its three ditferent houses of wcu'ship.

'I'he lirst period of 27 years iu length, from the beginning iu 17S9 to the assem- bling of the Council of Five iu li-!17. This is the j)ioneer jx'riotl, the period of struggle for the ncicssitii's of religious lite. Of the church, as it lived tlirongli this jieriod, we kn'>vv something, but much less than we sh(nUd be glad to know. The 27 years of

17

meeting within that bouse bad sunshine aud shadow within them, as years have now. There was trial bravely borne, and, proba- bly, trial uot bravely borne. They were years with days of weeping and days of rejoicing withiu them. The 26 men whose names are ou this old paper — discolored by these 80 years aud more through which it has come down to us — represented families, households, with young and old in them, and into which joy and sorrow came, as it comes into our dwelliugs now.

This earliest church gathers itself most naturally, in our thoughts, around the man who was, for 15 years its pastor ; a man who honored God and sought to aid man to find God; a man ready to do wiiatever his hands found to do, and whose hands, both of them, did find enough to do.

The church, in this earliest period of its history, is sometimes spoken of as one of what were called the "separate" churches of the time.

The great awakening of 1740 — of the time of Whitfield, and Edwards, and Bel- lamy— enkindled new zeal, and desire of larger liberty than the relation which then existed between the church and state allow- ed, and a number of churches arose, as the result of this feeling, which were known as "separate" churches ; some of them com- posed of the better elements, and some of the discordant ones. I do not, however, find this church in any list which has come to my knowledge thus far, of these churches. The fact that it was Congregational, and known as such, is not decisive, for the separate churches — some of them — claimed to be more truly Congregational than any others. The- single fact which I do find, relating to the matter is that its first and only permanent pastor had been, before he came here, minister of a separate church in Prospect. I have found evidence enough that this early church was an earnest church. There was human nature in it, unquestionably. We find scars of misun- derstanding and difiicnlty as we trace out its history ; but this is not so strange a thing in churches of other times as I wish it was. After all the labor which I have given to the gathering of every item of in- formation concerning it which I could find, in any quarter, I think of it as a praying, self-denying, earnest, energetic church of Christ; adjusted to its time, of course, as it needed to be in order to be most useful ; but loving and serving the Master, and obeying God rather than man. I look back upon tliat first church of our place with a great deal of interest.

The second period is of 29 years in length ; from the meeting of the Council of Five in 1817, to the dedication of this

house in which we are assembled. This is the period of quiet, steady w^ork and pro- gress. The men whom we see ministering to it — going in and out of its house of worship, and of the dwellings of those who composed its congregation — sharing joys and sorrows with them — the Rev. Zepha- niah Swift, the Rev. Bela Kellogg, the Rev. Ephraim G. Swift, the Rev. Charles Thomp- son, the Rev. RoUiu S. Stone, the Rev. John E. Bray aud the Rev. William B. Curtiss — form a company whom it is an honor to the church to have had withiu it. Among the laymen who come into promi- nent view, within this period — [among those who have gone home; of the living I will not speak] are Bradford Steele, Nehemiah Botsford, Sheldon Kinney, Alfred Hull, Ira Smith and Daniel White. Miles Culver, energetic, self-denying, generous, prompt, serving the Master and loving to do it, and continuing to do it to the end, united with the church Jan. .5, 1845, not far from the time when this house was built.

The third period is, up to this point of time, of just 30 years in length, but open for more to follow, of work for Christ, and of blessings coming — to the worker in the doing of the work, aud to others through the work.

The merest sketch of the history of tliis church could uot be, in anywise, complete, if it failed to include some notice of its vigorous Sunday School, which has had life within it which has helped itself, aud other good things around it.

The Sunday School can be traced back to the year 1828. The names of those who have been Superintendents of it, so far as they can be collected, are: Joel White, George F. DeForest, Andrew DeForest, Sharon Y. Beach, W. M. Tuttle, P. B. Buck- ingham, George E. Lester, Robert C. Bell, Tbeoodore S. Ladd, Andrew Y. Beach and James Swan. The present number of names on its roll is 222.

But it has what is better than mere members — vitality — vigor. The weekly teachers' meeting is a very live meeting; I never saw anybody asleep in that meeting ; and teachers awake cannot easily help having a school awake. Both the school and the teachers' meeting breathe a little heavily just now, as we are sufteriug this excessive heat, but it is exhaustion only, not sleep. In the revival of last winter almost all who came to Christ came from and through our Sunday School.

The Superintendent. is now an ofiicer of the church, elected annually by ballot. This plan was adopted about four years ago, (May 28, 1872.) Up to that tinie no minute appears on the records of the

18

cbiirch of the names of the officers of the Snuday School. Now they are put ou distinct record every year.

There is one fact belonging to the origin of the chnrch in its later form, which I have picked out of the old record with a good deal of interest. In less than two months after the church was organized, and when its first deacons were chosen, (at a meeting held May 9, 1817,; a Librarian for the Village Church Llbrary was ap- pointed. A committee of three also re- ceived appointment as a "Committee of Selection;" their duty evidently nuderstood to be to select books for this library. Now to select books for a library involves money, furnished by somebody ; and that three men were needed on this committee seems to indicate that there was something im- portant for them to do. Now to do any- thing important iu the way of selecting books, involves and implies a good deal, and more then than now.

I suppose this could not have been a Sunday school library ; if it was, the Sun- day school originated a. good deal earlier than the date which I have given. The library is called a church library. In either case the book power was recognized by the young church, and it was deter- mined to make use of it. What a marvel- ous power has it become since that time !

This church has raised up, for service in the great tield of christian labor, one min- ister and one missionary. The'minister is the Eev. Ira Smith; and the missionary is the Rev. H. A. DeForest [class of 1632, Yale,] who went to Syria, returned with the seeds of fatal disease in his system, and so ended his work on earth. I am glad to find that a missionary to that old land has had any connection with us. I am not quite certain what the connection was. I take the fact, as I have stated it, on trust, not having had opportunity to verify it. I have searched the old records for his name but have not, thus far, succeeded in tiiidiug iti I shall trace out the matter as fully as . can. It is certainly a benefit to us to have such a point of contact with the great mis- sionary enterprise. To follow a missionary of the cross, who is a personal acquaintance, with prayer, and interest, and faith, is in- vigorating to the heart which does it, and is honorable to God, whose service the Avork is.

The Rev. Robert C. Bell, now the efficient pastor of the Congregational Church iu Darieu, iu this state, was, for a time, before his entrance upon his ministry, a member of this church, and comes here to the family home. His name belongs to our history.

I designed to say moi'e about the revivals

which have occurred within the church, noticing not only its larger ingatherings, but also its other harvests, it ought to be cliaracterized by them to be true to its ori- gin, for the church iu its later form was born in a revival. In the record left by the council of five, of the work which they performed on that 12th of March, 1817, they say: — "The meeting proceeded to consider this application, and the state of this village, especially the increase of godly people in the present revival of religion, and are of the opinion that a compliance with the above request may conduce to the pros- perity of Ziou."

I desired also to, at least, mention some of the lessons to be gathered from the facts which 1 have presented to you. But I will not. You are weary, and you can do this work for yourselves. I will only express the wish, which I find so distinctly iu my heart that I cannot deny it some utterance, that this church of the Lord Jesus Christ may be ever true to the Master, earnest in the doing of His work, and receive of His blessing till it shall overjlow. It has a Past. May it have a Futurk !

The following is a literal copy of an old MS., fixing the date of the formation of the first ecclesiastical society in Seymour :

Derby, November :3d, A.D. 1789. ' This may sertify all whom it may con- cern, that the subscribers have joined and paid towards the support of the Gospel at the Congregational Society, in Derl>y, near Bladen Brook, aud mean for the future to support the Gospel there :

Capt. Timothy Baldwiu.

Asahel Johnson.

Gideon Johnson.

Capt. Bradford Steel. . "

Elisha Steel.

Isaac Baldwin.

Ebr. Turel Whitmore.

Amos Hine.

Bradford Steel, Jr.

Medad Koney.

Hezekiah Wodin.

John Adye.

Ashbel Loveland.

Truman Loveland.

Ebeuezer Warner. Joseph Loiues.

Leveret Pritchard. Moses Clark.

Levi Tonilinson. Philo Hiumau.

John Coe. Thomas Hotchkis.

Ebenezer Beacher Johnson.

Nathan Wheler.

Bezalel Peck.

Frances Forqne.

Sertifyed by me. Levi Tomlinson,

Society Clerk.

SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.

19

Great Hill.

The following particulars are from a book iu tlie possession of Mr. Samuel P. Davis of Great Hill, consisting of the records of the 8th District of the Town of Derby, afterward the tirst district of the town of Seymour, from 1766 to 1810.

June 26, 1767, Henry Tomlinson elected district committee, Samuel Basit, collector.

Dec. 8, 1769, at house of H. Tomlinson, B. Tomlinson, moderator. Voted to hire a blaster for the winter and that what overplus there might be should be used to pay a Mistress in the summer.

_^From the Record of the meeting held Dec. 12, 1770, at the schoolhouse. at 5 p. m., it appears that it was not the custom to hire the teat^her for the winter until Decemljer. The meetings were us- ually held in the afternoon.

Jan. 13, Jonathan Miles, moderator. A mo- tion was made to divide (leaf incomplete.) evidently the scliool. The meeting adj. to Monday in March at 4 P. M., at which adjourned meeting an adjourn- ment was again made to 3Iar. 2;3rd, when it was voted "that those persons that send their children to Henry Wooster"s school shall have their propor- tion of the school money according to their list."

At the meeting held Nov. 2, 1772, Benjamin Tomlinson, moderator, no action is recordeil, ex- cept to instruct the committee to hire a teacher for the winter at his discretion.

Tlie __next meeting recorded was held Dec. ye 14th, 1774. Micah Pool was chosen "one of the committee," and Samuel Russell, clerk.

It was voted that warnings of the next meeting be posted at thehou.-es of Joseph Canfield, George Beard and Capt. John Lu n six days before the meeting.

Nov. 13, 1775, B. Tomlinson. nu)derator; Chris- topher Smith chosen one of the comujittee.

Probably owing to the troublous times at the be- ginning of the revolution, no meetuig seems to have been held in 1776. but Nov. 27. 1777. B. Tomlinson was agam moderator, an adjournment was taken trom the schoolhouse to the house of Geo. JJard, Dec. 11, but no business transactions recorded. Sep. 2, 1778, voted to hire a schoolmaster ^ mo. and to pay the master pr. the poll of the scholer alter the publick money is gone."

June 12, 1780; Mica Pool, moderator; adj. to June 19th and voted to hire a mistress at six shil- hngs pr. (torn off— probably week) "and to pay schoolmistress pr. the pool of the schollers "

Oct 10, 1780, at the house of James Manvil- Mica Pool, moderator; Henry Tomlinson appoint- ed collector.

Feb. l;"), 1781; Joseph Tomlinson, moderator; voted to hire a master until Apr. 1, and pay by "poll of the scholars." Dan Tomlinson voted clerk.

Nov. 14, 1781. Philo Holbrook voted clerk. The next record is Nov. 23, 1784, when peace again prevailed, and the school, which very likely had been suspended by the necessities of the war for independence, was again awarded the attention it deserved, by those lovers of home, church, school and free government. The meeting was belli at the h.mse of Geo. Bard; Zachariah Fairchild, moderator. It was "voted to build a schoolhouse on the highway near Mr. John Hawley's." Build- ing committee, Ebenezer Lues. Webb Tomlinson,

Pool.

Hawkins, Jonathan Lum, Jr.. and Voted Mr. George Bard, Mr. Jonathan

Lum, Jr., Mr. Rusil Tomlinson, Committe.'

Nov. 28. 178.5 : Webb Tomlinson, moderator; voted a rate of six pence on the ptmnd be collect- ed on the list of 1784 to finish the schoolhouse, Joliii Hawley, collector. Voted that the warnings for meetings be put up at the schoolhouse and Geo. Bard's shop. Voted Sam'l Russell be one of the committee in place of Johnathan Lum, Jr.

Mar. 20, 1786; at house of John Hawley; Henry Tomlinson, moderator ; John Hawley voted "coiniiiiltyman in room of Joseph Hawkins, also Russell Tomlinsiin, Sam'l Russell and James Man- ville Committee." Nov. 22, 1787, Josiah Nettleton, moderator. Dec. 2i). 1788, Christopher Smith, moderator, rate laid of 3d. on the £, list of 1788, Webb Tom- linson, collector. Samuel Russell, Russel Tomlin- son and James Manville, committee. The next record is copied verbatim.

"October the 2.5. A. D. 1790. "At a lawful meeting lawfully warned and attend- ed, voted Mr. Samuel Russel Moderator. 2nd voted Mr. Henry Tomlinson a school Committee in the room of Mr. Samuel Russel. 3d voted Mr. Abel Holbrook clerk for this eighth School district, it fourthly voted that the committee should hire a school muster for this school according to their discretion for the ensuing year and pay the Mas- ter by the pool of the scholar.''

Mar. 21, 1794, voted Nathaniel Holbrook, Rus- sel Tomlinson and Jonathan Lum, committee.

Nov. 9, 179.5, voted Eiios G. Nettleton, clerk; R. Tomlinson. J. Lum. Jr., and James Bassett, committee. »■

Nov. 6, 1796, J. Lum, Nathan Mansfield and N. Holbrook, committee; Enos G. Nettleton, clerk. Nov. 27, 1797, voted E. G. Nettleton, J. Lum and N. Holbrook, committee; voted to hire a master four months "by the poll of the scliolar."

Nov. 6, 1798; Amos Bassett. moderator ; Abram English, clerk; voted that the eighth district be divided into two districts.

Oct U, 1799, J. Lum, moderator: Abram English, clerk ; J. Lum, N. Holbrook and Eph- raim Wooster. committee ; voted to hire a master five months.

^ Dec. 3, 1800 ; Eleazer Lewis, moderator ; Davi I Tomlinson. clerk ; A. English, Moses Feiiton. and Richard Holbrook, committee; Nathanael Hol- brook, collector.

Dec. 23, 1800 ; voted Reuben Lum and Wilson Hurd committee in addition to above ; and to hire another master and to "divide the money accord- ing to the poll of the scholars belonging to the first district."

Mar. 14, 1801. Voted to hire a teacher twelve mouths, the school to be kept in the meetinghouse as long as the weather will permit, then to be con- tinued in the schoolhouse.

Nov. 5, 1801. Jonathan Lum, Jr., Moses Fenton and Isaac Bassett, committee ; David Tomlinson, clerk.

From the record of the meeting held Nov. 12, 1802, it appears that "the public money of the Great Hill School Society" shall be applied to such schools as the committee think proper, and a provision made that those who were unable to pay the schooling of their children should not be assessed therefor, thereby manifesting their belief

20

SEYMOUE AND VICINITY,

that it was for the public good that the education of tlie cliilih-eu of the poor should be provided for.

Apr. 25th, 1803, voted tliat a rate of six mills on the dollar he laid to repair the schoolhouse.

Oct. 18th, 1803, David Tonilinson, collector; J. Luni, Richard Holhrook and James Bassett, committee. Voted to hire a teacher for five months.

"At a legal meeting of the first School District in Great Hill School Society, holden at the school- house in sd. District. Monday, the 18th of March, 1805. First, voted Mr. Abner Tibbils, moderator ; 2nd, voted David Tomlinson, clerk ; 3rd, voted Mr. Johnathan Lum, Benjamin English and Wilson Hurd a school committee for the first district ; 4th, voted Mr. Benjamin English a collector of Miss

Rebecca French's bill ; 5tli, voted Ephraim Woos- ter collector for the 3'ear ensuing."

Nov. ^tli, 1S05, J. Lum, moderator; David Tom- linson, clerk; J. Lum, A. English and Wilson Hurd, committee. Doct. Lum to see to the school- house.

Nov. IDtli, 1806; same clerk and moderator elc'ted ; Richard Holl)rook and Abm. English, committee.

Nov. 30th, 1810; John Smith, moderator; D. Tomlinson, clerk; adj. to W. A. Gillett's ; Jared Mansfield and John Smith, committee ; Capt. J. Nettleton. collector. "Voted that wood pr. load should he 84 ets. and boarding teacher 7 cts. per meal or H'ilc. per week."

^.-hv-^-^-^^iz^

21

Earliest Mention of Pangussett.

There appears to have been a trading port for New Haven Colony, at Derby at a very early day. In New York Colonial Documents, 1st Vol., p. 284, (Holland Documents,) — -'Reiuonstrance of New Netherland, and the occurrences there" ad- dressed to the States' Greneral by the people of New Netherland, 28th July, 1649, speaks first of Stamfort, from which place a man can reach the North River and return home on a summer's day, according to the knowledge ac- quired of the Indian.paths. Again, "The English of New Haven have a trading port situate to the East or South-East of Magdalen Island, at no greater distance than six leagues from the North River, for that island lies on the East side of the North River, 23i leagues above Port Amsterdam, and the trading port is established with no other design than to attract or wholly to destroy the entire trade of the North River where it now passes down entirely free. They moreover made repeated etforts eight or nine years ago to pur- chase a large tract of land from the Indians, as we understood from the latter ; this would have been rather with a view to attract the trade than any- thing else, for it was situate on the East side, not more than three or four leagues from the Colonic of Renselaerswyck."

Doctor O'Callaghan's note .says: "Magdalen Island is opposite the town of Red Hook, Dutch- ess County. The trading port was on the site of the present town of Springfield, Mass." There is no authority for making this port Si)ringfield, which was not established by New Haven.

Paugusset, at the junction of the Housatonic and Naugatuck, was a capital place to tap the Dutch trade. The Indians liked to follow rivers, and the Housatonic; reaches near the Hudson. Paugusset is nearer the locality indicated by the Dutch paper. But that Paugusset was the place appears from the RemoTistrance of the Dutch to New Haven, (3rd Aug., 1(546, New Haven Col. Doc, Vol. 1, p. X.'65,) and the reply of New Haven, speaks of the house they had built at Pau- gusset. The course there taken leaves no doubt that the plan complained of was not Springfield, but Paugusset. The "protest from the Dutch Governor was read in court and an answer to the same sent and directions given to those that keep the trading howse. And it was fully and satisfye- ingly voted that the court would mak good their title here and at the trading howse and leave the issue of things to God whatever they may bee."

The first mention of Paugusset of New Haven is 71st N. H. Col. Rec, p. 74, 4lh, 3rd month, 164-2. "Two of bro Wakeman's men is excused fro watching for the present because of their imploymt att Pawgassett."

Winthrop's Journal, Savages' edition. Vol. 2. p. 328. year 1646, "The merchants of New Haven had purchased some land of the Indians, *

* * to the North-West of them, upon Pautucket River, and hail set up a trading house. The Dutch Governor made a protest against it

and sent it to Mr. Eaton, claiming the place to be theirs and within ten Dutch miles of Fort Orange. Mr. Eaton answered the protest acknowledging no right in the Dutch, but alleging their purchase and offering to refer the cause. The Dutch Governor by letter complained of it and the Gov- ernor of Massachusetts. The Governor of Massa- chussets informed Mr. Eaton hereof (the Com- missioners being then to meet at New Haven) and tendered it to their consideration if it would not be expedient to call Mr. Whiting, (then a magis- trate at Hartford) to give account of these speeches, seeing the Dutch would expect sacis- faction. Mr. Savages' note says : "Though the name is very plainly written, we can hardly doubt that Winthrop was mistaken. I presume the word was Peguusset or Pegusset; Indian geogra- phy is exceeditigly indefinite. Probably the place was the same soon after called Derbjs where the Naugatuck unites with the Housatonic. No doubt some points of resemblance caused the naming of the Connecticut plantation, and that of our neighboring town of Watertown, (Mass.) where the Indian title was Peguusset."

Another evidence that the place referred to was Paugussett, is found in the Derby Records, in the sale of land by Thos. Wheler of "Pagasset" to Alexander Bryan of Milford, of land "bounded with Potatuck River southwest, Nagatuck River nortkeast, & bounded on the northwest with trees marked by Towtaemoe, sachem, containing forty acres, more or less." Here, surely, the Potatuck can be no other than the Housatonic.

It appears by the N. Y. Col. Doc. and map therein, that the river "Mauritius" mentioned in the N. H. Col. Doc. was the Hudson aS therein surmised. The valleys of the Housatonic must have been better places for Indians to dwell in than the lower Hudson with its steep banks, very narrow valleys and high lands. The Dutch map of 1616, (N. Y. Col. Doe.) looks as if the valleys between the Hudson and Connecticut were more thickly inhabited than the Hudson itself. The Indians of the Naugatuck and Housatonic are there called "Makimaiics."

The Dutch mile is stated in Murray's guide to Holland to be Sy^Q^ English miles. The name Pautucket used in Winthrop reminds one of "Poktatuck," a branch or village of the Paugus- sets. in the neighborhood of Newtown. Southbury and Woodbury. The Paugussets, DeForest says, had a fortress not far above the union of the Housatonic and Naugatuck.

In May, 1716, Serjt. Joseph Hawkins of Derby, was by the General Assembly granted "the liberty to keep a ferry ov^er Stratford River, where the said Hawkins house now stands by the said river, at the same fare with the ferry at Strat- ford ; and so often as he shall have occasion at the said place to carry or ferry over the mouth of the Naugatuck River, he shall have the same allow- ance as afoi-esaid ; and "'hen to cross both, eight pence for man and horse."

22

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SEYMOUR,

15 Y DR. J. KENDALL.

To-day these liilLsiiles and vallej's are dotted with pleasant houses; to-day ^^e have the bnsy trend of men and the cheer- ful hum of machinery; to-day these hill- sides and villages are threaded by roads and these streams are spanned with bridges. Two hundred years ago the dusky savage might have been seen stealthily making his way among these hills, or crouching near some ]»ath made by wild beasts seeking to slake their thirst at some of these uuuierons streams. Or the curling smoke might have been seen from an Indian wigwam floating among the tree tops tVoin some shaded glen. Two hundred years ago, and this valley was almost an imi)assable tangle of tree, shrub, vine and driftwood ; these hills were covered with forests that never heard the sound of woodmen's axe. Picture to yourself this scene of two linndred years ago, and you can hardly imagine a more forbidding spectacle.

Not much later than this two men might have been seen coming from below towards this place so wild and primeval. They each carried a gun, and very likely there was slnng under the arm of each a powder- horn markeil with various devices signifi- cant of their occupation, and a sheath knife in the belt of each. They were clothed to suit the times and their condition. They were hunters, well acquainted with the use of the weai)ons tln^y carried. They might have been drawn here by another man of a darker hue, but of similar pursuit. The three were skillful in the pursuit of game with which these forests aVionnded — deer, bears, wolves and wild turkeys were plenty here, and the men knew where these animals made their haunts. This last man, as well as the two first, knew how to beguile an hour around a camp-fire, and if he could not sp(iak English fluently, if he chune he could talk turkey.

These three were quiet men, and not given to boisterous talk — their habits of watching and waiting, listening for the sound of a foot-fall, the rustling of a leaf or

the breaking of a twig, had schooled them into habits of careful, quiet carriage, and the music of the forest had more charm for them than voices of men. When they met their meeting would not be demon- strative, but their conversation would be in low tones, for the three were men of the woods, always on the alert to catch the sound of game. The name of one of these was Johnson, and he was one of the colony that ciime from New Haven to scitlh; the town of Derby. They had pi'titioued to have this grant given them, but the town of Milford remonstrated, and the High Coin t at New Haven gave Milford the jurisdic- tion, as her charter covered this territ(uy. Ho was the first white man that settled in what was then called Chase's Town, after- wards num])hreysville, and now Seymour. Derby was afterward made a town, and Sey- mour was incorporated into a town in ISi'iL). Johnson built his cabin on land now owned by Carlos French, formerly owned by Beecher, then Gary, and last l)y the late Clark Johnson. It was situated about fiuty or fifty rods north of Carlos French's farm house.

The other's name was Washl)and. H(>, also, was one of this colony from New Haven, and is supposed to be the progen- itor of the Waslil)and family that has always beiMi connected with this locality, and is supposed to have settled in Oxford, which then was a part of Milford, lu^.ar where Staples Washband now lives.

The last went by the name of Chnsc from his manner of pronouncing the word choose, which was a favorite word with him. His Indian name was Man-we-hu. His father was a chief of the tribe of Pe(|uots. When Derby was first settled the whites persuad- ed him to move down into their neighbor- hood, but he tired of this and came back to Chusetown and established his (piarters again on what is called the Falls. Aftiu-- wards the whites that had settled near where Dr. Tliomas Stoddard now lives i)er- suaded him to make his residence up there, but he soon went back and establislieil himself on the blutV n( ar where is the house in which Thaddeus Fowler now lives

23

He became a convert to clivistiaiiity and was connected with the church at Derby, nnder the pastoral care of the Rov. Daniel Iliunphreys. He made an effort to educate some of hi.s children, and especi- ally his oldest son. He sent him to school at New Haven, and he appeared to do well for a time, but h ' ran his father into debt, as many a white boy has learned to do since, and Chuse had to brin<j him home, and history says he soliloquised thus — "Jy, I wished to make a man of you, but I find after all this outlay, you are nothing but a }i;reat drunken Indian." Chuse, himself, in the latter part is life, loved the firewater, and was met by his pastor when under the influence of strong drink, and it is said the parson stoiiped his horse and said, "Chnse!" Chuse immediately raised his hand and said, "Parson Humphreys, not a word, I am trying to walk the new style" — the time had just be(!n changed from (dd to new style. The parson nudged his horse and pnshed along, leaving Chuse to practice his new step. The whites grew thick around him, and he moved up to Kent with his family, and witliiu the last forty years there has been seen, almost every year till recently, several old Indian men and women sitting on the rocks on the west side of the falls, looking where once stood the wigwam of the Indian, but now covered with the manufactories of the white man.

Time progressed, and the natural facili- ties began to attract attention, and these str(!ams with their rough and rugged beds <ih< led inducements to men of enterprise. A man by the name of Daniel Stiles, who lived up near the corner where Dr. Thomas Stoddard lives, came in possession of this l>roj)erty on the falls, and threw a log <lani across the chasm where we now have a solid rock dam, and put up an iron smelting work or forge, and carted his ore from Salisbury. Last spring, in digging for a new wheel-pit they found the old slag and many of the tools in use in that day,relics of work which took place over one hundred years ago. It did not prove a suc- cess, and Bradford Steel put np a saw mill and sawed the h)gs that the farmers haul-

ed up to 180.S, when Gen. David Humphreys, a son of the Rev. Daniel Hnmiihreys, who entered the War of the Revolution as cap- tain, was made chief of staff to General Putnam and remained with him for two years, when he ivttracted the attention of General Washington, and was transferred to his staff, made his private secretary and remained in his family till after the close of the war — was sent minister to Spain and Portugal, was the first to import merino sheep — bought the property on the falls and commenced operation for the manu- facture of broadcloth. He procured a charter from the legislature in 181U, and was the first manufacturer of broadcloths in the United States, and Thomas Jefferson, when inauguratied president, was clad in garments the cloth of which was made in Seymour. He continued his manufactory fill death, which transpired in 1818. He carried his habits with him into his after life. His mill was run by wliat was then known as apprentices, which he gathered from all parts of the country. Tliey were officered and drilled in military tactics and when he had visitors from abroad they were marched out of the mill and made to pass in review, and to escort him and his visitors to the farm, wheie high carnival was hehl for the gratification of his friends and the boys. These were entopian days for mill boys; many a hard dollar passed the extended palm for some small favor done by the boys to the manufacturer of broadcloth.

Four years after the death of General Humphrey, in 1822, this mill, with the pro- perty pertaining to it, passed into the hands of John W. DeForest, Lewis Wain & Jeremiah Fisher Learning, and was by them converted into a manufactory of cot- ton cloth, and was so occupi(sd within the memory' of many now present.

For many years after the settlem<»nt o^ this place intercourse was maintained be- tween this and Derby what in new coun- tries are called bridle-paths, and the settlers were obliged, when they went to Derby to church, to go on foot or ride on horseback. Foranunil)er of years thev buried their

24

<lea<l at Derby and transported them by strapping a horse between each end of two long poles and placing the corpse on the polo between the horses.

The first niaimfactiirer of augurs in this section of couiitry was Walter French, the manufacture of which has ever since been the staple business of the place. To name all who have been engaged in this business would take more time and space than this liaper will permit.

The inhabitants of Seymour hav'^e thus far been a working community, and have not grown very rich. There has been an equality sustained between the well-to-do and those who have reqnired that the storm should bo tempei'ed to their shorn condition that no manufacturing village in this val- ley can boast of. Our neighbors-in-law have been in the habit of placing us among the hards and roughs; they may be right, but if they are we take the credit of making greater advancement in morals than they,

for we have less drunkenness and less ' rowdyism than they, onr streets are safe for ladies or men to pass by day or night. No town in this valley has done so little according to its population to colonize onr states prison or reformatory schools as Seymour. We have not done onr whole dufcj' in providing the needful appliances for the education of our children, neither have we gone to the other extreme, and put up palatial edifices and burdened the tax-payers; but to-daj' our scholars areas well educated in all riuliniimtal branchi^s as our neiglibors. Our churches are the best and onr pastors excel all clergymen — and onr ladies are the handsomest we ever saw and as to their ability to minister to our inner comforts, just look and see these fields of delicate things ready to be de- voured, and finally we have a goodly heri- tage, let us one and all preserve it, for it is ours, and not anothers to keep.

Trr

STODDARD i WALLACE, PHOTOGRAPHERS.

Erected in ijgj. Enlarged in i8_^y=8.

TRINITY (^miRcir.

j*2;{r(l, 1797. The committee to wliom waw iutniistod tlie proviisioii of funds and ma-

teiials for ji clmri-h iMiilding iniriiediateh

At th*' iv(iue6t of Tlieoi>l)il()s Miles. Jona- '■'>"""fi'^»'<l tl>'-i"' liilwrs, and if their ener- thiin Miles and litMijaniin Davis, a wiuranti^.v l»e jndjjfed liy theii snccess they arc was issned by Levi Tomliiison, a Justice of ie"tifl«*i t<> the award of industry and per- tlie Peace for New Haven Connty, directed Severance. Early in the spring tli.- corner lo Henjaniin Davis, an indifferent person, l***^""'' ^^'•'^ l«i<l '>> liie Rev. Edward Blakes- requestiug him to give notice to all the 1 1««» ^hen an assistant to Eev. Dr. .Manstiehl inhabitants professing the religion of the | *>*' I^«»"^y : tlnring the summer the bnild-

Protestant Episcopal Church, residing with in ceitaiu prewc lilied limits, to meet at the

ing was raised and before winter enrirely enclosed. After the building ha<I been in-

house of Dr. Samuel Sanford, m» the -iOth !''^^"^'"^ ^^'" committee found the funds i. I day of Feb., 1797 ; then and there to form : "'«''•■ *li"*P^"^'il exhau.sted, and noi willing an Episcopal Ecclesiastical Society. , to involve the Society in debt, concluded

The warrant was dated Feb. 12th, 1797, |t" suspend their work, and the finishing ..f and was served on thirty-nine persons, viz: ! ^■''♦* ''nil'liug wa.s reserved for a later day. Reuben Lum, .Tames Manville, .Vathan^«'"f'"^ "♦'i'<^ however provided, benches Mansfield, William Tucker, Benjamin Haw- 1 '"^i''*' "f ••^•"••><- To accomplish this much ley, Kussell Tcnulinson, Martin Beebe, Enosjsr'^"'^ sacrifices were made : for their unm- (;. Nettleton, Ephraim Wooster, Nathaniel •^""i" ^^=''* "ot only small an<l limited in their Holbrook, Jeremiah Gillette, Josiah Net- j "'""fl'.v means, i)ut f hey also had to con- tletcm, Philo Holbrook, Edward Hayes, j^^H'l :'K=^'n«t "hat was terme<l the "estab Nathau Stiles, Wilson Hurd, William j ''«li«'*l '>i'l''i"." viz: against the Presbyterian Church, Abel Church, John Grifldn, Daniel i '"""•'"'•'' which had at th:it time complete Davis, Bowers Washband, Alexander .fohn- ! l'^'^''*'' •'» ^h« state, and which regaide.l son, Timothy .Johnson, Joseph Johnson, ||'^*'0 '^"'*''i •^■^'••rt :is a direct attack upon Charles French, Israel Bostwick, Moses

liiggs and John White. The persons met at the time and pla(;e named in the warn- ing, (the house now owned by Mr. Heury Wheeler), when Bcnjauiin Davis w^as ap- pointed iiU)derator, Samuel Sanford clerk, and Joel Chatfield, Israel French and Jonathan Miles Society's Committee. As there had been a union of the Parish of (ireat Hill with the Episcopalians of the

itself.

Of this Chnich Dr. Kii^haid Mansfield was the first j>astor, and for his snppoi i the Society voted to i)ay him '.id. on tlie £ on the granil list of 1797. He was at this time Rector of the Cluirch in Derby. This connection between the 2 Parishes does n<n appear to have been harmonious ; for earh in the year 1800. a committee was appoint- ed to devis(> some means for unitiu"- De.rbv

new Parish it was" concluded to call the ! '^"'^ ^'''^^''tlety under one pastoral charge, new organization Union Church. I How long Dr. Mansfield continued in the

Beyond the organization of the Society no ^^''^^•''''^Ijip of tlie Parish can not be cor- other business appears to have been trans- 1^*^*^^^>" "Sffi^ained; but prol»ably not longer actedatthistime. and the meeting adj<mrn-i^''^" 1*'~; f'"' '" fhat year a committee edtomeet at the same place at the end of j "''^^ •'PP'>'"iteti to employ a clergyman for the week, Feb. 27th. At this meeting they iO"« U'l'ntcr of his thne. But as he had began in earnest to lay the foundation of j '"'«" ^^-ttled for life, this Soeiety assisted a house for the Lord ; and Benjamin Davis, j '» »"PP<>itiiig Dr. Mansheld after his jtas- Edward Hayes, Nathaniel Johnson and *"''»• ««>uuectirm had terminated, an«l con- John White were appointed a committee M'""''*^' t<» <lo so for eighteen yeais, until to furnish materials tor the building of the! ^'i« t'uie of his death in the year 1820. Church. The land upon which the Church I •{""•It l':i» Miles was appointed the first

stands was purchased of Leverett Vvitcb-\Vr'f!;^,^';'^;^.^'''^^^^^ l>i;'C.se.

lie was a memi)er of the l.^tli annual eoii- ard, and cost $60; the deed is dated March] venfion, held in the year 179S.

26

lu the j'ear 1802 the Union Bank was established, out of which a fnnd was to be raised for the support of the ministry. Of this bank Abijah Hull was treasurer. The amount of subscriptions was about $2,000, by fifty-seven persons. This bank during its existance proved a bone of contention, and in 1811 action was taken for its diso- lution, and subsequently the notes and money which constituted the bank were returned t^ the original proprietors, they paying interest on the same up to the year 1808. After the resignation of Dr. Mans- field in 1802, the church remained for a year unsupplied. In 1803 a committee was appointed to confer with committees from Oxford and Derby, in relation to em- ploying a clergyman with power to agree with Derby and Oxford for one year, or to make proposals to the other committees, or either of them, to confer with a clergyman for a settlement and get his proposals, and report the same to a subsequent meeting. The clergyman about whom they were to confer was Rev. Samuel Griswold. These conferences were unsuccessful.

The next year they succeeded in settling the Rev. Solomon Blakeslee ; and yet he only remained three months, when the ser- vices of the Rev. Calvin White was secured for six months, at the end of which time he removed. In 1805 the Rev. Ammi Rodg- ers was engaged for one-third of his time for three months. At the expiration of three months the engagement was renewed and a resolution expressing the satisfaction of the Society with his services was adopt- ed. This resolution was probably of his own proposal, and designed to varnish a character deeply stained with guilt. The Society subsequently became convinced of the charges made against him and he was dismissed. How long he continued in the Rectorship is not certainly known, but probably not more than one year ; for in 1807 the services of the Rev. Ambrose Todd ,were secured for one-third of his time for one year. Who succeeded Rev. Mr. Todd the records do not show ; but the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee was again Rector in 1810, in which he continued nearly three years.

In 1812 an effort was made to unite this church and Oxford under one pastoral

charge but it failed. In 1813 the Rev. James Thompson became Rector, but he only remained one year. In 1814 the Rev. Mr. White was again employed. Like Mr. Thompson his connection with the Parish was of short duration, and the following year, 1815, we find the Rev. Chauncy Prin- dle, Rector. In 1813 the Parish paid an assessment of $60 towards establishing a fund for the support of the Bishop.

At a meetiug of the Parish, Jan. 29, 1816 measures were taken to complete the church, which had up to this time remained in an unfinished state. Abraham English, Josiah Nettleton, Theophilos Miles, Nathan- iel Johnson and Josiah Sw ift were appoint ed a committee to obtain subscriptions to- wards this object ; and in March of the same year they were authorized to expend the money thus raised. The amount sub- scribed was |1250, contributed by sixty- three persons. The Church when finished was consecrated Sept. 2nd, 1817, by the Right Rev. John Henry Hobert, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of New York. After the consecration of the Church the Rev. Mr. Thompson again became the Rector and continued in that connection until 1819, when the Rev. Aaron Humphreys was elected.

In 1818 we find for the first time some- thing of the condition of the Parish, so far its strength was concerned, viz : number of communicants, 45; number of families, 63; number of persons, 279; grand levy, $7,420.95. In 1819 the Parish was drawn into a law suit by its first Rector, the Rev. Dr. Mansfield. The Parish became remiss in paying its portion for his support, and^ to quicken its energies this suit was brought. The Dr. gained his cause and the Parish was compelled to pay up all arrearages. The death of the Dr., April 11th, 1820, aged 96 years, relieved the Par- ish from this onerous charge. In 1821 a^ new roof was placed on the church at a cost of $60. In 1822 the slips were first rented at public sale, the proceeds of the sale amounting to $146.40. Up to this time the salary had been raised by a tax on the grand list. In the evening of the ist of June of this year, 1822, the steeple

27

of the church was struck by lightning ; to repair the injury $182.88 was raised and $182.84 expended. In 1822 the Rev. Stephen Jewett became Rector of the Parish, and the following year made this report : num- ber of communicants, 50 ; Baptisms, 2 ; marriages, 4 ; funerals, 5 ; families, 55. Mr. Jewett continued in the Rectorship eleven years; and during his ministry there were baptised 127 infants and eight adults; 51 marriages were solemnized and 88 persons were buried. In 1827 the Sun- day School was started, and "the Society's committee were appointed to superintend and regulate its affairs aud procure such books as were required."

In the next year the bell was procured at a cost of $256.19. It was first used Aug. 12th, 1828, to toll the death of a son of Mr. John S. Moshier. In the summer of the same year a sum was raised by sub- scriptions for the purpose of painting the church and fencing the burying ground, amounting to $251, uU of which was done at an expense of $247. In the same year Mr. Isaac Kinney presented the Parish with a stove. Before this time the chnrhc had not been warmed. The first organ was placed in the church about the year 1831. It was built by Mr. Whiting of New Haven, and in 1850 was enlarged and im- proved by Mr. Jurdine of New York, at an expense of $505.

After the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Jewett in 1833, the Rev. Charles W. Brad- ley became Rector of the Parish and re- mained in that connection one year, when he was succeeded by the Rev. John D. Smith at Easter, 1834. Mr. Smith continued in the Rectorship eleven years. In the first five years he officiated in this church every Sunday ; the next two years he divided his services equally between this church and St. Peter's, Oxford. In 1841 this arrange- ment was discontinued, and Mr. Smith again confined his labors to this Parish. In 1841 the church underwent a complete repair at an expense of $150. The wood work in the interior was grained and the pulpit lowered about three feet ; it would have added much more to the convenience of the hearers as well as the speaker, if it

had been cut down five feet more ; but the small reduction in height was looked upon as a great inovation by some of the older members of the Parish.

At Easter in 1845, Rev. Mr. Smith re- signed the Rectorship of the Parish, and the Rev. John Purvis became the Rector. He remained two years and during his ministry he baptised six adults and twen- ty-six children, married three couple and attended sixteen funerals. At this time there were about one hundred communi- cants connected with the Parish. In the summer of 1845 the church was painted on the outside at the cost of $120, which was defrayed by the ladies' sewing society. The next spring the ladies furnished tlie church with carpets, lamps and curtains for the windows. After the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Purvis the Rev. Abel Nichols ofhciated as a supply one year, until Easter, 1848. At the annual meeting in 1847 a re- port was made of the indebtedness of the Parish, which was $285.46. At the same time the committee were "instructed to procure from the grand list of the town the amount the several members of the Parish stand in said list and report the same to the next meeting." This action was taken with a view of taxing the members of the Parish sufficient to pay its indebtedness. Whether the prospect of a tax or dissatis- faction with the management of the afiairs of the Parish or whether some other cause operated, is not recorded, but tlie records show that about this time a number of the members withdrew from its connection and left the burden which they had helped to create to be liquidated by the more faith- ful, though not more able, friends of tlie church. The report of the committee was not made as directed, aud the debt was not paid. From Easter, 1848, until Sep- tember of that year the church remained vacant, when the Rev. William F. Walker assumed the charge of the Parish. He was instituted into the Rectorship (the first and last institution in the Parish) Nov. 22nd, 1848, and continued in charge until January, 1851, wnen he removed to New York. He was subsequently tried by an ecclesiastical court and found guilty of

28

innnuralities for which lie was de- griidtMl from the miiiiwtiy, l»y Riglit Rev. Mi.shoj) Warn wri^ 111, ;tt th« (rciK^al C<ni- veutioii of 185;}. When he reiiiitved he fook witli hiui the Parisb rejj;ister, which lias not yet, and [»rol>ahly never will he re- turned, as the last heard of it, it was be- iiiff u.sed fur a scrap Uook. The loss of the le.gi.ster deprives t)ie Parish of much valiia- i)le information in reyard to the unmlier of comuinuicants, bajiti.sms, marriages and deaths iu the Parish for a long term of years. After his degradation from the minis- try Walker lived a tragical life and died from the etfect of an overdose of medicine prescribed for the relief of a nervous affec- tion, in the early part of the present year.

At the Easter of 1M.")1 the Kev. Charles G. Acly became Kector and remained two years. For several years previous to this a del)t had been constantly increasing until it amounted to !$sr>0 at the Easter of 18.'>:5, which Mr. Acly succeeded in canceling be- fore he left the Parish. The ladies' society contributed $170. of the amount paid. The Parish was now entirely free from debt. In June, 185:}, the Rev. O. Evans Shannon became Rector of the Parish. At a meet- ing at Easter, Ir^'iG, the name of the P.uish was changed from Union to Trinity. At this time the church needed cousider;ible repairs ; the timbers in the steeple were uuich decayed and it was considered un- safe by thoS(^ who carefully examined it and the roof leaked badly and the enlarge- ment and repair of the church began to be seriously talkeil about, and at Easter, 1857, a committee was appointed consisting of Thomas W. Holbrook, B. W. Stnith and Sheldon Church, to see what could be done iu regard to repairs, and to report at an adjourned meeting. Their report was made in the following June, that about $■2100. had been subscribed to defray the expense of the contem])latcd repairs, and it was resolved to begin the work. The plans of the alterations had been previous- ly made by Mr. Austin of New H iven. A building connnittee was appointed, con- sisting of B. W. Smith, S. D. Russell and Sheldon Church, the two former july acted.

At the meeting whiidi resolved to begin

tlie work but four legal voters were pres- ent, viz : Harpin Riggs, S. D. Russell and Thomas W. Holbrook, Vestrymen, ami J>. W. Smith, Parish Clerk, three of which was in favor of the enter|)rise and one op- po.sed it ; but after the decision was mad'- all acted in perfect harmony tluiiugliout. The last service was held in the old church on the 5th of July, I8r)7. Tlie total cost of the work amounted to ;&((,( »()0.0:',. The ex- pense of furnishing the church with car- pets, cushions, &c., .mil completing the steeple above the bell deck « as defrayed by the ladies of the Parish, and anionnted to over $800.

The church was cousecrateil by Right Rev. Bishop Willi.nus. (ui the 11th ot May, lrt.5s. The liuihling was almost entirely new, w ith the exception of the frame. The number of slips were increased from forty- two to seventy, and in doing the work ,i del>t of l$:'.000. was contracted. To com- l>lete the church was no easy task w ith the limited amount of money at the disposal of the committee, and how the funds were furnished is known only to tliose who had tho matter in charge. The collection of subscriptions or the loaning of nioney was made almost impossible by the tinancial crisis which commenced early in Septem- ber after the work was begun, and createtl tiuamial ruin throughout the country. The connnittee received but little aid cu' encoui'agement from men c(»nnected with the Palish beyond its oflicers, and they certainly received nor expected any from any other source; but on the contrary they were ridiculed in every jtossible manner, and it was prophesied tii.it the undertaking would prove as disastrous as the "South Sea Bubble," that the church would never be completed, or if it was it never would be paid for. The workmen were adviSed to get their pay as they did their work or they never would get it; (but t<) their ci'edit they heeded not the advice.) The lumber merchant was told more than once that he never would get pay for the lumber fiirnishtMl for the building, and a leading mercdiant in the Aillage refused to furnish the committee with ten pounds of nail>i, on the credit of the Parisli. Acting under

29

the.se circum.staiices it is pr«MHiiie,(I that it| the cost of AllT-W, which was paid hy the would he an atieetation tor th<i couimittee j hidies of tite Parish; and soon after a to say that the.v were not eonsiflerahlx em- ciedenee was jdaeed at the h-tt of tlie

harassed ; and yet. when tlie e.hnrch was re-opeued every hill of expense for the re- pairs had heeu paid with the exeeptioii of §:)0. for painting and ahmit the, same amount dne to one of the joiners. In l-T)! rlie delit

Altar at the <;o.st of $1.'>.40, the j-ift of a fennile member of tlie Parish. At Christ- mas of tliis year a prayer desk and leet- nru was plaeed in the eiianeel at the cost of ■if/O.aO, whieh was raised Uy suh-

coiitracted in reiiniidinjx the ehuich wasjSt^rii>tioiis, and soon after praytr hooks for reduced to less than four hiunln-d dollars. | the Altar and prayer desk at the cost of It has been .said that the .ommittee re-j$:29. In December, 1870, a cabinet organ eeived but little enrouragemeiii from the j was i>nrclia.sed for the Sunday .School at men eoniiected with the Parish, i>ut the the cost of sjliiO, raised by snbscrii»tioiis. same can not be said of the ladies, for they I In the summer of 1871 a new stone font rendered most valuable aid, not only by ! was platted in the church. The cost of the the .$800. which they contrilMired, but by j same was $177.18 and rai.sed by the ladies the iheerful encouragement which was onjof the ParLsh, the proceeds of a festival. e\ ery proper i)ccasion bestowed. It will | In 1872 hangings for the pulpit and lect- l>e doing no injustice to other ladies tojurnwere provided for by subseriptioiis at nieution in this c«>nnection the name of 1 the eost of )5;-iti..''>('. In March. 1873, the

.Mrs. M. P. Shannon, the wife of the Keetor.

Kev. Mr. Shannon resigned the charge of

the Parish the first of .June, 18r)(). During

Uectoiy jiropeity luuchased in l8r)(> t"or $2r>(jt). was sold for the same sum and the pio<;eeds iiseil to li(inidate the debt incurred

his ministry here there were l^f) baptisms! through the original purchase. About the performed, lO.'S persons were continned at sa.ine time subscriptions tt> the amount of nine visits of the Bishoi> ; jt)i) were buried jabonl $1000. were .secured to cancel the and 202 were joinetl in holy matrimony, i floating debt of the Parish, (including the On the 18th of May, 18ti4, the .steeple of' lia lance, :i5400, of the debt incurred iu 1857 the church was again struck by lightning, [ for rebuilding the chundi), this siibstanti- but the dauutge done was but a few (h)llar.s. ; .dly freeing the Parish from debt. Oq the 1st of .\piil. 18r)0. the Parish liought j The Kev. George .Scabury resigned tlie a house of Mrs. Lucy M. Kcach tor a Reel- j Kectoishi(> of the Paiish on the -ilst of ory, at a cost of .$2500. Fnnn rlie rc-^igna-, April. 1875, after an incumbancv of over tion of the Kev. Mr. Shannon to .)annary,;eight years. During his Rectorship 1:52 1867, the Rectorship remained vacant, j persons were baptised, 74 |)ersons received Regular services however were maintained I the Rite of Continuation, 189 persons wen; by teniporaiy sui»|»ly. In the month of j admitted to the H«)ly C inmunion, 46 mai- .Iuly, 1868, the church was jiainled on the ! riages were solemnized. an<i the bodies outside at an expense of .1^290.5:5, of which I of 128 were committed to the ground, sum 1267.73 was paiil by the ladies of the i "Earth to earth, ashes lo asho, dust to Pari.sh. dust."

The Rev. Geoige .Seabnry entered up<Mi | The present statistics of the Parish aie the Rectoi.ship <»f the Parish on the second , nearly as follows: families, 135; baptisetl Sunday in January, 1867. In the fall of i members of the church. 410; eommnn the year 1867 the church was closed for I cants, 157. The loss of the Parish register two months; when the interior wooil work in 1851 renders it iinpo.ssible to state the was grained and the walls colored, at tin- j statistics of the Parish with correctnesH eo.stof $800; over $600 of wiiicli w.is paid | pnnious to that time. On tin- 27th. day of by the ladies of the Parish. The chinch j June, 1875, the steeple ot rhe church wa« re-opened on tile last Suiuhiy in Octo- was the third time struck by lightning; ber. Before the re-opening oi \h • ciinrch the damage done amounted to aliout $.50. an Altar had been placed in tlie chancel at Of the sixty-three |»ersons who contribn-

30

ted to defray the expense of finishing the church in 1816, not one is now living. Mr. Isaac Kinney who died recently at the age of eighty-five was the last survivor. Of the slip hohlers in 1840, only two are slip holders at the present time, viz : Dr. S. C. Johnson and B. W. Smith, and only five of the whole number are now living. The subscription lists containing the names of the contributors and the amount coutriini- ted by each for churcii purposes, have in almost every instance been carefully pre- served, and if now published, would proba- bly prove more interesting to the public than to the living subscribers. During the first twenty-five years from the organiza- tion of the Parish eight clergymen were employed for a .specified length of time, and in the next fifty-three years, nine ; four of whom had charge of the Parish over forty-three years. On the '25th of September, 1875, the Rev. Edwin J. K Lessel became Rector of the Parish.

^^ ^-» B. W. S

HISTORY OF THE

Mellioilist EDi^Gopal Ctinrcli of Seymour.

13Y KAU-KO-TUXK.

Ben.njab Johnson was the first white man who settled iu this part of Derby. He was a native of New Haven, and his father's house stood wlurre the Exchange building now stan'ds. Benajah came here iu 17'26, and built Lis log house on the east side of the road near the foot of the hill south of the David Carringtou place. Soon after, Timothy, Ebenezcr, and Joseph Johnson moved into this place. Benajah and Tim- othy married sister.s — Sarah and Mary Brewster, daughters of Rev. Nathaniel Brewster, the first pastor of the Church in Setanent, Long Island. Mr. B. was the son of Jonathan Brewster, who came over in the Mayflower with his father, Eider Wm. B., to' Plymonth Rock. Isaac John- son, the son of Benajah, gave the laud where the M. E. Church edifice stands to his son, Isaac Johuson.

The first meeting house was built iu 1788, by individuals, most of whom were Cou- g'regationalists, who were united as a society of Separatists. Their first pastor . was i3ei)jaiuiu Beach, a minister from North Haven, who mo ed here iu 1790.

— Ill' 1791, thJit pionter of Meihodismln New Euglaud, Jesse Lee, came through Derby, where, hiriug a bell-man to ring the people ont. he preached to them in the shade of some trees, in what is now called Derby, up town. John Coe and Rnth, his wife, heard him, and invited him on his next visit to preach in their house, which iu a few weeks he did. From that time Derby was included in Mr. Lee's circuit, which combined ueaily all the teriitory of what is uow New Haven and Bridge- port districts.

In 1792 the plan of the work was so changed as to make Middletown the head of the circuit, which embraced Middlesex and a large pwt of New Haven counties. Derby was no exception to the rising spirit of persecution of that sect, which was everywhere spoken against. From the pulliit and in private the docks were faith- luliy warned against the distnrbers of the peace of the parish. But Lee, Allyu and Garretson, like brave men of God, continued to broadcast the seeds of truth. Johu and Ruth Coe were the first fruits of t>heir labors iu Derby, and were admitted to the little society in Oxford. Soon these con- verts oftered their two iufaut sons iu bap- tism at the bauds of Jesse Lee. Johu Allyn was the name given to Mr. Coe's son, and Jesse Lee was the name of Mr. Huimau's sou. Johu A. Coe grew to mauhood, settled iu what is now Beacon Falls, a solid man, a member of the M. E. Church, and was universally respected. Two of his grand- sons are uow residents of that town.

At the coufereuce of 1793, held at Tol- laud, it was reported that Johu Allyn had laid down his trump t and gone to his re- ward. This year, the first society in Derby was forn.ied, and John Coe was leader. Joshua Taylor and Benjamin Fisher were appointed preachers ou the circuit. At the close of the conference, the veuerable Bishop Ash bury, as iu ill health ho passed through Connecticut, visited the little viue iu Derl)v. B. Fisher died in Newburgh, July 5, 18.^4, aged 86.

The first M. E. Society iu this part of the town, then called Chuse Town, was formed in Feb. 1797. Names of members : Jesse Johnson, Isaac Baldwin, Esther Baldwin, Sarah Baldwin, Eruice Baldwin, and Dau- iel Rowe, of Derby, was leader. Soon after the following names were added : George Clark, LucyHitchcock, Silas Johnson aud Olive Johnson.

In the previous five years the IMethodist preachers had passed through the place aud preached as they found open doors : Once or more iu Mrs. Dayton's barroom, uow William Stubbs' house; also iu the house of Mr. Stiles, uow the residence of

r

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ifMelloi^lNllpi^coplitfiliwel

Erected in 1^4*7^.

31

•r. Stoddard. Some years later they reached m tbe ballroom of the Moul- Jronp tavern on the corner opposite the liuton place.

For a long time the society remained ery small. Ic encountered a great amount I prejudice and some persecutions. At le house of Isaac Baldwin, which stood on le riat near Beecher's augur factory, the ^-rsecutors went up on a ladder and'stop- id the top of the chimnev in time of reaching-, so that the smoke drove the jople out of the house. They often threw [uilisof powder into the tire in time of orship, to the great annoyance of the peo- le. But God had ordained his arrows ,OTinst the pei-secutors. A cnrse followed mo-t all those young men, and they were It down in the prime of life. Freeborn arretson held the first quarterly meeting this place in the old meeting house in ;03. Moses Osborn, a local preacher re- iling in Southbury, a man of God and ap- ■ovL-d of men, by his faithful labors in erby and vicinity during four or hve ;ars, prepared the way for that revival in (*y, when seventy' persons were converted the Neck school house. Most of these ined the Congregational Church, but veral families joined the M. E. Church, id added to its influence in the town. )r several years the work went on, nOw Stratford, tJien at Humphreysville, and en at Nyuniplis, and in other places. In l'.\ Mi(hlletown circuit was divided, and ratlord was nuule tiie head of this new cuit, and Ebenezer Washburn and James denian were the preachers. Stratfonl, ilford, Derby, Hnmidireysville, Nyumphs, ■eat Hill, Quaker's Farms, Georges Hill, idgewater, Brooktield, Newtown, Easl- llage, Stepney and Trnmbull, were in- luletl iu this circuit. In l':14 Nathan mgs was presiding ehler ou the New aven District, and Elijah Woolsey and eury Ames were the preachers ou this rouit. This year, preaching was divided ilf a day at Humphreysville, half a day at yumphs, and once a fortnight at Derby eck. It was a revival j ■ at the Neck lul ou Great Hill. The .wo brothers, imucl and David Durand, and their wives, ere added to the little church iu the red L'hool house. Samuel was a good singer. 1 1815 E. Hibbard aud B. English were le preachers on this circuit. But Mr. uo-lish soou located at Humphreysville id went into business. This year Walter rench a resident of Humphreysville, re- ■ived license to exhort, aud afterwards a I cense to preach, and was very useful here 1 id iu other parts of the cu'cuit. He had 1 cood memory, a ready utterance and •t?u «poke with great power, aud success.

He died in 1S65, aged over eighty years.

In 1S18 the meeting house and land ad- joining was conveyed by a quit claim deed from the Congregational to the Methodist Socieiy. The deed was signed by Bradford Steele, Sarah Steele, Ira Smith, Phebe Stiles, Wm. Kenney, and Phileua Baldwin, and was given to Stiles Johnson, Bezalel Peck, Thos. Gilyard, Robert Lees, and Timothy Hichcock, trustees of the Metho- dist Society. Jesse and Stiles Johnson, sons of Isaac Johnson, who died in 1813, with their wives and many of their relations had joined the Methodist society. Jesse Johnson was afterwards a local preacher, and a close student of tbe Bible, but died after losing his reason. These brothers are burieil iu tlie Methodist cemetery. The first extensive revival here, commenced at a watch meeting in the old meeting house, on New Year's eve of 1818. I think it was in 1818 that the old meeting house wus made a two story building, but no paint was used inside or outside.

Sometime before this, perhaps in 1816, Nathan Bangs came to preach in the Bell School house. He put up with Stjles John- son, opposite Mr. Gilyard's place. After some cautions from careful Brother Stiles- against doctrinal preaching, the elder went down in the < veiling and preached a free salvation to a crowcled house, giving Cal- vinisim its portion iu due season, as was the custom, and such was the power of iu- lluence on the congregation, that when the preacher, in closing, intjuired wlio will have this salvatiou ? Let those who will seek it arise ; — the whole congregation arose. O ! W^hat a host ! exclaimed the preacher.

The legislature of this state authorized the division of its share of the surplus war tax oi lrl2 among the religious denomina- tions of the state ; but the Methodists re- fused their portion of the money. At a quarterly couference, held at East Village, January 9th, 1818. Rev. O. Sykes was ap- pointed to communicate with the trustees of the state on the subject. But no person had been authorised to receive rejected funds. The afdicted brother returned, still burdened with unwelcome charity. At the quarterly conference of August in the same year, held at Humphreysville, Aaron Pierce and two others were appointed a com- mittee to write to the treasurer of the State, and if he could not receive back the Metho- dist portion of the money, to draw up a petition in behalf of this circuit, to the general assembly for liberty to return their proportion of said money. Liberty was granted aud the funds returned the state. The rising church, though struggling with crushing difficulties, would not sacrifice

32

hev honest iudepeudeiice of the state. The fathers were fully committed to the voluu- tary principle for the sujiport of the Gos- pel.

The quarterly meetings of those times were largely attended, and exceedingly in- teresting, the people going from alf parts of the circuit on Saturday. In the after- noon they heard a sermon, after which came the quarterly conference, composed of all the stewards, class leaders, exhovters and preachers on the circuit. Bangs, Ostrauder, Merwiu and Clarke were in succession pre- siding elders, and on the Sabbath they drew large congregations, most of whom expected to hear a strong doetiinal sermon. At one of those meetings on Great Hill, \i lf^'20, Rev. E. Washburn, presiding elder, fifteen persons were converted in one after- uoou.

From 1820 to 1H27, the membership on the circuit was much increased as the fruit of revival in ditt'erent places. D. M' 'er, J. Colman, Laban Clark, E. Barnet, J. Nixon, E. Denuison, W. F. Pease, I. Fields, S. D. Ferguson, and V. Buck were the preachers successively.

In 182tt this part of the circuit was sep- arated and called Humphreysville and Hamdeu.

In 1S31 Daniel wSmith was appointed to the circuit, and was assisted by \Vm. Bates, a local preacher residing in Humphreysville. Ii. that year a camp meeting was held, in a woods West of where now the Catholic Church of Birmingham stands, and contin- ued eight days. On the Sabl)ath ten thou- sand i)eoi)le were supposed to be i)reseut, and the fruit of the meeting was about one hundred converts. The writer of this was pieseut during the whole of that wonder- ful meeting, and has been acquainted with some of those converts who grew to be pil- lars in the church. This year the churches iu South Britain and Middlelniry were built, and the foundation of one at Water- bury laid, and the building of a parsonage in Humphreysville commenced. Three hundred dollars worth of books were sold t)u the circuit, a large amount of missionary money raised, and the preachers salaries paid in full. Samuel R. Hickox, a local preacher from Southbury, had moved into Humphreysville in 1823, and had charge of the giist mill on the falls, keeping board- ers from the cotton mill. He was a good preacher and was a great help to the church in this place. In 1829 Thomas Ellis, a Welshman and a spinner in the cotton mill, was converted and joined the church here, of which his wife was already a member. He had been a wild young man and a great song-singer. It was said that he could sing all night without repeating

a song. But in two years after conversion he had forgotten them all. He was an important addition to the church on ac- count of his musical talent.

In A]nil, l^u2, Sylvester Smith, a local preacher from Hotchkisstown, where he was first licensed iu March, 18o0, moved into this village. Daniel Smith was con- tinued on the circuit, and Robert Travis was preacher iu charge. The parsonage was not quite ready for Mr. T., but iu a few days after his arrival in town he moved into it. It was built by the two brothers Lane, iiom Monroe. At this time the chu: chwasan ecclesiastical society under the statute and known as the Methodist society of Humphreysville.

In 183o Thomas Bainbiidge and Chester W. Turner were the preachers on the ci - cuit — Mr. B. occupying the parsonage. Turner was a single nuiu, who afterwards nuirrii d the sister of Rev. T. D. Smith, of the E[iiscopal Church. Baiubridge was a good preacher and a sweet singer. The nextyearAve had Humphrey Humphries and John Crawford for our preachers, Mr. H. moving into the parsonage. Josiah Brown had charge of the circuit the next two years. In the middle of 1836 he moved out of the parsonage into a house iu Derby Neck, where he remained until he died not long snce. On the first of October Sylves- ter Smith moved into the parsonage and occupied it four years at an annual rent of fifty dollars. Tlie next two years David Miller was preacher iu charge, residing at Great Hill, and closing his term of service in May, 1839. In rhese past few years Owen Sykes was an assistant preacher and continued for several years. He was au excellent man. with some peculiarities. Thomas Ellis received license to preach iu 1-^33, and did good .service on the circuit until 1838, when he joined the conference and became a successful itinerant. In May, 1873, he had a triumphant death, aged sixty- eight. S. Smith was also a helper ou the circuit. In 1840 and 1841 Thomas Sparks wasourpreacher. residing at South Britain.

On Saturday, March W, 1842, a meeting commenced at Southford. Presidiiig Elder Carpenter being absent, S. Smith preached. Sunday morning was very pleasant, and after love feast, it was found impossible for more than half the people to get into the chapel. Sparks occupied the pulpit, and Smith went below and took his stand in the school room and preached with half his congregation outdoors. It was a memor- able time. Ezra Jagger followed Sparks, residing at Great Hill. On his second year Moses Blydenburgh was his colleague. These were prosperous years for the church at Humphreysville, after a period of deten-

33

sion. Mr. Atwater, a studeut iu Yale, was very useful here in those years. Mr. Bly- (leu burgh continued one year after Mr. Jagger left, and lived on Great Hill. Mr. B. died iu 1848, aged 31 years, leaving a wife and one child. This son is now a law- er in New Haven. The nest two years G. L. Fuller had charge of the circuit, resid- ing on Great Hill. Three of his children were buried there.

Since 1839 Birmingham was a station separate from us, so it was with Water- bury. Middlebury and South Britain sus- tained a pastor ; so that only Humphreys- ville, Great Hill, Pleasant Vale, aud Pine's Bridge remained in the Derby circuit.

Iu the fall of 1846 a subscription was opened for a new church edifice, and S. Smith led with the sum of six hundred dol- lars. The burning of the paper mill of which he was half owner involving a heavy loss, did not abate his zeal ; but during the year he increased his subscription to eight hundred dollars. His firmness was over- ruled for good. One brother who did not at first set down his name gave one hun- dred dollars. Another man changed from twenty to one hundred dollars. A good woman changed from ten to eighty dollars.

Charles Stearns moved into the parsonage in May, 1847, and remained two years in charge of this circuit. He found us com- mencing the new church. The old house was sold for one hundred dollars. Jared Basset, assisted by Isaac Bassett, built the stone work. He got the steps out of stones that he found iu diflterent fields around, aud many wondered where Uncle Jared found such stones.

On Saturday, June 19, 1847, the corner stone was laid. Eev. E. W. Smith, of Birmingham, was the speaker. Sylvester Smith deposited the case under the stone after announcing its contents. C. Stearns and Mr. Curtiss of the Congregational Church took part in the services. Amos Hine, of Woodbridge, was the contractor for the building, except the stonework. Mr. Martin, an Irishman, was the painter. In November the bell, from Meueeby's foundry in Troy, was raised to its place. Its weight was eleven hundred aud fifty pounds. In this year a board of trustees was appointed by the pastor in charge, and vacancies were afterwards tilled by the " official board."

The house was dedicated on Tuesday, January 18, 1844, by Bishop Jones, who preached from Ezra 6 : 16. In the evening he preached again. The collections amount- ed to $t>92.83. The whole cost of the house, bell, aud furniture, was !^r),800, and of this the Society owed 8800. On the day of dedication the slips rented for 8'>80, and

the average amount of annual reuts iu the first ten years was about $550.

All of the elm trees near the church were obtained and set by Wm. E. Smith, under the direction of Sylvester, his father, with- iu one year after the dedication. The first two iu front nearest the house of Mr. Tucker were set on the day of the presi- dential election iu 1848. He was killed in the war, September 1st, 1864.

In May, 1849, Seneca Howland was in charge of Avhat iu the next year was set ofi:' from Derby as the town of Seymour. He remained two years, and some additions were made to the church. Tweuty-three came forward as seekers at his first watch- meeting. David Osboru was pastor of Sey- mour and Ansonia one year, from April, 1851, to April, 1852, and it was a prosper- ous year iu both places: over 100 conver- sions reported. Mr. Osborn confined his labors to Seymour the second year. His successor for two years was Rufus K. Rey- nolds, a solid and useful man. Wm. T. Hill came on after him, and confined his labors to this place and Great Hill. In his first year, which was his first appointment, we had 67 conversious and 50 additions to the church here. S. Smith baptized 15 adults at oue time. 24 of the converts were from the Sunday school. Next Thomas Stephen- son had two good years in the town, and some additions to the church. He was a good preacher. In 1859 L. P. Perry was the pastor and confined his labors to this village, aud was a faithful aud useful min- ister.

Albert Booth was the pastor iu the hard year of 1861-'62. At the Conference of 1862 George Lansing Taylor was appointed to Seymour. In his second year the Society raised $1,200 dollars towards paying ofi" the church debt. In the summer of 1864 his successor, A. B. Pulling, held one festival in a car-sho]) on the fiat, aud later iu the season, another in Messrs. Day's new brick factory above the paper mill, and the avails of the two netted 8800, and the church was out of debt! He remained until the spring of 1866, when Sylvester Smith was appointed to the charge for one year, and the church edifice was painted outside. It being the centennial year of American Methodism, Mr. Smith preached eight sermons on the subject. Nineteen persons who had on the previous year joined on probation were re- ceived in full. Joseph Pulmau was the next pastor, and was eminently successful, receiving 65 probationers at one time near the close of the first year. Ben- nett T. Al)bott was the next pastor, and was successful iu improving the finauces of the church. Joseph Smith had this field of labor the next three years, and proved

34

himself an ablo minister of the New Testa- ment. In former years Mr. Smith, as si local preaeher, resi(liiif>' in Waterbnry, had (lone much good service here in coiniection with onr pastors. E. H. Frisbie and James Wiswel, local preachers in New Haven, also rendered much <;ood service. Sylves- ter Smith, dnrinjj; his forty years residence here was a most active laborer and liberal oiver in the church, but four tires and other serious losses compelled him to retire from business.

Lucy Johnson, who died March 9th, 1788, who was buried in tlu^ <j;rave-yar(l adjoining the church, was the lirst white; ]>erson.

Nau-ko-tunk.

Note. — In the above dates it should be reincin- bered that in some of tlie earlier times the con- ference year was from l\Iay to May, in later years from Ai)ril to April. In the 8tli line of the article for David read Daniel; Mth line, for Setanent — Setauket ; 2Utli line, for Isaac — Styles ; for Stubbs— Hull.

The Methodist Episcopal Church.

BY W. C. S.

1791, First Metliodist Sermon in wliat

is now Seymour, by Rev. Jt;s.se Lee, Presiding Elder.

1792, Rev. John Allyn, Circuit Preacher,

1793, Rev. Benjamin Fisher, "

1794, Rev. Daniel Ostrander,

1795, llev. Evan Koo-ers, "

1796, Rev. Joshua Taylor, "

1797, Rev. Michael Coate, Oroanization of the Society.

1798, Rev. Augustus Jocelyn.

1799, Rev. Ebenezer Stevens.

1800, liev. James Colouian.

1801, Rev. Freeborn (larrett>on.

1802, liev. Abner Wood.

1803, Rev. Nathan Emery. 18{>4. Rev. Ebenezer Waslil)urn.

1805, Rev. Lyman Andrus.

1806, Rev. Moses Osborn.

1807, llev. RiMiben Harris.

1808, Rev. Phinehas Rice'.

1809, llev. N. W. Thomas.

1810, Rev. Oliver Sykes.

1811, Rev. Zahnon Lyon.

1812, liev. Aaron Hunt.

1813, Rev. Pjbenezer Washburn.

1814, Rev. Elijah Woolsey.

1815, liev. Renoni English.

1816, Rev. Jesse Johnson.

1817, Rev. Nathan Emory. 56 members.

1818, Rev! Arnold Scoliold. 1819-20, Rev. David Miller.

1821, Rev. James Coleman.

1822, Rev. Eli Burnett.

1823, Rev. Laban Clarke.

1824, Rev. Eli Dennison.

1825, Revs. T. Fields and Sizer.

1826, Rev. Samuel D. Ferguson.

1827, Rev. Valentine Buck.

1828, Rev. A. H. Sanford.

1829, Rev. Reuben Harris.

1830, Rev. John Tiovejoy.

1831, liev. Daniel Hmith.

1832, Rev. Robert Travis.

1833, Rev. Chester Wm. Turner.

1834, Rev. Humphrey Humphreys.

1835, I Rev. Thomas Ellis. 18.36, I Rev. Joslah Bowen.

1837, ) Rev. Oliver Sykes.

1838, ) Rev. David Milh'r.

1839, Rev. J. Bowen.

1840, ) liev. Eli Birnet.

1841, f Rev. Thomas Sparks.

1842, 1 Rev. Ezra Jagger.

1843, I Rev. L. Atwat'er.

1844, Rev. M. Blydenburuh. 1845-6, Rev. George L. Fuller. 1847-8, Rev. Charles Stearns. 1849-50, Rev. Seneca Howland. 1851-2, Rev. David Osborn. 1853-4, Rev. liufus K. Reynolds. 18.55-6, Rev. William T. Hill. 1857-S, Rev. Thomas Stevenson. 1859-(;0, Rev. L. P. Perry. 1861. Rev. Albert Booth. 1862-3, Rev. George L. Taylor. 1864-5, Rev. Aionzo B. ladling. 1866, Rev. Sylvester Smith. 1867-8, Rev. Joseph Pullman. 1869-70, Rev. Bennett T. Abbott. 1871-2-3, Rev. Joseph Smith.

1874, Rev William R. Webster.

1875, Rev. Edward II. Dutcher.

1876, Rev. Charles A. Tibb;tls,

Rev. Joseph Smith is tln^ouly ji.astor who preached in tiie Seymour M. E. Churcli three consrciitive years, viz.: 1871-2-li, and when his tim(; expiicd liy limitation, ;ic- cordini;' to discipliiui (no jjastor Ijcinj;' alhiwed to remain in one i)l;u-(! l(>ni;-ei- liiau tliri'c years consecutively), he was gener-

35

ally beloved and esteemed by the members of the society for which he had labored faitlitnlly, eai-iiesMy and impartially.

Ivev. Wai. 11. Webster olticiated as jiastor of the church from April, '74, to Ai)ril, '75, laborinj^ with much zeal whi^rever there seemed to be a pros[)ect of doinj;- good.

In April, 1875, Rev. E. H. Uutcher was sent by the conference for the ensuing year. The dissensions which seemed at the time of his coming to lie ended, rapidly revived during his jiastorate, an<l had a disastrous ert'ect npou the interests of the society.

In the spring of the present year the an- nual meetings of the socit;ty, held under the statutes of the state, were broken u[» and a decision made by the pastor in charge and sustained by the Presiding Elder, that there was no such thing as the Methodist society, after it had l)een known as such for seventy-ninc! years (since Feb., 1797). As the property was deeded to the Aletliodist tSocivty, if that S(jciety no longer »!xists, it is a question which we leave for others to discuss — to whom does the pro- jterty now belong ?

In April of the present year the confer- ence a])i)oiuted llev. Cliarles A. Tibljals, son of Kev. Nathan Tibi)als, well known as a M(^thodist minister since l-^-ll, and now the head of the (irm of \. Tibbals A- Sous, publishers, of Xew York.

The puldished minutes of the New York East Conference show the following amounts credited to this church for the eonftirence years connnenciug in Apiil of 18()7, $1)5.75 "; IrioS, .§1U7.33; 18;)9, s'Jl.95; 1870, $1.58.7;5; 1871, $r,i-M; 1S72, $o8.22 ; 1873, lii;i37.UO, 1874, ^CA.Ot) ; 1875, .$13.00. Lugranil Sharpe was a[)i)ointed chairman of tlie "missionary committee," or collectoi, in each of the above yeiirs, but in the last Itev. E. H. Dutcher took it out of his hands.

Under the new statutes of the State of ConiHicticnt, the trustees were first elected by the adult male niemb(;rs of the church Se()t. 3, 18(iij. 'i'he following; is the list iu the order recorded: A. VV. Lounsluiry, Sheldon Mihis, Willis Umbertield, Jarecl Bassett, Smith Botsford, Wilson E. Hen- dry.\, Sylvester Smith, W. N. Storrs, War- ren French. Since the last election of triis- t(!es the list h;is btreu Lugr;iiid Sharpe, T. S. Lsidil, A. W. Lonnsburv, Wni. B. Johnson, W. C. Sharpe, J. II. Adams, II. J}. Beecher, Sheldon Miles, W. N. Sterns.

The lot adjoining the church on the east w;is purchased uf Mr. Edwin Smith in IS70, with the intention of building a jiarsonagt' thereon as soon as should seem practicable, Mr. Smith selling the lot at less than he considered it worth, to help the chundi. ^Irs. M. A. Saciveit canvassed the society for i'unds to pay for it, and by her zealous perseveraiico Bucceeded in collecting the

larger portion of the amount. The balance was paid subsequently from funds received from the legacy of Mrs. Kirtland. At an official meeting, consisting of the stewards, classleaders, trustees and superintendant, held at the parsonage, April ■2V>th, 1875, the pastor presiding, it was voted to oiler the "Kirtland Place" and the parsonage for sale, preparatory to building a new par- sonage. An oiler Ixjiiig received the board of trustees met and appointed Warren French an agent to sell the parsonage for $2,000, and W. C. Sliarpe, Warren French and Lugrand Shariie were apjtointed a building committee. Plans and estimates were obtained, and the contract awarded to Thomas Sharpe for the jiarsonage, out- building, well-cuib and fi-nce (ui two sides for §i,;!(tO. The parsonage, witii the hand- some shade trees around it, is said to be the pleasantest in the Naugatuck valley.

THE SUXD.VY .SCHOOL.

George Kirtland came to Seymour in 1825, and in 1820 or 7 he started a Sunday school with five children of his own, the number increasing the tirst year to 27. Me tried to establish a liltrary for the Sunday school, both himself and a Mr. Fislier coniributing books and money. He kept up the Sunday school () or 7 years, when it was discon- tinued for a time.

The superintendents since the reorg.an- ization of the school, so far as we have been able to learn, are:

1S41-2, Samuel Hickox.

1843-^*, Liigraud Sharp.

1852, John Adams.

1H53, Frederick Dnrand.

K.4, Wm. A. Hughes.

1855, Wm. Mallory.

lf^5(i-7, Albert W.Lonnsbury.

1858, Win. Mallory.

1-^.5'J, Warren French.

IK-.d-l, W. N. Storrs.

lSd2-5, H. W. BeniMlict. In l-'Oi. 777 vol- umes in the library. Jn lsr,.5, 851 volumes.

1860-7, W. N. Storrs.

18(58, Sheldon Mih-s.

18()1>, W. C. Sharpe. Average attend- ance, 88. Missionary collections in tlrst quarter, $;'.'J.34.

1870, W.N. Storrs. Average attendance 72.

1871, W. N. Storrs. Averages attendance, Gl. 3.58 voluuK's in Iii)rarv.

1872, W. W. Dibble. Average attend- ance, (J3.

1873, Samuel Butler. Average attend- ance, 81. 301 books in library.

1874, C. N. Blanchard.

1875, Samuel Butler.

187(), E. N. P>otsford. 292 volumes in library.

36

The Indians.

The Indians had nearly disappeared from their native hills and vales. The merciless Mohawks from Kew York raided over this section, and the Connecti- cut Indians fled to their forts in terror. So that Litchfield county, New Haven county, and the western portion of Hartford county, became nearly depopula- ted. A clan of Indians known as the Potatucks resided in Woodbury or Pom- peraug, Southbury and Newtown. In 1742 the legislature gave this clan the schooling privileges in Waterbury that they possessed in Newtown. Ansantawae was sachem of the Milford Paugusetts, after whon; is named the encampment of Odd Fellows in Waterbury; and Weraumaug, sachem of the New Milford Indians, has his name preserved by one of the largest lakes in the state. Those who lived in this vicinity the last half of the last century were a branch of the Pequot race.

Joseph Mauwee was the son of Gideon Mauwee, a Pequot Indian. Joseph was bro Light in his boyhood to Derby Neck to live with a Mr. Durand till he arrived at manhood, then was married to Sarah, of the Farmington In- dians and settled in the south part of Derby near Turkey Hill, but afterward removed to Naukotunk, now Seymour. Joseph lived at first near the Falls, afterwards in a frame house built for him on the site where Dr. Thomas Stod- dard now lives. He afterward moved back to the Falls, and then to Scaghticook, in Kent, where he died. He had eight children, t\\'0 sons and six daughters. His oldest son, Joseph enlisted as a soldier and went to Boston when hostili- ties commenced. After his term of service closed on his way home he was poisoned and died, probably by the opposers of the war. Three of Joseph Mau-we-hu's children died in childhood. Elihu, his youngest son was an un- usually intelligent Indian. Tlie tribe of which Chuse or Joseph Mauwee was a member, claimed the land as far north as Mattatuck or Waterbury. When the Indian census was taken by the colony a hundred years ago (in 1774,) there were four of Chuse's band in Waterbury, where the first settlers were not par- ticular to higgle with the Indians concerning the ownership of the land but paid both the Farmington Tunxis and the Derby Paugusetts for it. They were paid in hard cash, too, and not with the baubles sometimes used to cheat the Indians of their lands. The first deed was dated 1C74, but the same land was bounded more definitely and again purchased in 1685, and the third time the Derby Indians were paitl 25 shillings for "a small piece of land north of the Derby bounds, west of Naugatuck river and south of Toantick brook."

"The day of the Indian is passed, and that of the railroad and telegraph has come; but we do not need to ride or walk far from our daily haunts to find a few mixed descendants of the first owners of the soil. These^are mainly otfshoots from the Pequots. They have lived for a long time in a narrow valley where a small stream and a large one unite, a spot which they have named, as Mr. Lossing tells us, PisJt-gach-ti-gocl- — "the meeting of the wa- ters." The name on white lips got corrupted to Scaghticook^ and the Indians became therefore, to all the neighborhood, the Scaghticook Indians. During a former generation these wards of civilization used to frequent all our coun- try, peddling the painted baskets and small wares which they knew so well how to make, and gaining a livelyhood of as much thrift as they cared to enjoy.

The last full blood Indian of this tribe, now reduced to a mere hand- ful, mixed with negro and white blood — was the locally famous Eunice Mau- wee. She lived, as her dwindling descendants now do, on a state reservation.

SEYMOUR A:N^D VICINITY. 37

and died in 1859, aged about 104 years. Her father was the hast chief who ruk'd, and she was consequently, of royal blood— a princess, in fact, as she would have been in name, had the tribal condition of her people continued.

Until within a few weeks of her death, she often talked with freedom of the Indians and their habits. It was interesting- to hear her pronunciation of the Indian words which have now become local property, and are attached to so many places. In almost every instance the modern use of them is merely a reduction of larger and more unmanageable ones — words which, as they are now used, have been shorn of a half or a third of their original syllables. She was intelligent, and accustomed to talk, and remembered, of course many curious things. She made a striking statement that she saw, when a little girl, an old Indian who had seen King Phillip. The Indian was telling her father of the personal traits and appearance of this doughty hero, and narrating, perhaps, some of his unrecorded exploits; and she was a Avrapt listener to the conversation. To see an Indian -who had seen King Phillip was like putting your hand backward upon the vessel which landed on Ply- muoth Hock. When one sits down to think the matter seriously over, it does not seem so long as it did since Columbus discovered America, or since William the Conqueror set foot in England, or in fact, since anything ancient happened, when a lew memories pasted together cover an arc of tinie."

Tlie Early Settler s-

Benajah Johnson and Timothy, his brother, who settled in what is now Beacon Falls, came from Derby, but were natives of New Haven. Their father lived in a house where the Exchange building stood in 1817, and had eight sous. The wives of Timothy and Benajah Johnson were gi-and daugh- ters of the Rev. Nathaniel Brewster, (son of Jolmathan Brewster, who came to Plymouth in the Mayflower,) of Setauket Village, Brookhaven, Long Island, and great grandaughters of Roger Ludlow, who was one of the four principal men who came over from England in 1630 with Gov. John Win- throp, and who began to settle the town of Dorchester, Mass. Mr. Ludlow was soon made deputy governor of Massachusetts. In 1036 he and and seven others were invested by Massachusetts with all the powers of the government of the new colony of Connecticut. He removed to Windsor, where he lived till 1640, having been in the mean time appointed deputy governor of Con- necticut and to other high offices of trust. In 1640 he and several others bought of the Indians Uncou, including the region uoav called Stratford, Bridgeport and Faiilield. The name belonged particularly to Faii-field, where (rov. Ludlow and his associates lived, and which was first discovered by Capt. Mason when pursuing the Pe(iuot Indians westward after their memorable defeat in 1637. Thompson, in his history of Long Island, speaking of Mr. Brewster sa^^s: "He was a nephew of the Elder William Brewster of the May Flower. He was a gi-aduate in the first class of Harvard College in 1642, which consisted of nint; young men.

During the Commonwealth, (from 1650 to 1660,) he was a minister in Norwalk, England, but on the restoration of monarchy, he returned to Amer- ica and was settled at Setauket, L. I., in 1665. His three sons, John, Daniel, and Timothy had resided there several years before his arrival from England. His wife was Sarah, daughter of Roger Ludlow, one of the most eminent men of New Euiiiand. Mr. Ludlow was a member of the council

38 SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.

and deputy governor of Mass. and Conn. He composed the first code of laws for the Connecticut colony, which was first published in 1<)50. Mr. Ludlow's daughter Sarah, the wife of Mr. Brewster, was represented as a per- son eminently distinguished for her genius and lite.ary attainments. The three sons of Mr. Brewster were men of excellent character and highly useful dur- ing tlunr lives. The wife of Benajah Johnson was first nuirried to Joseph Hawkins of Derby, son of John Hawkins, Nov. 17th, 3 720, when she was 10 years old. He or his son Joseph, who was the ancestor of the Hawkinses of Derby, built the first house on Derby Point, where Biruiingham now is, and a store for the purpose of importing and selling West India goods. This lu)use and store were torn down only a few years ago.

At this time the Housatonic below Derby was navigable for vessels which could come up to where now is the rolling mill of the iron works. This was the location of the store. There was no made land b.'low the cause- way, east of P)irminghani. Where the two rivers m<'t was a. kind of trian- gular lake, deep and free from mud. Joseph Hawkins di(nl about the year 1725. He had a daughter Mary, born Sej)t. r)th, 1721, who nuirried Ebene- zer Judd of Waterbury, Nov. 17th, 1742, and was the mother of Brewster, Enoch, Ebenezer, Sarah, David, Benajah and Amos .ludd, also a son Jose])!!, born April oUth, 1721, whu carried on business in the store mentioned above. The widow Sarah (Brewster) Hawkins and Benajah Johnson were married Oct. lOth, 1728, and tlun' soon occupied, as pioneers, the first house in Sey- mour, which was built at the foot of the first hill north of the house of Mr. Chatfield, opi)osite the present housi! of William ( lilyard. She took her name from her grandmother, Sarah Ludlow. About 17r)U he built the house which was recently torn down to make room for Chatfield's present house. They had two children, Isaac and Zeviah. Isaac was born in 1731 and died April lOth, 1813, aged 78 years. Zeviah was born in 1731) and died May 2i>th, 1810, aged 77 years. Isaac marrie:! Lois Hopkins, daughter of John Hopkins, of Waterbury and first cousin of the celebrated divine. Dr. Samuel Ho]»kiiis, who was the son of her uncle Timothy. Tlie date of their marriage was Jan- uary 21st, 1758, by Bca'. Mark Leavenworth, the pastor of the church in Waterbury. Lois his wife, was born in 17.'»">. and died Oi-t. !<» h, 1811, aged 7(1 y(fars. Zeviah th« sister of Isaac was marrie 1 to xVbiid Fairrhild an 1 their house was about thnn^fourths of a mile northwest of IMnesbridge. Mr. Fairchild was an excellent man. One of his neighbors said of him that he was an "Isratdite indeed, in whom there was no guile."

Benajah Johnson died April l.">th, 17(53, age 1 5'.), anl his remains were carried on a hoffte litter to the original burying ground of Derby. His widow, Sarah, died May 7th, 1773, at the house of her daughter Mrs. Fairchild. Tier remains were interred in a new burying ground which had been begun about five years previous to her death, — about 17(>8 — on a terrace above and west of the Naugatuck railroad, about a mile above the de])ot in SinnH)ur. This place of burial was abandoned before the year 1800, when tln^ present Binesbridge cemetery was chosen and given by Alexander ,Johnson, son of Timothy. This early burying ground of 1708 is now in the woods and over- grown with bushes and entirely neglected. The last burial in it was that of a mulatto by the name of Shubael, son of Pero, a ])ure blooded African. When it was pr(»posed to bury the remains of Sliubad in the IMnesbridge ground, Mr. Alexander Johnson forlud it and so they took them to the ground in the woods. The grave stones of Benajah Johnson and Sarah his wife were placed by their son Isaac and are still standing.

SEYMOUE AND VICINITY. 39

Timotliy Jolinson and Abigail Brew>ster, sister of Sarali (Brewster) Hawkins were married Feb. 21st, 1725. Their house was a little way below Pines bridge at a crossing- place on the jSTaugatuck, Avhere his grandson Elijali died in 1S47, aged 75. They had but one child, Alexander, who was born in 1730, and died m Sept., 1817, aged 87. Timothy and his wife were both bur- ied in the old burying ground of Derby. When he first removed to this wild place he found a young Indian called Toby, who lived about half a mile north west of Pines bridge from which Tob} 's Eocks took their name.

Mr. Johnson and his wife were very much annoyed by Avild animals and snakes, especially by bears which came down ti-om Eock Eimmon and de- stroycMl their crops. After a while they went back to Derby, where they lived several years and then returned. Alexander Johnson and Hannah, his wife had a large family, mostly sons. Timothy, (born Jan. 21st, 1700; died Jan. 21st, 1830;) David, Elijah, Nathaniel, Charles and others. There was one daughter who married Moses Clark of Nyumphs. Her maiden name was Abigail Brewster Johnson and some now living remember her as "aunt Nabby."

The dead were buried in Dcrliy till about a hundred and ten years ago, when a few were buried in the burying ground opposite Eock Eimmon. The princii)al mode of carrying the dead to I)erby was on a horse litter which Avas extemporized as follows : Two horses with saddles were placed with their heads in the same direction, one forward of the other about seven or eight feet, and a long stout linen bag turned or looped up at each end was put over each saddh^ to receive the ends of two long smooth and strong poles, one on each side of the horses anl two or three cross pieces were put on the jwles between the horses On this litter the coflfin was placed lengthwise and fasten(Hl to the cro:^s pieces by ords. As the horses moved on the bearers Avalked on each side and steadied the coffin. The mourners and their neigh- bors followed on foot and on horseback. The roads in those days were narrow and rough. When the distance; from the house to the burying ground was not more tlnin two or three miles, the coffin, placed on a bier, w,is usually borne o;i tlio shouldi'rs of bearers, four and four. The coffin was often made (tf wliitewood boards and colored with lamp black, but the nu)st costly were made of cherry.

Cnpt. James Wheeler of Derby, living in the section known as Turkey Hill, married Sarah Eiggs and had three daughters and seven sons, Samuel, Moses. John W., David, James, Joseph, and Simeon. Capt. James Wheeler died in 1708. Samuel built the first house in Nyumphs, the eastern part of the town of Beacon Fal s, anil around him settled his lirothers, Moses David, and James. Simeon built on Himmon and had two sons, Nathan and Timothv, and a daughter who married Bradford Steele of Ilumphreysville. Samuel Wheeler was the father of Judge Al)el Wheeler of Oxford, who built and lived in the house now occujjpied by S. P. Sanford. flohn W. Wlunder was the father of Mr. John Toild A\'heeler, who recently died at a great age in Seymour. He was born at tlu! house of his Uncle James Wheeler, which stood where the aged Shehhui Clark recently lived, north of the woolen factory. Simeon's large two story house was where there is now a small house right opposite the factory next north of the covered bridge.

What is called Lopus was first settled by Zadoc Sanford and Hezekiah Clark, grandfather of Sheldon Clark, about th(; yenr 1700. He and his brother David lost their lives in the Eevolutionary War.

40 SEYMOUE A:f^D VICINITY.

There were tliree principal ways to go fi'om Derby to WaterbuiT in those old times. One way was on the east side of the Naugatuck by the house of Benajah Johnson and his son Isaac, on Skokorat, then up over Beacon Hill to Salem, &c. A second way was along the banks of the Naugatuck, crossing the stream sixteen times. This was often the way in sunnner when the stream was low. A third way was over Great Hill, Rock'us (Rock-house) Hill, Quaker Farms, &c. When a man and his wife or daughter made the journey to Waterbury she rode behind him on a pillion.

The road across Great Hill was laid out previous to 1745, as appears in- cidentally in the following extract from the records :

To all whom it man concern, know ye, that uw, the suhscrlhcrs hereunto, at the desire of the selectmen of Derhey, were by the civil authority in Milford appointed and sworn to ajix and sett up hounds hefween a certain highway within the hounds of Derhey aforesaid, on a place called the Great Hill, the land on the Northward side of the Hiyhway claimed hy Capt. Sani'l Basitt on the rights of Sarnl. Hawley of Stratford, and on the Southward side of said high-way claimed hy Samuel Tomlinson, Ahraham Wooster and Jonathan Lum. According to sd. apjmntment we on the second Day of instant May did go upon the land, and consider- ing the records and hearing the tvitiiesses there present, set %ip, afix and renew the bounds on each side of sd. highway, and a heap of stones at the South west corner of said Sasitfs lying within the fence, and a heap of stones lying at the root of a great chestnut-tree that is blown doum at the Southeast cornei' of said Basitfs claim, are the true original corners of Sd. Uawley's piece of land as laid out by a Committee December 21, 1698, and that a straight line from said Corners is the northward side of the Highway. And four rods Southward from said hea}) of stones at the root of said Chestnut tree there is a heap of stones at the root of a black oak tree tn Sd. Johnathan Lmn^s fence, and another heap of stones bg Woodbury road four rods Southward from a heap of stones at the corner of Sd. Basitt^s land, lying near to the corner of Sd. Tomlinson^s land that was formerally Silvester Wooster^s, and a straight line fro)n said corners is the Southward side of said Highway. Done by us, Dcrbey, May 2d, 1745.

Nathaniel Faikcuild, ) Nathan Baldwin, ^^Freeholders.

Entered July the \st, A. D., 174.'). Thomas Clahkk, )

By me, Charles French, Begtr.

Joseph Mauwelm, or Chuse, about 1720 was presented by his father with a tract of land "near the falls of the Xaugatuc," where a little band of Indians gathered around and recognized him as their chief. At tirst there were but two or three white fomilies in the vicinity, but the number soon in- creased. Joe received the name Chuse from his manner in pronouncing choose., and fi'om this the place was called Chusetown for more than fifty years. Chuse was a skillful hunter and captured not only small game, but occasionally a deer, wild turkey or bear. P'inally the little tribe became scattered and in 1763, Chuse and Houde, sold their land to Ebenezer Keeney, John Wooster and Joseph Hull, Jr. The following is a copy of the deed :

Know all men by these presents that we, Joseph Chuse, John Houde, Indians of Derby, in tlie County of New Haven, aud Colony of Connecticut in New England, with the advice of Samnel Basel, Esqr, Agent for the said Indians, according to the Allowance and Liberty Given to Ebenezer Eeeney, John Wooster if Joseph Hull, Jr. of Derby in the county and colony aforesaid by the general assembly of the Colony of Connecticut on the first Thursday of May, A. D. 1760, iS' we the Said Joseph Chuse, John Honde, Indians as aforesd — tcith the Libeiiy and advice as aforesd — do quit-claim and make over aud confirm unto the said Ebene- zer Eeeney, John Wooster i^- Joseph Hull, Jnr.,for the Consideration of Eight Pounds LawfuU

SEYMOUR AND VICINITY. 41

money to us paid by the said Ebenezer Keeney, John Wooster <f Joseph Hull, Jr., which is to our full satisfaction, and we the said Joseph Chuse <.^- John Houde do by these Presents (Quitclaim, make over and Confirm to them the sd Ebenezer Keenly, John Wooster and Joseph Hull, Jr., a Certaine Farcell of Land Lying in sd Derby at the Falls, so called, Bounded as followeth, beginning at a heap of stones near the foot of the Great Bridge which is the original earner of the Falls Land, and run east four rods to a heap of stones on the edge of the hill by a walnut tree, then run north 46 degs. west eleven rods to a heap of stones on the edge of a knole, then West 14 Degs. north fourteen rods to a heap of stones four rods from the bank of the river, then run north 34 Degs. west fifteen rods to a heap of stones on the top of the high bank, then run west 45 Degs. north to a heap of stones by the river eighteen rods, and then its bounded southerly and westerly around to the first mentioned bounds near the foot of the Bridge all the way on the river, taking in the falls Rocks, Containing one acre against the falls and one acre and a half of land for highway to the said acre, with all the prevelidges and appurtenances belonging to said falls and land, and we the said Joseph Chuse, John Houde, Indians, as aforesaid do by these presents quitclaim, release and relinquish and make over to them, the said Ebenezer Keeney, John Wooster and Joseph Hull, Jr., and to their heirs and assigns forever tvithout any molestation given by us or by our heirs or assigns. In Confirmation of the premises we hare hereunto set our Hands and Seals this forth day of October, A. D., 1763.

Signed, tSealed and delivered

in presence of JOSEPH CHUSE

CHARLES FRENCH,

JOHN HOLBROOK, jqhn HOUDE

Derby, in the County of New Haven, on the day and date above said personally ap- peared Joseph Chuse and John Houde, signers and sealers to the above instrument and ac- knowledged the said instrument to be their free act and deed.

Before me, CHARLES FRENCH, Justice of the Peace.

It appears however, that some Indians remained in the vicinity lono- after this, as at a town meeting lield Mar. 8, 1780, "Capt. Bradford Steel and Mr. Gideon Johnson were appointed a committee with full power to take care of the Indian Lands in Derby, and let out the same to the best advan- tage for the support of said Indians and to take care that there be no waste made on said land, and to render an account of their doings to said town of Derby."

Francis French., one of the original grantees of Derby, when it was set apart from the Milford plantation, came over in the ship "Defence" in 1635, being then but ten years of age. Savage, in his Dictionary of First Settlers of New England, says he came over with William, his * * * uncle, who settled at Cambridge, Mass. The English records of emigration of about that time record the departure of one Francis French, aged ten years, and his mother. This Francis French was one of the selectmen of the town in 1066, when the usual pay of town officials for their services was 2.9. Qd. per day. His son Francis, born Feb. 11, 1677, was the father of Israel French, who built his house where now stands the house of William Gilyard, on Sko- corat, in 1740, and so was a near neighbor of Benajah Johnson. This Israel French married Sarah Loveland Sept. 11, 1739. He was elected a Surveyor of Highway at a town meeting held Dec. 10th, 1764, and held the office several years. As the highway to Derby was then little better than a forest path, the office was probably no sinecure. His oldest son, David, born in 1741, lived in Bethany, then a parish of Woodbridge. He was familiarly known as King David, and the records mention him as a land holder of Nyumphs in 1766, and years afterward as prominent among the early Metho- dists. He died Aug. 4, 1821, aged 80 years. Another son of this pioneer,

42 SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.

Israel, was Cliavles, boi'n Dec. 19, 1765, who was the father of Raymond French, Esq. Charles, brother of Israel French, was town clerk of Derby tliirty-four years. The family were remarkable for their tenacious memories. It was said of Israel that after once hearing a sermon he could repeat it from memory with but little varation.

Richard Baldwin, one of the original grantees of the town of Derby, was a native of England, baptized there in 1022, and came over with his father Sylvanus on board ship Martin. Sylvanus was the son of Sylvester, from parish Ashton, Clinton, Bucks Co., Eng., who died in 1638 on ship Martin. Richard bought land Oct. 10th, 1069, in the south part of Derby, of Ockemunge, (written also Okenuch and Okenug,) "sole sachem of Pau- gussett," Chupps and Nehawkumme.

He was selected by the General Court as "Moderator of the new settle- ment of Paugussett, and he was one of the committee appointed on the part of the New Haven colony to effect the union with the Connecticut colony. Barnabas, son of Richard, was born in 1005. About six hundred acres in the south-west part of VVoodbridge, which had been purchased of an Indian chief by his father, Avas conveyed to him by his brothers and sisters, and is largely in the possession of his descendants to the present day. He died in 1741. His son Timothy was born in 1095 and died in 1700. Capt. Timothy, son of the abo\'e mentioned, was born Dec. 13, 1722, in what was then Milford, near the Derby line, afterwards Woodbridge. Jan. 15, 1744, he was mamed to Sarah Beeclier, who died in 1794. He was in 1779 one of the committee to facilitate the arrangements to strengthen the patriot army. He lived in what is now Seymour, and in 1789 was the first signer of the petition for the establishment of the first religious society formed in this place. See page 17. He had a slave Peter, baptized Dec. 23rd, 1790. He died Dec. 22, 1800. His children were Sarah, b. Apr. 11, 1740, m. Simeon Wheeler of Derby, Oct. 10, 1764: Timothy, b. 1749, lived in Derby, d. Aug. 30, 1822: Thaddeus, b. June 22, 1751: Anne, b. Feb. 24, 1757, m. Edmund Clark of Derby.

Occasionally the records of public proceedings seem to indicate a large proportion of the public hien as residing in this part of old Derby. At the town meeting held Dec. 10, 1764, Daniel Holbrook was chosen moderator ; Charles French, town clerk ; Ashbel Loveland and Abiel Fairchild, grand jurors ; John Howd, one of tlie tything men ; and John Washband, surA^eyor of highways. In 1765, (Dec. 9th,) Daniel Holbrook is again mentioned as moderator of the town meeting, and Gideon and Nathaniel Johnson and John Basit were chosen surveyors of highway. Daniel Holbrook lived on Skocorat.

The practice of allowing cattle and swine to run at large on the common lands made necessary some method of marking, and each proprietor had his "earmark" duly recorded. Dr. Josiah Canfield's earmark was a swallow fork in the end of the left ear. (Entered Mar. 27, 1769.) Jonathan Miles' earmark was a SAvallow fork in each ear and a half penny cut in the ■ upper side of the right ear. (Entered May 9, 1766.)

SEYMOUR AND VICINITY. 43

As an adjoining- town, carved, like Seymour, from what was once Derby, and whose boundary line has been changed from time to time, so as to include' more or less of what is now Seymour, some account of the early history of Oxford may properly be inserted here. The first petition looking to the setting apart of Oxford as a separate parish was made to the General Assembly in May, 1740. A committee was appointed to investigate the case, and in May, 1741, the petition was granted in the following words:

"Whereas upon the memorial of Timothy Worster, John Twitchel and John Towner, «&c., dwelling in the north and northwest part of the township of Derby, Isaac Trowbridge, John Weed, Jonas Weed, Joseph Weed, Thomas and Joseph Osborn, dwelling in the southwest part of Waterbury woods, in the old society in said Waterbury, and Isaac Knowles, Joseph Towner, Eliphalet Bristol, John Tift and Aaron Bristol, dwelling in the southeast part of the township of Woodberry woods in the parish of Southberry, moving to the General Assembly holden at Hartford, May, anno Dom. 1740, that they might become one entire, distinct ecclesiastical society, and praying for a committee, &c.; the said General Assembly did appoint a committee, who accordingly making their report to the General Assembly at New Haven in October last, and the same not being accepted; and the said General Assembly in October last appointing another committee, Colo. Benjamin Hall, Capt. Isaac Dickerman and Capt. John Fowler, to view and report, &g.: And whereas the said last mentioned committee have to this Assembly made their re- port, that according to the direction of said Assembly they have repaired to the abovesaid places, &c., and lind and are of opinion, that it is necessary and best that the said inhabitants be made a distinct, separate ecclesiatical society, and that their bounds and limits be as followeth : Beginning at the mouth of the four mile brook in Derby bounds, where the brook emptieth itself into the great river, and to run as said brook runneth by said brook unto the bridge that is between the dwelling houses of Abel Gun and John Holbrook; and from said bridge by the highway that runneth between the land commonly called the Camp's Mortgage and the land called Quakers Farm Purchase, unto the river called the Little river; and thence as the Little river runneth to Nau- gatuck river; and thence northerly, by said Naugatuck river, that being the east bounds of said society, until it comes to the dividing line between the towns of Derby and Waterbury; thence turning westerly and running as the line runneth between the towns of Derby and Waterbury, as aforesaid, until it comes to the southeasterly boundary of Thomas and Joseph Osborn's farm in the bounds of Derby; and ft'om thence to run northerlyto the northeast corner boundary of Jos. W^eed's farm in Waterbury town bounds; and from thence a northwesterly line to the northeast corner boundary of Isaac Trowbridge's farm in said Waterbury town bounds; and from thence to run westerly, in the line of said Trowbridge's farm, about sixty rods, to Woodbeny town line; and thence to the northwest corner of Isaac Knowles's farm in the township of Woodberry ; and from the northwest corner of said Knowles's farm a west line to the eight mile brook in the bounds of Woodberry; and then by the said brook, until it comes to the dividing line between the towns of Woodberry and Derby; and thence to run westerly in the line that divideth between the said towns of Woodbeny and Derby, unto the great river; thence by the river southerly to the first mentioned boundary, the mouth of four mile brook; as by said report on file, dated May the 7th, ammo Dom. 1741."

44 SEYMOUE AND VICINITY.

"J^ is thereupon resolved by this Assembly^ That the above said memori- alists, inhabitants of Derby, Waterbury and Woodberry, situate and living within the bounds and limits above described, be and become together one ..entire, separate and distinct ecclesiastical society or parish, subsisting and known by the name of the parish of Oxford, and endowed with all powers and privileges wherewith other parishes within this government are by law^ endowed."

The members of the "Society of Oxford," as they tenned themselves, met for the first time and organized June 30, 1841. On the 6th of October, 1741, in meeting lawfully warned, it was voted, "by a two-thirds part of the inhabitants by law qualified to vote and present in meeting, to build a meet- ing house, and to meet the assembly in their next session at New Haven, to pray for a commission to appoint, order and fix the place whereon their meet- ing house shall be erected and built." Mr. Ebenezer Riggs was appointed agent to the General Assembly. The following is the order of the Assembly:

"Upon the report of Capt. Isaac Dickerman, Mr. %James Talmadge and Mr. John Hitchcock, appointed by this Assembly to affix the place for the inhabitants of the parish of Oxford to build their meeting house upon, &c., the said committee having viewed their circumstances, and have set down a stake and laid stones to the same, at the south end of the hill, commonly called Jack's Hill, and near the highway that runs on the east side the Little river, on land belonging to Ephraim Washbourn, which said place the said committee report to be the most convenient place for the said inhabitants to build a meeting house upon : Resolved by this Assembly, that the abovesaid place be the place for the said inhabitants to build their meeting house upon ; and the said inhabitants are hereby ordered to build a meeting house at the said place accordingly."

In May, 1743, "upon the prayer of Isaac Trowbridge, of Oxford parish, in behalf of himself and the rest of the inhabitants of said parish, pray- ing this Assembly that they may be allowed to imbody into a church estate and be impowered and enabled to settle a minister according to the establishment of the churches in this government, »&c.: Whereupon it is granted by this Assembly, that the said parish of Oxford, by and wiih the consent and approbation of the neighbouring churches, may imbody into church estate, and are hereby allowed and impowered to proceed to and settle a minister according to the establishment of the churches in this government."

Rev. Johnathan Lyman was ordained minister of the parish Oct. 4, 1745, and received a settlement of £500, to be paid in four yearly installments, and a salary of £125 per year. The next minister was Rev. David Bronson, from Milford, called Mar. 3rd, 1764, with a settlement of £200 and a salary of £60. He served the parish forty years, dying in 1806.

The Episcopal parish of St. Peter's was organized in 1764 by Rev. Richard Mansfield, the rector of the Derby church. The first settled clergy- man of this parish was Rev. Mr. Prindle.

Although a separate parish since 1741, Oxford was not incoi-porated as a town until 1798. Father mention will be made in connection with contem- porary events.

SEYMOUR AND VICINITY. 45

Tlie I*ei*iocl of the U-e volution.

The hardy pioneers who had made their homes among these hills and vales, of good old English stock, and, in part, descendants of the puritans who came over in the Mayflower, had grown stronger in their love of freedom, and were prompt to second the resistance to the encroachments upon their liberty. Meetings were held and arrangements made to send men, provisions and clothing, to the extent of their ability, to the patriot army. Of necessity the business was done in town meetings, but the records show that those living in this section did their duty nobly.

As early as Nov. 29th, 1774, a special town meeting was called to con- sider "the doings of the Reputable Continental Congress held at Philadelphia, Sept. o^'^ 1774," Daniel Holbrook, moderator. They agreed that the proposal of Congress was "a wise and judicious plan," and resolved that they would "faithfully adhere to and abide by the association entered into by said Con- gi'ess." The meeting also voted as follows: "That the Gentlemen herealter named be a Committee to see the same earned into execution, viz: Capt. John Holbrook, M^' Henry Tomlinsou, Maj. Jabez Thompson, M'" John Pickit, Cap^ Thomas Clark, jNP' Abraham Smith, Henry Whitney, Cap* Joseph Riggs, Lieu* Bradford Steel & Lieu* Ebenezer Buckingham. In case a county Con- gress should be agreed upon in this county, then the aforesaid committee shall chuse and appoint two out of their number to attend such congress. Again the town have taken into their consideration the needy & distressed circum- stances of the poor of the Town Boston, by the operation of a late act of Par- liament blocking up their Harbour, this Town is opinion that it is necessary and their duty to contribute for their help."

In 1777 all male citizens of lawful age were required to take an oath of fidelity. Among those who took this oath appear the following familiar names. Rev. Daniel Humphrey, Charles French, Esq"", John Davis, Esq"", Thomas Clark, Esq', Cap* John Holbrook,* Agur Tomlinson, Joseph Durand, Benja- min Toralinson, Cap* Joseph Riggs, Abraham Basit, David DeForest, Philo Johnson, John Coe, Daniel Chattield, Ruben Baldwin, Gideon Johnson, Nathan Mansfield, Bradford Steel, Eleazer Lewis,* Ebenezer Keeney, Henry Tomlin- son,* Turel Whittemore, Abraham Beacher, Enos Bradley, Johnathan Hitch- cock, Noah French, Nathaniel French, Samuel French, John Howd, David Johnson, Deacon Daniel Holbrook, Jn'^, Cap* Nathaniel Johnson, Abraham Hawkins, Isaac Smith, Cap* John Tomlinsou, Cap* William Clark, John Botchford, Ashbel Loveland, Asahel Johnson, Cap* Joseph Lum, Joseph Loveland, Jehiel Spencer, Ebenezer Johnson, Samuel Russell, Zachariah Fairchild, Freegift Hawkins, Edward Howd, Joseph Canfield, wSilas Baldwin,

46 SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.

Abijali Hull, Lcnvis Hnbbell, Pliilo Holbrook, Eleazer Woostev. (*SpecifuHl in records as living on Great Hill.)

At a town meeting held Feb. 10'^, 1777, the following action was taken:

"Whereas the General Assembly of this state at their sessions at Middle - town on the 18"' day of December last past, by an act did regulate the prices of a number of articles in 8*^ act enumerated ; and whereas it appears to this town that it is of the utmost consequence to the Community in general and to this town in particular that said act should bo immediately carried into execution Voted therefore that this town will by every legal measure en- deavour to have the directions of said act strictly (tomplyed with, this town being fully sensible that it is the duty of every ft'iend to his country to sell &• dispose of the articles enumerated in the act of assembly fixing the price of labour, provisions, &c., at the prices at which they are therein stated. Therefore,

Voted, that those of us who have any of tliem beyond what we want for our own consumption will readily ami cheerfully sell them either for money or produce at the price in said act stated : and that we will esteem all persons who shall not do the same, enemies to their country, and treat them accord- ingly : Provided such person is properly convicted thereof before the Com- mittee of Inspection of this Town : whom we impower to take cognizance of such offense."

That those who were serving their country on the field of battle Avere pro- vided for by those who remained at home, as far as their means Avould permit, is shown by frequent votes of supplies and appointment of special committees to see that the supplies were furnished. On the 8th of Dec, 1777, John Coe, David DeForest and Cap* Thomas Clark were appointed such a committee. In Dec, 1778, Sam' Hull, DaA'id DeForest, Abraham Beecher, Cap* John Tomlinson, Cap*^ Timothy Baldwin, Cap' John Biggs, Lieu* Samuel Wheler, Sam' Basit, Dan' Holbrook, Jun^, Cap* Joseph Biggs, Buben Tucker, Cap* Nathaniel Johnson, Jos Bussell, Noah Tomlinson, Thomas Clark, l^^sq'", John Howd, Cap* John Holbrook, Edward Howd, Thadeus Baldwin and othei-s were appointed a committee to provide clothing for the soldiers.

At a town meeting held Dec. 28th, 1778, it was voted to "give to each soldier in the Continental Army that counts for the town of Derby Ten Pounds money each in lew of the linnin overhawls, linnin shirts, and shoes that was voted to them last year as a bounty," and a town tax was laid of one shilling nine pence on the pound. Ensign John Humphrey was appointed to receive the money and to pay it to the soldiers.

Notwithstanding the excitement caused by the war and the heavy taxes upon the resources of the people, the schools were not forgotten, as the fol- lowing documents show. The first seems to define a district in the western part of what is now Beacon Falls. The petition was granted in a town meeting Dec 13th, 1770.

"Considering the distance that a consideral)le number of the inhabitants of the 4*'' & 5*'' districts live from the center of said districts and the incon- venience it is attended with, we therefore whose names are under A\Titten, desire to be set oft" to be an entire District. Signed and approved by us, Joseph Davis, Abraham Basit, Sam' Smith, Jr., David Person, John Davis, John Church, Isaac Beecher, Abraham Beecher, Ebenezer Biggs, John Riggs, Bradford Steel, Committee. Beginning at the Stone Bridge at the lower end of Mr. Abraham Basit's Little river meadow, from thence running East to the top of ttie hill South of said Basit's, then running north with the high-way to Capt. Joseph Davis' including said Capt Davis, and fi'om thence running- East to the hioii wav that runs west of Tohev's rock, then runninii-

SEYMOUE AND VICINITY. 47

north to the head of tlie bounds between Derby & Waterbury, including M^'^ Abigail Gunn's farm, then running West with the line to Waterbury road, then running South with the road down to Mr. Miles' barn, then running West to Touantick brook, then running South with the brook to the bridge over said Brook Southeast of David Twitchel's, and from thence southerly down to the road to the first mentioned bounds, including widow lluth Bunnell."

The following seems to describe what now constitutes the sub-districts of Shrub Oak and Bungav, Seymour. Petition granted in a town meeting Dec. 27th, 1779.

"We the Subscribers whose names are underwritten desire the town of Derby would permit us to be formed into a school district, to take in part of the north district in the old society, and part of the Great Hill, and part of the Rimmon District, bounded as followeth, beginning at the mouth of Hassekee meadow brook, running northerly by Naugatuck river till it comes to the upper end of Long Plain, so called, then running westerly to the north side of the Park, then running southerly to the west side of John Botchford's farm, then running southerly to Mr. Joseph Canfield's barn, theu running southerly to the highway twenty rods north of Nehemiah Botchford's house, then running with the highway to Hassekee meadow brook, theu running by said brook to the first mentioned corner."

Bradford Steel, Eunis Pritchard, Abra™ Wooster,

Ashbel Steel, James Pritchard, Jr., Daniel Davis,

Hezekiah Woodin, Samuel Wooster, Benj" Davis,

Kuben Perkins, William Gordin, Eben'" Keeney,

Eanford Whitney, John Botchford, Wm. Keeney,

Lowis Riggs, Edward Harger, Theo"^ Miles,

John Wooster, Josiah Washband, Jona"^ Miles.

John Riggs, / ^ ...

John ToMLiNSON, I ^'^'"""^^^^-

The following is from the minutes of a town meeting held Mar. 8th, 1780. "The town by their voate appoint Capt. Bradford Steel and ]Mr. Gideon John- son a committe with full power to take care of the Indians' Lands in Derby, and let out the same to the best advantage for the support of said Indians, and to take care that there be no wast made on said land, and to render an ac- count of their doings to said town of Derby." At the same meeting it was "voted that Abraham Hawkins, James Beard, Esq., Mr. John Humphrey, Capt. Xathan Person, Mr. Noah Tomlinson, Major Nathan Smith, David Tomlinson, Lieut. Levi Hotchkiss, AValter Wooster and Ebenezer Warner be a committee to assist the officers of the several companies in the town of Derby in raising their quota of naen that shall be requested in this town for the continental and state service, at the expense of the town, with discretion- ary orders to give such premiums as said com*^'' in their wisdom shall judge reasonable."

At a town meeting held June 27th, 1780, a rate of sixpence was voted "to pay the bounty to the Contenental soldiers and to defray town charges," and Capt. John Riggs, Capt. Daniel Holbrook and Capt. Bradford Steel were . "appointed a com"'' to enlist contenental soldiers and to pay them their bounty."

It was also voted "that the town shall give each num that shall enlist himself as a soldier into the Contenental army during the war shall receive of the town as a bouuty the sum of £20, to be paid in bills of credit of this state

48 SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.

at the time the muster, and £20 pounds at the commencement of the second year of their service, and twenty pounds at the commencement of the 3"^ year of their service. And all such as shall list for three years into the contenental army shall receive in bills of credit of this state £20 at the time of passing muster, &r £15 at the commencement of the 2"'i year of tlieir service, and -£10 at the commencement of the 3'' year of their service. And also all such persons as have or shall enlist into the contenental service for one year and seven months from the date of these presents shall receive £10 at passing muster, and £5 at the commencement of the 2"'^ campaign.

By a vote at a town meeting held Nov. 13, 1780, it was provided that two shirts, two pair stockings, one pair shoes, and 1 jtair mittens should be sent to each soldier.

In accordance with an act of the Assembly for collecting and storing a quantity of provisions, in the winter of 1780-81, the following prices were allowed for produce received as taxes, in lieu of money; beef of the best quality 5p. per pound, merchantable 4ip., pork 5 and 6p. per pound, wheat flour 24p. per hundred.

In Nov., 1780, "Johnathan Hitchcock, Capt. Tho^ Clark, John Howd, Cap"^ John Tomlinson, M'" Johnathan Lum, Jn"", and Lieu* John Basit were appointed a committee to class the people agreeable to a late act of Assembly for filling up & compleating the state's Quotas of the Contenental Army," and measures were taken to provide clothing for those already in the field. At a town meeting held Dec. 11th, 1780, the following committee was appointed to take care of the soldiers' families; Peter Johnson, Joseph liussell, Thadeus Baldwin, Daniel Holbrook, Isaac Smith, Benj. Basit, Jabez Thompson, Christopher Smith, Andrew Smith, Johnathan Lum, Jn', John Basit, Josiah Strong, Robert Wheler, Isaac Beecher, Ebenezer Johnson, Abiel Fairchild, Jn^ and Noah Tomlinson.

Emcmcipation. At the same meeting it was "Voted that the authority and selectmen be impowered and directed to give certificates to Capt. Daniel Holbrook and Capt. John Wooster to free and emancipate their servants, Negro men, on the condition that the said negro men inlist into the State Rig* to be raised for the defense of this state, for the town, one year." At a town meet- ing held in 1781 it was voted that the selectmen give to the Rev*^ David Humphreys a certificate or liberty to manumit his servants, Cambridge and Cate his wife.

In April, 1781, the town was called on for men for the post of Horseneck, and the sehictmen were empowered to provide horses and accoutrements for the service.

In March, 1782, some who had been called on for service in the army were released on payment of Fifty pounds and the required number of soldiers for one year were obtained by the otter of bounties. A tax of two pence on the pound was laid to pay the bounties, (leorge Beard was chosen collector for the Great Hill Society, and with Micah Pool was to be a committee to enlist the number of soldiers required. Cap* Nathaniel Johnson was ap- pointed collector for the old Society and with Cap* Daniel Holbrook consti- tuted the committee of enlistment. Abraham Beecher was appointed collect- or in Oxford Society and Cap* Ebenezer Riggs was associated with him as enlisting committee. At a later meeting Ebenezer Plant was appointed to assist in the Oxford Society. There were, here as elsewhere throughout the colonies, some who believed that they owed first and indissoluble allegiance to Iving George III. Except these "loyalists," those who could best leave home had freelv volunteered early in the contest, and now those who re-

SEYMOUR A]!^D VICINITY. 49

mained, as freely contributed of their scanty means to fill the quota needed to secure the final victory.

The names of those who served their country on the field of battle are not all now to be found, but so many as can be gleaned from old manuscripts and records are given below.

Gen. David IIumj)hreys, son of Rev. Daniel Humphreys, was born in Derby in 1752. As a boy he was passionately fond of books, and in 1767 he entered college at the early age of fifteen, graduating with distinguished honor. During his college course he earned the title of "the young bard of Yale." As a poet he graced the progress of freedom and the pathways of liberty with the flowers of his pen, and in this way helped to fire the hearts of patriots and hasten the growth of that public opinion which culminated in the establishment of our republic. After a short residence in New York he returned to New Haven county, and before joining the army in 1778, he wrote many poetic efl'usions, one of which was addressed to his Mends in Yale College, of which the following lines are a specimen.

"Adieu, then, Yale ! where youthful poets dwell, No more I linger by thy classic stream — Inglorious ease and sportive songs. Farewell! Thou startling clarion, break the sleeper's dream."

He entered the army as captain and in 1778 had been promoted as aid to Gen. Putnam with the rank of Major. Two years later he was appointed aid to General Washington, which position he retained dming the war, enjoy- ing the full confidence of the Commander-in-chief, and sharing his toil and danger. When the army of Cornwallis laid down their arms at Yorktown, Oct. 19th, 1781, Humphreys had the honor to receive the English colors and as a mark of approbation was dispatched to Congress "with copies of the returns of prisoners, arms, ordnance, etc., and twenty-five stands of colors, surrendered," with a letter from Washington warmly commending Col. Humphreys to the thanks and consideration of the government for his valor, fidelity and signal services. In November following he was voted an elegant sword in the "name of the United States in Congress assembled," and in 1786 it was presented by Gen. Knox, then Secretary of War, with imposing ceremonies. Congress also commissioned him Lieut. Colonel, dating back his commission to his ap- pointment as aid to Washington. In 1784 he embarked for France in company with the brave but unfortunate Kosciusko; having on the appointment of Mr. Jefterson as ambassador to France, been appointed Secretary of Legation. In 1786 he returned to America and revisited the scenes of his youth.

Soon after his return, he was elected by his fellow citizens to be their representative in the legislature of the State, and continued to be elected for two years, when he was 'appointed to the command of a regiment raised for the western service. During the period that he held his office, he remained most of the time in Hartford ; and, with Hopkins, Barlow and Trumbull, as- sisted in the publication of the Anarchiad. On the reduction of his regiment, he repaired to Mount Vernon, and continued with Gen. Washington until 1790, when he received the appointment of Minister to the court of Portugal, where he resided seven years. He was then appointed Minister to Spain, in which position he continued until 1802. He married a Spanish lady and thus added to his influence and rendered easier a project he had formed for the benefit of his native land. Knowing the superiority of Spanish wool, he planned to export some of the unrivalled Merino sheep to the United States, and in this he succeeded, though at great risk and cost, inasmuch as the Spanish laws forbade the exportation by stringent laws. He obtained permission to purchase

50 SEYMOUE AND VICINITY.

four himdretl Merinos in the mountain pastures of Estremadura and employing shepherds, drove them to the coast by night, remaining secreted by day. During this trip and the voyage to America the number was rapidly reduced, so that when landed at Derby dock they numbered only about one hundi*ed. This was the first importation of Merino sheep into the United States. Gen. Humphreys then erected the first woolen factory in the United States in the village which took his name — Humphreysville — and in connection with which the labor of his later years will be spoken of at length.

Ca2)t. Ehenezer Dayton was one of the brave privateersmen of the Sound, who annoyed the transports and boats of the tories and the British admiral offered a large bounty for his head and that of Caleb Brewster, his cousin. Fear- ing to leave his family at their home in Brookhaven, L. I., he brought them across the Sound to Milford. After remaining there a while, as a further precau- tion, he removed them to Bethany hill inWoodbridge. The robbery of the house occupied by Mrs. Dayton at that place by a British company and a band of tories is well described at length by Eev. Israel Warren in the book entitled "Chauncey Judd." Soon after the Revolution Capt. Dayton removed to Chusetown, where he opened a tavern, afterward the home for a time of Gen. Humphreys while he was establishing his woolen factory. Capt. Dayton, early seeing the advantage to his public house of a more direct communication with Waterbury and the towns above, set about the project of opening the Dug Road, which was finished about the beginning of the present century. Being of a restless disposition, he, after a while, undertook an enterprise in Louisiana, where he spent the latter part of his life.

Ca-pt. Raymond Sanfordj died in March, 1805, aged 53 years. U.

Lieut. Jahez PritcJiard, who enlisted in July, 1777, under Capt. Corris, in the regiment of Col. Enos, was in command of the guard at Horseneck and afterward under the command of Major Humphreys near Fort Indei>endence. In the conflict which occurred there, Lieut. Pritchard, with others, was taken prisoner and confined, first at King's Bridge, then in New York, and afterward on a prison-ship in the North River. His commission was taken fi-om him by his inhuman captors and he was so ill treated that — like most of the other prisoners on that infamous ship — he survived but a short time. His generous character may be infeiTcd from the fact that he might have escaped being taken prisoner but that he would not abandon a wounded comrade, and that he afterward divided his funds with a fellow prisoner, to which act of liberality Bradford Steel ascribed his own recovery by means of the decent provision and comforts which he was thus enabled to purchase.

Bradford Steel, son of Capt. Bradford Steel, born in 1701, enlisted July 10, 1777, at the age of sixteen, under Capt. Gorris, regiment of Col. Enos. Tho company was at first stationed at Horseneck, but was soon after ordered to join a branch of the continental army under the command of Maj. Humphreys. They marched to Peekskill and there joined the army and marched to West Chester, about 2,000 strong and having two pieces of artillery. At the battle near Fort Independence, (General Varnum, com- manding oflicer,) Steel, with Lieut. Pritchard and others, were taken prison- ers. One of the number becoming deranged under his sufferings, the British soldiers beat him with their muskets, then tied him on a horse, took him to King's Bridge and threw him over, leaving him with his head and shoulders buried in the mud. At night Steel and thirteen companions were placed in a small tent guarded by Hessian soldiers, and if any one pressed out the tent cloth he was sure to feel the prick of a bayonet. Next day they were taken

SEYMOUR AND VICINITY. 51

to the Su^ar House, wliere most of the prisoners had nothing to eat for three or four clays. They were then allowed four ounces each of wormy sea biscuit and four ounces of Irish pork daily.

About the 1st of December they were put on board a ship in the North River. After fifteen days the small pox broke out. Steel aud twenty -five others were taken to the hospital, where they had so little care that only four of the number survived. Steel saw one man with his feet so fi-ozen that after a time they dropped off at the ankles. One day while Steel was im- prisoned at the Sugar House, a well known tory came along and was all allow- ed by the guard to pass in. The prisoners seized him, dragged him to the pump, and the old pump handle went up aud down in fine style until he was thoroughly drenched. He was then allowed to run, the prisoners saying good-bye to him with a shower of brickbats. Aug. 8, 1778, the few survivors received tidings that they were to be exchanged. Said Steel, "On the next day we were called out and paraded in the prison yard. To behold such a company of living skeletons, one might almost imagine that the prophecy concerning the dry bones had been fulfilled in us." Aug. 16th, they landed at Elizabethtown Point, and were marched to the meeting house where the exchange was effected. Steel and three others who were too much reduced by theii- sickness and sufferings to be capable of farther military service, were discharged and returned home. Steel recovered his health after some months and was for many years a highly respected citizen of Humphreysville, and deacon of the Congregational Society, dying Dec. 24, 1841, aged 80 years.

Join White, son of Daniel White, died Feb. 19th, 1830, aged 73. C.

Leach, fought under Washington seven years, was several times

badly wounded. 21.

Ahram Bassett, died Nov. 17th, 1853, aged 81 years. E.

Theophilns Miles, died 1822, aged 83 years. U.

Truman Loveland. E.

Sergt. James Baldwin.

Jesse Baldwin, brother to above.

Isaac Johnson, son of Benajah, died April 10th, 1813, aged 78. M.

Ezra Butler, afterward lived in the house now standing in the rear of the house of Sheldon Tucker.

Ball.

Jethro Martin, colored. Gen. Humphrey's servant, died in North Haven. Received a pension from the government until his death,

Joseph Mauwehu, (Chuse.)

Phineas Johnson, from Pinesbridge.

Nathaniel Johnson, from Pinesbridge, di'afted, served till the close of the war.

Linus Lonnshury, of Nyumphs, was a soldier in the last French War and in the Revolution.

C— Burietl in tlie Congregational Cemetery ; ^—Episcopal Cemetery ; J/— Metliodist Cemetery.

52

SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.

The memorandum of Lieut. Jabez Pritchard, who was taken prisoner with Bradford Steel and others, and died on board the prison ship, was brought home by Steel, and contains the list of guards detailed at Horseneck from Sept. 15*^ to 21®*. Most of the company were probably from this immediate vicinity. The names are

Gideon Ailing, Samuel Andress, Abraham Barns, Nathaniel Black, Edward Bassett, David Blakesley, Corp. Bristol, Coi-p. Candee, Oliver Chatfield, Caleb Chatfield, Reuben Canfield, Martin Clark, George Clark, Chauncey Clark, Amos Collins, Johnathan Cartright, Jairus Congdon, Joseph Deremore, George Dachester, Samuel Durand,

Isaac Durand, Vespation Eastman, Corp. Foot, Amos Fox, Joseph Hulse, Johnathan Lyman, James Leech, James Lines, Nathan Mallory, Major Morriss, Abraham Murray, Asahel Newel, Ensign Osborn, Lieut. Pierson, Noah Peck, John Prindle, Jabez Pritchard, John Priestly, Oliver Root, Joseph Sanford,

Philo Sperry,

Jabin Sperry,

Job Sperry, Alexander Sperry, Johnathan Sperry, Corp. Smith, Wm. Smith, Lieut. Steel, John Swift, Wm. Tomlinson, Thomas Torrance, Adam Vose, David Whittemore, Samuel Wood, Hezekiah Wooding, Eli Washband, Aaron Webster, Bowers Washburn,

married the widow of David Wheeler, who died iu the revolutionary service.

James Yatman.

Ebenezer Durand,

That those who had sacrificed so much for freedom were prompt in more peaceful times to frame aright the new government may be seen from the following resolution, adopted Oct. 8th, 1787 :

"Resolved that this Town will instruct, and that it does hereby instruct its representatives in the General assembly to use their influence to have a Convention called as speedily as possible for the purpose of taking into con- sideration the Constitution proposed by the Federal Convention, agreeable to the recommendation of Congi-ess ; in hopes that the business may be entered upon at an early period by the Legislature. Voted and passed unanimously."

Cap* Daniel Holbrook and Cap* John Holbrook were appointed the dele- gates to the State Convention.

A lottery was established in 1782 by authority of the Town of Derby to defray the expense of a highway from Derby to Woodbury, by the Honse- tunnock river and Wesquantuc or Rock House Hill Purchase, the cost not to exceed iSOO. Capt. Thomas Clark and Daniel Holbrook were to petition the General Assembly for its consent and approval. John Humphrey and Lieut Joseph Riggs were appointed to lay out the road. The same year Ashbel Loveland was appointed to build a bridge over the Naugatuck "below the falls."

SEYMOUR AND VICINITY. 53

Amity, eiubracing the present towns of Woodbridge and Bethany, was constituted a parish in October, 1739, in the following words :

Whereas upon the memorial of Ebenezer Beecher, Jasper Gunn, and the rest of the inhabitants of that part of tlie town of New Haven called Chestnut Hill, and also of Barnabas Baldwin, Joel Northrop and others, to the number ot fifteen, living on the northerly bounds of Milford, moving to the General Assembly at New Haven in October last that they might become one entire distinct parish, and praying for a committee, &c., the said General Assembly did appoint a committee, who accordingly making their report to the General Assembly at Hartford in May last, and the same not being ac- cepted; and the said General Assembly in May last appointing another com- mittee, {viz.) Messrs. William Gould, William Ward and Joseph Thompson, to view and report, &c. : And whereas the said last mentioned committee have to this Assembly made their report, that according to the direction of the said Assembly they have repaired to the above said places, &c., and find and are of opinion that they, the above said inhabitants and farms, are able and sufficient to support parish charges, and that their bounds and limits ought to be as follows, viz : The north bounds in part upon the nne between New Haven and Wallingford, so far as from New Haven north-west bounds easterly to the West Bocks till it comes down to the south side of Samuel Baldwin's land; thence westerly to the highway at the end of Sperry's Farms ; thence southerly, keeping said highway that leads up the great hill to Darby road ; then southerly at the rear of Westfield lots or second division lots ; then southerly till it comes to the south side of Capt. Isaac Johnson's farm ; then westwardly, between said Johnsons and that which was formerly Jeremiah Osborn's farm, to Milford east line ; then westwardly to a cross highway ; then keeping said highway to the south-east corner of Hogs Meadow Purchase, so called, in Milford ; then westerly with the south line of Hogs Meadow Purchase, to the partition line between Milford and Derby ; then northerly, in said partition line, to Lebanon brook, so called ; then east- erly by said Lebanon brook to New Haven line ; then northerly in said line between New Haven and Milford till it comes to New Haven north-west corner bounds aforesaid ; excluding the lands in said Milford on the race be- tween New Haven line and Hogs Meadow Purchase from the aforesaid south bounds of the same, north to Derby road ; and the lands of Fletcher Newton and John Hind in said Hogs Meadow Purchase, and Ephraim Gillett and his estate ; and also exclusive of Samuel Sperr}', Joshua Sperry and Jona- than Sperry, with their estates in New Haven bounds ; as per said report on file, dated October sixth, 1738, doth appear :

It is therenpon resolved by this Assemhly, That the above said memo- rialists, inhabitants of New Haven and Milford situated and living within the bounds and limits above described, exclusive of the persons and estates above in said committee's report exempted and excluded, as also exclusive of the lands of Capt. John Biggs, Samuel Biggs and Joseph Biggs, lying withm the bounds of Milford, be and become together one entire, separate and distinct society or parish, subsisting and known by the name of the Parish of Amity, and endowed with all powers and privileges wherewith other parishes within this government are by law endowed." Col. Becords, Vol. 8, pages 201-2.

Woodbridge was incorporated as a town