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HISTORY 
 
 K R ¥ I C H , 
 
 CONNECTICUT, 
 
 FROM ITS SETTLEMENT IN IGGO, TO JANUARY 1845. 
 
 BY MISS F. M. CAULKINS. 
 
 '' Many of these little things which we speak of are little only in size and name. 
 They are full of rich meaning. They illustrate classes of men, 
 and ages of lime." 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THOMAS ROBINSON. 
 1845. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by 
 
 THOMAS ROBINSON, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut. 
 
 PRINTKD BY 
 
 CASE. TIFFANY AND BURNHAM, 
 
 HARTFORD, CONN. 
 
TO THE 
 CITIZENS OF NORWICH, 
 
 IVH.VBITANTS OB- A BEAUTIFUL AND VARIKD TOWN, 
 INTERESTING FUOM ITS 
 
 mSTOUICAL ASSOCIATIOXS, 
 
 AND ALWAYS DISTINGriSHBD FOR HOSPITALITY, ENTERPRISE, AND A MANLY 
 SPIRIT OP INDErjJNDEKCE, 
 
 THIS HISTORY 
 
 IS GRATKFULLY AND UESPKCTFUI-LY INSCRinKD, 
 BY THE 
 
 AUTHOR. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The sources from which the following history has been drawn, as 
 far as regards the facts, are 
 
 I. The Town Records: these are ample and in a good state of pres- 
 ervation. 
 
 II. Files of the New London Gazette and Norwich Packet, from 
 which many of the incidents related in the Revolutionary period are 
 derived. 
 
 III. Private documents: such as letters, account-books, bills, mem- 
 orandums, deeds, and justices' papers 
 
 IV. Tradition and conversation with aged persons. Tradition, it is 
 acknowledged, is but an uncertain guide, — a glimmering light that 
 often leads astray ; for it rests wholly on memory, and memory is fre- 
 quently treacherous, — an officious imagination sometimes getting firmly 
 seated in its place. But when tradition contradicts no authentic 
 record, and when records fail, even history may be permitted to 
 receive its aid. 
 
 To an historical work references are generally considered invalu- 
 able, — stamping it with authenticity, and enabling the reader to verify 
 each particular incident. But from the nature of the materials from 
 which this work is composed, references would be almost entirely use- 
 less. It is not a compilation from pul)lished documents, is not founded 
 on previous histories, — it has no predecessor, and therefore cannot 
 appeal to works which are generally accessible. As a History of Nor- 
 wich, it is an independent, original work ; but it makes no claim 
 beyond that of a faithful purpose to give a more enduring form to a 
 mass of local information, that would be lost if left much longer in the 
 charge of mouldering paper, fading ink, and fast dropping age. 
 
 The limits of a single volume are too narrow for the publication of 
 original documents, which are usually technical, occupying a large 
 space. The plan pursued is to give the results of inquiries, and con- 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 densed statements of facts, without tracing the intermediate steps, and 
 spreading out at large the materials from which they were drawn. 
 Neither is it practicable within these limits to enter so largely into 
 the genealogy of families, as would otherwise have been desirable. 
 On this point the aim has been confined to the furnishing of a few data, 
 the earliest that could be ascertained, to assist those who may wish to 
 pursue the subject, and trace the line of their descent from the first 
 settlers of the town. 
 
 The great point kept in view through the whole composition of the 
 work, was accuracy. It was the aim of the author to be minutely 
 accurate. Not a fact, name, or date has been given without careful 
 inquiry and examination. Even those sketches which may seem most 
 like fancy pictures, are faithful copies of scenes, as they were depicted 
 by eye-witnesses. But the information on many points was scanty, 
 and doubtless in some cases incorrect; mistakes, therefore, will prob- 
 ably be discovered. 
 
 The author cannot dismiss her work without giving utterance to a 
 deep feeling of regret, tliat several of those aged persons from whom 
 many of its minuter details have been derived, and who regarded with 
 lively interest this attempt to retrieve the events of other days from 
 oblivion, are now no more. Among those who have passed away 
 during the progress of the work, and are not here to welcome its pub- 
 lication or be cheered with its details, sentiments of personal esteem 
 and veneration lead her to record the names of 
 
 Rev. Joseph Strong, D. D., Capt. David Nevins, and 
 Dr. Philemon Tracy, Deacon Caleb Huntington. 
 
 January, 1845. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER. PAGE. 
 
 I. Introduction, 9 
 
 II. Events prior to the settlement, .... 13 
 
 III. Preparations for a settlement, .... 32 
 
 IV. The settlement and settlers, 38 ■ 
 
 V. Houses. Books. Schools. Food, . . . .50 
 
 VI. Grants of Land. Highways. Fences. Boundaries. 
 
 Selectmen. Innkeepers. Town Clerk, . . 57 
 
 VII. Mohegans. Enlistments. Aboriginal relics, . . G6 
 
 VIII. Ecclesiastical affairs. Ministers. Meeting-houses, 70 
 IX. The Patent. Major Fitch. Number of Inhabitants, 79 
 
 . X. The Thirty-five, 84 
 
 XI Other Early Settlers. Settlers east of the Shetucket. 
 
 Richard and Joseph Bushnell. Cases of Trespass, 115 
 
 XII. Prices current. Town expenses, .... 124 
 
 XIII. Animals, 129 
 
 XIV. Bell. Meeting-House. Ecclesiastical Dissensions. 
 
 Councils. Ministers Woodward and Lord. Dea- 
 cons, 135 
 
 XV. Chelsea or the Landing. Bridges over the Shetucket, 142 
 
 XVI. Rogerenes, 148 
 
 XVII. Currency, 151 
 
 XVIII. Sheep-walks. Names, 154 
 
 XIX. Mason Controversy, . . . . , .158 
 
 XX. Indian Deeds. Sachems, 165 
 
 XXI. Freemen. Justices. Physicians. Sign-Posts. Town- 
 
 House. Mohegan Road. Societies. Population. 
 Schools. Saybrook Platform. Treasurer. Con- 
 stable, 171 
 
 XXII. Civil aflairs. Cases of Trespass, Chaises. Biograph- 
 
 ical Sketches. Africans, 177 
 
 XXI II. Chelsea. Highways. Warnings. The Cove. Com- 
 
 merce. Deleware Purchase. French Neutrals. 
 Trade, ISa 
 
VIII CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEK PAGE. 
 
 XXIV. Ecclesiastical Affairs, 193 
 
 XXV. Ministers. Rev. Dr. Lord. Rev. Dr. Strong, . 201 
 XXVI. The Revolutionary Period, 207 
 
 XXVII. Bird's-eye View of a scene in Norwich, 1775, . 22S 
 
 XXVIII. Continuation of Revolutionary Events, . . .233 
 .• XXIX. Biographical Sketches, 24S 
 
 XXX. Episcopal Church and Society, 2G1 
 
 XXXI. Population. Inoculation. Division of the Ancient 
 
 Town. Franklin. Newent. Bozrah. Long So- 
 ciety. Hanover. Portipaug, .... 270 
 
 XXXII. Chelsea Society, 288 
 
 XXXIII. Schools. Books. Amusements. Gov. Huntington, 301 
 
 XXXIV. Commerce, Shipping. Men of business. Lawyers. 
 
 Bridges. Highways. Turnpikes. Somerset 
 Lodge. Murray. Winchester, . . . 307 
 
 XXXV. Greatest Fire. New Meeting-House. Second Con- 
 
 gi-egational Society. Falls Church. Greeneville 
 Church. Fifth Congregational Church. Baptists. 
 
 Methodists. .Universalists. Roman Catholics, 316 
 
 Norwich City, 324 
 
 Incorporated Manufacturing Companies, .... 330 
 
 Banks, &c 331 
 
 Population, 332 
 
 Newspapers, 332 
 
 Missionaries, 333 
 
 Railroad, 335 
 
 Health, Longevity, Death, 337 
 
 Freshets, 346 
 
 Descriptive Sketch, 352 
 
 Statistics of Manufactures, ...... 359 
 
HISTOEY OF NORWICH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Introduction. 
 
 As you ascend the river Thames, in the eastern part 
 of Connecticut, and approach towards its head, a sud- 
 den opening of its banks, presents you with a distant 
 glimpse of a few fine buiklings, crowning- the hill-top, 
 or scattered along the slope of a headland tliat seems 
 to project directly into the bosom of the river in your 
 front. Another turn in the river, hides the scene from 
 your view, and when it ngain opens, you are near 
 enough to see that a picturescpie town is before you, 
 built around the base, and on the declivity of a hill, 
 which is embraced by the two branches of the stream 
 that come winding down through the distant hills. 
 Around this declivity the streets rise, one above an- 
 other, displaying several liandsome churches and other 
 public buildings, some of which ascend to the summit 
 of the hill. The very narrowness of the view, being 
 circumscribed on all sides by hills, except the open 
 space afforded by the river in front, gives it the charm 
 of unity and distinctness. 
 
 This is Norwich : — but from the river you see only 
 
 a section of the place; for the buildings are extended 
 
 on each side along the arms of the river farther than 
 
 your eye can reach, and on the other side of that ob- 
 
 2 
 
10 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 trusive hill is a lovely and varied landscape, exhib- 
 iting avenues of venerable trees, elegant dwelling 
 houses and numerous gardens, scattered around the 
 plains and extending far onward over the hills, each 
 group crowned with its spire, and relieved by a back- 
 ground of rocky heights or dark bosomed forests. 
 If you land on the west side, just below the bounds of 
 the town, where Trading Cove, an arm of the river 
 almost as broad and deep as the main stream, extends 
 a short distance into the country, and ascend the 
 Mohegan highlands, — the line of vision will stretch 
 far to the north and west, and you will obtain a good 
 general idea of the situation and varied surface of the 
 town. You will perhaps imagine, and with good rea- 
 son, that the first English explorers beheld it from this 
 point, and that they were struck with admiration, not 
 only at the romantic scenery, but at the various ad- 
 vantages presented for commerce, manufactures and 
 agriculture. Here they beheld a navigable river and 
 an easy access to tlie ocean ; hills that would make 
 excellent pastures for their herds and flocks ; plains 
 and meadows that industry might soon convert into 
 mowing lands and cornfields ; rapid streams and cat- 
 aracts, affording innumerable mill-seats and sites for 
 future manufactories. We can almost fancy that we 
 hear them exclaim, " What a noble place for a settle- 
 ment !" 
 
 Nearer the city, on each side of the river, are lofty 
 eminences, from wliich the prospect is still more ex- 
 tensive and variegated. The eastern summit bearing 
 the name of Tory Hill, from its having been the con- 
 fiscated property of a royalist during the Revolutionary 
 war, affords a fine view of the harl)or, the city, and the 
 valley of the Shetucket. From Windmill and Baptist 
 Hills on the west, the eye surveys almost the whole 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 11 
 
 area of the town, and observes the situation of its 
 distinct villages, the course of the streams, the rude 
 chimps of rocks interspersed, and the circumjacent 
 hills. The short and rapid Yanlic, spreads out into a 
 broad cove, with romantic l)anks l)eneath you, and 
 seems to be the principal tributary to the Thames, 
 while the Shetucket, a much longer river, of consider- 
 able magnitude and power, comes almost unnoticed 
 into its bosom, stealing through a narrow channel, 
 round a projecting cliff. 
 
 It is not strange, that a place possessed of such ad- 
 vantages by nature, when once known to the English, 
 should have been highly prized by them ; or that 
 when obtained from the natives, it should be speedily 
 settled ; or that since its settlement, it should have 
 grown and prospered more uniformly and extensively, 
 than any other town in the eastern pait of the state. 
 Its increase has been gradual, but sure. It has never 
 known any serious decline, either in numbers, or prop- 
 erty, and though at times, laboring under disadvan- 
 tages, in common with the rest of New England, it 
 has generally been upon the advance. The spirit of 
 enterprize has shifted from one part of the town to 
 another, but has never wholly left its precincts. It 
 has been greatly dismembered, for the original bounds 
 of Norwich comprise at present nearly five towns, but 
 the nucleus has not been injured by the division. 
 
 Norwich may be considered a beautiful type of 
 the second class of New England towns, embodying a 
 bright portion of the genuine old English character, 
 and rich in traditionary lore. In some respects, it has 
 always been a prominent place. The Mohegan tribe 
 of Indians resided upon its inmiediate borders, and its 
 early history is intimately connected with that noted 
 race. Many remarkable individuals have, first and 
 
12 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 last, emanated from the community ; — the inhabitants 
 took a bold and determined attitude in the revolution- 
 ary war, and are famous for their early attention to 
 manufactures, as well as for their present deep interest 
 in them. The scenery of the town is also remarkably 
 picturesque : it is emphatically a place of hills and 
 springs of water. Copse, dingle and glen are scatter- 
 ed about in lavish abundance and wild variety. These 
 and other circumstances, have thrown a more than 
 common degree of splendor upon the place, and ren- 
 dered it more conspicuous than many others of greater 
 numerical importance. 
 
 In its present dimensions, Norwich covers an area of 
 twenty-six square miles, in which are six considerable 
 sections, mainly distinct, though gradually melting 
 into each other. The greatest extent is from Trading 
 Cove to Plain Hills, which measures about seven 
 miles ; its medium breadth is about three miles. 
 Almost all its boundaries are rivers and brooks. The 
 Thames and She tucket wash its eastern border, and 
 the little stream called Yantic, divides it into nearly 
 equal parts from the N. W. to the S. E. 
 
 By the old stage route it is one hundred and twenty- 
 eight miles E. of New York, and eighty S. W. of Bos- 
 ton. By steamboat to Greenport and thence by the 
 Long Island railroad, New York is now reached in 
 seven hours and a half, and by the Norwich and Wor- 
 cester railroad, Boston in four hours and a quaiter. 
 
 Lat. 41° 34' N. Lonff. 72° 29^ W. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 Events prior to the Settlement. 
 
 The earliest notice that we gain of the tract of land 
 now called Norwich, either from history or tradition, is 
 from some incidents of Indian border warfare that 
 took place in the year 1643. It was at that period, in 
 the possession of the Mohegan tribe of Indians, and 
 had originally been included in tlie extensive domain 
 claimed by the Pequots. The Mohegans and Narra- 
 gansetts had long been engaged in a rancorous and 
 predatory war with each other. The early history of 
 Connecticut is perplexed with accounts of their petty 
 quarrels.- Among the rocks and ravines of Norwich, 
 the scouting parties of the Narragansetts often laid 
 their snares, or found shelter when pursued ; and here 
 also was the lookout port of the Mohegans when ex- 
 pecting an attack from their foe. All the accounts of 
 this contest are written with an evident bias to the side 
 of the Mohegans, whom the Englisli were bound by 
 treaty to defend from aggression. Nevertheless, they 
 made many attempts to reconcile the two tribes, and 
 endeavored to act the part of an impartial umpire. A 
 compact was made at Hartford, in 1638, by which it 
 was stipulated, that the hostile sachems should not 
 make war on each other without an appeal to the 
 English. A spirit of rivalry and of personal hatred 
 seems, however, to have existeel between Miantino- 
 2* 
 
14 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 moh* and Uncas, which was easily inflamed into open 
 war, and neither party, when roused to the conflict, 
 waited for the sanction of the English. 
 
 The origin of this rupture is thus related by Gov. 
 Winthrop : 
 
 " Onkus, being provoked by Sequasson, a Sachem of 
 Connecticut, made war upon him, and slew divers of 
 his men and burnt his wigwams ; whereupon Miantun- 
 nomoh being his kinsman, took offence against Onkus, 
 and went v/ith near one thousand men and set upon 
 Onkus befoie he conld l)e provided for defence, for he 
 had not then with him above three or four hundred 
 men." 
 
 Other historians, and among them Trumbull, in his 
 History of Connecticut, trace the dispute farther back, 
 to an attempt which was made to assassinate Uncas by 
 a Pequot, who was suspected to have been incited to 
 this act by the Narragansett Sachem. Of this, how- 
 ever, no proof was ever adduced. Miantinomoh indig- 
 nantly denied the charge, and retorted upon Uncas 
 that he had cut his own arm with a flint, and then 
 accused the Pequot of wounding him. But whatever 
 might be the incident which supplied the spark of igni- 
 tion, the materials had long been gathering, and the 
 flame broke forth in tlie summer of 1643. The fol- 
 lowing account, more minute than is usually given of 
 this contest, is deduced from a careful comparison 
 of the earliest histories, with the traditions of the 
 Mohegnns. 
 
 Miantinomoh having secretly raised an armed force, 
 
 ♦This name is variously spelt and accented. The text gives, not 
 the most popular, but probably the most correct form. Miantinomoh, 
 or Miantimomy, with the accent on the penultimate, is said to come 
 nearest to the Indian pronunciation, and is sanctioned bv the authority 
 of Roger Williams. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 15 
 
 amounting- probably to six hundred warriors,* marched 
 against the Mohegans. He expected to take them by 
 surprise, the season being that in which they were 
 usually busy in their cornfields, or engaged in fishing, 
 and he might reasonably anticipate a brilliant victory. 
 But Uncas was a wary chieftain ; his partizans were at 
 that very time abroad, and he soon received informa- 
 tion of the movements of his enemies. The tradition 
 is that the Narragansetts were first discovered as they 
 Avere crossing the Shetucket at a fording place, near 
 the junction of the Qninnebaug. The Mohegans liad 
 a look-out post on Wawekus Hill, [in Norwich City,] 
 which hill was long afterwards known as Fort Hill, and 
 it is not unlikely that the spies who discovered the 
 approach of the invaders, might have belonged to a 
 scouting party stationed here. A path, afterwards 
 widened to a road by the English settlers, led from 
 this hill to the Little Plain, where was the burial 
 ground of the Mohegan Sachems. A cleft or ravine 
 from this spot, once the bed of a rivulet, came out 
 directly by tlie Indian Landing Place at the foot of 
 Yantic Falls, from whence a canoe could glide in a few 
 minutes to Shantok Point, five miles below, where 
 Uncas had a fort. In this way the intelligence may 
 have been communicated to the Sachem with great 
 rapidity. 
 
 Uncas assembled his warriors to the number of three 
 or four hundred, and boldly advanced to meet the foe. 
 
 ♦Nine hundred or one thousand, says Trumbull, and the warriors of 
 Uncas four or five hundred. This is doubtless an over estimate, as 
 an enquiry into the resources of the two tribes will show. The Narra- 
 gansetts perhaps numbered one thousand warriors in all; but it is 
 absurd to suppose that every man of all their tribes was engaged in 
 tliis expedition. The Mohegans at no time had much over four hun- 
 dred warriors, and it is not probable that all could be collected on a 
 sudden emergency. 
 
16 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 When he reached what is called the Great Plain, three 
 or four miles from his principal settlement, and a mile 
 and a half south-west of the Yantic, he learned that the 
 Narragansetts had crossed the fords of the Yantic, [at 
 Noman'.s acre,] and were pouring down upon him. 
 He immediately halted, arranged his men on a rising 
 ground, and made them acquainted with a stratagem, 
 the effect of wiiich he was about to prove. He had 
 scarcely given his warriors instructions how to act, be- 
 fore the Narragansetts appeared on an opposite decliv- 
 ity. Uncas sent forw ard a messenger, desiring a parley 
 with Miantinomoh, which was granted, and the two 
 chiefs met on the plain, between their respective 
 armies. Uncas then proposed that the fortune of the 
 day should be decided by themselves in single com- 
 bat, and the lives of their w^arriors spared. His prop- 
 osition Avas thus expressed : " Let us two fight it out: 
 if you kill me, my men shall be yours; but if I kill 
 you, your men shall be mine." 
 
 Miantinomoh, who seems to have suspected some 
 crafty manoeuvre, in this unusual proposition, replied 
 disdainfully, " My men came to fight, and they shall 
 fight." Uncas immediately gave a pre-concerted sig- 
 nal to his follo\vers, by falling flat upon his face to the 
 ground. They, being all prepared with bent bows, 
 instantly discliarged a sliower of arrows upon the 
 enemy, and raising the battle yell, rushed forward 
 with their tomahawks, their chieftain starting up and 
 leading the onset. The Narragansetts who were care- 
 lessly awaiting the result of the conference, and not 
 expecting that the Mohegans would venture to fight at 
 all with such inferior force, were taken by surprise; 
 and after a short and confused attempt at resistance, 
 were put to flight. The fugitives and their pursuers, 
 with despairing cries and triumphant shouts, crossed 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 17 
 
 tlic liver at the shallows, and swept like a whirlwind 
 over the hills, regardless of tangled forests, rushing tor- 
 rents, and precipitous ledges of rock, directing their 
 course to the Avell known fords of the Shetucket. 
 
 Two of the Mohegan captains, who were very swift 
 of foot, singled out Miantinonioh, and pursued him 
 with relentless pertinacity. He had nearly reached 
 the river when they overtook him, ho being encum- 
 bered and retaided, it is said, by a coat, or corslet of 
 mail. Throwing themselves against him tliey impe- 
 ded his motion, and when the chief recovered himself 
 repeated the act, continuing thus to obstruct his lliglit, 
 but not attempting to seize him, that Uncas might 
 come up and have the honor of his capture. The 
 moment that Uncas touched his shoulder, Miantinomoh 
 stopped, and without the least resistance, sat down, 
 calm and silent. Uncas immediateh' gave the Indian 
 whoop of victory, which collected all his men around 
 him, and the strife ceased : the whole conflict and pur- 
 suit having occupied, according to tradition, not more 
 than twenty minutes. About thirty ^Narragansetts 
 were slain. Among the prisoners, besides the great 
 Captain himself, w'ere his brother, and two of the sons 
 of Canonicus, his uncle. 
 
 Some of the early historians say, that the two cap- 
 tains who assisted in the capture of Miantinomoh, were 
 his own men, who by this treachery hoped to make 
 their peace with Uncas, whose subjects they had for- 
 merly been. From Gov. Winthrop's account it is not 
 clear whether it was the chief himself, or his brother, 
 whose flight was thus treacherously obstructed. Sav- 
 age, in his notes to Winthrop, understands it to be the 
 former: Trumbull, in the History of Connecticut, the 
 latter. In a letter written by Thomns Peters, of Pe- 
 quot Harbor, now New London, in 1645, just after a 
 
18 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 visit made to Uncas at Mohegan, he speaks of " Tan- 
 taquieson. a Mohegan Captain, who first fingered Mian- 
 tinomoh."* This agrees with Mohegan tradition : the 
 family of Tantaquieson, or Tantaquidjin, is a nohle 
 one among them, and the descendants to this day have 
 scarcely ceased to boast of the above-mentioned exploit 
 of one of their ancestors. 
 
 After the battle, Uncas returned in triumph to his 
 fortress, carrying his illustrious captive with him, whom 
 he treated with generous kindness and respect. But 
 he soon conducted him to Hartford, and surrendered 
 him to the custody of the English. He probably feared 
 some desperate attempt on the part of the Narragan- 
 setts to recapture their prince ; and he was moreover 
 incited to this course by an urgent message from Mr. 
 Gorton, of Rhode Island, who supposed the life of 
 Miantinomoh would be safe if he could but get him 
 into the hands of the English. Roger Williams, the 
 warm and constant friend of the Sachem, was then in 
 England, and there seems to have been no other person 
 of any influence in the country to take his part. He 
 was imprisoned at Hartford, and Uncas consented to 
 be governed in his future conduct towards his captive, 
 entirely by the advice of the English. The whole 
 aifair was laid before the Commissioners of the United 
 Colonies, at their meeting at Boston in September, and 
 the question was there debated whether it was just and 
 lawful lo put Miantinomoh to death. The execution 
 of a Pequot who had given his testimony against him ; 
 his repeated attempts upon the life of Uncas by assas- 
 sination, poison and sorcery ; his turbulence in making 
 war against the Mohegans without a previous appeal 
 to the English ; and his inveterate hostility to the 
 
 * See Appendix to Savage's Winthrop. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 19 
 
 whites, to exterminate whom he was accused of endea- 
 voring to bring- about a confederacy of several tribes, 
 and of hiring the Mohawks to assist in the deadly 
 work, were the arg-uments urged against him. Never- 
 theless, the court still hesitated whether it would be 
 just ^ put him to death, and in this dilemma referred 
 the matter to ecclesiastical counsellors. Five of the 
 principal ministers in the colonies were consulted, and 
 these, considering it hazardous to the peace of the 
 country that the Sachem should be released, gave their 
 voice in favor of his execution. This decided the 
 question in the affirmative. It was determined, how- 
 ever, that the deed should be committed by Uncas, in 
 his own jurisdiction, and without torture. 
 
 The Mohegan Sachem was soon ordered to repair to 
 Hartford, with a trusty band of followers, and there the 
 decision of the Commissioners was made known to him, 
 and Miantinomoh delivered into his hands. A band 
 of twelve or fourteen soldiers was also sent with him 
 from Hartford, to protect him from any sudden burst of 
 revenge on the part of tlie Narrngansetts, and to show 
 that the deed was sanctioned by the English. These 
 were to remain a while in the Mohegan country. Two 
 Englishmen were also directed to remain with the 
 prisoner, and to see that the sentence was executed in 
 conformity to the decision. Uncas, having received 
 the captive king, promptly obeyed the directions given. 
 He conducted him to the very spot where he had be.en 
 taken prisoner. At the instant they arrived on the 
 ground, the brother of Uncas, who marched behind 
 Miantinomoh, at a signal from his chief, struck him on 
 the head with a hatchet and killed him at a single 
 stroke. Uncas cut a piece of flesh from his shoulder 
 and ate it, saying, it was the sweetest meat he ever 
 
20 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ate, — it made his heart strong. Revenge was doubtless 
 the sioeetness that he tasted. 
 
 The above account coincides mainly with that of 
 Trumbull, who derived his information from Richard 
 Hide, Esq., of Norwich, a gentleman who through his 
 whole life was in the habit of frequent intercourse Avith 
 the Mohegans, and whose house was one of the favorite 
 resorts of wanderers from that tribe. He related the 
 story as it was current among them, and there is no 
 reason to doubt the correctness of even the cannibal 
 part of the statement. Many of the Indian tribes had 
 a custom of tasting the flesh or blood of a slauglitered 
 foe, believing that thereby the strength and valor of 
 the deceased was infused into their own souls. 
 
 The imfortunate sachem was buried on the spot of 
 his capture and execution, on the western bank of the 
 Shetucket, a little north of where the village of 
 Greeneville now stands. The place, from these events, 
 took the name of Sachem's Plain, which it still bears. 
 A heap of stones was raised over the grave, and addi- 
 tions made to it from time to time, by all true-hearted 
 Narragansetts, who passed tliat way. For several 
 years afterwards, a paity of that nation came to the 
 spot every September, and renewed their lamentations 
 over the heap, casting a few more stones upon it, and 
 consecrating them with doleful cries and frantic ges- 
 tures. A citizen of Norwich still living, N. L. Shipman, 
 Esq., remembers this tumulus in his youth, a conspicu- 
 ous object, standing large and high, between two soli- 
 tary while oak trees, about sixteen rods east of the old 
 Providence road, and nearly in a line with that part of 
 the river where (be great dam has since been built. At 
 length the owner of the land, probably being ignorant 
 of the design of these stones, removed them to use in 
 (he undersetting of a barn he was erecting in the 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 21 
 
 neighborhood. In process of tune the old oak trees 
 also disappeared, and nothing- was left to designate the 
 spot where the fallen chieftain lay. 
 
 While making- excavations for the water works, on 
 the banks of the Shetiicket, about the year 1830, an 
 Indian grave was opened, containing a kettle, a spoon, 
 and a box, all of copper, a glass bottle, and some other 
 utensils, together with the bones of a person, appa- 
 rently of enormous size. Some have supposed that 
 these were the remains of the Narragansett Sachem, 
 as tradition affirms that his stature was almost gigantic, 
 but the best authorities agree in placing the tomb 
 of that prince a least half a mile from this spot. 
 
 Before dismissing this subject it is proper to state 
 that Gov. Winthrop, from whom we have the oldest 
 written account of this affair, designates an entirely 
 different spot as the place of Miantinomoh's execution. 
 He says, " Onkus, taking Miantunomoh along with 
 him, in the way between Hartford and Windsor, where 
 Onkus hath some men dwell, Onkus' brother, following 
 after Miantunomoh, clave his head with an hatchet, 
 some English being present." Mr. Savage also, in his 
 notes upon Winthrop, alluding to the variance of his 
 account with that of Trumbull, gives a decided prefer- 
 ence to the former, and deems it much more probable 
 that he was slain between Hartfoid and Windsor than 
 in Norwich.* There is in truth nothing opposed to 
 Winthrop's account but tradition ; but this testimony 
 is so minute, circumstantial and uniform, that it 
 amounts to almost conclusive evidence that Winthrop 
 is wrong- and Truml)ull is right. 
 
 The sentence of Miantinomoh is one of the most fla- 
 grant acts of injustice and ingratitude, that stands re- 
 
 * The records of the Commissioners of the United Colonies also 
 agree in designating this place. 
 
 3 
 
22 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 corded against the English settlers. He had shown 
 many acts of kindness towards the whites ; in all his 
 intercourse with them had evinced a noble and mag- 
 nanimous spirit ; had been the uniform friend and as- 
 sistant of the first settlers of Rhode Island, and only 
 seven years before his death had received into the 
 bosom of his country, Mason and his little band of sol- 
 diers from Hartford, and greatly assisted them in their 
 conquest of the Pequods. 
 
 The Narragansetts were determined to avenge the 
 death of their chief. They were particularly exaspe- 
 rated with Uncas, as he had entered into treaty with 
 them for the release of the sachem, and hod already 
 received, as they averred, a large quantity of wampum 
 as a ransom for him. The Mohegans, on their part, 
 denied that any wampum or other goods had been 
 received by them, except small parcels which Mianti- 
 nomoh himself had bestowed, as gratuities, upon their 
 captains and counsellors, or given to "Uncas and his 
 squaw, for preserving his life so long and using him 
 courteously during his imprisonment." 
 
 A harrassing and inveterate system of hostility be- 
 tween the two tribes ensued. The Narragansetts 
 were double in number to the Mohegans, but the latter 
 were shielded by the protecting care of the English, 
 so that a balance was preserved between the two 
 nations, otherwise unequal. In Septeiiiber, 1614, a 
 treaty was made at Hartford with the Narragansetts, by 
 which the latter engaged to commit no hostile act 
 against Uncns, until after the next year's time for 
 planting corn, nor until after giving thirty day's notice 
 either to tlie Governor of Massachusetts or Connecticut. 
 This last stipulation was an idle one, to which the 
 Indians could not have consented from any other 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 23 
 
 motive than to keep the English quiet. They soon 
 gave proof that they had no idea of being bound by it. 
 
 In the spring of 1645, whether before or after plant- 
 ing time does not appear, under the command of Pes- 
 sacus, the brother of Miantinomoh, they invaded the 
 Molicgan country with a large force, committed great 
 devastation, and finally drove Uncas to his strongest 
 fort and besieged him there. According to tradition 
 this fort was on Shantok Point, a rough projection by 
 the side of the Thames, nearly opposite Pocquetannok. 
 The English had assisted Uncas in fortifying this spot. 
 There is still a fine spring of water b}^ the bank. The 
 position was easily defended, and the Narragansetts 
 had no hope of taking it by assault. Many of the 
 women and children had fled to the other side of the 
 river, with a part of the canoes, but of the remainder 
 the Narragansetts had taken possession, so as to cut off 
 retreat on the water side, and thus enclosing them on 
 this point of land, they hoped to subdue them by 
 famine. How long the seige continued is not known; 
 but one night a messenger despatched by Uncas, left 
 the fort without being discovered by the besiegers, and 
 creeping along the margin of the river very cautiously 
 till without the range of the enemy's scouts, he crossed 
 the coimtry with Indian speed, and arrived the next 
 day at Saybrook, the nearest English settlement, 
 where he made known the desperate situation of the 
 Mohegans. Or perhaps Trumbull's account may be 
 more correct, — that he fell in with a scouting party from 
 Saybrook fort, and communicated to them the message 
 with which he was charged by Uncas. 
 
 Capt. Mason was at that time commander of Say- 
 brook fort, and a warm friend to Uncas ; there can be 
 little doubt, therefore, that though he aflbrded him no 
 relief in his ofiicial capacity, he favored and assisted 
 
24 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 the enterprJze undertaken by others. Thomas Lef- 
 fing-well has hitherto been considered the only promi- 
 nent person in this exploit, but some subsequent pro- 
 ceedings which have recently been brought to light, 
 lead to the supposition, although they do not incontest- 
 ably prove the point, that Thomas Tracy and Thomas 
 Miner had also some share in the adventure. 
 
 The version usually given of this undertaking, and 
 which, as there is no record to contradict it, we may 
 assume as substantially correct, is this : Thomas Lef- 
 fingwell, a bold and spirited young man, (though not 
 then an ensign, as stated by Trumbull,) left Saybrook 
 in a canoe that would carry twenty cwt., laden with 
 beef, corn, pease, &c., entered Pequot river in the night, 
 and bad the address to get the supplies into the fort of 
 Uncas, without being discovered by the enemy. Tracy 
 and Miner may have been engaged in the enterprize, 
 and were perhaps in the boat with Leffingwcll, for it 
 would require more than one resolute heart and stal- 
 wart arm to carry the bark on its way with sufficient 
 epeed. It is probable that Leffingwell had often been 
 on trading excursions to Mohegan, and was well ac- 
 quainted with Pequot river, and the position of Shan- 
 tok fort. We know in general that the people of 
 Saybrook were in the habit of coming into tlie river to 
 trade with the Indians, and that Trading Cove, which 
 afterwards became the southern boundary of Norwich, 
 was a name bestowed by them long anterior to the set- 
 tlement. 
 
 A fanciful legend has in later times been connected 
 with this adventure. It would be diiriciilt now to as- 
 certain what degree of truth belongs to it. It is said 
 that the expected relief from Saybrook was delayed 
 much longer than the hungry and impatient Mohegans 
 had anticipated ; and that each night Uncas left the 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 25 
 
 fort, and skulking by the water-s edge, came to a 
 rocky and precipitous ledge which juts out into the 
 stream, and is now called Hosier's island in the neigh- 
 borhood, from one Hosier since drowned in the deep 
 water near it. It is not, however, an island except in 
 a very iiigh flood. Here, under shelter of the rock, 
 the sachem remained till nearly day-light, with his 
 sleepless eyes upon the river, and his ear intent to 
 catch the lightest sound of a falling oar, and it was 
 not till the second or third night of his watch that Lef- 
 fingwcll arrived. A cavity or recess in this ledge, 
 well known to the fishermen and oyster gatherers on 
 the river, has since obtained the naiue of Uncas^ 
 Chair. 
 
 No sooner was this timely supply of provisions safely 
 lodged in the fortress, than loud shouts of exultation 
 were uttered by the besieged, to the astonislunent of 
 the Narragansetts, who were unable to divine the 
 cause of this midnight triumph. At the dawn of day, 
 however, the secret was disclosed ; the Mohegans ele- 
 vated a large piece of beef on a pole, and thus gave 
 notice of tlie relief they had obtained.* The Narra- 
 gansetts dared not assail either the persons or property 
 of the English, but we can readily b(>licve (bat they 
 beheld the boat lying by tlie shore with bitter feelings 
 of exaspcn-ation, and poured out a torrent of threats 
 and invectives against its officious owners. That they 
 saw Leffingwell and knew it was he that brought tlie 
 supplies, is evident from Lcfifingwell's own testimony, 
 as will soon appear. Finding that there was no 
 chance of reducing the Mohegans while they were 
 
 * Many of the minuter circumstances of tliis seige rest only on tro 
 dition, but it is tradition gathered many years since from the Mohe- 
 gans themselves, and current from father to son among both them and 
 their while neighbors^ 
 
 3* 
 
26 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 thus supported, the Nairagansetts abandoned the seige 
 and returned home. 
 
 It is probable that Leffingwell and his associates re- 
 mained at JVlohegan till after the departure of the 
 invaders. Ascending Fort Hill and beholding the 
 pleasant liills and vallies that stretched to the north of 
 the Indian villages, untenanted and untilled, they may 
 have conceived the design of a plantation in that 
 quarter. Uncas in his present situation would wil- 
 lingly encourage such a project, as an English colony 
 w^ould serve as a barrier of defence to his settlements. 
 It is not, therefore, unlikely that he did at this time 
 make large promises of land to his benefactors, in 
 requital for the aid they had rendered him, and give 
 them an urgent invitation to settle in his neigliborhood. 
 Trumbull says, " For this service Uncas gave said Lef- 
 fingwell a deed of great part if not the whole town of 
 Norwich." There is, however, no such deed on re- 
 cord, and no allusion to any such deed in subsequent 
 transactions ; nor does it appear afterwards, upon the 
 settlement of the town, that Leffingwcll received or 
 claimed any larger share than the otlier propiietors. 
 
 In a volume of misc(>llaneous papers recently filed 
 and placed in books in tlie oHice of the Secretary of 
 State, at Hartford, is an or'ginal petition of Leffing- 
 well to the General Court, signed by his own hand, as 
 follows : 
 
 " To tho right worshli)ful Court assembled at Hartford. 
 Whereas you are by God and his people, constituted a court 
 of Justice, and have approved yourselves in matters of jus- 
 tice, that I know you will be so far from obstructing amongst 
 your people or foreigners as you have occation, that its your 
 delight to do things which are equal, 1 am encouraged to 
 recommend to your considerations a case depending between 
 Uncas, the Mohegan Sachem, and myself Its not'unknown 
 to him and others what damage in my outward estate I have 
 sulfercd by his men, and yet notwithstanding, when he and 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 27 
 
 his people were famishing, being besieged by many enemies, 
 I did atibrd him provilion for their relief, although it was to 
 the hazard of all my outward comforts, the enemy knowing 
 what supply I had and did afford him ; upon tliese and such 
 like reasons, Uncas hath several times oflired me some land 
 for my recompense and just satisfaction, and hath expressed 
 the same to the Major, who is acquainted with the truth of 
 these things, but order requireth me to propound the matter 
 to your worshipful considerations, desiring your approbation 
 of the way Uncas hath propounded for my satisfaction. Its 
 f^r from me to desire land in such place where my possessing 
 of it might hinder a plantation worke, or any such public 
 good, but providence presenting such an equal means for the 
 relief of my family, by inclining the heart of a heathen to 
 observe rules of justice and meete gratitude for that which 
 he hath received, and this coming on without any importu- 
 nity on my part, I hope your worships will not judge me 
 guilty of inordynate seeking after that which I ought not, but 
 1 would not be negligent in improving the present hint of 
 Providence, so hoping you will not reject the proposition 
 made, but show your worshipful approbation lor the most 
 leal efiecting of it, and 1 ceaise giving you any further trou- 
 ble, I remain your humble servant, 
 
 Thomas Leffingwell." 
 Norwich, May the 6, 1667. 
 
 Thomas Tracy was at that time a member of the 
 General Court, being- the deputy from jNorwich, and 
 as appears from the result, preferred a petition at the 
 same time, of similar import, although liis petuion has 
 not been found on record. The Court considered them 
 together, and gave liberty jointly to Thomas Leffing- 
 well and Ensign Thomas Tracy, to receive a grant of 
 land from Uncas, to be viewed and return made of it 
 to the Court, for their further satisfaction. This re- 
 turn was made at the autumnal session of the Court, 
 the same year, and the final action upon it recoided 
 as follow's : 
 
 "October 10, 1667. This Court grants unto Ensign 
 
 Thomas Tracy and Thomas Lethngwell, the sum of 400 
 
 acres of land, to be equally divided between them. And this 
 
 ' Court desires Thomas Leffingwell, Ensign Thomas Tracy, 
 
23 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 and Sargsant Thotnas Miner, to agree together and lay out, 
 each other, th^ir proportion, according to their grants in that 
 land of the east side of Shetucket river." 
 
 The deed of this grant is found upon the Court Re- 
 cords, and also in the first book of deeds of the town of 
 Preston, witliin whose bounds it lay, no part of it 
 beinff witliin the limits of Norwich. It consisted of 
 400 acres, in three several parcels, viz. 130 acres of 
 upland, lying- north-east of Norwich bounds ; 40 acres 
 of meadow and mowable land, on both sides of Ke- 
 woutaquck river ; and 230 acres of upland, abutting 
 to the S. E, on Stonington bounds. 
 
 It is matter of regret that Tracy's claim is not more 
 distinctly stated. We may infer from the record that 
 he was largely, if not equally with Leffingwell, con- 
 cerned in the relief of Uncas when besieged by the 
 Narragansetts ; but yet we cannot positively say but 
 that the grant may have been made for services ren- 
 dered to the Sachem at some other time, and of a 
 different nature.* 
 
 Whatever was the nature or extent of the gift, 
 promise, or invitation, given by Uncas to Leffingwell 
 and his companions, it was allowed to remain dormant 
 for nearly fourteen years. f The reason is evident. 
 During the whole of this term, the Narragansetts, Ne- 
 
 ♦ Rev. F. P. Tracy, of Williamsburg, Mass. ha.«! prepai-ed a paper 
 relating to this point which will probably be soon given to the public. 
 It embraces the Leffingwell documents, in the Secretary's office, at 
 large. Mr. Tracy is also engaged in antiquarian researches upon 
 another point connected in some degree with Norwich history. He is 
 collecting materials for a genealogical memoir of the descendants of 
 Lieut. Thomas Tracy. 
 
 t Some may think that too early a date has been given to the relief 
 of Uncas by Leffingwell, and that the time when he was besieged by 
 Pessacus, in 1G.57, is the more probable era of that event. The subject 
 is not without difficulty. Historians have usually left it indefinite. 
 If however this seige had taken place after the English had settled in 
 any considiivable number at New London, Uncas would have been 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 29 
 
 lianticks, Mohegans, and the renmant of the Pequods, 
 were engaged in implacable wars. The results in- 
 deed were triiling. It was a system of marauding, 
 skulking and assassination, ralhor than of legitimate 
 warfare, but such a state of tilings rendered it hazard- 
 ous for tlie English to advance the frontier and attempt 
 new settlements in that quarter. Tiie utmost vigil- 
 ance, prudence and bravery, were for several years 
 necessary to defend the points they had already 
 assmned. 
 
 Uncas had scarcely recovered from the eftectsof (hat 
 invasion, from which the timely assistance of Leffmg- 
 well relieved him, when his foes returned in still greater 
 force, and threatened his entire amiihilation. Making 
 a show of forty men only, they drew him into an am- 
 bush, from which several hundred men rose, and dis- 
 charging a shower of arrows and bullets, (for they had 
 in this inroad thirty guns with then),) they did con- 
 siderable execution, and pursued the Mohegans to the 
 very walls of their forts.* Fortunately a few English 
 soldiers were in the neighborhood, who hastened to 
 his assistance, and at sight of them the Narragansetts 
 retreated. Uncas in this engagement lost four cap- 
 tains and several men, besides a considerable number 
 wounded. During the remainder of the season, Hart- 
 ford and New^ Haven kept a constant force at Mohe- 
 gan. At length through the efforts of the English, a 
 cessation from hostilities was agreed upon by the two 
 tribes, but no permanent reconciliation was effected. 
 
 About this time, and even while the war between 
 the Narragansetts and Mohegans was raging- with the 
 utmost fury, the younger Winthrop ventured to com- 
 mence a settlement at Pequot Harbor, nov/ New Lon- 
 
 more likely to apply for aid to his near nei!j;hbor, and kind personal 
 friend Wintlirop, than to send to such a distance as Saybrook for it. 
 * Letter of Peters referred to before. 
 
30 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 don. Mr. Winthrop's family, Mr. Thomas Peters, and 
 a few Others, were upon the ground early in the spring 
 of 1645, and these every year increasing, were soon 
 organized into a permanent town. In 1648, the set- 
 tlement contained fort}^ famihes. This enterprise was 
 attended with comparatively little danger, as the 
 friendly Mohegans lay between them and the discon- 
 tented tribes. It would have been quite another thing 
 to have stepped beyond the Mohegans, and settled 
 between them and the Narragansetts. Mr. Winthrop 
 performed many friendly services for his Indian neigh- 
 bors. After tlie last mentioned battle with the Narra- 
 gansetts, he visited Uncas at his fort, and in conjunc- 
 tion with Mr. Peters, assisted in dressing the wounds 
 of more than thirty of his warriors. 
 
 So late as the year 1657, we still find the Indians 
 engaged in implacable wars. Pessacus of Narragan- 
 sett, could not forget the murder of his brother, and 
 seems to have felt that he could not die in peace while 
 his great enemy lived. He therefore collected all his 
 forces for another onslaught. Uncas was once more 
 besieged in his fortress, and only preserved from des- 
 truction as before, by the appearance of a band of 
 English soldiers. This timely assistance enabled the 
 Mohegans to turn upon their invaders, whom they pur- 
 sued with such fury, that they were driven like fright- 
 ened sheep, through the woods into thickets and 
 streams, and cut down without mercy. So great was 
 tlie panic of tlie fugitives, that they seemed literally 
 bereft of tlieir senses. Long afterwards some old 
 Mohegans used to boast among their English neigh- 
 bors, of having found in the chase a poor Narragan- 
 sett, struggling and panting in the thicket that bor- 
 dered the river, and so frantic as to suppose himself 
 in the water, and actually attempting to swim among 
 the bushes ! 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 31 
 
 It is to this rout that tlie traditionary legend con- 
 nected with the Falls of the Yantic probably belongs. 
 One band of the fugitives being turned out of the direct 
 line leading to the fords of the Yantic, were chased 
 through woods, and over rocks and hills, by the relent- 
 less fury of their pursuers, and coming upon the river 
 where the current was deep and rapid, many of them 
 were driven into it headlong, and there slaughtered or 
 drowned. Others in the rapidity of their career, hav- 
 ing suddenly reached the high precipice that overhangs 
 the cataract, plunged, either unawares, or with reck- 
 less impetuosity into the abyss be neatii, and were dashed 
 upon the rocks, their mangled bodies floating down 
 into the calm basin below. According to tradition, 
 two Englishmen from Saybrook chanced to be in the 
 track of this expedition. Tliey were exploring the 
 banks of the Yantic to fix upon the site of their future 
 township, and were digging ground-nuts to satisfy their 
 hunger, upon the side hill, near Avhere Mrs. Daniel 
 Coit's house now stands, when they heard the shouts 
 of the conquerors, as they drove the Narragansetts over 
 the river, and saw the fugitives as they came rushing 
 through the valley, and over Sentry and Long Hill 
 towards the Shetucket. 
 
 Notwithstanding these constant alarms, the next 
 year ten or twelve families settled at Stonington, on 
 the Indian frontier, and apparently open to hostile 
 incursions. Dangers of this kind had become so famil- 
 iar that they had lost their terror. The providence of 
 God seemed to be preparing the way for the peaceable 
 settlement of the whites, by permitting the deadly pas- 
 sions of the Indians to take their full scope, and make 
 them instruments of each other's destruction. The 
 wilderness was thus thinned of its obstructions, and 
 prepared to receive its new inhabitants. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 Preparations for a Settlement. 
 
 No accurate list of the early inhabitants of Saybrook, 
 the mother town of Norwich, can now be obtained. 
 A fort was built at that place, and a garrison estab- 
 lished by the younger Winthrop, in the winter of 
 1635, which took the form of a regular settlement, on 
 the ariival of Mr. Fenwick with his family, and other 
 emigrants from England, in 1639. Accessions w^ere 
 afterwaids made to the planters from various other 
 towns in (he colonies. Many of the emigrants from 
 the old world were long in fixing upon a permanent 
 resting place, and we can frequently track thtm about 
 from town to town, through all the New" England col- 
 onies. The records of Saybrook do not reach back 
 beyond 16C0, and it was formerly supposed that the 
 previous records had been removed, by Mr. Fitch, to 
 Norwich. No evidence of this, however, has been 
 found in Norwich. In the books of this town, there 
 is not a single item which looks back beyond (he date 
 of the plantation, 1660, except the purchase deed of 
 the town, an allusion to an agreement made at Say- 
 brook with John Elderkin rtdative to a town mill, 
 and a few marriages and births, which had taken place 
 previously, but were recorded in connection with others 
 of the same family afterwards. 
 
 A company for the settlement of a plantation at 
 Mohegan seems to have been formed at Saybrook, as 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 33 
 
 early as 1653 or 4. The majority of the signers were 
 inhabitants of tliat place, and probably members in 
 full connnunion, of Mr. Fitch's church. Whether this 
 was the case with Capt. John Mason, the most promi- 
 nent person in the company, has been doubted, but 
 upon what grounds other than that he was a man of 
 impetuous passions and martial deeds, does not appear. 
 Other names were from time to time, added to the 
 company's list, from various places, until they amount- 
 ed to thirty-five in number. Capt. Mason was more 
 conversant with Indian affairs than any other English- 
 man in the country. He had been the friend and ad- 
 viser of Uncas for twenty-four years, and had frequent- 
 ly visited him in his territory, to aid him by his coun- 
 sel or his arms. He was, therefore, well acquainted 
 with the adjacent country, and may have been the first 
 to fix his eye upon the head of the Thames, as an 
 advantageous position for a town. It is certain that 
 all his influence was exerted to promote the projected 
 settlement in that quarter. 
 
 In June, 1659, Uncas and his two sons, Owaneco 
 and Attawanhood, (alias Joshua,) appeared at Say- 
 brook and signed a deed of conveyance, which gave 
 to the company a legal right and title to a tract of land 
 at Mohegan, nine miles square. Seventy pounds was 
 to be given in compensation for the land. Previous 
 to this, in 1640, Connecticut had purchased of Uncas 
 all his lands not actually used as planting grounds by 
 the tribe, so that Norwich appears to have been twice, 
 (and if a conveyance was ever made to Leffingwell, 
 three times,) solemnly transferred from the aborigines 
 to the whites, and an equivalent each time given. 
 
 " On just and equal terms the land was gained ; 
 No force of arms hath any right obtained." 
 
34 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 The oldest remaining copy of the original deed of 
 this tract bears the date of 1663, and this appears to 
 have been a new instrument, formally acknowledged 
 and signed that year, and recorded at Hartford and 
 Norwich. That it is not a literal copy of the convey- 
 ance made at Saybrook, in 1659, is evident from the 
 phrase, " Town and Inhabitants of Norwich." At 
 that time, and for the first year or two after the settle- 
 ment, the place had no other name than Mohegan* 
 
 DEED OF NORWICH— [As recorded in the Town Book.] 
 
 Know all men that Onkos, Owaneco, Attawanhood, Sa- 
 chems of Moheagen have bargained, sold, and passed over, 
 and doe by these presents sell and pass over unto the Towne 
 and inhabitants of Norwich nine miles square of land lying 
 and being at Moheagen and the parts thereunto ajoyneing, 
 with all ponds, rivers, woods, quarries, mines, with all roy- 
 alties, privileges, and appurtenances thereunto belonging, to 
 them the said inhabitants of Norwich, theire heirs and suc- 
 cessors forever — the said lands are to be bounded as follow- 
 eth (viz.) to the southward on the west side of the Great 
 River, ye line is to begin at the brooke falling into the head 
 of Trading Cove, and soe to run west norwest seven miles — 
 from thence the line to run nor northeast nine miles, and on 
 the East side the afores'd river to the southward the line is 
 to joyne with New London bounds as it is now laid out and 
 soe to run east two mih>s from the foresd river, and soe from 
 thence the line is to run nor noreast nine miles and from 
 thence to run nor norwest nine miles to meet with the western 
 
 line, In consideration whereof the sd Onkos, Owaneco 
 
 and Attawanhood doe acknowledge to have received of the 
 parties aforesd the full and juste sum of seventy pounds and 
 doe promise and engage ourselves, heirs and successors, to 
 warant the sd bargin and sale to the aforesd parties, their 
 
 * The original deed is not now extant. The author recoilects to 
 have heard Elisha Hyde, Esq., say that he had seen it: that it was 
 brought from Hartford, and exhibited at the time when the great Mason 
 controversy was tried in Norwich, and was afterwards in the posses- 
 sion of his uncle, Richard Hyde, Esq., who was retained on the Mo- 
 hegan side in that case. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 35 
 
 heirs and successors, and them to defend from all claimes and 
 
 molestations from any whatsoever. — In witness whereof we 
 have hereunto set to our hands this 6th of June, Anno 1659. 
 
 €([ 
 
 Unkos L I w'-^ his marke 
 
 OwANECo CL^^iV^^ marke 
 
 Attawanhood — ■<^C-tr"'7T""^^ marke 
 
 Witness hereunto 
 John Mason 
 Thomas Tracy. 
 
 This deed is recorded in the Country Booke Agust 20th 
 1663 : as atests John Allyn, Sec'y- 
 
 The bounds of this tract, as more particularly descri- 
 bed in the first volume of the Proprietors' Records, 
 were as follows ; 
 
 The line commenced at the mouth of Trading Cove, 
 where the brook falls into the cove ; thence VV. N. W. 
 seven miles to a Great Pond, [now in the corner of 
 Bozrah and Colchester,] the limit in this direction 
 being denoted by a black oak marked N that stood 
 near the outlet of the " Great Brook that runs out of 
 the pond to Norwich river ;'' thence N. N. E. nine 
 miles to a black oak standing on the south side of the 
 river, [Shetuckot,] "a little above Maw-mi-ag-waug"; 
 thence S. S. E. nine miles, crossing the Shetucket and 
 the Quinebaug, and passing thiough " a Seader Swamp 
 called Catantaquck," to a white oak tree, marked N, 
 thirteen rods beyond a brook called Quo-qui-qua-soug, 
 the space from the Quinebaug to this tree being just 
 
36 HISTORY OP NORWICH. 
 
 one mile and fifty-eight rods ; thence S. S. W. nine 
 miles to a white oak marked N, where NorAvich and 
 New London bounds join ; thence W. on the New 
 London bounds two miles to Mohegon river, opposite 
 the mouth of Trading Cove brook, where the first line 
 began. 
 
 The southern boundary line, it will be observed, is 
 nine miles in length, two east of the river, and seven 
 west, without counting the breadth of the Thames, and 
 the length of Trading Cove to the mouth of the brook, 
 which would make this line nearly ten miles long. 
 This seems to be little better than an imposition upon 
 the Indians, who had granted in the deed only a tract 
 nine miles square. Some uneasiness being produced 
 by this, and an explanation demanded, the proprietors 
 stated that the River and Cove were left out of the 
 measurement, in compensation for a right reserved by 
 the Indians, of using the waters for fishing and other 
 conveniences. 
 
 Immediately after the conveyance of this tract to the 
 English, Major Mason, who had that year been chosen 
 Deputy Governor of the Colony, was commissioned by 
 the General Court to purchase of Uncas and his brother 
 Waweequaw, all the remainder of the Mohegan lands 
 not actually occupied by the tribe. In this business 
 he was successful ; a deed of cession being obtained, 
 signed at Mohegan, August, 1659, and undoubtedly 
 made in behalf of the colony, though this fact was 
 afterwards denied by Mason's descendants. This 
 business kept Major Mason several weeks in the Mohe- 
 gan country. The Say brook proprietors, of whom he 
 was one, were at the same time engaged in surveying 
 their new township, laying out their homelots, and 
 preparing for a removal the next j-ear ; and it was a 
 great advantage to them, to have one at hand, to aid 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 37 
 
 them by those personal services and judicious counsels, 
 which the wisdom and experience of Mason rendered 
 so valuable. This was the fourth town of which he 
 had been one of the founders. The other three were 
 Dorchester, Hartford and Saybrook. 
 
 It is not probable that the proprietors found a single 
 white resident upon the tract. In some places the for- 
 ests had been thinned of their undergrowth by fires, 
 to afford scope for the Indians in fheir passionate love 
 of the chase, and the beaver had done his part towards 
 clearing the lowlands and banks of the rivers. A few 
 wigwams were scattered here and tliere, the occasional 
 abodes of wandering families of Indians at certain sea- 
 sons of the year, who came hither for supplies of fish, 
 fruit, or game ; and the summits of some of the hills 
 were crowned with disorderly heaps of stones, showing 
 where some rude defence had been constructed in the 
 course of their wars. But in every other respect the 
 land was in its natural wild state. It was a laborious 
 task to cut down trees, to burn the underbrush, to 
 mark out roads and pathways, to throw temporary 
 bridges over the runs of water, and to collect materials 
 for building. A highway was opened from the Yantic 
 meadows to Mason's Swamp, at the head of the Little 
 Plain, following the windings of the Yantic, on each 
 side of which, the proprietary home lots were laid out, 
 and sheds and wigwams erected for temporary shelter. 
 A pathway was likewise cleared from the centre of (he 
 settlement, to the Indian landing place below the Falls 
 of the Yantic, near the head of the Cove. This path 
 coincided in part with the present Mill Lane, and was 
 the most eligible route by which the effects of the 
 planters could be conveyed. These arrangements were 
 made in November, 1659. A few persons probably 
 
 remained on the ground during the winter. 
 
 4* 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Settlement, and Settlers. 
 
 The Town Plot* was laid out among the windings 
 of a pleasant vale, bordered by the rapid circuitous 
 Yantic, and overlooked by ridges of hills. The home- 
 lots comprised a strip several acres in breadth, on each 
 side of the Yantic, being mostly river lands, and con- 
 sisting each of a certain portion of meadow and pas- 
 ture. As these lots were afterwards registered, the 
 names of the proprietors, and the order of their loca- 
 tion, can be pretty nearly ascertained. Beginning at 
 the N. W. extremity of the Town Plat, the order of 
 settlement was as follows : — John Pease, John Tracy, 
 John Baldwin, Jonathan Royce, Robert AUyn, Francis 
 Griswold, Nehemiah Smith, and Thomas Howard : — 
 John Calkins, Hugh Calkins, Ensign William Backus, 
 Richard Egenon, Thomas Post, John Gadger ; — and 
 on tlie opposite side of the town street, with no river 
 land attached to iheir homelots, Samuel Hide and 
 William Hide. Then again upon the river, Morgan 
 Bowers, Robert Wade, John Birchard, John Post, 
 Thomas Bingham, Thomas Waterman. Around the 
 Plain were Major John Mason, Rev. Mr. Fitch, Mr. 
 Simon Huntington and Stephen Giffords. From the 
 Plain, the street made a detour to avoid a dense and 
 
 ♦ In the Records, Plot or Plat, is used indifferently; sometimes it is 
 spelt Plutt. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 39 
 
 miry thicket. In this section were Lieut. Thomas 
 Tracy, and nearly opposite to him, John Bradford : — 
 Christopher Huntington, Thomas Adgate, and John 
 Holmsted ; where the street again approached the 
 river, Stephen Backus, Thomas Bliss, and John Ron- 
 alds. On the other side of the highway, more upon 
 the upland, were Sergeant Thomas Leffingwell and 
 Josiah Reed. Richard Wnllis and Richard Hendys 
 were also among the first planters upon the ground. 
 Their homelots were near together, and not far from 
 the meeting-house plain ; hut the location is not well 
 ascertained. This makes the number of settlers thirty- 
 eight, though it has been generally supposed that but 
 thirty-five signed the town purchase. 
 
 The impression made by the scenery upon the minds 
 of the planters, at their first arrival, must have been 
 on the w^holc of a hopeful though solemn charac- 
 ter. The frowning ledges of rock, with which the 
 place so peculiarly abounds, and the immense prepon- 
 derance of forest, chastened the landscape almost into 
 gloom. Many of the rocky heights were rendered im- 
 pervious with stunted cedar, spruce, hemlock, juniper, 
 savin, and the whole family of evergreen trees. The 
 uplands and declivities were covered with groves of 
 oak, walnut, chestnut and maple, and having been 
 partially cleared of underwood, were designated as 
 Indian hunting grounds. The lowlands were dense 
 with alder, willow, hazlenut, and other shrubs ; and 
 the plains, now so smooth and grassy, were rough 
 with bogs and stumps, mullein, thistle, and various 
 unsightly weeds. The inequalities of the ground 
 were much greater than at present. Running waters 
 now scantily trickling down the rocks, or murnuuing 
 over a few small stones, were then rushing torrents, 
 and the little brooks that creep under (he streets in 
 
40 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 concealed channels, were broad streams, to be forded 
 with care, or avoided by tedious circuits. Flowering 
 plants and shrubs were comparatively abundant, and 
 the settlers. must have been regaled with a succession 
 of scents and blossoms, from the arbutus, the shad 
 flower, the dog"-wood, the early honeysuckle, and the 
 laurel, which at the time of their removal, were in 
 bloom. Birds and animals of almost every species be- 
 longing to the climate, were numerous to an uncom- 
 mon degree, and the hissing of snakes, as well as the 
 howling of wolves and bears, must soon have become 
 familiar to their ears. To complete the view, it may 
 be added, that the streams swarmed with fish and wild 
 fowl ; in the brooks and meadows were found the 
 beaver and the otter, and through the whole scene 
 stalked at intervals the Indian and the deer. 
 
 On this spot, the hardy race of Puritans sat down 
 with a determination to make the wilderness smile 
 around them, to build up the institutions of religion 
 and education, and to leave their children members of 
 a secure and cultivated community. They were a 
 fearless and resolute people, most of them being men 
 of tried fortitude and experience, upright and devout, 
 industrious and enterprising. Though assembled 
 from many different places, they were bound together 
 by a common faith, a common interest, and a common 
 danger. They were an associated body, both in their 
 civil and ecclesiastical capacity, and only a few wrecks 
 were necessary to give them the form and stability of 
 a well-ordered society. 
 
 The Mohegans assisted them greatly in removing 
 their goods and preparing their habitations. The 
 number of the tribe at this period, cannot be precisely 
 ascertained, but as this was about the time of its great- 
 est prosperity, the whole number may be estimated at 
 
HISTORY OP NORWICH. 41 
 
 2,000 ; the warriors at 400. For several months they 
 kept a continual watch and guard around their white 
 friends, and held themselves in readiness to defend 
 them from all enemies. The Narragansetts were ex- 
 ceedingly irritated at the plantation, as forming an 
 obstacle to their future inroads upon the Mohegan 
 territories. For the same reason, it was peculiarly 
 agreeable to Uncas, and he seems to have regarded 
 the infant settlement with especial interest. He built 
 wigwams on the highest hills, where he kept an ad- 
 vanced guard, and on the slightest alarm, would as- 
 semble his warriors on the exposed borders of the town, 
 to protect it from danger. The situation of the place, 
 presenting on the north and east, a naked frontier to 
 the hostile tribes, was peculiarly hazardous. It is said, 
 that during the first summer, a hostile band approach- 
 ed the settlement with a determination to break it up 
 and expel the planters. It was a Sabbath morning, 
 and their scouts creeping close to the town, saw the 
 muskets of the citizens, stacked near the meeting- 
 house, where they were assembled to worship, some 
 of the houses fortified, cannon mounted, and Mohegan 
 sentinels stationed on the hills ; on carrying back this 
 report to their comrades, they wore intimidated, and 
 relinquished their design. 
 
 The earliest act that has been found recorded in the 
 town books bears the date of December 11, 1660, and 
 is a renewal of a contract stated to have been made at 
 Saybrook, in 1654, between John Elderkin on the one 
 hand, and "the town of Moheagan" on the other, to 
 erect a corn mill either on the land of John Pease, or 
 at Noman's acre, to be completed liefore November 1, 
 1661, imder penalty of forfeiting ^£20 in money. The 
 toll allowed was one-sixteenth, and a tract of land 
 was to be given in compensation for the mill. 
 
42 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 The Indians extended the term Mohegan over the 
 whole tract hetween the Yantic and Shetncket, now 
 comprising Norwich and Lisbon. This whole territory 
 was Mohegan, but for particular portions of it, they 
 had individual names, eacli with an appropriate mean- 
 ing. Thus their villages on the banks of the Thames 
 were Shantok, Pumma-chog, and Massa-peag. This 
 last name signifies a place j or fishing. Some have de- 
 rived the word Moheag' from a term .signifying a rasp- 
 herry^ and have supposed that Norwich was originally 
 and peculiarly, the Moheagan^ i. e. raspherry lands, 
 of the tribe, on account of the abundance of that fruit 
 found here, and the custom of the Indians to come in 
 bands at the proper season to obtain a supply. This 
 explanation is derived entirely from tradition, and not 
 from a knowledge of the meaning of the word in the 
 Indian language. Certain it is, however, that the 
 early settlers and their tawny neighbors used to ex- 
 change civilities in respect to their peculiar natural 
 commodities. The English would make excursions 
 to the Indian lands in strawberry time, while the In- 
 dians considered it their privilege to come at the proper 
 season, with large sacks and baskets to gather rasp- 
 berries and whortleberries, in the rocky glens and 
 pastures of this their alienated territory. 
 
 The name Norwich was given to the place about 
 1662. In some old deeds recorded in New London, it 
 is called New-Norwich. Although the name was be- 
 stowed in honor of Norwich in England, from which 
 place it is supposed a considerable number of the set- 
 tlers emigrated, this fact has not been positively ascer- 
 tained, with respect to any of them but the family of 
 Huntingtons. The original meaning of the word ren- 
 ders its application in this case peculiarly appropriate. 
 In the old Saxon language it signifies North-Castle, 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 43 
 
 and the formidable piles of rocks found here, might 
 easily suggest the idea of towers and battlements. 
 
 The homelots consisted in general of five or six acres 
 each. One of the largest portions was that of Mr. 
 Fitch, which consisted of eleven and a half acres. 
 His house was on the plain, fronting the N. W. He 
 brought with him two sons, from Saybrook, of the re- 
 spective ages of eleven and five years. On arriving 
 at manhood they built houses near their father's, and 
 soon became conspicuous men and able leaders in 
 public affairs. The meeting-house stood upon the 
 area of the plain, and was probably erected previous 
 to the removal of the planters ; as otherwise we might 
 expect some notice of its erection to have been found 
 upon record among the town acts. 
 
 Major Mason's home lot consisted of eight acres ; 
 his house stood near the river, not far from the place 
 where it is now spanned by the Court-house bridge. 
 Mr. Simon Huntington built on the corner where 
 stands the house of the late Mr. Joseph Huntington. 
 Tliomas Tracy had a nine acre lot, east of Simon 
 Huntington. The road around the square at that 
 time, ran over the brow of the hill, in the rear of the 
 Coit and Lathrop houses, and where it came out and 
 turned south, Lieut. Lefiingwell's house was situated. 
 It stood high upon the rock, nearly opposite the pres- 
 ent residence of John Hyde, Es({. The houses of 
 Thomas Bliss and John Reynolds were upon the very 
 sites where their descendants still live. 
 
 Each homestead had a tract of pasture land included 
 in it, or laid out as near to it as was convenient. 
 Where the street approached the river, the planters 
 had their pasture lots, in the same line with the house 
 lots on the opposite side of the stream. 
 
 Several farms were laid out during the first year, in 
 
44 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 the vicinity of the town plot, and every succeeding 
 year added to their number. New inhabitants were 
 provided with homelots in unappropriated lands, and 
 at intervals, public divisions were made of certain por- 
 tions of the tract, among- all the accepted inhabitants 
 or freeholders. In April, 1661, the first division land 
 was laid out, (this included the Little Plain;) in 1663, 
 the second division land, which lay towards Lebanon, 
 and in 1668, the third, upon Quinebaug river. After 
 a few years, almost every citizen owned land in eight 
 or ten different parcels. For the first eighty or one 
 hundred years, very few^ of the homesteads seem to 
 have been alienated. They passed from one occupant 
 to another, by quiet inheritance, and in many cases 
 were split into two or three portions, among the sons, 
 who settled down by the side of their fathers. In 
 many instances, they have remained in the same fam- 
 ily and name to the present day. The first alienation 
 of a home lot, on record, is that of Robert Wade, who 
 soon after the settlement, transferred his right to Caleb 
 Abell, having first obtained the consent of the town. 
 
 The first child was born in August, 1660, viz. : 
 Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Hide and Jane Lee, 
 who had been married the preceding year at Saybrook. 
 The house in which this child was born stood on a 
 declivity, sloping to the town street, in the rear of the 
 spot where the house stands which was the residence 
 of Elisha Hyde, Esq., deceased. At that time there 
 was an open space a few rods square in front, since 
 occupied by a house and garden. Here were the 
 home lots of the two Hides, and liere their immediate 
 descendants, fathers and sons, lived. Capt. William 
 Hide, the son of Samuel, built around this space three 
 houses for his three oldest sons, reserving the home- 
 stead for his fourth son. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 45 
 
 The second birth was also a female, Anne, daughter 
 of Thomas Bliss, born in September. 
 
 The first born male child was Christopher, son of 
 Christopher and Ruth Huntington, Nov. 1. There is 
 no record of any other births during the year 1660. 
 In 1661 five births are recorded, viz. : 
 
 Elizabeth, daiigter of Jonathan Royce and Debo- 
 rah Calkins, January. 
 
 John, Son of William Backus, . February. 
 
 Sarah, daughter of John Burchard, . May. 
 
 John, son of John Calkins, . . . July. 
 
 Abigail, daughter of Thomas Adgate, August. 
 
 Christopher Huntington, the first born male, lived 
 to a good old age. The broad and venerable head- 
 stone to his grave states that he exercised for forty 
 years the office of deacon in the church. One of his 
 grand-children, who held the same ofiice for almost as 
 long a period. Deacon Caleb Huntington, died in 1842, 
 aged ninety-three. 
 
 This brings the whole duration of Norwich into the 
 compass of three generations. It diminishes the time 
 since the settlement to a narrow compass, and seems 
 to place our ancestors distinctly before us. 
 
 The earliest death on record is that of Sarah, wife 
 of Thomas Post, who died in March, 1661, and was 
 buried in a corner of her husband's home lot, " ad- 
 joining Goodman Gadger's lot." From these two lots 
 an area of about ten rods square, enclosing the grave 
 of Sarah Post, was afterwards laid out by the town as a 
 place of public interment. 
 
 Th(; first marriage has not been ascertained. It is 
 doubtful whether there was a wedding in Norwich till 
 Thomas Post married again, in 1663. 
 
 Most of the proprietors were men of mature years, 
 and several of them had large families. Others among 
 5 
 
46 
 
 HISTORY or NORWICH. 
 
 them had long been wanderers and pilgrims seeking 
 a home ; having emigrated from the old country in 
 youth, and since that period passing from place to 
 place, till they collected at Saybrook and joined the 
 company that was forming for a new township. In 
 anticipation of the settlement several marriages had 
 taken place at Saybrook within two or three years 
 previous ; but still it is inferred that six or eight of the 
 proprietors were bachelors, as their marriages are sub- 
 sequently recorded without reference to any former 
 connection. The Rev. Mr. Fitch was a widower. 
 
 The affairs both of the town and society, civil and 
 ecclesiastical, were all recorded together, until the 
 year 1720. The volumes are labeled, Town Books of 
 Acts, Votes, Grants, &c. They contain also an account 
 of the freemen, strays, cattle-marks, lost goods, and 
 occasionally a record of a justice's court. Afterwards 
 the town and society affairs were separated, and the 
 latter kept by themselves in a volume entitled " The 
 Town-Plot Society Records." In the first books, 
 dates are confounded and subjects intermixed with a 
 strange degree of negligence. Some of the records 
 seem to have been made promiscuously, with the book 
 upside down, or upriglit, as it happened ; and forward 
 or backward, wherever there was a blank space. The 
 earliest notices relate to the granting of lands, appoint- 
 ing fence-viewers, erecting public pounds, gates and 
 fences, stating highways, felling trees, and regulating 
 the running at large of swine, rams, and other domestic 
 animals. These were the first subjects of legislation, 
 and the first officers were Townsmen, sometimes called 
 Overseers, and afterwards Selectmen. They were at 
 first only two in number, and the first whose names have 
 been found mentioned, were Hugh Calkins for the west 
 end of the town, and Christopher Huntington for the 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 47 
 
 east. Tlioy were empowered to call public meetings, 
 to take cog-nizance of all oirences against law, order, 
 and morality ; to settle differences, and try cases of 
 small value. Some of the earliest entries are the fol- 
 lowing. 
 
 Jan. 6, 1661. "Chosen by the town, Thomas Tracy, 
 Thomas Leffiiif^well and Francis Griswold, with the Towns- 
 men, to end all disputes value of forty shillings, and their 
 power to adjudicate is according to the power the Court 
 usually grants in cases of that nature. Voted." 
 
 Aug. 2S, 1661. " It is ordered by the town, that the sur- 
 vaiers have power to call men out to work in the high waies, 
 and if any refuse to go at their call to hire another in his 
 room, and pay him 3s. 6d. y' day. And the survaiers have 
 also power to destrain the goods of such as refuse to worke, 
 for the payment of those that workes in their room. Voted." 
 
 The regulation of swine was a subject brought up at 
 almost every public meeting for a number of years. 
 Innumerable were the perplexities, the votes and the 
 reconsiderations respecting them. Sometimes they 
 were ordered to be rung and yoked, at others not : some- 
 times strictly confined, and then again suffered to go at 
 large. There is no municipal act of those early days 
 introduced with such prosy solemnity as the report of 
 a committee on this subject, accepted and confirmed 
 by the town, the substance of which was, that " in the 
 time of acorns, we judge it may be profitable to suffer 
 swine two months or thereabouts to go in the woods 
 without rings." 
 
 Yokes for swine were to be two feet in length, and 
 six inches above the neck. 
 
 The following entry is from the Records of (he Gen. 
 Court, at Hartford, May 10, 1G79. 
 
 " Whereas, Uncas his son hath damnified Thomas Tracy, 
 Jun., in his swine, and Uncas is willing to make him satis- 
 faction for the same in land, this Court grants him liberty to 
 
48 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 receive of Uncas to the value of 100 acres of land for the 
 said damage, if he see cause to grant it him, provided it be 
 not prejudicial to any plantation or former grant made by the 
 Court. Lt. Thomas Tracy and Lt. Thomas Leffingwell are 
 appointed to lay out this grant to the said Thomas Tracy, 
 Jun., according to this grant." 
 
 The recording' of cattle marks was a work of no 
 small labor, and one which the increasing herds made 
 every year, more and more arduous. The pasture 
 lands being mostly held in common, and private fences 
 often rude and insecure, and therefore strays frequent, it 
 was absolutely necessary, that each man's cattle should 
 bear a peculiar mark, and that this mark should be 
 made matter of public record. These marks were 
 made on the ear, and were of this kind — a cross, a 
 half-cross, a hollow cross, a slit perpendicular, hori- 
 zontal or diagonal, one, two, or three notches, a penny, 
 two pennies, or a half-penny, a crop or a half-crop, a 
 swallow-tail, a three-cornered hole, &c. 
 
 All public affairs were transacted town-wise ; and 
 of course some mistakes were made in their legislation, 
 which experience or mature deliberation corrected. 
 Occasionally, under a town vote, which had been re- 
 corded, an endorsement, to this purport, is found: 
 " Ondon next meeting." 
 
 The grist-mill — after many attempts to erect one in 
 the Town Plot, upon waters which either failed in sum- 
 mer, or ran off furiously with all incumbrances at the 
 spring freshets, was finally established upon the Cove 
 below the Falls. Forty acres on the south side of the 
 Little Plain side hills, upon the cove, were given to 
 the mill, " to lye to it with the Landing Place, for the 
 use of the town," and to be improved by John Elder- 
 kin, the miller. A tract of land along " the Mill 
 River," above and below the Falls, was granted to 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 49 
 
 Eldcrkin, and in 1680, the town also voted to him 
 " the island that lyeth before his house at the Mill 
 Falls." 
 
 Elderkin's grant covered the Indian burying-place, 
 which had been guarantied to Uncas l)y the town. 
 In the first division of the common l;»nds, April, 1661, 
 " the Indian Graves''^ was included in the grant to 
 Thomas Tracy; upon which the town, by way of ex- 
 change, gave him eight acres of pasture land in anoth- 
 er place. And though the same spot was afterwards 
 granted to Elderkin, it w^as stipulated that the Indians 
 should always be allowed to pass and repass up the 
 cove and ravine to their burying-place, and to cut 
 wood, if they chose, half-way up the side hill. These 
 })rivileges were reiterated in succeeding acts of the 
 town, and the land is still held with this reservation of 
 the Indian right. 
 
 Though Norwich was a place of frequent resort with 
 the Indians, and anterior to the English settlement, 
 their hunting field and battle ground, very few memo- 
 rials of the red race have been found within its pre- 
 cincts. That race indeed seem to have lived and died 
 from "generation to generation, without ever passing 
 out of themselves, and stamping an evidence of their 
 existence, either upon the material forms around them, 
 or the annals of time. They pass over the earth like 
 the wind, or melt away like a dream, and leave no 
 vestige behind, or if any, it is but the names that they 
 bestowed on the hills and streams. These still linger 
 among us, and always have a wild and melancholy 
 sound, recalling the dark history and sad fate of the 
 departed owners of the land. 
 
 The only aboriginal relic of any note left in the town, 
 is the Sachem's Burial Ground above mentioned. A 
 few skeletons, supposed to have belonged to Indians, 
 5* 
 
50 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 have, at various times been disinterred in other places, 
 but nothing- of interest has been discovered. 
 
 There were three places within the bounds of Nor- 
 wich, where, if any dependence is to be placed upon 
 traditionary names, we may locate an Indian fortifica- 
 tion : viz. upon Waweecos Hill, at the Landing, which 
 was called by the first settlers, Fort Hill — on Little Fort 
 Hill near the Great Plains — and on the south side of 
 the Yantic, in the town plot, on a rugged and woody, 
 height, soiuh-east of the place where the Hammer 
 Brook comes in. It is difficult to conceive for what 
 purpose a fort could have been erected upon this barren 
 and secluded spot ; but a tradition has always been 
 current among the inhabitants on the opposite side of 
 the river, and particularly among the Hides and Posts, 
 who first owned the spot, that here was an ancient 
 Indian fortress. It consisted merely of a stone wall, 
 enclosing an area upon the brow of a hill. The stones 
 were removed about the year 1790, and used in the 
 building of a cellar, and for other purposes, by the 
 owner of the land. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 Houses. Books. Schools. Food 
 
 The first houses were generally of one story ; the 
 better sort two stories in front, ending in a very low 
 story in the rear. Two rooms in front, viz. a great- 
 room and kitchen, with a bed-room and pantry in the 
 rear, was the usual plan of the ground floor. It seems 
 formerly to have been the fashion of our country to 
 have the houses cover a large area, but they were sel- 
 dom thoroughly finished, and the upper rooms of 
 course were cold and comfortless. A snug, well-finish- 
 ed house, adapted to the family and circumstances of 
 the owner, is an improvement of modern times. Our 
 ancestors appear to have had no conception of such 
 comfort. 
 
 Towns were not built in those days like a factory 
 village at the present time, — all at once, and after one 
 model. The houses were, in fact, unpainted, mis- 
 shapen and patched, with crooked, heavy chimneys of 
 stone, that occupied a large space in the centre of the 
 building. Frequently on one, two, or three sides, they 
 presented additions or leantos, that were made from 
 time to time. 
 
 At intervals through the town, three or four houses 
 were fortified ; that is, a lude stone wall was built 
 around them; port-holes were prepared to fire through, 
 and they were perhaps furnished with a small field 
 piece. One of these fortified houses was the old Gro- 
 
52 HISTORY or NORWICH. 
 
 ver-house, still standing', and supposed to be the oldest 
 building extant in the place. In later times, during 
 Philip's war, the house at Huntington's corner was 
 fortified. This was an important station, as was also 
 Leffingwell's corner, for the old Indian track froniNar- 
 ragansett to Mohegan, over Ox-hill, led down to these 
 points. A block-house was also erected during Phil- 
 ip's war : — can any one tell where 1 
 
 The rooms were generally large, and agreeably to 
 the taste of the old colonists, well supplied with little 
 cup-boards, closets, and other receptacles of rubbish 
 and vermin. The windows were small and few ; most 
 of them furnished with panes of diamond glass, cased 
 in lead. As late as the year 1810, windows of this 
 kind were remaining in the old Post house. 
 
 Fire-places were enormously large ; from six to 
 eight feet wide, and two or three feet deep. Wood 
 was cut four feet in length, and the rolling in of a log- 
 was a ponderous operation, that made all the timbers 
 creak, and crushed the bed of burning coals upon the 
 hearth into cinders. The reduction of chimneys and 
 fire-places is a great improvement of modern architec- 
 ture, promoting at once, comfort, economy and sym- 
 metry. In new countries, where wood is so abundant 
 that it is an object to destroy it, there may be a con- 
 venience in a large fire-place, where any quantity of it 
 may be stowed away and consumed. But such a fire- 
 place requires more air to force the smoke up the 
 chimney than any common room can furnish, and of 
 course the room is filled with smoke unless a door is 
 kept open. As it is usually inconvenient to keep an 
 outer door open, recourse must be had to the cellar 
 door, which in old houses usually opened into the 
 kitchen, and as fast as the air is drawn from the cellar, 
 just so fast the cellar is replenished with cold air from 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 53 
 
 abroad. Consequently our aucestors had their cellars 
 filled with frost during the winter. 
 
 The kitchen was the prin.cipal sitting- room of the 
 family. Blocks for children's seats, were placed in the 
 ample corners of the fire-place ; a large settle kept 
 ofi" the air from the door; a tin candlestick with along 
 back, was suspended on a nail over the mantel, and 
 tlie walls were adorned with crook-necks, flitches of 
 bacon and venison, raccoon and fox skins, and im- 
 mense lobster-claws. Afterwards, as fears of tlie In- 
 dians died away, and weapons of warfare were less 
 used, occasionally a musket or an espontoon might be 
 seen, suspended transverse from beam to beam, and 
 bearing as trophies, strings of dried apples, chains of 
 sausages, and bunches of red peppers. A small open 
 recess for books was usually seen on one side of the 
 fire-place, a little below the ceiling, where even the 
 cleanest volumes, soon acquired a dingy hue. Vene- 
 rated were these books, for they came from the father- 
 land, and were mostly of that blessed Puritan stamp 
 whose truths had inspired the owners with courage to 
 leave the scenes of their nativity, to find a home in 
 this distant and savage land. This little recess, dis- 
 playing its few books, often appears in the background 
 of ancient portraits; for example, in that of Col. Dyer, 
 of Windham, formerly among the pictures in the 
 Wyllis mansion at Hartford. 
 
 In these houses the Family Bible was never want- 
 ing. It occupied a conspicuous station upon the desk 
 or best table, and though nuich used was well preserv- 
 ed. It came from home, for so the colonists loved to 
 call the mother country; it had voyaged with them 
 over the billowy waters, and was revered as the gift of 
 Heaven. One of these blessed volumes, long preserv- 
 ed as a precious relic in the Lathrop family, and now 
 
54 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 deposited in the archives of the American Bible Socie- 
 ty, merits a particular notice. It is in the old English 
 text, and of that edition usually called Parker's, or the 
 Bishop's Bible. It was brought from England by the 
 Rev. John Lathrop, who reading one night in his 
 berth, fell asleep over the book, when a spark escaped 
 from his lamp and falling upon the leaf, ate its way 
 slowly through a large number of pages, committing 
 sad havoc in the sacred text. He afterwards with great 
 neatness and patience, repaired the ravage. 
 
 Some few of the proprietors were men of education, 
 but the greater part had but little of what is called 
 school learning. Some of the most active and judi- 
 cious among them, could not write their names. Eight 
 of the first thirty-five, it is ascertained by actual in- 
 spection of deeds and conveyances, affixed their marks 
 for signatures instead of hand-writing; yet among 
 them were men who acted as townsmen, deacons, 
 constables, and arbitrators. But they all alike sought 
 to obtain the advantages of education for their children. 
 The establishment of a school Avas the next object after 
 that of a church. John Birchard is the first school- 
 master mentioned ; he was engaged for nine months 
 of the year, to receive .£26 in provision pay. Each 
 child who entered for the whole term, was to pay the 
 value of nine shillings ; and otiiers in proportion : the 
 town to make up the deficit. In 1678, it was voted 
 that "Mr. Daniel Mason should be improved as a 
 school-master for nine months ;" term.s as before, ex- 
 cej)t that notliiug was said about provision pay. 
 
 In 1680, a special meeting was called for the settle- 
 ment of a town.'iGhool, and the whole matter delivered 
 into the hand$ of the select men, with a solemn charge 
 that they should see, " 1st. that parents send their 
 children ; 2d. that tluy pay their proportion, accord^ 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 55 
 
 ing to what is judged just; 3d. that (hey take care 
 parents be not oppressed, espeslially such who are dis- 
 abled ; 4th. that whatever is additionally necessary 
 for the perfecting the maintenance of a school-master, 
 is a charge and expense belonging to all the inhabit- 
 ants of the town, and to be gathered as any other rates; 
 5th. whatever else is necessary to a prudent carrying 
 through this occation, is committed to the discreshon 
 of y' sd select men." 
 
 There is no account that the planters ever experien- 
 ced any scarcity of food, or were deprived at any time 
 of the real comforts of life. Though their modes of 
 cooking were more simple than those now in vogue, 
 the variety of sustenance was nearly as great. To 
 obviate the necessity of going often to mill, pounded 
 maize, called by the Indians samp, was much used. 
 Another dish which the Indians taught them to make, 
 was succatash, a mixture of tender Indian corn and 
 new beans, forming a delicious compound, still a great 
 favorite all over New England. They also learned of 
 the natives to bake corn-cakes on the hot hearth, un- 
 der the ashes, forming a sweet and wholesome ban- 
 nock ; and to pound their parched corn and eat it with 
 milk or molasses. This was called in their language, 
 Yo-ke-ug. The first planters were also famous for 
 baked beans and lioiled Indian puddings ; dishes 
 which have been kept up by their descendants with 
 such constancy and spirit as to become characteristic 
 of the place. The beans were put into the oven early 
 in the morning, crowned with a choice portion from 
 the pork barrel, and having been kept all day seeth- 
 ing and browning, appeared upon the supper table, hot 
 and juicy, and with their respectable accompaniment, 
 the slashed and crispy pork, gave dignity to the best 
 tables. This was the universal Saturday night treat ; 
 
56 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 SO that wits would say the inhabitants knew when 
 Sunday was coming only by the previous dish of baked 
 beans ; and that if the usual baking should at any 
 time be omitted, the ovens would fall in. Bean-por- 
 ridge was also, in those early days, a frequent break- 
 fastdish. The name of Bean-hill was bestowed on 
 that part of the town plot now called West-ville, from 
 the preponderance of these customs. With respect to 
 the -puddings, it is reported that they were frequently 
 made of such size- and solidity as to carry ruin in their 
 path if the pyramid chanced to fall. An extra-good 
 housewife would put her pudding in the bag at night, 
 and keep it boiling until dinner-time the next day. 
 The carving commenced at the top, and as the pile 
 lowered to the centre the color deepened to a delicious 
 red. One cannot help being curious to know whether 
 these local customs could be traced back to those parts 
 of England from which the planters came. 
 
 In addition to the flesh afforded by the flocks and 
 herds which they fed, the bounty of Providence fur- 
 nished them with rich supplies. Deer at the time of 
 the settlement were not infrequent ; wild fowl, espe- 
 cially pigeons, were at the proper season very abund- 
 ant ; all the smaller game, such as squirrels, foxes, 
 wood-chucks, and rabbits might be caught in snares at 
 the very doors of the houses, and the rivers and brooks 
 around them, furnished first rate bass, innumerable 
 shad, fine lobsters, delicate oysters, and highly-prized 
 trout. Such were the dainties spread upon their board. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Grants of Land. Highways. Fences. Boundaries. Selectmen. Innkeepers. 
 Town Clerk. 
 
 Land at this early period was given away with a 
 lavish hand. Grants were often made in this indefinite 
 manner, — " where he can find it" — " over the river" 
 — " at any place free from engagement to another" — 
 " at some convenient place in the common lands" — 
 " a tract not included in former grants" — " what land 
 may be suitable for him"' — " as much as he needs in 
 any undivided land," &c. A man obtains a lot, " for 
 the conveniency of joining his lands together," — an- 
 other five or six acres " in order to straiten his line" — 
 and frequently in lieu of a lop, of somebody else, on 
 his land. These laps, owing to imperfect surveys, 
 were very numerous. Every new inhabitant, publicly 
 accepted as such, obtained a grant of land, comprising 
 a building lot, pasture ground and wood land, sufficient 
 for a family ; frequently in three parcels. No one was 
 permitted to settle in the town without the consent of 
 the majority. 
 
 Giants were uniformly made by a town vote. Ex- 
 amples. 
 
 1669. " Granted to one of Goodman Trade's sonnes 100 
 akers of land in y*^ division of y" out lands. 
 
 " Granted to Sergent Waterman liberty to lay down 
 
 twenty acres of upland over Showtucket river, and take it 
 
 up again on the same side of the river, against Potapaug 
 
 hills, adjoining to some other lands he is to take up, and the 
 
 6 
 
58 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 town leaves it to the measurers to judge respecting any 
 meadow that may fall within the compass of it, whether it 
 may be reasonable to allow it to him or not." 
 
 " Granted to Mr. Brewster and John Glover two bits of 
 land on the east side of Showtucket river, near their own land, 
 they two with the help of goodman Elderkin to agree peace- 
 ably about the division of it between them, and in case they 
 cant well agree about the division then it falls to the town 
 again." 
 
 " Granted to Ch"" . Huntington, Sen^ . an addition to his 
 land at Beaver Brook to the quantity of seven or eight acres 
 to bring his lot to the place where the great brook turns with 
 an elbow." 
 
 1684. " Granted to Capt. Fitch, a gusset of land from 
 the S. E. corner of the old meeting-house to the corner of 
 his father's homelot." 
 
 The earlier grants being thus indefinite in situation 
 and extent, and imperfectly recorded, after the lapse 
 of a few years great perplexities began to be experien- 
 ced, and more were apprehended. Several votes were 
 passed by way of providing remedies. Additions were 
 inserted in the records here and there, or new surveys 
 recorded, so contradictory to the old, that the confu- 
 sion was every day increased. In 1681, a resolution 
 passed, that if no other date could be ascertained for 
 the grant of any inhabitant, it was to take date from 
 that period, and the title remain good and firm. Com- 
 mittees were frequently appointed, to ascertain dates 
 and add them to the old book of records. In 1683, 
 one hundred acres of land, — " where he can find it," 
 — is granted to Capt. Fitch, " for being helpful to the 
 town Recorder, in making a new record of lands." 
 This gentleman commenced a register of the proprie- 
 tary lands, in a volume distinct from the town books. 
 It is endorsed thus, '< Norwich Book of Recoids of the 
 \' River Lands. Capt. James Fitch writt this booke." 
 This register was afterwards partially copied and con- 
 tinued by Richard Bushnell and others, Clerks of the 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 59 
 
 Proprietors, until the year 1740, when the final division 
 of the common lands was made, the accounts of the 
 Proprietors closed, and their interests merged- in those 
 of the town. 
 
 Every enterprize which had any tendency to pro- 
 mote the public convenience was patronized by a grant 
 of land. Hugh Amos, who fiist established a regular 
 ferry over Shetucket river, received one hun- 
 1671. dred acres of land by way of encouragement. 
 John Elderkin was repeatedly remunerated in 
 this way for keeping the town mill. A blacksmith 
 was induced to settle among them by a similar reward. 
 A miller, a blacksmith and a ferryman were important 
 personages for the infant settlement. Saw mills met 
 with the same liberal patronage. In 1680, two hun- 
 dred acres were granted to Capt. Fitch, on condition 
 that he built a saw mill in a certain place : he to have 
 the benefit of the stream and the timber near it, and 
 no other person to set up a saw mill on the same 
 stream to his damage. This mill, however, was not 
 erected and the privilege, according to contract, re- 
 verted to the town. A person who proposed to estab- 
 lish a fulling mill was promised a large grant of vaiious 
 immunities if he succeeded. The project, however, 
 failed, and there was no fulling mill in the place till 
 at a much later period the town had one erected at 
 the public expense. Competent workmen in this trade 
 were then scarce in the country. Before the year 1710 
 there was but one clothier in the whole colony of/ 
 Connecticut. 
 
 The planters were often deceived in their first esti- 
 mation of the quality of the land. Some bog meadows 
 in tlie interior of the township, the Podgeum and We- 
 quanock lands, and other tracts of inferior quality, were 
 eagerly taken up, from an idea that when drained, 
 
60 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 they would make good mowing- land. Experience has 
 proved the fallacy of this opinion. The more a man 
 does to them, the poorer he grows. Among other 
 grants is one of the island in Wequonuk i-iver, to 
 Thomas Leffingwell, 2d., for which he preferred his 
 petition, as though it was of some considerable value. 
 No such island is at present known. Grants in the 
 Cranberry Pond and Swamp, were considered advan- 
 tageous, but whether for the fruit or the land is now 
 doubtful. In an agricultural point of view, some parts 
 of Norwich have disappointed the expectations at first 
 formed. That part of it which is restricted within its 
 present limits, would have made, on the whole, but 
 indifferent farms ; much of the sward being thin and 
 loose, the pasturage rocky, and of little value. 
 
 Most of the highways at first laid out, began at the 
 meeting-house plain, and branched out diverse ways 
 into the farms ; but they were, at this period, little 
 better than cart paths. In 1699, mention is made of 
 the path to New London, and the path to Connecticut. 
 The town street had been left from the first, four rods 
 wide in the narrowest part. It was afterwards much 
 straitened and improved. The present road from Hun- 
 tington's corner to Strong's corner, is of comparatively 
 recent origin. On this path at the time of the settle- 
 ment, there was a bold and almost impassable ravine, 
 twenty feet deep, with a gurgling stream in its bed, 
 ju'st beyond the dwelling house of the late Deacon 
 Caleb Huntington. Another rivulet came down the 
 hill near the house of Dr. Daniel Lathrop, both passing 
 into the meadow below, which was then a dense alder 
 swamp. It was to avoid this swamp and other obstruc- 
 tions, that the town street made a detour at this place. 
 A path was early laid out along the margin of the river, 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 6l 
 
 and though fenced in, it was well understood to be a 
 highway. The following is the first notice of it. 
 
 Aug. 1661 — " Memorando : the footway six foote broad 
 which goes through the honielot of Mr. Fitch, John Hohn- 
 stead and Steven Backus was laid out by Towne order and 
 agreement for the use of the towne." 
 
 Between the Little Plain and the Town Plot, there 
 was a very thick swamp, known then, and for many 
 years afterwards, as Capt. John Mason's Swamp. A 
 foot-path led through it. 
 
 The sheep walks were laid out at some distance from 
 the Town Plot. Two, of five hundred acres each, lay 
 on the eastern and western borders. One of them cov- 
 ered a part of Long Hill and Wequonuck plains, bor- 
 dering on " the White Hills and Pople Swamp." The 
 other spread over " Wolf pit-Hill," in the w^estern part 
 of the town. Chelsea formed another sheep- w^alk-pas- 
 rure of nine hundred acres ; and a fourth is described 
 as lying " between the Great River and Great Plains, 
 beginning at the brook below^ the clay banks, and so 
 running down to Trading Cove." In these Walks, 
 the sheep of the town plot residents, as distinguished 
 from farmers, were to be kept, and among the appoint- 
 ments made by the town, we sometimes find that of a 
 shepherd to oversee the flocks. 
 
 Labor on the town lands was usually accomplished 
 in the same way as highway work. Laws were made 
 which provided for the clearing of the commons by 
 degrees. A certain quantity was every year laid down 
 to grass, the hay-seed being procured at the town 
 charge. Every citizen, excepting those who lived on 
 remote farms, between the ages of fourteen and 
 seventy, were required to cut bushes two days in the 
 6* 
 
62 HISTORY OFNORWICH. 
 
 year, alternately, on the hills and in the town. This 
 was done by a general turn out. 
 
 The winter was the period for making fences. It 
 was repeatedly ordered that all front fences should be 
 done up by the first of March, and the general fences 
 by the first of April. The front fences were to be " a 
 five rayle or equivalent to it, and the general fences a 
 three rayle or equivalent to it." Afterwards a lawful 
 fence upon plain ground was thus defined. — " A good 
 three rail fence, four feet high ; or a good hedge, or 
 pole fence, well staked, four and a half feet high." 
 Two pounds were erected in 1669, one at each end of 
 the town, which appear to have had plenty of occu- 
 pants ; for cattle, swine, sheep and goats, often roamed 
 at large, and trespasses were frequent. 
 
 All the effective males turned out at certain seasons 
 of the year, to labor on the highways, or to build and 
 repair bridges. Two horse-bridges were very early 
 erected over the Yantic, at each end of the town plot; 
 and before many years, six bridges over the same river 
 were maintained by the town, being all within her 
 limits. Wood's bridge, at Poitipaug, was the most 
 northerly of these ; tlve l)ridge at Noman's acre the 
 most southern and last built. 
 
 The inhabitants being principally employed in agri- 
 cultural pursuits, their trading must have been chiefly 
 in the way of barter. Clothing and provisions formed 
 the circulating currency. Loaded boats, however, fre- 
 quently passed up and down the river, and the begin- 
 ning of commerce was soon beheld at the old Landing 
 Place. 
 
 In 1682 w^e find the following entry : — 
 
 " It is voted y' there shal be a book procured at town 
 charge for the recording of lands, and allso a boat cumpas 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 63 
 
 and y' there shall be allowed to any of the inhabitants of this 
 towne to make a new survey of their land provided they take 
 their neibors with y"' whose land lyeth adjoining to them." 
 
 To the confusion produced by contradictory deeds, 
 grants without date, and careless surveys, was added 
 that of undefined town limits. This led to ceaseless 
 and long continued disputes with the Indians, and after- 
 wards witli the neighboring towns. The Selectmen 
 were obliged to perambulate the bounds, in company 
 with a Committee from the adjoining towns, every 
 year, and to see that the boundaries and meres were 
 kept up. The preservation of boundaries however, 
 both public and private, was extremely difficult, where 
 the only marks were a w^hite oak tree, or a black oak 
 with a crotch, — a tree with a heap of stones around 
 it, — a twin tree, — a very large tree, — a great rock, — a 
 stone set up, — a clump of chesnuts, — a walnut with a 
 limb lopped off, — a birch with some gashes in it, &c. 
 If a man set up a stone in the corner of his grant, with 
 his initials marked on it, he was much more precise 
 than his neighbors. A strip of land, a])Out three miles 
 in breadth, lying between the northern boundary of 
 New London, and the southern of Norwich, gave rise 
 to much litigation and contioversy, not only among 
 individuals, but between the two towns, and the whites 
 and Indians. Three parties claimed it, and each was 
 officious in selling and conveying it to individuals, so 
 that a collision of claims and interests was inevitable. 
 It was long before this affair was satisfactorily settled. 
 Many committees were appointed ; and the town hoped 
 to arrange the difficulty by referring it, as far as they 
 w^ere concerned, " to the worshipful Samuel Mason 
 and the Rev. Mr. Fitch." This tract is now inclu- 
 ded in Montville. 
 
64 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 It has already been observed that no inhabitant was 
 permitted to exchange or sell his homelot, without the 
 consent of the town. Thomas Rood and some others 
 violated this regulation, and the sales were declared 
 null and void. Great care was taken to admit no 
 inhabitants that were not industrious and of good moial 
 character. Transient persons, and those who had no 
 particular way of getting a livelihood, were quickly 
 warned out of town. The overseers made a present- 
 ment of every such person, and the sentence of expul- 
 sion was forthwith recorded against them. The follow- 
 ing is a specimen of the solicitous guardianship of the 
 freemen over their beloved town : — 
 
 " 1692. — Whereas Richard Elsingham and Ephraim Phil- 
 ips have petitioned this town that they may live here one 
 year, the town do agree that they may dwell here the year 
 ensuing, provided that they then provide for themselves 
 elsewhere." 
 
 The townsmen were uniformly selected from among 
 the oldest and most influential inhabitants ; but many 
 of the inferior oihcers circulated pretty generally among 
 the citizens. The townsmen were at first two, but 
 they soon increased to eight in number. 
 
 Innkeepers were considered as town officers. Deacon 
 Simon Huntington is the first person on record, as keep- 
 er of '' the house of entertaynement." 
 
 "Dec. 11. 1679. Agreed and voted by y^ town yt Ser- 
 gent Thomas Waterman is desired to keepe the ordynary. 
 And for his encouragement he is granted four ackers of pas- 
 ter land where he can convenyently find it ny about the val- 
 ley going from his house into the woods." 
 
 Under date of 1694, is the following, verbatim et 
 literatim : 
 
 " The towne maks choise of calih abell to keepe ordinari 
 or a house of entertaynement for thisyeare or till another be 
 choosen." 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 65 
 
 This was surely inserted by some occasional amanu- 
 ensis, and not by one of the Huntinglons, the regular 
 town clerks, who appear in general to have been cor- 
 rect and faitliful scribes. Some very odd orthography 
 occasionally occurs in the records, such as Cota, Coram 
 and Potemporary, for Quota, Quorum and pro-tempore. 
 
 Some of the earlier records are in the hand-writing 
 of John Birchard and Capt. James Fitch, but the first 
 town-clerk and recorder, whose appointment is noted, 
 is Christopher Huntington, chosen to office in 1678. 
 After him, the office was held for a time b}^ Richard 
 Bushnell, and then by Christopher Huntington 2d, 
 from whom it descended in regular succession first to 
 liis son Isaac, and from Isaac to Benjamin, and from 
 Benjamin to Philip, and from Philip (o Benjamin again, 
 who held it in 1828, when the records were removed 
 to Chelsea, and a clerk chosen from that society. Mr. 
 Isaac Huntington held the office for nearly sixty years. 
 At the annual meetings, the question was regularly 
 put by the moderator — Will the town now proceed to 
 the choice of a clerk ? and uniformly decided in the 
 negative; it being understood that the then incumbent 
 was to be continued until a successor was appointed. 
 This venerable man died in 1764. 
 
 1630. Mr. Arnold accepted as an inhabitant, and a 
 grant of several acres of land bestowed on him gra- 
 tuitously. This gentleman is elsewhere caIl(>d"Mr. 
 John Arnold, merchant." He is supposed to have 
 been from Boston and to have opened the first stock 
 of merchandize in town. In 1688, he purchased the 
 homestead of Jonathan Jennings, consisting of a new 
 dwelling-house, barn and eight acres of land. He 
 then disappeared from the records, having removed, 
 it is supposed, to New London. In 1698, the widow 
 Sarah Knight was one of the principal shopkeepers. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Mohegans. Enlistmeiits. Aboriginal relics. 
 
 The Moheg-ans were eager to exchange their servi- 
 ces for the food, clothing and other comforts which 
 they received fiom the English. Many of them erect- 
 ed wigwams in the vicinity of the settlers, and some 
 even in their homelots. The plantation soon swarm- 
 ed with them, and the whites found them rather 
 troublesome neighbors. Their habits of indolence, 
 lying and pilfering were inveterate. At first, a strong 
 hope of converting them to Christianity, Avas very gen- 
 erally entertained, but the major part of the planters 
 soon relinquished the task in despair. It was now 
 found a work of no small difficulty to shake them off, 
 or to keep them in due subjection and order. Laws 
 were repeatedly made for their removal from the town, 
 but still they remained. Restiictions of various kinds 
 were thrown around them : a fine of I9s. was 
 June 17, imposed on every one who should be found 
 
 1662. drunk in the place ; the person who should 
 furnish an Indian with ammunition of any 
 kind, was amerced 20s., but they were neither driven 
 away, nor their morals improved. 
 
 1678. Peremptory orders were at length issued to 
 remove every Indian found dwelling upon the Town 
 Plot. Twelve days warning was given, and if 
 after that, any person should suffer them to remain 
 upon his homelot, or pasture near the town, he should 
 pay a fine of 205. Nevertheless, a certain number did 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 67 
 
 remain some )'ears long-er, and these, in succeeding 
 town acts, are denominated listed surrenderers, a term 
 perhaps denoting that they had claims upon the lands 
 which they had formally surrendered to the planters, 
 on certain conditions. 
 
 Those who were dislodged by the above order, knew 
 not where to go. They had partially given up their 
 roving habits, and it seemed harsh to turn them forth 
 again into the wild w^oods. The Rev. Mr. Fitch, ever 
 their kind friend in temporal as well as spiritual things, 
 compassionating their forlorn condition, obtained per- 
 mission for them to occupy Waweekus Hill, for a few 
 years, rent free, " that they might have a comfortable 
 living till such time as some other way may be made 
 open for them." How long they continued there is 
 not known. A division of lands upon the hill, 
 1696. was soon afterwards made among all the accept- 
 ed inhabitants ; tlie first purchasers tohave three 
 acres to the hundred more than others. 
 
 A few families of resident Indians continued in the 
 town until they slowly melted away. Several wig- 
 wams remained far into the next century. One of the 
 last that decayed was on the hill not far from the spot 
 where the Marsh house stands. It had probably been 
 the residence of a sentinel. 
 
 In 1673, upon some hostile manifestations from the 
 Dutch of New York, the militia or train-bands of Con- 
 necticut were ordered to be ready for service, and 500 
 dragoons raised, who were to be prepared to march on 
 an hour's warning, to defend any place in the colony. 
 Of these dragoons. New London county was to raise a 
 company of one hundred : James Avery, [of New Lon- 
 don,] Captain : Thomas Tracy, [of Norwich,] Lieut. : 
 John Denison, [of Stonington,] Ensign. The number 
 
68 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 of privates apportioned to Norwich, was seventeen. 
 Of these men no list has been obtained. 
 
 During Philip's war, Norwich was a frontier town, 
 and of course open to the depredations of the enemy : 
 yet there is no record of its ever having been invaded. 
 The inhabitants were frequently alarmed with rumors 
 that bands of hostile Indians were bending their course 
 towards them. A watch was stationed day and night 
 upon Sentry-hill, and men kept their arms by them at 
 their daily work. 
 
 Norwich was a convenient place of rendezvous for 
 troops who were collecting for expeditions against the 
 enemy. Major Treat at one time, and Major Talcott 
 twice, marched from this point with their bands of two 
 and three hundred soldiers, and their Indian allies, 
 amounting to nearly as many more. In the New Lon- 
 don accounts, under date of 1676, are various charges 
 against the colony, for arms and provisions, sent to the 
 army at Norwich, or furnished to the Mohegan war- 
 riors, per order of Major Talcott, and Captains Mason, 
 Denison and Avery. 
 
 " The Mohegans," says an old writer, "were partic- 
 ularly friendly to Norwich when an infant settlement. 
 They were of great service in watching and spying, so 
 that it happened that there never were but two men 
 killed in said town by the Indian enemies, and one 
 boy carried away captive, Avho soon was returned, by 
 the help of a friendly Indian." 
 
 This is the only case any where recorded of Indian 
 aggression upon the town. The occurrence must have 
 taken place during Philip's war, and the attack was 
 doubtless upon some exposed dwelling, distant from 
 the town plot. 
 
 The Mohegans, from the earliest period of the set- 
 tlement to the present day, may be called favorites 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 69 
 
 with the people of Norwich. They have been looked 
 after with almost parental care, and the men of most 
 influence in the town, on all public questions, have 
 taken their part, whether right or wrong, against the 
 state and against opposing tribes. 
 
 Quarrels frequently took place among the natives, 
 within the bounds of the town, and in this case the 
 magistrates interfered, to see justice done. There is a 
 tradition tliat one Indian killed another on Bean-hill, 
 soon after the settlement, in 1662. The criminal was 
 arraigned, and being found guilty, was delivered over 
 to his own people for punishment. They assembled 
 on the spot where the deed was done ; the prisoner 
 was brought forth, placed in a kneeling position, and 
 the gun put into the executioner's hand, by one of 
 their chief men. This executioner was probably a 
 near relation of the deceased. For some time he flour- 
 ished his weapon in the air, then aimed at the crimin- 
 al and n ade the motion of discharging its contents, 
 but instantly wheeled about and pointed to some other 
 object. At length, when the attention of the specta- 
 tors and the prisoner was in some measure distracted, 
 lie suddenly lued : the victim uttered a single cry of 
 ahwah! and fell dead. The executioner threw down 
 his gun, fled to the woods and returned no more to his 
 tribe. This was their custom, in order to avoid the 
 avengers of blood. In another aflf'ray which happened 
 near one of the English houses, nuudcr was committed, 
 but the criminal escaped. The Indians held a court 
 on the spot, pronounced the sentence, and put the 
 avenging knife in(o the hand of the son of the slain, 
 who immediately set oflf in pursuit of the ofltnder, but 
 in vain, he had reached Oneida, and was there pro^. 
 tected. 
 
 7 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Ecclesiastical Affairs. Ministers. Meeting-houses. 
 
 1668. A rate was granted for "repairing and 
 heightening the meeting-house." The next year a 
 grant of land was made " to Samuel Lotrop in consid- 
 eration of his heightening the meetinsr-house." This 
 edifice had probably been built in November, 1659 ; 
 hastily constructed, and expected to answer only a 
 temporary purpose. 
 
 In 1673, a contract was made with John Elderkin 
 and Samuel Lothrop, to build a new meeting-house, 
 upon the summit of the hill, at the foot of which the 
 present church stands. It was to be furnished " with 
 a gallery and trough to carry the water from the roof." 
 Elderkin, who was the builder, completed it in about 
 two years. He had engaged to do it for ^6428, but the 
 expense exceeding his estimate, he presented in town 
 meeting the following petition : 
 
 " Christian Friends and Neighbors, 
 
 Your humble petitioner pleadelh your cbaritie for the 
 reasons hereafter expressed. Gentlemen, it is well known 
 that I have been undertaker for building of the meeting- 
 hous, and it being a piece of work very difficult to under- 
 stand the whole worth and value ofl", yet notwithstanding I 
 have presumed to doe the work for a sertain sum of money, 
 (to wit,) 428 pound, not haveing any designe thereby to 
 make myself rich, but that the towne might have there 
 meeting-hous dun for a reasonable consideration. But upon 
 my experience, I doe find by my bill of cost, I have dun 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 71 
 
 said work very much to my damma2;e, as 1 shall now make 
 appear. Gentlemen, I shall not say much unto you, but 
 onely if you may be made sencible of my loss in said under- 
 taking, I pray for your generous and charitable conclusion 
 toward me, whether it be much or little, I hope will be 
 well excepted from your poor and humble petitioner. 
 
 John Elderkin.'' 
 
 The town declared themselves to be at this time 
 greatly burdened by the necessity of raising the j£428; 
 but as ajcompensation for the gallery of the new meet- 
 ing-house, they granted Elderkin a tract of land " at 
 Pocketannuk's Cove's mouth." 
 
 Mr. James Fitch having provided nails for this 
 meeting-house, to the value of ,£12, " wherein his for- 
 wardness for the use and benefit of the town, is owned 
 and accepted," liberty was granted him to take two 
 hundred acres of land, as a satisfaction for the same, viz. 
 " 100 in the crotch between Quinebaug and Showtuck- 
 ct, and 100 as convenient as he can find it, on the 
 other side of Showtucket river." 
 
 The lofty site of this meeting-house, rendered it very 
 dilTicult of access. We can scarcely imagine that the 
 old or infirm ever reached it. It was chosen through 
 fear of attack, and for the convenience of keeping 
 watch. Another motive was, that the people beyond 
 the ridge, as well as those below, might see their 
 church. It was now the centre of vision to all the in- 
 habitants, and presented a formidable and secure as- 
 pect ; a barrier of perpendicular rocks on one side, and 
 stony declivities on every other. I'his was about the 
 period of Philip's war, and a time of unusual alarm. 
 A better look-out post tlian the gallery of tliis church 
 furnished, couhl scarcely be found in the vicinity. 
 
 In 1689, this meeting-house was found too small to 
 accommodate the congregation, and Thomas Leffing- 
 
72 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 well and others were appointed a committee "to con- 
 sider, contrive and effect an enlargement" of it. This 
 was done so as to answer the temporary emergency, 
 but the whole building was rough, uncouth and clum- 
 sy ; yet perched as it was like a citadel upon its rocky 
 height, the effect must liave been imposing. 
 
 To this church the people used to repair with fire-arms 
 upon their shoulders, which were not, however, carried 
 into the house, but stacked without, in some conven- 
 ient position to be watched by a person at oife of the 
 windows. Swords were customarily Avorn when in 
 full dress, by all the earlier settlers of New England, 
 both in a civil and military capacity. Hats were at 
 that time made of wool : perhaps two or three at the 
 church door, reverently took off a "black beaverett," 
 though that was a costly article, in those days. The 
 poorer sort of people wore only a buff-cap, knit from 
 woollen yarn. The coat was made with a long, 
 straight body, falling below the knee, and with no 
 collar, so that the band, or the neckcloth of spotless 
 linen, fastened behind with a silver buckle, was fully 
 displayed. It is not probable that any one of the in- 
 habitants assumed such a degree of state and dignity 
 as to wear a ruff, though that article was in vogue 
 among people of rank. The waistcoat was long. It 
 is uncertain whether the small clothes had then begun 
 to grow, so as to reach below the knee, and to be fas- 
 tened with knee-buckles or not. The earlier mode 
 was to have them terminate above the knee, and to 
 be tied with ribbons. The common kind were made 
 of leather. Red woollen stockings were much ad- 
 mired. The shoes were coarse, clumped, square-toed, 
 and adorned with enormous buckles. If any boots 
 made their appearance, prodigious was the thumping 
 as they passed up the aisles, for a pair of boots w^as 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 73 
 
 then expected to last a man's life. The tops were 
 short, but very wide at the top ; formed, one might 
 suppose, with a special adaptation to rainy weather ; 
 collecting the water as it fell, and holding an ample 
 bath for the feet and ancles ! 
 
 Wigs were not then common ; but long hair was 
 getting into vogue. It was combed back from the 
 forehead, and gathered behind into a club, or a queue, 
 wound with a black ribbon. A congregation of such 
 men, with their brave, manly brows, fronting their 
 minister, worshipping God upon the high rock that 
 overlooked their settlement, must have been a solemn 
 and majestic sight to superior beings. 
 
 But our great grandmothers are also here : they 
 come decently, but not gaudily dressed. They have 
 finery, but they leave it at home on the Sabbath. 
 The more respectable matrons have all a full dress of 
 flowing brocade, embroidered stomachers, and hang- 
 ing sleeves, but it is reserved for feasts and great civic 
 occasions. They are dressed on the Sabbath, perhaps, 
 in short gowns and stuff-petticoats, with white aprons 
 of linen or muslin, starched stiff. The gown sleeve is 
 short, and they wear mittens extending to the elbow, 
 and leaving the fingers with a part of the thumb bare. 
 The cloak was short, with a hood to cover the head, 
 and was called a riding-hood. The hood was thrown 
 back in meeting, and those who wore bonnets took 
 them off. The matrons wore caps, and the young 
 women had their hair curled or otherwise dressed. 
 
 Distinctions of rank and dress, titles of respect, 
 and customs of deference and precedency, were care- 
 fully preserved, but they formed no bar to social in- 
 tercourse, and every year diminished their influence. 
 Among the first proprietors, very few at the period of 
 
 the settlement, ranked so high as to be called Mr. 
 
 7* 
 
74 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Fitch and Major Mason always received 
 this title. Others afterwards, by age, character, or 
 office, arrived at the distinction. Old men had the 
 title of Gaffer, others that of Goodman, which was con- 
 sidered a respectful appellation, and is often used in 
 the records. Women in like manner were respectfully 
 addressed as Gammers and Goodwives. 
 
 Difficulties were soon experienced with respect to 
 collecting- the minister's rates. It had been arranged 
 that every inhabitant should carry in himself his pro- 
 portion annually, on or before the 20tli of March, and 
 for a time this mode answered well. This excellent 
 community hoped to make the support of Christian 
 instiutions wholly a voluntary business. Every thing 
 was to be done according to law and order, at the 
 same time that religious contributions were to be the 
 spontaneous offerings of the heart and conscience. It 
 was not till 1686, that collectors were appointed to 
 gather the salary, one third of which was to be paid 
 in wheat at 4s. per bushel, one third in r3'e or pease at 
 3s. per bu., and one third in Indian corn at 2s. per 
 bu., or in that which was equivalent and acceptable to 
 the nnnister. This vote has a solenm preamble, set- 
 ting forth the necessity of " doing what the laws of God 
 and man, and duty obliges, to wit, the discharge of 
 that obligation which we lie under with respect to the 
 maintenance of our Rev. Minister, and it appearing 
 that the great lenity of the Rev. Mr. Fitch towards some 
 is much abused, and many arc got into a way of slight- 
 ncss and remissness in making due payment, now 
 therefore that we might all be more thorough so as the 
 work of God may not fall amongst us, it is ordered," 
 &c. In some cases monthly contributions were resorted 
 to in order to make up the deficiency of the minister's 
 salary. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 75 
 
 In 1694 the Rev. Mr. Fitch was disabled fiom 
 preaching, by a stroke of the palsy. This fact is 
 adverted to in the preamble of a town act, in these 
 terms, — " Inasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God 
 to lay his afflicting hand on our reverend minister," 
 &c. Mr. Jabez Fitch, then pursuing his studies at 
 New Haven, was invited to take his father's place, and 
 the town passed a vote, " to pay the charge of sending 
 for him fiom the CoUidge." After a year's experience 
 of his ministry, they passed another vote, declaring 
 themselves well satisfied with him, and publicly invi- 
 ting him to settle. His answer is not upon record, and 
 indeed nothing farther appears respecting him. Mr. 
 Fitch afterwards settled at Portsmouth, N.H., and 
 there died, in the year 1746. The pulpit was now 
 supplied by various other candidates, none of whom 
 stayed longer than two or three Sabbaths at a time, so 
 that new ones were continually' to be sought, and a 
 special rate was granted to defray the charge of " send- 
 ing hither and thither for ministers." 
 
 At length Mr. Henry Flint was obtained, and at first 
 was so highly acceptable and useful, that a record was 
 made in the town books, aclvnowledging him as a spe- 
 cial gift of Providence, in the following words : 
 
 " The good providence of God succeding our endeavours 
 hath sent Mr. Fhnt unto us, for which wc have reason to 
 bless God, and doe desire he may abide with us half a year 
 more or less, that he may have further tr3'all of us, and wee 
 of him ; — and that he may stay as long as may be judged ex- 
 pedient for probation." 
 
 An agreement was made with him of the following 
 purport : — " Dec. 15, 1696. At a meeting of the Com- 
 mittee with Mr. Henry Flint, minister, the Com, doe 
 agree to allow him 20s. per week, so long as he shall 
 continew to be our minister, and also to defray the 
 
76 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 chardge of his board and hois meat." The next April 
 he was unanimously invited to settle with them, and 
 the following terms proposed, viz. : a grant of one 
 hundred and fifty acres of land on Plain hills ; a salary 
 of £d2 per year and his board- This was to continue 
 while he remained single. If he should marry, his 
 salary was to be increased to ^£70, and sixty loads of 
 wood given him annually. Mr. Flint, however, did 
 not accept these offers, and the preamble of a vote the 
 next year alludes to the melancholy fact, that they 
 " are still without a preaching minister." 
 
 During this interval, measures were again taken for 
 enlarging and repairing the meeting-house. A Leanto 
 was added, in which several new pews were made, 
 and these not being sufficient to accommodate the 
 increasing congregation, leave was given to twelve 
 persons, who petitioned to that effect, " to build a seat 
 on the Leanto beams, for their convenient sitting on 
 the Lord's dayes." All these improvements being 
 completed, in March, 1698, the Townsmen and Good- 
 man Elderkin, the carpenter, were engaged to arrange 
 the pews into eight classes, according to their dignity. 
 This being done, five of the oldest and most respected 
 inhabitants, viz : Lt. Thomas Lefiingwell, Lt. William 
 Backus, Deac. Simon Huntington, Thomas Adgate, 
 Senr., and Serg. Jolui Tracy, were directed to seat the 
 people with due regard to rank : "the square pue to 
 be considered first in dignity; the new seats and the 
 fore seats in the broad ally next, and alike in dignity," 
 and so on through the eight classes. 
 
 Mr. Joseph Coit was now engaged to supply the 
 pulpit, and after a few months probation, he was invi- 
 ted to settle. The Committee who communicated this 
 resolution to Mr. Coit, received from him an answer. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 77 
 
 which tliey reported in town meeting, in the following- 
 words. 
 
 " We have received a writing from Mr. Coit, in which he 
 dotii expressly declare his disagreement from Norwich 
 church, and consequently he cannot walk with them, for 
 how can two walk together, if they be not agreed r — But 
 he that in matters controversial doth set up his own opinion 
 in opposition to the Synod Book, and a cloud of witnesses, 
 will be in great danger to wander from the way of peace and 
 truth. But as for us, let us please one another, in that that 
 is good, and may be for edification." 
 
 Mr. John Woodward was their next candidate, and 
 a vote was passed to "call him to office." He accepted 
 this call and was ordained in October, 1699. A pow- 
 erful opposition was nevertheless arrayed against him, 
 excited by his opinions with respect to ecclesiastical 
 discipline, which partook less of the congregational 
 spirit of independence, than the notions which the old 
 proprietors had brought with them from Saybrook. 
 Two parties and a spirit of acrimony were beginning to 
 appear in the church, which afterwards led to serious 
 disturbances, and an ultimate separation. Of this, 
 however, nothing appears on the records. The town 
 voted to build Mr. Woodward a house, and contracted 
 with Goodman Elderkin to do it for <£140. But they 
 afterwards purchased Mr. Samuel Huntington's house 
 and honielot, at a less expense. Out of the lot an acre 
 and a half was reserved for a burying place. This 
 was soon afterwards open for interments, and is the 
 Society burying yaid, which, with an adjoining lot 
 since purchased and added to it, is still used. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 The Patent. Major Fitcb. Number of Inhabitants. 
 
 Townships in America were established with all 
 their various privileges as independent communities, 
 as early as 1650. This was before the division into 
 counties, before tlie formation of states, before even the 
 union of settlements. These townships are justl}' con- 
 sidered as the foundation of American liberty, fur- 
 nishing a species of municipal independence and citi- 
 zenship, which forms a solid basis for all other free 
 institutions. 
 
 Counties in Connecticut were not regular!)^ laid out, 
 nor county courts organized, till 1666. Norwich was 
 then assigned to NeAv London Co. The counties were 
 Hartford, New London and Fairfield. The towns in 
 New London Co. were New London, Norwich, Say- 
 brook, Stonington, Killingworth, Groton and Preston. 
 
 In 1672 the Proprietors commenced a new" record of 
 lands, from which we obtain a list of the inhabitants 
 " so far as copies of said lands were brought in by the 
 said inhabitants." The number is 78. 
 
 By the year 1680 Norwich had become the centre of 
 several flourishing towns of more recent date. After 
 the conclusion of Philip's war, when all fear of Indian 
 aggressions had died away, the settlements advanced 
 rapidly, and it could no longer be said, as it had been, 
 that in a nortlierly course there was not a single wliite 
 settlement between Norwich and Canada. Deeds 
 
HISTORY OP NORWICH. 79 
 
 were recorded in Norwich for several neighboring 
 towns, and in some instances cases of trespass were 
 brought there for decision, from Stonington, Preston, 
 Woodstock, Killingly and Lebanon. Mr. Birchard 
 and Lt. Thomas Tracy, the first Commissioners of the 
 Peace, were of course men of considerable note in the 
 country round about. 
 
 In 1684, the list of estate as returned to the General 
 Court was .£6,265. Number of taxable persons 115. 
 
 In 1685 a patent was obtained which confirmed to 
 the town the original tract of nine miles square, to be 
 an entire township, " according to the tenor of East 
 Greenwich, in Kent, in free and common soccage, and 
 not in capite, nor by Knight's service." 
 
 PATENT 
 
 OF THE TOWN OF NORWICH, A. D. 1685. 
 
 Whereas the General Court of Connecticut have forever 
 granted unto the proprietors and Inhabitants of the Towne of 
 Norwich all those lands, both meadows and uplands, within 
 these abuttnients (viz.) from the mouth of Tradeing-cove 
 Brooke the line to run as the Brooke to the head of the 
 Brooke to a white oake marked N : and from thence west 
 northwesterly to a great pond to a black oake marked N : 
 which stands neere the mouth of the great Brooke that runs 
 out of the pond to Norwich river, which is about seven 
 miles from the said Tradeing Cove ; and from thence the line 
 runns North noreast nine miles to a Black oake standing by 
 the river side on the south of it, a little above maumeagway, 
 and from thence the line runs south southeasterly nine miles 
 to a white oake standing by a brooke marked IN : and then 
 the line runs south southwesterly nine miles to a white oake 
 neere Robert Allyn and Thomas Rose's Dwelling houses, 
 which tree is marked N : and from thence westerly as New 
 London Bounds runs to Mohegan river, the whole being nine 
 miles sipiare, the said land haveing been by purchase or oth- 
 erwise lawfully obtayned of the Indian natives proprietors 
 
 And whereas, the said Inhabitants and proprietors of the 
 s<^ Norwich in the Colony of Connecticutt have made appli- 
 cation to the Governo"^ and Company of the s'* Colony of 
 
80 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Connecticutt assembled in Court May 2d^^, 1685, that they 
 may have a patent for the confirmation of the afore^'^ land, 
 so purchased and granted to them as aforesaid, and which 
 they have stood seized, and quietly possessed of for many 
 years late past, without interruption. Now for a more full 
 confirmation of the aforesd unto the present proprietors of 
 the s'^ Towneship of Norwich in their possession and injoy- 
 ment of the premises, know yea that the s^ Governour and 
 Company assembled in Generall Court according to the Com- 
 mission Granted to them by his magestie's charter, have given 
 and granted and by these presents doe give, grant Rattifie and 
 confirme unto Mr. James Fitch sen"", Capt. James Fitch, Mr. 
 Benjamine Brewster, Lieut, Thomas Tracy, Lieut. Tho.Lef- 
 fingwell, Mr. Christopher Huntington, Mr. Simon Hunting- 
 ton, Ensign VVm. Backus, Mr. Thomas Waterman, Mr. John 
 Burchard and Mr. John Post, and the rest of the said pres- 
 ent proprietors of the township of Norwich, their heirs, suck- 
 cessors and assigns forever ; the aforesaid parcell of land as 
 it is Butted and Bounded, together with all the woods, mea- 
 dows, pastures, ponds, waters, rivers, islands, fishings, hunt- 
 ings, fowleings, mines, mineralls, quarries, and precious 
 stones, upon or within the said tract of land, and all other 
 proffitts and comodities thereunto belonging, or in any wayes 
 appertayning ; and Doe also grant unto the aforesd Mr. James 
 Fitch sen"", Capt. James Fitch, Mr. Benjamin Brewster, 
 Lieut. Thomas Tracy, Lieut. Thos. Lefliingwell, Mr. Chris- 
 topher Huntington, Mr. Simon Huntington, Ensign Wm. 
 Backus, Mr. Thomas Waterman, Mr. John Birchard, and 
 Mr. John Post, and the rest of the proprietors, Inhabitants of 
 Norwich, their heirs, successors and assigns forever, that the 
 fores'^ tract of land shall be forever hereafter deemed, repu- 
 ted and be an intire towneship of itself — to have and to hold 
 the said tract of land and premises, with all and singular 
 their appurtenances, together with the priviledges and im- 
 munities and franchises herein given and granted unto the 
 say' Mr. James Fitch sen--, Capt. James Fitch, Mr. Benja- 
 mine Brewster, Lieut. Thomas Tracy, Lieut. Thomas Lef- 
 fingwell, Mr. Christopher Huntington, Mr. Simon Hunting- 
 ton, Ensign Wm. Backus, Mr. Thomas Waterman, Mr. John 
 Birchard and Mr. John Post, and other the present proprie- 
 tors. Inhabitants of Norwich, theire heirs successors, and 
 assignes for ever, and to the only proper use and behoofe of 
 the sayd Mr. James Fitch sen"", Capt. James Fitch, Mr. Ben- 
 jamine Brewster, Lieut. Thomas Tracy, Lieut. Thomas Lef- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 81 
 
 fingwell, Mr. Christopher Huntington, Mr. Simon Hunting- 
 ton, Ensign Win. Baclcus. Mr. Thomas Waterman, Mr. John 
 Birchard and Mr. John Post, and other proprietors, inhabit- 
 ants of Norwich, their heirs, successors, and assigns for ever, 
 according to the Tenor of East Greenwicli in Kent, in free 
 and comon soccage and not in capitte, nor by Knite's ser- 
 vice, they to make improvement of the same as they are 
 capable according to the custom of the country, yielding, 
 "rendering, and paieing therefore to our sov^ereign Lord the 
 king, his heires and successors, his dues according to Charter. 
 In witness whereof, we have caused the Seale of the Colony 
 to be hereunto affixed this twenty-first of May, 1685, in the 
 first year of the reigne of our sovereigne lord James the Sec- 
 ond, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, nnd 
 Ireland, King, Defender of the faith. 
 
 ROBERT TREAT, Governor. ''' 
 
 ^^^^*-N March SO"", 1687, pr order of Gov'. 
 
 { ) and Company of the Colony of Connect- 
 
 < SEAL. > • ^^ *^ -^ "^ 
 
 I ^ icutt. 
 
 ^-^■N^^-' Signed pr 
 
 John Allyn, Secrety. 
 
 Entered in the pub. records, Lib. D : fo. 138, 139, 
 Nov^27"', 1685: pr 
 
 John Allyn, Secrety. 
 
 Twelve Patentees were chosen l)y the town ; but 
 from some cause unknown, Thomas Adgate, who was 
 one, is not named in the instrument as recorded on the 
 town books. They will all be recognized as belonging 
 to the original band of proprietors, with the exception 
 of Capt. James Fitch and Mr. Benjamin Brewster. 
 
 Capt. Fitch soon afterwards removed to a large tract 
 of land that he had obtained on Quinebaug river, and 
 connnenced a plantation at a place then known as 
 Peagscomsuck, now Canterbury. The first framed 
 house and barn in that place were built by him. In 
 1688, he tendered " his accommodations in Norwich" 
 to the town, for a parsonage, and again in 1694. But 
 his offers were not accepted. Four years afterwards 
 8 
 
82 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 his house and homelot upon the plain were purchased 
 by the two brothers, Simon and Samuel Huntington. 
 
 Few persons of that period had more influence in 
 this part of the colony than Capt. or as he W'as after- 
 wards styled, Major Fitch. He was a noted friend and 
 patron to the Indians, and after the death of Maj. 
 Mason, possessed more sway over the Sachems than 
 any other individual, not excepting their other distin- 
 guished advocate, Capt. Samuel Mason. The signa- 
 ture of Owaneco, subsequent to the year 1G80, was 
 considered of no value unless countersigned by Capt. 
 Fitch ; the Sachem, with the consent of the General 
 Court, having authorized him to act as his guardian. 
 
 Capt. Fitch, with Iiis brothers Samuel and Daniel, 
 were highly esteemed as brave soldiers and experien- 
 ced partizans in Indian warfare. The early inhabit- 
 ants of Norwich were a spirited and enterpising people, 
 ever ready to sally forth on emergencies, to protect 
 themselves and their neighbors from the savage foe. 
 An instance occurred in the summer of 1696, when a 
 band of Moliawks committed some depredations on 
 the western towns in Massachusetts. A rumor having 
 reached Capt. Filch that a party of them had been 
 seen skulking about Woodstock, he hastened from his 
 farm to Norwich, collected a band of whites and Mohe- 
 gans, and plunged into the forests in pursuit of the 
 enemy. From Woodstock, he sent a part of his force 
 under his brother Daniel, to range the Avoods farther to 
 the west, which they did, scouring the country as far 
 as Oxford, Worcester and Lancaster. 
 
 At the close of the century, an act was passed rela- 
 tive to a new division of the common lands, which led 
 to an enumeration of the inhabitants. The number of 
 accepted inhabitants enrolled, was eighty-three ; other 
 male residents, twelve. Either this list was never 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 83 
 
 tlioionglily completed, or the population had decreased 
 since 1684, which is not very probable. From the list 
 of cattle marks, and the new names at intervals appear- 
 ing upon record, we may conclude that at the com- 
 mencement of a new century, the town contained at 
 least one hundred and twenty-five or one hundred and 
 thirty, full grown men. Of the first proprietors a rem- 
 nant still lingered to enjoy the social and religious 
 institutions which they had founded. Rev. Mr. Fitch, 
 Lieut. Leffingwell, Deacon Simon Huntington, Thomas 
 Adgate, Lt. William Backus, Thomas Post, John Post, 
 John Reynolds, and Morgan Bowers, are enumerated 
 in the above act, as the remaining survivors of the first 
 thirty-five. To them we may add John Tracy and 
 John Gager, who were still living, though not men- 
 tioned in this enrolment. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Thirty-five. 
 
 We now approach the period when the first class of 
 settlers disappear from the scene. One generation has 
 passed away, and another is rapidly verging towards 
 the down-hill of life. 
 
 Before dismissing this venerated band to their last 
 resting-place, the few facts which have been ascer- 
 tained respecting each proprietor and his immediate 
 family, will be briefly stated. It would render the 
 work too voluminous to trace the genealogy through 
 their descendants, and in most cases it would not be 
 practicable. Many of the names are not now to be 
 found in Norwich proper, but are scattered over the 
 nine miles square, and in the adjoining towns of Can- 
 terbury, Windham, Mansfield and Lebanon, which in 
 their origin may be considered as colonies from Nor- 
 wich. 
 
 REV. MR. FITCH. 
 
 This excellent man was born at Boking, in the 
 county of Essex, Eng., in 1622. His early education 
 was attended to with great care, so that he was well 
 skilled in the learned languages, when he came to 
 America. He was then only sixteen years of age, 
 being one of a band of thirteen youths, all designed for 
 the ministry, who came over at the same time. He 
 was placed, after his arrival, under the instruction of 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 85 
 
 Messrs. Hooker and Stono, at Hartford, wliere he re- 
 mained seven years. In 1646, a churcli was formed in 
 Saybrook,of which Mr. Fitch was ordained pastor. Mr. 
 Hooker was present at his ordination, but the imposi- 
 tion of hands was by two of the brethren, appointed by 
 the church to that office. This was a congregational 
 ordination in the strictest sense of the term. The 
 same form was also used at the same place fourteen 
 years afterwards, at the ordination of the Rev. Thomas 
 Buckingham. When a part of Mr. Fitch's church 
 decided, in 1660, to remove to Norwich, it was a sub- 
 ject of some contention between the two parties wheth- 
 er he should stay with those who were to remain, or 
 go with those who should remove. He was greatly- 
 beloved by all, and each side claimed him. After sol- 
 emn prayer and long deliberation, Mr. Filch decided 
 that it was his duty to keep with the majority, and 
 this brought him lo Norwich. Soon after his removal 
 thither, the people of Hartford invited him to become 
 their minister, thinking, probably, that the hardships 
 of a new settlement, and the prospect of extensive use- 
 fulness in a wider and more elevated sphere, might in- 
 duce him to leave his flock. The only reply he sent 
 to their invitation was this : "With whom then shall I 
 leave these few poor sheep in the wilderness ?" 
 
 The oldest Election Sermon of which any record 
 has been discovered, was preached by Mr. Fitch, in 
 1674, from this text: "For I, saith the Lord, will be 
 unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the 
 glory in (he midst of her." 
 
 As a pastov, Mr. Fitch was zealous aad indefatiga- 
 ble. Seeing the Indians around him sunk in darkness 
 and stupidity, his heart was touched with pity, and he 
 spared no pains to alleviate their condition, both in a 
 spiritual and temporal point of view. His house was 
 
86 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 open to their roving parties, and he never failed to dis- 
 pense to them, according- to his ability, food, raiment 
 and instruction. He learned their language, and often 
 went among them, endeavoring to enlighten their 
 minds, and win them from vice and degradation. 
 The legislature of the State particularly requested him 
 to teach Uncas and his family Christianity. But little 
 impression was, however, made on the minds of the 
 chieft, though many of the common people listened 
 with attention, and some, as has been already stated, 
 gave evidence of true conversion. 
 
 The Mohegan Sachems, notwithstanding their dis- 
 inclination to Christianity, were warmly attached to 
 Mr. I'itch and his family. Large tracts of land, con- 
 veyed to them either in trust, or as absolute grants, 
 attest their friendship and confidence. A part of the 
 town of Lebanon, five miles in length, and one in 
 breadth, was bestowed by Owaneco on Mr. Fitch and 
 his friend, Capt. Mason. This tract was for a time 
 under the jurisdiction of Norwich, and was familiarly 
 called The Mile. In Mr. Fitch's share of this tract, 
 there was a large Cedar Swamp, which b}^ the princi- 
 ple of association suggesting to the mind of its accom- 
 plished owner the Cedars of Lebanon, led him to be- 
 stow the name of Lebanon on the whole tract. 
 
 Mr. Fitch was highly esteemed by his contempora- 
 ries as a penetrating and solid preacher, an enterprizing, 
 energetic, and holy man. He was disabled from per- 
 forming public service in 1694, but the town still 
 continued to supply him witli a comfortable mainte- 
 nance, voting him an annual present, varying from 
 £20 to £bO. He died in 1702, among his children at 
 Lebanon, he being then about eiglity years of age. His 
 tomb-stone, with a Latin epitaph, is at that place and 
 in good preservation. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 87 
 
 By his two wives Mr. Fitch had fourteen children , 
 whose births are all recorded in Norwich, though a 
 part of them were born at Saybrook, previous to his 
 removal. His first wife was Abigail, daughter of the 
 Rev. Henry Whitefield, by whom he had two sons and 
 four daughters, viz : 
 
 James, born 1649. Hannah, born 
 
 Abigail, " 1650, Samuel, " 1655. 
 
 Elizabeth," 1652. Dorothy, " 1658. 
 
 Mrs. Abigail Fitch died at Saybrook, in 1659. Mr. 
 Fitch married for his second wife Priscilla, daughter to 
 Major Mason, in 1664, by whom he had seven sons 
 and one daughter, viz : 
 
 Daniel, born 
 
 1665. 
 
 Anna, born 
 
 1675. 
 
 John, " 
 
 1667. 
 
 Nathaniel, " 
 
 1679. 
 
 Jeremiah, " 
 
 1670. 
 
 Josiah, " 
 
 1681. 
 
 Jabez, " 
 
 1672. 
 
 Eleazer, " 
 
 1683. 
 
 Mr. Fitch had a brother, Thomas, who came to this 
 country with him, settled at Norwalk, and was father 
 to Thomas Fitch, Governor of Connecticut. 
 
 Elizabeth, the second daughter of Mr. Fitch, mar- 
 ried Rev. Edward Taylor, of Wesi field, Mass. Among 
 the collections of the Connecticut Historical Society is 
 an original letter written by him to Miss Fitch during 
 his courtship, which, from some expressions in it, would 
 seem to have been despatched by a trne carrier pigeon ; 
 but perhaps these allusions may be explained by suppo- 
 sing the image of a dove stamped on the seal. The 
 daughters of Mr. Fitch were beautiful in person, and 
 highly accomplished for the period. A letter like this 
 of Mr. Taylor's would scarcel}" have been written to a 
 person of ordinary attainments. A part of it may be 
 (juoted as a specimen of the quaint and metaphorical 
 taste of the age. 
 
88 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 " This for my friend and only beloved, Miss Elizabeth 
 Fitch, at her father's house in Norwich. 
 
 " Westfield, 8 day of 7th month, 1674. 
 
 " My Dove, 
 
 " I send you not my heart, for that I trust is 
 sent to heaven long since, and unless it hath wofully deceived 
 me, it hath not taken up its lodgings in any one's bosom on 
 this side of the Royal City of the Great King, but yet the 
 most of it that is allowed to be layed out upon any creature 
 doth safely and singly fall to your share. 
 
 " So much my post pigeon present you with here in these 
 lines. Look not, I entreat you, upon it as one of Love's 
 hyperboles, if I borrow the beams of some sparkling meta- 
 phor to illustrate my respects unto thyself by, for you having 
 made my breast the cabinet of your affections, as I yours 
 mine, I know not how to offer a fitter comparison to set out 
 my love by than to compare it unto a golden ball of pure fire, 
 rolling up and down my breast, from which there flies now 
 and then a spark like a glorious beam from the body of the 
 flaming sun. But alas ! striving to catch these sparks into a 
 love-letter unto yourself, and to gild it with them as with a 
 sunbeam, I find that by what time they have fallen through 
 my pen upon my paper they have lost their shine, and fall 
 only like a little smoke thereon instead of gilding them, 
 wherefore, finding myself so much deceived, I am ready to 
 begrudge my instruments, for though my love within my 
 breast is so large that my heart is not sufficient to contain it, 
 yet they can no more make room to ride into, than to 
 squeeze it up betwixt my black ink and white paper. But 
 know that it is the coarsest part that is chouchant there, for 
 the purest is too fine to clothe in any linguish huswifry, or 
 to be expressed in words." 
 
 The writer then proceeds to show " that conjugal 
 love should exceed all other love," but in illustrating 
 this point he runs into the style of a sermon and the 
 lover is almost lost in the theologian. 
 
 Mr. Taylor was a man of great erudition, and left a 
 large number of MSS. behind him. One of his daugh- 
 ters was mother of President Styles. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 89 
 
 The descendants of the Rev. Mr. Fitch arc exceed- 
 ingly numerous ; elev'en of his children, if not more, 
 lived to have families. Capt. James Fitch, already 
 mentioned, was the father of nine sons, only one of 
 whom died young. 
 
 MASON. 
 
 Of the original hand of proprietors, Capt. Mason was 
 the second laid in the grave. He died amid his family 
 in Norwich in 1672, in the 73d year of his age. His 
 last hours were cheered by the prayers and counsels of 
 his beloved pastor and son-in-law, Mr. Fitch. Two 
 years before, he had requested his fellow citizens to 
 excuse him from all further public services, on account 
 of his age and infirmity ; so that the close of his life 
 was tranquil and unharrassed by care and responsibil- 
 ity. He was buried about half a mile from his dwell- 
 ing in a spot which the early planters had selected for 
 a grave yard, but which was never used for that pur- 
 pose after the year 1700. In that primitive cemetery, 
 the only memorials erected in honor of the dead were 
 a grassy hillock, and a l)lock of unhewni granite at the 
 head and foot of the grave. No squared pillars or chis- 
 elled inscriptions ever decorated this humble spot. The 
 stones gradually sunk into the earth, or were removed 
 by those that knew not they had any watch to keep ; 
 the graves wore away to a level with the field, and then 
 a little below it, and long before the end of another 
 century, the ploughshare and the seedsman passed over 
 and obliterated every vestige of grave and monument 
 from the place. Tradition alone determines the spot 
 where the noble Captain, and probably the gi eater 
 part of the first band of planters were buried. 
 
 Mason was a man of great prudence and sagacity, 
 
90 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 wise in council, and heroic in the field of action. The 
 natural ardor of his mind, fostered by early military 
 adventures, and continually called into exercise by 
 great emergencies, made him a fearless leader in war. 
 Sturdy in frame, and hardy in constitution ; regardless 
 of danger, fatigue or exposure, he was invaluable as a 
 pioneer in difficult enterprises, and a founder of new 
 plantations. He was also a religious man and a 
 patriot; of virtuous habits, and modeiate ambition. 
 Though he sustained many high and honorable offices 
 in the infant colony, he is best known by the simple 
 title of Captain. There is a tradition thatafter he had 
 retired from the public service, and was quietly residing 
 with his family in Norwich, intelligence was received 
 of some disturbance among the Indians, either at Gro- 
 ton or Stonington. Mason immediately collected about 
 sixty volunteers, who hastily throwing their wallets 
 over their shoulders, containing provisions for two or 
 three days, started for the scene of action. They 
 crossed the Shetucket by fording, a little higher up 
 than where the Greenville factories now stand, marched 
 directly to the spot where the Indians had fixed their 
 camp, chastised them, destroyed their fortifications and 
 )nany of their huts, and retiuned in three days witiiout 
 losing a man. It was for promptness and decision like 
 this, that Mason was ever characterized. Trumbull 
 comprises his peculiar traits in these few words. " He 
 was tall and portly, full of martial fire, and shunned 
 no hardships or dangers in the defence and service of 
 the colony." 
 
 The Pequot war commenced at a time when Con- 
 necticut had only two hundred and fifty inhabitants, 
 comprised principally in the three towns of Hartford, 
 Wethersfield and Windsor. Out of these Mason gath- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 91 
 
 ored a band of seventy men, and passing down Con- 
 necticut river, landed in the Narragansett country, and 
 being- joined by a band of friendly Indians, marched 
 directly into the heart of the hostile tcrritor}^, assailed 
 the Pequotsin their strongest fortress, destroyed it, laid 
 waste their dwellings, and killed nearly half of the 
 w^hole nation. This expedition occupied just three 
 weeks. The skill, prudence, firmness and active cour- 
 age displayed by Mason in this exploit, were such as 
 to gain him a high standing among military command- 
 ers. Viewing his conduct at this distance of time, we 
 are disposed to charge him with cruelt)^ to the van- 
 quished foe ; but (he same taint lies on all the early 
 colonists. He only shared in the ferocious character 
 of the age, and we may add, in that misconstruction 
 of the spirit of Christianity, which devoted its enemies 
 to immediate and vindictive destruction. 
 
 Among the various offices held by INIason, was that 
 of Major General of the militia of Connecticut ; a duty 
 which obliged him to call out and exercise the militia 
 of each town ten times a year : salary forty pounds per 
 annum. 
 
 When Mr. Fenwick arrived from England with a 
 few persons, to mnke a plantation near Saybrook Fort, 
 Capt. Mason was induced to join them, and accordingly 
 removed tbither. The government of the town was 
 entirely independent of tlie colony for ten years, Mr. 
 Fenwick and Capt. Mason acting as sole magistrates. 
 Nevertheless the latter continued to hold and exercise 
 his military command in the colony. When the fort 
 passed into the liands of the colony. Mason was ap- 
 pointed to receive the investment, and at the special 
 request of the inhabitants of Saylirook, he was made 
 commander of the station. During the winter of 
 1647-8, the Fort in some unknown way took fire, and 
 
92 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 together with the buildings attached to it, was burnt to 
 the ground. The Captain, with his wife and child^ 
 very narrowly escaped. 
 
 The people of New Haven were not entirely satisfied 
 with then" location, and formed a design of removing to 
 a tract of land which they had purchased on the Del- 
 aware river. In 1651, they proposed this matter to 
 Capt. Mason, urgently requesting him to remove with 
 them, and take the management of the company. 
 This invitation is a proof of the high opinion his con- 
 temporaries had formed both of his civil and military 
 talents. The oilers they made him were liberal, and 
 he was on the point of accepting, when the legislature 
 of Connecticut interfered, entreating him not to leave 
 the colony, and declaring, that they could by no means 
 consent to his removal. Finding that his presence was 
 considered essential to the safety of Connecticut, he 
 declined the olfers of New Haven. If he went, there 
 was no one left, Avho could make his place good ; 
 neither had New Haven any person in reserve, who 
 could fill the station designed for him, and therefore 
 the projected settlement never took place. The active 
 disposition of Mason, however, never lacked employ- 
 ment. There was scarcely a year in which he was not 
 obliged to go on some expedition among the Indian 
 tribes, to negotiate, or to fight, or to pacify their mutual 
 quarrels. At one time, his faithful friend Uncas, was 
 in danger from a powerful league of the other tribes, 
 but the seasonable preparations of Mason for his relief, 
 frightened the foe into peace and submission. At 
 another time, he was sent with arms and men to the 
 assistance of the Long Island Indians, against Nini- 
 grate, the powerful Sachem of the Nehanticks, who 
 threatened them with extirpation. This service he 
 gallantly performed; but only two years afterwards 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 93 
 
 was compelled to appear again on that Island with a 
 band of soldiers, in order to chastise the very Indians, 
 mischievous and ungratefid, whom he had before 
 relieved. 
 
 We find him, at the same time, and for several 
 years in succession, holding various public offices, all 
 arduous and important, A member of two deliberative 
 bodies, the Connecticut Legislature, and the Board of 
 Commissioners of the United Colonies — Major General 
 of the militia at home, and the acting commander in 
 all expeditions abroad ; his whole life seems to be 
 given to the public. In 1660 he was chosen Deputy 
 Governor, to which office he was annually re-elected 
 for ten years, five under the old form, and five under 
 the king's charter, which united Connecticut with 
 New Haven. The same year he was actively em- 
 ployed in conjunction with Mr. Fitch and others, in 
 eflecting the settlement of Norwich, and also in pur- 
 chasing of the Mohegans a large tract of land, in behalf 
 of the colony. The jurisdiction of these lands he pub- 
 licly surrendered to the General Court, March 14, 
 1661, receiving from them at the same time, an order 
 to lay out these lands into plantations, with permission 
 to reserve a farm for himself. 
 
 Capt. Mason continued to reside in Norwich until 
 his death ; though his public duties kept him absent 
 fiom the place a great part of the time. His three 
 sons were, 
 
 Samuel, born . . . 1641 
 
 John, .".... 1646 
 
 Daniel, . " ... 1652 
 
 His family continued to reside in Norwich for some 
 
 years after his death. His widow, Mrs. Abigail Mason, 
 
 was living there in 1681. The sons ultimately settled 
 
 9 
 
94 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 in neighboring towns. Between the years 1704 and 
 1712, they were all three residing in Slonington. 
 
 Thomas Adgate was one of the two deacons of Mr. 
 Fitch's church, ordained to office in Saybrook, 1659. 
 Nothing is known of him previous to this event, but it 
 is supposed that he was the only one of his family who 
 emigrated to America, and that he came direct to Say- 
 brook, and there resided till the settlement of Norwich. 
 By his first wife, he had two daughters, born in 1651 
 and 1653. Previous to leaving Saybrook, he married 
 the widow of Richard Bushnell, she having at that 
 time two sons and two daughters. Their children 
 born in Norwich, were three daughters and one son. 
 Deacon Adgate died in 1707. His son. Deacon 
 Thomas Adgate 2d, born 1669, lived to be nearly 
 ninety-two years of age. He had two sons, Thomas 
 and Matthew. The line of Thomas, in the male 
 branch, is believed to be extinct, and the descendants 
 of Matthew, (who had seven sons,) have removed to 
 other parts of the country. 
 
 - .' ALLYN. i 
 
 Matthew and Robert Allyn, the former found at 
 Cambridge, in 1632, and the latter at Salem, in 1637, 
 are supposed to have been brothers, and to have soon 
 removed to Connecticut. Matthew settled at Hart- 
 ford, and Robert at Saybrook. The latter removed 
 with Winthrop, to New London, and subsequently be- 
 came a proprietor of Norwich. His name is not found 
 on the list of inhabitants after 1672, and the homclot 
 passed into the hands of his son John, of New Lon- 
 don, who in 1692, exchanged it with Joshua Abell, 
 and Simon Huntington Jun., for two considerable 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 95 
 
 tracts of land " east of the Great River," [the Thames,] 
 and within the bounds of New London. In this dis- 
 trict, afterwards included in Groton, and now in Led- 
 yard, Robert Allyn, the son of John, and grandson of 
 the proprietor Robert, had previously settled. 
 
 In the Norwich Patent of 1685, the S. S. E. corner 
 of the nine miles square is designated by " a white 
 oake neere Robert All) n and Tliomas Rose's dwelling 
 houses." The descendants of All3^n removed nearer 
 the river, and lived upon the Point, where the station 
 house of the Norwich and Worcester Railroad Com- 
 pany has been recently erected. Allyn's Mountain 
 and Allyn's Point, are names still retained in that 
 quarter. 
 
 Timothy Allen, who settled in Norwich about 1670, 
 was of another family, and his descendants have used 
 a different orthography for their name, 
 
 BACKUS. 
 
 The relationship between William and Stephen 
 Backus, has not been accurately determined. They 
 were probably brothers. One of the first settlers of 
 Saybrook, was a Backus ; the name is found there as 
 early as 1637. It is not improbable that William and 
 Stephen Backus, proprietors, of Norwich, were the 
 sons of this man, by a first marriage ; that his second 
 wife was Mrs. Ann Bingham, and that he having died 
 at Saybrook, previous to the removal, his relict came 
 to Norwich, with Thomas Bingham, her son by a for, 
 mer marriage. The death of Mrs. Ann Backus, the 
 motlier of Mr. Thomas Bingham, is recorded in Nor- 
 wich, in 1670. This statement, though partly conjec- 
 tural, harmonizes the few facts that have been glean- 
 ed. William Backus was an active man in town 
 affairs, and is generally mentioned as Ensign or Lieut. 
 
96 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 He was married May 11, 1660, but the record does not 
 state where, or to whom. The children of this mar- 
 riage were 
 
 John, born February 9, 1661. 
 
 Sarah, 1663. 
 
 Samuel, 1665. 
 
 Joseph, 1667. 
 
 Nathaniel, 1669. 
 
 Hannah. 
 
 This must have been a second marriage ; for Wil- 
 liam Backus Jr., whom the Lieut, in certain docu- 
 ments styles " my eldest son" was married in 1681. 
 One of the wives of the Lieut., and most probably the 
 second, was the " daughter of Lieut. William Pratte, 
 of Seabrooke." 
 
 William Backus Jr., known as Sergeant William 
 Backus, in 1692, sold his house, homelot and three 
 other parcels of land, in Norwich, to his father, for 
 je55, and removed to " the nameless new town lying 
 about ten miles N. W. of Norwich." [Lebanon.] 
 
 Lieut. William Backus, was doubtless the last of the 
 proprietors, to leave earth. He was living in 1718. 
 His death is not recorded in the town books, but a 
 conveyance made in 1721, speaks of him as " late of 
 Norwich, deceased." 
 
 Stephen Backus married Sarah Gardner, of East 
 Hampton, Long Island, in 1666. This lady was tlie 
 daughter of Capt. Lyon Gardiner, first lord of Gardin- 
 er's Island. 
 
 Their sons were Stephen, born 1670. 
 Timothy, 1682. 
 
 No record has been found of the death of Stephen 
 Backus. Mrs. Sarah Backus, his widow, was living 
 m 1700. About that period, Stephen, the eldest son, 
 sold his property in Norwich, and removed first to 
 Plainfield, and afterwards to Canterbury. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 97 
 
 BALDWIN. 
 
 Several persons of the ancient name of Baldwin, 
 (derived from Baldwinus, a bishop of Great Britain, 
 A. D. 672,) are found among the early emigrants to 
 Massachusetts. It is not ascertained whether the 
 Baldwin who early settled at Saybrook, came direct 
 from England or not. Farmer, in his Genealogical 
 Register, observes that he may have been the Richard 
 Baldwin that was in Braintree, in 1637. In that case, 
 John, who removed to New London, and from thence 
 to Norwich, was probably his son, but must have been 
 of transatlantic birth, as John Baldwin Jr. was of 
 man's age previous to 1678. John, the proprietor, 
 had two sons : 1, John, who died in 1700, and as far as 
 appears, without leaving any sons : 2, Thomas, who 
 married, in 1684, Sarah, daughter of John Calkins. 
 The children of this marriage were all daughters. By 
 his second wife, Abigail Lay, Thomas had three sons: 
 Thomas, born 1701. Ebenezer, born 1710. 
 John, '• 1704. 
 
 The name is still a common one in the towns around 
 Norwich. The late Judge Baldwin, of New Haven, 
 born in 1761, was a native of Norwich, and descended 
 from this stock. 
 
 Nothing has been ascertained respecting Thomas 
 Bingham previous to the settlement. He married 
 Mary Rudd, Dec. 12, 1666. Their children were 
 
 Thomas, born 
 
 Abel, " 
 
 Mary, " 
 
 Jonathan, '* 
 
 Ann, '^ 
 
 1667. 
 
 Abigail, born 
 
 1679. 
 
 1669. 
 
 Nathaniel, " 
 
 1681. 
 
 1672. 
 
 Deborah, " 
 
 1683. 
 
 1674. 
 
 Samuel, " 
 
 1685. 
 
 1677. 
 
 Joseph, " 
 
 1688. 
 
 
 Stephen, " 
 
 1690. 
 
98 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Thomas Bing-ham 2d. married Hannah, youngest 
 daughter of Lt. William Backus, and settled in Wind- 
 ham. The name is no longer to be found in Nor- 
 wich, but is still common in the vicinity. 
 
 BIRCHARD. 
 
 John Birchard was a man of considerable note among 
 the proprietors, and perhaps the best clerk in the com- 
 pany. The earliest records are supposed to be in his 
 hand-writing-. He officiated also as townsman and 
 constable, and was the fiist Commissioner of the Peace. 
 Hence he was always designated as Mr. Birchard. His 
 origin has not been traced. The orthography of those 
 times was so uncertain, that he may have been of the 
 same family with Edward Bircher, who arrived in 
 Plymouth, 1623. He mariied Christian Andrews in 
 1653, by whom he had a large family of sons and 
 daughters. The sons were all born in Norwich, viz., 
 
 Sanmel, born 1663. John, born 1671. 
 
 James " 1665. Joseph, " 1673. 
 
 Thomas, " 1669. Daniel, " 1680. 
 The name is still found in Norwich, Mansfield, and 
 perhaps other towns of this vicinity. 
 
 BLISS. 
 
 It is probable that most of the families of this name 
 scattered through New England, may be traced back 
 to George Bliss, who removed from Lyme to Sand- 
 wich in 1637. Admitting that this man wns the father 
 of Thomas, who was one of the first settlers of Reho- 
 both, in 1643: of Nathaniel, who was at Springfield, 
 in 1646, and John, ;it Northampton, in 1658, the ge- 
 nealogy loses its intricacy. Thomas may have re- 
 moved from Rehoboth to Saybrook, for the purpose of 
 joining the company then projecting the settlement of 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 99 
 
 Norwich.* In the history of Rehoboth, (a very valu- 
 able work, by Leonard Bliss Jr..) the name of Thom- 
 as Bliss does not appear after 1650; that of Jonathan 
 Bliss, perhaps another brother, supplies its place. 
 
 Thomas Bliss, of Norwich, died in 1700, being about 
 80 years of age. His two sons were 
 
 Thomas, born 1651, deceased, 1681. 
 Samuel, " 1657, " 1709. 
 
 He had six daughters, viz. : Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary, 
 Dolinda, Ajmfi, Rebecca. The descendants of the 
 male branch in a right line, still reside upon the home- 
 lot of their ancestors. The house, though in good 
 preservation, is one of the oldest in town. Seven gen- 
 erations have dwelt in it, and though often repaired 
 and modified, itis supposed not to have been entirely 
 rebuilt since its erection by the first proprietor. This, 
 and the old Grover and Post houses, are probably the 
 only dwellings in the town, any part of which can look 
 back beyond the year 1700. 
 
 BOWERS. 
 
 Very little is known of Morgan Bowers. He appears 
 to have been illiterate and thriftless. In the year 1700 
 he was still living, but so poor and infirm as to be in 
 part supported by his neighbors and townsmen ; appa- 
 rently the first case of penury that had occurred in the 
 community. As the name continued in the town at a 
 later date, it is inferred that he left children, but no 
 record of them has been found. 
 
 BRADFORD. 
 
 John Bradford was the son of Gov. William Bradford 
 
 * That Thomas Bliss, of Rehoboth, and Thomas Bliss, of Norwich, 
 were the same person, is a conjecture, resting only on identity of name 
 and coeval existence. 
 
100 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 of Plymouth, by his first wife, Dorothy. He was left 
 either in England or Holland, when his parents came 
 out in the May Flower. His mother fell overboard 
 and was drowned, Dec. 7, 1620, while the vessel was 
 anchored in Plymouth harbor, before they had fixed 
 on a place for settlement, and while her husband was 
 absent in the shallop, exploring the coast. It is not 
 ascertained when John Bradford arrived in this country. 
 Very little is known respecting- the early part of his 
 life ; for neither Morton, nor Prince, the earliest 
 authorities respecting Plymouth colony, give any hint 
 of the existence of this son of Gov. Bradford. He 
 lived first in Duxbury and afterwards in Marshfield 
 and was the Representative of both places in the Plym- 
 outh Court.* "He married Martha Bourne, daughter 
 of Thomas Bourne, as is proved by Thomas Bourne's 
 will, and by deeds of John Bradford's farm, in Marsh- 
 field, which he sold in 1663 and 1664, which deeds 
 are signed by Martha, his wife."t He appears next 
 at Norwich, where his homelot was laid out with those 
 of the first purchasers, in Nov., 1659. His name is 
 often found on committees requiring prudent counsel 
 and integrity of character, and though sometimes styled 
 simply Goadman Bradford, he is usually distingished 
 as Mr. Bradford, which was then an appellative of 
 respect. 
 
 He died in 1678. His widow shortly afterwards 
 married their near neighbor, Lieut. Thomas Tracy. 
 This we learn from an instrument dated Feb. 20, 1679, 
 wherein Martha, the wife of Thomas Tracy, styles 
 herself executrix of the estate of her late husband, Mr. 
 John Bradford. It is not ascertained that Mr. Bradford 
 
 * Farmer. f F. P. Tracy, of Williamsburg, Mass. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 101 
 
 left any posterity, the presuiuption is to the contrary. 
 His nephew, Thomas Bradford, was an inhabitant of 
 Norwich in 1678, and probably a member of his uncle's 
 family, and inheritor of a part of his estate. 
 
 Mrs. Martha Tracy is supposed to have died in 1689. 
 In an instrument dated at Norwich April 12, 1690, 
 Maj. William Bradford, of Plymouth, conveys to his 
 son Thomas Bradford, of Norwich, one ninth part of 
 all the real and personal estate " of my loving sister 
 Martha, the wife and late the relict widow of my well 
 beloved brother, John Bradford, late of Norwich, de- 
 ceased," which the said Martha, by her last will and 
 testament, had bequeathed to him. In 1691 Thomas 
 Bradford sold his property in Norwich, which included 
 the homelot that had belonged to his uncle, and 
 removed to a farm in the vicinity, though not within 
 the bounds of Norwich. He died in 1708. 
 
 William Bradford, another grandson of Gov. Brad- 
 ford, married Anna Fitch, the youngest daughter of 
 the Rev. James Fitch. 
 
 CAULKIiVS. 
 
 Two of this name, Hugh and his son John, were 
 among the thirty-five propiictors. Hugh was one of the 
 first deacons of the church, and it is inferred, from the 
 various offices he held, a man of sound discretion, and 
 considerable experience and activity. He was admit- 
 ted a freeman of Lynn, Mass., in 1642 ; but removed 
 the next year to Gloucester, of whicii town he was a 
 representative in 1650 and 1651. In 1654, if not ear- 
 lier, he was an inhabitant of New London, where he 
 had a homelot in the town plot, and a farm at Nehan- 
 tick, laid out to him. It does not appear that he ever 
 resided in Saybrook, though he must have been there 
 
102 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 at the gathering- of the church which was to accom- 
 pany Mr. Fitch to the new plantation, as he was chosen 
 one of its deacons. His name is found on the list of 
 inhabitants at New London, until 1660. He had two 
 sons, John and David. The latter succeeded to his 
 father's property in New London. John, who seems 
 to have resided previously at Saybrook, removed with 
 his father to Norwich. Deacon Hugh died about 
 1690, leaving " his accommodations in Norwich" to 
 his grandson Hugh, oldest son of John. 
 
 The name is variously spelt, both with and without 
 the u and the s. In the earlier records it is generally 
 Calkin. The family tradition is that Hugh came from 
 Wales. Though an illiterate man himself, his sons 
 appear to have been well educated for that period. It 
 is a singular fact, that neither of the two deacons of 
 Mr. Fitch's church could write. Both Thomas Adgate 
 and Hugh Calkins invariably affix a mark instead of 
 hand-writing to their documents. Others of the pro- 
 prietors, — as Stephen Backus, John Pease, John Gager, 
 Thomas Howard, John Reynolds, and Richard Edger- 
 ton, were in the same predicament. 
 
 John Calkins, the proprietor, brought with him to 
 Norwich a young wife aiul infant son. He died in 
 1703, and his wife in 171L They had seven children : 
 the sons were — 
 
 Hugh, born 1659. 
 
 John, " at Norwich, . . . 1661. 
 
 Samuel, u u a ... 1663. 
 
 Hugh 2d married for his first wife, Sarah, daughter 
 of Thomas Sluman deceased, and step-daughter to 
 Solomon Tracy, by whom he had four sons. His 
 second wife was Lois Slandish. One of his sons was 
 the father of Solomon Calkins, from whom the various 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 103 
 
 families of the name afterwards found in Lebanon and 
 Sharon, descended. 
 
 EGERTON, 
 
 Nothing antecedent to the settlement at Norwich can 
 be ascertained respecting Richard Edgerton, except 
 the date of his marriage, viz, 1653. 
 
 He had two sons, Richard and John ; the latter born 
 June 12, 1662. The name is still a common one in 
 Norwich and the adjoining towns. 
 
 GAGER. 
 
 William Gager, "a right godly man, and a skilful 
 chyrurgeon," came to America with Gov. Winthrop, 
 in 1630. After his arrival, he was elected deacon of 
 the church at Chailestown, but died the same year, 
 together with his wife and two children, from a disease 
 contracted by ill diet at sea, which swept off many of 
 the emigrants. John, the son of Dr. William, removed 
 to Say brook with the younger Gov. Winthrop, and 
 from thence accompanied his patron to New London, 
 where his name is found on the oldest list of inhabit- 
 ants extant. The elder Gov. Winthrop remembered 
 him in the following item of his last will and testament. 
 " I will that John Gager shall have a cow, one of the 
 best I shall have, in recompense of a heifer his father 
 bought of me, and two ewe goats, and ten bushels of 
 indian corn." He joined the company of Norwich 
 proprietors and removed to the new plantation, in 
 1660. He had nine children, whose births are recorded 
 in Norwich, though most of them were born before the 
 settlement. Only three of them were sons, viz: 
 
 John, born 1647. William, born 1660. 
 
 Samuel, " 1654. 
 He died Dec, 10, 1703. His descendants are still 
 
104 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 found in the place. Othniel Gager, the present 
 Town Clerk, is the sixth in descent from the first pro- 
 prietor. 
 
 Very little is ascertained respecting Stephen Giffords. 
 His immediate successors were Stephen and Samuel 
 Giffords, and Samuel Giffords, Jr. Stephen the 2d 
 was a deacon of the church at West Farms. 
 
 GRISWOLD. 
 
 Lieut. Francis Griswold was one of the most active 
 and enterprising men in the first company of settlers. 
 He was probably the same Francis Griswold, who was 
 in Cambridge, Mass., in 1637, and admitted a freeman 
 in 1645. His wife was Mary, and their daughter Han- 
 nah was born March 1, 1644. [See Farmer's Genea- 
 logical Register.] He died in 1671. Thomas Adgate 
 and John Post Sen., appear to have been guardians to 
 his orphan children, an accurate list of whose names 
 has not been obtained. His daughter Mary married 
 Jonathan Tracy, in 1672. His oldest and perhaps his 
 only son, Capt. Samuel Griswold, was born in 1665, 
 married Susannah Huntington in 1685, and died 1740. 
 The sons of Capt. Samuel were Francis, Samuel, John 
 and Joseph. Joseph, born in 1706, lived to his 90th 
 year; was a deacon of the church, and venerable, not 
 only for age, but. for piety. 
 
 HIDE. 
 
 The Hides or Hydes of Saybrook, appear to have 
 been older emigrants than those of that name in Mas- 
 sacliusetts. They may have come direct from the old 
 country in company with Fenwick. The name is an 
 ancient and honorable one in the annals of England, 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 105 
 
 By the marriage of Anne Hyde, daughter of the earl of 
 Clarendon, with the duke of York, afterwards James 
 II., tlie stock was ingrafted into the royal family. 
 
 William Hide, tiie proprietor, was undoubtedly of 
 much humbler origin, but a man of discretion and in- 
 tegrity. He often served as townsman of the West 
 end. 
 
 In a deed of 1679, he is mentioned as "old Goodman 
 Hide." He died in 1681. No reference has been 
 found to any of his children, except Samuel and a 
 daughter Hester, the wife of John Post. His grandson 
 William succeeded to his homestead. 
 
 Samuel Hide and Jane Lee were mariicd in Say- 
 brook, 1659, and their daughter Elizabeth was the first 
 born of Norwich. The record of their children stands 
 thus : 
 
 Elizabeth, born Aug., 1660. William born 1669. 
 
 Phebe, " 1662. Thomas, " 1672. 
 
 Samuel, " 1665. Jabcz, '< 1677. 
 
 John " 1667. 
 
 Samuel died in 1677, leaving his seven children, all 
 minors ; Mr. Birchard became their guardian. 
 
 This is one of the familes that have become numer- 
 ous and been widely dispersed. In 1779, there were 
 more than twenty families of Hydes, numbering over 
 150 persons, in the western part of tlie Town Plot, and 
 the societies of West Farms and Portipaug. 
 
 HOLMSTEAD. 
 
 John Holmstead or Ohnstead, has not been traced 
 beyond the era of the settlement. His wife was aunt 
 to Joseph and Richard Bushnell, and most probably 
 by their mother's side, in which case she must have 
 been the daughter of Matthew Marvyn of Hartford. Mr. 
 Holmstead died before 1679, as a deed of that date 
 10 
 
106 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 mentions " the widow Olmsted." He left no children ; 
 the homestead passed into the hands of the Bushnells. 
 In 1686, Elizabeth Holmstead who styles herself the 
 sole heir to her husband's estate, and executrix of his 
 will, relinquished a two thousand acre right '* in the 
 plantation above Norwich," belonging to her late hus- 
 band, to his near kinsmen, Lt. James and Ensign John 
 Holmstead, of Norwalk.* 
 
 HOWARD. 
 
 Very little is known of Thomas Howard ; it is even 
 doubtful whether he was one of the original thirty-five ; 
 but his home lot was laid out with the others. He 
 married Mary Wollman, in 1666. He appears to have 
 owned lands east of the Shetucket, a part of which he 
 sold to Greenfield Larrabee,in 1671. He died in 1696. 
 His widow married William Moore. 
 
 HUNTINGTON. 
 
 The numerous families in New England, of the 
 name of Huntington, may all be traced back to one 
 common ancestor, viz : Simon Huntington, an emi- 
 grant from Norwich, in England. He had a brother 
 Samuel, who was a Captain in the King's Life Guards; 
 but he himself being a noted Puritan, and of course 
 exposed to persecution, united him.self to a small, but 
 devoted company, who for the sake of unmolested wor- 
 ship, had resolved to emigrate to America. With these 
 he embarked in 1639 or 40, for Saybrook, Conn., where 
 Mr. Fenwick, who accompanied them, proposed to 
 effect a settlement in behalf of the original patentees 
 of the colony. Mr. Huntington, brought with him his 
 three sons, Simon, Christopher and Samuel, he being 
 
 • QuERE. Are not Holmstead and Hempstead, originally the same 
 name ? 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 107 
 
 about fifiy years of age, and his sons in the bloom of 
 youth. He fell sick on the voyage, and died just as 
 the vessel entered the mouth of Connecticut river, and 
 came in sight of the port to which they were bound. 
 The vessel anchored in the river, and he was buried 
 upon the shore. His son Samuel afterwards settled at 
 Newark, in New Jersey, but Simon and Christopher, 
 after residing 20 years at Sny brook, removed to Nor- 
 wich. 
 
 Simon was born in 1629 ; married Sarah Clarke 
 1653. He was for many years deacon of the church 
 at Norwicli, and a man of great respectability and in- 
 fluence. He died in 1706. Six sons survived him, 
 
 Nathaniel, born 1672. 
 Daniel, " 1676. 
 
 James, " 1680. 
 
 Joseph settled in Windham, and was the ancestor 
 of Gov. Huntington : Samuel in Lebanon ; the others 
 continued in Norwich. 
 
 Christopher Huntington, the proprietor, W'as married 
 at Windsor, in 1652, to Ruth Rockwell. There is no 
 account of but three children of this marriage, viz : 
 
 Clnistopher, born Nov. 1, 1660. John, born, 1666. 
 
 Thomas, " 1664. 
 
 Thomas settled at Mansfield. 
 
 It is not ascertained when the first Christopher died. 
 The second Christopher, the first born son of Norv/ich, 
 had a noble family of twelve children, most of them 
 sons. The two wives of deacon Christopher, were 
 Sarali Adgate, and Judith, widow of Jonathan Brews- 
 ter. His daughter Ruth was the mother of Dr. Elea- 
 zer Wlieelock, the founder of the Indian school at 
 Lebanon, and first President of Dartmouth college. 
 
 In the early part of the next century, there were per- 
 
 vvz.: 
 
 
 Simon, born. 
 
 1659. 
 
 Joseph, " 
 
 1661. 
 
 Samuel, " 
 
 1665. 
 
108 HISTORY or NORWICH. 
 
 haps no more distinguished men in town, than the 
 three Huntingtons, Mr. Isaac, Ensign James, and 
 Capt. Hezekiah ; the latter afterwards deacon and 
 Col. The Huntingtons, although extensively diffus- 
 ed in other towns, have always been numerous in the 
 neighborhood of their first settlement. The home- 
 steads of their ancestors have never been alienated to 
 other names. From an enumeration made in 1779, 
 we learn that there were at that time fifteen families 
 of this name, comprising about one hundred persons 
 in what was called the east end of the town plot, or 
 First Society. 
 
 LEFUNGWELL. 
 
 Thomas Leffingwell, usually mentioned with the 
 military prefix of Serg., Ensign, or Lieut., denoting 
 the rank he held in the train-bands after he came to 
 Norwich, was a native of Croxhall, England, and one 
 of the earliest planters of Saybrook. In his testimo- 
 ny before the Court of Commission at Stonington, in 
 1705, he says he was acquainted with Uncas, in the 
 year 1637, and was knowing to the assistance render- 
 ed by the Sachem to the English, then and ever after, 
 during his life. It may be inferred from this, tliat he 
 was personally engaged in the Pequot war. He also be- 
 louged to Capt. Denison's volunteer company of Eng- 
 lish and Mohegans, during Philip's war. Only three 
 of his sons have been traced, viz : Thomas, Nathan- 
 iel and Samuel. He died about the year 1710. Ma- 
 ry, his wife, Feb. 6, 1711. The name, Thomas^ de- 
 scended in a right line, for five generations, each that 
 bore it, living to a good old age. 
 
 Thomas Leffingwell 2d., born 1649, married Mary 
 Bushnell in 1672; died 1724. His pious and vene- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 109 
 
 rable partner, survived him more than twenty years, 
 living to be ninety-one years of age. 
 
 Thomas tiie 3d, born 1674, died 1733. 
 
 Thomas the 4th, born 1704, died 1793. 
 
 Tliomas the 5th, died unmarried, in the year 1814, 
 aged eighty-two. 
 
 The staff of the venerated Lieutenant, brought with 
 him from his native place in 1637, and bearing his in- 
 itials on its silver head, is in the possession of one of 
 his descendants, N. L. Sliipman, Esq. 
 
 Lieut. Leffingwell, was one of the last survivors of 
 the proprietors. He had lived to see a great altera- 
 tion take place in the nine miles square, since he first 
 viewed it from the Mohegan heights. The dwellings 
 of upright, intelligent, and industrious men, were scat- 
 tered at intervals, over the surface ; the pleasant mea- 
 dows upon the banks of the livers, were reclaimed and 
 cultivated, the uplands were cleared for grazing, the 
 rocky pastures were clothed with flocks, and extensive 
 fields in the suburbs, now comprised in other towns, 
 were planted with wheat and Indian corn. The wil- 
 derness and solitary place had blossomed as the rose. 
 
 PEASE. 
 
 Of John Pease, little is known. We find him with 
 Gov. Winthrop, at New London, in 1650, and ten 
 years afterwards, trace him to Norwich, where his 
 homelot was at the extreme west end of the town. 
 We do not find his name after 1673. The conjecture 
 may be hazarded, that he was son of Henry Pease, 
 mentioned by the elder Winthrop, in a letter to his son 
 at New London, dated at Boston, June 14, 1648 : — 
 " Henry Pease, my old servant, died this day senight." 
 [Sec Winthrop's Journal.] 
 10* 
 
110 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 POST. 
 
 This family is supposed to have been of that origi- 
 nal band of planters of Saybrook, who came direct 
 from England, in 1639. Thomas and John, who re- 
 moved to Norwich, were brothers ; others of the name 
 were left at Saybrook. Thomas was married in 1656, 
 to Mary Andrews. She died at Norwich soon after 
 the settlement, leaving a daughter Sarah, who after- 
 wards married a Vincent. The second wife of Mr. 
 Post, was Rebecca Bruin, whom he married in 1663. 
 They had two sons,-Thomas, born 1664, and Joseph ; 
 perhaps others. Mr. Thomas Post died in 1704. His 
 son Joseph married Mary Post, of Saybrook, by whom 
 he had one son, Joseph, born 1747, and seven daugh- 
 ters. 
 
 John Post married Hester Hide, who died in 1681. 
 His second wife was Sarah Rc3niolds, deceased, 1685. 
 He had two sons, John and Samuel; the latter born in 
 1668. Mr. Post died in 1704. The house built by 
 Samuel Post, on the town street, is still standing, 
 though the name of Post is no longer to be found in 
 the place. The two large elm trees that throw their 
 shade over it, were planted by his son, Samuel Post 
 2d., about the year 1750. 
 
 READ. 
 
 John Read obtained a grant of land for a homelot 
 in New London, soon after 1750. It is probable that 
 Josiah, of Norwich, was his son. The marriage of 
 Josiah Read and Grace Halloway, took place in 1666. 
 They had eight children. The sons \vere Josiah, Wil- 
 liam, John and Joseph. Josiah Read sonior, was 
 living in 1699. Josiah jun. married Elizabeth Arms- 
 den, in 1697. He died in 1717. This family appear 
 
HISTORY OFNORWICn. Ill 
 
 to have removed at an early period to Ncwent Society, 
 now Lisbon. The above-mentioned John died there 
 in 1768, aged about ninety. 
 
 REYNOLDS. 
 
 John Reynolds appears to have removed to Say- 
 brook from Massachusetts ; and prol)ably came to this 
 country as early as 1635. He died in 1702, He had 
 eleven children, of whom three sons lived to the age 
 of manhood : John born anterior to the settlement in 
 1655; Joseph, in Maich, 1660; the very period of the 
 removal ; Stephen, 1682. 
 
 Jonathan Royce was married at Saybrook, March, 
 1660, to Deborah, daughter of Hugh Calkins. The 
 births of two children are recorded : Elizabeth, born 
 January, 1661 ; John, 1663. The death of John in 
 1720, is mentioned, and the name then disappears 
 from the records. 
 
 SMITH. 
 
 We learn from Wintlu'op's letters to his son, the 
 younger John Wintbrop, that a Hem}^ Smith was with 
 the latter at Saybrook, in 1636. In 1652, Nehemiah 
 Smith was an inhal)itant of New London, whither Win- 
 tbrop had removed, and continued there long after the 
 plantation of Norwich. Tin* Neliemiah Smith of the 
 latter place, may have bc('n son of the former. Only 
 two cliildren of Mr. Smith have been traced ; Obadiah, 
 who married Martha Al)ell in 1700, and a daughter 
 married to Joshua Abell. January 12, 1684, Nehe- 
 miah and Ann Smith made over their liomestead and 
 other property to their son-in-law, Joshua Abell, stip- 
 
112 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ulating only for a maintenance during- life, they being 
 "in an infirm and weakly state." 
 
 Capt. Obadiah Smith died in 1727. His grave-stone 
 bears this quaint epitaph : — 
 
 And now beneath these carved stones, 
 Rich treasure lies, — dear Smith, his bones. 
 
 TRACY. 
 
 ^ In January, 1637, Tbomas Tracy, " ship-carpenter," 
 was received as an inhabitant of Salem, Mass. He is 
 supposed to have removed to Saybrook as early as 
 1639. His name frequently appears upon the records 
 of the General Court at Hartford, after 1644. In the 
 company of Norwich proprietors he ranked high, hav- 
 ing more education than most of them, and being in 
 ability, enterprize and integrity, equal with the first. 
 He officiated on all important committees, and as sur- 
 veyor, moderator, and townsman; and between Oct., 
 1662, and July, 1684, was twenty-seven times chosen 
 Deputy to the General Court. He Avas also ensign of 
 the train-band, and after 1678, in the Commission of 
 the Peace. Even' in those days of simplicity, Mr. 
 Tracy is usually mentioned with some adjunct indica- 
 ting respect or the possession of oflTice ; but as " Lieft- 
 anant Thomas Tracy," he was best known. This title 
 was acquired from the rank he held in Capt. Avery's 
 company of dragoons, raised in New London County 
 in 1673. He died Nov. 7, 1685. 
 
 Mr, Tracy brought with him from Saybrook six sons 
 and one daughter, but as no reference has been found 
 to his wife, it is inferred that she was then dead. In 
 1679 he married Martha, the widow of John Bradford. 
 His children were John, Jonathan, Thomas, Solomon, 
 Daniel, Samuel and Miriam. He and his six sons were 
 
HISTORY OP NORWICH. 113 
 
 for several )"ears all active men together. The order 
 of his children, as to age, has not been ascertained. 
 
 John, being ranked as a proprietor, and having a 
 homelot laid out with the others in 1659, was undoubt- 
 edly the eldest. If, however, all the children of Mr. 
 Tracy were born atSaybrook, as seems most probable, 
 we can scarcely reckon him more than twenty years of 
 age at the era of the plantation. He was made a free- 
 man by the General Court at Hartford in 1671 ; his 
 brother Solomon in 1685. Young men at that day 
 were not qualified to vote as soon as they attained their 
 majority. They were obliged to acquire a character, 
 and possess a certain amount of property, before they 
 could become electors^ 
 
 John Tracy married in 1670, Mary, daughter of the 
 Hon. Josiah Winslow, of Plymouth — a stately and 
 beautiful woman, according to tradition. He died in 
 1703. His widow in 1721. A deed conveying a par- 
 cel of land to his son, John Tracy jun., was signed by 
 him Dec. 30, 1702. Their children were, 
 
 John, born 1672. Joseph, l)orn 1682. 
 
 Elizabeth, " 1675. Winslow, " 1689. 
 
 Jonathan and Thomas Tracy settled upon a tract of 
 land east of the Shetucket, purchased by their father 
 from the Indians. It was afterwards included in the 
 town of Preston, of which town Jonathan was the first. 
 Town Clerk. He luarried in 1672, Mary, daughter of 
 Lt. Francis Griswold. 
 
 Solomon Tracy, whom we conjecturally reckon the 
 fourth son of Lieut. Thomas, was married in 1678, to 
 Sarah Huntington, who died in 1683. His second wife 
 was Sarah, the widow of Thojuas Sluman, whom he 
 married in 1686. Mr. Solomon Tracy died in 1732. 
 
 Daniel Tracy married in 1682, Abigail Adgate, sister 
 by the mother's side, to Joseph and Richard Bushneli. 
 
114 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Mr. Tracy was killed in the year 1728, with several 
 others, by the falling of the frame work of a bridge, 
 which the inhabitants were engaged in building over 
 Shetucket river. He was then in the 76th year of his 
 age, which gives 1652 for the date of his birth. This 
 is the only one of the family whose age has been 
 ascertained. 
 
 Samuel Tracy died in 1693, unmarried. 
 
 The descendants of Lieut. Thomas Tracy are very 
 numerous, and widely dispersed. In 1779, there were 
 twenty-four families of the name in Norwich, number- 
 ing about one hundred and eighty persons. 
 
 WADE. 
 
 Robert Wade, very soon after the settlement, trans- 
 ferred his homelot to Caleb Abell. His son married 
 Abigail Royce, in 1691. The family has not been 
 traced any farther. 
 
 WATERMAN. 
 
 There was a Thomas Waterman at Roxbury, Mass. 
 in 1641, who died there in 1676. The identity of name 
 leads to the conjectiu-e that Thomas Waterman, of 
 Saybrook, and afterwards of Norwich, was his son. 
 He married in 1G68, Miriam, daughter of Lieut. Thomas 
 Tracy, by whom he had ten children. The sons were 
 Thomas, born 1670, John, 1672, and Joseph, 1685. 
 Both father and son are successively styled in the rec- 
 ords. Ensign Thomas Waterman. The name was soon 
 extensively spread in the vicinity of the town plot. 
 
 WALLIS. 
 
 Of Richard Wallis and Richard Hendy, nothing cer- 
 tain has been gleaned. The latter died soon after the 
 settlement. His children are mentioned as orphans 
 in 1672. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Other Early Settlers. Settlers East of the Shetucket. Eichard and Joseph 
 Bushnell. Cases of Trespass. 
 
 BREWSTER. 
 
 Mr. Benjamin Brewster was a grandson of the 
 venerated elder William Brewster, of May Flower 
 memory. Jonathan, the third son of the Elder, remo- 
 ved to New London, where, in 1649, he was acting as 
 one of the townsmen. His son Benjamin was old 
 enough to convey a tract of land by deed in 1654, and 
 in 1659 was married, at New London, to Anna Dart. 
 He removed to Norwich very soon after the settlement. 
 The birth of his daughter Anne is recorded there Sept. 
 1662. His sons were 
 
 Jonathan, born 1664. William, born 1669. 
 
 Daniel, " 1667. Benjamin, " 1673. 
 
 Mr. Biewster was an active and highly respected 
 member of the infant plantation. In L693, he suc- 
 ceeded Mr. Burchard as Commissioner of the Peace. 
 His descendants are still to be found in Norwich and . 
 its vicinity. In 1779 there were eleven families of 
 this name in East Society. 
 
 The venerable Mr. Seabury Brewster, now living in 
 Norwich City, and one of the patriarchs of the place, is 
 not, however, descended from Benjamin, but from 
 't Wrestling, the second son of Elder Brewster. He was 
 born at Plymouth, in 1755, and emigrated to Norwich 
 when about twenty-two years of age. He is the father 
 
116 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 < of Sir Christopher Brewster, an eminent dentist who 
 has resided a number of years in Paris and Petersburg, 
 and has been knighted by the emperor of Russia. 
 
 LATHROP. 
 
 Samuel Lathrop was an inhabitant of New London 
 in 1648, and perhaps earlier. He and John Elderkin 
 appear to have been in partnership as master builders. 
 The second meeting-house in New London and the 
 first in Norwich were built by contract with them. Mr. 
 Lathrop removed to Norwich in 1668, having pur- 
 chased the homelot of Elderkin. He is found on 
 record as constable the same year, and acted after- 
 wards in various public capacities. 
 
 Mr. Lathrop was the son of the Rev. John Lathrop, 
 of England, a man of great piety and varied adven- 
 tures. He was minister of Egerton, in Kent, before 
 1624, and afterwards preached in London, as successor 
 to Mr. Jacob, in the first Congregational church organ- 
 ized in England. After suffering two years imprison- 
 ment in England for non-conformity, he was released, 
 and came to America in 1634. In this country he was 
 highly esteemed, being the first minister of Scituate, 
 and afterwards of Barnstable. Four sons came with 
 him from England, of whom Samuel was the second. 
 Samuel had nine children. His sons were — 
 
 John, born 1646. Israel, born 1659. 
 
 Samuel, " 1650. Joseph, " 1661. 
 
 Mr. Lathrop died Feb. 19, 1700. His wife, Abigail, 
 [her maiden name has not been ascertained,] survived 
 him nearly thirty-five years, having lived into her 
 104th year. On the completion of her century, Jan. 
 13, 1732, the Rev. Mr. Lord preached a sermon in her 
 room, at the house of her son. 
 
 This name is frequently spelt in the records Lotrop ; 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 117 
 
 an orthography about on a par with that occasionally 
 used for Leffingwell, viz : Leppinwell. 
 
 In 1779 there were twenty four families of the name 
 of Lathrop in the Town Plot society, and that of West 
 Farms. 
 
 ELDERKIN. 
 
 John Elderkin, carpenter and miller, the first pro- 
 prietor of the Cove, emigrated to America in 1637. 
 He came first to Lynn, and went from thence to Ded- 
 ham. We next find him at New London, where, in 
 1650, he had a houselot, and a tract of meadow and 
 upland laid out to him. 
 
 In 1654 he entered into a contract with the Saybrook 
 company, who were planning the settlement of Nor- 
 wich, to erect a mill for them. This was subsequently 
 renewed, and the stipulations on both sides performed. 
 He was accepted as an inhabitant of Norwich in 1663, 
 and a liomelot laid out to him next to Mr. Adgate's. 
 This he alienated to his friend and partner, Samuel 
 Lathrop, and removed to the vicinity of the Mill. 
 Though residing in Norwich, he still continued occa- 
 sionally both to build and to grind in New London, as 
 the early records of that town testify. He died June 
 18, 1716, aged 95. His sons were — 
 
 John, born 1664. Joseph, born 1672. 
 
 James, " 1671. 
 
 John Elderkin the second died in 1737, leaving 
 three sons, Jedidiah, John and Joshua. One of these 
 was the keeper of the first public house at Chelsea. 
 The name has since been a noted one in Windham. 
 One of (he last who bore it in Norwich was a pilot, 
 who died in 1821, aged 82. 
 
 11 
 
118 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Settlements were early made east of the Shetucket. 
 Some of the first planters in that quarter were Samuel 
 Starr, Robert Roath, Samuel Andrews, Josiah Rock- 
 well, John Glover, and Grinfield Larrabee. Mr. 
 Rockwell came from Windsor, and is supposed to have 
 been brother to Ruth, wife of Christopher Hunting- 
 ton. He died in 1675, about three years after his 
 removal. His son, Josiah Rockwell 2d, on arriving at 
 manhood, obtained a grant of land, which is described 
 as lying "east of the Great River;" and in 1718 an 
 additional tract was given him by the town, " on ac- 
 count of his sheep concerns." He was married in 
 1688, to Anne, daughter of Thomas Bliss, by whom he 
 had two sons, Daniel and John. 
 
 The name of Capt. Josiah Standish appears upon 
 record as early as 1686, as owner of a farm east of the 
 Shetucket. He was a son of Miles Standish, the 
 famous hero of New Plymouth. He is supposed to have 
 had in his possession the sword of his father, and 
 though the house in which he lived was destroyed by 
 fire, this relic was preserved. After several times 
 changing hands, it was obtained by the late T. W. 
 Williams, Esq., of Lebanon, and by him deposited in 
 its most appropriate place, Pilgrim Hall, in Plymouth. 
 Mr. Williams took great pains to trace the history of 
 this sword, and was satisfied that he had established its 
 claims to be the genuine weapon, both hilt and blade, 
 with which Capt. Standish was accustomed to do 
 battle with the Indians. But the same honor has been 
 claimed, and it is said upon as good authority, by 
 another sword, preserved among the collections of the 
 Mass. Hist. Soc. It is not improbable that a person 
 who had so much fighting to do as Capt. Standish, 
 both in the old and new world, might have had two 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 119 
 
 swords, that passed as heir-looms to dilTereiit branches 
 of his family. 
 
 Tlie marriage of Greenfield Larrabee to Alice 
 Yoimgs, is recorded in 1673. Their sons were Thomas, 
 John and Nathaniel. Mr. Greenfield died in 1739. 
 
 Samuel Andrev/s probably came from Saybrook, and 
 may have been brother to the wives of John Birchard 
 and Thomas Post. In 1779 there were eight families 
 of this name in East Society. 
 
 Robert Roath was from New London, where either 
 himself or father liad a houselot and other land granted 
 him in 1650. 
 
 John Glover married in 1682. His descendants 
 remained in the town for a century or more, but have 
 since dispersed. The Hon. James Glover of Ottawa, 
 Illinois, was of this family, and a native of Norwich. 
 He removed in early life to Illinois, and aided in the 
 first settlement of that Slate. He died in 1840, in the 
 73rd year of his age. 
 
 Other names which occur at a very early period, are 
 Tliomas Sloman or Sluman, Thomas Rood, CaleKand 
 Joshua Abell, Jonathan Rndd, Jonathan Crane, Ste- 
 phen Merrick, Hugh Amos, Jonathan Jennings, Ca- 
 leb Forbes, David Knight, Owen Williams, Edward 
 Culver, Timothy Allen, John Hough, Frederick Ellis, 
 Richard Cooke, Peter Cross, Benjamin and Jonathan 
 Armstrong, Matthew Coy, William Moore. These all 
 appear within the first ten or twelve years of the plan- 
 tation, and may be ranked as first settlers. Most of 
 them were farmers, and settled in those parts of the 
 town now included in Bozrah and Franklin. 
 
120 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Joseph and Richard Bushnell may be reckoned 
 among the first class of ph^nters. They belonged to 
 the company of proprietors, though at the period of the 
 settlement they were minors in the family of John 
 Holmstead, whose wife is supposed to have been sister 
 to their mother. Mrs. Bushnell's maiden name was 
 Mary Marvyn ; she was the daughter of Matthew and 
 Elizabeth Marvyn, who came to New England in 1635, 
 and settled at Hartford. She was six years of age at 
 the time she arrived with her parents, and in 1648 
 married Richard Bushnell of Saybrook, by whom she 
 had two sons, Richard and Joseph, the former born late 
 in 1651, and the latter early in 1653. Mrs. Bushnell 
 afterwards married deacon Thomas Adgate, by whom 
 she had several daughters and one son, 
 
 Richard Bushnell married in 1672, Elizabeth, daugh- 
 ter of Mr. Adgate, by a former marriage. They had 
 two sons, Caleb, born 1679, Ben aj ah, in 1681. 
 
 Joseph Bushnell was married in 1673, to Mary, 
 daughter of Thomas Leffingwell. Their sons were 
 Joseph, born 1677, Jonathan, 1679, and Nathan, 1686. 
 
 Mrs. Mary Bushnell died March 31st, 1748, in the 
 ninety-second year of her age. 
 
 Mr. Joseph Bushnell died Dec. 23, 1748, in the 
 ninety-sixth year of his age. 
 
 In the earlier part of the eighteenth century, Richard 
 Bushnell was one of the most noted and active men in 
 Norwich. After arriving at man's estate, we find him 
 taking a prominent part in almost every enterprise that 
 was set on foot in the place. 
 
 In 1686 he obtained a grant of privilege — " to take 
 fish in Showtucket river, and to make weares there, 
 for that purpose." This privilege extended from the 
 mouth of the Shctucket to the crotch of the Quinebaug, 
 and was to continue for seven years. He managed a 
 
HISTORY OP^ NORWICH. 121 
 
 farm also upon the GreatPlains, but had his residence 
 in the town plot, where he performed successively, if 
 not contemporaneously, the duties of townsman, con- 
 stable, school-master, poet, deacon, sergeant, lieuten- 
 ant and captain, town-agent, town deputy, court-clerk, 
 and justice of the peace. 
 
 As a school-master he w^as highly esteemed. The 
 school continued only during the winter months, and 
 whenever the payment received from his scholars Avas 
 represented deficient, the town remunerated him with 
 a piece of land. 
 
 As a military man, it is probable that he had seen some 
 actual service in scouting against the Indians, and was 
 useful in exercising the train-bands. The first Mon- 
 days in May and September were days of general mili- 
 tia muster, or training days, as they were usually called. 
 These in Norwich, as elsewhere, were always days of 
 festivity. No one was so poor as not to regale his 
 family with training-cake and beer at those times. In 
 1708 a new start was taken in improving the appear- 
 ance and exercise of the trainers. " Drums, Iwlbarts, 
 and a pair of colours," were purchased for them. 
 
 As a clerk, Mr. Bushnell exhibited an improvement 
 upon the old forms of writing and spelling ; and as a 
 justice, he decided numerous cases of debt and tres- 
 pass, both for Norwich and the neighboring towns. 
 The fine at this time for profane swearing, was ten 
 sbillings, or to sit two hours in the stocks. In 1720, 
 there is a record which shows that Dr. Samuel Law 
 was presented for using an oath in conversation, and 
 obliged to pay the penalty. The next year Henry 
 Holland, of Plainfield, was proved guilty of the same 
 trespass, and adjudged in the same manner to pay the 
 fine and cost ; the latter amounted to 2s 2d. The same 
 Henry Holland was also bound over to appear at the 
 11* 
 
122 HISTORY or NOWICH. 
 
 next County Court, and answer for breaking the peace 
 and the law, by saying " in a tmnultuous violent threat- 
 ening manner, yt he would take the head of Jona" 
 Tracy off his shoulders." 
 
 An Indian being found drunk, was brought before 
 Mr. Justice Bushnell, and sentenced according to the 
 statute, namely, to pay a fine of ten shillings, or receive 
 ten lashes on his naked body. The Indian immediately 
 accuses Samuel Bliss of selling him that afternoon that 
 which made him drunk, to wit, two pots of cider. The 
 fine foi selling cider or ardent spirits to an Indian, was 
 tw^enty shillings, one half to go to the complainant. 
 The Indian thus obtained just the sum requisite to pay 
 his own mulct, and set his body clear. The record of 
 this affair is as follows : 
 
 " Feb. ye 7 1722-3. Apenanucsuck being tlrunk w^as 
 
 brought before me R. Bushnell, Justice of ye peace. I do 
 sentence ye sd Apeonuchsuck for his transgression of ye law 
 to pay a fine of 10s. or to be whipt ten Lashes on y*^ naked 
 body, and to pay y^ cost of his prosecution, and to continue 
 in y'^ constable's custody till this sentence be perfornied. 
 
 Cost allowed is 6s 6. 
 
 John Waterman promises to pay 6s 4. 
 
 Apeanuchsuck accused Samuel Bliss y' he sold him 2 
 pots of cider this afternoon. Mr. Samuel Bliss appeared be- 
 fore me and confessed he let sd Indian have some cider and 
 I do therefore sentence sd Bliss to pay y^ fine of 20s. for ye 
 transgression of y* law one half to y*" town and one half to 
 complainant. R. Bushnell, Justice." 
 
 Some other extracts from Mr. Bushnell's record ma)' 
 here be given. 
 
 •'3rd of June 170S. Joseph Bushnell of Norwich com- 
 plained against himself to me Richard Bushnell, Justice of 
 the Peace, for y^ he had killed a Buck contr ry to law. I 
 sentenced him to pay a fine of 10s. one half to y*^ county 
 treasury and one half to complainant." 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 123 
 
 "July 20, 1720. Samuel Sabin appeareth before me R. 
 B. Justice of the Peace, and complaineth against himself that 
 the last Sabbath at night, he and John Olnisby went on to 
 Wawwecoas Hill, to visit their relations, and were late home, 
 did no harm, and fears it may be a transgression of y^ law 
 and if it be is very sorry for it and dont allow himself in un- 
 seasonable night-walking." 
 
 "An inferior Court held at Norwich ye 19. Sept. 1720. 
 Present R. Bushnell Justice of y*^ Peace. Samuel Fox juror 
 pr. complaint, Lettis IVIinor and Hannah Minor Pis. for ille- 
 gally and feloniously about y*^ 6 of Sepf inst. taking about 
 30 water-milions which is contrary to Law and is to his dam- 
 age he saith y^ sum of 20s. and prays for justice. This Court 
 having considered y*' evidence dont find matter of fact proved, 
 do therefore acquit the Dts. and order y*^ Ptf. pay the charge 
 of presentment." 
 
 Mr. Bushnell died in 1727, aged 75. His son, Capt. 
 Caleb Bushnell, was also an active and enterprizing 
 citizen, though he did not reside upon the town plot. 
 Glimpses of his course are now and then obtained from 
 the records ; as — 
 
 " Dec 28, 1714. Granted to Capt. Calib Bushnell a con- 
 venient place for building vessels on the west side of the 
 river opposite the old landing place." 
 
 " 1723. The town grants liberty to Capt. Calib Bushnell 
 to set up and maintain two sufficient cart gates across the 
 high-way thatgoeth to the Little Fort." 
 
 His grave-stone says — 
 
 " Here lyeth what was mortal of that worthy gentleman, 
 Capt. Caleb Bushnell, son to Capt. Richard Bushnell Esq. 
 who died Feb. 18, 1724, aged 46 years, 8 months and 23 
 days." 
 
CHAPTER Xir 
 
 Prices current. Town expenses. 
 
 The town expenses at this period were usually for 
 perambulating and stating bounds, laying out high- 
 ways, plank for bridges, and the bounty on killing 
 birds and snakes. Exclusive of this last item, the an- 
 nual demands upon the treasury, frequently fell below 
 jGIO. The expenses arising out of the difficulties that 
 existed with neighboring towns, on account of boimda- 
 ries, added some years greatly to this amount. There 
 was an ever open quarrel respecting a tract of land 
 south of the Norv/ich and north of the New London 
 line, with the Indians or individual settlers. The dis- 
 putes with Preston were still more perplexing and 
 acrimonious. They commenced in 1695, and contin- 
 ued for nearly a century, being a constant source of 
 litigation, trouble and expense ; but as it would neither 
 be interesting nor profitable to enter into these haras- 
 sing affairs, the whole will be passed over with only 
 this slight notice. 
 
 List of Town Debts. Dec. 30. 1718. 
 
 To John Tracy for killing 4 snakes, - 
 Th- Leffingwell Jr. 6 do - 
 Elisha Waterman 67 birds - - - 
 John Rood 24 do 
 
 Jabez Hide 5 snakes - - - - 
 Th. Bingham 4 snakes and drumming 
 Th. Leffingwell Jr, one day to meet New 
 
 London Committee - - - 5 
 
 e 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 H 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 8 
 
£ 
 
 .s. 
 
 d. 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 13 
 
 10 
 
 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 125 
 
 Joseph Reynolds for a plank - 
 Solomon Tracy one day on Committee 
 Charges about Preston Line 
 Several persons for perambulating at 3s. 
 pr day each. 
 
 Public inipiovementswere usually made by the gen- 
 eral labor of the citizens, or by individuals who as- 
 sumed the job and were compensated by a grant of 
 land. 
 
 In 1704, Eleazer Burnham, set up a fulling mill 
 " near Showtucket, by the Chemical Spring," and had 
 twenty acres of land given him for his encouragement. 
 From some cause or other, this enterprize did not suc- 
 ceed. The same year, Mr. Edmonds of Providence, 
 a blacksmith, was formally invited by the town, to 
 remove thither, and a place to work in and coals pro- 
 vided for his use, one blacksmith being then insuffi- 
 cient for the town's convenience. 
 
 Occasionally, we find a town expenditure for milita- 
 ry equipments, and for " ammunition, with the charge 
 of bringing it up from New London." 
 
 In 1720, John and Simon Tracy, were appointed by 
 the town, " to make search for the Towne Armes, with 
 their magazeans of amunition and other accotrements 
 for war, injoyned by law," who reported as follows : 
 
 At Lieut. Tracy's, two guns and two pair of snow shoes. 
 " Samuel P^alcs', one gun. 
 
 " Lieut. BushncU's one gun, one barrel of powder, and 
 seventeen lbs. of lead. 
 
 At Lieut. Backus', 344 lbs. of bullets. 
 " Ensign LelTingwell's, one barrel of powder. 
 " Deacon Simon Huntington's half barrel of powder, 
 thirty-one lb. bullets, and 400 flints. 
 
 At Simon Tracy's, one pair of snow shoes, and 4 pr. of 
 maugosuns. 
 
 " We ware also informed, (say the Committee,) that there 
 
126 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 was formerly lent to Mr. John Leffingwell, pr Lieut. Bush- 
 nell, seventy-one lbs. of Led, which said Leffingwell was 
 obliged to pay in BuUits, y^ same quantity. All y^ Led and 
 Bullits 523 pound. John Tracy, 
 
 Simon Tracy," 
 
 Very rarely at this period, do we find any person 
 so poor as to require the assistance of the town. There 
 is however, now and then, such a charge as "a pair 
 of shoes for alice Cook, 55.," " a coat and leather 
 breeches, for old Russell 12s.," " a sheet to bury John 
 Nickols in 10s.," duly entered in the town books. In 
 1723, great amazement seems to have been excited in 
 the townsmen, by what they designate " the extraor- 
 dinary charge of Henry Wallbridge Jr. for entertayneing 
 Christian Challenge in her late sickness and distraction 
 at his house." Yet the whole charge for eight weeks 
 " nursing, diet, and strengthening salve," going for 
 doctors, four days waiting and tending, and finally con- 
 veying her to Windham, amounts only to £3 5s. 6d. 
 Dr. Calib Bushnell's bill "tords tlie cure of Christian 
 Challenge," stands thus, and will show what a physi- 
 cian's fees then were : 
 
 To 3 travells j£0 7 6 
 
 to Lusisalig Bolsum, 4 
 to 3 times bleeding 16 
 
 This poor woman appears to have been a traveller, 
 tra'r per, or transient person, as wandering beggars are 
 indifferently called in New England, who was " rode 
 over by Solomon Story on the Sabbath day, either wil- 
 fully or carelessly," and being very much hurt, was 
 for some time a burden on the town. 
 
 At one time the town seems to have been greatly 
 bothered with the trouble and expense of maintaining 
 a poor Ediote, or as it is spelt in another place, Edj- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 127 
 
 ouett, named Peter Davison, but the case was at last 
 laid before the General Court, and relief obtained. 
 
 Down to the period of 1730, a rate of halfpenny 
 on the pound, was sufficient to liquidate all the cur- 
 rent expenses. 
 
 It may be interesting- to note the prices of a few ar- 
 ticles in the earlier part of this century : 
 
 Wheat 5s. pr. bushel. Cheese 4</.pr lb. 
 
 Rye 3s. " Tallow 5d. 
 
 Indian corn, " Sugar Qd. and S^^. 
 
 Oats Is 6. " Molasses 2s. Ad. per gall. 
 
 Turnips, Is. 0. " Quire of paper, 2s. 
 
 Milk \\d. pr qt. pane of glass, 2s. 3d. 
 
 Wool, Is. Ad- per lb. pair of shoes 5s. and 5s. 6. 
 
 Beef 2d. per lb. day's work of laborer 2s. and 
 
 Pork 3^. and 31. 3s. 
 
 Butter 6rf. day's work with a team 6s. 
 
 Town Clerk's salary, j£l. 10s. 
 A meal of victuals at a tavern Qd. or 8(7. 
 A bowl of toddy, 6rf. 
 A bell rope, 3s. 
 
 A barber's charge for once shaving, 2d. — a year's shav- 
 ing,^!. 
 " A fals tail," (copied from a Barber's account,) 3s. 
 
 In 1702, the town ordered that the Law Books on 
 hand, should be sold for 18c?. a piece. 
 
 Benajah Bushnell sent by the town to New Haven, 
 to appear in their behalf, before the General Court, 
 absent twelve days, his whole account amounted to 
 £2 10. 
 
 The following- memorandums are in some degree 
 illustrative of this period : 
 
 " Sarah Vincent of Norwich, her portion of the pro- 
 perty of her father John Post, who died in 1704." 
 
 Here is mentioned simdry parcels of land at Con- 
 necticut Plains and elsewhere, neither extent nor 
 value expressed. 
 
123 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Received as her marriage portion £5. 
 
 at his death 1 spade, 35. iron ware 65. 
 
 2 augurs 2s. an old Bible 2s. 
 
 one platter 45. pewter 45. 
 
 The account of Thomas Blythe, 1726, for tending of Jo- 
 siah Guiller. 
 
 12 dayes tendaning, [3s. 6. per daye, £2,2 
 
 Benjamin Slam's Sheriffs Bill of Charge on Nathaniel Otios. 
 To my travell 18 miles at 3id. c£0 5 9 
 To my tendence at cort, 10 
 
 To the Corts fees, 2s. 8. 2 8 
 
 .£095 
 allowed, R. B. Justice. 
 
 Constable's Bill. Abiall Marshall contra Nath' Gore. 
 To y« writt £0 8 
 
 ye constable's fees 3 
 
 ye Courts fees 2 8 
 
 ye plaintiffs attendance 1 
 
 .£0 7 4 
 This bill of cost is allowed, R. Bushnell, Justice. 
 
 The following is a sample of simplicity and disinter- 
 estedness, in making out a bill : 
 
 "Dec. 16 day 1745. The town is Dr. to me Jacob Hide 
 for 203 feet of 2 inch plank improved to make and mend 
 bridges by order of the surveyor of highways. The price 
 of said 208 feet of plank I think must be about 30s. more or 
 less as the town thinks fit." 
 
 Voted, that the selectmen pay Jacob Hide what is just. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 In addition to their droves of neat cattle and swine, 
 and flocks of sheep, the inhabitants at one time turned 
 their attention to tiie keeping of goats. Herds of these 
 troublesome animals roamed at large, until they became 
 an intolerable nuisance. No law of the colony then 
 existed for their restraint. Joseph Tracy, in 1722, 
 having taken up a herd of fifty-four goats trespassing 
 upon his land, impounded them : whereupon their 
 owner, Joseph Backus, bought a suit against him before 
 Mr. Justice Bushnell, which was decided as follows: 
 
 " This Court having heard and considered the pleas on both 
 sides in this action, and also the law quoted to, and finding 
 in the last paragraph in said law it is said, ' all neat cattle 
 and horses taken &c. shall pay Sd. per head, and swine 12d. 
 and sheep Id. per head' and nothing in said law concerning 
 goats, this Court cannot find any thing allowed in the law for 
 impounding of goats and therefore this Court consider that 
 the plaintiff shall recover of the defendant his cost of prose- 
 cution." 
 
 The defendant appeals from this judgment to the 
 County Court to be holden at New London in June 
 next. 
 
 Nothing further appears upon record respecting 
 goats, but the following item : 
 
 " At a General Court at Hartford May 15, 1725, the rep- 
 resentatives of Norwich, having laid before this court, that 
 12 
 
130 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 the act respecting Goats, October last, is very grievous to 
 their town, this Court grants liberty to said town to except 
 themselves out of said act : — This town do now by their 
 vote, except themselves out of said act." 
 
 The lands upon the Yantic, at the time of the settle- 
 ment, were greatly infested with wolves and foxes. 
 Settling in the midst of them Avould very soon lead to 
 their extirmination, or expulsion ; and this is said to 
 have been one motive which actuated the proprietors 
 in their choice of the first location. Long after the 
 settlement, a bear or a wolf were occasionally seen, 
 coming- from the woods towards their old haunts, and 
 on finding- themselves near the habitations of man, 
 they have rushed forward, terrified and causing terror, 
 till they found a secure refuge in the uncleared swamps 
 that still in some places skirted the river. 
 
 In the early stages of the settlement, therefore, the 
 craft of the hunter, the trapper, and the sportsman, 
 was pursued from necessity instead of pastime. Dep- 
 redations upon the fold and the barnyard were often 
 made, not only by the animals named, but by another 
 popularly called the TFoo//ewee^,or Sampson Fox, which 
 is still occasionally seen in the wilder parts of New 
 England. But these and ail the smaller mischievous 
 quadrupeds, were in a few years either entirely driven 
 away or reduced so greatly in number as to be seldom 
 troublesome. Birds and snakes were not so readily 
 vanquished, and it w^as necessary to offer rewards and 
 bounties for their destruction. 
 
 A half penny per head was first granted for each 
 and every blackbird and crow killed j their heads to be 
 exhibited by the claimant to one of the townsmen; 
 and two pence a piece for all rattlesnakes killed be- 
 tween the fifteenth of April and the first of May, the 
 tail, and a bit of the bone to be received as evidence. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 131 
 
 The last fifteen days of April was therefore the season 
 appropriated to hunting the rattlesnake, and the people 
 turned out for this purpose in large parties. 
 
 Notwithstanding the smallness of the bounty, so 
 many birds and snakes were killed every year, that it 
 became a considerable item in the town expenses. 
 The bounty for killing a wolf was IO56, ($1 75.) 
 This appears to have been claimed but once after 1700, 
 viz. by Samuel Lotrop. 
 
 No better haunts for rattlesnakes could be found 
 than among the rocks and glens of Norwich. Imagin- 
 ation still associates the idea of these formidable rep- 
 tiles with many a dark ravine and sunny ledge. TThere 
 are certain rocks and declivities that even yet are known 
 by such names as Rattlesnake-den and Rattlesnake- 
 ridge. They grew here to the size of a man's wrist, 
 and to the length of three and four feet. 
 
 There is a tradition that an adventurous lover, re- 
 turning home late one evening from a visit to the lady 
 of his heart, was both snapped at by a wolf and hissed 
 at by a rattlesnake, just as he passed through a turn- 
 stile, near the place now known as Strong's corner. 
 There Avas then no road through the wood on the river 
 side of tlie square, but only a footpath. The road tliis 
 way is still called by aged people of the vicinity " The 
 Grove." This young man, whose name was Water- 
 man, lived above the meeting-house, and the lady he 
 visited, below the Little Plain. To walk two miles at 
 that period, through thicket and swamp, to make an 
 evening visit, and back again at midnight, was an 
 undertaking almost equal in heroism to that of swim- 
 ming over the Hcllcsi)ont. 
 
 In the spring of 1721, tlie bounty was claimed for 
 killing one hundred and sixty snakes. In the hope of 
 eradicating them by an extra effort, in 1730, the bount}"^ 
 
132 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 was raised for that year to two shillings apiece : three 
 hundred were killed in fifteen days, and the law was 
 successively renewed for four years. 
 
 In 1735, twenty pounds were paid out of the treasury 
 for killing- snakes. The bounty was then reduced to 
 four pence. A large number were killed that year 
 also, if we may judge from the memorandum of one of 
 the selectmen, of those that were exhibited to him : 
 
 " May, 1736 — An account of rattlesnakes tails brought in 
 to me, Joseph Perkins. 
 
 Jacob Perkins brought 7 tails. 
 
 Thomas Pettis, " 5 " 
 
 Samuel Lawrence brought 3 rattles. 
 
 Abijah Fitch, " 1 " 
 
 John Bingham, " 3 " 
 
 Robert Kinsman, " 4 " 
 
 Joshua Hutchins, " 23 " 
 
 Ezra Lothrup, " 2 " 
 
 In 1739 the bounty was again raised to ten shillings 
 a head for all killed, except in the months of June, 
 July and August ; provided that the killer took oath 
 that he went out for no other purpose than to destroy 
 them. Among those who claimed the bounty, we 
 frequently find the names of females. The Widow 
 Woodworth was one year paid for twenty-three and 
 the widow Smith for nine. At another time the bounty 
 was claimed for killing one, by David Hartshorn 4th, 
 whom we may suppose to have been a child of very 
 tender age. One can almost fancy, that like the infant 
 Hercules, he strangled the serpent in his cradle. Simon 
 Huntington, a grandson of the first settler of that name, 
 while engaged in haying, at the Great Plains, was bit- 
 ten by a rattlesnake, and died in consequence. This 
 was in July, 1707 ; the young man was twenty-one 
 years of age. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 133 
 
 Waweekus Hill was famous for these reptiles. It is 
 said that a cunning player on the violin, once went on 
 to that hill with his instrument, and enticed a large 
 one to follow him into the town street, fascinated by 
 his music. 
 
 We find no legislation on the subject of rattlesnakes, 
 after the year 1764, at which time the bounty of twenty 
 sliillings, old tenor, was commuted into six shillings 
 lawful money. It is believed that the last rattlesnake 
 of Norwich was destroyed in 1786. His traces had 
 been often observed, and his haunt sought, but without 
 success. He dwelt under a large rock, and his hole 
 had an outlet on both sides, with a branch in another 
 direction to which he could retreat, so that it was a 
 work of some difficulty to outwit him. But he was at 
 last both." scotch'd" and killed. 
 
 The Red Snake, vulgarly c;dled the Rattlesnake's 
 mate, also abounded in Norwich, and is still occasion- 
 ally found. It is very beautiful in color, being of a 
 chocolate or deep purple, mottled with the richest red. 
 It draws up, leaps, and bites, in the space of two sec- 
 onds, and it is said, will reach the flesh through a thin 
 boot. The wound is followed by immediate pain, 
 swelling, and great inflammation. Instances have 
 occurred in which it has become serious, by neglect, 
 improper treatment, and exposure to cold and wet, 
 breaking forth afresh every year in the snake season, 
 and causing lameness or other infirmities. 
 
 The Black snake is now rare and compaiatively 
 harmless ; but stories are current of these reptiles hav- 
 ing attacked children in the whortleberry fields, or hay- 
 makers in the meadows, and wound themselves about 
 the body and throat, so as to produce suffocation. When 
 Waweekus Hill was first cleared, the workmen were 
 greatly annoyed by them. There is a tradition to the 
 12* 
 
134 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 following effect : — A party of laborers were out on the 
 hill at work, and one of them being employed at some 
 distance from the other, his companions were suddenly 
 alarmed by his cries and shrieks for help. They ran 
 to his assistance, and found him rolling on the ground 
 with several black snakes on his body. He stated 
 after his rescue, that these reptiles came upon him out 
 of a thicket, with such fury as to put it out of his power 
 to defend himself. They wound about his legs, lashed 
 them together, bound up his arms, and were near his 
 throat when his friends came to his assistance. No 
 attempt will be made to prove the truth of this story, 
 but doubtless it is as well founded as that of Laocoon. 
 Supposing the man to have been asleep, when the 
 reptiles swathed his limbs, it is not impossible. 
 
 One species of black snake, which formerly infested 
 this region, was called Ring-snake, or racer ^ and was 
 known by a white or yellow ring around the neck. 
 They would erect the head seven or eight inches from 
 the ground, and in this attitude, with tongue out, and 
 eyes glaring, run with the swiftness of a horse. They 
 were bold, fierce, and dangerous. It was this species 
 which was remarkable for winding- about the limbs. - 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 Bell. Meeting- House. Kcclesiastical Dissmisions. Councils. Ministers Woodward 
 and Lord. Deacons. 
 
 In 1708 the town was presented with a bell by Cap(. 
 Rene Grignon, a French Protestant, who had come up 
 the river for the purposes of trade, and who resided 
 awhile at the landing-place, being accepted as an 
 inhabitant in 1710. A vote of (hanks was tendered to 
 the generous Captain, and the bell being conveyed to 
 the meeting-house plain, was ordered " to he hung in 
 the hill between the ends of the town" and to be rung on 
 the Sabbath, and on all public days, and at nine 
 o'clock every evening. The phrase in the hill is a 
 rather doubtful one ; but probably the bell was sus- 
 pended from a scaffolding, on the rocks that overlook 
 the plain, that it might be heard in all parts of the 
 town. Salary of the bellman,' who was also to sweep 
 the meeting-house, ^£5, \0s. per annum. 
 
 In 1710 a vote was passed to build a new meeting- 
 house, but a long and vehement dispute arose with 
 respect to its location. One party was for having it 
 stand on the site of the old one upon the hill ; the 
 other on the plain. Both sides were exceedingly vio- 
 lent and obstinate, and for two or three years the 
 whole town was absorbed by the question. At length 
 they agreed to submit it to three impartial gentlemen 
 of Lebanon. Capt. Wm. Claik,Mr. Wm. Halsey, and 
 Mr. Samuel Huntington were designated as umpires. 
 These persons came to Norwich, examined the prem- 
 
136 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ises with care, heard all that either party had to allege, 
 and after due deliberation recommended that it should 
 be built on the plain. But the town refused to concur, 
 and after two or three alternate votes, and much bitter 
 contention, decided that they would have it on the hill, 
 and the building was there commenced. Nothing 
 further respecting it appears upon the records of the 
 town or society, but there is reason to infer from other 
 testimony that the plan w^as soon abandoned, and the 
 house finally built upon the plain. 
 
 John Elderkin, 2nd, was the architect of this church, 
 as his father was of the former. After its completion 
 he presented his petition, stating that he had suffered 
 considerable loss by his agreement, and praying " the 
 worthy gentlemen of the town to make some retalia- 
 tion." He was accordingly relieved by a grant of 
 fifty acres of land. 
 
 The expense of this edifice was mainly defrayed by 
 sales of land. A meeting-house committee was in the 
 first place appointed, who offered land in lieu of 
 money to be advanced for the w^ork. Capt. Grignon, 
 among others, advanced small simis at several different 
 times, and received in return four portions of land at 
 the landing, viz : ten acres on both sides of Stony 
 brook ; five and a half acres on Waweekus hill ; a 
 quarter of an acre near the water ; and four acres on 
 the little plain at the N. W. corner of Waweekus hill. 
 Ensign Thomas Waterman, in consideration 
 1718. of his labor and cost in providing stones for 
 steps at the meeting-house doors, [this edifice 
 had an entrance on three sides,] obtained a grant of 
 twenty-two acres at the Landing Place. His price for 
 said stones was 14s. It wull further sliow tlie value of 
 land at this period, to state Mr. Lefiingwell's 
 1713. agreement with the Committee. He advanced 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 137 
 
 in money ^£6, 10s., for which he was to have 
 <' forty-three acres of rough land on the west side of 
 tlie brook that runs into Shetucket river above We- 
 quonuk island, at the Rattlesnake's house"; thirty- 
 three acres at the north end of Plain hills, value £b ; 
 and six and a half acres of roug-Ji land near the Isin- 
 glass rock, value £1. 
 
 One of the fixtures of this meeting-house was an 
 Hour-Glass, placed in a frame and made fast to the 
 pulpit; [cost 2s. 8f/.] This hour-glass, in 1729, was 
 placed under the particular charge of Capt. Joseph 
 Tracy, who was requested to see that it was duly 
 turned when it ran out in service time, and that the 
 time was kept between n]eetings ; the bellman being 
 charged to attend his orders herein. 
 
 Among those who were active in the business of the 
 meeting-house, was Capt. Robeit Denison. Thisgen- 
 tleman's farm, which was very large, lay at the N. W. 
 corner of Norwich, extending considerably over the 
 line. His dwelling-house was at first supposed to lie 
 within the bounds of the town, and the freemen chose 
 him for their representative to the General Court. 
 When the line was more accuratc^ly stated, he was cast 
 into New London. This farm now lies partly in Boz- 
 rah and partly in Montville. 
 
 The old meeting-house was sold to Nathaniel Rudd, 
 for <£12 55. 6f/. ; but tlie purchaser, afterwards repre- 
 senting to the town that he was "sick of his bargain," 
 relief was granted. 
 
 In the new meeting-house, among the persons seat- 
 ed, we find mention made of Mrs. Sarah Knight, who 
 has been noticed before. Aug. 12, 1717, the town 
 by their vote, gave "liberty to Mrs. Sarah Knight, to 
 sit in the pew where she used to sit." 
 
 Ecclesiastical dissensions about this time began to 
 
138 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 rage in the society. In town meeting, 1714, a vote 
 was passed, declaratory of dissent from the new Plat- 
 form of Church Discipline, and complaints presented 
 against Mr. Woodward's " management in the minis- 
 try." Mr. Woodward was one of the delegates that 
 assisted in the formation of this Platform at Saybrook, 
 in 1708, and secretary to the Synod. Of course, he was 
 strenuous for its adoption by the church of which he 
 was pastor. But it was then very unpopular in Nor- 
 wich ; and a warm contest between him and his flock 
 ensued. Tt is said that when he received the act of 
 the legislature, accepting and establishing the Plat- 
 form as the ecclesiastical constitution of the colony, he 
 read off the first clause of it to his congregation, but 
 suppressed that part of it which allowed dissenters to 
 regulate their worship in their own way. Whereupon 
 the representatives of the town, Richard Bushnell and 
 Joseph Backus, rose in their seats and laid the whole 
 act before the people. A vote of the church was how- 
 ever obtained for the adoption of the Platform, upon 
 which the two gentlemen mentioned above and many 
 others withdrew from the church and held meetings on 
 the Sabbath by themselves. They had, moreover, the 
 influence and address to obtain the following vote, le- 
 galizing their meetings : 
 
 " This town grants liberty to those that are dis- 
 
 Dec. 16, satisfied with the Rev. Mr. Woodward's manage- 
 
 1714. ment in the ministry to call another minister to 
 
 preach to them at their own charge until the dif- 
 ficulties they labor under are removed." 
 
 A protest against the vote was signed by eighteen 
 persons. The minister and major part of the church 
 considered these measures highly reprehensible, and 
 made such representations to the Assembly at its next 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 139 
 
 session, that Messrs. Bushnell and Backus were for- 
 mally expelled from (hat body. 
 
 A council was soon afterwards called to settle these 
 difficulties ; and they had council after council for the 
 space of six years. Mr. Sallonstall, then Governor of 
 the Colony, visited them and used all his influence to 
 bring about a reconciliation of parties and harmony of 
 opinion ; but no compromise could be effected. Mr. 
 Backus went to Boston, Ipswich and various other pla- 
 ces to consult with the learned and pious upon this 
 affair. 
 
 In 1715, a town vote was obtained to dismiss Mr. 
 Woodward, forty-four to twenty-five ; but the conten- 
 tion then grew more violent than ever, and the inhab- 
 itants petitioned the General Court that they might be 
 separated into two societies. This was not granted, 
 but the Governoi wrote them a letter of advice, recom- 
 mending them (o try the effect of another council. A 
 body of the most respectable ministers in the country 
 was accordingly convened : Mr. Stoddard, of North- 
 ampton, was appointed moderator. After long delibe- 
 ration, the council recommended a dissolution of the 
 connection with Mr. Woodward, and he was accord- 
 ingly dismissed, Sept. 13, 1716. 
 
 Mr. Woodward was a native of Dedham, Mass. 
 After settling in Norwich, he married in 1703, Mrs. 
 Sarah Rosewell ; on which occasion "houseing and 
 lands" were liberally provided for him by the 
 1711. town. He afterwards, requested an increase of 
 salary, but it was refused. After his dismission, 
 he ceased to preach, and retired to a farm which he own- 
 ed in East Haven, where the Woodwards, his descend- 
 ants, are still found. Before he left Norwich, however, 
 the town sued him for damages on the parsonage lands, 
 
140 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 and for one quatter of a year's salary which had been 
 overpaid him ; a fact sufficiently indicative of the exas- 
 perated feeling that had been produced by these eccle- 
 siastical dissensions. 
 
 A few weeks after the removal of Mr. Woodward, 
 Mr. Benjamin Lord, a native of Saybrook, and a grad- 
 uate of Yale college, then about twenty-four 
 1716. years of age, began to preach in Norwich. In 
 June, the town appointed a day of fasting and 
 prayer, to seek divine direction, in respect to giving 
 him a call ; the Rev. Messrs. Whiting of Windham, 
 and Williams, of Lebanon, being invited to assist in 
 the exercises of that occasion. Soon after this, by a 
 unanimous vote, Mr. Lord was invited to become their 
 minister, with the offer of jElOO per annum for salary, 
 with the use of the parsonage lands, and wood suffi- 
 cient for his use, to be dropped at his door, — " provided 
 he settle himself without charge to the town." 
 
 He was ordained Nov. 20, 1717 ; both parties uni- 
 ting in their esteem for him, so that he was accustom- 
 ed to say he could never tell which was most friend- 
 ly to him. At his ordination, the Church explicitly 
 renounced the Saybrook Platform, or code of faith. 
 
 The following members of Mr. Fitch's church were 
 still alive : 
 
 William Backus, Joseph Lothrop, 
 
 Stephen Gifford, John Elderkin, 
 
 Th. Leffingwell, Caleb Abell, 
 
 Joseph Bushnell, Joseph Reynolds, 
 Richard Bushnell, Esq., Chr. Huntington, 
 
 Josiah Reed, Simon Huntington, 
 
 Solomon Tracy, Samuel Griswold, 
 
 Samuel Lothrop, Nathaniel Backus. 
 
 These, and fifteen others, received into the church 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 141 
 
 by Mr. Woodward, composed at this time the male 
 members of the cliurch. 
 
 The two deacons of Mr. fitch's church, chosen be- 
 fore they removed from Saybrook, were Tliomas Ad- 
 gate and Hugh Calkins. With these was afterwards 
 associated Simon Huntington, the elder. Towards 
 the close of the century, Simon and Christopher Hun- 
 tington, brothers, of the second generation of settlers, 
 one boin in 1650, and the other in 1660, were ap- 
 pointed to office ; deacons Huntington and Adgate, be- 
 ing still alive, though aged and infirm. Soon after the 
 ordination of Mr. Lord, the two Huntingtons having 
 acted as deacons more than twenty years, two others 
 were set apart to assist them, viz : Thomas Adgate 
 and Thomas Leffingwell, both of the second genera- 
 tion. Mr. Leffingwell dying in 1724, his three vene- 
 rable coadjutors requested that an entire new set of 
 deacons might be designated to office. This was not 
 done until after the death of the two Huntingtons, 
 [Christopher in 1735, and Simon in 1736,] when their 
 sons, Ebenezer, son to Simon, and Hezekiah, son to 
 Christopher, were chosen to succeed them in conjunc- 
 tion with Mr. Adgate. 
 
 The venerable deacon Adgate born in the eighth 
 year of the settlement, lived to be ninety-two years of 
 age. His existence nearly covers the whole space 
 from the settlement to the revolution. 
 
 No other deacons were appointed until 1764, when 
 Simon Huntington, son of deacon Ebenezer, and Si- 
 mon Tracy, Esq., were chosen and introduced into 
 office, with great solemnity. Hands were imposed, and 
 Dr. Lord preached on the occasion from 2 Tim. iii. 
 8,9,10. [Aug. 31.] 
 13 
 
4 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 Chelsea, or the Landing. Bridges over the Shetucket. 
 
 Capts. James and Daniel Fitch appear to have 
 been the first persons who began improvements at the 
 Landing--ph\ce. The former obtained from the town 
 " a privilege four rods in breadth by the salt water," in 
 1668, when he was but nineteen years of age. Little 
 importance was then attached to this station, the chief 
 trading points being at Trading Cove Point, on the 
 river below the Landing, where, both before and after 
 the settlement, a small trade had been carried on with 
 the Indians, and on the Yantic Cove, both at Elder- 
 kin's mill, and farther down, just above the present 
 Wharf Bridge. These, for a number of years after the 
 settlement, were the principal places of landing and 
 deposite. They were the old landing places tbat had 
 been used by the Indians. 
 
 In 1685, Capt. James Fitch obtained a second grant 
 at the Landing of apiece of ground to build upon, and 
 the next year an additional spot for the conveniency 
 of his ware-house. 
 
 In October, 1694, Mr. Mallat, a French gentleman, 
 desired liberty to establish a ship )"ard, and build ves- 
 sels upon the liver, which was freely granted, with 
 permission also to cut what wood he wanted from the 
 Town's Commons east of Shetucket river. There is 
 no record of any fiirther improvements at the Landing 
 previous to the year 1700. The only road thither, led 
 
l"^^ 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 143 
 
 through Mason's Swamp, thence across the Little 
 Plain, and over Wawecos Hill, whence it came by a 
 long, steep and dangerous descent to the water, with 
 a branch leading to the Shetucket, where a ferry had 
 been kept up ever since the year 1671, at first by Hugh 
 Amos, and afterwards by Stephen Roath. 
 
 The greater part of the tract from the Little Plain to 
 the Shetucket was a wilderness of rocks, woods, and 
 swamps, with only here and there a cow path, or a 
 sheep track around the hills ; where the trunk of a 
 fallen tree thrown over a brook or chasm served in 
 lieu of bridge. Not only in the spring floods, but in 
 common heavy rains, a great part of East Chelsea, the 
 Point where the Shetucket comes into the river, and 
 all the lower, or Water street, up to the ledge of rocks 
 on which the buildings upon the north side of that 
 street are based, were overflowed ; and even in the 
 dry season these parts of the town were little better 
 than swamps. What are now only moist places, and 
 slender rills, were then ponds and broad, impetuous 
 brooks. The Mill Pond, in the rear of Allen street, 
 was a considerable sheet of water, and in the time of 
 a freshet, all ihe land below the hills presented the 
 appearance of a lake. 
 
 There is a close connection between extensive woods 
 and the moisture of the earth, so that ponds and 
 streamlets often diminish and disappear as a country is 
 cleared of its forests. Trees condense moisture and 
 exhale it again, and moreover prevent the profuse 
 evaporation of the earth, so that an uncultivated coun- 
 try is usually wet and spongy. These facts account 
 for ihe shrinking of many of our pools and brooks. 
 
 ]714. Caleb Bushnell obtained a grant of "a conve- 
 nient place for building vessels," on the west side of 
 the river, opposite the old Landing-place. 
 
144 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 1616. Joseph Kelley, shipwright ol^lained permis- 
 sion to build vessels on the Point, the town to have 
 the free use of his wharf. 
 
 1722. Other applications of the same nature having 
 been made, the proprietors directed Lieut. Solomon 
 Tracy and Ensign James Huntington, " to go down to 
 the Landing-place and lay out what may be needful 
 for the town's use." The next year, Lieut. Simon 
 Lathrop, Joshua and James Huntington, and Daniel 
 Tracy, all spirited and enterprising men, then in the 
 prime of life, each obtained a conveniency, as it was 
 expressed, and began improvements at the Landing- 
 place. 
 
 Joshua Huntington's grant is thus defined : " twenty 
 feet square upon the water, on the west side of Rocky 
 Point, on the north side of Lieut. Lothrop's grant, if it 
 be there to be had; not prejudicing the conveniency 
 to be laid out by James Huntington and Daniel Tracy." 
 
 1725, Permission granted to Lieut. Lothrop to build 
 a wharf at his own expense, "provided it be free to all 
 mortals." The town also built a wharf the same year. 
 
 This was in fact the era of the commencement of 
 Chelsea; but as yet there were no dwelling houses. 
 The land, with the exception of these footholds upon 
 the water's edge, all lay in common. At that time, 
 the young people from the farms around Norwich, 
 after haying was over, came in parties to the Landing, 
 to wander over the hills, eat oysters, drink flip, and 
 have a frolic. The Point was but a confused heap of 
 rocks, and might have been bought, it is said, for £b. 
 Kelley's shipyard stood near the spot where afterwards 
 was the store of old Capt. Bill, Avhich in its turn has 
 given place, together with a part of its rocky founda- 
 tions to the spacious building of the Norwich and Wor- 
 cester Railroad Company. Every thing on this side 
 
HISTORYOF NORWICH. . 145 
 
 of the river has changed its appearance, but the oppo- 
 site bank, in Preston, has been very little altered. 
 The rocks, the barren hills, the cedars, remain unvaried ; 
 the projecting- points, with their stunted trees, are still 
 the same. With the exception of the recent railway 
 cut through the hill, the last hundred years has made 
 no change in those rock}- declivities around which the 
 Shetucket sweeps into the Thames. In 1726 and 1727, 
 the East Sheep-walk was surveyed and distributed into 
 shares, each share into tenths, and each tenth into 
 eight parts. Israel Lothrop and James Huntington 
 were the town agents to execute this task. The lots 
 varied in shape and size, and extended along the 
 water from the Shetucket ferry to the nioutli of the 
 cove, reserving a highway through tliem two rods 
 wide. A second tier was laid out in the rear of these. 
 
 After this division into small lots both buildings and 
 inhabitants increased rapidly. In 1730 the town built 
 another wharf; and in 1734 Lieut. Lothrop obtained 
 leave to build a second ware-house on the undivided 
 land upon " the side hill, opposite his dwelling- 
 house, thirty feet by twenty, and to hold it during the 
 town's pleasure." Daniel Tracy, Capt. Benajah 
 Bushnell, Nathaniel Backus, and others, about this 
 period built dwelling-houses near the water. A flour- 
 ishing village was soon formed, and called JVeio Chclsy. 
 
 A very sad accident happened in the year 1728. 
 The inhabitants were engaged in raising a cart bridge, 
 twenty feet high and two hundred and fifty feet long, 
 '^ over Showtucket river, near three miles from town," 
 and had nearly completed the frame, when, on the 
 28th of June, just as they were putting together the 
 upper work, a principal piece of timber which lay in 
 the foundation of this upper work, being spliced, gave 
 way at the joint, and falling, tripped up the dependent 
 13* 
 
146 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 frame, which with its own weight careened and over- 
 set. One hundred feet of the bridge fell, with forty- 
 men on it. The water was very low, and the people 
 were precipitated upon the rocks in all directions. No 
 one escaped without bruises and contusions ; twenty 
 were severely wounded and two killed. These two 
 were Jonathan Gale, of Canterbury, nineteen years of 
 age, the only son of a widowed mother, who w^as killed 
 instantly — "a very hopeful youth, the darling of the 
 family" — and Mr. Daniel Tracy, son of Lieut. Thomas 
 Tracy, and one of the last survivors of the old stock 
 that came from Saybrook, who died the next day of 
 his mortal wounds. Mr. Justice Backus published an 
 account of this accident in a small pamphlet. " When 
 the men were extricated, and carried up the banks," 
 says he, " it formed the nearest resemblance to a field 
 where a hot battle had been fought, that mine eyes 
 ever saw." 
 
 Mr. Tracy " was not," says Mr. Backus, " a person 
 concerned in the affair, only as he was a benefactor to 
 it, and went out that day to carry the people some pro- 
 vision, and happened to be on the bridge, at that junc- 
 ture of danger : a man that had been always noted for 
 an uncommon care to keep himself and others out of 
 probaljle danger, and yet now liimself insensibly falls 
 into a fatal one. And very remarkable is it, that to 
 keep his son at home this day, and so out of danger by 
 that occasion, he chooseth to go himself on the fore- 
 named errand, and is taken in the snare which he 
 thought more proljable to his son." 
 
 Many hair-breadth escapes occurred. Solomon 
 Lathrop fell forty feet from the top of a needle post, 
 and was pitched head foremost between two rocks, into 
 a hole of deeper water than ordinary, and yet not 
 killed. This Mr. Lathrop was father to the Rev. Jo- 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 147 
 
 seph Lathrop of West Springfield, who was born about 
 three years after this narrow escape of his parent. 
 
 1737. A bridge was erected over the Shedicket con- 
 necting the Landing with Preston. To defray tlie 
 expense, a pubHc subscription was taken up which 
 amounted to ,£85 15s. The number of contributors 
 was eighty-three, and the sums varied from five shil- 
 lings to five pounds. The highest on the Hst were 
 Joshua Huntington, John Williams, Samuel and John 
 Story, Isaac -Clarke and Samuel Backus, who were 
 probably the men doing the most business at that time. 
 The bridge lasted only seven years ; it then sagged so 
 much that it was pronounced unsafe, and blocked up. 
 
 The contract for the building of the Shetucket Bridge 
 was made with Capt. William W^hiting, whose name 
 first appears on the list of inhabitants in 1732. He 
 was the second son of Col. William Whiting, a man 
 of courage, talents and address, who is often named 
 in the early history of the country, for the part he took 
 in various engagements with the French and Indians, 
 in Maine and Canada. He was also Colonial Agent 
 at the couitof St. James, and on leaving England was 
 constituted by royal commission Colonel of a regiment 
 of foot, to be raised in Conneclicut for the Queen's ser- 
 vice. The original of this commission, upon parch- 
 ment, dated April 1, 1710, and signed Sunderland., is 
 still in possession of the famil)^ 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Rogeienes. 
 
 About the year 1720, the followers of John Rogers, 
 a kind of Quaker, beg'an to raise disturbances in New 
 London County. This sect sprung up in the vicinity 
 of New London, and has since been known as Roger- 
 enes. The special object of their leader's mission, was 
 to destroy priestcraft, and the idolatry of Sunday. 
 They saw no more feasible project of effecting this, 
 than by breaking up the worshipping assemblies of the 
 Sabbath. For this purpose they were accustomed, on 
 that day, to separate into small bands, and go through 
 the country, entering the meeting-houses, in time of 
 divine service, and by various noises and other provo- 
 cations, interrupting the worship. They would carry 
 their knitting, sewing, hatchelling, joinering, &c. into 
 the house, and by hammering, singing and shouting, 
 endeavor to drown the voice of the speaker. They 
 made several visits to Dr. Lord's meeting-house, but 
 that excellent man always treated them with great 
 lenity. John Rogers himself, the founder of the sect, 
 beset Dr. Lord, one Sunday morning, as he came out 
 of the house, to go to meeting, and followed him 
 thither, inveighing and shouting against priestcraft, as 
 was his usual custom. Just as the venerable minister 
 reached the porch of the meeting-house, and taking 
 off his hat displayed an august and graceful white wig, 
 Rogers exclaimed in a loud voice, Benjamin ! Benja- 
 min ! dost thou think that they wear white wigs in 
 
HISTORY OP NORWICH. 149 
 
 heaven 1 No answer was returned, but, the good man 
 might liave retorted, that a white wig woukl gain 
 entrance there much more readily than a railing 
 tongue. 
 
 In July, 1726, six of the followers of Rogers were 
 taken up at Norwich, for travelling on the Sabbath, and 
 committed to prison. They were tried the next day. 
 One of them was a woman, Sarah Culver by name, 
 called by them a singing sister. They stated that they 
 were on their way from Groton to Lebanon, to baptize 
 a person, or see him baptized b}^ others, as circumstan- 
 ces should be. One of their party, named Davis, they 
 declared vested with apostolic commission and author- 
 ity to preach and baptize. Some of this sect, had 
 previously been taken up in other parts of the county, 
 and fined five shillings per head for breaking the Sab- 
 bath, and they now travelled in defiance of the law 
 and its penalty, boasting that they could buy the idol- 
 ators' Sabbaths for five shillings a piece. But on arii- 
 ving at Norwich, the)^ found, as Mr. Justice Backus 
 observed, that they had j-isen in price, for being taken 
 before the said Justice, they Avere sentenced to pay a 
 fine of twenty shillings per head, or to be whipped ten 
 or fifteen lashes each. Not being able to pay the fine, 
 they were obliged to submit to the latter punishment. 
 The next day they were carried out upon the plain, 
 and there whipped with lashes oi prim. It is said, also, 
 that one of them, probably Davis, had warm tar poured 
 upon his head, and his hat put on, while in that state, 
 as a punishment for his contumacy, in refusing to pull 
 olf his hat in court. They were then dismissed, and 
 proceeded on their way to Lebanon, where, the next 
 Sabbath, they were again arrested, on the same plea, 
 but their fines were paid for them by some compassion- 
 ate citizens. They then challenged the ministers of 
 
150 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Lebanon, Messrs. Piatt and Williams, to a public de- 
 bate, at which, says Mr. Backus, they were completely 
 foiled. 
 
 The Hon. Joseph Jenks, deputy governor of Rhode 
 Island, took the part of the despised Rogerenes, and 
 issued a proclamation, respecting the proceedings at 
 Norwich, which he caused to be posted up in various 
 parts of his own state, in order, as it stated, that the 
 people might see what was to be expected from a Pres- 
 byterian government, in case Connecticut should suc- 
 ceed in the efforts she Avas then making, to get the 
 rule over the Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. 
 In reply to this proclamation, a small pamphlet was 
 published by Joseph Backus Esq. (who appears to 
 have succeeded Mr. Bushnell as the factotum of the 
 town,) explanatory of this affair of ihe Quakers. He 
 considers their conduct as sufficiently odious, to justify 
 the severest castigation of the law, and declares, that 
 as they acted in defiance of the law, " they may be 
 said to have whipped their own backs." 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Currency. 
 
 It has been observed that Mr. Lord's salary was 
 fixed at .£100 per annum. In 1726, a present was 
 made him of j625, and the next year twelve contribu- 
 tions were granted him, to be taken up on the first 
 Sabbath of every month. These gratuities were to 
 compensate for the depreciation of the currency. 
 
 Bills of Credit began to be emitted in Connecticut in 
 1709, and the emissions Avere repeated in small parcels 
 at intervals, afterwards. For many years, however, 
 there was little or no redundancy of the circulating 
 medium, and of course the depreciation was trifling. 
 The bills were not counterfeited until 1735 ; but at that 
 time, so large a quantity of the false impression was put 
 in circulation, that the Assembly ordered the issue of 
 bills with an entire new stamp, to the value of ^£25,000, 
 to be exchanged for the old ones then in use. These 
 and subsequent emissions were called Bills of the New 
 Tenor. In 1740, on account of the war with Spain, 
 ^45,000 more were emitted, and some smaller sums 
 afterwards. 
 
 Until the emission of the New Tenor, the credit of 
 the old bills was tolerably supported. The deprecia- 
 tion now ran on with rapid strides, and confusion in 
 accounts, perplexity and want of confidence in the 
 dealings of man with man, suspension of activity and 
 pecuniary distress was the consequence. The clash- 
 
152 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ing of old and new tenor rendered the currency mazy 
 and uncertain. Prices were greatly enhanced, but 
 fluctuating ; impositions frequent, and speculation tri- 
 umphed over honest industry. It was a difficult thing 
 to graduate price to value, with a currency so vague 
 and fluctuating. 
 
 In 1736, the town expenses were .£84, of which one 
 item was a pharge of Dr. Perkins — 
 
 For keeping and salivating Christian Boyle and 
 
 expenses to Hannah Rood £24 Is Od- 
 
 Yet the next year, the whole amount of the town ex- 
 penditure, including the doctor's bill, did not amount 
 to £U. 
 
 In 1740, wheat was 135. per bushel ; rye, 9 and 10s.; 
 Indian corn, 7s. ; oats and turnips, 35. 6 ; pork, 8d. or 
 10^. per lb. ; butter, from 18c?. to 2s. ; sugar, the same ; 
 molasses, 7 and 8s. per gall. ; rum, 10s. 6 ; men's shoes, 
 from 15 to 18s. per pair ; candles, 2s. 6 per lb. ; a 
 bushel of salt, 14s.; a quire of paper, 5s. 6 or 6s.; a 
 quart of mustard seed 2s. 6 ; sheep's wool and cotton 
 wool, about the same price, viz. 4s. per lb. 
 
 This uncertain curreney was by no means confined 
 to Connecticut. The other New England Colonies 
 suffered in the same way. In Boston, they had little 
 else in circulation than " Land Bank Money" and old 
 Tenor. The following memorandum from the day- 
 book of a Boston huckster of the same date as the above, 
 will show that prices were very much enhanced in that 
 capital also : 
 
 Molasses, 8s. 6 per gall. ; " a bushel of Ingin meel," 
 IBs. ; a beaver hat, ,£3 15s.; side of sole leather, .£1 
 19s. 6 ; " half a pees of Rusha Duck," £8; a sheep- 
 skin, 10s. ; a bushel of onions, 18s. ; a pair of buckles, 
 <£4 10s. ; a pair of yarn stockings, 12s. ; " 13i yards 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 153 
 
 of Osimbrogs," £3 lis. 6; a grate of Diamond glass, 
 
 Let it be observed, that at this time, the depreciation 
 had but just commenced. In 1741, the rate levied for 
 the payment of Mr. Lord's salary had risen from 2(/. and 
 M. on the pound to 10c?., and jf200 was allowed him 
 in addition to his nominal salary. 
 
 In 1751, the current expenses of the town was ^£751. 
 The currency continued its downward course until 
 1753, when Mr. Lord received ^£850 as an equivalent 
 for jElOO, lawful money. The bellman's salary was 
 £40 per annum. Schooling per month from ^£15 to 
 £22. 
 
 In 1757, the currency was flowing once more in 
 its old channel. Mr. Lord's salary was reduced to 
 £66 13s. 4d. lawful money, and twelve contributions ; 
 the bellman's to £3 10s. 
 
 14 
 
J 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Sheep Walks. Names. 
 
 In 1718, there was a division of proprietary lands, 
 called the forty acre division. In 1726, the undivid- 
 ed lands that remained, were mainly comprised in 
 two Sheep-walks. A public meeting was called, in 
 which the names of the proprietors of each, were dis- 
 tinctly declared and recorded in order to prevent, if 
 possible, all future " strifts and law-suits," The East 
 Sheep-walk of 900 acres, more or less, was divided in- 
 to shares of twenty acres each, and ralified and con- 
 firmed to forty-two proprietors, mentioned by name, 
 or to those who claimed under them. The West 
 Sheep-walk, by estimation 700 acres, was in like man- 
 ner divided and confirmed to thirty-seven proprietors. 
 Each share was then divided into tenths, and the 
 tenths into eighths, and distributed apparently by lot. 
 It is expressed in tire records by the phrase, " making 
 a pitch," as thus — " Capt. Bushnell made his pitch for 
 his portion of the sheep-walk," at such a place. The 
 last general division of proprietary lands, was in 1740, 
 after which the accounts were closed, and the compa- 
 ny dissolved. 
 
 The three plains were from the first settlement, re- 
 served for public use. As early as 1670, the Little 
 Plain was enclosed, and a fine of 5s. imposed on any 
 one who should with horse or cattle, pass over the 
 fence in going to, or from the town. It is pleasing to 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 155 
 
 notice the care taken from time to time, to free the 
 phtins from all obstructions, and render hem orna- 
 mental as well as useful to the town. Repeated ap- 
 plications to build upon them by individuals, were re- 
 fused, and all encroachments rt prehended. " There 
 shall be no shop, house or barn, or any other private 
 building erected on any part of said plain," was the 
 languag-e of these resolutions. 
 
 The proprietors agree, vote, and grant, " that 
 1729. the Plain in the Town Piatt, called the meeting 
 house plain, with all the contents of it, as it 
 now lyeth, i-luiH be and remain, to be, and lye com- 
 mon for public use for the whole town forever, without 
 alteration." 
 
 A similar vote was passed at the same time with 
 respect to " the Plain at the westerly end of the Town 
 Piatt, lying between Richard Egerton's and John 
 Waterman's, Abial Marshall's and the widow Hide's 
 houses." 
 
 Many of the local names by which the Indians and 
 early settlers distinguished various parts of the nine 
 miles square have become ol^solete. The following 
 list, taken from the descriptions of land in old deeds 
 and grants, some of which have quite gone by, and 
 others are but partially ;ind locally known, are offered 
 for the curious to idc-ntify and locate. 
 
 1661. Little Fort, — this was between the Landing and 
 trading Cove. 
 Woquanuk Little River. 
 Sunamansuck, — W^esquacksaug river. 
 
 Middle Hill, — Pauquoh-hog brook. 
 1679. Puppie Hill, — on the road to Peagscomtok. 
 
 The Major's Pond, — over the river, on land granted 
 by the town to Capt. John Mason. 
 Stonie Brooke. 
 The Kimicall Spring- 
 
156 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Little Lebanon, at the end of Yantick. 
 
 Little Lebanon Hill and Valley. 
 ' Scotch Cap Hill. 
 1700. White Hills on Showtucket. 
 
 Butternut Brook, — Great Cranberry Pond. 
 
 Cheeapschaddok, — near Robert Roath's and Owen Will- 
 iam's. 
 
 Dragon's Hole, — Kewoutaquck river, east of Shetucket. 
 
 Huckleberry Plains. 
 
 The Great Darke Swampe. 
 
 The Goat's Hill. 
 
 The Rocky Hill, — called Wenaniasoug. 
 
 Bundy Hill, — Newent. 
 
 Little Faith Plain, — south of Wawecos Hill. 
 
 Connecticut Plains, — first, second and third Plains towards 
 Connecticut. 
 
 Wequonuk, — Pequonuk. 
 1662. Pabaquamsquee, — ^on Quinnebaug, 
 
 Peagskumsuk, — a tract in a turn of the Quinnebaug. 
 Pottapauge. 
 1690. Nipsquanoug, — Nipsconoag. 
 Wolf-pit Hill. 
 
 Clay Banks of the Great River. 
 
 Skunkhungannok Hill, — in the Quinnibaug lands. 
 
 Conaytuck Brook, 
 
 Wheel-timber Hill, at Plain Hills. 
 
 Great Beaver Brook and Little Beaver Brook. 
 
 Harthstone Hill. 
 
 Great Ox Pasture. 
 
 Rowland's Brook, — near Peagscomsuk. 
 
 Pine Swamp, — at Yantick. 
 
 Isinglass Rock. Anchamaunnackkaunock Pond, east of 
 Shetucket. 
 
 Saw-pit Hills. 
 
 Sukskotumskot or Saw-mill Brook, — Great Hill east side 
 of it. 
 
 Stonie Hollow, — in East Sheep-walk. 
 
 Ayers Mountain. 
 
 Wanungatuck, — towards Canterbury. 
 
 New Roxbury, — on Quinnibaug. 
 
 Momogegwetuk Brook, — falling into Peagscomtok. 
 
 In connection with the subject of names, some of 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 157 
 
 those borne by the worthy ancestors of the town may 
 be mentioned. 
 
 Jepthah Elderkin. 
 Cordile Fitch. 
 Merit Rockwell. 
 Friend Weeks. 
 Aquilla GifFords. 
 Shadrach Lampheer. 
 
 Zorobabel VVightman. 
 Retrieve Moore. 
 Rezen Geer. 
 Hopestill Armstrong. 
 Yet-once Barstow. 
 
 FEMALES. 
 
 Experience Porter. 
 Submit Peck. 
 Thankful Willoughby. 
 Zipporah Haskill. 
 Theodia Wall bridge. 
 Leah Armstrong. 
 Zinah Hide. 
 Ruby Tracy. 
 Zillah Grist. 
 Millescent Scott. 
 Remembrance Carrier. 
 Deliverance Squire. 
 
 Charity Perkins. 
 Obedience Copp. 
 Temperance Edgerton. 
 Patience Larrabee. 
 Love Kingsbury. 
 Civil Tracy. 
 Silence Leffingwell. 
 Hepzibah Ladd. 
 Diadema Hide. 
 Mercy Polley. 
 Tirzah Morgan. 
 
 In a family of five sons and one daughter, the fol- 
 lowing were the names, Absalom, Zebulon, Obadiah, 
 Ichabod, Elam and Tabitha. 
 
 Ill another, with four daughters and two sons, are 
 these ; Lebbcus, Ozias, Love, Batthiah, Beulah, and 
 Miriam. Another family consists of Barnabas, Enoch, 
 Elkanah and Dorcas. Another of only Aaron and 
 Zipporah. The daughters of Mr. Samuel Bliss 2nd, 
 were Desire, Thankful, Freelove and Mindwell. 
 14* 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Mason Controversy. 
 
 The history of the Mohegan Indians is so closely 1; 
 connected with that of Norwich, that it is necessary { 
 frequently to revert to them. It seems to have been I 
 generally conceded by the English, that the ulterior 
 right to dispose of land in this region, belonged to 
 Uncas. The Governor and Company, however, i 
 claimed that he transferred this right to them by a deed ? 
 of September 28, 1640. This deed, the Indians said, 
 was never executed by Uncas, or if executed it was a - 
 mere form, intended to deceive the Dutch, who were | 
 then endeavoring to get a footing in these parts. In- : 
 deed, the transactions and declarations of the Colony { 
 long after this period, prove incontestobly, that they ! 
 considered the property, as distinguished from the juris- 
 diction, still to continue in the Mohegans. August 15, 
 1659, the year before the settlement of Norwich, as has 
 already been stated, Capt. Mason o1)tained of Uncas 
 and his brother, a general deed of all the lands be- 
 longing to them, not then actually occupied by the 
 tribe. In this business, it was generall}' understood 
 that he acted as the agent of the colony, and it was 
 proved by the State Records, that he formally smren- 
 dered his claim to the Gen. Court, March 14, 1660 ; 
 they granting him, in compensation for his services, a 
 farm of five hundred acres. This farm he chose at a 
 place called Pomacook, and it was confirmed to him 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 159 
 
 as his personal property, by the Indian Sachem, abont 
 two months afterwards. 
 
 The descendants of Mason claimed, not this farm at 
 Pomacook only, but tlie whole tract, conveyed in the 
 deed of 1659, alleging that it had never l)6en alienated 
 by liim. The records of the colony contain a minute 
 of tiie surrender, as having" been performed in open 
 court, but nevertheless, as no specific instrument to 
 tliat eflect could be found, under the signature of their 
 ancestor, they either questioned the intent of the trans- 
 action, or denied its authority. They asserted that the 
 conveyance made to Mason, by Uncas, was with the 
 intent to secure those lands to the Indians, by putting 
 it out of their own power to convey them to others, 
 that Mason received them as their trustee, and had 
 passed over to the colony merely the right of jurisdic- 
 tion, not the ownership of the lands. 
 
 Oweneco confirmed the grant of his father and uncle 
 to the two sons of Mason — Samuel and Daniel, Feb. 
 12, 1683-4, fearing, as he said, that he might be en- 
 snared by strong drink, and in tliat state be induced to 
 dispose of his lands injudiciously. From this time the 
 Masons acted as trustees to the Indian Sachem, in 
 conjunction with Capt. James Fitch, whom Oweneco 
 had empowered to act for him, in 1680. The govern- 
 ment allowed of tliis guardianship, if they did not in 
 the first place originate and recommend the measure* 
 The main ol)ject of all the parties appears to have been 
 to benefit the Indians, by taking care of their interests. 
 An act of 1692 thus confirms the right of the Masons 
 to be considered as the trustee of the tribe. 
 
 " The General Court, on the request of Oweneco, son 
 of Uncas, approve of his giving his land to Josiah, 
 since deceased, and also approve of his now giving 
 them to Mowhamet, son of Oweneco, he being the 
 
160 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 rightful Sachem of Mowheag after Oweneco ; but these 
 lands are not to pass to any other person, without the 
 consent of Capt. Samuel Mason." 
 
 The business, however, did not long run on in this 
 smooth and harmonious manner. Out of these piem- 
 ises a long and troublesome dispute arose ; the case 
 every year becoming more complicated and important. 
 The Masons and Mohegans became closely linked in 
 a claim against the colony for the possession of large 
 tracts of land, occupied by numerous settlers, and 
 comprising the major portion of Colchester, Windham, 
 Mansfield, Hebron, and considerable tracts in some 
 other towns. A vigorous and persevering effort, ex- 
 tending over a period of seventy years, was made by 
 Mason and his descendants to recover the possession of 
 this territory for the Indians. 
 
 The citizens of Norwich entered into this contro- 
 versy with great warmth and zeal, most of them es- 
 pousing the cause of the Indians, from an honest 
 opinion that they had been injured and defrauded, and 
 a benevolent desire to have some restitution made. 
 The case was often tried without being brought to an 
 issue. Many persons put themselves to great mcon- 
 venience and expense in entertaining and clothing the 
 Indians, and forwarding their cause, expecting to be 
 remunerated when they should recover their rights. 
 On the Indians themselves it had a very unhappy 
 effect, pufhng them up with hopes never to be realized, 
 and leading them into courses of idleness, itineracy 
 and extravagance. Norwich suffered severely for her 
 indiscretion, her streets and houses being often filled 
 with these exacting and troublesome guests. 
 
 The case was first submitted to Commissioners cho- 
 sen out of all the New England Colonies, and acting 
 under the immediate authority of Queen Anne. This 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 161 
 
 court was held at Stonington, in 1705. Thomas Lc-f- 
 fingwcll, of Norwich, a tried friend of (he Indian Sa- 
 chems, was one of the Connnissioners, and from his 
 intimate acquaintance wilh the case, and witli all tlie 
 affairs of the tribe, had great inlluence with the other 
 members. Tlie colony protested against the authority 
 of this Court, and, refusing to appear before it, no de- 
 fence was made. The decision, as might be expected, 
 was against her, but no attempt was made by the Eng- 
 lish Government to enforce the decree. 
 
 A subsequent investigation of this case, under the 
 authority of the General Court, was made at Norwich, 
 in the winter of 1717-18, and was pending at the time 
 of the great snow storm, famous over all New England, 
 February 17. The proceedings of the Commissioners, 
 who met in the house of Richard Bushnell, Esq., were 
 much impeded by the snow. For several days the 
 members were scarcely able to get together. 
 
 The next October a further Committee was ap- 
 pointed by the Assembly, and directed to repair to 
 Mohegan, to hear the grievances of the Indians, and 
 to endeavor to settle all differences between them and 
 their neighbors. This Committee, consisting of James 
 Wadsworth, Esq. and Capt. John Hall, met at the 
 house of Mr. Joseph Bradford, in Mohegan, February, 
 1720-21, and were apparently very successful in set- 
 tling the \'arious claims, and reconciling all parties. 
 In conclusion they laid out and sequestered to the use 
 of the Indians between 4 and 5000 acres of good land, 
 which was never to be alienated until the tribe became 
 extinct. These proceedings were ratified by act of 
 Assembly, May 11, 1721. 
 
 Nevertheless, the old controversy soon revived, and 
 a Commission of Review was appointed by George II. 
 to examine the proceedings of the Court held at Ston- 
 
162 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ington, in 1705. This Conit, consisting of the Lieut. 
 Governor and Council of New York, and the Governor 
 and Assistants of Rhode IsLind, convened at Norwich, 
 May 24, 1738. The Commissioners not agreeing as 
 to the course to be pursued, the members from New 
 York, at tlie outset, entered a protest and withdrew. 
 The remainder, after an examination of witnesses, re- 
 versed the decision of the Court, and gave judgment 
 in favor of the Colony. 
 
 John and Samuel Mason, however, would not suffer 
 the matter to rest here ; they presented a memorial to 
 the King, alleging that the proceedings of the Court 
 were irregular, and in behalf of the Indians, praying 
 for a redress of grievances. Oiders were therefore is- 
 sued for a new Commission of Review. 
 
 This second Court of Commissioners convened at 
 Norwich, June 28, 1743, and the trial lasted seven 
 weeks. The sessions commenced at the house of Si- 
 mon Lathrop, Esq., but on the third day, was adjourn- 
 ed to the meeting-house, where the remainder of the 
 sitting was held. Of course, this Coiut did not, as that 
 at Slonington had done, continue its sessions on the 
 Sabbath. The town at this time literally overflowed 
 with strangers, and no business of any kind was done, 
 except what was connected with the pending contro- 
 versy, and the necessary purposes of life. All the of- 
 ficers of government and distinguished men in the col- 
 ony were present ; the whole tribe of Mohegans was 
 quartered upon the inliabitants, and hundreds of per- 
 sons in tiie neighboring towns who had lands at stake, 
 came in from day to day, to hear the proceedings. 
 The Lathrops, Huntingtons, Lefliingwells, Tracys and 
 all the principal men in Norwich were of the Indian 
 party, and kept open house for John Uncas and his 
 people. Ben Uncas was upheld by the state, and his 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. l63 
 
 party was rendered respectable by the notice of all the 
 officers of govern mnt. The rival sachems maintain- 
 ed considerable pomp and state while the trial contin- 
 ued, which was until the 17th of August. 
 
 The decision was again in favor of the colony ; but 
 the Masons appealed from the judgment to the King in 
 council, and henceforth all legal action upon the case, 
 was transferred to England. The final decision was 
 not until 1767. Sir Fletcher Norton, then prime min- 
 ister, advised that the English should be conciliated 
 by a decision against the Indians. 
 
 It was the prevalent opinion in England, that the 
 Mohegans had right on their side, but that it was not 
 expedient to do them justice, and indeed not equitable, 
 as the English had long possessed and improved the 
 lands in question, and the Indians had dwindled away 
 and did not need them. One of the Masons, however, 
 remained long in England, prosecuting his claim : ob- 
 tained money upon it, sold out rights in it, ran in 
 debt upon it, was at one time a prisoner in the Fleet, 
 and never returned to his native country. The Revo- 
 lutionary war, soon afterwards broke out, the Mohe- 
 gans found themselves at the mercy of the State, and 
 never afterwards showed any disposition to renew their 
 claims. Occom, the eloquent advocate and preacher 
 of this tribe, on hearing of the termination of this af- 
 fair, writes thus to a friend : " The grand controversy 
 which has subsisted between the colony of Conn, and 
 the Mohegan Indians, above seventy years, is finally 
 decided in favor of the colony. I am afraid the poor 
 Indians will never stand a good chance with the Eng- 
 lish in their land controversies, because they are very 
 poor, they have no money. Money is almighty now- 
 a-days, and the Indians have no learning, no wit, no 
 
164 HISTORY OP NORWICH. 
 
 cunning: the English have all." [MS. Letter of Oc- 
 cora.] 
 
 In this controversy, our sympathies are very natu- 
 rally enlisted in favor of the Indians; nevertheless, it 
 does not appear that they were treated with any un- 
 due severity or injustice by the colony. Most of the 
 settlers on the debatable lands, fairly purchased them, 
 and had obtained deeds, though not, perhaps, always 
 of the lawful owners. And there is reason to believe 
 that the Indians themselves would not have complain- 
 ed had they not been instigated by others. This case 
 may fairly be merged in the great question still pend- 
 ing and unsettled, whether a civilized race has a right, 
 under any circumstances, to take possession of a coun- 
 try inhabited by savages, and gradually dispossess the 
 original proprietors. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Indian Deeds. Sachems. 
 
 It- is a singular fact, that while the Indian Sachems 
 were conveying away such large tracts of land, that 
 they and their subjects should be in want of room for 
 their own accommodation. So early as 1669, Oweneco 
 requested of the town of Norwich " a yerll of land 
 lying near Showtuckct river;" and the town accord- 
 ingly granted him out of their Commons, three hundred 
 acres on Shetuckct. river, abutting southerly on Quin- 
 ebaug, and secured it to his successors, not allowing 
 them the privilege of alienating it. At the same time 
 they bound the Indians to forbear all trespass upon the 
 lands or cattle of the town, upon penalty of forfeiting 
 the grant. The act concludes in this manner. 
 
 " It is further engaged by Oweneco, that whereas as he 
 hath received these lands by gift from the toM-n of Norwich, 
 the town does order that he shall forbear on the Sabbath 
 day from working, hunting, fishbig, or any servile labor, and 
 if any of his subjects bo found guilty of this violation, they 
 shall be liable to be punished, and to these said, and above 
 specified particulars, the said Oweneco doth bind and engage 
 himself, his heirs and lawful successors." 
 
 The reason assigned for this grant was, " that he was 
 in hazard of the loss of his Sachemdom, for want of 
 lands to accommodate his subjects." A number of 
 Indians then resided upon this grant, and others remo- 
 ved to it, and were called the Showtuckct, or Shotuck 
 15 
 
166 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Indians. In 1695, we find Capt. Samuel Mason, the 
 Indian trustee, calling upon the town to fix the bounds 
 of this grant upon which the English were fast intru- 
 ding. 
 
 The aged Uncas was also in his last days a petitioner 
 to the town for land ; yet at the same time these Sa- 
 chems were in the habit of assigning over to others, 
 tracts large enough for townships. In 1687, Oweneco 
 conveyed to James Fitch jun., a tract by estimation 
 six or seven miles in length, and one in breadth, lying 
 west of Quinebaug river, and extending " to the new 
 plantation given by Joshua;" — another portion west 
 of the same river, beginning north of the Norwich line 
 and running up the river to the clay pits, a mile and 
 a half in breadth ; — two other parcels east and north 
 of the town line, and a large meadow east of the Quin- 
 ebaug, extending from the town line to Peagscomscot, 
 [now Canterbury.] For these grants the Sachem ac- 
 knowledges the receipt of j660. Major Fitch became 
 ultimately one of the greatest land owners in the state. 
 The above lands comprise but a very small portion 
 of the various tracts recorded to him in the Norwich 
 books. 
 
 A part of the above described grants lay in the 
 crotch of the Shetucket and Quinebaug rivers ; and 
 here also was the three hundred acre grant, secured by 
 the town to the Indians. The title to this tract after- 
 wards caused much perplexity and some litigation. In 
 1696, Capt. Fitch being then the proprietary clerk, 
 recorded nearly the whole tract to himself; but as his 
 claim covered the Indian reservation, the town entered 
 a formal protest against the record, objecting especially 
 to his claim at the Quinebaug falls. 
 
 In 1723, the Indian title to the reserved lands in the 
 crotch of the rivers, was considered entirely extinct; 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 167 
 
 the Slietucket indians having dwindled away or remo- 
 ved elsewhere. Joseph and Jacob Perkins, Samuel 
 Bishop, and others, cLaimed it as purchasers and im- 
 provers, and the town confirmed their title. This 
 tract now forms the greater part of tlie town of Lisbon. 
 
 More than thirty deeds are recorded in tlie Norwich 
 books, hearing the signatures of Uncas, Oweneco, or 
 Joshua, conveying to various individuals tracts of land, 
 most of them comprising hundreds of acres. The con- 
 dition expressed is frequently of this nature : " To my 
 very good friend John Post, for the love and friendship 
 received from him," 200 acres, in 1685: to Israel Lo- 
 throp "for kindnesses received and three coats in hand 
 paid," 150 acres in 1695 : " to Richard Bushnell, for 
 kind and free entertainment for many years," 400 
 acres, in 1699. A large number of deeds of similar 
 import may be found recorded in New London and 
 other neighboring (owns. 
 
 Waweequaw, the brother of Uncas, claimed consid- 
 erable tracts in and around Norwich. Two hills in the 
 town have borne his name : one of considerable extent 
 in the Northwest part, and the other in Chelsea, around 
 the base of which the city lies. The name is now 
 usually spelt Waweekus. Uncas, (as well as the 
 English,) was much troubled, at various times, with 
 the intrigues of Waweequaw, wlio is represented as 
 being mischievous and quarrelsome. 
 
 Joshua, the brother of Oweneco, in 1676, conveyed 
 to Capt. John Mason, a tract claimed by him, N. W. 
 of Norwich, and now forming a part of the town of 
 Lebanon. In 1716, Cesar, who is styled "the prince 
 and Sacliem of Mohegan," made several conveyances 
 of land fo individuals. One was to Capl. Robert Den- 
 ison ; another to Lieut. Benajah Bushnell, of two par- 
 
168 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 eels, lying between Trading Cove brook, and the south 
 line of Norwich. 
 
 These are but a few specimens, out of a great num- 
 ber that might be mentioned, of Indian grants in this 
 vicinity. Some of them covered others, three or four 
 times over, and led to those many disputes as to titles, 
 and perplexities as to bounds, which entangled the 
 rights and claims of the settlers in an inextricable maze. 
 One is almost inclined to join in the declaration of Sir 
 Edmund Andros, that he did not value an Indian deed, 
 any more than the sci^atch of a cafs paw. 
 
 The following record shows that an amicable settle- 
 ment of all ditierences with respect to land claims and 
 boundaries, took place between the town and the aged 
 chieftain of the Mohegans. It is the last notice that 
 has been any where found of Uncas. 
 
 " Whereas Uncas, Sachem of Mohegan, hath of late made 
 application to the Town of Norwich for some Releife with 
 Reference to a small Tract of Land which fell out to be 
 within the bounds of the Town, on the south Bounds, over 
 the Traiding Cove Brook. This Town, Considering of his 
 Request and of him as an Old Friend, see Cause to Gratify 
 him with the said Land as a Gift to him & his heirs forever, 
 and Whereas the s'' Uncas doth also Recon upon three 
 pounds yet due to him as arrears of the payment of the pur- 
 chas of Norwich Township, though there is nothing appear- 
 ing how the said money is due, neither by written nor any 
 other Evidenee — Yet notwithstanding the Town have 
 Granted his desire as not willing to dissatiefie an Old 
 Friend in such a small matter, and the said Uncas Also 
 Declaring himself to be in some fears Respecting his Poster- 
 ity, whether they may not be infringed of their Liberty of 
 Fishing and making use of the Rivers and other Royalties by 
 some English : that being the Reason why he Gave place at 
 the first that we should run the Line of the Two miles on the 
 East side of the Great River, Beginning; at the River : We 
 also satisfie him in this writing about it, that he and his suc- 
 cessors shall from Time to Time, and at all times have full 
 and free Liberty to make use of the Rivers and ponds, with 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 169 
 
 other Royalties as abovesaid, not debaring Ourselves, and 
 having thus done, we whose names are subscribed being ap- 
 pointed by the town of Norwich to treat with him the said 
 Uncas upon the premises, or any thing Elce that might Con- 
 duce to mutual satisfaction, we asked him whether now he 
 was fully satisfied as to the former, so (Concerning any thing 
 Elce depending between him and us, and he hath declared 
 himself: as witness by his hand that he is fully satisfied 
 with us as concerning the premises, so Respecting all our 
 Bounds and boundaries, and particularly Concerning the 
 Running of the Line on the East side of the River, and Con- 
 cerning the beginning of the said Line at the River, and the 
 end of said Line to a Tree marked near the Dwellinghouse 
 of Robert Allen : Dated in Norwich, September P' , 1682: 
 
 the mark Cl^ of UNCAS. 
 
 Thomas Leffingwell. l ^^^^^^^^^^ j^ j-^^ tj^^ 
 
 William rJackus. i r r ist n^tr. 
 
 T , T3- 1 1 f second lolio 1*', Ucto- 
 
 John Birchard. j , ,^,,,, ^rcn 
 
 John Tracy. J ^^^ ^^ "' '^^^^ 
 
 By me, Christopher Huntington, Recorder. 
 
 Uncas is supposed to have died in 1683. Oweneco 
 lived till 1710. Notwithstanding the title of Sachem 
 and tlie lordly idea attached to the disposing of such 
 extensive regions as they were accustomed to convey 
 to their friends, these chieftains were but little eleva- 
 ted, either in their habitsor morals, above the common 
 level of savages. Oweneco was in his youth a bold 
 warrior, and an cnterprizing partizan. His exploits 
 at tlie Narragansett Fort fight, and through the whole 
 of Philip's war, obtained for him considerable renown. 
 
 But in maturer years, destitute of the stimulus of war, 
 and the chase, he used to wander about with his blan- 
 ket, metomp and sandals, his gun and his'squaw, to beg 
 in the neighboring towns, quartering himself in the 
 kitchens and out-houses of his white acquaintances, 
 
 15* 
 
170 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 and presenting to strangers, or those who could not 
 well understand his imperfect English, a brief which 
 had been written for him by Mr. Richard Bushneil. 
 It was as follows : — 
 
 Oneco king, his queen doth bring, 
 
 To beg a bttle food ; 
 As they go along, their friends among. 
 
 To try bow kind, bow good. 
 
 Some pork, some beef, for their relief, 
 
 And if you can't spare bread ; 
 She'll thank you for pudding, as they go a gooding. 
 
 And carry it on her bead. 
 
 The last line alludes to the Indian custom of bearing 
 burdens in a sack upon the shoulders, supported by a 
 back strap called a mctomp^ passing across the forehead. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Freemen. Justices. Physicians. Sigii-postg. Town House. Mohegaii Road. Soci- 
 eties. Population. Sctiools. Say I) rook Platform. Treasurer. Constable. 
 
 April 28, 1730, all the freemen were enrolled. They 
 amounted to 158; thirteen more were added in Sep- 
 tember, making 171. The first on the list, and prob- 
 ably so placed in respect to age and dignity, were Jo- 
 seph Backus Esq., the three reverend ministers, Lord, 
 Willes and Kirtland, and the two deacons, Simon and 
 Christopher Huntington. After these come Samuel 
 and Israel Lothrop, William Hide Esq., Mr. Thomas 
 Adgate, Capt. Jabez Perkins, Capt. Benajah Bushnell, 
 and Capt. John Leffingwell. 
 
 It is worthy of note, that at this time and for many 
 years afterwards, there was but one or two citizens at a 
 time, who bore the title of Esq., denoting a Justice of 
 the Peace. Mr. Birchard was the first civil magis- 
 trate mentioned ; Lt. Thomas Tracy was in the Com- 
 mission of the Peace from 1678 to 1685. 
 
 Richard Bushnell Esq. was the next magistrate, and 
 some years later, Capt. Jabez Hide. As these became 
 aged, Joseph Backus Esq. appears upon the stage, and 
 a little later, Wm. Hide jEscj. Next to these gentle- 
 men, we find their two sons advancing as the fathers 
 recede, viz., Ebenezer Backus Esq. and Richard Hide 
 Esq. ; and these appear to have been all who bore the 
 office and title before 1760. 
 
 The most conspicuous points at this time in town, 
 
172 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 and those where all notifications were ordered to.be 
 set up, were, the sign-post on the meeting-house plain 
 — Joseph Backus' shop door — Benajah Leffingwell's 
 gate post, and at the parting of the paths at the corner 
 of Ebenezer Backus' garden. This last position is 
 still a conspicuous one. The house stands alone, em- 
 braced by highways, which run together above and - 
 below. It was the homestead of Joseph Backus Esq., 
 familiarly known for many years as Mr. Justice Back- 
 us, and afterwards of his son Ebenezer, wdio built the 
 present house, and set out with his own hand the two 
 fine elms before the door. One of the daughters of 
 Ebenezer Backus married the second Gov. Trumbull. , 
 
 In 1720, the first project for the erection of a Town 
 house was started. Subscriptions w^ere taken and 
 liberty granted to set the building on the corner of the 
 plain, but the measure not being generally popular, 
 the house w^as not erected. 
 
 Fifteen years afterwards, the plan was resumed, and 
 a penny rate granted towards defraying the expense. 
 This vote, how^ever, did not pass without vehement 
 opposition, and a protest of thirteen citizens entered 
 against it. The building was erected on the south 
 corner of the parsonage, lot which is precisely the spot 
 now occupied by the old Court-House. The same year, 
 (1735) the inhabitants petitioned the General Assem- 
 bly that the Supreme Court in March, and the Supe- 
 rior Court in November, for New London Co. nnght 
 be held in Norwich. The agents for the town in this 
 business, w^ere Capt. John Williams, Capt. Joseph 
 Tracy, and Mr. Hezekiah Huntington. The petition 
 was granted, and Norwich became a half-shire towm. 
 A building had been previously erected for a town jail, 
 but a " new prison" was now built on the area of the 
 plain, which with land near it, for a "prison-house," 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 173 
 
 was made over to the county. A Avhipping-post and 
 pillory were also erected in the vicinity. 
 
 The road between New London and Norwich pass- 
 ing- through the Mohegan fields, was also considerably 
 improved about this time. This road was fust laid out 
 by order of the General Assembly, previous to the 
 year 1700. It was surveyed and stated by Joshua 
 Raymond, who was remunerated with the gift of a fine 
 farm upon the route. 
 
 The key of the town-house was formally de- 
 1737. livered into the custody of Capt. Joseph Tracy, 
 and a room ordered to be finished under his 
 direction, in the garret, for the town's stock of ammu- 
 nition. Tile following vote was then passed : " It is 
 now ordered and enacted, that if any man shall smoke 
 itj in the time of sessions of any town meeting, within 
 this house, he shall forfeit the sum of 5 shillings." 
 
 Capt. Joseph Tracy was son to John Tracy, one of 
 the thirty-five proprietors. He was a very respectable 
 and dignified man, and for a long covuse of years was 
 uniformly chosen moderator of all public meetings in 
 alternation with Capt. Jabez Hide. He died in 1765, 
 aged eighty-three. In 1745 we find the care of the 
 town-house and arms committed to Capt. Philip Tur- 
 ner, and this is the first time that gentleman's name 
 appears on the records. He afterwards performed the 
 duties of constable and selectman, and was captain of 
 the troop of horse ; — a spirited band of young men 
 whom he took much pride in parading and exercising. 
 He died in 1755, aged thiity-nine. His son, Dr. Philip 
 Turner, became a very eminent surgeon, being applied 
 to in difficult cases from various parts of the country. 
 His grandson, Dr. John Turner, was also distinguished 
 for surgical skill. 
 
 In 1743 Messrs, Richard Hide and Ebenezer Harts- 
 
174 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 horn were appointed to survey the town, and draw a 
 plan of it, embracing- the course of the rivers and 
 larger rivulets. The town now comprised eight eccle- 
 siastical societies, viz : First, West, Newent, East, New- 
 Concord, Chelsy, Hanovei and Eighth ; but the First 
 or Town Plot society still maintained its preeminence, 
 possessing twice the number of inhabitants, and three 
 times tlie amount of influence of any other. No cen- 
 sus of the town appears till 1756, when the population 
 stood — 
 
 Whites, 5,317 
 
 Blacks, 223— Total, 5,540. 
 Schools were maintained by what was called a 
 country rate of forty shillings upon the thousand 
 pounds, and all deficiences made up by parents and 
 guardians. The schools were distributed over the town, 
 and kept a longer or shorter period, according to the 
 list of each society. In 1745 the appointment was as 
 
 follows 
 
 School at the landing place 
 
 to be kept, . . 3 months and 17 days. 
 ^' two in the Town-plot, 
 
 one at eacli end, . 5^ months each. 
 
 at Plain Hills, . . 2 months 19 days. 
 
 Waweekus Hill, . 1 " 16 " 
 Great Plain, . . 2 " 18 " 
 
 Wequanuk, . . 2 " 15 " 
 
 " on Windham road, .2 " 11 " 
 If any of these schools should be kept by a woman, 
 the time was to be doubled, as the pay to tlie mistress 
 was but half of that to the master. 
 
 Law books and other publications for which the town 
 were subscribers, were also generally distributed among 
 the several societies according to their respective lists. 
 Election sermons, and "the sermon books," were fre- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 175 
 
 quently made the subject of a town order. These hist 
 mentioned pubhcations were probably "Russell's Seven 
 Sermons," a book of considerable note in that day. 
 The last record respecting books appears a little before 
 the Revolutionary war, as follows, — 
 
 " Whereas, there are a number of books called the Say- 
 brook Platform, now in the town treasury to be disposed of 
 for the town's use, and also a number of Election Sermons, 
 this town do now order the selectmen to distribute said 
 books to, and among the several societies in this town, in 
 proportion to the list of said societies." 
 
 In 1751 the selectmen w^ere empowered to prosecute 
 with vigor, all who should sell or convey land to 
 strangers, and all sales of this kind were declared null 
 and void. Orders were given likewise that no stran- 
 gers should remain in the town without the public 
 consent, and this consent seems to have been very 
 cautiously dispensed. Applications were frequently 
 made for permission to stay in town for a limited time, 
 but this was seldom granted without some condition 
 annexed ; such as, if he then remove — if he behave 
 himself — if lie do not become chargeable. These votes 
 stretch down to 1769. 
 
 The inhabitants were but little given to change ; 
 
 they may rather be selected as conspicuous extmiples 
 
 of what has been called Connecticut Steady Habits. 
 
 Offices, even of an annual tenure, were frequently 
 
 held for a long course of years, by the same incumbent. 
 
 The case of the Huntingtons, the time inmiemorial 
 
 Town Clerks, has l)een already mentioned. The oilice 
 
 of Town Treasurer is another instance, held by Daniel 
 
 Tracy from the year 1735, and perhaps before, until 
 
 after 1760, and probably till his death, in 1771. He 
 
 "was then eighty-three years of age. In later times, 
 
 the two De Witts, of Chelsea, father and son, officiated 
 
176 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 as Society Clerks for a period of sixty years. Many 
 similar instances of perpetuity of service faithfully 
 rendered, without any lespect to the emolument, which 
 was very trifling, might doubtless be gathered. 
 
 The office of Constable and Collector is one which 
 we might expect to find less fixed, and more upon the 
 plan of rotation than most others, yet Joseph Tracy 
 Jun. held this office nearly thirty years in succession. 
 In 1769 this faithful public servant, falling greatly into 
 arrears in his accounts, presented a touching petition 
 to the town, praying to be discharged from his obliga- 
 tions, and stating that he was then a prisoner in his 
 own house, " through fear of being confined in a worse 
 place." 
 
 " I have spent (said he) almost all my time in the busi- 
 ness of my office, so that I have not had time to do any other 
 for the support of my family ; and I have not ever crowded 
 any poor man into prison for payment of his rate, but have 
 shown favor to poor men to my own disadvantage, and turned 
 every way to ease them. My long, unhappy and expensive 
 law suits with Capt. Abel, in the year 1751 and 52, put me 
 behind hand, so that I could not ever recover, and when I 
 found that I should fall in rears, I refused to be collector any 
 longer ; and for many years past the townsmen have granted 
 execution to the sheriff against me before I had collected the 
 rate, and by that means all my funds went to the sheriff." 
 
 " In the space of twenty-seven or twenty-eight years that 
 I have been collector, I have collected about thirty or forty 
 thousand pounds, and I am informed that there is scarce one 
 collector in the government that hath been collector half that 
 time, but what hath been reduced to low circumstances 
 thereby. What little I had of my own when I began I have 
 lost entirely, which I suppose was not less than £300 lawful 
 money." 
 
 Mr. Constable Tracy died 1787, aged eighty-one. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Civil Affairs. Cases of Trespass. Chaises. Biographical Sketches. Africans. 
 
 In 1759 a new Court House was commenced, fifty 
 feet by forty. It stood on the south-west part of the 
 Plain, just in front of its present situation. It was 
 completed in a couple of years and placed under the 
 care of Samuel Huntington, Esq. This gentleman, 
 afterwards Governor of the State, was just then begin- 
 ning to practice as an attorney. The Court House was 
 removed, in 1798, from the area of the plain, to its 
 present position, which is the site of the old Town 
 House, that was standing when this was first built. It 
 is still a respectable building, occupied by an acca- 
 demical school. 
 
 A house for ammunition was built at the same time 
 with the Court House, on the declivity of the hill near 
 the Meeting-house. Some arms, a quantity of shot, 
 and about 3000 lbs. of powder were deposited in it. 
 
 This Powder House was blown up in the year 1784. 
 The train was laid by some unknown incendiary, but 
 being discovered half an hovu- before the explosion, it 
 might have been easily extinguished, if any one could 
 have been found sufficiently daring to attempt it. The 
 timely discovery, however, prevented any injury to life 
 or limb, as all in the neighborhood were adveitised of 
 the danger and kept out of the way. The concussion 
 was violent; windows were broken, timbers loosened, 
 roofs started, plastering cracked, and furniture thrown 
 16 
 
178 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 down. Where the building stood, the ground was left 
 entirely free of rub])ish ; not even a stone of the found- 
 ation remained on the site, and only one of them could 
 be identified afterwards, and that descended upon a 
 roof at some distance, and passing through two floors, 
 lodged in the cellar. A bag of cannistershot flew into 
 the chamber \yindow of the parsonage. The meeting- 
 house was much shattered by this explosion. 
 
 To show that the rigid supervision of the public 
 morals established by the first settlers, continued until 
 a late period, a few minutes of cases of trespass will 
 be given from MS. papers of Richard Hide, Esq., Jus- 
 tice of the Peace, between the years 1760 and 17S0. 
 
 " A man presented for profane swearing having been heard 
 to say at the public house — damn me- Sentenced to pay the 
 fine of 6s. and the costs, 65. 3f/. 
 
 Another for a similar offence, the culprit using the words 
 Go to the devil. Fine 65., costs 8s. lOrf. 
 
 A breach of peace by tumultuous behavior, — fine 10s., 
 costs 18s. 8r/. 
 
 Case of assault, — offence, knocking a man down with a 
 chair, — fine 15s. and to pay costs, as follows, — warrant Is., 
 summons 4rZ., court fees 2s., constable's travel five miles Is. 
 3(/., arresting (id. 
 
 1771. A young woman presented for laughing, in a meet- 
 ing for public worship, at Mr. Grover's, Sabbath evening 
 
 two females for witnesses — culprit dismissed with a rep- 
 rimand. 
 
 1774. Eben"" Waterman Jr. presented by a grand juror, for 
 profaning the Sabbath, in the gallery of the meeting-house in 
 West Society, by talking in the time of divine service in a 
 merry manner, to make sport. Plead guilty — fine 10s. 
 
 "To Richard Hide, Esq., of Norwich, one of his majesty's 
 Justices of the Peace for the county of New London, comes 
 Ezra Huntington of said Norwich, one of the grand jurors of 
 said county, and on oath informs and presents, that Asa 
 Fuller, apprentice to said Ezra Huntington, and Ede Trap, 
 son to Thomas Trap, and Lemuel Wentworth, son to James 
 Wentworth, and Hannah Forsey, and Elizabeth Winship, a 
 minor, and daughter of the widow Winship, all of Norwich 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 179 
 
 aforesaid, did, in Norwich aforesaid, on the evening follow- 
 ing the 27lh day of May last, it being Sabbath or Lord's Day 
 evening, meet and convene together, and walk in the street 
 in company, upon no religious occasion, all which is con- 
 trary to the statute of this colony in such case made and 
 provided. 
 
 For evidence take Peter Latham and Unicc Manning. 
 
 Dated in Norwich, this 11th day of June, 1770." 
 
 Five endorsements are made on the back of this 
 presentment — one for each of the offenders — of the 
 following' import. 
 
 "June 13, 1770. Then personally appeared Hannah Forsey, 
 and confessed guilty of the matter within, and sentenced to 
 pay 3s. to the Treasury of the Town and Ls. cost.. — Before 
 Richard Hide, Justice of Peace. — Judgment satisfied." 
 
 The first person who set up a chaise in Norwich, was 
 one Samuel Brown ; he was fined for riding- in it to 
 meeting. In those simple and severe da)'s, the rolling- 
 of wheels through the streets was considered a breach 
 of the Sabbath. It \vould undoubtedly have a ten- 
 dency to attract attention, and cause the thoughts to 
 wander from the peculiar duties of the day. If a man 
 at the present day, should arrive in town on Saturday 
 night, in a balloon, and go to meeting in it on Sunday, 
 it would be a similar case. Brown died about 1804, 
 aged 90. Col. Simon Lathrop, also rode in a chaise at 
 a very early period, but his effeminacy in this respect 
 was excused on account of the feeble health of his wife. 
 At the period of the revolution, only six chaises, or as 
 they arc now called, gigs, Avere owned in the place. 
 Probably the number was not increased, until some 
 time after the peace. The owners of these six, were, 
 1st, Gen. Jabez Huntington : [this gig was large, low, 
 square-bodied, and .'•tuddcd with brass nails that had 
 square and fiat heads — it was the first in town that had 
 
180 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 a top which could be thrown back,] 2d, Col. Hezekiah 
 Hunting-ton. 3d, Dr. Daniel Lathrop : [this was long 
 distinguished by its yellow body with a very large win- 
 dow in the side.] 4th, Dr. Theophilus Rogers. 5th, 
 Elijah Backus Esq. 6th, Nathaniel Backus Esq. of 
 Chelsea : [This afterwards belonged to Capt. Seth Har- 
 ding.] Within the same limits, since that period, be- 
 tween three and four hundred gigs have been owned 
 at one time ; but recently this species of vehicle has 
 given place, in a great degree, to waggons and other 
 four wheeled carriages. 
 
 The first Druggist in Norwich, and the first in the 
 state, was Dr. Daniel Lathrop. He resided three 
 years in England, to perfect himself in his business, 
 and afterwards made several voyages thither to select 
 and purchase his stores. He imported j£8000 worth 
 of drugs at one time, and made a large fortune by the 
 business. His was the only aj^othecary's establishment 
 on the route from New York to Boston, and had a great 
 run of custom, supplying all the country for nearly 
 one hundred miles in every direction. Dr. Lathrop 
 often received orders from New York. His drugs were 
 alwa3^s of the best kind, well prepared, packed and 
 forwarded in the neatest maaner. 
 
 Benedict Arnold and Solomon Smith were apprenti- 
 ces in this shop at the same time. The latter, when 
 of age, removed to Hartford, and there established the 
 second Druggist's shop in the state. Dr. Lathrop fur- 
 nished a part of the surgical stores to the northern 
 army in the French war. His wife was a daughter of 
 Gov. Talcott, a lady of strong mind, considerable cul- 
 tivation, and extensive benevolence. Dr. Lathrop 
 died in 1782. Madam Lathrop long survived him, and 
 was regarded with universal esteem and veneration. 
 Her death took place in 1806. The early childhood 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 181 
 
 of a g-ifted daughter of Norwich, Mrs. L. H. Sigoiir- 
 ney, was passed under the roof of this excellent lady. 
 Having lost her own children, in their infancy, she 
 lavished all her maternal affection cind fostering care 
 on tliis child of her heart, who repaid her tenderness 
 with filial veneration, and has embalmed her memory 
 in hallowed verse. 
 
 Dr. Lathi op left a legacy of <£500 sterling to Yale 
 College, and the same sum to the town of Norwich, 
 towards the suppoit of a free grammar school. This 
 legacy, though subject to some restrictions, was accept- 
 ed, and the school went into operation in 1787. Under 
 the preceptorship of Mr. William Baldwin, it was for 
 many years a large and flourishing school. It has 
 since declined, and the restrictions in tlic will, render- 
 ing the fund in a great degree valueless to the town, 
 it was relinquished in 1843, with the consent of the 
 Legislature, to the heirs at law. 
 
 Dr. Joshua Lathrop, the brother of the preceding, 
 succeeded to the business, the property, the benevo- 
 lence and the public esteem of his relative. He died 
 in 1807, at the age of eighty-four. He w;is the last in 
 Norwich of the ancient race of gentlemen, that wore a 
 white wig. 
 
 The two gentlemen mentioned above descended 
 from Samuel Lathrop, one of the early settlers, through 
 his second son, Samuel Lathrop 2d. Israel, the third 
 son, was the head of a numerous collateral line. He 
 had seven sons and six daughters. One of the former 
 was the Rev. John Lathrop, a distinguished minister 
 of Boston. He was born at Norwich in 1740. After 
 completing his education at Princeton, he became for 
 a time, an assistant to Mr. Wheelock, in his Indian 
 School at Lebanon, but in 1768, was ordained to the 
 pastoral charge of the old North Church in Boston. 
 16* 
 
182 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 This church having been demolished by the British 
 while they had possession of Boston, the society united 
 with the new Brick Church, and Mr. Lathrop became 
 the pastor of the United Society. He published a vari- 
 ety of sermons, and died in 1816, aged seventy-five. 
 
 The celebrated Dr. Joseph Lathrop, of West Spring- 
 field, Mass., whose theological works are so numerous, 
 and have been so widely disseminated, was a descend- 
 ant of Samuel Lathrop, through his fourth son Joseph, 
 and was born at Norwich in October, 1731. The farm 
 house in which his father lived, and where he was 
 born, was not far from the Shetucket. A half-filled 
 cellar in a farm now owned by G. B. Ripley Esq., still 
 designates the spot. Dr. Lathrop was the pastor of 
 one church sixty-three years, and for a long period was 
 regarded with unusual veneration, as the Patriarch of 
 the Congregational Churches of New England. He 
 died in 1820, aged eighty-nine. His works comprise 
 eight or ten volumes. 
 
 Col. Simon Lathrop was another distinguished scion 
 of this slock. He was the third son of Samuel Lathrop 
 2d, and l)orn in 1689. He was long a Captain of foot, 
 and noted for his military bearing. He afterwards 
 commanded a regiment, and was in the expeditions 
 against Annapolis and Lewisburg. Tiiis regiment was 
 not made up of the lowest grades of society, as is often 
 the case in an army, but its members were mostly act- 
 ive, useful and respectal)le men. After the troops had 
 obtained possession of Louisburg, one of the British 
 naval officers was walking in the street with a French 
 lady of dislinction, who had on a robe that trailed far 
 behind, and under the train a lap dog was running. 
 A young soldier belonging to Latlirop's regiment, out 
 of mere roguery, threw something under the train at 
 the dog. It yelled, the lady resented the insult, the 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 183 
 
 officer ordered the offender to be bound and receive a 
 certain number of lashes, but the regiment turned out 
 of their quarters to a man, at a minute's warning-, and 
 rescued their comrade. Their Colonel, though not 
 with them at the time, approved the deed, and the 
 commanding oflicer allowed it to pass without repre- 
 hension. Col. Lathrop was an exellent officer, and a 
 great favorite with his men, but prudent, thrifty, and 
 fond of adding land to land, and house to house. 
 There was a doggerel song that the soldiers used to 
 sing after their return from Capertoon, that alludes to 
 this propensity.* 
 
 Col. Lotrop he came on 
 
 As bold as Alexander : 
 He want afraid, nor yet asham'd. 
 
 To be the chief commander. 
 
 Col. Lotrop was the man, 
 
 His soldiers lov'd him dearly ; 
 And with his sword and cannon great, 
 
 He holp'd them late and early. 
 
 Col. Lotrop, staunch and true. 
 
 Was never known to baulk it; 
 And when he was engag'd in trade, 
 
 He always fill'd his pocket. 
 
 Col. Lathrop died Jan. 25, 1775. He was an up- 
 right man, zealous in religion, faithful in training up 
 his fauiil}^, and much respected and esteemed for his 
 
 * In connexion with this trait of cliaracter, the following anecdote 
 is told, though perhaps an apology ought to be made for perpetuating 
 such a trifle. Some laborers were one evening sitting under a tree, 
 and conversing about the moon. One said there was land there, as 
 well as upon earth ; others doubted it. At length Col. Lathrop's negro 
 man, who was near, exclaimed — " Poh ! poh ! no such thing — no land 
 there, I'm sure. If there was, Massa have a farm tliere before now." 
 
184 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 abilities and social virtues. His wife was a Separatist, 
 and he carefully abstained from any interference with 
 her predilections, but was accustomed every Sunday to 
 carry her in his chaise up to her meeting, half a mile 
 beyond his own — then return to his own place of vi^or- 
 ship, and after the service was over, go up town again 
 after his wife. 
 
 Other descendants of the Rev. John Lathrop, besides 
 the Norwich branch, are numerous in New England; 
 but most of them adhere to the orthography of their 
 ancestor, and spell the name Lothrop. Dr. Daniel 
 Lathrop, who had seen the name of his ancestors in 
 the register offices in London, introduced the more 
 correct form into the Norwich family. 
 
 The Lathrops, Huntingtons, and other principal 
 families of Norwich, owned slaves, whom they em- 
 ployed for house-servants. The colored population 
 was therefore numerous for a northern town, and it was 
 not until near the eraof the revolution, that the reasona- 
 bleness and equity of holding their fellow cieatures in 
 durance, began to be questioned by the citizens. At 
 length it was whispered about that it was inconsistent 
 to complain of political oppression, and yet withhold 
 from others the privileges to which they were enti- 
 tled : — to fight for liberty, and yet refuse it to a por- 
 tion of their fellow creatures. Several persons volun- 
 tarily emancipated their slaves. The following instance 
 is from a newspaper of the day : 
 
 " Dec. 1774. Mr. Samuel Gager, of Norwich, from 
 a conscientious regard to justice, has lately liberated 
 three faithful slaves, and as a compensation for their 
 services, leased them a valuable farm on very moderate 
 terms. Mr. Jonathan Avery also emancipated an 
 able industrious negro nuin, from the same noble 
 principle." 
 
' HISTORY OF NORWICH. 185 
 
 But whether slaves or freemen, the Africans of Nor- 
 wich have always been treated with forbearance and 
 lenity. They have been particularly indulged in their 
 annual elections and traniings. In former times, the 
 ' ceremony of a mock election, of a negro governor, 
 created no little excitement in tbeir ranks. This was 
 a great festival to them, but so demoralizing in its ef- 
 fects, tliat it is strange it should have been tolerated by 
 the magistrates, in a town so rigid in its code of morals. 
 A very decent grave stone in the public burial ground, 
 bears this inscription — "In memory of Boston Trow- 
 trow, Governor of the African tribe in this town, who 
 died 1772, aged 66." After the death of this person, 
 Sa7n Hun^ton was annually elected to this mock digni- 
 ty for a much greater number of years, than his hono- 
 rable namesake and master, — Samuel Huntington 
 Escj., filled the gubernatorial chair. It was amusing to 
 sec this sham dignitary after his election, riding through 
 the town on one of his master's horses, adorned with 
 plaited gear, his aids on each side, a la militaiie, him- 
 self puffing and swelling with pomposity, sitting bolt 
 upright, and moving with a slow, majestic pace, as if 
 the universe was looking on. When he mounted or 
 dismounted, his aids flew to his assistance, holding his 
 bridle, putting his feet into the stirrup, and bowing to 
 the ground before him. The Great Mogul, in a tri- 
 umphal procession, never assumed an air of more per- 
 fect self-importance than the negro Governor at such 
 a time. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Chelsea. Higli« ays. Warnings. The Cove. Commerce. Delaware Purchase. 
 French Neutrals. Trade. 
 
 In the year 1748 two highways to the landing- were 
 opened, east and west of the Little Plain and Wawe- 
 cos Hill. These coincided with what are now called 
 Crescent and Washington streets. The road across 
 the Hill from the Little Plain to the Landing was 
 henceforth but little used, and permission was given 
 to Benajah Bushnell to enclose it, he maintaining con- 
 venient bars for the people to pass. This hill, a prom- 
 inent feature in the scenery of the place, was called 
 by the first planters Fort Hill. The conjecture may 
 be allowed, that the rude Indian fortress which crowned 
 its summit, stood near where Mr. Rockwell has erected 
 an observatory. It might there keep a look-out both 
 ways from the Slietucket to the Yantic. This hill was 
 afterwards called Wawecos, from Waweequaw, the 
 brotlier of Uncas, who clahiied it as his personal 
 property. 
 
 1750. A highway was opened " by the water, from 
 Nathaniel Backus' dwelling-house, to Capt. Bush- 
 nell 's ware-house." At these points it met the east 
 and west highways, and formed a continuous road 
 round the base of the hill. This is now Water street. 
 T'here was also a highway laid out leading down to 
 Sandy Beach. The boundary between Chelsea and 
 the Town Plot, was " at the parting of the paths on 
 the Little Plain, at Oliver Arnold's corner." 
 
> 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 187 
 
 Chelsea was now an important section of the town, 
 and it was voted " that all future warnings for town 
 meetings be set u}) at the Landing-place, on some post 
 to be provided by the inhal)itants there." A sign-post 
 was accordingly set up "at Mr. Peter Landman's 
 corner," as the most conspicuous place, and remained 
 there many years. Another noted station where public 
 notifications were soon after this directed to be posted 
 up, was " the Little Elm before Capt.Lothrop's door." 
 This was at the Lathrop farm, on the Shetucket, where 
 a piil»lic ferry or bridge had been kept up ever since 
 the settlement. Upon these posts, and those before 
 mentioned in the town plot, all warnings and an- 
 nouncements which any way affected the interests of 
 the people were affixed; with the exception of inten- 
 ded marriages, which always appeared on the meeting- 
 house doors. 
 
 Mr. Peter Lanman's corner mentioned above, by the 
 opening of Main street, and other changes, has long 
 ceased to be a corner. It was on the spot afterwards 
 occupied for a long term of years as a druggist's store, 
 by Dr. Dwight Ripley. The sign of" Lee & Osgood" 
 now indicates the location. 
 
 The common lands and flats upon the Cove, extend- 
 ing as far np as "Elijah Lathrop's Grist Mills," were 
 laid out in 1760, or near that period. The shares were 
 divided into tenths, and each tenth into eight several 
 parcels or lots, as the sheep-w%ilks had been. 
 
 Mr. Elijah Lnthrop, whose name was thus early 
 connected with the mills of Norwich, was for a long 
 period almost the sole resident at the Falls. Elderkin 
 and Latlirop are the only names popularly connected 
 with that quarter of the town previous to the year ISOO. 
 
 In 1794 Mr. Lathrop had a valuable oil mill de- 
 stroyed by fire. The canal around the Falls was con- 
 
188 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 structed by him at a great expense. For a considerable 
 distance it was blasted through solid rock, and, at the 
 period when it was done, was considered a great work. 
 Mr. Lathrop was the second son of the brave Col. 
 Simon Lathrop, of Cape Breton memory. He died in 
 1814, aged ninety-four. 
 
 Mr. Andrew Huntington and Mr. Ebenezer Bush- 
 nell, were also early proprietors at the Falls. They 
 established a paper manufactory in 1794. 
 
 From the General List of 1757, it appears that there 
 were then eighty-seven resident proprietors of rateable 
 estate in "the society of New Clielsy," and twenty- 
 five non-residents. 
 
 The )^ear 1760 may be taken as the era when the 
 commerce of Norwich, which at two distinct periods, 
 before and after the war, became important, received 
 its first great impulse. A foresight of this prosperity 
 was obtained by the fathers of the town, in 1751, when 
 they made the following declaration. 
 
 " Whereas, the town did formerly grant to Mr. Joseph 
 Kelley, shipwright, to build vessels at the Landing-place, 
 where he is now building, during the town's pleasure, and 
 would give him twelve months notice, do now declare that 
 their will and pleasure, as to his building in said place, is at 
 an end, the place being much wanted for public improve- 
 ment, and do now give him notice thereof accordingly, and 
 order the selectmen to notify him, by sending him a copy of 
 this act." 
 
 The coasting trade was now carried on to some ex- 
 tent, and many sloops and schooners were owned and 
 fitted out. In the " New London Summary," then the 
 only newspaper in this part of the colony, the adver- 
 tisements of the merchants and packet masters of 
 " New Chelsy," are frequently inserted. Very soon 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 189 
 
 also, the place began to take its proper name and or- 
 thography, Chelsea. 
 
 By the peace of 1763 a large territory was acquired 
 by the English in Nova Scotia. A part of this was laid 
 out into towns and sections by the provincial govern- 
 ment, and associations of individuals were formed in the 
 colonies to purchase and settle these lands, which were 
 offered them on very easy terms. The inhabitants of 
 the eastern part of Connecticut, and several citizens of 
 Norwich in particular, entered largely into these pur- 
 chases, as they did also into the purchases, made at the 
 same period, of land on the Delaware river. The pro- 
 prietors held their meetings at the Town-house, in 
 Norwich, and many persons of even small means were 
 induced to become subscribers, in the expectation of 
 bettering their fortunes. On the Delaware they pur- 
 chased of the natives, Coshaiton. In Nova Scotia, 
 Dublin, Horton, Falmouth, Amherst, &c., which were 
 laid out and settled by New England emigrants — a 
 considerable number of whom were from the eastern 
 part of Connecticut. Sloops were continually plying 
 back and forth, from Norwich and New London to 
 Menis and Chignecto, with emigrants and provisions; 
 one hundred and thirty-seven settlers sailed at one 
 time from these two places. 
 
 Norwich, as well as many other towns was inunda- 
 ted with the French Neutrals, a harmless and much 
 abused people, who, in the year 1755, had been driven 
 from their peaceful seats in the Northern Provinces, by 
 tlieir English conquerors, and forced to take refuge in 
 New England. They met with sympathy and charity 
 in Connecticut: New London, in paiticular was over- 
 run with them, but most of them afterwards returned 
 to Canada. Capt. Richard Leffingwell, of Norwich, 
 17 
 
190 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 in the brig Pitt, carried 240 of them, with their priest, 
 to Quebec, in the year 1767. 
 
 The West India trade also began to thrive in Chel- 
 sea, about the year 1760. A back country of some 
 extent made its deposites in Norwich, and its citizens 
 were induced to enter largely into commercial affairs. 
 Chelsea was their Port, and instead of exhibiting, as 
 heretofore, nothing but ship-yards and Avarehouses, 
 fishermen's cabins and sailors' cottages, it now began 
 to show some respectable buildings. Let us suppose 
 ourselves walking through its streets about this period. 
 We might see lying at the wharves, perhaps departing 
 or entering, the coasting sloops, Defiance and Ann, the 
 London Packet, Ebenezer Fitch, master ; the Norwich 
 Packet, Capt. Fanning ; the brig Two Brothers, Capt. 
 Waterman; sloop Betsey, Capt. Billings; the Nancy, 
 Capt. Rogers; the Charming Sally, Capt. Matthew 
 Perkins, &c., &c. Here is the new establishment of 
 Jacob De Witt, just settled in town, and opening an 
 assortment of merchandize: that of Gershom Breed, 
 for all sorts of shipping materials and groceries : that of 
 John Baker Brimmer, who keeps a little of every thing, 
 and gives " cash for ox-horns, old pewter and hopps :" 
 that of Ebenezer Colburn, iron-monger and cutler, at 
 the sign of the Black Horse : that of Isaiah Tiflany, 
 who keeps " ribbons, fans, calicoes, lawns and china- 
 ware, just imported from London:" and that of Na- 
 thaniel Backus, Jr. This last store was the corner 
 building, long occupied by Messrs. Charles and George 
 Coit. The door, which by the gradual filling up of 
 the street, was in latei years, on a level with the 
 ground, was then entered by three steps; the broad 
 one at the top serving for a horse-block, where females 
 from the country, who came into town for shopping, 
 mounted and dismormted from their horses. Main street 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 191 
 
 was not Uien opened, and the position w^as not as 
 conspicuous as afterwards. If we enquire the prices 
 of articles, we shall find some of them as follows: — 
 best London pewter, Is. 6 per lb. : Bristol do. Is. 5 ; 
 brass kettles, 2s. 2 ; German serge, 5s. per yard ; black 
 Taffety, Ss. ; blue and red Duffles, 4s. 3 ; Barbadoes 
 rum, 3s. 4 per gall. ; molasses, Is. 8 ; Bohea tea, 4s. 8 
 per lb. ; Muscovado sugar, 6c?. 
 
 The goods in the retail storesof that day were some- 
 what oddly assorted. For instance, one man adver- 
 tised slieep's-wool, codfish. West India products and 
 an assortment of European dry goods, "N. B. As the 
 subscriber has an interest in a still-house at Chelsea, 
 he expects to have New England rum constantly to 
 sell." 
 
 At tliis })eriod, the best assortments were all up town, 
 and the ladi(>s of Chelsea were as much accustomed to 
 go thitiier to do their shopping, that is, if dry goods or 
 fancy articles were wanted, as the ladies of the town 
 now are to go to Chelsea. Social intercourse was at 
 this time, on the most easy and delightful footing, in 
 both divisions of the town. Visits were frequent, long 
 and familiar. The customs, in some respects, were 
 the reverse of the present. The visit was made, and 
 the visiters returned home by day-ligld. Instead of 
 the lady giving out invitations to her guests, the 
 guests sent word to the lady, (all the neighborhood 
 joining together on such occasions,) that they Avould 
 come and spend the afternoon with lier. 
 
 At the period of which we are speaking, West Chel- 
 sea consisted of some two or three small buildings and 
 a ship yard. There was no bridge over the river, and 
 no road from that side, except a cart track to the Great 
 Plain. The Ferry extended from tlie rear of Mr. 
 Clark Kinney's house, to the opposite bank, and here 
 
192 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 for many years, old Capt. Adams used to ply his boat, 
 for the accomodation of passengers. In 1764, a high- 
 way was opened from the Landing to the Great Plain. 
 Water Street, in the time of the spring floods, was 
 usually impassable. Every high tide brought water 
 into it, and people now living can remember the scow, 
 bottom upwards, that served as a causeway for foot- 
 passengers over the worst place. To show how much 
 the streets have been gradually raised, Ave may men- 
 tion that the King house in Union street, which is now 
 entered by a descent from the streets, was when built, 
 so far elevated above the street, as to have an ascent 
 of one or two steps to the front door. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 Ecclesiastical Aftaira. 
 
 The ministry of Dr. Lord was eminently useful and 
 successful. When he settled in 1717, there were 
 about thirty male members in his church, and as many 
 females. In the first fifty years of his ministry, three 
 hundred and thirty were admitted. In 1721, there was 
 a revival in his church. In 1735, he took a journey 
 to Northampton, in order to see with his own eyes, and 
 hear from Mr. Edwards himself, the particulars of the 
 great revival there. His report, and his labors on his 
 return, were the means of another revival in his church, 
 and again in 1740 there was another. It is remarka- 
 ble, that at each of these periods, there was also a 
 powerful revival in Windham, a town ten miles from 
 Norwich, a place which after that period, was, for a 
 long time said to be, in a spiritual sense, like Egypt, 
 Avithout rain. 
 
 Dr. Lord's public services were always impressive. 
 One of his contemporaries said, that " he seemed to 
 have an inexhaustible fund of proper words, pointed 
 sense, and devout affections." The revival in his 
 church in 1721, was at a time of very general religious 
 declension thioiighout New England. The great revi- 
 val period in America commenced in 1735, but was 
 most extraordinary in 1740 and 1741. Whitefield was 
 at this time laboring in America, and his great success 
 led nianv others into a course of itinerant and often 
 17* 
 
194 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 erratic preaching. Irregularities, and sensible demon- 
 strations of the effects of the Spirit, were too often coun- 
 tenanced, but the clergy, as a body, opposed them, 
 and in some instances carried their zeal so far, as to 
 condemn the revival itself. The work however was 
 generally considered a great and glorious work, and 
 several associations of ministers gave testimony in its 
 favor. June 23, 1743, twelve ministers convened at 
 Norwich, for the purpose of acknowledging the good- 
 ness of God in this revival. The churches in this quar- 
 ter, however, had for some time been in a state of 
 internal commotion with respect to doctrinal points, 
 and this was aggravated by the difference of opinion in 
 regard to revival measures. 
 
 At Mr. Lord's ordination, the Church had renounced 
 the Saybrook Platform ; but in 1744, the pastor and a 
 majority of the members were in favor of it, and a vote 
 was passed to receive it as their rule of discipline. 
 This led to an important schism in the church. Thirty 
 male members, including one of their deacons, drew 
 off, and forming a separate church, were known by 
 the name of Separatists. They had among them sev- 
 eral of the most wealthy and respectable men in the 
 Society. They built a house for public worship, just 
 at the foot of Bean Hill, and for a number of years had 
 the Rev. Mr. Fuller for their minister. 
 
 Another church of this description was organized at 
 Norwich Farms at the same period, and ministers pro- 
 vided for both. Tliomas Dcnison being ordained at 
 the Farms, Oct. 29, 1746, and Jedcdiah Hide at Nor- 
 wich Town the next day, Oct. 30, Similar disputes 
 also agitated the Rev. Mr. Kirtland's church, in the 
 third or Newent Society, and a seceding church of seven 
 members was formed there in 1750 — Jeremiah Tracy, 
 one of the seven, becoming their minister, and preach- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 195 
 
 ing to them— a work which the Newent Church, in 
 tlieir records, soknnnly declare that they hcHeve the 
 Lord had not called him to do. 
 
 The reasons given by the seceders in this society, 
 for withdrawing, were various. One siiid it w^as be- 
 cause he found no edification in the church : another, 
 because "the chuich in w^ords profess Christ, but in 
 works deny him." Mr. Joseph SafTord, one of the 
 most zealous of the Separates, gave his reasons as fol- 
 lows : — 1st, because the church was not organized with 
 sufficient church officers ; 2d, they admitted members 
 who could not say that Christ was formed in them, or 
 that they had acted faith in him ; 3d, they admitted 
 members into covenant, who were not in full com- 
 munion. 
 
 The Newent chiuxh was greatly harrassed by these 
 divisions ; that at the Farms still more so, as it led to 
 the dismission of Mr. Wills in 1749. Indeed there was 
 scarcely a church in the whole state, which was not 
 at this time trouljled and toin by conflicting opinions, 
 respecting church government and the terms of com- 
 numion. In the course of ten 3'ears, as many as twenty 
 churches of Congregational Separates were formed in 
 difi'erent parts of Connecticut; but they have since, 
 one after another, become extinct, or been merged in 
 other denominations, particularly the Baptist. 
 
 As these churches were not recognized by the Legis- 
 lature, the members were still taxed to support their 
 formei ministers, and this led to various instances of 
 petty persecution and private suffering, imprisomnent 
 and distraining of goods, the memory of which is still 
 hoarded and perhaps aggravated by tradition. At 
 Norwich the number of Separates was considerable, 
 and their influence still greater, so that at one period, 
 they out-voted the standing regular church, and de- 
 
196 HISTORY OP NORWICH. 
 
 clared that they would not support a minister by a tax. 
 The other party appealed to the Legislature, and ob- 
 tained an order to enforce the rates. Violent commo- 
 tions were the consequence, and it is said that no less 
 than forty persons were imprisoned on this account in 
 one season. One of the most aggravated cases of this 
 kind, was that of a respectable widow lady, of the 
 name of Backus. Her son had previously suffered an 
 imprisonment of twenty days, and herself, on a dark 
 night in October, 1752, about nine o'clock, was seized 
 by the collector, carried to jail, and kept there thirteen 
 days. Her tax was then paid, but without her consent, 
 by her son-in-law, Gen. Jabez Huntington. At a sub- 
 sequent period, her grandson. Gen. Jedidiah Hunting- 
 ton, pledged himself to pay her rates annually, that 
 the venerable lady might not be disturbed by any soli- 
 citations for that purpose. This lady was mother of 
 the Rev. Isaac Backus, of Middleborougli, Mass., who, 
 in his Church History, has preserved a letter from her, 
 giving an account of her imprisonment, and the abun- 
 dant measure of divine support that she received under 
 it. She states, that Mr. Griswold, formerly a deacon 
 of Mr. Lord's church, and then officiating as deacon of 
 the Separate Chiu-ch, and Messrs. Hill, Sabin and 
 Grover, were imprisoned at the same time. Mr. Backus 
 adds — " They went on in such ways for about eight 
 years, until the spiritual weapons of truth and love, 
 vanquished those carnal weapons, W'hich have not been 
 so used in Norwich since." 
 
 The last instance of distrainment that is remembered 
 to have taken place, was in the case of Mr. Ezekiel 
 Barrett, who died recently, at a very advanced age. 
 He had refused to pay the usual rates, and was arrest- 
 ed at the Court House, just at the close of a town meet- 
 ing. He made an obstinate resistance, and it took the 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 197 
 
 constable and six other men to convey him to jail. He 
 was considerably bruised in the scuffle, and by being 
 dragged upon the frozen ground. After a week's im- 
 prisomnent, he gave his note for tlie sum demanded, 
 and was released. Subsequently he refused to pay the 
 note, alleging that it was forced from him by oppres- 
 sion. It was sued at law, and his cow taken and sold 
 at the post to pay the rate and costs. 
 
 It is undoubtedly this instance which has given rise 
 to the reports tliat these taxes were always rigorously 
 exacted, even to the seizure of the poor man's cow 
 and his last bushel of grainy The cases above men- 
 tioned are believed to be the only ones that occurred- 
 in which any severity was exercised. Dr. Lord al- 
 ways treated the Separatists with kindness and respect, 
 and this led the way to the restoration of a considerable 
 number of them to his church. But the mode of rais- 
 ing the minister's salary, by rates, soon became exces- 
 sively odious to the society. In 1783 a liberal sub- 
 scription was made and a fund established, in order to 
 do away with the necessit)^ of rates. Dr. Daniel La- 
 throp, by his will, left jESOO towards this fund, his 
 successor. Dr. Joshua Lathrop, added ^6150 more ; it 
 was raised by other gentlemen of the society to .£2000. 
 Another step was to induce the pew-holders to relin- 
 quish their rights, so that the pews might be sold annu- 
 ally, and the avails applied to the same objecl. This 
 was happily accomplished except in the case of three 
 individuals, who obstinately refused to give up their 
 pews, averring that if they could not sit in the same 
 place where they had hitherto sat, they w^ould not go 
 to meeting. This matter was, however, at length ac- 
 commodated, the pews sold, and the fund advanta- 
 geously employed ; so that a sum was annually raised 
 
198 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 sufficient to discharge all ecclesiastical expenses, and 
 the minister's rate tax happily abolished. 
 
 The first annual sale of pews was in 1791. This 
 was in the fourtli Meeting-house of the society, which 
 seemed to have been destined to misfortune from it> 
 first origin. Its erection w^as veliemently opposed l;y 
 a strong party. A vote to build was, however, ob- 
 tained, in 1748, seventy-two to thirty-two, and again, 
 in a second meeting, seventy-six to thirty-eight. Eb- 
 enezer Backus, Esq., was directed to lay the matter 
 before the General Assembly, to ask leave to build, to 
 request that the site should be fixed, and that the Sep- 
 arates should be exempted from paying any thin^; 
 towards it. The next year it was determined not to 
 build a new house, but to repair the old one. In 1750 
 they rescinded this vote, and ordered the building com- 
 mittee to renew their operations. j£7000, old tenoi , 
 was subscribed towards it, and the shell was soon coiii- 
 pleted. But the sum was insufficient to go any farther, 
 and it long remained in this unfinished state. The 
 bell was, however, hung, the clock fixed in its place,* 
 and divine worship performed in the half-built house. 
 Mr. Whitfield, in one of his tours through the coun- 
 try, preached in it while in this rough and incomplete 
 state; fourteen years afterward he came round again, 
 and it was still in the same condition. He publicly re- 
 proved the people for their negligence, and in conse- 
 quence measures were taken for its completion. They 
 did not proceed with much spirit, but a little was done 
 every year. Spaces for pews were l^ought by individ- 
 uals, and enclosed at a common expense. Four slips 
 in front of the pulpit were reserved for old men and 
 
 * This was the first Town Clock, and cost £8 ; the fixtures some- 
 thing more. It was purchased in 11 15, 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 199 
 
 women, and low benches were placed in ihe aisles for 
 children. The galleries were built, stone steps set up, 
 I bannisters placed around the bell, and finally, in 1769, 
 i a vote was passed to colour the meeting-honse. 
 
 This house, like others of that day, had doors on 
 1 three sides. Watt's version of the Psalms was intro- 
 f duced in 1772. In 1801 this church was destroyed by 
 I fire, together with a store and dwelling-house near it. 
 The fire was supposed to have been kindled by an in- 
 ( cendiary, but the culprit was never discovered. The 
 I present Church was built the succeeding year, and 
 I the expense defrayed partly by subscription, and partly 
 i by a lottery. 
 
 The Church of the Separates flourished for some 
 ; year? ; Mr. Fuller was an excellent man and a good 
 I preacher, but eventually he re-united with the Con- 
 gregationalists, and was settled at Plainfield. After 
 i his removal the Church dwindled away ; most of the 
 females, and some of the males, returned to their an- 
 cient home, and were received with cordiality. Among 
 these was the venerable Deacon Griswold. It created 
 considerable emotion in the meeting-house when, for 
 the first time after his secession, his gray locks were 
 seen in the old man's seat. As he was somewhat deaf, 
 he soon afterward asked permission of tlie young pas- 
 tor to go up the pulpit stairs and lean over the door 
 while he was pieaching, that he might hear more dis- 
 tinctly. Mr, Strong immediately invited him to take 
 a seat in the pulpit, which he ever afterwards did, 
 when able to attend meeting. 
 
 Before tlie final extinction of the Separate Church, 
 a small party seceded from these Seceders, and embra- 
 ced the doctrine of the universal salvation of all man- 
 kind, or the final restoration of all to a state of happi- 
 ness. These proved to be a soil ready prepared, into 
 
200 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 which Murray and Winchester afterwards cast their 
 seed, and reaped something of a harvest in Norwich. 
 They held their meetings in the large front kitchen of 
 the house then occupied by Mr. Ebenezer Grover, and 
 still known as the old Grover house — the Grovers, 
 father and son, mother and daughter, down to the ven- 
 erable spinster and school-mistress, Miss Molly Grover, 
 the last of the family in Norwich, sympathizing heart- 
 ily with all seceders from the prevailing order. Here 
 Mr. Hide used occasionally to hold meetings, and after 
 him Mr. Gamaliel Reynolds. The latter was a stone 
 mason by trade, a man of no education, but of consid- 
 erable native talent. He was one of that original class 
 of men, — keen, witty and observing ; famed for hu- 
 morous sallies, and those apt remarks that are treasured 
 up, and retailed as sayings, of which the present day 
 seems to exhibit fewer specimens than of yore. Nor- 
 wich, in former days, possessed many of these original 
 characters, both of the whimsical and shrewd species. 
 The meeting-house built by the Separatists after the 
 extinction of the sect, was used for a female academy, 
 which, under some of its teachers, was sufficiently dis- 
 tinguished to call in a considerable number of pupils 
 from the neighboring towns. Dr. Morse, so' well 
 known for his Geographies and Gazetteers, was for a 
 short time its preceptor. The building was always in 
 use for the joint purposes of education and religion. 
 The upper part was occupied for many years as a place 
 of worship by the Methodists. They relinquished it 
 in 1834, on the completion of their present Chapel on 
 Bean Hill. It was taken down in 1843. 
 
Y 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Ministers. Rev. Dr. Lord. Rev. Dr. Sirong. 
 
 Dr. Lord preached his lialf-centiuy sermon, Nov. 
 29, 1767, from II Peter, 1 : 12-15. He was then 
 seventy-four years of age, and in firm heahh and 
 strength. He preached another interesting- retrospec- 
 tive discourse eleven years afterwards, on the sixty- 
 first anniversary of his ordination. This was printed, 
 and is entitk'd " The aged minister's solemn appeal 
 to God, and serious address to his people." He 
 preached also a sixty-fourth anniversary sermon in 
 1781, but it was not published. After this period 
 infirmity came fast upon him. In his eighty-seventh 
 year his eye-sight failed him, and he preached ever 
 afterwards extemporaneously. He however continued 
 to write his discourses, keeping his place upon the 
 paper with his left hand, and though the lines could 
 not be ver)" straight, and the words frequently ran over 
 each other, his grand daughter Caroline used to study 
 it out, and then read it over slowly and repeatedly to 
 him, until it w^as sufficiently imprinted on his mem- 
 ory to enable him to deliver it with fluency from the 
 pulpit. It was observed by his people that the ser- 
 mons thus preached, were some of his best; for gener- 
 ally Mr. Lord's style was diffuse and somewhat redu- 
 plicative, but the difficulty of writing when he had 
 become blind, led him to think longer and to condense 
 his thoughts into as few words as possible. His rea- 
 18 
 
202 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 soning powers were even at this age very little impai- 
 red, and to use the language of one of his most inti- 
 mate friends, " his meekness, hiUTiility, philanthropy, 
 and heavenly-mindedness, were apparently increased, 
 and he seemed to 
 
 ' stand with his starry pinions on, 
 Drestforthe flight, and ready to be gone.'" 
 
 He resumed his pastoral labors, at intervals, and 
 being assisted up the pulpit stairs, graced the public 
 worship, with his venerable presence, by the side of 
 his young associate, almost without interruption, until 
 his death, which took place March 31, 1784, almost 
 sixty-seven years after his ordination. He preached 
 the last time, about six weeks before his dtath. His 
 funeral sermon was delivered April 2d, by the Rev. 
 James Cogswell, of Windham. 
 
 Dr. Lord was a small man, and in his latter days 
 stooped much, yet his appearance was pleasing and 
 interesting. Though he lived to old age, his constitu- 
 tion was far from robust, and in his early years he was 
 subject to pnin and disease. Age, therefore, personi- 
 fied in him, looked still more aged, and no one could 
 approach him without being struck with the reverend 
 antiquity of his appearance. His intercourse with his 
 people was like tliat of an affectionate father in his 
 family. "I have lived, (said he,) in their hearts, and 
 they in mine." In addition to a sickly frame, Dr. 
 Lord had great trials in his family. His first wife, 
 Ann Taylor, of Westfield, to whom he was married in 
 1720, was confined to the bed sixteen years, and eight 
 years of that time was incapable of feeding herself, 
 but these dispensations were all sanctified to this good 
 man. He foimd time to perform well, all the regular 
 duties of his office, and in the course of his life pub- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 203 
 
 lished twelve sermons, which were jiieached on spe- 
 cial occasions. A part of his Diary, wiilten in his old 
 age, was preserved by his colleague and successor, who 
 to the day of his death, cherished a most affectionate 
 veneration for his predecessor. On liis eighty-first 
 birtli-dfiy, Dr. Lord wrote in his Diary thus: 
 
 " It is a wonder to many and especially to myself, that 
 there are any remains of the man and the minister at this 
 advanced age, and that I am still able to preach with accept- 
 ance to my numerous assembly. It is much that I have 
 survived two former climacterics, in which many have died, 
 and ministers not a few, and still more that I have lived to 
 this greater climacteric, nine times nine. But the climax is 
 at hand — the certain crisis. Death has not gone by me, 
 not to come upon me." 
 
 On his eighty-third birth-day he makes similar 
 reflections, praying that his sensible failure in vigor 
 and usefulness may be balanced by larger portions of 
 the Divine presence. He alludes to his being the 
 oldest preaching minister in the State, yet considers 
 himself but a babe and dwarf in religion, in proportion 
 to its high demands, and is confounded to think how 
 low he is under such means of rising high. On a sub- 
 sequent anniversary he writes thus: 
 
 " This day completes the eighty-fifth year of my age, 
 from which to look back into early life, through all the sta- 
 ges and various scenes thereof, makes the aflticting retro- 
 spect swell with the idea of a very long term. But what is 
 this to the more affecting prospect of an eternity before me, 
 infinitely larger than the largest circumference to the small- 
 est point of time. Oh my soul, hast thou on the garment of 
 salvation, both inherent and imputed righteousness, the one 
 to qualify for heaven, the other to give the title ! art thou 
 the subject of that effectual calling which is both the fruit 
 and proof or evidence of election ? " 
 
 In 1778, March iSth, the Rev. Joseph Strong was 
 
204 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 settled as a colleague with Dr. Lord, who was then 
 eighty-four years of age. Mr. Strong was the son of 
 the Rev. Nathan Strong of Coventry. By his mother's 
 side, he was descended from the Williams' fami]y,who 
 were taken captives by the Indians at Deerfield, in the 
 night of Feb. 28, 1704. The general circumstances 
 of this tragedy are well known. The two little 
 daughters of Mr. Williams who went into captivity 
 with their father, were named Eunice and Esther. 
 The former was never redeemed, but being adopted 
 into the family of a chief, she became attached to the 
 Indian manners and customs, refused to return to her 
 relatives, embraced the Roman Catholic religion, and 
 married a chief, named Roger Toroso, who resided at 
 St. Johns, twenty miles from Montreal. Esther was 
 ransomed and returned home with her father. She 
 married the Rev. Mr. Meachum of Coventry, and one 
 of her daughters became the wife of the Rev. Nathan 
 Strong, who was ordained Pastor of a Second Congre- 
 gational Church in Coventry, in 1745, and was the 
 father of the Rev. Nathan Strong, D. D. of Hartford, 
 and the Rev. Joseph Strong, D. D. of Norwich. At 
 the ordination of the latter, the sermon was preached 
 by his brother, and the charge given by liis father. — 
 The text was from Isaiah 52, 7. " How beautiful," 
 &c. The scene was deeply affecting and impressive,. | 
 particularly when the speaker turned to the young , 
 candidate and said : 
 
 " My dear brother, — I may now address you by that en- 
 dearing epithet in all its senses. We received our being un- | 
 der God, from the same parents, were educated by the same ' 
 nurturing kindness, have professed obedience to the same 
 glorious Father in heaven, and this day introduces you a | 
 brother laborer in the Lord's vineyard. Very pleasant hast | 
 thou been unto me, m}' brother, and never was my pleasure 
 greater in beholding thee, than on this day's solemnities. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 205 
 
 Long may your feet be beautiful on these mountains of Zion. 
 The God of heaven bless and preserve thee." 
 
 Nor was the emotion of the audience less intense, 
 when the father of the candidate, in solemn and 
 affecting terms, where deep feeling contended with 
 ministerial gravity, invested him with the priest's 
 office, and addressing him as a dearly beloved son, 
 charged him to take heed to the ministry which he 
 had received, and to serve Avith his venerable col- 
 league, " as a son with a father, as a Timothy with 
 Paul the aged." 
 
 Mr. Strong married soon after his ordination, Mary, 
 daughter of the Hon. Jahez Huntington. 
 
 At the time of his seltlement, there were two seced- 
 ing congregations in the society, considerably numer- 
 ous, but they soon became extinct, and an uncommon 
 degree of peace and unanimity existed in the society, 
 during the whole of his prolonged ministry. He was 
 distinguished for the benevolence of his disposition, and 
 the fervency and solemnity of his prayers. In social 
 intercourse, he exhibited the manners of the gentleman 
 and the character of the christian. Many of the facts 
 in these sketches owe their perpetuation to his reten- 
 tive memory and rich flow of conversation. 
 
 Dr. Strong's pecuniary dealings with his people were 
 uniformly marked by great generosity on his part. 
 His salary was never raised above the stipulated sum 
 of $444, except for a very few years, when an annual 
 gratuity was added to it, on account of the high price 
 of provisions. The financial arrangements at his 
 settlement, throw some light on the currency of the 
 day. The society agreed to give him ^£300 as a settle- 
 ment, in three annual payments, of ,£100 each ; a 
 salary of jEIOO per annum for the first three years, and 
 
 18* 
 
206 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 after that term, .£133 6s. 8 per annum. This was to 
 be proportioned to wheat at 65. per bushel ; rye at 
 3s. 6; Indian corn at 36. ; pork at 3if/. per lb., and 
 the best grass fed beef at 40i-. per cwt. To this salary 
 was added twenty-five cords of w^ood annually, to be 
 delivered at his door. The regulation of prices in 
 these times of fluctuating currency, was a matter of no 
 small perplexity. For the first payment of Mr. Strong's 
 settlement, he received £1200 in bills of credit, as an 
 equivalent for £100. In 1779, £2500 in bills was 
 equal to 100, and in 1780, he received for his salary, 
 £7200 — 72 to 1 ; being then the proportion between 
 
 continental paper and silver money. 
 
 In 1829, Dr. Strong applied to the society to settle 
 a colleague, wishing, as he said, to have the same sat- 
 isfaction that his venerable predecessor had enjoyed 
 towards the close of his life, in beholding the society 
 harmoniously unite in settling a successor. That this 
 object migbt be accomplished with less inconvenience 
 to his people, he voluntarily proposed to relinquish his 
 salary after the first year. The society acceded to his 
 request, and the Rev, Cornelius B. Everest was ifistal- 
 led as his colleague the same year. Dr. Strong died 
 Dec. 18, 1834, aged eighty-one — in the fifty-seventh 
 year of his ministry. The Rev. Dr. Nott, of Franklin, 
 his senior in age, and nearly his coeval in office, assist- 
 ed at his interment, and since that event, seems to 
 stand alone, the patriarch of the county. The minis- 
 tries of Drs. Lord and Strong comprise one hundred 
 and seventeen years, besides six years of joint service. 
 This case is more extraordinary than even that of the 
 Mayhews of Martha's Vineyard. 
 
 Mr. Everest was dismissed in April, 1836. 
 
 Rev. Hiram P. Arms installed as his successor, Aug. 
 3, 1836. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 The Uevoliuionary Period. 
 
 The first pul)lic act from which we gain any idea of 
 the spirit of the citizens of Norwich, with regard to the 
 great sul)jects pending between England and the col- 
 onies, was on April 7, 1765. The Stamp Act had 
 become a law, and it remained to be seen whether its 
 operation could be enforced. The freemen were con- 
 vened by the Town-clerk, and the question submitted 
 by him, whether he should proceed in the duties of 
 his office as heretofore, without using the stamps : — 
 " \\Jiereupoii it was agreed unanimously, and voted 
 in full town meeting, that the clerk shall proceed in 
 his office as usual, and the town will save him harm- 
 less from all damage that he may sustain thereby." 
 Soon after this, the citizens scornfully refused to receive 
 the stamps, and burned Ingersoll, the stamp distributor, 
 in effigy, upon the high hill overlooking the plain. 
 No bolder spirit was manifested in Boston than in 
 Norwicli. 
 
 March 18, 1767, the anniversary of the repeal of the 
 Stamp Act was celebrated by a number of gentlemen 
 under Liberty Tree, with great festivity. This tree 
 was erected in the centre of the open plain ; was very 
 lofty, decked with standards and appropriate devices. 
 
208 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 and crowned with a cap. A tent, or booth, was erect- 
 ed under it, called the Pavilion. Here, almost daily, 
 people assembled to hear the news, make speeches 
 and ciicoiuag-e each other in the determination to resist 
 all oppression. 
 
 Early in December of that year, the town received 
 the famous Boston Circular from the selectmen, recom- 
 mending the disuse of certain ennmeratcd articles of 
 British production. A town meeting was immediately 
 convened to consider the su!)ject, and a committee 
 appointed to bring in a report, which was presented in 
 less than half an hour, and an agreement entered into 
 substantially the same as that of Boston, viz, — To dis- 
 courage the use of tea, wines and spirituous liquors, 
 china ware, superfluities of every kind, mourning appa- 
 rel, and in general, all foreign manufactures. They 
 recommended also the raising of sheep's wool, flax 
 and hemp, and the establishing of domestic manufac- 
 tures ; and that the citizens should especially promote 
 those new manufactures that had been set up among 
 them of paper, stone and eaithen ware. The report { 
 closes in this manner : — 
 
 " And it is strongly recommended to the worthy ladies of ■ 
 this town that for the future they would omit tea-drinking I 
 in the afternoon ; and to commission officers, to be moderate 
 and frugal in their acknowledgments to their companies for f 
 making choice of them as their ofBcers, which at this dis- 
 tressing time will be more honorable than the usual lavish 
 and extravagant entertainments heretofore given." — Voted 
 unanimously Dec. 14, 1767, and ordered to be printed in the 
 New London Gazette. 
 
 The names of the Committee bringing in this report, 
 will show who were the leading patriots of the town at j 
 that time. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 209 
 
 Hon. llezekiah Huntington, Mr, Gershom Breed, 
 
 Hon. Jabez Huntington, Mr. Jeremiah Kinsman, 
 
 Simon Tracy Esq. Elisha Fitch Esq. 
 
 Capt. liichard Hide, Col. VVm". Whiting, 
 
 Capt. Hugh Ledhe, Eben'r. HarLshorn Esq. 
 
 Major John Durkie, Capt. Jabez Perkins, 
 
 Mr. Isaac Tracy, T)r. Daniel Lathrop. 
 
 It will be observed, that in this agreement there is 
 an allusion to the infant manufactures of Norwich. It 
 was the first town in the colony, and one of the first in 
 New England, that commenced any regular manufac- 
 turing establishments. Col. Christopher Leffingwell 
 erected a Paper Mill in 1765, near Neman's acre. The 
 Connecticut Gazette was first printed on paper from 
 this factory, Dec. 12, 1766. If this was not the first 
 paper manufactory established in the Colonies, it was 
 certainly not far behind the first. Col. Lefiingwell was 
 one of the most enterprising citizens of that period. 
 He encouraged and aided several artizansand mechan- 
 ics to' commence new kinds of business. Through his 
 exertions a pottery for the making of stone and earthen 
 war#w;is established, and the manufacture of pot and 
 pearl ashes undertaken. 
 
 Extensive iron works were soon nft( r est^1bli^hed in 
 the upper })art of the town, by Elijtih Backus Esq.; 
 and a second forge was erected on the Yanlic, three 
 miles above that of Mr. Backus, by Mr. Nehemiah 
 Huntington. Mechanics, such as carpenters, joiners, 
 black-smiths, silver-smiths, shoe-makers, tailors, &c. 
 were distributed in tolerably fair proportions, all over 
 the town. There was one " Distiller of Geneva," and 
 one " manufacturer of flower of mustar." Two taverns 
 were kept upon the plain, by Jose})h Peck and Aza- 
 riah Lathrop, and between Bean Hill and the Land- 
 ing, there were six retail shops, containing assortments 
 
210 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 of dry goods and groceries. Lawyers were more nu- 
 merous than at present, the bounduries of land being 
 less strictly defined, and the customs of society, as 
 well as the dispositions of men, leaning more towards 
 litigation. Three of the physicians and surgeons were 
 eminent in their line, viz. Drs. Turner, Tracy and I 
 Perkins. In addition to these, there was in the Town [ 
 Plot, "Dr. Jonathan Marsh, surgeon and bone-setter." ' 
 
 This man was one of the self-installed members of 1 
 the faculty. He died soon afterwards, but his widow * 
 took another doctor into immediate partnership, and 
 advertised tliat the business would be carried on as 
 ])efore, adding, — "she herself understands bone-set- 
 ting." 
 
 In the summer of 1768 a stage coach was established > 
 between Norwich and Providence ; leaving Lathrop's ^ 
 tavern eveiy Wednesday morning, and forming a 
 weekly line. This was the first public conveyance upon 
 this route. 
 
 June 7, 1768, an entertainment was given at Peck's 
 tavern,* adjoining Liberty Tree, to celebrate the elec- \ 
 tion of Wilkes to Parliament. The principal citizens, 
 both of town and landing assembled on this festive 
 occasion. All the furniture of the table, such as plates, 
 l)owIs, tureens, tumblers and napkins, were marked 
 "No. 45." This was the famous number of the 
 "North Briton," edited by Wilkes, w^hich rendered 
 him so ol)noxious to the ministry. The Tree of Liberty 
 was decked with new emblems, among which, and 
 conspicuously surmounting the whole, w^as a flag era- l 
 blazoned with " No. 45, Wilkes &, Liberty." 
 
 In September of that year another festival was held 
 at the same place, in mockery of tlie pompous proceed- i 
 
 * This was in the lonuf house on the Plain, owned by Bela Peck Esq., i 
 not occupied for a tavern since the revolution. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 211 
 
 ings of the Commissioners of Customs, appointed for 
 the colonies by the British Ministry. These Commis- 
 sioners had published a list of holidays to be observed 
 by all persons in their employ, and among them was 
 " S(ptemher 8t/i,'^ the anniversary of the date of their 
 commission. The citizens of Norwich were resolved 
 to make it a holiday also. At the conclusion of the 
 banquet, toasts were drank, and at the end of every 
 one was added, 
 
 " And the 8th of September." 
 Thus : " The King and the 8th of September." 
 
 " Wilkes and Liberty and the 8th of September." 
 " The famous 92 and the 8th of September." 
 
 Songs were also sung with this chorus ; nor did the 
 assembly disperse without indignant speeches made 
 against " British mis-government," and the disgrace 
 of wearing a foreign yoke. 
 
 October 4. A town meeting was called to consider 
 " the critical and alarming conjuncture of affairs." This 
 was a full assembly, and all hearts were warm and unan- 
 imous. There was no need of discussion or debate. 
 The record of the meeting in the Town Book is in- 
 scribed upon the niargin with the word 
 
 "Liberty! Liberty! Liberty!" 
 three times repeated. This word alone shows the 
 spirit that pervaded the assembl}'. They passed a vote 
 of cordial approbation of the measures of the Bostoni- 
 ans, saying — 
 
 " We consider the noble cause they are engaged in 
 as the common cause of our country, and will unite 
 both heart and hand in support thereof, against all ene- 
 mies whatsoever." Tliey also instructed their repre- 
 sentatives, Joseph Tracy and Elisha Fitch, to use their 
 influence at the approaching session of the legislature, 
 to carry the followmg points : 
 
212 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 1. That the Colony Treasury accounts be settled. 
 
 2. That the true state of the Treasury be made known. 
 
 3. That the colonels have a special muster and review of 
 their respective regiments. 
 
 4. That encouragement be given to manufactures. 
 
 5. That union with the neighboring colonies be promoted. 
 
 6. That the debates be open. 
 January 29, 1770. 
 
 The margin of the public record is again emblazoned 
 with Liberty ! Liberty ! The following is an extract 
 from the resolutions then passed. 
 
 " We give this public testimony of our hearty and unani- 
 mous approbation of the agreement the merchants have en- 
 tered into, to stop the importation of British goods ; we will 
 frown upon all who endeavour to frustrate these good designs, 
 and avoid all correspondence and dealings with those mer- 
 chants who shall dare to violate these obligations." 
 
 They proceeded to choose two diligent and dis- 
 creet persons from each society, in addition to the 
 Merchant's Committee, to make critical inspection into ^ 
 the conduct of all buyers and selleis of goods, who ) 
 were to publish the names of those that should coun- 
 teract the intent and meaning of the non-importation | 
 agreement, to the intent that such persons might be > 
 exposed to the odium and resentment of the people. 
 They also recommend to the wealthy persons in town \ 
 to enter into subscriptions for setting up and carrying I 
 on the making of nails, stocking-weaving, and other j 
 useful branches of mamifacture, and every one in his 
 respective sphere of action to encourage and promote 
 industry and frugality. 
 
 In August, repeated meetings were convened for the 
 same purpose ; that is, to devise methods to support the ; 
 non-importation agreement, which was the leading \ 
 measure of the day. They declare their fixed opinion 
 of the wisdom and importance of this measure ; — "that 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH, 213 
 
 they will " spare no pains to give it a fixed and solid 
 form, by following every breach thereof with the full 
 weight of their indignation, and withholding all com- 
 merce from any who dare to violate it ;" and that they 
 are " both grieved and incensed at the alarming conduct 
 or New York in violating the same." 
 
 Elijah Backus, Esq., and Capt. Jedediah Hunting- 
 ton were selected to represent the mercantile and 
 landed interest, at a meeting proposed to be iield in 
 New Haven, the day after the college commencement, 
 to resolve on measures to support this agreement. 
 
 Let it not be supposed that all this spirit evaporated 
 in votes and public speeches ; there is abundant evi- 
 dence that the action was suited to the word, and not 
 a threat retnrned void. The committees of inspection 
 were exceedingly vigilant; the lady who continued to 
 indulge in her cup of tea, or the gentleman in his glass 
 of brandy, were obliged to do it by stealth. Any per- 
 son who was found to have violated the agreement, 
 had his name posted in hand-bills through the town, 
 and published in the New London Gazette, a proceed- 
 ing usually folloAved by insults, at least from the boys 
 and populace. As the citizens were so strenuous upon 
 this subject, it may be gratifying to curiosity to see a 
 list of the articles specifically enumerated in the pledge 
 not to " import, purchase, or use, if produced or man- 
 ufactured out of North America." 
 
 Loaf sugar, Wrought plate, 
 
 SnufF, Gloves, 
 
 Mustard, Shoes, 
 
 Starch, Women's hats, 
 
 ■ Malt Liquors, Men's hats, except felts. 
 
 Linseed oil, Mulls, tippets, and ermine. 
 
 Cheese, Lawns and gauze, 
 
 Tea, Sewing silk. 
 
 Wine, Women's and children's stays, 
 
 19 
 
214 HISTORY OF NOilWICH. 
 
 Spiritous liquors. Broadcloths above 9s. 6d. per 
 Cordage, yard, 
 
 Anchors, Cambrics above 5s. 
 
 Sole leather. Linens above 2s. 6f/. 
 
 Deck nails, Silks of all kinds except taffety, 
 
 Clocks, Silk handkerchiefs, 
 
 Jew^eller's ware, Silk and cotton velvets, 
 Gold and silver buttons, All sorts of head-dress for wo- 
 Gold and silver lace, men, as caps, ribbons, flow- 
 
 Thread lace, ers, feathers, and turbans, 
 
 / As an example of the proceedings of the Committee, 
 the case of Mr. Ebenezer Punderson may be cited. 
 This person was a man of good manners and education, 
 who kept a school upon the plain ; but whose name 
 was posted through the town with the charge of hav- 
 ing repeatedly drank tea, and being questioned about 
 it, declared that he would continue to do so. He said, 
 moreover, that Congress was an unlawful combination, 
 and their petition to his majesty haughty, violent, and 
 impertinent, and uttered other words indicating disre- 
 gard of the Continental association. The Committee 
 thereupon ordered " That no trade, commerce, deal- 
 ings, or intercourse whatever be carried on with him, 
 but that he ought to be held as unworthy the rights of 
 freeman, and inimical to the liberties of his country." 
 This had the desired effect. A public recantation was 
 made by Punderson, who averred that he was sorry for 
 what he had done, and would drink no more tea until 
 the use should be fully approved in North America; 
 moreover, that he would no more vilify Congress, nor 
 do any thing against the liberties and privileges of 
 America. 
 
 Great exertions were made about this time to estab- 
 lish regular posts, and snfe transportation lines through 
 the colonies. Norwich was not behindhand in this 
 business. In addition to the reirular stasre route to 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 215 
 
 Providence, individuals were engaged to ride weekly 
 to all the larger cities in the vicinity, conveying letters, 
 papers, memorandums, and small hinidles. No effect- 
 ive system, however, was estal)lish('d in concert with 
 otiier parts of the country, till May, 1774. At that 
 time Mr. William Goddard, a dislinguislied printer, of 
 Baltimore, arrived in town, being on a tour through 
 the northern colonies to engage the friends of liberty 
 to abolish "the illegal and oppressive parliamentary 
 post ol'iice, and establish a provincial subscription post." 
 Mr. Goddard held a conference with some of the citi- 
 zens, who entered readily into his plans, and a regular 
 weekly communication was forthwith established be- 
 tween Norwich and Boston. Mr. Moses Cleveland, a 
 trusty and active person, was engaged as the post, to 
 leave Norwich on Thursday, reach Boston on Saturday, 
 and stait the next Monday for Norwich again. This 
 was the first regular post between the two places. 
 
 The manufactures of the place were now becoming 
 important. Stocking weaving, which had been intro- 
 duced in 1771, under the patronage of Col. Leffing- 
 well, was a considerable business. The first operator 
 was William Russell ; afterward it was carried on by 
 William Cox. At a later period it passed into other 
 hands, and was continued in the town until 1825. 
 
 In 1773, Mr. Thomas Harland, from London, com- 
 menced the business of clock and watch making. He 
 taught a number of apprentices, who established them- 
 selves in other places, and thus, through his means, 
 the business became extensively spread in the sur- 
 rounding country. This very ingenious artisan also 
 constructed, in 1778, without any model, the first fire 
 engin<' used in Norwich. [Mr. Harland died in 1807, 
 aged sevent3'-one.] 
 
 The comb-making business was established in 1773 
 
216 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 by Noah Hidden, near the raeeting-house. Mr. Alvan 
 Fosdick about the same period undertook the manu- 
 facture of Cards, for the breaking of wool and form- 
 ing it into rolls, but the enterprize was not very suc- 
 cessful. More extensive and cheaper factories else- 
 where soon put a stop to it in Norwich. The manu- 
 facture of cut shingle nails from old iron hoops was 
 also commenced and continued during the war. It 
 was a small business, but merits notice from its being 
 one of the first attempts in this country to make nails 
 in a way less slow and tedious tlian the old operation 
 of hammering them out of solid iron. 
 
 At the Landing, a tape weaver, from Manchester, 
 (England,) by the name of Zurishaddai Key, set up a 
 tape factory; Messrs. Hubbard and Greene, of Boston, 
 opened an insurance office, and Samuel Loudon, from 
 New York, established a bookseller's shop ; the first in 
 that society. In the town there were already two 
 booksellers' shops, one kept by Nathaniel Patten, and 
 the other by John Trumbull, but the assortments were 
 limited. 
 
 In 1773, the first newspaper was established in Nor- 
 wich. This was an important measure, as it respected 
 the business of the town, and it gave the Sons of Lib- 
 erty an organ of their own, through which they could 
 breathe the spirit of patriotism into other minds. The 
 first numbers contained a series of well-written patri- 
 otic essays, entitled "The Alarm," and signed Hamp- 
 den. They were written by a distinguished patriot of 
 New York, and were directed against East India mo- 
 nopolies, the importation and use of Tea, and the De- 
 claratory and Revenue Acts of Parliament. Many 
 other spirited addresses appeared from time to time in 
 this paper, calculated to cherish and inflame the grow- 
 ing desire for political freedom. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 217 
 
 This paper was called " The Norwich Packet, and 
 Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New 
 Hampshire Weekly Advertiser," — an imposing title 
 and making pretensions to a wide circulation. It was 
 printed b}^ " Alexander Robertson, James Robertson, 
 and John Trumbull, at their Printing Office, near the 
 Court House, at 6s. 8d. per annum." The printers 
 were also the editors and conducted the paper with 
 considerable shrewdness and ability. Tlie Robertsons, 
 after the war, withdrew from the concern, but the junior 
 editor Trumbull, continued the paper for many years 
 alone, and on his death left it to his sons. Mr. Trum- 
 bull died in 1802, and was the first person buried with 
 masonic honors in Norwich. 
 
 In some of the first numbers of this paper, we find 
 proposals issued for publishing "An American Maga- 
 zine;" also, "Watts' Psalms and Hymns," neatly 
 bound and gilt on the back for I5. 8. The New Eng- 
 land Almanac, calculated for the meridian of Norwich, 
 by Lemuel Warren, Philom : The New England 
 Grammer, by Jacob Avery, school-master at Poquetan- 
 noc : " The History of Louisiana, or the western parts 
 of Virginia and Carolina : " The Conquest of Canada 
 or siege of Quebec, &c. &c. Marriages were notified 
 in such terms as these : 
 
 " Last Thursday evening, Mr. Mundator Tracy an accom- 
 plished young gentleman, was married to the agreeable Car- 
 oline Bushnell, a young lady endowed with every qualifica- 
 tion to make the connubial state happy." 
 
 " John Chester, Esq. of Wethersfield, to the amiable Miss 
 Elizabeth Huntington, dau"" of Col. Jabez Huntington." 
 
 Deaths in this way : 
 
 " On Friday last, departed this life at Pomechoag, her 
 saffron colored majesty, Ann Queen Dowager, of the Mohe- 
 19* 
 
218 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 gan Indians, and yesterday her remains were interred in a 
 manner suitable to her high rank, in the Indian burying 
 ground at Chelsea." 
 
 As the older files of this paper are very scarce, a few 
 more items from them may not be uninteresting. — 
 They will serve to illustrate the times : 
 
 May 2, 1774. A great military parade took place at 
 Woodstock, accompanied by a mock fight, under the direc- 
 tion of Capt. Samuel M'Clellan. A party dressed as Indi- 
 ans, seized upon some children who were looking on, and 
 ran off with them, but were pursued by the troop and the 
 children rescued. 
 
 Oct. 28. The season has been so very mild, that a mess 
 of green peas was picked the last week in this town, sponta- 
 neously grown from seed produced this year. 
 
 Dec. 13. The officers and soldiers who belonged to Gen. 
 Lyman's regiment of Provincials, and were at the taking of 
 Havannah, are notified to meet at the house of Mr. John 
 Durgie Innholder, in Norwich, to enquire why the last divi- 
 dend of their prize money has not been paid, &c. 
 
 Feb. 10. Yesterday, Mr. James Burnam, of this town, 
 brought to market a sled load of wood which completes the 
 number of 2,500 loads, which he has drove in himself, 4 
 miles, and sold since 1754. A great part he cut himself — 
 all but 50 loads on his oM'n land — all which he has done 
 without vipsettlng a cart, breaking a wheel or sled, bruising 
 a finger, or injuring an ox or horse by any wound. He sold 
 his wood for £820 : — has about 5 times as much more on 
 his land, which he intends leav^iug for some other person to 
 cart and draw, he having done his full share that way. He 
 has also expended 500 days of labour on 2 acres of land, in 
 subduing and fencing it. 
 
 April — Dr. Turner has recently extracted the bone of 
 an alewife from the throat of Mr. Ebenezer Lord, where it 
 had been lodged for 25 years, and at various times had given 
 him exquisite pain. It was about the size of a browa 
 thread needle and was barbed from end to end. ' 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 219 
 
 July 7, 1774. To all those who call themselves Sons of 
 Liberty in America, Greeting : — 
 
 My Friends. We know in some good measure the ines- 
 timable value of liberty. But were we once deprived of her, 
 she would then appear much more valuable than she now 
 appears. We also see her, standing as it were tiptoe on the 
 highest bough ready for lliglit. Why is she departing ? 
 What is it that disturbs her repose ? Surely some foul 
 monster of hideous shape, and hateful kind, opposite in its 
 nature to hers, with all its frightful appearances and proper- 
 ties, iron hands and leaden feet, formed to gripe and crush, 
 hath intruded itself into her peaceful habitation and ejected 
 her. Surely this must be the case, for we know oppositions 
 cannot dwell together. Is it not time, high time to search 
 for this Achan f this disturber of Israel ? High time, I say, 
 to examine for the cause of those dark and gloomy appearan- 
 ces that cast a shade over our glory. And is not this it ? 
 Are we not guilty of the same crime we impute to others .' 
 Of the same facts that we say are unjust, cruel, arbitrary, 
 despotic, and without law, in others .? Paul argued in this 
 manner : — " Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest 
 thou not thyself.^ Thou that preachest a man should not 
 steal, dost thou steal .? Thou that makest thy boast of the 
 law, through breaking the law, dishonorest thou God .' " 
 And may we not use the same mode of argument and say — 
 We that declare (and that with much warmth and zeal) it is 
 unjust, cruel, barbarous, unconstitutional and without law, 
 to enslave, do ice cndnve ? — Yes, verily we do. A black 
 cloud witncsscth against us and our otvn mouths condann us. 
 How preposterous our conduct ! How vain and hypocritical 
 our pretences ! Can we expect to be free, so long as we are 
 determined to enslave .? Honesty. 
 
 Boston, Jan. 17, 1775. Tuesday last the Princess Caro- 
 line Matilda, alias Princess of Cronenburgh, alias Marchi- 
 ness of Waldegrave, who has travelled through all the 
 Southern Provinces, set out, from hence for Portsmouth, N. 
 H. She is the most surprising genius of the female sex that 
 was ever obliged to visit America. 
 
 June 6, 1774, a town-meeting was convened on that 
 oft-repealed plea, " to take into consideration the mel- 
 ancholy situation of our civil, constitutional liberties, 
 rights and privileges, which are threatened with de- 
 
220 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 struction." The citizens at first assembled in the 
 court-house, but were obliged to adjourn to the meet- 
 ing-house in order to accommodate the large concourse 
 of people who came together. The Hon. Jabez Hun- 
 tington was chosen moderator, and a series of patriotic 
 resolutions drawn up by Capt. Joseph Trumbull, and 
 Samuel Huntington, Esq., were passed, almost by 
 acclamation, and a standing committee of correspond- 
 ence appointed, consisting of 
 
 Capt. Jedidiah Huntington, Capt. VYm, Hubbard, 
 Chr. Leffingwell Esq., Capt. Joseph Trumbull. 
 
 Dr. Theophilus Rogers, 
 
 These were some of the leading patriots of the day, 
 whose images still linger, beloved and honored in the 
 memories of the aged. Samuel Himtington was after- 
 wards President of Congress, and Governor of Connect- 
 icut ; Jedidiah, aid-de-camp to Washington, and Brig- 
 adier General in the U. S. service : William Hid^bard 
 was a gentleman greatly revered for his benevolence 
 and philanthropy. He neither commenced nor ended 
 his life in Norwich, but during his long residence there, 
 promoted in various ways the honor and prosperity of 
 the town. His charities to the poor, and his liberal 
 subscriptions to all works of public utih'ty, were such 
 as frequently to call forth votes of thanks from the 
 town. He was a gentleman of the old school of po- 
 liteness, bringing with him and preserving while here, 
 the best style of Boston manners, 
 
 Capt. Joseph Trumbull was a very amiable and 
 promising young man, who had settled in Norwich as 
 an attorney. He was a native of Lebanon, the young- 
 est son of Gov. Trumbull, and entered with character- 
 istic ardor and singleness of heart into all the measures 
 of the Sons of Liberty. He was a member of the 
 Conn. Council of Safety, and afterwards Commissary 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 221 
 
 in tlie colonial army. The hopes of his friends, Avho 
 expected much from liis talents and inlcgrit}^, and 
 whose affections were fondly fixed npon his person, 
 were blasted by his untimely death. In the eulogy 
 pronounced at his funeral, g^reat praise is awarded to 
 his abilities, his patriotism and his moral worth, audit 
 is added, " In all the winning- and ngretvible arts of 
 life, he had no superior." These qualities accoimt for 
 the tender attachment of his friends, and the himcnta- 
 tions that were uttered on his death. 
 
 July 4, 1774. Mr. Francis Green, an eminent mer- 
 chant of Boston, being on a journey into Connecticut, 
 in order, as he stated, to collect debts and transact 
 some private business, put up at a tavern in Wind- 
 ham. This g-entleman was a loyalist, and of course 
 obnoxious to the sons of liberty, who affected to be- 
 lieve that he had some sinister designs in this journey. 
 He had been stigmatized in the patriotic papers as " one 
 of that insidious crew who fabricated and signed the 
 adulatory address to strengthen the hands of that par- 
 ricidal tool of despotism, Thomas Hutchinson." The 
 patriots of Windham were no sooner aware of his pres- 
 ence, than they proceeded to show their displeasure. 
 Assembling early in the morning, they surrounded the 
 tavern, uttering shouts of insult and threats of exalting- 
 him upon a cart, unless he instantly left their precincts. 
 This he did without delay, being followed with hoots 
 and execrations. An express had been previously 
 despatched to Norwich, with information that he was 
 bound thither. The whole town was moved with this 
 intelligence, and the sexton was ordered to give notice 
 of his arrival l)y ringing the bell. Mr. Green's car- 
 riage, therefore, no sooner stopped at Lathrop's tavern, 
 than the bell rang an alarm, and the citizens were in 
 an uproar. 
 
222 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 The plain was soon alive with the concourse, and a 
 message was transmitted to Mr. Green, giving him his 
 choice, to depart in fifteen minutes, or to be driven out 
 on a cart. He was very reluctant to go ; pleaded 
 business ; that he had debts in town to collect, and 
 stepping out upon the green, attempted to address the 
 people : whereupon Capt. Simeon Huntington, a very 
 stout man, collared him and called him rascal. By 
 this time a horse and cart, with a high scaffolding in 
 it for a seat, made its appearance, and demonstrations 
 of lifting him to this conspicuous station being made, 
 Mr. Green took the most prudent course, entered his 
 carriage, and amid shouts and hissings drove off; a 
 part of the populace following him with drums beating 
 and horns blowing, till he was fairly out of their pre- 
 cincts. On his return to Boston, Mr. Green offered 
 one hundred dollars reward, for the apprehension "of 
 an}^ of the ruffians who had forced him to leave Wind- 
 ham and Norwich, particularly for Capt. Simeon Hun- 
 tington." This advertisement was a subject of merri- 
 ment to the good people of Norwich, who republished 
 it in hand-bills, and hawked it about town with a run- 
 ning commentary. 
 
 About this time subscriptions were made in various 
 towns in Connecticut, for the poor of Boston. Nor- 
 wich sent on a noble donation, consisting of cash, 
 wheat, corn, and a flock of three hundred and ninety 
 sheep. This liberality was greatly applauded in the 
 public prints. 
 
 The sympathy felt for the Bostonians was yet further 
 displayed by the spirit manifested in September of 
 this year, on the leception of a piece of intelligence 
 which proved to be false, of a rupture between them 
 and the royal troops. On Saturday, Sept. 3, at four. 
 P. M. an express arrived from Col, Israel Putnam, thnt 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 223 
 
 Boston had been attacked the night before, and six of 
 the citizens killed. This was but a rumor, yet it 
 caused the greatest consternation ; the citizens assem- 
 bled around Liberty Tree, then adjourned to the 
 Court-house, and resolved to despatch an express to 
 Providence. Mr. David Nevins volunteered on this 
 service, as he had on many similar occasions, and de- 
 parted at eight, P. M. On Sunday morning, four hun- 
 dred and sixty-four men, well armed, and the greater 
 part mounted on good horses, started for Boston, under 
 the command of Maj. John Durkee, and rendezvoued 
 at Capt. Burnham's inn, seven miles from town. Here 
 at eleven o'clock, A. M., they were met by Mr. Nevins, 
 on his return from Providence, with intelligence that 
 the report was without foundation. Upon which they 
 dispersed. That same morning, two hundred men, 
 well armed and mounted, left Windham at sunrise, 
 and had proceeded twenty or thirty miles, before they 
 learned the falsity of the rumor. The people of Col- 
 chester were attending divine service, when a messen- 
 ger entered and announced the report that Boston had 
 been attacked by the troops. The minister immedi- 
 ati'ly suspended the service, and all the men al)le to 
 bear arms, equipped themselves and marched. It was 
 supposed that upwards of 20,000 men, from this colony 
 alone, were on the march to Boston that day. 
 
 September 8. A convention of delegates from the 
 counties of New London and Windham, met at Nor- 
 Avich to consider the necessity of revising the militia 
 laws. Of this meeting the Hon. Gurdon Saltonslall 
 was chairman, and Col. William Williams, of Lebanon, 
 clerk.* 
 
 * For the resolutions passed at this convention, see Hinman's " His- 
 torical Collection of the part sustained by Connecticut in the War of 
 the Revolution." Hanford, 1842. 
 
224 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 In October, the General Court of the Colony ordered, 
 that all the militia should be called out for drill twelve 
 half days before the next May. No regiment of mili- 
 tia had at this time ever been reviewed east of Con- 
 necticut river; the trainings had all been by compa- 
 nies. In the town were three companies, that were 
 mustered together upon the plain, under Captains Jed- 
 idiah Huntington, Samuel Wheat, and Isaac Tracy. 
 One at Chelsea, under Capt. Gershom Breed. In the 
 autumn of 1774, the General Court ordered that Nor-, 
 wich should comprise the 20th regiment of infantry, - 
 and appointed Jedidiah Huntington, Lt. Colonel of the 
 same ; who gave notice that a regimental training 
 would be held at Norwich on the first Monday of the 
 next May. But before that time arrived, a great part 
 of the men were in actual service near Boston, and the 
 review was relinquished. 
 
 There was no regular uniform for the militia of the 
 state at that period, nor for many years afterw^ards. 
 Rifle frocks and trowsers were much worn, mostly 
 white with colored fringes. One of the words of com- 
 mand in training was "Blow off the loose corns;" 
 and before and after the command to " Poise arms," 
 came " Put your right hand to the firelock " — "■ Put 
 your left hand to the firelock." An odd kind of aspi- 
 rate was sometimes used after a conunand ; thus 
 " Shoulder! hoo ! " The great object in the exercises 
 then was to make the soldier familiar with his gun ; 
 that he might charge quick and aim sure. Now the 
 trainings consist much moie in maneuvering, wheel- 
 ing, marching, &c. Instead of firelock, arjns is used. 
 
 During the winter the town passed a vote approving 
 and adopting the measures proposed by the Continen- 
 tal Congress at Philadelphia, and at the same time they 
 ordered a quantity of military stores to be purchased. 
 
HISTORY OF Norwich, 225 
 
 Sucli was the unaniinity of the citizens, that through 
 the whole revolutionary struggle, tiieir proceedings 
 were principally town-wise. They were not obliged 
 to have such continual recourse to the committees of 
 Correspondence and Safety, nor to invest them with 
 such arbitrary powers as was done in most parts of the 
 country. The public acts were all municipal, the dis- 
 senting voices few and weak, and very little change 
 took place in laws or officers. The town was an inde- 
 pendent community, actuated by a single impulse, 
 swayed only by a Governor whom they loved, and a 
 Congress Avhich they revered. 
 
 ^ March 28, 1775. In full town-meeting the follow- 
 ing resolution was passed : 
 
 " Whereas numbers of persons are removing from the 
 
 town of Boston to this place and others may remove : 
 
 Voted, that this town request the select-men and committee 
 of inspection to take effectual care that none of the addresses 
 to Gov. Hutchinson or any others who have evidenced 
 themselves to be inimical to the common cause of America, 
 be admitted or suffered to reside in this town, unless they 
 shall produce a proper certificate from the Provincial Con- 
 gress that they have altered their conduct in such a manner 
 as to give full satisfaction." 
 
 Among the persons alluded to in the above pream- 
 ble, that at this time removed their families to Nor- 
 wich, where they remained during the greater part of 
 the succeeding contest, were some of the Hubbards 
 Greenes and Philipses of Boston, the Malbones of New- 
 port, and Col. Moore, afterwards a Commissary in the 
 Colonial army. 
 
 The attention of the whole country was at this time 
 turned towards Boston ; tiie Norwich Packet was rife 
 with such remarks as these : 
 
 20 
 
226 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 " Boston is now reduced to an alarming crisis, big with 
 important events. Like a new piece of ordnance, deeply 
 charged for the trial of its strength ; we listen with atten- 
 tion to hear its convulsed explosion, suspending ourselves in 
 mysterious doubt, whether it will burst with dreadful hav- 
 ock, or recoil upon the engineers to their great confusion." 
 " The blocking up of Boston is like turning the tide of a 
 murmuring river upon the whole land, and thereby spread- 
 ing a dangerous inundation through the continent, for resent- 
 ment already flows high at New York, Philadelphia, and 
 the southern towns, and if it join with the flux at Boston, it 
 may occasion a sea of troubles." 
 
 The explosion waited for in such dread suspense at 
 length broke upon the land. The battle of Lexington 
 commenced early on Wednesday morning-, April 19. 
 The news arrived in Norwich by an express from 
 Woodstock in the afternoon of the next day. The 
 facts were greatly exaggerated and the public sym- 
 pathy highly excited. Mr. Nevins, with his usual 
 promptness, again mounted and proceeded to Prov- 
 idence after correct information, returning on Sat- 
 urday evening. Handbills were immediately struck 
 off and dispersed through the town before day break 
 the next morning. 
 
 At this time volunteers were almost daily departing 
 for the army at Cambridge, in squads of two, three 
 and four ; and in May, a company of one hundred 
 choice men, raised under the superintendance of Col. 
 John Durkee, a bold Bean-hill man, maiched in 
 charge of Lieut. Joshua Huntington to the scene of 
 action, and w^ere annexed to Gen. Putnam's regiment. 
 This company under the command of Col. Durkee 
 [field officers in these enlistments frequently performed 
 the duties of Captains,] was in the battle of Bunker 
 Hill, in camp during the succeeding winter on Pros- 
 pect and Cobb's Hills, accompanied the army to New 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 227 
 
 York in March, endured all the hardships of the retreat 
 through the Jcrsies, fouglit at Gerinantown, &c. &c. 
 Mr. David Nevins, one of the veterans of this band, 
 to whom we have already repeatedly alluded, was 
 perhaps its last survivor. He lived to enjoy a green 
 old age, and having surpassed his ninetieth year, died 
 among his children in New York in 1838. 
 
 Col. John Durkee died in 1782, aged 54. 
 
 Lieut. Andrew Griswold, another of this band, was 
 a grandson of Deacon Joseph Griswold, and a very 
 brave and spirited soldier. He fought at Bunker Hill 
 and in several other severe engagements, until a ball 
 in the knee, received at the battle of Gerinantown, dis- 
 a!)led him from further service. He died in 1827, 
 aged 72. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Bird's eye View of a scene in Norwich. 1775. 
 
 Suppose it to be that Sunday in June which suc- 
 ceeded the battle of Bunker Hill. It is 10 o'clock, 
 and the second bell has just commenced ringing-. The 
 inhabitants are gathering slowly and solemnly to the 
 house of worship. From Bean Hill come a throng of 
 Backiises, Hydes, Rogerses, Wheats, Tracys, Thomas- 
 es, Griswolds. Here and there is a one horse chaise, 
 almost large enough for a bed-room, square-bottomed, 
 and studded with brass nails, looking something like a 
 chest of drawers or an antique book-case on wdieels. 
 Those stout-looking men on horseback with women 
 and children upon pillions behind, are reputable farm- 
 ers from Waweekus and Plain Hills. That young 
 man with such erect form and attractive countenance, 
 is Dr.Elihu Marvin, unconscious that he alone of all this 
 population is to be the victim of a future pestilence, 
 that will nearly desolate a neighboring city. That 
 one with the staid demeanor and grave aspect, whose 
 hair is already silvered witli age, is deacon Griswokl, 
 destined to live nearly to the confines of another cen- 
 tury. 
 
 Farther down, the stream is increased by tlie families 
 of the philanthropic Dr. Elisha Tracy and Dr. Philip 
 Turner, the suigeon, and Elisha Hyde, an enthusiastic 
 young attorney, and Mr. Billy Waterman and Mr. Jo. 
 Waterman. Many of the foot people have tinned off 
 
HISTORY OF NORAVICH. 229 
 
 by the willow tree, and ascending the rocks, proceed 
 by a rude pathway, once the beaten road that led to 
 the ancient meeting-house upon the hill; others pin- 
 sue their way through the town streel, winding under 
 the eaves of precipitous rocks till they reach the church. 
 
 But see, from opposite quarters are advancing the 
 Lathrops, Huntingtons, Lefifingwells, Tracys, Adgates, 
 Blisses, Reynoldses, Baldwins, Pecks, Trumbulls, &c. 
 There is a very aged man in a white wig, creeping 
 slowly along, supported by a staff in either hand ; it 
 is the venerable Deacon Simon Tracy. The respect- 
 able group that accompany him are his descendants. 
 Samuel Tracy Esq., b.is son, he also a man of mature 
 age, and his wife Sybil, are among them. You may 
 see other men in white wigs ; some five or six in all. 
 Dr. Daniel Latbrop wears one; he has just rode up to 
 the church Avith his dignified companion, the daughter 
 of old Gov. Talcott. 
 
 There comes the Hon. Samuel Huntington, Judge of 
 the Superior Court and recently elected member of the 
 Continental Congress, with his wife and their adopted 
 children : there too is the patriotic Gen. Jabez Hun- 
 tington and his five sons, two of them attended by their 
 children, and the family of the late Hon. Hezekiah 
 Huntington, and other Huntingtons and Lathrops and 
 Tracys innumerable. 
 
 Around the Plain, every threshhold seems to be 
 simultaneously crossed; the two taverns kept by Aza- 
 riah Latbrop and Joseph Peck pour forth a goodly 
 number. Mr, Ben. Butler and his family and Mr. 
 Joseph Carew are coming up on one side, and Mr. 
 Elly Lord and bis two daughters are just passing the 
 Court-house. And see, the Parsonage door opens, and 
 the venerable pastor comes forth, and slowly walks to 
 the church and up the broad aisle, tottering as he as- 
 20* 
 
230 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 cends the pulpit stairs. How reverend are the curls 
 of that white wig ! The very wig- which he wore some 
 twenty years previous, when the old Rogerene so 
 abusively followed him into meeting, exclaiming : — 
 "Benjamin ! Benjamin ! dost thou think that they wear 
 white wigs in heaven!" And again: "Benjamin! 
 thou att a sinner ! thou wearest a white wig !" 
 
 Old Deacon Tracy, too, is assisted up tliose stairs 
 and takes h'is seat by his minister, that his deaf ears 
 may receive some few of the w^ords of salvation. 
 
 Below the pulpit, in the broad aisle, are chairs and 
 cushioned benches, where a few old people sit; the 
 gallery, is filled with the young, and with a choir of 
 singers, which though mainly made up of young peo- 
 ple, have several grave men and women for their 
 leaders. 
 
 The services commence ; the sermon contains many 
 pointed allusions to the critical state of affairs, and eyes 
 sparkle and hearts throb, ns the pastor sanctifies the 
 cause of liberty by mingling it with the exercises of 
 religion, and justifies resistance to oppiession liy argu- 
 ments from scripture. Just as tlic sermon is finished, 
 a loud shout is heard upon the plain, the trampling of 
 a hurried horse, an outcry of alarm, which l)rings the 
 • audience upon their feet: uproar enters the porch, the 
 bell is violently rung, several persons rush into the body 
 of the church, and amid the confusion nothing can be 
 heard ; but " a battle ! a battle has taken plnce on 
 Bunker Hill: the British are beat ; hurrah! hurrah!" 
 Tile meeting is broken up amid noisy shouts of " Huz- 
 zah for Boston ! Huzza for libeity!" The audience 
 rush out upon the plain, and gather round the panting 
 courier : his despatches are read aloud, — rejoicing and 
 indignation, patriotism and military fire, hatred of 
 British tyranny and defiance of British power take 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 231 
 
 the place of those quiet devotional feelings, with wliich 
 they assembled togetiier. 
 
 That nig-ht, bells were rung-, cannons were fired, 
 bonfires blazed far and wide, and the Tree of Liberty 
 was decked with triumphant devices. Enlistments 
 too were begun, arms were burnished, addresses made, 
 and lories insulted ; nor even by these and a hundred 
 other exuberant demonstrations of excited feeling-, 
 could the agitated minds of tlie people be scarcely 
 appeased. 
 
 Among the audience tliat day, was a poor German 
 basket-maker, named John Malotte, a deserter from 
 the English army tliat took Canada, some few years 
 before, who, wandering thiough the wilderness, had 
 come down into the northern part of Norwich, and 
 there pursued the humble occupation w^iich he fol- 
 lowed in his native land, before he had been impressed 
 as a soldier, and sent away to fight the battles of a for- 
 eign power. He was at this time but a spectator of 
 the enthusiasm of others, but he too loved liberty ; he 
 treasured up the scene, and more than forty years after- 
 wards, described it for (he amusement of a child, in 
 such vivid colors, that the above picture is but a remem- 
 bered transcript of his recollections. 
 
 Among the audience that day, were doubtless two^ 
 if not more, who did not sympathize in these patriotic 
 proceedings, and were therefore stigmatized as lories 
 and grumbletonians, viz : Mr. Thomas Lefiingwell and 
 Mr. Benjamin Butler, lioth men of talent and respecta- 
 bility, wiio remained loyal to the king during the whole 
 contest. They were of course exposed to many insults, 
 public and private, proscctitcd, imprisoned, threatened 
 with the skimmerton, and their goods impressed. Mr. 
 Leffingwell was the fourth, in a right line, from the 
 first settler of that name. Mr. Butler emigrated from 
 
232 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Hampton. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1776, 
 on a charge of "defaming the Honorable Continental 
 Congress." His trial came on before the Superior 
 Court at New London, and the fact being proved, he 
 was prohibited from wearing arms, and declared inca- 
 pable of holding office. 
 
 Mr. Butler regarded this sentence with indifference. 
 He was a man of strong sense and original humor, and 
 his company was much sought after on that account. 
 He died of a lingering disease in tlie year 1787. A 
 few years before, while in good health, he had selected 
 a sapling, to have his coffin made of it when it should 
 grow large enough ; but finding that it increased too 
 slowly, he had the coffin constructed of other wood, 
 and kept for a long time this affecting memento of his 
 end constantly in his chaml)er. As he pined away, 
 he would frequently put his hands upon his knees and 
 say, " See how the mallets grow! " He lies interred 
 in the Norwich grave yard; his wife Diadema, and his 
 two daughters, Rosamond and Minerva, repose by his 
 side. " Alas, poor human nature !" is the expressive 
 molto engraved by his own direction, upon liis head- 
 stoiie. His family removed from Norwich, to Oxford, 
 N. Y. The accomplished lady of Commodore John 
 Rogers, was one of his grand-children. 
 
 In April, 1776, the army from Boston, on their route 
 to New York, passed through Norwich. Here General 
 Washington, by appointment, met Gov. Trumbull. 
 They dined together at Col. Jedidiah Huntington's, 
 and Washington proceeded that evening to New Lon- 
 don. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Conliaualion of Revolutionary Events. 
 
 Though not on the sea-boaid, nor particularly 
 exposed (o invasion, the bustling scenes of war were 
 exhibited in various parts of Norwich. 
 
 Dr. Church, a prisoner of the Continental Congress, 
 having been delivered by Gen. Washnigton into the 
 hands of Gov. Trumbull for safe keeping, the latter 
 directed him to be confined in the gaol at Norwich. 
 He was accordingly conveyed thither and given into 
 custody of Prosper Wetmore, Esq. Sherifl'of New Lon- 
 don county. The orders respecting him were strict 
 and minute. He was to be debarred the use of pen, 
 paper and ink ; no person was allowed to converse 
 with him except in the English language, and in pres- 
 ence and hearing of a Magistrate or the Shcrill"; and 
 he was not to go out of a close prison but once a week, 
 . and then only with the Sheriff in person. Sul)scquen(- 
 j ly for his further security, a high fence with pickets 
 I Wiis built around the gaol. He was kept in Norwich 
 from Nov. 1775, to the 27th of May 1776, and thenhy 
 order of Congress was tiansported under charge of the 
 Sheriff to Watertown, Massachusetts. 
 
 Other prisoners of war, occasionally in large bands, 
 v.ere brought hither for confinement. 
 
 A battery and redoubt was built below the Landing 
 on Waterman's point, for the defence of the place 
 against invasion by way of the river : four six-pound- 
 
234 HISTORY OP NORWICH. 
 
 ers from New London were planted here, and a regu- 
 lar guard and watch kept. For further defence of the 
 place two wrought iron field pieces, and several other 
 pieces of ordnance were mounted, manned and placed 
 in the charge of Capt. Jacob Do Witt. 
 
 William Lax established a manufactory of gun- 
 carriages in town, and succeeded so well as to be 
 employed by the state to furnish apparatus for much 
 of the cannon used by them. Elijah Backus, Esq. at 
 his forges upon the Yantic, manufactured the ship 
 anchors used for the State's armed vessels, two of which 
 weighed 1200 pounds each. He afterwards engaged 
 in the casting of cannon. 
 
 In the summer of 1776 a row galley was built at 
 Chelsea for the State, by Capt. Jonathan Lester. Her 
 dimensions were " sixty feet keel, eighteen feet beam, 
 five feet hold, and seven inches dead rising." The 
 whole expense was j£861, 16*, Gd. She was named 
 " The Shark," and the command given to Capt. The- 
 ophilus Stanton, of Stonington. Capt. Harding, of 
 the armed brig " Defence," and Capt. Robert Niles, of 
 the armed schooner " Spy," both belonged in Nor- 
 wich. After the completion of the Shark, Capt. Les- 
 ter with twenty-five carpente/s under him, was sent 
 by the Governor to Crown Point to build batteaux for 
 the Lake, in compliance with a request of Gen. 
 Schuyler. The Shark, in July 1776, at the urgent 
 request of Gen. Washington, was sent to New York 
 and left subject to his orders. 
 
 In 1777, Congress ordered two frigates to be built in 
 Connecticut, under the direction of the Governor and 
 Council of Safety, one of 36 guns, the other of twenty- 
 eight. The former was built at Gale Town, between 
 Norwich and New London, under the superintendence 
 of Capt. Joshua Huntington. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 235 
 
 The Oliver Cromwell, owned by the Slate, was 
 built at Saybrook, 1776, by Capt. Uriah Hayden, assist- 
 ed by Capt. Harding. Its first connnander was Capt. 
 William Coit; but he having resigned, Capt. Timothy 
 Parker, of Norwich, was appointed to the command in 
 September, 1777. 
 
 Capt. Ephraim Bill, of Norwich, was in the service 
 of the State as a marine agent, and Capt. Jabez Per- 
 kins, as contractor and dispenser of the public stoics. 
 The Governor and Council of Safety sometimes held 
 their sessions in town. From these details it will be 
 evident that the earlier years of the war, w^ere seasons 
 of very general stir and enterprize in Norwich. 
 
 In 1777, Connecticut raised eleven regiments ; nine 
 for Continental service, and two for the defence of the 
 State. Col. Jedidinh Huntington and Col. John Dur- 
 kee of Norwich, commanded two of the Conlinental 
 Regiments. On the decease of Gen. Wooster in that 
 year, Jabez Huntington, Esq., (previously the second 
 Major General,) was promoted to the office of Major 
 General over the whole militia of the State. The five 
 sons of Gen. Huntington, were all in the service of 
 the country during the greater part of the war, cither 
 as commissaries, purchasers, or soldiers in actual ser- 
 vice. Col. Jedidiah Huntington raised some battalions 
 for continental service, to serve during the war or for 
 three years ; these were distinguished by a British uni- 
 form ; the Stnte having appropriated to them a quan- 
 lity of English red coats, taken in a prize vessel. 
 
 In the earlier periods of the contest, the town's quo- 
 ta of soldiers was always quickly raised, and the 
 necessary supplies furnislied with promptness and lib- 
 erality. The requisitions of the Governor were 
 responded to from no quarter with more cheerfulness 
 and alacrity. In September 1777, when extraordinaiy 
 
236 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 exertions were made in many parts of New England, 
 to procure tents, canteens, and clothing for the army ; 
 many householders in Norwich voluntarily gave up to 
 the committee of the town, all that they could spare 
 from their own family stock, either as donations, or 
 where that could not be afforded, at a very low rate. 
 The ministers of all the chuiches on thanksgiving 
 day, exhorted the people to remember the poor soldiers 
 and their families. 
 
 In January 1778, a general contribution was made ! 
 through the town for the army. The ladies, with great I 
 industry, assembled to make garments, and bring in 
 their gifts. The whole value of the collection was 1 
 placed at a low estimate at ^61400 — [Continental mon- I 
 ey, probabl}^ ; real value, uncertain.] 
 
 " Cash, cE258 ; pork, cheese, wheat, rye, sugar, corn, rice, j 
 flax, and wood in considerable quantities ; 386 pair of stock- 
 ings, 227 do. of shoes, 118 shirts, 78 jackets, 48 j^qax over- 
 alls, 15 do. breeches, 208 do. mittens, 11 buff-caps, 9 coats, . 
 12 rifle frocks, and 19 handkerchiefs." . 
 
 Every year while the war continued, persons were 
 appointed by the town to provide for the soldiers and ! 
 their families at the town expense ; but much also was • 
 raised by voluntary contributions. '■ 
 
 Those who remained at home as well as those who 
 went into actual service, were often called on to per^ 
 form military duty. When most of the able bodied 
 men were drawn off, a Reformado corps was established; 
 consisting of those whose age, infirmities, or other 
 circumstances, would not allow them to become regu- 
 lar soldiers, and endure the fatigue of the camp, but 
 who were willing to go forth on a sudden emergency. 
 The situation of New London was one of constant 
 alarm, in which all the surrounding towns participa- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 237 
 
 ted. It was first menaced in December 1776, when 
 the hostile fleet found a rendezvous among the small 
 Islands in the Sound, previous to taking possession of 
 Newport. All the militia in the eastern part of the 
 State turned out to oppose the expected descent. It 
 was observed, as band after band marched into New 
 London, that no company, in order and equipments, 
 equalled the Light Infantry of Norwich, under the 
 command of Col. Chr. LetFmgwell. The veteran 
 guards also turned out at this time under Capt. John 
 McKall ; they were soon after ordered to New York. 
 Many times during the war, the militia were summon- 
 ed to New London or Stonington, on the appearance of 
 an armed force, or the rumor of one. If a hostile 
 vessel entered the Sound, no one knew its commis- 
 sion, and the alarju was quickly spread from the 
 seaboard into the country. The dreaded foe perhaps 
 hovered near the coast a few hours, made some start- 
 ling feints, and then passed away. Orders were given 
 and countermanded, and the wearied militia, hastily 
 drawn from their homes, returned again without hav- 
 ing had the satisfaction of seeing the enemy, or of 
 arriving on the spot before the danger was over. 
 
 Detachments from the Continental army frequently 
 passed through Norwich. In 1778, a body of French 
 troops on the route from Providence to the south, halted 
 there for ten or fifteen days, on account of sickness 
 among them. They had their tents spread upon the 
 plain, while the sick were quartered in the court 
 house. About twenty died and were buried each side 
 of the lane that led into the old burying yard. No 
 stones were set up, and the ground was soon smoothed 
 over so as to leave no trace of the narrow tenements 
 below. 
 
 21 
 
238 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Gen. Washington several times passed tli rough, but 
 never stopped longer than three or four hours at a 
 time. The inhabitants also had an opportunity of see- 
 ing La Fayette, Siuben, Pulaski, and other distinguish- 
 ed foreigners then in our service. There were some 
 who long remembered ihe appearance of the noble 
 La Fayette, as he passed through the place on his way 
 to Nevi^port. He had been there Ijefore and needed no 
 guide ; his aids and a small body guard were with him, 
 aiKl he rode up to the door of his fiiend, Gen. Jedidiah 
 Huntington, in a quick gallop. He wore a blue mili- 
 tary coat, Initno vest and no stocJdngs ; his boots being 
 short, his leg was consequently left bare for a consid- 
 erable space below the knee. The speed with which 
 he was travelling, and the great heat of the weather, 
 were sufficient excuses for this negligence. He took 
 some refreshment and hastened forward. 
 
 At another period, he passed through with a detach- 
 ment of 2000 men under his command, and encamped 
 them for one night upon the plain. In the morning, 
 before their departure, he invited Mr. Strong, the pas- 
 tor of the place, to pray with them, which he did, the 
 troops being arranged in three sides of a hollow square. 
 
 Nearly fifty years afterwards, August 21, 1824, the 
 venerable La Faj^ette again passed through Norwich. 
 Some old people who remembered him embraced him 
 and wept ; — the General wept also. 
 
 At one time during the war, the Duke de Lauzun's 
 regiment was quartered for a few weeks in Lebanon, 
 ten miles from Norwich. Col. Jedidiah Huntington 
 invited the officers to visit him, and piepared a hand- 
 some entertainment for them. They made a superb 
 appearance as they drove into town, being young, tall, 
 vivacious men, with handsome faces and a noble air, 
 mounted upon horses bravely caparisoned. The two 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 239 
 
 Dillons, brothers, one a major and the other a captain 
 in the reg"iment, were particularly distinguished for 
 their fine Ibrnis and expressive features. One, or both, 
 of tliese Dillons, suffered death from the guillotine 
 during the French Revolution. 
 
 Lanzun was one of the most accomplished but un- 
 principled noblemen of his lime. He was celebrated for 
 his handsome person, his liberality, wit, bravery; but 
 more than all for his profligacy. He was born in 1747, 
 inherited great wealth, and high titles, and spent all 
 his early years in alternate scenes of dissipation and 
 traveling. He engaged in no public enterprise till he 
 came to America, and took part in the Revolutionary 
 contest. The motives which actuated this voluptuous 
 nobleman to this undertaking are not understood ; very 
 probably the thirst for adventure, and personal friend- 
 ship for La Fayette. He had ran the career of pleas- 
 ure to such an extent that he was perhaps willing to 
 pause awhile and restore the energy of his satiated 
 taste. Certain it is, that he embarked in the cause of 
 the Americans with ardor, bore privations with good 
 temper, and made himself very popular by his hilarit}^ 
 and generous expenditure. 
 
 After Lauzun returned to Europe he became intimate 
 with Talleyrand, and accompanied him on a mission 
 to England, in 1792, where one of his familiar asso- 
 ciates was the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV. 
 On the death of his uncle, the Duke de Biron, he suc- 
 ceeded to tbe title, quarreled with the court, and be- 
 came a parii/.an of the Duke of Orleans. Afterwards 
 he served against the Vendeans, but was accused of 
 secretly favoring tbem, condemned, and executed the 
 last day of the year 1793. Such was the future stormy 
 career of this celebrated nobleman, wbo, as already 
 mentioned, in the midst of friends and subordinates, 
 
240 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 enjoyed the banquet made for him l)}- Col. Huntington. 
 After dinner the whole party went out into the yard 
 in front of the house, and made the air ring with Huz- 
 zas for Liberty ! Numerous loungers had gathered 
 around the fence to get a sight of these interesting for- 
 eigners, with whom they conversed in very good Eng- 
 lish, and exhorted to live free, or die for liberty. 
 
 A very great evil experienced during the war, was 
 the higli price of salt, and the difficulty of procuring it 
 at any price. It was almost impossible to get a suffi- 
 ciency to put up. provisions for winter's use.*. The 
 Slate government was obliged to send abroad for sup- 
 plies of this necessary article, and distribute it to the 
 various towns. It was then apportioned by the select- 
 men to the districts in proportion to their population, 
 and again dealt out by a committee to individuals. 
 
 Another scarce article was molasses. But in 1776, 
 the people of Norwich, hearing that a vessel laden 
 with molasses had arrived at Stoninglon, which be- 
 longed to a family unfriendly to the cause of freedom, 
 they immediately collected a spirited company of men, 
 and proceeded forthwith to Stonington, where they 
 took possession of the vessel, and brought her, with 
 the cargo, round to Norwich. They then made report 
 of the affiiir to the Governor and Council, who approved 
 of their proceedings, and sequestered the prize for the 
 use of the State. The molasses was doled out to hos- 
 pitals, and used for various public purposes. Forty 
 hogsheads were distilled for the use of the soldiers ^ 
 thirty were sent to Portipaug, West Farms and New 
 Concord, for safe keeping. The iory molasses, as it 
 
 * Mr. Butler, willing to have a little sport with his neighbors, put up 
 a sign over his shop door one day, " Hard money to let, and old pork 
 to sell." This of course brought every passer-by to a stand, these be- 
 ing the two articles not to be found in the place. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 241 
 
 was called, was at that time considered a valuable 
 acquisition. 
 
 The scarcity of wheat was a still greater evil. The 
 authorities were obliged to enforce a strict scrutiny 
 into every man's means of subsistence, to see that none 
 of the necessaries of life were withheld from a famish- 
 ing community by monopolizers and avaricious en- 
 grossers. Each family was visited, and an account of 
 the grain in their possession, computed in wheat, was 
 taken. The surplusage, down to the quantity of four 
 quarts, was estimated. One hundred and twenty-six 
 families were at one time reported deficient, viz : 
 
 " 42 up town, 2G down town, 12 West Farms and Porti- 
 paug, 2 Newent and Hanover, 9 East Society, 27 Chelsea, 
 8 Bozrah." 
 
 The following certificate is also upon record. 
 
 " This may certify, that the whole number of inhabitants 
 in the town of Norwich is hungry ; for the quantity of grain 
 computed in wheat is scanty ; the deficiency amounts to a 
 great many bushels, as pr return of ttie selectmen unto my 
 office, agreeable to the act of assembly. 
 
 Certified by Galettia Simpson. 
 
 It is well known that during the Revolutionary war 
 attempts were made to regulate the prices of articles by 
 public statutes, in order to reduce the quantity of the cir- 
 culating medium. In Connecticut prices were fixed 
 by the civil authorities of each town, in all cases not 
 determined by acts of Assembly. The list of articles 
 to which I he selectmen aflfixed prices, in the year 1778, 
 will fiunish data to show the various kinds of business 
 then pursued in the town, as well as the current ex- 
 penses of living. The following is an abstract. 
 
 " Farming Labour varied according to the season of the 
 year, from 3s. Gd. pr day to 5s. 3d. 
 21* 
 
242 HISTORY or Norwich. 
 
 Women's labor : nursing 9s. pr week ; house work 5s. 
 3d. ; tailoring 2s. 4d. pr day ; spinning Is. 2d- pr run. 
 
 House carpenters, joiners and painters, 7s. pr day. 
 
 Ship-carpenters, master-builders, 10s. 6d., finding them- 
 selves. 
 
 Masons 8s. 9d. ; master-riggers 7s. 
 
 Tailors, for making a full trimmed coat 21s., vest and 
 breeches each 10s. 6d. 
 
 Paper-makers, finding themselves, if foreman 31s. 6d. pr 
 week ; under workmen 26s. 6d. 
 
 Comb-makers; Horn combs Is. 9d. ; crooked do. the 
 same; ivory small tooth combs from Is. to 5s. 
 
 Tape-makers ; broad tape pr piece 6s. ; narrow 4s. 
 
 Block-making ; blocks for vessels S^s. pr inch, &c. 
 
 Coopering: Heart-white-oak hhds. 21s.; common white 
 oak 17s. 6d. ; common black oak 14s. ; flax-seed tierces 5s. 
 3d. ; barrels from 6s. to 7s. 
 
 Button-making; best silver plaited coat buttons 6s. prdoz., 
 &c. 
 
 Weaving : shirting width 2s. 4d. pr yd. ; yard wide linen 
 Is. 5^., &c. 
 
 Clothiers : Fulling, shearing, and dying with Am. dies, 
 2s. pr yd. 
 
 Currying and Tanning Leather: calf-skin 3s 6rf. ; curry- 
 ing side 5s. 3d. 
 
 White oak bark per cord 32s. ; black oak 28s. 
 
 Pewterers : Pewter quart pots 6s. 5d. ; pint pots 4s. 4d. 
 
 Weaving stockings : men's pr pair 6s. 4d. ; women's 5s. 
 6f/. ; breeches patterns 10s. lOd. 
 
 Black-smith's work : plow irons Is. Od, pr lb. ; anchors 
 10^. 2qr. do., &c. 
 
 Wool cards pr pair 10s. 
 
 Saddlers : Good hunting saddle, leather housing, 105s. 
 Women's saddles, common sort £8, 15s. Plain bridles S^. 
 9d. 
 
 Good beaver hats £3, 3s. Felt hats 12s. 
 
 Foot wheel complete 31s. 6d. Woolen wheel and spindle 
 17s. 6d. 
 
 Post writing paper pr quire 2s. Be/. Foolscap 3s. 
 Fire wood : In Town Plot, walnut pr cord 22s. ; oak ISs. 
 6d. ; at the Landing, at people's doors, pr cord 24s. ; oak 
 20s. ; in Newent, fire wood pr cord 10.?. 6d. ; West Farms 
 wood pr load 6s. 8d. ; Sth society 5s. 3d., &c. 
 
 Hay per ton in Town Plot and Landing, (English herd 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 243 
 
 grass,) £3. ISs. Flanders pr ton JG3. 25 pr cent, added 
 in winter. 
 
 Good sheeps wool 85. per lb. Well dressed flax I5. Gel- 
 
 Good mutton and veal 5d. per lb. ; turkeys and fowls 6^/.; 
 geese and ducks 5d. ; store swine 'S^d. 
 
 Checked flannel, yd wide, 5.s-. ; checked linen do. 5s. 
 
 Men's yarn stockings pr j)air 7s. 
 
 Potatoes, in the fall, Is. Ur/. pr bu. ; winter and spring;, 
 2s. Id. 
 
 Cider pr bbl, 9s. ; draAvn off in the spring 15s. 
 
 Chocolate pr lb. 10s. ; Hard soap Is. 2d. : Rice 8c?. 
 
 Allspice and ginger 3s. 
 
 River oysters 3s. per bu., Is. 2d. pr qt. 
 
 Fresh bass and perch, at the Landing, 3'^/. pr lb. 
 
 Boat fare between Norwich and N. London, single person, 
 2s. ChL ; freight for hhd Qs. ; barrel Is. Qd. 
 
 Pressed hay, at the Landing, pr ton, j£5, 5s. Od. 
 
 Horse hire pr mile, for journey, at Landing Id. 
 
 Goldsmiths : making gold necklace 356\ ; wrought gold 
 pr dwt. 7s. ; Buckles, best open work, 21s. ; Table spoons, 
 plain, 5s. 3d. ; Tea spoons 2s. 8rf. ; reversed and carved in 
 proportion. 
 
 Best stock buckles 14s. ; Knee buckles 14s. ; silver pr oz. 
 wrought 9s. ; Cleaning watches 5s. 3f7. 
 
 Taverners : gill of Rum Is., N. England do. Qd- ; mug of 
 flip or toddy made with W. India rum 2s. 6c?., N. Eng. do. 
 Is. 8c?. ; meal of victuals Is. 'dd- ; pottle oats 6c?. ; bowl sour 
 punch 3s. ; best Madeira wine pr bottle 18s. ; French brandy 
 and foreign Geneva 2s. pr gill. Signed per order, 
 
 Simon Tracy, Chairman. 
 
 Samuel Tracy, Clerk. 
 
 " April 7, 1777, Voted, strictly to adhere to the law of the 
 State regulating the prices of the necessaries of life ; and we 
 do resolve with cheerfulness to exert our best endeavours 
 within our sphere, to support the honor of that good and sal- 
 utary law. 
 
 Dec. 29. Voted, that the town consider the articles of 
 confederation and perpetual union proposed by the Continen- 
 tal Congress wise and salutary." 
 
 1778. Abstract of instructions to the representatives 
 of the town. — 
 
244 HISTORY or Norwich. 
 
 " 1. To use their influence to have taxes more equitable. 
 
 2. To have bills of credit called in. 
 
 3. Forfeited estates confiscated. 
 
 4. The yeas and nays on all important questions published. 
 
 5. Profane swearing punisbed by disability to sustain 
 offices. 
 
 Oct. 1. Voted, to present a memorial to the General As- 
 sembly, praying for a just and equitable system of taxation 
 and representation." 
 
 Extract from the memorial : — 
 
 " The Poll-tax your memorialists consider at the present 
 day, an insupportable burden on the poor, vi'hile a great part 
 of the growing estate of the rich is by law exempt from 
 taxation. The present mode of representation is also ob- 
 jected to by your memorialists. They believe all who pay 
 taxes and are of sober life and conversation, ought to have a 
 voice in all public communities, where their monies and prop- 
 erties are disposed of for public uses." 
 
 It is not surprising tliat the subject of taxation should 
 be one of exciting interest in a community who were 
 annually paying 6^., 9c?. and 12c?. on the pound for 
 the use of the army. At one time in Connecticut, 
 when the currency was at par, a rate of even 14d. was 
 necessary to meet the exigencies of the treasury. 
 
 The town afterwards presented another petition to 
 the Assembly, the substance of which was, that every 
 kind of property, and that only, should be the object 
 of taxation. This general principle, they say, is in 
 their view, the only equitable one. Committees were 
 sent to several neighboring towns, to get their minds 
 on the subject, and they at length resolved to publi:-h 
 at the expense of the town, the prevalent views of the 
 citizens on taxation, in the form of a letter to the free- 
 men of the state, a copy of it to be sent to every town. 
 In this letter, the deficiencies of the existing system 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 245 
 
 were ably pointed out. The objections against the 
 poll-tax were these : 
 
 " That it is a personal tax, and ouglit to be paid in personal 
 service, that is, in defending; the community ; that it is a 
 double tax, the poor man paying for his poll, which is the 
 substitute for his labor, and for the avails of his labor also ; 
 that it is impolitic, as tending to prevent early marriages, 
 which promote industry, frugality, and every social virtue." 
 
 Again, three years later, the tgwn ninde another 
 efl'ort through their representatives, to obtain their 
 favorite measures ; that polls should either be struck 
 out of the list of taxation, or set at a very low rate ; 
 and that all who pay taxes should vote as freemen. 
 
 "June 30, 1779. Voted, that a committee of fifty able, 
 judicious men be appointed to engage fifty able-bodied, eflfect- 
 ive men, required of this town to fill up our complement of 
 the Continental Army for three years, or during the war ; 
 each member of the committee to procure one soldier, and 
 pay him twenty silver dollars bounty, over and above the 
 bounty given by the state, and pay him the same annually, 
 , as long as he continues in the service ; also 405. per month 
 in silver money, or Indian corn at 3s. per bushel, fresh pork 
 at 3d. per pound, and wheat at 6s. per bushel." 
 
 The Committee were not able (o carry this vote into 
 
 effect : the term of enlistment was too long ; nor were 
 
 i the men raised until by a subsequent vote the term of 
 
 I service was restricted to six months. In July of the 
 
 same year, upon a requisition of the Governor, twenty- 
 
 ' seven more men were enlisted for six months, to whom 
 
 tiie same bounty and pay were given. 
 
 In 1781, the General Assembly passed an act to 
 arrange all the inhabitants of the State into classes, 
 each class to raise so many recruits and furnish such 
 and such clothing and other supplies. Norwich at 
 first refused to enter upon this system, and remonstra- 
 
246 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ted. With great reluctance, the measure was at last 
 adopted by the inhabitants, and being found to accom- 
 plish the end, was continued through the war, though 
 it was never popular with them. 
 
 1783. Instructions were given to the representatives 
 to use their inj3uence with the Assembly to obtain a 
 remonstrance against the five years' pay granted by 
 Congress to the officers of the Continental army. The 
 resolution passed by the town on this subject, was fiery, 
 dictatorial and extravagant. A single paragraph will 
 show its bombastic character : 
 
 " For a free people just rising out of a threatening slavery, 
 into free shining pospects of a most glorious peace and inde- 
 pendence, now to be taxed without their consent, to support 
 and maintain a large number of gentlemen as pensioners, in 
 a time of universal peace, is, in our view, unconstitutional 
 and directly in opposition to the sentiment of the states at 
 large, and was one great spoke in the wheel which moved at 
 first our late struggle with our imperious and tyrannical foes." 
 
 Further instructions were given at the same time to 
 the representatives to urge upon the assembly the ne- 
 cessity of keeping a watchful eye upon the proceedings 
 of Congress, to see that they did not exceed the pow- 
 ers vested in them, and to appoint a committee at 
 ev^ery session to take into consideration the journals of 
 Congress, and approve or disapprove, applaud or cen- 
 sure the conduct of the delegates. 
 
 At no period during the war were the people of Nor- 
 wich alarmed with the fear of a direct invasion of the 
 enemy, except at the time of the attack on New Lon- 
 don, Sept. 6, 1781. It was then rumored that Arnold, 
 inflamed with hatred against the country he had be- 
 trayed, and harboring a particular spite to his native 
 town, had determined at all hazards to march thither, 
 and spread desolation through the homes of his ancient 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 247 
 
 friends and neighbors. Preparations were, therefore, 
 made to receive him; goods were packed, and women 
 and children made ready for flight. The fiery patriots 
 of Norwich wished for nothing more than that he should 
 attempt to march thither, as it would give them a long 
 coveted opportunity of wreaking their vengeance on 
 the traitor. But the undertaking was too hazardous ; 
 Arnold, if he had the will, was too prudent to attempt 
 anything but a sudden and transient descent upon the 
 sea-hoard. 
 
 The last time that the militia were called out during 
 the war, was in September, 1782. A detail of the 
 circumstances will serve as a specimen of the harrass- 
 ing alarms which had previously often occurred. 
 
 Benajah Leffingwell was then Lieutenant Colonel of 
 the twentieth regiment, and at seven o'clock in the 
 morning, an express reached him with the following 
 order : 
 
 " To Major Leffingwell : I have certain intelligence that 
 there is a large fleet in the Sound, designed for some part of 
 the Main — would hereby request you without loss of time, 
 to notify the regiment under your command, to be ready to 
 march at the shortest notice — also send expresses to New 
 London immediately for further news, and continue express- 
 es as occasion may be. Your humble servant in the great- 
 est haste, Samuel M'Clelland, Colonel. 
 
 Wednesday morning, six o'clock. 
 
 I have much more to say if I had time— ^-I am on the road 
 to New London from Windham, where express came to 
 me in the night." 
 
 Before nine o'clock the whole regiment had been 
 summoned to turn out with one or two days provisions, 
 and be ready to march on hearing the alarm guns. 
 
 The regiment upon the ground that day, as the 
 returns of the orderly book show, consisted of one 
 field officer, thirty-five commissioned, do., and 758 
 
248 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 men, in eleven companies, under the following Cap- 
 tains : 
 
 Joseph Carew, Moses Stephens, Jonathan Waterman, 
 
 Samuel Wheat, William Pride, Samuel Lovett, 
 
 Isaac Johnson, Jabez Deming, Jacob De Witt. 
 Nathan Waterman, Alnor Ladd, 
 
 Orders at last came for them to march ; they were 
 just ready to start, when the order was counterman- 
 ded ; again an express arrived saying that the fleet 
 appeared to be bound in, and orders were issued to 
 stand ready; one hour they heard that the enemy was 
 making preparations for a descent ; the next that the 
 fleet was moving up the Sound. Finally the hostile 
 ships having explored Gardiner's Bay, flitted out of the 
 Sound, and the militia after two days of harrassing 
 suspense, were dismissed to their homes. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Biographical Slteiches. 
 GEN. JABEZ HUNTINGTON 
 
 Was born at Norwich, in 1719. He graduated 
 at Yale College in 1741, and soon afterwards enter- 
 ed largely into mercantile and commercial pursuits, 
 and made a handsome fortune, principally in the 
 West India trade. The central part of the town 
 plot, was before the revolution the seat of consider- 
 able business. The street where Gen. H. resided, 
 now so quiet and serene that every day wears the 
 garb of the Sabbath, was then thronged with men 
 and horses, and frequently blocked up with teams 
 laden with country produce. Neatly 100 mechanics 
 of more than a dozen different occupations, might 
 then be numbered around the square. Gen. Hunting- 
 ton and his sons had large stores in this vicinity ; 
 forty or fifty merchant vessels at that time sailed from 
 the port, and of these twenty, were owned and fitted 
 out by Gen. Huntington, nineteen of them in the West 
 India trade ; the other made voyages to Old England. 
 The business of Gen. H. was mostl}' transacted in the 
 town two miles from the port. 
 
 Gen. Huntington commenced his patriotic career in 
 1750, when he was chosen to the Colonial Assembly. 
 For several years he presided over the lower house as 
 Speaker, and afterwards was a member of the Council. 
 On the breaking out of the revolutionary war, he lost 
 nearly half of his property, either by capture of his 
 22 
 
250 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 vessels, or from other circumstances connected with 
 that calamitous period. 
 
 In the early part of the war, he was an active mem- 
 ber of the Council of Safety, and Major General of the 
 militia. His sons were all ardent patriots ; two of 
 them Jedidiah and Ebenezer entered into the army and 
 served during the war. The exertions made by Gen. 
 Huntington for his country, connected with the exci- 
 ting events of the day and the pressure of private 
 business, were destructive to his health ; and in 1779 
 brought on a hypochondriac disorder, which gradually 
 reduced him to a state of bodily imbecility and partial 
 alienation of mind, which covered the last seven 
 years of his life with a gloomy shadow. He died in 
 1786. His sons settled around him, establishing their 
 homesteads in his immediate vicinity ; though subse- 
 quent to the death of his father. Gen. Jedidiah remo- 
 ved to New London, 
 
 GEN. JEDIDIAH HUNTINGTON 
 
 Was born at Norwich, in 1743, and graduated at 
 Cambridge, in 1763, on which occasion he pronounced 
 the first English oration delivered in that college at 
 commencement. Settling near his father in his native 
 place, he engaged Avith him in mercantile pursuits, 
 but soon became noted as one of the Sons of Lib- 
 erty, and an active Captain of the militia. He en- 
 tered with spirit into all the measures of his towns- 
 men in resisting oppression, and being raised to the 
 command of a regiment, joined the Continental army 
 with it in 1775. Two years afterwards, Congress gave 
 him the commission of Brigadier General, which office 
 he held with honor during the war, obtaining the 
 confidence and attachment of Washington, and the 
 grateful respect of his country. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 251 
 
 In 1789, he was appointed by Washington, Collect- 
 or of the port of New London, to which place he 
 removed and resided there lill his death in 1818. 
 Agreeably to a direction contained in his will, his re- 
 mains were carried to Norwich and deposited in the 
 family tomb. 
 
 Gon. Hnntington made a profession of religion when 
 quite a young man, and his conduct through life was 
 that of .'I consistent Cliristian. He was a man of 
 prayer, active in the promotion of religious objects, 
 liberal in his charities, and a zealous friend of mis- 
 sions. He was one of the first members of the Amer- 
 ican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and 
 continued active in its concerns till his death. 
 
 His first wife was Faith, daughter to Gov. Trumbull, 
 who died atDedham, Massachusetts, in 1775, while on 
 the way with her husband to the continental camp at 
 Cambridge. His second wife, sister to Bishop Moore, 
 of Virginia, survived him, and died in 1831. 
 
 CAPT. ROBERT NILES 
 
 Was in the service of the State, during the whole 
 war, first as commander of the armed schooner Spy, 
 and afterwards of the Dolphin. In the former vessel 
 he was employed to carry to France the ratified 
 copy of the treaty between that country and the 
 infant Republic. Two other copies were sent out 
 by other conveyances, but both fell into the hands of 
 the British. The copy conveyed in the Spy safely 
 reached its destination. Capt. Niles was a native of 
 Groton, and boin in 1734. He died at Norwich, in 
 1818. 
 
 CAI'T. SETH HAnDING, 
 
 Commander of the armed brigantine Defence^ owned 
 by the State of Connecticut, was a citizen of Norwich. 
 
252 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 In the early part of the war he was considered next 
 to Capt. Manly, the most successful of the American 
 cruisers. He brought into New London several valua- 
 ble prize vessels laden with ivory, mahogany, warlike 
 stores, wearing apparel, and West India products. 
 Whatever ma}^ now be the opinion of moralists with 
 respect to privateering, it is undeniable that it was at, 
 that time regarded by the highest authorities in the 
 country, as a laudable and honorable business. On 
 the 18th and 19th of June, 1776, Capt. Harding captur- 
 ed near the opening of Boston Bay, three British vessels 
 with recruits for tlieir army in Boston. His prisoners 
 amounted to 322, mostly Highlanders. Among them 
 was Col. Campbell, of Gen. Frazer's regiment. 
 
 Capt. Harding afterwards commanded the Confed- 
 eracy, a ship of thirty-six guns. This ship was built 
 in the river Thames, a few miles below the Landing, 
 and sent to France after ammunition and stores. No- 
 tice of the time of its sailing from France on the 
 return voyage, together with its destination, which it 
 was intended should be kept secret, having been 
 obtained by some persons inimical to the American 
 cause, it was by them communicated to the British 
 officers, who caused a fleet to be placed in ambush, at 
 the mouth of Delaware Bay. The Confederacy with 
 its valuable stores fell into their hands. 
 
 MAJOR NATHAN PETERS 
 
 Of Norwich, was an active soldier during the war. 
 He joined the Connecticut volunteers, on the news of 
 the battle of Lexington, and marched with them to 
 Boston. He was engaged in the battles of Long Island, 
 York Island, Throg's Point, Princeton, Trenton and 
 Newport. 
 
 Happening to be at home on furlough in September 
 1781, when the British made a descent upon Ne\\ 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 253 
 
 London, with characteristic ardor, he rushed to the 
 scene of action, and was the first person wlio entered 
 Groton Fort, after it had been deserted by tlie British 
 troops. Hovering somewhere in the vicinity, he 
 scarcely waited for them to embark before he cautious- 
 ly entered the fort, and with his own luinds extin- 
 guished the train which had been laid to cause an 
 explosion of the magazine. In five minutes more the 
 wiiole would have been a heap of ruins, under which 
 the dead and dying would have been buried. 
 Maj. Peters died at Norwich, in 1S24, aged 79. 
 
 BENEDICT ARNOLD. 
 
 The biography of this celebrated traitor has been re- 
 pes.tedly and ably Avrittcn. It is only intended here 
 to give a few desultory sketches, wliich may be consid- 
 ered as the reminiscences of those who were personally 
 acquainted with the family. His liirth is recorded in 
 the town booU, Jan. 3, 1741. His parents had previ- 
 ously lost a son of the same name, and of their six 
 children, only Benedict and Hannah lived to maturity. 
 He was descended from the Arnolds of Rhode Island, 
 an honorable name in that colony, where one of his 
 ancestors, bearing also the name of Benedict, held for 
 fifteen years the office of Governor. Two brothers of 
 this family, Benedict and Oliver, coopers by trade, re- 
 
 ! moved from Newport to Norwich, about the year 1730. 
 The elder of the two, Benedict, or as the name is writ- 
 
 : ten in the Norwich Books, Benedic/t, relinquished his 
 
 I occupation and engaged in trade and public affairs. 
 
 I He was an active, enterprising man, though passionate 
 in his disposition. He appeals to have served as col- 
 lector, lister, selectman, constable, and militia captain. 
 His marriage to Mrs. Hannah King, whose maiden 
 name was Lathrop, is recorded November 8, 1733. 
 22* 
 
254 HISTORY OF NOllWICH. 
 
 Mrs. Arnold was a woman of good exterior and estim- 
 able qualities. We learn from her grave stone, that 
 she died in 1759, aged fifty-nine. She is there char- 
 acterized as "A pattern of patience, piety, and virtue," 
 and tradition allows that the truth is not exagge- 
 rated. The following is a literal copy (except in or- 
 thography) of a letter from her to her son Benedict, 
 while he was at school in Canterbury. The original 
 is probabl}' still in existence. 
 
 " To Mr. Benedict Arnold, at Canterbury. 
 
 Norwich, April 12, 1754. 
 
 Dear child. I received yours of the 1st instant, and 
 was glad to hear that you was well ; pray, my dear, let your 
 first concern be to make your peace with God, as it is of all 
 concerns of the greatest importance. ^* 
 
 Keep a steady watch over your thoughts, words ann iip- 
 tions. Be dutiful to superiors, obliging to ec[uals, and affable 
 to inferiors, if any such there be. Always choose that your 
 companions be your betters, that by their good examples you 
 may learn. 
 
 From your affectionate mother, Hannah Arnold. 
 
 P. S. I have sent you 50.*; use it prudently, as you are 
 
 accountable to God and your father. Your father and aunt 
 join with me in love and service to Mr. Cogswell and lady, 
 and yourself. Your sister is from home." 
 
 It is lamentable to think, that the son of such a 
 mother, and the recipient of such whole.some instruc- 
 tion, should have become a proud, obstinate and un- 
 principled man ; leaving behind him a name and char- 
 acter infamous in the sight of his country, and spotted 
 with violence, corruption and treason. 
 
 The house in which Benedict was horn is still in a 
 state of good preservation, though considerably enlarg- 
 ed smce first built by his father. A few years since 
 many parts of it exhibited marks of his mischievous 
 childhood, in whittlings, brands, and hatchet cuts. 
 upon the beams, planks, and doors. The letters B. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 255 
 
 A. and B. Arnold were stanipc^d upon it in various 
 places. 'This liouse liad a variety of occupants after 
 the Arnolds left it. A man b}' the name of Laidh^y, 
 was its next inhabitant; and his wife, who had been 
 long- insane, dying suddenly and strangely, some sup- 
 posed that her dissolution had been hastened by harsh 
 treatment. She had been known to escape from the 
 house to the adjacent woods in a state of frenzy, and 
 those who assisted in Jier recapture stated that she was 
 almost naked, and her body lacerated cruelly either 
 by herself or others. A small room or closet in the 
 house, with no aperture for air or light, and with a 
 door only half the height of a person, was re})orted to 
 be the place of her confinement, and these circumstan- 
 ces, probably exaggerated by rumor, obtained for the 
 house a notorious and superstitious reputation. 
 
 In the year 1775, Deacon William Philips, of Boston, 
 the father of Lieut. Governor Philips, removed his 
 family to Norwich, and occupied the Arnold house, 
 till after the British retired from Boston. Its next oc- 
 cupant was Mr. Mai bone, of Newport, who also came 
 to Norwich to seek a refuge from the bustle and vio- 
 lence of war. The misfoi times of this family, and the 
 seclusion in wliich they lived, ratlu^r added to the fear- 
 ful character which the house had acquired. It was 
 said that seven of the name and all nearly connected, 
 had died within the short period of eighteen months. 
 About ten years before the family removed to Norwich, 
 that is, in 1767, the brig Dolphin, of Newport, owned 
 by one of the Malbones, and commanded by another, 
 took fire off" Point Judith, as it was returning from Ja- 
 maica, and was entirely consumed. Such was the vio- 
 lence of the flames, and the rapidity of their work, 
 that all communication was cut off between the deck 
 and cabin, and in the latter three ladies and two chil- 
 
256 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 dren perished. Those on deck escaped in boats. This, 
 and other misfortunes connected with the farnil}', had 
 .made the name ahnost ominous of calamity. The 
 house was afterwards tenanted successively, though 
 but for a short period, by several pure and noble-minded 
 gentlemen, among whom were William Hubbard Esq. 
 and Thomas Mum ford Esq. The occupants were 
 changed so often, that public rumor ascribed it to the 
 supernatural sounds and sights witli whicli it was 
 haunted. At a subsequent period it was taken by a 
 disbanded officer, whose late suppers, revels, and card- 
 playing, added another kind of gloomy notoriety to 
 the tenement, so that after his departure it remained 
 tenantless for several years, till purchased and repaired 
 by Mr. Uriah Tracy, to whose heirs it now belongs. 
 
 To return from this digression respecting- the Arnold 
 house to the Arnold family. No one of the name in 
 Norwich seems to have been a common place char- 
 acter. Benedict, when a boy, was bold, enterprising, 
 ambitious, active as lightning, and with a ready wit 
 always at command. In every kind of sport, espe- 
 cially if mischief was to be perpetrated, he was a daunt- 
 ' less ring-leader, and as despotic among tlie boys as an 
 absolute monarch. On a day of public rejoicing for 
 some success over the French, Arnold, then a mere 
 stripling, took a tield-piece, and in a frolic placed it on 
 end, so that the mouth should point upright, poured 
 into it a large quantity of powder, and actually drop- 
 ped into the muzzle, from his hand, a blazing fire- 
 brand. His activity saved him from a scorching, for 
 though the flash streamed up within an inch of his 
 face, he darted back, and shouted huzza! as loud as 
 the best of the company. It is remembered also, that 
 having, at the head of a gang of boys, seized and rolled 
 away some valuable casks from a shop-yard, to aid in 
 
HISTORY or NORWICH. 257 
 
 making the usual thanksgiving- bonfire, the casks were 
 arrested on their way, l)y an olficer sent by the owner 
 to recover them ; upon vviiich young Arnold was so 
 emaged, that he stripped olF his coat upon the spot, 
 and dared the constable, a stout and grave man, to 
 fght. 
 
 At fourteen years of age he was apprenticed as a 
 druggist to Drs. Daniel and Joshua Lathrop, and here 
 he exhibited the same rash and fearless traits of char- 
 acter. A person who once remained in the shop with 
 him during a tremendous thunder storm, related after- 
 wards, that at every peculiarly loud and stunning re- 
 port, young Arnold would swing his hat and shout 
 hurrah! adding occasionally some reckless or profane 
 exclamation. , Once during his apprenticeship he ran 
 away, with the design of enlisting as a soldier in the 
 British arniy ; but his friends succeeded in finding him 
 and induced him to return to his employment. Other 
 anecdotes of his youth may be found in Spark's " Life 
 and Treason of Benedict Arnold." Dr. Solomon Smith 
 Mas the fellow apprentice of Arnold, and not Dr. Hop- 
 kins, as is stated in thot memoir. 
 
 Miss Hannah Arnold, the sister of Benedict, was an 
 accomplished lady, pleasing in her person, witty antl 
 at!^ible. While the family still resided in Norwich, 
 and of coiuse when she was quite young, she became 
 an object of interest and attention to a young foreigner, 
 a transient resident of the place. His regard was re- 
 ciprocated by the young lady ; but Benedict disliked 
 the man, and after vainly endeavoring by milder 
 means to break off the intimacy, he became outrageous, 
 and vowed vengeance upon him if he ever again 
 ..caught him in the house. After this the young peo- 
 ple saw each other only by stealtl), the lover timing 
 his visits to the brother's absence. One evening Ben- 
 
258 HISTLORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 edict, who had been to New Haven, came home un- 
 expectedly, and having entered the house without 
 bustle, ascertained that the Frenchman was in the 
 parlor with his sister. He instantly planted himself in 
 front of the house with a loaded pistol, and commanded 
 a servant to assail the door of the room in which they 
 were, as if he would break it down. The young man, 
 as Arnold expected, leaped out of the window ; the 
 latter fired at him, but it being dark, missed his aim. 
 The youth escoped, but the next day left the place, 
 choosing rather to relinquish the lady than to run any 
 further risk of his life, Arnold afterwards met him at 
 the Bay of Hondurus, both having gone thither on a 
 trading voyage. A challenge was given by one or the 
 other, and promptly accepted. They fought, and the 
 Frenchman was severely wounded. 
 
 Miss Arnold was never married. After the death of 
 her father she resided principally with her brother. 
 She died at Montague, in Upper Canada, in 1803, aged 
 sixty years. 
 
 The last exploit of Arnold duiing the war was the 
 burning of New London. No act of his cast more dis- 
 honor upon his reputation. Its contiguity to his birth- 
 place rendered it more than probable that he would 
 nieet in mortal combat some of the companions of his 
 childhood and pations of his youth. It was truly a 
 fratricidal deed. 
 
 Oliver Arnold, brother to Benedict Senior, and uncle 
 to the traitor, at liis death left a widow and five chil- 
 dren, in straitened circumstances. They had a small 
 house and garden, but nothing more. To these rela- 
 tions, Benedict was always kind and liberal. To cue ' 
 of tlu; sons, by the name of Freegift, he gave the ed- 
 ucation of a scholar, and designed him for one of the ^ 
 professionsj but the young man joined himself to the ' 
 
HISTORY OF N0R"\V1CII. 259 
 
 Sons of Liberty, entered into the naval service, under 
 Paul Jones, and after fighting" bravely, came liorne 
 with a ruined constitution, to languish and die. The 
 other son, Oliver, was of a roving disposition, and had 
 a peculiar talent at making extempore verses. A spe- 
 cimen of this talent, though trifling in its character, 
 may perhaps be acceptable. 
 
 In a bookseller's shop in New Haven, he was intro- 
 duced to Joel Barlow, who had just then acquired con- 
 siderable notoriety by the publication of an altered 
 edition of Watts' Psalms and Hynuis. Barlow asked 
 for a specimen of his talent ; upon which the wander- 
 ing poet immediately repeated the following stanza : 
 
 " You've proved yourself a sinful cre'tur' ; 
 You've murdered Watts, and spoilt the metre ; 
 You've tried the word of God to alter, 
 And for your pains deserve a halter."' 
 
 Oliver was also a sailor and a patriot, and cordially 
 despised the course taken by his cousin Benedict, in 
 betraying his country. Local tradition ascribes to him 
 the following acrostic on the traitor's name, and it is 
 even added that being on a visit to his cousin after the 
 war, and called upon by him to amuse a party of Eng- 
 lish officers with someextemporaneouseflTusion, he stood 
 up and repeated these lines. The composition itself, 
 however, contradicts such a report, as it bears no re- 
 semblance to other short and unstudied efibrts of the 
 native rhymester, which have been preserved. 
 
 " Born for a curse to virtue and mankind. 
 Earth's broadest realm ne'er knew so black a mind. 
 Night's sable veil your crimes can never hide, 
 Each one so great, 'twould glut historic tide. 
 Defunct, your cursed memory will live, 
 In all the glare that infamy can give. 
 
260 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Curses of ages will attend your name, 
 Traitors alone will glory in your shame. 
 Almighty vengeance sternly waits to roll 
 Rivers of sulphur on your treacherous soul — 
 Nature looks shuddering back, with conscious dread, 
 On such a tarnished biotas she has made. 
 Let hell receive you, riveted in chains, 
 Doomed to the hotest focus of its flames !" 
 
 ROGER GRISWOLD 
 
 Settled in Norwich when first admitted to the bar, in 
 1783. He married the daughter of Col. Zabdiel Rog-- 
 ers, and continued his residence in the place, until 
 elected a member of Congress in 1794. He then re- 
 moved to his native town, Lyme. It is an interesting 
 fact that he came back to Norwich to die. He was 
 elected Governor of Connecticut, in May, 1811, and 
 re-elected the succeeding year. For several years, he 
 had been afflicted with a disease of the heart, which 
 at intervals caused him great suffering. It increased 
 so rapidly, that in the summer of 1812, he was removed 
 to Norwich, that he might try the effect of a change 
 of air, and at the same time have the benefit of advice 
 from Dr. Tracy, in whose skill, as a physician, he had 
 great confidence. But neither air nor medicine could 
 do more for him than alleviate the paroxysms of his 
 distress, and he died Oct. 25, 1812. He was only fifty 
 years of age, having been bom in 1762 — a man of great 
 boldness and energy. He was the son of Matthew 
 Griswold, one of the former Governors of Connecticut, 
 Avho held that office dining the period that intervened 
 between Trumbull and Huntington. His mother was 
 a daughter of Roger Wolcott, who was also a Gov- 
 ernoi of Connecticut. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Episcopal Cliurch and Society. 
 
 Tradition is the only source, from which anything 
 has been ascertained respecting the first rise of the 
 Episcopal church in Norwich. From thence we learn 
 that the first church of England men in the place 
 were Thomas Grist and Edmund Gookin, who were 
 " allowed as inhabitants" in 1726. They resided upon 
 the town plot. Mr. Grist was born in 1700, and in 
 1721, married Ann Birchard. Mr. Gookin was about 
 the same age. 
 
 The year 1722 is the date given to the existence of 
 Episcopacy as an order, in Connecticut, though it was 
 first introduced by the Rev. Mr. Muirson, a missionary 
 from the " Society for propagating the Gospel in for- 
 eign parts," at Stratford, in 1706. An Episcopal 
 church was established at New London, in 1725, prin- 
 cipally through the exertions of the Rev. Matthew 
 Graves, who may also be considered as the founder of 
 the churches in Norwich and Hebron. This gentle- 
 man was a missionary from the " Society for promo- 
 ting Christian Knowledge," formed at London in 1698. 
 It is not known how his acquaintance with Mr. Grist 
 of Norwich, commenced, but he frequently visited him. 
 Gradually, and at first, privately, a little band of ten 
 or a dozen persons were collected on such occasions, 
 among whom the ordinances of the church were ad- 
 ministered. In this part of the town they never had 
 23 
 
262 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 a regular minister or a house for worship, but the 
 Gookin and Grist family, until their extinction during- 
 the present generation, were faithful and devoted ad- 
 herents of the church. Mr. Grist himself lived to be 
 very aged, — his thiee daughters died unmarried, Anna 
 in 1812, aged 88 ; Hannah in 1815, aged 86, and Molly, 
 in 1824, aged 83. Anna, the last of the Gookin fam- 
 ily in Norwich, wns also a spinster, and died in 1810, 
 aged 80. 
 
 About the year 1732, the Rev. Ebenezer Punderson, 
 a Congregational minister of Groton, declared for the 
 Church of England, and crossed the Atlantic to be 
 re-ordained. On his return, he organized a church in 
 Norwich, Long .Society, at the village of Poquetanuck, 
 which has. ever since existed, though it has always 
 been small, and seldom able to support a pastor of its 
 own. This church was formed about 1738. Mr. Pun- 
 derson and Mr. Graves frequently preached at private 
 houses in other parts of Norwich, and by degrees, a 
 respectable society was gathered in Chelsea. A regu- 
 lar church organization took place about the year 1745, 
 This infant churcli was founded and nourished by the 
 united labors of Graves, Punderson and Seabury, of 
 New London. 
 
 Jan. 7, 1746, a meeting was held at the Town- 
 house, to decide matters relative to the erection of an 
 edifice " for the service of Almighty God, according 
 to the Liturgie of the Church of England, as by law 
 established." 
 
 Rev. Mr, Punderson, Moderator. 
 Capt. Benajah Bushnell, Treasurer. 
 Capt. Isaac Clarke, ^ 
 
 Ml. Thomas Grist, \ Building Committee. 
 Mr. Elisha Hide. S 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH 263 
 
 Capt. Bushnell had previously presented ground for 
 the site, "at the north-east end of Wawcequa's Hill, 
 near the Old Landing place," and a subscription was 
 presented, which had been circulated, and contained 
 eighiy-seven names; the sum sul)scribed, ^678. The 
 greatest amount by one individual, was £50, by An- 
 drew Galloway. The thrt e gentlemen who formed 
 tlie buikling committee subscribed j£40 each. Mr. 
 Punderson afterwards collected in Rhode Island, jElSS, 
 and Capt. Bushnell in Boston, jEHS. All this was 
 probably Old Tenor money, or Bills of Credit, of redu- 
 ced value. 
 
 The land and the church, when erected, were con- 
 veyed by deed to the committee, in trust — 
 
 " For the use of the ' Society for propagating the Gospel 
 in foreign parts,' and their successors forevermore, to be ap- 
 propriated for an Episcopal church and church-yard for the 
 benefit of an Episcopal minister and members of said church, 
 and for no other use, intent or purpose whatsoever." 
 
 The consideration money was five sliillings, and 
 possession and seisin were given, by delivering to the 
 Committee in the usual manner, " turf and twig." 
 
 In 1750, the church was in a condition to allow of 
 
 public worship. The number of pew holders was 
 
 twenty-eight. They built their own pews and held 
 
 them as their proper estate. The first church oflficers 
 
 were : — 
 
 Capt. Benajah Bushnell, ) j^^^^^^,. 
 Capt. Joseph 1 racy, ) 
 
 Capt, Isaac Clarke, ^ 
 
 " Thomas Crist, > Vti^tiy men. 
 
 " Daniel Hall, ) 
 Elisha Hide, Clerk of the Church. 
 Phineas Holden, Sucicti/ Clerk. 
 
 Mr. Punderson was the officiating clergyman. 
 
264 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 In 1760, a subscription was raised for Mr. John 
 Beardslec, " towards his inoculation and going- to Eng- 
 land for orders, that he may preach in the churches of 
 England, at Norwich and Groton." An engagement 
 was at the same time entered into with him, to pay 
 the annual sum of jESS, towards his support, when he 
 should become their minister, which he did in the 
 spring of 1763. The number of male commimicants 
 in the Chelsea chmch was, at this time, about twenty. 
 
 .The Groton church mentioned, is the one already 
 alluded to in the village of Poquetannuck. That vil- 
 lage lies at the head of a creek or cove, which runs out 
 of the Thames about four miles below the Landing. 
 It was early settled, being considered a fine location 
 for fishing, building small sea-craft, and exporting 
 wood and timber. It now contains about forty dwell- 
 ing houses. A part of it lies in Groton, and it was 
 within the bounds of that town that the Episcopal 
 church was built. It has been generally dependent 
 upon the Norwich church for the administration of the 
 ordinances. 
 
 In 1767, a lot of land was given for a Glebe by Mrs. 
 Zerviah Bushnell, and conveyed by deed to the " So- 
 ciety for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts," A 
 glebe house was built, but we soon afterwards lose 
 sight of Mr. Beardslee. In 1768, an agreement was 
 made with John Tyler, of Walliugford, Conn., by 
 which £60 sterling money of Great Britain, was ad- 
 vanced to him, to defray the expenses of a voyage to 
 England to receive ordination; he, on his part, enga- 
 ging to return and officiate as their priest, at a sala- 
 ry of jGSO per annum. The money was raised by 
 subscription, and the list contains eighty names. 
 
 Mr. Tyler returned the next year, and became rec- 
 tor of the church. This gentleman had been educated 
 
HISTORY OF NORAVICH. 265 
 
 in Congregationalism, but after embracing the doc- 
 trines of the Church of Enghind, he prepared for holy 
 orders, under the care of Dr. Johnson, of Stratford. 
 
 The persecution of the Episcopalians in our coun- 
 try during the revolutionary struggle, lies like a blot 
 upon the bright shield of patriotism. Whether 
 tories or not, they were all suspected of toryism, 
 and the clergy in an especial manner were obliged to 
 endiue a thousand little domestic harassings, alarming 
 threats and destruction of property. Most of them 
 were forbidden to olliciate as priests, either publicly or 
 privately, and their churches were shut up by order of 
 the magistracy. The church in Chelsea was closed 
 for three years, through fear of popular excitement. 
 In 1774, a subscription had been taken up for a porch, 
 steeple and bell, to be nddcd to the church ; but the 
 project was suspended until 1780. No entry was made 
 on the records of the church liom April, 1776, to April, 
 1779. But it is remembered, that during this time, 
 Mr. Tyler held divine service in his own house, and 
 was never molested in the performance. He was per- 
 haps treated with greater incFidgence tlian others, on 
 account of the well known benevolence of his charac- 
 ter and the liberality of liis seiitiments. Family in- 
 fluence likewise was in his favor; his father-in-law, 
 Isaac Tracy Esq., being deacon of the Congregational 
 Church, and of unsuspected patriotism. Mr. Tyler 
 was never once personally abused during the conflict, 
 but he was frequently vexed with petty depredations 
 upon his property. At one time, he was afraid to drink 
 the water of his own well. The congregation at this 
 period had dwindled to a very small number. Often 
 the services were performed wi(h an audience of not 
 more than fifteen or twenty persons. 
 
 Whether the title of " Christ's Church in Chelsea," 
 23* 
 
266 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 was held from the first is not known ; the designation 
 does not appear upon the records until 1785. 
 
 In 1790, a new church was built upon land given by 
 Mr. Phinehas Holden. This was conveyed by deed, 
 not to the S. P. G. F. P. as the old one had been, but to 
 Trustees, "for the use of the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church of England." 
 
 One hundred and thirty pounds tOAvards building the 
 church were raised, besides subscriptions of labor. The 
 building committee were — 
 
 Maj. Ebenezer Whiting, Barzillai Davison, 
 Benajah Denison, James Christie. 
 
 In 1791 the owners of the pews in the old church 
 relinquished their rights, and here for the first time ap- 
 pear the names of persons now upon the stage of life, 
 viz : Christopher Vail and Cushing Eells. The pews 
 in the new church were sold at public auction, and the 
 money applied to parochial uses. There were thirty 
 purchasers to the pews, of whom not one now remains 
 alive. 
 
 May 19, 1791, the new church was solemnly "dedi- 
 cated to the worship of Almighty God according to the 
 liturgy of the Church of England, accommodated to 
 the civil constitution of these American States," by 
 the R. R. Dr. Seabury, Bishop of Connecticut. 
 
 Ebenezer Whiting;, } tt; j 
 
 Ji.benezer Huntington, ^ 
 
 Jabez Huntington, SocictT/ Clerk. 
 
 Mr. Tyler's salary was at this time ^660, and in 1794 
 it was increased to XSO. He had, moreover, liberty 
 of absence every fourth Sunday, at Poquetannuck, 
 and received a small stipend from the chuich there. 
 
 With the exception of the political jealousy during 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 267 
 
 the Revolutionary contest, the Episcopalians and Con- 
 greg-ationalists of Norwich have never exhibited any 
 acrimony against each other. On the contrary, social 
 intercourse has been generally maintained, irrespective 
 of denominational bounds, and the two sects have in 
 many instances interchanged civilities, in a truly cour- 
 teous and Christian spirit. 
 
 At a very early period we find that the Episcopal 
 church employed the Congregational collector to col- 
 lect Mr. Tyler's rates. Invitations have sometimes 
 been cordially given to the Episcopalians to celebrate 
 their festivals in the larger edifices of the Congrega- 
 tionalists, which have been cheerfully accepted; and 
 in two instances at h^ast, when the latter have been by 
 sudden disasters deprived for a season of a place of 
 worship, the doors of Christ's Church have been freely 
 opened to them. One instance from the records ma}" 
 be given. 
 
 " At a legal meeting of the Episcopal Parish of Christ's 
 Church, in Norwich, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 1794, Thom- 
 as Mumford, Moderator, 
 
 Voted, that this meeting, taking into consideration that 
 the Presbyterian church in this place, of which the Rev. 
 Walter King is Pastor, are destitute of a convenient place 
 in which to attend public worship, their meeting-house hav- 
 ing been lately destroyed by fire, do consent to accommodate 
 said Presbyterian societ}- until Easter Monday, 1795, as fol- 
 lows : the Rev'' John Tyler, our present pastor, to perform 
 divine service one half the day on each Sabbath, and the 
 Rev. Walter King, pastor of said Presbyterian congregation, 
 to perform divine service the other half of said Sabbath, 
 alternately performing on the first part of the day." 
 
 For this kind and considerate courtesy, the obliged 
 party passed a vote of acknowledgment and thanks, 
 which was inserted upon the records of both societies. 
 The offer was accepted, and this amicable arrangement 
 lasted for three months. 
 
268 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Mr. Tyler died January 20, 1823, in the eig•llty-fir^t 
 year of his age. He was an interesting preacher; his 
 voice sweet and solemn, and his eloquence persuasive. 
 The benevolence of his heart was manifested in daily 
 acts of courtesy and charity to those around him. He 
 studied medicine in order to benefit the poor, and to 
 find out remedies for some of tliose peculiar diseases 
 to v.hich no common specifics seemed to apply. His 
 pills, ointments, extracts, and syrups, obtained a great 
 local celebrity. During the latter years of his life, he 
 was so infirm as to need assistance in the performance 
 of his functions. Mr. Clark was his colleague for three 
 years, and Mr. Paddock the last year before his death. 
 
 Mr. Tylei was succeeded by the Rev. Seth B. Pad- 
 dock, who oflficiated as Rector until the summer of 
 1844. Salary $800, together with interest on the sale 
 of the Glebe house and lot, which was $100 more. 
 
 Mr. Paddock, after resigning his rectorship, took 
 cliarge of the Episcopal Academy, in Cheshire. 
 
 The Rev. William F. Morgan was consecrated Rector 
 in September, 1844. 
 
 In 1828 a new church was erected ; the old one hav- 
 ing fallen into decay, and its dimensions becoming too 
 limited for the increasing audience. The whole cost 
 of the new edifice, together with the organ and furni- 
 ture, was $10,500. More than half of this wasraised 
 by voluntary contributions. The most liberal donors 
 were Mr. Richard Adams and Mr, Jedediah Hunting- 
 ton. The former gave $600 and the latter $500. It 
 stands a few rods west of the old church, between the 
 middle and upper streets. It is built of stone, in the 
 gothic style; its dimensions sixty-five feet by fifty-two. 
 It was consecrated by the Rev. Thomas C. Brownell, 
 the diocesan Bishop, July 29, 1829. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 269 
 
 The deed of the Glebe houselot having been execu- 
 ted in favor of the S. P. G. F. P., it couhl not be alien- 
 ated without taking some legal measures to obtain a 
 title. A petition was therefore presented to the Gene- 
 ral Assembly, in 1835, who passed an act vesting the 
 property in the Society. 
 
 Mr. Tyler is the only one who has died Rector of 
 this church. His monumental stone bears this in- 
 scription : 
 
 " Here lies interred the earthly remains of (he Rev. 
 John Tyler, for fifty-four years Rector of Christ's 
 Church, in tliis city. Having faithfully fulfilled his 
 ministry, he was ready to be dissolved, and to be with 
 Christ. His soul took its flight from this vale of mis- 
 ery January 20, 1823, in the eighty-first year of his 
 age." 
 
CFI AFTER XXXI. 
 
 Population. Inoculation. Division of the Ancient Town. Franklin. Newent. 
 Bozrah. Long Society. Hanover. Portipaug. 
 
 CENSUS OF NORWICH, JAN. 1, 1774, 
 
 Persons. Families. Dwelling Houses. 
 
 First Society . . . 1978 
 
 West do 875 
 
 Newent .... 641 
 
 East 1100 
 
 New Concord . . 932 
 
 Chelsea 1019 
 
 Hanover .... 323 
 
 Eishth 453 
 
 317 
 
 283 
 
 133 
 
 111 
 
 98 
 
 92 
 
 76 
 
 69 
 
 146 
 
 130 
 
 127 
 
 104 
 
 53 
 
 44 
 
 74 
 
 68 
 
 7321 1024 901 
 
 Males under 10 1099 
 
 Females do 1054 
 
 Males between 10 and 20 916 
 
 Females do. 749 
 
 Males between 20 and 70 . . . . . . 1468 
 
 Females do. 1574 
 
 Males above 70 78 
 
 Females do 94 
 
 In 1779, number of families in First Society 367 ; 
 persons 2184. In Chelsea 129 families, 1111 persons. 
 
 The whole population of the town as returned in the 
 Grain Book of 1779, was 7187. In 1780, 6541. It is 
 evident that these returns are very inaccurate. At the 
 latter date the population of the nine miles square was 
 probably about 8000. 
 
 It is said that at tlie annual election for Governor, 
 in 1786, 900 votes were g'iven in Norwich for one can- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 271 
 
 ilidate, viz : Governor Huntington. This, if it be a 
 fact, illustrates the harmony of opinion that pervaded 
 the eight societies, and shows the increased population 
 of the place. Even in the present day, of almost nn- 
 limited elective franchise, it is rare to find a larger 
 proportion of the inhabitants of a town voters. 
 
 These societies had, nevertheless, many local jeal- 
 ousies, and vehement disputes on minor subjects. The 
 Mason and Mohegan controversy with the State, at 
 one time ranged the citizens into two adverse parties ; 
 conflicting opinions respecting points of ecclesiastical 
 discipline, at various periods convulsed the churches, 
 and almost rent them in twain : and one of the most 
 bitter contentions that ever disturbed the town, was 
 occasioned by a dilTerencc of opinion with respect to 
 the regulation of swine, viz : whether they should be 
 confined, or run at large. Elisha Hide Esq., then a 
 young man, was very conspicuous in this controversy. 
 He espoused the cause oi freedom, and this eviMitually 
 became the prevailing side. In 17G0, a conflict was 
 begun, with respect to inoculation for the Small Pox, 
 which canie very near being interminable. Individu- 
 als had been agitating the question for mrtny years, 
 and it Avas now proposed to the town in this form, viz: 
 Will the town approve of Dr. Elisha Lord's pioceeding 
 to inoculate for the small pox, under any regulations 
 whatever. Passed in the negative. The subject was 
 r^'sunicd again and again, with the same result. The 
 ., popular feeling was excited, almost to violence, when- 
 ever the faculty brought up the question. In. 1773, 
 we find Dr. Turner and Dr. Loomis opening a hospital 
 ,i for inoculation, on an island in the Sound, olT Ston- 
 'I ington, the citizens on the main land strenuously op- 
 posing the erection of hospitals. In 1787, Drs. Marvin 
 and Tracy made an effort to obtain permission to open 
 
272 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 a hospital, somewhere in the purlieus of the town, but 
 in vain. They afterwards selected a beautiful and re- 
 tired situation on the banks of the Thames, in that part 
 of the Mohegan lands called Massapeng, and thither 
 people resorted from all the neighboring towns to be 
 inoculated. Public opinion was, however, gradually 
 changing, and in 1792, a special meeting was warned 
 to consider the subject, under tlie expectation that a 
 vote would be ol)tained, to permit inoculation within 
 the limits of the town. This expectation was disap- 
 pointed ; the opposition was vehement ; a majority , 
 were in favor of the motion, but the law required two- i 
 thirds of the voices present, and it was lost. The yeas 
 and nays at this time were carefully recorded. The I 
 conflict continued three years longer, but in 1796, a 
 vote was obtained to open a house for inoculation, pro- 
 vided it be in some obscure and thinly peopled part of j, 
 the town. After this there was no further controversy ' 
 on the point. 
 
 The division of the town took place in 1786. This si 
 was accomplished in the most amicable manner. In * 
 full town meeting, on the question of petitioning the 
 Assembly to have the town divided, there was but one 
 vote in the negative. It was settled that the First and ; 
 Chelsea Societies, should form the town of Norwich ; ?' 
 Hanover, Newent, and a part of Long Society, a new 
 town by the name of Lisbon ; New Concord, Porti- 
 paug. West and Eighth Societies, should form the two 
 towns of Franklin and Bozrali ; and that East Society 
 should be annexed to Preston, the middle waters of 
 the Thames and Shetucket being the boundary. The 
 division lines were harmoniously adjusted, and com- 
 mittees appointed from each of the new towns, to 
 meet with one from Norwich lo settle accounts, ff 
 assume a just quota of the debts, take their part of the 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 273 
 
 town's poor, &c. The ancient town continued to have 
 an annual meeting for several 3^ears, to see to tliose 
 aflairs of general concern, which had not been fully 
 distril)utcd or settled. 
 
 This division of the town was undoubtedly a wise 
 and salutary measure. But an historian who has hith- 
 erto considered the nine-miles square as a beautiful 
 whole, cannot but sigh to see the integrity of his prov- 
 ince destroyed, and may be allowed to linger awhile 
 over those relinquished societies which will hencefor- 
 ward have a distinct history of their own. 
 
 SECOND SOCIETY : WEST FARMS, OR FRANKLIN. 
 
 In the year 1718, the Second Church in Norwich was 
 formed in that part of Norwich then called the West 
 Farms, or North Society. The settlements here were 
 almost coeval with the Town-plot. Many of tlie sons 
 of the proprietors removed to farms which by repeated 
 divisions of land made by the town, fell to themselves 
 or their fathers ; hence the names of Lathrop, Tracy, 
 Abel, Gager, Hide, &c., soon became diffused through 
 the adjoining societies. The Rev. Henry Wills was the 
 fust minister at West Farms. In 1721 the church was 
 favored with a great revival which added sixty-eight 
 members to it; alarge proportion otit of a population that 
 did not at that time exceed 400. Mr. Wills was dis- 
 missed in 1749, in consequence of a division in the 
 church with respect to Church government. The Rev. 
 John Ellis, his successor, was settled in 1752, and 
 retained liis charge about twenty-seven years. The 
 latter part of the time he was absent from his people, 
 having joined the Revolutionary army as chaplain, 
 with their consent. Having decided to remain with 
 the army, he asked and obtained a dismission from the 
 church. After the conclusion of the war, he preached 
 24 
 
274 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 awhile at Relioboth, Mass., but returned at length to 
 his former people, and resided among them till his 
 death in 1805. In 1745, upon the question of erecting 
 a new meeting-house, a schism took place in this soci- 
 ety. A party withdrew, and a new society was form- 
 ed, which settled the Rev. Mr. Ives. This church 
 however soon dwindled away, and was merged in that 
 of the Separatists, which also in a few years became 
 extinct. Mr. Ives removed to Munson, Mass., in 1758. 
 
 The meeting-house alluded to above, is still extant, 
 though unoccupied, as the Society has recently erected 
 a more modern and convenient edifice. It stands upon 
 a high hill, looking out upon a rich and extensive 
 prospect of forest and cultivated field. Within the 
 walls, all is sombre, plain, and antique ; the pulpit is 
 at the side ; it has an entrance in front and at either 
 end ; the pew frames and gallery resemble lace bob- 
 bins; the sound-board, bearing in large figures the 
 date of 1745, the pulpit and pulpit window are carved 
 and painted in different colors; the pulpit cushions are 
 of gray velvet, with heavy black tassels, and when the 
 wind comes in through the broken casements, they 
 wave like a hearse pall. This description applies to it 
 as it was in 1830. One must have seen it filled with 
 its varied congregation, and surmounted with the ihin 
 and pallid face of its venerable pastor, and have heard 
 his tremulous voice uttering the customary strains of 
 exhortation and warning, in order to obtain the most 
 striking impression of this old Puritan church. 
 
 Rev. Samuel Nott, third minister at West Farms, 
 was ordained March 13, 1782. This venerable minis- 
 ter has preached his sixty-second anniversary sermon, 
 and still performs all the duties of his oflSce, though jil 
 more than ninety years of age. 
 
 When th(^ two Societies of West Farms and Porti- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 275 
 
 paug were united (o form a town, the proposition to 
 give it the name of Franklin, is believed to have ori- 
 ginated with Jacob Kingsbury Esq. This gentleman 
 was Inspector General in (he army of the United 
 States, and served his country faithfully both in the 
 army and navy for a period of forty years. He was a 
 desciuidant of Deacon Joseph Kingsbury, one of the 
 fust pillars of the West Farms church. At the com- 
 mencement of the revolution, he repaired to Roxbury, 
 and entered the army as a volunteer, being then only 
 eighteen 3'ears of age. He continued in the service 
 until the close of the second war with the British, in 
 1815. He was a member of tlie old society of the Cin- 
 cinnati. His death took place at Franklin, in 1837. 
 He was then eighty-one years of age. One of his de- 
 scendants, Lieut. Charles E. Kingsbury, a youth of 
 eighteen, died at Fort Mellon, in East Florida, eleven 
 days before him. So near together fall the green tree 
 and the dry. 
 
 EIGHTH SOCIETY, OR PORTIPAUG. 
 
 This is the society already mentioned, which broke 
 
 away from the Second and established an independent 
 
 church. It was not incorporated for many years. Mr. 
 
 Ives was the first and only minister of the Congrega- 
 
 ' tional order. 
 
 A free church has since been erected here by the 
 voluntary contributions of a few individuals. By the 
 word free, is meant that it is open for all denomina- 
 tions of christians to occupy. It is however most gen- 
 erally in the service of the Methodists. 
 
 The Congregational church in Portipaug was con- 
 stituted before that of Hanover, but the latter was first 
 H incorporated as an ecclesiastical society. Hanover is 
 therefore numbered as the Seventh, and Poitipaug as 
 
276 HISTORY OP NORWICH. 
 
 the Eighth society. These ecclesiastical societies were 
 the original divisions or districts in use all over New 
 England in its earlier days. The great increase of 
 other denominations has rendered them ohsolete. 
 
 Portipaug, spelt also Pottapange andPettipaug, was 
 the Indian designation of the place. The name seems 
 to have been descriptive of a valley with a small 
 stream Avinding through it. 
 
 Franklin, which comprises these two societies is a 
 farming town, that in 1840 contained about 1000 
 inhabitants. The population has continued for a 
 number of years uncommonly stationary. In 1810 it 
 was 1161. In 1830, 1194. The extent of the town 
 is about five, miles by four. It contains no considera- 
 ble village ; arTd the only manufacturing establishment 
 of any importance is a woolen factory, on Beaver 
 Brook, near the Shetucket. 
 
 NEWENT, OR THIRD SOCIETY. 
 
 The laige tract of land lying between the crotch of 
 the rivers Shetucket and Quinebaug, was acknowledg- 
 ed by the English to be a part of the Mohegan terri- 
 tory. At an early period, it was inhabited by a band 
 of Indians tributary to Uncas, called by the first settlers 
 Showtuckets. A great part of this tract, given or sold 
 by Uncas to Capt. James Fitch, was commonly called 
 " the ISOO acre grant." 
 
 About the year 1694, Capt. Fitch sold out his right 
 to 1200 acres of this land to Joseph Saflbrd, Richard 
 Smith, Meshach Farly and Matthew Perkins, all of 
 the town of Ipswich. 
 
 In 1695, Joseph and Jabez Perkins, of Ipswich, 
 made an additional purchase of 800 acres for ,£70, 
 and in 1700, Matthew Perkins sold out his previous 
 purchase to his brothers, the said Joseph and Jabez, 
 
HISTORY OF NORAVICH. 277 
 
 and about the same time, John SafTord and Samuel 
 Bishop, both of Ipswich, became planters. The whole 
 tract between the rivers, except what was expressly 
 guarantied by the town to the Indians then residing- 
 upon it, was soon divided into farms, and leased out by 
 indentures to various settlers. Jabez and Joseph Per- 
 kins were accepted as inhabitants in 1701. These two 
 brothers continued to improve their land in common, 
 until the year 1720, when they divided it e(|ually be- 
 tween themselves, and after obtaining an acknowledg- 
 ment of their title from the town, it was still further 
 divided by deed among their respective sons, the 
 daughters being each provided for by a portion of j£'50 
 in money. 
 
 This land was at first considered a very choice part 
 of the nine miles square in respect to soil, but the farms 
 have since very much diminished in value. In 1725, 
 the proprietors of the conunon and undivided land put 
 an end to all controversy, by giving a quit-claim deed 
 to Capt. Jabez Perkins, Lt. Samuel Bishop, Mr. Jo- 
 seph Perkins and Mr. John Saffbrd, of all the Indian 
 land in the crotch of the rivers, and of all contained 
 in Major Fitch's ISOO acre grant, for the simi of ^£75, 
 money in hand, paid to said proprietors, provided that 
 they shall allow the Indians to enjoy the said Indian 
 land according to the town grant. 
 
 The ecclesiastical society in this placc^ was organized 
 in 1723, tlu^ town having previously appropriated 
 sixty acres of land for the use of the first mim"ster that 
 should settle there. The affairs of the society were 
 entirely under the control of the Perkins family, as 
 appears from the following entry: 
 
 "Jan. 17, 1720. In town meeting ordered, that if the 
 Perkinses at their return from Boston, do not bring with them 
 a minister to preach in the crotch of the river, or satisfy the 
 
 24* 
 
278 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 selectmen they shall have one speedily, the rate-makers shall 
 put them into the minister's rates." 
 
 The Rev. Daniel Kirtland was the first minister. At 
 his ordination, Dec. 10, 1723, the following ministers 
 assisted : 
 
 Dr. Lord and Mr. Wills, of Norwich. 
 Mr. Mather, of Saybrook. 
 Mr. Eslabrooks, of Canterbury. 
 
 The church agreed to profess discipline according 
 to the Cambridge Platform. They professed to believe 
 " that all organized church acts proceeded after the 
 manner of a mixed administration, and coidd not be 
 consummated without the consent of both elders and 
 brotherhood." 
 
 Mr. Kirtland, after preaching nearly thirty years, 
 became deranged, and his connexion with the church 
 was dissolved on account of this calamity. He li\ ed 
 to the age of 72, died very poor, in 1773, and not hav- 
 ing had any monumental stone, the spot which his 
 remains occupy in the burying yard is forgotten and 
 unknown. He had married, soon after his ordination, 
 Miss Marcy Perkins, by whom he had two sons, Daniel 
 and Samuel. Samuel, born in 1735, is well known as 
 the faithful missionary of the Oneida Indians, and the 
 father of President Kirtland of Harvard College. He 
 was a pupil of the Indian school founded by Dr. Whee- 
 lock in Lebanon, and left Norwich in 1766, to go on the 
 mission to which the remainder of his life was devoted. 
 For forty years, his labors among the Aborigines were 
 arduous and unremitted. 
 
 The Rev. Peter Powers, successor to Mr. Kirtland, 
 was ordained Dec. 2, 1756, but relinquished his charge 
 in 1766, on account of the insufficiency of his salary to 
 give him a support, and for some years, they were 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 279 
 
 without a minister, in a weak and scattered state. 
 Something- like a re-organization of the church took 
 place in 1770 ; several of the Separates returned, and • 
 Dr. Joel Benedict, a man of fine classical attainments, 
 was installed pastor. He remained with them thirteen 
 years, and then obtained a dismission, on account of 
 the niggardliness of his salary. He afterward settled 
 in Plainficld, and acquired a distinguished reputation 
 as a Hebrew scholar. 
 
 In 1780, Mr. David Hale of Coventry, was ordained 
 at No went. He was the brother of the accomplished and 
 chivalrous Capt. Nathan Hale, who was executed as a 
 spy on Long Island, by order of Sir William Howe. 
 Mr. Hale was a man of very gentle and winning man- 
 ners, of exalted piety and a fine scholar. He carried his 
 idea of disinterested benevolence to such an extent, 
 that if acted upon, it would overturn all social institu- 
 tions. He thought it to be a man's duty to love his 
 neighbor, not only as himself, witli the same kind of 
 love, but also to the same degree^ so that he should not 
 prefer, even in thought, that a contingent calamity, 
 such as the burning of a house, or the loss of a child ^ 
 should fall on his neighbor, rather than on himself. 
 Mr. Hale supplied the deficiencies of his salary by 
 keeping a boarding school. As an instructor, he was 
 popular ; his house was filled with pupils from all parts 
 of the county, but ill health and a constitutional de- 
 pression of spirits, obliged him to resign this employ- 
 ment, and eventually liis pastoral oflTice. His mind 
 and nerves were of that delicate and sensitive temper- 
 ament, which cannot long endure the rude shock of 
 earthly scenes. He returned to Coventry, and died 
 young. Thus of four persons, successively ordained 
 or installed over this church, not one diiui their minis- 
 ter. The Rev. Levi Nelson, the present poster, was 
 
280 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ordained in 1804, a man of whom it has been said that 
 he never had an enemy ; a rare character to be given 
 of any minister in these days of division, doctrinal dis- 
 putes, favoritism and change. 
 
 The new society took the name of Newent, in fond 
 remembrance of a town of that name in Gloucester- 
 shire, England, from which the ancestors of Joseph 
 and Jabez Perkins originally emigrated. The first of 
 this family mentioned in the Norwich records is Dan- 
 iel Perkins, who in 1682, married Deliver* the daugh- 
 ter of Thomas Bliss, of the Town-plot. This connec- 
 tion may have led to the emigration of the family 
 from Ipswich, though whether Daniel was the brother 
 of Matthew, Jabez and Joseph, is not ascertained. 
 The death of a Mr. Joseph Perkins is recorded in 
 1698. This was perhaps the father of the Newent 
 family, who may have come in his old age to reside 
 with his sons. Jabez married Hannah Lathrop in 
 1698. Their sons were 
 
 Jabez, born, 1699 Luke, born, 1709 
 Jacob, " 1705 
 
 It is from tiiis line of the family, that the veneral)]e 
 Capt. Erastus Perkins, of Chelsea, is descended. He 
 was born February 17, 1752, and is still living. His 
 fatlier Capt. Jabez Perkins resided in the Town-plot, 
 and about the year 1750, brought home one day from 
 the woods, two young elms, which he set out in such 
 positions as would throw their shade over the shop 
 that he then occupied. These are now those lofty and 
 wide spreading elms that nearly front the dwelling of 
 Mrs. Daniel Coit. 
 
 * Query: — a mistake for Dolindal See daughters of Thomas Bliss, 
 page 99. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 281 
 
 Joseph Perkins born in 1674, nianied IMartlui Mor- 
 gan ill 1700. His sons were 
 
 Joseph, born, 1704 Matthew born, 1713 
 John, " 1709 VViUiam, " 1722 
 
 Deacon Joseph died in 1726. His son Joseph, was 
 a physician of large practice, and (he father of two 
 physicians each more noted than himself. The sec- 
 ond. Dr. Joseph, devoted a long life to the duties of 
 his profession in his native town. In the latter part of 
 his life, he had some seasons of slight mental distur- 
 bance, and those who knew him well, always abstain- 
 ed from asking his professional advice, Avhen he 
 appeared without his knee-buckles ; - — such neglect 
 being a sure indication that his mind was absent and 
 unsettled. He died in 1794, having reached his nine- 
 tieth year. 
 
 Dr. Elislia Perkins, of Plainfield, was the celebrated 
 inventor of the metallic Tractors. This was a method 
 of curing diseases, by rubbing the patient in a certain 
 manner with small pointed pieces of metal, steel or 
 brass, which were thought to exlract the pain by ;i 
 kind of magnelism. The inventor not meeting with 
 much success among his countrymen — the nudical 
 association of his native connfy discarding him from 
 their fellowship as a quack — transferred the sphere of 
 bis operations to England. Here the invention exci- 
 ted considerable notice, societies were established in 
 London and other places for the use of the Tractors in 
 disorders of the poor, and reports were printed exhibi- 
 ting numerous cases of cure. One of these societies 
 established at Durham under the patronage of the 
 Bishop, announced in 1805, tbe relief or cure of 200 
 diseased persons l)y the use of Tractors. Dr. Peikins 
 
282 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 soon afterwards died, and his Tractors have long disap- 
 peared from medical use. 
 
 Lieut. Samuel Bishop, and his brother John, were 
 also emigrants from Ipswich. Samuel, the son of 
 Samuel, was married in 1706 to Sarah Forbes. John, 
 the son of John in 1718 to Mary Bingham. The de- 
 scendants of these brothers are numerous. 
 
 SEVENTH SOCIETY, OR HANOVER. 
 
 This society includes the south-west corner of Can- 
 terbury, and the south-east of Windham, but the main 
 position of it, united with Newent, forms the town of 
 Lisbon. It was incorporated as an ecclesiastical soci- 
 ety in 1761, and a fund of ^£1600 raised by subscrip- 
 tion for the support of the ministry. The meetings 
 were held in private houses, near the centre of the 
 society for several years. The church was gathered 
 May 13, 1776, and a house for worship erected near 
 that period. The Rev. Andrew Lee was ordained the 
 first pastor, October 26, 1768. He exercised the duties 
 of this office for sixty-two years alone, and though not 
 a shining preacher, was highly esteemed as a sound 
 divine and a useful pastor. His published sermons 
 give evidence of talent and research. In 1830, the 
 Rev. Barnabas Phinney was installed as colleague 
 with Dr. Lee, wiio was then feeble and infirm, though 
 able to preach occasionally. This venerable man 
 died August 2.5, 1832, aged eighty-seven. Mr. Phin- 
 ney was dismissed in 1S33. 
 
 The Rev. Philo Judson, was installed his successor 
 the same year, but in December 1834, was dismissed 
 to VVillimantic. 
 
 The present pastor is the Rev. James Ayres, form- 
 erly of North Stoiriugton. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 283 
 
 Lisbon is an irregular township, its boundary linos 
 
 being- mostly rivers. The inhabitants are principally 
 farmers. 
 
 Population in 1800, . . . 1158 
 
 " ISIO, . . . 1128 
 
 " 1830, . . . 1161 
 
 " 1840, . . . 1052 
 
 FOURTH SOCIETY : NEW CONCORD OR BOZRAH. 
 
 The Fourth Ecclesiastical society was formed in 
 1733. The Watermans and Houghs were some of (he 
 fust settlers in this part of the town. Samuel and Jolm 
 Hough removed from New London, where the family 
 had been residents since 1650. This was first known 
 as West Society ; that part before known as West 
 Farms being then designated North Society. Permis- 
 sion had been given the planters in 1715, to form a 
 parish by themselves, but being unable to support a 
 minister, they were not regularly organized until 
 eighteen years afterwards, when they took the name of 
 New Concord, and were released from all obligation to 
 support the ministry of the First Societ)', on condition 
 of maintaining a gospel minister at least six months in 
 the year. 
 
 The bounds between the two societies, were to be, 
 the river, the brook that runs out of it^ the Cranberry 
 Pond, the Cranberry Pond brook, the great sivamp, the 
 dark swamp, and the mirij swamp. It might be a dilH- 
 cult task, at the present day, to run the line from these 
 data. The Rev. Benjamin Throop, the first regular 
 minister, was settled January 3, 1738, and died 1785. 
 This Society afterwards became familiarly known as 
 Bozrah, which name it retained upon being incorpora- 
 ted into a town in 1786. 
 
 Bozrah is four and a half miles long, and about four 
 in breadth. Like other parts of the nine miles squaie, 
 
284 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 it consists of a succession of hills and vallies, some of 
 them rocky and barren, others fair and fertile. " The 
 Woody Vales of Bozrah ! " has been a familiar phrase 
 in the vicinity, from its having been the chorus of a 
 poem written by one of Bozrah's sentimental daugh- 
 ters. The chorus is perhaps the only relic of the pro- 
 duction that survives. 
 
 This town has three houses of public worship, Con- 
 gregational, Baptist and Methodist ; and two cotton 
 factories with villages adjoining, viz : Bozrahville and 
 Fitchville, both on Yantic river. The latter was built 
 by Nehemiah H. Fitch Esq., and his brothers in 1832. 
 It [■> five miles from Norwich city. Bozrahville is 
 eight miles from the city, on and near the dividing line 
 between Bozrah and Lebanon. 
 
 In 1786, the Rev. Jonathan Murdoch was ordained 
 pastor of the Congregational Church in Bozrah. He 
 died in 1812. The Rev. David Austin was installed 
 his successor in 1815. This gentleman was a native 
 of New Haven, born in 1760, and fitted by an accom- 
 plished education and foreign travel, to become an 
 ornament to society, as well as by ardent piety, and a 
 lively and florid eloquence to be useful in the ministry. 
 He married Lydia, daughter of Dr. Joshua Lathrop,of 
 Norwich, and settled as pastor of the church in Eliza- 
 bethtown, in 1788. The kindness of his heart and the 
 suavity of his manner endeared him to all who knew 
 him, while his zeal in the performance of his duties, 
 and his popular pulpit talents, made him successful in 
 his office, and extensively known as a preacher. It is 
 to him that Gov. Livingston alludes in the following 
 lines of his poem on Philosophic Solitude. 
 
 " Dear A***** too should grace my rural seat, 
 Forever welcome to the green retreat ; 
 Heaven for the cause of righteousness designed, 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH, 285 
 
 His florid genius and capacious mind. 
 Oft have I seen him 'mid the adoring throng, 
 Celestial truths devolving from his tongue : 
 Oft o'er the listening audience seen him stand, 
 Divinely speak, and graceful wave his hand." 
 
 Mr. Austin was naturally eccentric, and had always 
 something- erratic and extravagant in his manner of 
 thinking, speaking and acting. Unhappily his mind 
 was led to investigate, too deeply for its strength, the 
 prophecies ; his ardent imagination became inflamed, 
 his benevolent heart dilated to overflowing, and his 
 mental powers became partially deranged. He now 
 appeared as a champion of the Second Advent doc- 
 trine, and held that the coming of Christ to connnence 
 his personal reign on earth, would be on the fourth 
 Sabbath of May, 1796. On the morning of that day, 
 he was in a state of great agitation, and one or (wo re- 
 ports of distant thunder excited him almost to frenzy. 
 But the day passed over as usual ; yet the disappoint- 
 ment did not cure the delusion of Mr. Austin's mind. 
 
 He now went round the country announcing the 
 near approach of Christ's coming, and calling upon 
 the Jews to assemble and make preparations to return 
 to their own land. He declared himself to be 
 commissioned as Christ's forerunner, a second John 
 tlie Baptist, appointed to establish the new millenial 
 church upon earth. His vagaries every day increasing, 
 in 1797, he was removed by the Presbytery from his 
 pastoral relation to the church at Elizabetbtown, He 
 then went to New Haven, where he erected several 
 j large houses and a wharf, for the use of the Jews, 
 whom he invited to assemble there, and embark for 
 the Holy Land. Having at last, in this and other 
 plans, expended an ample fortune, he was for a while 
 imprisoned for debt, and after being released from con- 
 25 
 
286 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 finement, gradually became calm and sane upon all 
 points except the prophecies. He had no children, 
 and his wife had long before taken refuge in her 
 father's house, in Norwich. Here, too, Mr. Austin 
 returned after his wanderings, like the dove to the ark, 
 and after awhile the balance of his mind seemed to be 
 restored, and he began again to preach with acceptance 
 in various churches in Connecticut. 
 
 In 1815, he accepted a call to settle in Bozrah, and 
 from that time till his death quietly and regularly 
 preached the gospel of salvation. But though he per- 
 formed all the duties of a pastor, and was much es- 
 teemed and l)eloved by his people, he continued still 
 to reside in Norwich, where he died, in 1831. 
 
 For elegance of manners, for brilliancy of conversa- 
 tion, for fervor of worship, for a large heart and a lib- 
 eral hand, few men could surpass Mr. Austin. The 
 darkness that obscured his intellect on many points, 
 and which was never wholly removed, appeared not 
 to impair in the least those prominent trails, that lay 
 deep and shone through, to illustrate his character, 
 and to win for him the love and admiration of all who 
 came within his sphere. 
 
 LONG SOCIETY. 
 
 The fifth ecclesiastical society was formed in that 
 part of the town which lay east of the rivers Shetucket 
 and Thames, then, as now, known by the name of 
 Long Society. The ftirmers of this side of the river, 
 in 1698, petitioned to be released from paying minis- 
 ter's rates in Norwich, which was granted, on condi- 
 tion of their paying in Preston. About twenty years 
 afterwards, permission was given tliem to form a dis- 
 tinct church, and sixty acres of land set apart for the 
 first minister who should settle there. The society 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 287 
 
 was not regularly organized till after 1740; but the 
 Rev. Jabez Wight, who was the first and only minister 
 ever ordained among them, commenced his ministra- 
 tions some ten years earlier. Mr. Wight was born in 
 1701, married Ruth Swan, in 1726, and died in 1783. 
 His pastoral charge extended over a period of fifty-two 
 years, but the date of his ordination is not ascertained. 
 
 This society afterwards greatly declined. For many 
 years they were not only without a pastor and any ad- 
 ministration of the sacred ordinances, but without any 
 regular religious instruction whatever. The meeting- 
 house remained, and at long intervals a preacher's 
 voice was heard in it, bat the members of the church 
 were dispersed or dead, and the communion plate had 
 not been used for many years, when the Rev. Mr. Glea- 
 son, the Missionary of Mohcgan, administered the sac- 
 rament, in August, 1837. 
 
 Several persons in Norwich city have recently taken 
 great interest in the situation of this society ; have es- 
 tablished Sabbath and Singing schools there, obtained 
 preachers, and cheerfully given their own services to 
 advance the cause of religion. 
 
 Long Society, since 1786, has formed a part of the 
 town of Preston. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 Chelsea Society. 
 
 The sixth ecclesiastical society was organized, at 
 Chelsea, November 29, 1751. 
 
 Capt. Dean, Moderator. 
 Daniel Kingsbury, Society Clerk. 
 Prosper VVetmore, CuUertor. 
 Eleazer Waterman, > ^ 
 Nathaniel Rirkns ( Committee. 
 
 Capt. Jabez Dean was very active in promoting this 
 measure, and in procuring ministers to preach to the 
 new congregation. They began with hiring a minis- 
 ter only four months in the year, and taxing them- 
 selves 166?., old tenor, on tlie pound to pay for it. 
 Tliey presented a memorial to the General Assembly to 
 allow them to tax also the land of non-resident proprie- 
 tors and ship owners, which was granted. This mode 
 of paying for ecclesiastical services soon became very 
 unpopular, and in 1755 they declared that they would 
 pay their minister by subscriptions and contributions. 
 This also was found by experience to be a very uncer- 
 tain and perplexing mode, and as soon as they had a 
 regular minister they agreed to raise his salary in the 
 usual way, that is, by society rates. They first secured 
 the services of Mr. Elijah Lathrop, of Windham, and 
 afterwards of Mr. John Curtis, who preached for tliem 
 three or four years, from four to six months each year; 
 they only hiring a minister a sufficient part of tlie year 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 289 
 
 to prevent their being- taxed towards supporting the 
 ministry in the first society. Mr. Curtis boarded at Mi. 
 Elderkin's tavern, where all the society meetings weie 
 then hekl : public worship was at private houses, in 
 rotation with all those who had a room suOicicntly 
 large ; and it is saitl that at first, people were called 
 together by the tap of the drum. 
 
 In 1755, Mr. Cleveland was hired, and paid whatever 
 sum could be raised by weekly contributions. The 
 same year a funeral pall, and bier, and burying ground 
 were ol)tained. The burying ground was purchased 
 of Mr. Jonathan Bushnell ; it was a well-wooded lot, 
 and (he wood cut from it paid tlie whuh; expen&e. 
 
 In 1759, a vote was passed to call the Rev. Nathaniel 
 Whitaker, of New Jersey, "provided he be regularly 
 dismissed from his present charge." A salary of j6100, 
 lawful money, was oll'ered him, with a settlement of 
 .£100, to be paid when the general list of the society 
 should amount to jGGOOO, exclusive of those church- 
 men's estates, who were excused from paying minis- 
 ter's rates. This invitation was accepted, and it is 
 recorded, that in April, 1760, Mr. Whitaker, with his 
 family and goods, arrived from the Jerseys, by water ; 
 the society paying ^£12 for the passage and freight. 
 
 On the 24th of July following, a church was organ- 
 ized, with the assistance of two neigliboring ministers, 
 Messrs. Wight and Throop, consisting of only six 
 members, viz: 
 
 Nathaniel Whitaker, Nathaniel Sliipman, 
 
 Nathaniel Backus, Seth Alden, 
 
 John Porter, Isaiah Tiffany. 
 
 This last had been a member of the church in Leba- 
 non. Seth Alden was a few years afterwards tried by 
 a council of ministers, and excommunicated for drink- 
 
 25* 
 
290 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ing to excess. A very strict personal inspection was 
 exercised by the church, over its members at this pe- 
 riod. At one time a charge was exhibited against one 
 of the members of the church " for going to see the river 
 break up on the Sabbath." The offence, however, was 
 passed over with only a reprimand. A young woman, in 
 a similar case, did not escape so easily. She had spent 
 the night at a neighboring house, and returning home 
 on Sunday morning, lingered by the side of the She- 
 tucket, to see the ice move down with the loosened 
 current, for which she was fined 5^. 
 
 Mr. Whitaker was installed February 25, 1761. Mr. 
 Lord preached the sermon. At this time, six other 
 persons, previously members of other churches, signed 
 the covenant, and united with the church, viz: 
 
 Jonathan Huntington, Jabez Dean, 
 
 William Capron, Eleazar Waterman, 
 
 Caleb Whitney, Ebenezer Fitch. 
 
 Difficulties existed in the infant church with re- 
 spect to the plan of discipline to be adopted ; the 
 major part were in favor of a Presbyterian govern- 
 ment, others were for the Congregational form. The 
 plan at length drawn up and agreed upon, was thor- 
 oughly Presbyterian, and after the model of the 
 Church of Scotland ; but Messrs. Backus and Shipman 
 expressed their dissent and recorded their protest, es- 
 pecially to one article which gave a negative power 
 to the minister. A council was thereupon called, 
 which met the day previous to the installation and re- 
 commended that the Presbyterian plan should be laid 
 aside, and no human form adopted at present, but that 
 they should take the word of God for their rule and 
 directory, in discipline and manners, as well as faith, 
 and not use any platforms of human composition, fur 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 291 
 
 their assistance in understanding this word until God 
 should g-ive them light, in a more explicit manner. 
 Having settled a minister, immediate measures were 
 taken to erect a meeting-house. Public worship had 
 for some lime previous been held at the tavern of Mr. 
 Samuel Trapp; which was the house occupied by 
 Benjamin Coit Esq., deceased. In the rear of this 
 house tlie bell was fixed, being suspended from a scaf- 
 fohling erected upon a rock. 
 
 The first vote of tliis society respecting a meeting- 
 house was in 1752, when they requested leave of the 
 town to erect one " on the highway that leads from 
 Col. Huntington's Crammer lot to the highway near 
 Asa Peabody's house." At the same lime they ap- 
 pointed Benedict Arnold,* Jeremiah Clements, and 
 Gershom Breed, a committee to attend to it. Funds 
 WHM-e not forthcoming, and the project was at that time 
 abandoned. 
 
 In 1760, Jonathan Huntington, Elijah Lathrop, and 
 Epliraim Bell, w^ere a})pointed a committee to build a 
 meeting-house. It was with great difficulty that they 
 obtained a convenient spot for a site. The streets and 
 buildings had not then extended up the hill, and land 
 was scarce and valuable. A small piece of ground was 
 at length obtained of Jabez Huntington Esq., and the 
 County Court ordered a stake to be erected on it as the 
 Society's mark. This spot was considered too circum- 
 scribed, and the committee gave notice tliat the 
 adjoining proprietors, Samuel Bliss and Daniel Tracy, 
 would not sell an inch. The Court therefore ordered 
 the stake to be removed. A warm controversy ensued, 
 which greatly retarded the building of tlie church, but 
 in 1764, another lot was purchased of Mr. Isaac Hun- 
 
 * Father of him who betrayed his country. He emigrated from 
 Rhode Island, and took the freeman's oath in 1739. 
 
292 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 tington, for 70^. the square rod, and permission obtain- 
 ed from the Court to set up the stake there. A memo- 
 rial was then presented to the General Assembly for 
 assistance in building, and a sum of money granted 
 from the treasury of the Colony for this purpose. 
 This church was erected in 1766, and stood on the spot 
 which Mansfield's row of brick buildings now occu- 
 pies. The front was to the south. The length thirty- 
 seven feet, ihe breadth forty-one. The interior was 
 divided into thirt}^ six areas. A warm dispute arose 
 whether the pulpit should be placed on the east or 
 south side, but the party for the south prevailed. 
 
 After the outside of the edifice was completed and 
 the pulpit built, twenty-seven of the thirty-six spaces 
 for pews were sold for the'sum of jC300. Two fami- 
 lies were accommodated in each pew. These being 
 finished, tlie bell was taken from its position on the 
 rock and hung in the steeple. Joseph Smith was en- 
 gaged to ring the bell and keep the house in order, for 
 a salary of twenty shillings per year, and tluis the 
 church was made ready for pul)lic service. Two 
 rooms were afterwards finished in the basement of the 
 house, and let out for storage* 
 
 It may be interesting at the present day to read a list 
 of the pew-holders, particularly to see who were asso- 
 ciated in the same pew: 
 
 No. 1. The Minister and his family. 
 
 2. Seth Harding and William Rockwell. 
 
 3. Sybile Crocker and Jonathan Lester. 
 
 7. Thomas Trapp, Jr., and Stephen Barker. 
 
 9. Jabez Dean and Elijah Lothrop. 
 
 10. Johti Tracy and Peter Lanman. 
 
 11. Joseph Trumbull and Jabez Perkins. 
 
 12. Ephraim Bill and Hugh Ledlie. 
 
 13. Ebenezer Fillimore, Jr., and Timothy Herrick. 
 . 14. William Coit and Simeon Carew. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 293 
 
 No. 18. Nathaniel Backus and Nathaniel Backus, Jr. 
 
 19. Abel Brewster and John Martin. 
 
 21, David Lamb and Moses Pierce. 
 
 23. Benajah Le(fino;well and Ezra Backus. 
 
 25. Benjamin IIunlin<2;ton and Nathaniel Shipmau. 
 
 26. Joseph Smith and Isaac Park. 
 
 27. Stephen Roath and Stephen Roath, Jr. 
 
 The oinittc'd numbers wore allotted (o the space 
 which remained unsold, until Mr. Judson's ordination. 
 At that time, the remaining pews were built and 
 assigned as follows : 
 
 No. 4. Hannah Wio;ht and Joseph Kelley. 
 
 5. Jacob De Witt and John M'Larran Breed. 
 
 6. John and Peter Waterman. 
 8. Benjamin and George Dennis. 
 
 15. Caleb Whitney and Joshua Norman. 
 
 16. Daniel Kelley and William Capron. 
 
 17. Prosper Wetmore and Ebenezer Fitch. 
 
 20. Dav^id and Samuel Roath. 
 
 22. William Reed and Zephaniah Jennings. 
 
 24. Joseph Wight and Lemuel Boswell. 
 
 In the mean time, Mr. Whitaker had become unpop- 
 ular with a part of his people. In 1765, the dissatis- 
 faction was so great, that a council was convened by 
 mutual consent, to reconcile the two parties, if possi- 
 ble. Charges were exhibited to this council, against 
 Mr, Whitaker, by Ephraim Bill, Prosper Wetmore, 
 Peter Lanman, and the two Backuses, accusing him of 
 neglect of duty as a clergyman. He on his part, accu- 
 sed them of violent language and unchristian conduct. 
 The council came to no decision on any of the charges, 
 and the breach was left as wide as before. 
 
 The same year the Connecticut Board of Correspon- 
 dents for Indian affairs, made choice of Mr. Whitaker 
 to go to Europe, in company with Occom, the Mohe- 
 gan preacher, to solicit charities for the endowment of 
 
294 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 an Indian school. Tliey offered to supply his pulpit 
 during his absence, but when Mr. Whitaker laid the 
 affair before his church, they refused to give their con- 
 sent to his going, while he remained their minister. 
 In the society meeting, the vote was a tie. The appli- 
 cation was again repeated, and again refused. A 
 council of advice was called, whose recommendation 
 exactly coincided with Mr. Whitaker's inclination, 
 viz. : that he should be allowed to accept the agency, 
 without dissolving his relation to the church. This, 
 the society refused — a strong party being unequivocal- 
 ly bent on effecting his dismission. A second council 
 was called, who proposed that Mr. Whitaker should 
 go to Europe as the Pastor of the church, but that he 
 should relinquish his salary during his absence ; his 
 people to have the privilege of settling another minis- 
 ter before his return, if they chose j and if such an 
 event took place, he was to be considered as dismiss- 
 ed. If he should return before the settlement of 
 another minister, a council was to be convened, to 
 decide whether he should continue with them, or be 
 dismissed. This conciliatory proposition, which ema- 
 nated from Dr. Lord of the First Society, was ac- 
 cepted. 
 
 Mr. Whitaker was absent about a year and a half. 
 He returned in 1768, and resumed his functions, to 
 the great grief of the dissentient members. A council 
 was convened the next year, that advised him to ask 
 for a dismission, which he did. The society refused by 
 a vote of twent3'^-eight to nine. The majority of the 
 church declared themselves averse to a separation, as 
 seeing no sufficient reason for it, and earnestly desir- 
 ing his continuance with them. A second council was 
 called, wdiich despairing of his future usefulness in 
 this distracted state of the society, dissolved the con- 
 
HISTORY OF NOR-\VICH. 295 
 
 nexion. Mr. Whitakcr was a man of fine talents and 
 prepossessing appearance. He had manifested great 
 interest in the prosperity of Mr. Wlieelock's Indian 
 school at Lebanon, and in tlie welfare of the Mo- 
 heg-an Indians, his neighbors. On these accounts he 
 had been selected as a proper person to accompany 
 Rev. Samson Occom, to England, to obtain funds for 
 that school. They carried with them a printed book 
 containing recommendations, and an exposition of the 
 state of Indian Missions in North America. Mr. 
 Whitaker's recommendation from his church is as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 " The Church of Christ at Chelsey, in Norwich, in Conn : in 
 New England, to all the churches of Christ, and whom- 
 soever it may concern, send greeting : 
 Whereas it has pleased God in his Providence, to call our 
 Reverend and worthy Pastor, Mr. Nathaniel Whittaker, 
 from us for a season, to go to Europe, to solicit charities for the 
 Indian Charity School, under the care of the Rev. Mr. 
 Eleazer Wheclock, of Lebanon, and to promote Christian 
 knowledge among the Indians on this continent : 
 
 We do unanimously recommend him, the said Mr. Whit- 
 aker and his services, to all the churches and people of God, 
 of whatever denomination, and wheresoever he may come, 
 as a faithful minister of Jesus Christ, whose praise is in the 
 gospel through the churches ; earnestly requesting brotherly 
 kindiu'ssand charity may be extended towards him as occa- 
 sion may require ; and that the grand and important cause in 
 which he is engaged, may be forvi'ardcd and promoted by all 
 the lovers of truth. 
 
 Wishing grace, mercy and truth may be multiplied to you 
 and the whole Israel of God, and desiring an interest in your 
 prayers, we subscribe 
 
 Yours in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, 
 By order and in behalf ^ Jonathan Huntington. 
 
 said Church. ^ Isaiah Tifiany. 
 
 Norwich, Oct21, 1756. 
 
 The delegates were eminently successful in their 
 mission, both in England and Scotland. A large sum 
 
296 HISTORY OF NORAVICH. 
 
 was collected and deposited in the hands of trustees, 
 part of it for a projected college at Hanover, and part 
 of it for an Indian school. Some disagreement arose 
 between Whitaker and his Indian associate before 
 they left England, and they did not return togeth- 
 er, though both reached home in 1768. Occom, in 
 his confidential correspondence, throws out some hints 
 with respect to Whitaker, which it is difficult to un- 
 derstand. Perhaps he suspected him of embezzle- 
 ment. Suspicions of his integrity appear to have been 
 excited in the minds of many of the noble patrons of 
 the charity in England. Whitaker was a worldly man, 
 and his conduct frequently irregular. While he lived 
 in Chelsea, he entered into trade, and attempted to 
 juonopolize the vending of wine, raisins, &c. in the 
 Society. At least, this was one of the charges exhib- 
 ited against him. It is said, that after his dismission, 
 he went to the South and died in penury. 
 
 We next find Mr. Punderson Austin preaching in 
 Chelsea : his perquisites were — his board at Mr. Ger- 
 shora Breed's, paid by the society, [10s, per week,] 
 and what he could obtain from weekly contributions. 
 
 Mr. Ephraim Judson, of Woodbury, Conn., was the 
 next candidate, and after a short experience of his 
 ministry, a vote was obtained to call him to the pasto- 
 ral office, nem con. He was ordained Oct. 3, 1771. 
 Sermon by the Rev. Noah Benedict. Mr. Judson was 
 a man of pleasing aspect, and had a fvdl and flowing 
 eloquence at conmiand, but he was greatly deficient 
 in energy and variety. He seldom used notes, and his 
 sermons were usually in the colloquial style of common 
 conversation; frequently using such familiar illustra- 
 tions as would only be necessary for the most illiterate 
 audience. For instance, in a sermon upon the Brazen 
 Serpent, fearing his congregation would not under- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 297 
 
 staiul what he meant, he repeatedly called it the Brass 
 Snake. His expressions were sometimes very quaint 
 and whimsical. Preaching atone time on the excuses 
 made by the guests who were invited to the wedding 
 least, he observed that one had bought five yoke of 
 oxen, and civilly entreated to be excused, but the one 
 who had married a wife, replied absolutely, fie could 
 not come. Hence learn, said the preacher, that one 
 woman can pull harder than five yoke of oxen. Mr. 
 Judson once preached in the first Society, a sermon 
 particularly addressed to young women, which, con- 
 trary to his usual custom, was written out, and elabo- 
 rately finished in the style of Hervey's Meditations, 
 To make it more impressive, he introduced a fictitious 
 character of the name of Clarinda, expatiated upon 
 her wit and beauty, and the number of her admirers, 
 followed her to the l)all-room, and other scenes of 
 gaiety, and then laid her upon a death-bed with all the 
 pathos of a romance. 
 
 In 1776, Mr. Judson was appointed chaplain of 
 Gen. Ward's regiment, and with the consent of the 
 societ3%was on duty with the army for several months. 
 A dwelling house still standing on the burying ground 
 hill, was built for Mr. Judson, An agreement was 
 made, that if he remained with his people more than 
 five years, the house waste become his ownpropeity ; if 
 he left them before the expiration of that term, it 
 reverted to the Society. As soon as the five years had 
 elapsed, i.e., in Nov. 1778, he asked for a dismission. 
 The reasons he assigned were these : 1st, want of com- 
 petent support : 2d, ill health ; 3d, negligence of the 
 people in attending public worship. A council was 
 called, who considering Mr. Judson's inability to study, 
 and the great indiflference which prevailed with regard 
 to his ministrations, very few attending on public wor- 
 26 
 
298 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ship, dissolved his connexion with the church. Mr. 
 Judson afterwards deeply regretted his folly in leaving 
 his people, and in a subsequent visit, made after the 
 settlement of another pastor, he preached to them, and 
 at the close of his sermon, asked forgiveness of the 
 church. He confessed, with streaming eyes, that he 
 had done wrong, and many of the congregation were 
 also melted into tears by his frank confessions, his 
 penitence and apparent humility. This, however 
 might have been done, partly for effect, for Mr. Judson 
 never preached many years in the same place, and at 
 length grew rich by repeated settlements — settlements 
 being then in vogue. 
 
 For several succeeding years, public v/orship seems 
 to have been at a low ebb in Chelsea. Sometimes 
 they had preaching and sometimes not. At one. time, 
 Mr. David Austin preached to them for 40*-. per Sab- 
 bath — subsequently, Mr. Zebulon Ely. 
 
 During this period also, they engaged the services 
 of Mr. Nathaniel Niles, a licensed preacher, who occa- 
 sionally exercised his vocation, although he never 
 wished a settlement. He established in Norwich du- 
 ring the war, a wire manufactory, but afterwards re- 
 moved to New Hampshire, and became a civil magis- 
 trate, a farmer, and a judge of some court. He is now 
 chiefly known as the author of the " American Hero," 
 a sapphic ode, which was circulated and sung in Nor- 
 wich, in those days of enthusiastic patriotism, and still 
 lingers in the memories of some old persons who have 
 never seen it printed. 
 
 Mr. Niles left liehind liim in Norwich the character 
 of a metaphysical preacher, fond of doctrinal points, 
 and shrewd in drawing lines of difference. He was 
 fearless, however, in denouncing popular sins, and 
 calling upon men every where to repent. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 299 
 
 III 1786, Mr. Waller King labored amoiif^ them, and 
 was snccessfnl in his attempt to revive the decaying 
 interests of religion. The church was re-organized, 
 and the covenant solemnly renewed l)y Jonathan Hun- 
 tington, Ebenezer Fitch nnd twelve sisters of the former 
 church. Seven others made a profession of faith at 
 the same time, and these, with Mr. King, formed a 
 church of twenty-two members, only seven of them 
 males. Mr. King was called to office by a vote of the 
 societ}', thirty-five against one, and ordained May 24, 
 1787. Sermon by Rev. Charles Backus. Mr. Judson, 
 the former minister, then of Taunton, was one of the 
 ordaining council. Mr. King's salary was j6125 for the 
 first year, and to be increased 40.9. annually, until it 
 should amount to <£135, this sum to be the stated sal- 
 ary afterwards. 
 
 No office seems to have been more irksome than 
 that of coll(>cting the society rates for the payment of 
 the minister. It was difficult to find any respectable 
 person who was willing to serve as collector. In 1788, 
 an agreement was signed by a number of gentlemen, 
 and acceded to by the Society, that they would give 
 in their names at the annual meeting, and one should 
 be drawn from them by lot to execute this office, each 
 engaging to serve whenever his name should be drawn. 
 Another disagreeable office was that of Grand Jury- 
 man. In 1746, Benedict Arnold being chosen to this 
 office, refused to serve, whereupon the town imposed a 
 fine on all who for the future should in like manner 
 refuse. This fine was often incurred. 
 
 The R(>v. Charles Backus, who preached the ordina- 
 tion sermon of Mr. King, was born at Norwich, Nov. 5, 
 1749, and in early childhood was bereft of botli of his 
 parents, and with a patrimony insulficient for his edu- 
 cation, was left to the care and generosity of his friends. 
 
300 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 They liberally supplied the deficiency, and educated 
 him at Yale College, where he graduated in 1769. He 
 studied Theology with Dr. Hart in Preston, was ordain- 
 ed at Somers in 3774, and became eminent as an in- 
 structor in Theology, although he declined the profes- 
 sorship of Divinity, which was tendered to him by 
 Dartmouth and Yale Colleges. He prepared between 
 forty and fifty young men for the sacred desk, all of 
 whom regarded their instructor with affection, admira- 
 tion and reverence. He also sustained a high rank as 
 a preacher. Dr. Dwight said of him — " I have not 
 known a wiser man. He was excessive in nothing; 
 firm in everything ; pre-eminently upright and benev- 
 olent ; always taking the direction of sound common 
 sense ; superior to the love of innovation, and to the 
 rejection of it, when plainly recommended by truth 
 and utility." He died in 1798. He had but one child, 
 a promising youth, who left the world before either of 
 his parents, in the 17th year of his age. His nephew, 
 Dr. Azel Backus, who was also a native of Norwich, 
 was the first president of Hamilton College, near Utica, 
 N. Y. 
 
 On the division of the town, only two Congregation- 
 al societies were left in Norwich, and Chelsea,from that 
 period has taken rank as the Second. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII 
 
 Schools. Cooks. Ainuseiuents. Gov. Huntington. 
 
 TiiK war had a demoralizing ellect on all parts of 
 the country. Neither the institutions of religion nor 
 education flourislied ; but with the blessings of peace 
 a very general improvement took place. Education 
 began to be valued. The school founded by Dr. La- 
 throp overflowed with pupils. Here you might hear 
 lessons from Dilworth's Spelling Boole, and Curtis' 
 Gramnuu' — compositions n^ad on the (nils of land 
 speculation, a hobby of that era as well as of some 
 later ones, or the thirty-two points of the compass 
 rehearsed by some tyro in navigation. Mr. William 
 Baldwin was a noted teacher of this school. Other 
 schools of a high character were soon opened in the 
 town. A private establishnment under the direction of 
 Mr. Goodrich, called in boarders from al)road. The 
 exhibitions of this school were deemed splendid, and 
 great was the applause when Miss Mary Huntington 
 came upon the stage, dressed in green silk l)rocade, a 
 crown glittering with jewels encircling her brows, and 
 reading Plato, to personate Lady Jane Grey, while 
 young Putnam, tlic son of the old general, advanced 
 with nodding plumes to express his tender anxieties 
 for her, in the person of Lord Guilford Dudley. 
 
 Trumbull's book store and printing oflice continued 
 to be the principal establishment of the kind in town. 
 The assortment of books did not extend much beyond 
 26* 
 
302 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Bibles and school books ; yet here you mig-ht find 
 Perry's Dictionary, Baron Steuben's Military Disci- 
 pline, The Principles of Politeness, and the Economy 
 of Human Life. Also, "Gravity and Motion," a poem 
 for 4d., and " Cleveland's Hymns," for 9d. These 
 were indigenous productions, by one of the town's 
 own. 
 
 The sports of men and boys were of a rougher char- 
 acter than at present. Shooting at marks, horse-racing, 
 wrestling, and ball-playing were favorite amusements. 
 In the winter, sleighing parties innumerable kept the 
 streets alive with bells, and the taverns gay with ban- 
 queting. Strolling players were sometimes allowed to 
 perform in town. An advertisement of 1794, gives no- 
 tice of the arrival " at Mr. Teel's Assembly Room," of 
 a party of Italian rope-dancers and tumbleis ; and the 
 public were invited to call and see Clumsy the Clown 
 dance a hornpipe blindfold over fifteen eggs. Elec- 
 tions, training-days, and thanksgivings, were the cus- 
 tomary holidays; and at tliese times a great variety of 
 athletic exercises gave vent to the restless spirits of an 
 active and energetic race. 
 
 The most distinguished of all festivals in New Eng- 
 land has ever been Thanksgiving. It is alwaj^s a day 
 of hilarity, though the first part of it is devoted to a 
 sermon. Family re-unions, bountiful dinners, weddings, 
 trials of skill in shooting, and evening bonfires, are 
 expected to grace the festival. The bonfires, indeed, 
 are only the work of boys, but the high hills in Nor- 
 wich are a fine vantage ground, from which these tall 
 and vivid volumes of flame send forth a flood of light 
 over the woods and vallies, houses and streams below, 
 producing a truly picturesque eflect. 
 
 Accidents have sometimes occurred on these festive 
 opcasions. On the evening of thanksgiving dav, 1792, 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 303 
 
 a large beacon fire liad licen erected as usual on Wa- 
 weekus hill, at the Landing. A swivel was also dis- 
 charged several times, which unfortunalcly l)nrst, and 
 one of the pieces, weighing about seven pounds, killed 
 a young man by the name of Cook. It is said tliat the 
 piece passed through his body, to tlie distance of thirty 
 or forty yards, carrying with it his heart. 
 
 A considerable lustre was thrown on the town-plot, 
 by its being the residence of the Hon. Samuel Hunt- 
 ington, Governor of the State. He was not a native 
 of Norwich, l)ut for tlie last twenty-six years of his life 
 made it his home. After the war, he built a new 
 house, and lived in quiet dignity. A lively and happy 
 circle of young people used frequently to assemble in 
 this house, as visiters to the Governor's adopted chil- 
 dren, or attracted by the beautiful Betsey Devotion, 
 Mrs. Huntington's niece, and the belle of Windham, 
 who spent much of her time here. After the social 
 cluit and merry game of the parlor had taken their 
 turn, they would frequently repair to tlie kitchen, and 
 dance away till the oak floor shone under their feet, 
 and the pewter quivered upon (he dressers. These 
 pastimes, however, had little in them of the nature of 
 a ball ; there were no expensive dresses, no collations, 
 no late hours. They seldom lasted beyond nine 
 o'clock. According to the good old custom of Norwich, 
 the ringing of the bell at that hour, broke up all meet- 
 ings, dispersed all parties, put an end to all discus- 
 sions, and sent all visiters quietly to their homes and 
 their beds. 
 
 Mrs. Huntington was an afTuble l)nt very plain lady. 
 It is siill remembered, that in a white short gown and 
 stuff petticoat, and clean muslin apron, with a nicely 
 starched cap on her head, she would take her knitting 
 and go out by two o'clock in the afternoon, to take tea 
 
304 HISTORY OV NORWICH. 
 
 unceremoniously with some respectable neighbor, the 
 butcher's or blacksmith's wife, perhaps. But this was 
 in earlier days, before Mr. Huntington was President 
 of Congress, or Governor of Connecticut. 
 
 Samuel Huntington was born in 1732, and descended 
 inadirect line from Simon Huntington, one of the thirty- 
 five proprietors of Norwich. Joseph, one of the sons of 
 Simon, removed to Windham, in 16S7. Nathaniel, 
 son of Joseph, was the father of Samuel, and by trade 
 a clothier. He gave a liberal education to three of his 
 sons, but Samuel he designed for a mechanic. He 
 accordingly learned the trade of a cooper, and after 
 serving out his time as an apprentice, continued to 
 labor for a short time as a journeyman. This is only 
 one instance out of many in the annals of our country, 
 of persons who have risen to eminence from the hum- 
 blest stations. Roger Wolcott, a distinguished Chief 
 Justice of Connecticut, rose from following the plow; 
 Roger Sherman was a shoe-maker. 
 
 Mr. Huntington's mind was naturally acute and in- 
 vestigating, and his thirst for mental improvement so 
 great as to surmount all obstacles. From observation, 
 from men, and from books, he was always collecting 
 information, and he soon abandoned manual labor for 
 study. He was self-educated — went to no college, 
 attended no distinguished school, sat at the feet of no 
 great master, but yet acquired a competent knowledge 
 of law, and was readily admitted to the bar. He set- 
 tled in Norwich, in 1760, and soon became useful and 
 eminent in his profession. He frequently represented 
 the town in the colonial assembly, was active in many 
 ways as a citizen, agent for the town in several cases, 
 and forward in promoting public im])rovements. He 
 was appointed King's Attorney, and afterward Assist- 
 ant Judge of the Superior Court. In 1775, he was 
 elected a delegate to the Continental Congress, and 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 305 
 
 served as President of that honorable body, dining (he 
 sessions of 1779 and 1780. While in Congress his scat 
 on the bench was kept vacant for him, and he resumed 
 it in 1781. He held various other important offices, 
 such as Chief Justice of the State, and Lieutenant Gov- 
 ernor, and in 1786 was elected Governoi, and annu- 
 ally re-elected by the freemen, with singular una- 
 nimity, until his death, which took place at Norwich, 
 January 5, 1796. 
 
 Mr. Huntington was of the middle size, dignified in 
 his manners, even to formality ; reserved in popular 
 intercourse, but in the domestic circle pleasing and 
 communicative ; his complexion swarthy, his eye vivid 
 and penetrating. One who was long an inmate of his 
 family said : " I never heard a frivolous observation 
 from him ; his conversation ever turned to something 
 of a practical nature ; he was moderate and circum- 
 spect in all his movements, and delivered his senti- 
 ments in few but weighty words." 
 
 His wife was the daugliter of Rev. Ebenezer Devo- 
 tion, of Windham, a charitable and pious lady, whose 
 memory is still honored in the neighborhood where she 
 dwelt. She died before her husband, in 1794. They 
 had no children of tlieir own, but adopted and edu- 
 cated two children of his brother, the Rev. Joseph 
 Huntington, of Coventry, the author of " Calvinism 
 Improved.''^ These were Samuel and Fanny Hunting- 
 ton, who lived with their revered relatives as children 
 with parents, affectionately and happily. They were 
 present to soothe their last hours, to close their dying 
 eyes, and to place their remains side by side in the 
 tomb. They inherited from them, also, a very hand- 
 some property. 
 
 The daughter married the Rev. E. D. Griffin, Presi- 
 dent of WiUiamstown College : the son removed to 
 
306 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Oliio, ill 1801 was chosen Judge of the Supreme Court, 
 and afterwards Governor of the State for one term of 
 office. He died at Painesville, Ohio, in 1817, aged 
 forty-nine. 
 
 Gov. Huntington preserved to the last those habits 
 of simplicity with which he began life. In the pub- 
 lished journal of the Marquis de Chastellux, he several 
 times mentions Mr. Huntington with marked respect. 
 At one time, in Philadelphia, he went to visit him 
 with the Chevalier de la Luzerne, the French ambas- 
 sador, and observes, "We found him in his cabinet, 
 liglited by a single candle. This simplicity reminded 
 me of Fabricius and the Philopemens." At another 
 time he dined with him, in compan}^ with several 
 other French gentlemen of distinction, and adds : 
 " Mrs. Huntington, a good-looking, lusty woman, but 
 not young, did the honors of the table, that is to say, 
 helped every body, without saying a word." This, 
 silence must surely be attributed to ignorance of the 
 language of the gay cavaliers, and not to any deficiency 
 of good manners or conversational power. 
 
 Mr. Huntington was always a constant attendant on 
 public worship, and for many years a professor of reli- 
 gion. In conference meetings he usually took a part, 
 and on the Sabbath, if no minister chanced to be pres- 
 ent, he occasionally led the services, and his prayers 
 and exhortations were solemn and acceptable. During 
 his last sickness, he was supported and animated by an 
 unwavering faith in Christ, and a joyful hope of eternal 
 life. 
 
 This sketch cannot be better concluded, than with 
 the earnest wish breathed by a contemporary pane- 
 gyrist, — " May Connecticut never want a man of 
 equal worth to preside in hvr councils, guard her inter- 
 ests, and diffuse prosperity through her towns." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 Commerce. Shipping. Men of Business. Lawyers. Gov. Griswold. Bridges. 
 Highways. Turnpil?es. Somerset Lodge. Murray. Winchester. 
 
 The spirit of ciitcrprize revived in Norwich immedi- 
 ately after the Revolutionary war, and for twelve years, 
 reckoning from 1784, commerce flourished, and was 
 rich in its returns. The West India trade, especially, 
 offered a lucrative source of business. Very little flour 
 was then brought into Norwich; it was an export 
 rather than an import ; more being manufactured in 
 the place than was necessary for home consumption. 
 Considerable wheat was raised in the state, even in the 
 eastern part, where it is now a very unccitain ci'op, 
 and less profitable than most others. The following 
 table of exports and imports for a period of fifteen 
 months, will exhibit in a clear light the industry and 
 enterprise which characterized this period. It is taken 
 from a newspaper of the day. ' 
 
 Exports and Imports of Norwich, from January 1, 1788, 
 to March 4, 1789, taken from the report of the Naval Offi- 
 cer : 
 
 Exports. 
 
 d. 
 
 
 £ 
 
 5. 
 
 d. 
 
 £ 
 
 5. 
 
 549 horses, value. 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 6588 
 
 
 205 mules, " 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 3075 
 
 
 205 horned cattle, " 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 1435 
 
 
 321 sheep, " 
 
 
 10 
 
 
 160 
 
 10 
 
 566 hogs, " 
 
 
 15 
 
 
 424 
 
 10 
 
 1,903 bbis.beef, " 
 
 
 40 
 
 
 3806 
 
 
 1,774 " pork, " 
 
 
 60 
 
 
 5322 
 
 
 25,000 lbs. butter, " 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 625 
 
 
308 
 
 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 S. d. 
 
 4 
 
 1535 
 
 6 8 
 
 6 
 
 137 
 
 10 
 
 2 6 
 
 2000 
 
 
 70 
 
 612 
 
 10 
 
 80 
 
 640 
 
 
 6 
 
 365 
 
 2880 
 
 
 2 
 
 2500 
 
 
 40 
 
 1264 
 
 
 60 
 
 828 
 20 
 
 
 ^34,218 
 
 92,120 " cheese, " 
 
 6,600 " ham, " 
 
 16,000 bu. grain, " 
 
 175 M. hoops, " 
 
 160 M. staves, " 
 
 14,600 lbs. hayseed, " 
 
 576 bbls. potash, " 5 
 
 25,000 yds. homemade cloth, 
 632 lihds. flax seed, 
 276 tons pressed hay, 
 
 4 bbls. gingerbread, 5 
 
 Total, 
 
 Imports. 
 
 European goods, value 
 1,500 hides, " 12s. 
 7,675 bu. salt. Is. M. 
 
 112,625 galls, molasses, Is. Ad. 
 18,300 " rum, 2s. 6d. 
 
 1,271 lbs. bohea tea, 2s. 
 20,700 " coffee, Is. 
 
 417,200 " sugar, 
 
 Total, £24,793 3 
 
 Shipping belonging to the port at this time. 
 
 Twenty sloops, . . . 940 tons. 
 
 Five schooners, .... 325 " 
 
 Five brigs, .... 545 " 
 
 One ship, . . . . . 200 " 
 
 £ 
 
 s. ( 
 
 3909 
 
 
 900 
 
 
 639 
 
 11 
 
 7540 
 
 
 2287 
 
 10 
 
 127 
 
 2 
 
 1045 
 
 
 8344 
 
 
 Total, 
 
 2010 " 
 
 rf. 
 
 In 1793, British privateers, began to seize American 
 vessels in the West Indies, and for several years the 
 commerce of New England suffered by these depreda- 
 tions. Vessels w^ere captured, carried into British 
 ports, and by the decrees of Admiralty courts, libelled 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 309 
 
 and condemned. The merchants of Norwich shared 
 in these perplexities ; many of their vessels were 
 seized, and an uncertainty cast over their commercial 
 projects. Public meetings were convened to see what 
 could be done, and a memorial to Congress drafted 
 April IS, 1794. A general spirit of arming in defense 
 of the country was prevalent, and many spirited reso- 
 lutions passed in the larger towns. In September of 
 that year. Brigadier General Joseph Williams review- 
 ed in Norwich, the third regiment of cavalry, under 
 the command of Col. Elisha Egerton. An approach- 
 ing war with Great Britain was then seriously appre- 
 hended. 
 
 The storm blew" over, and Norwich recovciing from 
 this temporary shock, resumed her commercial impor- 
 tance. Four or five vessels were sometimes to be seen 
 on the stocks at once. Story's ship yard in West 
 Chelsea, launched ships of 200 and 300 tons burthen. 
 
 The increase of shipping for a few yeats after this 
 period, was very rapid. In 1795, a list of vessels and 
 tonnage belonging to the place, was made out in order 
 to favor a petition forwarded to Government for the 
 establishment of a Post-office in Chelsea. The follow- 
 ing is a copy of this list taken from a draft in the hand 
 writing of Joseph Howland Esq., than whom no man 
 was better acquainted with the maratimc all'airs of the 
 place. 
 
 " List of Shipping belonging to the port of Norwich, 
 October 12, 1795. 
 
 Brig Union, 130 tons. 
 
 ': Endeavor, 120 " 
 
 " Friendship, 120 " 
 
 '' Betsey, 130 « 
 
 <' Charlestown, 60 " 
 
 " PoUv, ISO " 
 
 " Sally ISO " 
 
 Ship Mercury, 
 
 2S0 
 
 tons. 
 
 " Columbus, 
 
 200 
 
 
 " Modesty, 
 
 240 
 
 
 " Young Eagle 
 
 ,200 
 
 
 " George, 
 
 364 
 
 
 " Portland 
 
 220 
 
 
 " Charlotte, 
 
 90 
 
 
 27 
 
 
 
William, 
 
 70 tons. 
 
 Prosperity, 
 
 Polly, 
 
 Negotiater, 
 
 90 
 80 
 90 
 
 
 Friendship, 
 
 90 
 
 
 Bud, 
 
 35 
 
 
 1 Betsey, 
 
 Mary, 
 
 Hercules, 
 
 45 
 45 
 70 
 
 
 Juno, 
 
 55 
 
 
 Hunter, 
 
 45 
 
 
 Patty, 
 Nancy, 
 
 35 
 
 70 
 65 
 
 
 310 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Brigi Sally, 60 tons. SI 
 
 " Betsey, 90 " 
 Schooner Polly, 90 " 
 
 " Allen, 85 " 
 
 " Elizabeth, 75 " 
 
 " Chloe, 75 " 
 
 " Washington, 65 " 
 Schr. Shetucket, 70 " 
 Robinson Crusoe, 120 " 
 Schooner Beaver, 60 " 
 " Jenny, 70 " 
 Sloop Farmer, 85 '< 
 
 " Crisis, 72 " 
 
 " Honor, 65 " 
 
 Total seven ships, nine brigs, nine schooners, seventeen 
 sloops=forty-two. Total 4312 tons, of which only 210 
 tons is owned in the old Parish, and 4102 is owned in the 
 port or what is called Chelsea. The above does not include 
 a number of river packets, or four New York packets." 
 
 With the progress of time, the commerce of the 
 port has greatly declined ; the articles exported are 
 now needed for home consumption ; the maratime 
 interest is merged in the manufacturing, and what 
 shipping remains is employed in the coasting trade. 
 
 Among the enterprising citizens of (his period, the 
 following ranked high. Dr. Elihu Marvin, Col. Zab- 
 diel Rogers, Gen. Williams, Thomas Mumford, Jo- 
 seph Howland and Levi Huntington. Mr. Mumford, 
 in his equipage, domestic establishment and table, 
 exhibited a lavish style of expenditure. He built a 
 new house on a large scale, and had one of the finest 
 gardens in the State, his head gardener having been 
 procured from Holland. The Howlands, father and 
 son, were extensively engaged in mercantile pursuits. 
 They afterwards removed to New York. Gen. Marvin 
 fell a victim to the yellow fever in 1798. This fatal 
 disease raged at that time with extreme violence in 
 New London, but Marvin, himself a skillful physician, 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 311 
 
 was the only victim to it in Norwich. Col. Rogers 
 died in 1807, aged 72. 
 
 John M. Breed, Elisha Hyde, Roger Griswold, and 
 Asa Spalding Esqs., were active as lawyers and public 
 men. Griswold was conspicuous on political occa- 
 sions. Breed was soon called to fulfill the duties of 
 Mayor of the new city. Hyde was deeply interested 
 in the land purchases on the Delaware and Susquehan- 
 nah. Spalding was industriously engaged in amass- 
 ing a large fortune. Yet it was then no easy matter 
 to grow rich in the practice of the law. The price for 
 managing a case before the common pleas, varied only 
 from six to thirty shillings, and before the Superior 
 Court from six to fifty-four shillings. 
 
 The work of building and repairing bridges, is one 
 that has fallen heavily upon the inhabitants of Nor- 
 wich. The period of the erection of several has been 
 already noted. To Whiting's bridge over the She- 
 tucket, succeeded one built by Nathaniel Giddings in 
 1757, which stood a few rods south of Samuel Roath's 
 dwelling house. The land between this house and the 
 bridge was granted to Mr. Stephen Roath, to improve 
 for a corn-mill. The grant was made in 17G1, and it 
 was to last seventy years. 
 
 Gidding'sbridgewassoon condemned. Inl780,anoth- 
 er wasbuilt on the samespot, under the joint direction of 
 Norwich and Preston ; jE450, the avails of a lottery, 
 was expended upon it. It was called the Geometry 
 bridge, and was thoroughly repaired in 1792. The 
 • river is here 300 feet wide. 
 
 In 1817, Mr. Lathrop built the fourth bridge upon 
 this spot, under the direction of the Norwich and 
 Preston Bridge Company, which was incorporated in 
 1816. The expense was $10,000. 
 
312 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 In 1767, the liist bridge was buill over the cove, 
 where the wharf bridge now stands. The contractor 
 was Mr. Gershom Breed. Great objections were made 
 to the erection of this bridge, on the ground that it 
 conkl not be made useful, from the high and precipi- 
 tous hill on each side, particularly on the east. From 
 Hyde's corner to the edge of the river, the declivity 
 was then very abrupt, tliough the descent is now grad- 
 ual. This is another instance, in which the work of 
 levelling and filling up, has greatly altered the natural 
 features of the scenery. Four years after the building 
 of this bridge, the General Court granted a lottery, to 
 raise money to refund to the undcitakers the sum they 
 had expended upon it, [viz : j£60] to repair it, and 
 make it wider. This bridge led to numerous meet- 
 ings, plans and resolutions, in order to make it conven- 
 ient and passable for teams, secure it from floods, have 
 a good highway leading to it, make an addition on the 
 south side, make two water-courses through it, appoint 
 an overseer to receive wharfoge, &c. For all these 
 purposes, a second lottery to raise j£300, Avas granted 
 to the town in 1773. 
 
 The bridge at Lnthrop's farm having been repeat- 
 edly carried away by the spring floods, in 1792, Nor- 
 wich and Lisbon jointly erected a more substantial 
 structure nt this place, which was paid for by a tax. 
 The spot is just aljove the junction of the Quinebaug, 
 where the river is 212 feet wide. 
 
 In the year 1790, Middle or Main-street was opened 
 in Clielsea, at an expense of .£100, part of which was 
 paid by the town, and part by individual subscription. 
 This was a great improvement to Chelsea, though the 
 plan was at first vehemently opposed by some of the 
 owners of the ground. One individunl erected a build- 
 ing directly across the western extremity, so as to close 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 3 1 3 
 
 up the throat of the street, hoping thereby to put an 
 end to the project. 
 
 About the some time, the highways of the town 
 plot were also very much inipiovccl. Dr. Joshua 
 Lathrop very generously gave $300 to be laid out on 
 the old town street, " between the brook at the corner 
 of the meeting-house plain, and the house of the 
 widow Reynolds." William Hubbard Esq., was like- 
 wise a generous benefactor in this line. The road 
 through " the Grove," from the Court-house to Strong's 
 corner, was opened chiefly through his exertions. 
 That very handsome street, the East Av(>nue to Cliel- 
 sea, was also laid out by Capt. Hubl)ard, or rather 
 straitened from the old road which was of a crescent 
 form, the ends being at the store of Thomas Fanning 
 Esq., and the house of Rev. Walter King. The same 
 gentleman was likewise active in improving the road 
 to New London, persuading some to give nioney, some 
 labor, and some influence, until the object was accom- 
 plished. A company was incorporated in 1792 to 
 make this road a turnpike, and erect a toll gate. This 
 was the first turnpike road in the State. In 1806, it 
 was extended to the landing, by a new road that began 
 at the wharf bridge, and fell into the old road, south 
 of Trading Cove Bridge. In 1812, another new piece 
 of road was annexed to it, which was laid out in a 
 direct line from the Court House, to the old Mohegan 
 road. 
 
 The Norwich and Providence post road was made a 
 turnpike in 1794. 
 
 The Norwich and Woodstock, extending from Nor- 
 wich to Massachusetts line, in ISOI. 
 
 The Norwich and Salem, leading to Essex on the 
 Connecticut river, in 1827. 
 
 27* 
 
314 HISTORY OF NOE-WICH. 
 
 The Shetiicket Turnpike Company to maintain a 
 road through Preston, Griswold, Vol unto vvn, and Ster- 
 ling, to the east boundary, was incorporated in 1829. 
 
 About 1790 freemasonry began to be popular in Nor- 
 wich. In 1794, Somerset Lodge was constituted with 
 great pomp. The services were at the meeting-house 
 in the town plot. Bishop Seabury preached a sermon 
 in the morning, from 2 Corinthians v, 1. — "A build- 
 ing of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in 
 the heavens." A grand procession was then formed, 
 which passed through the town, accompanied by a 
 band of music; dinner Avas served in a rural bower 
 erected upon the plain, and in the afternoon the Lodge 
 again proceeded to the meeting-house, and listened to 
 anotheL.sermon, from the Rev. Elkanan Winchester, 
 from Psalms cxxxiii. 1. "Behold how good and how 
 pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." 
 
 A digression may here be allowed respecting Mr. 
 Winchester and Universalism. The doctrine of Univer- 
 sal salvation, connected with abelief in the Trinity, and 
 a purification from sin by a linntcd degree of })unish- 
 ment in another state, ending in actual pardon, and a 
 final restoration to the favor of God, had at one period 
 a considerable number of advocates in Norwich, though 
 no regular society, holding to such principles, was ever 
 formed. Allusion has b< en ahdidy made to the Sep- 
 arate meetings held in the town plot society. These, 
 under Mr. Gamaliel Reynolds, graduall}^ took the 
 character of Universalism. In 1772, Mr. John Mur- 
 ray, the English Universalist, or "Great Promulgator," 
 as he styled himself, came to Noiwich, being invited 
 thither by Mr. Samuel Post, the near neighbor and 
 friend of Mr. Reynolds. He preached a number of 
 times to large audiences, and gained many admirers. 
 From this period his visits to the place were frequent. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 315 
 
 Tlie cluirch in the town plot being in the charge of a 
 conmiittee oi" the society, who were not members of 
 the church, lie was allowed the free use of it. He 
 also preached in the Episcopal church, under the 
 charge of the Rev. Mr. Tyler, and held a public dis- 
 cussion with the Rev. Nathaniel Niles, in the Congre- 
 gational chuich at Chelsea. 
 
 Mr. Murray was a man of wit and humor; fluent in 
 speaking, with the manners of a gentleman. His 
 social powers were highly esteemed in Norwich, and 
 though he built up no society, he left an abundance of 
 seed sown, the produce of w^hich might be traced 
 through the whole of that generation. 
 
 At a later period, Mr. Winchester, who was born in 
 the vicinity of Norwich, often visited the place, and 
 had many warm personal friends, particularly in the 
 First Society. The Society Committee freely gave 
 him the use of the meeting-house to preach in, and 
 the same courtesy was extended towards him by the 
 Rev. Mr. Tyler. The persuasive eloquence of Mr. 
 Winchester operated less, perhaps, in his favor, than 
 his unblemished life, and the affectionate simplicity of 
 his manners. His knowledge of the scriptures was so 
 minute, his memory so retentive and amenable to his 
 will, that his friend, the elder Mr. Shipman, whose 
 house was his home, when in Norwich, was accus- 
 tomed to say that if the Bible were to be struck out of 
 existience, Mr. Winchester could replace it from 
 memory. 
 
 During the years 1794 and 1795, " Winchester's 
 Lectures on the Prophecies," w^ere published in Nor- 
 wich. The work was issued in parts; the first two 
 lectures were published by John Trumbull; the re- 
 mainder by Thomas Hubbard. Mr. Winchester died 
 at Hartford, in 1797. 
 
CFI AFTER XXXV 
 
 Greatest Fire. New Meeting-House. Second Congiregatioiial Society. Falls 
 Church. Greeneville <;hurch. Fifth Congregational Church. Baptists. 
 Methodists. Universalists. Ronuin Catholics. 
 
 November 26, 1793, fifteen buildings were destroyed 
 by fire in Chelsea. This was the largest fire ever known 
 in Norwich. It raged from six to ten o'clock P. M., 
 wind fresh from the N. W. It broke out in a store 
 belonging to Messrs. Hubbard & Greene, of Boston, 
 and was supposed to have been communicated through 
 a fissure in the chimney, to some paper rags piled 
 against it. The meeting-house, the dwelling-houses 
 of Lynde M'Curdy, Levi Huntington, and Benadam 
 Denison, stores occupied by Capt. William Coit, Coit 
 & Lathrop, and he\\ Huntington, were destroyed. 
 Two persons were badly wounded. The loss was 
 computed at jESOOO. 
 
 Mr. King's congregation being thus deprived of a 
 house for public worship, assembled for three succeed- 
 ing months in tlie Episcopal church, which, with true 
 Christian hospitality, was tendered to them by the 
 Trustees. A room was then fitted up for a temporary 
 place of worship, and immediate measures taken to 
 build another meeting-house, Mr. Joseph Howland 
 and Mr. Thomas Fanning, owneis of two lots of land 
 on the hill, opposite the dwellings of the Rev. John 
 Tyler and Dr. Lemuel Bushnell, oflfered these lots, 
 together with <£17, 10s., law^ful money, in exchange 
 for the lot on which the old raeetin"--house stood. This 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 317 
 
 location being approved by the County Court as a suit- 
 able site for a meeting-house, the oflcr was accepted 
 by tlie society. A h)ttery was granted by the General 
 Assembly, to raise ,£800, and this, together with lib- 
 eral donations from Thomas Shaw Esq. and Colonel 
 Joseph Wdliains, enabled tbe Committee to commence 
 building immediately. The dimensions of the new 
 church were forty-two feet by sixty-two. It was com- 
 pleted so as to make the first sale of pews January 1, 
 1796. Precautious were taken to secure the building 
 against fire, and among other regulations, the sexton 
 was allowed to demand a cpiarter of a dollar for every 
 foot stove left in the house after the meetings were 
 ended. Mr. Lynde M'Curdy gratuitously ornamented 
 the meeting-house lot with trees. 
 
 The sale of the pews for the first ten years produced 
 from four to five hundred dollars annually, — for the 
 next six years, reaching to 1812, on an average, about 
 $650. Mr. King's stated salary was $450 ; but there 
 was generally an annual gratuity added to this, of $100 
 or $150. 
 
 In the year 1810, very serious and unhuppy diffi- 
 culties arose in this church, which in tbe course of a 
 few months greatly alienated the aifections of the min- 
 ister and his people from each other. The next year 
 the Pastor, Church and Society, nil united in calling a 
 council, which met July 3, and consisted of the follow- 
 ing persons : — 
 
 Rev. Joel Benedict, D. D., Plainficld. 
 " Elijah Parsons and Dea. Ephraiin Gates, E. Haddam. 
 " Amos Bassett and Dea. Sylvester Gilbert, Hebron. 
 " Azel Backus, D. D. and David Bellamy, Bethlem. 
 " Calvin Chapin, Wethersfield. 
 " Daniel Dow and E. Crosby, Thomson. 
 " Dan Huntington and Dea. Chauncey Whittlesey, Mid- 
 dletown. 
 
318 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Rev. Lyman Beeeher and Hon. Benj. Tallmadge, Litchfield. 
 " Noah Porter and Hon. John Treadwell, Farmington. 
 
 Tliis council sat three days, the third, fonith, and 
 fifth of July, and voted to dissolve the connection 
 hetween Mr. King and the people of his charge. 
 
 Mr. King was subsequently settled inWilliamstown, 
 Mass., and after a few years of labor there, died sud- 
 denly in his pulpit, while engaged in the exercises of 
 the Sabbath. 
 
 The Rev. Asahel Hooker was installed Jan. 16, 
 1812. He died the next year, April 19, 1813, aged 49 
 years. This excellent man was descended from the 
 Rev, Thomas Hooker, the first minister of Hartford, 
 and one of the most famous of our New England wor- 
 thies. His first settlement was at Goshen, from whence 
 he was dismissed on account of ill health. He was 
 distinguished as a theological teacher, and his death 
 was greatly lamented. 
 
 The Rev. Alfred Mitchell was ordained as the suc- 
 cessor of Mr. Hooker, Oct. 27, 1814. He was a son 
 of the Hon. Stephen Mix Mitchell, of Wethersfield — 
 graduated at Yale, and studied theology at Andover. 
 He was a man of retiring manners, but a faithful and 
 zealous preacher, and exceedingly beloved by liis 
 chnrch and congregation. He died at the age of forty- 
 one, Dec. 19, 1831, uttering in submissive faith, as he 
 departed, " The will of the Lord be done." 
 
 These two last ministers lie interred in the burying 
 ground at Chelsea. From the graves where they rest, 
 the eye can survey the scene of their labors, and almost 
 count the homes of that attached people, who listened 
 with such deep attention to their instructions, and who 
 followed them mourning to their tondjs. 
 
 The Rev. James T. Dickinson, of Montreal, was 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 319 
 
 ordained April4, 1832. Sermonby Dr. Taylor, ofNew 
 Haven. July 30, 1834, Mr. Dickinson made a com- 
 munication to the church, stating that he considered it 
 to be his duty to become a foreign missionary, and 
 requesting- them to concur with him in calling a coun- 
 cil to dissolve his connexion with them. The church, 
 painful as it was for them to part with a young and 
 beloved minister, duly appreciated his motives, and 
 cordially acquiesced in his wishes. A council was 
 called in August, who unanimously concurred in re- 
 commending the dismission of Mr. Dickinson. They 
 expressed the highest confidence in him as a minister 
 of the gospel, and affectionately recommended him to 
 the fellowship of his christian brethren, wherever his 
 lot might be cast. Mr. Dickinson received the appoint- 
 ment of missionary to China, from the American Board, 
 and after spending a few months in the study of medi- 
 cine, sailed for Singapore in the barque Rosabella, Aug. 
 20, 1835. 
 
 Rev. Alvan Bond, the present pastor, was installed 
 as his successor, May 6, 1835. Sermon by Dr. Hawes, 
 of Hartford. 
 
 The salaries of Mr. Hooker and Mr. Mitchell were 
 $700 per annum. At the ordination of Mr. Dickinson, 
 it was raised to $1000, and has since remained at that 
 sum. 
 
 In 1829, the meeting-house was enlarged, and the 
 square pews made into slips, at an expense of $2250. 
 An organ was also furnished by subscription. After 
 this alteration, the sale of the pews produced annually 
 from $1000 to $1800. In 1832, the debt of the society, 
 amounting to nearly $3000, was paid by subscription. 
 
 In the spring of 1844, the meeting-house was so 
 much damaged l>y fire, supposed to have been kindled 
 by an incendiary, that the society determined to build 
 
320 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 a new structure, instead of repairing the old. It is 
 now partly completed ; the material used is dark blue 
 granite from a quarry in the vicinity ; the style of arch- 
 itecture, Roman; estimated expense, $14,000. 
 
 A third Congregational Society was organized at the 
 Falls in 1827, and a small brick church erected for a 
 house of worship. Rev. Benson C. Baldwin ordained 
 pastor, Jan. 31, 1828. This connexion was soon dis- 
 solved. Rev. Charles Hyde installed in 1830. A 
 new church, for the use of this society, was afterwards 
 erected on the Little Plain. Mr. Hyde continued in 
 tlie pastoral charge about three years. His successors 
 weie Rev. J. W. Newton, ordained in 1834, and Rev. 
 Thomas J. Fessenden. This society was always small 
 and has since been merged in neighboring churches. 
 
 A Fourth Congregational church, which ought now 
 to rank as third, was organized in the village of Greene- 
 ville, Jan. 1, 1833, with twenty members. A meet- 
 ing-house was built the same year. Rev. John Storrs 
 installed March 12, 1834. Dismissed April 7, 1835. 
 Rev. Stephen Crosby elected pastor by an unanimous 
 vote, in 1837, but never installed, on account of the 
 stagnation of business at that period, which gave a 
 temporary check to the prosperity of the place. He 
 continued to officiate as pastor, till his death, in June, 
 1838. Rev. Alphonso L. Whitman, the present pastor 
 was installed Dec. 4, 1838. 
 
 A Fifth Congregational church, consisting princi- 
 pally of a colony from the second, was gathered in 
 Chelsea, June 1, 1842. Rev. Mr. Child was installed 
 pastor Aug. 31, the same year. The society are now 
 engaged in erecting an edifice for public worship, of 
 Chatham free stone, in the gothic style, to have a 
 tower in the corner 135 feet high. Estimated expense, 
 $13,000. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 321 
 
 BAPTISTS. 
 
 The earliest members of this denomination in Nor- 
 wich, appear to have come from Groton, where the first 
 congregation of Baptists in Connecticut was gathered. 
 At least they imbibed their sentiments in that place. 
 The first meetings were held about tlie year 1770, but 
 the denomination increased very slowly, and though a 
 small church was soon organized, they had no regular 
 minister till 1800. On Christmas day of that year, 
 Elder John Sterry was ordained pastor, and Mr. Dewey 
 Bromley, deacon. The ceremonies were performed in 
 the Congregational church at Chelsea. The first meet- 
 ing-house w^as built in 1803, in West Chelsea. 
 
 Elder Sterry continued their pastor till his death in 
 1823. His successor was Elder William Palmer ; and 
 to him succeeded Rev. S. S. Mallery,who was installed 
 July 9, 1834. Mr. Mallery remained with them but a 
 few years, and since his dismission the}' have had the 
 successive ministrations of Rev. Josiah Graves, Rev. 
 Russell Jennings, and Rev. M. G. Clarke. The soci- 
 ety is now small, and is a second time under the charge 
 of Rev. William Palmer. The present meeting-house 
 occupied by this society was erected in 1830. 
 
 A Second Baptist church was gathered in Chelsea 
 in 1840, and Rev. M. G. Clarke installed their pastor. 
 A meeting-house was built the next year. This church 
 now consists of about four hundred members. 
 
 Norwich has given birth to two of the most eminent 
 men of the Baptist church, in America: — Rev. Isaac 
 Backus, of Middleborough, Mass., and Rev. Thomas 
 Baldwin D. D. of Boston. These were both descended 
 from the first stock of Norwich proprietors. Dr. Bald- 
 win was born at Norwich in 1753. The venerable Dr. 
 Lord, of the town plot, was his grand uncle. He remov- 
 28 
 
322 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 ed in early life to New Hampshire, and there joined 
 the Baptist connexion. At the age of thirty, he was 
 ordained an evangelist, and was for many years a faith- 
 ful and laborious itinerant preacher. He was after- 
 wards invited to Boston, where he settled, and by inde- 
 fatigable study and exertion, attained a high rank as a 
 preacher, and confessedly stood at the head of the 
 Baptist denomination in New England. 
 
 He died in 1825, aged seventy-one years. 
 
 The Rev. Isaac Backus, a distinguished Baptist cler- 
 gyman, of Middleborough, Mass., was the son of dea- 
 con Joseph Backus, of Norwich, and born in 1724. 
 His mother was a strenuous separatist. He was him- 
 self educated for a Congregational minister, but went 
 over to the Baptist communion, with the greater part of 
 his church, in 1750, and by his influence and writings 
 contributed greatly to the establishment and prosperity 
 of the Baptist cause in America. He died in 1806, 
 aged eighty-tv*^o, having been a preacher nearly sixty 
 years. 
 
 METHODISTS. 
 
 A grave-stone in the Chelsea burial ground is erected 
 to the memory of Mrs. Thankful Pierce, relict of Capt. 
 Moses Pierce, " the first member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church in Norwich, who like Lydia, first heard 
 the preachers and then received them into her house." 
 This lady, while on a visit to some relations in Tol- 
 land in the year 1796, met with the Rev. Jesse Lee, 
 a noted preacher in the Wesleyan connection, and 
 became deeply interested in his preaching; and shortly 
 afterwards, on his way to Boston, Mr. Lee stopped at 
 Norwich, and preached the first Methodist sermon 
 there, in her house. Other preachers followed, and 
 classes were soon formed both at Chelsea and Bean 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 323 
 
 Hill. At the Litter place, Capt. James Hyde and Mr. 
 William Lamb were the most noted among the early 
 converts. In Chelsea, the society enjoyed for a while 
 the fostering care of Mr. Beatty, a resident of the place, 
 at whose house there was always preaching once a 
 fortnight. But in 1804, Mr. Beatty, with several of his 
 fiiends and their families, removing to Sandusky, the 
 society seemed to be threatened with utter extinction, 
 the only members of note that remained being two 
 aged women — Mrs. Pierce and Mrs. Davison. They 
 were however kept together, and their numljers enlar- 
 ged, principally through the exertions of a young man, 
 who became an exhorter, class leader, and finally a 
 local preacher in their connection. This was Rev. 
 D. N. Bentley, who for thirty years may be regarded 
 as the main pillar of the Methodist church in Chelsea. 
 In 1811, a new class was formed, and a chapel built 
 on the wharf bridge, which was swept off and destroyed 
 by a freshet of the river, in the spring of 1823. The 
 next chinch was erected at the Falls village, and 
 thither the members from the Landing resorted for 
 public worship, forming but one church and society, 
 till 1835. A large and convenient edifice was then 
 erected in East Chelsea, and a separation took place. 
 Previous to this, the society on Bean Hill had erected 
 a churcli, and a fointh lias since been built at Greene- 
 ville. These are all nourishing, though not large 
 societies. 
 
 CNIVERSALISTS. 
 
 The first organization of this denomination as a 
 society was in 1820. A meeting-house was erected in 
 1822, in whicli services were held, though with fre- 
 quent interruptions, for a few years. The society then 
 very much declined. In 1838, a church was regularly 
 
324 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 organized, and a new edifice for public worship was 
 completed in 1841, on the site of the old one. The 
 position is beautiful, the structure a pleasing one to the 
 eye, and finished in handsome style. 
 
 Since 1838, the church has been under the charge 
 of three successive pastors. Rev. Henr}^ Lyon, Rev. 
 J. V. Wilson, and Rev. R. 0. Williams. 
 
 It is understood that this society are Unitarians in 
 doctrine, and believe that all punishment is confined 
 to this life. 
 
 In 1844, a small Roman Catholic Church was built 
 in Norwich, between Chelsea and Greeneville. 
 
 NORWICH CITY. 
 
 Norwich was one of the five cities incorporated by 
 the Legislature, at the May session, in 1784. The 
 boundaries included the First or Town Plot society 
 and Chelsea. • 
 
 The Mayor was at first chosen for an indefinite term. 
 The succession is as follows : 
 
 1. Benjamin Huntington ; elected July 13, 1784, 
 and held his office till he resigned, 1796. 
 
 2. John McLarran Breed; elected April 18, 1796. 
 Mr. Breed was a distinguished lawyer and an estima- 
 l>le man. He uas descended from Allen Breed, who 
 emigrated from England in 1630, and settled at Lynn, 
 Massachusetts. Gershom Breed, the first of the name 
 in Norwich, appears on the records as early as 1750. 
 He engaged in commerce and merchandize, and was 
 a useful and active citizen. His three sons were John 
 McLarran, Shubael and Simeon, all now numbered 
 with the dead. Mr. Mayor Breed died after a long 
 and distressing illness, in June, 1798. 
 
 3. Elisha Hyde ; elected June 11, 1798, and served 
 till his death. Mr. Hyde was a lawyer of considera- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 3'25 
 
 ble repute, and a man of great urbanity and 
 kindness of heart. He was born in 1751, and died 
 December 16, 1813. His wife was Ann, daughter of 
 Amos Halhim, of New London. Tliey had two daugh- 
 ters but no son. His youngest daughter Ann Maria, 
 died soon after hei father at the age of twenty-four. 
 Of this lovely and accomplished maiden, a memoir 
 was published by the companion of her youth — "who 
 from life's opening pilgrimage had walked with her in 
 the intimacy of a twin-being."* 
 
 4. Hon. Calvin Goddard ; elected February 7, 1814, 
 and held the oilice until 1831. Mr. Goddard was born 
 at Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, in 1768. After being 
 admitted to the bar in 1790, he settled at Plainfield, 
 Connecticut. In ISOI, he was elected a member of 
 Congress, and was re-elected a second and third time, 
 but resigned his seat in 1805. Two years afterwards, 
 he removed to Norwich, having purchased that beauti- 
 ful seat which includes in its domain, the burial ground 
 of the Mohegan Sachems. In 1815, he was elected a 
 Judge of the Superior Court, and held it till displaced 
 three )^ears afterwards byahe changes consequent u})on 
 a political revolution in the State. 
 
 Since the year 1831, the Mayor has been annually 
 elected. 
 
 5. Hon. James Laimian ; elected June 6, 1831, and 
 held the office three years. Mr, Lanman's father emi- 
 grated from Plymouth, and settled in Norwich about 
 the year 1750. In 1764, he married Sarah Coit, of 
 Preston. His sons w'ere James, Peter, Samuel and 
 Joseph. Mr. James Lanman engaged in the practice 
 of law^ in his native town, and filled several important 
 public offices, among which was judge of the Superior 
 Court, and Senator in Congress. 
 
 * L. Huntlev, now widely known as Mrs. Sigourney. 
 28* 
 
326 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 6. Francis A. Perkins; elected June 1834; served 
 one year. 
 
 7. Charles W. Rockwell, June 1835 ; three years. 
 
 8. Charles J. Lunman, " 1838; one year. 
 
 9. William C. Oilman, " 1839 ; " 
 
 10. John Breed, " 1840 ; two years. 
 
 11. William P. Greene, " 1842; one year. 
 
 12. Gurdon Chapman, " 1843, and is now 
 Mayor. 
 
 Whenever the commerce of the United States has 
 been embarrassed, Norwich has suifered greatly. The 
 year 1811 was a period of mercantile disasters all along- 
 the sea-board. A subscription was taken up in Chel- 
 sea that year, to aid the inhabitants of Newburyport in 
 their greater distress. 
 
 The gloomy scenes of the war with England fol- 
 lowed. Even the coasters and small craft in Long 
 Island Sound were subject to great risks, and frequently 
 captured. The commerce of Norwich was entirely 
 destroyed ; nor has the enterprize of the citizens since 
 that period ever returned to this channel. It has 
 sought out other sources of prosperity. 
 
 In May, 1813, the frigates United States and Mace- 
 donian, together with the sloop of war Hornet, were 
 driven into New London harbor by a superior squadron 
 of the enemy, and blockaded during the remainder of 
 the war. The vessels were at length partially dis- 
 mantled, and conveyed up the Thames river as far as 
 Carter's or Walden's island, at the mouth of Poque- 
 tannok cove, within three miles of Norwich, and there 
 laid up till the conclusion of the war. Great and well- 
 founded alarm, for fear of a sudden invasion, at this 
 time existed in Norwich, and at no time since its settle- 
 ment has it been so seriously threatened. Had the 
 British succeeded in their attack upon Stonington, 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 327 
 
 there is little doubt but they wonlil liave uiade a sud- 
 den descent upon Norwich. A great number of mer- 
 chant vessels were laid up in the harbor — three ships 
 of war were in the immediate neighborhood — the many 
 valuable manufactories of cotton, wool, Hour, &c., 
 that were carried on in Norwich — the ship-yards, the 
 public arsenal, &c., all combined to fix the eye of tbc 
 enemy upon it, and at the close of the year 1814, its situ- 
 ation was deemed very critical, and tbc minds of the in- 
 habitants were filled with terror and anxiety. A petition 
 was forwarded to tlie Connnauder-in-Chief for a military 
 force to be stationed in or near the place, for its pro- 
 tection. But happily the treaty of peace put an end 
 to these alarms. 
 
 The news of 'peace came so suddenly, that it threw 
 the whole country into transports of joy ; all was en- 
 thusiasm and ecstacy, and the rejoicings exceeded 
 any thing ever before witnessed in America. The 
 grateful tidings reached Norwich, February 13, 1815, 
 and the citizens gave vent to their boundless joy in 
 mutual congratulations, shouts, cannonades and illu- 
 minations : rockets flew up from the hills, salutes were 
 fired from the ships in the river, and these were echoed 
 from the fortresses at New London, and those again 
 were responded to from the British blockading squad- 
 ron at the mouth of the river, till the wbole adjacent 
 country was made glad with the tidings. 
 
 The winter had been distinguislied as a season of 
 severe frost; loaded sleds traveled on the bosom of 
 the Thames in perfect safety ; and for several weeks 
 persons might skate all the way from Norwich to N(>w 
 London upon the river. But as soon as peace was 
 ])roclaimed, preparations were made to revive busmess. 
 With the first loosing of the waters, the small craft 
 spread their light wings ; the larger vessels that had 
 
328 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 taken refuge in the port were speedily equipped, the 
 released ships of war proceeded down the river, and 
 the whole ocean was again open to American entei- 
 prize. 
 
 1818. A Constitution of the State of Connecticut 
 was formed by a State Convention, at Hartford, in 
 August. Previous to this the laws find government of 
 the State had been based upon the Charter of Charles 
 II., granted in 1662. The new Constitution was sub- 
 mitted to each town separately, and being accepted by 
 the majority, was ratified. 
 
 It was laid before the town of Norwich in October. 
 The votes in favor of it were 194 ; against it 74. 
 
 The next subject which agitated the town related to 
 the location of the courts. The inhabitants of Chelsea 
 demanded that tlie sessions should thenceforward be 
 held in their quarter of the town. 
 
 The contention on this subject continued many 3'ears, 
 and reached its height in 1826 and 1827, when a strong 
 desire to divide the town existed in the northern por- 
 tion of it, and petitions to that cffc ct W( re presented to 
 tire Legislature. 
 
 The question with respect to the location of the 
 courts was three times brought before the General As- 
 sembly, and fully discussed, and twice tried in the 
 Superior Courts, the decision being each time in favor 
 of their remaining where they were. But in the ses- 
 sion of 1833, the Assembly voted to refer the whole 
 subject to tire representatives of the county of New 
 London. These met in the City Hall, at Chelsea, 
 September 19, and carried the question of removal, 
 fifteen to eight. All opposition on the other side ceased 
 from this time, and the transfer was made in peace. 
 The struggle had continued about twenty-seven years. 
 
 The northern section of the town petitioned the Leg- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 329 
 
 islature to be separated from " the city," which was 
 granted. The city limits since that period comprise 
 only Chelsea and the Falls, with ;i section upon the 
 river, extending to Trading Cove Brook. 
 
 The Town House was erecf(>d in 1829, at an ex- 
 pense of $9000. 
 
 September 25, 1833, the city of Norwicli ceded to 
 the county of New London the use of the City Court 
 Room, and all the otlu*r rooms and appurtenances 
 tliereunto attached, for the use of the courts. The 
 city also procured a lot and erected a jail, at their own 
 cost, and ceded them to the county. 
 
 In 1838, the jail and jail-house, which was situated 
 on the summit of the hill overlooking the port, Avere 
 burnt to the ground. The fire originated in the cell of 
 a prisoner confined for theft, and was kindled by him 
 with a candle which he obtained from his wife. His 
 design was merely to burn out the lock of his cell door, 
 that he might effect his escape, but before he could 
 complete his work, the fire got beyond his control ; 
 the light was discovered, the alarm given, and all the 
 inmates rescued. But from the difficulty of obtaining 
 water, nothing could be done to nrr(^st the destructive 
 element. 
 
 The buildings have been re-constructed on an en- 
 larged plan, and though the taste which located such 
 an establishment in the most conspicuous part of the 
 city, maybe questioned, yet the buildings themselves 
 are pleasing objects in the perspective. 
 
 The city has also suffered severely from otlier fires. 
 In 1833, the paper mill of R. & A. Hubbard, and a 
 cotton factory and store belonging to Williams' Manu- 
 facturing Co., at the Falls, were destroyed by fire. 
 
 In the summer of 1844, a large factory was burnt at 
 Greeneville. 
 
330 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 Ill Febaiaiy, 1844, two extensive fires broke out. 
 within a few weeivs of each other. By the first, four 
 stores belonging to A. H.Hubbard, and Boswell's row, 
 containing several stores and a dwelling house, all on 
 Main street, together with a store-house on Shetucket 
 street, were consumed. In the second, two three-story 
 houses on Franklin Square were destroyed, together 
 with several other buildings of less importance. 
 
 Norwich goes far before any other town in the State 
 in the value of its manufactures. According to the 
 report made by the Assessors to the Secretary of the 
 State in 1839, the value of goods manufactured in the 
 preceding year, was $1,150,205. The town next to it 
 in manufactures is Manchester, which was estimated at 
 $695,500. 
 
 INCORPORATED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES. 
 
 " Thames Manufacturing Co., 1823 : for the manufactur- 
 ing of cotton, woolen and iron : empowered to hold fifty acres 
 of land: capital not to" exceed $300,000, shares $500. hi 
 1825, this Company was anthorized to increase its capital to 
 ^500^000, and the quantity of land to 500 acres. 
 
 Quinebaug Manufacturing Co. : 1826 ; for making cotton 
 and woolen goods; capital not to exceed $1,000,000, shares 
 $1000. 
 
 Shetucket Manufacturing Co, : 1826 ; for manufacturing 
 iron : capital not to exceed $500,000, shares $500. 
 
 Yantic Manufacturing Co, : 1826 ; for manufacturing wool- 
 en and cotton goods; capital not to exceed $30,000, shares 
 $100. 
 
 Norwich Manufacturing Co.: 1828; for manufacturing 
 cotton or woolen goods ; capital $100,000, shares $100; 
 empowered to hold land not exceeding 500 acres. 
 
 Norwich and New York Manufacturing Co.: 1F29; for 
 manufacturing cotton and woolen goods ; capital $200,000, 
 shares $500. 
 
 Norwich and Preston Iron Co. : 1829 ; for manufacturing 
 castings, bar iron, nails, &c. ; capital $100,000, shares $500. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 331 
 
 Creeneville Manufacturing Co. : 1833 ; for manufacturing 
 woolen and other goods which may be deemed advantageous 
 to tlie Company ; not to occujjy more than fifteen acres of 
 hvnd ; capital not to exceed $50,000, shares $100. 
 
 BANKS, &C. 
 
 Norwich Mutual Assurance Co : incorporated in 1795. 
 
 Norwich Bank : 1796. Capital stock not less than $75,000, 
 nor more than $200,000 ; shares $100. 
 
 Norwich Marine (now Fire) Insurance : 1803. Capital 
 not less than $50,000 : shares $50. The name and charac- 
 ter was changed in 1818; the object thenceforth being con- 
 fined to insurance against losses by fire. Capital not less 
 than $100,000 ; nor more thafi $300,000. 
 
 Norwich Savings Society : 1824. 
 
 Thames Bank : 1825 ; 2000 shares of $100. This bank 
 succeeded to the business and privileges of the Norwich 
 Channel Co. which had been incorporated in 1805. 
 
 Norwich Market, at Chelsea Landing : 1825. Capital 
 not to exceed $10,000. 
 
 Quinebaug Bank: 1832; 5000 shares of $100 each. 
 This bank was required to subscribe, as soon as organized, 
 to the Boston and Norwich Railroad Company, $100,000, 
 being one thousand shares. 
 
 Quinebaug Canal Bank was incorporated in 1827, but 
 never went into operation. 
 
 Merchants Bank : 1833; 3000 shares of $100 each, with 
 the privilege of increasing'to 5000. A bonus Avas required 
 of this institution, for the improvement of navigation in the 
 Thames, not exceeding $30,000 ; afterwards altered to ten 
 per cent, on the capital stock actually called in. 
 
 Merchants Insurance Co.: 1834. Capital not less than 
 $100,000, nor more than $300,000 ; shares, $100. This 
 company insures against disasters by sea, and losses by fire, 
 on all kinds of mixed and personal estate. 
 
 Mechanics Society : for aiding destitute members and 
 their families Capital not to exceed $20,000. 
 
332 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 POPULATION. 
 
 In 1830, the population was 5,170— in 1840, 7,239, 
 of whom 4,200 were within the city limits. Males, 
 3,368, females, 3,871. The number of electors regis- 
 tered Oct. 15, 1844, was 1,383; which, allowing one 
 in seven to be voters, would indicate a population at the 
 present time not much short of 10,000. 
 
 NEWSPAPERS. 
 
 The second Newspaper established in Norwich, was 
 " The Weekly Register.',' ^It was conmienced in 1790, 
 by Thomas Hubbard, on the town Plain. Six years 
 afterwards, Mr. Hubbard removed to the Landing, and 
 issued his paper under the designation of " The Chel- 
 sea Courier." It has been continued to the present 
 time, with slight variations of the title, and now bears 
 the name of " The Norwich Courier." Several other 
 Newspapers have been commenced in the place, and 
 through the influence of temporary causes, or the power 
 of editorial talent, have obtained a transient share of 
 public patronage, but after an ephemeral life have dis- 
 appeared. Such was the fate of 
 
 The True Republican, by Sterry & Porter, 
 
 The Native American, by Samuel Webb, 
 
 Norwich Republican, by J. T. Adams. 
 
 The News list, in Jan. 1845, stands as follows : — 
 
 1. The Norwich Courier, published weekly and tri- 
 weekly — by D. E. Sykes. 
 
 2. The Norwich Aurora, commenced 1836 — by J. 
 Holbrook ; now conducted by J. W. Stedman. 
 
 3. The Spectator, commenced in 1842 — by J. 
 Cooley. 
 
 4. The Norwich Gleaner, commenced 1845 — by B. 
 F. Taylor. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 333 
 
 MISSIONARIES. 
 
 The Foreign Mission Society of Norwich and vicin- 
 ity, Wcas organized in 1812. In October, 1844, it held 
 its thirty-second anniversary. 
 
 In September, 1843, the American Board of Com- 
 missioners for Foreign Missions, held their annual 
 meeting at Norwich. There was a peculiar appropri- 
 ateness in the assembling of this great association at 
 that place, as Norwich has always been distinguished, 
 not only for her generous contril)ution of funds towards 
 the support of missions both foreign and domestic, but 
 for the more costly offerings of numerous sons and 
 daughters to the promotion of the cause. 
 
 The following is supposed to be a correct list of the 
 missionaries that have gone out from Norwich. About 
 twenty of them were natives, and the others were for a 
 considerable period residents of the town, befoie enter- 
 ing upon the duties of the missionary. Two of them, 
 it will be seen, belong to an earlier period than the 
 organization of the American Board of Commissioners 
 for Foreign Missions. One is attached to a Methodist 
 mission ; one is an Episcopal clergyman in the employ 
 of tlie Colonization society, and twenty-four have been 
 in the service of the American Board of Commission- 
 ers for Foreign Missions: 
 
 Year. Names. Mission. 
 
 1766. Rev. Samuel Kirkland, Oneida. 
 
 1761. Rev. Samsom Occuni, (Mohegan,) " 
 
 1S12. Rev. Samuel Nott, Jr., Mahratta. 
 
 1812. Mrs. Nott, (Roxana Peck,) " 
 
 1819. Rev. Miron VVinslow, Ceylon. 
 
 1819. Mrs. VVinslow, (Harriet L. Lathrop,) " 
 
 1820. Mrs. Palmer, (Clarissa Johnson,) Cherokee. 
 
 1821. Rev. William Potter, " 
 J 825. William H. Manwaring, " 
 1826. Mrs. Gleason, (Bethiah W. Tracy,) Choctaw. 
 
 29 
 
334 HISTORY OF NORAVICH. 
 
 Year. Names. Mission. 
 
 1827. Rev. Jonathan S. Green, Sandwich Islands. 
 
 1827. Mrs. Gulick, (Fanny H.Thomas,) " 
 
 1833. Mrs. Smith, (Sarah L. Huntington,) Syria. 
 
 1833- Mrs. Pahner, (Jerusha Johnson,) Cherokee. 
 
 1833. Mrs. Hutchings, (Elizabeth C. Lathrop,) Ceylon. 
 1833. Mrs. Perry, (Harriet J. Lathrop,) " 
 
 1833. Rev. Stephen Johnson, Siam. 
 
 1835. Rev. James T. Dickinson, Singapore. 
 
 1835. Rev. William Tracy, Madura. 
 
 1835. Mrs. Hebard, (Rebecca W. Willimas,) Syria. 
 
 1836. Mrs. Cherry, (Charlotte H. Lathrop,) Madura. 
 1836. Rev. James L. Thomson, Cyprus. 
 1839. Mrs. Sherman, (Martha E. Williams,) Syria. 
 1839. Mrs. Brewer, (Laura L. Giddings,) Oregon. 
 
 1839. Mrs. Cherry, (Jane E. Lathrop,) Ceylon. 
 
 1840. Rev. Joshua Smith, Africa. 
 
 1843. Miss Susan Tracy. Choctaw. 
 
 1844. Miss Lucinda Downer, " 
 
 RAIL ROAD. 
 
 The Norwich and Worcester Rail Road Company 
 was formed in 1832 ; the Legislatures of Connecticut 
 and Massachusetts each granting a charter for that 
 portion of the road which lay within their respective 
 States. These two companies were united by tlie said 
 Legislatures in 1836, the whole capital amounting to 
 $1,700,000. The length from the steam-boat land- 
 ing in Norwich, to the depot at Worcester, is fifty-eight 
 and nine tenth miles, eigliteen of which is in Massa- 
 chusetts. The materials used, and the workmanship 
 were all of the best kind, and it is believed to be a 
 road of as solid and durable construction as any in tiie 
 country. It was first opened through the whole dis- 
 tance, in March, 1840. 
 
 Just beyond Greeneville in Norwich, the road forms 
 a curve of 1,000 feet radius along the banks of the 
 Shetucket, affording a fine view of the river, (he 
 bridge and adjacent country. Three miles from the 
 city, at the Quinebaug Falh", the company were met 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 335 
 
 by an immense massof rock lying across their contem- 
 plated route. Here a deep cut was channeled for a 
 considerable distance (hrough afrioblc rock, but reach- 
 ing- at length a bed of solid granite, a tunnel was 
 excavated 300 feet in length, and twenty in width. 
 The height from the bed of the tunnel, to the summit 
 of the rock above, is about 100 feet. Sitting in the 
 car and gazing upon the scenery, you suddenly find 
 yourself gliding into the bosom of frowning cliffs, and 
 enveloped in subterranean darkness. Yon come out 
 slowly, grinding along the edge of a precipice, with the 
 ragged, foaming, contracted river below yon on one 
 side, and a barrier of cliffs on the other. 
 
 The road for many miles keeps near the Quine- 
 baug, which has every where tlie same characteristics, 
 chafed and noisy, the banks bold, the bed rocky, and 
 the edges disfigured by boulders brought down with 
 ice in spring floods, and lodged along the water course. 
 
 The section of the road from Norwich lo Jewett 
 City in Preston, was the most laborious and expensive 
 of the route. The course was winding, the radius 
 short; the earth encumbered with rocks; the contract- 
 ors lost money, and were obliged to throw themselves 
 upon the company. The tunnel alone cost nearly 
 $30,000. 
 
 A large depot or station house was erected at Nor- 
 wich, contiguous to the steam-boat landing, two sto- 
 ries high, and 200 feet in length. It is situated just at 
 the spot where the Shetucket contracts its course, 
 turns a quarter round, and glides into the Thames. 
 Here the company purchased a small rocky promon- 
 tory called the Point, pulled down the buildings which 
 covered it, blew up the rocks, filled the shallows, and 
 constructed the station house, together witli a wharl 
 and a solid stone wall. 
 
336 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 During' the severe flood in the spring of 1841, a bar 
 was formed in the channel of the Thames, by an accu- 
 mulation of sand brought down the Shetucket, 360feet 
 in length, which it was found very difficult to exca- 
 vate, so as to leave the channel of its former depth. 
 In consequence of this bar, the steamboats which had 
 before this occasionally grounded in the river, were 
 now frequently delayed two or three hours upon their 
 route. This obstruction, together with the serious incon- 
 venience arising from the ice in the winter season, 
 induced the company to extend their road from Nor- 
 wich along- the bank of the river, seven miles to 
 Allen's point, near Gale's feriy, where it is supposed 
 that no serious obstruction will ever be presented by 
 the ice. This part of the road was completed in 1843, 
 and in regard to its location and scenery is altogether 
 of a novel character. 
 
 The Shetucket is spanned by a lofty bridge, after 
 which the route is directly upon tlie brink of the 
 Thames, being channeled along her banks and rim- 
 ning over her coves and streamlets by bridges and 
 causeways, affording views varied and picturesque in 
 the highest degree. 
 
 The Norwich and Worcester rail road having been 
 constructed at a period of pecuniary pressure in the 
 country, unexampled in its severity and continuance, 
 it is no matter of surprize, though it certainly is of 
 regret, that the public-spirited band of men who com- 
 menced the undertaking and completed it under such 
 discouragements, should have suffered severely in a 
 pecuniary point of view by the measure. It is not 
 often the case in this world, that they who expend 
 their zeal and energies upon a great work, are the per- 
 sons that reap the most benefit from it. They plan, 
 and execute, and toil on with unceasing ardor to com- 
 
HISTORY OF N O R AV I C H . 337 
 
 plete an undertaking and then arc swept aside, or pass 
 away, while others enter into their labors, and enjoy 
 that which costs them nothing. There is nothing dis- 
 couraging in (his; it rather ennobh's measures which 
 otherwise would be but sordid ; teaching the generous 
 mind to enter upon its beneficial task, whether person- 
 al advantage accrue from it or not ; to do good, and 
 pursue noble ends by noble means, without too solici- 
 tously expecting a reward, or indulging regret if it be 
 withheld. 
 
 HEALTH, LONGEVITY, DEATHS. 
 
 Norwich may be called a healthy town. Though 
 surroimded b)' running streams to a greater extent 
 than most places, it contains no stagnant waters or 
 marshy grounds. Fevers and chills are of rare occur- 
 rence, and there seems to exist no causes for disease 
 that are not common to the changeable climate of the 
 State. 
 
 The first three or four generations in this place were 
 distinguished for longevity. Dr. Lord said in his old 
 age : " When I first came here, there was a beautiful 
 sight of venerable, aged fathers, and many of them 
 appearing of the right Puritan stamp, the hoary head 
 found in the way of righteousness." And he adds, 
 " there is now some greater number of the aged, from 
 seventy and upwards, than there was at that time." 
 For want of accurate public registering, we have but 
 few data on which to form any estimate of the propor- 
 tions of diseases and dc ath. Dr. Lord stated in his half- 
 century sermon (1767) (hat 1000 pel sons had died in the 
 first society in fifty years — average number, annually, 
 twenty — extremes, fourteen and thirty — 112 of the 
 w hole number lived to be seventy or upwards, and one 
 over 100: 390diedunder fourteen years of age. At that 
 29* 
 
338 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 period, there were forty living at the age of seventy or 
 upwards. 
 
 Dr. Strong, in 1828, stated that the number of deaths 
 in the society, for the preceding 50 years, amounted to 
 1450, averaging twenty-nine annually ; extremes, six- 
 teen and sixty-three. The inhabitants for each period 
 cannot be exactly ascertained, but probably it would 
 not be far frojin the tiuth, to estimate them at a medi- 
 um, during Dr. Lord's ministry, at 1600, and during 
 Dr. Strong's, 1800. Perhaps the variation has been 
 even less. Good judges say tJiat the population of this 
 society has been nearly uniform for 150 years ; emigra- 
 tion and death keeps the balance in equipoise. 
 
 According to the above estimate, the proportion of 
 deaths in this society is about one in sixty or seventy, 
 which is the usual proportion in all the healthy parts of 
 New England. 
 
 From 1787 to 1827, a period of forty years, Dr. 
 Strong married 365 couple ; probably during that time, 
 not more than half a dozen marriages took place which 
 were not solemnized by him. These marriages ave- 
 rage nine or ten per year. In the year 1796, he united 
 twenty-four couples. From '87 to '97, 144 couples, 
 averaging fouitecn per year. 
 
 To illustrate the general health of the town, the 
 following fact may be noticed. Dr. Strong built the 
 house in which his son Henry Strong Esq., now resides, 
 and lived in it fifty years with his family. He had 
 three children, and usually kept two or three domestics, 
 and yet his own death in 1835 was the first that had 
 ever occurred in the house. 
 
 A remurkal)le instance of longevity, viz., that of Mrs. 
 Lathrop, who died in 1732, at the age of 103 years, has 
 already been mentioned. The following instance is men- 
 tioned in Dwight's Travels: "Ann Heifer,a widow at Nor- 
 wich, Conn., died March 22, 1758, in her 105th year." 
 
aged 
 
 80 
 
 u 
 
 80 
 
 a 
 
 77 
 
 li 
 
 76 
 
 U " 
 
 75 
 
 HISTORY OF NORWICH 339 
 
 Aged inhabitants of Norwich, present at a pohtical 
 festival, in J 840. 
 
 Erastus Perkins, aged 89 Ichabod Ward, 
 Samuel Avery, " 88 Newconib Kinney, 
 
 Seabury Brewster, " 86 Benjamin Snow, 
 Christopher Vail, " 82 Nathaniel Shipman, 
 Bela Peck, " 82 Zachariah Huntington, " 
 
 Only one person, it is believed, has been killed by 
 lightning- in the town. This was a young woman, 
 sister to Thomas Leffingwell, the third of that name, 
 who was struck dead by the descent of the electric 
 fluid, while in the act of closing a window. The 
 event occurred in the old Leffingwell house, in the 
 Town-plot society. 
 
 The number of suicides, for the whole period, can- 
 not be ascertained ; but from the number of instances 
 collected, it is estimated that they may amount to 
 fifteen or twenty. The list comprises people in all 
 conditions of life, and both sexes : — one was a respect- 
 able woman, a wife and mother ; three or four were 
 disappointed in love, but the majority were hard drink- 
 ers or persons of immoral habits. 
 
 The first suicide in the town, if we may credit tradi- 
 tion, was Micah Rood, a man respecting whom several 
 legends have been preserved, somewhat contradictory, 
 and only partially harmoni'/ing with tlie brief notices 
 that may be gathered from the records. The following 
 is as connected a statement as can be made out of these 
 various accounts, 
 
 Thomas Rood, the father of Micah, was one of the 
 first farmers that settled in Norwich. It is not improb- 
 able that he came upon the ground with the first pro- 
 prietors. He had a farm four or five miles from the 
 town plot, in that part of the town which is now Frank- 
 
340 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 lin. His second son, Micah, possessed in 1715, a com- 
 fortable farm "near the saw mill," The tradition is, 
 that he introduced upon this farm a peculiar variety of 
 the apple, of an early species, fair outside, and excel- 
 lent flavor. One tree in particular, by assiduous culti- 
 vation, had become large and productive. By what 
 means he fell into poverty is not known. His old age 
 was rendered miserable by the combined influence of 
 want, and a depression of spirit, amounting perhaps to 
 insanity. 
 
 The following record is copied from a slip of paper 
 found among the town books. 
 
 « Norwich, Sept. ye 13, 1726. 
 Att a Town meeting Legalley warned This ToM^n Desier 
 the Present Selectmen to Agree with some sutabele parsen 
 to keepe Micah Rood and his wife and the Town ingaege to 
 pay what ye Selectmen shall agree for — Voted. — " 
 
 Tradition says that Micah was intemperate and dis- 
 honest, and that in a fit of remorse he hung himself 
 upon his favorite apple-tree. Since which period, says 
 the legend, every individual apple from this stock has 
 been tainted with a speck of blood. It is an undoubted 
 fact that the apples of this neighborliood, locally called 
 Mike apples, received their name from him, as having 
 been propagated from a tree upon his farm. It is true 
 also, that this species of apple, generally exhibits some- 
 where in the pulp, a small red speck, resembling a 
 tinge of fresh blood. This, connected with the suicide 
 of Micah Rood, affords sntflcient matter for a tale of 
 superstition. 
 
 It is strange that the commission of crime, which 
 ought to make men afraid to die, should so often lead 
 to self-mnrder. Yet notwithstanding this aggravation 
 of their guilt, there is always something that awakens 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 341 
 
 our sympathy in the fate of the .suicide. Take, for 
 instaiTce, another case that occurred in Norwich, in 
 which the victim was a poor negro slave, named Jock. 
 
 He used occasionally to attend the new-light meet- 
 ings, and had one or two seasons of being very religious. 
 He courted a ncMghboring servant girl of his own color, 
 but at length thinking himself ill used by her, in a fit 
 of jealousy and anger, he one night took a gun, loaded 
 it with bits of an old pewter spoon, which he cut up for 
 that purpose, for want of bullets, went to the house 
 where she lived, looked in at the kitchen window and 
 saw her sitting by the fire witir her master's child in 
 her arms. He leveled his piece, fired and hit her in 
 the shoulder. Immediately thereupon he fled to a 
 swamp in the neighborhood, where he remained (ill 
 driven out by hunger. He was then seized and confined 
 in jail. The bo3'^s under his window one day told him 
 that the woman whom he had shot, was dead ; and that 
 very night he hung himself in prison. His body was 
 given to the elder Dr. Turner for dissection, and his 
 bones formed into an anatomical figure, were long kept 
 in his olfice,an object both of terror and curiosity to the 
 ignorant and the cbikhen of the neighborhood. If 
 obliged to pass the place a little tifter night-fall, they 
 were sure to imagine that they saw Jock's ghost. 
 
 But it is not only the stings of a tormenting con- 
 science that lead to the commission of suicide. Few 
 minds, without the aid of strong religious faith, can 
 sustain a great calamity. Whenever therefore some 
 uncommon misfortune crosses their path, they become 
 desperate, loathe life, and seek relief in the grave. 
 A more recent case of self-destruction that occurred 
 in Norwich, is of too interesting a nature, not to be 
 minutely detailed. 
 
 Albertus Siraut Destouches, a French gentleman of 
 
342 HISTORY OF NORWICH, 
 
 polished manners and respectable standing in society, 
 settled in Norwich about the year 1790. He was a 
 native of Boideaux, had been educated at Leyden, in 
 Holland, and after seeing- much of life and manners in 
 the old world, he removed to Demerara and engaged 
 in commercial pursuits. From this place, he came to 
 Norwich, where he entered into the mercantile line, 
 purchased a handsome house, and married a widow 
 lady of respectability. Being afflicted with a very 
 painful disorder, he gradually withdrew from all busi- 
 ness, and in a great measure from society. He had a 
 large library, and endeavored to divert his mind with 
 books, but so acute were his sufferings, that he was 
 driven to despair, and life rendered odious to him. It 
 was long, however, before he could convince himself 
 that it would be justifiable in him to commit self-mur- 
 der. He consulted various authors, and often conversed 
 on the subject. At one time he endeavored, by high 
 bribes and the most affecting entreaties, to prevail on 
 one of his domestics to kill him, having a kind of nat- 
 ural repugnance to the taking of his own life. While 
 wavering in his mind whether suicide might not be 
 justified by the laws of God, he addressed the follow- 
 ing note to the Rev. Dr. Strong, of the first society. It 
 will be given with all its peculiarities of idiom and 
 circumstance. 
 
 From my bed, March 30, 1796. 
 
 Reverend Sir. — 
 Having not the advantage of being particularly acquainted 
 with you, nothing but your public character and known dis- 
 position to oblige, would have emboldened a poor sick man to 
 apply and entreat your reverence for the favor of granting 
 me a little of his precious time for a short visit, as not being 
 able to do it myself. Fettered in my bed, stranger, without 
 friend or relation and actually as waving between sickness, 
 pain, distress, misfortune and despair, I hope you will not 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 343 
 
 refuse him that favor, and acquaint verbally by the bearer 
 when may expect, when granted. In expectation of which 
 I remain, Reverend Sir, 
 
 of your Reverence 
 
 the Humble Servant, 
 Alb. Siraut Destouches. 
 Reverend Mr. Strong, present, up town." 
 
 In the interview with Dr. Strong, which succeeded, 
 the fitness of religion to sustain the soul under all 
 earthly trials, was the principal topic of discourse, and 
 M. Destouches permitted his visiter to retire without 
 laying before him the peculiar subject that engrossed 
 his thoughts. This led to a second more extended 
 letter, of which the following is an exact transcript. 
 
 " Reverend Sir, 
 
 As nothing but your kindness and your principles of human- 
 ity only, authorizes me to disturb you again, and to intrude 
 upon the precious time which your public character prescribes 
 to devote to those only, whose similarity in their manner of 
 thinking do coincide or agree with yours, permit. Dear Sir, 
 that a poor unfortunate sufferer, who has no other claim or 
 protector than the humanity and, (if I dare say it) the most 
 rigid moral, trouble you again with this billet. 
 
 When last week you did me the favor of visiting me, how- 
 ever good it did me, as I did not touch the point or subject I 
 desired, I will expose now briefly the main part of it, the 
 rest being become, by my low situation now useless. 
 
 1 hinted to you, dear Sir, in our last interview, how unfor- 
 tunate I have been here since my arrival, in matter of con- 
 cern, and I related you, and you was yourself witness of my 
 suflering, but since "that time, I did experience an increase of 
 pain (however now a little abated) which my strength does 
 not permit to bear very much longer. Strength and hope of 
 recovery are gone, and nothing is remaining but a most dis- 
 tressing death which is the only end I have to expect, if I do 
 not prevent it by an immoderate use of opium. 
 
 But, Dear Sir, though I find in my distressful situation, 
 r.'asons to justify such an attempt, which the remembrance 
 of all my other misfortunes, and the consciousness of my 
 own un-usefulness, any longer in the society corroborates, a 
 
344 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 certain doubt holds me back, and none of my books give me 
 any satisfactory account pro nor contra. Paley's Moral Phi- 
 losophy, Hume's and Montaine's Essays tell me not enough. 
 You would oblige me much if to the revelation which speaks 
 magisterially to the will only, you could procure me some 
 arguments to illustrate my reason in so dark a matter, when 
 nature has lost its influence upon our senses. Not daring to 
 expect yourself for the answer, a few lines upon the paper 
 may satisfy. 
 
 Reverend Sir, your most Humble Servant, 
 
 Alb. SiRAUT Destouches. 
 Wednesday Morning." 
 
 Dr. Strong after the reception of this letter visited 
 the unfortanate sufferer repeatedly, and being now 
 aware of the leading purpose of his mind, employed 
 every argument that reason or religion could suggest, 
 to divert him from its execution. But in vain — his 
 resolution grew stronger as his frame grew more feeble. 
 He became convinced that the act was lawful, and 
 often declared that if his sufferings should increase 
 beyond what he felt that he could endure, he should 
 seek a violent relief. On leaving him one day, Dr. 
 S. obtained from him, after much persuasion, his word 
 of honor, that, at least, he would not commit the deed 
 until he had seen him again, — holding out the idea 
 that he would make the subject a matter of particular 
 study, and hoped then to be able to produce argu- 
 ments to convince Iiim that he ought not to destroy 
 himself. Having obtained this promise, and fearing 
 that another interviev/ would be as unsatisfactory as 
 the former had been, he purposely kept out of the way 
 of the sick man. Sometime afterwards he was called 
 to attend a funeral, which obliged him to pass the 
 dwelling of M. Destouches. He drove quick, in order 
 to escape observation, but before he could get past the 
 house, the unfortunate gentleman raised the sash of 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 345 
 
 his chamber window, and waved his hand expressively, 
 as if to say, "I see you," closed it again, and instantly 
 shot himself dead. Upon the walls of his room was 
 written several times, in imperfect English, with a 
 pencil, — " ' Tis more as I can bear." 
 
 M. Destouches in his will left the greater part of his 
 books, which were mostly of an infidel character, to a 
 gentleman in Leyden, (Holland.) His executors took 
 great pains to fulfill his wishes, but they could never 
 hear iVom the legatee, or learn whether he was living 
 or dead. The matter was referred to the Legislature 
 of Connecticut, who ordered the books to be deposited 
 in the library of Yale College, until called for by some 
 person duly authorized to claim them. 
 
 Only tw^oexecutions have been ascertained ; these both 
 took place on Long Hill, overlooking the town plot. 
 The first was soon after the settlement of Dr. Strong, 
 who preached the execution sermon. The criminal 
 was a man of the name of Dennis, who killed a com- 
 rade by a sudden stroke, in a quarrel. He seems to 
 have been condemned by a sentence too rigorous ; as 
 the fatal blow was dealt in a state of passionate excite- 
 ment, and the victim was well enough to walk the 
 streets for a fortnight afterwards. 
 
 The other was in 1816. An ignorant mulatto, 
 named Miner Babcock, about twenty years of age, 
 stabbed his step-father, in a quarrel. They had fre- 
 quently fought before, with fists and hard words, but 
 this time Miner drew out his jack-knife, and in the 
 scuffle, the old man, who was much the worse character 
 of the two, received a wound, of which he died. Miner 
 was hung upon the same spot where Dennis suffered. 
 Both of these scenes collected a large concourse of 
 spectators from all parts of the State. 
 
 The village of Greeneville was established on the 
 30 
 
346 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 purest code of morals ; not a foot of land was sold but 
 upon condition that no ardent spirits should be vended 
 upon it. Yet in its ver}^ infancy it received a foul blot 
 upon its fair fame, from an act of atrocious villany 
 which occured in its precincts. A man by the name 
 of Sherman, a native of Rhode Island, killed his wife 
 and child in the most barbarous manner; the child, 
 on its mother's bosom, receiving one of the deadly 
 blows aimed at the wife. It is supposed that he com- 
 mitted the crime in a fit of anger, inflamed by intoxica- 
 tion, for thongh, from the tenure of the lands in Greene- 
 ville, he could procure no intoxicating liquor there, 
 yet it was thouglit he had inflamed his veins with the 
 deadly poison in a neighboring societ}^, from which he 
 returned that evening. He was tried and executed at 
 New London. 
 
 FRESHETS, 
 
 The annual breaking up of the ice in the rivers 
 around Norwich, and the consequent overflowing of 
 the waters, frequently occasion great damages. Mills 
 and bridges are swept away, meadow lands devastated, 
 fences destroyed, and individuals, as well as the public, 
 sustain serious losses. Some parts of the town are, 
 from their situation, peculiarly exposed to these rava- 
 ges. The narrow and winding outlet of the Shetuckct, 
 and the high banks that restrain it on the south, natu- 
 rally tend to throw the accumulated swell of the river 
 over the flat part of Chelsea. Only a few of the most 
 remarkable of these floods can be here noticed. 
 
 In June, 1778, a great freshet was produced by rain, 
 without the aid of snow or ice. For two days, (tenth 
 and eleventh of June,) the rain poured down without 
 intermission, with all the vehemence that is displayed 
 in a violent thunder shower. The rivers rose with 
 great rapidity, to an almost unprecedented height, and 
 caused great damage in and around Chelsea. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 347 
 
 The most alarming- fieshet of these rivers that has 
 occurred within the memory of any now living, was in 
 1807. A heavy rain fell upon frozen ground and 
 rushed towards the rivers. The ice began to break 
 and move in the night, and (he rise of the waters was 
 so sudden and terrible as lo cause great alarm and 
 consternation. The bells were rung, and expresses 
 sent to different parts of the town for assistance. The 
 current swept over East Chelsea, and covered Main 
 street up as far as the store of Mr. Charles Coit. A 
 temporary embankment was formed at this place, by 
 placing the mast of a vessel across the street, securing 
 it l)y heavy stones, then placing rails and timbers upon 
 it, and fdling in hay and straw to stop the leakage. 
 The waters slightly trickled over this breastwork, but 
 it kept off the main body until it subsided, which was 
 in the course of a few hours. 
 
 In September, 1815, at the equinox, a most destruc- 
 tive gale of wind was experienced on the coast of New 
 England. At Chelsea the tide rose to an unprece- 
 dented height. Several stores on the wharves were 
 swept entirely away, and others injured. On the 
 wharf britlge the depth of water was five or six feet ; 
 beating over it with such fury as to carry off (he mar- 
 ket and a store adjoining. The market drifted up the 
 river and lodged on the east side of the cove, thirty or 
 forty yards above the bridge. All the shipping in the 
 harbor was driven ashore, knocking in the sides of 
 stores, and lodging almost in tlie streets. 
 
 In March, 1823, the sudden rise of the river swept 
 off several buildings from the wharf bridge : among 
 them was the Methodist chapel, which passed down 
 the river into the Sound before it broke into parts. 
 This incident gave rise at the time to many jocular 
 reports. The newspapers in some places published 
 
348 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 thai it bore oil" both pastor and flock, and that they 
 were heard singing as they passed New London. They 
 reported also that it had hmded Avhole on one of the 
 islands, and that services would be performed there in 
 future. A schooner from Providence, then in the 
 Sound, asserted that it came driving by them in the 
 night with lights in it,* 
 
 To show the force of the water in this flood it may 
 be stated, that the Yantic was considerably deepened 
 in some places, by the removal of large stones. One 
 that weighed more than a ton, and which had been 
 placed in the bed of the river many years before, to 
 support a foot bridge, was raised, carried up into a 
 meadow, and thrown against a large tree. An oil-mill 
 was swept oflT, with a considerable quantity of flax-seed 
 in it. By the middle of May several meadows adjoin- 
 ing the river were covered with young flax. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. 
 
 Norwich abounds in springs of clear and soft water. 
 Wells on the side hills generally require to be dug to 
 the depth of twenty feet, ^^^(^ on the plains forty feet 
 or more. In some few places the water is hard, and 
 this probably arises from some mineral property of the 
 earth through which it passes, as the town does not 
 produce clay, which is the substance that most fre- 
 quently prevents water from uniting with soap. There 
 are some instances of wells that are alternately hard 
 and soft, varying as different springs flow into them, and 
 prevail at diflerent seasons. Those springs which are 
 reached by blasting the superincumbent rocks, are 
 almost invariably pure, while those which pass through 
 earthy strata, are apt to be tinctured with these ingre- 
 dients. 
 
 * This incident gave rise to a little poem, by Brainerd, called " The 
 Captain." Though but a fragmentary production, it is very graphic 
 and highly finished. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 349 
 
 The rock formations in and around Norwich, are all 
 primitive, consisting of gneiss, hornblende and gran- 
 ite ; of inferior quality for building, and of little use 
 except for walls, cellars and wells. 
 
 The valleys between the hills appear to form parts 
 of an irregular alluvial plain. The late Daniel L. 
 Coit Esq., a gentleman of intelligence^ and accurate 
 observation, conjectured that this plain might have been 
 at some distant period the bottom of a lake, which by 
 the recession of the waters, or other violent cause, had 
 been much changed in its aspect. This plain appears 
 in an unbroken form between the town and landing, 
 but it extends in an irregular and broken condition to 
 Bean Hill, and it appears also on the west side of the 
 Yantic, and on ihe south-west of the cove below the 
 falls. It is distinguished by sand, loose gravel, and 
 rounded small stones, entirely dillerent in geological 
 structure from the hills adjacent, and intimating a sec- 
 ondary foimation. No rocks similar to those which 
 mark the hills, are found on the plains, and the termi- 
 nation of the two regions is in some spots so abrupt, 
 that Mr. Coit supposed some violent cause must have 
 produced this eilect, and that probably the bed of the 
 Yantic, if not of the Shetucket, was once as elevated 
 as the plain, and the lake received its waters. The 
 point of land, east of Mr. R. Hubbard's dwelling- 
 house, seems to have been left by an eddy passing 
 round the hill, and rushing into the basin below. It is 
 worthy of note that the Great Plain, Sachem's Plain, 
 and Chelsea Plain, are all on the same water level. 
 
 On the north sidL' of Waweckus Hill, the descent is 
 gradual, and rocks are scattered along the declivity. 
 This primitive formation continues to the north, the 
 rocks being occasionally found in the lots, even after 
 the ground has become level, until it meets the allu- 
 30* 
 
350 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 vion in the tliiid lot in the reai of the residence of 
 Gen. William Williams. Beyond this there is not a 
 rock to be found through the plain, and the earth a 
 foot or two below the surface is composed of gravel 
 and rounded stones. 
 
 The well at the dwelling-house of the late Rev. Mr. 
 Mitchell, the first opened on the plain, was dug forty- 
 two feet, and through the whole of this depth, the 
 earth was composed of gravel and rounded stones, 
 from the smallest size to those of one or two pounds 
 weight, without a drop of water until tliey reached the 
 depth of thirl y-seven or thirty-eight feet, after which 
 water was very abundant. The gravel was undoubt- 
 edly too loose to contain water, which was not found 
 until the alluvion was pierced through and the primi- 
 tive formation reached, on which it rests. It is 
 believed that similar appearances have been presented 
 in digging all the other wells on (he plain. 
 
 The scarcity of stone on the plains, formerly led to 
 the cultivation of prim hedges, as being less expensive 
 and more elegant than any other fence, and at one 
 period many fields and gardens were surrounded with 
 these beautiful hedges. Almost every homestead 
 between the Arnold house, and the wharf bridge, was 
 adorned with them, so that they were considered one 
 of the peculiarities of the town. But from some causes, 
 not well ascertained, there was a general failure of 
 prim [Ligustium vulgare, Lin :] throughout the coun- 
 try, about the period of the revolutionary war, and it 
 has since been comparatively a rare shrub. Popular 
 opinion sportively attributes the decny to the fact that 
 the Rogerene Quakers were whipped with prim withs; 
 and it was long maintained that the shrub could never 
 again be made to flourish in the soil. It is not known 
 that this deluded people endured any flagellation in the 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 351 
 
 town subsequent to that of 1726, aud the hedges flourish- 
 ed in all their beauty for forty years afterwards ; so that it 
 is difficult to conceive how this idea orignated. How- 
 ever that may 1)0, some recent experiments show that 
 this mysterious sympathy with Quakerism has become 
 extinct, and Norwich ma}^ yet rcxover her ancient rep- 
 utation in this line. 
 
 Few towns are better accommodated with gardens 
 than Norwich, or receive greater returns for their culti- 
 vation. The soil is siiital)le for tlu^ production of most 
 kinds of fruit and vegetables. It is more moist on the 
 sides of the hills than on the plains, and they bear the 
 drought better, but arc more ba' kward. Home lots 
 that are well attended, produce fine crops of grass. 
 Fruit is abundant ; though plumbs and cherries are 
 often much injured by insects, and almost all fruit- 
 bearing trees have suffered from their ravages. There 
 is a small insect that deposites its eggs in punctures 
 upon the young branches ; and when the maggot is 
 hatched, it feeds upon the wood and eats its way out, 
 leaving a swollen excrescence, which destroys the fer- 
 tility of the branch. Such at least appears to be the 
 process. But a still greater enemy to the garden, is 
 the rose slug, which has vastly increased during the 
 last half centuiy, and has been very destructive both 
 to fruits and shrubs. 
 
 Within a few years the vergaloo pear has very much 
 degenerated, but the cause is not ascertained. The 
 canlcer worm has not been very troublesome since the 
 year 1794, ;it which time it was very injurious. In the 
 month of June of that year, there was a remarkably 
 cold and tedious storm, which seemed to drive them 
 away for that season; for tliey were very numerous on 
 the trees the day before the storm, and none to be 
 found after it. The storm could have only operated in 
 
352 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 hastening their departure for the season. Dr. Dwight 
 supposes them to have received their death blow 
 throughout this region, in the month of March, 1795, 
 v/hile in the miller state. 
 
 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 
 
 Norwich consists of an assemblage of villages along 
 the banks of the Yantic and Shetucket, with a broad 
 extent of woods and barren heights, interspersed with 
 farms moderately fertile, spreading like wings to the 
 N. E. and S. W. The villages are six. The most 
 northern is a small manufacturing village, called Yan- 
 ticville, and consisting principally of families connect- 
 ed with the large flannel and carpet factories under the 
 agency of Erastus Williams Esq. There is one quite 
 ancient house in this group, formerly owned by Eli- 
 jah Backus Esq., and still the residence of the family. 
 
 Bean Hill, now called Westville, was the northern 
 limit of the Town Plot ; many of the descendants of 
 the first settlers reside here on the old homesteads; 
 Hydes, Backuses, Huntingtons, &c. There is a Meth- 
 odist Church, a pottery and satinet factory in this part 
 of the town. 
 
 The Town^ a central section, locally so called, is 
 principally built around an undivided square, occupied 
 by the burying yard and some fine meadows. This 
 was once the principal seat of business, but now forms 
 a delightful residence for persons withdrawn from the 
 active pursuits of life. The inhabitants have been 
 from the first settlement, distinguished for sol)riety, 
 love of order, good sense and intelligence. The site 
 on which it is built is very irregular and much broken, 
 consisting of a narrow, picturesque valley, following 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 353 
 
 the windingsof the Yantic. Here, upon ihePlain, stands 
 the First Society meeting-house ; no other sector denom- 
 ination have ever had a house for worship in this part of 
 the town. The court-house, since the removal of the 
 courts to the Landing, has been occupied for a school, 
 the okl jail was taken down, tlie post-office transferred 
 to another location, the taverns shut up, and the peace 
 and quiet of the " Happy Valley" now broods over 
 this charming plain, once the seat of so inr.cli activity 
 and business. 
 
 Between the Town Plot and tlie City, but included 
 within the limits of the latter, is that beautiful part of 
 Norwich called the Little Plain : the Mohegan Plain 
 would be a more appropriate designation, since this 
 spot appears to have been the favorite resort of the 
 Mohegan Sachems — beloved and venerated by them 
 above all others, and chosen for their last resting place, 
 w^here removed from all inferior society, they might 
 repose among their kindred in royal seclusion. The 
 eastern side of the plain is skirted by a rocky wood- 
 land ridge ; the western is bordered by the upper part 
 of the Falls Village. On the north-west, where it 
 approaches the Yantic, and the low meadows called 
 Neman's Acre, a rural cemetery has been recently laid 
 out. It was consecrated in July, 1844; the services 
 being performed by a imion of all denominations of 
 Christians in town. The location is l)eautiful, and 
 when " the young trees shall entwine their roots with 
 the sacred dust," and overshadow the grassy mounds 
 and sculptured monuments of the future dead, it will 
 be an ornament to the city, and a hallowed place of 
 resort to its inhabitants. 
 
 On this plain, and in its vicinity are many elegant 
 private mansions — a small, but tasteful church, and 
 the Indian burial ground shaded by a grove of trees, 
 
364 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 between whose shafts rises the granite obelisk that 
 commemorates the name of Uncas. The corner stone 
 of this monument was laid by President Jackson in 
 1833. The obelisk was contributed by the ladies of 
 Norwich, and the whole enterprise completed and com- 
 memorated July 4, 1842. 
 
 It is not known for how long' a period before Uncas, 
 tlie Mohegans had brought their sachems to this place 
 for interment, but it is generally supposed that at the 
 time of the settlement, the graves covered a couple of 
 acres, and that the whole plain was originally chosen 
 for the royal cemetery. If the dust of the old Sachems 
 could rise up bodily from their graves, said an aged 
 man, I have no doubt but we should see them ascend- 
 ing here and there, far towards the centre of the plain. 
 
 The Falls Village lies in a hollow bend of the Yan- 
 tic, just where it rushes over the rocks through a wind- 
 ing channel into the cove of the Thames. It is wholly 
 of manufacturing growth, and with the exception of an 
 ancient woollen factory and oil mill, and Mr. Elijah 
 Lathrop's dwelling-house, has been entirely built 
 since 1822. 
 
 Chelsea, now Norwich City, is singularly romantic 
 in its situation. Its very streets are declivities, and its 
 buildings are in tiers one above another. It is built 
 just upon the point of land where the Shetucket meets 
 the Thames ; its lower streets have either been won 
 from the water, or blasted out of the rock. The first 
 view of it from the river below is very striking ; it 
 appears and disappears in the windings of the river, as 
 if a drop curtain had shut it out from view. As you 
 approach it by water at night, the lights from the 
 houses high np the hill, seem to be suspended in the 
 air. Chelsea has now seven churches. 
 
 Leaving the extreme point between the rivers and 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 355 
 
 tracing the Slictiicket towards the east, we should have 
 found, at the close of the last century and the begin- 
 ning of this, a^low miry place little better than a 
 swamp, and considered by the citizens the least desira- 
 ble of all their suburbs. This place was swept over 
 every spring by the Shetuckct, which deposited there 
 all its ice, mud and rubbish. It was commonl}- called 
 Swallow-all. The brook that runs through it bears that 
 designation in the town records so long ago as almost 
 to render it classic. Yet both the origin and the orthog- 
 raphy of the name is doubtful. If derived, as some 
 say, from the swallows, who used to make their holes 
 in the high banks adjoining, it should be written Swal- 
 low-Hall. But if, as is most probable, the name is 
 derived from the situation as the receptacle of the She- 
 tuckct, the popular designation is correct. 
 
 This tract is now changed in almost every feature. 
 The river is restrained by embankments within proper 
 limits ; the brook has almost disappeared ; tlie low and 
 marshy spots have been filled up; the rail-cars pass 
 like flying caravans along the brink of the river ; two 
 respectable churches have been built in the valley; 
 and ahTiost every trace of the ancient Swallow-all is 
 obliterated from the fertile gardens and pleasant man- 
 sions of East Chelsea. 
 
 Pursuing our course for aljout half a mile along the 
 Shetucket, we come to Greeneville, the youngest of the 
 Norwich group of villages, and owing its existence 
 entirely to the Water Power Company. 
 
 This company was incorporated in 1829, for the pur- 
 pose of preparing a certain portion of the waters of the 
 Quinebaug and Shetucket, for use to manufacturing 
 establishments. Their capital is $80,OCO. 
 
 They purchased four hundred and sixty acres of land, 
 extending nearly three miles in length each side of the 
 
356 HISTORY OP NORWICH. 
 
 Shetucket, in Norwich and Preston. They built a dam 
 of solid and costly masonry, and dug a canal wider 
 than the Erie, (forty-five feet wide and nine feet deep) 
 and seven-eiglits of a mile in length. Four factories 
 were very soon erected between the canal and the 
 river, and leased out upon productive terms. Other 
 mill seats have been sold and leased, but they have 
 still on hand a large amount of water power unsold, 
 sufficient, it is supposed, to carry in the whole sixty 
 thousand spindles. The water is abundant even in the 
 dryest seasons, and the company claim that there is 
 none to be found in the union, taking the advantageous 
 position and other facilities mto consideration, which 
 is worth intrinsically more per thousand spindles than 
 this. The village of Greeneville was laid out by this 
 company, and the land sold and leased on advantage- 
 ous terms. 
 
 Greeneville is noted for its excellent common schools ; 
 and where education and mental improvement receive 
 a proper degree of attention, the chief objection to large 
 manufacturing establishments is obviated. The popu- 
 lation, consisting perhaps of fifteen hundred persons, 
 comprises but one school district. They have two neat 
 and convenient school-houses, built upon a modern 
 plan, and the schools are kept without interruption 
 from year to year, and funds are annually provided 
 sufficient to bring the means of instruction within the 
 reach of each individual. 
 
 In the eastern part of Norwich, in a bend of the She- 
 tucket, is a plain, which ever since the settlement of 
 Norwich, has gone by the name of Sachem's Plain. It 
 is so called in the first grants of land made in that 
 quarter, and the traditions both of whites and Mohe- 
 gans concur in saying, that here the Sachem Miantino- 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 357 
 
 moll was captured Ijy Uncas, and to this place being 
 brought back, here he was slain and buried. 
 
 On the 4tli of July, 1841, a considerable concourse 
 of people, young and old, principally from the village 
 of Greeneville, celebrated by a festival, the erection of 
 a monumental stone to the memory of the Narragun- 
 sett chief. It is a block of granite, eight feet high, 
 and about five feet S({uare upon the base. It is placed 
 as near to the spot where he was buried, as could be 
 ascertained, and bears this inscription : 
 
 MIANTONIMOH 
 
 1843. 
 
 This monument was erected principally through the 
 exertions of William C. Gilman Esq. It was conse- 
 crated by prayer and libations of pure water from a 
 neighboring s})ring, where perhaps the Sachem had 
 often slacked his thirst, and cooled his heated brow, on 
 his marches through the wilderness towards the seat of 
 his rival, Uncas. 
 
 The prosperity of Norwich being based upon sub- 
 stantial grounds, must necessarily be of an enduring 
 character. A large tract of country finds it a conven- 
 ient port through which to transact business with New 
 York. Agencies are established for the sale of manu- 
 factured goods of various kinds, and even of the raw 
 material, and an extensive trade, wholesale and retail, 
 is carried on in coal, lumber, groceries and dry goods. 
 It is easy of access, midway on the great thoroughfare 
 from New York to Boston, and business can be done 
 here in a cheap, safe, and expeditious manner. Its 
 own manufactures are varied and important, employ- 
 ing a large niunber of minds and hands, and its rivers 
 and streamlets aiTord an almost inexhaustible supply of 
 31 
 
358 HISTORY OF NORWICH. 
 
 water power, by which they may be increased to any 
 number and amount. 
 
 We may also enumerate among the sources of pros- 
 perity, the excellent schools of Norwich, the pictur- 
 esque beauty of its scenery, the affability, ardor and 
 liberality of its inhabitants, and the readiness with 
 which they enter into plans of improvement, and con- 
 cur in all attempts to make the routine of life happy, 
 and mend the manners as well as the heart. From 
 year to year the inhabitants have a variety of temper- 
 ance and Sabbath school festivals, agricultural shows, 
 meetings of societies, and out-door parties. The beau- 
 tiful plains of Norwich have been the scene of many 
 of these innocent festivities. And in this connection, 
 the name of one of the most liljeral promoters of such 
 scenes may be mentioned, Charles Rockwell Esq. ; a 
 gentleman who has done much in various ways to ben- 
 efit his native town, and whose countenance, encour- 
 agement, and active aid are never withheld, when the 
 cause of religion is to be advanced, the w^ants of the 
 poor relieved, the minds of the ignorant enlightened, 
 and the hearts of children made happy. 
 
HISTORY OF NORWICH. 359 
 
 STATISTICS OF MANUFACTURES. 
 
 The following Statistics of a few of the manufacturing establish- 
 ments of Norwich, was obtained from the proprietors themselves. 
 The list is far from being complete, and is in fact but the commence- 
 ment of one ; but further statements were not obtained in time for this 
 publication. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 KINDS OF GOODS. HANDS. AMOUNT ANN. 
 
 Shetuclcet Co. 
 
 Cotton (colored goods,) 
 
 2i)0 
 
 about !g;l 75,000 
 
 Chelsea Man. Co. 
 
 Paper, (various kinds,) 
 
 100 
 
 
 260,000 
 
 Pv. & A. H. Hubbard, 
 
 Paper, 
 
 50 
 
 
 ] 00,000 
 
 Culver & Mickle, 
 
 Paper, 
 
 10 
 
 
 30,000 
 
 Wm. H. Pease, 
 
 Paper, 
 
 y 
 
 
 25,000 
 
 Kennedy, 
 
 Cotton Mill, 
 
 50 
 
 
 75,000 
 
 Wm. H. Coit, 
 
 Carpets, 
 
 35 
 
 
 3S,000 
 
 Wm. A. Buckinghan: 
 
 I, Carpets, 
 
 40 for labor, 10,000 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 alue, 
 
 4S,000 
 
 Falls Mills, 
 
 Cotton , (colored goods). 
 
 150 
 
 
 100,000 
 
 N. H. Eddy &. Co. 
 
 Satinet, 
 
 20 
 
 
 30,000 
 
 Norwich Foundry, 
 
 Foundry &. machinery. 
 
 35 
 
 
 25,000 
 
 Kennedy &. Tillinghast, Cotton, 
 
 05 
 
 
 75,000 
 
 Adams & Kennedy, 
 
 Twine, 
 
 20 
 
 
 30,000 
 
 J. W. Shepherd, 
 
 ' Sash and Blind, 
 
 20 
 
 
 30,000 
 
 Rogers &. Baker, 
 
 Sash, Blind and Doors, 
 
 12 
 
 
 35,000 
 
 Henry Allen, 
 
 Bedsteads, 
 
 It 
 
 
 10,000 
 
 Yantic Man. Co. 
 
 Flannels, 
 
 110 wool. 
 
 150,000 lbs. 
 
 
 
 
 make 
 
 500,000 yds. 
 
 C.W.Rockwell's Mill 
 
 ., Cassimers, 
 
 50 
 
 
 $100,000 
 
t 
 
 
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 H 151 82 '1 
 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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