Skip to main content

Full text of "Annals of an old parish; historical sketches of Trinity church, Southport, Connecticut, 1725 to 1898"

See other formats 


m. 


Jl  tl«  iSifealagirai 

1^^  PRIMriTTnM     M     1  «>. 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


'<«: 


it? 


Di'vision. 


Section 


^^'^ 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2009  witii  funding  from 

Princeton  Tlieological  Seminary  Library 


littp://www.arcliive.org/details/annalsofoldparOOguil 


Tkinity   C'UUKCH.   !SIXTU   KdH'ICK,    18(18 


/v 


NNALS    OF    AN    OLD    PARISH 
HISTORICAL    SKETCHES    OF 


TRINITY  CHURCH   SOUTHPORT  CON 

NECTICUT   J  725  TO   J  898   BY  REV. 

EDMUND    GUILBERT    D.   D. 


^^        ^^        ^^     •  ^^        e^^        t^* 


Published  by  Thomas  Whittafccr, 
2  and  3  Bible  House,  New  York 
MDCCCXCVIII      ^     J*     ^     J* 


COPYKIGHT    1898 

BY  Edmund  Guilbert. 


CO 

my  Beloved  Parishioners 

of 

trinity  Cburcb, 

(Ubose  Ccyal  Devotion  and  Unwavering  Kindness 

f)avt  united  in  making 

my  soiourn  among  tbem 

Cbe  Rappiest  Period  of  my  Cife, 

Cbts  Uolume, 

Cbe  Record  of  tbe  noble  morKs  done  in  tbeir  Days 

Jind  in  tbe  Old  Cime  before  Cbem, 

is 

Jlffectlonately  Dedicated 


Edition  de  Luxe  in  Octavo,  limited  to  one  hundred 
copies,  printed  on  special  paper,  extra  wide  mar- 
gins, numbered  1  to  100,       -         -         -         Net,    $5.00 

Kegular  Edition,  Crown  Octavo,      .         .        .         Net,    $2.25 


PREFACE. 

The  annals  of  a  religious  Society,  whose  inception  long  ante- 
dates this  waning  century,  are  necessarily  the  record  of  the 
varying  vicissitudes  through  which  it  has  passed  ;  the  successes 
it  has  achieved  ;  as  well  as  the  unerring  witness  to  the  quality 
of  the  men  and  women,  who,  from  the  beginning,  have  been 
identified  with  its  career.  It  follows  then,  that  our  venerable 
Parish,  having  been  the  representative  of  principles  which, 
though  unpopular  with  the  many,  were  as  dear  to  their  uphold- 
ers as  their  existence;  having  begun  and  maintained,  for  a 
century  and  three-quarters,  a  continuously  vigorous  life,  in  the 
face,  a  part  of  the  time,  of  determined  opposition;  and  having 
had  in  its  membership  specimens  of  the  best  brawn  and  intel- 
ligence of  New  England,  must  have  in  its  past  much  that  is  in- 
teresting, and  worth  rescuing  from  oblivion.  Possessed  with 
this  feeling,  and  also  conscious  that  there  are  those  of  advan- 
cing years,  whose  memory  of  events  and  persons  is  still  vivid ; 
who,  in  the  course  of  nature,  will  not  be  with  us  a  great  while 
longer,  the  writer  has  felt  impelled  to  prepare  this  volume. 
Nor  is  this  all:  Fairfield  and  Stratford — for  the  two  places 
are  indissolubly  linked  together  in  the  early  history  of  Episco- 
pacy in  Connecticut — formed  the  "cradle"  in  which  the  Church 
in  these  parts  was  nurtured  ;  and  while  it  ought  never  to  be  for- 
gotten by  Churchmen,  what  a  vast  debt  is  due  to  such  men 
as  Johnson,  and  Caner,  and  Shelton,  and  to  their  successors, 
for  the  important  part  they  took  in  its  upbringing,  there  is 
another  aspect  of  the  matter.  The  writer  is  no  bigot;  he 
ever  strives  to  own  and  cultivate  a  "judicial  mind;"'  he  dis- 
claims any  intention  of  being,  under  the  guise  of  an  impartial 
observer,  a  partisan;  he  is,  however,  constrained  to  state,  as 


VI.  PREFACE. 

the  result  of  his  observations,  his  conviction,  that  the  Denom- 
inations around  him  are  also  under  great  obligations  to  the 
Communion  with  which  he  is  connected.  The  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church,  although  they  may  not  know,  or  be  willing  to 
acknowledge  it,  he  believes,  has  helped  materially  to  advance 
their  condition.  One  has  only  to  note  the  character  of  the 
prevailing  religious  services  of  to-day,  to  discern  that  it  is  the 
features  the  Church  has  always  made  part  of  its  system,  which 
are  set  forth  in  its  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  that  freely  adopted, 
largely  enables  them  to  retain  their  hold  upon  their  people. 
Nor  is  this  a  new  departure.  In  the  early  part  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  the  leanest  kind  of  provision  was  made  for 
those  who  attended  Divine  worship  in  the  different  meeting- 
houses; and  from  that  time  onward  there  has  been  a  gradual 
enrichment,  until  we  reach  the  stage  that  is  visible  at  the 
present  time. 

It  must  be  difficult  for  modern  non-Episcopalians,  for  exam- 
ple, who  are  accustomed  to  fine  organs,  and  elaborate  music, 
rendered  by  selected  choirs;  who  hear  the  Te  Deum,  and 
Gloria  in  Excelsis,  and  Gloria  Patri,  sung  every  Sunday,  and 
the  Apostles  Creed  recited;  the  Psalms  said  antiphonally;  who 
observe  Christmas  and  are  familiar  with  Easter  floral  decora- 
tions ;  who  are  fully  aware  that  the  trend  of  their  worship  is 
more  and  more  in  a  liturgical  direction,  to  realize  that  these 
things  are  all  borrowed  from  the  Episcopal  Church  ;  that  in  the 
old  days  the  keeping  of  Christmas  and  Easter,  was  considered 
sure  evidence  of  affiliation  with  the  Papacy;  that  the  Lord's 
Supper  and  Holy  Baptism  were  little  esteemed  and  infrequent- 
ly administered;  that  laymen,  without  a  scintilla  of  authority, 
ordained  other  men  to  the  sacred  Ministry ;  that  laymen  in- 
variably performed  the  marriage  ceremony;  that  the  dead  were 
buried,  without  any  service  being  said  over  them  at  all.  Yet 
such  is  the  fact,  and  there  is  no  question  but  that  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  by  means  of  its  Liturgy,  its  painstaking  and  rev 
erent  attention  to  the  details  of  Divine  Worship,  its  Sacra- 


PREFACE.  VII. 

ments,  its  Ministry,  the  same  ever  as  it  is  to-day,  has  percep- 
tibly influenced  the  various  religious  bodies  with  which  it  has 
come  in  contact.  They  owe  it  then  their  good-will,  and  should 
surely  be  among  those  who  regard  its  history  in  the  past  with 
kindly  interest,  and  are  resolved  to  pray  for  its  prosperity 
in  the  years  to  come.  These  reflections  are  especially  com- 
mended, with  the  writer's  fraternal  regards,  to  his  neighbors, 
the  religious  Organizations  of  the  Town  of  Fairfield. 

Once  in  a  great  while  allusion  is  made  to  the  so-called  dis- 
loyalty of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  time  of  the  American 
Revolution.  Its  Clergy  at  that  crucial  epoch  were  mostly 
Englishmen;  ordained  in  England;  and  supported  altogether, 
or  in  part,  by  the  Venerable  Society  of  London.  As  was  to  be 
expected,  they  looked  at  events,  as  they  came  to  pass,  from  the 
English  point  of  view.  Not  a  few  of  the  Clergy,  nevertheless, 
were  devoted  to  the  cause  of  the  Colonies  ;  while  the  laity  as 
a  bod}'  were  overwhelmingly  on  its  side.  What  if  a  portion  of 
the  former  remained  steadfast  to  the  old  order  of  things'?  At 
least,  they  were  sincere  in  their  convictions,  and  honest  in  the 
maintenance  of  them.  We  have  had  an  experience  in  the  late 
Civil  War  that  must  teach  us  to  view  tenderly,  and  have  great 
respect  for,  men  who  had  the  courage  of  their  convictions, 
who  refused  under  the  gi-eatest  pressure  to  violate  their  oath 
of  allegiance,  and  own  submission  to  what  they  considered  an 
usurping  government. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  particularly  invited  by  the 
writer  to  the  great  value  of  the  appendices.  The  quaint  and 
interesting  "  Sketch  of  Trinity  Parish,"  by  the  Rev.  Philo 
Shelton,  is  printed  in  full  for  the  first  time.  The  almost 
priceless  "Private  Record  of  Baptisms,  Marriages,  Burials, 
etc.,  performed  by  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  during  the  Forty  Years 
of  his  Ministry,  1785-1825  A.  D.,"  has  never  been  given  to  the 
public  before,  so  far  as  is  known.  It  contains  over  four  thou- 
sand names,  and  deserves  not  only  to  be  put  in  a  shape  which 
shall  transmit  it  uumutilated  to  succeeding  generations;  but 


VIII.  PBEFACE. 

also  to  be  made  accessible  to  those,  who  at  any  future  time, 
shall  be  interested  iu  genealogical  researches  among  the  early- 
settlers  of  the  Town  of  Fairfield.  The  copy  of  the  "  Record,'' 
now  in  the  possession  of  Trinity  Parish,  was  transcribed  from 
the  oi'iginal,  which  is  held  as  an  heirloom  in  the  Sheldon  fam- 
ily, by  Mr.  Lewis  B.  Curtis,  of  Southport ;  to  whose  faithful 
and  arduous  labors  the  thanks  of  the  writer  are  due. 

Whatever  may  be  the  merit  of  the  following  pages,  the  writer 
makes  no  claim  to  originality.  Others  before  him  have  treated 
portions  of  his  subject  exhaustively.  It  has  been  his  pur- 
pose rather  to  collect  than  to  construct  that  which  is  entirely 
new;  to  procui'e  from  all  available  sources  such  items  of  his- 
tory as  relate  to  Trinity  Parish;  and  arrange  them  in  the  most 
convenient  order.  The  archives  of  the  Venerable  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  of  London,  England,  under 
whose  welcome  auspices,  what  is  now  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Church,  was  introduced  into  Connecticut,  have  been  con- 
sulted. The  Town  Records  have  been  carefully  searched.  The 
Colonial  Records,  as  far  as  published,  have  also  been  examined. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Beardsley's  "  History  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in 
Connecticut;"  as  well  as  the  admirable  "Historical  Discourse 
for  the  Jubilee  of  the  Venerable  Society,"  above  mentioned,  de- 
livered in  Trinity  Church,  Southport,  August  10th,  1851,  by  the 
Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall,  Rector,  have  afforded  much  neces- 
sary information,  which  has  been  freely  utilized.  The  Parish 
Records  preserved  intact  from  the  year  of  the  destruction  of 
the  second  Church  and  Parsonage,  by  the  British,  1779,  A.  D. 
to  the  present  day,  have  proved  a  source  of  enlightenment  to  so 
great  an  extent,  that  were  they  wanting,  even  this  brief  tran- 
script of  the  past  life  of  the  Parish  could  never  have  been 
written.  Various  parishioners,  and  others  who  do  not  stand  in 
that  relation,  have  furnished  a  great  deal  of  valuable  material, 
both  written  and  oral.  As  it  would  be  invidious  to  specif}^ 
one  and  not  the  rest,  their  names  are  not  published.  To  all 
of  them  the  writer's  indebtedness  is  gratefully  acknowledged. 


PREFACE.  IX 

This  does  not  pretend  to  be  a  perfect  book.  No  history 
that  was  ever  written,  can  claim  to  be  faultless.  The  most 
careful,  as  well  as  diligent,  student  is  always  liable  to  make 
mistakes.  The  writer  believes,  though,  there  are  but  few  in 
the  work  he  now  offers  to  his  readers.  Whatever  genuine 
errors  or  notable  omissions  there  may  be,  whoever  discovers 
them,  will  do  him  a  favor  by  pointing  them  out,  and  he  prom- 
ises that  in  due  time  they  shall  be  corrected  or  supplied. 

Southport,  November  1st,  1898.  E.  G. 


"Superficial  it  must  be,  but  I  do  not  disown  the  charge. 
Better  a  superficial  book  which  brings  well  and  strikingly 
together  the  known  and  acknowledged  facts,  than  a  dull, 
boring  narrative,  pausing  at  every  moment  to  see  further  into 
a  millstone  than  the  nature  of  the  millstone  will  admit." 

Sir  Walter  Scott,  Journal,  December  22?ic?,  1825. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

I.  First  Settlement  and  Early  History  of  Unquowa  , 

Afterwards,  the  Town  of  Fairfield,  1638  A.D.  1 

II.  Sketch  op  the  Ecclesiastical  Situation  in  Con- 
necticut, 1638  A.  D  to  1818  A.  D.    -        -         -         6 

III.  Organization  of  the  Venerable  Society  :  Visit 
OF  Keith  and  Talbot  to  the  New  England 
Colonies,  1702  A.  D.  -----       10 

IV.  The  Rev.  George  Muirson,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Tal- 
bot, Sharpe,  and  Bridge,  Officiate  at  Fairfield 
1706-1723  A.  D.         -        -----      24 

V.  The  Ministry  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Johnson,  and 
the  Building  of  the  First  Church  at  Mill 
Plain,    1723-1727  A.  D.  -         -         -         -       30 

VI.  The  Rev.  Henry  Caner,  the  First  Rector  of 
Trinity  Church,  and  the  Building  of  the  Sec- 
ond Church  Edifice,  1727-1747  A.  D.         -         -       38 

VII.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Lamson's  Rectorship,  1747-1773 

A.  D.  -         -----       45 

VIII.  The  Rev.  John  Sayre's  Rectorship  :  The  Burning 

OF  Fairfield,  1773-1779  A.  D.  -         -         -         -       50 

IX.  Mr.  Philo  Shelton,    Lay  Reader:  Election  of 

Bishop  Seabury,  1779-1785  A.  D.       -         -         -       56 
X.  The  Rev.  Philo  Shelton's  Rectorship  :  Building 
of  the  Third  Church  on  Mill  Plain,  1785-1817 
A.  D.  -.-..---       68 

XI.  The  Rev.  Philo  Shelton's  Rectorship  Continued: 
The  Lottery:  Founding  of  the  Bible  and  Pray- 
er Book  Society  of  Trinity  Parish,  1817-1820 
A.  D.  -         - 75 


XII.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

XII.   Latter  Years  of  Rev.  Philo  Shelton's  Rector- 
ship :  His  Death,  1820-1825  A.  D.      -         -         -       82 
XIII.   The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  William  Shelton, 

1825-1829  A.  D.         -        -         -        -        -        -      89 

XIV.  The    Rectorship   of    the    Rev.   Charles   Smith: 
Erection  of  the  Chapel  at  Southport,  1828- 
1834,  A.  D.        -        -        -----       94 

XV.  The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Corn- 
wall :  Transfer  of  Services  from  Mill  Plain  to 
Southport:  Demolition  of  the  Mill  Plain 
Church,  1834-1841  A.  D.  -         -         -         -         -       99 

XVI.  Continuation  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall's 
Rectorship  :  State  of  the  Parish  :  Resignation, 
1841-1853  AD.         -         -         -         -         -         -     109 

XVII.  The  Rectorship   of  the  Rev.  James  Souveraine 

Purdy:  Destruction  of  the  Fourth  Church  by 
Fire:  Change  of  Site,and  Building  of  the  Fifth 
Church,  1853-1858  A.  D.  -         -         -         -         -     117 

XVIII.  The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Rufus  Emery:  De- 
struction of  the  Fifth  Church  by  a  Tornado  : 
Building  of  the  Sixth  Church,  1858-1871,  A.  D.     127 

XIX.  The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Livingston 

Wells:  Building  of  the  Chapel,  1870-1877  A.D.     138 
XX.  The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Taliaferro  P.  Caskey, 

1877-1879  A.  D.         -        -        -        -        -        -     144 

XXI.  The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams, 

1879-1890  A.  D.         -        -        -        -        -        -     146 

XXII.  The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Edmund  Guilbert, 

1890—  152 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 


Trinity  Church,  Sixth  Edifice,  1898  A.  D.        -       Frontispiece 

Trinity  Church,  Easter,  1898  A.  D.          _         .         .         .  1 

Rev.  George  Keith  _.-._-.  16 
Seal  of  the  Venerable  Society  for  the  Propagation 

of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts     -         -         -         -  18 

Rev.  Samuel  Johnson       -------  30 

Map  of  the  Sites  of  the  Churches,  Erected  by  Trinity 

Parish  since  its  organization         -         -         -         -  33 

The  First  Church  Edifice,  Mill  Plain       -         .         -         -  H5 

Tombstone  of  Abraham  Adams        -----  36 

Rev.  Henry  Caner             -------  38 

The  Second  Church  Edifice,  Fairfield  Village           -         -  41 

Rev.  John  Sayre      -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  51 

Rev.  Philo  Shelton  --------  58 

House  of  John  Sherwood,  Greenfield  Hill       -         -         -  59 

Site  of  Old  St.  Andrews,  Aberdeen           -         -         -         -  63 

Bishop  Seabury        -         -         -         -         -  .       -         -         -  64 

First  page  of  Parish  Record,  1779  A.  D.          -         -         -  6G 

The  Third  Church  Edifice,  Mill  Plain      -         -         -         -  69 

Bishop  Jarvis,          --------  71 

Foot  Stove  used  in  the  Olden  Time         -         -         -         -  73 

Fac-Simile  of  Lottery  Ticket,  1820  A.  D.          -         -         -  78 

Bishop  Hobart         -         -         -         -----  80 

The  Shelton  Homestead,  Bridgeport       -         -         -         -  85 

Bishop  Brownell      --------  87 

Rev.  William  Shelton      -------  S9 

The  Old  Academy  --------  92 

Rev.  Charles  Smith          -------  94 

Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall     ------  99 


XIV.  ILLUSTEATIONS. 

PAGE. 

The  Fii'st  Southport  Parsonage       .         .         .         -        .  104 

The  Fourth  Church  Edifice,  Southport            -         -         -  109 

Pitch  Pipe  used  in  the  Old  Church          -         -         -         -  111 

Jei'emiah^Sturges    -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  113 

Kev.  James  S.  Purdy       -         -         -         -        -         -         -117 

The  Fifth  Church  Edifice,  Southport      -         -         -         -  119 

Bishop  Williams      -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  121 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Fairfield  Village         -         .         .         -  122 

Justus  Sherwood,  M.  D.          ------  124 

Rev.  Rufus  Emery            -------  127 

Hull  Sherwood        --------  129 

Andrew  Bulkley      -         -         -         -                  -         -         -  131 

William  Bulkley      --------  133 

Moses  Bulkley         --------  136 

Rev.  Edward  L.  Wells      .------  138 

The  Chapel  and  the  Parish  School,  1874  A.  D.        -         -  139 

Francis  D.  Perry     --------  140 

Charles  Bulkley        --------  142 

Bishop  Brewster      --------  143 

Rev.  Taliaferro  P.  Caskey        --.---  144 

Francis  Jelhft'          --------  145 

Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams   -------  146 

Jonathan  Godfrey    --------  148 

David  Banks            --------  150 

Rev.  Edmund  Guilbert            _.-..-  152 

Chancel  of  Trinity  Church       -         -         -         -         -         -  154 

Trinity  Church,  Interior,  1890  A.  D.        -         -         -         -  155 

The  Second  Southport  Parsonage  -----  156 

The  Rockwell  Memorial  Font          -----  157 

The  Francis  D.  Perry  Rectory         -----  158 


APPENDICES. 


A.  Bishops  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut. 

B.  Clergymen  who  Officiated  in  Fairfield  Before  1827. 

C.  Rectors  of  Trinity  Parish. 

D.  Church- Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of  Trinity  Parish. 

E.  Baptisms  Recorded  Previous  to  1779. 

F.  Some  Curious  Facts  in  the  Life  of  Dr.  James  Laborie. 

G.  Statement  Concerning  Trinity  Parish,  Written  in 
THE  Parish  Record,  by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall, 
September  5tb,  1851. 

H.  Sketch  of  the  Church  at  Fairfield,  by  the  Rev. 
Philo  Shelton,  Written  in  the  Year  1804. 

I.      Private  Parochial  Register  of  the  Rev.  Philo  Shelton. 
( Containing  over  4,000  names  of  persons  Baptized,  Confirmed,  Admit- 
ted to  the  Communion.  Married,  and  Burled,  during  the  Rev.  Philo 
Shelton's  Rectorship.) 
J.      Obituary    Notices   of    the  Rev.    Philo    Shelton,    and 
Lucy  Shelton,  His  Wife,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jarvis,  1827. 
K.     The  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  Society  of  Trinity  Parish. 


"  (Eoii  of  our  fatbcre !     ^tiU  far  ours ; 

er^p  ffatcEi  toiUc  open  set, 
Slnti  forttfp  tbf  ancient  totucre 

5L5EI)crf  Cl)ou  \uitb  t|)nn  bast  met. 
(ZlI)p  ffuarUtan  fire,  Cbp  suiliins  clouU, 

^till  let  tl)cm  ffill  our  inall, 
Jltlor  be  our  foes,  nor  Cbine  allotuetj 

Co  see  U6  faint  or  fall. 
Cbe  iuorsbip  of  tbe  ffloriouE!  past 

:§)n)ell  on  from  a^c  to  ag:e, 
Sinn  be,  tobile  time  itself  eball  l«"t6t, 

©ur  cbiltiren'fi;  b^ntaje." 

Rev.    William  Croswell.  I).  I). 


Trinity  Chukch,  1898. 


CHAPTEE  I. 


The  First  Settlement  and  Early  History  of  Unquowa,  Af- 
terwards THE  Town  of  Fairfield,  1638,  A.  D. 

Scarcely  two  and  three-quarter  centuries  have  passed, 
since  the  region  in  which  the  beautiful  village  of  Southport 
now  lies,  was  a  savage  wilderness.  No  foot  of  white  man,  un- 
less it  may  have  been  that  of  some  adventurous  explorer,  had 
ever  trodden  its  solitary  wastes.  Bears  in  plentiful  numbers 
roamed,  where  now  abodes  of  refinement  and  culture  abound. 
Wolves  found  an  unmolested  retreat  amid  thickets  which  no 
veoodman's  axe  had  ever  invaded.*  Everything  was  in  its 
pristine  dress ;  hillside  and  glen ;  fox-est  tree  and  mossy  rock ; 
wavy  margined  coast,  and  arbored  running  stream ;  all  were 
as  nature  made  and  meant  them.  Such  was  Unquowa  in  1637, 
when  a  decisive  battle  was  fought,  within  its  borders,  between 
a  detachment  of  colonists  and  the  remnant  of  the  tribe  of  the 
Pequots.  The  habitat  of  the  latter  was  the  extreme  eastern 
section  of  the  Colony,  reaching  from  the  Niantic  river  to  Rhode 
Island,  where  it  had  been  guilty  of  numerous  unprovoked  at- 
tacks upon  the  dwellings  and  hamlets  of  the  settlers.  Driven 
to  desperation,  the  colonists  attacked  their  foes,  destroyed 
their  fort  at  Groton,  and  when  they  fled,  pursued,  overtook, 
and  defeated  them  again,  near  where  the  Pequot  Library 
building  now  stands. t 

•Long  after  the  settlement  of  Unquowa,  the  bears,  the  woKes  ana  the  wild-cats 
made  frequent  and  ferocious  attacks  upon  the  Inhabitants.  On  August  2'2nd,  1666. 
"  The  Townsnu'u  order  that  whoever  kills  a  bear  in  the  bounds  of  the  town  shall 
be  paid  flfiy  shillings  for  each  old,  and  for  cubs  twenty  shillings  each."  Child : 
An  Old  New  England  Town,  p.  dS. 

tThe  symbol  of  brutism  Is  war ;  of  civilization,  a  library.  The  Pequot  Library 
picturesque  architecturally,  containing  on  its  shelves  15,000  well  selected  volumes, 
now  marks  the  spot  where  the  Pequots  were  exterminated.  Over  its  portal,  cut  in 
imperishable  granite,  are  these  figures,  1637-1887.  How  many,  as  they  go  in  and 
out,  note  their  deep  slgnitleation? 


5a  EARLY   HISTORY    OF    UNQUOWA. 

After  the  small  but  heroic  band,*  under  valiant  Captain 
Mason,  had  exterminated  or  scattered  its  savage  foes,  it  re- 
turned, flushed  with  victory,  to  the  familiar  scenes,  which  for 
the  time  it  had  left  behind,  and  the  stillness  and  solitude  of 
the  forest  primeval  again  prevailed. 

In  April  of  the  following  year,  1638,  John  Davenport  and 
his  associates,  who  had  wintered  at  Boston,  waiting  there,  to 
use  his  own  words,  for  "The  eye  of  God's  Providence"  to 
"guide  us  to  a  place  convenient  for  our  families  and  for  our 
friends,"  and  resisting  the  inducements  offered  them  to  re- 
main in  Massachusetts  and  blend  their  influence  and  their 
wealth  with  the  earlier  immigrants — anchored  their  ships  in 
Quinnipiack  harbor,  and  began  the  settlement  of  the  Colony 
of  New  Haven.  In  1638,  a  prominent  member  of  the  Colony, 
Roger  Ludlow,  becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  existing  con- 
dition of  affairs,!  resolved  to  journey  further  westward  and 
establish  a  new  home  for  himself,  and  those  willing  to  accom- 
pany him.  The  precise  spot  he  had  in  his  mind  was  Unquowa. 
When  Captain  Mason  two  years  previously  had  marched 
against  the  Pequots,  Ludlow  had  served  under  him,  and  capti- 
vated by  the  beauty  and  the  promise  of  the  region,  had  carried 
away  with  him  a  remembrance  of  it  that  could  not  be  forgot- 
ten. To  Unquowa  then  came  Roger  Ludlow  and  his  follow- 
ers, and  selecting  the  name  of  Fairfield  for  the  new  settlement, 
began  to  devote  themselves  to  its  improvement.     The  Indians, 

*"It  Is  ordered  that  there  shall  be  an  offensive  war  against  the  Pequots,  & 
that  there  shall  be  90  men  levied  out  of  the  three  plantations,  Hartford,  Wethers, 
neld  &  Windsor ;  (vlz. )  out  of  Hartford  42,  Windsor  30,  Wethersfleld  18  ;  under  the 
command  of  Capt.  John  Mason,  &  In  case  of  death  or  sickness,  under  the  command 
of  Robt.  Seely,  Lelf t. ;  and  the  eldest  S'geant  or  military  officer  surviving.  If  both 
these  miscarry."    Col.  Kec.  of  Conn.  I.,  9. 

tTo  the  Connecticut  settler,  religion  was  an  essential  part  of  dally  life  and  poli- 
tics, and  logic  was  an  essential  part  of  religion.  Town  and  Church  were  but  two 
sides  of  the  same  thing.  Differences  of  opinion  there  must  be,  in  church  as  well 
as  town  matters,  therefore,  ruptures  became  Inevitable.  The  minority,  unwilling 
to  resist  the  majority,  or  to  continue  In  Illogical  union  with  it,  preferred  a  different 
location.  Thus  every  religious  dispute  usually  gave  rise  to  a  new  town.  John- 
ston :    History  of  Connecticut,  p.  6. 


EARLY    HISTORY    OF    UNQUOWA.  d 

native  and  to  the  manner  born,  at  first  were  troublesome,  but 
kindly  treatment  and  just  dealing  soon  changed  their  animos- 
ity into  friendship.  Before  many  decades  had  passed,  Fair- 
field, Mill  Plain,  Stratfield,  Greenfield  Hill,  Mill  River  (now 
South  port),  and  Green's  Farms,  were  flourishing  localities. 
And  here  this  fact  must  be  borne  in  mind:  Trinity  Church, 
whose  history,  truly  recorded,  without  bias,  these  pages  seek 
to  perpetuate,  has  never  been  the  Church  of  a  particular  vil- 
lage, but  rather  of  an  extensive  district^the  whole  Town  of 
Fairfield.  All  the  places  mentioned  above,  have  had  a  special 
interest  in  it.  At  one  period,  vestrymen  were  annually  elected 
to  represent  them  in  its  councils.  Long  after  the  Revolution, 
the  parish,  in  addition  to  the  near-by  settlements,  reached  out 
and  took  in  Stratfield,  now  Bridgeport,  and  Northfield,  now 
Weston  To-day,  although  situate  in  Southport,  its  member- 
ship is  made  up,  as  of  old,  not  merely  of  dwellers  in  that 
village,  but  also  of  residents  of  Saugatuck,  Green's  Farms, 
Greenfield  Hill,  Mill  Plain,  and  Fairfield  as  well. 

From  the  first,  the  settlers  of  Unquowa  enjoyed  the  great 
privilege,  new  to  them,  of  perfectly  autonomous,  action  in  re- 
ligious and  civil  affairs.  As  the  Church,  so  far  as  their  experi- 
ence went,  had  always  been  the  creature  of  the  State,  they 
adopted  a  novel  and  untried  system,  which  subordinated  it, 
in  every  way,  to  the  civil  authority. 

Their  aim  was  to  inaugurate  a  government  in  which  the 
power  should  issue  wholly  from  the  people,  and  under  which, 
the  people  should  be  sujjreme.  This  was  the  meaning  of 
the  contest  which  was  being  waged  in  England  during  this 
period :  the  old  feudal  idea  of  absolute  rule  by  one  man,  be  he 
Baron  or  King,  was  dying  out.  The  people  had  resolved  to 
have  somewhat  to  say  in  the  administration  of  affairs  ;  and  it 
was  because  he  failed  to  discern  this  fact,  that  Charles  I.  died 
the  reverse  of  a  martyi''s  death  at  Whitehall,  in  1G49.  The  Puri- 
tans then,  who  settled  Fairfield,  and  those  otherwise,  who 
afterwards  joined  them,  represented  the  intense  desire  for  self- 


4  EARLY    HISTORY    OF    UNQUOWA. 

government  which  at  that  period  was  in  the  air  ;  which  to-day- 
is  just  as  strongly  a  characteristic  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race. 
They  were  seekers  after  pure  doctrine,  pure  politics,  pure  wor- 
ship, pure  life.  They  desired  to  solve  for  all  time  the  most 
difficult  problem  that  touches  the  secular  life  of  man — how  to 
produce  a  perfect  civic  condition  ;  to  get  as  near  Sir  Thomas 
More's  Utopian  ideal  as  is  possible  on  this  mundane  sphere. 

The  environment  of  these  worthies,  we  must  remember,  was 
not  as  helpful  for  the  achievement  of  such  a  great  aim,  as  is 
ours.  Three  hundred  years  ago  the  world  was  literally  in  its 
swaddling-clothes.  It  is  really  surprising,  when  we  look  into 
it,  how  modern  all  that  makes  up  the  comfort  of  present  liv- 
ing is.  We  feel  ourselves  aggrieved  to-day,  if  we  have  not  on 
our  breakfast-tables,  all  that  mankind  said  and  did  yesterday. 
The  Puritans  had  no  newspapers,  no  steam  transit,  no  tele- 
graph system,  nor  telephone.  It  was  the  middle  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  before  stage-coaches  were  introduced  in  Eng- 
land, and  then  it  took  four  days  to  convey  a  passenger  at  the 
cost  of  four  pounds,  from  London  to  York.  Many  lines  did 
not  even  try  to  run  in  winter.  The  roads  were  so  narrow  that 
the  Dover  coach  was  drawn  by  six  horses  tandem,  while  the 
coachman  walked  by  their  side.  The  first  carriage  ever  used 
in  England,  was  invented  by  a  Hollander  for  Queen  Elizabeth. 
Erasmus  tells  us  that  salt  beef  and  strong  ale  constituted 
the  chief  part  of  this  great  sovereign's  breakfast ;  that  similar 
refreshments  were  served  her  in  bed  for  supper  ;  and  that,  a& 
forks  were  not  invented,  she  ate  with  her  fingers.  There  is 
hardly  a  thriving  shopkeeper  who  does  not  occupy  at  the  close 
of  this  nineteenth  century,  a  house  which  English  nobles  in 
1650,  would  have  envied.  Here  in  New  England,  life  was  even 
more  primitive.  There  were  no  post-offices  in  Connecticut 
until  1790.  Communication  with  the  great  centres  was  kept  up 
by  means  of  post-horses.  "It  was  an  exciting  time  when  John 
Perry,  the  carrier  of  the  mail,  the  man  of  news,  the  individual 
who  kept  Fairfield  in  touch  with  Boston, Stamford  and  interven- 


EARLY    HISTORY    OF    UNQUOWA.  O 

iog  towns,  arrived  and  handed  over  mail  and  news  together.  He 
was  appointed  to  office  in  1687.  The  whole  trip  was  made 
once  a  month  during  the  winter,  and  once  in  three  weeks  dur- 
ing the  summer."*  Floors  were  carpetless;  walls  bare  of  plas- 
ter, the  rafters  showing;  no  pictures  adorned  the  walls  ;  illum- 
ination was  obtained  from  candles  made  of  tallow,  and  mould- 
ed in  the  house.  The  cold  in  those  days  was  intense.  One 
writer  mentions,  "  the  bread  freezing  at  the  Lord's  Table." 
Slavery  flourished  until  a  late  date.  There  are  few  wills  that, 
up  to  the  beginning  of  this  century,do  not  contain  bequests  of 
slaves.  In  1790  there  were  2,759,  and  in  1840,  quite  a  recent 
date,  17  were  still  living.  Such  were  the  primitive  conditions 
out  of  which  the  highly  civilized  Fairfield  that  we  know  so 
well,  has  emerged. 

The  Town  of  Fairfield  extends  from  the  Bridgeport  line  on 
the  east,  to  the  Sasco  river  on  the  west — a  distance  of  about 
six  miles ;  and  from  Long  Island  Sound  to  the  boundary  of 
the  town  of  Easton  on  the  north.  The  ground  is  delightfully 
varied,  consisting  of  plains  and  lofty  hills,  from  which  en- 
trancing views  of  the  blue  water  are  obtained.  The  popula- 
tion in  1890  was  3,868. 
'Child  :    An  Old  New  England  Town,  p.  37. 


CHAPTER  II. 


Sketch    of    the    Ecclesiastical    Situation    in    Connecticut 
FROM  1638,  A.  D.,  to  1818,  A.  D. 

To  understand  clearly  and  fully  the  difficulties  with  which 
those  in  the  Town  of  Fairfield  who  favored  the  Church  of 
England  had  to  contend,  it  is  necessary  that  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal situation  in  Connecticut  from  its  colonization  in  the  first 
half  of  the  seventeenth  century,  to  the  adoption  of  the  new 
Constitution  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth,  be  set  forth. 

When  Roger  Ludlow  and  his  companions  settled  in 
Fairfield,  the  only  religious  organization  that  was  per- 
mitted to  exist,  was  of  the  Congregational  Faith  and 
Order.  As  far  as  possible  it  was  intended  to  be  a  stern, 
unyielding  protest,  against  everything  churchly  with  which 
the  colonists  had  been  familiar  in  their  life  beyond  the 
sea.*  One  of  its  marked  features  was  the  close  alliance  it 
created  between  civil  and  ecclesiastical  affairs. f  The  township 
and  the  church  were  one.J     At  the  public  meetings,  matters 

•It  is  not  unfair  to  assume  that  Roger  Ludlow  lilmself  at  last  tired  of  the  situa- 
tion he  had  helped  to  create.  In  1654,  Incensed  ostensibly  at  the  interference  of 
New  Haven  to  prevent  his  town,  Falrfleld,  from  waging  an  Independent  warfare 
against  the  Dutch,  he  went  to  Virginia,  ( a  Colony  wholly  settled  by  members  of 
the  Church  of  England,)  taking  the  records  of  the  town  with  him.  It  is  not 
known  when  or  where  he  died.    Johnston :    History  of  Connecticut,  p.  SO. 

tManifestly  the  aim  of  the  pilgrims  was  the  construction  of  a  theocratic  state 
which  should  be  to  them,  all  that  the  theocracy  of  Moses,  and  Joshua,  and  Samuel 
had  been  to  the  Jews  in  Old  Testament  days.  In  such  a  scheme  there  was  no  room  for 
religious  liberty  as  we  understand  it.  The  state  they  were  to  found  was  to  consist 
of  a  united  body  of  believers,  and  In  it  there  was  apparently  no  more  room  for 
heretics  than  there  was  in  Rome  or  Madrid."  Flske:  The  Beginnings  of  New 
England,  p.  146. 

iFor  nearly  a  century,  the  same  persons  In  each  town  considered  and  decided 
ecclesiastical  affairs  indifferently,  acting  as  a  town  or  a  church  meeting.  The 
same  body  laid  the  taxes,  called  the  minister,  and  provided  for  his  salary. 
Johnston :    History  of  Connecticut,  p.  60. 


SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION.  ( 

pertaining  to  both,  were  discussed  and  passed  upon.  Thus 
the  different  town  charges,  the  church,  and  the  school  went 
hand  in  hand,  and  every  inhabitant  was  compelled  by  the  law 
to  contribute  towards  the  maintenance  of  each.  The  result, 
in  a  brief  space  of  time,  was  open  revolt  on  the  part  of  those 
who,  where  their  religious  prefei-ences  were  concerned,  re- 
solved to  act  independently.  As  far  back  as  1664,  William 
Pitkin,  and  others,  signing  themselves,  "Professors  of  the 
Protestant  Christian  Religion,  members  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  subjects  to  our  Sovereign  Lord,  Charles  the 
Second,  by  God's  grace,  King  of  England,'"  addressed  the 
General  Assembly  at  the  October  session  "declaring  their 
aggrievances,"  and  "petitioning  for  a  redress  of  the  same." 
Their  grievances  were  that  they  were  not  under  the  care  of 
those  who  "  administered  in  a  due  manner  "  the  Sacraments 
of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  :  that  they  "were  as  sheep 
scattered,  having  no  shepherd ;  "  and  they  asked  for  the 
establishment  of  "  some  wholesome  law  "  by  virtue  of  which 
they  might  both  claim  and  receive  their  privileges ;  and 
furthermore,  they  huinbly  requested,  "  that  for  the  future  no 
law  might  be  of  any  force  to  make  them  pay  or  contribute  to 
the  maintenance  of  any  minister,  or  officer,  in  the  church  that 
will  neglect  or  refuse  to  baptize  their  children  and  take  care 
of  them"  as  church  members.  In  1690,  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  the  freeholders  of  Stratford,  "professors  of  the  Faith 
of  the  Church  of  England,  asked  permission  to  worship  God 
in  the  way  of  their  forefathers.""*  The  ranks  of  such  dissi- 
dents, no  doubt  by  this  time  had  largely  increased,  for  com- 
munication between  this  and  the  mother-country  had  become 
so  frequent,  that  additions  to  the  population  were  constantly 
being  made,  and  of  these  the  Church  of  England  must  have 

•As  tlie  number  of  colonists  Increased,  dissatisfaction  Increased  with  them.  It 
often  took  the  sliape  of  complaints  that  the  children  of  such  persons  were  refused 
baptism ;  but  It  may  be  suspected  fairly  that  the  natural  wish  to  share  in  the  con- 
trol of  the  church  whose  expenses  they  helped  to  pay,  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
It.    Johnston:    History  of  Connecticut,  p.  2-.iC. 


8  SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION. 

had  a  fair  share.  Petitions  and  strivings  for  liberty  to 
worship  God  "  according  to  the  dictates  of  one's  conscience," 
were  though,  of  no  avail.  Church  and  State  were,  at  this 
period,  as  closely  connected  as  they  ever  were  in  England. 
The  ecclesiastical  and  civil  powers  were  blended  together, 
and  liberty  of  conscience,  and  the  theory  of  human  rights 
existed  more  in  name  than  in  reality.  The  people  were 
required  to  support  the  Congregational  Order,  which  was  the 
Order  of  Faith  established  by  the  civil  government.  Nor  was 
this  all.  None  had  liberty  to  worship  publicly  in  any  other 
way,  nor  could  men  vote  or  hold  any  civil  office,  unless  they 
were  members  of  some  Congregational  church.*  This  unwise 
as  well  as  unnatural  policy,  was  persisted  in  until  1708.  In 
that  year  the  General  Assembly  of  Connecticut  passed  what 
was  termed  the  "Act  of  Toleration,"  by  which  all  persons 
who  "  soberly  dissented "  from  the  worship  and  ministry  by 
law  established,  that  is,  the  Congregational  Faith  and  Order, 
were  permitted  to  enjoy  the  same  liberty  of  conscience  with 
the  dissenters  in  England,  under  the  act  of  William  and 
Mary. 

That  act  exempted  dissenters  from  punishment  for  non- 
conformity to  the  Established  Church,  but  did  not  exempt 
them  from  taxation  for  its  maintenance.  And  so,  by  appear- 
ing before  the  County  Court,  and  there  in  legal  forms  declar- 
ing their  "  sober  dissent,"  any  persons  in  the  Colony  of  Con- 
necticut could  obtain  permission  to  have  public  worship 
their  own  way  ;  but  they  were  still  obliged  to  pay  for  the 
support  of  the  Congregational  churches  in  the  place  of 
their  respective  residences.  It  was  this  latter  provision 
that  practically  negatived  the  Act  of  Toleration.  How  could 
Churchmen  of  limited  means,  no  matter  how  ardent  their  love 
for  their  own  Church,  contribute  at  the  same  time  for  the 
upholding  of  a  form  of  religion,  for  which,  under  the  circum- 
*Beardsley  :    History  of  the  Episcopal  Cliurcli  In  Connecticut,     vol.  1,  p.  8. 


SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION.  \) 

stances,  they  felt  no  sympathy  ?  Add  to  this,  the  innate  feel- 
ing that  ever  impels  us  to  resist  being  driven  against  our  wills, 
especially  in  the  sphere  of  religion,  and  we  have  at  once  an 
explanation  of  the  stalwartness  of  those  who  because  of  their 
resistance  to  the  law,  were  haled  to  prison.  In  the  Town  of 
Fairfield  there  were  many  who  were  subjected  to  this  penalty. 
Rev.  Samuel  Johnson,  Rector  of  Stratfoi-d,  in  February,  1727, 
writes  to  the  Venerable  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  at  London :  "I  have  just  come  from  Fairfield,  where 
I  have  been  to  visit  a  considerable  number  of  our  people  in 
prison  for  their  taxes  to  the  dissenting  ministers,  to  comfort 
and  encourage  them  under  their  sufferings.  But,  verily, 
unless  we  can  have  relief  and  be  delivered  from  this  unreason- 
able treatment,  I  fear  I  must  give  up  the  cause,  and  our 
Church  must  sink  and  come  to  nothing.  There  are  thirty-five 
heads  of  families  in  Fairfield,  who,  all  of  them,  expect  what 
these  have  suifered  :  and  though  I  have  endeavored  to  gain 
the  compassion  and  favor  of  the  government,  yet  can  I  avail 
nothing  ;  and  both  I  and  my  people  grow  weary  of  our  lives 
under  our  poverty  and  oppression."  Nor  was  this  an  isolated 
case.  Letters  sent  to  the  Venerable  Society  by  the  mission- 
aries, frequently  contained  complaints  of  persecutions  because 
of  their  Religion.  We  adduce  only  one  instance  of  what  took 
place  at  Stratford:  "On  the  12th  day  of  December,  1709, 
some  of  their  officers,  about  midnight,  did  apprehend  and 
seize  the  bodies  of  Timothy  Titharton,  one  of  our  Church 
Wardens,  and  John  Marcy,  one  of  the  Vestrymen,  and  forced 
them  to  travel,  under  very  bad  cii'cumstances,  in  the  winter 
season,  and  at  that  unseasonable  hour  of  night,  to  the  com- 
mon gaol,  where  felons  are  confined,  being  eight  miles  dis- 
tant, not  allowing  them  so  much  as  fire  or  candle-light  for 
their  comfort,  and  there  continued  them  until  they  paid  such 
sums  as  by  the  gaoler  was  demanded,  which  was  on  the  15th 
day  of  the  same  month.' 


10  SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION. 

On  May  15,  1727,  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Assembly, 
signed  by  Moses  Ward  and  Samuel  Lyon,  Church  Wardens, 
and  Dougal  Mackenzie,  John  Lockwood,  Nathan  Adams,  Ben- 
jamin Sturges,  and  others,  in  the  name  and  behalf  of  all  the 
rest  of  their  brethren,"'  stating  that  ten  of  them  had  been 
lately  imprisoned  for  taxes,  at  Fairfield,  praying  that  the  sums 
of  monej'  so  taken  from  them  might  be  restored ;  and  declar- 
ing that  if  their  grievances  might  be  redressed,  they  should 
"  aim  at  nothing  but  to  live  peaceably  and  as  becometh 
Christians  among  their  dissenting  brethren."  And  in  re- 
sponse to  this  petition,  an  act  was  passed,  providing  that  the 
taxes  collected  from  Episcopalians  for  the  support  of  religion, 
might,  under  certain  circumstances,  be  paid  to  the  Episcopal 
missionaries  instead  of  the  Congregational  ministers.  This 
movement  of  the  early  Churchmen  of  Fairfield,  was  the  first 
effective  step  ever  taken  towards  the  establishment  of  religious 
liberty  in  Connecticut;  a  result  which  it  required  nearly 
another  century  to  bring  to  pass.  Nor  did  their  efforts  to 
gain  their  end  stop  at  this  point.  The  above  petition  was 
followed  up  by  another  acknowledging  the  "  great  wisdom 
and  Christian  compassion  "'  of  the  Assembly',  and  requesting 
liberty  to  manage  their  own  affairs  as  a  Society,  according  to 
the  canons  and  rubrics  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  ex- 
pressing their  adherence  to  that  Church,  "  let  the  difiiculties 
be  never  so  great."     But  this  petition  was  rejected. 

Afterwards,  in  1738,  when  the  Legislature  was  about  to 
sell  the  land  of  several  townships,  which  had  been  set  apart 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  Gospel,  six  hundred  and  thirty- 
six  Episcopalians,  heads  of  families,  in  nine  parishes  or  mis- 
sions, supplied  by  seven  ministers,  requested,  by  a  jDetition* 
duly  presented,  that  a  small  share  of  the  avails  of  the  land 

•A  most  manly  memorial  "to  the  Honorable  tlie  Governor,Councll  and  Representa- 
tives In  Ms  Majesty's  English  Colony  of  Connecticut,"  very  modestly  and  courte- 
ously entitle!  by  Its  authors.  "  the  humble  address  of  the  members  and  professor 
■of  that  part  of  Christ's  Church  called  the  Church  of  England,  living  In  and  under 
the  government  of  the  said  Coiony."    Eccl.  Affairs,  vol.  x,  3-24, 


SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION.  11 

to  be  sold,  and  of  the  funds  from  other  sources  for  the  same 
purpose,  might  be  appropriated  to  them.  But  this,  like  every 
other  attempt  of  Churchmen  to  secure  to  themselves  equal 
rights  in  ecclesiastical  afifairs,  met  with  an  unfavorable  recep- 
tion at  the  hands  of  the  Assembly. 

Finally,  in  the  year  1746,  the  Episcopalians,  who  had  been 
allowed  under  former  laws  of  the  Colony,  to  vote  with  their 
Congregational  neighbors  in  the  meetings  of  the  towns  and 
societies  by  w^hich  the  taxes  for  the  maintenance  of  religion 
were  laid,  lost  that  privilege  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature, 
which  required  that  none  but  Congregationalists  should  vote 
in  such  meetings.  Against  such  partial  legislation,  those  in 
sympathy  with  the  Church  of  England,  again  entered  their 
protest.* 

All  of  these  acts  of  the  Colonial  Legislature  are  interesting 
and  important,  as  indications  of  the  state  and  progress  of 
Episcopal  Parishes  in  Connecticut,  from  the  year  1725  to  the 
year  1750.  The  last  instance,  that  of  1747,  which  is  very 
singular,  may  probably  be  best  accounted  for  by  the  fact, 
that  the  Episcopalians  had  become  so  numerous  in  some 
places  as  to  be  quite  formidable  in  the  position  of  a  third 
party,  holding  the  balance  of  power,  whenever  divisions  arose, 
as  they  often  did  in  those  days,  among  the  Congregation- 
alists themselves  f 

Harsh  treatment  of  Churchmen,  though,  did  not  cease  even 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  century.  In  the  proceedings  of  the 
Venerable  Society  some  years  before  the  American  Revolution, 
in  connection  with  the  statement :  "  There  is  at  this  present 
time,  a  number  of  ministers  of  the  Church  of  England  in 
prison  on  account  of  their  persecution  from  the  dissenters," 

•Thus  did  the  Churchmen  of  Connecticut  occupy,  thirty  years  before  the  Revo- 
lution, a  position  strikingly  illustrative  of  the  grand  fundamental  principle  of  that 
great  movement ;  namely,  resistance  to  "  taxation  without  representation." 

tRev.  N.  E.  Cornwall :    Historical  Discourse,  p.  26. 


12  SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION. 

this  remark  is  added,  "  these  sort  of  complaints  come  now  by 
almost  every  ship."'* 

While  the  successful  issue  of  the  war  of  the  Kevolution 
bettered  somewhat  the  status  of  Churchmen,  pains  were  taken 
to  keep  the  control  of  the  government  in  the  bands  of  the 
ruling  Order,  and  to  shape  things  with  reference  to  the  per- 
petuity of  its  influence.  The  Congregational  body  was  as 
yet  the  State  Church.  Every  iodividual  was  still  subject  to 
personal  liability  for  its  maintenance.  This  continued  until 
1818,  when  the  spirit  of  toleration  that  was  abroad,  led  to  the 

*In  proof  of  the  Intolerance  and  persecution  to  wliicli  the  early  Churchmen  of 
Connecticut  were  subjected,  we  cite  as  follows.  The  history  of  the  Church  in  Con- 
necticut, cannot  be  understood  without  such  retrospect.    We  give  our  authorities: 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  New  Haven  Colony,  after  enacting  that  "none 
shall  be  admitted  to  the  free  Burgesses  In  any  of  the  Plantations  wlthlD  this  juris- 
diction, for  the  future,  but  such  planters  as  are  members  of  some  orother  of  ihe  ap- 
proved Churches  in  New  England,"  and  that  "  the  Court  shall,  with  all  care  and 
dllllgence,  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  purity  of  Keligion  and  stqjjjress  the 
contrary"  ;  it  was  enacted  in  April,  1644,  ••  that  the  Judicial  Laws  of  God,  as  they 
were  delivered  by  Moses,  *  •  *  shall  be  a  rule  to  all  the  Courts  in  this  juris- 
diction." 

The  following  are  specimens  of  their  laws : 

"  It  is  ordered  and  decreed  by  this  Court  *  «  •  if  any  person  within  this  jurls- 
tlon  shall,  without  just  and  necessary  cause,  withdraw  himself  from  hearing  the 
public  ministry  of  the  Word,  atier  due  means  of  conviction  used,  he  shall  forfeit  for 
his  absence  from  every  such  public  meeting,  Ave  shillings."  '-And  if  any  man 
refuse  to  pay  meet  proportion,  that  then  he  be  rated  by  authority  in  some 
just  and  equal  way:  and  if,  alter  this,  any  man  withhold  or  delay  due  payment, 
the  Civil  Power  to  be  exercised  as  in  other  just  debts." 

For  behaving  contemptuously  toward  the  Word  preached,  or  the  Messengers 
thereof,  it  was  ordered,  '"And  if  a  second  time  they  break  forth  into  the  like  con- 
temptuous carriages,  they  shall  either  pay  five  pounds  to  the  public  treasury,  or 
stand  two  hours  openly  upon  a  block  or  stool,  four  feet  high,  upon  a  lecture  day, 
with  a  paper  fixed  on  his  breast,  written  with  capital  letters,  An  Open  and  Ob- 
stinate contemner  OF  God's  Holy  Ordinances."  "Trumbull's  Colonial  Records 
of  Connecticut,"  pp.  524,545,  5'..'4. 

These  laws  were  not  a  dead  letter.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury,  afterwards  Bishop 
of  Connecticut,  was  seized  in  another  Colony,  at  Westchester,  N.  Y.,  "  dragged  like 
a  felon  seventy  miles  irom  home"  to  New  Haven  by  an  armed  band  ;  and  there 
••  after  firing  two  cannon  and  hurraing,"  he  was  placed  in  close  confinement,  and 
treated  with  extreme  severity.    MSS.  State  Papers  of  Conn.  vol.  1,  doc.  430. 

The  laws  of  the  Massachussetts  Colony  were  still  more  Intolerant.  The  penalty 
aCQxed  to  those  laws  was  "  banishment  on  pain  of  death ; "  and  the  laws  them- 
selves were  executed  with  the  most  studied  and  horrible  cruelty.  See  Mass.  Bay 
col.  Laws,  Ch.  1,  Sec.  11 ;  Ch.  11,  Sec.  Ix  and  x. 


SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION.  13 

inception  of  a  movement,  which  abohshed  forever  in  the 
Commonwealth,  those  laws  which  gave  to  the  majority  un- 
equal civil  and  religious  privileges.  The  Old  Charter,  gi-anted 
by  Charles  the  Second,  under  which  Connecticut  had  been 
governed  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  but  which  time  had 
shown  to  be  honeycombed  with  defects,  was  supplanted  by  vote 
of  the  people,  on  the  4th  day  of  July,  with  a  broad  and  liberal 
Constitution,  which  abolished  utterly  the  connection  of  the 
existing  ecclesiastical  system  with  the  State.  Religious  pro- 
fession and  worship  henceforth,  were  to  be  free  to  all,  and  no 
sect  was  to  be  preferred  by  law.  No  person  was  to  be  com- 
pelled to  join,  associate  with,  support,  or  remain  a  member  of, 
any  religious  body;  and  all  religious  bodies  were  to  be  en- 
tirely equal  before  the  law.  The  last  restriction  upon  the 
consciences  of  the  people  of  Connecticut  was  now  removed, 
and  religion  in  whatever  form  it  presented  itself  was  left,  for 
all  time,  to  their  free  acceptance  or  deliberate  rejection. 

The  hardships  which  Churchmen  were  subjected  to, 
which  we  have  thus  considered,  form  a  startling  pic- 
ture for  us  to  contemplate,  who  live  at  the  close  of 
the  nineteenth  century ;  yet  it  has  an  explanation  that 
readily  occurs  to  every  impartial  student  of  history. 
Such  persecution  for  religious  feeling  was  the  outcome  of  a 
state  of  things,  that  had  slowly,  but  surely,  grown  upon  the 
Christian  world.  In  the  early  ages  the  Church  had  to  endure 
persecution  ;  then  was  the  age  of  the  martyrs.  In  the  later 
centuries  the  Church  had  to  struggle  against  heresies  ;  then 
was  the  age  of  the  controversialists.  Now,  the  danger  of 
controversy,  necessary  as  it  often  is  for  the  defense  of  the  Truth, 
is  that  it  is  apt  to  arouse  a  persecuting,  vindictive  temper. 
The  man  invested  with  power,  the  over-man,  flushed  with 
zeal,  naturally  endeavors  to  make  the  under-man  think  as  he 
thinks;  and  if  he  rebels,  is  tempted  to  use  force  to  accomplish 
his    end.     This    is    where    Churchmen    erred    in    the  past. 


14  SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION. 

Heresy  aud  Schism  came  to  be  treated  as  crimes  for  which 
the  prison  aud  the  stake  were  adjudged  to  be  the  rightful 
penalties. 

But  "  curses  come  home  to  roost."  Those  who  were  perse- 
cuted learned  the  same  lesson  ;  and,  in  turn,  became  perse- 
cutors. When  their  time  came,  the  Calvinists  at  Geneva, 
and  the  Independents  in  the  Colonies,  proved  they  could 
be  even  more  ruthless  than  their  opponents. 

Neal,  in  his  "  History  of  New  England,''  says:  "It  must  be 
allowed  that,  when  the  Puritans  were  in  power,  they  carried 
their  resentments  too  far."  Bishop  Burnet  testifies:  "It  were 
as  easy,  as  it  would  be  invidious,  to  show  that  both  Presby- 
terians and  Independents  have  carried  the  principle  of  rigor 
in  the  point  of  conscience  much  higher,  and  have  acted  more 
implacably  upon  it,  than  ever  the  Church  of  England  has 
done,  even  in  her  angriest  fits." 

Let  us,  with  one  accord,  thank  God  that  those  old  days  of 
ecclesiastical  tyranny  have  passed  away,  we  trust  never  to  re- 
turn in  any  part  of  our  land  !  In  this  age  the  spirit  and 
language  of  conciliation  are  known  and  appreciated.  Uphold 
ing  the  Faith  aud  Order  of  any  particular  religious  body,  by 
the  secular  arm,  is  not  accounted  to-day,  a  wise  or  seemly 
method  by  which  to  bring  about  unity  of  belief  or  action. 
We  have  learned  that  there  can  be  no  way  to  accomplish  that 
desired  end,  except  Gods  way,  aud  that  includes  always  sympa- 
thy and  comprehension.  The  Truth  of  God  must  be  carried  to 
hearts  and  consciences  by  the  teachings  of  those  who  are 
filled  with  it, ;  and  the  love  and  faith  which  it  begets  and 
fosters.  As  Churchmen,  looking  out  upon  the  broad  page  of 
human  experience,  let  us  be  just,  and  utter  no  harsh  or  bitter 
word  about  the  narrowness  peculiar  to  the  days  of  old.*  We  our- 
selves, as  well  as  those  who  differed  from  us,  in  the  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth  centuries,    when  opportunity  served, 

•When  In  1691,  King  William  sent  out  Sir  Lionel  Copley  to  be  royal  governor  of 
Maryland,  taxes  were  straightway  laid  for  tlie  support  of  the  Church  of  England. 


SKETCH    OF    THE    ECCLESIASTICAL    SITUATION.  15- 

were  alike  iutoleraut.  When  we  had  the  upper  hand,  we 
sought  by  every  avaihible  means  to  enforce  conformity  ;  when 
it  came  to  be  the  turn  of  those  who  had  opposed  us,  they  sought 
by  equally  violent  processes,  to  maintain  the  position  they  had 
adopted.  As  has  been  forcibly  said,  "  We  cannot  complain 
of  Dissenters,  as  if  mere  Schisms  accounted  for  their  existence, 
when,  in  fact,  it  was  to  an  extent  it  is  difficult  to  exaggerate, 
the  sin  of  our  Church  which  caused  separation  to  seem  right 
to  purer  consciences  in  the  past ;  when,  in  fact,  it  is  to  non-con- 
formists that  we  owe,  in  times  when  darkness  had  almost  settled 
down  upon  us,  the  revival  and  maintenance  of  the  very  ideas 
of  Religion  ;  when,  once  more,  God  has  so  manifestly  blessed 
their  spiritual  life.  Let  us  never  forget  that  a  belief  in  a 
valid  Church  and  Ministry  is  not  in  any  logical  connection 
with  the  quite  unjustifiable  denial  that  God  can  act,  and  has 
acted  in  irregular  channels.  God  is  not  tied  to  his  Sacra- 
ments, even  though  as  men,  if  we  know  the  Truth,  we  are 
bound  to  seek  this  fellowship  in  accordance  with  His  cove- 
nant, and  only  so."* 

and  the  further  Immigration  of  Romanists  was  prohibited  under  heavy  penalties. 
This  measure  involving  legislation  for  the  support  of  a  Church  of  which  only  a 
small  part  of  the  population  were  members,  was  as  unpopular  wltli  Puritans  as 
with  Papists.  Those  of  the  former  who  had  worked  zealously  to  undermine  the 
Roman  Church,  had  not  bargained  for  such  a  result  as  this.  John  Fiske  :  Old. 
Virginia,  vol.ii,  p.  162. 
*Canon  Gore  :  The  Church  and  Dissent. 


CHAPTEE  III. 


ORGANIZATION     OF     THE    VENERABLE     SOCIETY   FOR    THE    PROPAGATION 
OF    THE    GOSPEL,    1701,    A.    D.  :       VISIT    OF    ITS    FIRST     MIS- 
SIONARIES, KEITH  AND  TALBOT,  TO  THE  COLONIES, 
1702,    A.    D. 


Ret.  George  Keith,  M.  A. 


In  England,  as  far  back  as  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary, 
deep^interest  was  felt  in  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  American 


VISIT    OF    MESSRS.    KEITH    AND    TALBOT.  17 

Colonies,  which  were  then  beginning  to  loom  into  prominence. 
New  England,  especially,  was  thought  to  be  in  great  danger 
from  various  sectaries,  who  branching  off  from  the  new  form 
of  religion  by  law  established,  felt  themselves  free  to  teach  and 
hold  grievous  forms  of  error.  A  writer  of  the  time,  declares  that 
that  region  already  "  swarmed  "'  with  Antinomians,  Familists, 
Conformatists,  Seekers,  Gortonists,  and  others  of  equally 
startliug nomenclature.  The  aborigines,  as  well  as  the  negroes 
who  had  been  introduced  in  large  numbers,  also  came  in  for 
a  share  of  the  general  attention  and  sympathy.  In  1701, 
this  widespread  interest  culminated  in  the  formation  of  the 
Venerable  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in 
Foreisfn  Parts ;  an  institution,  which  still  flourishes  with 
even  more  vigor  than  that  which  characterized  its  in- 
fancy.    Its  charter  ran : 

"William  the  Third,  King  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
Defender  of  the  Faith,  greeting  : 

'•Whereas  we  are  informed  that  in  many  of  our  Plantations 
and  Colonies  beyond  the  sea,  belonging  to  our  Kingdom  of 
England,  the  provision  for  ministers  is  very  mean,  whereby 
there  is  a  great  lack  of  the  administration  of  the  Word  and 
Sacraments,  causing  atheism  to  abound  for  the  want  of 
learned  and  orthodox  ministers,  and  Romish  priests  and 
Jesuits  are  encouraged  to  proselyte  .  .  .  We  therefore  em- 
power these,  our  right  trusty  subjects  ; "' then   follow    a 

hundred  of  the  noblest  names  in  England,  with  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  at  the  head,  constituting  the  Society. 
Its  popularity  was  great  fi'om  the  outset.  One  member  gave 
a  thousand  pounds  for  the  work  ;  another  nine  hundred  for 
teaching  the  negroes.  One  gave  to  it  his  estate  in  the  Bar- 
badoes  to  found  a  college  ;  and  another  a  present  of  books 
and  maps.  Archbishop  Tennison  left  it  one  thousand  pounds 
towards  founding  two  American  Bishoprics.  The  proprietors 
of  Vermont  set  apart  townships  for  its  use.     Evelyn   enters 


18 


VISIT    OF    MESSRS.    KEITH    AND    TALBOT. 


upon  the  pages  of  his  diary  that  he  had  promised  twenty 
pounds  a  year  towards  it.* 

The  object  of  the  Society-,  set  forth  in  the  beginning,  and 


The  Seal  of  the  ^■ENEKABI.E  Society. 
from  which,  so  far,  it  has  never  yet  deviated,  was   declared  to 
be  the  spread  of  the  Worship  of  God  according  to    the  man- 
*iIcConneIl :    History  American  Episcopal  C'liurch,  p.  99. 


VISIT    OF    MESSRS.    KEITH    AND    TALBOT.  19 

ner  of  the  Church  of  Eugland.  On  entering  upon  this  work, 
it  shortly  divided  it  into  three  branches  ;  the  spiritual  oversight 
of  those  English  emigrants  who  had  settled  in  the  Colonies  ; 
the  conversion  of  the  Indians ;  and  also  of  the  African  slaves. 
Of  these  three,  the  first  asserted  itself  as  the  most  important, 
not  only  because  the  settlers  being  brethren  and  country- 
men, had  the  first  claim  upon  its  consideration,  but 
because  as  soon  as  the  formation  of  the  Society  became  known, 
this  element  began  to  be  clamorous  for  assistance.  From 
South  and  North  Carolina,  from  Virginia,  from  Maryland, 
from  Penns^'lvania,  from  New  Jersey,  from  New  York,  from 
New  England,  the  Macedonian  cry  was  heard,  "  Come  over 
and  help  us."'  It  thus  became  so  evident  that  a  wide-spread 
dissatisfaction  with  the  existing  religious  situation  prevailed, 
that  the  Saciety  determined  to  send  an  experienced  mission- 
ary to  travel  over  and  preach  to  the  people  in  the  several 
Colonies,  who  should  desire  to  listen  to  him  :  and  if  jjossible 
aid  them  in  establishing  permanent  organizations.  A  large 
number  of  those  in  the  Colonies,  at  this  period,  had  been  bap- 
tized and  confirmed  in  the  Church,  before  they  left  England. 
Tempted  by  the  prospect  of  great  material  advantages  they 
had  left  their  homes,  without  calculating  the  loss  they  were 
to  sustain  in  being  separated  from  the  Ministry,  Worship 
and  Sacraments  with  which  they  were  familiar.  Had  they 
been  of  the  opinion  that  religions  differences  wei-e  of  little 
importance,  the  situation  in  which  they  found  themselves  would 
not  have  troubled  them  greatly.  But  they  regarded  the  matter 
from  another  standpoint.  Nothing  less  than  the  ministra- 
tions of  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  would  satisfy 
their  desires.  Assenting  to  what  seemed  an  imperative  de- 
mand the  Venerable  Society  proceeded  to  act ;  the  Rev. 
George  Keith  was  the  missionary  selected  to  visit  the  Col- 
onies on  a  "  mission  of  observation,"  to  discover  and  study 
the  state  of  religion  therein,  and  to  report  where  mission- 
aries could  be  sent  and  congregations  established. 


20  VISIT    OF    MESSRS.    KEITH    AND    TALBOT. 

His  commission  was,  "  to  seek  the  scattered  families  of  the 
Church,  and  awaken  the  people  to  a  sense  of  their  religious 
duties."  The  selection  was  an  admirable  one.  Those  who 
knew  him  well,  declared  Mr.  Keith  to  be  "a  pioneer  and  propa- 
gandist by  nature."  Earlier  in  life,  while  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  he  had  been  sent  to  the  Colony  of  Penn- 
sylvania,  to  aid  its  founder,  but  discerning  dangerous  tendencies 
in  the  tenets  of  the  Quakers,  and  foreseeing  their  results,  he 
severed  his  connection  with  his  associates,  and  returned  to 
England,  not  long  after  to  take  Holy  Orders  in  the  Church. 

In  April,  1702,  he  started  on  his  mission  to  the  Colonies. 
He  came  in  an  English  warship,  which  brought  the  Govern- 
ors of  New  England  and  New  Jersey  to  their  provinces.  The 
Rev.  John  Talbot  came  with  them  as  chaplain.  With  them 
also  was  the  Rev.  Patrick  Gordon,  who  was  sent  out  as  mis- 
sionary to  Jamaica,  Long  Island. 

The  passengers  seem  to  have  been  congenial  to  each  other. 
Mr.  Keith,  writing  to  the  Venerable  Society,  says:  "Gov- 
ernor Dudley  was  so  civil  to  Mr.  Gordon  and  me,  that  he 
caused  us  to  eat  at  his  table  all  the  voyage,  and  his  conversa- 
tion was  both  pleasant  and  instructive,  insomuch  that  the 
great  cabin  of  the  ship  was  like  a  college  for  good  discourse, 
both  in  matters  theological  and  philosophical."'  There  was 
daily  service,  in  which  both  the  passengers  and  crew  joined 
heartily  and  devoutly.  Mr.  Keith  mentions  the  strictness  of 
the  discipline  which  prevailed  upon  the  ship,  and  describes 
the  punishment  of  the  crew  for  "  profane  swearing,"  which 
was  "  causing  them  to  carry  a  heavy  wooden  collar  about 
their  necks  for  an  hour,  that  was  both  painful  and  shameful."* 

Mr.  Talbot,  the  chaplain,  became  so  enthusiastic  about  Mr. 
Keith  and  his  mission,  that  he  begged  to  become  a  fellow 
laborer  and  a  companion  in  his  travels.  His  proposal  was 
accepted  and  in  due  time,  at  the  solicitation  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 

"Ms.  Letters,  S.  P.  G.,  voL  1,  p.  9. 


VISIT    OF    MESSRS.    KEITH    AND    TALBOT.  21 

Gordon,  the  Venerable  Society  appointed  Lim  Mr.  Keith's 
assistant.  Their  ship  reached  Boston  in  June,  1702,  and 
after  a  few  days  the  two  men  began  their  journey.  They 
went  from  hamlet  to  hamlet,  and  house  to  house,  preaching 
wherever  they  could  gain  a  hearing,  bajitizing  hundreds, 
gathering  the  wandering  sheep  into  organized  fulds,  and 
making  provision  to  build  churches  wherever  that  work  could 
be  done. 

Everywhere  there  were  numbers  who  cordially  welcomed 
them.  In  a  letter  addressed  by  Mr.  Keith  to  "  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  the  Bishop  of  London,  and  all  others,  the 
Honorable  Members  of  the  Society,"  dated  the  29th  of 
November,  1702,  and  giving  an  account  of  his  labors  since  his 
arrival  in  Boston,  on  the  11th  of  June  preceding,  he  says : 
"  In  divers  places  of  New  England  where  we  traveled,  we 
found  many  well  affected  to  the  Church,  not  only  the  people 
but  several  Presbyterian  ministers  in  New  England,  who  re- 
ceived us  as  brethren,  and  requested  us  to  preach  to  their 
congregations,  as  accordingly  we  did.  These  were  Mr. 
John  Cotton  (  a  grandson  to  old  John  Cotton  )  the  Presby- 
terian minister  at  Hampton,  where  I  preached  twice,  and  Mr. 
Talbot  once,  having  very  great  auditories  :  Mr.  Cushin,  Pres- 
byterian minister  at  Salisbury,  eight  miles  distant  from 
Hampton  westward,  where  we  both  preached  on  a  Sunday, 
and  had  a  great  auditory  ;  Mr.  Gurdon  Saltonstall  at  New 
London,  fifty  miles  west  from  Narragansetts,  where  we  both 
preached  on  a  Sunday  :  the  people  generally  well  affected, 
and  those  three  ministers  aforesaid,  all  worthy  gentlemen, 
who  declared  their  owning  the  Church  of  England,  and  that 
if  they  were  in  England,  they  would  join  in  external  com- 
munion with  her  :  and  were  there  a  Bishop  in  America,  we 
doubt  not  but  several  would  receive  ordination  from  him.'"'*' 

•Church  Record,  vol.  1,  no.  xvll. 


22  VISIT    OF    MESSRS.    KEITH    AND    TALBOT. 

This  very  circumstantial  account  clearly  gives  to  the  people 
of  New  London  the  honor  of  first  welcoming  in  Connecticut 
the  missionaries  sent  forth  by  the  Venerable  Society.  But 
there  is  no  doubt  Messrs.  Keith  and  Talbot  preached  in  all 
the  principal  places  of  the  Colonies.  Humphrey  says  :  *"  They 
traveled  over  and  preached  in  all  the  Governments  and 
Dominions  belonging  to  the  Crown  of  England,  betwixt  North 
Carolina  and  Piscataway  River  in  New  England,  inclusively, 
being  ten  distinct  Governments ;  and  extending  in  length 
800  miles.''  At  all  events,  the  reception  given  to  Mr.  Keith 
and  his  companion,  reveals  these  facts :  that  even  at  that 
early  date,  there  was  a  strong  drift  towards  Episcopacy ;  that 
the  Congregational  system,  although  in  operation  for  more 
than  half  a  century,  without  any  interruption  or  hindrance^ 
had  begun  to  prove  unsatisfactory  to  many  of  its  prominent 
supporters,  and  that  for  a  permanent  settlement  of  the  re- 
ligious question,  the  people,  if  allowed  to  choose,  would  prefer 
the  ecclesiastical  system  of  the  Church  of  England.  Of  a 
visitation  of  Messrs.  Keith  and  Talbot  to  Fairfield  we  have  no 
satisfactory  evidence.  One  tradition  relates  that  they  stopped 
there  for  a  brief  period,  as  they  journeyed  from  New  London 
to  New  York  ;  another  that  they  crossed  the  Sound  from 
New  London  to  Long  Island  in  a  sloop  which  they  hired. 
If  New  London  was  the  only  town  in  Connecticut  visited 
by  them,  somehow  they  obtained  in  a  brief  space  of  time 
ample  information  concerning  the  whole  Colony.  Wri- 
ting home  a  few  months  afterwards,  they  reported  of 
Connecticut  that  it  contained  "  thirty  thousand  souls  in 
about  thirty-three  towns,  all  Dissenters,  supplied  with 
ministers  and  schools  of  their  own  persuasion."  One  general 
result  accrued  from  their  protracted  itineracy :  numbers 
again  had  a  taste  of  the  worship  of  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer  ;  their  courage  to  stand  up  in  its  behalf  was  fortified  -, 
while  their  longing  for  a   settled  ministry  among  them  was 

•History  S.  P.  G.,  p.  20. 


VISIT    OF    MESSRS.    KEITH    AND    TALBOT.  23 

aroused.  The  proof  of  this  is  fouud  in  the  announcement  the 
Venerable  Society  was  shortly  compelled  to  make :  "  that  it 
was  unable  to  respond  favorably  to  one  half  of  the  appeals 
from  the  Colonies,  presented  to  it  for  its  consideration." 

After  an  absence  of  two  years,  Mr.  Keith  returned  to 
England,  and  became  iucumbent  of  Edburton,  in  the  pleasant 
County  of  Sussex.  It  was  in  March,  1716,  that  he  finished 
his  earthly  labors,  and  the  simple  record  in  the  parish  register 
under  date  of  March  29th,  reads :  "  Then  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Keith,  Eector  of  Edburton,  was  buried."' 

The  Venerable  Society  sent  out  no  missionary  more 
successful  and  self-sacrificing,  than  this  godly  man.  He 
began  the  work  and  laid  the  foundations  on  which  others 
built.  Mr.  Talbot  was  an  effective  and  faithful  coadjutor. 
The  two  labored  together,  harmoniously  and  enthusiastically, 
throughout  their  extended  tours.  After  Mr.  Keith's  de- 
parture, Mr.  Talbot  became  Rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Burlington,  New  Jersey,  of  which  he  was  the  founder.  When 
he  I'etired  he  was  the  oldest  missionary  in  the  Colonies,  and 
in  influence  he  stood  first  among  the  Churchmen  of  his  day.* 

♦Mr.  Talbot  lias  been  the  subject  of  a  curious  story.  It  Is  alleged  that  after  twenty 
years  of  faithful  service  at  Burlington,  he  went  to  England,  and  was  consecrated 
to  the  Episcopate  by  the  non-juring  Bishops.  McConnell :  History  of  the  Ameri- 
can Episcopal  Church,  p.  103,  says:  "Anderson,  Hawks,  Wllberforce,  and 
Caswell  afflrm  that  he  did.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Hills,  in  his  '  History  of  the  Church  in 
Burlington,'  discusses  the  same  subject  exhaustively  and  maintains  the  same 
assertion.  In  Vol.  I.  of  Bishop  Perry's  •  History  of  the  American  Episcopal  church' 
Is  a  Monograph  by  Rev.  John  Fulton,  D.  D..  in  which  he  re-examines  the  whole 
case,  and  arrives  at  the  conclusion,  that  Mr.  Talbot  never  received  such  consecra- 
tion ;  and  that  the  tradition  arose  from  confounding  his  name  with  that  of  another 
person." 


CHAPTER  IV. 


The  Rev.  George  Muirson  ;  the  Rev.  Messrs  Talbot,  Sharpe, 

AND  Bridge  ;  and  the   Rev.  George  Pigot,  Officiate 

AT  Fairfield,  1706-1723,  a.  d. 

In  1704,  the  Venerable  Society  established  a  mission  at 
Rj'e,  in  New  York,  and  sent  over  the  Rev.  George  Muirson  to 
take  charge  of  it.  He  wrote  thus  to  the  Society  in  1706 : 
"  I  have  baptized  about  two  hundred  young  and  old,  but 
mostly  grown  persons.  I  have  now  above  forty  communi- 
cants, though  I  had  onlj'  six  when  I  first  administered  the 
Holy  Sacrament."  The  fact  of  Mr.  Muirson's  settlement  at 
Rye,  and  his  successful  labors  there,  soon  became  known  in 
many  of  the  shore-towns  of  Connecticut,  and  repeated  and 
urgent  petitions  to  visit  them  were  sent  by  the  Church-people. 
Possessed  with  the  missionary  spirit  of  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Muir- 
son determined  to  comply  with  their  request.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1706,  in  company  with  Colonel  Caleb  Heathcote,  a 
zealous  and  affluent  layman,  at  that  time  residing  in  West- 
chester county,  he  set  out  upon  a  journey,  which  it  was  pur- 
posed should  extend  as  far  as  the  Housatouic  river.  They  rode 
to  Fairfield,  and  thence  to  Stratford.  The  missionary,  though 
"  threatened  with  prison  and  hard  usage,"  preached  to  large 
congregations,  and  "  baptized  about  twenty-four,  mostly 
grown  people."  Writing  to  the  Society,  on  his  return,  he 
says  :  "I  have  been  lately  in  the  Government  of  Connecticut, 
where  I  observe  some  people  well  affected  to  the  Church  ;  so 
that  I  am  assured  an  itinerant  missionary  might  do  great 
service  in  that  Province.  Some  of  their  ministers  have 
privately  told  me  that,  had  we  a  Bishop  among  us  they  would 


THE    REV.    GEORGE    MUIRSON.  25 

■conform  and  receive  Holy  Orders,  from  which,  as  well  as  on 
the  Continent,  the  necessity  of  a  Bishop  will  appear." 

Col.  Heathcote  was  so  favorably  impressed  by  what  he  saw 
and  heard  during  this  visit,  that  he  hastened  to  give  his  im- 
pressions concerning  it  to  the  Venerable  Society.  He  says  : 
^'  We  found  the  places  we  visited  very  ignorant  of  the  Consti- 
tution of  our  Church,  and  therefore  enemies  to  it.  The  chief 
towns  are  furnished  with  ministers,  mainly  Independents, 
denying  baptism  to  the  children  of  all  such  as  are  not  in  full 
communion  with  them  :  there  are  many  thousands  in  that 
Government  unbaptized.  The  ministers  were  very  uneasy  at 
our  coming  amongst  then,  and  abundance  of  pains  were  taken 
to  terrify  the  people  from  hearing  Mr.  Muirson.  But  it 
availed  nothing,  for  notwithstanding  all  their  endeavors,  we 
had  a  very  great  congregation,  and  indeed  infinitely  beyond 
expectation.  The  people  were  wonderfull}'  surprised  at  the 
order  of  our  Church,  expecting  to  have  heard  and  seen  some 
strange  thing,  by  the  accounts  and  representations  of  it  that 
their  teachers  had  given  them."  * 

In  a  later  letter,  dated  Scarsdale  Manor,  Nov.  9,  1706, 
Colonel  Heathcote  enters  upon  a  discussion  of  the  general 
affairs  of  the  Church  in  New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Connecti- 
cut. He  says  :  But  bordering  on  Connecticut  there  is  no 
part  of  the  Ct)ntinent,  from  whence  the  Church  can  have  so 
fair  an  opportunity  to  make  impressions  upon  the  Inde- 
pendents in  that  Government,  who  are  settled  b}'  their  laws, 
from  Rye  Parish  to  Boston  Colony,  which  is  about  35  leagues, 
in  which  there  are  abundance  of  people  and  places.  As  for 
Boston  Colony,  I  never  was  in  it,  so  can  say  little  of  it.  But 
for  Connecticut,  I  am  and  have  been  pretty  conversant  ;  and 
always  was  as  much  in  their  good  graces  as  any  man.  And 
now  I  am  upon  that  subject,  I  will  give  the  best  account  I 
can  of  that  Colony.  It  contains  in  length  about  1-10  miles, 
and  has  in  it  about  40  towns,  in  which  there  is  a  Presbyterian 

•Humphrey:    History  of  the  Venerable  Society,  p.  118. 


26  THE    REV.    GEORGE    MUIRSON. 

or  Independent  minister  settled  by  their  law  ;  to  whom  the 
people  are  obliged  to  pay,  notwithstanding  many  times  they 
are  not  ordained ;  of  which  I  have  known  several  examples. 
The  number  of  people  there,  I  believe,  is  about  2,400  souls, 
They  have  an  abundance  of  odd  kind  of  laws,  to  prevent  any 
from  dissenting  from  their  church,  and  endeavor  to  keep  the 
peo{jle  in  as  much  blindness  and  unacquaintedness  with  any 
other  religion  as  possible ;  but  in  a  more  particular  manner^ 
the  Church,  looking  upon  her  as  the  most  dangerous  enemy 
they  have  to  grapple  withall,  and  abundance  of  pains  is  taken 
to  make  the  ignorant  think  as  bad  as  possible  of  her.  And  I 
really  believe  that  more  than  half  of  the  people  of  that  Gov- 
ernment, think  our  Church  is  little  better  than  the  Papists, 
and  the  truth  is,  they  improve  everything  against  us.  Yet  I 
dare  aver,  that  there  is  not  a  much  greater  necessity  of  having 
the  Christian  religion  preached  in  its  true  light  anywhere 
than  amongst  them.  Many,  if  not  the  greater  number  of 
them,  being  in  a  little  better  than  in  a  state  of  heathenism  •,. 
having  never  been  baptized  or  admitted  to  the  Holy  Com- 
munion."* Concluding  his  letter.  Colonel  Heathcote  recom- 
mends that  Rev.  Mr.  Muirson  be  sent  on  a  second  missionary 
tour  throughout  the  Colony.  It  was  under  such  circum- 
stances that  the  Episcopal  Church  was  introduced  in  form^ 
both  at  Fairfield,  and  at  Stratford.  The  following  year,  Mr. 
Muirson  came  again  to  Fairfield  by  invitation  of  the  Church- 
people  there,  and  preached  to  a  large  congregation  in  a 
private  house,  and  baptized  a  number  of  adults  and  children- 
Concerning  this  visit  he  wrote  to  the  Society  :  "  The  Inde- 
pendents used  means  to  obstruct  me.  The  people  were  like- 
wise threatened  with  imprisonment,  and  a  forfeiture  of  five 
pounds  for  coming  to  hear  me.  It  would  require  more  time 
than  you  would  willingly  bestow  on  these  lines,  to  express 
how  rigidly  and  severely  they  treat  our  people,  by  taking 
their  estates  by  distress  when  they  do  not  willingly  pay  to 
•  Bolton :    History  of  Westchester  County,  vol.  11,  p.  106. 


THE    REV.    GEORGE    MUIRSON.  27 

support  their  ministers ;  and  though  every  Churchman  in 
that  Colony  pays  his  rate  for  the  building  and  repairing  their 
meeting-houses,  yet  they  are  so  set  against  us,  that  they 
deny  us  the  use  of  them  though  on  the  week  days.  All  the 
Churchmen  of  this  Colony  request  is  that  they  may  not  be 
oppressed ;  that  they  may  obtain  a  liberty  of  conscience,  and 
call  a  minister  of  their  own  ;  that  they  be  freed  from  paying 
to  their  ministers,  and  thereby  be  enabled  to  support  their 
own.     This  is  all  these  good  men  desire."  * 

The  missionary  efforts  of  Mr.  Muirson  were  not  long  in 
producing  a  satisfactory  result.  Early  in  the  year  1707,  the 
Episcopalians  of  Stratford,  probably  in  connection  with  a  few 
from  Fairfield,  "embodied  themselves  in  a  religious  society," 
and  requested  that  Mr.  Muirson  might  be, sent  to  reside 
among  them  as  a  settled  missionary.  But  before  they  received 
any  answer  to  their  application,  he  died,  in  October,  1708  ;. 
and  the  few  Churchmen,  who  had  begun  with  much  hope  and 
amid  cheering  prospects,  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  first 
Episcopal  parish  in  Connecticut,  were  called,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  to  await  with  patience,  through  a  series  of  untoward 
events,  during  a  number  of  years,  the  coming  of  a  resident 
clergyman. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Muirson,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Talbot^ 
Sharpe  and  Bridge,  missionaries  located  in  New  York  and 
New  Jersey,  occasiouly  visited  Stratford  and  Fairfield.  And 
at  one  time,  Mr.  Sharpe  spent  nearly  a  month,  and  took  much 
pains,  and  baptized  many  ;  among  whom  was  an  aged  man, 
said  to  have  been  the  first  man-child  born  in  the  Colony  of 
Connecticut.  At  length,  in  1713,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Phillips  wa& 
put  in  charge  of  the  parish  at  Stratford ;  but  after  a  few 
months,  during  which  his  ministrations  were  very  irregular^ 
he  suddenly  left  the  Colony.  And  finally,  to  add  to  the 
disappointment  of  the  scattered  flock,  not  yet  fully  organized 
and  settled  as  a  regular  mission,  after  several  years  of  zealous 
•Humphrey :    History  of  the  Venerable  Society,  p.  119. 


28  THE    EEV.    GEORGE    MUIRSON. 

and  patient  effort  to  that  end,  the  Rev.  Aeneas  Mackenzie,  condi- 
tionally appointed  for  the  supply  of  Stratford,  was  detained 
at  Staten  Island,  by  the  offer  of  a  gentleman  to  build  and 
endow  a  Church  there.  Thus  thwarted  by  various  circum- 
stances, scarcely  less  discouraging  than  the  opposition  and 
hindrance  presented  by  laws  of  the  Colony,  which  were 
devised  for  the  support  of  the  Congregational  system  of 
religion,  the  Churchmen  of  Stratford  and  Fairfield,  to  whom 
Mr.  Muirson  had  preached  in  1706  and  1707,  were  not  pro- 
vided with  a  resident  pastor  until  1722.*  Then,  to  their  great 
joy,  the  Rev.  George  Pigot  was  sent  hither  by  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  and  located  for  a  while  at 
Stratford :  with  a  general  charge  of  all  the  Church-people  in 
these  parts :  who  seem  to  have  been,  as  yet,  almost  confined 
to  Stratfoid  and  Fairfield. 

Mr.  Pigot  held  his  first  service  at  Fairfield,  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Hanford,  and  preached  to  about  six  families,  the  26th 
day  of  August.  He  arranged  to  officiate  regularly  thereafter, 
once  a  month.  The  other  Sundays,  when  Mr.  Pigot  was  offi- 
ciating at  Stratford,  or  elsewhere,  services  at  Fairfield  were 
kept  up  by  the  aid  of  a  faithful  lay -reader.  It  appears  from 
letters  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  Venerable  Society, 
that  in  the  year  1723,  Dr.  James  Laborie,  a  French  physician 
of  eminence,  who  had  left  his  native  country  towards  the 
close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  been  "  ordained  by  Mr. 
Knight,  antistes  of  the  Canton  of  Zurich,"  taught  and  held 
service  conformably  to  the  usage  of  the  Church  of  England  in 
his  own  house  in  Fairfield.  According  to  the  records  of  the 
Town  he  resided  there  in  1718,  having  bought  at  that  time,  of 
Mr.  Isaac  Jennings,  a  place  known  as  "  the  stone  house  on 
the  rocks,"  probably  the  same  concerning  which  he  afterwards 
said,  that  he  had  "  destinated '"  it  to  the  service  of  the  Church 
of  England  Anyway,  using  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  for 
a  manual  of  worship,  this  zealous  layman  invited  beneath  his 

*  Rev.  N.  E.  Cornwall :    Historical  Discourse,  p.  9. 


THE    EEV.    GEORGE    MDIBSON.  29 

roof,  on  Sunday  mornings,  those  who  still  clung  to  the 
Church  of  England  and  its  form  of  worship.  Here,  then, 
was  a  nucleus,  independent  of  a  settled  minister,  about  which 
the  Church  sentiment  could  gather  and  grow  !  And  doubtless 
it  did  much  to  strengthen  Mr.  Pigot's  brief  but  successful 
ministry.  The  latter  served  Fairfield,  in  common  with 
Stratford  and  Newtown  but  a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  was 
removed  by  the  Venerable  Society's  order,  to  Providence? 
Rhode  Island,  the  place  for  which  he  had  been  intended  when 
he  first  arrived  in  America.  It  seems  quite  plain  then  that 
the  Church  in  Fairfield,  actually  began  with  the  lay  services  of 
Dr.  Laborie.  If  the  date  of  his  coming  to  Fairfield,  1718,  is 
correct,  that  would  be  the  year  of  its  inception.  Mr.  Pigot 
was  the  first  clergyman  who  officiated  regularly,  but  even  in 
his  time,  1722,  the  continuous  life  of  the  parish  can  be  said  to 
have  dei^ended  upon  the  fervor  of  those  Churchmen  who  met 
from  Sunday  to  Sunday,  and  participated  in  Divine  woi-ship 
according  to  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  the  officiant  being 
more  frequently  one  of  their  own  number.* 

*In  a  "Registry-book"  kepcbyMr.  Plgot  and  Mr.  .Jolinson.  at  Stratford,  tliere 
Is  a  record  of  the  appointment,  In  1724.  of  two  Wardens  and  nine  Vestrymen  "  for 
Stratford,"  one  Warden  and  two  Vestrymen  ••  for  Fairneld,"  one  Warden  and  two 
Vestrymen  "for  Newtown,"  and  two  Wardens  and  three  Vestrymen  ''for 
Rlpton;"  the  Warden  for  Fairfield  bein^^  Dougal  Mackenzie,  and  the  Vestrymen, 
James  Laborie,  Sen.  and  Benjamin  Siurges.  At  the  same  time  James  Laborie, 
Jun.  was  one  of  the  Vestrymen  for  Stratford. 


CHAPTER  V. 


The  Ministry  of  the  Rev.  Samuel   Johnson  and   the    Build- 
ing OF  THE  First  Church  at  Mill  Plain,  1723-1727. 


Rev.  Samuei-  Johnson. 
In   1723,  Rev.    Samuel  Jobusou,  succeeded    Mr.    Pigot  as 
TBcbor  of  the  parish  at  Stratford,  and  animated  with  the  same 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    JOHNSON.  31 

noble  spirit  of  his  predecessor,  still  continued  to  give  to  the 
Church-people  at  Fairfield,  a  generous  shai'e  of  his  time.  He 
it  was,  who  having  been  a  tutor  at  Yale  college,  and 
afterwards  a  popular  Congregational  minister  at  West  Haven, 
and  having  had  a  Prayer  Book  put  into  his  hands,*  had  read 
and  re-i-ead  it  until  he  had  become  convinced  that  "  there 
were  no  prayers  like  those  of  the  Church  of  England;"  had 
crossed  the  ocean  to  the  mother-country,  and  been  "  Episco- 
pally  initiated,  confirmed  and  ordained;"  and  was  now 
returned  to  Connecticut  to  extend  the  borders  of  the  Church 
of  his  convictions.  How  few  Churchmen  of  the  present 
day  are  conversant  with  that  stirring  episode  in  the  ecclesias- 
tical history  of  Connecticut !  Dr.  Cutler,  President  of  Yale, 
Mr.  Johnson,  Mr.  Brown,  also  a  Tutor  at  I'ale,  all  men  of  great 
purity  of  chai'acter,  of  profound  learning,  and  liberal  culture, 
became  convinced  that  their  duty  la^^  in  returning  to  the 
Church  of  their  fathers,  the  Church  of  England.  One  reason 
was.  the  Congregational  system  was  not  meeting  the  spiritual 
need  of  the  time.  This  was  the  period  of  controversy.  The 
principles  of  Puritanism  had  lost  their  hold  upon  many  of  the 
people.  A  re-action  had  set  in,  and  the  moral  tone  of  the 
Connecticut  towns  was  lowered.  "  The  complicated  relations 
of  Church  and  State  needed  disentanglement  and  explana- 
tion."' t  Another  was,  it  became  evident  after  calm,  unpreju- 
diced study,  that  unless  God  was  the  author  of  confusion,  He 
would  establish  but  one  Church,  not  many  so-called  churches, 
to  extend  and  conserve  the  Gospel  of  His  Son  ;  that  He  had 
done  so  thi-ough  His  inspired  Apostles,  and  that  His  Church 
with  its  Holy  Scriptures,  Ministry,  Sacraments,  and  Liturgy, 

«  A  good  maD  In  Guilford,  Smltlison  by  name— blessed  be  bis  memory !— bad  a 
Prayer  Book  wblch  be  put  Into  tbe  bands  of  tbe  youtbful  Jobnson  before  be  left 
bis  native  town.  Many  of  tbe  prayers  tbat  lie  found  tlierein,  Jobnson  committed 
to  memory,  and  afterwards  used  as  occasion  required,  in  public  worsblp.  alike  to 
tbe  comfort  of  blmself  and  to  tbe  comfort  and  edification  of  bis  flock.— Beardsley  : 
History  of  tbe  Episcopal  Cburcb,  vol.  11,  p.  .34. 

t  Clilld  :    Tbe  Prime  Ancient  Society,  p.  20. 


32  THE    REV.    SAMUEL    JOHNSON. 

existed  just  as  really  and  as  manifestly  in  the  year  1722,  as  afc 
the  day  of  Pentecost.  With  this  conviction  born  within  them 
they  could  not  rest  where  they  were  ;  so  they  came  out 
boldly  and  announced  their  resolve  to  seek  valid  ministerial 
authority  in  England.  Their  action,  which  found  numerous 
imitators,  shook  the  Congregational  Church  like  an  earth- 
quake. * 

No  one  can  doubt  the  sincerity  of  Mr.  Johnson's  course,  or 
that  of  his  companions.  Everything  in  the  way  of  honor  and 
preferment  tempted  them  to  stay  where  they  were;  while  to 
obtain  the  ordination  they  sought,  the  terrors  of  the  deep, 
and  the  dangers  of  pestilence,  demanded  a  courage  unsur- 
passed by  that  exhibited  by  the  most  valiant  on  the  battle- 
field. Mr.  Johnson's  diary,  written  for  his  own,  and  not  the 
public  eye,  immediately  after  the  College  Commencement  of 
1722,  shows  what  was  the  inner  mind  of  this  holy  man.  He 
says:  ''Being  at  length  brought  to  such  doubts  concerning 
the  validity  of  my  ordination,  that  I  could  go  no  further 
without  intolerate  uneasiness  of  mind,  I  have  now  at  length, 
after  some  private  conferences  with  ministers,  made  a  public 
declaration  of  my  scruples  and  uneasiness.  It  is  with  great 
sorrow  of  heart  that  I  am  forced  to  be  an  occasion  of  so  much 
uneasiness  to  my  dear  friends,  my  poor  people,  and  indeed  to 
the  whole  Colony.  O  God,  I  beseech  Thee,  grant  that  I  may 
not,  by  an  adherence  to  Thy  necessary  truths  and  laws — as  I 
profess  in  my  conscience  they  seem  to  be — be  a  stumbling 
block  or  occasion  to  fall  to  any  soul.  Let  not  our  thus 
appearing  for  Thy  Church  be  any  way  accessox-y,  though 
accidentally,  to  the  hurt  of  religion  in  general,  or  any  person 

♦Ex-Presldent  Woosley In  Ills  Historical  Dlscoui'se,  1850,  says:  A  departure  tor 
the  first  time  In  the  Colony,  and  o£  so  many  at  once,  from  the  views  of  the  New 
England  Churches,  and  a  return  to  that  Church  from  which  the  Pilgrims  had  fled 
into  the  wilderness,  filled  the  minds  of  men  with  apprehension  and  g-loom— feelings 
which  extended  into  the  neighboring  Colony.  I  suppose  that  greater  alarm  would 
scarcely  be  awakened  now,  if  the  Theological  Faculty  of  the  College  were  to 
declare  for  the  Churcli  of  Rome,  avow  their  belief  in  Transubstantiatlon,  and  pray 
to  the  Virgin  Mary. 


MAP      or  A  PORTION- OF  the' 

TOSA/M     or   FAIRFJELD 

SHOWINO    TV<E   VARIOUS    LOCATIONS  OF 

TRINITY     CHURCH 

SrNCE      ITS     ORGANIZATION 


L.ONG  1SL.ANJD  SOUND 


COMPIUEO     EXPRESSUV      TOR    THIS  WORK      BV 
QEOHGE     E.PAUN/ICn. 

less 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    JOHNSON.  33 

in  particular.  Have  mercy,  Lord,  have  mercy  on  the  souls  of 
men,  and  pity  and  enlighten  those  who  are  grieved  at  this 
accident.  Lead  into  the  way  of  truth  all  those  who  have 
erred  and  are  deceived,  and  if  we  in  this  affair  are  misled,  we 
beseech  Thee,  to  show  us  our  error  before  it  is  too  late,  that 
we  may  repair  the  damage.  Grant  us  Thy  illumination,  for 
Christ's  sake — Amen." 

Immediately  after  his  return  from  England  on  November 
4th,  1723,  Mr.  Johnson  took  charge  of  the  Church  at  Stratford ; 
and  Mr.  Pigot  hastened  to  his  charge  at  Providence.  Mr. 
Johnson's  position  was  somewhat  like  that  of  an  itinerant 
preacher,  as  he  officiated  at  Fairfield  one  Sunday  in  the 
month,  and  at  Norwalk,  Newtown  and  West  Haven,  frequentl}-- 
on  week  days.  He  describes  himself  as  "  alone,  surrounded 
with  bitter  enemies,  so  that  if  he  had  not  been  of  a  very 
sanguine  temper,  he  would  have  scai'ce  avoided  growing 
melaucholly."  It  certainly  would  not  have  been  strange  if 
he  had  grown  "  melancholly,"  if  the  tradition  is  true  which  is 
told  of  his  reception  and  residence  at  Stratford.  The  house 
which  was  procured  for  him  was  branded  with  a  hot  poker,  by 
the  good  woman  who  vacated  it,  on  the  fire-boards  and 
every  available  piece  of  woodwork,  with  large  crosses — a 
vigorous  protest  against  Popish  invasion.  It  is  also  stated 
that  for  some  time  he  was  obliged  to  send  to  Long  Island, 
fourteen  miles  across  the  Sound,  for  provisions  which  the 
excellent  townspeople  would  not  furnish.  Writing  to  the 
Bishop  of  London  shortly  after  his  arrival  at  Stratford,  he 
says :  "  There  is  not  one  clergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England,  besides  myself,  in  this  whole  Colony,  and  I  am 
obliged  in  a  great  measure  to  neglect  my  cure  at  Stratford, 
where  yet  there  is  business  for  one  minister,  to  ride  about  to 
other  towns,  when  in  each  one  of  them  there  is  as  much  need 
of  a  resident  minister  as  there  is  at  Stratford,  especially  at 
Fairfield  and  Newtown."  This  is  true,  but  Fairfield  had  one 
incalculable  advantage  over  other  places  in  which  he  officiated. 


34 


THE    EEV.    SAMUEL    JOHNSON. 


Faithful  Dr.  Laborie  was  serving  as  lay -reader  there,  whenever 
the  Lord's  day  came  round,  and  Mr.  Johnson's  duties  called 
him  elsewhere.  Thus  continuity  and  vitality  were  imparted 
to  the  infant  jparish.  The  Church  at  Fairfield  at  this  time 
numbered  about  twenty  families:  Mr.  Johnson  writing  in 
1724  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Venerable  Society  says  :  "  The 
whole  town  would,  I  believe,  embrace  the  Church  if  they  had 
a  good  minister.  I  have  a  vast  assembly  every  time  I  visit 
them.  We  have,  however,  no  abatement  of  persecution  and 
imprisonment  for  taxes,  which  sundry  people,  and  those  of 
both  sexes  have  unreasonably  suflered."  In  spite,  though,  of 
the  harsh  treatment  to  which  it  was  subjected — so  strong  was 
the  feeling  against  the  Church,  that  by  common  consent 
Fairfield  at  this  time,  and  for  years  afterwards,  was  styled 
"  the  chief  seat  of  opposition  to  Episcopacy" — the  young,  but 
militant  parish,  decided  upon  the  erection  of  a  Church  edifice. 
After  much  legal  fencing,  an  eligible  site  was  secured  on  Mill 
Plain,  a  central  location,  about  a  mile  from  the  village  of 
Fairfield  and  the  work  was  begun.  This  Church  building, 
the  second  Episcopal  Church  erected  in  the  Colony,  was  set 
apart  for  divine  worship,  with  a  suitable  discourse  by  Mr. 
Johnson,  November  10th,  1725,  the  Thanksgiving-Day  that 
year  for  Connecticut. 

It  is  difficult  for  us  at  the  present  time,  to  conceive  how 
humble  and  plain  this  edifice  was.  Although  designed  for 
Episcopal  worship,  it  varied  little  in  size  and  appearance  from 
the  usual  type  of  meeting-house  of  that  day.  The  windows 
were  hardly  more  than  openings  for  light  and  air,  their  size 
being  reduced  by  the  scarcity  and  cost  of  glass ;  there  was  no 
plaster  on  the  walls ;  no  cushions  took  the  hardness  off  the 
narrow  benches;  artificial  heat  was  unknown,  even  in  the 
bitterest  weather ;  there  was  the  merest  suggestion  of  a  pulpit, 
and  a  rough  carpenter-made  reading  desk,  balanced  it  on  the 
other  side.  Seats  were  provided  for  the  colored  people 
apart  by  themselves.     In  the  early  days  in  all  the  Connecticut 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    JOHNSON. 


35 


towns,  religious  and  other  meetings  were  called  by  the  beat  of 
the  drum  ;  one  of  the  inhabitants  making  an  annual  contract 
for  the  service.  It  was  considered  a  decided  novelty,  and  a 
sign  of  great  progress,  when  the  enterprise  of  the  congrega- 
tion connected  with  Trinity  Church,  caused  a  bell  to  be  hung 
in  the  steeple  of  the  second  Episcopal  Church  erected  thirteen 
years  later. 

Who  were  the  donors  of  the  funds  wherewith  this  first 
Church  was  built?  We  cannot  tell.  The  records,  if  there 
were  any,  were  all  destroyed  by  the  fire  of  1779.     One  thing 


The  FiKST  Church  on  Mill  Pi.aix. 

we  know,  the  space  about  the  edifice,  began  to  be  utilized  in  a 
very  short  time  as  a  burial  ground,  and  this  fact  has  preserved 
for  us  the  name  of  a  worthy  parishioner,  whose  benefactions 
to  the  parish  must  have  been  of  a  generous  character.  As 
late  as  1881  there  were  seven  tombstones,  worn  and  disinte- 
grated by  the  passing  j'ears,  still  in  place,  on  the  site  of  the 
first  Mill  Plain  Church.     In  that  year  they  were  removed  by  the 


36 


THE    KEY.    SAMUEL    JOHNSON. 


citizens  of  Fairfield  villap^e  to  the  old  burying  ground  of  that 
place,  where  they  are  now.  The  most  important  in  size  and 
state  of  preservation  is  that  of  Abraham  Adams,  who  died 
August  9th,  1729.  in  tbe  80th  year  of  his  age,  having  been  a 
worthv  Founder  and  Liberal  Benefactor  to  Trinity  Church. 


^"HT; 


Here  Lyes  BurieJiT/' ''-}:, 
^  Body  of  M^'     ^^   ^^ 

Abraham  Adams  f^^ 
whoDcc-Aucf' 


Sf  ,^^ 


In  u    80  ^^'Yearo 
His     A  <^e 

Havmq  been  a  Worthy  Toun  '' 
&  Liberal  Bene  factor  toTrinify 

Church, 

Tomb  ok  Abraham  Adams. 

The  other  stones  are  : 

No.  1. 

JOHN  APPLEGATE, 

Died  1712. 

No.  2. 

AVIS  APPLEGATE, 

Died  1717. 


THE    REV.    SAMUEL    JOHNSON.  37 

No.   3. 
REBECCA  BROWN, 

Died  1730. 

No.  4. 

BENJAMIN  LINES, 

Died  1732. 

No.  5. 

DAVID  JENNINGS, 

Died  1735. 

No.  6. 

ESTHER  LORD. 

The  existence  and  location  of  these  tombstones  up  to  1881, 

clearly  remove  the  exact  site  of  the  first  Church  erected  by 

Trinity  parish,  from  the  uncertainties  of  mere  tradition.     The 

tombstones,  within  the  recollection  of  many  living  witnesses, 

were  taken  from  the  spot  marked  No.  1,  on  the  map  of  Church 

sites,  which  has  been  prepared  for  this  work,  and  that,  beyond 

dispute,  is  where  the  first    Church  built  by  the  j)arish   was 

situated. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


The    Rev.    Henry     Caner,    the    First    Rector    of     Trinity 

Church,  and  the  Building  of  the  Second  Church 

Edifice,  1727-1747  a.  d. 


Eev.  Henry  Canek. 

Under  the  impetus  given  by  the  possession  of  a  permanent 
building  wherein  the  people  could  gather  without  hindrance 
for  worship  and  Sacrament,  the  continued  progress  of  the 
Church  at  Fairfield  became  assured.  One  need  there  wasr 
however,   that  became  more  and  more  apparent,  that  of  a 


THE    EEV.    HENRY    CANER.  39 

settled  minister.  iDasmuch  as  Mr.  Johnson,  though  actually 
Rector  at  Stratford,  was  practically  missionary  to  all  the  parts 
adjacent,  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  he  could  give  the 
growing  parish  at  Fairfield  as  much  of  his  time  as  it  required. 
It  is  true  it  had  been  favored  for  a  number  of  years,  with  the 
invaluable  services  of  Dr.  Laborie,  but  about  this  date  he  had 
felt  compelled,  owing  to  bodily  infirmity,  to  sever  his  relation 
with  it  as  lay-reader.  Providentially,  a  fit  person  was  found 
to  succeed  him  in  that  capacity.*  Henry  Caner  was  a  recent 
graduate  of  Yale  college,  a  communicant  at  Stratford,  and  a 
candidate  for  Holy  Orders.  He  was,  according  to  Dr.  Trum- 
bull, "  the  son  of  the  Mr.  Caner  who  built  the  first  college  and 
Rector's  house  at  New  Haven."  After  having  materially 
assisted  in  keeping  up  the  services,  as  lay-reader,  under  Mr. 
Johnson,  for  two  years,  Mr.  Caner  crossed  over  to  England,  and 
having  been  ordained,  was  forthwith  appointed  missionary  at 
Fairfield,  by  the  Venerable  Society.  The  second  and  most 
impoi'tant  stage  in  the  history  of  Trinity  Church  was  now 
reached.  It  had  not  only  its  proper  Church  edifice,  but  also  for 
the  first  time  in  its  history,  a  Rector  whom  it  could  rightfully 
call  its  own.  Instead  of  coming  at  intervals  from  without  to 
minister  to  the  congregation,  henceforth  there  was  one 
who  would  make  the  parish  itself  the  centre  from  which  his 
influence  would  radiate.  As  was  to  be  expected,  a  new  era 
of  prosperity  ensued.  In  1733,  Mr.  Caner  informed  the 
Venerable  Society  that  "the  Independents,  who  formerly 
thought  it  a  crime  to  join  with  the  Churchmen  in  worship, 
now  freely  came  to  Church,  and  joined  with  seeming  sanctity 
and  satisfaction  in  our  service."  Later  he  reported  that  in 
Fairfield,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  the  Church  was  in  a  growing 

*The  name  of  "Henry  Canner"  was  enrolled  In  the  "  registry -book  "  of  Mr. 
Plgot,  upon  the  list  of  communicants  at  Stratford,  "Septr.  2d,  I72ii,"  and  that  of 
"Henry  Caner,  Jr."  by  Mr.  Johnson,  "March  2Sth,  1725."  It  may  be  well  to 
observe  that  while  the  original  orthography  of  Mr.  Caner's  name  was  that 
which  Is  here  employed,  the  received  pronunciation  of  It  was  doubtless  Indicated 
more  precisely  by  Doctor  Trumbull,  who  wrote  It  Cannier,  and  by  the  early 
Churchmen  of  Fairfield,  who  sometimes  wrote  It  Conner. 


40  THE    REV.    HENRY    CANER. 

condition,  and  never  in  as  flourishing  a  state  as  at  present." 
Early  in  1736,  exhausted  by  his  arduous  duties,  Mr.  Caner 
was  induced  by  his  physician  to  journey  to  England,  for  rest 
and  recuperation.  Writing  to  Mr.  Johnson  from  London 
under  date  of  March  9th,  the  Bishop  of  Gloucester  said  :  "  I 
wish  Mr.  Caner,  who  has  the  character  from  you,  and  every 
one,  of  a  very  deserving  man,  might  acquire  a  better  state  of 
health  by  his  journey  hither.'"  The  Bishop's  desire  was 
realized.  Change  of  scene,  freedom  from  that  "  sameness  that 
doubles  care,"  speedily  restored  him  to  his  normal  condition, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  was  back  at  work  in 
Fairfield,  ready,  if  that  were  possible,  to  make  greater  sacri- 
fices than  ever  in  its  behalf.  Daring  all  this  time  the  parish 
was  steadily  advancing.  The  attendance  on  the  Lord's  Day 
had  grown  larger  ;  more  than  one  parishioner  had  remembered 
the  Church  by  will;  while  better  than  all,  there  were  numerous 
indications  of  an  abatement  of  the  persecuting  spirit  and 
temper  of  those  who,  up  to  this  time,  had  been  bitterly 
hostile.  About  a  twelve-month  after  Mr.  Caner's  return  from 
England,  the  Church  edifice,  erected  in  1725,  on  Mill  Plain, 
had  become,  it  was  discovered,  "  much  too  little  for  the 
congregation  ;"  besides,  the  location  was  inconvenient  for  many 
of  the  parishioners,  being  nearly  a  mile  from  the  town-centre, 
which  was  Fairfield  village.  At  this  period,  Fairfield  was  a 
port  of  entry,  and  the  seat  of  the  Courts  for  the  whole  County. 
Shops  and  dwellings  were  multiplying,  and  the  population 
increasing  rapidly  in  numbers  and  importance.  A  Church 
located  close  by,  rather  than  over  a  mile  distant,  it  was  felt  was 
a  want  of  a  pressing  nature,  even  though  a  considerable  part 
of  the  congregation  might  have  to  travel  somewhat  further  to 
reach  it.  The  project  meeting  with  favor,  at  a  town  meeting 
held  July  27th,  1738,  a  vote  was  adopted*  giving   "  liberty  to 

*  This  action  of  the  towa  was  la  Its  clvU  capacity.  We  hear  It  sometimes  Inti- 
mated that  the  Prime  Congregational  Society  of  Its  own  kindliness  and  good  will 
graciously  permitted  the  Episcopalians  to  organize  and  build.  Beginning  with 
1827,  the  meetings  of  the  Prime  Ancient  (Congregational)  Society  of  Fairfield. 


THE    REV.  HENRY    CANER.  41 

the  members  of  the  Church  of  England  "  to  build  their  pro- 
posed Church,  upon  certain  conditions,*  "  on  the  high  way  near 
the  Old  Fairfield  gate,  about  eighty  rods  eastward  from  the 
Prime  Society's  Meeting  House. "f 

This  second  Church,  though  built  in  the  infancy  of  the 
parish,  was  a  very  substantial  and  comparatively  elegant 
structure.  It  was  fifty-five  feet  in  length,  thirty-five  feet  in 
breadth,  and  twenty  feet  in  height,  "with  a  handsome  steepk-J 


■'^'«^  ■ 


The  Second  Church,  Faikkiei-d  Village. 

and  spire  of  one  hundred  feet,  and  a  good  bell  of  five  hundred 

weight."     It  had  also  capacious  galleries. 

according  to  Its  own  record,  were  entirely  distinct  from  "  Town-Meeting,"  That 
was  a  different  affair.  Moreover,  the  meeting  referred  to  above,  was  held  at 
Greenfield,  not  Falrfleld. 

•one  of  the  certain  conditions  was  that  Episcopalians  who  lived  within  a  mile 
of  the  new  edifice  were  granted  the  prlviUege  of  paying  their  taxes  for  the  support 
of  It ;  while  all  others  were  compellod  to  pay  their  taxes  for  the  support,  as  of  old 
Of  the  congregational  Church 

tSee  site  inarkt'd  No.  2  on  map  facing  page  33. 

t\  spire  or  steeple.  In  the  early  days  of  the  Colony,  was  considered  almost  an 
essential  to  an  edifice  belonging  to  the  Church  of  England.  It  distinguished  It  as 
such.  "The  steeple  house  "  was  the  common  name  given  to  one  of  our  Churches 
by  the  Puritans. 


42  THE    EEV.    HENKY    CANEE. 

By  this  titne,  it  is  apparent  that  the  parish  of  Fairfield  had 
outstripped  in  some  respects  the  older  parish  of  Stratford, 
and  taken  the  position  of  the  leading  parish  in  the  Colon}'. 
It  appears  from  original  papers  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary 
of  State,  that  of  six  hundred  and  thirty-six  heads  of  families, 
men  and  women,  whose  signatures  were  attached  to  a  petition 
then  presented  to  the  Colonial  Assembly,  from  nine  parishes 
under  the  care  of  seven  missionaries,  of  these,  eighty-two,  or 
more  than  one-eighth  of  the  whole,  belonged  to  Fairfield. 
Some  conception  of  the  rapid  advance  of  *^^he  Church  at 
F'airfield  after  Mr.  Caner  became  its  settled  minister,  and 
assumed  the  full  charge,  may  be  gathered  from  a  comparison 
of  the  small  number  of  communicants  whom  he  found  here  as 
lav-i'eader  under  Mr.  Johnson  in  1725,  namely  tioelve,  with  the 
number  of  families  belonging  to  the  parish  in  1730,  namely 
forty.  No  doubt  such  a  satisfactory  state  of  things  was 
•owing,  in  large  measure,  to  the  tact  and  ability  displayed  by 
Mr.  Caner.  During  the  years  of  his  incumbency  he  had 
acquired  great  celebrity  as  a  preacher.  Nor  was  he  lacking 
in  the  least  in  missionary  zeal ;  for  although  Fairfield  claimed 
and  received  the  largest  share  of  his  attention,  he  still  found 
time  to  extend  his  ministrations  to  the  other  villages  and 
towns  that  called  for  them. 

In  one  of  his  letters  he  speaks  of  his  parish  as  fifteen  miles 
long,  and  more  than  six  broad  ;  and  says  that  this  compelled 
him  to  keep  two  horses,  which  he  found  "expensive  and 
troublesome."  Norwalk,  and  Eidgefield,  and  Northfield  (now 
Weston),  were  visited  regularly  by  him,  and  a  great  deal  of 
efl'ective  work  was  done,  by  house  to  house  visitations, 
throughout  the  then  rough  and  sparsely  settled  country.  Mr. 
Canei-'s  connection  with  the  Church  at  Fairfield  lasted  twenty 
years,  from  1727  to  1747.  In  the  latter  year,  the  few  communi- 
cants with  which  his  ministry  began  had  grown  to  over  two 
hundred,  sixty-eight  of  them  being  in  Fairfield.*     After  this 

•According  to  Hawkins,  p  240.  there  were  sixty-eight,  at  Fairfield,  one  hundred 
and  fifieen  at  Norwalk.  and  nveniy  at  Stamford.  Bnt.Kucha  statement,  In  view  of 
the  nature  and  extent  of  the  mission,  Is  not  very  definite. 


THE    REV.    HENRY    CANER. 


43 


long  period  of  faithful  service  Mr.  Caner  resigned  his  charge,* 
and  removed,  greatly  to  the  regret  of  all  of  his  parishioners, 
to  Boston,  and  took  the  services  at  King's  Chapel.  Much  has 
been  said  and  written  to  the  detriment  of  the  Colonial  clergy. t 
It  may  have  been  that  here  and  there  one  was  found  who  did 
not  live  answerably  to  his  holy  calling.  But  as  a  general  rule 
it  vsras  far  otherwise.  In  the  New  England  Colonies  especially, 
there  was  little  in  the  positions  which  the  Church  offered  to 
attract  unworthy  men.  One  missionary,  writing  to  the  Venera- 
ble Society  in  1718,  says:  ''They  tried  to  tire  me  out  with  ill- 
usage.  The  shop-keepers  would  not  sell  me  provisions.  The 
dissenting  miller  sent  back  my  grain  uuground,  with  the 
message  to  eat  it  whole,  as  the  hogs  did.  Some  of  the  leading 
people  in  the  place  never  fail  to  avoid  me  when  they  meet  me 
on  the  streets."'  What  inducement  was  there  to  covet,  except 
for  principle's  sake,  such  a  life  as  that'^  We  may  safely  say 
that  in  endurance,  as  good  soldiers  of  Christ ;  in  self-sacrifice  ; 
in  earnest  work  in  the  face  of  poverty,  persecution  and 
relentless  opposition,  the  clergymen  of  the  northern  Colonies 
compared  favorably  wuth  any  of  ancient  or  modern  times. 
Such  a  man  was  Mr.  Caner.  He  did,  as  all  Churchmen  of  to-day 
must  acknowledge,  a  great  and  lasting  work  in  Fairfield,  for 
which  his  memory  will  always  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance. 

« Mr.  Caner  was  Rector  of  King's  Chapel,  Boston,  until  1776  ;  about  thirty  years. 
And  though  not  then  a  missionary  of  the  Society  (or  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel, 
he  continued  to  act  as  Its  confidential  friend  and  correspondent,  especially  In 
regard  to  the  recommendation  of  candidates  for  Holy  Orders.  In  1706,  he  received 
the  honorary  degree  of  D.  D.  from  the  university  of  Oxford.  In  March,  1770.  he 
went  from  Boston  to  Halifax  ;  and  soon  afterwards  sailed  for  England,  where  he 
"  was  received  by  the  Society  with  the  respect  which  he  so  well  deserved  as  the 
father  of  the  American  clergy.  The  Society  offered  him  the  choice  of  any  of  the 
missions  then  vacant ;  and  he  was  appointed  to  Bristol,  in  Rhode  Island,  and  thus 
through  the  changes  and  chances  of  life,  he  re-assumed  In  his  old  age,  a  similar 
employment  to  that  which  he  undertook  in  his  youth."'  Hawkins'  Hist.  Notices, 
p.  247.    He  died  in  England  at  an  advanced  age,  in  1792. 

t  Thus  we  have  this  statement:  It  was  the  custom  to  send  out  to  Virginia  and 
Maryland  the  poorest  specimens  of  clergymen  that  the  mother  country  afforded. 
Men  unfit  for  any  appointment  at  home,  were  thought  good  enough  for  the 
Colonies.— Flske  :    Old  Virginia,  vol.  1.  p.  262. 


CHAPTER  YII. 


Rev.  Joseph  Lamson's  Rectorship,  1747-1773,  a.  d. 

In  1745,  the  eloquent,  but  erratic  George  Whitefield,  appeared 
in  New  England,  and  started  a  wave  of  emotionalism  that  carried 
not  a  few  staid  and  conservative  Christians  off  their  feet.*  Mr. 
Caner  early  wrote  that  while  the  religious  enthusiasm  had  made 
no  progress  at  Fairfield,  it  had  spread  extensively  at  Stamford, 
Norwalk,  Ridgefield,  and  other  places.  Perhaps  a  little  of  it  at 
this  time  would  have  been  beneficial  to  the  Church-people  of 
Fairfield  ;  then  Mr.  Caner  would  not  have  felt  compelled  to 
give  the  reason  he  did  for  leaving  his  parish  :  "  The  present 
state  of  my  jDarish,"  he  said,  "  does  not  yield  me  all  the 
satisfaction  I  could  wish.  A  cold,  Laodicean  disposition,  an 
inconsiderate  neglect  of  the  great  duties  of  religion,  a  visible 
deadness  and  formality,  are  what  at  present  give  me  most 
concern,  and  prevent  the  success  of  my  administrations.  " 
Many  another  faithful  Priest  of  the  Church  of  God  has  been 
discouraged  and  disheartened  by  the  same  indifferent  spirit, 
manifested  by  his  flock,  and  has  felt  constrained  to  seek  else- 

*  In  1745,  Wliltefleld  again  crossed  the  Atlantic ;  and  after  organizing  his  scheme 
of  charity  In  Savannah,  he  traversed  the  Southern  States,— swept  like  a  tornado 
across  Philadelphia,— and  preached  In  New  York  and  Boston.  The  progress  of  no 
conqueror  was  ever  greeted  with  greater  felicitations ;  men,  on  horseback,  poured 
forth  to  meet  him,  and  conducted  him  in  triumph  Into  their  cities.  The  Governor 
received  him  at  his  table,  took  him  In  his  state  carriage  to  the  boat,  and  bade  him 
farewell  with  embraces ;  ministers  welcomed  him  to  their  pulpits ;  the  chapels 
and  churches  were  too  confined  for  his  auditors,  who  followed  him  In  thousands  to 
the  flelds ;  daybreak  and  night-fall  beheld  crowds  hanging  on  his  words.  Physi- 
cal power,  marvellous  beyond  example,  kept  pace  with  this  flery  energy ;  a  tour  la 
America  of  800  miles,  during  which  he  travelled  the  worst  roads,  left  him  at 
leisure,  vrithln  two  months  and  a  half,  to  preach  175  public  sermons,  besides 
holding  numberless  private  exhortations  and  conversations.— Colquohoun : 
Sketches  of  Notable  Men,  p.  227. 


THE    REV.    JOSEPH    LAMSON's    RECTORSHIP.  45 

where,  for  those  to  whom  religion  is  a  solemn  reality  and  not 
a  pretence.  It  is  apparent  that  Mr.  Caner  felt  that  the  parish  at 
Fairfield  needed  stirring  up,  and  that  some  one  whose  methods 
were  different  from  his  own,  might  possibly  succeed  in  accom- 
plishing the  task.  He  soon  found  there  was  a  clergyman  of  this 
type  available,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Lamson,  who  bad  already  made 
for  himself  quite  a  notable  record.  Born  at  Stratford,  brought 
up  a  Congregationalist,  he  had  graduated  at  Yale  College. 
Soon  after  taking  his  diploma  he  became  a  Churchman,  and 
deciding  to  take  Holy  Orders,  embarked  for  England.  He 
was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Richardson  Minor,  a  graduate  like- 
wise of  Yale,  and  for  fourteen  years,  (1730  to  1744 ),  pastor  of 
the  Congregational  Society  at  North  Stratford,  now  Trumbull, 
who  was  risking  a  voyage  across  the  sea  for  the  same  laudable 
purpose.  The  vessel  in  which  they  sailed  was  captured  by 
the  French,  and  both  were  made  prisoners,  and  taken  to 
Port  Louis,  in  France.  After  their  release  from  confinement, 
on  the  way  to  London,  they  reached  Salisbury,  where  Mr. 
Minor  was  taken  ill  of  a  fever,  and  died,  to  the  great  sorrow 
of  all  his  friends  and  especially  of  his  dependent  family.  Mr. 
Johnson,  on  hearing  of  the  event,  exclaimed,  "  would  to  God 
we  had  a  Bishop  to  ordain  here,  which  would  prevent  such 
unhappy  disasters."  Mr.  Lamson  having  been  ordained,  re- 
turned to  this  country,  and  his  friends  welcomed  him  "  as  one 
risen  from  the  dead,  among  whom  the  report  had  for  some 
time  placed  him."  Soon  after  his  arrival,  the  Venerable 
Society  willingly  appointed  him  assistant  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Wetmore,  the  missionary  at  Rye,  New  York,  and  the  particu- 
lar duty  assigned  to  him  was  to  minister  "  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Bedford,  North  Castle,  and  Ridgefield,  with  a  salary  of 
£20  per  annum,  besides  a  gratuity  of  the  same  sum,  out  of 
compassion  to  Mr.  Lamson's  sufferings  and  necessities." 
From  this  responsible  charge  Mr.  Lamson  was  transferred, 
upon  Mr.  Caner's  resignation,  to  Fairfield,  where  he  served 
with   great   acceptableness   for  twenty-six   years — a  ministry 


46  THE    REV.    JOSEPH    LAMSON's    RECTORSHIP. 

ouly  terminated  by  his  death.  A  romantic  story  is  told 
concerning  Mr.  Lamson.  Before  entering  the  ministry, 
while  still  in  college,  he  became  engaged  to  Miss  Abigail 
Eumsey,  of  Fairfield,  a  beautiful  young  girl  of  good  family, 
only  sixteen  years  of  age.  While  on  a  visit  to  friends  in 
Stratford,  she  was  suddenly  taken  ill,  and  it  soon  became 
evident  that  there  was  no  hope  of  her  recovery.  Mr.  Lamson 
was  summoned  to  her  bedside  to  bid  her  farewell,  and  before 
her  death  she  directed  that  her  gold  beads — ornaments  greatly 
prized  at  that  day — should  be  taken  from  her  neck,  and  given 
to  her  lover.  It  is  said  that  he  never  parted  with  them :  but 
carried  them  upon  his  person  until  he  died.  Mr.  Lamson 
afterwards  married  Miss  Wetmore,  daughter  of  the  missionary 
at  Rye. 

After  locating  at  Fairfield,  Mr.  Lamson  continued  to  preach 
for  a  while  at  Ridgefield.  He  is  also  mentioned  in  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Venerable  Society  for  1748,  as  "serving 
Norwalk,"  which  had  become,  with  the  parts  adjacent,  a 
parish  "  of  one  hundred  and  five  families,  exceeding  in  number 
any  other  Church,  except  that  at  Stratford."  The  Church 
was  also  growing  eastwardly.  At  Stratfield,  now  Bridge- 
port, Church-people  had  become  so  numerous,  that  under 
the  guidance  of  Mr.  Lamson,  in  1748,  they  proceeded  to 
erect  a  house  of  worship,  which  was  called  St.  John's  Church. 
This  was  the  eighteenth  Church  edifice  built  in  the  Colony. 
In  writing  to  the  Venerable  Society,  in  the  autumn  of  this 
year,  Mr.  Lamson  says :  "  I  have  formerly  mentioned  a 
Church  built  at  Stratfield,  a  village  within  the  bounds  of 
Fairfield,  in  which  they  are  very  urgent  to  have  me  officiate 
every  third  Sunday,  because  we  have  large  cougi-egations 
when  I  preach  there."  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  now 
flourishing  mother-parish  of  Bridgeport,  St.  John's,  which 
owed  its  beginning  and  early  growth  to  the  fostering  care  of 
Mr.  Lamson,  and  his  successors  in  Trinity  Church,  Fairfield. 
It  should  be  a  source   of  pride  for  the  present  members  of 


THE    REV.    JOSEPH    LAMSON's    RECTORSHIP.  47 

Trinity  Church,  to  remember  that  their  venerable  organization 
in  the  past  was  the  foundress  of  many  of  the  Churches  that 
now  exist  in  Fairfield  County.  It  is  a  matter  of  record 
that  the  Rector  of  Fairfield,  besides  serving  his  own  cure, 
officiated  at  stated  times,  through  successive  years,  at 
Stamford,  Norwalk,  Greenwich,  Chestnut  Ridge,  (now  Redding) 
Ridgefield,  Eastou,  Wilton,  New  Canaan,  and  Stratfield,  a 
district  which  now  embraces  twenty  flourishing  parishes,  and 
in  which,  within  one  hundred  and  sixty-three  years  past,  not 
less  than  thirty-five  Churches  have  been  built  by  Churchmen, 
in  addition  to  the  first  small  edifice  erected  by  Trinity  parish 
at  Fairfield,  in  1725.  Of  course,  as  the  congregations  in  the 
outlying  villages  grew  stronger,  they  came  to  have  their  own 
settled  clergymen,  and  thus  it  came  to  pass  that  about  twelve 
years  before  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  Trinity  parish  was 
greatly  reduced  in  numbers  ;  the  Churches  at  Stratfield  and 
Easton  only,  continuing  to  be  dependent  upon  it  for  regular 
services.  From  this  time  onwards,  it  may  be,  because  its 
ministers  had  fewer  demands  for  his  ministrations  elsewhere, 
the  home  work  appears  to  have  grown  steadily.  In  the  records 
of  the  Venerable  Society,  vevj  little  mention  is  made  of  Fair- 
field during  Mr.  Lamsons  rectorship.  One  reason  was,  the 
period  of  struggle  and  opposition  attendant  upon  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  parish  was  successfully  past ;  another,  that  it 
had  become  largely  self-sustaining.  Even  in  Mr.  Caner's 
time,  it  was  a  matter  of  pride  that  the  parishioners  had  "  tried 
to  help  themselves,  manifesting,  always,  a  willingness  to 
contribute  according  to  their  ability."  It  was  while  Mr- 
Lamson  was  rector,  that  it  was  proposed  and  recommended 
^'  that  every  professor  of  the  Church  of  England  should,  by 
his  will,  devote  a  certain  sum  to  the  support  of  this  particular 
Church ;  to  be  used  by  the  Church-wardens,  for  the  purposes 
designated  by  the  Church.'"  Already,  while  Mr.  Caner  was  in 
charge  of  the  parish,  certain  small  bequests  had  been  made, 
but  this  was  a  formal   movement,  intended,   if  possible,  to 


48  THE    EEV.    JOSEPH    LAMSONS    RECTORSHIP. 

bring  about  the  speedy  endowment  of  the  parish,  and  thus 
facilitate  the  perpetuity  and  enlargement  of  its  usefulness  in  the 
future.  Very  soon  two  parishioners  had  left  £100  each,  and 
two  supposed  to  be  at  the  point  of  death  had  ordered,  the  one 
£100,  and  the  other  £50,  to  be  appropriated  out  of  their 
estates.  In  addition  to  this,  Dougal  McKeuzie,  the  father-in- 
law  of  Mr.  Caner,  ordered  in  his  will  that  the  whole  of  his 
property,  comprising  besides  his  homestead  in  the  village  of 
Fairfield,  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  eastern  bank  of  Mill 
River,  and  two  or  three  other  valuable  tracts  in  the  vicinity, 
should  be  taxed  forever  for  the  support  of  the  Church  at 
Fairfield.  In  1747,  a  member  of  the  parish,  Mrs.  Jerusha 
Sturges,  left  it  a  legacy  of  £50.  And  in  1762,  Mr.  St.  George 
Talbot,  a  very  liberal  benefactor  of  several  Churches  in  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  and  Connecticut,  gave  not  only  a  solid 
silver  communion  service,  which  was  a  munificent  present  for 
this  era,  but  arranged  that  on  his  death,  the  parish  should 
receive  £200,  to  be  laid  out  in  buying  a  glebe  for  the  use  of 
the  Eector.*  It  thus  came  to  pass  that  in  1767,  upon  the 
decease  of  Mr.  Talbot,  a  glebe  of  nine  acres  of  pasture  and 
wood-land  at  Round-Hill,  was  purchased  of  Jonathan  Sturges, 
executor  of  Samuel  Sturges,  in  the  name  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  "  in  trust  forever,  for 
the  use,  benefit  and  improvement  of  a  minister  of  the 
Church  of  England,  having  charge  of  Trinity  Church  for 
the  time  being."  Meanwhile,  in  17G4,  the  parishioners  of 
Trinity  had  repaired  their  Church  at  an  expense  of  nearly 
£100  sterling,  about  five  hundred  dollars ;  and  Mr.  Lamson 

*  A  charitable  layman,  Mr.  St.  Georg-e  Talbot,  residing  In  tlie  Province  of  New 
York,  favored  wltli  his  patronage  the  effort  to  plant  the  seeds  of  Episcopacy  In  a 
community  of  divided  religious  sentiments.  He  dedicated  the  energies  of  an 
active  life  and  the  resources  of  an  ample  fortune  to  strengthen  its  Influence  In 
New  York  and  Connecticut,  and  his  liberal  benefactions  are  associated  with  the 
early  history  of  the  Church  In  Fairfield  County.  In  1763  he  was  present  at  the 
Convention  In  Rlpton,  and  wrote  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson's  sermon:  "It  was 
e.vcellent,  pathetlcal,  spirited,  adapted  to  the  occasion,  and  acceptable  to  the 
clergy  and  all  who  had  the  pleasure  to  hear  him.  "  Beardsley :  History  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  In  Connecticut,  vol.  1,  p.  2l3. 


THE    REV.    JOSEPH    LAMSON's    RECTOBSHIP.  49 

wrote  to  the  Society  that  the  Church  at  Stratfield  would  cost 
as  much  more.  In  the  same  letter  he  remarked,  that  "  the 
people  of  his  mission  seemed  more  solicitous  concerning  the 
Church  than  ever."  Altogether  it  may  be  inferred  from  the 
statistics  contained  in  one  or  two  reports  which  are  preserved 
in  the  archives  of  the  Venerable  Society,  that  Trinity  parish 
continued,  upon  the  whole,  in  a  state  of  constant  advance, 
until  the  time  of  Mr.  Lamson's  death,  which  took  place  in 
1773.  Thus,  the  long  ministry  of  this  faithful  servant  of 
God  came  to  an  end.  He  found  the  parish  in  rather  a 
depressed  condition,  but  from  no  fault  of  his  able  predecessor. 
Wisely,  but  energetically,  he  led  his  people,  until  blessed  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  he  was  enabled  to  see  the  ebbing  tide  turn, 
and  flow  in  again.  For  controversy  he  had  no  desire.  He 
rather  cultivated  peace  with  the  conflicting  elements  with 
which  he  was  surrounded,  confining  himself  to  the  simple 
truths  of  Christianity,  and  of  the  Church,  so  necessary  to  us 
all.  There  are  many  ways  of  following  our  Lord,  and  doing 
His  work.  The  Church  has  need  of  every  gift ;  it  is  well  that 
some  of  its  clergy  should  be  eloquent,  argumentative,  able  to 
force  its  claims  upon  the  gainsayers,  showing  that  every  talent 
which  God  has  given  to  man,  may  be  used  to  His  glory ; 
but  still  more  needful  for  the  Church's  welfare  are  ordinary 
clergymen  like  Mr.  Lamson,  who  by  quiet  presentment  of  its 
worth,  show  to  those  who  differ,  without  contention  or  bitter 
side-glance,  that  within  its  fold  the  soul  can  find  all  the 
spiritual  help  and  sustenance  it  needs.  Such  men  are  its 
stauchest  pillars ;  and  no  gift  is  a  cause  of  greater  blessing, 
thankfulness,  and  fruit  to  God,  than  they. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


The  Rev.  John  Saybe's  Rectorship — The  Burning  of  Fairfield 
BY  Gen.  Tyron,  1774  to  1779,  a.  d. 


Ret.  John  Sayke. 

Shortly  after  the  Venerable  Society  learned  of  Mr.  Lamson's 
death,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Marshall,  of  Woodbury,  was  apjDointed 
to  Fairfield,  but  he  deemed  it  inexpedient  to  leave  his  field  of 
labor  in  Litchfield  County.  In  1774,  the  Rev.  John  Sayre, 
who   had   been  for  several  years  a  successful  missionai\y  at 


THE    REV.    JOHN    SAYRe's    RECTORSHIP.  51 

Newburgh,  iu  New  York,*  was  assigned  to  the  cure.  The 
new  Rector  came  to  a  united  and  prosperous  parish.  The 
Church  edifice  was  one  of  the  finest  iu  the  Colony ;  and  a 
commodious  parsonage  added  greatly  to  the  comfort  of  the 
incumbent  and  his  family.  Shortly  after  Mr.  Sayre's  arrival, 
the  impressive  service  of  Induction,  or  as  we  now  term 
it,  Institution,  took  place.  According  to  its  rule,  on  the 
Sunday  fixed  for  the  ceremony,  the  Church  was  closed ; 
the  ponderous  key  was  left  in  the  door  ;  the  people 
stood  around  in  the  Church-yard.  The  minister  came, 
accompanied  by  the  Wardens  and  Vestry,  and  stood  before 
the  closed  door.  The  inducting  person,  usually  a  prominent 
parishioner,  designated  by  the  congregation  for  the  jiurpose, 
took  the  minister's  right  hand  and  placed  it  on  the  key,  and 
pronounced  the  words  :  "  By  virtue  of  the  authority  given 
unto  me,  I  induct  you,  Reverend  Sir,  into  the  real,  actual,  and 
corporal  possession  of  the  parish  Church  of  Fairfield,  called 
Trinity  Church,  with  all  the  rights,  members,  and  appur- 
tenences  pertaining  thereto."  The  officiant  then  opened  the 
door,  and  "  put  the  minister  in  possession,"  and  henceforth 
the  Church  was  his  for  all  sacred  services  and  uses.  The 
minister  then  proceeded  to  toll  the  bell,  and  immediately 
afterwards  entered  the  Church,  followed  by  the  people.  The 
Order  for  Morning  Prayer  was  then  said,  and  at  its  close  the 
minister   solemnly   declared   his   assent   to   all  the  doctrines 

♦  In  1768,  tlie  Rev.  John  Sayre  was  appointed  missionary  at  NewburgU-on-the- 
Hudson,  by  the  Venerable  Society,  at  a  stipend  of  £30  a  year.  Settling  back  In  the 
•country,  he  preached  alternately  at  Newburgh,  Otterfleld,  WallklU,  and  New- 
Windsor.  "He  was,"  says  Cadwalader  Golden,  Jr.,  "a  popular  preacher,  and 
gathered  large  congregations,  and  raised  up  a  spirit  of  building  Churches."  In  1773, 
a  conflict  of  opinion  arose  concernlng;the  location  of  a  new  Church  building.  The 
Vestry  preferred  Newburgh,  holding  that  the  glebe,  situated  within  Its  limits, 
would  be  claimed  by  New  Windsor,  which  was  In  the  next  town.  If  the  Church 
should  be  built  In  the  latter  place.  Mr.  Sayre  was  strongly  In  favor  of  New 
Windsor,  because  It  had  been  the  fleld  of  the  earlier  missionaries,  and  was  known 
to  the  Society  In  England  as  the  centre  of  the  missionary  work  In  that  locality. 
Newburgh  was  successful ;  and  Mr.  Sayre  was  much  disturbed  and  discouraged  at 
the  conclusion  of  things.  Shortly  after  he  obtained  a  transfer  to  Trinity  Church, 
Fairfield.    Newburgh  Historical  Society  Proceedings  for  1895,  p.  40. 


52  THE    REV.    JOHN    SAYRE  S    RECTORSHIP. 

and  usages  of  the  Church  of  England,  as  contained  in  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer.  The  people  then  saluted  and  wel- 
comed their  Kector,  and  bade  him  God  speed.  Hence- 
forth he  was  theirs  and  they  were  his ;  both  being  bound 
together  by  a  tie  as  sacred  as  that  of  mai-riage. 

Under  different  circumstances,  no  doubt  Mr.  Sayre's  rector- 
ship would  have  been  very  successful.  In  his  "  Sketch  of  Trinity 
Parish,"  prepared  in  1804,  the  Rev.  Philo  Shelton  says  of 
him:  "  that  he  was  a  man  of  talent, a  good  preacher,  an  agree- 
able companion,  a  pious  Christian,  and  that  during  his  stay 
the  Church  flourished."  It  was  Mr.  Sayre's  lot,  however,  to 
be^iu  his  labors  at  Fairfield  at  a  critical  time  in  the  nation's 
histoi-y — just  after  the  destruction  by  the  populace,  of  840 
chests  uf  tea  in  Boston  harbor — by  which  action,  the  whole 
country  was  thrown  into  a  patriotic  ferment.  In  a  brief 
space,  the  impending  storm  of  the  Revolution  burst  upon  the 
Colonies,  and  the  Episcopal  Church  had  to  bear  the  popular 
odium  against  England's  rule.  Congregations  were  broken 
up,  and  many  Churches  were  closed.  Numbers  of  the  clergy 
were  exiled  or  imprisoned,  or  were  watched  and  harrassed  as 
suspects.  Mr.  Sayre,  a  native  Briton,  soon  became  obnoxious 
to  the  "  Committee  of  Inspection,"  and  on  refusing  to  sign 
the  articles  prescribed  by  the  Continental  Congress,  which 
obliged  those  who  signed  them,  not  only  "to  oppose  the  King 
with  life  and  fortune,"  but  also  "  to  withdraw  all  offices  of 
justice,  humanity  and  charity,  from  every  recusant,''  was 
banished  to  the  village  of  New  Britain,  in  Hartford  County. 
After  an  absence  of  seven  months  he  was  permitted  to  return, 
on  condition  that  he  would  not  go  beyond  the  parish  limits, 
above  four  miles.  This  lasted  eighteen  mouths,  when  the 
area  in  which  he  might  move  was  made  co-extensive  with  the 
County.  From  this  time  on,  Mr.  Sayre  maintained  the  regu- 
lar services  in  the  three  parishes,  Fairfield,  Stratfield,  and 
Easton,  until  1779;  always  omitting  the  Liturgy,  preferring  to 


THE    BEV.    JOHN    SAYRe's    RECTORSHIP.  53 

worship,  for  the  time  being,  for  peace  sake,  according  to  a 
way  that  would  meet  the  approval  of  all  men,  whether  in  heart 
they  were  rebels  or  tories. 

And  now  a  momentous  event  came  to  pass,  that  was 
freighted  with  great  calamity  for  the  Church  at  Fairfield.  In 
the  summer  of  1779,  the  movement  of  Colonial  troops  south- 
ward, through  New  Jersey,  towards  Philadelphia,  stripped 
Connecticut  of  a  large  portion  of  its  able-bodied  men.  The 
royalists  in  New  York,  realizing  that  the  Colony  was  left  in  an 
unprotected  state,  promptly  resolved  to  strike  a  blow  that  should 
inspire  their  enemies  there  with  something  of  a  distaste  for 
war.  The  Fourth  of  July  fell  on  Sunday,  and  the  good  people 
of  New  Haven  had  made  their  arrangements  to  celebrate 
the  Declai-ation  of  American  Independence  on  the  day  after. 
On  Monday  morning,  before  the  exercises  had  begun,  the 
tidings  came  that  Gen.  Tryun's  fleet,  numbering  over  forty- 
eight  vessels,  had  dropped  anchor  near  West  Haven,  at  five 
o'clock,  and  that  his  troops,  3,000  strong,  were  marching 
towards  the  city.  They  came  in  two  detachments  of  1,500  men 
each ;  one  straight  from  AVest  Haven ;  the  other,  by  a  slightly 
diverging  route,  to  attack  and  cajDture  a  small  fort,  located  at 
Black  Rock.  The  first  of  these  met  with  some  opposition,  but 
by  noon,  all  resistance  had  been  overcome,  and  the  invaders 
united  and  flushed  with  victory,  were  ready  to  plunder  and  de- 
stroy. Happily,  they  spared  the  public  buildings  ;  but  even  as  it 
was,  a  money  loss  of  £25,000  was  inflicted.  Departing  next  day, 
the  marauders  sailed  alonjr  the  coast,  and  on  the  morninsf  of 
July  8th,  appeared  ofl:"  Fairfield.  Gen.  Tryon  had  visited 
the  village  more  than  once  ;  had  been  the  frequent  recipient 
of  its  generous  hospitality,  and  knew  the  locality  well. 
About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  troops  began  to 
land.  In  the  course  of  the  night,  several  houses  were 
consumed,  and  nearly  all  were  plundered.  Early  the  next 
morning  the  conflagration  became  general ;  over  two  hundred 
buildings,  forty  eight  stores   and  many  barns,  were  turned  to 


5-4  THE    RKV.    JOHN    SAYRe's    RECTORSHIP. 

smoking  heaps  of  ruins.  As  a  climax,  on  leaving,  the  enemy 
set  fire  to  everything  that  up  to  that  time  had  escaped  the 
flames.  Both  houses  of  worship,  the  Episcopal  and  the 
Congregational,  were  burned  to  the  ground. 

President  Dwight,  who  lived  at  Greenfield  Hill,  thus  de- 
scribes the  scene :  "  While  the  town  was  in  flames,  a  thunder- 
storm overspread  the  heavens,  just  as  night  came  on.  The 
conflagration  of  near  two  hundred  houses  illumined  the  earth, 
the  skirts  of  the  cloud,  and  the  waves  of  the  Sound,  with  a 
union  of  gloom  and  grandure  at  once  awful  and  magnificent. 
At  intervals  the  lightning  blazed  with  a  lurid  and  awful  splendor. 
The  thunder  rolled  above  ;  beneath,  the  roaring  of  the  fire 
filled  up  the  interval  with  a  deep  and  hollow  sound.  Add  to 
this,  the  sharp  cracking  of  muskets  occasionally  discharged, 
the  groans  here  and  there  of  the  wounded  and  dying,  and  the 
shouts  of  triumph;  then  place  before  your  eyes,  crowds  of  the 
miserable  sufferers,  mingled  with  the  bodies  of  the  militia, 
taking  from  the  neighboring  hills  a  farewell  prospect  of  their 
property  and  their  dwellings,  their  happiness  and  their  hopes, 
and  you  will  form  a  just  but  imperfect  picture  of  the  burning 
of  Fairfield." 

A  similar  destruction  was  wrought  at  Green's  Farms  ;  scarcely 
a  building  of  any  description  was  left  unharmed.  The  enemy 
crossed  the  Sound  on  the  9th,  to  Huntington  Bay,  and  remained 
thereuntil  the  11th,  when  they  re-crossed  to  Norwalk,  and  re- 
peated their  work  of  destruction  there.  By  this  time,  the  popula- 
tion of  the  interior  was  mustering  in  great  force  to  meet  Try  on  at 
his  next  landing,  when  he  prudently  returned  to  New  York. 
He  had,  however,  inflicted  upon  Connecticut  a  loss  of  about 
£250,000,  as  appears  by  the  proven  claims,  for  which  the  General 
Assembly  allotted  500,000  acres  of  northwestern  lands,  to  the 
sufferers,  in  1792.  He  had  not,  though,  broken  the  spirit  of 
the  people ;  and  his  own  loss  in  men,  nearly  three  hundi'ed, 
was  enough  to  convince  him  that  he  had  lost  more  than  he  had 
gained  by  his  dastardly  act.     During  the  destruction  of  Fair- 


THE    REV.    JOHN    SAYRE's    RECTORSHIP.  55 

field,  Mr.  Say  re,  in  conjunctiou  with  Mr.  Elliot,  the  Congrega- 
tional minister,  was  constantly  among  the  people,  doing  his 
utmost  as  a  faithful  pastor,  to  succor  the  distressed,  and  if 
he  possibly  could,  to  avert  the  ruin  that  was  impending. 

In  a  letter  written  from  the  scene  of  desolation,  on  the 
fifteenth  of  July,  just  a  week  after  the  event,  Mr.  Elliot  says: 
"  Mr.  Sayre,  the  Church  of  England  missionary,  begged  Gen. 
Tryon  to  spare  the  town,  but  his  request  was  denied.  He 
then  begged  that  some  few  houses  might  be  spared  as  a 
shelter  for  those  who  could  provide  habitations  nowhere  else  ; 
this  was  also  refused."  At  length,  according  to  the  same 
authority,  he  procured  a  protection,  under  the  hand  of  Gen. 
Tryon,  for  the  houses  of  Mr.  Elliot  and  Mr.  Burr,  and  a 
promise  that  the  houses  of  worship  should  be  spared.  All 
were,  however,  consumed,  not  excepting  Mr.  Sayre's  own 
dwelling;  he  thus  found  himself,  his  wife,  and  eight  children, 
thrown  upon  the  street,  destitute  of  everything  except  the 
garments  in  which  they  were  clad.  Under  such  circumstances, 
the  parish  for  the  time  being  completely  prostrated,  the 
Church  building  destroyed,  the  parishioners  ruined,  he  de- 
parted to  New  York,  where  he  remained  several  months,  recrui- 
ting his  health  and  strength,  both  of  which  he  alleged,  had  been 
seriously  impaired.  Would  it  could  be  recorded  that  Mr.  Sayre 
had  remained  in  Fairfield,  and  had  proved  faithful  to  his  charge  ! 
Mr.  Elliot's  spirit  certainly,  was  more  commendable.  "Not  a 
house  for  my  shelter ;  two-thirds  of  my  personal  estate  plundered 
and  consumed ;  a  wife  and  three  small  children  dependent  on  me 
for  their  maintenance  ;  I  feel  myself  in  a  state  of  uncertainty  as 
to  many  of  the  necessities  of  life.  And  yet  I  am  willing  to 
undergo  any  difficulties  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  for  your 
sakes."  Thus  he  wrote  immediately  after  the  fire.  Mr. 
Sayre,  when  he  had  sufficiently  recovered,  although  he  failed 
to  return  to  Connecticut,  frequently  assisted  his  brethren, 
the  Rectors  of  the  parishes  at  Jamaica,  Newtown,  Flushing, 
and  Huntington,  on  Long  Island.     Later  he  emigrated  to  Nova 


56  THE    REV.    JOHN    SAYRE'S    RECTORSHIP. 

Scotia.  In  a  letter  from  thence,  dated  Oct.,  1783,  be  informed 
the  Venerable  Society,  that  he  had  an  intention  of  settling  upon 
the  river  St.  John,  where  a  large  number  of  refugees  had  fixed 
themselves  ;  that  he  had  procured  two  rooms  for  his  household, 
and  had  "officiated  in  the  meeting-house  of  the  Congregational- 
ists,  with  their  approbation,  to  a  numerous  audience,  consisting 
partly  of  the  refugees  and  partly  of  the  old  settlers."  He  added, 
that  when  he  left  Connecticut,  "  he  had  not  a  change  of 
raiment  for  himself  or  his  family,  and  had  been  obliged  to 
borrow  money  to  enable  him  to  remove  to  Nova  Scotia."  And 
not  long  afterwards,  it  was  apprehended  by  the  Society  that 
his  health  was  in  a  very  dangerous  state  :  and  "  a  gratuity 
was  granted  him  of  £25."  He  died  in  New  Brunswick  in 
1790. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Mr.    Philo    Shelton,     L.\y-Eeader,     and    the    Election    of 

Bishop  Seabury,   First   Bishop  of  Connecticut, 

1779-1785,  A.  D. 

The  parish  at  Fairfield,  after  the  havoc  wrought  by  the 
senseless  raid  of  Gen.  Tr3'on,  was  reduced  to  great  straits. 
The  Church  edifice,  and  its  contents  ;  also  the  parsonage 
house  and  furniture ;  the  parish  records,  and  library  of  more 
than  a  hundred  volumes  were  destroyed.  Added  to  this  was 
the  unlooked  for  defection  of  the  Rector.  In  such  a  crisis,  his 
presence  and  influence  would  have  been  of  inestimable  value. 
What  was  especially  needed  was  some  one  who  could  serve  as 
a  rallying  point  about  whom  the  remnant  could  gather.  A 
month  passed,  by,  and  the  faithful  few  that  were  left,  esteeming 
it  not  manly  "  to  hang  their  harps  upon  the  willows,"'  but  re- 
lying upon  the  promise  of  God,  that  his  Church  should  never 
become  extinct,  called  a  meeting,  which  was  held  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  John  Sherwood,  at  Greenfield,  a  Churchman  whose 
zeal  no  amount  of  disaster  could  dampen.  On  this  occasion 
it  was  mentioned  that  Mr.  Philo  Shelton  of  Ripton,  now 
Huntington,  in  this  State,  who  had  recently  graduated  from 
Yale  College,  was  purposing  to  enter  Holy  Orders,  and  was 
even  now  ready  to  serve  as  lay-reader  should  any  congregation 
desire    his    services.*     The    result    was,    a    committee   was 

'  Rev.  Pliilo  Shelton  was  a  grandson  of  Daniel  Shelton,  ( one  of  a  family  of 
fourteen  children)  and  was  born  In  Klpton.  now  Huntington,  May  7th,  1754.  He 
graduated  from  Yale  College  in  1775.  Just  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary 
War.  and  soon  became  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders.  While  waiting  for  ordination, 
he  married.  In  1781,  Lucy,  daughter  of  Philip  Nichols.  Esq.,  of  Stratford,  a  strong 
Churchman,  and  the  first  lay-delegate  chosen  to  represent  the  Diocese  of  Connecti- 
cut In  the  General  Convention  of  the  Church. 


The  Rev.  Philo  Shelton. 
vEt.  30. 


MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READER.  59 

appointed  to  hire  Mr.  Shelton  "  to  read  "  and  "  to  officiate  " 
one-third  part  of  the  time  at  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Sherwood, 
one-third  of  the  time  at  8tratfield,  and  one-third  of  the  time 
at  Weston.*  "We  thus  see  Trinity  Church  begin  its  new  life 
under  entirely  different  conditions.  Hitherto  it  had  been 
nurtured  by  the  Venerable  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  but  henceforth  it  was  to  go  forward  depending  solely 
upon   the   generosity   of   its    own    members.     Naturally,  the 


HorsE  OF  Mb.  John  Shekwood  at  Gkeenfield  wheke  the  First  Sekvices 
wEKE  Held  After  the  Fike  of  1779. 

operations  of  the  Society  in  this  country  were  ended  by  the 

Declaration  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States.     Its 

work  was,  as  it  is  to-day,  to  aid  iu  the  extension  of  the  Gospel  in 

•"At  a  meeting  of  the  Episcopal  Society,  on  the  --iJth  of  August,  1779.  at  the 
Dwelling  House  of  Mr.  John  Sherwood,  In  Greenfield,  voted,  Mr.  Ezra  Katlln, 
Moderator  of  said  meeting,  also  voted.  Hezeklah  Bulklei%  Junr.,  Clerk ;  voted. 
Messrs.  Daniel  Wheeler,  Peter  Bulkley,  and  Ezra  KalUn,  a  Committee  to  apply  to 
Mr.  Shelton  at  Rlpton,  In  order  to  hire  him  to  Efflclate  for  them  It  Mr.  Shelton  will 
please  to  come  ;  voted  also  the  first  Sunday  that  we  have  a  Church,  It  Is  to  be  at 
Mr.  John  Sherwood's  Dwelling  House,  the  next  at  Stratford,  the  next  at  North 
Falrfleld."    This  Is  the  first  entry  In  the  Parish  Record,  begun  after  the  fire  In  1779. 


60  MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READER. 

the  dependencies  of  Great  Britain.  Every  Episcopalian  in  this 
Country,  and  especially  this  Diocese,  owes  it,  however,  a  debt 
of  the  weightiest  character,  for  the  wise  and  lavish  efibrts  it 
put  forth  to  plant  the  Church  of  the  Living  God  in  these 
Colonies.  Its  ministers  were  self-sacrificing  and  Christ-like 
men.  They  had  a  reason  for  the  hope  that  was  in  them.  They 
preached  sound  doctrine  ;  they  taught  the  young  their  Cate- 
chism;  they  instructed  the  people  in  that  Faith  which  "was 
once  delivered  to  the  saints."  They  believed  that  the  Church 
is  of  God,  and  not  of  man :  that  it  is  the  Ark  of  God,  into 
which  Christians  enter  at  their  Baptism,  and  in  which,  if  they 
are  faithful  to  the  end, they  shall  safely  ride  the  billows  of  this 
tempestuous  sea,  and  at  last  reach  the  Haven  where  they  would 
be.  May  we  of  this  generation,  show  our  gratitude  for  what 
"was  done  for  us  in  the  past,  by  giving  as  willingly  on  our  part 
of  our  means,  and  our  efforts,  to  extend  our  Apostolic  Church 
everywhere,  abroad  as  well  as  at  home  ! 

One  of  the  imperative  requirements  of  the  Church  in  America, 
for  many  years,  was  a  Bishop.  Before  the  Revolution,  it  had 
been  the  custom  for  those  desiring  Holy  Orders  to  resort  to  Eng- 
land for  ordination,  thusnecessitatingalongjourney,  which  was 
not  only  costly  but  full  of  perils.  As  the  Episcopate  is  the 
centre  from  which  all  effective  administration  of  the  Church 
issues ;  as  without  it  there  can  be  no  confirming  of  those  who 
have  come  to  years  of  discretion,  no  ordaining  of  clergy,  no 
consecration  of  Churches,  the  question  arises,  why  did  not  the 
Church  in  England  send  a  Bishop  into  these  Western  parts 
long  before?  The  Rev.  Mr.  Pigot,  writing  to  the  Venerable 
Society  in  1722,  plead  for  such  a  boon;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cutler, 
and  especially  the  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson,  followed  up  his  effort  at 
a  later  date,  with  even  more  fervor.  In  a  letter  to  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  written  in  1766 ;  the  latter  says:  "I  have 
the  great  mortification  and  grief  to  inform  your  Grace,  that 
those  two  hopeful  young  men  who  were  ordained  last,  had 
the  misfortune  to  be  lost  on  their  arrival  on   the  coast,   the 


MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READEK.  61 

ship  beiug  clashed  to  pieces,  and  only  four  lives  saved  out  of 
twenty-eight.  These  two  make  up  ten  valuable  lives  that  have 
now  been  lost,  for  want  of  ordaining  power  here,  out  of  fifty- 
one,  (nigh  one  in  five)  that  have  gone  for  Orders  from  hence. 
I  consider  the  Church  here  for  want  of  Bishops,  in  no  other 
light  than  as  being  really  in  a  state  of  persecution.  Will  the 
mother-country  have  no  bowels  of  compassion  for  her  poor 
depressed  destitute  children  of  the  established  Church  (prob- 
ably a  million  of  them)  dispersed  into  these  remote  regions?" 
The  Rev.  Matthew  Graves  writing  to  the  Venerable  Society, 
1771,  says:  "The  blessing  of  a  Bishop  would  make  true  religion 
overspread  the  land.  Hasten,  hasten,  O  Lord!  a  truly  spirit- 
ual overseer  to  this  despised,  abused,  persecuted  part  of  the 
vineyard,  fur  Christ  Jesus'  sake,  Amen  !  Amen  !" 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  importance  of  sending 
at  least  one  Bishop  to  Amex'ica,  had  engaged  the  attention  of 
the  Venerable  Society,  from  the  very  beginning  of  its  existence. 
As  early  as  1712,  "a  draught  of  a  bill  was  ordered  proper  to  be 
offered  to  Parliament,  for  establishing  Bishops  and  Bishoprics 
in  America."  In  1717  the  Bishop  of  London,  reported  to  the 
Society,  a  benefaction  of  £1,000  sterling,  toward  the  mainte- 
nance of  a  Bishop  in  America,  from  a  person  who  desired  to  be 
unknown.  In  1718,  the  Hon.  Elihu  Yale  of  London,  the 
principal  benefactor  of  Yale  College,  from  whom  the  institution 
derived  its  name,  had  subscribed  £50  towards  the  same  object. 
"What  stood  in  the  way  of  sending  a  Bishop  to  America? 
The  English  Pai'liament:  it  is  a  fact  of  history  that  a  majority 
of  its  members  were  always  ready  to  listen  to  those  opposed  to 
the  welfare  of  the  Church  across  the  sea.  They  were  told  it 
would  "Episcopize  the  Colonies ;  beget  rebellion  on  the  part 
of  those  who  would  hazard  everything  dear  to  them,  their 
estates,  their  very  lives,  rather  than  to  suffer  their  necks  to  be 
put  under  that  yoke  of  bondage  which  was  so  sadly  galling 
to  their  fathers ;"  and  the  result  was  they  legislated  against  it- 
Many  Bishops  and  Clergy,  wei-e  heartily  in  accord   with  the 


62  ME.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY -READER. 

project,  but  the  Church  was  tied  hand  aud  foot  by  its  con- 
nection with  the  State.  The  successful  issue  of  the  Revolution, 
while  it  was  a  "bridge  of  sighs'"  so  far  as  further  financial  aid 
from  England  was  concerned,  speedily  solved  this  problem. 
Those  of  the  clergy  of  Connecticut  who  still  held  their  parishes, 
met  at  Woodbury,  in  the  last  week  of  March  following  the 
jjublication  of  peace,  and  elected  the  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury  to 
be  their  Bishop.  That  he  might  receive  consecration,  the 
Bishop-elect  journeyed  to  England  ;  and  after  nearly  a  year 
of  opposition  and  discouragement,  such  as  would  have  appalled 
an  ordinary  man,  realizing  that  success  could  only  be  achieved 
in  a  different  quarter,  he  turned  to  the  Non-Juring  Bishops 
of  the  Church  of  Scotland;  and  on  the  lith  of  November,  1784, 
he  was  consecrated  a  Bishop  of  the  Church  of  God.*  No  words 
can  measure  the  importance  of  that  act.  It  ultimately  forced 
the  English  Parliament  to  do  for  the  Church  in  America,  that 
which  was  absolutely  necessary  for  its  existence,  and  which 
should  gladly  have  been  done  long  before.  Bishop  Seabury 
was  absent  from  this  country  two  whole  years  ;  and  in  the 
letter  which  he  wrote  from  London  to  the  clergy  of  Connecti- 
cut, after  his  return  from  Scotland,  he  said:  "My  own  pov- 
erty is  one  of  the  greatest  discouragements  I  have  to  bear  with. 
Two  years'  absence  from  my  family,  and  expensive  residence 
here,  have  more  than  expended  all  I  had.  But  in  so  good  a 
cause,  and  of  such  magnitude,  something  must  be  risked  by 
somebody.  To  my  lot  it  has  fallen  :  I  have  done  it  cheer- 
fully, and  despair  not  of  a  happy  issue."  He  reached  New 
London,  June  29th,  1785.  No  noise  attended  this  first  and 
undisguised   entrance    of   a   Bishop   upon    the   soil   of   New 

•Bishop  Seatiury  was  consecrated  In  old  St.  Andrew's,  Aberdeen,  presentibus 
tain  e  clero,  quam  e  populo  testibus  uloneis:  and  the  edifice  where  the  consecration 
took  place  was  built  for  Bishop  Skinner.  It  stands  In  an  obscure  part  of  the  city, 
and  Is  reached  by  a  narrow  lane,  where  no  large  carriages  pass,— just  the  spot 
which  one  might  suppose  the  Non-Jurors,  In  a  time  of  distressful  persecution, 
would  select  to  offer  their  devotions,  and  escape  the  observation  of  their  enemies. 
It  was  abandoned  almost  forty  years  since,  on  the  erection  of  a  new  St.  Andrew's 
in  a  better  locality.    Rev.  E.  A.  Beardsley  :    The  Churchman,  August  1,  1885. 


MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READER. 


63 


England.  He  came  as  a  simple  Christian  citizen,  and  not  in 
any  outward  pomp  and  dignity,  such  as  before  the  war  for 
Independence  had  commenced,  the  adversaries  of  the  Church 
had  apprehended.  "  The  Presbyterian  ministers,'"  saysWilber- 
force:  "  appeared  to  be  rather  alarmed  ;  and  in  consequence  of 
his  aiTival,  assumed  and  gave  one  another  the  style  and  title 
of  bishops,  which  formerly  they  reprobated  as  a  remnant  of 
Popery.  '"*     Bishop  Seabury  was  present  at  the  Annual  Com- 


^Y^Oidrf^'-'^^^^ 


Site  of  Old  St.   Andkew's,   Aberdeen,   wheke  Bishop  Seabuby 
WAS  Consecrated. 

mencement  of  Yale  College,  in  1785,  and  when  some  one  men- 
tioned the  fact  to  President  Stiles,  and  suggested  that  he 
should  be  invited  to  a  seat  among  the  distinguished  personages," 
he  replied  that  "  there  were  already  several  bishops  upon  the 
stage,  but  if  there  was  room  for  another  he  might  occupy  it." 
With  joy  did  the  clergy  of  Connecticut  assemble  in  convention 
•  Wllberforce  :    Hist,  of  the  American  Church,  p.  213. 


64 


MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READEE. 


at  Middletown,  on  the  3rd  day  of  August,  1785,  and  publicly 
welcome  and  recognize  their  Right  Reverend  Father  in  God. 
A  Concordate,  " '  established  in  mutual  good  faith  and  confi- 
dence '  at  Aberdeen,  and  the  pastoral  letter  of  the  Scottish 
Bishops,  were  laid  before  the  clergy,  and  excited  in  them  the 


TuE  Kev.  Samuel  Seabdkv,  D.  D..  First  Bishop  of  Connecticut. 

warmest  sentiments  of  gratitude  and  esteem."*  At  this 
Convention,  Bishop  Seabury  admitted  to  the  order  of  Deacons, 
the  Rev.  Philo  Shelton  ;  it  being  the  first  oi'dination  ever  held 
in  the  United   States  by   a  duly   consecrated  Bishop. t     Mr. 

•  Beardsley :    History  o£  tlie  Episcopal  Cliurcli  In  Connecticut,  vol.  1,  p.  367. 

tRev.  Mr.  Shelton  was  one  of  tlie  four  admitted  to  the  Dlaconate  by  Blsliop 
Seabury  at  his  first  ordination,  held  In  Middletown,  on  the  .3rd  of  August. 
1T88.  Mr.  Ashbel  Baldwin,  another  of  the  tour,  who  afterwards  became  his 
nearest  neighbor  and  friend  and  associate  In  efforts  to  build  up  the  Church, 
used  to  say  that  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  were  first  laid  upon  the  head  of  Mr. 


MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READEE.  65 

Shelton  was  now  in  a  position  that  enabled  him  to  take 
charge,  as  Rector,  of  the  Church  at  Fairfield.  Sometime 
earlier,  in  anticipation  of  his  speedy  ordination,  a  committee 
had  been  appointed  by  the  parish,  and  the  following  agree- 
ment had  already  been  entered  into  :  "  We,  the  subscribers, 
being  appointed  a  committee  by  the  several  Episcopal 
Churches  in  the  Township  of  Fairfield,  and  being  fully  em- 
powered by  them  to  agree  with  Mr.  Philo  Shelton  to  settle 
with  us  as  our  minister,  are  empowered  to  give  him  for  his 
maintenance  One  Hundred  Pounds  Lawful  Silver  Money, 
together  with  the  use  and  improvement  of  a  piece  of  land 
lying  in  Fairfield,  at  a  place  called  the  Round-Hill,  containing 
about  eight  acres,  which  sum  is  to  commence  as  soon  as  he 
shall  become  an  officiating  minister,  and  to  continue  as  long 
as  he  shall  perform  Divine  service  among  us,  which  sum  shall 
be  annually  paid.  And  by  the  Powers  delegated  to  us  we  do 
bind  ourselves  and  the  several  parishes,  to  see  the  above 
agreement  fulfilled.  And  until  he  is  in  Orders,  we  do  agree 
to  give  him  twenty-eight  shillings  lawful  money,  for  every 
Sunday  he  shall  officiate  among  us.  And  whereas  there  are 
three  several  places  where  Episcopal  members  assemble  for 
public  worship,  viz  :  Fairfield,  North  Fairfield  and  Stratfield, 
Mr.  Shelton  is  to  hold  Church  at  the  places  according  to  the 
listof  members  that  attend,  and  belong  to  the  several  Churches. 
In  testimony  whereof  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  this 
24:th  day  of  February,  1785. 

Ezra  Kirtland,  Thomas  L.  Collyer, 

Ozias  Burr,  Calvin  Wheeler, 

Elijah  Burritt,  Moses  Burr, 

Committee  for  Stratfield.  Committee  for  North  Fairfield. 

Daniel  Meeker,  Seth  Sturges, 

John  Sherwood,  Ruben  Beers, 

Ebenezer  Nichols,  Josiah  Bulkley, 

Committee  for  Greenfield.  Committee  for  Fairfield. 

Shelton,  so  that  his  name  really  heads  the  long  list  of  clergy  who  have  had  ordi- 
nation In  this  Country  by  Bishops  ot  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  Rev.  E.  A. 
Beardsley :    The  Churchman,  August  l,  1885. 


66 


MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READER. 


Joshua  Jennings,  Shubael  Gorham, 

Peter  Bulkley,  Jonathan  Coley, 

Committee  for  Greens  Farms.  Committee  for  Saugatuck. 

As  Committee  of  the  Old  Society  of  Fairfield. 
From  this  time  onwards,  Mr.   Shelton's  ministrations  were 
given  without  interruption,  save  during  a  brief  period,  two 
years  after  his  ordination,  when  he  was  disabled  by  a  serious 
illness.     Even  then  the  services  in  the  three  Churches  were  not 


First  Page  of  the  Book  of  Record  of  Trinity  Parish,  Containing  Account  of 
THE  Meeting  Held  at  Mr.  John  Sherwood's  House,  August  20,  1779. 

discontinued,  for  the  people  held  a  meeting  and  took  measures 
to  supply  his  place.  The  quaintuess  of  the  original  record 
may  provoke  a  smile ;  for  the  meeting  being  warned,  "  to  hire 
some  suitable  person  to  '■carry  on''  instead  of  Mr.  Shelton,  until 
he  should  get  better,"  it  was  voted  that  the  moderator  of  the 


MR.    PHILO    SHELTON,    LAY-READER.  67 

meeting,  Mr.  Jonathan  Bulkley,  should  '■'- carry  on  ;"  and  still 
later  a  definite  arrangement  was  authorized  with  the  contigu- 
ous Churches  to  "  hire  a  man  to  '  carry  on  '  for  three  months."* 
.There  are  several  votes' of  this  kind,  which  plainly  show  that 
*'  carrying  on "  was  the  old-time  expression  for  conducting 
Divine  service. 
•  Rev.  N.  E.  Cornwall's  Historical  Discourse  1851,  p.  42. 


CHAPTEK  X. 


The    Rev.    Philo    Shelton's    Rectorship.     The    Building    of 
THE  Third  Church  at  Mill  Plain,  1785-1825,  a.  d. 

After  the  destruction  by  Gen.  Trj'on's  troops,  of  the  second 
Church  erected  by  Trinity  parish,  the  congregation,  so  much 
of  it  as  was  left,  met  for  worship  in  private  houses,  first,  as 
has  been  stated,  at  Mr.  John  Sherwood's,  in  Greenfield  ;  then 
at  Capt.  Hezekiah  Sturges',  in  Fairfield.  This  arrangement 
continued  until  the  Prime  Ancient  Society  of  Fairfield  village 
had  finished  its  new  sanctuary,  and  thereby  vacated  the 
Town-House,  which  in  turn,  was  used  by  the  Church-people 
until  1790.  During  the  decade  that  had  elapsed  since  the 
fire,  two  questions  had  begun  to  agitate  the  minds  of  those 
who  were  interested  in  Episcopacy  in  the  Town  of  Fairfield  ; 
when  and  lohere  shall  the  new  Church  be  built?  Financially 
and  numerically,  the  village  of  Fairfield  was  at  a  low  ebb.  Its 
former  prosperity  had  departed.  That  many  of  the  old 
inhabitants  were  scattered  abroad  by  the  calamity  which  had 
befallen  them,  and  that  the  social  and  business  aspects  of  the 
community  were  greatly  altered,  are  manifest  from  the 
language  of  a  certain  vote  in  1783,  concerning,  "  all  persons 
formerly  inhabitants  of  the  town,  who  had  been  so  long  gone 
from  this  to  any  other  town,  that  they  might  be  presumed  to 
have  gained  settlement  there."  This  is  a  language  which 
plainly  implies  that  an  extensive  dispersion  of  the  former 
inhabitants  had  taken  place.  And  such  was  the  fact.  A 
formidable  rival,  the  near-by  city  of  Bridgeport,  formerly 
Stratfield,  was  rapidly  growing  in  importance.  Already  the 
Courts  of  the  County,  which  formerly  had  helped  to  make 


THE  KEV.  PHILO  8BELT0N  8  RECTORSHIP, 


69 


Fairfield  a  great  legal  centre,  had  been  absorbed  by  it. 
Besides,  the  harbor  advantages  of  Mill  River,  here  in  our  own 
village  of  Southport,  as  it  is  now  called,  were  attracting 
attention ;  while  Greenfield  Hill,  Green's  Farms,  Saugatuck, 
were  all  becoming  more  and  more  populous.  Upon  the  rate 
list  for  1799,  preserved  in  the  records  of  the  parish,  fifty 
names   are  found,    which  were  not  upon  that  of  1789.     Of 


The  Thikd  Chdrch  Edifice,  Mill  Plain. 

these  fifty,  nineteen  lived  in  Fairfield,  including  what  is  now 
Southport;  twenty-one  in  Greenfield  ;  three  in  Greens  Farms; 
and  seven  in  Saugatuck.  The  question  then  as  to  where 
the  new  Church  edifice  should  be  ei'ected  easilj'  became  a 
burning  one.  There  were  those  who  favored  building  upon 
the  former  site,  on  the  highway,  near  the  Old  Field  Gate, 
eighty  rods  west  of  the  Prime  Ancient  Society's  Meeting- 
house ;  while  there  were  those  who  insisted  upon  going  to  Mill 
Plain,  almost  a  mile  distant,  quite  close  by  the  spot  where  the 


70  THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTOn's   RECTOBSHIP, 

first  Church  was  built,  for  the  reason  that  that  neighborhood 
was  more  convenient  to  the  larger  proportion  of  the  parish- 
ioners. At  first  the  advocates  for  the  old  site  prevailed.  At 
a  meeting  held  at  the  Town-House,  Jan.  9th,  1799,  a  "  clear,'^ 
that  is,  a  unanimous  vote,  was  passed  "  that  a  Church  be 
built  and  erected  for  Divine  worship  on  the  ground  where  the 
late  Church  stood,  and  which  was  unhappily  consumed  by 
fire."  On  April  10th,  of  the  same  year,  at  a  meeting  held  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Nathaniel  Perry,  another  "  clear  "  vote  was 
passed,  "  that  a  Church  be  built  on  Mill  Plain,  so  called, 
where  Jonathan  Sturges,  and  Thadeus  Burr,  drove  the  stake 
by  appointment  of  the  Town,  and  that  all  former  action  with 
regard  to  building  a  Church  be  null  and  void."  There  was  no 
change  of  purpose  after  this.  The  parish  forthwith,  began 
preparations  to  build.  Dimensions  of  the  edifice  were  ordered 
to  be  forty-eight,  by  thirty-five  feet.  Ichabod  Burr  was 
appointed  a  committee  to  get  the  timber  for  said  house,  and 
deliver  it  on  Mill  Plain.  It  was  voted  to  have  8  x  10  window 
glass  ;  shingles  three  feet  in  length,  and  a  circular  roof ;  the 
steeple  was  also  to  "  go  on  "  with  the  rest  of  the  building. 
This,  the  third  Church-structure,  described  by  Mr.  Shelton, 
in  his  brief  Sketch  of  the  Parish  as  "  a  pretty  decent  building, 
with  a  steeple  and  bell,  and  a  gallery  accross  the  end,"  was 
dedicated  the  5th  of  September,  1790,  when  a  sermon  suitable 
to  the  occasion  was  preached  by  the  Rector.  The  completion 
of  the  Church,  and  its  consecration  by  Bishop  Jar  vis  did  not 
take  place,  however,  until  October  18th,  1798.*  The  Instru- 
ment of  Donation  is  still  extant,  and  is  replete  with  the  true 
Church  spirit : 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Church-Wardens,  Vestrymen  and 
Parishioners  of  Trinity  Church  in  Fairfield,  on  the  2nd  day  of 
May,  1795,  it  was  unanimously  resolved  and  voted  that  as 
Almighty  God  had  been  pleased  to  put  it  into  their  heads  to 

•  For  location  see  map  of  Churcli-sltes,  p.  33. 


THE    BEV.    PHILO    SHELTON's    RECTORSHIP.  71 

build  a  new  Church  for  the  Celebration  of  His  Worship 
according  to  the  Liturgy  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  and  had  in  the  course  of  His 
good  Providence  enabled  them  so  far  to  finish  it  as  to  render  it 
fit  for  public  use  according  to  their  best  abilities,  it  was  their 
full  purpose  and  earnest  desire  that  the  said  new  Church  be 


TuE  KiGHT  Rev.  Abraham  Jakvis,  D.  D., 
Second  Bishop  of  Connecticut. 

called  Trinity  Church,  and  be  dedicated  to  the  worship  and 
service  of  Almighty  God  according  to  the  Liturgy  aforesaid. 
"We,  therefore,  the  Church-Wardens,  Vestrymen,  and  Parish- 
ioners of  Trinity  Church,  do  for  us  and  our  successors,  dedi- 
cate, appropriate,  give  and  grant  the  said  Church  by  us 
erected  unto  Almighty  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  to  be  conse- 


72  THE    EEV.    PHILO    SHELTOn's    RECTORSHIP. 

crated  and  used  for  His  Service  and  Worship  according  to  the 
Liturgy  aforesaid,  divesting  ourselves  of  all  right  and  title 
and  disclaiming  all  authority  to  employ  it  hereafter  to  any 
common  or  profane  use.  And  we,  the  Church-Wardens, 
Vestrymen,  and  Parishioners  aforesaid,  do  further  resolve  and 
vote  that  the  two  Church- Wardens,  Mess.  Reuben  Beers  and 
Samuel  Meeker,  do  in  our  name  and  in  our  behalf,  sign  and 
seal  this  Instrument  of  Dedication,  and  do  acquaint  the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  Jarvis,  our  Diocesan  Bishop  therewith,  and  request 
that  he  would  consecrate  the  said  new  Church  to  Almighty 
God  and  set  it  apart  to  be  forever  hereafter  in  His  Service 
and  His  Worship,  promising,  so  far  as  in  us  lies,  to  take  care 
of  the  repairs  of  said  Church,  that  it  may  be  left,  together 
with  its  furniture,  sacred  utensils,  and  books  in  a  decent  state 
for  the  Celebration  of  Divine  Service :  and  also  that  we  will, 
as  God  shall  enable  us,  endeavor  always  to  preserve  and 
support  a  minister  in  Priest's  Orders  to  Celebrate  God's  Holy 
W^orship  according  to  the  Liturgy  aforesaid.  In  witness 
whereof,  we,  the  said  Church-Wardens,  have  herewith  set  our 
hands  and  seals  the  day  and  year  before  mentioned. 

Reuben  Beers, 
Samuel  Meeker. 
There  are  those  still  with  us  who  worshipped  in  this 
Church  on  Mill  Plain,  and  who  remember  well  the  primi- 
tive arrangements  that  characterized  it,  and  which  made  it 
so  vastly  different  fi*om  the  commodious  edifice  in  which  we 
worship  at  the  present  time.  At  first  it  had  no  stove.  Stoves 
were  a  rare  luxury  in  those  days,  for  the  use  of  anthracite 
coal  began  at  a  far  later  date.  The  women  used  "  foot-stoves," 
(  which  may  yet  be  found  as  relics,  in  the  attics  of  old  houses ; 
the  writer  has  one  which  he  prizes  highly,  which  belonged  to 
the  late  Mrs.  Francis  D.  Perry),  or  heated  bricks,  or  stones,  to 
warm  their  feet.  Certain  of  the  parishioners,  living  close  by, 
took  upon  themselves  to  make  extra  fires  on  very  cold  Sundays, 
to  supply  the  foot-stoves  with  live  coals.     A  simple  but  high 


THE  REV.  PHILO  8HELT0N  8  RECTORSHIP. 


73 


reading-desk,  held  the  great  Bible,  and  Book  of  Common 
Prayer.  Behind  and  above  the  reading-desk  was  the  pulpit, 
which  was  reached  by  a  short  flight  of  stairs.  The  Commu- 
nion-Table  stood  quite  in  front.  During  the  service  the  con- 
gregation remained  seated ;  and  it  required  the  action  of  the 
House  of  Bishops  in  1814,  to  free  those  who  desired  to  stand 
during  the  act  of  praise,  from  the  imputation  of  introducing 
"a  dangerous  ritual  innovation."  Further  than  this  simple 
modification,  the  service  was  precisely  that  in  which  Church- 
-peoplenow  participate  every  Sunday.  The  Church's  Worship, 
in   its   essentials,   never   alters.     The   fathers  drew   near   to 


Foot  Stote  Used  in  the  Mill  Plain  Church. 
God  in  Litany,  Collect,  and  General  Confession ;  they 
praised  the  Most  High  in  Venite,  Jubilate,  and  TeDeum, 
and  could  they  be  in  the  flesh  again,  they  would  behold  their 
children's  children  using  the  same  old  Prayer  Book,  un- 
changing and  unchangeable  "  amid  the  wrecks  of  time ;  "  and 
finding  its  words  as  did  they,  not  mere  "forms,"  but  full  and 
satisfactory  expressions  of  the  soul's  deepest  needs. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  Parish  Record  anterior  to  the  year 
1800,  that  touches  upon  other  matters  than  Church-rates  and 
Church-building,  save  one  :  In  1786,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed   "  to  make  inquiry  and  endeavor  to  find  out  what 


74  THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTON  S    RECTORSHIP. 

became  of  the  plate,*  for  Coram uuiou  Service,  which  belonged 
to  the  Church,  and  was  taken  from  the  Eev.  Mr.  Sayre,  and 
take  method  for  recovering  the  same  ;  also  the  iron  taken 
from  the  Church,  with  the  stone  ;  also  the  stone  from  Mr. 
Sayre's  house,  the  parsonage."  Andrew  Eliot,  in  a  letter, 
1779,  to  his  brother,  the  Congregational  minister  at  Fairfield, 
no  doubt  explains  the  disappearance  of  the  silver.  "  The 
Hessians  were  first  let  loose  for  rapine  and  plunder.  They 
entered  houses,  attacked  the  persons  of  Whigs  and  Tories 
indiscriminately  ;  breaking  open  trunks,  desks,  closets,  and 
taking  away  everything  of  value.  They  robbed  women  of 
buckles,  rings,  bonnets,  aprons,  and  handkerchiefs.  Looking- 
glasses,  china,  and  all  kinds  of  furniture  were  soon  dashed  in 
pieces.  Another  party  who  behaved  badly,  were  the  American 
refugees,  who,  in  revenge  for  their  confiscated  estates,  carried 
on  the  same  direful  business." 

So  far  as  is  known,  no  trace  of  the  ancient  Communion 
Service  has  ever  been  found.  A  silver  paten,  long  in  the 
possession  of  the  parish,  and  thought  by  certain  parishioners 
to  be,  possibly,  a  part  of  it,  was  given,  it  has  been  ascertained, 
by  Mrs.  Jeremiah  Sturges,  as  a  memorial  of  her  father,  the 
late  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  Easter  Day,  1826. 

•  A  solid  silver  Service  presented  to  tlie  parish  by  Mr.  St.  George  Talbot  In  1762. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Rev.  Philo  Shelton's  Rectorship  Continued:     The  Lottery 

FOE  the  Relief  of  Trinity  Parish,  and  the  Founding 

OF   the  Bible     and    Prayer    Book  Society. 

Bishop  Hobart's  Visitation,  1817- 

1820,  a.  d. 

Quite  a  notable  event,  beai'ing  upon  the  history  of  Trinity 
Church,  to  which  reference  should  be  made,  was  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  lottery,  for  the  replenishment  of  the  parish  treasury. 
This  was  permissible  under  the  Colonial  laws,  and  does  not 
appear  to  have  done  violence  to  the  religious  sentiment  of  the 
age.  Indeed,  lotteries  were  then  greatly  in  vogue.*  In  1 774,  "  a 
lottery  of  £4,000  was  projected  to  purchase  a  piece  of  ground, 
and  erect  a  Church  thereon  for  a  congregation  of  the  Church 
of  England,  which  now  assemble  in  Horse  and  Cart  street, 
(  now  William's  ),  New  York."  A  month  after,  another  lottery 
"  was  devised  to  erect  a  Church  in  Brooklyn,  under  the  patro- 

*  Money  was  much  needed.  Taxes  the  people  would  not  hear.  To  Issue  bonds 
would  have  been  useless  for  the  authorities  could  not  have  Insured  the  Interest  on 
them  for  a  week.  Lotteries,  therefore,  sprang  up,  and  In  a  short  time  there  was  a 
wheel  In  every  city  and  in  every  town.  Wherever  there  was  a  bridge  to  be  thrown 
across  a  stream,  a  school-house  built,  a  street  paved,  a  road  repaired,  a  manufac- 
turing company  to  be  aided,  a  church  assisted,  or  a  college  treasury  to  be  replen- 
ished, a  lottery  bill  was  passed  by  the  Legislature,  a  wheel  procured,  a  notice  put 
In  the  papers,  and  often  in  a  few  weeks  the  needed  money  was  raised.  It  was  with 
the  money  collected  from  the  sale  of  lottery  tickets  that  Massachusetts  encour- 
aged cotton  spinning,  and  paid  llie  salaries  of  many  of  her  officers;  that  the  City 
Hall  was  enlarged  at  New  Y'ork ;  that  the  Court  House  was  built  at  Elizabeth  ;  that 
the  library  was  increased  at  Harvard;  that  many  of  the  most  pretentious  build- 
ings were  put  up  at  the  Federal  ciiy.  The  custom.  Indeed,  continued  for  several 
years,  and  the  •■  State  of  the  Wheel  "  became  as  regular  an  item  in  the  papers  as 
the  ship  news  or  prices  current.  McMasters  :  History  of  the  People  of  the  United 
States,  Vol,  I,  p.  588. 


76  THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTON's    RECTORSHIP. 

nage  of  the  Rector  and  Vestry  of  Trinity  Church."  This  was 
the  beginning  of  St.  Ann's  Church.  Later  a  lottery  was 
arranged  for  at  Hempstead,  called  the  "  Church  Glebe  Lottery" 
with  "  not  two  blanks  to  a  prize." 

The  fact  was,  that  although  quite  two-score  years  had 
passed,  Trinity  parish  had  not  recovered  from  the  severe 
losses  which  befell  it,  by  the  destruction  of  Church  and 
parsonage,  and  library  in  1779  ;  nor  had  it,  in  its  impoverished 
condition,  ceased  to  feel  the  financial  strain  caused  by  the 
erection  of  a  new  Church  edifice,  and  its  proper  equipment 
for  Divine  worship.  It  was  for  these  reasons  that  the 
authorities  of  the  parish  applied  to  the  Legislature  of  the 
State,  in  the  year  1818,  "  for  the  grant  of  a  lottery,  with 
liberty  and  authority  to  raise  thereby  the  sum  of  six  thousand 
dollars,  as  a  remuneration  for  the  Losses  sustained  by  the 
parish,  at  the  burning  of.  the  town."  The  application  itself, 
explains  and  justifies  the  step  thus  taken  so  fully,  that  it  is 
herewith  reproduced  :  "  Jeremiah  Sturges,  the  present  Clerk 
of  the  Episcopal  Society  at  Fairfield,  after  considering  the 
very  low  state  of  the  Church,  without  any  friends,  and  the 
great  difficulty  of  raising  money  enough  by  Taxes  on  the 
members,  to  support  the  clergyman  in  the  one-third  part  of 
his  services,  notwithstanding  his  small  pittance  of  one  hundred 
and  eleven  dollars  and  eleven  cents  per  annum,  and  deeming 
it  almost  impossible  to  raise  even  that  small  sum  by  taxes,  at 
a  meeting  of  the  parish  held  March  23,  1818,  drew  up  the 
following  petition  "  which  was  presented  to  the  Hon.  Gen. 
Assembly  by  the  Gentlemen  Representatives  from  this  Town, 
( viz.)  Gideon  Tomlinson,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  Thos.  F.  Rowland. 

"  To  the  Hon.  Gen.  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Connecticut 
to  be  holdeu  at  Hartford,  in  said  State,  on  the  second  Thursday 
of  May  next.  The  petition  of  Abraham  Bulkley,  Walter 
Sherwood,  Hull  Sherwood,  Jesse  Banks,  and  David  Jennings, 
Wardens  and  Vestry  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  Town  of 
Fairfield,    in  the  County  of  Fairfield,  and  the   rest    of   the 


THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTOn's    BECTORSHIP.  77 

subscribers  hereunto,  members  of  said  Church,  humbly  showeth 
that  the  Church  in  Fairfield,  together  with  the  Parsonage 
House,  Barn,  and  Out  Houses,  was  burned  by  the  British 
Troops,  under  Tryon,  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  at  the  time 
that  the  Town  of  Fairfield  was  burnt  in  the  year  1779,  and 
that  the  plate  to  a  considerable  amount,  belonging  to  said 
Church,  was  at  the  same  time  carried  away  by  the  enemy ; 
now  your  petitioners  would  further  inform  the  Hon.  Gen. 
Assembly  that  with  the  funds  that  they  heretofore  held,  and 
the  small  Grand  List  of  less  than  one  thousand  dollars,  they 
have  been  about  twenty-seven  years  engaged  in  building 
another  small  house  for  public  worship,  but  have  been  unable 
to  complete  the  same,  and  in  doing  it  they  have  been  obliged 
to  dispose  of  all  their  funds,  and  sell  the  principal  part 
of  their  glebe  lands,  which  was  heretofore  appropriated 
for  the  support  of  their  clergyman,  which  altogether,  has 
proved  a  Loss,  or  Burthen  to  the  said  Church,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  members,  with  all  their  Zeal  and 
Exertion  find  it  very  difficult  and  almost  impossible  for  them 
to  finish  said  Church,  and  at  the  same  time  to  support  their 
clergyman.  Now  your  petitioners  would  further  inform  the 
Hon.  Gen.  Assembly  that  notwithstanding  all  Individuals  and 
many  Ecclesiastical  Societies,  that  suffered  Losses  by  the  fire 
of  so  barbarous  an  enemy  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  have  by 
the  Bounty  of  the  Hon.  Gen.  Assembly,  in  some  measure, 
been  Remunerated,  and  knowing  that  all  Societies  and  Indi- 
viduals who  suffered  Losses  by  the  fire  of  the  enemy  are 
equally  entitled  to  the  Bounty  of  the  Hon.  Legislatui'e,  to 
whom  they  have  never  applied  in  vain. 

Your  petitioners  never  intended,  nor  would  they  ask  for 
any  indemnity  for  their  Losses,  could  they  possibly  surmount 
them  by  their  own  exertions. 

Wherefore  your  petitioners  appeal  to  the  Hon.  Gen. 
Assembly  as  the  only  Resource  from  which  they  can  expect 
any  Relief  for  their  great  Losses,  and  Burthen,  and  praying 


78  THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTON's    RECTORSHIP. 

your  Honours  to  take  their  case  into  your  wise  consideration 
and  grant  them  a  lottery  to  raise  the  sum  of  Ten  Thousand 
Dollars,  not  as  a  Remuneration  for  their  Losses,  or,  in  some 
other  way  grant  Relief,  and  as  in  Duty  Bound  will  ever  pray. 
Dated  at  Fairfield,  this  Abraham  Bulkley, 

sixth  day  of  April,  1818.  Walter  Sherwood, 

David  Jennings, 
Jesse  Banks, 
Hull  Sherwood, 
Jeremiah  Sturges, 
Wm.  Robinson, 
Abel  Beers. 

BY  AUTHORiry  OF  THE  Sl'ATE  OF  CONNECTIGOT 


^til 


„.-.  ,. ^3:====«- Fairfield  Episcopal  Society  Lottery, 

#^^cv       y  'yT  CLASS  ir. 

'^■j^\\jll/Vp  HI  S^  TICKET  shall  entUIe  the  possessor  to  such  PRIZE  as  may  be  drawn  to  its 

>Jl-l.'  oiiBiber,  in  the  above  named  Lottery,   »ccording  to  the  tcran  of  the  Scheise 

.1  ^  Subject  to  a  Jediictioii  of  fiftecu  per  cent.        -^ 

*^  FainJUld,  .iusust  ),  1820.  // ^ '^y^^^ 

Fac  Simile  of  Lottery  Ticket. 
The  answer  to  this  appeal  was  permission  to  organize  a 
lottery  scheme  that  would  give  the  parish  a  net  sum  of  six 
thousand  dollars,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  carry  out 
the  project.  February  9th,  1825,  Jeremiah  Sturges,  the 
clerk  of  the  parish,  upon  whom  the  chief  part  of  the  labor 
connected  with  the  administration  of  the  lottery,  it  would 
seem,  had  devolved,  made  his  final  report  concerning  it, 
which  was  duly  accepted.  He  figured  the  total  proceeds  at 
$4,752.13,  or  thereabouts.  The  interest  of  the  lottery  fund 
was  voted  year  after  year  to  Mr.  Shelton,  in  payment  of 
salary.  Subsequently  portions  of  the  principal  were  used  to 
pay  parish  debts  ;  by  the  time  the  next  Rector  came  in,  it  had 
all  disappeared  ! 


THE  REV.  PHILO  SHELTON's  RECTORSHIP.  79 

In  the  same  year  that  the  lottery  was  applied  for,  an 
undertaking  of  a  different  nature,  and  with  more  promise  of 
lasting  results,  was  brought  to  a  successful  issue.  When 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson,  clarurn  et  venerabile  7iomen,  who 
has  been  mentioned  before  in  these  pages,  was  a  Congre- 
gational minister  at  West  Haven,  it  will  be  remembered 
that  he  committed  to  memorj^  and  used,  as  occasion  required, 
in  public  worship,  portions  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer, 
to  the  comfort  of  himself,  and  the  edification  of  his  flock.  So 
much  were  they  admired  that,  we  are  told,  "  it  was  common 
for  persons  belonging  to  the  neighboring  churches  to  come  to 
West  Haven  on  purpose  to  hear  them.  To  this  day  it  re- 
mains true  that  there  is  no  better  advocate  for  the  Church,  in 
any  household,  than  the  Prayer  Book.  Possessed  with  this 
view,  a  number  of  laymen,  members  of  Trinity  Church,  met 
on  the  first  day  of  January,  1818  ;  and  under  the  guidance  of 
the  Rector,  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  formed  "  The  Bible  and  Prayer 
Book  Society  of  Trinity  Parish."  The  object  was  stated  to  be 
the  gratuitous  distribution  of  the  two  volumes  mentioned, 
first,  in  Trinity  parish ;  next,  in  Fairfield  County  ;  afterwards, 
if  the  funds  warranted  such  expenditure,  in  the  Diocese  of 
Connecticut,  or  in  the  Church  at  large.  A  constitution  was 
adopted,  officers  elected,  subscriptions  received,  and  the  work  of 
distribution  at  once  begun.  No  better  thing,  the  present 
Rector  of  Trinity  parish,  who  writes  these  Annals,  feels  con- 
strained to  say,  has  ever  been  done  by  it,  than  the  founding 
of  this  admirable  Society.  The  common  complaint  is,  the 
masses  are  ignorant  of  the  Church.  It  is  then,  the  highest 
wisdom  for  us  to  circulate  the  Prayer  Book  among  those  to 
whom  the  Church  is  unknown.  When  people  read  those 
sublime  prayers,  which  have  been  offered  by  king  and  peasant, 
as  well  as  by  martyrs  going  joyfully  to  the  stake,  and  still  are 
as  applicable  to  their  wants  as  if  composed  yesterday  ;  and 
become  imbued  with  their  chaste  language  and  terse  style, 
and  compare  them  with  mere  extemporaneous   efforts,    they 


80 


THE  BEV.  PHILO  SHELTON  S  RECTORSHIP. 


will  begin  to  comprehend  that  there  are  worse  prayers  than 
are  read  from  a  book,  and  that  they  can  come  from  the  heart 
without  being  prepared  for  the  occasion.  Besides,  the  Prayer 
Book  can  enter  many  a'  house  where  our  clergy  cannot  find  a 


The  Right  Rev.  John  Henry  Hobart,  D.  D., 
In  Charge  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut,  June,  1816,  to  June,  1819. 


welcome.  Acting  as  a  "  silent  missionary,"  it  may,  as  it  often 
has  done,  prove  a  solvent  of  sectarian  bitterness,  by  showing 
that  Church  doctrine  is  only  Bible  truth ;  and  that  Calvin's 


THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTOn's    RECTORSHIP.  81 

theories,  or  those  of  Arminius,  are  not  comparable  to  the 
simple  Faith,  once  delivered  to  the  Saints,  as  the  old  Apostolic 
Church  holds  and  teaches  it. 

The  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  Society  is  still  in  active  exist- 
ence (1898),  and  has  given  away,  since  its  organization,  nearly 
six  thousand  volumes.  Its  invested  fund  amounts  to  $561.12. 
Thus,  the  good  it  has  accomplished  is  worthy  of  the  highest 
praise.  The  results  of  it  in  all  their  fulness,  that  great  Day, 
when  all  that  is  hidden  shall  be  revealed,  can  only  make  known. 

After  the  death  of  Bishop  Jarvis,  the  Bishop  of  New  York, 
the  Right  Rev.  John  Henry  Hobart,  had  the  temporary  over- 
sight of  the  Church  in  Connecticut.  On  the  6th  of  August, 
1817,  he  came  to  Fairfield,  where  he  remained  a  week,  making 
the  place  his  headquarters,  but  visiting  the  meanwhile, 
Weston.  Wilton,  and  Redding.  In  the  Church  at  Mill  Plain, 
on  the  12th  of  August,  he  confirmed  thirty  candidates,  all  of 
whose  names  will  be  found  in  the  appendix.  At  Tashua,  the 
following  week,  he  confirmed  eighty-two,  the  largest  class 
presented  to  him  on  this  visitation,  except  the  class  at 
Chatham,  ( now  Portland ),  which  numbered  one  hundred  and 
two.  Truly,  those  were  the  days  when  the  Church  had  an 
irresistible  attraction  for  the  multitude,  and  it  proves  that 
weaiiness  of  the  leanness  and  uncertainties  of  man-made 
religious  systems,  is  by  no  means  a  development  peculiar  to 
these  modern  days. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Latter  Years  of  Rev.  Philo  Shelton's  Rectorship. 

Mr.  Shelton  was  exceptionally  successful  in  the  performance  of 
the  duties  pertaining  to  two  Rectorships.  The  parishioners 
of  Trinity  Church,  at  Fairfield,  were  devoted  to  him,  while 
St.  John's  Church,  at  Bridgeport,  under  his  care,  grew  to  be 
one  of  the  strongest  and  most  flourishing  in  the  Diocese. 
The  initial  services  at  Sti'atfield,  were  held,  as  has  been 
already  mentioned,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lamson  in  1748,  and  the 
first  parish  Church  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Seabui-y.  in 
1789,  being  "  the  third  in  order  of  consecration,  and  the 
eighteenth  in  order  of  erection,  in  the  Connecticut  Diocese. 
It  was  built  on  the  corner  of  the  King's  Highway,  and  Church 
Lane.  Among  the  chief  donors  were  Col.  John  Burr,  Samuel 
Beardsley,  Timothy  Wheeler,  Richard  Booth,  Joseph  Seeley, 
and  John  Nichols.  The  population  later  began  to  drift 
eastward,  and  in  1801,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  demolish 
the  old  Church,  and  build  a  new  one  in  a  more  advantageous 
location.  The  second  edifice  was  so  far  completed  that  it 
could  be  used  for  public  worship  in  the  beginning  of  Advent ; 
and  two  years  later,  "the  ground  floor  was  sold  at  public 
vendue  for  the  purpose  of  building  the  pews  and  seats  thereon, 
and  finishing  the  Church.'"  The  sum  raised  by  the  sale, 
amounted  to  between  six  and  seven  hundred  dollars.  The 
cost  of  the  building  over  and  above  this,  was  thirty-five 
hundred  dollars,  which  was  met  by  the  voluntary  contribu- 
tions of  the  people.  Mr.  Shelton  in  speaking  of  the  comple- 
tion of  the  whole  work,  said  :  "  It  had  been  conducted  in 
harmony,  with  good  prudence,  strict  economy,  and  a  degree 


THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTON's    RECTORSHIP.  83 

of  elegance  and  taste  that  does  honor  to  the  committee,  and 
adds  respectability  to  the  place."  But  even  this  second 
removal  of  St.  John's  was  not  final.  In  a  score  of  years,  a 
third  edifice  was  found  to  be  necessary.  This  was  located  on 
the  corner  of  Cannon  and  Broad  streets,  the  site,  eligibly 
located,  having  been  presented  by  Phillip  Cannon,  Esq.,  Mrs. 
Shelton's  brother-in-law.  In  these  two  successive  Churches, 
belonging  to  St.  John's  parish,  Mr.  Shelton  ministered  most 
Acceptably,  one  half  of  his  time  being  given  to  Trinity  Church, 
Fairfield,  until  1824,  when  failing  health,  and  a  disposition 
manifested  by  the  congregation  of  St.  John's  to  have  the 
undivided  services  of  a  clergyman,  induced  him  to  hand  in 
his  resignation.  Among  his  papers,  the  following  interesting 
data,  pertaining  to  the  last  year  of  his  joint  Rectorship,  were 
found  : 

Parochiales  Notitiae  for  Fairfield  and  Bridgeport : 
Philo  Shelton,  Rector,  Easter,  1823,  to  Easter,  1824. 
Baptisms   in   the   two   Churches,   Infant,   16 ; 

Adult,  1,  ....         17 

Marriages,  .....  6 

Funerals,  .  .  .  .  .16 

New  Communicants  in  Fairfield,        7  [ 
'^  Bridgeport,   5) 
Communicants  in  Fairfield,      .  ,  .78 

"  "   Bridgeport,  .  .       120 

"  The  congregation  in  Fairfield  is  not  large,  but  very  attentive 
and  devout  in  Church.     My  services  have  been  wholly  confined  to 
them  since  Easter,  having  at  that  time  relinquished  Bridge- 
port to  my  assistant,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Judah." 
Fairfield,  June  the  1st,  1824. 

As  intimated  above,  Mr.  Shelton  gave  all  his  time  to  the 
<3hurch  at  Fairfield,  after  his  health  began  to  fail,  and  he  had 
I'esigned  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's,  Bridgeport ;  but  he  did 
not  long  survive  the  changed  condition  of  afl'airs.  He  died  on  the 
27th  of  February,  1825,  and  was  buried  under  the  chancel  of  the 


84  THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTOn's    EECTOESHIP. 

Church  at  Mill  Plain,  at  the  altar  of  which  he  had  ministered 
for  more  than  forty  years.  A  marble  tablet  was  provided  by 
the  congregation  to  mark  his  resting  place,  on  which,  among 
other  things,  were  inscribed  the  date  of  his  bii'th,  graduation, 
admission  to  Holy  Orders,  and  the  words,  "  The  First  Clergy- 
man Episcopally  ordained  in  the  United  States."  The  body 
was  afterwards  removed,  at  the  charge  of  the  Wardens  and 
Vestry,  to  Mountain  Grove  Cemetery,  Bridgeport,  and  an 
imposing  monument,  finely  chiseled,  in  Italian  marble,  was 
placed  over  it,  on  which  is  inscribed : 

In  Memoby 

OF    THE 

REV.  PHILO  SHELTON,  A.  B. 

Born  in  Huntington,  1754.     Died  in  1825. 

Graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1775,  and  was  forty  years 

Rector  of  St.  John's  Church,  Bridgeport,  and  of 

Trinity  Church,  Fairfield,  with  the  charge 

also  of  the  Church  in  Weston,  for 

many  years. 

"  A   faithful    Pastor,    a   guileless    and    godly    man.     For 

twenty-four  years  member  of  the  Standing  Committee  of  the 

Diocese,  a  firm  supporter  of  Ecclesiastical  Authority,  and  a 

gentle,  but  steady  upholder  of  primitive  and  Apostolic  Order. 

He  was  one  of  the  four  who  first  received  ordination  from  the 

hands  of  the  first  American  Bishop,  the  Right  Rev.  Samuel 

Seabury,  D.  D.,  who  commenced  on  this  Continent,  in  its  full 

offices,  the  one  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church,  in  the  certain 

faith  that  it  would  continue  to  the  end  of  the  world.     This 

monument  is   erected  as  a  tribute  of  filial  aftection,  and  in 

grateful  remembrance  of  the  piety  and  virtue  of  loved  and 

honored  parents." 

Mr.  Shelton's  passing  away  was  universally  lamented.  It 
was  felt  that  a  good  man,  one  whose  noble  life  was  open  and 
manifest  to  the  world,  had  been  taken  out  of  it.  At  the 
Diocesan  Convention,  held  June  1st,  1825,  Bishop  Brownell 


THE  REV.  PHILO  SHELTON  8  RECTORSHIP. 


85 


remarked  in  his  address :  "  He  has  faithfully  and  successfully 
labored  for  almost  forty  years  in  the  parish  from  which  his 
Divine  Maker  has  now  called  him  to  his  rest.  He  has  taken 
an  important  part  in  the  Ecclesiastical  concerns  of  the 
Diocese,  from  the  period  of  its  first  organization  ;  and  the 
moderation  and  prudence  of  his  counsels  have  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  welfare  of  the  Church.  For  simplicity 
of  character,  amiable  manners,  unaffected  piety,  and  a  faithful 


Home  of  Rev.  Philo  Shelton, 
Faikfield  Avenue,  Bridoepokt,  Conn. 

devotion  to  the  duties  of  the  ministerial  office,  he  has  left  be- 
hind an  example,  by  which  all  his  surviving  brethren  may 
profit,  and  which  few  of  them  can  hope  to  surpass." 

A  few  days  after  Mr.  Shelton's  decease,  the  committee 
appointed  by  the  parishioners  of  Trinity  Church,  forwarded 
the  followiner  letter  of  condolence  to  the  bereaved  widow : 
"  Mrs.  Shelton,  Madam  :  We  are  appointed  a  committee  and 
directed  to  wait  upon  and  tender  you  the  sincere  condolence 


86  THE    KEV.    PHILO    SHELTOn's    RECTORSHIP. 

of  ourselves  and  the  rest  of  the  members  of  the  Episcopal 
Society  at  Fairfield,  for  the  great  and  grievous  loss  which  you 
have  sustained  in  the  bereavement  by  death  of  our  worthy, 
respected,  and  beloved  Pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Shelton,  your 
late  consort,  and  our  best  friend.  Our  sincere  and  humble 
prayers  are  offered  to  Almighty  God,  that  his  loss  may  be 
sanctified  to  you  and  your  family,  through  the  merits  of  Jesus 
Christ,  our  Saviour,  and  we  humbly  pray  that  He  will  have 
you  in  His  Holy  keeping,  and  that  you  may  bear  the  loss  with 
Christian  fortitude,  trusting  in  the  widows'  and  the  orphans' 
God  for  support  and  comfort.  The  loss  to  you,  to  us,  and  to 
those  we  represent,  we  feel  to  be  great,  and  sincerely  lament 
it,  but  humbly  submit  to  the  will  of  the  Almighty,  for  He 
gave  and  He  taketh  away,  therefore,  blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord. 

As  the  Kev.  Mr.  Shelton  has  been  our  Pastor,  and  spiritual 
Advisor  for  more  than  forty  years,  and  has  built  us  up,  and 
kept  us  together  as  a  Christian  Church,  we  in  our  own  names, 
and  by  the  special  direction  of  the  rest  of  the  members  of 
the  Episcopal  Society,  hereby  beg  and  request  that  you  will 
permit  us  to  show  our  gratitude  and  respect  for  him  by 
burying  him  under  the  Church  in  Mill  Plain,  and  by  erecting 
a  proper  monument  over  his  body,  commemorative  of  his 
worth,  and  merits,  and  of  our  love  and  affection  for  him.  By 
complying,  you  will  confer  a  great  favor  on  your  sincere 
friends  and  humble  servants. 

Walter  Sherwood, 
Hull  Sherwood. 

Committee  from  the  Wardens  and  Vestry,  and  the  members 
of  the  Episcopal  Society  in  Fairfield." 

The  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  also  wrote : 

Hartford,  March  17,  1825. 
My  Dear  Mrs.  Shelton  : 

I  should  have  been  with  you   in  your  affliction,  to  assure 

you  of  my  sympathy  and  friendship,  had  it  not  been  for  the 


THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTON  S    RECTORSHIP. 


87 


extreme  badness  of  the  roads,  and  a  slight  attack  of  the  pre- 
vailing influenza.  I  feel  that  I  have  lost  one  of  my  best 
friends  and  counsellors,  and  that  the  Diocese  has  lost  one  of 
its  best  patterns  of  ministerial  faithfulness,  and  Christian 
simplicity  :  but  our  loss  is  nothing  in  comparison  vpith  yours. 
It  is  true,  that  with  the  constitution  and  unimpaired  faculties 


Right  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Brownell,  D.  D., 
Thikd  Bishop  ok  Connecticdt. 

of  your  late  husband,  we  might  have  hoped  that  he  would 
have  been  spared  to  us  for  several  years  to  come  ;  yet  we 
ought  rather  to  be  grateful  that  he  was  preserved  so  long, 
and  that  he  was  taken  away  in  the  full  maturity  of  his  years 
— "like  a  shock  of  corn,  fully  ripe."  Let  this  thought,  my 
dear  Madam,  console  you.  It  is  the  will  of  God,  of  a  Being 
of  infinite  wisdom,  who  knows  what  is  best  for  us,  for  our 


88  THE    REV.    PHILO    SHELTOn's    RECTORSHIP. 

friends,  for  the  Church :  a  Being,  whose  every  act  is  ordered 
in  mercy  and  goodness.  Let  us  then,  ever  bear  in  mind  these 
attributes,  and  let  us  reflect  on  the  multiplied  ways  in 
which  they  have  been  manifested  to  us.  We  shall  then  have 
reason  to  mingle  our  thanksgivings  with  our  sorrows,  and 
realizing  the  goodness  and  loving  kindness  of  God,  we  shall 
seek  support  where  all  sufficiency  alone  resides. 

Mrs.  Brownell  desires  to  unite  with  me  in  assurances  of 
sympathy,  and  affectionate  remembrances,  to  yourself  and 
family.     With  great  esteem,  your 

Friend  and  Pastor, 

Thos.  C.  Brownell. 
Addressed  : 

Mrs.  Philo  Shelton. 

Mrs.  Shelton  survived  her  husband  thirteen  years.  Two 
sons  entered  the  ministry  of  the  Church.  The  younger  of 
them,  George  Augustus  Shelton,  a  graduate  of  Yale  college, 
died  in  1863,  Kector  of  St.  James'  Church,  Newtown,  Long 
Island.  The  other,  succeeded  his  father  as  Rector  of  Trinity 
Church,  Fairfield  ;  and  subsequently  became  the  distinguished 
Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Buffalo,  the  mother-parish  of 
that  important  city. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Eectoeship  of  Rev.  William  Shelton,  1825-29,  a.  d. 


Tht  Rev.  Wilijam  Shelton. 

The  Rev.  Philo  Shelton  died  February  27th,  1825,  and 
Ti-inity  parish,  for  the  first  time  in  forty  years,  found  itself 
without  a  Rector.  His  removal  speedily  developed  a  great 
amount  of  incertitude.  The  times  were  hard;  the  congregation 
was  in  debt ;  consequently  the  prospect  of  supporting  a  clergy- 
man became  very  dubious.     At  the  last  meeting  of  the  parish, 


90  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    WILLIAM    SHELTON. 

held  shortly  before  Mr.  Shelton's  death,  February  9th,  the 
pews  were  reuted  from  "  Easter  Monday  to  the  first  Monday 
of  January  next,"  and  brought  a  total  of  fifty-three  dollars 
only.  March  17th,  there  was  another  meeting,  at  which  it 
was  "  resolved  to  appropriate  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
dollars,  and  seventeen  cents,  out  of  the  funds  of  the  lottery, 
to  defray  the  debts  against  the  Society."  This  partly  ex- 
plains why  before  the  Rev.  Wm.  Shelton  accepted  the  rector- 
ship, in  succession  to  his  father,  there  was  an  effort  made  to 
combine  the  Fairfield  parish,  with  that  of  Stratford.  On 
April  18th,  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  parish,  it  was  voted, 
"  that  the  parish  of  Fairfield  unite  with  the  parish  of  Stratford, 
in  hiring  or  settling  a  clergyman,  provided  the  two  parishes 
can  agree  on  the  clergyman,  and  all  other  subjects  regarding 
the  hiring  or  settling  him."  Voted,  "  that  Walter  Sherwood, 
Joel  B.  Bulkley,  and  Hull  Sherwood,  be  a  committee  to  call 
on  the  Wardens  and  Vestry,  or  some  committee  appointed  by 
the  parish  of  Stratford,  to  ascertain  the  best  terms  on  which 
the  two  parishes  can  unite,  and  report  at  the  next  meeting." 
After  this  action,  whether  it  was  that  the  parish  at  Stratford 
was  not  responsive,  or  that  the  Episcopalians  of  Fairfield  had 
determined  to  raise  sufficient  money  among  themselves,  to 
maintain  a  separate  existence,  a  different  opinion  speedily 
prevailed.  At  another  special  meeting  held  April  25th,  it  was 
voted,  "  that  the  Episcopal  Society  of  Fairfield  would  not  unite 
with  the  Parish  of  Strutford  at  present."  It  may  have  been 
that  an  intimation  that  the  Rev.  Wm.  Shelton  was  available, 
and  the  fact  that  the  parish  had  a  quantity  of  land  that 
could  be  disposed  of,  the  proceeds  of  which  would  help  to 
pay  expenses  for  some  years  to  come,  had  a  great  deal  to  do 
with  this  complete  reversal  of  opinion.  Anyway,  about  the 
time  the  Rev.  William  Shelton  began  to  officiate,  it  was  voted 
to  sell  a  piece  of  property,  known  as  the  Roxbury  Farm,  be- 
longing to  the  parish,  for  eighteen  hundred  dollars.  The 
congregation,  in  accordance  with  the  doubtful  policy  it  was 


RECTORSHIP    OF    RKV.    WILLIAM    SHELTON.  91 

pursuing,  now  found  itself  in  a  position  to  pay  the  Rector's 
salary,  and  its  other  obligations. 

Extract  from  the  Parish  Record :  "  Nov.  1825,  Sunday 
after  Thanksgiving-day,  Rev.  Wm.  Shelton  began  to  preach, 
and  left  the  parish,  August  9th,  1829." 

The  Rev.  William  Shelton  was  the  son  of  the  late  Rector, 
and  brought  to  his  new  charge  all  the  fervor  and  sympathy 
that  a  life  long  acquaintance  with  it  could  impart.  From  the 
very  beginning  of  his  rectorship,  his  preaching  drew  large 
and  attentive  congregations ;  while  his  unremitting  house  to 
house  visitations  won  for  him  the  hearts  of  all  his  people. 
Fairfield  was  the  first  parish  he  served.  In  his  convention 
sermon,  1826,  Bishop  Brownell  remarked:  "Rev.  William 
Shelton  has  exhibited  to  me  letters  Dimissory  from  the  Diocese 
of  New  York,  and  has  been  called  to  the  parish  at  Fairfield. 
Few  circumstances  of  my  life  have  afi"ected  me  with  a  stronger 
interest  than  his  recent  ordination  in  the  Church  at  Fairfield, 
and  at  the  altar  beneath  which  the  bones  of  his  late  venerated 
father  rest  in  peace.  He  now  cultivates  the  field  where  the 
same  pious  father  so  often  bore  the  heat  and  burthen  of  the 
day,  and  where  for  more  than  forty  years  he  labored  in  the 
service  of  his  Divine  master." 

The  parish  continued  its  prosperous  career.  In  1827,  the  list 
of  communicants  had  inci'eased  from  50  to  80.  In  1828,  the 
connection  between  the  parishes  of  Fairfield  and  Weston  was 
severed.  By  vote  of  the  parish,  the  Rector's  services  were  here- 
after to  be  confined  to  his  own  people.  For  the  first  time  in  its 
existence,  the  services  of  its  Rector  were  to  be  entirely  de- 
voted to  it.  And  this  change  proved  ultimately  the  turning 
point  in  its  later  history.  While  Fairfield  village  had 
been  decreasing,  numerically  and  materially,  the  tiny  hamlet 
located  at  the  mouth  of  Mill  River,  one  mile  westward, 
had  all  along  been  steadily  growing.  New  buildings  had  been 
erected,  and  the  population  had  largely  increased.  A  disposi- 
tion to  change  the  name  of  the  settlement  from  Mill  River  to 


92 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    WILLIAM    SHELTON. 


Southport,  had  also  become  manifest.  Nor  was  the  project 
lacking  in  earnest  supporters.  It  was  into  this  practically  new 
coramunit}',  that  Mr.  Shelton  thought  it  advisable  to  introduce 
the  Church.  So  far,  no  public  religious  services  of  any  descrip- 
tion had  been  held  in  the  village.  In  prompt  pursuance  of  his 
plan,  Mr.  Shelton  made  a  beginning  in  October,  1828,  in  the  upper 
room  of  the  old  Academy  or  school-house,  now  the  well  known 
residence  of  Mr.  Jos.  H.  Furniss  where  he  preached  every  third 


The  Old  Academy. 
In  This  Building  the  First  Church  Services 
In  Southport  were  Held, 

Sunday  afternoon  in  the  month.  From  the  first,  this  experi- 
mental service  was  so  well  attended  thatit  soon  became  apparent 
that  the  real  centre  of  the  parish,  the  point  everyway  most 
convenient  to  the  great  majority  of  the  parishioners,  scat- 
tered as  they  were,  from  the  village  of  Fairfield,  to  Green's 
Farms,  and  Saugatuck,  was  not  Mill  Plain,  but  Southport. 
The  result  was,  the  Church  in  that  place  became  permanently 
established  In  1829,  Mr.  Shelton  received  a  call  to  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Buffalo,  New  York.     With  unfeigned  sorrow  he  decided 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    WILLIAM    SHELTON.  93 

to  sever  the  pleasant  relations  that  had  existed  for  four  years, 
and  enter  upon  a  field  of  labor,  that  partook,  even  in  those 
days,  of  even  a  more  missionary  character  than  that  connected 
with  the  parish  at  Fairfield.  Mr.  Shelton's  connection  with 
St.  Paul's  Church,  began  on  his  thirty-first  birthday,  and 
lasted  for  fifty-four  years.  He  died  at  his  ancestral  home  at 
Bridgeport,  October  11th,  1883,  having  been  born  at  the 
same  place,  September  lltb,  1798. 


CHAPTER  XIY 


Kectorship    of    the    Rev.    Charles   Smith.     Erection  of  the 
Chapel  at  Southport,  1829-1834  a.  d. 


The  Rev.  Charles  Smith. 

The  Rev.  Charles  Smith,  succeeded  the  Rev.  Wm.  Shelton  in 
1829.  He  was  a  man  of  positive  character,  fine  culture,  large 
experience,  and  the  parish,  under  his  guidance,  made  a  percepti- 
ble and  encouraging  advance.  The  most  remarkable  feature 
pertaining  to  the  four  years  of  his  Rectorship,  was  the  growth 
of  the  work  begun,  tentatively,    at   Southport,  by  the  Rev. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    CHARLES    SMITH.  95 

Wm.  Shelton.  As  time  passed,  all  the  services  held  in  the  Acad- 
emy building,  were  marked  by  the  attendance  of  lai'ge  congre- 
gations. The  need  of  a  proper  and  permanent  structure,  to 
be  used  as  a  Chapel  to  the  Mill  Plain  Church,  thus  became 
apparent.  The  undertaking  once  started,  speedily  matured, 
and  in  1832,  the  corner  stone  of  a  suitable  building  was  laid 
with  appropriate  ceremonies,  by  the  Rev.  Francis  L.  Hawks, 
D.  D.,  then  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  New  Haven. 

This,  the  fourth  edifice  built  by  Trinity  parish,  within  one 
hundred  and  ten  years,  was  most  advantageously  located  on  a 
gentle  eminence,  in  the  centre  of  the  village,  and  was  of  easy 
access  to  all  who  desired  to  worship  God,  according  to  the 
Episcopal  Form.*  Bishop  Benjamin  Treadwell  Onderdonk,  of 
New  York,  consecrated  the  new  Chapel,  January  22nd,  1835. 

The  list  of  contributors  to  the  Chapel  is  preserved  in  the 
Parish  Record,  and  contains  the  names  of  so  many  who  were 
active  in  Trinity  Church,  or  interested  in  it  at  the  time,  and 
whose  memory  is  worth  perpetuating,  that  it  is  given  in  full. 
The  land  was  purchased  of  Judson  Sturges,  and  cost  $300. 
The  size  of  the  lot  was  seven  by  eight  rods.  The  subscription 
paper  reads  as  follows : 

"  We,  the  subscribers,  being  desirous  of  building  a  House 
in  the  Borough  of  Southport,  to  be  dedicated  to  the  worship 
of  Almighty  God,  according  to  the  forms  of  the  Pi'otestant 
Episcopal  Church,  and  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  Trinity 
Chapel,  belonging  to  the  Episcopal  Society  in  the  Town'of  Fair- 
field, do  promise  to  pay  to  Jeremiah  Sturges,  Esq.,  Treasurer  of 
s'd  Society,  or  his  successor  in  Office,  the  sevei-al  sums  we 
have  hereunto  annexed  to  our  names,  and  we  do^^hereby  consti- 
tute and  appoint  Jeremiah  Sturges,  Esq.,  Andrew  Bulkley, 
William  Sherwood,  Jr.,  Walter  Bulkley,  Abel  Beers,  the 
committee  to  jDurchase  the  land  and  to  superintend  the 
erecting  the  said  building,  and  to  draw  on  the  Treasurer  of 

*  See  map  of  Church  sites,  p.  .33. 


96 


RECTOBSHIP    OF    REV.    CHARLES    SMITH. 


scl  Society,  the  amount  subscribed  for  the  above  purpose, 
pi'ovided  the  several  subscriptions  hereunto  annexed  amount 
to  two  thousand  dollars,  one  year  from  date.  Otherwise,  the 
subscriptions  to  be  null  and  void.  Witness  our  hand,  South- 
port,  Januai-y  13th,  1832." 
Abel  Beers, 

Jeremiah  Sturges  &  Son, 
Jtilius  Pike, 
Jonathan  Godfre}', 
Joseph  Perry, 
Walter  Bulkley, 
Judas  Sherwood, 
Wni.  Robinson  &  family 
AYm.  Sherwood,  Jr., 
Henry  Perry, 
Charles  Perry, 
Moses  Bulkley, 
Aaron  J.  Hubbell, 
Jon.  Bulkley, 
Levi  Down, 
Gordon  Perry, 
\V.  D.  Dimon, 
Stephen  Osborn, 
Joseph  W.  Davis, 
Walter  Sherwood, 
James  Bulkley, 
Hezekiah  Bulkley, 
Jessup  Alvord, 
L^man  Betts, 
Ebenezer  Dimon, 
Jon.  Sturges, 
Henry  Dudley, 
Anna  Robinson, 
L.  H.  Bulkley, 

Two  years  only  elapsed,  and  the  attendance  showing  a 
constant  increase,  it  was  decided  that  the  Chapel  needed  greater 
seatiagcapacity.  A  second  subscription  paper  was  started,  and 
in  a  brief  space  of  time,  the  amount  requisite,  was  pledged. 
A  copy  is  herewith  appended :     "  We,  the  subscribers,  promise 


$100.00 

Wm.  Bulkley, 

$100.00 

200.00 

Thos.  Robinson, 

30.00 

100.00 

L.  B.  Wakenian, 

40.00 

50.00 

W.  W.  Wakeman, 

40.00 

100.00 

George  Bulkley, 

40.00 

100.00 

Charles  Bulkley, 

40.00 

100.00 

Hezekiah  Davis, 

35.00 

100.00 

Andrew  Bulkley, 

50.00 

50.00 

Simon  Sherwood, 

25.00 

150.00 

M.  A.  Sherwood, 

30.00 

50.00 

B.  A.  Hawkins, 

25.00 

50.00 

Hull  Sherwood, 

40.00 

20.00 

Joseph  Jennings, 

15.00 

25.00 

Andrew  Bulkier-, 

10.00 

10.00 

Timoth}'  Williams, 

10.00 

25.00 

Aaron  Jennings, 

10.00 

10.00 

Jessup  Wakeman, 

50.00 

40.00 

E.  Sherwood, 

10.00 

50.00 

Rachael  Penfield, 

10.00 

50.00 

Rev.  Francis  L.  Hawks, 

5.00 

10.00 

Eleazar  Bulkle\-, 

100.00 

10.00 

Griselda  and  Marj' 

10.00 

Bradley, 

50.00 

10.00 

Henry  Beers, 

10.00 

4-0.00 

David  Coley, 

5.00 

5.00 

Aaron  Sherwood, 

5.00 

10.00 

R.  M.  Sherman, 

10.00 

5.00 

Sarah  Hull. 

25.00 

50.00 

RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  CHARLES  SMITH. 


97 


to  pay  to  Jeremiah  Sturges,  Esq.,  Treasurer  of  the  Episcopal 
Society  of  Fairfield,  or  his  successor  in  office,  the  respective 
sums  annexed  to  our  names,  for  the  purpose  of  raising  the 
sum  of  Four  Hundred  Dollars,  to  be  applied  to  building  an 
additional  square  of  about  12  feet  in  extension  of  the  length 
of  Trinity  Church,  in  Southport,  the  s'd  subscription  not  to 
be  binding  unless  the  sum  of  Four  Hundred  Dollars  shall  be 
raised  on  or  before  the  23rd  inst. 
Southport,  April  16th,  1834. 


Ladies'  Association, 

$100.00 

Charles  T.  Nichols, 

$10.00 

Maurice  Wakeman, 

23.00 

Chas.  Thorp, 

10.00 

Lot  Bulkier, 

25.00 

Sellick  Sherman, 

10.00 

Thos.  Robinson, 

25.00 

Capt.  John  Hull, 

10.00 

Wm.  Bulkley, 

20.00 

David  Bradley, 

10.00 

Andrew  Bulkley, 

20.00 

N.  B.  Alvord," 

5.00 

Simon  Sherwood, 

15.00 

Geo.  Robinson, 

5.00 

Smith  Robinson, 

15.00 

J.  B.  Wakeman, 

5.00 

Moses  Bulkley, 

10.00 

Chas.  Thorp,  additional, 

5.00 

\Y.  B.  Meeker, 

10.00 

Albert  Whitmar, 

5.00 

Henry  Perry, 

10.00 

Henry  Beers, 

5.00 

J.  W.  Davis, 

10.00 

James  Bulkley, 

5.00 

Henry  Sturges, 

10.00 

Jessup  Alvord, 

5.00 

Chas.  Perry, 

10.00 

Aaron  Sherwood,  Jr., 

5.00 

Hull  Sherwood, 

10.00 

David  Bradley, 

5.00 

Polh'  and  Griselda 

Abel  Ogden, 

3.00 

Bradley, 

10.00 

Geo.  Ogden, 

2.00 

Jeremiah  Sturges, 

10.00 

L.  Down, 

2.50 

James  Jennings, 

10.00 

Joseph  Sturges, 

1.50 

Very  shortly  after  the  addition  to  the  Chapel  had  been 
decided  upon,  Mr.  Smith's  failing  health  made  it  imperative 
that  he  should  seek  a  cure  requiring  less  labor  on  his  part ; 
and  the  joint  rectorship  of  two  small  parishes,  St.  Peter's 
Church,  and  Christ  Church,  at  Oxford,  Connecticut,  having 
been  offered  to  him,  he  tendered  his  resignation  to  the  Vestry. 
As  his  ministry  had  been  most  successful,  and  the  congrega- 
tion was  devoted  to  him,  he  was  strongly  urged  to  withdraw 
it.     He  plead,  in  return,  that  it  be  accepted  because  of  his 


98  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    CHARLES    SMITH. 

inability  to  do  the  work  required  of  him,  and  so,  with  great 
reluctance,  the  Vestry  permitted  him  to  depart.  He  was  a 
faithful  Pastor,  and  an  excellent  preacher.  There  are  still 
those  living,  who  treasure,  with  great  affection,  the  remem- 
brance of  his  ministrations. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


Rectorship  of  Rev.  Nathaniel   E.  Cornwall  :     Transfer    of 
Services  from  Mill  Plain  to  Southport:     Demoli- 
tion of  the  Mill  Plain  Church  :   Building 
of  the  First  Parsonage  House, 
1834-1853,  a.  d. 


TuE  Key.  >'atuaniei.  E.  Coknwai.l. 


On  Mr.   Smith's  removal  to  Oxford,  Trinity  parish  found 
itself  once  more  without  a  Rector.     The  interregnum,  however, 


100      RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  NATHANIEL  E.  CORNWALL. 

proved  to  be  of  brief  duration,  for  the  Vestry  soon  filled  the 
vacancy,  by  calling  to  the  Rectorship,  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  E. 
Cornwall,  one  of  the  most  faithful  and  efficient  ministers  that 
the  parish  has  ever  had.  Mr.  Cornwall  was  descended  from 
some  of  the  best  known  New  England  families.  Born  in  1812, 
he  was  educated  at  Cheshire  Academy,  in  which  institution, 
his  father,  the  Rev.  Asa  Cornwall,  was  for  many  years  an 
instructor.  He  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in 
Trinity  College,  Hartford,  and  went  from  thence  to  the 
Genei'al  Theological  Seminary  in  New  York.  Having  finished 
his  studies  there,  he  came  to  Southport,  and  officiated  for  the 
first  time,  the  eighth  Sunday  after  Trinity,  1834.  The  Chapel  in 
Southport  was  just  then  undergoing  enlargement,  and  not  being 
quite  ready  for  occupancy,  Divine  service  was  held,  one-third 
of  the  time  in  the  Academy,  and  two-thirds  of  the  time  in  the 
Church  at  Mill  Plain.  Early  in  1885,  the  Chapel  was  completed, 
and  at  once  became  the  religious  centre  of  the  neighborhood. 
It  was  the  only  Church  edifice  at  that  period,  in  the  village. 
The  nearest  Congregational  Society  was  at  Fairfield,  a  mile 
distant.  The  Methodists  had  not  made  their  appearance. 
All  who  loved  Christ,  irrespective  of  denominational  differ- 
ences, worshipped  together  in  delightful  accord.  So  remarka- 
ble was  this  manifestation  of  Christian  unity,  that  it  moved 
Mr.  Frederick  Marquaud,  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of 
Southport,  and  also  a  strong  Congregationalist,  to  present 
Trinity  Chapel  with  a  substantial  proof  of  his  good- will.  A 
copy  of  the  letter  accompanying  his  gift  has  been  preserved, 
and  will  doubtless  interest  all  who  peruse  these  pages : 

New  York,  30  March,  1835. 
Mev.  Mr.   Cornwall: 

Dear  Sir — I  take  the  liberty  of  making  you  the 
medium  of  offering  to  the  Episcopal  Society  of  Southport,  for 
their  acceptance,  a  silver  plated  Communion-Service.  It  is 
not  of  solid  silver,  but  of  a  quality  that  will  present  the  same 
appearance  for  more  than  half  a  century,  ( with  the  ordinary 
usage ). 


REOTOR9HIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL.  101 

It  is  offered  as  a  tribute  of  my  regard  for  the  Christian 
welfare,  and  prosperity  of  the  Society.  With  sentiments  of 
esteem, 

I  remain,  your  ob't  se'v't  and  friend, 

Frederick  Marquand. 

This  Communion-Service  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
parish.  The  popularity  of  Trinity  Chapel,  as  was  to  be 
expected,  militated  against  that  of  the  old  parish  Church  at 
Mill  Plain.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  1835,  it  was  "  voted, 
that  Divine  service  shall  be  held  at  the  Chapel  of  Trinity 
Church,  at  Southport,  two-thirds  of  the  time,  for  one  year." 
At  the  next  annual  meeting,  1836,  the  same  arrangement  was 
continued.  It  required  no  prescience,  therefore,  to  discern 
which  way  matters  were  tending.  The  pax'ish  had  two  Houses 
of  Worship  ;  one  in  a  thinly  settled  location  ;  the  other  in  the 
midst  of  a  thriving  village.  Inevitably,  in  such  a  case,  the  latter 
would  prove  more  attractive  than  the  former.  Experience, 
moreover,  had  shown  that  the  Chapel  situate  in  Southport, 
was  perfectly  accessible.  Those  Episcopalians,  who  dwelt  in 
the  village  of  Fairfield,  were  scarcely  any  further  from  it, 
than  they  were  from  the  Church  at  Mill  Plain ;  while  those 
living  on  Greenfield  Hill,  at  Green's  Farms,  and  at  Saugatuck, 
also  found  Southport  equally  as  convenient.  Above  all,  the 
new  location  furnished  a  majority  of  the  worshippers.  In 
the  "Account  of  the  Pews  let  in  Trinity  Church,  Mill  Plain, 
Jan.  5th,  1835,  there  are  only  fourteen  names,  and  but  one 
of  them  is  wanting  in  the  "  List  of  Pews  let  in  the  Chapel 
at  Southport,"  of  the  same  date.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Chapel  list  contains  forty-three  names,  and  it  shows  also,  that 
not  only  was  almost  every  sitting  rented,  but  that  all  who 
worshipped  at  Mill  Plain,  w'ith  one  exception,  were  suffi- 
ciently contented  with  the  Chapel,  to  become  pew  holders 
therein,  and  to  attend  its  services  regularly. 

These  pew  lists  are  printed  for  the  edification  of  those  inter- 
ested in  "  Auld  Lang  Syne."    They  contain  the  names  of  many. 


No. 


14 


15 


16 


South  Side. 


Andrew  Bulklev 


Joseph  Davis 


Henry  Perrj- 


.=■ 

CO 

M 

>-( 

o 

o> 

CO 

i> 

CD 

in 

'J 

CO 

c^ 

tH  I 

<; 

T-< 

r-i 

iH 

r-l 

'V 

>> 

e 

CC 

_0 

s 

0 

0 

-h 

^ 

u 

'> 

■5 

^ 

^ 

g: 

-S 

<-. 

^ 

a 

rt 

d 

p 

v> 

>, 

o 

^ 

^'S 

-4-» 

Q 

CQ 

^ 

ffi 

I- 

V 
^ 

o 

2 

^ 

JZ 

X 

cc 

V 

c 

"p 

1 

.2 
S 

.2 

N 

1—1 

c 
o 

CS 

£ 

B 

en 

.2 

PQ 

c8 

ffi 

d 

^ 

S. 

3 

o 

^ 

^ 

0} 

iH 

0 

05 

X  :i^ 

CD  ;lO  :tj< 

00 : 

k 

■* 

Ti- 

rf- 

CO 

CO  ico 

00  :co  ;co 

co: 

-a 
0 

:  w  ■ 

E5 

3 

0 

0 

-5:73 

nnings 
Hawki 

rs 

C  : 

U  ' 
"O  ; 

bfl: 

s 

'C 

rj) 

ffi 

CQ  led 

•— >V"  ;  4; 

o; 

>i 

^ 

u 

^^i-a 

V  ■ 

^ 

be 

tn 

4-1 

+J 

0  :.^:^ 

v7: 

5 

5 

"5 
5: 

13 

I3  :  C  :  «J 
cS  :  dj  :^ 

0  : 
(U  : 

0: 

1 

o 

o 

0 

:  0 
:  0 

!^ 

'■  M  ; 

■.S  ■ 

a: 
Si 

« 
^ 

en 

0 

CS; 

£ 

Z 

"^^e 

"Ws 

'Ji 

X 

b 

-M 

h:  CC 

Bj: 

5:: 

.2 

Vi 

CS 

c 

0 

+-<  :'?:'3 

^; 

s 

1—5 

a3 

0  :  C  :^ 

^' 

CO 

tJ< 

10 

CD 

t^  :x 

02  :0  :r-i 

C^i 

^ 

^ 

Tf 

■* 

t}" 

Tj<  :•* 

t}<  ;io;in 

10  i 

II    I      SUIT3ll[lA\.  All^OUIfX 


81  I 

I 

6T  j 

'OAT 


pooAV  a  muaqv 


'■'V 

^' 

0 
0 

tn 

:  0 
>>:  0 
"O  '  §: 

5  :  1^ 

CS  .jz 

0/73 

BiH 

.2  :  2 

3 

CQ 
en 

ctf 
U 

w 

-M 

in 

0 

iz 

s 
0 

03 

CQ 
CQ 

-a  ;— 
niCQ 

m'.Q 

1— ) 

1— i 

0 
1— ) 

IS 

0 

T-l 

O) 

00 

Tf<  iin 

CO  :t^ 

X 

CTi 

0 

M 

OJ 

c^ 

M 

Oj:^J 

M  ;oi 

c^ 

M 

CO 

o 

!?]   :    "^ 

Ol 

CO 

t}< 

\0 

CO 

t^ 

X 

o 

iH 

C/3 

TJ 

^  1 

•> 

0 

o 

^ 

ri 

^ 

JM 

s  • 

S  i 

Q 

m 
O 
»— 5 

a 

ca 

u 

u 
•—1 

15 

be 
O 

I 
< 

< 

•    P   ■  ,-1 

(M 

CO 

Ti< 

to 

CD 

t^ 

00  i 

;    4j  : 

;   a  I 

I     »sa     ■ 

;  oa  : 

;    5;  ; 

;  «  : 

i  S  : 

:'   «  ; 

;  |i 

i  <  ■ 

ill 

B 

<u 

;   o3  : 

^ 

s 

z 

:    «   ; 

m 

t' 

:   6Q  i 

a 
u 

3 
to 

\i\^ 

(N 

CO 

Tj* 

irj 

CD 

t- 

«   ; 

'V 

o 

>>  i 

o 

^  : 

T3 
O 

^ 

'5  : 

PQ   : 

B  i 

u 

O 

u 
u 

:5 

1 

.S  i 

.2 

<u 

CO 

9} 

t* 

+-» 

f-^ 

a> 

V' 

TZi    ' 

;^ 

Is 

"s 

O 

o 
O 

^  \ 

^ 

^ 

W 

S 

T-H             M 

?:    :    -+ 

i~ 

CD 

- 

X 

o 

i-i 

104      KEOTOKSHIP  OF  REV.  NATHANIEL  E.  CORNWALL. 

whose  professional  and  business  acumen  contributed  largely 
to  the  successful  development  of  Southport  and  its  vicinity, 
and  whose  descendants  are  active  members  of  Trinity  Church 
at  the  present  time. 

From  1836  onwards,  the  attendance  at  the  Mill  Plain 
Church  waned,  so  that  the  expense  of  keeping  it  open,  and  in 
repair,  became  an  ever  increasing  burden.  In  1841,  the 
unwisdom  of  endeavoring  to  maintain  two  houses  for  worship, 
became  self-evident,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  parish,  held 
December  20th,  1841,  a  committee  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  Andrew  Bulkley,  Jesse  Banks,  and  Abel  Beers,  to  devise 
"  the  lawful  means  for  annexing  Trinity  Church,  Mill  Plain, 
to  the  Chapel  at  Southport,  and  to  devise  ways  and  means  for 
having  continuous  services  at  said  Chapel."  At  a  special 
parish  meeting,  March  28th,  1842,  the  committee  reported : 
"that  they  have  made  all  necessary  inquiries  of  legal  gentle- 
men, and  find  that  due  notice  of  the  intention  being  givea,  in 
the  warning  for  the  meeting  to  be  held,  the  Society  when 
assembled,  may  remove  the  services  by  two-thirds  of  the 
members  present  voting  for  the  removal."  The  meeting  then 
adjourned  to  the  last  Monday  in  June,  at  2  o'clock,  when  a 
vote  being  taken,  the  requisite  two-thirds  voted  affirmatively, 
that  the  Chapel  at  Southport  should  henceforth  be  the  Church 
of  the  parish,  and  that  the  Church  at  Mill  Plain,  should 
remain  closed,  except  for  such  occasional  services  as  the 
Rector  might  appoint. 

By  this  sensible  action,  the  parish  was  materially  strengthened, 
for  henceforth  it  was  enabled  to  concentrate  upon  the  care  and 
maintenance  of  one  edifice,  that  which  had  been  found  wholly 
inadequate  when  divided  between  two  :  and  it  further  con- 
duced to  bring  about  a  congregational  solidarity,  such  as  was 
impossible  under  the  conditions  previously  existing.  It  also 
greatly  bettered  the  lot  of  the  Rector,  for,  in  1844,  the  parish 
felt  strong  enough  to  venture  upon  the  erection  of  a  parsonage- 
house,  convenient  to  the  parish  Church ;  and  also  to  materially 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL. 


105 


add  to  the  Rectors  salary.  In  a  letter  to  the  parishioners  of 
Trinity  Church  written  about  this  time,  Mr.  Cornwall  says: 
"  the  increase  of  my  salary,  in  addition  to  the  provision  of  a 
commodious  parsonage,  I  consider  an  example  on  the  part  of 
my  beloved  parishioners,  worthy  of  commendation  by  their 
Pastor,  and  of  imitation  by  the  members  of  other  parishes." 
When  a  permanent  home  for  the  Rector  was  decided  upon,  it 
was  thought  advisable  to  take  down  the  Church  at  Mill  Plain, 


TUE   FlKST  SOUTHI'ORT   PARSONAGE. 


even  occasional  services  having  ceased  to  be  held  there,  and 
use  whatever  material  contained  in  it,  that  might  be  found  availa- 
ble in  the  construction  of  the  new  building.  This  was  done, 
and  in  its  changed  form,  the  venerable  edifice,  built  in  1790- 
1795,  exists  substantially  to-day,  in  the  structure  located 
close  by  what  is  known  as  the  "Rectory  crossing."  The 
bell  of  the  old  Church  was  sold  to  the  Methodist  Society  at 
Saugatuck,  and  is  doing  good  service  at  the  present  time. 


106  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL. 

Mrs.  Cornelia  Ann  Short,  who  worshipped  in  the  Mill  Plain 
Church,  still  retains  vivid  memories  of  it,  and  the  recollection 
of  one  feature,  she  has  enshrined  in  beautiful  verse,  which 
may  fitly  find  place  in  these  Annals  : 

THE    OLD    CHURCH    BELL. 

Methought  I  heard  it  now, 
Its  silvery  tones  vibrating  along 
The  vale,  and  o'er  the  hills,  as  if  pei'chance 
Some  wandering  mortal  should  escape  the 
Sound,  and  thus  forget  God's  Holy  Day. 

But 
Ah!  'tis  Fancy's  dream — no  more  those  walls  will 
Echo  with  thy  music.     Yet  even  that 
Imaginary  sound  has  touched  a  cord 
Which  vibrates  to  the  Past — and  Memory 
With  magic  power  calls  up  the  scenes  of 
Early  years,  when  first  my  childhood's  steps  were 
Taught  with  awe,  to  enter  in  that  hallowed 
Place — where  Christ's  ambassador,  with  accents 
Firm,  but  mild,  precepts  instilled,  which  till 
Life's  latest  hour  will  ne'er  grow  dim.     Who 
In  his  arms  received  the  unconscious  babe,  and 
With  baptismal  dew,  impressed  upon 
Its  brow  the  liquid  Cross,  a  sign  to  guide 
The  Christian  through  the  narrow  way — and  hours 
When  oft  I've  watched  thy  iron  tongue  as 
It  pealed  in  joyous  tones  for  the  gay 
Bridal,  or  tolled  the  sad  funeral  knell. 
The  festal  Christmas  time,  when  all 
With  ready  hand,  there  met — bright  evergreens  to 
Twine  round  columns  high,  and  with  the  darker 
Fir  to  decorate  the  vaulted  Fane.     From 
Each  old  window  arched,  were  gleaming  lights 
And  merry  hearts  were  thronging  there,  to  sing 
The  praise  of  Bethlehem's  Babe. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL.  107 

'Tis  changed  ; 
And  voices  that  mingled  in  the  chorus 
Of  redeeming  love  on  earth,  are  hushed,  we 
Trust,  but  to  resume  the  seraphic  lays 
Of  Heaven — and  other  hearts,  once  wont  to 
Meet  around  that  sacred  board,  now  mourn  that 
Not  a  trace  remains  to  mark  the  place  once 
Consecrate  with  heavenly  themes. 

Time  hastens  ! 
A  small  young  tree  now  rears  its  verdant  top 
Where  the  Church  tower  raised  its  glistening 
Spire. — And  when  in  future  years  its  branches 
Wave,  and  children  play  about  its  roots  will 
There  be  none  to  pause  amid  the  group,  and 
Tell  the  historic  tale,  or  speak  of  those 
Who,  on  each  returning  hallowed  day 
Welcomed  the  sound  of  that  Old  Bell,  and 
Gladly  met  for  worship,  praise  and  prayer  ? 

Mrs.  C.  a.  Short. 
Fairfield,  Conn. 

In  1846,  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  Railroad  came  into 
existence,  and  its  roadway  was  located  so  near  the  parsonage, 
that  the  noise  of  passing  trains,  and  the  continuous  shriek  of 
the  engine's  whistle,  made  it  wholly  undesirable  for  a  residence. 
This  drawback  continued  to  intensify  with  the  rapid  growth 
of  the  traffic  done  by  the  company,  and  it  was  accordingly 
determined  that  the  parsonage  should  be  offered  for  sale.  In 
1891,  the  railway  company,  finding  the  land  pertaining  to  it 
necessary  for  the  carrying  out  of  the  proposed  duplication 
of  its  roadbed,  bought  the  property  for  $3,500,  and  it  is  now 
in  their  possession. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 


Continuation  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall's  Rectorship  : 
State  of  the  Parish:  Resignation,  183-4-1853  a.  d. 

In  the  annual  report  of  the  state  of  the  parish,  printed  in 
the  Convention  Journal  of  1835,  the  Rector  imparts  the  follow- 
ing information  :  "  The  number  of  families  in  the  parish 
this  year  may  be  reckoned  at  80.  In  this  list,  however,  several 
single  persons,  unconnected  with  any  other  members  of  the 
parish,  are  counted  as  families.  It  may  be,  therefore,  better 
to  state  the  whole  number  of  souls  comprised  in  the  cure, 
which  may  be  estimated  at  320.  Of  these  107  are  communi- 
cants. There  have  been  9  communicants  added  during  the 
year,  3  have  died,  1  has  removed.  It  is  proper  here  to 
observe  that  the  number  of  communicants  in  the  parish  last 
year,  was  incorrectly  reported.  The  error  was  caused  by 
copying  from  the  record  of  the  former  Rector,  without 
reference  to  the  period  of  vacancy  in  the  cure,  during  which 
there  had  been  several  removals.  Eleven  persons  have  been 
confirmed,  eleven  infants  baptized,  and  the  number  of  deaths 
is  eleven.  There  have  been  no  marriages  in  the  parish, 
though  I  have  three  times  solemnized  the  bans  for  persons 
from  abroad.  The  number  of  Sunday  scholars  is  about  60 ; 
teachers  14.  From  thirty  to  forty  persons  generally  attend 
the  meetings  of  the  Bible  class.  The  regular  members  of  the 
class,  who  recite  from  Jackson's  Questions  on  the  Lessons, 
&c.,  do  not  exceed  20.  A  meeting  of  the  Sunday  school 
teachers  has  been  held  monthly,  and  is  to  be  continued  hereafter 
twice  a  month.  The  object  of  these  meetings  is  to  secure  for 
the  school  that  pastoral  supervision  which  the  spirit  of  the 


RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  NATHANIEL  E.  CORNWALL. 


109 


rubric  concerning  catechizing  seems  to  require,  and  to  render 
the  labors  of  the  teachers  more  efficient,  by  means  of  a  mutual 
and  free  interchange  of  the  results  of  individual  experience, 
and  the  familiar  exhortations  of  duty.    The  monthly  missionary 


"  •-,  /. 


"The  Old  Church  on  the  Hill." 
The  Foorth  Chckch  Edifice  Erected  by  Trinity  Parish. 

meeting  has  been  kept  up  through  the  year  with  such  success 
as  to  afford  abundant  encouragement  for  perseverance.  The 
object  of  these  meetings  is  to  diffuse  missionary  intelhgence, 
and  thus  nourish  that  missionary  spirit  which  the  Church 
supposes  to  exist  wherever  the  nature  of  the  Sacrament  of 


110  EEOTOBSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL. 

baptism  is  rightly  appreciated — a  spirit  which  only  languishes 
where  it  does  languish — for  want  of  appropriate  sustenance. 
The  sum  of  $90.60  has  been  raised  for  benevolent  purposes, 
since  January,  chiefly  by  the  plan  of  weekly  contribu- 
tions. Of  this  sum,  $40.21  have  been  appropriated  by  the 
contributors,  to  the  Domestic  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  ; 
$15.00  to  Bp.  Smith,  for  Churches  in  Kentucky  ;  $12.50  to 
the  Fairfield  County  Missionary  and  Education  Society ; 
$14.79  to  the  Sunday  school  of  the  parish,  and  $8.10  to  the 
Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian  knowledge. 

These  contributions  for  benevolent  purposes  are  exclusive 
of  the  sum  of  $250.00,  which  has  been  realized  by  the  Ladies' 
Association,  as  the  fruits  of  their  industry  in  plain  sewing, 
and  applied  by  them  to  the  furnishing  of  the  new  Chapel  in 
Southport,  which  was  consecrated  on  the  22nd  of  January 
last,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Onderdonk. 

The  Chapel  is  about  a  mile  distant  from  the  old  Church, 
and  is  occupied  by  the  same  congregation,  services  being  held 
in  the  Chapel  two-thirds  of  the  time.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
commodious  edifices  to  be  found  in  the  country  parishes  of 
the  diocese,  and  is  perhaps  remarkable  among  Episcopal 
Churches  in  this  State,  as  being  the  first  and  only  house  of 
public  worship  in  the  village  where  it  stands." 

All  this  is  interesting,  inasmuch  as  it  shows  what  was  the 
condition  of  Trinity  parish  in  the  year  1835.  A  few  years 
later,  as  we  have  already  seen,  the  Chapel  became  the  parish 
Church,  and  was  henceforth  the  only  edifice  used  for  public 
worship  by  the  congregation.  And  what  a  multitude  of  de- 
lightful memories,  even  to  this  day,  cluster  about  that  "Old 
Church  on  the  Hill,"  as  the  Chapel,  in  time  came  to  be 
called !  Its  location  was  probably  the  best  that  the  parish 
has  ever  had,  or  will  have.  The  views  of  woodland  and 
the  blue  waters  of  Long  Island  Sound,  were  a  perpetual 
feast  to  the  eye :  while  the  fact  that  it  was  in  the  very  midst 
of  the  village,  made  it  perfectly  accessible  to  all.     There  was  a 


KKOTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL.  Ill 

sturdiness  moreover,  in  those  who  worshipped  in  it,  that  is  sadly 
lacking  in  this  age.  The  Church  was  the  first  object  of  their 
affections ;  not  the  last.  Sunday  was  strictly  given  to  God  ; 
not  devoted  to  secular  enJDvments.  A  little  bad  weather,  or 
the  slightest  bodily  or  mental  indisposition,  did  not  keep  them 
from  the  Sanctuary.  The  festal  days  of  the  Church  were  also 
highly  appreciated.  Miss  Anna  E  Cornwall,  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Cornwall,  in  a  recent  letter,  says  :  "  Has  any  one 
described  to  you  the  unique  way  of  illuminating  the  Church 
for  the  Christmas-Eve  service,  that  prevailed  in  the  old  days? 


Pitch  Pipe  used  in  the  Mill  Plain  Chukcu. 

A  square  wooden  framework,  twined  with  evergreens,  was 
erected  in  the  body  of  the  Church,  just  high  enough  above 
the  pews,  to  clear  the  heads  of  the  occupants.  This  frame- 
work was  pierced  with  holes  four  ur  five  inches  apart,  laige 
enough  for  a  good  sized  candle.  Along  the  galleries,  across 
the  end,  and  on  the  sides,  similar  boards  extended,  pierced  in 
the  same  way.  The  candles  having  been  put  in  place,  and 
there  were  hundreds  of  them,  they  were  lighted  shortly  before 
the  service  began,  and  being  large  and  solid,  lasted  until  the 
end.  The  effect  was  so  pleasing  that  the  Church  could  scarcely 
hold  all  who  came  from  far  and  near  to  the  Christmas-Eve 
service." 


112       RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  NATHANIEL  E.  CORNWALL. 

A  communication  from  another  of  those  who  treasure 
pleasant  recollections  of  this  period  says:  "The  music  in 
the  '  Old  Church  on  the  Hill '  should  not  be  forgotten. 
It  was  the  free-will  offering  of  those  who  took  part  in  it. 
It  was  not  artistic,  but  it  was  hearty  and  siacere."  In 
the  early  days,  the  i)itch  of  the  tune  of  the  psalm  to  be 
sung  was  set  by  a  tuning-fork.  This  was  the  custom  in 
the  Church  at  Mill  Plain.  In  the  "  Old  Church  on  the  Hill,'' 
the  tuning-fork  was  supplanted,  at  first  by  a  base-viol.  This 
was  played  sometimes  by  Timothy  Williams,  at  others,  by 
Aaron  Jennings,  while  the  vocal  parts  were  rendered  by  a 
quartette,  and  a  numerous  chorus  of  volunteers.  In  1848, 
progress  was  in  the  air ;  culture,  especially  in  the  direction  of 
Church  music,  began  to  exert  a  potent  influence;  an  organ, 
something  hitherto  unheard  of,  was  resolved  upon.  Again  a 
subscrij^tion  paper  was  passed  round,  and  at  the  annual 
parish  meeting  in  1849,  the  organ  committee  reported  that 
they  had  "  paid  $800  for  the  organ  and  additions  now  in  the 
Cliurch,  and  about  $70  toward  altering  the  Gallery  for  the 
same,  and  that  it  needed  $120  to  finish  paying  all  the  claims," 
The  committee's  report  being  accepted,  it  was  further  "  voted 
that  Jonathan  Godfrey  be  added  to  the  committee,  and  that 
they  continue  to  solicit  subscriptions  to  the  amount  required." 
The  organ  pi'oved  to  be  of  excellent  quality,  and  helped  to 
advance  the  music  of  Trinity  Church  to  a  highly  satisfactory 
standard.  The  first  to  perform  upon  the  instrument,  was 
Miss  Anna  B.  Cornwall  ;  later,  she  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  John 
H.  Wood,  who  served  the  parish  most  faithfully,  in  the 
capacity  of  organist,  for  many  years.  The  choir,  that  sang 
on  the  occasion  of  what,  unwittingly  to  it,  was  the  last  service 
held  in  the  old  Church,  was  composed  of  the  following  persons: 
Miss  Mary  Ann  Bulkley,  Miss  C.  Malvina  Bulkley,  Miss  Louisa 
D.  Bulkley,  Miss  Mary  Frances  Burr,  Miss  Mary  Josephine 
Bulkley,  Miss  Elizabeth  D.  Banks,  Miss  Mary  Jane  Banks, 
Miss  Sarah  Burr    Bulkley,  Miss   Mary  Jane    Bulkley,   Miss 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL.  113 

Emily  Davis,  Miss  Cornelia  Davis,  Miss  Jerusha  Robinson, 
Mr.  George  Bulkley,  Mr.  Andrew  Bulkley,  Mr.  Francis  Jelliff, 
Mr.  Edgar  Burroughs,  and  Mr.  John  H.  Sherwood.  These 
young  women,  in  the  course  of  time,  became,  most  of  them, 
the  staid  and  sober  matrons,  whose  unswerving  loyalty  to  the 


Jeremiah  Sturges. 

Vestkym.\n,  Clerk,  and  Treasurer  of  Trinity  Parish, 

1801-1845. 

parish  proved  to  be  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  its  subsequent 
prosperity.  Of  the  gentlemen  who  sung  in  the  choir  of  the 
"  Old  Church  on  the  Hill,"  Mr.  John  H.  Sherwood,  is,  so  far 
as  the  writer  knows,  the  only  one  who  survives. 


114  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL. 

While  Mr.  Cornwall  was  Rector,  Mr.  Jereraiah  Sturges,  one 
of  the  great  leaders  of  the  parish,  finished  his  earthly  course. 
His  death  took  place,  December  12th,  1845.  As  vestryman, 
and  also  parish  clerk,  and  treasurer,  he  served  continuously 
from  1801,  to  the  time  of  his  decease.  Well  known  in  the 
community  for  his  eminent  executive  ability,  it  was  the  com- 
mon remark,  that  nowhere  did  he  bestow  it  with  more  devo- 
tion, and  with  less  of  stint,  than  in  behalf  of  Trinity  parish. 
Walter  Sherwood,  Henry  Perry,  and  Walter  Bulkley,  all  prom- 
inent among  the  vestry  of  the  parish,  passed  to  their  rest  dur- 
ing Mr.  Cornwall's  incumbency. 

But  in  one  respect,  this  is  anticipating  events.  Long  before 
the  final  services  of  the  choir,  to  which  reference  has  been  made, 
were  rendered,  the  crying  need  was  for  more  room,  for  those 
desiring  to  form  part  of  the  congregation.  Every  seat  in  the 
Church  was  taken;  applicants  were  many  in  number.  At  the 
annual  meeting,  held  December  8th,  1851,  it  was  voted,  after  an 
informal  discussion, "  that  the  building  should  be  again  enlarged, 
and  that  a  special  committee  be  appointed  to  contract  for  an 
addition  to  the  Church,  extending  out  the  same,  in  the  rear  12 
feet,  more  or  less;  of  sufficient  height  to  have  the  pulpit  and 
desk  moved  back,  forming  an  arch  from  the  gallery,  and  make 
additional  seats  to  fill  up  the  space  thus  added.  Also  to  add 
to  the  east  side  of  said  building,  near  the  north  end  of  vestry 
room,  from  8  to  12  feet  square,  and  open  the  present  vestry 
room — provided  it  can  all  be  done  for  the  sum  of  six  or  seven 
hundred  dollars."  While  the  project  was  pending,  for  it 
necessitated  the  purchase  of  additional  land  to  make  it 
effective,  Mr.  Cornwall  received  an  invitation  to  a  new  field  of 
labor,  which  he  felt  it  was  his  bounden  duty  to  accept. 

At  the  annual  meeting,  December  20th,  1853,  the  probable 
retirement  of  the  Rector  was  announced  to  the  parish,  and  a 
special  committee  was  appointed,  "  to  express  the  regret 
entertained  by  all  at  the  contemplated  separation,  and  the 
desire  that  he  might  resolve  to  remain."     But  time  only  the 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL.  115 

more  conviaeed  Mr.  Coruwall  that  his  duty  lay  elsewhere.  At 
his  request,  a  special  meeting  was  convened,  March  14th,  1853,  to 
accept  his  resignation.  Capt.  Abel  Beers  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and  the  following  letter  fi'om  Mr.  Cornwall  was  read  : 

March  14th,  1853. 
To  the  Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of  Trinity  Church  : 

Beloved  Brethren: — You  are  already  aware  that  a 
serious  consideration  of  the  subject  of  my  communication  to 
you  at  the  late  annual  meeting  of  the  parish,  has  led  to  my 
acceptance  of  the  very  earnest  call  to  another  field  of  labor  to 
which  my  attention  was  directed.  I  take  the  earliest  opportu- 
nity afforded  by  the  appointment  of  the  special  meeting,  this 
day  to  tender  you  my  resignation  of  the  pastoral  care  of  this 
parish,  from  the  close  of  the  present  quarter,  on  the  tenth  of 
April  ensuing.  I  need  not  say  in  the  prospect  of  such  a 
change  of  the  interesting  relation  in  which  we  have  been  so 
long  and  so  happily  united,  that  there  is  much  that  is  adapted 
to  excite  the  most  tender  sympathies  of  our  hearts.  Com- 
mending you  to  God,  and  to  the  Word  of  His  grace,  which  is 
able  to  build  you  up,  imploring  for  you  all  spiritual  blessings 
in  Christ  Jesus,  and  desiring  your  best  wishes  and  prayers 
for  my  own  usefulness,  I  am,  with  best  wishes  for  each  of 
you,  Affectionally  yours  in  Christ, 

N.  E.  Cornwall. 

On  motion  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Godfrey  it  was  resolved  unani- 
mously not  to  accept  the  Kector's  resignation.  Mr.  Cornwall 
came  into  the  meeting,  and  having  expressed  with  much  feeling 
his  appreciation  of  the  kindness  shown  to  him,  stated  the  urgency 
of  the  call,  and  the  necessity  that  was  laid  upon  him  to  accept 
it.  Capt.  Godfrey,  thereupon  moved  the  reconsideration  of 
the  former  vote,  and  the  acceptance  by  the  parish  of  Mr. 
Cornwall's  resignation,  both  of  Avhich  were  agreed  to.  After 
passing  a  resolution  testifying  to  the  high  regard  "  in  which 
the  retiring  Rector  w-as  held  by  the  parish,  as  well  as  to  the 


116  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    NATHANIEL    E.    CORNWALL. 

faithful  discharge  of  his  various  and  arduous  duties,  often- 
times under  disheartening  and  adverse  circumstances,"'  the 
meeting  adjourned. 

The  Rev.  Mi*.  Cornwall's  Rectorship,  thus  unexpectedly 
brought  to  a  close,  was  one  of  the  most  memorable  in  the  history 
of  the  parish.  A  man  of  great  urbanity  of  character ;  of 
unusual  administrative  ability  ;  of  fine  scholastic  and  theologi- 
cal attainments  ;  of  intense  evangelical  fervor  and  piety,  it 
was  most  natural  that  the  charge  entrusted  to  his  spiritual 
oversight,  should  prosper.  For  nineteen  eventful  years,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  during  that  period,  questions  of 
momentous  import,  that  gave  rise  frequently  to  acute  differ- 
ences of  opinion,  came  up  for  settlement,  he  held  his  congre- 
gation together  as  a  unit.  By  common  consent,  the  entire 
community  of  the  Town  of  Fairfield,  irrespective  of  religious 
affiliations,  thoroughly  respected  him.  As  Rector  of  St. 
Andrew's  Church,  Pittsburg,  to  which  place  he  went  after 
leaving  Southport,  and  later  of  St.  Matthew's  Church,  New 
York,  he  continued  for  many  years  the  same  career  of  useful- 
ness. The  writer  of  these  Annals  knew  him  well,  and  that 
only,  as  did  all  who  were  favored  with  his  friendship,  to  admire 
and  love  him  to  the  end  of  his  earthly  days.  He  died  in  New 
York  City,  August  28tb,  1879,  aged  69  years. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  James  Souveraine  Purdy  :  Destruction 

OF  the  Fourth  Church  by  Fire — Change  of  Site,  and 

Building  of  the  Fifth  Church,  1853-1858,  a.  d. 


I?EV.  James  S.  Pi'kdv. 


At  a  special  meeting  held  May  lOtb,  1853,  the  Rev.  James 
S.  Purdy,  at  the  time  a  tutor  in  Trinity  College,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  was  unanimously  called  to  fill  the  vacant  Rectorship. 
The  invitation  was  accepted  by  Mr.  Purdy,  and  he  forthwith 


118  EECTOESHIP  OF  EEV.  JAMES  S.  PUEDY. 

began  his  ministrations,  coming  to  Southport  for  the  Sundays^ 
until  the  College  commencement  took  place,  when  he  removed 
to  the  village,  and  assumed  full  charge  of  the  pai'ish.  On 
Sunday,  July  20th,  1853,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Priesthood, 
by  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,  in  the  parish  Church.  The 
same  year,  he  took  to  himself  a  wife,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Roosevelt  Johnson,  Professor  in 
the  General  Theological  Seminary,  New  York.  As  was  to  be 
expected,  the  parish  under  the  guidance  of  its  new  and 
efficient  Rector,  moved  auspiciously  forward.  The  congre- 
gations were  large ;  the  spiritual  interest  perceptibly  on  the 
increase.  The  only  thing  imperatively  needed  was  a  larger 
Church.  On  January  16th,  1854,  at  a  special  meeting  of  the 
parish  it  was  voted,  "that  a  committee,  consisting  of  Benjamin 
Pomeroy, William  Bulkley,  and  Allen  Nichols,  be  appointed  and 
have  authority  to  contract  for  the  enlargement,  according  to 
the  plan  heretofore  adopted,  adding  twenty  seats  and  a  vestry 
room  on  the  east  end  of  the  Church.  Also  voted,  that  the 
amount  I'equired  for  said  expenses,  be  first  raised  by  a 
subscription."  While  this  was  impending,  a  serious  and  un- 
looked  for  event  intervened.  Extract  from  the  Parish  Record: 
"Saturday,  March  11th,  1854.  The  Church  burnt  to  the 
ground  this  p.  m.,  between  four  and  six  o'clock.  Insured  for 
$3,500,  and  $800  on  the  organ." 

Once  more  the  calamity  of  1779  was  repeated,  and  the  parish 
was  again  homeless !  In  a  couple  of  hours,  the  Sanctuary, 
endeared  to  many  hearts  by  the  holiest  of  associations,  the 
outcome  of  so  much  sacrifice  and  zeal  on  the  part  of  those 
who  worshipped  within  its  sacred  walls,  had  wholly  disap- 
peared. How  the  building  caught  fire  has  ever  remained  a 
mystery.  But,  although  the  catastrophe  was  overwhelming, 
one  striking  feature  connected  with  it  was  observable.  The 
parish  officials  met  the  emergency  with  great  promptness. 
Preparations  for  holding  Divine  service  as  usual,  were  imme- 
diately begun.     The  old  Academy  was  put  in  the  best  condi- 


A. 


itiM'i'v    nirncH 


Fifth  (Jiukcii  Edifice,  Destroyed  by  Toknado,  1862. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.     JAMES    S.    PURDY.  119 

tion  possible;  and  on  the  morrow,  the  congregation  assembled 
there.  Thus,  by  the  stress  of  events,  it  had  come  back  to  the 
spot  where  its  worship,  so  far  as  Southport  was  concerned, 
had  its  beginning.  It  was  in  1838,  that  the  Rev.  William 
Shelton  had  conducted  the  first  religious  service  ever  held  in 
the  village,  in  that  same  building.  Truly,  it  was  a  heavy 
burden  that  was  thus  thrust  upon  it ;  so  felt  the  sorrowful 
flock  gathered  in  the  old  school-house  that  eventful  Sunday 
morning  ;  but,  then  and  there,  it  was  resolved  that  the  Church 
should  be  "  built  again,  as  in  former  times ; "  and  that  the 
"  glory  of  the  latter  house  should  greatly  exceed  that  of  the 
former."  A  council  of  the  prominent  members  of  the  parish 
was  speedily  held,  audit  was  unanimously  voted,  to  proceed  at 
once  to  erect  a  new  Church  edifice.  As  the  growth  of  the 
village  was  continuously  westward,  the  consensus  of  opinion 
was  in  favor  of  a  different  location  from  that  occupied  by  the 
Church  recently  destroyed,  and  a  change  of  site  was  decided 
upon.  A  lot  on  Pequot  avenue,  the  principal  avenue  of  the 
village  was  pui'chased,  and  the  construction  of  a  large  and 
commodious  structure  was  begun.  Messrs.  Moses  Bulklej', 
Jonathan  Godfrey,  Augustus  Jennings,  William  Bulkley,  and 
Allen  Nichols,  composed  the  committee  to  supervise  its  con- 
struction, and  W^illiam  Nash  was  chosen  for  the  architect. 
The  corner  stone  was  laid  in  October,  1854,  with  appropriate 
ceremonies,  by  the  Assistant  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  ;  and  from 
that  time  the  work  of  construction  rapidly  advanced. 

While  the  old  Academy  was  most  conveniently  situated,  and 
was  also  freely  placed  at  the  disposal  of  Trinity's,  now  Church- 
less,  congregation,  it  had  one  conspicuous  defect — it  was  too 
small.  Not  half  of  those  who  desired  to  attend  service,  could 
be  accommodated  in  it.  The  building  committee  was  further 
charged,  in  view  of  this  state  of  aftairs,  to  find  a  more  suitable 
place  in  which  the  congregation  might  assemble.  They  de- 
cided upon  the  Parsonage  barn,  and  that  building  was  at 
once  put  in  order  for  public  worship,  and  was  so  used  during 


120  KECTOKSHIP    OF    REV.    JAMES    S.    PURDY. 

the  summer  of  1853.  St.  Barnabas  Chapel,  it  was  popularly 
called,  and  a  very  comfortable  temporary  place  for  holding 
service,  those  who  frequented  it,  assure  us  it  was.  One 
marriage  ceremony,  that  of  Juliette,  daughter  of  the  village 
physician.  Dr.  Justus  Sherwood,  and  Marcus  B.  Roosevelt,  took 
place  June  13th,  1853,  within  its  walls,  the  Rector  officiating.  In 
the  late  autumn,  when  the  atmosphere  grew  chilly,  Divine  service 
was  transferred  to  the  Odd  Fellows'  Hall ;  and  still  later,  when 
winter  really  set  in,  to  Washington  Hall,  the  upper  story  of 
the  village  school  house,  then  just  completed. 

The  new  Church,  the  fifth  erected  by  the  parish  since  its 
organization,  was  ready  for  use,  early  in  1856,  and  on  the  31st 
of  January,  was  consecrated  by  the  Assistant  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese.  A  clergyman.  Rev.  J.  H  Short,  allied  by  marriage 
to  the  parish,  who  was  present  on  the  occasion,  has  preserved 
for  us  the  following  interesting  account  of  the  ceremony  : 

"The  day  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  whole 
month.  At  half-past  ten,  a  congregation  of  nearly  a  thousand 
persons  had  collected  within  the  walls  of  the  Church,  to 
witness  and  participate  in  the  services. 

The  Assistant  Bishop  met  the  Clergy  and  Wardens  and 
Vestrymen  of  the  parish,  at  the  house  of  Capt.  Jonathan 
Godfrey.  At  eleven  o'clock  the  procession  was  formed,  and 
proceeded  in  reverse  order  to  the  door  of  the  Church.  The 
Bishop  then  entered,  followed  by  the  Clergy  and  officials  of 
the  parish.  The  24th  Psalm  was  repeated  alternately  by  the 
Bishop  and  Clergy,  as  they  were  going  up  the  aisle  to  the 
chancel.  There  were  present  of  the  Clergy,  besides  the 
Bishop,  the  Rev.  Drs.  Mead,  Coit,  Todd,  Hallam,  and  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Johnson,  Professor  in  the  General  Theological  Semi- 
nary ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Goodwin,  President  of  Trinity  College  ; 
and  the  Rev.  Prof.  Jackson ;  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Purdy,  Purves, 
Stimson,  Fisher,  Adams,  Robertson,  Judd,  Godfrey,  Lewis, 
Stearns,  Cander,  Bronson,  Short,  Pottei",  Bostwick,  Yarring- 
ton,   Williams,  and  Deacons  Russell,  French  and  Williams. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    JAMES    S.    PURDY.  121 

The  Instrument  of  Donation  was  read  by  the  Rector,  and  the 
Sentence  of  Consecration  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Johnson.  The 
Bishop  then  proceeded  with  the  Consecration  Service.  The 
Rev.  Dr.  Coit,  of  Bridgeport,  began  Morning  Prayer  ;  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Purves,  of  Westport,  read  the  Lessons ;  and  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Stimson  of  AVilton  concluded.  The  Bishop  then 
proceeded  with  the  Communion  Service;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mead 


Right  Rev.  John  Williams,  D.  U.,  D.  C.  L.,  Fourth  Bishop  of  Connecticut, 
^T.  40  Ykabs,  1856. 

of  Norwalk,  reading  the  Epistle  and  Gospel  for  the  occasion. 
The  sermon  was  by  the  Bishop.  A  feeling  of  deep  solemnity 
seemed  to  pervade  the  entire  congi'egation  through  all  the 
Service.  The  music  was  excellent.  All  who  could,  sang,  and  both 
Clergy  and  laity  appreciated  highly  this  feature  of  the  Services. 
The  same  voices  that   were  mingled  in  the  Confession,  Versi- 


122  RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  JAMES  S.  PURDY. 

cles  and  Creed,  were  also  joined  together  in  the  words  of 
Thanksgiving  and  Praise.  It  has  now  been  nearly  two  yeara 
since  the  Church  in  this  parish  was  burned  to  the  ground. 
In  the  interval  the  Rector  and  parish  have  been  as  a  parish, 
without  a  home.  They  have  sought  a  shelter,  at  one  time  in 
a  school-room,  then,  in  a  barn,  then,  in  an  Odd  Fellows^ 
Lodge,  then,  in  a  public  hall.  Now,  at  last,  they  have  fouud^ 
in  the  language  of  their  Bishop,  a  Holy  Home  ;  such  a  home 
as  I  know  every  member  of  the  parish  must  appreciate.  This 
two  years  must  have  been  a  time  of  severe  trial  to  the  Rector^ 
who  had  but  just  commenced  his  labors  in  this,  his  first 
parish.  But  he  has  not  been  found  wanting  in  energy^ 
assiduity,  and  zeal,  for  the  welfare  and  honor  of  his  parish- 
ioners. And  the  parish,  I  may  say,  judging  from  the  noble 
edifice  they  have  erected,  have  not  been  wanting  in  zeal  for 
the  honor  of  God,  or  in  love  for  their  Rector.  The  building 
is  of  wood,  but  one  which  will  ever  bear  evidence  of  the 
liberality  and  good  taste  of  those  who  have  erected  it. 

There  is  nothing  light  or  fantastic  in  its  ornaments  or 
decorations,  neither  is  the  religious  light  too  dim.  The  whole 
effect  is  animating,  solemn,  and  impressive.  May  the  entire 
Services  of  the  Consecration  long  be  remembered  by  the 
congregation.  May  they,  with  their  worthy  Rector,  long  live 
together  to  enjoy  the  comforts  and  consolations  of  this,  their 
holiest  earthly  Home." 

This  new  edifice  was  equipped  with  what  at  the  time,  was 
considered  a  very  tine  organ.  It  came  from  the  factory  of 
Messrs.  E.  &  G.  C.  Hook,  of  Boston,  and  cost  $1,200.00.  In 
addition  to  the  sum  of  $875.00  received  for  insurance  upon 
the  organ  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  old  Church,  the  Vestry  ap- 
portioned $200.00  from  the  parish  treasury ;  and  Edwin  Bulk- 
ley  contributed  $32.50;  Lewis  D.  Bulkley,  $37.50;  Chas.  Rock- 
well, $20.00;  William  B.  Leonard,  $20.58,  and  Benjamin 
Pomeroy,  ^14.42,  which  sums  made  up  the  deficiency.  In 
connection  with  the  erection  of  the  fifth  Church  edifice,  we 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    JAMES    S.    PURDY.  123 

find  on  the  pages  of  the  Parish  Eecord,  this  acknowledg- 
ment, showing  the  interest  taken  in  it  by  a  former  towns- 
man :  "Resolved,  that  the  thanks  of  this  Society  are  emi- 
nently due,  and  are  hereby  cordially  tendered  to  Joseph  E. 
Sheffield,  of  New  Haven,  for  his  liberal  and  unsolicited  dona- 
tion of  $500.00  towards  rebuilding  the  Church  in  his  native 
village." 

After  the  destruction  of  the  "Old  Chui'ch  on  the  Hill,"  and 
during  the  somewhat  long  interval  that  elapsed  before  all  the 
questions  connected  with  the  change  of  site,  and  the  material, 
whether  wood  or  stone,  with  which  the  new  structure  should 
be  constructed,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  the  residents 
in  the  village  of  Fairfield,  a  mile  distant,  should  long  for  a 
parish  Church  of  their  own.  Although  the  Church-people 
residing  there  were  extremely  few  in  number,  it  was  resolved 
by  them  that  a  Church  should  be  builded.  By  the  perse- 
vering efforts  of  Mr.  Henry  R.  Knapp,  a  devoted  upholder  of 
the  Church  of  his  adoption,  and  a  few  zealous  friends,  the 
site  on  which  the  foundation  of  a  proposed  jail  had  been 
started,  was  secured,  and  plans  for  the  structure  having  been 
adopted,  the  corner  stone  was  laid  in  September,  1855,  by 
the  Assistant  Bishop  of  the  Diocese.  The  completed  edifice 
was  consecrated  May  20th,  1856,  by  the  same  Prelate,  by  the 
name  of  St.  Paul's  Church.  As  was  to  be  expected,  this 
memorable  service  was  participated  in  by  a  goodly  number 
of  the  Clergy  and  laity.  The  Request  to  Consecrate  was 
read  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Leffingwell,  the  rector  of  the  parish. 
The  Sentence  of  Consecration  was  read  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Purdy. 
Morning  Prayer  was  begun  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Reid.  The 
Lessons  were  read  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dix,  of  New  York.  The 
Creed  and  the  concluding  Prayers  were  read  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
G.  S.  Coit.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Hallam.  The  Assistant  Bishop  read  the  Communion  Office. 
The  Epistle  was  read  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mead,  who  with  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Purdy,  assisted  the  Bishop  in  the  distribution  of  the 


124  RECTORSHIP    or    REV.    JAMES    S.    PURDY. 

elements.  There  were  also  present,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Baldwin, 
Tomlinson,  Candor,  Judd,  Purves,  Stimson,  Geo.  Warner 
Nichols,  Olmstead,  Williams,  Townsend,  and  Davies,  of  the 
Connecticut  Diocese,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Clapp,  and  Samuel 
Nichols,  of  that  of  New  York.  St.  Paul's  parish  has  been 
ably  administered,  and  highly  prosperous  from  the  start.  As 
the  initial  services,  that  eventually  led  to  its  organization 
were  begun  by  Mr.  Cornwall,  and  were  afterwards  continued  by 
Mr,  Purdy,  it  hardly  needs  to  be  said,  that  Trinity,  the  old 
mother-pai'ish,  gave  the  new  enterprise  a  hearty  God  speed. 
The  Rectors  have  been  the  Rev.  Messrs.  C.  S.  LefiSngwell, 
Levi  B.  Stimson,  Frederick  S.  Hyde,  James  K.  Lombard,  and 
William  Strother  Jones.  The  Rev.  Allen  E.  Beeman  is  the 
present  Rector. 

Mr.  Purdy's  ministrations  at  Southport,  continued '  to  be 
most  acceptable.  In  1857,  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the  parish, 
his  salary  was  raised.  Doubtless  he  would  have  remained  con- 
tented in  the  promising  field  in  which  he  was  laboring,  had 
not  a  call  to  a  cure  at  Hyde  Park,  a  growing  village  on  the 
Hudson  river,  in  the  Diocese  of  New  York,  which  was  extended 
to  him,  appeai'ed  of  such  a  nature  that  he  felt  he  must  accept 
it.  Accordingly,  to  the  surprise  and  regret  of  every  one  con- 
nected with  the  parish,  his  resignation  was  tendered,  at  a 
meeting  held  April  26th,  1858. 

Copy  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Purdy's  letter,  as  published  in  the  Church 
Calendar,  May  8th,  1858. 
To  the  Wardens  and  Vestry  of  Trinity  Church,  Southport : 

Gentlemen : — The  object  of  this  communication,  is  to 
certify  you  of  my  resignation  of  this  parish.  My  desii'e  is 
that  the  resignation  shall  take  efiect  on  the  third  of  May.  In  thus 
relinquishing  my  charge,  I  do  most  gladly  testify  to  your 
appreciation  of  a  Pastors  labors  among  you,  for  your  own  and 
for  the  Church's  good.  Your  kindness  and  affection  toward 
me  from  first  to  last,  have  been  unvarying.  For  the  constant 
good- will  you  have  ever  manifested  in  my  behalf,  and  for  the 


*tl 


JpsTUS  Shkkwoou,  M.  D.,  Vestryman,  1859, 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    JAMES    S.    PURDY.  125 

many  favors  I  have  received  at  your  hands,  accept  my  heartiest 
thanks.  May  God's  choicest  blessings  descend  upon  you  all, 
and  be  assured  that  for  your  continued  prosperity,  you  will 
ever  have  my  earnest  prayers.  Youi-s  affectionately,  iu  the 
fellowship  of  Christ's  Holy  Church, 

James  S.  Purdy. 

When  first  presented,  on  motion  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Godfrey, 
it  was  decided  unanimously,  that  Mr.  Purdy 's  resignation  be 
not  accepted,  and  that  Messrs.  Godfrey  aud  Beers,  be  a 
committee  to  inform  him  of  the  action  of  the  meeting.  The 
result  was,  that  after  earnest  solicitation  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Purdy,  the  vote  previously  taken  was  reconsidered  and  per- 
mission was  given  him  to  retire  as  requested,  which  he  did  on 
the  3rd  of  May.  On  parting,  the  parish  showed  the  keen 
sense  of  its  loss  in  a  series  of  appreciative  resolutions.  Among 
them  were  these  words,  which  show  the  regard  in  which  Mr. 
Purdy  was  held.  "  Permit  us  as  we  part,  to  testify  Avith  one 
voice  to  your  inestimable  worth  as  a  Christian  Pastor.  We 
have  found  you,  during  the  five  years  you  have  been  with  us, 
faithful  and  untiring  iu  the  discharge  of  your  duties  Through 
many  vicissitudes ;  the  loss  of  our  Church  edifice  by  fire,  and 
the  consequent  stress  of  rebuilding,  you  have  sustained  and 
guided  us.  May  the  blessing  of  our  Father  in  Heaven  attend 
you,  and  crown  with  even  greater  success,  your  labors  in  the 
new  field  upon  which  you  are  about  to  enter." 

Eev.  Mr.  Purdy  was  also  well  known  by  the  writer  of  these 
Annals.  He  recollects  distinctly  his  fine  personal  appearance, 
and  his  great  charm  of  manner.  In  a  letter  very  recently  re- 
ceived, his  brother-in-law,  the  Rev.  William  Allen  Johnson, 
Professor  of  Chui'ch  History,  in  the  Berkley  Divinity  School, 
Middletown,  Conn.,  says  of  him :  "  For  Rev.  Mr.  Purdy  I  had  a 
very  great  regard.  He  was  a  wise  scholar  ;  a  very  well  read 
theologian  ;  an  able  preacher  ;  and  always  a  successful  pastor. 
He  was  untiring  in  catechising  his  Sunday  school,  and  in  his 
pastoral  duties.     The  last  Confirmation  in  the  little  village  of 


126  EECTOESHIP    OF    EEV.    JAMES    S.    PURDY. 

Hyde  Park,  numbered,  I  think,  sixteen  ;  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Cady,  (  who  succeeded  him )  said  he  had  never  known,  in  his 
experience,  such  devotion  on  the  part  of  the  plain  village  people 
to  a  Pastor."  Mr.  Purdy  died,  lamented  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends,  at  Saratoga,  New  York,  March  21st,  1883. 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 


IRectokship  of  the  Rev.  Rufus   Emery:    Destruction  of  the 

Fifth  Church  by  a  Tornado  :  Building  of  the  Sixth 

Church,  1858-1871,  a.  d. 


The  Key.  Rufus  Emery. 

After  the  Rev.   Mr.  Purdy  left  for  his  new  cure,   Trinity 
2)arish  was  without  a  Rector  for  two  months.     At  a  meeting 


128  RECTORSHIP   OF    REV.    RUFUS    EMERY. 

held  July  12th,  1858,  the  Rev.  Rufus  Emery,  was  given  a 
unanimous  call,  and  forthwith  began  his  pastoral  duties. 
The  new  Rector  was  a  recent  graduate  of  Berkley  Divinity 
School,  and  this  was  his  first  charge.  At  once  he  won  the 
hearts  of  his  flock  by  his  ardent  devotion  to  his  Master's  work. 
Under  his  leadership  the  parish  gained  added  strength,  and  a 
zeal  manifested  itself,  that  gave  promise  of  greater  progress 
than  had  ever  before  been  attained.  Thus  the  years  passed, 
without  aught  sensational  occurring,  until  January  1st,  1862. 
During  the  closing  hours  of  that  day,  a  cyclonic  storm  from 
the  northwest  began  to  make  itself  felt ;  the  wind  blew 
fiercely  ;  the  oldest  inhabitant  could  remember  no  elemental 
disturbance  that  surpassed  it  in  vehenence.  Trees  and 
shrubbery  were  stripped  or  uprooted ;  many  houses  and 
barns  were  unroofed ;  scores  of  vessels  that  had  neglected  to 
seek  shelter  were  wrecked  along  the  coast.*  While  the  tempest 
was  at  its  height,  the  tall,  graceful  spire  of  the  Church, 
yielded  to  the  foi'ce  of  the  blast,  and  breaking  off  at  the 
belfry,  fell  upon  the  roof,  and  crashing  through  into  the 
interior,  wrought  utter  havoc  and  ruin  therein.  Those  who 
remember  the  catastrophe,  relate  that  the  bell,  uninjured  and 
exposed  to  the  storm,  rang  at  intervals  through  the  dark 
hours,  sounding,  as  it  were,  a  requiem  over  the  sad  scene  that 
the  coming  dawn  was  to  reveal.  The  destruction  of  the 
Church  proved  to  be  complete.  The  east  wall  lay  prone  upon 
the  ground  ;  The  west  wall  would  also  have  fallen  quite  as  far 
but  for  the  interposition  of  a  venerable  oak,  which  served  as  a 
prop  to  hold  it  up.  Singular  to  relate,  the  organ  was  un- 
harmed, as  was  the  altar  within  the  chancel ;  and  the  great 

•  The  weather  on  New  Year's  morning  was  very  line,  with  a  light  wind  from 
southwest,  the  barometer  standing  29  and  7-10  ;  indicating  ablow,  which  about  12  30 
p.  M.  commenced  from  southwest,  and  during  the  evening  shifted  to  west  north- 
west, and  has  been  blowing  furiously  since  from  that  quarter.  Much  damage  has 
been  done  to  shipping  in  exposed  situations.  A  tremendous  gale  is  reported  on 
the  Sound.  In  Boston  and  Its  vicinity,  many  chimneys  were  blown  down,  and 
buildings  unroofed.  The  storm  is  the  most  severe  Ivnown  for  years.  New  York 
Times,  Jan.  .3rd,  18G2. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    RUFUS    ftMERY.  120 

window  of  staiued  glass  above  it;  uothing  else,  though, 
escaped,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  entire  structure  would 
have  to  be  rebuilt.  This  was  a  heavy  blow,  for  the  parish 
was  just  recovering  from  the  financial  exhaustion  consequent 
upon  the  original  construction  of  the  edifice.     It  rose,  how- 


■ 

■ 

1 

^M 

H 

B 

**:     •                j 

H 

V 

Ib^ 

V'^^'.,                   ' 

^H 

fK 

aT'^'^^' 

■ 

1 

1 

W^y 

M 

P 

1 

m^m 

i^isM 

i^ 

^ 

^3^s^mh9 

Hlll  Suerwood.  Vestkyman  and  Wakden,  1«19— 1864. 

ever,  to  the  occasion.  At  a  meeting  held,  January  18th,  on 
motion  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Pomeroy,  it  was  unanimously  voted: 
"  That  this  parish  proceed  to  rebuild  the  Church,  substantially 
upon  the  same  plan  as  before,  and  that  it  be  built  by  the  day, 
the  work  to  begin  as  soon  as  the  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars 
shall  be  raised."'  Rev.  Mr.  Emery  was  made  chairman  of  the 
Building  Committee,  and  the  requisite  amount  having  been 
subscribed,   the  new  Church  was  begun,  and  was  ready  for 


130  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    RUFUS    EMERY. 

Consecration  before  the  close  of  the  year.  The  same  clergy- 
man, the  Rev.  David  H.  Short,  who  was  present  at  the  Conse- 
cration four  years  previously,  was  also  a  participant  in  this, 
and  has  left  us  an  account  so  full  and  graphic,  that  it  is 
given  at  length  :  "  It  may  be  remembered  that  the  first  day 
of  the  year  1862  closed  in  a  tremendous  tornndo.  During 
that  night,  Trinity  Church,  Southport,  was  laid  in  ruins,  and 
a  more  complete  wreck  can  scarcely  be  imagined.  The  tall 
spire  fell  lengthwise  of  the  nave,  crushing  the  roof,  bursting 
out  both  sides  of  the  building,  and  breaking  over  the  chancel, 
about  twenty  feet  of  the  top  was  thrown  some  fifty  feet  be- 
yond and  plunged  through  the  roof  of  the  horse-sheds.  But 
no  description  can  adequately  portray  the  scene  of  desolation, 
and  much  less  can  it  express  the  anguish  of  heart  felt  by  the 
band  of  zealous  Churchmen  belonging  to  the  parish.  Onl}'  a 
few  years  before,  they  had  been  deprived  of  their  Church  by 
fire,  and  now  another  element  had  made  scarcel}'  less  devasta- 
tion. But  it  is  not  to  describe  the  wreck  that  I  write.  It  is  to 
endeavor  to  give  some  faint  idea  of  an  entirely  difterent  and 
more  joyous  scene. 

"By  the  united  zeal,  energ}'  and  liberality  of  the  people  of 
the  ancient,  but  oft-tried  parish,  another  and  more  beautiful 
Temple  has  arisen  on  the  foundation  of  the  former  Church  ; 
and  Thursday,  the  11th  of  December,  was  the  day  appointed 
for  its  Consecration  to  the  worship  of  the  Holy  and  Undivided 
Ti'inity.  The  day,  as  if  Divine  Providence  did  smile  upon  the 
pious  undertaking,  was  almost  cloudless,  and  bland  beyond 
compare  for  wintry  days.  The  morning  sun  rose  bright  and 
clear,  and  many  a  heart  rejoiced  that  once  again  devout 
Christian  people  could  assemble  to  worship  God,  could  kneel 
to  offer  up  their  heart's  devotions,  could  listen  to  the  words  of 
eternal  life,  the  preached  Gospel,  and  could  receive  the  bread 
of  God  free  from  distraction  of  mind,  in  a  place  separated 
from  all  common,  secular  and  unhallowed  uses.  At  the 
hour  appointed,  11  o'clock,  the  Church   was  filled,  and  the 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    RUFUS    EMERY. 


131 


Assistant  Bishop,  preceded  by  the  Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of 
the  parish,  and  accompanied  by  a  large  number  of  the  Clergy, 
robed  in  surplices,  formed  in  procession  at  the  residence  of 
Jonathan  Godfrey,  Esq.,  and  marched  to  the  Church.  On 
entering,  the  Bishop  commenced  the  recitation  of  the  appro- 
priate Psahn,  which  caused  many  a  heart  to  thriil  with  joyful 


^-ife''-'     ^''ii^. 


Andkew  Bulkley,  Vestkyman,  18.59-1867. 

amotion,  and  the  response  of  the  Clergy  was  full  and  sonorous, 
making  the  lofty  arch  resound.  Seated  in  the  chancel,  the 
Bishop  on  the  right  of  the  altar,  was  supported  by  the  Eev. 
S.  E.  Johnson,  S.  T.  D.,  of  the  General  Theological  Seminary, 
New  York,   the  Rector  of  the  parish,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Tom- 


132  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    RUFUS    EMERY. 

linson  and  Cooke,  and  on  the  left  by  the  Rev.  Drs.  Mead  and 
J.  L.  Clark,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Short,  S.  M.  Emery,  and 
French.  The  Instrument  of  Donation  was  read  by  the  Rector, 
after  which  the  Bishop  proceeded  with  the  Service  of  Conse- 
cration ;  the  Sentence  of  Consecration  was  read  by  the  Rev. 
S.  M.  Emery.  This  service  concluded.  Morning  Prayer  was 
said  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stimson,  to  the  end  of  the  appropriate 
Psalms;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Willey  read  the  Lessons;  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Deshon  concluded  Morning  Prayer.  The  Ante-Com- 
munion was  begun  by  the  Bishop,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mead  reading 
the  Epistle,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Johnson  the  Gospel.  The 
sermon  was  by  the  Bishop,  in  his  usual  clear  and  forcible 
style.  After  sermon  the  Offertory  was  read  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Johnson ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Clark  officiated  in  the  Communion  to 
the  Absolution,  which  was  pronounced  by  the  Bishop,  who 
then  proceeded  with  the  Consecration  and  distribution 
of  the  sacred  elements,  being  assisted  in  the  latter  by 
the  Rev.  Drs.  Mead,  Johnson  and  Clark.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Short  said  the  Post-Communion,  to  the  Gloi'ia  in  Excelsis, 
which  was  chanted  by  the  choir  and  the  congregation, 
accompanied  by  the  full-toned  organ.  Here  it  is  proper  to 
remark  that  all  the  music  was  judiciously  selected,  and  exe- 
cuted in  excellent  style  and  good  taste.  Instead  of  selecting 
music  which  would  exhibit  wonderful  powers  of  execution 
rather  than  devotion  in  the  worship  of  God,  the  chants  were 
plain,  only  varied  by  the  Grand  Te  Deum  of  Jackson :  the 
metre  tunes,  as  they  ought  always  to  be,  on  such  occasions, 
were  familiar,  and  well  adapted  to  the  worship  of  God  by  the 
whole  congregation,  and  the  great  body  of  worshippers  mani- 
fested their  appreciation  by  joining  with  hearty  voice,  making 
the  lofty  arch  resound  with  a  full  chorus.  The  Bishop  con- 
cluded the  services,  pronouncing  the  Benediction.  Thus 
closed  one  of  the  most  interestiner  services  of  the  kind  which 
I  remember  to  have  attended.  Besides  the  Clergy  already 
mentioned,   there  were  present,    the  Rev.    W.   H.    Williams, 


RECTORSHIP  OF  KEV.  RUFUS  EMERY.  133 

Chaplain  of  the  army,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  J.  R.  Williams,  G.  D. 
Johnson,  J.  Godfrey,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  E.  F.  Bishop. 
Benjamin,  and  Brathwaite,  deacons. 

"  I  have  spun  out  this  communication  to  so  great  length, 
that  little  room  is  left  for  a  description  of  the  Church,  or  for 
the  mention  of  some  other  matters  of  interest  in  relation  to 


WlIJ.IAM    BULKLEY,    VESTRYMAN,    1855-]867. 

the  parish,  and  indeed,  it  would  be  hardly  possible  to  give  an 
adequate  conception  of  its  beauty  by  a  verbal  description. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  considering  the  cost,  about  $7,000,  and 
the  circumstances  of  its  erection  upon  the  foundation,  and  of 
the  same  dimensions  of  the  old  one,  it  is  a  decided  success, 


134  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    RDFUS    EMERY. 

and  a  great  improvement  upon  the  former.  It  shows  not 
only  the  high  order  of  ecclesiastical  taste  of  the  Rector, 
who  designed  and  drew  all  the  plans,  but  also  the  confidence 
of  the  people  in  their  Rector,  and  their  zeal  and  liberality  in 
carrying  out  his  plans.  May  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church 
long  spare  him  to  enjoy  the  fruit  of  his  labors,  and  grant  that 
he  may  be  equally  successful  in  building  up  the  sjDiritual 
temple  of  the  Lord  in  due  and  harmonious  proportion,  and 
that  many  souls  may  be  enabled  to  say,  '  we  were  born  to 
glory  nere.'  " 

The  Report  of  the  Building  Committee,  submitted  to  the 
parish,  December  29th,  1862,  was  as  follows  :  "  The  Building- 
Committee  would  report  to  the  parish,  that  in  obedience  to 
the  resolution  passed  at  the  meeting  of  January  18th,  last, 
they  began  their  work  on  Monday,  the  20th  of  January.  The 
first  thing  which  was  done,  was  to  find  timber  fitted  for  the 
new  building.  The  timbers  of  the  spire,  and  roof,  being  long 
and  large,  it  required  much  time  to  find  such  as  were  in  all 
respects  suitable.  After  they  were  found,  they  were  prepared 
and  put  upon  the  ground.  The  ruins  of  the  former  Church 
were  then  cleared  up,  and  an  examination  made  of  the  founda- 
tion, the  floor,  and  the  remaining  portion  of  the  tower.  After 
this  examination  was  made,  and  opinions  were  received  from 
those  who  were  competent  to  give  them,  your  committee  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  foundation,  the  floor,  and  remaining- 
portion  of  the  tower,  were  in  all  respects  sufficient  to  build 
upon  again.  In  order,  however,  to  make  the  matter  doubly 
sure,  your  committee  determined  to  strengthen  the  tower 
part  by  putting  in  two  additional  timbers,  reaching  from  the 
foundation  of  the  tower  to  the  bell  deck,  and  having  con- 
nection with  the  rafters.  After  an  examination  of  Churches 
and  spires  recently  built,  your  committee  concluded  that  the 
roof  should  be  made  steeper  by  five  feet,  and  be  framed  and 
supported  on  an  entirely  different  principle  ;  further,  that  the 
spire  should  be  framed  and  covered  in  a  different  way  from 


RECTORSHIP    01'    REV.    RUFDS    EMERV.  135 

the  former  cue.  As  the  biiildiug  now  stauds,  the  roof  and  all 
its  weight,  is  independent  of  the  sides  of  the  Church.  The 
only  weight  that  now  rests  upon  the  floor,  is  that  of  the  seats, 
and  the  congregation  when  it  occupies  them.  It  was  also 
determined  to  carry  out  the  corners  of  the  Church,  so  as  to 
make  it  square,  and  have  the  whole  building  under  one  roof. 
Your  committee  have  had  before  them  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end  of  this  work,  the  idea  of  strength,  both  in  materials 
used,  and  mode  in  which  they  were  put  together  ;  and  they 
believe  that  the  plan  on  which  the  present  Church  is  built,  is 
not  only  the  stronger,  but  is  at  the  same  time,  one  which  is  the 
most  proper  and  fit  for  the  Temple  of  God.  The  work  has  been 
done  in  a  workmanlike  manner.  There  has  been  no  part  to 
which  your  committee  took  exception,  or  had  any  objection 
to  make.  In  offering  this  Church  for  the  acceptance  of  the 
parish,  your  committee  feel  confident  that  they  are  presenting 
a  building,  which  is  in  all  respects,  sound,  substantial,  and 
strong.  Your  committee  would  take  this  opportunity  to 
thank  those  members  of  the  parish,  who  brought  timber  from 
the  woods  to  the  Church  site ;  to  those  who  assisted  in 
clearing  away  the  ruins  ;  and  to  all,  who  during  the  progress 
of  the  work,  have  assisted  them  in  any  way."  This  report 
was  unanimously  accepted,  and  the  thanks  of  the  parish,  for 
the  generous  and  devoted  services  of  the  committee,  were 
ordered  to  be  entered  upon  the  minutes.  The  strain  attendant 
upon  the  erection  of  the  new  Church  edifice,  being  happily 
over,  the  parish  settled  down  once  more  to  its  accustomed 
routine  of  worship  and  work. 

Trinity  Church,  on  March  11th,  1864:,  sustained  a  gi'eat  loss, 
by  the  death  of  Mr.  Hull  Sherwood,  who  had  served  it  as  vestry- 
man and  warden,  and  as  delegate  to  the  Diocesan  Convention, 
without  intermission,  for  forty-five  years.  Mr.  Sherwood  was  a 
Churchman  from  conviction.  Early  in  life  he  became  thoroughly 
informed  concerning  the  worship  and  doctrine  and  polity  of  the 
Church,  and  it  was  his  constant  delight  to  join  in  the  one,  and  to 


136  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    RUFUS    EMERY. 

uphold  and  defend  the  others.  On  December  28th,  1866,  the 
Hon.  Benjamin  Pomeroy,  for  many  years  a  generous  benefactor 
and  valued  vestryman,  died  while  on  a  visit  to  the  Island  of 
Santa  Cruz,  whither  he  had  gone  for  the  improvement  of  his 
health.     On  March  18th,  of  the  following  year,  Mr.  Andrew 


MosKS  Bni.KLEY.  Vestryman,  1847-1868. 

Bulkley,  another  vestryman,  whose  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  parish  never  flagged,  was  called  to  his  eternal  home.  On 
May  11th,  1868,  Mr.  William  Bulkley,  also  a  vestryman,  was 
removed  by  death.  On  November  16th,  following,  Mr.  Moses 
Bulkley,  beloved  by  the  entire  community,  likewise  a  vestry- 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    RUrUS    EMERY.  137 

niau  and  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  parish,  was  summoned 
from  this  earthly  scene.  These  men  were  a  great  loss ;  indeed, 
the  passing  away  of  such  veritable  pillars  of  Trinity  Church 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  decimation  which,  in  the  course 
of  a  few  more  years,  was  to  completely  transform  it. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Emery,  having  completed  a  most  successful 
Rectorship  of  twelve  j'ears,  startled,  as  well  as  grieved 
the  parish  on  the  1st  of  May,  1870,  by  tendering  his 
resignation.  The  proposition  was  entirely  of  his  own  volition. 
The  congregation  was  greatly  attached  to  him ;  his  ministra- 
tions were  perfectly  satisfactory ;  the  only  reason  given 
was  a  call  to  another  field  of  labor,  wherein  he  felt  he 
could  do  a  larger  work.  On  May  9th,  a  special  meeting  was 
called,  at  which  the  parish  voted  unanimously  to  refuse  con- 
sent to  the  Rector's  resignation.  On  July  9th,  having  learned 
that  the  severance  of  the  pastoral  relation  was  still  desired  by 
Mr.  Emery,  the  parish  met,  and  reluctantly  granted  permission 
for  him  to  retire.  A  series  of  eulogistic  resolutions,  testify- 
ing to  the  high  degree  of  esteem  in  which  he  was  held,  "  not 
only  by  his  own  parishioners,  but  by  the  whole  community," 
were  also  passed.  From  Southport,  Mr.  Emery  went  to 
Calvary  Church,  Stonington,  Conn.,  where  he  remained  until 
1872 ;  in  that  year,  he  became  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Newburgh,  where  he  officiates,  beloved  and  honored,  at  the 
present  time. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Livingston  Wells — Erection 
OF  THE  Chapel  1870-1876,  a.  d. 


Rev.  Edward  L.  Wells. 


At  a  special  meeting  of  the  parish,  held  August  23rd,  1870, 
the  Rev.  Edward  L.  Wells,  was  called  to  the  vacant  Rectorship, 
by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  forty-six  voters  who  were  present. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.     KDWAKD    LIVINGSTON    WELLS. 


139 


He  entered  upon  his  duties,  Snuday,  September  15th.  Mr.  Wells 
came  from  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  where  his 
ministr}'  had  been  characterized  by  great  spiritual  and  financial 
success.  Endowed  with  a  strong  magnetic  personality  ;  with 
oratorical  powers  of  exceptional  brilliancy  ;  with  an  intense 
enthusiasm  for  his  Master's  work,  he  began  at  once  to  quicken 
Trinity  Church  into  a  new   and  larger  life.     Congregations 


The  Chapel,  and  the  Parish  School.  1874. 


remarkable  for  their  size,  came  to  listen  to  his  preaching  ; 
contributions  were  made  to  religious  and  charitable  objects, 
both  within  and  without  the  parish,  on  a  scale  hitherto 
unknown  in  its  history.  Those  familiar  with  the  past  of 
Trinity  Church,  are  wont  to  say  that  Mr.  Wells'  Rectorship 
occurred  at  a  period  when  it  was,  from  a  financial  point  of 
view,    at    the    zenith  of    its    existence.       Death,  even  then. 


140  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDWARD    LIVINGSTON    WELLS. 

had  begun  its  inroads,  but  still,  "  there  were  giants,  in 
those  days,"  that  is,  men  of  mark,  possessed  of  indomitable 
will,  of  great  executive  ability,  who  by  dint  of  their  irrepressi- 
ble energy  and  wise  foresight,  had  accumulated  large  fortunes. 
Their  ships  had  sailed,  without  mishap,  to  foreign  ports,  and 
had  brought  back  rich  argosies.  Their  home  investments  had 
turned  out  to  be  exceedingly  profitable.  And  there  was  a  goodly 
number  of  these  successful  men.  Whoever  looked  into  the 
parish  Church,  at  service  time  on  Sunday,  would  see  the  pews 
all  occupied,  and  at  the  head,  occupying  the  seat  of  honor,  a 
middle  aged,  or  elderly  parishioner,  whose  very  appearance 
indicated  that,  at  least,  temporal  prosperity  had  resulted  from 
his  struggle  with  the  world.  No  wonder,  then,  that  the 
offerings  of  the  congregation,  under  such  circumstances,  were 
large!  The  men  who  had  ample  wealth,  and  who  were,  all  of 
them,  devoted  to  the  Church  and  its  interests,  were  not  lack- 
ing! This  is  quite  true  ;  but  something  also  must  be  allowed 
for  the  marvellous  power  exerted  upon  them  by  him,  who  was 
their  spiritual  leader.  Under  his  wholesome  influence — the 
figures  prove  it — pocket-books  that  had  been  shut  tightly, 
o^Dened  as  freely  as  do  the  closed  leaves  of  the  flower,  in  response 
to  the  warm  rays  of  the  morning  sun.  Certainly,  the  offerings 
of  Trinity  Church,  during  Mr.  Wells'  Eectorship,  compared 
with  the  eras  preceding,  and  those  succeeding  it,  were  some- 
thing phenomenal. 

The  Easter  offerings  for  1871  and  1872  were  $625.51,  and 
$697.00,  respectively.  In  1873,  the  missions  of  the  Diocese 
received  $4,854.00  ;  Foreign  and  Domestic  missions,  $1,656.71. 
In  1874,  contributions  forDiocesan  missions,  were  $2,068.00; 
Foreign  and  Domestic  missions,  $1,553.30.  The  Berkley 
Divinity  School  was  gladdened  with  a  gift  of  $2,000.00.  Such 
large  sums  have  never  been  given  since. 

For  his  wisdom,  as  well  as  zeal,  in  another  direction,  Mr. 
Wells  deserves  the  highest  commendation.  He  was  an  ardent 
believer  in  tlie  usefulness  of  Parish  Schools.     His  theory,  and 


FBANCIS  D.    PKRKY,  VhSTKYMAN,    1885. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDWARD    LIVINGSTON    WELLS.  141 

experience  has  proven  over  and  over  again  that  it  is  the  only 
right  one,  was  that  secular  should  go  hand  in  hand  with 
religious  training.  Although  important,  reading,  writing  and 
arithmetic,  are  not  the  all  in  all  of  life.  Our  children  need  to 
be  taught  to  fear  God  and  keep  His  commandments  also.  In 
1872,  consent  was  given  by  the  parish,  for  the  erection  of  a 
building  close  by  the  Church,  on  the  Church  property,  which 
"  should  be  devoted  to  a  Parish  School,  and  for  such  other 
purposes  as  may  be  necessary." 

Mr.  Wells  easily  raised  $5,000.00  for  this  admirable  object, 
and  the  Chapel,  as  it  is  now  known,  was  soon  built  and  paid 
for.  At  one  period,  about  thirty  young  people  of  both  sexes, 
were  under  daily  instruction  within  its  walls.  Mr.  Nathan 
Belden,  Mrs.  Hattie  Bulkley,  and  the  Rev.  Isaac  C.  Sturgis 
were  most  satisfactory  teachers,  and  contributed  largely  to  the 
success  of  the  school. 

During  Mr.  Wells'  Rectorship,  the  losses  sustained  by  death 
were  numerous,  and  were  deeply  felt  by  the  whole  parish. 
Prominent  among  those  taken  away  were  Miss  Mary  Bradley, 
of  Greenfield  Hill,  October  22nd,  1870,  and  her  sister  Griselda, 
September  21st,  1871;  these  two,  the  one,  eighty-four,  and 
the  other,  eighty-eight  years  of  age,  had  been  connected 
with  Trinity  parish  from  their  childhood.  "  Faithful  found 
among  the  faithless  many,"  they  journeyed  from  Greenfield 
Hill  to  the  House  of  God,  to  join  in  its  worship,  every  Lord's 
Day,  whether  the  weather  was  propitious,  or  whether  it  was 
not.  O  si  sic  otnnes  !  Others  deceased  were,  Mr.  Lot  Bulkley, 
November  4th,  1874 ;  Capt.  Charles  Bulkley,  October  3rd, 
1875 ;  and  Mr.  Benjamin  Pomeroy,  2nd,  December  15th, 
the  same  year.  In  1876,  Mr.  Wells  received  a  call  to  St. 
John's  Church,  New  Milford,  Conn.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
parish  held  November  8th,  1876,  after  duly  considering  the 
Rector's  request  for  a  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation,  and 
understanding  from  him  that  it  would  be  insisted  upon,  it 
was  voted:     ''That  we  accept  the  Rector's  resignation,  at  his 


142  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDWARD    LIVINGSTON    WELLS. 

earnest  solicitation,  and  tender  him  our  prayers  and  sympa- 
thies, in  whatever  sphere  his  future  efforts  may  be  employed." 
Mr.  Wells'  Rectorship  thus  brought  to  a  close,  in  results 
achieved,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the^long  history  of 
Trinity  parish.  In  the  six  years  that  he  presided  over  its 
affairs  he  was  instrumental  in  not  only  building  the  Chapel, 
but  also  in  raising,  exclusive  of  the  amounts  requisite  for  the 
Rector's   salary,  and   other   necessary  Church   expenses,   for 


Charles  Bulkley,  Vestryman,  1847-1875. 

outside  purposes,  $37,025.19:  for  home  purposes,  $12,143.12, 
total  $49,168.31.  Add  to  this,  the  cost  of  the  Chapel  building, 
$5,000.00,  and  the  grand  total  is  $54,168.31.  To  this  day  his 
memory  is  fondly  treasured  by  large  numbers  of  his  former 
flock.  He  served  with  continued  success  as  Rector  of  St. 
John's  Church,  New  Milford,  Conn.,  until  August  7th,  1881, 


^x 


■<aS^^*tis**-~ 


UlOHT  Rkv.  Chauncey  B.  Bkewstkk,  D.  I). 
Bishop  Coadjutor. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDWARD    LIVINGSTON    WELLS.  143 

when  he  "fell  ou  sleep,''  and  entered  into  the  Paradise  of 
God.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  that  his  son  and  namesake, 
was  admitted  to  Holy  Orders,  in  the  same  Church  and  at  the 
same  altar,  in  Southport,  where  his  father  so  successfully 
ministered  for  nearly  seven  years,  on  Sunday,  the  30th  of 
January,  1898,  by  the  Eight  Rev.  Chauncey  B.  Brewster, 
D.  D.,  the  Bishop  Coadjutor  of  the  Diocese.  This  is  the 
second  instance  of  the  kind  in  the  history  of  the  parish.  The 
Rev.  William  Shelton,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  ordained  by 
Bishop  Brownell,  after  the  Rev.  Philo  Shelton's  death,  in  the 
Church  at  Mill  Plain. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Taliaferro  P.  Caskey,  1877-1879,  a,  d. 


The  Rev.  Taliaferko  P.  Caskey. 


Shortly  after  Mr.  Wells'  departure  to  New  Milford,  the  Rev. 
Taliaferro  P.  Caskey,  officiated  in  Trinity  Church,  and  at  a 
special  meeting  of  the  parish,  held  August  6th,  1877,  it  was 
voted,  "that  he  be  tendered  a  unanimous  call  to  the  Rector- 
ship." One  feature  of  the  proceedings  was,  at  least,  unique. 
It  was  further  voted,  "  that  the  salary  of  the  Rector  be 
twelve  hundred  dollars  a  year,  until  such  time  as  the  cordial 
relations  of  the  members  be  manifested  by  their  usual  sub- 


Mk.  Fkancis  Jellikf. 
Vestkymam  and  Wakden.  1854-1896. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    TALIAFERRO    P.    CASKEY.  145 

scriptions  ;  then  the  sum  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  should  be 
recognized  as  the  salary  of  the  Rector."  Mr.  Caskey  soon 
established  "cordial  relations"  all  around,  for  at  the  next 
annual  parish  meeting,  his  salary  was  raised  to  the  con- 
templated sum  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  per  year.  In  1878, 
a  class  of  twenty-six  was  confirmed  ;  and  the  contributions 
for  Diocesan  and  Domestic  missions  amounted  to  $2,072.56. 
On  December  4th,  Justus  Sherwood,  M.  D.,  the  village  phys- 
ician, who  had  served  the  parish  as  vestryman  for  many  years, 
died,  aged  seventy- three  years.  The  resolutions  inscribed 
in  the  Parish  Record,  speak  of  him  as  "  one  whose  unobtru- 
sive excellence  of  chai-acter  was  generally  acknowledged  ; 
who  labored  faithfully  in  his  profession  ;  and  whose  kindness 
of  heart  and  cheerfulness  of  disposition,  indicated  the  true 
Christian."  In  the  spring  of  1879,  Mr.  Caskey  took  unto 
himself  a  fair  helpmeet  from  among  the  maidens  of  his  flock, 
Miss  Phoebe  Lacj',  and  went  on  a  bridal  tour  to  Europe.  His 
absence  from  the  parish  was  expected  to  be  of  brief  duration, 
but,  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's  Church,  at  Dresden,  Saxony, 
being  vacant  at  that  time,  he  was  induced  to  resign  his 
American  charge.  After  a  brief  visit  to  the  home-land,  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year,  he  settled  down  indefinitely  in  a  foreign 
clime.  All  who  are  conversant  with  the  progress,  for  many 
years  past,  of  the  American  Church  abroad,  know  that  the 
great  work  done  by  Mr.  Caskey,  in  the  Saxon  capital,  is  no 
small  feature  of  it.  When  the  writer  had  temporary  charge 
of  the  American  congregation  in  Dresden,  during  August  and 
September,  1876,  it  met  for  worship  on  Sunday  mornings 
only,  in  a  hall,  which  during  the  week  was  utilized  by  the 
bankers  and  brokers,  for  their  sales  and  exchanges.  Now, 
St.  John's  Church,  Parish  House,  and  Rectory,  all  of  stone, 
And  of  exquisite  architecture,  built  through  Mr.  Caskey's 
exertions,  and  under  his  immediate  supervision,  testify  to  his 
rare  abilities,  and  unconquerable  zeal.  At  the  present  time, 
Mr.  Caskey  is  still  the  beloved  Rector  of  the  parish  at  Dresden. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


The  Kectorship  of  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams,  1879-1890,  a.  d. 


The  Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams. 

When  the  Rev.  Mr.  Caskey  went  abroad,  in  the  spring  of 
1879,  he  engaged  as  his  "  locum  tenens,""  the  Rev.  Charles  G. 
Adams.  The  substitute  thus  provided,  proved  so  thoroughly 
acceptable  that,  when  later  on,  the  Rector  determined  to 
resign  his  charge,  and  remain  in  Dresden,  the  congregation, 
with  one  accord,  decided  to  make  his  stay  among  them  perma- 


RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  CHARLES  G.  ADAMS.  147 

nent.  At  a  special  parish  meeting,  held  the  17th  of  November, 
1879,  Mr.  Adams  was  unanimously  called  to  the  Rectorship  of 
Trinity  Church.  During  the  period  that  he  held  it,  death 
wrought  great  changes  in  the  parish.  Mr.  Allen  Nichols,  for 
many  years  vesti'yman  and  treasurer,  died  May  22nd,  1879. 
Capt.  Jonathan  Godfrey,  who  for  fifty  years  was  vestryman, 
senior  and  junior  warden,  benefactor,  and  main-stay  of  the 
parish,  succumbed  August  3rd,  1882,  to  a  creeping  paralysis, 
the  result  of  a  fall  from  his  carriage,  caused  by  a  runaway,  the 
year  previous.  This  devoted,  unselfish,  genei'ous  friend  of 
Trinity  parish,  first  appears  on  the  Parish  Record  in  1831, 
when  he  was  elected  a  vestryman.  From  that  time  onwards, 
in  season  and  out  of  season,  the  welfare,  the  advancement  of 
the  parish  were  the  objects  to  which  he  consecrated  his  life. 
The  present  Rector  laments  profoundly,  that  his  coming  to 
Trinity  Church,  was  not  in  the  time  of  Capt.  Jonathan 
Godfrey.  He  knows  it  would  have  cheered  his  heart  to 
have  worked  hand  in  hand  with  one  so  thoroughly  in  earnest 
in  all  good  works.  Another  irreparable  loss  was  Mr.  Francis 
D.  Perry,  who  died  November  16th,  1884.  Of  all  those  who 
have  proved  generous  contributors  to  Trinity  parish,  this  fine 
type  of  a  Christian  gentlemen,  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche, 
and  his  estimable  wife,  who  was  removed  from  among  us  at  a 
later  date,  stand  foremost.  Henry  Sturges,  who  served  many 
years  as  vestryman,  the  grandson  of  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  ever 
zealous  in  behalf  of  the  Church  of  his  affections,  always 
generous  in  his  gifts  to  promote  its  welfare,  passed  away, 
January  4th,  1885.  Augustus  Jennings,  for  forty-two  years, 
at  different  times,  vestryman,  clerk,  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  School,  and  delegate  to  the  Diocesan  Convention,  one 
most  prominent  in  the  councils  of  the  parish,  and  its  earnest 
supporter,  deceased,  June  lOtb,  1886.  On  December  28th, 
1888,  another  valued  parishioner,  David  Banks,  entered  into 
rest.  He  was  vestryman,  1836-44  ;  junior  warden,  1844-64  ; 
senior    warden,    1864-88,   making   altogether,    an   unbroken 


148 


RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  CHARLES  G.  ADAMS. 


service  of  52  yeai-s,  and  thus  constituting  a  record  with  few 
parallels.  On  September  8th,  1890,  Charles  Rockwell,  also  one 
of  the  vestry,  urbane,  large-hearted,  beloved  throughout  the 
County  of  Fairfield,  and  even  beyond  its  borders,  in  the 
comfort  of  a  religious,  holy  Hope,  passed  from  the  Church 
Militant  to  the  Church  Triumphant.     These  were  all  repre- 


jonathan  godfket. 
Vestryman  and  VVakden,  1831-1882. 

sentative  men,  and  their  loss  would  have  been  felt  deeply  in 
any  congregation  in  the  land.  How  much  more,  then,  in  this 
small  community,  where  increase  from  persons  moving  in, 
and  making  it  their  permanent  home,  is  a  matter  of  the  rarest 
occurrence.  The  marvel  is,  that  having  undergone  such  a 
thorough  depletion  of  its  strongest  supporters,  Trinity 
Church  still  continues  in  as  vigorous  condition  as  it  is ! 


RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  CHARLES  G.     ADAMS.  149 

Oue  important  step  in  advance,  amounting  almost  to  a 
revolution,  so  far  as  old-time  methods  wei-e  concerned,  marked 
Mr.  Adams'  llectorsbip.  From  the  year  the  parish  was  organ- 
ized, the  custom  of  renting  the  pews  and  sittings  annually  to  the 
highest  bidders,  prevailed.  The  incongruity,  not  to  say  sacrilege, 
involved  in  turning  the  House  of  God,  even  once  a  year,  into 
a  mart,  where  the  quirks  of  the  auctioneer  were  heard,  did 
not  seem  to  occur  to  those  who  sanctioned  the  practice.  No 
doubt,  many  assented  to  it  thoughtlessly,  for  the  reason  that 
all  the  New  England  Churches  were  wedded  to  the  same  cus- 
tom. At  length,  a  more  sensible  view  began  to  be  taken. 
If  the  spiritual  comfort  derived  from  the  ministrations  of 
the  Sanctuary  is  worth  anything,  it  is  worth  contracting  and 
paying  for  in  a  quiet,  business-like  way.  At  the  annual 
parish  meeting,  held  April  6th,  1885,  Mr.  Francis  Jelliflf  made 
the  following  timely  remarks:  "Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentle- 
men: The  plan  of  selling  the  seats  at  auction,  in  a  Church 
consecrated  to  the  worship  of  Almighty  God,  as  has  been 
practiced  by  us,  seems  to  be  irreverent  and  wicked  ;  and 
some  better  means  of  disposing  of  them  should  be  adopted  at 
once.  I  therefore  offer  the  following  resolution  :  Resolved, 
that  a  committee  of  four  members  of  the  Vesti'y  be  appointed 
to  devise  and  adopt  a  plan  that  will  do  away  with  the  annual 
auctioneering  ;  and  that  when  such  plan  shall  be  agreed  upon, 
they  shall  put  it  in  printed  form  ;  and  that  they  shall,  as  soon 
as  it  is  advisable,  submit  it  to  every  pew-holder,  for  his,  or 
her  adoption  ;  and  if  such  plan  shall  seem  to  give  general 
satisfaction,  it  shall  go  into  effect  at  the  next  annual  meeting, 
and  continue  so  until  rescinded."'  This  resolution  was  passed 
unanimously,  and  the  assent  of  the  congregation  to  the  plan 
submitted  by  the  committee,  being  quite  general,  it  went  into 
effect  at  the  time  indicated,  and  no  one,  it  is  safe  to  say, 
would  now  go  back  to  the  old  way. 

One  of  Mr.  Adams'  successful  achievements,  was  the 
establishment    of   a   monthly    paper,    entitled,    the    "  Church 


150 


RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  CHARLES  G.  ADAMS. 


Recoi'd."  It  was  the  first  attempt  iu  this  country,  to  put 
forth  a  publication  which  should  serve  as  a  medium  of  com- 
munication between  the  different  Rectors  and  their  parishes. 
All  of  the  New  England  Dioceses,  with  the  exception  of 
Massachusetts,  promptly  made  it  their  ofiQcial  organ.     At  one 


David  Banks. 
Vesi'kvman  and  Wakdkn,  1830-1888. 


time  its  circulation  ran  into  the  tens  of  thousands.  It  was 
his  devotion  to  this  important  work,  that  ultimately  led  Mr. 
Adams  to  resign  the  Rectorship  of  the  parish.  He  found 
that  when  an  "avocation,"  becomes  a  "vocation,"  it  makes 
such  demands  on  one's  time  and  energies,  that  other  interests, 
if  there  be  any,  invariably  have  to  suffer. 


RECTORSHIP  OF  REV.  CHARLES  G.  ADAMS.  151 

After  a  Rectorship  of  eleven  years,  in  the  course  of  which 
he  endeared  himself  by  his  eminent  abilities  to  great  numbers 
of  his  parishioners,  and  as  well,  to  the  community  at  large,  Mr. 
Adams  retired  May  5th,  1890,  and  sometime  later  accepted 
the  charge  of  St.  Mark's  Memorial  Chapel,  New  York  City. 
After  serving  acceptably  in  that  charge  for  some  years,  he 
went  west,  and  is  at  the  present  time,  Rector  of  St.  Phillip's 
Church,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


The  Rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Edmund  Guilbert.  1891- 


iiniiiiliiikii'ii 


The  Rev.  Edmund  Guilbert. 


The  resignation  of  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams  was  accepted 
in  the  fall  of  1890,  and  early  in  1891,  the  Rev.  Edmund 
Guilbert,  who  had  been  for  the  past  twelve  years.  Rector  of 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  New  York  City,  was  unani- 
mously called  to  fill  the  vacant  Rectorship.     The  new  Rector, 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDMUND    GUILBERT.  153 

the  thirteenth  in  succession  from  the  first  incumbent,  the 
Eev.  Henry  Caner,  who  filled  the  position  from  1727  to  1747, 
A.  D  ,  brought  with  him  to  his  rural  charge,  a  large  experience 
gained  in  an  important  city  parish,  and  straightway  gained 
the  confidence  and  affection  of  his  congregation.  Whatever 
slight  differences  may  have  existed,  were  speedily  forgotten ; 
and  a  united  people  hastened  to  show  that  the  welfare  of  the 
parish,  was  the  object  that  lay  nearest  their  heai'ts.  The  first 
indication  of  the  zeal  that  was  awakened,  was  a  desire,  both 
spontaneous  and  general,  to  have  the  interior  of  the  Church 
edifice  rehabilitated.  Since  its  consecration  in  1862,  no  effort 
had  been  made  to  repair  the  ravages  of  time,  and  as  was  to  be 
expected,  the  Church  within,  looked  decidedly  the  worse  for 
wear.  A  committee  on  interior  decoration  was  appointed, 
the  sum  of  $3,000.00  raised,  and  the  Church  was  beautified  to 
a  degree  that  surprised  and  delighted  every  beholder.  A 
number  of  memorial  gifts,  including  a  new  chancel  carpet, 
and  railing,  a  credence-table,  candelabra,  altar  vases,  and 
embroidered  altar-cloths  for  the  different  Church  seasons,  oaken 
sedilia,  prayer  desks,  also  added  materially  in  imparting  a  more 
devotional,  as  well  as  asthetical  aspect  to  the  Sanctuary. 

Ever  since  the  sale  of  the  former  Rectory  to  the  New  York 
and  New  Haven  Railroad  Company,  the  Rector  of  the  parish 
had  been  without  a  settled  home.  It  was  felt  by  many  of  the 
congregation,  that  the  time  had  come  to  pi'ovide  once  more 
for  this  imperative  need.  With  this  purpose  in  view,  a  parish 
meeting  was  held  October  6th,  1891,  at  which  the  Vestry  was 
formally  authorized  to  purchase  a  suitable  lot,  and  erect 
thereon  a  comfortable  parsonage.  This  structure  was  com- 
pleted, and  occupied,  August  1st,  1892,  and  in  it  the  Rector  and 
his  family,  were  delightfully  housed  for  the  space  of  one  year 
when  an  event  occurred  which  compelled  them  although  with 
reluctance,  to  make  another  change.  On  the  23rd  of  Aj^ril, 
1893,  Mrs.  Francis  D.  Perry,  a  beloved  member  of^the^parish, 
the  relict  of  Mr.  Francis  D.  Perry,  whose  demise  is  noted  in 


154  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDMUND    GUILBERT. 

the  preceding  chapter,  was  summoned  to  her  eternal  rest ;  and 
it  was  subsequently  discovered  that  her  commodious  homestead 
and  grounds,  situate  on  Pequot  Avenue,  almost  directly  opposite 
the  parish  Church,  had  been  left  to  the  Rector  of  Trinity, 
and  his  successors  in  ofl&ce  "  for  a  residence,  and  for  no  other 
use  or  purpose,  forevei'."  This  munificent  gift,  the  culmina- 
tion of  a  devotion  to  the  welfare  of  the  pai'ish  that  during 
its   existence   has   never  been    surpassed,    is     now    occupied 


Tkinity  Chukch  Chancel,  i8t)s. 
(Showing  the  Rockwell  Memorial  Candelabra.) 

by  the  present  incumbent,  and  places  him,  so  far  as  a 
delightful  residence  can  do  so,  in  a  position  that  leaves 
nothing  to  be  desired.  Trinity  parish  thus  owns,  in  this  year 
of  grace,  1898,  its  fourth  Rectory.  The  first  was  in  Fairfield 
village,  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1779.  The  second,  and 
third,  located  in  Southport,  have  been  transferred  to  other 
owners.     The  fourth,  "  the  Perry  Rectory,''  let  us  hope,  will 


Tkinity  Chukch.  Easter.  1890. 


RECTOKSHIP    OF    REV.    EDMUND    GUILBERT.  155 

stand,  proof  against  fire  and  flood,  and  the  onslaughts  of 
time,  and  be  the  shelter,  not  only  of  the  Rector  of  to  day,  as 
long  as  he  shall  preside  over  the  parish,  but  of  those  who 
shall  follow  him  for  generations  to  come. 

The  sale  of  the  second  Rectory  was  followed  by  a  result 
that  is  worthy  of  chronicling.  A  satisfactory  sum  having  been 
offered  for  the  property,  the  Vestry  unanimously  voted  to 
accept  it.  After  the  purchase  had  been  consummated,  at  the 
request  of  the  Rector,  fifteen  hundred  dollars  of  the  proceeds 
were  appropriated  for  the  purchase  of  a  new  organ  for  the 
parish  Church,  conditional  upon  the  same  amount  being- 
raised  by  subscription.  As  the  want  of  a  larger,  and  more 
modern  instrument,  had  long  been  felt  by  all  the  parishioners, 
the  necessary  sum  was  soon  pledged,  and  on  the  1st  of  July, 
1894,  the  Dedication  of  what  has  proved  to  be  an  exceptionally 
helpful  and  acceptable  adjunct  to  Divine  worship  took  place. 
For  the  present,  the  organ  is  located  in  the  gallery,  at  the 
west  eud  of  the  Church  ;  but  plans  for  a  chancel  extension 
have  been  drawn,  and  the  Rector  hopes  to  live  to  see  the  day, 
when  the  organ,  pat  in  its  proper  place,  shall,  in  unison  with 
a  vested  choir  of  men  and  boys,  do  its  part  in  a  rich  and 
stately  rendering  of  the  praises  of  Almighty  God. 

As  has  been  stated,  many  years  before  the  present  Rector 
came  to  Southport,  death  had  begun  to  make  frequent  and 
serious  inroads  upon  the  strength  of  the  parish.  And  since 
his  Rectorship  began,  there  has  been  no  abatement  in  this 
respect.  In  the  brief  space  of  seven  years,  he  has  ofiiciated 
at  the  burial  of  no  less  than  thirty-five  adult  members  of  hi& 
flock.  Edward  Hawkins,  juuioi'-warden  of  the  parish,  and 
one  of  its  most  faithful  upholders,  died  December  4th,  1891. 
Mr.  Francis  Jellifi",  who  was  taken  from  us  after  a  sudden 
illness,  July  23rd,  1896,  served  as  vestrytnan  from  1854  ta 
1882,  and  senior-warden,  from  1882,  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  was  also  parish  treasurer,  1879  to  1893.  The  parish  dur- 
ing this  decade,  also  suff'ers,  in  addition   to  the  loss  of  Mrs, 


156 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDMUND    GUILBERT. 


Francis  D.  Perry,  that  of  other  devoted  women,  whose  efforts 
in  its  behalf,  were  untiring.  Among  them  are  Mrs.  John  H. 
Sherwood,  Mrs.  Lewis  A.  Curtis,  Mrs.  Zahnon  P.  Wakeman, 
Mrs.  Mary  J.  Gallagher,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  D.  Banks. 

The  "  Crossing  of  the  River "  of  one  whose  name  has,  so 
far,  not  been  mentioned,  has  resulted  in  the  gift  to  the 
Cliurch  of  a  beautiful  memorial  Font,  executed  in  Dresden, 


The  Second  Southport  Parsonage 
Saxony,  and  modelled  after  the  famous  original  of  the  Swedish 
sculptor,  Thorvvalsdeu.  Tlie  beautiful  life  itself,  which  it 
commemorates,  needs  no  visible  reminder  to  perpetuate  its 
power  and  memory.  That  has  left  its  abiding  record  upon 
the  hearts  of  all  who  came  within  its  influence.  None  the 
less,  the  memorial  erected,  will  serve  through  many  coming 
years,  to  point  the  lesson  of  faithfulness,  by  recalling  one 
who,  though  f<md  of  life,  yet  when  she  was  called  upon  to 
relinquish  it,  willingly  laid  all  its  longings  and  hopes  at  the 
io)t  of  the  Cross,  and  entered  into  the  joy  of  her  Lord. 


The  Rockwkll  Memorial  Font. 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDMUND    GUILBERT.  157 

The  insci-iption  on  the  Rockwell  Memorial  Font  is : 

In  Memoriam. 

ANNA  ROBINSON  ROCKWELL, 

Born  November  12th,  1849— Died  February  13tb,  1893. 

"And  the  Angel  said:  I  am  alive  forevermore." 

To  all  these  noble  women,  whose  departure  from  among  us, 
Trinity  parish  constantly  laments,  and  whose  efforts,  ever  ex- 
erted in  its  behalf,  are  to-day  so  greatly  missed  as  well  as 
needed,  the  poet's  words  are  most  applicable  : 

"  Besides, — what  grieved  us  most — we  knew 
They  had  no  need  of  such  as  you 
In  the  place  where  you  were  going. 
On  earth  are  angels  all  too  few. 
While  Heaven  is  overflowing." 

"The  Annals  of  an  Old  Parish"  are  here  brought  to  a 
close.  The  great  and  good  work  done  in  the  past,  surely  is  an 
incentive  to  those  upon  whom  Elijah's  mantle  has  fallen,  to 
so  labor  that  the  perpetuity  and  the  eflSciency  of  Trinity 
Church  shall  be  assured  for  all  time  to  come.  It  is  true  that 
its  membership  is  constantly  growing  smaller.  As  those  who 
are  conversant  with  the  situation  well  know,  death,  and  re- 
movals from  the  village,  are  active  factors  in  producing  this 
result.  But  the  writer  believes  the  time  is  not  far  off,  when 
this  shrinkage  will  come  to  an  end.  Southport,  and  its 
outlying  parts,  are  too  admirably  situated,  not  to  advance, 
rather  than  retrograde,  in  the  future.  Some  day,  there  will  be 
an  inflow  of  population  that  will  change  entirely  the  present 
aspect   of   things.     In    the   interval,    while   waiting  for    the 


158  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDMUND    GUILBERT. 

improvement  that  is  sure  to  come,  those  upon  whom  the 
prosperity  of  Trinity  Church  now  depends,  must  acquire  a  spirit 
of  consecration,  that  will  hesitate  at  no  sacrifice  in  its  behalf. 
Kfew  possessed  of  unity,  purpose,  zeal,  courage,  can  accom- 
plish far  more  than  a  multitude  that  is  aimless  and  indiffex'ent. 
One,  out  of  his  own  experience,  has  written  a  lesson  con- 
cerning this: 

"  A  craven  hung  along  the  battle's  edge. 
And  thought,  '  Had  I  a  sword  of  keener  steel, — 
That  blue  blade  that  the  king's  son  bears, — but  this 
Blunt  thing!  '  he  snapt  and  Hung  it  from  his  hand, 
And,  lowering,  crept  away  and  left  the  field. 
Then  came  the  king's  son,  wounded,  sore  bestead, 
And  weaponless,  and  saw  the  broken  sword, 
Hilt-buried  in  the  dry  and  trodden  sand. 
And  ran  and  snatched  it,  and,  with  battle-shout 
Lifted  afresh,  he  hewed  his  enemy  down. 
And  saved  a  great  cause  that  heroic  day."' 
Even  if  the  prospect  were  so  desperate  as  that,  the  writer 
would  still  hope  and  believe  that  the.  spirit  of  heroism  would 
inspire  the  members  of  Trinity  parish  to  do  their  whole  duty. 
But  the  matter  wears  another  aspect.     They  are  called  to  lead 
no  forlorn  hope,  to  commit  themselves  to  no  such  doubtful 
enterprise.     The  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  not  a  sentimental 
theory.     It  is  based  on  human  need.     It  alone   meets   the 
universal    desire    for    pardon    of   sin,    and   acceptance   with 
God.     And  the  Church  that  faithfully  preaches  this  Gospel 
can  never  fail.     The  Divine  promise  is,  "  the  Gates  of  Hell 
shall  not  prevail  against  it.''     Only  let  them  rise  to  the  level 
of  the  nobility  of  the  grand  principles  which  they   profess, 
and   failure   cannot   ensue.     Theirs,  they  claim,  and  believe 
is  the  Church  of  the  Living   God.     Noblesse    Oblige!    Let 
them  prove  to   those  about  them  its  superiority   by  asking 
them   frankly,   not   boastingly,    but   simply,    to   judge   them 
by  their  fruits.     However  grand    the   idea  may    be,  though 


RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.     EDMUND    GUILBERT.  159 

we  may  have  all  the  motive  forces  of  the  world,  if  they 
do  not  actually  result  in  a  changed,  renewed  life,  then  we 
are  proving  ourselves  infidel  to  our  faith,  and  are  preach- 
ing a  word  which  the  world  will  not  hear,  and  a  word 
which  the  world  ought  not  to  hear.  If  a  man  wants  to  build 
a  new  mill,  he  does  not  put  in  new  machinery  that  simply 
looks  well.  He  asks,  Does  it  work  well  ?  Have  you  tried  it  ? 
XTntil  they  see  the  actual  result  of  the  thing,  that  it  is  really 
better  than  what  they  have,  men  do  not  give  up  the  old. 
Trinity  Church  must  produce  the  highest  types  of  Christian 
men  and  women,  eminent  for  piety,  for  justice,  for  charity,  for 
sympathy,  if  it  hopes  to  continue  to  the  end ;  for  it  is  the 
fittest  forever  that  survives.  Unless  a  Church  makes  itself  the 
fittest,  it  not  only  must,  but  it  ought  to  go  down. 

The  future  of  Trinity  Church  rests,  then,  the  writer  be- 
lieves, even  in  the  light  of  the  Divine  promise  concerning  the 
perpetuity  of  the  Church  as  a  whole,  largely  upon  the  members 
themselves.  To  be  certain  that  its  doors  shall  be  open  to 
welcome  the  weary  and  heavy-laden  for  a  far  longer  period 
in  the  time  to  come,  than  thej'^  have  been  in  the  past,  its 
members  are  simply  asked  to  rise  to  the  grandeur  of  the 
Gospel  their  Church  preaches  ;  to  become,  in  deed,  not  merely 
in  name,  veritable  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  then  to  open 
their  hearts,  their  minds,  the  treasures  that  they  possess, — 
not  merely  of  money,  that  is  least  of  all, — for  the  benefit  of 
the  community  that  they  love  so  well. 

If  they  do  that,  there  can  be  no  uncertainty  about  the 
welfare  of  Trinity  Church,  so  far  as  the  present  or  future  is 
concerned. 

Citizens  .\nd  Christians,  Churchmen  and  non-Churchmen, 
one  and  all,  of  this  old  Town  of  Fairfield !  Because  this 
Trinity  Church,  which  has  flourished  among  you  since  1725, 
A.  D.,  is  a  Scriptural  Church  and  not  revolutionary;  because 
its  Book  of  Common  Prayer  is  rich  and  venerable  above  all, 
save  One,  in  the  English  tongue  ;  because  its  Ritual  promotes 


IGO  RECTORSHIP    OF    REV.    EDMUND    GUILBERT. 

decency,  dignity,  piety,  reverence,  and  permanence;  because 
its  Historic  Union  through  the  Apostles  comforts  so  many 
souls ;  because  the  Gospel  preached  in  its  pulpit  is  the 
old  unchanged  Glad-Tidings  that  Christ  Himself  proclaimed  ; 
because  it  has  for  six  genei'ations  spiritually  begotten  and 
trained  the  best  types  of  Christian  manhood  and  womanhood 
among  you : — Therefore,  from  its  own  Psalter,  let  us  take  the 
words  wherewith  to  bless  it : — 

**^bCB  sball  prosper  tbat  love  tbec.  peace  be  witbin 
tbie  walls,  anD  plenteousness  witbin  tbs  palaces.  jFor  m^ 
bretbren  anO  companions'  salves,  IF  will  wisb  tbec  pros= 
peritg.  l!?ea,  because  of  tbe  Ibouse  ot  tbe  XorD  our  ©oO, 
M  will  seeh  to  Do  tbec  ©ooD." 


THE    END. 


The  Fbancis  D.  Fekry  Kectobv. 


APPENDICES. 


APPENDICES. 


What  an  attic-rootn  is  to  the  thrifty  housewife,  an  Appendix 
is  to  the  maker  of  a  book.  Some  things  that  do  not  seem  to 
be  iu  place  in  the  parlor,  or  sitting-room,  are  yet  useful,  and 
altogether  too  good  to  be  thrown  away,  so  they  are  put  into 
the  garret,  where  they  will  be  accessible  at  all  times,  and 
ready  for  any  unexpected  use  that  may  be  made  of  them. 
In  a  book  there  are  matters  that  the  writer  thinks  ought 
to  interest  many  of  his  readers  ;  things  that  will  be  greatly 
missed  if  they  are  not  found  somewhere  between  the 
covers  of  the  volume  ;  and  yet  the  place,  or  need,  is  wanting 
to  incorporate  these  odd  pieces  in  the  orderly  chapters  of  the 
book.  This  is  the  writer's  only  reason  for  giving  in  this  place, 
several  long  lists,  and  some  interesting  historical  documents. 

CONTENTS. 

A.  Bishops  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut. 

B.  Clergymen  who  officiated  in  Fail-field  before  1727. 

C.  Rectors  of  Trinity  Parish. 

D.  Church- Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of  Trinity  Parish. 
E  Baptisms  recorded  px'evious  to  1779. 

F.  Curious  facts  in  the  Life  of  Dr.  James  Laborie. 

G.  Statement  concerning  Trinity  Parish,  written  in  the 
Parish  Record,  by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall,  September 
5th,  1851. 

H.  Sketch  of  the  Church  at  Fairfield,  by  the  Rev.  Philo 
Shelton,  written  in  the  year  1804. 

I.     Private  Pax'ochial  Register  of  the  Rev.  Philo  Shelton. 

( Containing  over  4,000  names  of  persons  Baptized, 

Confirmed,  Admitted  to  the  Communion,  Married,  and 

Buried,   during  the  Rev.  Philo  Shelton's  Rectorship.) 

J.     Obituary  Notices  of  the  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  and  Lucy 

Shelton,  his  wife,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jarvis,  1827. 

K.     The  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  Society  of  Trinity  Parish. 


162  APPENDIX   A. 


APPENDIX  A. 


Bishops  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut. 

1.  The  Right  Rev.   William  Seabury,  D.   D.,   Nov.   14th^ 
1784,  to  Feb.  25th,  1796. 

2.  The  Right  Rev.  Abraham  Jarvis,  D.  D.,  Oct.  18th,  1797, 
to  May  13th,  1815. 

3.  The  Right  Rev.  John  Henry  Hobart,  D.  D.,  June  1st, 
1816,  to  June  1st,  1819. 

( In  charge  during  vacancy  in  the  Episcopate.) 

4.  The  Right  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Brownell,  D.  D.,  Oct.  27th, 
1819,  to  Jan.  13th,  1865. 

5.  The  Right  Rev.  John  Williams,  D.  D.,  D.  C.  L.,  Oct. 
29th,  1851—. 

6.  The   Right   Rev.    Chauncey  B.  Brewster,  D.  D.,    Oct. 

28th,  1897—. 

( Bishop  Coadjutor.) 


APPENDIX    B.  163 


APPENDIX  B. 


Clergymen  who  Officiated  in,  but  were  not  Located  in  the 

Town  of  Fairfield,  Previous  to  the  Organization  of 

Trinity  Parish. 

1.  The  Rev.  George  Muirson,  1707. 

2.  The  Rev.  Evan  Evans,  1707. 

3.  The  Rev.  John  Talbot,  1709. 

4.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Sharpe,  1710. 

5.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Bridge,  1712. 

6.  The  Rev.  George  Pigot,  1722-3. 

7.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Johnson,  1723-7. 

The  first  House  of  Worship,  erected  by  Trinity  parish,  on 
Mill  Plain,  was  Dedicated  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God, 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson,  Thanksgiving  Day,  Nov.  10th,  1825.  Dr. 
Johnson,  at  the  time,  was  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Stratford. 
Trinity  parish  as  an  organization,  dates  from  1724. 


164  APPENDIX    C. 


APPENDIX  C. 


Rectors  of  Trinity  Parish. 

1.  Rev.  Henry  Caner,  1727-47. 

2.  Rev.  Joseph  Lamson,  1747-74. 

3.  Rev.  John  Sayre,  1774-79. 

4.  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  1785-1825. 

5.  Rev.  William  Shelton,  1825-29. 

6.  Rev.  Charles  Smith,  1829-34. 

7.  Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall,  1834-53. 

8.  Rev.  James  E.  Purdy,  1853-58. 

9.  Rev.  Rufus  Emery,  1858-70. 

10.  Rev.  Edward  L.  Wells,  1870-77. 

11.  Rev.  Taliaffero  P.  Caskey,  1877-79. 

12.  Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams,  1879  90. 

13.  Rev.  Edmund  Guilbert,  1891— 


APPENDIX    D.  165 

APPENDIX  D. 


Church  Wardens  and  Vestrymen. 

There  are  no  Records  of  Trinity  Church,  so  far  as  is  known, 
that  reach  further  back  than  the  year  1779,  a.  d.  With  the 
exception  of  a  few  names  that  have  been  preserved,  those  who 
served  the  parish  in  an  official  capacity,  previous  to  that  date 
are  unknown.  The  figures  appended  to  the  lists  given  below, 
indicate  the  time  when  the  election  took  place.  For  some 
A-^ears  there  were  no  wardens  elected.  A  committee,  varying 
in  number  from  year  to  year,  together  with  the  clerk  and  the 
treasurer,  was  appointed  to  administer  the  affairs  of  the 
parish. 

Wardens  and  Vestrymen,  previous  to  the  burning  of  Fair- 
field, 1779 : 

WARDENS. 

Moses  Ward,  1727,  Isaac  Jennings,  1730, 

David  Lyon,  1727,  Abraham  Puliug,  1730. 

VESTRYMEN. 

Dr.  James  Laborie,  1725,  Samuel  Lyon,  1730, 

Abraham  Adams,  1725,  Isaac  Brown,  1730, 

Dougal  MacKenzie,  1727,  Benjamin  Burt,  1730, 

John  Lockwood,  1727,  Henry  James,  1730, 

Nathan  Adams,  1727,  Moses  Knapp,  1730. 
Beujamen  Sturges,  1727, 

Wardens  and  Vestrymen  from  the  burning  of  Fairfield, 
1779  to  1898. 

WARDENS. 

Abraham  Bulkley,  1801-25,  Judson  Nichols,  1836-37, 

Daniel  Meeker,  1804-9,  Hull  Sherwood,  1837-64, 

Reuben  Sherwood,  1809-13  Jesse  Banks,  1838-39, 

W'alter  Sherwood,  1813-36,  Timothy  Williams,  1839-42, 


166 


APPENDIX    D. 


Hull  Sherwood,  1825-26, 
David  B.  Perry,  1826-28, 
Stephen  Beers,  1828-29, 
Abel  Beers,  1829-30, 
Hull  Sherwood,  1830-33, 
Abel  Beers,  1833-36, 
WilUam  Bulkley,  1836-38, 


David  Banks,  1842-69, 
Jonathan  Godfrey,  1864-83, 
Francis  Jelliif,  1883-96, 
Edward  Hawkins,  1889-92, 
Lewis  A.  Curtis,  1892—, 
Oliver  Bulkley,  1896—. 


VESTKYMEN. 


John  Sherwood,  1779, 
Ezra  Katlin,  1779, 
Peter  Bulkley,  1779, 
Daniel  Wheeler,  1779, 
Henry  Bulkley,  1784, 
Jonathan  Bulkley,  1784, 
Rowland  Spalding,  1784, 
Thomas  Holbertson,  1784, 
Seth  Sturges,  1784, 
William  Bulkley,  1784, 
Thomas  Treadwell,  1785, 
Ozia  Burr,  1785, 
Stephen  Adams,  1785, 
David  Beers,  1785, 
Ichabod  Burr,  1785, 
Joshua  Jennings,  1785, 
Seth  Sturges,  1785, 
Reuben  Beers,  1785, 
Thomas  Elwood,  1785, 
Ebenezer  Nichols,  1785, 
David  Jennings,  1785, 
John  Perry,  1785, 
Hezekiah  Sturges,  1785, 
Nathan  T.  Nichols,  1787, 
Samuel  Cannon,  1790, 
Gershom  Bulkley,  1790, 


William  Sherwood,  1838, 
Walter  Bulkley,  1838, 
David  B.  Sturges,  1838, 
Henry  Sturges,  1842, 
George  Peck,  1843, 
Augustus  Jennings,  1844, 
Henry  Perry,  1846, 
Lot  Bulkley,  1846, 
Moses  Bulkley,  1847, 
Charles  Bulkley,  1847, 
Charles  Cartlidge,  1847, 
Allen  Nichols,  1847, 
Edward  Ogden,  1848, 
S.  P.  V.  R.  Tenbroeck,  1848, 
Julius  Pike,  1850, 
Zalmon  Wakeman,  1851, 
Francis  Jelliff,  1851, 
Benjamin  Pomeroy,  1853, 
John  H.  Sherwood,  1853, 
George  M.  Hawkins,  1854, 
Andrew  Bulkley,  1855, 
Samuel  Pike,  1856, 
Abel  Beers,  1856, 
George  B.  Kissam,  1856, 
Edgar  BurrougliF,  1856, 
Isaac  Milbank,  1858, 


APPENDIX    D. 


167 


Elnathan  Smitb,  1793, 
Thomas  Nasb,  1793, 
Benjamin  Sturges,  1793, 
Abraham  Bulkley,  1793, 
Daniel  Meeker,  1797, 
Aaron  Beers,  1798, 
Jeremiah  Sturges,  1801, 
David  Beers,  1803, 
David  Hubbell,  1805, 
David  Nichols,  1808, 
Alexander  S.  Nichols,  1808, 
Nathaniel  Perry,  1813, 
Moses  Jennings,  Jr.,  1813, 
Abel  Ogden,  1814, 
Abel  Beers,  1815, 
Thauiel  P.  Beers,  1816, 
Hull  Sherwood,  1818, 
John  Banks,  1818, 
David  Jennings,  1818, 
"William  Robinson,  1819, 
Jesse  Banks,  1821, 
David  B.  Perry,  1823, 
Joel  B.  Bulkley,  1826, 
Samuel  Beers,  1826, 
Joseph  W.  Davis,  1830, 
Geoi-ge  Ogden,  1831, 
Jonathan  Godfrey,  Jr.,  1832, 
John  G.  Allen,  1833, 
James  Bulkley,  1833, 
Stephen  Miller,  1836, 
David  Banks,  1836, 


William  Bulkley,  1858, 
Alva  D.  Wood,  1858, 
David  B.  Sturges,  1858, 
Justus  Sherwood,  M.  D.,  1859, 
John  H.  Wood,  1859, 
Jesup  B.  W^akeman,  1860, 
WilHam  H.  Thorp,  1860, 
R.  DePeyster,  1864, 
Oliver  Bulkley,  1868, 
Franklin  Bulkley,  1868, 
Lewis  A.  Curtis,  1873, 
George  B.  Bunnell,  1874, 
Charles  Rockwell,  1875, 
John  Hawkins,  1877, 
Howard  N.  AVakeman,  1879, 
Edward  Hawkins,  1880, 
Edward  M.  Bulkley,  1881, 
Charles  F.  Bulkley,  1881, 
Francis  D.  Perry,  1885, 
Abram  B.  Sturges,  1888, 
E.  Livingston  Wells,  1888, 
Roderick  P.  Curtis,  1889, 
Arthur  O.  Jennings,  1891, 
E.  Cornelius  Sherwood,  1891, 
Moses  Bulkley,  1891, 
Lewis  B.  Curtis,  1891, 
Oliver  T.  Sherwood,  1891, 
Nellis  H.  Sherwood,  1894, 
John  Hawkins,  1897,   (  Second 

election). 
Wilbur  C.  Jennings,  1898. 


168  APPENDIX    E. 

APPENDIX  E. 


Baptism's  Recorded  Previous  to  1799. 

1722.  May   27th,    Mary    and    Richard    Livesay ;    Abraham 
Adams. 

Baptized  by  Rev.  Geoi'ge  Pigot,  at  Stratford,  although 

belonging  to  the  Town  of  Fairfield. 

November  30th,  John  Partridge  (Adult). 

This  is  the  first  baptism  recorded  by   Rev.   George 

Pigot,  as  administered  in  Fairfield. 

1723.  June  30th,  Ruth  Knapp. 

1724.  April  19th,  Elizabeth  Hill. 

This  child  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Johnson. 
June  24th,  Mary  Patrick,  (Adult). 

Baptized  in   Norwalk  by  Rev.  Samuel  Johnson,    and 
pi'operly   included   in    Fairfield,  which  at  that    time, 
embraced  the  whole  of  Fairfield  County  except  Strat- 
ford, and  Newtown. 
July  19th,  Sara  Livesay. 

September  2nd,  John,  Nathaniel,  and  Jonathan  Whit- 
lock. 
November  8th,  William  Wardell. 

1725.  March  14th,  Mary  Patrick. 

July  1st,  Rebekah  Moor,  (  Adult) ;  Phebe  Crowfoot. 
August  8th,  Mary  Ward. 

November  10th,  Elizabeth,  Moses,  and  Daniel  Knapj:). 
These  three  were  baptized  on  the  day  of  the  annual 
Thanksgiving,  when  the  Rev.  Samuel  Johnson  opened 
and  dedicated  the  first  Church  built  on  Mill  Plain. 

172().     February  15th,  Isaac  Bx-owue. 

September  29th,  Daniel  Ketchum. 
November  5th,  John  Thompson. 


APPENDIX    E.  169 

1727.     January  30fch,  Ephraim,  Abigail,  and  Hester  Nichols  ; 
Lydia  Stevens. 

May    5tb,    Benjamin    Franklin,    ( Adult ) ;    Benjamin 
Franklin,  (  son  of  the  preceding )  ;  Keziah  Crowfoot. 
May  23rd,  Abigail,  Benjamin,  and  Eliphalet  Turney. 
May  24:th,  Eliphalet  Hill,  and  Adams  Whitlock. 
November  12th,  William  Livesay. 

November  16th,  Daniel    Sherwood,    (  Adult ) ;  Joseph 
Browne,  John  Saunders  and  Mehitabel  Patrick. 

These  are  the  last  Baptisms  recorded  as  administered  by 
Rev.  Samuel  Johnson.  About  this  time  Rev.  Henry  Caner 
returned  from  England,  in  Holy  Orders,  and  took  charge  of 
the  Church  in  the  town  of  Fairfield.  The  above  names  and 
facts  were  obtained  from  the  private  registers  kept  by  Messrs. 
Pigot  and  Johnson.  After  Rev.  Mr.  Caner  began  his 
ministry,  the  record  of  his  official  acts  was  kept  in  a  volume 
belonging  to  the  parish.  This  was  the  plan  also  adopted  by 
his  successors.  This  record  full,  we  may  not  doubt,  of  most 
interesting  notitia,  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Rev.  John 
Sayre  at  the  time  of  the  burning  of  the  village  of  Fairfield, 
and  was  consumed  with  the  parsonage  and  its  contents. 


170  APPENDIX    F. 

APPENDIX  F. 


Some  Curious  Facts  in  the  Life  of  De.  James  Laborie. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  Town  of  Fairfield, 
owes  a  debt  beyond  human  compensation,  to  Dr.  James 
Laborie.  He  was,  so  far  as  we  know,  practically  its  founder. 
The  earliest  services  of  which  we  have  any  record,  wei'e  held 
by  him.  As  early  as  1723,  he  officiated  as  lay-reader,  according 
to  the  usage  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  his  own  house  in 
Fairfield,  on  those  Sundays  on  which  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pigot 
preached  in  Stratford,  or  some  other  place.  It  appears  that 
he  came  to  this  country  at  the  close  of  the  17th  Century,  as  a 
teacher,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Bishop  of  London,  and 
being  disturbed  by  the  Indians,  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston, 
where  he  first  resided,  he  came  to  the  Colony  and  County  of 
Fairfield,  and  began  by  an  introductory  discourse,  to  act  as 
a  missionary  to  the  English  and  native  inhabitants,  but  was 
interrupted  immediately  by  one  of  the  magistrates.  This 
commencement  of  his  efiforts  in  Connecticut  was  at  Stratford,^ 
where  he  seems  to  have  resided  from  1703  to  1717.  In  the 
year  1718,  he  is  mentioned  as  an  inhabitant  of  Fairfield,  and 
there  he  continued  to  sojoui*n  until  the  time  of  his  death. 
Dr.  Laborie,  in  addition  to  his  qualifications  as  teacher,  and 
missionary,  was  also  a  physician  of  considerable  eminence. 
WiUiam  C.  Wile,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  in  the  Centennial  Record  of  the 
Fairfield  County  Medical  Association,  page  22,  is  responsible 
for  the  following  information  concerning  him  ;  and  as  every- 
thing that  can  be  gleaned  from  the  past  concerning  Dr. 
Laborie  is  worth  preserving,  it  is  given  a  place  in  this 
appendix : 

"  On  one  occasion,  while  he  lived  at  Stratford,  Dr.  Laborie 
was  summoned  over  the  river  to  Milford  by  Mr.  Lyon,  the 
merchant  of  that  place,  whose  wife  was  suffering  from  hysteri- 


APPENDIX    F.  171 

cal  paroxysms,  or  some  nervous  affliction.  The  Doctor 
promptly  obeyed  the  summons  and  with  three  men  to  row 
him  over  the  river  and  through  the  ice,  repaired  to  the  house 
of  the  patient.  That  he  attended  the  case  with  fidehty  is 
apparent  from  the  fact  that  in  a  few  weeks  he  sent  his 
employer  a  bill  for  charges  exceeding  fifty  pounds.  Mr. 
Lyon  insisted  on  having  the  items  of  what  he  probably  con- 
sidered a  large  account,  and  as  the  case  was  brought  to  Court 
for  judgment,  the  Doctor  was  required  to  make  out  the  bill  in 
detail.  From  that  account  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  making 
a  few  extracts  :  '  Lewis  Lyon,  Dr.,  to  James  Laborie  of  Strat- 
ford, the  18th  day  of  December,  1706,  for  his  wife,  my 
journe}'  through  the  ice  in  a  canoe  with  three  men  to  put  me 
over,  12  shillings  ;  same  night  administered  to  his  wife  hysteric 
cordial,  comp.  diuretic  and  hysterick  drink,  one  pound  and  six 
shilliugs.'  For  several  days  the  hysteric  cordial  was  used 
freely  and  several  pounds  were  charged  for  the  same.  In 
about  ten  days  the  remedy  was  changed  and  four  doses  of 
'  my  Pol3'crestis,'  were  administered  at  an  expense  of  one 
pound.  The  Doctor  also  charged  his  friend  for  '  my  Pills 
Royal,'  and  '  my  Polycrestis,'  aud  '  the  Elixir  Vitse  of  mine,' 
enough  to  show  that  he  held  them  in  high  estimation.  For 
bleeding  the  arm  the  charge  was  only  one  shilling,  for  bleed- 
ing the  foot,  two  shillings,  and  for  a  blister  to  the  shoulder, 
nine  shillings.  The  whole  amount  of  the  Doctor's  bill  was 
fifty-nine  pounds  and  two  shillings,  and  to  recover  the  sum, 
an  action  was  brought  into  Court.  In  this  action,  states  the 
Record,  the  jury  find  for  the  plaintiff,  'ye  defendant  to  pay 
62  pounds,  18  shilliugs,  and  6  pence,  and  the  cost  of  the 
Court.  The  Court  accepts  the  jury's  verdict  and  gives  judg- 
ment accordingly.  Bill  of  cost  allowed  1  pound,  3  shillings, 
10  pence.  The  defendant  appeals  to  the  Court  of  Assistants, 
at  Hartford,  in  May  next,  and  the  defendant  and  Colonel 
Mather  Sherwood  acknowledge  themselves  bound  to  the 
County  in  a  recognizance  of  70  pounds  cash,  that  defendant 


172  APPENDIX    F. 

shall  pi'osecute  his  appeal  to  effect  and  answer  to  all  damages 
if  he  may  not  make  his  plea  good.' 

"Mr.  Lyon,  to  strengthen  his  case,  sought  the  opinion  of 
Dr.  John  Fisk  and  several  Boston  physicians,  who  gave  it  as 
their  opinion,  that  he  had  been  extravagantly  over-charged. 
It  is  possible  that  the  knowledge  of  this  fact  is  what  led  Dr. 
Laborie  to  compromise  with  his  debtor,  as  the  following 
document  indicates.  To  the  Honorable  Court  of  Assistants, 
now  sitting  at  New  Haven  :  For-as-much  as  we  have  agreed 
upon  the  case  before  your  Court,  we  pray  you  would  please 
not  to  call  the  action  to  a  hearing. 

Your  most  obedient  servants, 

James  Laborie, 
Lewis  Lyon. 

October,  1708. 

"Dr.  Laborie  died  about  the  year  1730.  He  bestowed  upon 
his  son  James,  '  all  my  instruments  of  Chirurgery,  and  my 
French  writings.'  Concerning  James  Laborie,  Jr.,  but  little 
is  known.  It  is  probable  that  he  received  a  license  from  the 
General  Court  about  the  beginning  of  the  last  Century,  for 
his  application  states  that  he  had  been  in  practice  for  many 
years,  under  the  direction  of  his  father,  whom  he  refers  to  as 
a  man  of  wide  reputation  and  acknowledged  ability.  He 
seems  to  have  sustained  the  reputation  of  his  teacher,  and  to 
have  become  well  known  in  the  Colony  for  his  personal  attri- 
butes, as  well  as  for  professional  skill." 


APPENDIX    G.  173 

APPENDIX  G. 


Statement  by  Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Coknwall,  Written  in  the 
Parish  Record,  September  5th,  1851. 

The  most  important  facts  in  the  history  of  this  parish, 
from  a.  d.  1704,  to  a.  d.  1725,  are  sufficiently  set  forth  iu  an 
historical  discourse,  delivered  by  Rev.  N.  E.  Cornwall,  at  the 
celebration  of  the  third  Jubilee  of  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Gospel,  on  the  8th  Sunday  after  Trinity, 
August  10th,  1851,  and  published  at  the  request  of  the 
wardens  and  vestrymen  of  the  parish.  There  are  other 
sketches  of  the  same  period,  drawn  from  less  authentic 
sources  of  information,  iu  the  first  volume  of  the  Church- 
man's Magazine,  (  old  series,)  and  in  other  periodicals  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  various  historical  discourses 
concerning  other  old  parishes. 

The  most  needful  addition  to  such  annals  of  this  parish,  is 
to  be  found  in  a  list  of  names  attached  to  a  certain  petition 
or  memorial,  which  was  addressed  to  the  Colonial  Legislature 
of  Connecticut,  in  the  year  1738,  by  most  of  the  Episcopalians 
of  mature  age,  then  residing  within  the  Colony.  These  names 
are  given  below.  The  originals  are  preserved,  with  the 
memorial,  in  the  archives  of  the  State,  at  Hartford,  in  the 
tenth  volume  of  matters  "Ecclesiastical."  The  records  of 
Trinity  parish  having  been  destroyed,  as  is  supposed,  in  the 
conflagation  of  Fairfield,  1779,  such  a  list  of  persons,  calling 
themselves  Episcopalians,  in  1738,  affords  the  best  basis  that 
can  be  found  for  a  satisfactory  estimate  of  the  state  and 
progress  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  iu  this  vicinity 
at  that  interesting  period  in  the  history  of  Connecticut. 
Most  of  the  names  are  still  common  in  this  Township.  But 
some  of  them  have  been  for  many  years  quite  unknown  here. 
And  a  few  of  those  which  are  still  common  in  these  parts  have 
been  long  wanting  in  the  list  of  members  of  this  parish. 


174 


APPENDIX    G. 


Without  data,  however,  for  a  comparison  of  this  Kst  with 
others,  usually  found  in  parish  registers,  no  sure  inferences 
can  be  drawn  from  such  facts. 


David  Adams, 
Nathaniel  Adams, 
Nathan  Adams, 
Nathan  Adams,  Jr., 
Stephen  Adams, 
Joseph  Barlow, 
Oeoi'ge  Barlow, 
Samuel  Barlow, 
Samuel  Barlow,  Jr., 
John  Bell, 
Joseph  Beers, 
Joseph  Beers,  Jr., 
David  Beers, 
David  Bostwick, 
David  Bostwick,  Jr., 
Ki chard  Caner, 
Peter  Coley, 
Jonathan  Cutler, 
Samuel  Davis, 
Moses  Downing, 
•Charles  Duncomb, 
Josiah  Gilbert, 
Alexander  Green, 
Luke  Guire, 
Ebenezer  Guire, 
Ebenezer  Hale, 
Samuel  Hill, 
William  Hill, 
Matthew  House, 
Ebenezer  Hubbell, 
David  A.  James, 
Nathan  Jennings, 


Robert  Lord, 
Benjamin  Lines, 
Hester  Lines, 
Robert  Lord, 
Cula  C.  Lyon, 
Samuel  Lyon, 
Ebenezer  Lyon, 
Ebenezer  Lyon,  Jr., 
Samuel  Lyou, 
Joseph  Lockwood, 
Sarah  MacKenzie, 
John  Mather, 
George  McEweu, 
Nathan  Meeker, 
Ephriam  Nichols, 
Ignatius  Nicoll, 
John  Nicela, 
William  Osborn, 
John  Pound, 
Abraham  Puling, 
John  Smith, 
George  Stewart, 
David  Sturges, 
Benjamin  Sturges,  Jr., 
Jonathan  Sturges,  Jr., 
Elnathan  Sturges, 
Samuel  Squire, 
William  Taylor, 
Daniel  Thompson, 
Benjamin  Turney, 
Thomas  Turney, 
Zabulon  Waklorn, 


APPENDIX    G.  175 

Joshua  Jennings,  Moses  Ward, 

John  Jennings,  Samuel  Ward, 

Samuel  Jenuings,  Nathaniel  Whitehead, 

John  Knapp,  Abigail  Whitlock, 

Daniel  Knapp,  Abraham  Whitlock, 

James  Livesay,  John  Whitlock, 

Richard  Livesay,  John  Whitear, 

Elnathan  Lloyd,  Buckland  Williams. 

In  connection  with  the  above  names  it  is  also  to  be  re- 
membered that  Trinity  parish  at  that  time,  embraced  Strat- 
field,  (  now  Bridgeport ),  North  Fairfield,  (  now  Weston. ) 
And  it  is  worthy  of  notice  as  not  a  little  remarkable,  that 
among  the  names  herewith  recorded,  are  not  found  those  of 
Burr,  Bulkley,  Perry,  Sherwood,  and  Bradley,  now  so  common, 
not  only  in  this  Township,  but  also  among  Episcopalians  in 
these  parts.  This  fact  would  justify  a  supposition  that  after 
that  time,  as  before,  there  was  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  many 
Oongregationalists  of  this  Township  towards  the  Episcopal 
Church.  And  it  seems  quite  certain  from  various  circum- 
stances, that  there  has  been  always  here  a  very  favorable  state 
of  feeling  in  the  community  at  large  towards  Episcopacy.  Some 
local  and  temporary  disadvantages  have  sometimes  hindered 
the  progress  of  this  parish,  but  upon  the  whole,  it  may  be 
safely  said  to  have  advanced  much  more  rapidly  than  the 
population  of  the  Township. 


176  APPENDIX    H. 

APPENDIX  H. 


Sketch  of  the    Church   at    Fairfield    Written   by  the  Rev. 
Philo  Shelton,  1804. 

On  the  26th  day  of  August,  1722,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Picket,  from 
Stratford,  came  to  Fairfield,  and  preached  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Hanford,  to  about  six  famiHes.  This  was  the 
first  time  that  Divine  service  was  performed  in  the  Town, 
agreeable  to  the  rites  and  usages  of  the  Church  of  England. 
After  this,  the  people  met  and  read  prayers  among  themselves, 
and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson,  from  Stratford,  occasionally 
preached  for  them.  On  the  22ud  of  June,  1725,  a  Church 
was  raised  at  Fairfield,  about  one  and  a  half  miles  west,  from 
the  meeting-house,  and  on  the  10th  of  November  following,  it 
being  a  public  Thanksgiving  Day,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Johnson 
opened  the  new  Church  with  a  sermon  suitable  to  the 
occasion. 

Some  where  about  this  time,  there  was  a  law,  obliging 
people  of  all  denominations,  to  be  taxed  for  the  support  of  the 
Presbyterian  worship  ;  this,  the  Episcopalians  looked  upon  as 
a  great  grievance,  and  some  had  the  resolution  to  refuse  pay- 
ing this  tax,  and  were  committed  to  gaol.  Of  this  number 
were  Mr.  Ward,  of  Fairfield,  and  Messrs.  Glover  and  Hard,  of 
Newtown.  Upon  this,  a  memorial  was  presented  to  the 
General  Assembly,  signed  by  the  Church  Wardens  of  Fair- 
field, praying  to  be  excused  from  supporting  a  worship  in 
which  they  did  not  believe,  nor  join.  Their  prayer  was  heard, 
and  the  taxes  of  the  Episcopalians  were  allowed  in  future,  to 
be  applied  to  the  support  of  their  own  profession,  obliging 
them  to  be  taxed  in  the  same  proportion  by  the  Presbyterian's 
committee,  the  tax  to  be  collected  by  their  collector,  and  then 
paid  over  to  the  Church  Clergyman,  or  to  the  wardens,  which 
law  continued  in  existence  until  the  American  Independence. 


APPENDIX   H.  177 

The  Church  people  at  Fairfield  increasing  some,  they  were 
very  desirous  to  have  a  Clergyman  settled  among  them. 
They  purchased  a  lot  of  land,  about  half  an  acre,  with  a  house 
for  his  accommodation,  and  sent  the  deed  by  the  hands  of  a 
certain  Mr.  Henry  Caner,  to  the  Society  in  England,  praying 
that  he  might  be  clothed  with  Priests'  Orders,  and  settled 
over  them.  Their  petition  was  heard,  and  the  Eev.  Mr.  Caner 
returned  to  Fairfield  in  October,  1727,  with  a  salary  of  fifty 
pounds  sterling  per  annum,  and  the  people  were  very  happy 
in  his  administrations,  and  the  Church  flourished  under  his 
ministry.  The  principal  people  who  composed  the  Church 
were  Messrs.  Ward,  Adams,  Wilson,  Hanford,  Jennings,  Lyon, 
Barlow,  Beers,  Sturges,  and  others.  The  Church  that  was 
first  built  was  small,  not  sufficient  now  to  contain  the  mem- 
bers. On  the  9th  of  August,  1738,  they  raised  another,  of 
fifty-four  feet  by  thirty-six,  with  a  steeple,  and  with  charitable 
donations  from  New  York  and  from  the  Society  in  England, 
the  Church  was  finished  very  decently  with  a  bell. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Caner  continued  at  Fairfield,  as  their  minister, 
until  the  year  1744.  He  was  then,  by  the  Missionai-y  Society, 
removed  to  Boston,  to  the  great  grief  of  the  Episcopahans  of 
Fairfield,  he  being  a  man  of  eminent  talents,  a  great  preacher, 
and  an  able  defender  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Church,  and  a 
very  agreeable,  engaging  companion  and  neighbor.  While  he 
was  at  Fairfield,  the  Church  flourished,  her  numbers  increased, 
and  all  appeared  to  be  happy.  He  was  born  in  England, 
came  to  America  in  his  j'outh,  was  educated  at  Yale  College, 
studied  divinity  under  Doctor  Johnson,  married  a  Miss 
McKensey,  daughter  of  Mr.  McKensey. 

He  continued  a  preacher  in  the  Church  at  Boston  until  the 
war  broke  out  between  Great  Britain  and  America.  When 
the  British  troops  came  there  he  left  town  and  returned  to 
England,  and  lived  to  be  a  very  aged  man,  and  finally  died  in 
peace  and  was  gathered  to  his  Fathers,  the  Lord  having 
prospered  him  in  his  work  of  the  ministery,  by  which  many 


178  APPENDIX    H. 

souls  were  converted  from  the  error  of  their  ways,  established 
in  the  faith  and  rest  in  hope. 

In  the  year  1745,  the  Kev.  Mr.  Joseph  Lamson  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry,  and  placed  by  the  Society  in  the 
Church  at  Fairfield,  vacated  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Caner,  with  a 
salary  equal  to  his  predecessor.  The  members  of  the  Church 
having  increased  considerably,  those  who  resided  in  the 
Parish  of  Stratfield,  thought  it  too  far  to  attend  at  Fairfield, 
exerted  themselves,  and  in  the  year  1748,  raised  a  Church  in 
the  parish,  and  the  next  year  it  was  opened  and  dedicated  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Johnson.  The  principal  proprietors  in  building 
this  Church  were  Col.  John  Burr,  Messrs.  John  Holbertson, 
Timothy  Wheeler,  Joseph  Seely,  John  Nichols,  Richard  Hall, 
Samuel  Beardslee,  and  others.  This  Col.  Burr  was  a  man  of 
singular  abilities,  of  large  property,  and  a  warm  advocate  for 
the  Church,  having  received  his  education  in  the  Presbyterian 
profession,  but  when  he  arrived  at  mature  years,  he  changed 
his  profession.  About  this  time  Whitfield,  Tennant,  and 
other  zealous  preachers,  came  to  this  country,  fired  the  people 
with  enthusiasm  and  an  overheated  zeal  for  religion,  which 
the  Colonel  looked  upon  as  inconsistent  with  the  true  Spirit 
of  the  Gospel,  which  teaches  order  and  good  government  to 
her  children.  He  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  the 
Gospel,  and  embraced  the  Church  of  England,  as  being  most 
agreeable  to  the  rules  of  our  Blessed  Lord  and  His  Apostles. 
He  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  the  Church,  and  died 
in  a  good  old  age. 

By  this  time  the  Church  people  in  the  parishes  of  North  Fair- 
field, and  Norfield  having  increased  considerably,  and  being  at 
the  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles  from  the  Fairfield  Church,  they 
thought  it  better  to  build  a  Church  to  accommodate  those  two 
Societies.  They  accordingly,  in  the  year  1762,  erected  a 
frame  and  closed  it,  but  soon  after,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lamson, 
being  in  a  poor  state  of  health,  unable  to  ofiiciate  much  in  the 
out  parishes,  the  Church  was  not  finished  before  the  Amei'ican 


APPENDIX    H.  179 

war  commenced,  which  seemed  to  stagnate  all  business.  In 
the  year  1773,  Mr.  Lamson  sickened  and  died.  He  was  born 
Ht  Stratford,  educated  at  Yale  College,  conformed  to  the 
Church  of  England  in  the  time  of  the  Whitfieldian  stir.  He 
supported  an  honorable  character,  was  much  informed  and 
esteemed  as  a  physician,  as  well  as  a  Divine.  He  left  at  his 
death,  a  widow  and  five  children,  three  daughters  and  two 
sons.  In  the  time  of  his  ministry,  the  liberal  Mr.  Talbot,  of 
New  York,  made  a  visit  to  Fairfield,  and  left  as  a  benefit  for 
the  Church,  a  very  handsome  present,  to  the  amount  of  at 
least,  one  hundred  pounds,  L.  M.  With  some  of  this  money, 
the  trustees  of  the  Church  purchased  a  piece  of  land,  at  a 
place  called  Round  Hill,  about  nine  acres.  One  hundred 
dollars  was  put  out  to  use  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Jonathan 
Coley,  which  since  has  been  collected  and  applied  to  the 
building  of  the  new  Church,  and  another  hundred  dollars  was 
put  to  use  in  the  hands  of  Peter  Dibble,  who,  in  the  trouble- 
some American  war,  went  to  Nova  Scotia,  forfeited  his  estate 
and  the  Church  lost  the  debt.  Mr.  Talbot  also  furnished  the 
Communion  Table  with  a  set  of  plate,  which  in  the  time  of  the 
burning  of  the  town  by  the  British,  was  either  consumed  or 
plundered ;  the  latter,  I  think  is  most  probable. 

In  the  year  1774,  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Sayre,  from  Fredericks- 
burgh,  was  invited  by  the  parish  to  take  charge  of  the 
Churches.  He  wrote  to  the  Society,  acquainted  them  of  the 
death  of  their  missionary,  Mr.  Lamson,  and  informed  them  of 
the  invitation  of  the  people,  and  should  wait  their  approba- 
tion of  acceptance. 

The  Society  appointed  him,  agreeable  to  the  request  of  the 
people,  and  fixed  his  salary  at  twenty -five  pounds  sterling  per 
annum.  Mr.  Sayre  was  a  man  of  superior  abilities,  and  a 
great  preacher.  He  was  rather  inclining  to  the  Calvinistic 
principles,  but  a  high  Tory.  Soon  after  he  settled  at  Fair- 
field, the  Colonies  revolted  from  Great  Britain,  Avhich  pro- 
duced a  bloody  war,  and  in  the  contest,  in  the  year  1779,  a 


180  APPENDIX   H. 

party  of  the  King's  troops,  under  the  command  of  Governor 
Tryon,  came  to  Fairfield,  took  possession  of  the  town, 
plundered  it  and  then  burnt  it,  without  any  distinction  to 
friend  or  foe.  In  the  general  conflagration  the  Church  was 
consumed,  and  the  parsonage  house,  together  with  the 
library,  which  contained  some  hundreds  of  volumes.  The 
Church  Records  shared  the  same  fate.  This  was  a  most 
fatal  blow  to  the  Episcopal  Society  of  Fail-field,  losing  the 
Church,  the  parsonage,  the  library,  the  plate,  and  at  this  time 
Mr.  Sayre,  with  his  family,  left  the  town  and  never  returned 
again,  together  with  a  number  of  the  principal  inhabitants. 

The  remainder  thought  it  not  best  to  hang  their  harps  upon 
the  willows,  and  give  up  the  Church  for  lost,  but  relying  on 
the  promises  of  God,  that  the  Church  should  never  be 
extinct,  they  called  a  meeting  of  the  several  Churches,  viz., 
Fairfield,  Stratfield,  and  North  Fairfield,  to  take  into  con- 
sideration what  was  best  to  be  done.  They  were  unani- 
mously of  opinion  that  it  was  their  duty  to  keep  the  Church 
together  and  have  Divine  Service  performed  among  them 
until  they  could  be  sujjplied  with  a  clergyman.  They 
appointed  a  committee  to  look  out  for  some  candidate  to 
read  prayers  for  them,  and  upon  inquiry,  they  heard  of  Mr. 
Philo  Shelton,  of  Riptou,  to  whom  they  applied,  and  he 
engaged  to  open  Church  for  them  until  they  should  be  other- 
wise supplied.  He  continued  their  reader  until  Bishop 
Seabury  returned  from  Europe,  clothed  with  Episcopa 
authority  to  ordain  and  govern  the  Church,  and  in  August, 
1785,  Mr.  Shelton  was  admitted  to  the  Order  of  Deacons,  in 
Christ  Church,  Middletown,  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Seabury, 
and  to  Priest's  Orders,  in  Trinity  Church,  New  Haven,  in 
September  following,  by  the  same  prelate,  and  settled  over 
the  Churches  of  Fairfield,  Stratfield,  and  Weston,  with  a 
living  salary  of  one  hundred  pounds,  L.  M.  per  annum,  with 
the  use  of  what  lands  belong  to  said  Church. 


APPENDIX    H.  181 

In  the  year  1790,  the  Episcopalians  thought  it  best  to  exert 
their  abilities  and  see  if  they  could  not  get  them  another 
house.  They  went  to  work  and  in  time  raised  a  frame  of 
fifty-six  feet  by  thirty-four,  with  a  steeple,  and  by  September 
following,  they  closed  it  so  we  were  able  to  meet  in  it.  The 
Church  stands  about  one  mile  west  from  where  the  last  stood, 
at  a  place  called  Mill  Plain. 

There  is,  belonging  to  this  Church,  a  piece  of  land  laying 
at  Round  Hill,  about  two  miles  fx'om  the  State  line,  also  the 
half  acre  where  the  parsonage  house  formerly  stood,  both  of 
which  pieces  are  in  possession  of  the  present  incumbent. 
There  is  no  other  property  belonging  to  either  of  the  three 
Churches. 

The  Church  at  Stratfield  was  not  finished  until  the  year 
1789,  and  then  it  was  consecrated  by  the  Right  Rev.  Dr. 
Seabury.  The  one  at  Fairfield  was  consecrated  by  the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  Jarvis,  the  18th  of  October,  1798.  The  number  of 
families  belonging  to  the  three  Churches  is  about  200.  Com- 
municants one  hundred  and  fifty,  (only  one  of  color).  All 
those  of  proper  age  have  been  confirmed.  There  has  been 
baptized  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Shelton  since  August,  1785,  until 
February,  1799,  eight  hundred  souls,  twenty-five  of  which 
were  adults. 

The  Borough  of  Stratfield  populating  much  faster  than  the 
other  parts  of  the  parish,  the  greatest  number  of  Episcopalians 
living  in  that  part  of  the  Society,  it  was  thought  best  by  many  that 
the  Church  should  be  placed  there.  A  meeting  was  called  to 
take  the  minds  of  the  members,  and  it  was  thought  advisable 
to  pull  the  old  Church  down  and  build  a  new  one  out  of  the 
materials,  as  far  as  they  would  go.  The  vote  was  taken,  and 
almost  unanimously,  so  to  do,  and  in  March  1801,  the  Church 
was  razed  to  the  ground,  and  on  the  2nd  of  July  following, 
another  frame  erected  in  the  Borough  of  Bridgeport,  fifty- 
eight  feet  by  thirty-eight,  closed,  glazed,  and  floored,  so  as  to 


182  APPENDIX    H. 

meet  in  it  on  the  29tb  of  November  following.  While  the 
Church  was  in  building,  they  met  sometimes  in  the  school 
house,  and  sometimes  in  the  meeting-house,  where  they  were 
invited  by  the  Presbyterians. 

[  Here  the  Sketch  of  the  Church,  written  by  the  Rev.  Philo 
Shelton  comes  to  a  close.] 


APPENDIX    I.  183 

APPENDIX  I. 


Parochiales    Notitiae,  Being   a    Private    Register   Kept  by 
THE  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  of  Those  Christians,  Bap- 
tized, Confirmed,  Admitted  to  the  Commu- 
nion, Married,  and  Buried  by  Him 
While  Rector  of  Trinity 
Church,  Fairfield, 
1785-1825. 

(The  original  is  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Hamilton  Shelton, 
of  Bridgeport.  It  contains  the  record  of  1,978  Baptisms  ; 
•ISl  Confirmations ;  268  Marriages  ;  588  Communicants  ;  838 
Burials,  a  total  of  4,126.) 

BAPTIZED. 

1785. 

August  11th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Dr.  Thos.  Quinlan  ; 
Elijah,  son  to  Isaac  Edwards ;  Clarissa,  daughter  to  Ruel 
Gray. 

August  21st,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Ebenezer  Mills  ;  Lewis,  son 
to  David  Nichols. 

September  2nd,  Peter,  son  to  Benjamin  Sherwood. 

September  4th,  Wakeman,  son  to  John  Burr ;  John,  son  to 
Jesse  Dickerson  ;  Daniel,  son  to  Seth  Bulkley. 

September  11th,  Anna,  daughter  to  Calvin  Whelar  ;  Hannah, 
daughter  to  Joseph  Treadwell ;  Jonathan,  son  to  Seth 
Gilbert ;  Pallinah,  daughter  to  Thadeus  Gilbert ;  Charles,  son 
to  Thomas  Green ;  Nathan  Piatt,  son  to  Nathan  Bennet ; 
Sarah,  daughter  to  Thomas  Squire ;  Joseph,  son  to  John 
Glover. 

September  22nd,  Timothy,  son  to  Timothy  Shaler  ;  Susan- 
nah, daughter  to  James  Allin. 


184  APPENDIX    I. 

October  2nd,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Mary  Morehouse;  Dru- 
siltah,  daughter  to  John  Nichols;  Jesse  Morehouse,  son  to 
Peter  Stocker;  Squh'e,  son  to  Ezekiel  Oysterbauks ;  Nabby, 
daughter  to  Ezekiel  Bennet. 

October  23rd,  John,  son  to  Ruben  Gilbert. 

November  6th,  Ichabod  Woolcott,  son  to  Woolcott  Chancy ; 
John  Whitier,  son  to  Ezra  Whelar. 

November  13th,  Charlotte,  Daughter  to  Jarvis  Piatt :  Phineas, 
son  to  John  Squire. 

November  18th,  Esther,  daughter  to  David  Sherwood. 

November  20th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Thomas  Elwood ; 
Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Mr.  Bulkley  ;  Rebeckah,  daughter  to 
Benjamin  Sturges;  Lucretia,  daughter  to  John  Redfield ; 
Darias,  an  adult  servant  to  Hezekiah  Sturges ;  Jube,  son  to 
Darias. 

December  4th,  Joseph,  son  to  William  Prince ;  Sarah, 
daughter  to  Nathaniel  Hubble. 

December  21st,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Samuel  Edwards  ; 
Lucy,  daughter  to  Isaac  Hinman  ;  Josiah,  son  to  Seth  Bulkley. 

178G. 

January  1st,  Prince,  servant  to  Jonathan  Bulkley,  adult ; 
Charles,  servant  to  Capt  Wakeman,  adult. 

January  15th,  John,  son  to  Elijah  Williams. 

January  29th,  Mary,  daughter  to  Michael  Sealy  ;  Huldah, 
daughter  to  James  Dascomb. 

February  15th,  Abby,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Cole ;  John, 
son  to  Horlbert  Lockwood  ;  Lewis  Wakeman,  son    Dyekman. 

April  5th,  Charles,  son  to  Gershom  Bulkley  ;  Francis,  son 
to  Abraham  Bulkley ;  Sarah,  daughter  to  Ebenezer  Osbourn  ; 
John  Burr,  son  to  David  Jennings ;  Talcott,  son  to  David 
Jennings  ;  Denna,  son  to  Denna  Chapman  ;  Tammy,  daughter 
to  Joseph  Rockwell. 

April  13th,  Levi,  son  to  Daniel  Evis. 

April  30th,  Philo,  son  to  Jonathan  Kinner. 

May  2nd,  Richard  Walker,  son  to  Samuel  Booth. 


APPENDIX    I.  185 

June  4tli,  Charity,  daughter  to  Elijah  Burr;  Hannah 
daughter  to  William  Nichols. 

June  11th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Isaac  Piatt ;  Abraham,  son 
to  Ruel  Thorp. 

June  14th,  Silas,  son  to  Thadeus  Guyer. 

June  15th,  John  Morris,  son  to  William  Heron. 

June  18th,  Polly,  daughter  to  Joshua  Oysterbank  ;  Samuel 
Taylor,  son  to  Aaron  Ginnings. 

June  30th,  Joseph  Brinsmade,  son  of  James  French. 

July  2nd,  Lucy,  daughter  to  John  Lockwood  ;  Peter,  son  to 
Robert  Sendder  ;  Able,  son  to  Increase  Burr  ;  Polly,  daughter 
to  Daniel  Thorp ;  Edward,  son  to  Elias  Sturges. 

July  10th,  William,  son  to  Jeremiah  Duncan  ;  Daniel,  son 
to  ditto,  twins. 

July  16th,  Elijah,  son  to  Zebulon  Kirtland  ;  Hezekiah,  son 
to  Wilson  Whelar ;  Sally,  daughter  to  John  Porter. 

July  23rd,  Isaac,  son  to  James  Sanford  :  Huldah,  daughter 
to  Elijah  Williams;  Sally,  daughter  to  Nathan  Bennett; 
William,  son  to  Ephriam  Nichols  ;  Isaac,  son  to  Nathaniel 
Whithead;  Anna,  daughter  to  Nathaniel  Nichols. 

July  24th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Josiah  Wakelee. 

August  13th,  Abraham  Lion,  an  adult  person  ;  Nathiel 
Jervis,  son  to  Thomas  Gilbert ;  Levi,  son  to  Abraham  Lyon  ; 
Polly,  daughter  to  Alexander  Smith  Piatt. 

August  23rd,  Elezar,  son  to  Silas  Beardsley ;  Philo,  son  to 
Silas  Beardsley. 

September  3rd,  Gilbert,  son  to  Jonathan  Coley,  Jr. 

September  6th,  Joseph,  David,  Mabel,  William,  Siblle,  Seth, 
and  Esther,  children  of  Daniel  Whelar. 

September  10th,  Polly,  daughter  to  George  Batterson. 

September  24th,  EUeanor,  daughter  to  Peter  Bulkley. 

October  1st,  Lydea,  daughter  to  Isaac  Jarvis. 

October  8th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Josiah  Smith. 


186  APPENDIX    I. 

October  22nd,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Thadeus  Perry,  of  North- 
field  ;  James,  son  to  John  Robertson ;  James  Edward,  son  to 
Nathaniel  Ginnings,  Mill  River. 

November  4th,  Charity,  daughter  to  Benajah  Ross. 

November  12th,  Jerusha,  daughter  to  Benjamin  Sherwood. 

November  14th,  Ruth,  daughter  to  Denton  Seal3^ 

December  3rd,  Tamar,  servant  to  Sarah  Forgue,  adult. 

December  31st,  Pierce,  son  to  Edmund  Darrow  ;  Edmund,, 
son  to  ditto  ;  Caty,  daughter  to  William  Peet. 

1787. 

February  13th,  Elijah  Nichols,  AUelia,  Silena,  children  of 
Jonathan  Edwards ;  PauUina,  daughter  to  Michael  Beardsley  ; 
Sarah,  daughter  to  Zalmon  Lyon  ;  two  children  for  Perry,  the 
shoemaker. 

February  20th,  Anna,  daughter  to  James  Redfield,  Jr. ; 
John,  son  to Dudley. 

March  4th,  Charles  Pulford,  son  to  Deborah  Lorin. 

March  5th,  Augur,  son  to  Elijah  Hubbill ;  Anna,  daughter 
to  ditto  ;  Rossel,  son  to  Gideon  Hubbell ;  Hesper,  daughter 
to  Dimothy  Chapman ;  Dennis,  son  to  Andrew  Burns. 

March  11th,  three  children  at  Redding,  Joseph,  Andra, 
John  Darling. 

March  13th,  Deborah  Burns,  an  adult ;  Abijah,  son  to  John 
Hubbill. 

April  1st,  Piatt,  son  to  Calvin  Whelar,  Jr.;  Naomi,  daughter 
to  Baruck  Taylor. 

April  4th,  Duthen,  son  to  Elnathan  Benjamin ;  Betty, 
daughter  to  Agur  Wells. 

April  15th,  Maria,  daughter  to  Philo  and  Lucy  Shelton ; 
Lucy,  daughter  to  John  and  Huldah  Burr ;  Anna,  daughter 
to  Thomas  Quinlan. 

May  15th,  Lucy,  daughter  to  Joseph  French. 

May  20th,  Abigail,  daughter  to  Josiah  Bulkley ;  Sally, 
daughter  to  John  Redfield;  Huldah,  daughter  to  Hannah 
Persons.        » 


APPENDIX    I.  187 

May  27th,  Murry,  son  to  Patny  Blackleach ;  Rebeckah, 
daughter  to  Hezekiah  Beach ;  Lydea,  daughter  to  Eli  Beardsley . 

August  19th,  Munson,  son  to  Isaac  Hinman  ;  Thomas,  son 
to  Isaac  Edwards. 

September  16th,  John  Sprague,  an  adult. 

October  14:th,  William,  son  to  Angel  Trub'ee ;  Samuel 
Comfort,  son  to  Gershom  Bulkley. 

1788. 

March  16th,  Nathaniel,  son  to  Leamon  Sherwood  ;  Irena, 
daughter  to  Ruel  Grey. 

May  12th,  Hezekiah  Meeker,  an  adult;  Whelar,  a  son  to 
Hezekiah  Meeker  ;  Alfred,  son  to  Ezra  Winton ;  John,  son  to 
James  Vaughn. 

June  7th,  David,  son  to  David  Lacey;  Ruth,  daughter  to 
D.  Lacey. 

June  10th,  Theophiplas,  son  to  Eli  Nichols  ;  Charles,  son  to 
Walter  Whitney. 

June  26  Zebulon  Waklee;  son  to  Zebulon  Kirtland. 

July  3rd,  Hull,  son  to  James  Redfield,  Jr. ;  James,  son  to 
Jesse  Lyon. 

July  27th,  Rachel,  daughter  of  Elijah  Raymond. 

August  24,  Lydea,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Baker. 

September  7th,  Sally,  daughter  of  Seth  Bulkley. 

October  12th,  Munson,  son  to  Elijah  Burr  ;  Anna,  daughter 
to  William  Nichols;  James,  son  to  James  Allen;  Pheby, 
daughter  to  Charles  Wing. 

October  14tb,  Mary,  daughter  to  Eben  Thorp  ;  Isaac,  son 
to  Nathaniel  Fairchild. 

November  7th,  Mary,  daughter  to  John  Perry. 

1789. 

January  8th,  Maria,  daughter  to  William  Peet. 

February  3rd,  Anna,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Bradley. 

February  15th,  Perseverance,  a  child  of  Aaron  Gennings. 

Api-il  29th,  Olive,  daughter  to  Zebulon  Kirtland. 


188  APPENDIX    I. 

May  3rd,  Nancy,  daughter  to  Joseph  Bulkley ;  Sarah, 
daughter  to  Jesse  Lyon. 

May  10th,  Anson,  son  to  John  Burr. 

May  31st,  Thomas,  son  to  Dr.  Thomas  Quinland  ;  Cloe, 
daughter  to  Lyman  Meeker ;  John  Odel,  son  to  Hezekiah 
Meeker ;  Samuel  Lynson,  son  to  Samuel  Edwards. 

August  4th,  Jol^,  son  to  Joseph  French. 

October  18th,  Ann,  daughter  to  Denton  Sealy. 

October  25th,  Abel,  son  of  Josiah  Bulkley ;  Esther,  daughter 
to  Abraham  Bulkley. 

November  7th,  John  Porter,  an  adult  person;  James,  son 
to  John  Porter  ;  Nathaniel,  son  to  ditto. 

1790. 

February  3rd,  Molly  Baker,  Oliver  Roe,  adult  persons ; 
Mary,  daughter  to  Ezra  Whelar  ;  Phillip,  son  to  David  Nichols, 
and  two  other  children  for  the  same,  whose  names  I  forgot; 
two  sons  for  John  Nichols,  John  and  Eliphalet ;  two  children 
for  Ephriam  Nichols ;  two  for  Master  Riley ;  one  for  David 
Baker. 

February  3rd,  three  for  Levi  Foot ;  two  for Robertson ; 

three  for  Epharas  Wakeman  ;  one  for  Ezekiel  Bennitt. 

March  7th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Benjamin  Sturges. 

April  11th,  Ann,  daughter  to  Philemon  Sherwood;  Alden, 
son  to  Ezra  Win  ton. 

April  30th,  Antony,  son  to  Jonathan  Baker. 

May  9fch,  Philo  Nichols,  son  to  Philo  and  Lucy  Shelton. 

May  12th,  Abigail  Burr,  daughter  to  Daniel  Meeker ; 
Gershom,  son  to  Gershom  Bulkley  ;  William,  son  to  AVilliam 
Bulkley ;  Nathaniel  Knap,  son  to  Nathaniel  Jinnings  ;  Alpha 
Jackson,  son  to  Nathaniel  Jinnings. 

June  6th,  Esther,  son  to  Elias  Sturges. 

June  9th,  Francis  Maria,  daughter  to  Ransom  Clark. 

20th,  Herman,  son  to  Limuel  Bangs. 

27th,  Amelia,  daughter  to  Gould  Nichols  ;  Samuel,  son  to 
Nathan  Treadwell ;  Abraham,  son  to  Jonathan  Skinner. 


APPENDIX    I.  189 

July  1st,  Richard,  son  to  Joseph  Blackleach. 

July  7th,  Peter,  John,  Chapman,  and  Sarah,  children  of  Peter 
Smith ;  Mabel  and  Daniel,  children  of  Ebenezer  Smith ; 
Benjamin,  son  to  Meeker  Murwin. 

July  22ud,  Alfred,  son  to  Increase  Burr ;  Charity,  daughter 
to  William  Hurd,  Southbury. 

August  8th,  Eunice,  wife  to  Banks  Morehouse,  adult ; 
Moses,  son  to  Captain  John  Burr ;  Betsey,  daughter  to  ditto. 

August  22nd,  Wilsana,  daughter  to  Wilson  Whelar  ;  Harriot, 
daughter  to  Isaac  Hiuman ;  Cyrena,  daughter  to  William 
Nichols. 

August  29th,  Stephen  Bi-adley,  son  to  Elijah  Williams; 
Esther,  daughter  to  Lyman  Wakeman. 

September  5th,  Joseph,  son  to  Joseph  Bears. 

September  12tb,  Anna  Bulkely,  daughter  to  Jabez  Man, 
New  Fairfield  ;  Timothy  Whelar,  son  to  Ruel  Grey. 

September  19th,  Mary,  daughter  to  Thadeus  Bradley  ; 
Elijah,  son  to  Jesse  Nichols  ;  Nathan,  son  to  Daniel  Nichols ; 
Medad,  son  to  Eli  Wakeman ;  Sarah,  daughter  to  David 
Baker. 

October  29th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Peter  Whitney. 

October  31st,  Samuel  Whitney,  son  to  Elmor  Gilbert ; 
Abigail,  daughter  to  Eliphilet  Whelar ;  Anson,  son  to 
Ebenezer  Mills,  Jr. 

November    11th,    ,    wife  to  Seth  Gilbert,  Norfield  ; 

Hannah,  daughter  to  Daniel  Duncan  ;  Mai'y,  Othniel,  children 
of  David  Morehouse. 

November  12th,  Lewis,  son  to  Seth  Gilbert. 

November  ll:tb,  David  Craft,  an  adult. 

November  21st,  Persilla,  daughter  to  Ezekiel  Oysterbanks. 

December  5th,  George,  son  to  W^illiam  Peet ;  Lucia,  daughter 
to  David  Barlow. 

1791. 

January  30th,  Sarah  Sprague,  an  adult ;  Peter,  son  to 
Hanuah    Patching;    Eunice,    daughter    to    David    Barlow; 


190  APPENDIX    i. 

Betsey,  daughter  to  the  same ;  Hezekiah  Sturges,  son  to 
Allen  Nichols. 

February  13th,  Weston,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Nathaniel  Davis. 

February  27th,  George,  son  to  Josiah  Smith ;  Phebe, 
daughter  to  John  Burr. 

April  7th,  Adams  Wakeman,  son  to  Smith  Piatt ;  Sally 
Dimon,  daughter  to  Moses  Hull ;  Elizabeth,  daughter  to 
Fanten  Sherwood. 

January  30th,  Peter,  son  to  Captain  Peter  and  Grace 
Whitney. 

April  24th,  Khenama,  daughter  to  John  Robertson  ;  Nabby, 
wife  to  AVilliam  Robertson ;  Nabby,  daughter  to  William 
Robertson  ;  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  the  same. 

May  8th,  Daniel,  son  to  Daniel  Cable. 

May  15th,  Esther  Burr,  daughter  to  Aaron  Jinnings. 

May  22nd,  Anna,  daughter  to  Charles  Wing. 

May  28th,  Charles,  son  to  Albert  Lockwood ;  Charity, 
■daughter  to  Albert  Lockwood ;  Tabby,  daughter  to  Seth 
Squire. 

May  29th,  Charlotte,  granddaughter  to  Abel  Seeley. 

June  29th,  Esther,  daughter  to  Stephen  Stephens ;  Ransoler, 
son  to  Noah,  a  Negro. 

July  3rd,  Wilson,  son  to  John  Porter. 

July  10th,  Isaac  Morehouse,  son  to  Ezekiel  Sturges ;  Jane, 
daughter  to  Banks  Morehouse  ;  Elehu,  son  to  Baruk  Taylor  ; 
Lettice  Lewis,  daughter  to  Samuel  Goodsel. 

August  21st,  Timothy  Hubbel,  son  to  John  Cardwell  ; 
Ebenezer,  son  to  John  Lord. 

August  25th,  Samuel,  John,  sons  to  Thomas  L.  Colyer ; 
Hannah,  Lydea,  children  of  Ruben  Gilbert ;  Abigail,  daughter 
to  Ebenezer  Davis  ;  Johathan,  sou  to  Robert  Mills  ;  daughter 
to  Jonathan  Robertson. 

August  28th,  Nathaniel  Burr,  son  to  John  Perry  ;  David 
Bears,  Joseph,  sons  to  Joseph  Perry,  twins. 

September  18th,  Lucretia,  daughter  to  Josiah  Bulkley. 


APPENDIX    I.  191 

October  2nd,  William,  son  to  Calvin  Whelar;  Robert  Corn- 
wall, son  of  John  Jackson,  Jr. 

October  9tli,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Joseph  Beers. 

October  22nd,  James  Grey,  an  adult;  Hannah  daughter  to 
James  Grey ;  Nathaniel,  son  to  Thadeus  Perry ;  Mary, 
daughter  to  Jared  Duncan  ;  Hannah,  daughter  to  Joseph 
Morgan. 

October  30th,  Jesse  and  Jonathan,  sons  to  Edmund  Barlow. 

November  1st,  Sarah  and  Elizabeth,  daughters  to  David 
Morehouse,  twins. 

November  6th,  Charles,  son  to  Philemon  and  Hepya  Sher- 
wood. 

November  13th,  Henry,  son  to  Abraham  Lyon ;  Jesse, 
son  to Bennett. 

November  20th,  Joseph  Hill,  an  adult ;  Rachel,  Hulda, 
Polly  and  Nathan,  children  of  Joseph  Hill. 

November  27th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Zebulon  Kirtland ; 
Polly,  daughter  to  Patrick  Keelar. 

1792. 

January  6th,  Charit}'  and  Rhodah,  daughters  of  Peter 
Nichols ;  Nathan  Gilbert,  son  to  Levi  Foot ;  Hellenah,  daughter 
to  Joseph  Burr  ; 

February  12th,  Jerusha,  daughter  to  Elnathan  Smith. 

March  17th,  Sarah,  wife  to  Ebenezer  Munroe,  adult; 
Benjamin,  son  to  ditto ;  Silas,  son  to  Benira  Munroe ; 
Thomas  and  Sarah,  children  to  Joseph  Tredwell ;  Lois, 
daughter  to  Jonathan  Cole  ;  Hanford,  sou  to  Moses  Wakeman. 

March  17th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Gob  Nichols ;  Silas,  son  to 
Ebenezer  Davis  ;  Elen  Bixby,  son  to  Jonathan  Morehouse. 

March  18th,  Peleg  and  Dennis,  children  to  John  Lockwood  : 
Jesse,  son  to  Increase  Burr  ;  Burritt,  son  to  Alben  Bradley. 

March  25th,  Cherlottee,  daughter  to  Abraham  Bulkley. 

March  30th,  Charity,  daughter  of  Widow  Taylor  ;  Ruth 
-ditto    of   John   Dimon  ;    Aarou,    son    to   Hezekiah   Meeker ; 


192  APPENDIX    I. 

Andrew  Taylor,  son  to  Lyman  Meeker  ;  Polly,  daughter  to 
John  Dimon. 

April  1st,  Betsey,  daughter  to  William  Nichols;  Levi,  son 
to  Silas  Beardsley. 

April  6th,  Lois,  John  and  Mary,  children  of  Samuel  Darling  ; 
Ebenezer  Lyon,  son  to  William  Piatt  ;  Zalmon,  son  to  Isaac 
Edwards  ;  Polly,  Hannah  aud  Philo,  children  of  Daniel  Lyon  : 
Hellenah,  daughter  to  Aaron  Bulkley  ;  Anna,  daughter  to 
Ezra  Lyon  ;  Asa  and  Sally,  children  of  Isaac  Lyon. 

April  7th,  Sarah,  Ebenezer,  Rachel,  and  Rena,  children  of 
John  Murwin  ;  John,  son  to  Ezekiel  Lyon  ;  Sarah  Lyon,  an 
adult. 

April  8th,  Sally  Bates,  adult ;  Clary,  daughter  to  Moses 
Wakeman  ;  Ruth  Youngs,  daughter  to  Ezra  Whelar  ;  Stephen, 
son  to  Daniel  Whelar,  Jr. 

April  15th,  Grummond  Morehouse,  son  to  Joshua  Jennings, 
Jr. 

May  20th,  Charity,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Bradley. 

June  17th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  George  Hayt ;  Elizabeth, 
daughter  to  Samuel  Penfield ;  Dinah,  servant  to  Hannah 
Bulkley. 

July  1st,  James,  son  to  Elisha  Brown. 

July  15th,  Heni'ietta,  daughter  to  Philo  and  Lucy  Shelton. 

July  16th,  Polly,  daughter  to  William  Bulkley ;  Abigail, 
daughter  to  Joseph  Hanford  ;  Clarissa,  daughter  to  ditto ; 
William,  son  to  John  Hanford ;  Rebecka,  daughter  to  ditto  ; 
Lewis,  son  to  ditto. 

July  27th,  Samuel,  son  to  David  Craft. 

August  26th,  William,  son  to  Stiles  Peet ;  Ransom,  son  to 
Nathaniel  Jiunings ;  Stephen,  son  to  John  Robertson,  Jr. 

September  lOtb,  EUjah,  son  to  John  Whitehead. 

September  22nd,  Anna,  daughter  to  George  Batterson ; 
Nathan  son  to  ditto. 

September  23rd,  Sally,  daughter  to  David  Thorp. 

October  7th,  Lucretia,  daughter  to  John  Burr. 


APPENDIX   I.  193 

October  21st,  William,  sou  to  William  Robertson. 

October  28th,  Mai-y,  daughter  to  Stephen  Burroughs. 

November  4th,  David,  son  to  John  Burr  ;  Morris,  son  to 
Ebenezer  Burr ;  Bradley  Hull,  son  to  Ephriam  Nichols,  born 
September  7th,  1792. 

November  11th,  Eben,  son  to  Joseph  Bulkley ;  Hellen, 
daughter  to  Seth  Sturges,  Jr. ;  Lucy  and  Annice,  servants  of 
Jonathan  Sturges,  Esq. 

November  13th,  Stephen,  son  to  Levi  Foot ;  Walter,  son  to 
Master  Ryley. 

November  18th,  Ransom  Bennett,  son  to  Michael  Seely ; 
Nancy,  daughter  to  Eunice  Dascomb. 

December  16th,  Easter,  daughter  to  Ezra  Winton  ;  Sarah, 
Charity,  Charles,  Bradford  and  Joseph,  children  of  Joseph 
Winton. 

1793. 

January  27th,  Elyia,  daughter  to  Piatt  Bennett ;  Charlotte, 
daughter  to  Ebenezer  Bulkley. 

January  30th,  William  and  John,  sons  of  Patrick  Keeler, 
twins. 

February  10th,  Lewis,  son  to  Elijah  Burr. 

February  16th^  Clarry,  daughter  to  Peter  Bulkley ;  Nehemiah 
Curtiss,  son  to  Stephen  Sanford. 

February  17th,  Alfred,  son  to  Amelia  Wakeman. 

March  2nd,  Rossel,  son  to  Gideon  Wells ;  LeGx'and  Cannon, 
son  to  L.  Burr  Sturges. 

March  10th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Timothy  Hubbel,  Jr. 

March  29th,  Vina,  daughter  to  Samuel  Whelar. 

April  11,  Robert,  son  to  William  Pike. 

April  15th,  Anna,  daughter  to  Robert  Lynus. 

April  29th,  Robert  and  William  Whitney,  children  of  Elijah 
Sealy. 

May  1st,  David,  son  to  David  Morehouse  ;  Anna,  daughter 
to  Thomas  Squire. 

May  5th,  Eleazer,  son  to  William  Peet. 


194  APPENDIX    I. 

May  12th,  Ward,  son  to  Jessey  Nichols,  Jr. ;  Rheuamih, 
daughter  to  John  Nichols. 

May  27th,  George  Finch,  son  to  Zechariah  Sherwood. 

June  16th,  Lydea,  daughter  to  John  Porter. 

June  23rd,  Baley  Stilson,  son  to  Jonathan  Coley,  Jr. ; 
Catherine,  daughter  to  John  Jackson,  Jr.  ;  Nabby  Wakeman, 
daughter  to  Nathan  Tredwell;  Eben  Thorp,  son  to  Nathan 
Tredwell ;  Eli,  son  to  John  Whelar  ;  Ebenezer,  son  to  Ebe- 
nezer  Mills,  Jr.  :  Anna,  daughter  to  Daniel  Whelar,  Jr.  ; 
Jonathan  Bradley,  son  to  Jonathan  Robertson ;  Daniel,  son 
to  David  Nichols. 

June  26th,  Jessey  Young,  an  adult ;  John  W^ilson,  son  to 
Daniel  Young,  Jr. 

July  2nd,  Ezra,  sou  of  Annis,  servant  of  S.  Cannon. 

July  7th,  Sally,  daughter  to  Isaac  Hinman. 

July  14th,  Andrew  Winton,  son  to  Elmer  Gilbert. 

August  4th,  Munson,  son  to  Banks  Morehouse  ;  Laurinda, 
daughter  to  Ezekiel  Sturges. 

September  1st,  Pamelia  B.,  daughter  to  Ephriam  Robins  ; 
Samuel,  sou  to  Elnathan  Smith. 

September  15th,  Abby  Burr,  daughter  to  Eben  Gould ; 
Permelia  Burr,  daughter  to  Eli  Wakeman. 

October  6th,  Ezra,  son  to  Ezra  Lyon. 

October  13th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  David  Barlow,  Fairfield. 

October  20th,  William  Edwards,  son  to  William  Nichols ; 
Abijah,  son  to  Robert  Dascomb,  Jr. 

October  24th,  Albert,  son  to  Nathaniel  Nichols ;  Catherine, 
daughter  to  Augur  Wells  ;  Maria,  daughter  to  Isaac  Nichols  ; 
Frederick,  son  to  Isaac  Bateman. 

October  27th,  Maretta,  daughter  to  Alben  Bradley  ;  Presilla, 
daughter  to  Joseph  Burr  ;  David  Lyon,  son  to  Robert  Mills. 

November  10th,  Lewis,  son  to  Elnathan  Hoyt. 

November  24th,  Esther  Mary,  daughter  to  Samuel  Cannon. 

December  8th,  Benjamin,  son  to  James  Wakeman. 

December  17th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Sarah  Clarke. 


I 


APPENDIX    I.  195 

1794. 

January  31st,  Hall,  son  to  Agur  Sealey  ;  Catherine,  daughter 
to  ^ Taylor. 

February  9  th,  Andrew  Win  ton,  son  to  Jacob  Grey. 

February  26th,  Stephen,  son  to  Stephen  Burrough,  Jr.  ; 
Esther  Meeker,  an  adult. 

March  23rd,  Lydea,  daughter  to  Increase  Burr  ;  Abigail, 
daughter  to  Alex  Smith  Piatt. 

April  2nd,  Hezekiah,  son  to  John  Hubble  ;  Gideon,  son  to 
Elisha  Hubble  ;  Lucy,  daughter  to  Lewis  Nichols;  Charlotte, 
daughter  to  Antony  Labory,  and  one  more  which  name  I 
have  forgotten. 

April  9th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Selah  Shelton  ;  Lucius,  son 
William  Bray  ;  Prosper,  son  to  Ephriam  Lewis ;  Nehemiah 
Lorin,  son  to Perry  ;  Benjamin,  son  to  ditto. 

April  15th,  David,  son  to  David  Jinnings  ;  Henry,  son  to 
Samuel  Nash  ;  Morehouse,  son  to  Joshua  Jinnings ;  Sally, 
daughter,  and  Simeon,  son  to  James  Redfield. 

May  4th,  Huldah,  daughter  to  Ezra  Whelar  ;  Jervis,  son  to 
Ezra  Winton ;  Lewis  Benedict,  son  to  James  Gray  ;  Jessey, 
son  to  David  Burr. 

June  2nd,  Anna,  daughter  to  David  Morehouse. 

June  15th,  Presilla,  daughter  to  Gould  Nichols  :  Ebenezer 
Nichols,  son  to  Joseph  Tredwell ;  Betsey,  daughter  to  Eben 
Davis  ;  Hannah,  daughter  to  Robert  Downs ;  Anna,  daughter 
to  David  Thorp. 

July  6th,  Esther  daughter  to  John  Lord  ;  Mable,  daughter 
to  Thomas  Squire  ;  Polly,  ditto  to  Job  Lockwood. 

July  13th,  Polly,  daughter  to  Jonah  Bulkley. 

July  27th,  Sally  Jackson,  an  adult. 

August  17th,  Sarah  Wakeman,  Adult :  Jabez  Jinnings,  son 
to  Stephen  Wakeman. 

September  14th,  David,  son  to  Thaddeus  Perry :  Maria, 
daughter  to  Benjamin  Sturges;  David,  son  to  William 
Robertson;  John  Gould,  son  to  Seth  Sturges. 


196  APPENDIX    I. 

September  28th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Thaddeus  Gilbert ; 
Judson,  son  to  Joseph  Winton. 

October  15th,  Mathea,  daughter  to  William  Bulkley. 

October  18th,  Ehoda  Gilbert,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Robert- 
son. 

October  19th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Samuel  Gilbert ;  Alma, 
daughter  to  Thomas  Lyon. 

October  29th,  Silas,  son  to  Peter  Morehouse  ;  Amos,  son  to 
Silas  Beardsley. 

November  16th,  Bradford,  sou  to  David  Craft. 

November  20th,  Abigail  and  Sarah,  daughters  to  Jer. 
Lobden. 

November  21st,  William  Burr,  Lewise  Nichols,  and  Harriot, 
children  of  Capt.  Thomas  Nash  ;  Burr,  Mary  Burr,  George, 
children  to  Thomas  Nash,  Jr. 

November  22nd,  Philip  Andrew,  son  to  Jonathan  Samuel 
Cannon. 

November  30th,  Tildah,  daughter  to  Ezra  Oysterbanks. 

December  30th,  Abigail  Hetta,  daughter  to  Dr.  John 
Lester. 

1795. 

January  4th,  George,  son  to  Zebulon  Kertland. 

February  8th,  Aunice,  daughter  to  Prince  Bulkly. 

March  1st,  Harriot,  daughter  to  Moses  Beers ;  Jonathan 
White,  son  to  Gertham  Beers. 

March  21st,  Anne,  daughter  to  Joseph  Booth. 

March  29th,  David,  son  to  Denton  Sealey. 

March  30th,  LeGrand  Cannon,  son  to  Lewis  B.  Sturges. 

April  4th,  Zalmon,  son  to  Gould  Lord  ;  Hannah,  daughter 
to  the  same  ;  Mable  Lockwood,  daughter  to  Seth  Squire. 

April  12th,  Mary,  daughter  to  Selah  Shelton  ;  Anna, 
daughter  to  Enoch  Coger. 

April  14th,  Rebecca,  daughter  to  John  Burr. 

April  19th,  Henry,  son  to  Rev.  Philo  and  Lucy  Shelton  ; 
Naoma,  daughter  to  John  Hall. 


APPENDIX    I.  197 

April  21st,  Roxah,  daughter  to  Agur  Sealey ;  Andrew 
Lyusen,  son  to  Robert  Nichols. 

April  23rd,  William  Henry,  son  to  Daniel  Youngs. 

April  26th,  Eleanor,  daughter  to  Eben  Beers ;  Sarah, 
daughter  to  Ezekiel  Bennett ;  Philo,  son  to  Joseph  Bradley. 

April  29th,  Christopher  Newton,  son  to  Agur  Shelton. 

May  10th,  Anne  Maria,  daughter  to  James  Allen. 

May  17th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Isaac  Lyon;  Lucinda, 
daughter  to  Piatt  Bennett. 

June  7th,  Cherlotte,  daughter  to  John  Nichols ;  Charity, 
ditto  to  Justise  Eaimond. 

June  21st,  Clarissa  Allen,  daughter  to  Lyman  Meeker. 

June  28th,  Bradley,  son  to  John  Burr ;  Lyman  Banks, 
sou  to  Lyman  Whitney. 

July  5th,  Hellen  Thorp,  daughter  to  John  Robertson. 

July  19th,  Jonathan  Kenor,  an  adult ;  Susannah,  daughter 
to  Daniel  Cole. 

August  9th,  Hannah,  wife  to  Eben  Lockwood,  adult ;  Ann, 
daughter  to  the  above ;  Hanford,  son  to  Jonathan  Kenor  ; 
Anne,  daughter  to  Levi  Foot. 

August  16th,  Judson,  son  to  Allen  Nichols. 

August  23rd,  Joseph,  son  to  Eben  Allen. 

August  30th,  John  Banks,  son  to  Banks  Morehouse  :  Daniel, 
son   to   Elisha  Brown  ;  Clarissa,  daughter   to  James  Grey  ; 

Jabez  Grey,  son  to   Hubble;  Stephen,  son  to  John 

Porter. 

September  20th,  Eli,  son  to  Daniel  Whelar ;  Hellen,  daughter 
to  Stephen  Whelar  ;  Daniel,  son  to  John  Jackson. 

September  25th,  Lucy,  daughter  to  Philemon  Sherwood. 

October  18th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  David  Barlow  ;  Huldah, 

daughter  to  Godfrey ;  Betsey,  daughter  to  Elnathan 

Smith. 

November  1st,  Martin,  son  to  Stephen  Lyon  ;  Abby, 
daughter  to  Solomon  Oysterbanks ;  Edward  Jack,  son  to 
Simon,  Nee:ro. 


198  APPENDIX    I. 

December  6th,  Minerva,  daughter  to  William  Peet. 

December  12th,  Morehouse,  son  to  Jonathan  Cole  ;  Hellen, 
daughter  to  John  Lockwood  ;  John,  son  to  Eliphalet  Dike- 
man  ;  Daniel,  son  to  Hezekiah  Dikeman  ;  Isaac,  son  to  Job 
Lockwood ;  Sally,  daughter  to  Kobert  Downs. 

December  13th,  Minoi',  son  to  Kobert  Mills. 

December  16th,  Presilla  Burr,  daughter  to  Elpn.  Bob- 
bins :  Jabez  Hubbel,  son  to  Nathaniel  Jinnings ;  Frederic, 
son  to  Paul  Sheffield  ;  Rowland,  son  to  William  Robertson. 

1796. 

Januai-y  23rd,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Lazarus  Beach. 

Chai-les  Grandersou,  son  to  Charles  W^ing. 

March  6th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Stephen  Sturges  ;  Bradley, 
son  to  Jonathan  Goodsel. 

March  29th,  David,  son  to  Joseph  N.  French. 

April  16th,  Laura,  daughter  to  William  Piatt ;  Walter,  son 
to  Jabez  Bennett ;  Jarvis  and  Polly  Elmira,  Sam  Darling 
children ;  Burr,  son  to  Eliphalet  Bradley  ;  David  and  Sally 
Ann,  John  Underbill ;  Woolsey,  son  to  Jesse  Nichols,  Jr.  ; 
Fanna,  daughter  to  Andrew  Hill,  Esq. 

May  15th,  David  Hull,  son  to  David  Belden ;  Orelia,  daughter 
to  Eli  Mitchel;  Marietta,  daughter  to  Elijah  Burr. 

June  18th,  Catherine,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Cole. 

June  19th  Fauna,  daughter  to  David  Burr;  Amelia, 
daughter  to  Samuel  Sanford  ;  Obediah,  son  to  Ezra  Wheeler  ; 
Daniel  Hill,  son  to  Jesse  Nichols :  David,  son  to  Robert 
Keener. 

June  26th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Aaron  Jinnings. 

July  10th,  Eunice  Banks,  daughter  to  Isaac  Gilbert. 

July  14th,  Bears,  son  to  John  B.  Hall. 

July  15th,  Polly  Sherman,  daughter  to  Sherman  Barritt. 

17th,  Sally,  daughter  to  Gersham  Beers ;  Wakeman,  son  to 
Moses  Beers ;  Judson,  son  to  Seth  Sturges,  Jr.  ;  Henry,  son 
to  William  Pike. 

July  31st,  Malinda  Murrin,  daughter  to  Hannah  Mills. 


APPENDIX    I.  199 

August  12tb,  Eunice  Wakeman,  daughter  to  Buit  Sturges ; 
Nichols,  son  to  Eleazer  Lacey. 

August  20th,  Levi,  son  to  Eliphalet  Beers. 

August  21st,  Anna  Wakeman,  daughter  to  Kobert  Mills  ; 
Thomas,  an  adult  Negro. 

September  5th,  Polly  Betty,  daughter  to  Joseph  Booth. 

September  25th,  Almira  daughter  to  Eben  Booth. 

October  2nd,  Maretta,  daughter  to  Nathan  Tredwell ; 
Amelia,  daughter  to  Winton  Thorp. 

October  24th,  Charles,  son  to  David  Thorp. 

October  30tb,  Ezra  Morehouse,  son  to  Ezra  Knap. 

November  13th,  Deborah,  daughter  to  Increase  Burr ; 
Marvin,  son  to  Joseph  Winton  ;  Matildah,  daughter  to  Jacob 
Grey,  Amelia,  daughter  to  Eben  Burr. 

December  9th,  Solmon,  son  to  Ephras  Goodsell ;  Esther 
Squire,  an  adult ;  William,  son  to  Isaac  Hinman. 

1797. 

January  7th,  Sophia  Shelton,  daughter  to  Samuel  Edwards. 

January  15th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Timothy  Hubble. 

January  22ud,  Ellihu,  Hellen  and  Dimon,  children  of  Eli 
Wakeman. 

January  27th,  Eliza,  daughter  to  Samuel  Wheeler. 

February  12th,  Alpheus  and  Ezra,  children  of  Lebbeus 
Brown. 

March  5th,  Ebenezer,  son  to  Peter  Jinnings  ;  Levi  Jinnings, 
son  to  Ephriam  Burroghs. 

March  10th,  Hersey,  son  to  Agur  Seeley ;  Philo,  son  to 
Philo  Lyon :  Isaac  Beach,  son  to  P.  Lyon. 

March  19tb,  Lydia  Murwiu,  daughter  to  David  Nichols. 

April  9th,  Mable,  daughter  to  Lyman  Whitney  ;  Hull,  son 
to  Adad  Bradley. 

April  13th,  Anna,  daughter  to  Patrick  Keeler. 

April  29th,   Able  Bradley  ;  four  chidren  of  David 

Whitehead. 

May  12th,  Lois  Jinnings,  daughter  to  Ozias  Burr. 


200 


APPENDIX    I. 


May  21st,  Hanford,  son  to  Gould  Nichols ;  Allen,  son  to 
Elisba  Brown. 

June  4tb,  Edwin,  son  to  David  Barlow. 

June  9tb,  Henry,  son  to  Stephen  Burroughs. 

June  10th,  Munson,  son  to  Silas  Beardslee. 

June  24th,  Anna  Maria,  daughter  to  E.  Wheeler  Sherman  ; 
John,  son  to  Comfort  Burritt. 

July  8th,  Lucretia,  daughter  to  Stephen  Burrough. 

July  30th,  Henry,  son  to  Isaac  Marquand. 

August  4th,  Lydea,  daughter  to  Daniel  Lord;  Susannah, 
daughter  to  Daniel  Young. 

August  15th,  Samuel  Daniel,  son  to  Samuel  F.  Shelton  ; 
Philo,  son  to  Joseph  N.  French. 

August  20th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  Thaddeus  Perry. 

August  21st,  David  Hall,  son  to  Lemuel  Bangs. 

August  27th,  William  Henry,  son  to  William  Peet. 

September  3rd,  Sarah,  daughter  to  John  Sanford. 

September  17th,  Edria,  daughter  to  Ebenezer  Allen ;  Maria, 
daughter  to  James  French. 

September  24tb,  Alfred,  son  to Raymond  ;  Jonathan, 

son  to  Jonathan  Coley. 

October  15th,  Alson,  son  to  John  Lord  ;  Arretta,  daughter 
to  Job  Lockwood;  Ephriam,  son  to  Eben  Lockwood;  Eliza- 
beth,   daughter   to   Thomas   Squire;    son  to  Daniel 

Wheeler. 

October  16th,  Alphonson,  son  to  Seth  Wakeman ;  Seth  Wake- 
man,  an  adult. 

December  3rd,  Henrietta,  daughter  to  William  Bulkley  ; 
George  Bulkley,  son  to  John  Albert. 

December  7th,  Charity,  daughter  to  William  Holbertson. 

December  IGth,  Anson,  son  to  Jabez  Bennett ;  Walker,  son 
to  Isaac  Lyon  ;  Eli,  son  to  Lemuel  Hawley  ;  William  Lock- 
wood,  son  to  Winton  Thorp. 

December  24th,  Benjamin,  son  to  Samuel  Osborn. 


APPENDIX    I.  201 

1798. 

January  7tb,  Daniel  Meeker,  son  to  Alexander  Russiea ; 
Susannah,  daughter  to  Nath  Gilbert. 

January  23rd,  Albert  Edwards,  son  to  Albert  Sherwood  ; 
Sarah  Curtiss,  daughter  to  Albert  Sherwood  ;  Polly,  daughter 
to  Isaac  Edwards. 

February  1st,  Marius,  son  to  Elnathan  H.  Bostwick. 

March  18th,  James,  son  to  John  Hopkins. 

April  1st,  Edwin,  son  to  Calvin  Wheeler,  Jr. ;  Philo,  son  to 
Samuel  Sanford ;  Abigail  Wakeman,  daughter  to  Lyman 
Bradley. 

April  6th,  Caroline,  daughter  to  Amos  Burr ;  Abby  Maria, 
daughter  to  John  Porter. 

April  20th,  George,  son  to  Eleazer  Lacey. 

April  29th,  Aurelia,  daughter  to  David  Wheeler ;  Stephen, 
son  to  Joseph  Shelton  ;  Beach,  son  to  Joseph  Downs  ;  Lucius, 
son  to  Isaac  Downs;  Russel,  son  to  Benedict  Labored: 
Louvissa,    daughter   to    Samuel   Beardslee. 

May  11th,  Pascal),  son  to  Paul  Sheffield ;  Julia,  daughter, 
and  Julius,  son  to  William  Pike,  twins. 

May  12th,  Molly,  daughter  to  James  Gray ;  Squire,  son  to 
Barney  Lockwood :  Eri,  son  to  Jabez  Grey;  Harmona, 
daughter  to  J.  Grey's  wife  ;  Sillyman  Adamas,  son  to  Mary 
Bulkley. 

May  20th,  Caroline,  daughter  to  Gersham  Bulkley  ;  David, 
son  to  William  Nichols. 

May  31st,  Polly,  wife  to  Patt  Wall,  adult ;  Sarah,  Thomas, 
and  William,  children  of  Patt  Wall. 

June  2nd,  George,  Son  to  Isaac  Hinman. 

June  3rd,  Albert,  son  to  David  Nichols,  Jr. 

June  10th,  Samuel  son  to  Joseph  Perry ;  Susan,  daughter 
to  William  Sherwood. 

June  7th,  Samuel,  Phillip,  Gersham,  Abijah,  Sarah,  and 
Lyman,  children  of  Philip  Bennett. 

July  8th,  Walter,  son  to  Elnathan  Smith. 


202  APPENDIX    I. 

July  15th,  Elizabeth  Wakeman,  daughter  to  Hull  Fanton. 

July  22nd,  Sarah  Hill,  daughter  to  Burr  Sturges ;  Catherine^ 
daughter  to  Richards  Nichols. 

July  26th,  Eliza,  daughter  to  Stephen  Burroughs. 

August  1st,  Walter,  son  to  Joseph  Hanford  ;  Philander,  son 
to  ditto. 

August  5th,  Daniel,  son  to  David  Wheeler  ;  Bradley,  son  to 
Robert  Downs. 

August  12th,  Jesup  Taylor,  son  to  Aaron  Jinnings  ;  Joseph, 
son  to  James  Fairweather. 

August  26th,  Zadock,  son  to  Robert  Kinner. 

September  2nd,  Joel  Burr,  son  of  Abraham  Bulkley. 
Baptized  by  Mr.  Clark  of  Providence. 

Sept.  16th,  Willys,  son  to  John  Nichols  :  Timothy,  son  to 
Peter  Nichols,  Jr. 

September  20th,  Mercy,  daughter  to  Nathaniel  Eels ; 
Charles,  son  to  Isaac  Booth ;  David  Burr,  son  to  Jacob 
White. 

October  7th,  Mable,  Henry,  and  Aaron,  children  to  Joseph 
Morgan  ;  Levi  and  Beldou,  sons  to  Levi  Taylor  ;  Hezekiah 
Gould,  son  to  John  Lord. 

October  2 1st,  William,  son  to  Philo  and  Lucy  Shelton. 

October  28th,  Lydeann,  daughter  to  Eben  Bears,  Newtown. 

November  9th,  Minerva,  daughter  to  Eben  Booth  ;  Anna 
Maria,  ditto  to  David  Booth  ;  James,  son  to  David  Myriet ; 
David  Eli,  son  to  James  McKinsey. 

December  15th,  Isaac,  son  to  John  Peet ;  Louissa,  daughter 
to  John  Robertson  ;  Charles  Edwin,  son  to  Ezra  Godfrey ; 
LeGrand,  son  to  Nathaniel  Jinnings;  Juliann,  daughter  to 
James  Bulkley  ;  Charles,  son  to  Ephriam  Bobbins. 

December  28th,  Rebecca,  daughter  to  Samuel  I.  Beardslee. 

1799. 

January  9th,  Andrew  Griffin,  sou  to Turrill ;  Rebecca 

Maria,  daughter  to  Beardslee  ;  Thomas  Mann,  son  to  Sarah 
Beardslee  ;  these  three  were  Baptized  at  Newtown. 


APPENDIX    I.  203 

February  10th,  Walter,  son  to  Joseph  Tredwell. 

March  10th,  Eunice  and  Sally,  twins  of  Daniel  Youngs,  Jr. 

March  17th,  Juliet,  daughter  to  Sue,  Negro. 

March  23rd,  Fanny,  daughter  to  Piatt  Bennet ;  Polly  and 
Anna,  children  of Patchen. 

March  21:th,  Wakeman,  son  to  David  Burr. 

April  14th,  William,  son  to  Nehemiah  Bradley. 

April  25th,  Philo,  son  to  Oziar  Burr,  Jr. 

April  28th,  David,  son  to  David  Morehouse. 

May  12th,  George,  son  to  Ezra  Knap. 

May  26th,  Charlotte  Hull,  daughter  to  William  Wilson  ; 
Sarah  Bennet,  daughter  to  John  Robertson  ;  Cinthea, 
Allathea,  daughter  to  Sarah  Wheeler ;  William  Hill,  son  to 
Jesse  Nichols. 

July  1st,  LeGrand,  son  to  Silas  Bardslee  ;  William  Sanford, 
son  to  William  Nichols ;  James,  son  to  Peninah  Seeley. 

July  7th,  Mary,  daughter  to  Barney  Lockwood ;  Maretta, 
daughter  to  Samuel  Brown. 

July  14th,  Frederick,  son  to  Isaac  Marquand. 

August  4th,  Anna  Burr,  daughter  to  Morris  Beers ; 
Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Gersham  Beers. 

August  7th,  Rowland  and  Benjamin,  son  to  William  Robert- 
son; Lyman,  son  to  Nathaniel  Jinnings;  Maria,  daughter  to 
Ezra  Godfrey. 

August  31st,  William  Parrott,  adult ;  Sarah  Hannah, 
Ebenezer  Allen,  children  to  William  Parrott. 

September  15th,  Susannah,  daughter  to  Allen  Nichols ; 
Mary  Burr,  daughter  to  Seth  Sturges,  Jr. 

September  25th,  Sally,  daughter  to  Isaac  Hiuman. 

November  17th,  Geoi'ge,  son  to  Aaron  B.  Sturges. 

November  28th,  Seth,  son  to  Samuel  Osbourn. 

December  5th,  David,  son  to  Agur  Shelton. 

December  2l8t,  Nathaniel,  son  to  Nathaniel  Eels. 

December  29th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  John  Patchen. 

December  31st,  Nathaniel,  son  to  Huldah  Parsons. 


204  APPENDIX    I. 

1800. 

January  19th,  Right,  sou  to  Jacob  "White. 

March  2nd,  Nash  Thorp,  son  to  William  Pike  ;  Eunice, 
daughter  to  William  Bulkley. 

March  15th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Cole ;  Hezekiah, 
son  to  Thomas  Squire;  Maria,  daughter  to  Daniel  Squire; 
Henry  Winkley,  son  to  Daniel  Cole :  Alvira,  daughter  to 
John  Lockwood  ;  Walter,  son  to  Levi  Thorp  ;  David  Sturges, 
son  to  Jesse  Crossman  ;  Pamela,  daughter  to  Jonah  Rockwell ; 
Alba,  son  to  Ebenezer  Gilbert;  Sally  Caroline,  daughter  to 
Hez.  Dikeman  ;  James,  son  to  Simon  Morehouse,  Negro. 

March  17th,  Frederick  Tomlinson,  son  to  William  Peet. 

March  26th,  Dolly,  daughter  to  Phyllis,  Negro. 

March  27th,  Oliver,  son  to  Wheeler  Sherman  ;  Nathaniel 
son  to  James  Fairweather. 

April  19th,  Edward,  son  to  Isaac  Lyon. 

May  11th,  Sophia  Nisbot  Hall,  daughter  to  Mrs.  Beach  ; 
Fanny,  daughter  to  Lazarus  Beach. 

May  18th,  Huldah,  daughter  to  Samuel  Sanford. 

June  15th,  Caroline,  daughter  to  William  Sherwood  ;  Philo, 
son  to  Elnathan  Smith. 

June  24th,  Isaac,  son  to  Ezra  W^heeler. 

June  29th,  Anna,  daughter  to  Sherwood  Fanton  ;  Linsen, 
daughter  to  Thomas  Colyer  ;  Munson,  son  to  

July  20th,  Delia,  daughter  to  John  Albert ;  Jonathan,  sou 
Increase  Burr ;  Betsey,  daughter  to  Eben  Burr ;  Charlotte 
Burr,  daughter  to  Albeu  Bradley. 

July  27th,  William  Downs,  an  adult. 

August  28th,  Lydea,  daughter  to  Philo  Lyon. 

August  30th,  Susan,  daughter  to  Samuel  French. 

August  31st,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Eben  Nichols ;  daughter 
to  Gould  Nichols. 

September  8th,  Emita  Emmula  Mahitable,  daughter  to 
Eleazer  and  Sarah  Lacey. 


APPENDIX    I.  205 

October  12th,  Mariuda,  daughter  to  David  Wheeler  ;  Abigail 
Dimon,  daughter  to  Nath  Davis  ;  Hellen,  daughter  to  Gould 
Bradley  ;  Olive,  daughter  to  David  Bradley  ;  a  child  of  Robert 
Dows. 

October    17th,    Nathaniel   Lathrop,  son  to  Capers  ; 

James  Nash,  son  to  David  Craft. 

October  19th  Caroline,  daughter  to  Joshua  Jinnings. 

November  7th,  Sarah,  wife  to  Daniel  Clayford  ;  James,  son 
ditto  ;  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  ditto  ;  Francies  Pierson,  son  to 
James  Allen ;  Josiah  Sturges,  son  to  George  Hayt ;  Mary 
Ann,  daughter  to  William  Parrott. 

November  22nd,  Frances  Augusta,  daughter  to  James 
Hayt. 

December  14th,  Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  Thomas,  Negro. 

1801. 

January  29th,  David  Peter,  sou  to  David  Mynott. 

February  1st,  Hannah,  wife  to  Benjamin  Godfrey ;  Samuel, 
son  to  Benjamin  Godfrey. 

February  15th,  Gilbert,  son  to  Moses  W'akeman. 

February  18th,  Sally  Nichols,  daughter  to  Isaac  Seeley. 

March  3rd,  Harry  Wheeler,  son  to  Samuel  W^heeler  ;  Julian, 
daughter  to  ditto. 

March  22ud,  George  Augustus,  son  to  Philo  Shelton ;  John, 
son  to  Amos  Burr ;  Nash,  son  to  Ozias  Burr. 

April  19th,  Pheby,  daughter  to  John  Glover ;  Munson,  son 
to  Levi  Thorp ;  Sally  Orsbourn,  Polly  Beach,  daughters  to  Eben 

Row  ;    Anna  Lockwood,   Anson   ,   children   to   Jabez 

Gx'ey  ;  Betsey,  daughter  to  Peter  Thorp ;  Abigail  Bradley, 
daughter  to  Aaron  Thorp ;  Hull,  son  to  Joel  Davis ;  Ziba, 
sou  to  Piatt  Bennett ;  Elam,  son  to  Joseph  Bradley. 

May  31st,  Wyllis,  son  to  David  Burr,  Weston. 

June  20th,  Climenia,  daughter  to  Samuel  Lord  ;  David  and 
Abbacinda,  Jabel  Sturges  ;  Docia,  daughter  to  Jarec  Duncan ; 
David  and  Ebenezer  Silliman,  Eben  Hubble  :  Alvalinea, 
daughter  to  Thomas  Squire;  Lydea  and  Abigail,  Elen  Thorp; 


206  APPENDIX    I. 

Ahaz   Silleck,    Sarah   Morehouse ;    Albert,   Jabez,   and   John, 
Jabez  Sherwood  ;  Jesse,  son  to  Obediah  Piatt. 

June  21st,  Hellena,  daughter  to  Peter  Nichols ;  Eliza, 
daughter  to  Lyman  Whitney. 

July  12th,  Lucius,  son  to  Minor  Jackson  Harrj',  son  to 
Samuel  Brown ;  Charles,  son  to  Jesse  Grossman  ;  Jonathan 
Brunson,  son  to  Asa  Beardslee. 

August  30th,  Truman,  son  to  Nathaniel  Jinnings ;  Jenathan, 
Munson,  and  Eliza,  children  of  Richard  Bangs ;  Ruth, 
daughter  to  Obediah  Squire. 

September  27th  Gurden  Seymour,  son  to  Isaac  Marquand. 

October  11th,  Samuel,  son  to  Samuel  Orsbourn. 

October  23rd,  Francis,  son  to  William  Peet ;  Mary  Ann, 
daughter  to  James  Leaworth. 

October  24th,  Horace,  son  to Whitlock. 

November  1st,  Isaac  Chauncy,  son  to  Ezra  Godfrey  ;  Harriot, 
daughter  to  Benjamin  Godfrey. 

November  15th,  Levi,  son  to  Samuel  Sanford. 

November  22nd,  Easter  Judson,  daughter  to  Joel  Goodsel. 

November  25th,  Isaac,  son  to  Sterling  Sherman. 

December  17th,  Hannah  Hoyt,  daughter  to  Nathaniel  Ells ; 
Frances  Ann,  daughter  to  Samuel  Hawley  ;  George  Hanford, 
son  to  James  McKinsey  ;  Sarah,  daughter  to  John  Peet. 

1802. 

January  5th,  Harry,  son  to  Ira  Smith. 

January  17th,  Peter  and  Ahas,  sons  to  Miles  Oakley. 

January  25th,  Joel  Thorp,  son  to  William  Pike  ;  Sarah  Ann, 
daughter  to  John  Robertson  ;  James,  son  to  James  Bulkley ; 
Eurana  Church,  Thomas  LeGrand,  and  Benjamin  Franklin, 
children  of  Thomas  Smith,  Mill  River. 

February  lith,  William,  son  to  Gersham  Beers;  Joseph, 
son  to  Jacob  White. 

March  7th,  Abby  Jane,  daughter  to  Gersham  Bulkley. 

March  14th,  Samuel  James,  son  to  John  Camp,  Nor  walk. 

March  19th,  Francies  Susan,  daughter^to^Samuel  French. 


APPENDIX    I.  207 

March  21st,  Abba  Jane,  daughter  to  Ezekiel  Oysterbanks. 

April  4th,  Caroline,  daughter  to  Lazarus  Beach. 

May  1st,  Wakemau  Hill,  son  to  Eliphalet  Dikemau. 

May  9th,  Huldah  Burritt,  daughter  to  William  Bulkley. 

June  13th,  Fanny,  daughter  to  Calvin  Wheelar  ;  Elizabeth, 
daughter  to  Alexand.  S.  Piatt ;  Dencey,  daughter  to  Increase 
Burr  ;  Warren,  sou  to  Jesse  Nichols  ;  Angelina,  daughter  to 
Elehu  Nichols. 

June  20th,  Evelina,  daughter  to  William  Sherwood. 

July  25th,  three  children  of  Libeus  Brown. 

August  25th,  four  children  of  David  Oysterbanks,  in  Green- 
field ;  two  of  James  Downs,  at  the  Junction. 

September  5th,  William,  son  to  Robert  Downs  ;  Zalmon, 
son  to  John  Mills;  Abigail  Lyon,  daughter  to  Nathiel  Davis  : 
Daniel,  son  to Keeler. 

September  26th,  Darius,  son  to William,  Greenfield. 

October  3rd,  Mary,  daughter  to  Elnathan  Smith. 

October  16th,  Samuel  Jinnings,  son  to  Ebenez.  Lockwood ; 
David  Sherwood  and  Wakeman,  sons  to  Beeby  Grey  ;  Levi 
and  Marinda,  children  of  Joseph  Whitlock ;  David  Osbourn, 
son  to  James  Grey  ;  William  and  Laura,  children  of  Job 
Lockwood ;  Stiles  Peet,  son  to  William  Green ;  Charles 
Green,  son  to  Jonah  Rockwell. 

October  21st,  Elam,  son  to  William  Nichols  ;  Caroline, 
daughter  to  Isaac  Sealey ;  Ira  Allen,  son  to Sherman. 

October  26th,  Hannah,  daughter  to  Ephriam  Lewis  ;  Maria, 
daughter  to  Everett  Lewis. 

November  -Ith,  Ezra,  son  to  Samuel  Hawley. 

November  6th,  Daniel  Holms,  son  to  Aaron  Lyon ;  Polly 
Ann,  daughter  to  ditto. 

November  7th,  Alonzo,  son  to  John  Halbert. 

November  16th,  George  Jarvis,  son  to  James  Bulkley  ; 
Smith  and  Silas,  sons  to  William  Robertson. 


208  APPENDIX    I. 

1803. 

January  8th,  Patty,  daughter  to  Gould  Nichols  ;  Squire,  son 
to  Nathaniel  Gilbert ;  Huldah,  daughter  to  Eben  Gilbert  ; 
Polly,  daughter  to  Meeker  Murwiu  ;  Nehemiah,  son  to  Joel 
Davis  ;  Ebenezer,  son  to  Aaron  Thorp  ;  Eliza  and  Charles 
"William,  children  to  Peter  Thorp ;  Salome,  a  child  presented 
for  Baptism  by  Eben  and  Sarah  Guyer. 

March  6th,  George,  son  to  Isaac  Hinman. 

March  19th,  Charles,  son  to  Stephen  Burroughs ;  Clarissa, 
daughter  to  Samuel  Wheeler. 

March,  25th,  Levi,  son  to  Daniel  Young;  Joshua,  son  to 
Daniel  Lord. 

March  27th,  Mercy  Caroline,  daughter  to  James  McKinsey. 

April  10th,  Sally,  daughter  to  Eben  Bulkley  ;  Charles,  son 
to  the  same. 

April  22nd,  Samuel  son  to  William  Cable. 

May  15th,  Samuel  Hawley,  son  to  Obediah  Piatt. 

June  26th,  Levi,  son  to  David  Burr,  Weston. 

July  1st,  Wilson  Wheeler,  son  to  John  French. 

July  9th,  Caroline,  Munson,  Susannah  and  Eliza  children 
to  Daniel  Evis. 

July  2J:th,  Abby  Hall,  Sarah  Hill  Wakeman,  adults  ;  James 
Stewart  Osbourn,  son  to  Samuel  Osbourn,  deceased. 

July  31st,  Susan,  daughter  to  James  Fairweather  ;  William, 
son  to  Wheeler  Sherwood ;  Elsey,  daughter,  to  Asahel 
Dunnings. 

August  28th,  David,  son  to  Samuel  Sanford ;  Samuel,  son 
to  Lyman  Whitney. 

September  18th,  Samuel,  son  to  Silas  Wheeler ;  Zalmon 
Coley,  son  to  Samuel  Brown. 

September  22nd,  Levi,  son  to  Sterling  Sherman. 

September  25th,  Polly,  daughter  to  Lyman  Godfrey. 

October  2nd,  David  Hugh,  son  to  Amos  Burr ;  Margaret, 
daughter  to  Philo  Shelton ;  Charles  Edward,  son  to  Ozias 
Burr. 


APPENDIX    I,  209 

October  8th,  James  Seely,  son  to  Mrs.  Seely,  Norfield ; 
Margaretta,  daughter  to  Eben  Hubble ;  John  and  Rachel, 
children  of  Robert  Sturges ;  Bethiah,  daughter  to  Jabel 
Sturges ;  Miles,  son  to  Ebenezer  Lockwood ;  Sally  Morehouse, 
daughter  to  Johathan  Morehouse  and  Huldah  Lockwood. 

October  9th,  Edgar  Bennet,  son  to  Seth  Wakemau  ;  a 
daughter  of  the  same  man ;  three  children  belonging  to 
Norfield  ;  one  for  Ezekiel  Oysterbanks,  Jr. 

December  11th,  Anna,  daughter  to  Robert  Downs. 

1804. 

January  29th,  Albert,  sou  to  Joshua  Jennings. 

April  1st,  Abigail,  daughter  to  Capt.  David  Beers. 

April  23rd,  Benjamin  Mairson,  Abraham  Minthorne,  Esther 
Ann,  children  of  Benjamin  M.  Woolsey  ;  David  Allen  ;  son  to 
Abijah  Morehouse. 

May  20th,  Edward  William,  son  to  William  Peet. 

June  7th,  Whetmore,  son  to  Jesse  Nichols,  Jr. ;  Marina, 
daughter  to  Peter  Nichols. 

June  25th,  Mar}',  daughter  to  David  Middlebrook. 

July  8th,  Harriot,  daughter  to  Abel  Nichols. 

August  1st,  Harriot,  daughter  to  Aaron  Hubble. 

August  8th,  Samuel,  son  to  the  same  ;  Polly  Jarvis,  daughter 
to  Thomas  Smith;  Samuel  Brister,  son  to  Samuel  Bennett ; 
George  and  W^illiam  Bulkley,  sons  of  Ephriam  Bobbins ; 
John,  son  to  William  Robertson ;  Ellihu,  son  to  William 
Bulkley  ;  Charles  and  Caroline,  children  of  Abijah  Wakeman  ; 
Adaline,  daughter  to  Joab  Squire  ;  Abigail  and  Sally,  daughters 
to  Benjamin  Darrow  ;  Sally  Ann,  daughter  to  Nath.  Jennings. 

August  12th,  Rebecca,  daughter  to  Isaac  Burroughs. 

August  19th,  Sirline,  son  to  Ellihu  Nichols. 

August  31st,  John,  son  to  Isaac  Lyon. 

September  Ist,  David  Judson,  son  to  Joel  Goodsel. 

September  30th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Obediah  Piatt  • 
Bradley,  son  to  Ezekiel  Oysterbanks. 


210 


APPENDIX    I. 


October  20th,  Charles,  son  to  Libeus  Brown ;  Clara, 
daughter  to  John  Godfrey ;  a  child  of  Samuel  Godfrey. 

October  21st,  Charles,  son  to  Jabez  Sherwood  ;  Sally  Ann, 
daughter  to  ditto ;  William,  son  to  Eleazer  Lockwood ; 
Ausou,  son  to  Netus  Webb;  David  Treverse,  son  to  Joseph 
Whitlock. 

October  21st,  Nabby,  daughter  to  Jesse  Grossman. 

October  28th,  Elizabeth  Sprague,  adult ;  William  Sprague  ; 
Sally,  daughter  to  Eben  Burr. 

December  2nd,  Lucy  and  Lucinda,  twins,  daughters  to 
Samuel  Darling. 

1805. 

January  13th,  Margaret,  daughter  to  William  Pike  ;  Paul, 
son  to  Paul  Sheffield;  Burr,  son  to  John  Robertson  ;  Munson, 
son  to  Joab  Squire. 

February  22nd,  Benjamin  Samuel,  son  to  Samuel  Wheeler. 

March  17th,  Samuel  and  Laura,  children  of  Solomon 
Oysterbanks. 

March  24th,  George,  son  to  Elnathan  Smith. 

April  7th,  Baruch  Taylor,  son  to  Alexander  Nichols ; 
Nathan  Burr,  son  to  Nathan  Keeler. 

May  12th,  Erastus,  son  to  Ozias  Burr,  Jr.  ;  Frances  Ann, 
daughter  to  Isaac  Hinman. 

June  15th.  Isaac  Webb,  an  adult ;  Susan,  daughter  to  I. 
Webb. 

June  16th,  Burr,  son  to  Enos  Blackman ;  Sarah  Maria, 
daughter  to  James  Fairweather ;  Mary,  daughter  to  Silas 
Shelton  ;  Betsey,  daughter  to  John  Peet. 

June  27th,  Lucretia,  Hull,  Eunice,  Eleanor,  Abby,  children 
to  Benjamin  Sherwood  ;  Eliza,  Myriuda,  children  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  Dimon  ;  Richard  Montgomery. 

June  29th,  Harvey,  son  to  Sterling  Sherman ;  Susan, 
daughter  to  Israel  Blackman  ;  Ira  Brunson,  son  to  ditto. 

September  4th,  Lucretia  Burr  Watson,  daughter  to  George 
and   Deborah    Hayt;    Susan    Matildah,    daughter    to    Levi 


APPENDIX    I. 


211 


Hubble ;    William    Henry   Hamilton,    son   to    James    Allen ; 
Frances  Caroline,  daughter  to  Curtiss  Blackman. 

September  15th,  Rebecca,  daughter  to  Amos  Burr. 

September  30th,  Daniel,  son  to  Daniel  Clarford ;  Mary, 
■daughter  to  William  Cable. 

October  13th,  Ezra  Thorp,  son  to  Samuel  Brown. 

November  23rd,  Charles  Edwin,  son  to  James  Gray  ; 
Eunice,  daughter  to  Beebe  Gray  ;  Hezekiah,  son  to  Eben 
Lockwood;  Laurinda,  daughter  to  Jabel  Sturges. 

1806. 

January  26th,  Clary,  daughter  to  Gould  Nichols  ;  Nathaniel 
Daweman,  son  to  Nathaniel  Davis  ;  Benjamin  Hubble,  son  to 

Gould    Bradley ;    William    Curtiss,    son    to    Beers ; 

Horace,  sou  to  Increase  Burr. 

January  9th,  Caroline,  daughter  to  Joshua  Lord. 

March  30th,  Eliza  Ann,  daughter  to  Clark  Gregory. 

April  10th,  Morris,  son  to  Samuel  Sturges  ;  Bradley  Hill, 
son  to  ditto. 

April  14th,  Lazarus  Bethana,  son  to  Annis,  Negro ;  Char- 
lotte, daughter  to  Thomas,  Negro  ;  John,  son  to  John  Burr. 

April  25th,  Nancy  Thorp,  adult ;  Thomas  and  Hannah, 
children  of  Elisha  Thorp ;  Sally,  Polly,  Abigail  Dimon, 
children  of  Eliphalet  D.  Thorp. 

May  9th,  John  Divine,  son    to   Nath.  Jinnings  ;    Clarissa 

Sabens,   daughter   to   Smith  ;    Rosilla,    daughter    to 

James  Bulkley  ;  Aaron  Jinnings,  son  to  Aaron  Hubble. 

May  18th,  daughter  to  Hill  Meeker. 

June  1st,  Andrew,  son  to  Ebenezer  Burr. 

June  8th,  Emela  Catherine,  daughter  to  William  Sherwood. 

July  6th,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  William  Peet ;  Benjamin 
Bostwick,  son  to  Samuel  Kirtland. 

July  18th,  Detia,  daughter  to  Thomas  Nash  ;  Elizabeth, 
Esther,  Charity  and  Temperance,  children  of  Thomas  Nash,  Jr. 

August  3rd,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Jones. 


212  APPENDIX    I. 

August  7tb,  Nat.  Wintoii  and  Orpheus  Smith,  sons  of 
Nathan  Perry. 

August  31st,  Mary,  daughter  to  David  Craft. 

September  14tb,  Eliza,  daughter  to  Sturges  Coley  ;  Clarissa, 
daughter  to  Nathan  Tredwell ;  Emmila,  daughter  to  Ezekiel 
Oysterbanks  ;  Jesse,  son  to  John  Bradley  ;  Caroline,  daughter 
to  Eben  Roe;  Abby,  daughter  to  Nathan  Gilbert;  Harry, 
son  to  Aaron  Bennett ;  daughter  of  Abel  Nichols  ;  Orland 
Oren,  son  to  Alexander  Nichols. 

September  22nd,  Huldah  Gould,  adult ;  Benjamin,  son  to 
Joseph  Gould  ;  Deborah,  daughter  to  the  same  ;  Lewis,  son 
to  the  above  ;  Robert,  son  to  Ezra  Godfrey  ;  Catherine  Lucy 
Chauncy,  daughter  to Kenneay. 

October  4tb,  Samuel  Sturges,  son  to  Joseph  Lockwood  ; 
Laurinda,  daughter  to  Jesse  Roes  ;  Jonathan  Downs,  son  to 
Jabez  Grey  ;  Alonzo,  son  to  the  same  ;  Daniel,  Jesse  and 
Betsey,  children  of  Eleazer  Newcomb ;  Moses,  son  to  Huldah 
Lockwood. 

October  5th,  Samuel  Bradley,  adult. 

October  12th,  Esther  Jane,  daughter  to  Stephen  Osborn. 

October  26th,  Wheeler,  son  to  Samuel  Sanford  ;  David,  son 
to  Samuel  Wakeman. 

November  30th,  Burr  and  George,  children  of  William 
Goodsel :  Rnth  Marinda,  daughter  to  Ebeu  Booth. 

1807. 

January  13th,  Abel,  Mary,  Sarah,  Sturges,  Eunice  and 
Isaac,  children  of  David  Bears  ;  Hannah  and  Waltei",  children 
of  Joseph  Bears ;  Presilla,  daughter  to  Libbeus  Brown ; 
Laura,  daughter  to  Lyman  Godfrey ;  Maria,  daughter  to 
Benjaman  Godfrey. 

January  25th,  Samuel,  son  to  Samuel  Sturges. 

February  12th,  Jeannette,  daughter  to  Stephen  Burroughs. 

March  19th,  Mary,  daughter  to  Elijah  Burritt ;  Sai*ah  Hall, 
an  adult ;  Eliza,  daughter  to  James  Fairweather ;  Elijah 
Henry,  son  to  Samuel  Hawle}'. 


APPENDIX    I.  213 

April  12tb,  Huldah  Hill,  daughter  to  Hull  Fanten  ;  Langley, 
son  to  ditto  ;  Henry  Thorp,  sou  to  David  Thompson  ;  William 
Wakeman,  son  to  Eliphalet  Thorp. 

May  2nd,  Hezekiah,  son  to  Capt.  "Wilson,  deceased. 

May  24th,  daughter  to  Moses  Burr,  Jr. 

June  7th,  Mary  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Nathan  Tisdale ; 
Charles  Kent,  son  to  Jabez  Norman. 

July  19th,  Catherine  Ann,  daughter  to  Isaac  Hinmau. 

July  25th,  George  Howe,  son  to  Clark  Gregory. 

July  26th,  Bradley  Banks,  son  to  Eben  Nichols;  Sally 
Hubble,  daughter  to  Banks. 

August  2nd,  Benjamin  Smith,  Alden,  sons  of  Oliver  Middle- 
bi'ook;  Aaron  Burr  Bradley  and  Ruth,  children  of  Daniel 
Downs ;  Walter,  Mable,  Charlotte,  Horace  and  Hii'am, 
children  of  Squire  Smith. 

August  16th,  Harriot,  daughter  to  Robert  Downs. 

August  23rd,  Charles,  son  of  Elnathau  Smith. 

September  6th,  Seabury,  son  to  David  Oysterbanks  ;  Ann 
Bulkley,  daughter  to  the  same. 

September  11th,  Henry  Abraham,  son  to  Levi  Hubble ; 
Sheldon,  son  of  Sheldon  Sherwood. 

September  27th,  Munson,  son  to  Ezekiel  Oysterbanks ; 
Horace,  son  to  Peter  Nichols  ;  Wallace,  son  to  Jesse  Nichols  ; 
Mary,  daughter  to  Zalmon  Wakeman. 

October  11th,  Frederick,  sou  to  Amos  Burr. 

November  8th,  Eliza,  daughter  to  Samuel  Brown. 

November  29th,  Sarah  Wheeler,  daughter  to 

December  3rd,  Sally  Ann  and  Elizabeth,  children  of  Capt. 
Jonathan  Mallbly. 

1808. 

February  14th,  Mary  Cornelia  and  Abijah,  children  of 
Isaac  Burroughs. 

February  23rd,  Rebecca,  daughter  to  David  Trubee  ; 
George,  son  to  John  French  ;  Haverlin,  son  to  John  French. 


214  APPENDIX    I. 

March  15th,  Laura,  Manea,  and  Amarillas,  children  of 
David  Nichols. 

March  27th,  Johanna  Mary,  daughter  to  George  Hoyt. 

April  2nd,  Paulina,  daughter  to  Nehemiah  Bradley  ;  Heze- 
kiah  Bradley,  son  to  Hull  Murwin  ;  Sally  Baldwin  and  Anna, 
Caroline,  children  of  Mehor  Murwin  ;  Catherine,  daughter  to 
Jonathan  Banks. 

June  5th,  Moses  Munson,  son  to  Robert  Mills  ;  William 
Anson,  son  to  Jonathan  Jones;  Sarah,  daughter  to  Hull 
Fanten  ;  Esther,  daughter  to  Jabez  Hill. 

June  25th,  Mary  Burr,  daughter  to  Thomas  Nash,  Jr.  ^ 
Frederic  Augustus,  son  to  John  Hauford. 

June    26th,   Eben   Squire,    son    to    Daniel    Cole ;    Sai-ah^ 

daughter  to  Joseph  Lockwood  ;  Joseph  Squire,  son  to 

Rockwell. 

July  10th,  Harriot  Maria,  daughter  to  Samuel  Kirtland. 

September  11th,  Catherine  Maria  and  Eliza,  children  of 
Mrs.  Tousey  ;  Emeline  and  Catheriue,  children  of  Abraham 
Wilson. 

September  22nd,  Sally  Henrietta,  daughter  to  David  Lake ; 
Stephen,  son  to  Jared  Mansfield ;  Peter  Corelyou,  son  to 
Isaac  Tomlinson. 

November  20th,  Harvey  Newel,  son  to  Harvey  Page ;  Thomas^ 
son  to  William  Robertson  ;  Sarah,  daughter  to  Joseph  Tred- 
well ;  Sarah  Jinnings,  an  adult ;  William  George,  son  of 
Samual  Wheeler. 

November  30th,  George  Virgil,  and  Mary,  children  of  Joab 
Squire,  twins  ;  Lucinda  Fairchild,  daughter  to  Eben  Bulkley  ; 
Eunice  Taylor,  daughter  to  Moses  Jinnings ;  Smith 

December  8th,  Julia  Ann,  daughter  to  James  French; 
Anna,  daughter  to  William  Cable ;  Ezra  Church,  son  to  Ezra 
Porter. 

December    28th,    Edwin,    son    to  Phillip   Walker ; 

Caroline,  daughter  to  ditto. 


APPENDIX    I.  215 


1809. 
January  lOtb,  Rebecca,  daughter  to  John  Maltbec. 
January  26th,  Agnes,  daughter  to  Simeon  Tomlinson. 
February  IGth,  John  Tredwell  and  Sally,  children  of  - 
Coggshill,  Derby. 


February  22nd,  Munson  Hoyt,  Sally  Osboru  and  Dimon, 
children  of  David  D.  Bears. 

April  23rd,  Mar}',  daughter  to  David  Osborn ;  Lucretia 
Sherwood,  daughter  to  Abel  Ogden ;  Caroline  Matilda, 
daughter  to  Benjamin  Godfrey  ;  Julian,  daughter  to  Lyman 
Godfrey. 

May  14th,  Eunice,  daughter  to  Samuel  Sturges. 

May  25th,  Betsy  Miles,  an  adult ;  Amarillas  Beardslee, 
adult;  Johanna  Susan,  daughter  of  B.  Miles;  Jeannette, 
daughter  to  Amarillas  Beardslee;  Stephen  Downs,  son  to 
AVilliam  Nichols. 

May  28th,  Eliza,  daughter  to  Moses  Burr  ;  Frances  Susan, 
daughter  to  Richard  Hyde. 

June  20th,  Catherine,  daughter  to  Jason  Gould. 

July  2ud,  Niel  Sherman,  son  to  Jesse  Ford ;  Hannah 
Blakesley,  daughter  to  Titus  Seymour  ;  Delia,  daughter  to 
Ebeuezer  Ford. 

July  9th,  Wakeman,  son  to  Eben  Burr  ;  Abigail  Turuey, 
daughter  to  Z.  Wakeman  ;  George  Scudder,  son  to  Alexander 
Nichols. 

August  Gfch,  Eleanor  Hull,  daughter  to  Joseph  Banks  ; 
Samuel  Squire,  son  to  Seth  Sturges  ;  Seth  Morehouse,  son  to 
the  same. 

August  18th,  Joseph  Sheldon  and  William  Henry,  sons  of 
Joseph  Clark. 

August  20th,  Maria,  daughter  to  Richard  Hubble. 

August  27th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Stephen  Osborn. 

September  10th,  Mary,  daughter  to  Jonathan  Cole  ;  Walter, 
son  to  Jesse  Nichols ;  George,  son  to  Timothy  Burr ; 
Marietta  Albert,  daughter  to  John  Bradley ;  Abraham  Dudley 


216  APPENDIX    I. 

Baldwin,  son  to  Daniel  Downs  ;  Aaron  Deen,  sou  to 

Banks. 

September  17th,  David  Seeley,  son  to  Seeley  Meeker ; 
Elizabeth  Adeline,  daughter  to  Elijah  Kirtland. 

October  1st,  Bradford  Jinnings,  adult. 

October  22nd,  Eunice  Gilbert,  Desire  Mills,  adults  ;  Austin, 
son  to  Ell  Nichols;  Charlotte,  daughter  to  John  Patchen  ; 
Ebenezer,  son  to  Robert  Downs ;  Julia  Mehitable,  daughter 
to  Silas  Shelton. 

November  12th,  Eliza  Ann,  daughter  to  Barney  Lockwood. 

December  2nd,  Amy  Maria,  daughter  to  David  Whaland. 

December  3rd,  Pollinah,  daughter  to  John  Bears. 

December  17th, Allen,  adult. 

1810. 

January  7th,  William  Burrell,  son  to  William  Burrell. 

February  4th,  Jonah,  son  to  Sheldon  Sherwood  ;  Raymond, 
son  to  Ezekiel  B.  O.  Banks. 

February    14th,    Annah    Maria,   daughter  to Roe ; 

Aulanda,  Malinda,  and  Elizabeth,  daughters  to  David  Thorj). 

February  20tb,  Charles,  Benjamin,  and  Ephriam,  sons  to 
James  Penfield. 

February  25th,  Jane  Lewis  and  George  Burr,  children  of 
Gershom ;  Charles,  son  to  Ezra  Godfrey ;  Agur,  sou  to 
Ezra  Godfrey;  Lydia  Ann,  daughter  to  Elijah  Shelton; 
Elijah  Lynsel,  son  to  Elijah  D.  Shelton ;  Edwin  Nichols,  son 
to  Everitt  Thomson. 

March,  16th,  Caroline,  daughter  to  Robert  Clark  ;  Abby, 
Jane,  Daniel,  and  George,  children  of  Daniel  Mills. 

March  25th,  Ebenezer  Thorp,  son  to  Jesse  Andrews. 

April  3rd,  Theodore,  son  to  James  Allen. 

April  22nd,  Henry  Augustus,  son  to  Amos  Burr. 

May  13th,  John  Sylvester  and  James  Phineas,  sons  of 
James  Spragg. 

June  10th,  Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  Seth  Osbourn. 


APPENDIX    I.  217 

June  17tli,  Mary  Perry,  daughter  to  Walter  Sherwood ; 
Munson,  son  to  Elnathan  Smith  :  Eunice  Maria,  daughter  to 
James  Smith. 

June  24th,  James  Bronson,  Charles  Denison,  sons  to  James 
Crofut. 

June  27th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Stiles  Nichols;  James 
Wilson,  son  to  John  Porter ;  Daniel  Squire,  adult ;  Polly 
Sherwood,  adult. 

July  15th,  Levi  Jesup,  son  to  Ozias  Burr,  Jr. 

July  22nd,  Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  Albert  Lockwood  ;  Alba 
Burr,  Mary,  children  to  Eben  Lockwood;  Harriet  daughter 
to  Beebe  Grey. 

July  29th,  Henry  Judd,  son  to  Samuel  Bears,  Jr. 

August  12th,  Alonzo,  son  to  Bradford  Jinnings ;  Charles 
Ansoij,  son  to  Joseph  Lockwood. 

August  29th,  Clarine,  daughter  to  Hill  Meeker. 

September  30th,  David  Osborn,  son  to  David  Allen; 
Charlotte,  daughter  to  David  Trubee ;  Samuel  Curtiss,  son  to 
Samuel  Trubee  ;  George,  son  to  Lyman  Godfrey. 

October  7th,  Edward  Ebenezer,  son  to  Jonah  Prindle; 
Catherine  Ann,  daughter  to  Isaac  Burroughs. 

9th,  Lewis,  son  to  Brown  ;  Phineas  Whitnej',  son  to 

Jesse  Row  ;  Sarah  Lockwood,  daughter  to  Jabez  Grey. 

October  16th,   James  Increase,   son  to  Blackman ; 

Mary  Wheeler,  daughter  to  John  French  ;  Bradley  Dimon, 
son  of  Seth  Seeley. 

October  21st,  Peter  Whitney,  son  to  Abel  Beers :  William, 
son  to  Joab  Squire ;  Eliza,  daughter  to  John  Peet ;  Jane 
Maria,  daughter  to  Charles  Bostwick  ;  William  Bostwick,  son 
to  Samuel  Kirtland. 

October  3 1st,  Eunice,  daughter  to Jinnings. 

November  28th,  Horace,  son  to  Clark  Gregory. 

December  25th,  Henry,  son  to  Jeremiah  Sturges. 


218  APPENDIX    I. 

1811. 

January  Adelia,  daughter  to  Isaac  Booth  ;  Daniel,  son 

to  Samuel  Hawley. 

March  12th,  John,  son  to  Samuel  Wakeman. 

April  15th,  Francis,  son  of  Samuel  Hawley. 

May  12th,  EHza,  daughter  to  Sheldon  Sherwood. 

May  19th,  Henry,  son  to  Ward  Bulkley ;  Mary  Bears, 
daughter  to  David  B.  Perry. 

June  16th,  David,  son  to  Abel  Ogden. 

June  30th,  Sturges  Perry,  son  to  Levi  Hugg. 

July  7th,  Wealthy  Persens,  an  adult ;  Betsey,  daughter  to 
Wealthy  Persens  ;  Betsey,  daughter  to  Harvey  Page  ;  Francis, 
son  to  James  Fairweather. 

July  13th,  Mary,  daughter  to  Joseph  Darling. 

July  14th,  Samuel  Coley,  son  to  Samuel  Brown ;  William,^ 
son  to  Eben  Burr;  Seth  Wakeman,  son  to  JohnBranley;  son, 
to  Joseph  Meeker. 

August  8th,  Ambrose,  son  to  Agur  Hubble. 

August  9th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  William  Peet. 

August  11th,  Emeline,  daughter  to  David  Osborn;  Joseph, 
son  to  Joseph  Banks. 

August  18th,  Jane  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Stebens  Smith; 
Jane  Hill,  daughter  to  Samuel  Dimon. 

November  3rd,  Harriot  and  Harry,  twins  to  Peter  Nichols; 
Catherine  Amanda,  daughter  to  Charity  Nichols. 

November  17th,  Eunice  Wakeman,  adult,  and  her  four 
children. 

December  9th,  Rebecca,  daughter  to  Sterling  Sherman; 
Mary  Johanna,  daughter  to  Samuel  Wheeler. 

1812. 
January  8th,  Charles  and  George,  children  of  James  Das- 
comb;  Philo,  son  to  Eleazer  Beardslee. 

January  10th,  Sturges  Lewis,  son  to  J.  Lewis  Bristor. 


APPENDIX    I.  219' 

January  15th,  Eliza  Ann,  daughter  to Blake;  another 

of  the  same  family;  Elizabeth,   daughter  to  Middle- 
brooks. 

February  2nd,  Henrietta,  daughter  to  Samuel  Sturges. 

March  1st,  Mary,  daughter  to  Robert  Downs;  Pormelia, 
daughter  to  Peter  Banks;  Jane  Hanford,  wife  of  J.  Hanford- 
adult. 

April  26th,  Hannah,  woman  of  color,  an  adult. 

May  17th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Amos  Burr. 

May  31st,  Munson  Hinman,  son  to  Richard  Hyde. 

June  7th,  Jerusha  Maria,  daughter  to  Morse  R.  Botsford; 
Edgar,  son  to  Ephriam  Bobbins;  Nabby  Robertson,  daughter 
to Dewey. 

June  10th,  Catherine,  daughter  to  Ozias  Burr;  Milla 
Goodsel,  AUthea  Sherwood,  Sally  Banks,  adults. 

June  13th,  Wakeman,  son  to  George  Washington  Goodsel; 
Anna  and  Mary,  daughters  to  Levi  Sherwood;  John,  son  to 
Lewis  Goodsel;  David  Meeker,  son  to  Philo  Foot;  David 
Hubble,  son  to  Daniel  Downs;  Polly  and  Emmira,  children  to 
Hez.  Sherwood. 

June  28th,  Azariah  Burton,  son  to  Alex.  Nichols. 

August  8th,  Betsey,  daughter  to  Peter  Sturges. 

August  30th,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  Joel  Goodsel. 

October  22nd,  Charles  William,  son  to  Charles  Bostwick. 

October  24th,  Susannah  and  Mary,  children  of  Gershom 
Bears. 

October  25th,  WilUs,  son  to Blake. 

November  27th,  William  Patch,  an  adult;  Nathaniel  Wilson, 
son  to  W^illiam  Patch. 

1813. 

January  10th,  Charles  William,  son  to  Steben  Smith. 

April  18th,  Harvey,  son  to  John  French;  Abby  Emma, 
daughter  to  Dr.  Nathan  Tisdale;  Mary  Lucretia,  daughter  to 
Joseph  P.  Shelton;  Henrietta  Clarke,  daughter  to  Samuel 
Kirtland. 


220  APPENDIX   I. 

April  25th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Abel  Bears;  William, 
son  to  Abel  Ogden. 

May  30fch,  Harriot,  daughter  to  Calvin  Wheeler:  Catherine, 
daughter  to  Jonathan  Cole;  James,  son  to  Jesse  Brown. 

Chatherine  Murrin,  daughter  to  Miles  Oakley. 

June  6th,  Lothrop,  son  to  Samuel  Bears,  Jr.;  Amanda, 
daughter  to  Ward  Bulkley;  Caroline  Silliman,  daughter  to 
Joseph  Bulkley. 

July  4th,  Morris,  son  to  Steven  Bulkley. 

August  8th,  Ann  Maria,  daughter  to  Harvey  Page. 

December  16th,  Mary  Sophia,  daughter  to  Sally  Meeker. 

1814. 

January  1st,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  Lewis  Brewster  ; 
W^illiam,  son  to  James  Penfield. 

January  11th,  Mary  and  John  Burr,  children  of  Jesse  Scovil; 
George,  son  to  William  Bedent;  Elijah,  son  to  Agur  Hubble. 

February  21st,  Samuel,  son  to  Robert  Downs;  Jesse  Squire, 
son  to  Barney  Lockwood. 

April  3rd,  Willis,  son  to  Shelden  Sherwood. 

April  8th,  Elizabeth  Hyde,  daughter  to  Jesse  Andrews. 

April  13th,  William,  son  to  Nathaniel  Jinnings. 

May  1st,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  Amos  Burr;  Eliza  Ann, 
daughter  to  Charles  Nichols. 

June  18th,  Sophia  and  Margaret,  daughters  of  Samuel 
Hawley. 

July  6th,  Reuby  Ann,  daughter  to  Seth  Seeley. 

July  8th,  York,  a  man  of  color. 

October  1st,  Lewis,  son  to  Lewis  Goodsel;  Eunice,  daughter 
to  George  Goodsel:  Rowland,  son  to  Daniel  Downs;  Moses 
and  Catherine,  children  of  David  O.  Banks;  Abraham,  son  to 
Noah  Banks:  Ebenezer,  son  to  James  Goodsel;  Isaac  Brock, 

son  to  Thomas:  son  to  Alexander  Nichols;   Samuel, 

son  to  Samuel  Wakeman. 

October  30th,  David  Roberts,  son  to  James  Allen. 


APPENDIX    I.  221 

November  2nd,  William  Nichols  and  Elizabeth  Ann,  children 
of  William  Goodsel:  Eliza  Jane,  daughter  to  Joseph  Clarke. 

November  Gth,  Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  Sturges  Nichols. 

November  25th,  Frederick  Augustus,  son  to  Samuel  Wheeler. 

December  18th,  Mary  Fx-ances,  daughter  to  Edmund 
Darrow. 

December  26th,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  Lewis  S.  Brewster. 

1815. 

January  24th,  Olivia  Kirtland,  daughter  to  Ira  Peck. 

March  15th,  Horace,  son  to  Elijah  Nichols,  Greenfield. 

March  26th,  Jonathan,  son  to  Abel  Beers. 

March  30th,  Wilsany,  daughter  to  John  French. 

April  5th,  Alvira,  Sarah,  and  Henrietta,  daughters  to  Walter 
Nichols. 

May  14:th,  Jane  Maria,  daughter  to  William  Warden;  Abra- 
ham Hubble,  son  to  Daniel  Young. 

June  11th,  Harriot  Eunice,  daughter  to  Dr.  N.  Tiudale. 

June  18th,  Samuel,  son  to  Samuel  Beers;  Morehouse,  son 
to  Joseph  Bulkley. 

July  16th,  Henrietta,  daughter  to  Jeremiah  Sturges. 

September  10th,  Betsey  Smith,  wife  of  George  Smith, 
adult. 

October  8th,  William  Henry,  son  to  Ozias  Burr,  Jr.;  Jared, 
son  to  Harvey  Page. 

October  22nd,  Moses,  sou  to  Sturges  O.  Banks;  Joseph, 
grandson  to  Ezekiel  O.  Banks. 

October  29th,  Jane,  daughter  to  Job  Bartram. 

October   30tb,    William    and    Maria,    children    of    

Middlebrook. 

November  9th,  Samuel  Bradley  Middlebrook,  an  adult. 

November  20th,  Henry  and  Henrietta,  twins  of  Agur 
Hubble. 

November  26th,  Charles  Burritt,  Maria  Abby,  children  of 
Caleb  Beach. 


^22 


APPENDIX    I. 


December  2nd,  Frederick  Samuel,  sou  to  Samuel  Kirtland. 

December  14th,  James,  son  to  James  Fairweather;  Lucy 
Ann,  daughter  to  William  Patch. 

1816. 

January  13tb,  Elizabeth  and  Lavina,  daughters  of  Capt. 
Curtis  Blackman:  Isaac,  son  to  Munson  Hinman. 

January  24tb,  Simeon,  sou  to  Sylph,  a  boy  of  color. 

February  11th,  James  Weeks,  an  adult. 

February  14th,  Jerusha  Middlebrooks,  adult;  Hiram,  John 
Mills,  Frances  Ann,  and  Mai-y  Delia,  children  of  Middle- 
brook. 

February  18tb,  Phillips  Perry  Porter,  Alonzo  Cable,  Rossel 
Cable,  Lent  Munson  Hitchcock,  Catherine  Middlebrook,  adults. 

March  18th,  Sarah  Ann,  adult:  Hannah,  daughter  to 

Fairchild. 

March  21st,  Henry  son  to  David  Penfield:  Elizabeth  Pen- 
field,  and  a  son  of  Adad  Bulkley;  Azariah  Gould,  and  a 
daughter  of Coggsel. 

April  1st,  Henry  Augustus  and  Maria  Phillips,  children  of 
Sillick;  William  Eichard  Jinnings,  adult. 

April  28th,  George,  son  to  William  Robertson. 

May  5th,  Morse  Kent,  son  to  Morse  H.  Botsford. 

June  12th,  Maximillia,  daughter  to  John  Chatterton. 

June  13th,  Thomas,  son  to  Lewis  Goodsel;  Malvina  and 
Betsey,  daughters  to  Daniel  Smith;  Paulina,  daughter  to  Eli 
Wheeler;  Sarah,  daughter  to  James  Goodsel;  Zalmon,  son  to 
Joseph  Sherwood;  Samuel  Wakeman,  son  to  Abraham  Banks. 

June  16th,  Jane  Catherine,  daughter  to  George  Smith. 

July  21st,  Maria,  daughter  to  Edmund  Darrow;  Jane  Ann, 
daughter  to  David  Trubee. 

August  4th,  Emma  Rebecca,  daughter  to  Caleb  Beach. 

September  1st,  George,  son  to  Ward  Bulkley. 

October  13th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Abel  Ogden;  Presillia, 
daughter  to  Thaniel  P.  Beers. 

October  22nd,  Nathan  Keeler,  sou'to  Seeley  Meeker. 


APPENDIX    I.  223 

October  27th,  Lewis  Wheeler,  son  to  Joel  Goodsel. 

November  17th,  Charles  "William,  sou  to  William  Warden. 

December  29th,  Harriot  Hinman,  daughter  to  James  Allen. 

1817. 

January  1st,  Eliza,  daughter  to  David  Nichols;  Rufus,  son 
to  Abel  Nichols. 

March  4th,  Mary  Burr,  daughter  to  Isaiah  Jinnings: 
Prances  Mary,  daughter  to  Levi  Burr. 

March  5th,  Samuel  Peet,  Hellen  Peet,  adults;  Emeline, 
daughter  to  Samuel  Peet;  Shelton  Beach,  son  to  Samuel 
Straten;  Samuel  Edwards,  son  to  ditto;  George  Wilson,  son 
to  Samuel  Hawley;  William  Burr,  son  to  Samuel  Middle- 
brook;  Henry  Edwards,  son  to  William  Goodsel. 

March  23rd,  Jane  Hanford,  wife  of  Joseph  Hauford. 

April  6th,  George  William,  son  to  Bradley  Middlebrooks; 
Susan  Caroline  and  Minerva,  children  of  Sheldon  Smith; 
Samuel  Stebens,  son  to  Stebens  Smith;  Ann  Loiza,  daughter 
to  Rosel  S.  Nichols;  George  Horatio,  son  to  Nathan  Tisdale; 
Ann  Maria,  daughter  to  Nichols  Burr. 

May  25th,  Eliza  Meed,  an  adult;  Maria  Meed,  her  sister; 
June,  daughter  to  Richard  Hyde;  Rosel  Stiles  Nichols,  Mr. 
Hitchcock,  adults. 

July  13th,  John  Francis,  son  to  Francis  Bulkley;  Griselda 
Bradley,  Mary  Bradley,  sisters,  adults. 

July  17th,  Catherine  and  Mary,  daughters  to  Hill  Meeker. 

August  10th,  Charles  Benjamin,  son  to  Epinchis  Curtiss. 

August  17th,  Emeline  Augusta,  daughter  to  Benjamin 
Brooks. 

October  4th,  Susannah,  daughter  to  Sally  Hawkins. 

November  21st,  Joseph  Bulkley,  an  infant. 

November  29th,  Henrietta,  daughter  to  Joseph  Bulkley; 
Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  Joseph  Brooks. 

November  30th,  Jane  Elizabeth,  ditto  to  Samuel  Kirtland. 


224  APPENDIX    I. 

December  16tb,  Emeline  Lucretia,  daughter  to  David 
Curtiss;  Edward,  son  to  Samuel  Peet;  Frances  Ann,  daughter 
to  James  French  Jr. 

1818. 

January  18th  Horace,  son  to  Edmund  Darrow. 

March  1st,  Theodore,  son  to  Walter  Bulkley. 

March  29th,  Charles  Mansfield,  son  to  George  Nichols. 

April  27th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Moses  Jarvis. 

April  28th,  son  to Sample. 

May  21st,  Bithinia,  daughter  to  Curtis  Blakeman  ;  Henry 
Mead,  son  to  Mudson  Hinman. 

May  24th,  Elizabeth  Dimon,  daughter  to  Jesse  Banks ; 
Sireno  Edwards,  son  to  Abel  Ogden. 

June  14th,  Sophronia,  daughter  to  William  Robertson. 

June  21st,  Maria,  daughter  to  Bradley  Middlebrook. 

July  12th,  Rebecca  Jinnings,  daughter  to  Charles  Sherwood. 

July  26th,  Saphina,  daughter  to  Samuel  Beers. 

September  11th,  Betsey  Balton,  adult. 

October  11th,  Henry  Kent,  son  to  Moss  R.  Botsford. 

October  18th,  Edward,  son  to  Stephen  Osbourn. 

October  28th,  Grace,  daughter  to  Silas  and  Avis  Judsen. 

November  20th,  Joseph,  son  to  John  French. 

December  13th,  Mary  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Shelden  Smith. 

1819. 

January  6th,  son  to  William  Goodsel. 

February  14th,  Mary,  daughter  to Cromline,  at  Cold 

Springs. 

May  23rd,  Luther  Wood,  adult ;  Charles  Frederic,  Luvinia 
Stone,    children    of   L.    Wood ;    Eliza    Amelia,    daughter   to 

William   Warden ;    Charles  Lyman,    son   to  Person ; 

George  Huntington,  son  to  Charles  Nichols  ;  Harriot  Eliza, 
daughter  to  Star  Peck. 

June  6th,  Peter,  son  to  Ezra  Burr,  Fairfield  ;  Alexander 
Rowland,  son  to  William  Robertson  ;  Frederick  Augustus, 
son  to  Wakeman  Davis. 


APPENDIX    I.  225 

1819. 

June  28tb,  Fanny,  daughter  to  James  Lyon,  Greenfield. 

July  lOtb,  Emeline,  daughter  to  James  Perry;  Susan, 
daughter  to  the  same. 

July  11th,  George  August,  son  to  Richard  Hyde;  William 
Henry,  son  to  Stebens  Smith;  Harriet  Jones,  daughter  to 
Benjamin  Brooks. 

July  18th,  Frederick,  son  to  "Ward  Bulkley. 

August  8th,  William,  son  to  Joseph  Bears. 

September  5th,  Eliza,  daughter  to  Baker  Cook;  Horatio 
Ross,  son  to  John  Cook;  Pamelia  Louisa,  daughter  to  George 
Cook ;  George  Smith,  son  to  George  Cook. 

September  6th,  Sarah  Ann  Sylliman,  daughter  to  Adad 
Bulkley. 

September  12th,  James  Clifford,  son  to  James  Allen. 

September  29th,  Rhenanice,  David  Seely,  and  Harriot, 
children  to  Widow  Charity  Patchen. 

October  17th,  Cornelia  Ann,  daughter  to  Hull  Sherwood. 

October  31st,  Catherine  Rogers,  daughter  to  Joseph  Banks. 

November  21st,  Frederick,  son  to  Edmund  Darrow. 

December  5th,  Mary  Middlebrooks,  Betsey  Porter,  adults. 

December  29th,  Alvord  Edwards,  Henry  Beardsley,  sons  of 
David  Hubble,  Jr. 

1820. 

January  16th,  Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  John  S.  Cook. 

January  26th,  Andrew,  son  to  Abel  Beers;  William  Clarke, 
son  to  William  Bulkley:  Abel,  son  to  Abel  Ogden;  Aaron 
Burr,  Samuel,  sons  of  Hezekiah  Bradley. 

March  5th,  Sylvester,  son  to  William  Robertson. 

March  18th,  Daniel  Porter,  son  to  William  Cable;  Susan, 
daughter  to  the  above  Cable. 

March  22nd,  Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  Samuel  Hawley. 

April  Ist,  Emeline  Burr,  daughter  to  Jesup  Banks. 


226  APPENDIX    I. 

April  23rd,  Mary  Burr,  daughter  to  Charles  Sherwood: 
Charles,  son  to  Bradley  Middlebrooks ;  Harvey  Page,  Emeline, 
children  of Persons. 

May  7th,  Mary  Jerusia,  daughter  to  Jane  Banks. 

Juue  23rd,  Francis,  son  to  Timothy  Williams. 

July  2nd,  Charles  Augustus,  son  to  Samuel  Kirtland; 
Susan  Maria,  daughter  to  Epinetus  Curtis. 

July  30th,  Walter  Bulkley's  son  by  the  name  of  Horatio. 

August  6th,  Hester,  daughter  to  Francis  Bulkley;  Benjamin 
Sherman,  son  to  Benjamin  Brooks. 

August  20th,  Catherine  Bulkley,  adult;  Elizabeth  Bulkley, 
adult. 

September  17th,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Munson  Hinman; 
Henry  Thomas,  son  to  Thomas  Longworth;  William  Frederick, 
son  to  Wright. 

September  24th,  Nelson  Street,  son  to  Nash  Street,  in 
Norwalk  Church. 

October  Ist,  Joseph,  son  to  Joseph  Perry;  William  Newell, 
Mary  Ann,  Sophia  Hart,  Martha  Maria,  Emela,  Munson, 
Franklin,  and  James  Clifford,  children  of  Capt.  Lent  Munson 
Hitchcock. 

November  1st,  Elizabeth  Marian,  Henry  Davis,  Timothy 
Benham,  Lucy  Ann,  children  of  Timothy  Booth. 

November  16th,  Sarah,  daughter  to  William  Patch. 

November  26th,  John  Robert,  son  to  Charles  Bostwick. 

December  9th,  Betsey  Amelia,  daughter  to  Sarah  Lacey; 
George,  son  to  Elijah  Nichols. 

December  16th,  Emeline,  daughter  to  John  French. 

1821. 

February  11th,  Harriet  Salina,  daughter  to  Pinkney  Jones. 

March  11th,  Lucretia,  daughter  to  C.  Walter  Sherwood ; 
Caroline  Matilda,  daughter  to  Henry  Young. 

March  16th,  Cordelia,  daughter  to  Jesup  Banks. 

April  11th,  Charlotte,  Caroline,  Martha,  children  of  Levi 
Downs. 


APPENDIX    I.  227 

April  20th,  Caroline  Silliman,  daughter  to  Js.  Bulkley. 

May  25th,  Elizabeth  Frances  Seeley,  William  Peabody, 
adults;  Charles  Albert,  John,  Augustus,  Frederick,  children 
of  William  Peabody. 

June  3rd,  Elizabeth  Frances,  daughter  to  Nathan  Tisdale. 

June  17th,  Elizabeth  Abigail,  daughter  to  Joseph  Brooks. 

July  24th,  Andrew  Bulkley,  son  to  Samuel  Bears. 

August  19th,  Hannah  Maria,  daughter  to  James  Allen. 

August  25th,  Adaline,  daughter  to  Sally  Hawkins. 

September  9th,  Charles  Baldwin,  son  to  Rosil  S.  Nichols. 

September  16th,  Peter,  son  to  Francis  Bulkley ;  Amelia 
Antoinette,  daughter  to  William  Robertson  ;  John  Henry,  son 
to  Walter  Bulkley. 

October  1st,  Frances  Matilda,  daughter  to  Benjamin 
Brooks. 

October  16th,  William  Sims,  son  of  Abraham  Woolsey. 

November  18th,  Catherine  Ann,  daughter  to  William 
Cannon ;  Cornelia,  daughter  to  Wakeman  Davis ;  Harriet 
Taylor,  daughter  to  Daniel  Foot. 

November  26th,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  James  Allen,  the  3rd  . 

December  5th,  Francis  Edgar,  son  to  William  Warden. 

December  20th,  Uriah,  David,  sons  of  David  Burr,  Green- 
field. 

1822. 

January  27th,  Emeline,  daughter  to  Joseph  Brothwell ; 
William,  son  to  Edmund  Darrow ;  Andrew,  son  to  Ward 
Bulkley. 

March  3rd,  Abel,  son  to  Capt.  Abel  Beers. 

March  31  st,  Samuel,  son  to  Capt.  Leut  Hitchcock. 

April  25tb,  Sarah  Mason,  an  adult ;  Edgar,  son  to  Shelden 
Smith  ;  Catherine  Maria,  daughter  to  William  Wright. 

April  26th,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  Bradley  Middlebrooks ; 

Edgar,   son  to   Mason ;    Martha  Maria,   daughter  to 

Persons. 

June  23rd,  Harriet,  daughter  to  Charles  Sherwood. 


228  APPENDIX    I. 

June  30th,  John  Austin,  son  to  William  and  Susan  Crocker. 

July  4th,  George  and  Emeline,  children  of  Joseph  Crofut, 
of  Danbury. 

July  19th,  John  Stebens,  son  to  Stebens  Smith. 

July  28th,  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  to  Samuel  Sturges. 

September    22nd,   Alice,    daughter   to    Andrew    Winton ; 

Mary,  Lois  Ann,  Susan,  Hezekiah,  Sarah  Winton,  children  of 

James  Lyon  ;  Delia  Maria,  daughter  to  Jeremiah  Sherwood  ; 

Francis  Bradley,  son  to  Abraham  Banks  ;  Elizabeth,  daughter 

to  Anson  Wheeler. 

1823. 

February  1st,  Harriet,  Kussel,  children  of  Capt.  Matthew 
Curtis. 

March  9th,  Alonzo  Jackson,  son  to  William  Robertson. 

April  6th,  Caroline  Burr,  daughter  to  Hull  Sherwood ; 
Maria,  daughter  to  Philo  N.  Shelton. 

May  4th,  Julia  Maria,  daughter  to  Thaniel  P.  Beers. 

May  16th,  Charles  David,  son  of  Rev.  Henry  Judah. 

May  18th,  daughter  of  Joseph  Bulkley ;  Ruth  Rebecca, 
daughter  to  Samuel  Furgerson. 

May  25th,  Catherine  Maria,  daughter  to  Henry  Peet ;  Sarah 
Elizabeth  Ann,  daughter  to  James  Cliiford;  Mary  Ann, 
daughter  to  Henry  Young;  Julia  Hull,  daughter  to  Jesse 
Banks. 

August  17th,  Sophia  Augusta,  daughter  to  Dr.  Nathan 
Tisdale;  Livinia  Blakeman,  daughter  to  Munson  Hinman. 

August  24th,  Maria  Louisa,  daughter  to  Benjamin  Brooks. 

September  14th,  Theodosius,  son  to  James  Allen,  the  3rd. 

September  the  21st,  Mary  Ann  Farmer,  daughter  to  William 
Bulkley. 

December  5th,  Daniel  Alexander,  son  to  Daniel  Clifford. 

1824. 

January  12th,  Moses  Dimon,  son  to  Walter  Treadwell ; 
Lloyd  Wakeman,  son  to  Hanford  Nichols. 

January  14th,  Daniel,  son  to  Hill  Meeker. 


APPENDIX    I.  229 

March  14th,  Richard  Henry,  son  to  Richard  Hyde ;  Francis 
Henry,  son  to  James  Allen,  2nd. 

March  28,  Mary  Ann,  daughter  to  William  Warden. 

April  4th,  Minerva,  daughter  to  Edmund  Darrow  ;  William 
Robertson,  son  to  Wakeman  Davis  ;  Walter,  son  to  Walter 
Bulkley. 

April  18th,  Caroline  Burr,  adult. 

July  18th,  William,  son  to  Capt.  Abel  Beers. 

September  11th,  John  Robertson,  son  to  Benjamin  Sher- 
wood ;  Richard  and  Robert,  sons  of  Peter  Johnson. 

October  3rd,  Rebecca  Hoyt,  daughter  to  Samuel  Beers. 

November  17th,  Margaret  Pike,  daughter  to  Perry  ; 

Jabez  Jinnings,    son   to  Levi  Burr;  Levi  Wakeman,  son  to 
ditto. 

December  3rd,  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Daniel  Ludlow 
Robertson,  Fredericton,  New  Brunswick;  Lucy  Nichols, 
daughter  to  Joseph  P.  Shelton,  baptized  at  Westfarms,  New 
York. 

1825. 

October  16th,  Baptized  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Burhans;  John 
Henry,  son  of  Hull  Sherwood ;  Henry,  son  of  Wakeman 
Davis  ;  Maria,  daughter  of  Francis  Bulkley. 


230  APPENDIX    I. 


APPENDIX  I. 


A  LIST  OF  THOSE  I  HAVE  BURIED. 

1786. 
March  1st,  Hannah  Dascomb,  old  age. 
April  25th,  Josiah  Smith,  Sen.,  old  age. 
September  7th,    Hannah  Bangs,  a  child  with  worm;  the 
wife  of  James  Knapp,  putrid  fever. 

October  9th,  Hezekiah  Bulkley,  consumption. 

1788. 
June  28th,  Zebulon  Walker  Ivirtland,  an  infant. 

1789. 
May  1st,  Zachariah  Whelar,  consumption. 
December  11th,  Richard  Walker  Booth,  consumption. 

1790. 
March  1st,  Jonathan  Bulkley,  gout  in  the  stomach. 
August  15th,  Olive  Kirtland,  nervous  fever. 
November  9th,  Capt.  Peter  Whitney,  black  jaundice. 

1791. 
November  Ist,  Old  Mrs.  Burrough,  with  old  aga. 

1792. 
January  3rd,  the  wife  of  Capt.  Thomas  Holbertson,  con- 
sumption. 

April  28th,  Captain  Hezekiah  Sturges,  apoplectic  fit. 
May  18th,  John  Sherwood,  consumption. 
September  2nd,  Widow  Margaret  Lacy,  dropsy. 
September  24th,  Catherine  Murrin,  nervous  fever. 


APPENDIX   I. 


231 


November    10th,   Adria   Allen,    an   infant;   bladder  in  the 
throat. 

December  19th,  Ned,  a  Negro;  dropsy. 

1793. 

March  19th,  EUihu  Burritt,  apoplectic  fit. 

April  30th,  Abigail  Sherwood,  small  pox. 

July  14th,  Mrs.   Nichols,  and  her  infant,  Daniel,  wife  of 
David  Nichols:  cancer. 

August  5th,  Mrs.  Sarah  Davis,  old  age;  86  years  old. 

November  17th,  Isabel  Hawley,  consumption. 

December  11th,  Eben  Davis,  of  nervous  fever. 

December  21th,  Increase  Burr,  wenn  in  the  throat. 

1794. 

January  27th,  David  Kobertson,  scarlet  fever. 

February  28th,  Samuel  Robertson,  lingering  complaints. 

B@"(Mama)  Abigail  Shelton,  died  22nd  of  February,  1794, 
aged  80. 

June  27th,  WiUiam  Edward  Nichols,  an  infant;  teething. 

July  9th,  John  Robertson,  consumption;  old  man. 

August  3rd,  Sally  Hinman,  camp  distemper;  18  months  old. 

August  19th,  Charity  Burr,  dysentery,  28. 

August  24th,  Rebecca  Burr,  dysentery,  30;  sisters. 

August  27th,  Josiah  Smith,  diabetes;  37  years  old. 

September  13th,  Philo  Burr,  dysentery;  13  years  old. 

November  2ud,  Silas  Morehouse,  dysentery;  5  years  old. 

November  5tb,  Stephen  Adams,  old  age;  86. 

1795. 

January  8rd,  the  wife  of  David  Jinnings,  40  years;  suddenly. 

January  30th,  the  wife  of  Jonathan  Coley,  aged  77;  old  age. 

April  13th,  Anna,  wife  to  Peter  Bulkley,  numb  palsy. 

April  21st,  Anna,  wife  to  William  Nichols,  in  childbed. 

May  26th,  Elizabeth,  wife  to  Gersham  Bulkley,  apoplectic  fit. 

June  7th,  Joseph  Beers,  gravel;  83  years  old. 

June  23rd,  Obediah  Whelar,  scarlet  fever;  aged  7  years. 

July  4th,  "Widow  Hawley,  consumption;  76  years. 


232  APPENDIX    I. 

August  4th,  Prudence  Smith,  80  years;  suddenly. 

August  21st,  Valerius  G.  Skidmore,  3  years;  dysentery. 

August  24th,  Naomi  Hull,  infant;  worms. 

September  2ud,  Joseph  Allen,  infant,  dysentery. 

September  22nd,  Abigail  Whelar,  dropsy,  61  years. 

October  7th,  David  Barlow,  old  age;  76  years. 

November  2nd,  Jesse  Piatt,  epileptic  fit;  34  years. 

November  10th,  Polly,  wife  to  Lazarus  Beach,  in  childbed; 
35  years. 

December  20th,  Kowland  Roberts,  an  infant;  whooping 
cough. 

1796. 

January  26th,  Sarah  Forgin,  apopletic  fit,  72  years  old. 

February  4th,  Sarah  Ballow,  infant. 

February  5th,  Hannah  Wing,  dropsy;  30  years. 

March  1st,  Joseph  Bulkley,  consumption,  50  years. 

March  14th,  Elizabeth,  wife  to  Thomas  L.  Collier,  con- 
sumption. 

March  27th,  Mary  Darling,  5  j-ears  old;  worms. 

September  10th,  Shelton  Edwards,  15  years  old;  murdered, 

October  24th,  Mary  Mills,  55  years;  slow  fever. 

December  11th,  William  Hinman,  infant. 

December  25th,  Nathan  Foot,  dropsy;  77  years  old.  Mary 
Wheeler,  84  years  old. 

17&7. 

February  9th,  Susannah  Burr,  4  years;  dropsy  in  the  head. 

February  15th,  Susannah  Burr,  mother  to  the  above,  aged 
25:  consumption. 

March  1st,  Sarah  Seeley,  consumption,  20  years. 

March  6th,  Nancy  Bulklej',  epileptic  fit;  8  years. 

April  20th,  Mary  Vero,  78  years  old;  suddenly.  An  infant 
of  David  Beers,  unbaptized. 

May  14th,  Lois  Burr,  in  childbed  sickness;  21  years. 

June  10th,  Daniel  Bulkley,  dropsy,  78  years. 

July  8th,  Ebenezer  Allen,  11  years;  accidental  death. 


APPENDIX    I. 


233 


December  12tli,  William  Holbertson,  with  a  scirrbus  liver; 
57  years  old. 

December  21st,  Hepsa  Seeley,  consumption;  19  years  old. 

1798. 

January  3rd,  Widow  Wheeler,  old  age;  73  years  old. 

January  12th,  James  Knapp,  plurisey;  57  years  old. 

February  1st,  Eunice  Bulkley,  epilectic  fit;  22  years. 

May  1st,  Levi  Jinnings,  an  infant,  1^  year  old;  consumption. 

June  20th,  Sarah,   wife  to   Philhp    Bennett,  childbed,  43 
years. 

July  3rd,  Nathaniel  Perry,  old  age;  80  years  old. 

July  6th,  Ehzabeth  Beers,  aged  84. 

August  2ud,  George  Hinman,  an  infant;  inflamation  of  the 
bowels. 

August  14th,  Joseph  Fairweather,  an  infant;  ditto. 

September  2nd,  Michael  Seeley,  consumption;  60  years. 

November  5th,  Ruel  Thorp,  consumption,  60  years. 

November  7th,  Mercy  Ells,  mumps;  5  months  old. 

November  14th,  a  child  of  Philo  Lyon,  unbaptized. 

November  3th,  an  infant  of  Lazarus  Beach. 

December  6th,  Jesse  Young,  consumption;  25  years  old. 

1799. 

February  13th,  Wolcott  Patchen,  Plurisey;  39  years. 

February  24th,  Rebecca  Cable,  apoplectic  fit;  80  years. 

March  22nd,  Widow  Thorp,  apoplectic;  83  years. 

March  29th,  Lucy  Sherwood,  canker;  4  years  old. 

April  3rd,  Eunice  Young,  an  infant. 

September  7th,  Thadeus  Benedict,  Esq.,  dropsy:  50  years. 
The  wife  of  Thomas,  a  Negro. 

December  28th,  Ezra  Kirtland,  epileptic  fit;  46  years. 

1800. 

January  13th,  Ebenezer  Bulkley,  7  years  old;  suddenly. 

January  20th,  a  child  of  Miles  Greenfield,  burned;  3  years. 

February  11th,  Anna  Cascomb,  in  a  fit;  64  years. 

March  11th,  Tabatha  Waklee,  burned  to  death;  91  years. 


234  APPENDIX    I. 

May  14th,  Penniah  Thomson,  consumption,  19  years. 

June  23rd,  Nathaniel  Porter,  mortification  in  the  bowels, 
from  a  sudden  cold;  13  years  old. 

June  24th,  Ephriam  Nichols,  mortification  in  the  bowels, 
from  eating  currants;  suddenly,  10  years  old. 

July  12th,  Clarissa  Allen  Meeker,  5  years;  complaint,  worms. 

August  11th,  Mary  Ann  Mynott,  camp  distemper;  about  86 
years  old. 

August  23rd,  Ezra  Kirtland,  numb  palsy,  years  of  age  70. 

September  5th,  Sarah  Seeley,  consumption;  59  years  old. 

September  8th,  Aaron  Hopson,  nervous  fever;  60  years. 

October  6th,  Ward  William  Hill,  66  years. 

October  8th,  John  Young,  consumption;  8  years  old. 

1801. 

January  4th,  Epaphras  Goodsel,  apoplectic  fit;  58  years. 

February  19th,  Sarah,  wife  to  Isaac  Seeley,  consumption; 
20  years. 

February  25th,  Benom  Dimon,  gravel;  aged  75  years. 

May  11th,  Mary  Lyon,  Plurisey;  80  years  old. 

May  19th,  Robert  Jinnings,  apoplectic  fit;  42  years. 

June  1st,  Ebenezer  Wakeman,  consumption;  52  years. 

October  13th,  Elizabeth  Clayford,  14  months  old;  whooping 
cough. 

December  2nd,  Lucy  Sellers,  consumption;  23  years  old. 

December  30th,  Lois  Gilbert,  73  years;  cancerous  in  arm 
and  breast. 

1802. 

January  5th,  Josiah  S.  Hoyt,  1  yeai',  9  months;  inflammation 
of  the  bowels. 

June  8th,  Martha  Hall,  85  years  old. 

April  3rd,  James  McKensey,  aged  30. 

July  27th,  Clara  Godfrey,  consumption;  age  36. 

September  lOth,  Samuel  Sherwood,  aged  69. 

1803. 

January  3rd,  Zebulon  Kirtland,  aged  47;  consumption. 


APPENDIX    I.  235 

February  13th,  Mary  French,  wife  of  James  French;  Daniel 
Young,  aged  54;  lingering  complaint. 

February  18th,  David  Seeley,  aged  9  years;  dropsy  in  the 
brain. 

February  20th,  Samuel  Osborn,  aged  45;  hemorrhage. 

March  22nd,  George  Hinman,  6  months  old;  dropsy  in  the 
brain. 

April  23rd,  Samuel  Baker,  aged  85;  cramp  in  the  stomach. 

May  3rd,  Samuel  Cable,  an  infant,  6  months  old;  rickets. 

September  6th,  Charles  Edwin  Godfrey,  6  years,  2  months; 
lingering  complaint. 

September  8th,  Huklah  Dascomb,  consumption. 

September  24th,  Olive  Kirtland,  lingering  complaint;  age  68. 

November  24th,  Elizabeth  Seeley,  dropsy;  62. 

1804. 

February  13th,  Esther  Parott,  3  years  old;  worms. 

February  15th,  Comfort  Strong,  plurisey:  65  years. 

February  22nd,  Phyllis,  Negro  girl,  17  years;  plurisey. 

March  24tb,  Anna  Burr,  aged  35;  consumption. 

April  13,  Abigail  Beers,  an  infant. 

May  6th,  James  Hoyt,  aged  38;  affection  of  the  lungs. 

May  11th,  Seth  Sturges,  aged  68;  pneumonia. 

July  5th,  the  wife  of  James  James,  Norwalk;  consumption. 
Peter  Bulkley,  aged  87. 

August  15th,  Polly  Hubble,  wife  of  Ezra  Hubble,  childbed 
sickness:  aged  29. 

September  1st,  Isaac  Lewis,  aged  70;  lingering  complaint. 

October  15th,  Sarah  Glover,  aged  57:  consumption. 

November  5th,  Frances  Ann  Hawley,  aged  3  years:  dropsy 
in  the  head.     Sarah  Strong,  aged  33  years,  consumption. 

November  26th,  Sarah  Jackson,  aged  15  years;  billions 
fever. 

November  28th,  Munson  Bangs,  9  years  old;  collie. 

December,  6tb,  Bethia  Sturges,  aged  70;  consumption. 


236  APPENDIX    I. 

1805. 

January  13th,  Sarah  Burritt,  aged  62:  lingering  complaint. 

February  22nd,  Burr  Robertson,  infant:  fits. 

February  28th,  Caleb  Norman,  87  years  old. 

May  17th,  Gorden  Seymour  Marquand,  3  years. 

May  19th,  Benjamin  Banks,  aged  102. 

July  Ist,  Harvey  Sherman,  an  infant. 

July  8th,  Heni-y  Elijah  Hawley,  an  infant. 

July  14th,  Thomas  Treadwell,  68  years  old,  dropsy. 

July  27th,  Susan  Blackman,  3  years  old:  whooping  cough. 

July  30th,  Susan  Ketchum,  63  years  old;  gout  in  stomach. 

August  14th,  Sally  Wheeler,  13  years  old;  billious  fever. 

September  8th,  Maria  Fair  weather,  1  year  old:  worms. 

September  17th,  Elizabeth  Bulkley,  aged  62  years:  lingering 
complaint. 

September  20th,  William  Hubble,  aged  60:  collie. 

October    1st,    Rebecca   Burroughs,    aged  6  years:    scarlet 
fever. 

December  5th,  Nehemiali  Buddington,  aged  70:  lingering 
complaint;  Frances  Ann  Hinman,  8  months  old. 

1806. 

January  7th,  Reuaimah  Bradley,  aged  79. 

April  2nd,  William  Pike,  aged  65:  suddenly. 

April  10th,  Sidney  Sturges,  aged  7:  worms. 

July  23rd,  Reuben  Beers,  aged  66:  inebriation. 

October  10th,  Sally  Godfrey,  aged  15  years:  billious  fever. 

November  6th,  Samuel  Cable,  aged  73  years;  felon. 

November  22nd,  Rebecca  Wheeler,  aged  67  years:  billious 

fever. 

1807. 

January  1st,  David  Bears,  aged  7:  lingering  complaint. 

January  Slst,  Ann  Stilson,  aged  61:  in  fits. 

May  5th,  Sarah  Guyer,  aged  88  years. 

May  13th,  Nathaniel  Sherwood,  aged  20:  Nichols  Lacey, 
11  years  old,  both  drowned  and  buried  together. 


APPENDIX    I.  237 

May  14tli,  Philo  Nichols,  Esq.,  80  years  old. 

May  20th,  Sarah  Hoyt,  aged  74:  lingering  complaint. 

June  17th,  Phillys,  wife  to  Quam,  apoplectic  fit. 

July  15th,  James  Beach,  aged  28  years;  consumption. 

July  23rd,  Jane,  black  woman:  aged  58  years. 

September  1st,  Samuel  Darling,  consumption,  aged  53. 

1808. 

January  13th,  an  infant  of  William  Barritts;  Amy  Sherman, 
plurisey:  aged  50. 

January  19th,  Charity  Hinman,  consumption;  aged  40. 

January  29th,  Hellen  French,  infant. 

March  16th,  Amarilla  Nichols,  infant. 

March  21st,  Samuel  Brinsmade,  chronical;  aged  58. 

May  10th,  David  Beers,  aged  91  years. 

May  20th,  William  Burr,  aged  33  years:  consumption. 

September  2nd,  William  Bulkley,  yellow  fever;  aged  40. 

November  11th,  Lewis  Cannon,  apoplectic  fit,  aged  4  years; 
Nor  walk. 

1809. 

February  21st,  Edri  Allen,  cancer;  74  years  old. 

February  24th,  Dimon  Bears,  an  infant. 

March  25th,  Benjamin  Meeker,  75  years;  plurisey. 

July  13th,  Elizabeth  Goodsel,  65  years;  lingering  complaint. 

October  11th,  Jerusia  Tongue,  80  years;  cancer. 

December  19th,  an  infant  of  Curtis  Blackman. 

December  25th,  Hezekiah  Wheeler,  aged  78. 

1810. 

March  5th,  Polly  Stone,  consumption;  aged  57. 

March  8th,  Nehemiah  Allen,  aged  81  years. 

March  loth,  Jonathan  Coley,  aged  93  years. 

March  17th,  Mrs.  Bouton,  aged  76  years. 

April  5th,  Theodore  Allen,  infant. 

April  15tb,  George  Mills,  infant;  whooping  cough. 

May  1st,  Rebecca  Nichols,  old  age;  86  years. 

June  3rd,  Caroline  Blackman,  aged  6  years;  hiccough. 


"238  APPENDIX    I. 

August  11th,  Eben  Nichols,  aged  68  years:  consumption. 

August  23rd,  David  Sherman,  53  years  old;  chronical 
complaint. 

October  25th,  Hebsebah  Burr,  aged  78  years. 

November  4th,  Jonathan  Smith,  aged  73  years;  fit. 

November  11th,  Mary  Sturges,  aged  72;  cancer. 

December  7th,  Jenny,  a  black  woman,  23  years;  con- 
sumption. 

December  10th,  Beulah  Smith,  aged  70  years. 

1811. 

January  2nd,  Widow  Sprague,  aged  82  years. 

January  4th,  Elijah  Daniel  Shelton,  typhus  fever,  37  years. 

March  21st  Seth  Sturges,  45  years;  plurisey. 

April  9th,  Hannah  Downs,  70;  plui'isey. 

May  10th,  Mary  Nichols,  aged  77  years;  billious. 

May  30th,  Clarine  Meeker,  aged  2  years;  rickets. 

July  18th,  David  Sherwood,  48  rears  old;  scirrhus  liver. 

July  29th,  Frederic  Wakeman,  2  years  old;  canker. 

August  11th,  Elizabeth  Peet,  aged  6  days.  Mary  Bears, 
aged  55  years,  consumption. 

September  19th,  James  Beaty,  aged  86  years. 

October  12th,  Mr.  Samuel  Fitch,  of  Wilton,  aged  85  years. 

November  18th,  Hannah  Street,  suddenly,  aged  23  years; 
Norwalk. 

December  6th,  Job  Lockwood,  suddenly;  inflamation  on  the 
brain,  Norfield,  aged  47  years. 

December  26th,  Lucy  Smith,  aged  80  years;  plurisey. 

1812. 
January  21st,  Seth  Seeley,  aged  78  yeai's;  consumption. 
March  19th,  Lydia  Squire,  aged  76  years. 
March  30th,  an  infant. 

March  31st,  Lucy  Bulklej'',  aged  8  years  ;  dropsy  in  the 
head. 

April  3rd,  Horace  Gregory,  aged  20  months. 


APPENDIX    I.  239 

May  11th,  Ann  Mary  Goodwin,  aged  5  years,  dropsy  in  the 
head. 

May  20th,  Mary  Lake,  aged  near  70  years,  numb  palsy. 

June  9th,  Hannah,  of  color,  consumption  ;  18  years  old. 

July    10th,    Elizabeth    Huntington   Nichols,    3  years  old ; 
dropsy  in  the  head. 

August  7th,  Timothy  Hubble,  aged  80  ;  apoplectic  fit. 

August  11th,  Elnathan  Seeley,  aged  70  ;  Rheumatism. 

September  9th,  Marinda  Nichols,  2  years  old  ;  dysentery. 

September  23rd,  Mahitable  Shelton,  aged  71  years. 

November   30th,    Elijah   Blackman,    67   yeai's   old ;    found 
dead  in  his  bed. 

December  29th,  Eliakins  Walker,  aged  73  years  ;  nervous 
fever. 

December   31st,  Nathaniel  Tredwell,    aged  40  ;   pulmonic 
complaint. 

1813. 

January  7th,  Moses  Hull,  aged  60 ;  plurisey. 

January  28th,  Avis  Baldwin,  aged  67  years  ;  apoplectic  fit. 

January  81st,  David  Nichols,  aged  67  years  ;  spotted  fever. 

February  2nd,  Mrs.  Goodwin,  Trumbull,  consumption  ;  58. 

March  2nd,  Nabby  Robertson,  consumption  ;  aged  46  years 

March  4th,  an  infant  of  Ephriam  Knapp,  10  months  old. 

June  7th,  Jonathan  Bears,  aged  54  years ;  epidemic. 

June  12th,  Aaron  Bears,  aged  54  years  ;  epidemic. 

July  24th,  Larissa  Edwards,  aged  77;  billions  complaint. 

August  18th,  Abigail  Miller,  aged  30  years  ;  consumption. 

August  21st,  Phoebe  Peet,  wife  of  Silas  Peet,  aged  48  ;  con- 
sumption. 

September  2nd,  Samuel   Bears,  aged  69  years  ;  Scirrhous 
liver. 

October  1st,  Sarah  Bears,  aged  44  years ;  consumption. 

October  7th,   Abigail  Whitear,   72  years ;    lingering   com- 
plaint. 

October    8th,    William    Judd,    aged   3   years ;    dysentary. 


240  APPENDIX    I. 

October    11,    Nichols,    aged    35,   dysentery ;    an   infant   of 
Samuel  Wakeman,  dysentery. 

October  19th,  Rowland  Robertson,  17  years  old  ;  swelling 
throat. 

December  5th,  John  Porter,  aged  48  years ;  apoplectic  fit. 

December  9th,  Jesse  Burr,  aged  58  years  ;  consumption. 

December  13th,  Samuel  Dimon,  aged  50  years ;  consumption. 

1814. 

February  19th,  Aaron  B.  Bradley,  sore  leg  ;  45  years. 

March  19th,  Sarah  Wakeman,  aged  74  years. 

June   3rd,    Sarah    Ann    Brewster,    aged    18    months ;    the 
croop. 

August  24th,  Aaron  Burr,  aged  57  years  ;  fits,  epileptic. 

September  16th,  Jane  Roe,  90  years  of  age. 

September  26th,  Horatio  Tisdale,   typhus  fever;   aged  27 
years. 

1815. 

March  6th,  Hester  Wills,  aged  95  years. 

March  16th,  Roman,  a  man  of  color  ;  aged  75  years. 

April  9th,  Jane  Hanford,  consumption  ;  aged  46  years. 

May  28th,  Sarah  Burritt,  typhus  fever,  aged  44  years. 

June  14th,  Abigail  Burr,  Weston  ;  aged  74  years. 

June  21st,  Julia  Jackson,  lockjaw ;  aged  11  years. 

September  4th,  Catherine  Nichols,  wife  to  R.  Nichols  ;  47 
years. 

September  13th,  Abigail  Beers,  aged  90  years  ;  Fairfield. 

September  15th,  Adeline  Hubble,  aged  7  years,  dropsy  in 
the  bead. 

October  13th,  Elijah  Hawley,  dysentery  ;  aged  78  years. 

October  26th,  Harvey  Page,  consumption  ;  aged  32  years. 

October  30th,  Jane  Bartram,  influenza ;  aged  18  months. 

November    Ist,    Maria     Middlebrook,     aged    18    months, 
dysentery. 

November     2nd     William     Middlebrook,     aged    6    years ; 
dysentery. 


APPENDIX    I. 


241 


November  12th,  Jane  Bulkley,  aged  76  years. 

1816. 

January  1st,  Ann  Keeler,  aged  63  years  ;  influenza. 

March  28th,  Susan  Blake,  one  year  and  8  months  old  ;  fits. 

April  4th,  Joseph  S.  Edwards,  40  years  ;  consumption. 

April  10th,  Ruth  Nichols,  aged  13  years ;  disorder  in  the 
head. 

June  17th,  Horace  Sherwood,  5  years  old  ;  drowned. 

June  27th,  Mrs.  Langford,  aged  65  years  ;  in  a  fit. 

July  3rd,  Charity  Mills,  aged  34  ;  childbed  sickness. 

July  8th,  Sarah  Sherwood,  aged  87 ;  old  age. 

August  31st,  Charles  Babbet,    aged  4   years ;    burned   to 
death. 

August  17tb,   Sarah  Sherwood,  aged  45  ;   derangement  of 
the  mind. 

November  11th,  Willis  Sherwood,  aged  30  years;  dropsy  in 
the  head. 

December  12th,  Toby  Adanna,  black  man  ;  aged  77  years. 

December  18th,  Daniel  Meeker,  apoplectic  fit ;  69  years  old. 

1817. 

January  7th,  Isaac  Hinman,  a  scirrhous  stomach;  aged  54 
years. 

March  6th,  Hannah  Bulkley,  aged  77  years  ;  fits  of  numb 
palsy. 

April  11th,  Penniah  Brinsmade,  aged  70  ;  influenza. 

May  8th,  John  Barnham  Beach,  aged  3  years  old  ;  croup. 

June  26th,  Samuel  Cable,  aged  50  years  ;  drowned  in  the 
harbor  of  Bridgeport. 

July  27th,  Mary  Ann  Sturges,  aged  4  years,  dropsy  in  the 
head. 

August    14th,  Louisa  Grant,  black  child,  10  months  old; 
died  in  a  fit. 

August  15th,  Sam,  a  man  of  color,  aged  73  years  ;  dropsy. 

August   19th,   Abijah    Mansfield,   consumption ;    aged   54 
years. 


242  APPENDIX    I. 

August  30th,  Polly  Meeker,  consumption  ;  aged  26  years. 
Joseph  Bulkley,  an  infant,  one  day  old. 

1818. 

February  2nd,  Joshua  Jinnings,  aged  90  years. 

February  17th,  Comfort  Burritt,  aged  39  years. 

March  9th,  Charity  Bradley,  26  years  old;  consumption. 

April  4th,  Caroline  Bulkley,  aged  5  years ;  inflammation  of  the 
bowels. 

April  16th,  John  Scovil,  aged  9  years  old  ;  dropsy  in  the 
head.  Eosannah  Seely,  consumption,  woman  of  color ;  aged 
28  years. 

June  2nd,  Samuel  Sampler,  an  infant  one  year  old. 

July  19th,  Samuel  Allen,  aged  35  years,  the  effects  of  a  fit. 

August  1st,  Ichabod  Burr,  aged  82  years ;  old  age. 

August  28th,  James  B.  Minot,  aged  20  years ;  typhus  fever. 

September  11th,  Betsey  Balton,  aged  24  years ;  typhus 
fever. 

September  19th,    an  infant  of  Henry  Bolston,  4  months  old. 

September  26th,  Abigail  Eobertson,  aged  76  years  ;  old  age. 

September  30th,  an  infant  of  David  Nichols. 

November  16th,  Hezekiah  Bradley,  aged  83  years  old. 

November  22nd,  Joseph  French,  infant ;  the  croup. 

December  4th,  Hannah  Pann,  Indian,  sickness ;  47  years 
old. 

1819. 

January  1st,  Rebecca  Jinnings  Sherwood,  an  infant. 

January  7th,  Samuel  Goodsell,  infant,  3  days  old ;  with  the 
croup. 

January  10th,  Jerusia  Middlebrook,  aged  43  years  ;  typhus 
fever. 

January  28th,  Amelia  Dickerson,  aged  28  ;  ulcerated  lungs. 

February  3rd,  Lydia  Patch,  lingering  complaint ;  aged  28. 

February  14th,  Christopher  Kibbee  Allicoke,  aged  68  years. 

February  2l8t,  Eliza  Fairweather,  aged  13  years  ;  dropsy. 


APPENDIX    I.  243 

June  23rd,  Nathaniel  Jennings,  aged  67  years ;  typhus 
fever. 

June  28th,  Abigail  Thorp,  king  evil ;  aged  19  years. 

June  29th,  Toney,  a  man  of  color,  dropsy  ;  aged  35  years. 

July  3rd,  Fanny  Lyon,  aged  18  years  ;  typhus  fever. 

September  20th,  Samuel  Smith,  aged  2^  years,  of  kick  of  a 
horse,  by  which  the  skull  was  broken. 

September  29th,  Ebenezer  Sherman,  aged  67  years. 

October  22nd,  Rachel  Osbourn,  aged  35  years ;  typhus 
fever. 

October  24th,  Augusta  Hoyt,  aged  19  years  ;  typhus  fever. 

October  29th,  Samuel  Wheeler,  aged  59  years  ;  typhus  fever. 

1820. 

March  1st,  Phyllis  Burroughs,  a  woman  of  color  ;  aged  80. 
Daniel  Porter  Cable,  aged  4  years ;  dropsy  in  the  head. 

May  12th,  Darius  Fulsom,  aged  77  years ;  old  age. 

May  18th,  Eunice  Pendleton,  aged  60  years;  consumption. 

June  20th,  Sylvester  Robertson,  an  infant,  9  months  old ; 
inflammation  of  the  brain. 

September  4th,  Sarah  Burr,  aged  81  years  old  ;  pneumonia. 

September  16th,  James  Fairweather,  aged  46  years  ;  typhus 
fever. 

September  26th,  Nehemiah  Allen,  typhus  fever  ;  34  years. 

September  29th,  Thomas  Ehvood,  dysentery ;  aged  67 
years. 

September  30th,  Jabez  Jinnings,  typhus  fever  ;  aged  26 
years. 

October  3rd,  Hannah  Morehouse,  aged  79  years. 

October  6th,  David  Barlow,  numb  palsy  ;  59  years  old. 

October  8th,  Grace  Bobbins,  typhus  fever ;  aged  52  years. 

October  24th,  Susan  Cable,  aged  16  months ;  teethiug. 

November  1st,  Amelia  Robbins,  typhus  fever ;  aged  28 
years. 

December  13th,  Eunice  Wakeman,  aged  74  years ;  apo- 
plectic fit. 


244  APPENDIX    I. 

December   31st,  Ebenezer  Booth,  aged  48  years  ;  typhus 
fever. 

1821. 

January    15th,    Wheeler  Sherman,    Esq.,    aged    46    years ; 
pulmonic  complaint. 

February  15th,  John  Peet,  aged  67  years  ;  pulmonic  com- 
plaint. 

April  5th,  Sarah  L.  Nichols,  aged  32  ;  consumption. 

May  23rd,  Peter  Oakley,  consumption  ;  22  years. 

July  9th,  Jane  Greeo,  consumption ;  aged  27  years. 

July  18th,  Eliphalet  Hill,  broken  thigh  ;  94  years  old. 

August  29th,  Ann  Hollins,  colic  ;  aged  76  years. 

September  25,  Fanny  Andrews,  childbed  sickness :  23  years 
old. 

October  5th,  an  infant  son  of  the  above. 

October  15th,  Elihu  Bulkley,  yellow  fever  ;  17  years  old. 

October  30th,  Johathan  Mallory,  the  gravel ;  77  years  old. 

1822. 

January  22nd,   Benjamin    Robertson,    consumption ;    aged 
24  years. 

February  22nd,  Ann  Mallory,  inflammation  of  the  lungs;  76 
years. 

March  5th,  Sarah  Clark,  dropsy  ;  aged  37  years. 

April  1st,  Samuel  Hitchcock,  an  infant  3  days  old  ;  fits. 

April    12th,    Sarah    Whitmore,    aged    64   years ;    pulmonic 
complaint. 

April  28th,  Lawrence  Burril,  infant,  2  months  old  ;  fits. 

June  2nd,  Presilla  Bobbins,  aged  27  years ;  fever. 

July    1st,  Josiah   Master,  aged  58  years  ;  paralectic    fits. 

July  8th,  Edgar  Hubbell,  aged  3  weeks  ;  whooping  cough. 

August  12th,  Betsey  Page,  aged  11  years;  with  ulcers. 

August  29th,  Eliphalet  Sheffield,  aged  33  years  ;  pulmonic 
complaint. 

September  4tb,   Daniel  VVheielar ;    aged    77    years ;    numb 
palsy. 


APPENDIX    I. 


245 


September  5th,   Mary   Nieolclinch,  aged  10  months;    con- 
vulsions, fits. 

September  9th,  Thomas  Holbertson,  aged  83  years  ;  diarcast. 

September  11th,  an  infant  4  months  old,  Samuel  Peet's. 
Thomas  Green,  33  years  old ;  typhus  fever. 

September  25th,   Dr.  Hargaer,   30  years  of  age  ;  billions 
fever. 

October  14th,   Abigail  O.    Banks,  aged    59  years;  typhus 
fever. 

October  21st,  Frances  Matilda  Benjamin,  aged  16  months. 

October   24th,    Ebenezer   Sherman,    aged    70   years ;    apo- 
plectic fit. 

December  15th,  Henry  Burr,  aged  32  years ;  typhus  fever. 

December  27th,  Ann  Bradley,  aged  84  years. 

1823. 

January  19th,  Elizabeth  T.  Seeley,  39  years  ;  typhus  fever. 

February  15th,  Sarah  Sturges,  aged  45  years  ;  consumption. 

March  24th,  Munson  Turney,  aged  12  years  ;  fits. 

May  7th,  Harriot  Lewis  Dimon,  aged  3  years ;  burned,  by 
getting  her  clothes  on  fire. 

June  7th,  Persilla  Beers,  aged  7  years  ;  dropsy  in  the  head. 

July  18th,  William  Robertson,  aged  31  years  ;  consumption. 

September  6th,  Delia  Booth,  aged  17  years,  typhus  fever. 

October   7th,  Mrs.  Epinetus  Curtis,   aged  27  years ;  con- 
sumption. 

October  22nd,  Emeline  French,  aged  3  years  ;  croup. 

October  23rd,  Joseph  Nichols,  aged  42  years  ;  consumption. 

October  29th,  Henry  Nichols  Clark,  aged  15  years,  typhus 
fever. 

October    14th,    Theodosius    Allen,    3   months    old ;    con- 
sumption. 

November   6th,   Sophia   Augusta  Tisdale,  14  months  old; 
consumption. 

December  6th,  Epinetus  Curtis,  38  years  old  ;  typhus  fever. 


246  APPENDIX    I. 

December  18th,  Ephriam  Robbins,  aged  84  years  old ;  apo- 
plectic fit. 

December  19th,  Hannah  Brooks,  aged  41  years ;  pulmonic 
complaint. 

December  22,  Benand  French,  aged  85  years  ;  old  age. 

December  26th,  Ansel  Trubee,  aged  78  years  ;  apoplectic  fit. 

1824. 

April  1st,  Salina  Tredwell,  aged  28  years  old ;  suicide 
melancholy. 

May  11th,  Mahitable,  Beers,  aged  71  years. 

July  4th,  Benjamin  Sherwood,  aged  64  ;  drowned  in  a  well. 

August  31st,  Sarah  Nichols,  aged  82  years  ;  old  age. 

September  16th,  Mabel  Hopkins,  aged  53  years  ;  suddenly. 

September  20th,  Mary  D.  Beers ;  aged  14  years ;  con- 
sumption.    John  Robertson  Sherwood,  infant. 

October  12th,  Francis  Edgar  Warden,  4  years  old. 

October  10th,  Betsey  Bulkley,  aged  74  years. 


APPENDIX    I.  247 


APPENDIX  I. 


A  LIST  OF  THE  BANS  OF  MARRIAGE. 

1785. 
November  24th,  Barack  Taylor  to  Abigail  Jackson;  William 
Peet  to  Jemimiab  Darrow;  John  Porter  to  Lucy  Whelar. 

1787. 
January  1st,  Lyman  Meeker  to  Rebecca  Tayloi'. 
February  26th,  Ebenezer  Mills,  Jr.,  to  Lois  Bates. 
July  23rd,  Calvin  Whelar,  Jr.,  to  Hannah  Banns;    Daniel 
Coley  to  Olive  Cable. 

November  22ncl,  Philemon  Sherwood  to  Hepsebah  Burr. 
December  17th,  Samuel  Sanford  to  Rheuamah  Wheeler. 

1788. 
January  28th,  Robert  Lyon  to  Rebecca  Hubble. 
March  4th,  John  Lester  to  Arner  Shelton. 
September  11th,  Samuel  Peutield  to  Hannah  Hoyt. 
September  20th,  John  Perry  to  Lois  Whelar. 
October  1st,  Job  Perry  to  Sarah  Sturges. 

1789. 
September  20th,  David  Bears  to  Mary  Grey. 
November  1st,  David  Barlow  to  Lucy  Sherwood. 

1790. 
June  6tb,  Thadeus  Gilbert  to  Huldah  Whelar;  John  Jack- 
son, Jr.,  to  Jemimah  Seely. 

November  14th,  Rev.  Abraham  L.  Clarke  to  Sally  Nichols. 


248  APPENDIX    I. 

1791. 
January  23rd,  Daniel  Lyou  to  Mable  Grey. 
February  6th,  John  Samuel  Cannon  to  Hannah  Nichols. 
March  31st,  Stephen  Whelar  to  Persena  Hendrive. 
October  2nd,  Ebenezer  Wakeley  Bulkley  to  Hannah  Davis. 
November  7th,  George  Hoyt  to  Deborah  Sturges. 
November  24th,  Stephen  Lyon  to  Clocy  Jackson. 

1792. 
January  25th,  Jacob  Grey  to  Susan  Thorp. 
May  24th,  Ebenezer  Gould  to  Eleanor  Whelar. 
September  2nd,  Ephriam  Bobbins  to  Grace  Whitney. 

1794. 
January  27th,  Asa  Chambers  to  Elizabeth  Clayford. 
May  3rd,  Samuel  Dimon  to  Sarah  Sherwood. 
August  4th,  Lyman  Whitney  to  Mable  Whelar. 

1795. 
February  21st,  David  Nichols  to  Eunice  Gilbert. 
April  1st,  Samuel  Stephens  to  Anna  Polly  Creha  Gillet. 
April  9th,  Jesse  Dimon  to  Bethiah  Marquand. 
October  13th,  Ebenezer  Booth  to  Comfort  Smith. 
November  15th,  Thomas  Holbertson  to  Bathshebah  Peet. 
December  24th,  Peter  Underbill  to  Adria  Allen. 

1796. 
February  14th,  Andrew  Winton  Thorp  to  Susannah  Thorp. 
March  27th,  Ezra  Knap  to  Eunice  Trubee. 
April  18th,  Amos  Burr  to  Abby  Shelton. 
July  2nd,  William  Parrott  to  Ruth  Allen. 
July  3rd,  Baley  Foot  to  Jerusiah  Glover. 
October  24th,  Ephriam  Whelar  Sherman  to  Anna  Burritt. 
November  6th,  Joel  Goodsel  to  Polly  Kirtland, 

1797. 
March  5th,  Stephen  Summers  to  Betsey  Young. 
March  16th,  James  Fairweather  to  Mercy  Burritt. 
April  9th,  Gersham  Bulkley  to  Hannah  Piatt. 
April  29th,  Seth  Wakeman  to  Sarah  Bennett. 


APPENDIX    I. 


249 


July  9th,  John  Patchen  to  Esther  Bulkley. 
August  19th,  Lazarus  Beach  to  Polly  Hall. 
September  10th,  Jacob  White  to  Polly  Burr. 
October  15th,  Zalmon  Pullen  to  Molly  Olmstead. 
November  16th,  Nathaniel  Eils  to  Hannah  Penfield. 
December  17th,  Thomas  L.  Colyer  to  Catherine  Hawley. 
December  31st,  Augustus  Pulling  to  Molly  Williams. 

1798. 
January  7th,  Daniel  Manrow  to  Eunice  Downing. 
January  11th,  Thomas  L.  Colyer  to  Sarah  Holms. 
April  lOtb,  Enoch  Sanford  to  Lucy  Chancey. 
April   19th,   Samuel  French  to  Fanny  Holbertson;  David 
Mynott  to  Sarah  Smith. 

July  5th,  Frederick  Walthar  to  Charity  French. 
August  12th,  Samuel  Stui-ges  to  Sarah  Sherwood. 
September  30th,  William  Allen  to  Polly  Nichols. 
October  18th,  Isaac  Seeley  to  Sarah  Nichols. 
October  28th,  Isaac  Tomlinson  to  Polly  Ann  Curtiss. 
November  1st,  William  Cable  to  Polly  French. 
December  29th,  SterHng  Sherman  to  Anna  Kirtland. 

1799. 
January  9th,  Beach  Tomlinson  to  Anna  Hard. 
February  17th,  Abel  Bradley  to  Sybel  Wheeler. 
June  2nd,  Ezra  Porter  to  Lucy  Beach. 
June  16th,  Jabez  Lockwood  to  Mary  Sanford. 
September  21st,  James  Lee  worthy,  to  Betsey  Whitting. 
December  21st,  Joseph  Thompson  to  Peninah  Seeley. 

1800. 
January  12tb,  Obediah  Piatt  to  Elizabeth  Hawley. 
March  16th,  Noah  Grey  to  Rebecca  Nichols. 
April  20th,  Elijah  Beardsley  to  Johanna  Lyon. 
November  6th,  Eliphalet  W.  Thorp  to  Abigail  Dimon. 
November  22nd,  Eleazer  Edgerton  to  Patience  Wheeler. 

1801. 
January  25th,  Samuel  Hawley  to  Pheobe  Burritt. 


250  APPENDIX    I. 

September  23rd  James  Sellers  to  Lucy  Ann  Sanford. 
November  25th,  Levi  Summers  to  Molly  Sherman. 

1802. 
January  1st,  William  Goodsel  to  Prudence  Nichols. 
February  17th,  John  French  to  Polly  Wheelar. 
April  11th,  Jonathan  Bak^r  to  Elizabeth  Culver. 
April  21st,  Israel  Blackman  to  Polly  Vaughan. 
May  27th,  Abijah  Wakeman  to  Polly  Bulkley. 
June  6th,  George  Miller  to  Abigail  Wheelar. 
October  20th,  Samuel  Cable,  Jr.,  to  Mary  French. 
October  21st,  Elihu  Johnson  to  Polly  Sealey. 
November  9th,  William  Con.  to  Betsey  Thorp. 
November  9th,  Stephen  Osborn  to  Rachel  Bulkley. 
December  6th,  Levi  Hubble  to  Susan  Alleu. 

1803. 
September  8th,  John  Maltbey  to  Rachel  Mason. 
December  4th,  Abel  Nichols  to  Courance  Glover. 

1804. 
January  4th,  Nathan  Burr  to  Sally  Burr. 
January  8th,  Hill  Meeker  to  Charity  Sherwood. 
February  12th,  Joseph  S.  Edwards  to  Elizabeth  Burroughs, 
March  6th,  Nathan  Perry  to  Sally  French. 
March  8th,  Daniel  Fairweather  to  Betsey  Smith. 
April  10th,  Rev.  Henry  Whitlock  to  Eulalia  Bartram. 
April  26th,  Abijah  Shelton  to  Lydia  Kirtland. 
May  1st,  Silas  Shelton  to  Hannah  Burritt. 
September  30th,  Richard  Fernan  to  Sally  Wakeman. 
November  4th,  Daniel  Bryant  Glover  to  Eunice  Wilson. 
December  30th,  William  French  to  Elizabeth  Crofut. 

1805. 
March  7th,  John  Vaughan  to  Betsey  Burr. 
March  17th,  Isaac  Perry  to  Prissilla  Grey. 
April  17th,  David  Osborn  to  Rebecca  Stnrges. 
April  28th,  Samuel  Kirtland  to  Hai'riet  Bostwick. 
July  25th,  Hezekiah  Bradley  to  Ann  Sherwood. 


APPENDIX    I.  251 

October  3rd,  Samuel  Porter  to  Eleanor  Sherman. 
October  6tb,  Jemme  Jaynes  to  Catherine  Comestock. 
October  13th,  Samuel  Wakeman  to  Druscilla  Nichols. 
October  19th,  Ira  Peck  to  Sally  Kirtland. 
October  27th,  Ezra  Hawley  to  Charity  Burr. 
November  27th,  Sellick  Bradley  to  Anna  Burr. 

1806. 
January  5th,  John  Smith  to  Frances  French. 
February  23rd,  Seth  Wakeman  to  Clara  Nichols. 
March  16th,  Elijah  Burritt  to  Sarah  Fairchild. 
March  20th,  David  Trubee  to  Charlotte  Parrot. 
May  1st,  Seth  Couch  to  Sally  Burr. 
September  11th,  Timothy  Ripley  to  Betsey  Hubble. 
September  25th,  Jesse  Banks  to  Jerusha  Sherwood. 
October  26th,  Zalmon  Wakeman  to  Claressa  Nichols. 
November  13th,  Joel  Sherwood  to  Abby  Hall. 
November  25th,  Jabez  Hill  to  Sarah  Nichols. 
November  30th,  David  Curtiss  to  Betsey  Seeley. 

1807. 
February  15th,  James  French  to  Ann  Beardsley. 
September  20th,  Timothy  Baker  to  Lucretia  Burr. 
October  19th,  Moses  Jinnings  to  Sarah  Putnam. 
November  8th,  Joseph  Banks  to  Sally  Sherwood. 
November  19th,  Jeremiah  Sturges  to  Maria  Shelton. 
December  15th,  Gideon  Tomlinsou  to  Sarah  Bradley. 
December  23rd,  Azor  Osburn  to  Sally  Sturges. 
December  24th,  Truman  Plumb  to  Polly  Whitney. 

1808. 
January  3rd,  Joseph  Strong,  Esq.,  to  Comfort  Burr. 
February  17th,  George  K.  Nichols  to  Nancy  Tomlinson  j 
Charles  T.  Nichols  to  Sarah  L.  Tomlinson. 
April  3rd,  Timothy  Banks  to  Eleanor  Ogden. 
June  5th,  Ward  Bulkley  to  Mary  Beers. 
August  7th.  Richard  Hyde  to  Lucy  Hinman. 


252  APPENDIX    I. 

November  29th,  Yale  Hough  to  Polly  Hubble. 
December  2'4th,  Abel  Beers  to  Elizabeth  Whitney. 
December  31,  Abijah  Morgan  to  Charity  Cable. 

1809.  I 

January  5th,  David  Wayland  to  Ann  Sherman. 
February  12th,  Nathan  Seeley  Meeker  to  Polly  Keeler. 
May  3rd,  Charles  Bostwick  to  Catherine  Peet. 
June  4th,  Isaac  Hinman  to  Hannah  Moore ;  Levi  Hugg  to 
Eunice  Sturges. 

November  16th,  Isaac  Jinnings  to  Esther  Wakeman. 
November  29th,  Daniel  B.  Ovitt  to  Mary  Roberts. 
December  10th,  William  Bradley  to  Ellen  Burr. 

1810. 
January  15th,  David  P.  Beers  to  Mary  Beers. 
February  28th,  Lewis  Burr  to  Marietta  Bradley. 
March  18th,  Levs^is  Goodsel  to  Anna  Squire. 
June  17th,  Lewis  Wakeman  to  Ester  O.  Banks. 
August  15th,  Walter   Nichols   to    Charity   Banks ;  Joseph 
Meeker  to  Rhoda  Nichols. 

September  20th,  Benjamin  S.  Smith  to  Betsey  Kirtland. 
December  30th,  Jonathan  L.  Brewster  to  Clarisa  Bradley. 

1811. 
January  15th,  Henderson  Benedict  to  Abigail  B.  Meeker. 
June  16th,  David  Jelliff  to  Polly  Pike. 

October  24th,  Caleb  Beach  to  Maria  Norman.     D.   Lewis 
Nichols  to  Lina  Silliman. 

December  3rd,  Eliada  Baldwin  to  Phebe  Wing. 
December  22nd,  David  Newfirth  to  Lucy  Yorse. 

1812. 
January  5th,  Eli  Denslow  to  Caroline  Evis. 
January  12th,  William  Patch,  to  Lydia  Porter. 
February  25th,  Elijah  Nichols  to  Clara  Banks. 
March  8th,  Joseph  Prince  Shelton  to  Johannah  Smith  Hoyt. 
April  12th,  Medad  Bradley  to  Anne  Curtis. 


APPENDIX    I.  253 

April  27tb,  Joseph  Bulkley  to  Chloe  Hubble. 
May  lltb,  David  Eoberts  to  Ann  Maria  Allen. 
May  27tb,  Isaac  Parrott  to  Sally  Blake. 
September  22nd,  Elihu  Taylor  to  Angelina  Hall. 
October  22nd,  Thomas  C.  Warden  to  Nancy  Sherwood. 
December  18th,  James  Bears  to  Maria  Stui'ges. 
December  31st,  Joseph  Cable  to  Priscilla  Oysterbanks. 

1813. 
February  21st,  Hezekiah  S.  Bradley  to  Amelia  Barr. 
March  31st,  Edward  Blackman  to  Julia  Foot. 
April  18th,  William  Warden  to  Lucy  Mallory. 
August  15th,  Joseph  Perry  to  Abigail  Bears. 
September  19th,  W^illiam  Robertson  to  Jerusia  T.  Osborn. 
October  Ith,  James  Allen  to  Harriet  Hinman. 
October  5th,  Munson  Hinman  to  Priscilla  Mead. 
November  7th,  Edmund  Darrow  to  Eunice  Sherwood. 
November  15th,  David  Taylor  to  Mary  N.  Hubble. 
November  21st,  Alpheus  Brown  to  Elizabeth  Roberts.   . 
December  27th,  Roswell  Wells  to  Marietta  Gould. 

1814. 
January  30th,  Timothy  Pettit  to  Polly  Olde. 
May  9th,  Jesse  Banks  to  Sally  Dimon. 
January  9th,  Rossel  Lewis  to  Fanny  Lord. 
August  4:th,  Joseph  B.  Hall  to  Caroline  Baker. 
November  20th,  Primes  to  Dolly,  people  of  color. 
December  1st,  Stephen  Hawley  to  Temperance  Wheeler. 
December  18tb,  Abraham  Hubble  to  Amelia  Burr. 

1815. 
January  1st,  Anson  Sherman  to  Priscilla  Hoyt. 
March  8th,  George  Smith  to  Betsey  Stratten. 
May  14th,  Samuel  Hill  to  Eunice  Nichols. 
Nay  2l8t,  Justus  Butlor  to  Mary  W^hitmore. 
November  9th,  Samuel  Bradley  Middlebrook  to  Margaret 
1.  Ricker. 
December  21st,  Nichols  Burr  to  Edri  Allen. 


254  APPENDIX    I.  . 

1816. 
January  14th,  Levi  T.  Downs  to  Esther  Bulkley. 
January  16th,  Elijah  Burritt  to  Sarah  McClain. 
January  21st,  Levy  Burr  to  Anna  Darrow. 
February  18th,  Joseph  Brooks  to  Hannah  King. 
February  25th,  Francis  Bulkley  to  Sally  B.  Morehouse. 
March  14th,  Lyman  Hull  to  Sarah  Hill. 
June  16th,  Levi  Perry  to  Elizabeth  Bangs  ;  $3.00. 
September  2nd,  Gersham  Hubble  to  Elmira  Booth ;  $5.00. 
September  25th,  David  B.  Nichols  to  Abigail  Burr ;  $4.00. 
November  30th,  Patrick  Keeler  to  Susan  Holbertson. 
December  22nd,  Ramson  B.  Seeley  to  Polly  Seeley. 
December  24th,  Walter  Bulkley  to  Betsey  Smith. 

1817. 
April  16th,  Ebonezer  Jackley  to  Cloe  Clemance. 
May  8th,  Charles  Sherwood  to  Lois  Burr  ;  $10.00. 
May  29th,  Robert  Wilson  to  Sally  Sherwood ;  $5.00. 
June  26th,  Samuel  Wilmott  to  Polly  Abinatha;  $5.00. 
September  2nd,   Samuel  Sturges  to   Sally  Hoyt ;    $15.00. 
Joseph  Hanford  to  Jane  Fowler. 

1811. 
March  23rd,  Andrew  Bulkley  to  Sarah  Bears ;  $3.00. 
November  26th,  Everet  Ames  to  Abby  Dayton ;  $2.00. 
December,  31st,  Thomas  C.  Bigelow  to  Amelia  Mead  ;  $2.00. 

1818. 
March  3rd,  Joseph  W.  Davis  to  Nabby  Robertson ;  $5.00. 
March  15th,  Benjamin  Bulkley  to  Rebecca  Davis ;  $2.00. 
April  30th,  Hull  Sherwood  to  Caroline  Burr ;  $5.00. 
May  7th,  Jesup  Banks  to  Laura  Sherwood  ;  $5.12^. 
December  7th,   Timothy   William  to  Eleanor   Robertson ; 
$3.00. 

December  23rd,  Jesse  Studwell  to  Paulina  Beers  ;  $2.00. 

1819. 
February    13th,    James    Nelson    to  Sally  Baxter,   at   Cold 
Springs;  $2.00. 


APPENDIX    I.  255 

February  21st,  Joseph  Brothwell  to  Anna  Keeler  ;  $1.60. 
February  24th,  William  H.  Herbert  to  Ezra  Wager  ;  $1.00. 
June  13tb,  Joel  Slater  to  Pamelia  Lord  ;  $3.00. 
September  2nd,  William  Weight  to   Minerva  Peet  ;  $16.00. 
September  19th,  Daniel  Foot  to  Esther  Taylor  ;  $2  00. 
November  15th,  Thomas  Longworth  to  Maria  Peet;  $5.00. 

1820. 
February  15th,  Jesse  Burr  to  Abby  O.  Banks  ;  $1.38. 
March  3rd,  Henry  Morgan  to  Eunice  Gilbert ;  $2.00. 
April  6th,  Woodard  M.  Todd  to  Alvira  Booth  ;  $1.00. 
October  16th,  AVilliam  J.  Lane  to  Pamelia  Hubble  ;  $5.00. 
October  17th,  William  Cannon  to  Sally  Hinman ;  $10.00. 
December  12th,  George  Stephenson  to  Jane  Sterling;  $10.00. 

1821. 

April  8th,  George  W.  Hubble  to  Mary  Ann  Foot ;  $5.00. 
Abel  Hawley  to  Betsey  Nichols  ;  $3.00. 

October   14:th,  Samuel  B.   Ferguson   to   Sarah  H.  PaiTott, 
$B.OO. 

November  29th,  David  S.  Beach  to  Mercia  DeForest ;  $5.00. 

1822. 

May  6th,  William  Sterling  to  Hannah  Hinman  ;  $15.00. 

May  20th,  Francis  P.  Alien  to  Susan  Hubble;  $5.00. 

June  16th,  Joseph  Bradley  to  Polly  Pann  ;  $1.00. 

June  23rd,  Samuel  Jones  to  Charlotte  Peabody ;  $5.00. 

November  4th,  Tei'ah  Benedict  to  Elizabeth  Meriam  Booth  ; 
$2.20. 

November  26th,  Curtis  Wildman  to  Laura  Seeley  ;  $2.00. 

1823. 

Januai'y  12th,  Andrew  Trubee  to  Sarah  Turney;  $3.00. 

January    19th,    Jonathan    Godfrey   to   Elizabeth   Hubble ; 
$3.00. 

March  9th,  Joseph  Mott  to  Griselda  Burr  ;  $2.00. 

April  13th,  Bussel  Green  to  Miranda  Dimon  ;  $5.00. 

June  29th,  Edward  Carus  to  Rebecca  Osbourn  ;  $2.00. 


256  APPENDIX    I. 

September  7th,  Rufus  DeForest  to  Eunice   Turney  ;  $2.00. 
September  14th,  Elias  Hod^e  to  Ruth  Ann  Dascomb;  $3.00. 
September  28th,  Jonathan  Sturges  to  Sarah  Hull ;  $2.00. 
October  19th,  Benjamin   Sherwood   to   Sarah  Ann  Robert- 
son ;  $2.00. 

December  7th,  Hezekiah  Hubble  to  Mary  Turney ;  $2.00. 

1822. 
September  5th,  Asa  B.  Beardsley  to  Flora  Tousey ;  $4.00. 
November  14th,  Charles  Thorp  to  Almira  Beers ;  $5.00. 
December  7th,  John  Clemond  to  PameHa  Coggshill  ;  $1.00. 
December  28th,  Henry  Scott  to  Susan  Hubble ;  $3.00. 


APPENDIX    I. 


257 


APPENDIX  I. 


A  List  of  the  Coxfirmed. 


September  22nd,  1785. 
Josiah  Smith,  Sen., 
Josiah  Smith,  Jr., 
Elijah  Burritt, 
Polly  Burritt, 
Lucy  Shelton, 
Huldah  Vandyke, 
Ezra  Kirtland,  Sen., 
Olive  Kirtland, 
Ezra  Kirtland,  Jr., 
Sarah  Kirtland, 
Zebulon  Kirtland, 
Elizabeth  Kirtland, 
Widow  Clayford, 
Sarah  Hoyt  Sen., 
Hannah  Hoyt, 
Jesse  Brown,  and  his  wife, 
Hannah  Brown, 
Jonathan  Baker,  and  his  ^s' 
Nehemiah  Allen,  and  wife, 
Hannah  Allen,  Sen., 
Hannah  Allen,  Jr., 
Hezekiah  Wheeler, 
Lucy  Whelar, 
Wilson  Whelar, 


Stratfield. 

Amos  Beardsley, 

Samuel  Whelar, 

William  Peet, 

Hepsebah  Burr,  Sen., 

Elijah  Burr, 

John  Burr, 

Huldah  Burr, 

Comfort  Burr, 

Hepsebah  Burr,  Jr., 

Ozias  Burr, 

Sarah  Burr,  Sen., 

Rebecca  Burr, 

Charity  Burr, 

Mi-s.  Anna  Chauncey, 

Mrs.  Squire, 

Capt.  Thomas  Holbertson, 

Tabatha  Wakely, 
ife,  Sarah  Forgue, 

Mrs.  Whitier, 

Reuben  Bears,  and  wife, 

Nathaniel  Perry,  and  wife, 
Eunice, 

John  Perry, 

Joshua  Jinnings, 


258 


APPENDIX    I. 


Hezekiah  Bulkley, 
Stephen  Adams, 
Lemuel  Bangs,  and  wife, 
"Widow  Lacey, 
Widow  Cable, 
James  Knapp,  and  wife, ' 
Comfort  Strong, 
Charity  Cable, 
Anna  Cable, 
Samuel  Cable, 
David  Sherwood, 
Anna  Sherwood, 

September  16th,  1789. 
Ezra  Winton, 
Hezekiah  Meeker, 
Anna  Meeker, 
Samuel  Edwards, 
Jean  Edwards, 
Naomi  Grey, 
John  Holbertson, 
Amos  Burr, 

October  15th,  1791. 
Jerusha  Booth, 
Joseph  Booth, 
Sarah  Booth, 
Kansom  Clarke,  his  wife, 

nephew,  and  niece, 
Sarah  Bangs, 
James  Allen, 
Justus  Allen, 
Adra  Allen, 

October  21st.  1798. 
Lucy  Sheltou, 
Joseph  P.  Shelton, 


Leamon  Sherwood, 
Lucy  Sherwood, 
Samuel  Brinsmaid, 
Peninah  Brinsmaid, 
Dr.  William  Little, 
The  wife  of  Dr.  Quinlan, 
James  French,  and  wife, 
Ruel  Grey, 
Robert  Dascomb, 
Anna  Nichols, 
The  wife  of  Michael  Sealy, 
John  Beardsley. 

Justus  Burr, 
Charles  Nichols, 
Daniel  Burritt, 
Anna  Burritt, 
Rebecca  Whelar, 
Jonathan  Smith, 
Sarah  Smith, 
David  Sherwood,  Jr. 

Jemimah  Peet, 
Hannah  Burritt, 
Comfort  Burritt, 
Comfort  Smith, 
Ozias  Burr,  Jr., 

Smith, 

Grey, 

Grey. 


David  Burr, 
George  Nichols, 


APPENDIX    I. 


259 


Elizabeth  Hoyt, 

Hetty  L.  Clark, 

Phebe  Burritt, 

Isaac  Sealey,  and  his  wife, 

Sarah, 
Peninah  Seeley, 
Polly  Seeley, 
Eliza  Hull, 
Sarah  Hull, 
Susannah  Allen, 

October  18th,  1798.     At  Fairfield 


Ann  Baker. 
Ellice  Lynus, 
Mary  Lynus, 
Lucy  Beach, 
Anna  Kirtland, 
Charity  Hinman, 
Lucy  Sanford, 
Sally  Sylick, 
Huldah  Dascomb. 


Isaac  Marquand,  and  his 

wife,  Mable, 
Seth  Sturges,  Jr.,  and  his 

wife, 
Sally  Burroughs, 
Hill  Meeker, 
•Clarry  Meeker, 
Widow  Bulkley,  and  her 

daughter, 
Sally  Bulkley, 
Jane  Bulkley, 
Eachel  Bulkley, 
William  Bulkley, 

May  29th,  1803. 
.Sally  Whetmore, 
Maria  Shelton, 
Sally  Burr, 
Phebe  Lewis, 
Elizabeth  Smith, 
Catherine  Peet, 
Maria  Burroughs, 

August  5th,  1804. 
Josiah  Bulkley, 
Francis  Bulkley, 


Lovel  Bulkley,  and  his 

brother  Peter, 
Betsey  Albert, 
Polly  Bulkley, 
Sally  Trubee, 
David  Trubee, 
David  Jinnings, 
William  Pike,  and  his  wife, 
Ephriam  Bobbins, 
Aaron  Beers, 
AVidow  Robertson, 
A  sister  of  Reuben  Bears. 


At  Bridgeport. 

Maria  Peet, 
Lydia  Kirtland, 
Sally  Kirtland, 
Polly  Roberts, 
Sarah  Fairchild, 
Polly  Burr, 
Sally  Mason. 
At  Fairfield. 

Esther  Bulkley, 
Lucy  Hinman, 


260 


APPENDIX    I. 


Susannah  Smith, 
Rebecca  Sturges, 
Betsey  Whitney, 
Priscilla  Beers, 
Abigail  Bears, 
Polly  Bears, 

September  29th. 


Nabby  Robertson, 
Eunice  Robertson, 
Abby  Hall, 
Ruth  Bulkley, 
Eunice  Sturges, 
Polly  Pikes. 

At  "Weston. 


Robert  Downs,  and  his  wife, 
Dr. Beard,  Reading, 

30th,     1808 


Gilbert,  Reading, 


August 
Bishop  Jarvis. 
Samuel  Sturges,  and  wife. 
Sturges  Nichols, 
The  wife  of  Joseph  Perry, 

and  son, 
Joseph  and  Samuel  Perry, 
Betsey  and  Anna  Beers, 

daughters  of  Joseph  Beers, 
Abel  and  Polly  Beers, 
Nathan  Beers, 
Maria  Sturges, 
Betsey  Sprague, 
Daughter  of  Elnathan  Smith, 
Mary  Sturges, 
Walter  Sherwood,  and  wife, 
Joseph  Banks,  and  wife, 
Reuben  Sherwood  Jr., 
Abby  Sherwood, 
Hull  Sherwood, 


Anna  Burr. 
Fairfield.     Persons    confirmed    by 


Wife  of  Alexander  Nichols, 

John  Patchen, 

William  Wheeler, 

The  wife  of  James  Redfield, 

Samuel  Nichols, 

Charlotte  Bulkley, 

W^ife  of  Benjamin  Darrow, 

Wife  of  Thomas  Smith, 

William  and  sister,  Mathea 

Bulkley, 
Widow  Bangs, 
The  wife  of  Joseph  Perry, 
Charlotte  Pike, 
Moses  Jinnings, 
John  Robertson, 
Jeremiah  Sturges, 
Anna  Redfield, 
Mary  Sturges, 


Benjamin  Sherwood,  and  wife,  Morehouse  Bulkley,  and  wife, 

and  daughter  Eunice,  Samuel  Bears. 

Bridgeport,  September  18th,  1807. 
Philo  N.  Sheltou,  Ann  Sherwood, 

Henrietta  Shelton,  Charles  Sherwood, 


APPENDIX    I. 


261 


David  Curtis, 

Lucy  Bradle3', 

Nehemiah  Allen, 

Samuel  Brinsmaid  Allen, 

James  Allen, 

Ruth  Parrott, 

Phebe  Wing, 

Ann  Maria  Allen, 

Emmy  Bears, 

Maria  Bears, 

Esther  Bliss, 

Wife  of  William  Robertson. 


Elizabeth  Burr, 
Vinea  Wheeler, 
Edmund  Darrow, 
Richard  Hyde, 
Harriot  Hinman, 
Amelia  Dickerson, 
Ann  Lyuus, 
Nathaniel  Lynus, 
Hai-riot  Kirtland, 
Lucy  Mallory, 
Sally  Hoyt, 
Margaret  Young, 
Rachel  Maltbee, 

November  17th,  1811. 
Juila  AVheeler,  wife  of 

Samuel  Wheeler, 
Eliza  and  Temperance 

Wheeler, 
Lydia  Porter, 

September  22nd,  1809.     Weston.     Confirmed  this  day  by 
the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Jarvis,  the  following  persons : 
The  wife  of  Gould  Bradley,       Samuel  Wakeman, 
Joseph  Winton,  Esther  Wakeman, 

Charles  Winton,  Gould  Nichols, 

Sarah  Winton,  Dr.  Uriah  Parrock, 

Robert  Mills,  Nathan  Jackson, 

Mrs.  Jane  Oakley,  Turney  Foot, 

Widow  Robertson,  Ruamia  Nichols, 

Lyman  Wakeman,  Esther  Oysterbanks. 

August  12tb,  1817.     Fairfield.     Persons  confirmed  by  the 
Right  Rev.  Bishop  Hobart : 
Thankful  Sturges,  Eunice  Beers, 

Ellen  Sherwood,  Paulina  Beex's, 

Priscilla  Bobbins,  Eunice  Bulkley, 


Mrs.  Mallory, 
Polly  Goodsel, 
Henry  Shelton, 
Eunice  Young, 
Sally  Parrott. 


262 


APPENDIX    I. 


Elizabeth  Hubble, 

Stephen  Osbourn,  Jr., 

Abel  Ogden,  and  wife,  Betsej', 

Louisa  Robertson, 

Mi's.  Moses  Jinnings, 

Eliza  Bangs, 

Polly  Bulkley, 

Chasideck  Kinner, 

Nan.  Persons, 

Moi-ris  Sturges, 

Mrs.  Sheffield, 

Noah  Pike, 


Julia  Pike, 
Sally  Darrow, 
Mehitable  Beers, 
Sturges  Ogden, 
Parmela  Bobbins, 
Albert  Lockwood, 
Charity  Lockwood, 
Lydia  Wood, 
Minerva  Peet, 
Mrs.  Nathaniel  Jinnings, 

Jones, 

Lyman. 


Bridgeport,  November  17th,  1811. 

Mary  Hoyt,  Sophia  Hoyt, 

Priscilla  Hoyt,  Sarah  Nichols,  wife  of 

George  Peet,  Charles  N., 

Isaac  and  Rebecca  Burroughs,  Maria  Nichols, 

Polly,  wife  of  Jonah  Prindle,  Clarissa  Lynus. 
Harvey  Page,  and  his  wife. 


February  18th,  1816,  in 

Jonathan  Mallory, 
Caroline  Burr, 
Lois  Burr, 
Philo  Burr, 
Jesse  Scovil, 
Laura  Sherwood, 
William  Patch, 
Betsey  Smith, 
Mrs.  Blake, 
Capt.  David  Mynott, 
James  Mynott, 
Isaac  Hinman, 
Hannah  Hinman, 


Bridgeport. 

Sally  Hinman, 

Sally  Burr, 

Wheeler  Sherman, 

Maria  Sherman, 

James  Weeks, 

Phebe  Weeks, 

Matilda  Wheeler, 

Lieut  Munson  Hitchcock^ 

James  Beers, 

William  Sherwood, 

Henry  Peet, 

Julia  Ann  Wheeler, 

Curtis  Blakeman, 


APPENDIX    I. 


263 


Lavinia  Blaketnan, 
Laura  Hubble, 
Parmela  Hubble, 
Esthei*  Woolsey, 
Allen  Parrott, 
Mary  Auu  Parrott, 
Priscilla  Hinman, 
Charles  Foot, 
Philips  P.  Porter, 
Calden  Clarke, 
Alouzo  Cable, 


Mrs.  Clark, 
Prudence  Goodsel, 
Hannah  Allen, 
Edria  Burr, 
Mrs.  Keeler. 
Maria  French, 
Catherine  Middlebrook, 
Sally  McLane, 
John  French, 
Polly  French, 
Harriot  French. 


Rossel  Cable, 

December    5th,    1819.     Bridgeport.     Confirmed     by     the 
Right  Kev.  Bishop  Brownell. 


Margaret  Shelton, 
John  Burr, 
Rebecca  Burr, 
Sally  Sherwood, 
Mr.  Sample, 
Mrs.  Sample, 
Bradley  Middlebrook, 
Mary  Middlebrook, 
Maria  Washbourn, 
David  Minott, 
David  Roberts, 
Benjamin  Brooks, 
Harriot  Brooks, 


Wife  of  Capt.  L.  Hitchcock, 
Shelden  Smith,  and  his  wife, 
George  Smith,  and  wife 

Betsey, 
Susannah  Servil, 
Sophia  Crittenton, 
Mrs.  Gorum, 
Philip  Cannon, 
Henry  Allen, 
Minerva  Booth, 
Mrs.  Samuel  Stratten, 
Daniel  Clifford, 
Mrs.  George  Cook. 


Betsey  Porter, 

September   28th,    1820.     Fairfield   Church 
firmed  by  Bishop  Bi'ownell. 
Matilda  Jarvis, 
Almira  Beers, 
Abigail  Jane  Ogden, 
Abigail  Jane  Mills, 


Persons    con- 


Mary  Osbouru, 
Mary  Smith, 
Catherine  Bulkley, 
Harriot  Hubble, 


264 


APPENDIX    I. 


Sally  Ann  Jennings, 
Sarah  Ann  Robei'tson, 
Hetty  Jane  Osboru, 
Julia  Ann  Meeker, 
Catherine  Kennedy, 
Priscilla  Bulkley, 

June  29th,  1823. 
Azor  Osbourn, 
Joel  Burr  Bulkley, 
Oren  Nichols, 
Morris  Sturges, 
Samuel  Sturges,  Jr., 
Benjamin  Sherwood,  Jr., 
Judson  Nichols, 

July  7th,  1824. 
Stephen  Beers,  and  his  wife, 
Capt.  David  Sturges,  and 

his  daughter. 

May  21st,  1821. 
port  Church. 
Ebenezer  Allen, 
Elizabeth  F.  Seeley, 
Olive  Kirtland, 
Eliza  Booth, 
Ruth  Peabody, 

April  28th,  1822. 
John  Chatterton, 
Bathsheb  Holbertson, 
Elliot  Morris. 
William  B.  Thomas,  and  his 

wife, 
William  Peabody, 
William  Peabody,  Jr., 


Mrs.  Cloey  Bulkley, 
Mrs.  Sally  Beers, 
Samuel  Hubble, 
George  Augustus  Shelton, 
Charles  Downs, 
Alanson  Osborn. 

Frederick  Burr, 
Susan  Nichols, 
Elizabeth  Bulkley, 
Eliza  Osbourn, 
Ellen  Williams, 
Julian  Meeker, 
Sally  Bears. 

Mrs.  Francis  Bulkley, 
Mary  Perry  Beers. 


Confirmed  by  Bishop  Brownell,  Bridge- 
Lucy  Peabody, 
Emeline  Sherman, 
Matilda  Hubble, 
Cornelia  Clark, 
Eliza  Humphrey. 


Maria  Peabody, 
Susan  Fairweather, 
Miranda  Booth, 
Taylor  Nichols, 
Sarah  Piersons, 
Emeline  Clifford, 
Mary  Burritt. 


APPENDIX    I. 


265 


October  16th,  1785. 
Ezra  Kirtland  Sen., 
Tabatha  Wakely, 
Ozias  and  Sarah  Burr, 
Sarah  Hoyt,  Sen., 
Hannah  Hoyt, 
Nehemiah  Allen,  and  wife, 
Lucy  Shelton,  Sen., 
Elijah  Burritt, 
Louisa  Edwards, 

1786. 
Kichard  Nichols, 
AVilliam  Peet, 

1787. 

The  wife  of  Thomas  Quinlan 

1788. 

Dr.  Thomas  Quinlan. 
October,  1789. 
Oharles  Nichols, 


Ann  Sherwood, 

Samuel  Brinsmaid,  and  wife, 

Peninah, 
William  Little  Dart, 
John  Beardslej^ 
Widow  Cable, 
The  wife  of  James  Knapp, 
Lucy  Sherwood, 
Wife  of  Captain  Barlow. 

Paulina  Burritt. 


November. 
Amos  Burr, 
Abby  Burr, 

February,  1790. 
Comfort  Strong, 

April  4th. 
Philemon  Sherwood, 

1792. 
Hepsabeth  Sherwood, 

1794. 
Lucy  Smith, 

Robert  Dascomb  and  wife, 
Charity  Hinman, 


Daniel  Burritt, 


Justus  Burr. 


Jemimah  Peet. 
Hepsabeth  Burr,  widow. 
Jane  Edwards. 

Edra  Allen, 
Sarah  Whetmore, 
George  Nichols. 


266 


APPENDIX    I. 


1800. 


Lucy  Shelton. 


1806. 
Joseph  T.  Shelton, 

1807. 
Hannah  Allen, 
Amy  Beers, 
Betsey  Khtland, 
Ruth  Parrott, 
Hannah  Cannon, 
Sally  Burr, 
Betsey  Burr, 
Ozias  Burr,  Jr., 

In  Fairfield. 
Stephen  Adams, 
Sarah  Forgue, 
Jonathan  Bulkley,  dead, 
Mrs.  Whitier, 
Widow  Redfield, 
Mrs.  Bears, 

Daniel  Meeker,  and  wife, 
Peter  Bulkley,  and  wife, 
Joshua  Jinnings,  and  wife, 
Widow  Wheelar, 
Mrs.  Squire, 
Mrs.  Chancy, 
Mrs.  Bulkley,  widow, 

July  18th,  1879. 
Daniel  Whelar, 


Maria  Shelton. 

Isaac  Hinman, 
Lucy  Hinman,  now  Hyde, 
Eunice  Young, 
Margaret  Young, 
Catherine  Nichols, 
Comfort  Burritt, 
Sarah  Burritt, 
Abby  Burr. 

Andrew  Bulkley's  wife, 

Hezekiah  Bulkley, 

Ruben  Bears, 

Eunice  Perry, 

Abigail  Sturges,  now  Nichols^ 

Nathaniel  Perry's  wife,  dead, 

Widow  Barlow, 

The  wife  of  Ezra  Whelar, 

Mrs.  Spaldwin, 

Hezekiah  Bulkley,  Jr., 

Wife  of  David  Oysterbanks, 

Ruel  Thorp,  and  wife. 


Robert  Scudder. 


September  5th. 

The  wife  of  Robert  Scudder. 

September  26th. 

Abigail  Spaldwin,  dead. 


APPENDIX    I. 


267 


Widow  Bulkley,  at  Mill  Kiver, 


October  29tb,  1790. 
Peter  Whitney,  and  wife, 

November,  1791. 

John  Perry,  and  his  wife,  Lois,  moved  away. 

March  4th,  1792. 

The  wife  of  Elnathan  Smith. 

September,  1793. 
The  wife  of  Daniel  Whelar, 
Piatt  Bennett,  and  his  wife, 

moved  away, 

1795. 
The  wife  of  Nathaniel 

Penfield,  moved, 
Bethiah  Marquand,  left  the 

Church, 
Elnathan  Smith, 

October,  1785.     North  Fairfield  Communicants 


Eliphalet  Hill, 
Thomas  Tredwel], 
Ebenezer  Nichols, 

Nathaniel  Perry, 
Aaron  Bears, 
The  wife  of  Jesup  Perry, 
Mrs.  Pike. 


Jonathan  Coley,  and  wife. 

Widow  Downs, 

The  wife  of  Jonathan  Bradley 

Mrs.  Piatt,  (  Jarvis  Piatt ), 

Seth  Gilbert  aud  wife, 

Mrs.  Foot, 

Mrs.  Mills, 

Mrs.  Burr, 

Calvin  Whelar,  and  wife, 

June,  1786. 
Samuel  Lord,  and  his  w 

Samuel  Lord  dead, 
Thaddeus  Bennett,  and  his  wife, 

May  1787. 


Arden  Jackson,  and  wife, 
The  wife  of  John  Jackson, 
Ephriam  Fairchild, 
William  Prince,  and  wife, 
Daniel  Morehouse,  and  wife, 

Mrs.  Morehouse  dead, 
The  wife  of  Joseph  Morehouse^ 
Joseph  Gilbert,  and  wife. 
Jack,  servant  to  Esq.  Andrew. 


The  wife  of  Stephen  Gilbert. 
The  wife  of  Hezekiah  Thorp, 


Moses  Burr, 
Lyon, 


Ebenezer  Lyon,  and  wife. 


268 


APPENDIX    I. 


1793. 
John  Fanten, 

Thaddeus  Gilbert,  and  wife, 
Piatt  Bennett,  and  wife, 
Sarah  Bennett, 

1794. 
Hannah  Bulkley,  dead, 
John  Cadwell, 
Calvin  Whelar  Jr.,  and  wife, 
Augustus  Lyon,  and  wife, 

Methodist, 
Isaac  Lyon's  wife, 
Wife  of  Daniel  Lyon, 
Hezekiah  Osbourn,  and  wife, 
The  wife  of  Robert  Mills, 
Eunice  Gilbert, 
Robert  Downs,  and  wife, 

1811. 
Mrs.  Nichols,  wife  of  Stiles 

Nichols, 
Anna  French,  wife  of  J. 

French, 
Mrs.  Allen,  wife  of  Eben  Allen, 
Lucy  Barlow, 
Mrs.  Tisdale, 

1812. 
Lucy  Mallory,  now  Warden, 
Mrs.  King,  now  Brooks, 
Fanny  Brooks, 

1813. 
Wheeler  Sherman, 
Sally  Mason, 
Mrs.  Botsford, 


Thomas  Tredwell, 
Ezra  Wenton, 
Isaac  Lyon. 


Mrs.  Cole, 

Mrs.  Keener, 

Gould  Nichols,  and  wife, 

Dr.  Parock, 

Joseph  Win  ton,  and  wife, 

Mrs.  Ezra  Winton, 

The  wife  of  Clark  Gregory, 

Ebenezer  Sherman, 

Timothy  Hubble,  and  wife, 

Zachariah  Hubble. 


Mrs.  Sherwood,  wife  of  S. 

Sherwood, 
Mrs.  Mallory,  wife  of  Jonathan 

Mallory, 
Mrs.  Hubble,  wife  of  Thadeus 

Hubble, 
Lucretia  Hoyt. 

Lucy  Porter,  widow, 
Henrietta  Shelton. 


Mrs.  Prindle, 

Mrs.  Choat, 

Fanny  Lord,  now  Lewis. 


APPENDIX    I.  269 

1815. 

Hai'vey  Page  and  wife,  Mrs.  Humphrey, 

Maria  Roberts,  Mrs.  Foot, 

Julia  Wheeler,  wife  of  Samuel  Anna  Sherman,  wife  of 

AVheeler,  William  Sherman, 

William  Patch,  Mercy  Fairweather, 

Arnold  Hurd,  Phebe,  wife  of  T.  Hawley, 

February,  1816. 

Comfort,  wife  of  J.  Strong,  Mrs.  Betsey  Smith,  wife  of 

Esq.,  S.  Smith, 

David  Myuott,  and  wife,  Sarah,  Prudence,  wife  of  William 

Hannah,  wife  of  Isaac Hinman,  Goodsel, 

Polly  Burr,  Phebe,  wife  of  James  Weeks, 

Maria  Peet,  suspended, 

Mrs.  Blake,  Sarah,  wife  of  Charles  Nichols. 
Mrs.  Clark,  wife  of  J.  Clark, 

June  2nd. 

Stebeus  Smith,  Sarah  Burritt, 

Caroline  Burr,  Lydia  Patch, 

Samuel  Wheeler,  Matildah  Wheeler. 
Jonathan  Mallory, 

Communicants  belonging  to  Fairfield  Church. 

Mrs.  Hannah  Bulkley,  Priscilla  Bears,  now  Osbourn, 

Abby  Bulkley,  Abigal  Bears,  now  Perry, 

Abigail  Whitier,  Compt.  Samuel  Bears,  and 

Mrs.  Andrew  Bulkley,  his  wife  Sarah, 

Mary  Perry,  Samual Bears,  Jr.,  and  his Avife, 

Abigail  Nichols,  W^alter  Sherwood,  and  his  wife, 

Polly  Perry,  wife  of  D.  Perry,  Ruben  Sherwood,  and  his  wife, 

Abel  Ogden,  Sally  Banks, 

Betsey  Ogden,  Josiah  Bulkley, 

Nathaniel  Perry,  Wife  of  Capt.  James  Beaty, 

Eunice  Perry,  Joshua  Jennings,  and  his  wife, 

Mrs.  Bears,  wife  of  Nathan  David  Jennings, 

Bears,  Abraham  Bulkley,  and  his  wife, 


270 


APPENDIX    I. 


Mrs.  Robertson, 

Mrs.  AViUiam  Robertson, 

Maria  Sturges, 

Mrs.  Eunice  Pike, 

Daniel  Meeker,  and  his  wife, 

Hezekiah  Bradley,  and  his  wife, 

Capt.  Goodsel, 

Widow  Bulkley,  the  2nd, 

June  Gth,  1813. 
Jonathan  Bears, 
Jesse  Banks, 

July  1813. 
Hannah  Lewis, 
Mrs.  Samuel  Sturges, 
Mrs.  Ward  Bulkley, 

1816. 
Sarah  Dimon,  widow. 
Abby  Dimon, 
Abby  Sherwood, 
Mrs.  Darrow,  Mill  River, 

Sept.  22nd. 
■Charlotte  Bulkley, 
James  Beers,  • 


Alexander  S.  Nichols,  and  his 

wife, 
Nathaniel  Perry  Bears,  and 

his  wife, 
Aaron  Bears, 
E.  Bobbin's  wife, 
Abel  Bears,  and  wife, 
The  wife  of  Joel  Squire. 

Hull  Sherwood. 


Mrs.  Seth  Sturges, 
Aaron  Jinnings, 
Rebecca  Osbourn. 

Mrs.  Darrow, 

Mrs.  Bangs,  widow,  now  Mrs. 

Perry, 
Joseph  Bulkley,  and  wife  Cloe. 

Maria  Beers. 


August   12th,    1817. 
Fairfield. 

Thankful  Sturges, 
Ellen  Sherwood, 
Priscilla  Bobbins, 
Parmela  Robbins, 
Eunice  Beers, 
Paulina  Beers, 
Eunice  Bulkley, 
Paulina  Beers, 


Confirmed    by    Bishop    Hobart,    in 

Elizabeth  Hubble, 
Stephen  Osbourn,  Jr., 
Abel  Ogden, 
Betsey  Ogden, 
Sturges  Ogden, 
Louisa  Robertson. 
Mrs.  Moses  Jinnings, 
Eliza  Banefs, 


APPENDIX    I. 


271 


Polly  Bulkley, 
Chasideck  Keuner, 
Nathaniel  Pei-sons, 
Mrs.  Sheffield, 
Noah  Pike, 
Julia  Pike, 
Sally  Darrow, 
Mahitable  Beers, 
Albert  Lockwood, 

May  1818. 


Charity  Lockwood, 

Lydia  Wood, 

Minerva  Peet, 

Mrs.  Nathaniel  Jennings, 

Jones, 

Morris  Sturges, 
Henrietta  Bulkley, 
Mrs.  Sheffield. 


Mrs.  Moses  Jennings. 


July  26th. 
The  wife  of  Joseph  Bulkley, 
Joseph  Perry, 
Griswold  Bradley, 

1821. 
Ansel  Trubee,  dead, 
Mrs.  Griswold  Burr, 
Benjamin  Sturges, 
Thankful  Sturges, 
Caroline  Sherwood, 
Abby  Dimon, 
Miranda  Dimon, 
Widow  Sarah  Dimon, 
Eunice  Darrow, 
Sarah  Perry, 
Priscilla  Bobbins, 
The  wife  of  Ward  Bulkley, 
Abby  Sherwood, 
Hannah  Lewis, 
Rebecca  Osbourn, 
•  James  Bears, 

July,  1828. 


Mary  Bradley, 
Julia  Pike. 


Maria  Bears, 

Mrs.  Levi  Perr}^ 

Mrs.  Samuel  Sturges,  dead, 

Mrs.  Darrow,  Mill  Eiver, 

Mrs.  Nathaniel  Jinnings, 

Mrs.  James  Bulkley, 

Mrs.  Aaron  Hubble, 

Mrs.  William  Bulkley, 

Stephen  Osbourn, 

Charlotte  Bulkley, 

Elnathan  Smith,  and  his  wife, 

Mrs.  Thorp, 

Abel  Bears, 

Betsey  Bears, 

Jesse  Banks, 

Abigail  Hollins. 


David  Perry 


272  APPENDIX    I. 

Nov.  2nd, 
Benjamin  Sherwood,  and  wife,    Azor  Osbourn,  and  wife,  Sarah. 
Sarah  Ann, 
December  3rd. 

Mary  Smith,  daughter  to  E.  Smith. 

March. 

Mrs.  Walter  Bulkley. 

April,  1824. 

Stephen  Beers,  and  wife,  Mrs.  Eunice  Sherwood. 

July  11th. 

Ellen  Sherwood. 

August  1st. 

Capt.  AValter  Bulkley. 

July  12th,  1818. 
Ebenezer  Allen,  Edri  Burr,  wife  of  Nichols 

Samuel  Allen,  dead,  Burr. 

April  11th,  1819. 
Capt.  Curtis  Blackman,  and      The  wife  of  Lieut  Hitchcock. 

his  wife,  Lavina  B., 

October  3rd. 

Thomas  Holbertson. 

January  8th,  1820. 
Eunice  Pendleton,  Comfort,  wife  of  Eben  Booth. 

June. 
Eunice  Holbertson,  Jesse  Scovil,  and  wife, 

April  20th,  1821. 
Sophia  Critteuton,  Mrs.  Green,  dead, 

Sally  Parrott,  Miss  Mary  Green, 

Nancy  Humphrey,  William  Shelton. 

Thomas  Green, 

June  17th. 
Olive  Kirtland,  Minerva  Humphrey, 

Mrs.  Euth  Peabody,  Eliza  Humphrey. 

Lucy  Peabody, 


APPENDIX    I. 


273 


September. 

Elizabeth  Seeley,  wife  of  Eben  Seeley. 
December  2nd. 
Charles  Foote,  Mary  Peabody, 

Charlotte  Minott,  Taylor  Nichols, 

Betsey  Smith,  wife  of  George    William  B.  Thomas,  and  his 


Smith, 
William  Peabody, 

January  6th,  1822. 
Martha  Green, 

February  10th. 


wife, 
Ira  Curtis,  and  wife. 

Joseph  Ward. 
John  Chatterton. 

Maria  Sherman. 


April  7th. 
Mary  Middlebrooks, 
Mrs.  Persons, 

May  26th. 
Samuel  B.  Ferguson, 
James  Clifford, 
Naoma  Hubble, 

July  21st. 
Harriot  Kirtland, 
Samuel  Kirtland, 

July  21st,  1822. 
George  A.  Shelton, 

March,  1823. 
Harriot  Allen,  wife  of  J.  Allen,  John  Nash. 

November. 

Catherine  Middlebrook. 

January,  1824. 
Joseph  Brooks,  Margaret  Shelton 


Samuel  Stratton,  and  wife, 
Eliza  Turney. 


Sarah  Burr,  wife  of  J.  Burr. 


Ann  Foote. 


274  APPENDIX   J. 


APPENDIX  J. 


Obituary    Notices    of    the    Rev.    Philo    Shelton,  and    Mrs. 

Lucy  Shelton,  his  Wife,  by  the  Eev.  Dr.  Jarvis, 

1825  A.  D. 

Died  at  his  residence,  on  Sunday,  February  27th,  1825, 
Eev.  Philo  Shelton,  aged  70.  A  numerous  acquaintance 
justly  lament  his  departure.  It  is  seldom  that  any  community 
is  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  more  truly  pious  and 
good  man.  The  history  of  such  a  person  is  diversified  by  few 
incidents  calculated  to  interest  the  general  reader.  He  who 
ministers  in  holy  things,  is  not  called  upon  by  a  bustling 
world,  to  mingle  in  its  contests,  and  contend  for  its  honors. 
It  is  in  the  stillness  of  peaceful  retirement,  amidst  the  poor 
and  afflicted,  and  in  the  solemn  assemblies  of  the  Chvirch, 
that  his  life  is  principally  spent.  The  incidents  which  mark 
the  course  of  such  a  life,  are  of  necessity  few,  that  can  excite 
attention,  except  in  the  minute  observance  of  the  progress  of 
that  religion,  which,  like  the  still  small  voice,  finds  its  way 
silently  to  the  hearts  of  men.  Still,  however,  the  practically 
religious  and  amiable  character  of  this  good  man,  ought  not 
pass  unnoticed  nor  be  forgotten. 

He  was  born  at  Huntington,  May  5th,  1754.  From  his 
youth,  he  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  importance  of 
embracing  the  Christian  religion ;  viewing  this  life  as  the  pro- 
bationary period  of  man's  existence,  and  the  only  time  allotted 
to  him,  in  which  he  may  prepare  for  enjoying  an  eternity  of 
happiness,  the  proper  improvement  of  the  present,  to  ensure 


APPENDIX    J.  275 

the  future  welfare  of  the  soul,  became  to  him  the  subject  of 
the  deepest  iuterest.  Under  these  impressions  he  embraced 
Christianity  in  early  life,  and  came  to  the  Holy  Communion 
as  an  instituted  means  of  grace.  Finding  by  sweet  experience, 
that  the  path  of  virtue  and  religion,  was  the  path  of  peace,  he 
became  anxious  that  others  should  participate  with  him  in 
the  cheering  prospects  of  a  glorious  immortality.  This 
excited  his  desire  to  become  a  dispenser  of  those  Doctrines 
and  Sacraments,  which  were  the  source  of  his  own  consola- 
tions and  hope. 

After  having  finished  the  requisite  studies,  he  entered  Yale 
College  in  1771,  preparative  to  receiving  Holy  Orders,  and 
becoming  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  Peace.  During  his 
residence  at  College,  he  sustained  a  fair  character  and  re- 
spectable standing,  and  graduated  in  1775.  As  the  arduous 
struggle  between  the  then  Colonies  and  Great  Britain,  pre- 
vented him  from  receiving  ordination,  he  became  lay  reader 
in  the  parishes  of  Stratfield,  (now  Bridgeport),  Fairfield  and 
Weston.  In  1785,  upon  the  return  of  Bishop  Seabury  from 
Europe,  clothed  with  Episcopal  authority,  he  entered  the 
the  ministry,  and  was  the  first  person  Episcopally  ordained  in 
the  United  States.  The  vestries  of  the  above  named  parishes 
unanimously  elected  him  their  Rector.  This  appointment  he 
accepted,  and  notwithstanding  repeated  invitations  to  other 
parishes,  much  more  eligible,  and  in  a  pecuniax'y  point  of 
view,  far  more  promising,  he  chose  to  remain  with  his  beloved 
people,  and  although  with  a  small  salary,  he  persevered  in  the 
faithful  discharge  of  his  duties,  gratified  by  daily  observing 
that  his  labors  were  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

Thus  cemented  in  mutual  aifection,  did  this  worthy  pastor 
and  his  people  pass  more  than  thirty  3'ears.  But  the  Parish 
of  Fairfield  having  received  considerable  accessions,  and  that 
of  Bridgeport  having  gi-eally  increased  in  numbers,  he  was 
compelled,  although  reluctantly,  to  discontinue  bis  services  in 
Weston,  to  enable  him  to  supply  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 


276  APPENDIX   J. 

rapidly  increasing  Parish  of  Bridgeport.  This  parish,  at  the 
commencement  of  Mr.  Shelton's  ministry,  was  small,  but 
continued  gradually  to  increase  for  several  years. 

But,  as  the  Borough  of  Bridgeport  increased  in  population, 
and  with  it,  that  part  of  the  congregation,  the  location  of  the 
old  Church  was  found  to  be  quite  inconvenient,  and  it  was 
deemed  expedient  to  erect  a  new  one  in  the  more  dense  part 
of  the  population.  In  this  work,  which  commenced  in  1801, 
Mr.  Shelton  assisted  the  people,  not  only  by  his  counsel,  but 
by  liberal  contributions.  After  the  removal  of  the  Church, 
large  accessions  were  made  to  the  number  of  his  hearers. 
For  more  than  twenty  years,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeiug 
his  labors  blessed  by  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  and  being 
beloved  by  his  children  in  the  Gospel.  Indeed,  few  clergymen 
have  enjoyed  the  happiness  of  being  more  universally  esteemed 
by  their  acquaintances,  or  more  generally  beloved  by  their 
people. 

Although  the  excellencies  of  this  good  man  are  a  theme 
upon  which  I  might  long  dwell  Avith  delight,  my  limits  will 
permit  me  to  go  no  further.  Having  fought  the  good  fight 
and  kept  the  faith,  there  is  a  crown  of  glory  laid  up  for  him, 
which  God,  the  Righteous  Judge,  will  give  him  at  the  last 
day. 

OBITUARY  OF  LUCY  SHELTON,  WIFE  OF  PHILO  SHELTON. 

Died  at  her  residence,  near  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  on 
Friday,  October  19th,  1838,  in  the  78th  year  of  her  age,  Lucy, 
widow  of  the  late  Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  for  40  years  Rector  of  St. 
John's  Church,  in  that  borough.  Her  remains  were  interred 
on  Sunday,  the  21st  of  October,  after  divine  service  and  a 
sermon  from  Psalm  39,  9th  verse,  suitable  to  the  solemn 
occasion,  by  the  Rev.  Gordon  I.  Coit,  the  present  Rector. 
Mr.  Shelton  may  justly  be  called  the  first  fruits  of  the 
American  Episcopate,  for  he  was  the  first  clergyman  ordained 
by  the-tirst  American  Bishop.  Hands  were  laid  upon  him  by 
Bishop  Seabury,  on  August  3rd,  1785,  and  from  that  time  he 


APPENDIX    J.  277 

continued,  until  his  death,  to  exercise  his  holy  functions  in 
one  parish. 

Oq  Api-il  20th,  1781,  he  was  united  to  her,  who  is  the 
subject  of  the  present  notice,  and  by  whom  he  had  a  numerous 
family.  Most  of  her  children  are  now  living,  and  among  them 
two  most  respectable  and  useful  clergymen  of  our  Church. 
The  present  writer,  though  unconnected  by  other  than 
Christian  ties,  was  from  a  child,  intimate  in  the  family,  and 
has  never  witnessed,  in  the  midst  of  peculiar  trials  and 
difficulties,  a  more  lovely  example  of  Christian  meekness  and 
charity.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  a  fact  universally 
known,  that  during  the  period  of  Mr.  Shelton's  ministry,  the 
members  of  our  communion  were  a  feeble,  and  in  Connecticut, 
a  despised  and  persecuted  flock.  Yet  he  and  his  wife,  like 
Zechariah  and  Elizabeth,  "  walked  in  all  the  Commandments 
and  Ordinances  of  the  Lord,  blameless,''  and  so  lived  down  all 
opposition  as  to  command  the  respect  and  love,  even  of  those 
who  were  most  hostile  to  their  principles.  They  blended 
firmness  of  purpose  and  moral  courage,  with  the  most  dove- 
like simplicity  and  gentleness. 

Mrs.  Shelton  took  a  lively  interest  in  all  her  husband's 
concerns.  She  looked  well  to  the  ways  of  her  household,  and 
by  the  strict  performance  of  a  woman's  duties,  lightened  his 
cares  and  promoted  his  influence.  Husband  and  wife  were 
so  blended  together,  that  thej'  seemed  to  have  but  one  will 
and  one  heart.  His  God  was  her  God;  his  Redeemer  was 
her  Redeemer  ;  his  Church  was  her  Church  ;  his  people  were 
her  people.  She  never  stepped  beyond  the  retiring  modesty 
of  her  sex,  but  the  present  writer  has  often  listened  to  her 
conversation  on  Christian  doctrines  and  duties,  uttered  with 
that  sort  of  animation  which  showed  that  her  whole  heart  was 
in  the  matter.  Bright  patterns  of  Christian  virtue!  With 
what  tender  affection  does  memory  look  back  to  past  enjoy- 
ments in  your  peaceful  abode,  and  with  what  ardor  do  faith 
and  hope  look  forward,  to  the  reunion  of  immoi'tality  ! 


278 


APPENDIX    K. 


APPENDIX   K. 


The   Bible   and    Common   Prayer   Book    Society   of    Trinity 
Church,  Southport,  Connecticut. 

constitution  and  membership. 

At  a  meeting  of  a  number  of  gentlemen,  members  of  Trinity 
Episcopal  Church  in  Fairfield,  on  the  first  day  of  January 
1818,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Bible  and  Common  Prayer 
Book  Society,  the  following  was  unanimously  adopted  as  their 
Constitution: 

Article  1st. — This  organization  shall  be  known  and  dis- 
tinguished by  the  name  of  the  Bible  and  Common  Prayer 
Book  Society  of  the  Town  of  Fairfield. 

Article  2nd. — Every  person  who  shall  annually  pay  into  the 
treasury  one  dollar  shall  be  a  member  of  said  Society.  And 
whosoever  shall  pay  at  one  time  the  sum  of  seven  dollars 
shall  be  a  member  for  life. 

Article  3rd. — The  oflScers  of  the  Society  shall  be  chosen, 
annually  and  shall  consist  of  one  president,  one  vice-president, 
a  treasurer,  a  secretary,  and  three  directors,  a  majority  of 
whom  shall  constitute  a  board  to  transact  business.  The 
clergyman  in  charge  of  Trinity  Church,  in  the  Town  of  Fair- 
field, shall  be  the  president  ex-officio,  and  the  treasurer  shall 
give  bonds  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  trust,  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  board,  and  also  make  an  annual  report  to  the 
board  of  the  state  of  the  funds. 


APPENDIX    K.  279 

Article  4:Th. — It  shall  be  the  duty  of  all  the  members  of 
the  board  to  exert  themselves  to  obtain  subscriptions  and 
donations,  and  pay  the  same  into  the  treasury,  and  all  such 
subscriptions  and  donations  shall  be  considered  a  permanent 
fund  and  be  put  to  interest,  and  no  more  than  the  interest 
thereof  shall  be  used  for  the  purposes  of  the  Society  until 
the  funds  amount  to  one  hundred  dollars. 

Article  5th. — With  the  interest  of  the  funds  the  directors 
shall  purchase  Bibles  without  note  or  comment,  and  Common 
Prayer  Books,  and  distribute  them  to  the  needy  under  the 
direction  of  the  board  and  the  latter  shall  make  report  of  their 
doings,  the  state  of  the  funds,  etc.,  to  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  Society. 

Article  6th. — There  shall  be  an  annual  meeting  of  the 
Society  sometime  in  the  month  of  January  at  such  time  and 
place  as  the  president,  or  in  his  absence,  the  secretary  shall 
direct. 

Article  7th. — There  shall  be  a  book  provided  by  the  secre- 
tary in  which  he  shall  record  the  names  of  the  members,  and 
the  several  sums  given  by  them,  also  the  proceedings  of  the 
meetings  and  such  other  matters  as  shall  be  directed  by  the 
board. 

Article  8th. — No  person  shall  receive  any  pecuniary  re- 
ward for  his  services  as  an  ofiBcer  or  agent  of  this  Society. 

Article  9th. — The  foregoing  shall  be  the  Constitution  of 
the  Bible  and  Common  Prayer  Book  Society  of  Trinity  Church 
in  the  Town  of  Fairfield,  and  said  Constitution  shall  not  be 
altered  except  at  an  annual  meeting,  and  by  the  votes  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  present. 

After  the  foregoing  Constitution  was  read  and  adopted  the 
meeting  proceeded  to  the  election  of  officers  for  the  year 
ensuing,  and  the  following  gentlemen  were  appointed  by  a 
unanimous  vote,  viz.: 


280  APPENDIX    K. 

Eev.  Philo  Shelton,  President. 
Mr.  William  Robinson,  Vice-President. 
Mr.  Jesse  Banks,  Secretary. 
Mr.  Jeremiah  Sturges,  Treasurer. 

Mr.   Walter   Sherwood,   Mr.  Joseph    W.    Davis,    Mr.    Abel 
Beers,  directors. 

List  of  Officers  and  Members. 


PRESIDENTS. 

Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  1818-25. 

Rev.  William  Shelton,  D.  D.,  1825-29. 

Rev.  Charles  Smith,  1829-34. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall,  1834-58. 

Rev.  James  E.  Purdy,  1853-58. 

Rev.  Rufns  Emery,  1858-70. 

Rev.  Edward  L.  Wells,  1870-77. 

Rev.  Taliaferro  P.  Caskey,  1877-79. 

Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams,  1879-90. 

Rev.  Edmund  Guilbert,  1891— 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

Mr.  William  Robinson,  1818-26. 

Mr.  Walter  Sherwood,  1826-36. 

Mr.  James  Bulkley,  1836-45. 

Mr.  Abel  Beers,  1845  58. 

Mr.  WilHam  Bulkley,  1858-59. 

Mr.  Abel  Beers,  1859-63. 

Mr.  William  Bulkley,  1863-68. 

Mr.  Abel  Beers,  1868-75. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Godfrey,  Jr.,  1875-83. 

Ml".  Augustus  Jennings,  1883-86. 

Mr.  Franklin  Bulkley,  1886— 


APPENDIX  K. 


281 


LIFE  MEMBERS. 


1818. 

Eev.  Philo  Shelton, 
Jesse  Banks, 
Abel  Beers, 

Grisella  and  Mary  Bradley, 
Stephen  Osborn, 
William  Hobinson, 
Walter  Sherwood, 
Benjamin  Sturpfes, 
Gersham  Sturges, 
Jeremiah  Sturges. 

1827. 
Joseph  Bulkley. 

1829. 
James  Bulkley. 

1831. 

Rev.  Charles  Smith. 

1839. 
Edward  Carew, 
Jonathan  Godfre}', 
George  Robinson, 
Henry  Sturges. 

1840. 
Rev.  Nathaniel  E.  Cornwall. 

1846. 
David  Banks, 
George  Ogden, 
Henry  Perrj'. 

1852. 
Augustus  Jennings. 

1853. 
George  M.  Hawkins. 


1854. 

Rev.  James  S.  Purdy, 
Charles  Bulkley, 
William  Bulkley, 
Isaac  Milbank. 

1862. 
Oliver  Bulkley, 
Jeremiah  Sturges. 

1865. 
John  H.  Sherwood. 

1866. 
Andrew  Bulkley. 

1867. 
Franklin  Bulkley, 
Francis  Jelliff. 

1868. 

(Semi-Centennial  Year.) 
Rt.  Rev.  John  Williams,  D.D. 
Rev.  Rufus  Emery, 
Mrs.  William  Bulkley, 
Mrs.  Andrew  Bulkley, 
Mrs.  Mary  J.  Gallagher. 
Mrs.  Augustus  Jennings, 
Mrs.  Nehemiah  Perry, 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Pomeroy, 
Miss  Josephine  B.  Pomeroy, 
Mrs.  Brooks  Hughes  Wells, 
Mrs.  Edward  H.  Winslow, 
Patrick  GriflSn, 
Henry  Davis, 
Arthur  O.  Jennings, 
James  D.  Jennings, 


282 


APPENDIX    K. 


Benjamin  Pomeroy, 
Justus  Sherwood,  M.  D. 
Jesup  B.  Wakeraan. 

1869. 
Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Morehouse, 
Frederick  Bulkley, 
William  C.  Bulkley, 
William  D.  Gallagher, 
John  Hawkins, 
Howard  N.  Wakeman. 

1870. 
Miss  Elizabeth  D.  Banks. 

1871. 
Kev.  Edward  L.  Wells. 

1878. 
Rev.  Taliaferro  P.  Caskey, 
Sidney  Hawkins, 
Charles  Rockwell. 

1879. 
Charles  F.  Bulkley. 

1881. 
Rev.  Charles  G.  Adams, 


Moses  Bulkley. 

1886. 
Edward  M.  Bulkley, 
Abraham  B.  Stur^es,  M.  D. 

1889. 
E.  Livingston  Wells. 

1890. 
Joseph  Bradley. 

1891. 
Roderick  P.  Curtis. 

1892. 
Rev.  Edmund  Guilbert,  D.  D, 
E.  Cornelius  Sherwood. 

1893. 
Lewis  A.  Curtis, 
Lewis  B.  Curtis. 

1894. 
Oliver  T.  Sherwood. 

1895. 
John  A.  Gorham. 

1898. 


Azor  O.  Hawkins. 
At  the  Semi-Ceutennial  meeting  of  the  Bible  and  Common 
Prayer  Book  Society,  held  in  Trinity  Church,  February  7th  ,^ 
1868,  the  following  report  was  made:  "  The  Society  has  now 
been  in  existence  fifty  years,  and  has  distributed  Bibles  and 
Prayer  Books,  whenever  asked  for,  to  the  needy  of  this 
parish ;  also  to  the  Sunday  school ;  also  to  St.  Paul's  of  Fair- 
field, to  Weston,  to  Easton,  to  Kansas,  to  Michigan,  to  vessels 
of  this  port,  to  war  vessels  of  the  United  States  Government, 
in  all,  fourteen  hundred  and  forty-one  books  of  Common  Prayer, 
eighty-eight  New  Testaments,  and  fifty-one  Bibles,  besides  in 
1835,  purchasing  one  large  Prayer  Book  for  use  of  Trinity 
Church,  and  again  in  1856,  one  large  Bible,  and  three  large 
Prayer  Books  for  the  same  purpose. " 


APPENDIX    K.  283 

It  is  estimated  that  the  Society  up  to  the  present  time, 
1898,  has  distributed,  in  the  aggregate,  nearly  six  thousand 
copies  of  the  Bible,  the  New  Testament,  and  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer.  The  total  amount  of  invested  funds  is 
$561.12,  and  the  present  officers  as  elected  January,  1898,  ai'e  : 

Rev.  Dr.  Edmund  Guilbert,  President,  Ex  officio. 

Franklin  Bulkley,  Vice  President. 

John  H.  Sherwood,  John  Hawkins,  Charles  F.  Bulkley,  E. 
L.  Wells,  Oliver  Bulkley,  E.  C.  Sherwood,  A.  O.  Jennings, 
R.  P.  Curtis,  H.  N.  Wakeman,  Directors. 

A.  B.  Sturges,  Oliver  Bulkley,  Franklin  Bulkley,  Finance 
Committee. 

H.  N.  Wakeman,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

John  Hawkins,  John  H.  Sherwood,  A.  O.  Jennings,  Standing 
Committee. 


INDEX. 

[The   Index  does  not    extend    either  to  the    Notes    ok    the 
Appendices.] 


287 


INDEX. 


Aberdeen,  62 

Acadein\-  Building,  '.)2,  11 S 

Act  of  Toleration,  S 

Adams,  Abraham,  80 

Adams,  Rev.  Chas.  G.,  14.6,  151; 

12th  Rector,  1879-90 
Adams,  Nathan,  10 
Alvord,  Jessup,  96,  97 
Alvord,  Nelson  B.,  97 
American  Episcopate,  61 
American  Clergy,  43 
American  Revolution,  52 
Applegate,  Avis,  36 
Applegate,  John,  .^6 


Baldwin,  Rev.  Ashbel,  (H,  124 
Banks,  Miss   Elizabeth   D.,   112, 

155 
Banks,  Miss  Mary  J..  112,  155 
Banks,  David,  147 
Banks,  Jesse,  76 
Beeman,  Rev.  Allen  E.,  124 
Beardsley,  Samuel,  83 
Belden,  Nathan,  141 
Beers,  Abel,  78,  95,102,103,115 
Beers,  Henry,  96,  97,  102 
Beers,  Ruben,  65,  72 
Benjamin,  Rev.  Wm.  II.,  133 
Betts,  Lyman,  96 
Bible  and  Common  Prayer  Book 

Society  of  Trinity  Parish,  79 
Bishops  in  America,  61 
Bishop,  Rev.  E.  F.  133 
Bostwick.  Rev.  W.  L.,  120 
Book  of  Common  Praj'er,  80 


Booth,  Richard,  82 

Bradley,   Miss   Griselda,   96,  97 

102,  141 
Bradley,    Miss    Marv,     96,     97, 

102,  141 
Bradley,    David,  102 
Brathwaite,  Rev.  F.  W.,  133 
Brewster,  Right  Rev.    Chauncev 

B.,  143 
British  Armv.in  New  Haven  and 

Fairfield,  o3 
Bridge,  Rev.  Mr.,  27 
Bronson,  Rev.  Wm.  White,  120 
Browii,  Rev.  Daniel,  31 
Brown,  Rebecca,  37 
Brownell,  Right  Rev.  Thomas  C, 

87 

Burnet,  Bishoj},  14 

Burr,  Miss  Mary  Frances,  155 

Bui-r,  Col.  John,  83 

Burr,  Moses,  65 

Burr,  Ozias,  65 

Burr.Thadeus,  70 

Burritt,  Elijah,  165 

Burroughs,  Edgar,  113 

Bulkley,  Miss  C,  Malvina,  112 
Miss  Louisa  D..  112 
Miss  Mary  Jane,  112 
Miss   Mary    Josephine, 


Bulklev 
Bulklev 
Bulklev 

112  ' 

Bulkley.  Mrs.  Hattie,  112 
Bulklev,  Abraham,  76 
Bulklev,  Andrew,   96,    97. 

103, 113,  136 
Bulklev,  Charles,  96,    102, 

142' 
Bulklev,  Edwin,  122 


102, 
141, 


288 


Bulklev,  Eleazar,  96 
Bulklev,  George,  96,  113 
Bulklev,  Hezekiah,  59,  96 
BulkleV,  las.  B.,  96,  97 
Bulkley,  loel  B.,  90,  102 
Bulklev,  Jonathan,  96 
Bulklev,  Josiah,  67 
Bulkle>,  L.  H.,  96 
Bulklev,  Lewis  D.,  122 
Bulklev,  Lot,  97,  102,  141 
Bulklev,  Moses,    96,     97,      102, 

103,'ll9,  136 
Bulklev,  Peter,  66 
Bulklev,  Walter,  95,  96 
BulkleV,  Ward,  102 
Bulklev,  William,   96,     97.    102, 

103,'ll9,  136 
Burlington,  N.  J.,  23 


Candor,  Rev.  Mr.,  124 
Caner,  Rev.  Henr3',  39,  43  ; 

1st  Rector,  1727-47 
Canedy,  William,  102 
Cannon,  Philip,  83 
Caskev,  Tahaferro  P.,  142,  145; 

lltli  Rector,  1877-79, 
Chapel,  139 
Charles,  L,  3 
Charles,  H,  7 
Charter,  new,  13 
Chestnut  Ridge,  46 
Choir  in    "Old    Church    on    the 

Hill,"  112 
Clapp,  Rev.  Mr.  124 
Clark,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  L.,  132 
Coit,  Rev.  G.  S.,  120,  123 
Cotton,  John,  21 
Coley,  David,  96 
Cole}',  Jonathan,  66 
CoUyer,  Thomas  L.,  65 
Commencement  at    Yale  College 
Concordate,  64 
Confirmation,  Rite  of,  81 
Cornwall,  Miss  Anna  E.,  Ill 
Cornwall,  Rev.  Asa,  100 
Cornwall.  Rev.      Nathaniel      E., 

108,116;  7th  Rector,  1834-53 
Cushion,  Rev.  Mr.,  21 
Curtis,  Mrs.  Lewis  A.,  155 
Cutler,  Rev.  Timothy,  31,  60 


Davis,  Miss  Cornelia,  113 
Davis,  Miss  Emilv,  113 
Davis.  Hezekiah,  96,  102 
Davis,  Joseph   W..   96,   97,    102, 

103 
Davenport,  John,  2 
Davies,  Right  Rev.  Thos.  F.,  124 
Deshon,  Rev.  G.  H.,  132 
Dimon,  Ehenezer,  96 
Dimon,  W.  D.,  96 
Down,  Levi,  96,  97 
Dudley,  Governor,  20 
Dudley,  Henry,  96 
Dwight,    President   Timothy,  54 

Erasmus,  4 

Elizabeth,  Queen,  4 

Eliot,  Rev.  Mr.,  55 

Emerv,   Rev.   Rufus,    127.    137 ; 

9th"  Rector,  1858-71 
Emery,  Rev.  S.  M.,  132 

Fairfield,  Burning  of,  53 

Fairfield,  Churchmen  in,  9,  10 

First  Church  Edifice,  location,  34; 
dedicated,  34;  proves  to  be  to 
small,  40  ;  replaced  bj'  a  larger 
structure,  41 

First  Southport  Parsonage,  be- 
gun, 104;  sold,  107 

Fifth  Church  Edifice,  location, 
119;  consecrated,  120;  de- 
stroj'ed  bv  tornado,  128 

Fisher,  Rev.'C.  R..  120 

Fourth  Church  Edifice,  originally 
designed  as  a  Chapel  for  the 
mother  Church,  95;  location, 
95  ;  consecrated,  95  ;  contribut- 
ors, 96  ;  popularity,  101  ;  be- 
comes the  Parish  Cluu'ch,  104; 
Christmas  festivities.  111; 
choir,  112;  destroved  bv  fire. 
118 

Furniss,  Jos.  H.,  92 

French,  Rev.  Louis,  120,  132 

O- 
Gallagher,  Mrs.  Mary  J.,  156 
Gordon,  Rev.  Patrick,  20 


INDEX. 


289 


Godfrey.  Tonathan,  96,102,  112, 

115/119,  181,  147 
(iodfrev.  Rev.  Stephen,  102 
Godfrey,  Rev.  J.,  133 
(lOre,  Canon,  15 
Gorhani,  Shubael,  66 
Goodwin,  Rev.  F.J.,  120 
(Graves,  Matthew,  61 
Greenfield  Hill,  54,  69,  101 
(ireenwich,  46 
(iuilbert,  Rev.  Edmund,  1 52, 160 ; 

13th  Rector,  1891— 


Hallam,  Rev.  Dr.,  123 

Hanford,  Mr.,  28 

Hawks,  Rev.  Francis  L.,  95,  96, 

102 
Hawkins,  B.  A.,  96 
Hawkins,  Benj.  B.,  102 
Hawkins,  Benj.  N.,  102 
Hawkins,  Edward,  155 
Heathcote.  Caleb,  24,  25,  26 
Holjart,  Right  Rev.  John  Henry, 

SO,  81 
Hull,  Sarah,  96 
Hail,  John,  97 

T 
Jackson,  Rev.  Prof.,  120 
Jarvis,  Right  Rev.  Abraham,  20, 

71 
Jellifif,  Francis,  113,  149,  153 
Jennings,  Aaron,  96,  102 
Jennings,  Augustus,  119,  147 
Jennings,  David,  37,  76 
Jennings,  James,  97 
Jennings,  Joshua,  96 
Johnson,  Rev.  Samuel,  9,  30,  31, 

34,  60.  79,  131 
Johnson,  Rev.  Geo.  D.,  133 
Johnson,  Rev.  Samuel  Roosevelt, 

118,  120 
Johnson,  Rev.  Wm.  Allen,  125 
Jones,  Rev.  Wm.  Strother,  124 
Judah,  Rev.  Mr.,  83 
Judd,  Rev.  Mr.,  120,  124 

Katlin,  Ezra,  59 

Keith,  Rev.  George,  19,  22,  23 


Kirtland,  Ezra,  65. 
Knapp,  Henr^'  R.,  123 


Laborie,  Dr.  James,  28,  29,  34 
Lac\',  Miss  Phoebe,  145 
Lamson,  Rev.  Joseph,  44,45,  48, 

82 ;  2d  Rector,  1747-74 
Leonard,  Wm.  B.,  122 
Leffingwell,  Rev.  C.  S.,  123,  121 
Lewis,  Rev.  Mr.,  120 
Lines,  Benjamin,  37 
Lockwood,  John,  10 
Lottery,  75,  77 
Lord,  Esther,  17 
Lyon,  Samuel,  10 
Ludlow,  Roger,  2,  7 

Mackenzie,  Rev.  Aeneas,  28 

Mackenzie,  Dougal,  48 

Marcv,  John,  9 

Marshall,  Rev.  Mr.,  50 

Marquand,  Frederick,  100 

Massachtisetts,  Colony  of,  2 

Mason,  Capt.,  2 

Mead,  Rev.  Dr.,  120,  123,  132 

Meeker,  Daniel,  65 

Meeker,  Samuel,  72 

Meeker,  W.  B.,  72 

Methodists,  100 

Mill  River,  91 

Minor,  Richardson,  45 

Muirson,  Rev.  George.  24,  26,  27 

Nash,  Henry,  102,  103 

Newburgh,  137 

New  Canaan,  46 

Newtown,  L.  I.,  55 

Nichols,  Allan,  119,  147 

Nichols,  C.  T.,  97 

Nichols,  Ebenezer,  65 

Nichols,  lohn,  82 

Nichols,  Judson,  102 

Nichols,  Rev.  Geo.  Warner,  124 

Nichols.  Rev.  Samuel,  124 

Norwalk,  42,  46 

Northfield,  42 

Nova  Scotia,  56 


290 


INDEX. 


Ogden,  Abel.  97,  103 
Ogden,  George,  97,  102 
Old  Church  on  the  Hill,  109 
Olmstead,  Rev.  H.,  124 
Onderdonk,  Right  Rev.  B.  T.,95, 

110 
Ordinations,  32,  45,  64,  91,  118, 

143 
Osborn,  Stephen,  96 

Parish  School  of  Trinity  Cluirch, 

139 
Parochiales  Notitiae,  83 
Parliament,  English,  61 
Penfield,  Rachel,  96 
Pequot  Library,  1 
Perry,  Mrs.  Francis  D.,  72,  153 
Perry,  Charles,  96,  97 
Perry,  Francis  D.,  147 
Perrv,  Gordon,  96 
Perry,  Henry,  96,  97,  102 
Perry,  John,  4 
Perry,  Joseph,  96,  102 
Perry,  Nathaniel,  70 
Perrv  Rectorv,  158 
Phillips,  Rev.' Mr.,  27 
Pigot,  Rev.  George,  28,  29,  60 
Pike,  JuHus,  96,  102 
Pitkin,  William,  7 
Pomerov,    Benjamin,   122,   129, 

136,141 
Pomero}',  Benjamin,  2d,  141 
Portland,  81  " 
Potter,  Rev.  C.  I.,  120 
Presbyterian  Ministers,  63 
Purdy,  Rev.  J.  Souveraine,  117, 

126;  8th  Rector,  1853-58 
Purves,  Rev.  J..  120,  124 

Quakers,  20 
Quinnipiack  Harbor,  2 

Redding,  1 

Reid,  Rev.  H.  H.,  123 

Revolution,  American,  52 

Ridgefield,  42,  46 

Ripton,  57 

Robinson,  Miss  Anna,  96 


Robinson,  Miss  Jerusha,  113 
Robinson,  George,  97 
Robinson,  Smith,  97 
Robinson,  Thomas,  91,  97 
Robinson,  William,  78,  96 
Robertson,  Rev.  Mr.,  120 
Rockwell,  Miss  Anna  R.,  157 
Rockwell,  Charles,  122,  147 
Roosevelt,  Marcus  B.,  120 
Rowland,  Thos.  F.,  7 
Rumsev,  Mrs.  Abigail,  46 
Rusself,  Rev.  Mr.,  120 
Rve,  24,  45 

S 
Saltonstall,  Gordon,  21 
Saugatuck,  69 
Sayre,  Rev.  John,  50,  56  ; 

3d  Rector,  1774-79 
Scottish  Episcopate,  62 
Seabury,     Right     Rev.     Samuel, 

elected  Bishop,  62  ;  consecrated, 

62  ;  at  Yale  commencement,  63  ; 

holds  first  Convention   of  the 

Diocese,  64  ;  ordination  of  Rev. 

Philo  Shelton  and  Rev.  Ashbel 

Baldwin,  64 
Second  Church   Edifice,  location, 

40;   described,   41;   burned  bv 

British  troops,  54 
Seeley.  Joseph,  82 
Sharpe,  Rev.  Mr.,  27 
Sheffield.  Joseph  E.,  123 
Shelton,  Mrs.  Philo,  85 
Shelton,  Rev.  Philo,  57,  88;   4th 

Rector,      1785-1825 
Shelton,  Rev.  Geo.  Augustus,  88 
Shelton.  Rev.   William,    88,    93; 

5th   Rector,   1825-29 
Sherman,  R.  M.,  96 
Sherman,  Selleck,  97 
Sherwood,  Miss  Juliette,  120 
Sherwood,  Aaron,  97 
Sherwood,  E.,  96 
Sherwood,  Hull,  71,  86,  90,  96, 
Sherwood,  97,  102,  103,  133 
Sherwood,  John,  58,  59,65,  68 
Sherwood,  Mrs.  John  H.,  155 
Sherwood,  John  H.,  113 
Sherwood,  Judas,  96 
Sherwood,  Justus,    M.    D.,    102, 
120,  145 


INDEX. 


291 


Sherwood,  M.  A.,  96 
Sherwood,  Simon,  96,  97 
Sherwood,  Walter,   76,    86,    90, 

96,  102,  103 
Sherwood,  WilHam,  95,  96,  102, 

103 
Sherwood,  Wm.  S.,  102 
Short,  Mrs.  ConieHa  Aim,  106 
Short,  Rev.  J.  H.,  120,  130,  132 
Slaverv,  in  Connecticut  Colony,  5 
Smith," Rev.  Charles,  9i,  98;  6th 

Rector,  1829-34 
Smith,  George,  103 
Southport,  92,  95,  97,  101,  105, 

116,  124,  143,  154 
Stamford,  46 
Stearns,  Rev.  Mr.,  120 
Stratfield,  59,  65,  82 
Stratford,  26,  27,  28,  29,  33,  45, 

90 
St.  Barnabus  Chapel,  120 
St.  John's   Church,    Bridgeport, 

46,  82 
St.  Paul's  Church,  Buffalo,  92 
St.  Paul's,  Fairfield,  123 
Steinburg,  Elias,  102 
Stiles,  President,  63 
Stimson,  Rev.  Levi,  120, 124, 132 
Sturges,  Mrs.  Jerusha,  48 
Sturges,  Benjamin,  10 
Sturges,  David  B.,  102 
Sturges,  Henry,  97,  147 
Sturges,  Hezekiah,  68 
Sturges,  Jeremitih,  76,78,95,  96, 

97,  102,  103,113,114 
Sturges,  Jonathan,  48,  96 
Sturges,  Joshua,  97 
Sturges,  Samuel,  48 
Sturges,  Seth,  65 
Sturgis,  Rev.  Isaac  C  141 

T 
Talbot,  Rev.  John,  20 
Talbot,  St.  George,  48 
Tashua,  81 

Tennison,  Archbishop,  17 
"The    Old   Church    Bell,"   poem, 

105 
Third   Church   Edifice,   location, 

69 ;     dimensions,     70 ;    conse- 
crated, 72;  description   of,  73; 

demolished,  105 


Thorp,  Charles,  97 

Titharton,  Timothv,  9 

Todd,  Rev.  A.  S..  120 

Tomhnson,  Rev.  D.  G.,  124 

Tomlinson,  Gideon,  76 

Townsend,  Rev.  H.,  124 

Trinity  Church,  34,  36,  38,  41, 
43,  48,  52,  55,  69,  97,  114, 
118,  120,  130,  157,  159 

■V 

Venerable  Societ3'  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Gospel,  organized, 
17;  seal,  18;  missions  in  Con- 
necticut Colony,  25,  27,  34, 
43,  45,  50 

Wakeman,  Mrs.  Zalnion,  155 

Wakeman,  J.  B.,  97 

Wakeman,  Jessup,  96,  102,  103 

Wakeman,  L.  B.,  96 

Wakeman,  Maurice,  97 

Wakeman,  W.  W.,  96 

Ward,  Moses,  10 

Washington  Hall,  120 

W'eston,  59 

Wetmore,  Rev.  Mr.,  45 

Wheeler,  Calvin,  65 

Wheeler,  Daniel,  59 

Wheeler,  Timothy,  83 

Whitefield,  George,  44 

Wilton,  46 

Whitmar,  Albert,  97 

Wells,  Rev.  Edward  L.,  138,  143  ; 

10th  Rector,  1870-76 
Wells,  Rev.  E.  Livingston,  143 
Wilberforce,  Samuel,  63 
Williams,  Right  Rev.  John,  120 

133 
Williams,  Rev.  J.   R.,    120,   124, 

133 
Williams,   Rev.  W.  H.,  133 
Willev,  Rev.  J.  M..  132 
Wood,  Abi  D.,  102 
Wood,  John  H.,  112 
W^oodburv,  62 


Yale,  Elihu,  61 

Yarrington,  Rev.  H.  M.,  120 


^^^^'^^^^^^^^^'^^^^^ij? 

W>^J^^ 

^^^^J^^Al^^^^^ij^^ii^^^^^ 

J'*''^^^^^^ 

^^^^^M^ 

^^^ 

^^^^b2^^^  ^'^^^i^^^^Q^ 

-'^^£?5f^(J^5 

pOT?^af>?^^A^^:y^ 

^^^yr^^^^^J 

^^^^^^^^ 

^^M 

0^^7^'?J^^^^^^^P|^^fe 

4^T^^^^ 

r^^^S^^SlS^^^^^ 

^^^§§