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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at |http: //books .google .com/I D^ 14?^?. '^^' ^^^ HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY ! ' tJM^^■il ' wu|lUJ,l ■ ■s^] i il r^ "^;.' s A HISTORY OF THS TOWN OF ^ GREENWICH, FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONN., WITH Jftani Jmptitant ^iEthti^s. BY DANIEL M. MEAD, ATTORNEY, ETC., AT LAW, GREENWICH, CONN. -♦♦♦■ ^NEWYORK: BAKGR A GODWIN, PRINTERS CORNER NASSAU AND SPRUCE STREETS. 186 7. \ Entered according to Act of Oongrees, in the year 1857, by DANIEL M. MEAD, In the Clerk's Office for the District Court of Connecticut > I ^ CONTENTS. «4k V • » • Introduction .... Discovery .... Pbtuquapaen .... Settlement .... Agreements with Neighbors Trouble with the Indians Legend of Labden's Rock A New Expedition The Successful Attack Boundary on the West . Increase of Inhabitants, &c. Items from 1665 to 1690 .... Another Quarter of a Century : 1690 to 1716 EriSCOPALIANISM ..... 1715 to Revolutionary War French War ..... The Revolutionary War Incidents op the Revolution Tryon's Expedition .... Rivington's Press .... Expeditions on the Sound Skirmish beyond King Street . The Enemy's Excursion to North Stamford Andrew Mead, Humphrey Denton, and Richard Mead Mill and Docks at Mianus .... The War op 1812 . . Constitution of 1818 Skimeton Parties Paf« 5 18 18 21 26 80 41 48 47 54 59 65 74 97 107 114 180 158 159 175 176 179 181 182 185 190 195 198 4 CONTENTS. APPENDIX. Page Fairfield County .... 211 So VERSIONS OF EnGI/AND AFTER THE SETTLEMENT . . 227 Governors of Connecticut . 227 Town Officers ..... . 229 Business Directory .... 285 School Districts ..... . 243 Indian Names .... 245 Chronological Table .... . 246 The Second Congregational Society 261 Methodist Episcopal Society . 268 Christ's Church .... 270 Emanuel Church, at Qlenville . 273 Genealogy of the Mead Family 277? Genealogy of the Peck Family . 295J Biographical Notice of Rey. Jeremiah Peck 300? The Brundig Family .... . 306 The Bush Family .... 306 The Close Family .... . 807 The Curtis Family . . . . . 309 The Dayton Family .... . 311. The Field Family .... 312 The Ferris FamtTiY .... . 812 The Holmes Family .... 313 The Lyon Famh-y .... . 313 The Lockwood Family 813 The Palmer Family .... . 314 The Purdy Family .... 814 The Brush Family .... 315 The Lewis Family .... 816 The Howe Famh.y .... . 317 INTRODUCTION. • ♦ • The author, when very young, was much interested with the tales and ditties of olden time ; and was in the habit of spending the days, not occupied at school, in the office of our present town-clerk, Samuel Close, Esq., in searching the early records of the town. As a result, many things of interest were found upon the decayed and much-worn, early rec- ords. We found too, that this town was the scene of many important incidents, in the his- tory of our country, which have never been recorded on the pages of history ; and that the few that have been noticed by historians, are mentioned in so vague and uncertain a light as to be of little use to the public. 6 INTRODUCTION. We therefore set ourselves to work to col- lect tlie more important facts and incidents for publication, that our fellow-citizens might have them in a convenient form for reference, and that many facts which otherwise would have been lost may be preserved. We have not published matters of mere private interest ; but only such things as appear to us to be of importance to the public. Such as it is, the volume is now before you. Its reliability may be depended upon as far as it goes; though no doubt many would have made it a more voluminous work. We have been especially indebted for as- sistance to our obliging town-clerk, to Ool. Thomas A. Mead (and papers and reminis- cences in his possession), and to several aged people of the town. The other works to which we have referred with advantage are, O'CaUaghan's History of the New Nether- lands, Bolton's History of Westchester County, lUTEODUOnOW. 7 Trumbull's, Barber's and HoUister's Histories of Connecticut, and others. For our genealogy of the Mead family we are indebted in part to a manuscript in the possession of Titus Mead, Esq. Other genea- logies are accredited properly on the pages of the volume. The Author's services are at the command of any person, for assistance in collecting their genealogies from the town or other records. Dedicating this volume to his feUow citizens of the town of Greenwich, the author would Remain their Humble servant, D. M. MEAD. fflSTORY OF GREENWICH. DISCOVEEY. QujLNNEHTUKQUT, the old Indian name for Connecticut, lying behind Long Island and a Sonnd with one outlet almost impassable to the unaquainted navigator, escaped for a while the attention of the early European navigators. And although John and Sebastian Cabot, in 1498, sailed along the whole coast of North America under the auspices of cross old Henry VIIL, yet they never caught a view of Connecticut. Nevertheless, King Henry deemed himself rightfully possessed of the whole territory of North America, because, forsooth, a few of his subjects had cast their eyes on some of the jutting capes and prom- ontories. In 1524, John Verazzano, a Floren- tine adventurer, with an outfit under the auspices of King Francis L of France, sailed 2 14 BI8T0BY or OBEENWICH. along nearly the same extent of coast more leisurely, and lie more definitely explored its bays and harbors. He lay with his vessel fif- teen days in the beautiful harbor of Newport. Whether he visited New York Bay is still a mooted question among authors. The French maintain and the Dutch deny, that he did so. But it is not claimed by any that he sailed through the Sound ; and he must have passed by without having seen the bays and harbors of Connecticut. Hendricke Hudson, on the 4th of September, 1609, with a mixed crew of English and Dutch on board the Half-moon (Halve-Maan), sailed gallantly into New York harbor. He pro- ceeded up the North river instead of the East, and searched for the Northwest Passage ; for he sailed with the same purpose which actuated the unfortunate Sir John Franklin three hun- dred and fifty years later. Though Hudson was in his own purpose unsuccessful, yet his discoveries led to the early settlement of the Island of Manhattan. The Dutch soon com- menced trading with the Indians along the shores of the Hudson, which river the Indians called Mahiccannittuck. And then in the early ^rt of 1613, began the early settlement mSTOBT or GBBKHWIOH. 15 of Niew Amsterdam under the command of Hendricke Corstiaensen, who after wai*d became noted as an adventurer. Four small huts bmlt at that time, were the smaU beginnings of the present city of New York. About this time there was a check upon marine enterprise throughout all Europe. The Dutch, being then the most extensive navigators, recovered first from its effects. An Ordinance, passed at Gravenhague by the As- sembly, on the 2Yth of March, 1614, restored to their navigators their customary activity. A company of merchants fitted out a fieet of five ships, and put them under the command of three distinguished sailors, Adrien Block, Hendricke Corstiaensen, and Cornelius Jacob- son Mey. All arrived safely at Niew Amster- dam on the " mouth of the great river of the Manhattans '^ in the latter part of September of the same year. Here they separated. It was the intention of Block to sail farther up the Hudson than the original discoverer had done, while Corstiaensen should examine the Southern coast of Long Island (Serwan-Hacky or Mentoac, the land of shells), and Mey, his other fellow-commander, should sail along the coast of New Jersey. 16 HI8T0BT OF OBEBNWICH. After the departure of his former comrades, Block was compelled by accident to relinquish his design* His vessel was consumed by fire, while yet lying at Nie w Amsterdam filled with provision for the projected expedition. But the intrepid Dutchman, not disheartened by the loss of his ship and the absence of his fel- low-voyagers, immediately built a small vessel, which he called the Kestless. Its length was forty-four and a half feet, and its breadth eleven and a half. This was the beginning of ship-building in New York, now owning the largest and fleetest ships in the world. Not knowing whether the Hudson would lead to a northwest passage or not. Block would not venture in so small a vessel to find out, but chose rather to explore the East River. Accordingly, proceeding in this new direction, the Restless passed safely through a dangerous strait, to which Block gave the name which it has borne ever since, calling it " Hellegat, after a branch of the river Scheldt in East Flanders." After reaching the open sound he kept along the northern shore. Con* sequently he made the first discovery of what now forms Connecticut, when, from the deck of his vessel, he and his crew looked upon the HI8T0BT OV GBEKirWIOH^ 17 rocky hills of Greenwich. This was in the early part of 1614. .As he passed by them, he named the Norwalk Islands the " Archipele- gos,*^ and the Housatonic he called the '^ River of the Red Mountains.'' Farther on he dis* covered the Connecticut, and calling it Fresh River, he sailed several miles from its mouth upward Descending again, he continued his course through the Sound. Block Island yet bears the name of the navigator himself. Off Cape Cod he fell in with his former companion Corstiaensen, who had been exploring the southern coast of Long Island. The crew of the Restless then, having been diverted this way by accident, were the first to look upon our hills. Yet they passed by, only seeing. This was five years previous to the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1620. We will now forget those European visitors, and turn our attention to the native Indians, and look at their situation as given us by the various authorities, O'Callaghan in particular. Not having seen the stranger vis- itors, who passed them in a single day, they little dreamed of the terrible destruction about to come upon them by the hands of the brethren of these very strangers who came 18 HI8T0BT OF GSEB^WIOH. thus boldly with their winged canoes into un- known waters. Or if, perchance, some watch- ful warrior ever on the look out, descried the whitened sail, we have no record preserved by the Indians of what was done at their council fires, chronicling the curious expressions of fear, of wonder, admiration, or bravery, which were expressed by the fierce, wise old Chiefs and Sachems of Sioascock. But such excite- ment, if any existed, gradually died away, and the Indians returned to their more peaceful and profitable enaployments of hunting, clam- ming, and fishing. PBTUQUAPAEN. On the present main road passing through the town of Greenwich, about mid-way be- tween Stamford and the New York boundary line, was situated this Indian village. The plain, now called Stricklands, is divided by a small brook bearing the same name, which enters the western bank of the Myanos River and is thus emptied into the Sound. On the west side of this brook, and close under a rather abrupt eminence, on which now stands the house of William White, Esq., were built three rows of closely collected Indian huts HISTOBY OF OBBSNWIOH. 19 made of bark. " These tliree rows were some- what more than eighty yards in length, stretching along under a high bluff covered with tall oaks which sheltered the town from the chilling northwest winds." On the plain, east of the hamlet and between it and Strickland's brook, the wood and un- derbrush had been cleared away and the groTind fitted for raising Indian i>m. This brook then ran more clearly than now, as a distillery has since cast in its refuse and helped the formation of a miry, creek mud. Here the Indians drew up their canoes, after a fish- ing excursion upon the Myanos or the neigh- boring waters of the Sound. To the north, far away for hundreds of miles, extended the Green Mountains, abounding in game, which the Indians residing at the very foot of that beautiful range of hills, hunted both for plea- sure and subsistence. To the southwest lay an extended swamp, a part of which still exists as such, which afforded a safe retreat to the inhabitants when attacked by their enemies, the Mohawks, a much stronger and fiercer tribe of the northwest. Northeast from this Indian village, and about a mile north of the present village of 20 maroBT or obebhwiqh. Dunpling Pond, was an Indian fort, known to them as Betuckqnapock, to whicli they could retire when any danger approached from across the Sound. In such a situation, and one seemingly so desirable for savage life, these abori/ni lived for centuries, unLowiig and imknown by European nations. It is not wonderful that, in time of trouble, the Indians should congregate here in great numbers, rais- ing their tents by the side of the more per- manent ones constituting the village. The tract of land about Petuquapaen, ex- tending from the Patommuck brook (now a part of the boundary line between Stamford and Greenwich) westward to the two streams now known as the Brothers, was called by the same name. West of this was Miossehassaky, extending from the Brothere to the Byram river, which was called Armonck or Cokamong. On the west bank of the Byram was another though smaller village, called Haseco. This was not far from the present village of Portchester. Petuquapaen and Miossehassaky were nearly equal in extent, together forming Sioascock, Over this territory and Poningoe, which was on the west side of the Byram, Ponus was the ruling Sachem. The tribe were Siwanoys. HUTOBT OV GBEENWIOH. 21 On the northwest of them were the Weeqnea- queecks, who were the Mends of the Siwanoys, both belonging to the great tribe of Mohegans, who were possessed of a great part of Quinneh- tukqnt (Connecticut). Fonus had a brother named Wascnssne, who was the ruling Sachem of the Rippowams or Stamford. Ponus had died previous to 1640, leaving several sons, who afterward be- came powerful and influential chie&, and had much to do with the English and Dutch settlers. The names of some of them were Owenoke, Taphance, and Onox. Before the discovery and settlement of this part of the country by Europeans, this was one of the most thickly inhabited sections of the whole region. Those living regularly at Fetuquapaen were estimated at between three and five hundred. And this number was in- creased afterward to more than a thousand, when others were driven by the Dutch from their customary abodes near Niew Amsterdam. SETTLEMENT. On the sixteenth day of July, 1640, or twenty-five years after the discovery of Green- wich by Adrien Block, Captain Daniel Patrick, a distinguished English pioneer, accompanied 22 HISTOBY OF GBEENWIOH. by Robert Feaks, landed upon Greenwich Point, by the Indians called Monakewego, and finally concluded a bargain with Owenoke, one of the sons of Ponus, for that part of Petuquapaen lying between the Asamuck (the next small stream east of the Myanos) and the Patommuck rivers. The brooks Patommucl^ and Asamuck gave their names severally to those portions of land lying next west of them ; so that the land thus purchased was more particularly called Patommuck* The nature of the bargain will be most easily understood from the deed itself, which we have below transcribed from the early records in the Town Clerk's office. It will be observed that the deed prescribes no northern limit to the tract, and we have no means of ascertain* ing that there was any. Wee Amogeron, Sachem of Asamuck, and Bam- matthone, Kawhorone, Sachems of Patomnck, have sould unto Bobert Feaks and Daniell Patricke all theire rights and interests in all ye severall lands betwene Asamnck river and Patomuck, which Pa- tomnck is a littel river which divideth ye bounds be- twene Capt. Tamer's Purchase and this, except ye neck by ye indians called Monakewego, by us Eliza- beth neck, which neck is ye peticaler percbase of Elizabeth Feaks, ye sd Bobt. Feaks his wife, to be mSTOBT OF GBBXNWIOH. S8 hers and her heaires or assigns, forever, or else to be at ye disposal of ye aforementioned purchasers for- ever, to them and theire heaires, executors or as- signs, and theye to enjoy all risers, Islands, and ye severall natnrall adjuncts of all ye forementioned places, neigther shall ye Indians fish within a mille of aney english ware, nor invite nor permit any other indians to sett down in ye forementioned lands : in consideration of which lands ye forementioned purchasers are to give unto ye above named sachems twentie five coates, whereof they have reserved eleven in part payment ; to witness all which, they have hereunto sett theire hands this 18 July, 1640. AMOGERONE, NAWHORONE, AMFSETTHEHONE, KEOFFERA.M. Witness, — ^Robbbt A. Hbusted, Andsew Messenger, his r mark. RASOBJBlTr, Saponas, Whokehobobt,! mu • 1 . ' > Their marks. Akeboque, Patjonohas, powiatoh. KeoflFeram hath sould all his right in ye above sd to JeiFere Ferris. Witness, — ^Richard Williams, Angell Heusted. These men were then acting with authority 24 HIBTOBY OF GREENWICH. from the New Haven Colony, They were both noted personages in the early history of New England They had been the pioneets in the settlement of many places, and were ready to push out into the wilderness at any time when the steady habits of the Puritans threw too many restraints upon their conduct, Elizabeth Feaks, the wife of Robert, had been a widow, and was the daughter of Gov. Win- throp. A few years ago there was but a single descendant of Robert Feaks living in Old Greenwich. JefFere Ferris has many descendants, a great part of whom never have left the town in which he settled. Capt. Patrick was an old soldier. He was second in command in the famous Pequot war, which terminated so disastrously to the Indians. It was Patrick's division which made the suc- cessful charge, and fired the fort. Another distinguished man became a sort of settler on this purchase during the year.. Caj)t, John Underhill was a cunning and crafty .En^ glish officer. Though still young, he had isieeiii many trials, and learned much by experience. He had been Bearer of Dispatches to Queen Elizabeth, and a tool and confidential servant of the talented but unfortunate Earl of Leices- ter, whose courtship with the homely Queen HI8T0BT OF eSESNWIOB. 85 terminated so fatally. On the death of Essex, Underhill enlisted in the army of Holland. He then distinguished himself as a soldier ; and when the Puritans were about to embark pn their perilous enterprise, he offered himself for the position of commandant But aftert- wards, learning that the brave and popular Miles Standish was thought of for that post, he wisely withdrew his name. In a few years, however, he came to Massachusetts, though his principles were really too loose for the rigid Puritans. He was compelled to depart, and removing to New Hampshire, was made governor of the Dover Colony. But Massa- chusetts obtaining authority over that colony ailso, he came and settled on 'a part of Capfc Patrfck^s purchase in Greenwich. Kindred spirits, both having been Engaged in many Indian battles, and of whom Deforest, in his Indians of Gbtinecticut, say^,— ^" Both these men had been memlwirs >0f iS^ ^lW|t^K% thaif ^ndloct hid ^li^ 8p6si#!i ^wllrktheii? i>t^ofetoi^ ; : andi, , unabid to b^$3r i tiie ii^strai add fVequeirt adtxtbnitions which had met them in Massachusetts, th^ had -retired to these ^ lonely '»h9?^»r^^ ministers and charch cpmtmttees were few; and 26 HIBTOBT OV OBEBNWXOH. far between.'' Capt. Underhill afkerwards moved to Killingworth ; but Capt. Patrick died at his own honse in Greenwich, as we shall afterwards see. With these men there were also some Dutch and some English settlers. Among them were — Jeffere Ferris, Angell Heusted, Robert Heusted, Richard Williams, Andrew Messenger, Everardus Bogardus, John Winkelman, Cornelius Labden. Others were spoken of, though not by name, upon the records. They proceeded to build their houses, and attended to the customary duties of pioneers ; having little to do with their neighbors until forced into contentions which needed to be settled. AGBEEMENTS WFTH KEIGHBOBS. The present town of Stamford was originally settled under the name of " Wethersfield Men's Plantation ;" and in October, 1640, a conten- tion and difficulty arose between the two set- tlements concerning their dividing boundary. Accordingly, on the 2d of November of the same year, a meeting was had of those ap- HI8T0BT OV OBEBHWICn. S7 pointed to represent their respective towns, and after considerable discussion the following arrangement was effected : — Wee, the underwritten, mntnally Agreed that the Dividing line betwene both onr Plantations of Green- wich and Wethersfield Men's Plantation shall begin at Patommog brook, where thee path at present cnts, and ran on in a straight line to ye west end of a line Drawne from ye sides of Wethersfield Men's PIan« tation Kiver, which runs by theire towne plot, to bee Drawne on a due west point towards Greenwich bounds, a neat mile, and from ye west end of ye sd line to run due North up into ye contrie, about twentie miles ; These lines to run on ye meridian compass. Nether will aney of us or shall aney for us object against this agreement upon ye account of ye Indians ; although we shall at aney time hereafter conclude a mistake in respect of what each one bought, yett this to stand unalterable, without a mutual consent on both sides. To Testifie which, wee each for our own townes have sett to our hands thi£j 2ond Nov. 1640. DANIEL PATRICK, EOBT. FEKES, ANDREW WARDE, ROBERT COE, RICHARD GILDERSLEEVE. The first two of these were the representa- tives of Greenwich, and the remainder from 28 HIBTOBT OV GABKETWICH. Stamford. With the removal of this bone of contention the inhabitants expected peace; but the Dutch began to reiterate their claims against the English. The former seemed determined, and hostility all but ripened into war. As has been said, Greenwich was osten- sibly purchased under the favor of the New Haven Colony. But our settlers, not having drawn much sustenance from that colony, and perhaps being somewhat averse to some of its laws, did not feel strongly bound to that power. Hence, tired of contention and stiife, and withal, as they say, being convinced of the rightfulness of the Dutch claim, they signed over, in an agreement written at New Amster- dam, of which the following is a translation. Doubtless self-interest was looked at as much a^ any thmg, and the deed was done with an f ye to the ^stronger arm with which theDutc^ could deitend them from the Iniiians. • Bfft here is the recotd :— Whereas, we, Capt. Danid Patrick and Elizabeth Feake, duly authorised, by her husband Robert Feake, now sick, have resided two years about five or six milefe east of the New Netherlands, subject to the iiOtd States Gernerai, wlib have protested against US) declaring thiat the seM land lay • within their HISTOBT OF QBElfiN WIOH* 29 Emits, and that thej shonld not allow anj person to usurp it against their lawful rights ; and whereas, we have equally persisted in our course during these two years, having been well assured that his Majesty the King of England had pretended some to this soil ; and whereas, we understand nothing thereof, and cannot any longer presume to remain thus, on account both of this strife, the danger consequent thereon, and these treacherous and villainous Indians, of whom we have seen so many sorrowful examples enough. We therefore betake ourselves under the protection of the Koble Lord States General, His Highness the Prince of Orange, and the West India Company, or their Governor General of New Ne- therlands, promising for the future to be faithful to them, as all honest subjects are bound to be ; where- unto we bind ourselves by solemn oath and signa- ture, provided we be protected against our enemies as much as possible, and enjoy henceforth the same privileges that all Patroons of the New Netherlands have obtained agreeably to the Freedoms. 1642, IXth of April, in Fort Amsterdam. DANIEL PATRICK, Witnesses, — ^Everardus Bogardus, Johannes Wineleman. Greenwicli, from that time, became a manor, and Capt Patrick and Feaks were Patroons of the Manor, with all the privileges of other patroons. The two witnesses to their agree- 30 HI8T0BT 07 OBBENWIOH. ment were tlien residents of the Manor ; and it was, doubtless, in a great measure owing to their influence that the agreement was ever executed. TBOUBLB WITH THE INDIANS. Wm. Keift became the Governor-General of the New Netherlands in the year 1638, or two years previous to the settlement of Green- wich, and four years before the writing was signed placing the town under the control of that officer. He was the successor of Wouter Von Twiller, the fat, good-natured Dutchman, who had, by a kind and hospitable manner, in a great measure conciliated the fierce Indians about the settlements. But with the new governor came a change. He was cruel- minded and revengeful in the extreme. Hav- ing collected some half-a-dozen advisers, aU congenial spirits, he brought the colony, and all connected with it, into the greatest trouble, by the extreme severity which he exercised toward the natives. So revengeful was he in his disposition, that sooner than let a crime go unpunished he would take full vengeance upon the relatives of the accused, when the criminal himself had escaped. HIBTOBT 07 OBEXNWIOH. 81 The Indians, during their visits to the European settlements, after having tasted the foreign fire^water^ gave full displays of their roguish inclinations, and were never scrupulous in their bargains, frequently taMng goods without stopping to pay for them ; and in many instances they robbed and murdered the in- habitants. Returning to their own country, they there, with a feeling of safety, often boasted of their deeds in this line. And these boasts were duly reported to the governor by those straggling settlers who chanced to hear them. On the other hand, the traders, before bar- gaining for furs, so befuddled the owners of them as to get valuable articles for little or no consideration, and not unfrequently having made their victim well drunken, stole his richest ftirs. Such a state of things could but create strong feelings of animosity, and ripen a spirit of hatred, already arisen, into open war, whenever a conspicuous deed committed by either party should rouse the anger of the other. Before the arrival of Keiffc, and as soon as 1626, an aged Indian was murdered, and his furs stolen, by a company of traders, to whom 33 BISTOBT OF QSESNWIOH. he liad offered liis skins for sale. They secreted the body, not observing his little nephew, who, hidden amid the bushes, had witnessed in silence the horrid deed, and secretly vowed eternal vengeance against the murderers of his uncle. He was one of the tribe of Weeck- quesqueecks, living north of Mamaroneck. When a full-grown Indian, still bent on his purpose, he watched anxiously the faces of the various traders, that he might discern the countenances of those upon whom he hoped for full vengeance. As a result of his constant search he fell in with one whom he recognized — one Claes Comeliz Smitz, now become an old man. On him he revenged his uncle's death by a like punishment, and then fled. Tlds was the open act, out of which grew more open and extensive hostility. A prompt demand was made on his tribe for the mur- derer. They replied that he had escaped to Sioascock, and that they could not give him up. Demand after demand brought but the same reply. The ^governor now resolved to punish the whole tribe for the crime of the one who had escaped. He then appointed the " lAvdve menj^ with whom it was left to punish the Indians BISTORT OF OBKENWICH. 88 as they saw fit and proper. After mature consideration it was resolved to make two distinct expeditions against the Indians ; one against the tribe to which the Indian belonged, on the east bank of the Hudson, and the other against Petuquapaen, whither he was sup- posed to have fled« Both these expeditions were, however, delayed for a considerable tune by a difficulty which arose between Keifb and "The Twelve Men." Such was the im- patience and haste of the former, that the latter refused to comply with all his requisi- tions. And the expedition, as then planned against Petuquapaen, was never carried out at all, owing partly to this delay, but more to the total want of success which attended the other. This, Keifb undertook on his own authority, and ordered Ensign Van Dyck to collect and equip eighty men, and immediately proceed against the Indians and inflict upon The governor felt sure of complete success, as this Hendrick Van Dyck had been in the service of the colony for years, and was well trained in Indian warfare. To make success still more certain, a trusty guide had been employed to conduct the party. They moved 34 BIBTOBT OV GRBBKWIOH. forward at the edge of the evening of a dark and cloudy night, early in March, 1642. An injudicious halt was made by Van Dyck, during which the darkness came on so thick and fast that the guide was quite unable to point out the way. The leader, thus dis- appointed, and angry at his own foolishness, led his men back to New Amsterdam, dis- heartened at not having seen a single enemy. Thus both these expeditions failed. But another opportunity was soon offered to the Dutch to take signal vengeance on their enemies. Some traders from Staten Island came up the Sound to trade with the Indians, and barter rum for furs. Having treated one until they had made him well drunken, they robbed him of all his furs, and left him in a helpless condition. Afterwards, becoming sober, and fully aware of the treatment to which he had been subjected, the enraged Indian swore vengeance against the first ^^ Sfwammskin^'^ whom he should meet. And true to his oath, he killed one Dutchman and an Englishman, whom he chanced to meet together. The murderer fled to the Tankitekes, a tribe of which Paeham, who was favorable to the Dutch, was Sachem. They knew full well HIBTOBT OF OBBENWIOH. 35 that cruel measures were now likely to be adopted against them. They therefore ex- postulated with the Dutch for selling to their people the ^^ cussed firewater^ laying to its charge all their troubles, and claiming that they had been more wronged than the traders. But Keift turned a deaf ear to all their entreaties, and was fully bent on their blood- shed and destruction. It was but a few days after this, in February, 1643, that the power- ful tribe of Mohawks came down upon the tribes dwelling about New Netherlands in great numbers, demanding a tribute, which, being the stronger tribe, they were accustomed yearly to exact from their weaker neighbors. These Indians, now forgetting every thing but their intense fear for the dreaded Mohawks, fled in hundreds to the settlements of Manhattan for protection. They were received with pre- tended kindness and hospitality. But with fiendish design, Keift secretly planned a strata- gem to punish many for the crime of one. The settlers, having received them into their in- closures, and having prayed God to favor their cruel purpose, commenced a terrible massacre, thus graphically described by an eye-witness, 36 HISTOBT OF OBKKNWICH. in O^Callaghan^s History of the New Nether- lands : — I remained that night at the Director's, and took a seat in the kitchen near the fire. At midnight I heard loud shrieks, and went out upon the parapet of the fort, and looked toward Pavonia. I saw nothing but the flashing of guns. I heard no more cries of the Indians : they had been butchered in their sleep. The horrors of this night cause one's flesh to creep, when we ponder over them even now, long after their occurrence. Eighty Indians were slaughtered at Pavonia, and thirty at Corlear's Hook, while sunk in repose. Sucklings were torn from their mothers' breasts, butchered before their parents' eyes, and their mangled limbs thrown quivering into the river or the flames. Babes were hacked to pieces while fastened on their little boards — ^their primitive cradles I Others were thrown alive into the river, and when parents instinctively rushed in to save them, the cruel soldiers prevented their land- ing, and both parent and offspring were sunk into a watery grave. Children of half a dozen years, de- crepit men of three score and ten, sbared like fates. Those who escaped and next morning begged for shelter, were killed in cold blood, or thrown into the river. Some came running to us from the country, having both hands cut off ; some lost both legs and HI8T0ST or GKBKNWIOH. 37 arms ; some were snpportiiig their entrails with their hands, while some were mangled in other horrid ways, too horrid to be conceived. And this massacre was conducted by the governor so secretly, and with so much stra- tegy, that the Indians for a long time laid the cold-blooded deed to the Mohawks. Many of the Dutch, even, were so deceived. But after some days, during which the Mohawks had departed, the truth became evident ; and the Indians on the eastern bank of the Hudson, and on both shores of the Sound, rose with one accord to demand blood for blood. And if ever revenge can be justified, and rightfully pursued, surely these poor, hunted Indians may be justified in revenging this act, a more barbarous one than which was never recorded on the pages of history. They made their first attacks with such rage and fiiiy, that the question of the continuance of the Dutch at the mouth of the Hudson was an extremely critical one. They were soon forced from Long Island, and on the main land all their settlel« withdrew to the fort on Manhattan Island. The few who were in Greenwich also with- drew, leaving the English to take care of them- selves as best they might. 8 38 uurroBT ow obeumwicu. Bnt once more fortune tnmed against the Indians, and they were driven back in turn. Reinfor^^mente having arrived from Holland, the colony were able not only to defend them- selves, but also to drive their enemies far back from their settlement. Great numbers of these having hitherto Kved on the northern coast of the Sound, between Greenwich and Manhat- tan, now retired to Petuquapaen and Betuck- quapock, in Greenwich. Driven here from their former homes, they became desperate, and gave full vent to their native cruelty. Among their acts, which are but very vaguely described by history, was the murder of the unfortunate Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, and her son-in-law, Mr. Collins, with sixteen others who lived in the wilderness somewhere in Greenwich, near the present boundaries of Greenwich and Stamford, by a party of In- dians fi'om Petuquapaen. Of this aff^dr. De- forest, in his Indians of Connecticut, says, — •The Indians desolated the Connecticut coast as far east as Stamford, killing not only Dutch, but En- glish ; for the English in this quarter were but few in number, and had been compelled to submit to the government of New Amsterdam. The pretended pro- phetess, Anne Hutchinson, who had taken refuge here HI8T0BT OF OBKENWICH. 39 from her pereectitors in Massachnsetts, was among the victims. Until the last moment, the Indians came to the hoose in their nsnal friendly manner; then the hatchet fell, and the unfortunate woman perished, with sixteen others, in the massacre. To close the scene, the horses and cattle were driven into their bams, the bams set on fire, and the help- less animals roasted to death in the flames. Nor was Capt. Patrick safe from the attacks of the Indians. Mayn Mayano, a tall, stout Indian chief of Petuquapaen, sought to distin- gaish himself by proving untrue the boast of the whites, that one of them was equal to several Indians. In fact, he wanted to reverse the statement. Accordingly, Capt. Patrick and two others of the settlers, were attacked one day by this single brave. And though they were armed, Mayn Mayano had killed one and felled the other to the ground with his tomahawk, before Patrick, the survivor, could shoot him dead. He showed a wily courage and daring, although he failed so en- tirely of success. One other tradition is the following, being told in many different ways ; of which we ac- cept the simplest, as being, probably, the nearest to the truth. A rough old Dutchman named Gomelis Labden, was riding away from 40 HXSTOBr OF anasNwioH. the settlement in Old Greenwich on horseback, when he discovered that he was pursued by three Indians on foot. They could pass more nimbly through the forest than he, and unless he could free himself by some desperate at- tempt, he well knew the destruction that awaited him. In this strait he bethought him of that steep precipice which still bears the name of Labden's Kock, and resolved rather to die by plunging down its depths than by the tbrturing hand of the red man. Just as his pursuers were about overtaking him, he dashed over the steep, and they, too eager on their pursuit, went headlong after him. Of the whole mass of mangled flesh, Labden only lived to tell the story, and that with his two legs broken. This Rock still presents much of ita old appearance, and is viflited by many of the curious. The story in itself is too sim- ple to suit all ; for many love the marvelous. For the sake of such, we give a version of this very tradition, as it appeared in 1854, in the Stamford Advocate^ under the initials of C. L. B. We will not stop to point out the glaring inconsistencies, or to ask how, when all so fearfully perished, the story became known. Here it is in the writer's best style, without HI8T0BX OF OSEEETWIOB. 41 THE LEGSND. BT C. L. B. Soon after the settlement of New York by the Datcb, a few English families emigrated to the eastern part of Greenwich, and began a settlement npon an eminence commanding an extensive view of Long Island Sound. The names of these families are now forgotten, with the exception of that of Laddin (?) who, with his wife and daughter, a lovely girl of sixteen summers^ located himself a short distance in an easterly direction from the main settlement. The little hamlet for some time con- tinued to enjoy the blessings of peace and security, but its grateful quietude was soon to be disturbed by its hostile neighbors, who were stimulated by the Dutch traders to deeds of violence and revenge against the English. While Laddin (?) was one day occupied in his usual occupation of clearing and cultivating his farm, he was surprised at discovering the humble dwellings of his neighbors enveloped in dense clouds of smoke. Knowing full well the merciless foes would next proceed to his own cottage, and would complete their fiendish work of devastation and slaughter, he hurried thither with the utmost speed, and prepared to defend it and his family to the last extremity. Scarcely had he barricaded the doors, and loaded his trusty musket, when the savages with their passions whetted by the previous 42 ^HOnO&T OF OBBKETWIOB. massacre, snrronnded the honse, yelling terrificallj, and expecting to witness its speedy min with appa- rent delight. Bat, stop! Laddin stands at the window with his trusty weapon ; his resolate deter- mination surprises them ; they deliberate for a moment, then advances one (?) of the fiercest war- riors with lighted torch in hand ; he approaches within a few feet of the house, and falls the yictim of unerring marksmanship ; they are not thus to be repulsed and deprived of their satisfaction, at be- holding the hated pale faces writhing in the flames. At the word of command on steps another (?) and rolls back upon his former comrade with a heavy groan ; another and another advance and share the same fate ; then, with unearthly yells they rush upon the house, en masse. They try to break down the well-barred doors, hoping to capture and consign the poor settlers to a more lingering torture, as vengeance for their fallen brethren. In this confusion, Laddin's wife and daughter begged him to leave them to the mercy of the Indians, and secnre his own safety ; he steadily re- fuses, determined to meet death with them and for them ; but by earnest entreaties and solemn assu- rances that life without him would be made worse than death, he is at length moved to make the at- tempt, with faint hopes that the foe would have some respect for their sex and spare them. The front door begins to open — all rush to enter, and thus the back door is left unguarded. Now is the time ; the heroic wife and daughter brace the door HIBTOBT OF OXBBNWIOH* 43 agaiBst the savages, while with extreme reluctance, the despairing man sofUj makes his escape in the rear. Scarcely has he done this, when the door gives way ; his beloved wife and daughter are dragged from the house by the hair, tomahawked and scalped before his eyes. Assistance to them was impossible. He mounts his horse, which he had concealed a short distance off, under a thick copse of alder bushes. He knows not whither to flee; death is before and behind him ; the savages behold him, and pursue. With despair stamped on his manly countenance, he suddenly turns his horse's head toward the well-known precipice, resolved not to fall into the hands of inhuman victors. On came his pursuers, and reached the summit of the barren rock, to hear him cry out with a voice of thunder, — " Come on, ye foul fiends, I go to join your victimsl" A crash — and all is hushed. The rider and his faith* ful steed shall here mingle their dust together. Such is the tradition as increased by a fertile imagination. And here we leave him to ruralize in some other place, to conjure up new ideas for the edification of the people ; while we continue our chronicles. A KEW EXPEDITION. These attacks following one another rapidly, were duly revealed by Captain Patrick, the 4i HIBIORT or GBKBRWIOH. patroon, to Gov emor Keift ; and he resolved not only to punish those outrages, bat if pos- sible, to exterminate the whole race. Indeed, the actual settlers claimed this, as full protection had been promised in the agreement of the 9th of April, by which the town had been ceded to the Dutch. It was supposed that this object could be accomplished by a force of soldiers acting in unison with the settlers them- selves, and that the Indians of Petuquapaen would be cut off at a single blow. Hence, not far fipom the 1st of January, 1644, a privateer, with two smaller vessels, having been welt armed and fitted out, left New Amsterdam with a force of a hundred and twenty men. They were under the command of Captain Blauvelt, Capt. Joachim Pieterson Kuyter, Lieut. Baxter, and Sergeant Peter Cock. On Satui'day, toward evening, they landed on Greenwich Point /(Monakewego). And so great was their desire to surprise the Indians, and such their haste to consummate the object of their expedition, that their com- mander thought it advisable to march imme- diately against the encampment. Accordingly, having received instructions as to their way from Capt. Patrick, who for some reason did not H1BT0BT OF OBBENWICH* 45 accompany them, the whole body set out. Bat after proceeding some distance, it became evi- dent that they had missed their way, and wan- dered too far back into the country. Thus they wandered about aU night, and became wearied and dispirited ; and they returned without har- ing found a clue to the object of their search. Furthermore, they had doubtless given to the scouts of the enemy a knowledge of their ap- proach. They encamped next day near the house of Capt. John Underhill, highly enraged at their want of success. On the following day, which was the Sab- bath, the Dutch commandant met Capt. Patrick at the house of Underhill, and an alter- cation ensued. The soldier charged him with deceit and treachery ; that he purposely misled them, and finally called him a liar. To resent this the Englishman, who had hitherto re- mained silent, spat in the Dutchman's face and turning directly back, walked away. The other, in turn, drew a pistol and fired a ball through his head. For this homicide the sol- dier waa arraigned, but never punished. And thus died Daniel Patrick, the pioneer settler of Greenwich. He left a wife and one son. The wife's name before marriage was Annetje 8» 46 HDTOBT OF OKSJESTWlOBm Van Beyeren. As her name indicates, slie was a Dutch woman ; and she afterwards married one Tobias Feeck, sheriff of Flashing, Long Island. In a day or two, this company of soldiers went off on another wild-goose chase into the country ; when they met with but little better success than before. True, they fell in with a few old men, women, and children, whom they mostly killed, saving a few who were made slaves. Disappointed and vexed, they soon after went back to New Amsterdam. After this, John Underhill went to New- York, joined the company and was made com- the Indians of "Hemestede" on Long Island, where the enemies were easUy routed, he was ordered to Greenwich. Meantime Keift had sent scouts, to learn if the Indians were still congregated about Petuquapaen. It was re- ported that they were collected there in still greater numbers, and that the greater part of the women and children had been sent back into the country. Underhill was glad to take the command of this expedition for two rea- sons; first, because it was necessary for the protection and safety of his family, and the HI8T0BT OF O&ESNWICH. 47 preservation of his property that the enemy- should be dislodged from their stronghold, so near his plantation in Greenwich; and secondly, that he might prove to the Dutch that he was in no way connected with their former failure and disgrace. THE SUCCESSFUL ATTACK. AccordiDgly, in February of the same year, 1644, Capt. Underhill and Ensign Van Dyck, with a complement of a hundred and tlurty men, embarked at Fort Amsterdam for Green- wich Point. They landed safely, just as a ter- rible snow-storm was commencing. The snow continued to fall throughout the whole day and succeeding night. It had been their design to proceed, as in their other expeditions, by night, and take their enemies by surprise ; but the continuance of the storm prevented the accomplishment of their purpose for that night at least. But on the following day the storm cleared away, leaving between two and three feet of snow upon the ground. However, they immediately set out for Petuquapaen, advanc- ing as fast as the deep snow would permit. As had been intended, they reached the Myanos at 48 HISTORY OF GBEKNWICH. about eight o'clock. They then halted for two hours on the eastern bank of this stream. Many had become quite fatigued, and they now had ample time for rest. At ten oVlock they resumed their march, and descending the steep bank, they crossed the river, as they say in their own report, where it " was about two hundred feet wide and three feet deep." And as the just-risen moon was brightening the white snow with its light, they ascended the western bank, and then " passing a steep ridge" were afforded a beautifal view of the plain below. In the distance, on the other side of the plain, they could see the fires in and about the village ; while between it and them, the trees of the forest had been felled, that the In- dian women might raise their only grain, the Indian corn. The much-dreaded and long- sought-for Petuquapaen is at last found. As they advance still nearer with quickened step, they discover that the village consists of " more than a hundred permanent huts arranged in three rows, partially defended by a sort of palisades," with many wigwams collected about and scattering along under a "high bluff sheltering them from the chilling northwest winds." HI8T0BT 09 aSElirWICH. 49 The inhabitants were on the alert, and by no means unprepared to meet their assailants. Their women had been sent back to the old fort Betnckqnapock, near the present village of Dumpling Pond. None but the painted braves were left, and they were fully prepared for the desperate struggle. They betook them- selves to the trees on the slight rise of ground now occupied by J. K* Steams, Esq., on the western bank of the Strickland brook. From this cover they showered their arrows upon the advancing foe. The soldiers then divided into two parties, and from different directions poured their deadly fire upon the Indians, who, when thus attacked, found the trees an insufficient protection. The brave Sinawoys fought long and desperately ; but the arrow and the toma- hawk, of necessity, yielded to the bullet, bayo- net, and broadsword. More than once the Indians made gallant charges, hoping to break the lines of their enemies. But the incessant firing thinned their numbers, and they at last retired, leaving between one and two hundred braves dead on the scene of the first terrible struggle. At the more permanent inclosure of the village they rallied, hoping there more effectually to defend themselves, and resolved 60 BISTORT OF OSEEMWIOH. there to make their final, desperate struggle for victory. Sheltered by the light palisades, if so they may be called, they once more poured forth incessant flights of arrows upon the Dutch. The latter now advanced from the northeast and the southeast in two divisions. Fire was the enemy of the Indians, as often as it was their familiar weapon in destroying the habitations of the whites. And Under- hill had learned its utility by his experience at the celebrated Pequot fort. To cast a fire- brand upon the row of dry bark huts and wig- wams, was but the work of a moment ; and a most terrible destruction now awaited them. Boasted and tortured to agony by the fire, they darted out here and there from the flames only to be brought to the ground by the unerring aim of the soldiery, who were on the alert for the poor victims. Finally their horrid moans and cries were hushed, and the flames and the hissing of the boiling pools of blood died away, leaving hundreds of crisped bodies on the blood-stained snow. And thus miserably perished from six hun- dred to a thousand Sinawoy Indians, variously enumerated by different authors. And of the whole number of warriors that had been HIBTOBT OV GBJEKMWIOH* 61 gathered at the ancient yillage, only eight escaped. All, besides these and twelve who were taken prisoners at the first conflict on the knoll, were cut off in battle. These prisoners were sold as slaves, some to the English and some to the Dutch ; for prisoners were then the spoils of war. So quickly had this work of destruction been accomplished, that the night was yet far from being spent. The Dutch therefore, warmed and cheered by the fires that had scorched and crisped their enemies, spent the remainder of the night upon the field ; and when the morn- ing came and the sun had arisen and looked upon the work of the preceding night, they threw the dead bodies of the Indians into heaps and covered them with the ashes of their village and frozen earth and snow, and left them without farther monument. Yet the mounds thus formed bore testimony to the place of the battle for many years. Tradition has long pointed out with accuracy the place of these mounds. An aged lady, Mrs. Howe by name, who lived to the advanced age of a hundred and two years, and who died some forty years since, remembered these mounds distinctly. Five of them she said were between £2 BI8TOBT OF OSESHWIOH. the present houses of J. K. Steams, Esq., and Mrs. Hitchcock, and twenty were scattered abont just across the lane southeast of the present residence of William White, Esq., on the land of Edward Mead. And some fifty years, or more, ago, Joseph Sackett, who lived close by, was digging with one of his nien for the purpose of covering potatoes from the cold of winter, — which was then done by digging four or five feet in the ground, — and came upon one of these settled heaps, then mostly turned to dust. But the good old farmer turned to his man, whose name was Avery, and told him to " throw in tJie potatoes any way^'^ for the bones couldn't hurt them if they were " Injins ;" and in they went, and I believe were kept safe just as the old man had said. Bushels of flint arrow-heads have been plowed up by the owners of land on all parts of Strickland's plain. Some of them are beautifully cut from the finest white flint ; but the greater part of them are rougher hewn, from blue flint. Their old burial place as yet is not all extinct ; but what remains is but a monument of the care- lessness of the people of the neighborhood. Not only is the place neglected, but absolutely is being demolished by the penny grinders HI8T0BT OF OBEENWIOH. 5S who want dirt to fill in docks, or for some other purpose. It should have been fenced long ago, and protected from men who will take dirt from dead men's bones. This battle is equal to any ever fought in Connecticut in the numbers of those engaged in fight, in the fierceness of the contest, and in the carnage and destruction made. And the Indians in this part of the country never recovered from the blow. True, a few desper- ate ones hung about the settlements seeking revenge ; but they soon melted away, and their few descendants had none of their fathers' ambition. Now none are to be seen. The proud, civilized, and enlightened European has driven the aborigines from the lands which were theirs by discovery, inheritance, and actual occupation. And now it is too late to repair the injury. Proud of their victory, the soldiers on the next day after the battle began their return march, ^''the Lord endvjing the wounded with €Xtraordi7ia/ry et/rengthr Grreat was the re- joicing at New Amsterdam when the result of the expedition was known. Public thanks- giving was ordered by the Dutch authorities ; and it is said by O'Callaghan in his History of New Netherlands to have been regarded as a 54 HIBTOBT OF O&EBirWIOH. special Providence that when the attack was made on Petuqnapaen " the Lord hod ccUected most of thei/r enemiea there to celebrate eome pecvUar feetwaiy But the results of the war were most favorable to the settlers themselves. What few Indians were left lived peaceably, and brought rich furs to the whites in trade for rum. This trade yielded of course a double traffic to the whites, while it cheated and wronged the aborigmes. Underhill, the hero of the battle, on returning to New Amsterdam, took with him Elizabeth Feaks, the wioow of Robert Feaks, and married her, each thus entering upon matrimony for the second time. In the same year he settled in Mushing, L. I. Again he moved to Killing- worth, Ct., where he died in 1672. He was artful and intriguing, and he had changed his name before taking the command of the Dutch forces to Hans Van Vanderhill. His son, Nathaniel, emigrated from Killmgworth to Westchester county in 1685. BOUNDARY ON THE WEST. The boundary line on the southwestern part of Connecticut has been frequently changed ; and probably we can do no better than give an HIBIOBT OV OaiKMWIOB* 66 account of the various changes here, although we may be obliged to anticipate somewhat the events of the history. As has been before said, Patrick and Feaks bought under the New Haven Colony in 1640 ; but they also, in 1642, made over the town to the Dutch, they both becoming patroons of the manor. This left the western boundary of Connecticut to be the Potommuck river, that is, the present boundary line between Stamford and Greenwich. But a treaty was made in Hartford in 1650, making the boundary line as follows : to com- mence on Long Island "on the westernmost part of Oyster bay, so, and in a straight and direct line to the sea ; and upon the main land a line to begin on the west side of Greenwich bay (i. e. all that bay within Capt's I.) and so run in a northerly line twenty miles up into the country, and after as it shall be agreed by the two governments of the Dutch and New Haven, provided said line come not within ten miles of the Hudson river." (Hazard's State Papers, voL ii., p. 218.) This boundary was made without the parti- cipation of the inhabitants of Greenwich. Accordingly, some of the spirited ones con- tinued on under their old customs and habits 56 HI8TOBY OF OVXENWICH. and laws, and regardless of those of Connecti- cut. On the eastern bank of the Armonck (Byram) river there was a little trading ham- let at which the Indians, those which were left of the once powerful tribe, nsed to purchase their firewater. Hence the place was called, as it is properly spelled, By-rum. And during the year 1656, "from representations previous- ly made at New Haven that the people of Greenwich lived in a disorderly and riotous manner, sold intoxicating liquors to the Indians, received and 7ia/rbored servants who had fled from their rruiaters^ and joined persons urdaw- fvUy in marria^e^ the General Court of that colony resolved to assert their jurisdiction over the town and bring its citizens to a more orderly manner of demeaning themselves. In May, the General Court sent a letter, calling upon those living in Greenwich to submit to its authority. They returned an answer couch- ed in very spirited language, declaring that New Haven had no right to set up such a claim, and that they would never submit to its authority unless compelled to do so by Parlia- ment. But when the spirits of such men as Eaton and Davenport pervade a body, it is not easily driven from any position that has been HI8T0BT OF OBBSNWKV. &7 deliberately taken* The General Conrt passed a resolve that nnless the recusants should appear in open court and make a formal sub- mission by the 25th of June, Richard Crab and some others who were most stubborn in their opposition should be arrested and punished according to law. This had the effect intend* r ed ; Crab and others who had been ready for martyrdom, yielded with as good grace as they could. This Crab will be mentioned hereafter, and was a large landholder in town. (Colo- nial Becords and Hollister's History of Con- necticut.) This settled the matter for a time. But when, in 1664, the Dutch surrendered to CoL Bichard Nicolls, the Duke of York's Governor, the three Commissioners appointed to settle the boundary line between the Duke of York's patent and the colony of Connecticut decided That the creek or river called Mamaronec, which is reported to be about twelve miles east of West- chester, and a line drawn from ye east point or side, where the fresh water falls into the salt, at high water mark, north-northwest to ye line of Massachu- setts, shall be ye western bounds of ye said Colony of Connecticut. KICHARD NICOLLS, GEORGE CARTRIGHT, SAMUEL MATJRICKE. £8 HISTOST OF GBSENWICH. Again on the 28th of January, 1673, The General Court ordered the bonnds between Greenwich and Rje to be from the month of the Byram river, to run up the one quarter of a mile above the great stone, lying on the cross-path, by the sayd commons, upwards, between Stamford bounds and the colony line, is to be equally divided between them by a parallel line, with Stamford and Norwalk to the end of their bounds, up in the country. ROBERT TREAT, JONATHAN SELLICKB, PETER DISBROW. The town of Rye thus remained a part of Connecticut until December 3d, 1683. But at that date we find from Gov. Treat, of Con- necticut, a letter formally bidding good-by to those living west of the Armonck or Byrano, and making them over to the New York Gov- ernor, Dougan. In 1696-97, Rye and Bed- ford were again received into Connecticut. And the western boundary was never finally fixed until May the 14th, 1731, when the present one was agreed upon. Gi*eenwich, however, since 1650, has formed a permanent part of Connecticut. BI8T0BT OW OR1BRNWICH. ^'9 INCREASE OF INHABrTATHB, ETC., 1645-1665. A blight seems to have fallen upon the little settlement during the five or ten years foUow- ing the summary destruction of the Indians on the plain. In general, the Indians had never shown so great animosity to the English as to the Dutch settlers. And it was for this reason that Capt Patrick refused to lead the Dutch in their first expedition, and that the greater part of the English settlers had not offered their services in the more successful one. And being now fully under the dominion of the governor of the New Netherlands, few addi- tions were made from honest Englishmen. Still, they remained at their post, buying from the Indians all the land they could afford, and without hindrance or molestation they attended to the usual kvocations of early settlers. But after 1656, when Connecticut had forced Crab and his adherents to submit to her authority, the prospects of the settlement brightened. Crab or Crabbe, before coming to Greenwich, had been a member of the first Assembly of Connecticut, which was held in Hartford in 1639. Previously, he had bought large tracts 60 BISTOBY OF 0BEBNWIOH. of land of the Indians in many places, and sold it again in smaller parcels to the new set- tlers. In 1656, he sold portions of his estate to the ancestors of the Studwells, the Hobbys, and the Hnbbards. Peter Disbrow and John Coe, who, with Thomas Studwell, afterwards bought the greater part of the town of Rye, settled here at about the same time. Jeffere Ferris returned from Fairfield, where he had gone upon the ceding of Greenwich to the Dutch. Others came, many of them from Long Island, when that was given over to the authority of the Duke of York. Among them were John Mead and John Hobby or Hubbe. The deed under which John Mead first held lands is given on the town records as follows : — These presents witnesseth an agreement made be- twene Bichard Crab, of Greenwich, on ye one side, and John Mead, of Heamstead, on Long Iseland, on ye other side, viz. : ye said Richard Grab hath sould unto ye sd John Mead all his houses and lands, yt sd Bichard Crab hath in Greenwich with all ye Apnrtenances, Bights & privileges, & conveniences^ yt Doth belong unto ye sd honses & lands, of shall here after belong unto them, viz: ye house yt Bichard Crab liyeth in, ye house yt lliomas Stud« BIBTOBT OV OSEKETWIOH. 61 well Ureth in, with ye B«me yt is on ye other Bide of ye bje waye ; also ye home lott yt ye house stands on, being bouDcled with a fence lying about them on ye northwest, against ye honselott ; also eightene Acres of land in Elisabeth neck, more or less, being bounded by ye sea on ye east and southeast, and a fence on ye west, northwest, and ye north. Also ye Rig, with 5 acres of Meadow lying in it, more or less ; ye rig being bounded by ye sea on ye southeast, william low on ye east, and ye fence on ye northwest, <fe north ye hye waye & hethcut^s (Heathcote) & angell Heusteds on ye west ; also 3 acres of meadow in ye long meadow, & 1 acre of meadow by Ferris, bounded by Jeffere Ferris land on ye southeast, and ye cove on ye west and north* west ; also 5 acres of meadow in myanos neck, all ye above specified I do hereby acknowledge to have Bould unto ye above sd John Mead, his heaires and asignes, fully and freely to be possest forever, and for ye quiet and full performance hereof, I have hereunto subscribed my hand, anno 1660, October, 26 Daye. RICHARD CRAB. Apam Morr, ) ^j^^^, ROBT. W ILUAMS. j The John Mead above referred to is not the oldest John, but his son ; which latter having himself a son John always went, as we too shall call hina, by the name of John Mead, 4 62 HISTaBT OF GREENWICH. senior. The first John had become an old man^ and all the purchases and other business was done in the name of his son. Joseph Mead, his only other child, is reported by tra- dition to have died young, although it is not improbable that he may have removed to New Jersey or elsewhere, and become the ancestor of another branch of the family. The brother who remained here married a Miss Potter, whose father afterwards owned Shippan Point at Stamford ; and through her he afterward received a considerable amount of property. John — and many of his thouscmd and one de- scendants take greatly after him — ^was a queer feUow, though honest and charitable. The followmg anecdote, which has been preserved by tradition, shows his character. One day when he had become quite an old man, as he was going for his grist on horseback to the mill at Dumpling pond, before he reached the Myanos, he overtook an old Quaker jogging slowly along, loaded with a heavy budget. In a real spirit of kindness, he offered to take the Quaker's load upon his horse and thus give lum a lift on his journey. " No," replied the Quaker, " thee don't get my bundle, for I can read men's thoughts. Thee wants to get my HKTOBT OV aBSXHWIOH. 63 T>imdle, and then theell run off. Thee don^t get my bundle." " Very well," was the sim- ple reply, and so they went slowly on together. At last they came to the brink of the Myanos. Here ~Mr. Quaker was really in trouble. How to cross a river, two or three feet deep, dry shod was quite a puzde. But he gladly ac- cepted a second offer of assistance from the hoi*seman. The bundle was mounted in front, John in the middle and the Quaker behind. Arrived at the centre of the stream, in pre- tending to adjust his stirrup, John Mead caught the Quaker by the heel and gave him a gratuitous bath. Such treatment was too much for even Quaker forbearance, and the victim with his hands fuU of pebbles would have taken summary vengeance, had not the other party threatened to put the bundle under a similar course of treatment. This threat and the lecture following it gradually cooled off the fellow's anger. Mead informed him that all had been done for his good, to learn him a lesson. And the lecturer said he hoped the stranger would never again profess to read men's thoughts. " For," said he, " I asked y<5u to ride, kindly, in the first place, when you refused ; but at the second time of asking, I 64 BISTORT OF GBIXNWIOH. really intended to do as I have just done.'' So saying, and tossing back the bundle, he rode on, leaving his companion to apply the moral as he thought proper, As early as this date (1660), the settlers felt the want of a minister ; and, although not numbering perhaps more than twenty adult male settlers, annually subscribed, or rather taxed themselves, for preaching during a por- tion of the year ; as did also Rye, which was at this time included in Connecticut. But no church was formed or pastor ordained. Dr. Trumbull says, " Greenwich and Rye were but just come under the jurisdiction of Connecti- cut, and not in circumstances for the support of ministers ; they had only occasional preach- ing for a considerable time.'' Several settlers, though living here about this time made large purchases in the town- ships of Rye, Northcastle, Harrison, Bedford, and even as far off as Westchester. Hence we often see the names of John Coe, Thomas StudweU, Peter Disbrow, Thomas Lyon, and a number of others, figuring extensively upon the records of those towns. HIBTOBT OF QBBBNWIOB. 65 ITEMS FBOM 1665 TO 1690. A few years mnst now be passed over with but slight notice ; as the town records of that period, from which we gain the most of our information, are remarkably barren. Nevei^ theless the little settlement increased greatly, both in wealth uid population. As has been said, meetings were held regularly on the Sab- bath, though but a part of the time attended by preaching. In 1666 a school-house was established. Mention of the school-house is made, but we have no means of learning its situation, or the name of the teacher. He, no doubt, was revered more than most modem pedagogues, since there was no minister, and the largest landholder (John Mead) wrote his name with a "his mark." At any rate the school, thus early established, shows that Greenwich, then as well as now, properly valued the advantages of education. In the year 1669, Daniel Patrick, the only son of the original settler by that name, came hither from Flushing, L. I., and opposed the doctrine of " squatter sovereignty^'* by asserting his claim to all the land which his father had owned here, but which was now passed into dif- 66 HI8TOBT 07 OBEKNWIOH. ferent hands. But as young Patrick, like his father, was of a roving disposition, a compro- mise was easily effected, and " all his right, title, and interest in any land or estate in the settlement," were bought with a horse, saddle and bridle, and fifty pounds ; with all which he left for pa^ unknot. The actual settlement, as we have said, was made east of the Myanos river ; but about the year 1672, a number of persons, mostly living in town, though some, as Rev. Jeremiah Peck, were even from other colonies than Connecti- cut, purchased Miosehasseky from the few In- dians yet living about the western part of the town. These purchasers were twenty-seven in number, and styled the "27 Proprietors of 1672." Their names are, we believe, nearly all preserved in the town, and we give them as we accidentally found them on a stray leaf of the well-worn records : — 27 Proprietors of 1672. Ephraim Palmer, Samuel Peek, Jonathan Beynolds, or Joseph Seres, Kenolds, Angell Heusted, John Hubbe (Hobby), WiUiam Hubbard, Stephen Sherwood, Samuel Ginkins (Jenkins), Joseph Mead, William Batere, BttTOBT OV OBBBNWIOH. 67 John Bowers, John Marshall, Joseph Finch, Jonathan Lockwood, William Bundle, John Renalds, John Mead, Gershom Lockwood, John Asten, James Seres, Jeremiah Peck, Thomas Close, John Palmer, Thomas Close, Jan., Walter Bntler, Daniel Smith. These kept separate records of their own, and West Greenwich (by them called Horse- neck), was entirely under their control- In 1676, the people began, more than pre- viously, it is said, to feel the need of having the Gospel preached more regularly upon the Sabbath. Accordingly, at a foil meeting of the voters of the town, it was resolved to in- vite some " suitable minister" to come and live among them. Inquiries were immediately made for some proper man, and upon the recommendation of a certain Mr. Bishop, an invitation was extended to the Rev. Mr. Wiz- wale. For some reason, this call was never ac- cepted ; and the town was two years longer without a pastor. But, in 1678, an invitation was given to the Rev. Jeremiah Peck, of Eliza- bethtown, N. J. He was one of the proprie- tors of the large tract of land on which Eliza- bethtown la built ; and it was no small recom- 68 IU8TOKT OF GBBKNWIOH. mendation of the man that lie was one of the " 27 Proprietors of 1672" at Hoi-seneck. This invitation was almost immediately accepted ; and in the fall of the same year Mr. Peck settled in Greenwich, and became the pro- genitor of the nomerons Pecks still to be found in Greenwich, The first salary paid to Mr. Peck was fifVy pownda with jvrewood^ or eiscty vntJumt. He chose the latter. In 1679, Thomas Close sold his land, lying on both sides of the Myanos, which was a very large tract, and purchased other land in the southeastern part of the town. The house or a portion of the house in which he lived a hun- dred and sixty years ago, is claimed to be still standing, half a nule southeast of the present borough of GreenwicL In 1681, took place the earliest marriage that is recorded, although others must have preceded it, by the Rev. Jeremiah Peck, — John Mead, jun., to Miss Buth Hardey. About the same time, John Banks and Thomas Lyon received a large grant of land. The whole tract consisted of four hundred acres, and was situated in the angle made by the Armonck or Byram river and the West- chester path. 1684. Mr. Peck still continues to preach. mSIOBT OW aRXENWIOB. 69 and for the same salary. In February of tliia year they granted him a right to bnild him a house anywhere north of the Westchester path, and west of the Myanos river. The meeting-house, however, was not far from the head of the cove ; and why he wanted a house so far from his church we are at a loss to con- jecture. Still, as he obtained the grant, we trust he made good use of it, Up to 1685, lieut. Lockwood had been the leading and influential man in the town. This year he died, and the people met in town's meeting and passed resolutions deploring the loss of so valuable a citizen. A saw and grist mill was put up at Dumpling Pond. An old mill building still marks the site, and doubt- less contains some of the same timber. In 1686 the town voted that all the land lying in commons and belonging to the town should be divided, and whoever should take his share of the same should pay therefor six- pence per acre. It was also voted that a line of fence should be built on the front of this land, along the Westchester path from the Myanos to the Byram river. Each owner was to put up that part of the fence before his own land, and have it completed by the lat of April thereafter; and for every rod un^ 70 HI8TOBT OF OBSBNWIOH. finislied by that time was to pay a fine of six- pence, . During the year another grant was made to Rev. Mr. Peck, of the use of certain land as paraonage land for three years ; being the first record of any grant of the kind in the town, 1687. Dnring this year, permission was given to the citizens of the town to build fish- pounds on the searshore " anywhere outside ye feelds,'^ John Mead, jun, was elected constable, then the most remunerative as well as im- portant office in the gift of the town. Gershom and his brother WiUiam Lockwood, during this year, agreed to build a bridge across the Myanos at Dumpling Pond, and receive in payment ^whatever tlie town should see fit to give after the work was done^^ A good way to insure good workmanship, and at the present day most builders would shrink from such a test. The building used for church and town- meetings was repaired, but to what extent does not appear. The number of legal voters in town now amounted to about fifty, and the number of inhabitants probably exceeded three hundred. We find the following list of legal voters re- corded in 1688, which may not now prove uninteresting to readers :-^ BISTOBT or GBBBHWIOH* 71 Jonathan Lockwood, Angell Husted, Joseph Mead, John Mead, Joseph Ferris, John Kenalds, John Hubbe, Meriam Hubert, Jeames Ferris, Jonathan Benalds, John Bowers, Joseph Finch, Meriam Hubert, Jun. Thomas Lyon, John Banks, Thomas Close, Frances Thome, Nathaniel Howe, Joseph Palmer, William Bundle, Gershom Lockwood, John Marshall, Daniel Smith, Jonathan Huested, Ebenezer Mead, John Ephriam Palmer, Jeames Palmer, Walter Butler, Samuel Peck, Rev. Jeremiah Peck, X John Mead, Jun., Henere Rich, -^Jonathan Mead, Joshua Knapp, George Hubbert, Joseph Huested, Angell Husted, Jun., , John Renalds, Jun., Peter Ferris, Thomas Hubbe, John Hubbe, Jun., Job Ferris, Jonathan Lockwood, Robert Lockwood, Caleb Peck, — Joseph Mead, John Mead's Son, ^ Joseph Mead, Joseph Mead^s Son. Joseph Knapp, Jun. Tash. It will be noticed that the names then written Heusted, are now written Husted* Hubbe, Hobby ; Benalds, Reynolds ; Hub- 72 HI8T0BT or OSBSXrWIOH. bert, Htlbbart, <fec. The name of ^ash is, I believe, the only one now unrepresented in town. He was a shepherd, employed by the "Twenty-seven Proprietors" to watch their herds on their commons. This fact proves that Greenwich is indeed a portion of the land of steady habits, and that her sons are great lovers of home. A little previous to this time, about 1686, the Indians sold their almost last acre of ground in the town. These lands were at the mouth of the Myanos, on its western bank, and are now in ike possession of Capt. Noah Mead, who still possesses the veritable deed. A controversy arose in 1688 upon the sub- ject of infant baptism. Mr. Peck refused to baptize the children of non-professors, and for the time was supported by a majority of the members of the church. He claimed to be imable to find any command enjoining such a practice, and said we were constantly breaking too many direct conmiands, whilst rigorously obeying supposed but doubtful ones. The question coming before the town meeting, resulted as follows : — At a towne meeting, may 2lBt, ye major part of ye towne did pr vote Desire mr. Jeremiah Peck's HIBIOBT OF OBSBNWIOH. 73 continuance, & going on in ye work of ye ministrye — amonngst us, Protest We John Mead, Sen., & Jan., Thomas Close, John Habbe, Sen., Jonathan Hnested, do enter our protest against ye above sd Rendering this our rea- son, yt as is foUoweth, that this caule is not accord- ing to ye rules of ye gospel Mr. Jeremiah Peck refusing to baptise our children. ye above sd John Mead Sen reasons are becanse sd Jeremiah Feck hath Given him John Mead offence. It is to be feared that few of even chnrch members are as honest as said John Mead, sen., in giving their reasons for opposing their ministers. In accordance with " this canle," Mr. Peck continued to preach during the year. But when that time had rolled around, there were so many to whom he had "given offence," that he was not' again asked to continue, and was dismissed in 1689, after having preached here eleven years. Afterwards, he removed to Waterbury in this State, with all his family excepting Samuel and Caleb. Furthermore it is recorded that " ye tovme per vote hatJie agreed to bye a hdle.^ . 74 HI8T0ET OF GBEBMWiOfi. ▲NOTHXB QUABTEB OF A GENTIIBT| 1690 TO 1Y16. Nothing of importance is recorded in 1690. Feeling tbe want of a minister, the town ap- pointed a committee to procure one. John Mead was appointed town brander, to keep a record of the brands or marks of cattle and slaves. In 1691, Mr. Abraham Pierson, having re- ceived a call from the committee appointed daring the preceding year, agreed to supply the pnlpit for a time, but refused to become a settled pastor. He came here from New Jersey, where he had settled soon after his graduation at Cambridge in 1668. He had there been successful and popular as a preacher, and was dismissed after a pastoral labor of more than twenty years. He accepted, dur- ing the first year, of the same salary as had been paid to Mr. Peck, choosing as did his predecessor the sixty pounds without the fire- wood, in preference to fifty pounds with. Before this year no record is made of a tax having been made, so lax were the records kept. They now speak of the tax of a " penny on the pound." HIBTOBT OF GBSSNWICH. 75 It was also voted to have a new meeting* house ; and Jobn Mead, sen. and John Mead, jan«, John Hubbe, Daniel Smith, and Samuel Peck, were appointed a committee to procure materials and build the house. A subsequent meeting made its dimensions thirty-two feet long, twenty-six feet wide, and fifteen feet high. A controversy which lasted for years concerning the site, delayed the putting up of the building. It was finally built upon a small rise of ground, northwest of the old burying-ground in Old Greenwich, where now stands a small dwelling-house. 1692. No records of importance. 1693. The death of John Mead, jun., the acting constable, was lamented by the people. They called an extra town-meeting, and passed resolutions deploring the loss of so estimable an officer. He was the grandson of the first settler, and left three children. 1694. Mr. Pierson, having now preached in the church, as indefinite supply, for three years, left and settled in Killingworth in this State. He afterwards was the most zealous of all the ministers in founding Yale College at Saybrook, and was elected its first rector or president. Dr. Trumbull says of him, ''At 76 HI8XOBT OF GBSEHWIOK. his death his loss was deeply felt, and the friends of the College deeply lamented it," 1695. Although frequent mention has been hitherto made in the records, of a school, we have now for the first time the name of so important a personage as the schoolmaster. He rejoiced in the name of Thomas Prent. The school-committee were Jonathan Benalds, Joseph Pinch, and William Bundle. It was voted that no person should be obliged to help support the school who sent no children. The committee were a security for the pay- ment of the schoolmaster's wages. A com- mittee was also appointed ^^ to counte ye clab- bords and ye shingles to tell how many each peticular individual should bring toward ye new meeting-house." A horse-bridge was built by Jonathan Whelpley over the Myanos, according to a vote of town. In payment, he was to receive from each voter, " one bushel of good marchean table com." He was also to have the use of a horse and team of oxen until the bridge was finished, which was to be during the next summer. " The bridge to be wide enough for a horse with two bushels of corn on his back to pass without danger of hitting the rails." HI6T0BT OF aBBBNWIOH. 77 The committee wUcli was appointed, after tKe departure of Mr, Pierson, to procure anotber minister, soon extended a call to the Rev. Salmon Treat, ^' to come and settle among them, and preach upon the Sabbath.'' He came here, but like Mr. Pierson acted only as stated supply. His reason for this was the unsettled and divided state of the church, which arose concerning the site of the new church. During his first year, he received a salary of "fifty-five pounds with firewood'' or five pounds more than had been before paid. And as an inducement to a more per- manent settlement, it was soon after Increased to sixty pounds. But the inducement proved insufficient. Below we have copied the town-list for the years 1694 and 1695, which shows the com- parative wealth of the town at that date. It runs as follows : — John Bundle, . ;ei02 10 Samuel Peck, 81 Joseph Ferris, . 154 James Ferris and Son, 103 Bobert Lockwood, . . 61 Jonathan Heasted, 77 Joseph Finch and Son, . 105 ) 78 BIBIOBT or eBBBHWIOB. John Hobby, £94 15 Angell Hensted and Son, 33 10 John Hensted, 30 Samnel Ueosted, 45 10 lifoees Ferris, 22 Benjamin Ferris, 24 Gershom Lockwood & Son, 153 15 Joseph Enapp, 73 Jonathan Bnndle, 47 6 Benjamin Mead, 87 Daniel Smith & Son, 161 William Bnndle, 60 10 William Hnbbart, 40 10 Bath Mead, widow of John Mead, 22 10 Daniel Mead, 42 Zachariah Mead, . 30 Caleb Knapp, 39 10 Thomas Marshall, 34 Ebenezer Mead, 108 10 Joseph Mead, the tanner. 45 10 Jonathan Wbelpley, . 45 John Marshall & Son, 165 10 Henry Bich, . 39 10 John Ferris, 65 Joseph Palmer, 38 12 Jonathan Mead, . 45 John Marshall, Jan., 69 John Bundle & Son, 43 14 Nathaniel Mead, 30 Timothy Enapp, . 47 6 BI8IOBT at emSKRWICR. 79 John Ansten, . JB31 Joseph Finch, Jan., 29 Caleb Peck, . . 28 Thomas Close, Jon., 26 Joseph Hensted, . 64 Thomas Hobby, . 64 10 Ebenezer Bundle, . 80 Stephen Holmes, . 81 6 Thomas Close, Sen., . . 80 Angell Hnsted, Jnn., 41 Elisha Mead, . 38 Thomas Stndwell, 80 0. William Palmer, . 39 John Bnndle, Jnn., 61 6 James Ferris, Jnn., . 40 10 Thomas Butler, 21 G^rsbom Lockwood, Jnn., . 47 Joseph Lockwood, 25 Benjamin Knapp, . 31 Benjamin Hobby, 29 Joshua Knapp, . 64 Samuel Mead, 87 10 Joseph Studwell, . 18 John Banks, 76 10 Samuel Lyon, . 88 10 Thomas Lyon, 67 12 Joseph Mead, not the tamMr. 26 Joseph Close, 24 Total. . £2688 8. 80 BIBTOBT OV OBBKNWIOH. 1696. By this time so great a number had removed from Old Greenwich to Horseneck, that Mr. Treat preached at the latter place one Sabhath out of three. He was again in- vited by a unanimous vote of the town to settle permanently ; but he declined as firmly as before. According to the custom of several towns in this vicii^ty, a bounty had hitherto been granted, per head, to those killing wolves and bears; but it was now found that Indians and others went way back into the country, and took many of these animals which could do no harm to the people living in this town, and created a continual drain upon the town treasury. It was therefore voted to discon- tinue a practice which, while it did no good, was periodically filling the town with a set of drunken Indians and lazy white men. The bounty was then allowed only to the white citizms of the town. Ebenezer Mead was appointed by the town to keep "a place of publick entertainment for man and beast." John Finch, a mariner, ob- tained permission from the town to build a warehouse and dock at the mouth of Pato- muck brook, on Elizabeth Neck. The select- BISTOST OF OBBKNWIOH. 81 men or townsmen for this year were, Daniel Smith, Jonathan Heusted, Joseph Finch, and John Hnbbe. 1697. The Rev. Mr, Treat having received a call to Preston, New London county, and accepted it, went away, leaving the town again without a minister. Through a com- mittee of the town, invitations to settle were addressed to several ministers. A Mr. Joseph Morgan accepted the call, came to Greenwich in the latter part of the year, and immediately commenced his labors. His salary was sixty pounds beside firewood. It was increased in sixteen hundred and ninety-eight, to sixty- five pounds. He then preached one half the time at Old Greenwich and the other half at Horseneck, there being a gradual moving on the part of some of the inhabitants toward the latter place. The selectmen for 1698, were John Hobby, Timothy Ejiapp, and Jonathan Heusted. 1699. Mr. Morgan still pastor. But his popularity with a part of the town was wan- ing. A sectional dispute had arisen between the people of Old Greenwich and those of Horseneck, and Mr. Morgan took sides with the latter. The difficulty arose simply on the 83 HIBTOBT OF GBBBNWIOH. question of how mucli time should be devoted to the Horseneck people by the minister; they claiming one half and their brethren being only willing for them to have one third. The Horseneck people obtained the sympathy of their minister, while he lost the favor of the people on the other side of the river. The latter turned their anger upon Mr. Morgan, and circulated slanderous stories against him; while the former became his faster friends, and were ready on every occa- sion to defend him from his calumniators. It became evident early in the year 1700, that should Mr. Morgan choose to remain, a division would be the inevitable result of the difficulty. But Mr. Morgan, as I think every minister is in duty bound in such circumstances, chose rather to resign than bring about a hopeless division, and sent in the following, which is far more creditable to the minister than to the people to whom he speaks : — Beasons Why mr Morgan hathe left preach- ing. Greenwich, Anno 1700, may 9, Mr Joseph Mor- gan's reasons wherefore hee seeth cause to leave ye work of ye preaching ye gospel in green wicb, BIBTOBT 07 GBKXNWIOH. 88 ^nprimisy because there is not a Fnitie in je place, viz: Greenwich and Horseneck for ye pabliqne worship of god — 21y because I do not see a proba- bilite of there coining in gospel order, having given you warning long ago, yt if they were not pro- moters of I would desert ye towne. 8Zy, heoause I see not yt mastere of famUieB do laye restrant tipon there fa/rmUee on ye edbbiUh nighty Hohich is a kin- drance ofmyvxyrhe: for by ye afore sd was 1 article, yt I declare to ye towne, when I first came. & I see several good reasons, yt I think most for ye towne's advantage for me to desert ye towne* "Which several peticalers I have Publiquely at a towne meeting 1700 may ye 6 then having exprest my mind to ye towne. At which time I tendered to hear reasons to ye outside of anything:, yt any person should bring against it ^y^rLn^mU^^ to remain with you if it might be for the best. I not finding these things answered, I desire to leave ye towne being loth in respect to those who will wamrme, ofiering to help to ye outside of my skill to gett another minister. JOSEPH MORGAN. His request, Ohristianlike as it was, was granted by the town. But the people at Horseneck were unwilling to lose their favorite minister ; and branching off and forming a new society, they invited Mr, Morgan to preach for them. 84 ' BI8T0KT OF OBBBNWIOfi. We now find recorded the will of John Mead, senior, or the second John who came to this country. His will was written in March, 1696, or thirty-six years after his set- tlement here with his father and brother ; and his death probably occurred in the same year, when he was not far from eighty years of age. He had been a prominent citizen, re- spected not only for his even temperament but for his energy and decision of character. An anecdote given on a former page, shows many points in his character. In another part of thia work will be found a table of all of his descendants. Here is his will signed by ^^ his ma/rk^ John Mead Senior's WiU. Know all men by these presents yt I John Mead Senir. of Greenwich in yo collonie of Gonecticut for ye love good will and affection which I have and bare towards my natnrall sonn John Mead of ye towne of greenwich, and collonie aforesaid, have given and granted and by these presents do give & grant unto my sd sonn, John Mead, now de- seased for his sonn John Mead my grandsonn a Sertaine persale of land and meadow lying and being in greenwich being bounded by ye land yt I John Mead Senir. bought of John Bowers , HBnOBT OF OBEBNWICH. 86 Dorth ; and a line drawn from ye northeast comer of ye land I bought of Angell Hensted, Junior, to a grate rock lying in ye frunt fence. AH ye land lying in this compass with ye house as it is bound- ed. Ye frunt of said land being bounded upon the hywaye west. The reare upon ye sea southeast. Upon these considerations following I give and grant clearly, fully and absolutely ye above men- tioned lands to him, his heairs and asignes: Im- primis^ yt bee fally confirme yt contract yt was betweene his father and his uncle Ebenezer Mead. 211y yt hee pay to his brothers Jonathan and [Na- than Mead, when they come to bee of age, five pounds to each of them & to his sister Elizabeth Mead fortie shillings. Item I give and fully grant unto ye above sd John, two acres in ye home lott insted of yt, which ye sd John, now deseased, had of me in ye southfield, disposing of yt in ye south- field as I see convenient. Further, know all men by these presents yt I, John Mead Senir. aforesaid for ye love, good will and afection, which I have and beare towards my naturall sonn Joseph Mead of ye towne of green- wich, have given and granted and by these pres- ents do give and grant fully clearly and absolutely unto my sd sonn Joseph Mead his heairs & as- ignes, a Sertaine parsale of land & meadow, lying in myanos neck estemed seven acres, be it more or less, as it is bounded. Item, I give unto my said sonn Joseph Mead his hoaires & asignes, 5 86 HIBTOBY OF ORSBinnCH. , three acres of land in Stanford Southfield near ye upper gate, be it more or less as it is bonnded. Farther, know all men \>j these presents, yt I, John Mead Senior aforesd from ye lore good will and afection which I have and bear towards my natnrall sonn Ebinezer Mead of ye town of gren- wich aforesd haye given and granted, and by these presents do fully clearely & absolutely give and grant unto my sd sonn Ebinezer his heaires & asignes a Persale of meadow in ye Hoeack meadow, estemed two acres and a halfe be it more or less ye bounds being known by ye sd Ebinezer. Further know all men by these presents yt I John Mead Senior aforesd from ye love good will and efection which I have and beare towards my naturall sonn, Jonathan Mead, of ye towne of gren- wich aforesd, I have given and granted, and by these presents I do fully clearly and absolutely give and grant unto my said sonn Jonathan his heaires and asignes, a home lott, layed out to me at horse- neck, and all my lands lying within Horseneckfield & a Persale of land containing three acres more or less, lying at ye southeast end of Widow Howe's lott. Further know all men by these presents yt I John Mead Senior aforesd for ye love good will and afection yt I have and beare towards my natu- rall sonn, David Mead, of ye towne of bedford now in ye government of New Yorke yt I ye said John Mead Senior have given and granted, and by these HlSTOltT OF GtOCkH WlOll. 87 presentB, I do ftdlj clearly and absolutely give and grant unto my sd sonn David Mead his heaires and asignes je accommodation lying and being at bed- ford, both lands and meadows, as it was granted to me. Farther know all men by these presents, yt I J dim Mead, Senicnr, aforesaid, for ye love, good will & afection y 1 1 have and beare toward my natnrall sonn, Benjamin Mead, of ye towne of grenwich, aforesd, have given and granted, and do hereby fnlly, clearly, & absolntely give and grant nnto my sd sonn, Benjamin Mead, those Persales of land, hereafter exprest, viz. : five acres of land at Stick- lin's brook, as it is layed ont to me, and all my lands and meadow lying and being at that place, com- monly called Coscob, as it is layed ont to mee, & ten acres of upland above ye road, added now to ye five. Further know all men by these presents, yt I, John Mead Senior from ye love good will and afection yt I have and beare towards my natnrall sonn, Nathaniel Mead, of yesd towne of grenwich, aforesd, have given and granted, and by these presents do hereby give and grant nnto my sd sonn, Nathaniel, his heaires and asignes, an acre and two rods of meadow in ye sonthfield, as it is bounded ; likewise seven acres of land lying at a place called Crock ; also two-thirds of my lands, as it shall be laid out of that estate, in Patrick's list. Further know all men by these presents yt I 88 HI8TQBY OF GBKBNWIOH. John Mead Senior aforsd for ye love good will and afection yt I have and beare towards my natnrall Bonn Samll Mead, of ye towne of grenwich, have given & granted, and by these presents do give & grant, fully, clearely & absolutely unto ye sd Saml. Mead, his heaires and asignes, oil my orcherd, item all my on ye east side of ye hye waye by my house both meadow & land & plowing land, bounded by ye grate rock yt lyeth in ye fence of land of my grandsonn, John Mead, & upon a straight line to ye northeast corner of ye meadow land yt I John Mead, aforesd, bought of Angell Husted Jr. Item, all my land upon Elizabeth Neck, as it is bounded ; iteniy all my alotment in Stanford eastfield, on Ship- pan, which was my father Potters, as it is bounded item y t persale of land I had of the overseers of my father potter's estate, lying within Stamford bounds, fronting ye hye waye by ye southfield, as it is bounded. Further know yt ye aforesd housing, land & meadows I do freely give to him sd Samll Mead, my sonn, his heaires and asignes as aforesd also a persale of land lying by Gershom Lockwood, bounded by ye liye waye, west by ye lands of my Grandsonn John Mead southeast which persale of land was not mentioned before. Provided, yt ye sd Samll his heaires & asignes, do well and honor- ably maintain his mother with a convenient roome in ye house, such a room as his mother shall cheuse, & with such other things as may be suitable for her HIBTOBT OF GBEBMWICH. 89 comfortable subsistence, daring her widowhood, & yt he paye out to his brother Nathaniel, aforesd, 20 pounds in Provesion paje, as it passeth from man amoungst us. Beginning ye payement of it after my decease, and Paying five pounds pr annum, till tis payde. In witness whereof, I have hereunto sett my hand & Seale, this 16 march, 1695--6. his JOHN -I- MEAD, mark. Signed and sealed in the ) presence of ) Salmon Tbrat, Zaohabiah Mead. Certified before me JONATHAN BELL, Commissioner. Mr. Mead was, as is supposed, buried in an old burying-ground a little southwest from the old one yet in existence on Greenwich Point. All traces of this burial place are now removed, the tombstones having been removed to form fences, and the place being often plowed over without regard for those sleeping the sleep of death there. The grave of even William Grimes is now unknown, as it has been recently plowed over by farmers in the vicinity. And if those who enjoy to 90 HISTORY OP GREENWICH. this day his bounty were disposed to erect a monument to his memory, they could hardly denote the place of his burial. We here give a copy of his will with other matters of record, as it appears upon the town record. William Grimes, of Greenwich, his will. Tkese testifie that I, weeliam Grimes, of this towne of greenwich, being of perfect memory and understanding, but being very sick in body, do give all my lands to ye disposal of Joseph Mead, John Benolds and Eliphalet Jones, to bee Disposed of by them in such a waye as thaye shall judge meet for ye Inlarging of ye towne of grenwich, by accom- modating such inhabitant or inhabitants as shall bee admitted into ye towne in an orderly way, provided they be such men as the aforesd Mead, Benolds & Jones shall judge desirable for the promoting of chnrch and commonwealth. This, my Deade of gift shall stand good and firme at ye time of my dessease. Witness my hand, this : 18 : July, 1670. WILLIAM GRIMES. Witness, — ^Rxtth Fbbkis, DsBOBA Bablow. Inasmuch as the Townsmen of ye towne of green- wich have sent unto me for information about ye Disposal of yt persale of land and meadow, which was William Grimes, to ye disposal of Joseph Mead, HISTOBY OF GBESNWIOH. 91 John Benolds and myself, to be disposed by them, 6 as they saw most advantageous to ye good & proffit of thee towne of Greenwich ; so wee did, al of ns agreed, y t ye sd land shoold bee for ye use of a minister, as performing ye will, & it ought to have been so recorded & for as much as Joseph Mead is now deseased, & I myself beine Bemote cannot act in my own person about it, I do constitute my Friend Joseph Ferris, of grenwich, to act in my stead, with John Henolds to see y t it bee setled and recorded, as was firmly ordered. My mind is also that when at anytime the towne shall be without a minister, yt ye proffits of ye sd land shall go to helpe mainetaine such as shall bee Imployed in teaching children to Beade. EIIPHALET JONES. Huntington, Apr 22, 1691. This acknowledge by ye subscriber Eliphalet Jones, ye date aforesaid. JOHN AENOLD, EPENETUS PLATT. theire m(ye8ties Justices of ye Peace, Cov/niy ofSufoVk, on Long Isla/nd. Greenwich, 1694, March ye 7 Day. Wee, namely, John Eenolds & Joseph Ferris conserned in ye disposal of ye above so- named Grimes land as doth above appear so for ourselves our heaires & sucksessors now make this following disposal to stand good and Authentic for ever, namely, yt ye land & meadow yt was Grimeses 92 mSTOBT OF GBEBNWIOH. be Disposd of to ye town for ye use of ye ministrie of personage land, & if no minister Bee in ye place ye profit of ye sd land & medow be Improved to help to maintan such as shall be Imployed to teach children to Head : and wee do jointly agree that this our Disposal do stand good for ye method of ye Improvement of ye towne, as witness our hands, ye date above sd. JOHN EENOLDS, JOSEPH FEREIS. The above is brought in here for the sake of the following agreement made in 1Y04 or 1Y05. When the separation of the town into two societies had become a plain, settled fact, the town through committees agreed upon the fol- lowing division of ecclesiastical property, which in 1Y05 was ordered to be recorded, and thus appears upon a page of record : — Abitoles of Agbeement Between ye Inhabitants on ye East sid of Myanos River and ye Inhabitants of sd Greenwich on ye west sid of sd Mianos River. 1. That from the Dates of these there be a liberty of calling encouraging and setling the ministry of the gospel according to ye way of this Colony of Connecticut in two Societies on ye west side as well as on ye East sid of Myanos River. HIBTOBT OF GSEBNWIOH. 93 2. That for ye encourageinent of ye minietrje in either sid of ye sd river there be a rate raised annually by ye yearly list of ye towne of Greenwich, of which ye one halfe to be collected for ye minister of ye East side & ye other halfe to be collected for ye minister of ye west side of Myanos Eiver, & yt for ye present ye annal rate amount to forescore pounds in provision pay. 3. That all public charges consarning ye minister of ye gospel be equal, according to ye publick list. 4. That thirty acres of land at Horseneck be registered ; and be continually for ye use of ye ministrie, according to ye way of ye sd Connecticut Colony at Horseneck, in ye lieu of griraeses land commonly called, which belong perpetually to ye use of ye ministrye on ye East side Mianos River, or Greenwich old town. 5. That ye half of ye ordinary yearly salary for ye minister in Greenwich be collected in proportion according to ye public list of ye towne for ye minis- trye residing at either place, whether Horseneck or Greenwich Old Towne, provided the other place be destitute of a minister. 6. That it be at ye liberty of each Society to make choice of their respective ministers. 7. That ye general percell of land on ye east side of Myanos river, made choice of by mr. bower & entered upon ye towne records, be absolutely given to ye minister on ye east side, provided he be ordained, or Dy in ye place of his Improvement in Greenwiob, & that upon ye same provesion the 94 maroBT of gbeenwioh. lands the west side of ye sd rirer o£Fered unto bat not accepted by sd mr. bower be absolutely given and confirmed to ye minister of ye said west side. 8. That eney Kight in common lands in Green- wich mr. bower hath granted to him, or may have granted to him, as large and full ***** «««««« common lands be granted to ye minister at Horseneck. 9. & Finally, that it is ye desire & agreement of ye Inhabitants, both on ye east and also on ye west side of Myanos Kiver, that ye Articles be obliging and binding upon themselves and their associates. All ye above articles and primeses were published unto & before ye towne. Te sub- scribers. Committee of six Inhabitants of sd Oreen- wich, were appointed & ordered in ye name of ye towne to subscribe theire confirmation of all & every ye above articles. On ye west side of Myanos, EBENEZER MEAD, JOSHUA KNAP, TIMOTHY KNAP. On the East sid Myanos Biver, SAMUEL PECK, JON. RENOLDS, ROBERT LOCKWOOD. Subscribed in presence of us, JONATH. SeLLECK, John Davenpobt, Sauuel hait, Davh) Wateebuby. HIBTOBT OF GBBEirWIOH. 95 In 1702, some farther arrangements had been made respecting Mr. Morgan, which resulted in Mr. Morgan's acceptance of a call to preach for six years more. Up to 1Y03, all town meetings had been held in Greenwich " old town f but it was now voted that they should be held one half of the time at Horseneck. And about this time there was quite an emigration from the old settlement to the western and northwestern parts of the town. At a Town meeting bareing Date May ye 3 1704 the town taking into consideration that which hath formerly been Don by ye towne in order to Mr. Nathaniel Bowers setling in the towne hath been ineffectual & considering Mr. bowers hath promised to setel at Horsneck if ye inhabitants did not call him to office on ye East sid Mianus river & being informed mr. bowers Designs to leave ye town these things considered ye towne pr vote see cans & reson to invite Mr. Bower to setle at Greenwich towne plott on ye west side Mianus river which if Mr. Bowers sees cause to except, Then ye town doth promis & Ingage to make suita- ble provesion for himself & for setling him iu his ministerial office. At a town meeting, December ye 19 : 1704 : The Town per vote grant Liberty unto Oorinal hethcut to build tow small sloops sum where about Mianos river. 96 mSTORT OF GBSaSNWIOH. Furthermore, moved ye towne put it to vot whether Mr. bowers should have fifty-five pounds, and it passes in the Negative. Furthermore, ye town pr vot do not Desire Mr. Bowers to continue any longer in ye work of ye ministrye in Greenwich, Notwithstanding this vote, it appears that Mr. Bowers was here in 1Y06, and we have been unable to ascertain when he left, or if, indeed, he preached at all after the last men- tioned date. Furthermore, ye Town per vot grant Liberty, unto ye inhabitants on ye east sid mianus to beuld a mill upon any strem where they shall think con- venient. Furthermore, the Town per vot do grant Liberty unto the inhabitants of greenwich living on the west side Mianus river, to build a tide mill upon Sticklin brook or Coscob river themselves or to imploy som other parson whom they shall think fitt and likwise Do grant them use of ye streams for that end. After the town had thus given permission to the inhabitants of Horseneck to build a mill, a meeting was held of which the follow- ing is the record : — At a meeting of ye Inhabitants of ye town of Greenwich on ye west side of Myanos river HI8T0BY OF GBBBNWIOH. 97 legally warned &niet on ye nineteAith day of June, 1706 Whereas ye sd inhabitants have had a grant from ye town at a town meeting on ye 9th day of January 1704:, of ye stream of ye tide or creek of Coscob river to own a grist mill, or imploy whom the see cause therein the sd inhabitants have grant- ed sd stream to Mr. Joseph Morgan, to build a grist mill, and do there in oblige him, his beairs and asines, to grind for ye inhabitants of ye towne of Greenwich for aboute one 12 part of all grain, & do grant that toll, and do oblige him and his heaires & asigns, to grind for said inhabitants what grain they bring to mill on Tuesdays and Fridays forth- with, not to hinder them for strangers, and do oblig him, his heairs and successors, by virtue of ys grant to keep a suflScient hous for to secure ye grain yt is brought to sd mill. This arrangement continued until 1708, when further action was taken in a similar meeting. EPISCOPALIAiaSM. In the year 1704, Rev. George Muirson (see Hawkin's Hist. No. 1, of Col. Church), having been ordained, was appointed to the mission of Rye. In one of bis reports to the Society sustaining him, he says: I have been lately in the Government of Connec- ticut, where I observe some people well affected to 98 mSTOBY OF GBEBNWIOH. the chnrchy for *tho6e that are near come to my parish on Sabbath days ; so that I am assured an itinerant missionary might do great service in that province. Some of their ministers have privately told me that, had we a bishop among ns they would conform and receive holy orders, from which as well as all on the continent, the necessity of a bishop will plainly appear. Mr. Mnirson was exceedingly zealons and active in attempting to plant a missionary Church of his sect of religion in this vicinity. And he was warmly supported by the assist- ance of Col. Caleb Heatbcote, of Westchester county. Col. Heathcote himself also wrote frequently to the Society upon the subject, and in his letters frequently complained that great opposition was encountered, and stating that Mr. Muirson had been forbidden to preach by the justices of Connecticut, who had even threatened to put him and all his hearers in jail. Col. Heathcote enters, in some of his letters to the Secretary, upon a discussion of the gen- eral aflfairs of the Church in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut In his letter dated Scarsdale Manor, Nov. 9th, 1Y05 (see Bolton's History of Westchester County, Vol. II. page 106), he says : — mSTOBT OF OBEBNWIOH. 99 Bat bordering on Connecticut there is no part of the continent, from whence the church can have so fair an opportunity to make impressions upon the Dissenters in that government, who are settled by their laws from Rye parish to Boston Colony, which is about 35 leagues, in which there are an abund- ance of people and places. As for Boston Colony, I never was in it, so can say little to it. But for Connecticut, I am and have been pretty conversant ; and always was as much in their good graces as any man. And now I am upon that subject, I will give you the best account I can of that colony. It contains, in length about 140 miles and has in it about 40 towns, in each of which there is a Presbyterian or Independent minister settled by their law ; to whom the people are obliged to pay, notwithstanding many times tliey are not ordained ; of which I have known several examples. The number of people there, I believe are about 2,400 souls. Tliey have an abundance of odd kind of laws, to prevent any from dissenting from their church, and endeavor to keep the people in as much blindness and unac- quaintedness with any other religion as possible ; but in a more particular manner the church, look- ing upon her as the most dangerous enemy they have to grapple withal. And abundance of pains is taken to make the ignorant think as bad as possi- ble of her. And I really believe that more than half of the people of that government, think our church to be little better than the Papists. And 100 HI8T0BT OF GREENWICH. they fail not to improve everything against ns ; bnt^ and I bless God for it, the Society have robbed them of their best argument, which was the ill lives of the Olergy that came into these parts. And the truth is, I have not seen many good men but of the Society's sending. And no sooner was that honorable body settled, and those prudent measures taken for carrying on that great work, but the people of Connecticut, doubting of maintaining their ground without some further support, they with great industry went through their colony for subscriptions to build a College at a place called Seabrook. And the min- isters, who are as absolute in their respective par- ishes as the Pope of Bome, argued, prayed, and preached up the necessity of it; and the passive obedience people, who dare not do otherwise than obey gave even beyond their ability. A thing which they call college, was prepared accordingly, wherein I am informed, there was a commencement three or four months ago. Bat notwithstanding their new college here, and old one in Boston, and that every town in the colony has one, and some two ministers, and have not only heard them say but seen it in their prints, that there was no place in the world where the gospel shone so brightly, nor that people lived so religiously and well as they : yet I dare aver, that there is not a much greater necessity of having the christian religion preached in its true light anywhere than amongst them. Many, if not the greater number of them, HIBTOBT OF GBESNWIOH. 101 being little better than in a state of heathenism ; having never been baptised nor admitted to the communion. And that yon may be satisfied what I tell you herein is not spoken at random, nor grounded on careless observation, Mr. Moirson's Parish is more than three-fonrtbs of it composed of two towns, viz ; Kye and Bedford, which were first settled nnder the Colony of Connecticut and of people bom and bred under that government, and some time before my coming, had a minister, one Mr. Denham, and had afterward two more. Wood- bridge and Bowers at By^ and one Mr. Jones at Bedford. And the people of Kye only had of this county, the care to provide a parsonage house. And notwithstanding all those great shows of reli- gion, and that at such times as they were destitute of a minister. Greenwich and Stanford, the bounds of the for- mer of which places join upon theirs and the other is not above ten miles distant, where they were always supplied. But they could not be said to want the opportunity of having the Sacrament ad- ministered to them, yet, I believe, 20 of them have never received the communion, nor half of them been baptized, as Mr. Muirson more fully will inform you. And now I have given you an account of the state of that colony, what will in the next place be naturally expected from me, is to know my opinion of the best and most probable way of doing good amongst them. There is nothing more certain, than that is the 102 HI8TOBT OF GBBBHWIOH. most difficult task that the Society have to wade through, for the people are not only not of the church, but have been, and are, trained up with all the care imaginable to be its enemies. That to make an impression under all those disadvantages, is very difficult, though I hope not impossible. And though, at first view, the prospect of doing any good upon them is very little yet no doubt but the most proper measures ought to be taken, leaving the event to Almighty God. In the remainder of his letter Col. Heath- cote recommends that Rev. Mr. Muirson be sent on a Missionary tour thonghont the colony. Afterwards, as late as July IStli 1T40 (see Bolton's History of Westchester County), Rev. James Wetmore, in acquainting the So- ciety with the success of his Mission, writes, that beside his regular duty at Rye, he offici- ated once a month at Stamford and Green- wich. No Episcopal Church was built in Green- wich until 174Y, when steps were taken for that purpose, under Dr. Ebenezer Dibble, Missionary. March ye 18, 1708, at a meeting of ye inhabit- ants on the west sid Mianus river, they vote as HIBTOBT OF OBEENWIOH. 103 followeth, jt Mr. Morgan should go and live hj his mill for je space of six years if he see occation for it, & there keep a lad to tend his mill, and oversee him therein himself, and continae in ye worke of ye ministrye. Oaleb !Knap & Jonathan Hobby & Jonathan Benolds, benjamin Clos, henry rich Jo hensted Stephen holmes & Gtershom Lockwood, James Ferris, Isaack How, Jonthan Finch : these all do enter there protest against ye aboye sd act of Mr. Morgan's going to ye mill. During the same year another meeting was held relative to the same subject, with the following result : At a meeting of ye inhabitants of Greenwich on ye west sid Mianus Elver Anno 1708 July ye 2ond ye above sd Inhabitants do vot yt Mr. Morgan shall be settled up in ye place, & whereas there is a difference in ye place concerning ye place of Mr. Morgan's settiement, ye Inhabitants above sd by vot Do' Joyntly agree to leave it to ye ministers of this county fully to determine & to say where Mr. Morgan shall be setled, whether down at the mill, or up in ye place amoungst us ; & to sett down contented with their judgment in setlin Mr. Morgan according to gospel order, ye inhabitants above sd by vot Do make choice of Ebenezer Mead and Oaleb Knapp to go to ye ministers & give them ye reasons of ye difference "abot Mr. Morgan's living at his mills. 104 HIBTOAT OF GREENWICH. What the decision given by the Ministers was, we have been unable to ascertain ; but we find the following account on record, of another meeting held during the same year : At a meeting of ye Inhabitants of Greenwich on ye west side of ye river, August ye 27, 1708, vot as followeth, viz. : yt Mr. Ebenezer Mead,- Joshua Knap and Caleb Knap shall be there Com- mittee to Bee if Mr. Morgan provideth himself with a miller, and leaves his mills and betakes himself to ye work of ye ministry, & to take from under Mr. Morgan's hand that he relinquisheth ye thirty acres of land, ye hous, & horn lott, in case he deserts ye towne ; & in case Mr. Morgan faileth in ye premises, then ye place is to be at there Liberty, & above said Committee to take care to provide ye place with another minister by ye last of September. Oct. ye 17, Mr. Morgan Desired ye above sd Committee to meet & give him a full answer, which accordingly ye above sd Committee met & answered that according to ye above sd towne act he was at his liberty and likewise they was at their liberty to provide ye place with another minister. From this last record, it would appear that Mr. Morgan chose rather to live at his mills and not preach, than to preach and not live at his mills. Doubtless this was the end of his stated regular preaching, yet we do not HIBTOBY Oli" OSXBNWIOS. 105 find that any other mmister came here daring the succeeding half-dozen years. Possibly and probably, the Horseneck Society had fre- quent preaching by transient ministers ; and no doubt Mr. Morgan preached for them often, in the absence of others. The materials for an elaborate history are wanting during this period, and we must pass over several years from this time with little notice. During the year lYlS, it would seem that the people freely discussed the question of a re-union of the town in one ecclesiastical society. This idea would doubtless be ridi- culed now ; but it should be remembered that in those days, distance was little thought of by good church-going people, and the prevail- ing fashions did not make so much time requi- site for preparation as they do now. Besides this, economy in society expenses doubtless had its influence with many of the inhabitants. The Second Society was at that time without a regular pastor, and, if we judge properly from the face of the records, the First Society also. Hence, the project was so plausible, as to receive the following attention at a town meeting : — 106 HISTOKt G» GBESHWlOir. At a Town meetting held in greenwich. Anno 1713 October the 5th day the town taking into consideration where might be je best place for to erect a meeting honse for ye unitting of the town together, ye town by vot Do Judge that between Joseph Closes honse & Ephraim Palmers hons is ye most suitable place in the bounds of ye town to erect said house. The honse designated in the above extract as Mr. Joseph Close's, was near the present residence of Jonathan A. Close, Esq., and that of Ephraim Palmer was situated where Jose* phns Palmer now resides. The place selected, therefore, was nearly the geographical center of the town. Indeed, it may then have been the point most easily to be reached for the then inhabitants, as previous to this time the portions to the north, and west of this had become qnite thickly settled. How- ever, no church was ever built there, and the design was entirely abandoned. Another proof that there was no minister here at that time, is the following: At fk Towne meeting held in Greenwich Dec. ye 29th day Anno 1715. Town meeting adjourned to meet at minister's house. HSKTORT OV GSSXSWWB* 107 1715 TO REVOLUTIONARY WAR. A reliable history of this period could hardly be given. Tradition hands down to ns a few facts and ditties, while the record gives us little worth preserving, besides the ordinary annnal elections and regular business of the town. At a Towne meeting held in Greenwich, Anno 1716, June the 16th daye, He Towne by vot Do give & grant unto Mr. Ju^tice'Bush of New York the privilege of the stream of horseneck brook below the contry road to build a grist mill or mills upon, & sd Justice Bush is to build said mill within two years time from this date, & to grind for the inhabitants of Greenwich what grain they shall bring to his mill to be ground, & not to put them by for strangers^ & he is to have liberty to gett stones & timber upon common lands for buildings and mill, & also to sett up a storehous upon said landing, & said Justice Bush is constantly to main- tain a sufficient grist mill upon sd stream, except said mill should come to some accident by fire or otherwise & said Justice Bush do not rebuild her again within three years time, then the said stream & Privileges to return for there use & benefit as formerly ;^ & further, Mr. Ebenezer Mead & Angell Husted & John Ferris fwe chosen to lay out the 108 HtSTOBY or GfiSBNWIOH. landing and highway on the Northside of horseneck brook. On the 22ond day of Dec. 1724 the town granted liberty to Daniel Smith to build a wharf at the mouth of Horseneck brook ****** for ye use of ye towne. A protracted lawsuit a few years since was lost by the defendant, because unable to find the above extracts upon the records ; and so great is the age and wear of the book, that but few searches would seriously endanger its existence. In lYlY, the Second Society was provided with another minister, the Rev. Richard Sack- ett. Little seems to be known of him, even by his immediate descendants. He is spoken of as a kind, mild man, and universally be- loved by his people. Mr. Sackett graduated in middle life at Yale College, in the class of seventeen hundred and nine, the largest class that had then graduated in that College. He preached in Greenwich until his death, which occurred in 1*727, ten years after his settle- ment. Upon the decease of Mr. Sackett, the Soci- ety procured the services of Rev.^ Stephen Munson, who was duly installed as pastor on HISTORY OF aBBBNWIOH. 109 the 29th day of May, A. D. 1T28. Mr. Mun- 8on was also a graduate of Yale College, in the class of seventeen hundred and twenty- five, and came to Greenwich immediately after finishing his theological studies. He remained pastor only two years, when he was, like Mr. Sackett, who preceded him, taken from his chm'ch by death. This occurred in May, 1730, The pulpit of this Society was then filled by various ministers until 1^32, when the church extended a call to Rev. Abraham Todd, who accepted the call, and during the next year was duly installed. Mr. Todd was then a young man, having just finished his theological studies. He had been graduated at Yale College in the class of seventeen hun- dred and twenty-seven. He remained pastor of the church for forty years, when in the year 1773 he died. Of his character, the du- ration of his ministerial office over a single church is, perhaps, a sufficient indication. He is said to have been of a mild, easy disposition, and many anecdotes are handed down to us by tradition, concerning him. Although a general favorite throughout the whole period 6 110 mSTOBT OF GBEBNWIOH. of his ministry, lie may, like others, have had some though few enemies. It is related that daring his ministry, many of his hearers were out-spoken men, even ex- pressing themselves publicly during worship, as to the merits or demerits of the doctrines advanced. Among this class of persons was one Palmer, who was present during the ser- vice on an occasion when an Indian Mission- ary preached to Mr. Todd's congregation. He preached fluently, and we presume well ; and so great an impression did his logic and elo- quence make upon Palmer, that he exclaimed at the close of the sermon, with great vehe- mence, " Let's swap Todd and buy the Injin, he does a good deal the best." Mr. Todd, him- self, was present ; but whether he thought it so much the greater compliment to the Indian, or a low estimate of his own powers, we are not informed. Some other facts relating to Mr. Todd, may be found upon the succeeding pages of this volume. In 1^35, according to Dr. Trumbull, one Benj. Strong was installed at Stanwich ; but I deem this a mistake, as no society was formed mdTOBT O^ OBEEltWICH. Ill tiiere until some thirty or more years after this date. It may be, indeed, that such a minister occasionally performed service there, but we have no record of the fact. Mr. Ben- jamin Strong was graduated at New Haven, in the class of 1784, and probably there may be a mistake in the date given by Dr. Trum- bull. In 1740, Rev. James Wet more, a graduate from Yale College, and a convert from the Presbyterian to the Episcopal doctrines, being then settled at Rye, preached once a month at Stamford and Greenwich. In 1747, Rev. Ebenezer Dibble, also a graduate of Yale, be- came a missionary for the parish including both Stamford and Greenwich. He was a member of the class of seventeen hundred and thirty-four. He became Master of Arts in 1793, the title of Doctor of Sacred Theol- ogy was conferred upon him by Columbia College. His death occurred in 1799. After preaching two years- at private houses, the communicants of the Episcopal Church built a hoase of worship, it being the first in town. Some of our oldest residents (Samuel Close, Esq.) remember his preaching at the house 112 HIBTOBT OF aSESHWlOH. *^)f Moses Heusted, where William A* Heusted, Esq., now resides. His long flowing white hair, falling gracefully upon his shoulders, gave him a reverential and dignified appear- ance. In 1745 and 1746, occurred the death of an aged couple, Mr. Samuel Feck, Esq., and his wife Ruth. They were buried in the old burying ground at Old Greenwich, where their tombstones still remain, upon which the following epitaphs are quite legible. Here lies the Here lies the Body of Mre. Rutb Body of Samuel Peck, wife of Samll. Peck, Esqr., who Peck, Esqr., who Died April ye2Sth, Died sept, ye 17tli, AD : 1746. 1745, about 83 Aged 90 years, years of age. The name of Samuel Peck, as well as that of his wife, has occurred frequently in the preceding pages of this history, and both are often met with upon our town records. In his day Mr. Peck was probably the most influ- ential man in the settlement. He was the son of Rev. Jeremiah Peck, and was born in mSTOBT OF GBEENWIOH. 113 1656. He moved into town with his father in 16'r6. Though not by any means the most wealthy, yet, if we may judge from the im- portant positions he held, he was probably the best educated. He held the office of Jus- tice of the Peace as long as his age permitted. His wife was Miss Ruth Ferris, whose name is frequently to be found upon the records ; and she was a high-minded, influential woman. Contemporary with these, when in the prime of life, was lieut. Gershom Lockwood ; but he died some twenty years before them. He was the principal carpenter and builder in the town, and filled many offices of trust and importance. His grave, a few feet north of Mr. Peck's, is marked by a tombstone with this epitaph : Here lyes ye Body of Mr. Gershom Lockwood, aged 77 years, dec'd March ye 12th, 1718-19. In the same grave-yard stands a tombstone of a more recent date, through which is a hole, which has been a matter of considerable 114 mSTOBY OF OBBENWIOH. speculation. As there was a sort of skirmish in the vicinity, a report has gained some Cre- dence, that a musket had sent a bullet entirely through the stone ; but upon our making a strict examination, we perceived unmistakable marks of an auger, and we presume the hole, though unused, was bored through for the purpose of mending the stone, which at some time had been broken. FBENCH WAB. During the French wars, as well as in the Revolutionary, Connecticut furnished more than her actual quota of men. We shall speak only of the second French war here, as we have no account of any detachment or com- pany from Greenwich in active service during the first war. That commenced by a declara- tion of war on the part of Great Britain against Spain on the 23d day of October, 1Y39. Great Britain contemplated raising four regiments in America, to be transported to Jamaica, there to eflfect a junction with a powerful armament from the mother coun- try. The expenses, of victualing, transporta- tion, and other necessaries were to be defrayed HISTOBT OF GBBENWICH. 115 by the colonies until the force should reach Jamaica. Dr. Trumbull says, — Connecticut engaged with cheerftQness and expe- dition in his Majesty's measures. A special Assem- bly was convoked in July^ 1740, and it was enacted, that ^^ Whereas his majesty has thought fit to declare war against Spain, and hath appointed an expedi- tion against the Catholic King in the West Indies, and has given his orders and instructions, under his royal sign manual, now laid before this assem- bly by his honor, the governor, for the raising of such troops in the colony as shall voluntarily enlist in the said service, to join the Erittish troops in a general rendezvous in the West Indies : and whereas, it appears by said instructions that it is his majesties expectations, that the assembly will provide victuals, transports and all necessaries for the said troops, to be raised in this colony, except their clothes, tents, arms, amnmnition and pay, until they arrive at the general place of the general rendezvous, which important affair this general assembly, feeling most willing to exert themselves to promote by a cheerful conformity to his majesty's instructions, therefore be it enacted, — ^That there shall be provided victuals, transports, and all other necessaries for said troops, &c., until their arrival in the West Indies." Committees were appointed to carry these meas- ures into immediate effect. He sound. '*^°Q of tie se2''P«'ed W 1"'^*' %it4 f^'^Shnd. Iff' ^^ance d^ ' "? *^e "'"^^ trouM ^ ^^^tilities )?'"'• Tie Jnd • "^^ tie 17ti o7r^ ^e^eJ^l^^V^'^^^-^^^^^^^^^ a^d the J °°e» 1745 fi. *^® ntino«f ^■ «n f^^.^^^Qd of r« \^® city of f ^*' Oxi HIBTORT OF OSEENWIOH. 117 belligerents, indicating that they were nearly exhausted y and verging to a general pacifica- tion." In the following April (April the 30th, 1748)5 both nations being heartily tired of a war arising and maintained merely for na- tional spite and hatred, preliminaries to peace were signed at Aix-la-Chapelle ; and in a few days a cessation of hostilities was proclaimed. The final treaty was settled upon and com- pleted on the 7th of October of the same year. All prisoners and conquests were mutually to be given up. The reasons for which either nation entered into this war, are almost a mys- tery. National jealousy and hostility may be considered as the whole cause ; and for pure spite on the part of the old countries, the colo- nies of each were subjected to great expense and privation. The peace which resulted from this treaty was but of short duration. The French re- newed their claim to a great portion of that territory which had been ceded to Great Britain by the twelfth article of the treaty of Utrecht, and which had been confirmed by all succeeding treaties. Their encroachments had been commenced almost as soon as the first 118 HIBTOBY OF OBEEHWICH. war had been ended, and in 1749 were fast ad- vancing towards Ticonderoga. They were, also, fast extending their line of forts from the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi, and even encroached npon the borders of Virginia. Settling Virginians were driven from the Ohio, and English trading merchants were plundered and killed by the Indians, at the instigation of the French. Active hostilities may be said to have commenced in 1755, and on the 18th of May, 1756, Great Britain de- clared war against France, which was recipro- cated by France in a similar declaration, early in the following June. This is termed the second French war. Connecticut was largely drawn upon for troops. Young men were pressed into the service. As Greenwich, in the early part of the war, had no volunteer company, several of the inhabitants of Green- wich were pressed. James Green, now long since dead, used to relate that while a com- pany of young people, himself among the num- ber, were quietly enjoying themselves at the tavern (then kept by one Mead, but now occupied as a dwelling-house by Epenetus Sniffin, Esq.), they were surprised by a press- gang, and several of them forced into the ser- HIBTOBT OF OBBENWIGH. 119 vice, while he with a few others escaped from a window. After this time, a regular volun- teer company was raised. This company- seems to have marched directly to Ticonde- roga in 1Y59, and joined the 3d Connecticut regiment. One of the company, a Mr. Coit, residing in King street, was mounted upon a rather sorry nag, which by the time the com- pany had reached Nine Partners, in Dutchess County, had become quite leg-weary. And Coit, thinking perhaps that all is fair in tinae of war, took a noble horse from a pasturage and turned his own there instead, without any whys or wherefores with the real owner. His new horse did him good service during the company's stay at Ticonderoga, which was but little more than a month ; and on his return the company halted, that Coit might deliver the horse to his owner. So well pleased was the latter with the boldness of Coit, that he made the whole company stop for the night at his house, free of expense. After the war, Mr. Coit went to Vermont and settled there permanently ; several years after, having be- come wealthy, he came to Greenwich in his carriage, and visited all his old comrades of the volunteer company. 120 BIBTOBT OF OBEENWICH. In 1756, Connecticut had furnished a thou- sand men, at the commencement of the cam- paign ; and after the contest at Lake George, they sent as a reinforcement to the army, one thousand more. In 1756, this colony raised over two thousand five hundred men. This was much more than her quota, and double the number required by the king's commander- in-chief. In the following year, Connecticut had more than six thousand men in actual service. But on the 8th of March, 1759, it was resolved by the Assembly : — That the number of men raised last year was greater than the colony could conveniently famish ; that many had died, and others had been disabled and rendered unfit for service, in the last campaign ; that numbers had enlisted as recruits into his ma- jesty's regiments ; and that others were employed in the batteanx and carrying service, by which means the number of the colony were diminished. Yet that the salutary designs of his majesty might as far as possible be answered, it was resolved, firmly relying on his majesty's royal and most gracious encouragement, that three thousand six hundred men should be raised in this colony, consisting of four regiments of ten companies in each. — (Trum- bull's Hist.) HI8T0BT OF GSEBNWIOH. 121 Fhineas Lyman was made the commanding officer of the Ist Regiment ; Nathan Whiting, of the 2d ; David Wooster, of the 3d ; and Eleazer Fitch, of the 4th. All between the ages of sixteen and sixty, were then compelled to bear arms. The inhabitants gave of their substance for the support of this war, and the * ladies of the various towns formed associa- tions for the clothing of the soldiers. Mrs. Abraham Todd was the president of such an association in Greenwich. Ticonderoga, against which the Connecticut regiments were especially engaged, was evac- uated by the French, after blowing up their magazine, on the 27th of July, 1759. The city of Quebec surrendered on the 18th of September following. On March 12th, 1760, it was resolved by Connecticut again to raise five thousand men ; and they went into the field, commanded by the same officers. On September 8th, 1760, Montreal and the whole of Canada were given up to the kingdom of Great Britain ; and peace followed as a natural consequence. An ancient powder-horn is still preserved by Col. Thomas A. Mead, upon which is al- most perfectly delineated, the relative posi- 122 HISTOBT'OF OBXENWIOH. tions and forts of the hostile armies while at Ticonderoga. This work was done by Dr. Amos Mead, who was surgeon of the Third Connecticut Regiment, while at Ticonderoga. The horn beside this chart, has engraven upon it this inscription : — Amos Mead Surgn of ye 3d Conn Reg Ticonderoga October 1759 At a town meeting March the 2d, 1756, it was " Furthermore voted that Mr. Nehemiah Mead should have liberty to sell the Town stock of Powder as soon as he can conven- iently to ye Towns best advantage and lay out all the money that he shall sell said pow- der for, in powder that is good and put the same into Town stock as soon as he conven- iently can.'' 1767, December the 3d, Monday, " Voted to Mr. Edmund Brown and associates liberty to build a saw mill on Horseneck brook at Hangroot." By this agreement, Brown and his associates were to build and keep in repair the bridge at Hangroot, and be responsible for damages that might thereby occur by accident to any person. HIBTOBT OF GREENWICH. 123 In 1758, the following record, taken with other similar extracts, shows that the town meetings were held alternately in all the places of worship in the town : " At a Town meeting of the Inhabitants of the town of Greenwich, legally warned and attended at the House Built by the Professors of the Church of England in the Society of Horse- neck on the top of the great hill on the Third Monday of December A. D. 1758 being ye 18th day of said month, &c., &c." But on the fifteenth day of December 1760, it was "Further Voted to Build a Town House and leave it to the authority and select men how large it shall be and where it shall stand." " Further voted that the Rate ibr building the Town House shall be paid by the first day of September next." In 1762, we have the first mention of a fund belonging to the town ; which is supposed in some way to have resulted in the present fund of the old Second School Society. A committee was then appointed, consisting of John Clapp, Silas Betts and Peter Mead, " To take charge of one certain Bond of £158.0s.0d, and to divide the money equally according to the Design of the Assembly for the use of the 124 HIBTOST OF GSfiSNWIOH. schools.'^ This bond is afterward mentioned upon the record each year, in connection with a committee to secnre and distribute the avails of it. In 1767, it is spoken of as being se- cured at Norfolk in the following manner: "And whereas there are certain lands con- veyed to the committee of the Town of Green- wich and to their successors by Ezra Knapp of Norfolk, which lands are lying in said Nor- folk and are Designed for the use of schools in Greenwich and as it appears Necessary that some propter persons be appointed to Lease or sell said land for the purpose aforesaid for and in behalf of sd Town and to account for the sales or profits thereof," a committee was appointed for the purpose. The bond, therefore, seems to have become worth as much or more than the land on which it had been secured, and to have been given up in consideration of the land. Before given up, the land at Norfolk subject to the mort- gage was conveyed to Epenetus Holmes, also of Norfolk. In discharge of the bond Mr. Holmes conveyed some land in Greenwich, to the town, together with his sloop. Hence — At a town meeting, &c., Holden ia Greenwich, on October ye 17th, 1774, The Town per vote do ap» mSTOBY OF GREENWICH. 125 point the Present Select men for said Town their Oommittee to sell the sloop and lands and outlands conveyed to said Town by Epenetns Holmes ; said sale to be acconnted for to said town, for the nse of the schools ; and the select men are appointed to sell said House and lands, Either together or separate, as may best suit ye purchaser or purchasers, on the day of the next annual Town Meeting, at 12 o'the clock, noon, at the Town House at Horseneck, by way of Public Vendue. Resolved in the affirma- tive, and that selectmen or any one of them, notify Mr. Epenetus Holmes by letter that the town expect the interest Due on his mortgage, or if not, he may expect, &c. • In lt67, the following petition was pre- sented at town meeting, relating to the dock at Coscob. To the benevolent inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, in Fairfield County, the petition of Na- thaniel Close, of said Q-reenwich, Humbly showoth, that your Petr. being under a necessity of a store, house, as his performing a weekly Pauquet or stage boat from here to New York lays both him and the inhabitants under a great disadvantage, in Eespect he hath no proper place to store the effects of bis Freighters, nor for them to store what effects and produce they severally bring when his vessel is not there to Beceive it ; which Disadvantage hath been sensibly Felt during the last summer. He there- 126 HI8T0BT Ol* GBBKNWIOH. fore Prays Liberty of this meetiog, that he may be permitted to build a store-house of 26 feet by 30, adjoining the Bank, between the Dwelling house of Mr. John Bush and the Gristmill of David Bush, so as to leave about sixteen feet from said mill to sd store, for a cartway, if need be, & that he may build it by the bank adjoining thereto, & to sd mill Pond ; and as your Petr. conceives a House so built would Incommode no particular Person, but be a General profit to the inhabitants, as well as your Petr. He therefore hopes that you, gentlemen, in your Pru- dence will grant his Request, and your Petr. as in duty bound shall ever pray. NATHANIEL CLOSE. December 2lBt, 1767. The above was passed, the acting select- men were appointed a committee to select the exact site of the building, which was after- ward erected. At a Town meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, legally warned and holden on the 5th day of May, 1768, this question is put to vote, whether this town, in conjunction with the Town of Norwalk, in the County of Fairfield, will send their agent to the next ensuing Assembly to prefer a memorial to sd Assembly, that the Court House and Goal in said county of Fairfield may be built at said Korwalk. Eesolved in the affirmative. HI8T0BT OF aSEBKWIOH. 127 Afterwards, in the following October, after the session of the Assembly, in reference to the same subject the town voted, that, Whereas, the Town of Norwalk, in conjunction with several other towns in the County of Fairfield, Preferred a memorial to the General Assembly, held at New Haven, in October last, and now lyes before said Assembly to be heard at the adjourn- ment, in January next, praying that the said Town of Norwalk may be the Head or county town, &c. ; and whereas Mr. David Bush signed the same as agent, for and in behalf of said Town. It is there- fore now voted and agreed that this Town allows and approves of the said David Bash's signing said Memorial as agent for this Town, and he is hereby fully Impowered and authorised in the name and behalf of this town to appear and Prefer sd Memo- rial to a Final determination in the General As- sembly, and that it is the earnest Request and Desire of the Inhabitants of this town, that the General Assembly would take the matters contained in said memorial unto their wise consideration, and Orant the Prayer thereof, and that a copy of this vote may be used in the Tryal of sd memorial, in order to signifye the minds of the inhabitants of this town in the premises. In 1773,— Further voted, the Town in sd meeting Grant Liberty unto David Bush, upon his Petition for 128 mSTOBT OF OSBKNWIOH. building a mill upon sticklin's brook Sticklin's brook under the overseeing of a Committee by sd Town appointed to grind for Town Inhabitants, and not to put them by for strangers. Votod in the affirmative. Edward Brush, Nehemiah Mead, and Deliverance Mead, Jabez Mead, jun., Nathaniel Finch and Caleb Mead, enters their protest on ye proceedings of sJ meeting in sd vote. In 1*773, occurred the death of the Rev. Abraham Todd, until which time he was pas- tor of the churcli in the West Society of Greenwich. For a period of more than forty years he had enjoyed the confidence of his people, adding many to his flock. Many laugh- able ditties are related concerning him, which only show a warm heart and an innocent life. Unambitious and unpresuming, none of his people would seem to have disliked him. At a Town meeting, legally warned and holden in sd Greenwich, on the 3d Monday of March, being the 21st of said month, at the Town House of said Greenwich, Anno Dom. 1774. This Towne, Takeing into serious consideration the Distressed Situation and alarming Prospect That may occur, and in all human probability will occur, by Entering Into a Controversy with Mr. Penneand his brothers, as Joint Proprietors of the Province of ^JBltOnt OF OBlBEtrWiOH. 12^ Pennsylvania, for a certain claim of Lands on or Near ye Sosquehannah Biver, claimed by a com- pany of Purchasers, commonly called ye Susque- hannah Purchasers, &c., &c. ; which claim haviDg never yet been prosecuted before the King in Council, (which we apprehend to be the only proper place of Decision.) We, the said Inhabi- tants, &c., assembled as above, are of opinion that the Prosecuting said claims to said lands will be Tedious and expensive, and of a Dangerous Ten- dency to this Colony ; Not only subjecting the Colony considered as such to pay the Expenses of a litigation of a suit with Mr. Penn, but will or may mediately Tend to a forfeiture of those Invaluable Privelledgos whereof we (as a Colony) are now pos- sessed. It is therefore voted by this meeting. That Doct. Amos Mead and John Mead Esq. be and They are hereby appointed to Go to Middletown in Con- necticut, & on the last Wednesday of March In- stant, and there to confer with the Delegates of the other towns in this Colony, what is most proper to be done and acted in this most interesting affair. And further, this meeting is adjonrned to the Day of the Freemen's meeting, in April next, and their Delegates now appointed are then to make report to their Constituents of the Doings of said Congress, and this meeting is accordingly adjourned to said Day, at 7 o'the clock. Forenoon, to the usual place where Town meetings are held. This claim to lands west of the settlement or colony of New York, was prosecuted be- 180 HIBTORT OF aBXSNWtOtt. fore the king. And the convention composed of delegates like the above, sent Eliphalet Dyer as their agent to England, where he ob- tained the opinion of four of the most promi- nent lawyers of Great Britain in favor of the claim. They were Thurlow, Wedderbum, Richard Jackson, and J. Dunning. After hav- ing received this favorable report, the legisla- ture appointed and commissioned Eliphalet Dyer, Dr. Johnson, and J. Strong, to consult and agree with "William Penn, whether they, with Mr. Fenn or his agents should make an amicable agreement, or submit the whole matter to the king. The commissioners went to Mr. Penn at Philadelphia ; but he would consent to nothing. The colony of Connecti- cut itself was divided in respect to the matter, and thus matters stood when the war com- menced. It is fortunate that Connecticut did so assert her right, which Congress afterwards recognized, and furnished her with those lands from the sale of which our School Fund arose. THE BBVOLXmONABY WAE. In our account of this war, so destructive to the property and happiness of the people of the town of Greenwich, we shall first transfer mSTOBY OT OBSENWIOH. 131 to our pages every fact pertaining, to be found upon the record books of the town, and then relate such facts and incidents as may have come to our knowledge by reliable tradition. At a Town meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, legally warned and Holden on Teuaday, the 11th day of October, Anno Dom. 1774, A Letter is Read from the Honorable Elipha- let Dyer and Roger Sherman, Esq., from ye Conti- nental Congress, at Philadelphia. It is proposed to this meeting whether there shall be a committee ap- pointed to Draw a set of Resolves and an answer to said letter from said Congress, and to lay the same before the next meeting of this town for their ap- probation. Resolved in the affirmative, and DOCTOR AMOS MEAD, MESSRS. JOHN MACKAT, « JESSE PARSONS, are per vote appointed a committee for the purpose aforesaid, on which the town per vote adjourned their meeting to the 17th day of Instant October, to the place where their annual Town meetings are held in said Town, At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, in the County of Fairfield, & Colony of Connecticut, holden on the 17th day of October, 1774. This Meeting takeing into their Serious consider- ation the alarming State of American Liberty, do 182 HUTOBT OF OBEBNWIOH. nnauimouBlj approve of and adopt as the Senti- meats of the Inhabitants of this Town the Eesolves of the Honorable House of Bepresentatives of this Colony, passed in their sessions at Hartford, in May last. And whereas Certain Acts of the British Parlia- ment have appeared since the above resolves were entered into; Particularly an act for altering ye Government of Massachusetts Bay, and another for Establishing the Boman Catholic religion in Canada, &c. Besolved by this meeting, that those acts are re- pugnant to the free principles of the English Con- stitution, and in a High Degree Dangerous to the Civil and Religious Liberty of both Brittish and American Protestant subjects, and that notwith- standing the Torrent of False and malicious asper- sions pour'd forth by designing men. We believe and declare the Contrivers and Devisors of these and all such unconstitutional acts. Their Dupes and Emissaries, to be the only enemies to our Gracious Sovereign, and the Illustrious House of Hanover, that we know of in his majesty's dominions. Resolved, that this meeting hereby approve of the Honorable Congress of Delegates from the several American Colonies, and will acquiesce and abide by their final determination. Resolved, that as the Province of Massachusetts Bay, especially the Town of Boston, is now suflFer- ing under the Iron Hand of Despotic Power and HI8T0BT OF OBESETWICH. 133 miniBterial Influence, it is the Indispensable duty of this town, in Imitation of ye noble Examples set up by most of the Colony to contribute to the relief of the oppressed an.d suffering Poor in said Town of Boston, and that Messrs. DAVID BUSH, JOHN MACKAT, BENJAMIN MEAD, Jr., DANIEL MEREITT, JAMES FEERI8, NATHANIEL MEAD, Jr., JOSEPH HOBBY, Jr., be a Committee to receive and keep an exact account of all donations that shall be Given by the Inhabitants of this town, and Transmit the same to the Select men of the Town of Boston, to be by them appropriated for the purpose aforesaid. Ordered by this meeting, that DOCTOR AMOS MEAD. MESSRS. JOHN MACKAY, " JESSE PARSONS, be Desired to write to the Honorable members of Congress for this Colony an answer to theirs of the 19th ultimo, Inclosing a Copy of the Present Doings of this meeting, and transmit another copy thereof to the Printer, at New Haven, in order to be published. Recorded by me, JESSE PARSONS, Tmn. GUrK 1 134 HIBTOBT OF aBEEKWIOH. Copy of the letter to the Delegates. Oentlemen, We acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 19th ult.y inclosing the Kesolutions of the Honor- able Congress, and with the Highest grattitnde re- ceive the assurance of the earliest intelligence of the proceedings of your Honorable Board, as soon as they shall be made Public. We have called a meeting, and communicated to them your letter and those proceedings, and do now inclose their resolu- tions thereon. We are, Qentlemen, your most obedient, Humble servants. AMOS MEAD, JOHN MACKAT, JESSE PAKSONS. P. S. Upon enquiry into the Present State of the magazine of this Town, the Inhabitants are much surprised to find that the price of that most necessary article for our defence, viz., Gunpowder, is now doubled, which we are Desired to mention as worthy the notice of your Honorable Board. The Honorable EuFHALir Dteb and EoGEB Shebman, Esqs. At the same meeting it was further voted that "As the Town Stock of ammunition wants a supply, there be a Committee appoint- HIBTOBY OF OKEXHWIOH. 185 ed to examine the state of the Town Stock of Powder, Lead, &c. and the Selectmen are ap- pointed a committee for that pnrpose and to take care to snpply what is wanting at ^he esipense of the Town.'' On the 8th of February 1115, it was "Pro- posed to this meeting whether they will send Delegates to attend a County Congress at Fairfield on the 19th of February instant pur- suant to a letter from Fairfield Committee agreeable to the Association of the Continen- tal Congress, entered into and adopted by the Honorable House of Kepresentatives of this Colony and said Committee to attend on their own expenses. Kesolved in the affirmative, and that Doctor Amos Mead and John Mackay, be their Delegates for the purpose aforesaid.'' On the 3d of December of the same year (11l5)y the following persons were appointed a ^^ Committee of Inspection cmd Safety ^ They, beside their duties as a Vigilance Committee, were empowered to appoint two or more from their own number to attend the next County Congress should any be called : — 1^6 filBfOBT Ot QBJSSNWkM, Amos Mead, Samuel Peck, Koger Brown, James Ferris, Bezaleel BrowD, John Mackay, David Wood, Benjamin Mead, jnn. Maj. Thomas Hobby, Nehemiah Mead, Odell Close. Col. John Mead. Nathaniel Mead, jnn. It was also, — Voted, that no body of men presume to assemble together and go upon any expedition, unless by order of the Honorable the Continental Congress, the Honorable the General Assembly, the County Congress, or Committee of Safety for this town, either of whom are to ascertain the number and direct the measures. At a special meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, legally warned and holden on the 15th day of January, Anno Dora. 1776, The Town per vote Add to their Committee of Safety the following persons, viz. : — Israel Knapp, Jr. Samuel Seymour, John Hobby, Messenger Palmer, and Peter Mead, Esq. In this meeting comes Jesse Hallock and pre- sents himself to set up the Salt Peter works in HI8T0BT OF OBEBNWIOH. 137 this town, on encouragement Given by act of As- sembly. Jesse Parsons, who liad been the town clerk for many years, died on the 26th day of July, 1YY6, and waa sncceeded in office by Col. Jabez Fitch, who lived at the top of Putnam's Hill. Bezaleel Brown was the moderator of several successive town-meetings about this date; and Abraham Hays was frequently elected grand juror. Both these men dab- bled somewhat at the law ; and when a regular attorney, by name William Thompson, came here to practice, they laid their hitherto op- posing heads together to overcome him in their iSrst encounter. Says Hays to Brown, " Now you argue de nice points of law, and I plackguard de debbeL" How the case termi- nated is not reported ; but tradition says that Brown was well acquainted with law, and Hays really could " plackguard de debbeU' Hays was born in Holland and was of Jewish descent. March 11th, Anno. 1777, the town voted to send for the sixpounder and shot for the same, which had been granted to them, on account of a memorial addressed to the General Assembly. 138 HI8T0BT OF OBEBITWIOH. At a special Town Meeting of the Inhabitants of Greenwich, legally warned and held at the Town House in said Greenwich, on Monday the 14th day of April, 1777, The Town, by vote, made choice of Nehemiah Mead to be moderator for this present meeting. Further, the Town, by vote, make choice of Messrs. Titns Mead Nehemiah Mead, John Mackay, James Ferris, Enos Lockwood, Roger Brown, Daniel Merritt. to be a Committee to inspect into, and see that the Families of those who enter into the Continental Army, shall be supplied with the necessaries of life, at the prices as stated by law according to the Gov- ernors Proclamation. Further, this meeting will assist and support the ministers of Justice, in putting into execution the act of the Assembly respecting the stating prices. Same was repeated at the next regular town meeting. Daring this year, Col. Enos, of Hartford, was stationed in this town with Connecticut troops. His quarters were, during a part of the time at Palmer's Hill, and a part of the HISTOBY OF GREENWICH. 139 time at the old Esquire Knapp place, now occupied by X K. Stearns, Esq. He, as well as Col. Holdridge who followed him, is much complained of by the old residents. Being both, in the fashionable meaning of the word, gentlemen, they were personally the possessors of no courage, and at the times when they were most needed were of the least benefit to the inhabitants. Col. Welles who succeeded Holdridge is much better spoken of, and was an excellent and brave officer. The foraging of Col. Enos' troops was so excessive that the town, at a legal meeting, voted : — Whereas the troops of Col. Enos regiment quar- tered in this town, have committed great outrages upon the property of some of the Inhabitants of this town (viz.), in burning rails, cutting young growth of Timber, &c. Therefore, it is proposed to this meeting, whether they will recommend unto the Select men of this Town, to apply to the Field Offi- cers, for redress of the aforesaid grievances. Voted in the affirmative. At a special Town meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, legally warned and held in said Greenwich, on Monday ye 12th day of January, 1778, in pursuance of the Requisition from 140 HI8T0BT OF OBEENWIOH. his Excellency the Governor, of ye 16th of Decem- ber, 1777, communicate to the Inhabitants the Intro- duction to, and the Articles of Confederation & Per- petaal Union between the States of America, that the sense of the Town might be known thereon, the town by vote made choice of Bezaleel Brown to be Moderator of this present meeting. The said Arti- cles being in said meeting deliberately read and considered, were by vote, Nefm Con.j {no one oppos- ing) accepted and approved. It is proposed whether this meeting is willing, that non-commissioned officer and soldier who is • draughted and voluntarily serves in this two months expedition, receive a proportionable part of all the fines paid in couBcquence of said draught. Voted in the affirmative, and that the Selectmen receive the said fines of the Town Treasurer and pay them out accordingly. Voted that die artillery men may have the Town House for a guard-house, and have liberty to build a chimney to it, and that the Town will be at the cost of having Masons for that purpose. The Town, by vote, made choice of Bezaleel Brown to be Bar- rack-Master, to supply the troops with wood and other necessaries. Meeting then adjourned. On March of the same year Bezaleel Brown, having been made lieutenant, was again chosen chairman, and the fines of the militia were disposed of, as the fines of the regulars had mSTOST OF GBESNWIGH. 141 been disposed of at the meeting of the pre- ceding year. At a Town meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich, holden in the Town House of said Greenwich, on Monday the 19th day of Decem- ber, 1778, having made a choice of Eezaleel Brown for Moderator, and Jabez Fitch for Clerk, the meet- ing adjourned to the Meeting House. This meeting taking into serious consideration the danger & dis- tress of the inhabitants of this town, and the great loss and damage sustained bj many of the good citizens thereof, occasioned chiefly by a number of vile abandoned wretches, who have gone over to and joined the common enemy of the United States of America, against the laws of this State, and the liberties and privileges of the good people thereof. Thereupon, it is resolved by this meeting, that it is, in their opinion, dangerous to the safety, liberties. Peace and good Government of this town, that any person that hath gone over to, and joined, aided or assisted the common enemy of the United States, or taken Protection under them to remain in this town, or to return to it or ever be capable of obtaining any settlement in it. Resolved, that is the opinion of this meeting that the authority and selectmen take all proper and legal steps to free the town of all such vile Miscreants. Further the town then voted for Capt Sylvanus Mead to be Barrack-Master for the year ensuing. For Messrs. — 7* 143 mfflOBT OF GKKEawlOH. SylTaniu Head, Isaac How6> Benben Randall, Abraham Mead, JoBiah Ferris, Matthew Mead, Edmaad Mead, to be the Committee of Safety. ixcorsion of Gov. Tryon with his 38 to Greenwich, the people and b large were exceediDgly poor. money was mnch depreciated ia ae town was reduced to such ex- every thing belonging to it was of the individaal inhabitants as to boy. The town-honse was sold i for seven pounds lawful money, in continental money, eighty-four me pound lawful money was equal n continental money. Three or 'oka belonging to the town were different citizens, as appears by the oee of the war, "At a special town ;c., on the 12th day of August, town voted for Benjamin Mead, their moderator, &c" HI8T0BT OF GBSBNWIOH. 148 The town taking into consideration the distress to which the inhabitants there are reduced by the war-ring and plundering of the Enemy and the constantly quartering of troops for the defence of this State in the town during the late war with Great Britain and the great injury done thereby and that it was brought to the town during the course of a war undertaken for the defence and se- curity of the common liberties of the State in which it was understood and expected that the whole body should bear the extraordinary burden and whereas the General Assembly did make a grant for the whole and make payment of a part of the damages done at Danbury accidentally thrown on any par- ticular part and considering it is altogether just to us, have there upon agreed and voted that Brigadier General John Mead be agent for the town to make use of such measures by memorial to the General Assembly or otherwise to obtain redress of the town grievances in this behalf and for a repair of the damages to the sufferers occasioned by the war excepting to those sufferers who are known to be inimical to the liberties and independence of the United States of America. This meeting is ad- journed to next Freemen's meeting day in Septem- ber to begin immediately after freemen's meeting is over. At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Greenwich convened in town meeting September 144 HI8T0BT OF OBEBirWIOH. the 16th 1783. The inhabitaDts resnined the con- sideration of the grievances partly discussed at the preceding meeting and on reading a copy of the resolve of the Honorable General Assembly of this State on a memorial preferred to said Assembly by the representatives of this town in May last, the inhabitants thereby agree in the following propositions ; Firat^ That the commission granted to the com- mittee decreed by said resolve does not empower said committee to enter fally into the grievances complained of, and damages done to the inhabitants during the late war (not heretofore estimated) as it extends only to losses and damages occa- sioned by the enemy but does reach the losses and damages occasioned by this being a garrison-town and its inhabitants harassed and distressed by both parties. Second^ that from the confidence that the inhabi- tants of this town have in the wisdom and justice of the Legislature of the State they are persuaded that nothing but the misrepresentations of some men either through ignorance of their real suffering or worse motives could have induced that Honorable body to appoint a Committee with such limited powers as only warranted to consider pa/rtiaUy a subject that ought in Justice and Equity to be taken upon a larger scale. Thirdly^ That the burden of a war carried on for the General defence of a State whether occasioned by friends or foes ought to be borne as equal as HIBTOBT OF 6BEENWI0H. 145 possible by the citizens at large and that unless the principle is adopted and applied to the safierings of the inhabitants of the town they are so far from be- ing on eqnal footing with the greater part of their fellow citizens in the State that the contrary must doom them to a species of oppression incompatible with the equitable maxims of legislation. Fcni/rthlyy That the inhabitants of this town do not entertain the most distant thought of an ex- emption from such part of the public burden as they are able to bear but when they view the pres- ent alarming situation of the town for want of re- sources occasioned by the check put upon their industry for years past and the powers of Provi- dence on their labor in permitting their crops of wheat on which they chiefly depended to be cut off this season should they under these circumstances be called upon for a collection of their full proportion of the state taxes they will be reduced to such hard- ships as must terminate in uncomfortable ruin to themselves and families ; Whereupon it is agreed and voted by the said inhabitants that Brigadier General Mead the town agent do pursue such means^ by memorials to the General Assembly at the ensuing October ses- sion predicted on the foregoing sentiments or other- wise as he may judge most eligible for the purpose of obtaining redress of the grievances aforesaid by the appointment of a judicious committee invested with such power as the complicated distresses of this town evidently require or in such other way as 146 HiarroBT of queenwioh. the Honorable Legislature may in tiieir wisdom direct. It was also " Kesolved by this meeting that it is their opinion that the selectmen do not take bonds of any person or persons that have gone over to the enemy for the purpose of making said person or persons inhabitants of this town, or giving him or them a residence therein.^ On the 12th day of July, 1784, the people having passed through the troubles of the war, and now having some opportunity to turn their attention to other topics, met and pre- ferred the following solemn charges against their minister the Rev. tTonatTicm Murdoch. The original copy of these charges is in the possession of Col. Thomas A. Mead. Whereas, at a meeting of the Church of Christ, in the West Society, holden at the House of Mr. Ben- jamin Peck, in said Society, on the 12th day of July, 1784. The said church Voted that the Asso- ciation of the Western District, in Fairfield County, be called to meet on the 2ond Teusday of August next, at the house of Capt. John Hobby, in said Society, at 12 o'clock, at noon, then and there to Enquire into all matter of Difference and Grievance Subsisting between Mr. Jonathan Murdock, the HISTOBT OF GSEENWIOH. 147 Pastor, and the Church of Christ in this place, and to give their pastoral advice thereon ; and that it was also Voted that Amos Mead and Benjamin Mead, Esqrs., be a Committee to call the said Asso« ciation and to lay all matters of Diii'erence and Grievance before them. Pursuant to the above said appointment take leave to offer the following matters of fact as the cause of the Difference and Grievances subsisting between the said Church and the said Pastor, viz. : 1st, with Eespect to his the said Pastor's public performances as a Minister of the Gospel in this place. 2d, with Bespect to his conduct since he was settled in the Worke of the ministry in this place. Ist, as to the first, it is the opinion of this church that the said Pastor hath not followed the apostolick advice of Studying to make himself approved, Eightly dividing the word of truth, &c., — for in- stance, in a discourse from the 13th chapter of Luke & the 24th verse, " Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for I say unto you that ma/ny will seek to enter in and shall not he ahleP In which discourse he said that striving and seeking meant the same thing, and attempted to prove it. In another sermon against oppression and high prices, he observed that it was the crying sin of the land, for which the judg- ments of God were on the land ; and in the close observed that everybody had gone into it, so that some must practice it, and could not live without it. 148 HIBXOBT Of QBXXNWIOH. He has lately in two sermons attempted to describe Evangelical Bepentance, and did it in these words, viz., Iliat it consisted in an unfeigned sorrow for sin Jk sincere intention to forsake it. There are many others that might be mentioned. 2ond. His general mode of proof has not been taken from the Scripture or Beason of things, But that he has heard so, that he believes it, and that he verily believes it 3d. That he dwells on general heads and does not descend into particulars, or adapt them to the Con- sciences of the hearers ; but so delivers himself that it hath been frequently observed by his hearers that a person might be a Deist, & not be offended, but join with him. Secondly, with Bespect to his conduct since he was settled in the work of the ministry in this place. 1st. That soon after he was Installed in this place he began to enter into a multiplicity of Business, & wickedly neglected his study, and has continued so to do to this time. 2ond. That although he early took the Oath of Fidelity to this State, and in the beginning of the late War showed much zeal in the American Cause in the pulpit as well as elsewhere, yet con- trary to his said oath of Fidelity, in 1779, on or about the 10th day of July, he voluntarily went to a Brittish officer with a flagg then at the house late Seth Mead's, in this place, and there acknowledged his Political Friendship to the British, and that soon HI8T0BY OP GBEEKWIOH. 149 after he began to justify trade with the then enemies of this State, among the people in this place, and In- couraged it by his own example. 3d. In May, 1780, he was (with his own consent) taken by Delancy's Core and Paroled, only to come to their lines a prisoner when called for, but under no restraint by his parole as to his preaching or prayer. Yet after that he totally neglected in public to pray for protection to us, Discretion to our Councils, or Success to our arms, to the great Grievance of the people here. 4th. That he was offered an exchange, but his friendship to the British interest prevailed over his oath of Fidelity & duty to his country as well as people, and he refused the exchange. 6th. That on or about the 10th of October, 1779, his cows were (as he said) taken from him on a Friday night, and on the next Sabbath he went after them down among the Enemy, he obtained a permit to take them, he found them and sold them and bo't British Goods with the money & brought the Goods into this State, contrary to law, and in thus doing he broke the Sabbath, set an ill example, and broke covenant with the church in neglecting his duty on the Lord's day. 6th. In 1780, in the summer season, he frequently left the House of God in this place vacant in the afternoon of the Lord's day, & without the consent of the Church, in neglect of his duty here, went and preached to the separate Baptists at their place of ^ I 150 HIBTOBT OF OSEENWIOH. worship, thereby countenancing that fieparation, to the great Greife of this Church and all the good people here. 7th. In 1780, between fore and afternoon worship on the Lord's day, he sent MrrSamnel Peck, jpn. and called Mr. Silas Mead to his house, Mr. Benja- min Feck beiug preseut ; he dunned him for what they owed him, and desired them to do the same to their neighbors. Yet not far from that time he reproved Mr. Theophilus Peck for breaking the Sabbath only for bringing back a sermon book in his pocket on the Lord's day. In other instances he admonished Mr. Philips, the Baptist minister, against marrying upon the Sabbath as a great Immorality, since which he has frequently practised it himself. 8th. He has frequently and abroad knowingly misrepresented and traduced this Church & society, in perticular Capt. Marsh, before the ordaining Committee at Korth Stamford, in declaring that this Society had never paid him in any thing but Continental money, which words so spoken, he Mr. Jonathan Murdock then knew wereialse, he himself being possessed of the means of knowledge that they were so. 9th. He has frequently, as this Church takes it, been guilty of the breach of the 9th command in denying facts and appealing in an unchristianlike manner to the father of lights for confirmation of what he said. Viz.: — On or about the 30th ot HISTOBT OF QBBBNWICH. 151 April last, before the Society's meeting in this place, he publicly declared that the report that he had refused to settle accounts with the people of this society was without foundation, groundless and false ; which declaration he, the said Mr. Jonathan Murdock, at the House of Mr. Henry Mead did in a publick manner make a few days before. 10th. That the foregoing matters of Greivance and many more which might be mentioned have so disaffected the people in this place that there are many who have left the Society and gone over to and joined other denominations, and but few who attend Mr. Jonathan Murdock's ministry in this place. 11th. That in the opinion of this church the breach is become so great between the said Mr. Jonathan Murdock & this Church & great part of the said Society that it can not be healed, but that his usefulness is at an end in this place. Upon these charges Mr. Murdock was heard, and he was dismissed, being found guilty. He appears to have been a man of but little mind and energy, and at the time when dismissed had no friends in the church whatever. He graduated at New Haven in the class of seven- teen, hundred and sixty-six, with Dr. Timothy Dwight, Dr. Backus, David Ely, Dr. David Macclure and Dr, Nathan Strong. Soon after 152 HI8TOBT OF OBESNWIOH. his settlement at Greenwich, he fell in love with Miss Ann Grigg, a bouncing girl of six- teen or seventeen, who was a much greater lover of fun than of Mr. Murdock. He per- secuted her with epistles of love, by bribing the blacks to bear his messages to her, or when that was impossible, by thrusting them under her room door. The blacks gladly car- ried his notes, and greatly enjoyed the reading of them with Miss Grigg heraelf. Once, on seeing him coming in at the door, she hid away in the garret, while a favorite negro woman politely informed Mr. Murdock that she, in a spirit of fun, had climbed up the chimney to hide from him. He, innocent of any thought of a joke, really believed the story, and put his head up the large winding chimney to find her. Finally raising himself high enough in the chimney with the greatest difSculty, not only found her not there, but also fouid his cies covered with soot and his throat exceedingly well choked with hot smoke. He visited considerably in his parish ; and on a certain visit at Mr. Theophilus Peck's, where he was obliged on account of the dis- tance, to take dinner, he was much surprised flltfiK)B¥ OF ^kkumWIou. 153 when being seated at the table, that Mr. Peck did not ask his pastor to implore the divine blessing, but that Mr. Peck performed the duty himself, using the following words : " Oh Lord! we have a wolf m eheep'e clothmg amongat ua. Put a hridle in his mouth cmd a hook m his Those^ and had him hack to the place whence he earner INCIDENTS OP THE EEVOLUTION. Thus far we have given to our readers the simple records of the town-meetings held dur- ing these times so trying to true patriotism. At the outbreak of the war, some, from their loyal and religious zeal immediately sided with the enemy. However, they did not at that time openly avow their design. So little spirit was shown on the part of the Tories within the limits of the town up to 1777, that a vote sustaining the Declaration of Independence, and the Continental Congress was passed in town-meeting without a dissenting voice. Yet there were disaffected ones, as the event proved ; and before the war was finished, ninety- 1/wo men had gone over to and openly joined the ranks of the enemy from the second society / 154 HI8I0BT OF OBEBHWtGfi. alone. A complete list of the names of these is in the hands of the author, having been made years ago by one of the Committee of Safety. The number of family names in the Ibt is (kvrty-f(ywr. And twelve of these names are not now to be found in the town. The immediate descendants of the others are but few, and in many instances the race is quite extinct. There seems to have been a doom upon them and their descendants. After the British had occupied New York, there arose another class of men, much worse than the first. This body was composed of certain lawless characters, who seized upon every opportunity for plunder with avidity. They committed their depredations both upon the Americans find their enemies. Old grudges contracted before the war, were now satisfied with relentless vigor. Hence, the Americans suffered most from these wretches. And inas- much as they did by far the greater injury to the Americans, they were often assisted by British troops to carry out their foul cruelties and barbarites, and were always sheltered by the enemy when hotly pressed by the citizens. They banded together to carry out their ne- farious designs. Skulking about at night in HI8T0BT OF QBSSISIWIOH. 155 the woods and by-places, they would shoot down the inhabitants when they least supposed an enemy near. Their mode of warfie can only be compared with that of the Indians in the early history of the country. A few in- stances will show the refinement of blood thirstiness which they had attained at about the close of the war. Shubal Merritt, whose^^family is now extmct, was one of these. With one of his boon com- panions, he was once lurking about the village of Rye for the accomplishment of some hidden purpose. An aged man was plowing a field hard by their hiding place, and as he diligently pursued his labors backward and forward across the lot, they were whiling away -the time by playing cards. Finally, Shubal pro- posed a game to decide which should shoot the victim. The result was against Shubal, who, as the old man approached them slowly with his team, deliberately raised his musket, and shot him through the heart. After the war was over, the murderer suffered his just deserts. A son of his victim met him at White Plains, face to face, and shot him dead upon the spot. And so great was the feeling of hatred to him on the part of the citizens, that no notice was taken of the act* 156 HtSTOBT OV OBIEKHWIGtt. Dr. AmoB Mead, one of tlie Committee of Safety, was so chased and hunted by these men as to be obliged, with dog, horse, gun, and blankets, to travel about back in the country for a whole winter. He retraced by night the tracks he had made by day, and then moving off a short distance in another direction, to spend the night in the first shel- tered place that could be found. At the close of winter, he came down to look at a field of Wheat, but when arriving at a certain point he turned back, deeming it unsafe to proceed farther. Soon after, one William Sackett, a refugee, met him, and told him that five men bent on his life, had been hidden in that field of wheat, with their muskets all aimed at a certain point in the road where he must have passed had he proceeded onward. Sackett had not become so hardened but that he gave this timely warning, and Dr. Mead wisely retired again into the country. Among the most inveterate Tories were a family of the name of Knapp, living on what is now known as the Tracy place. One of them, Timothy Knapp, had been paying his attentions with a view to marriage, to a daughter of Titus Mead, then living in the old house, at present Mr. Solomon Mead's, a HIBTOBT OF GKBEKWIOH. 157 little northeast of the village. And on her refusing his hand, he proudly told her, that she ehovldyet speah to him^ and he wovMm Ma tu/m take no notice of Tier. This threat was verified in a more terrible way than he inten- ded. Horses were the most valuable booty that the refugees could lay their hands upon and knowing that Mr. Mead possessed a fine animal, which he every night led up the oaken stairs to his garret, Knapp with two of his brothers went to the house to take it. Mr. Mead had knowledge of their approach, and stationed a man who was with him at a back window up stairs. It was at dusk, and when the three men had come to the door-step, after some words, Mr. Mead fired, the ball passing through the door and entering the heart of Timothy Knapp. "Without waiting to see the resnlt of the shot, his brothers ran off in an easterly direction ; and at the same time the man stationed by the back window sprang out and ran with all his might. The remaining refugees, seeing him, and supposing it to be their brother, called out, ^^ Rv/n^ Tim^ runj'^ which made him run the faster. At last, the daughter, opening the door and seeing Timo- thy lying there, asked him if he were badly 8 158 HI8T0BT OF GBEENWIOH. hurt. And lie making no answer, was found dead. She Juid spoken to hi/m^ amd lie had taken no notice of her. On finding him dead, word was sent to the family that his body was lying as it fell on the door-step. They paid no at- tention to the messenger ; and after the body had lain there for a considerable length of time, Mr. Mead buried it in a lot belonging to the Knapps in a pair of bars, where they must have driven over it in going out and in. Afterwards, the family took up the body and buried it close by the house where he was shot ; and his bones still rest there. A line of willow-trees now marks the spot, a little way south of the house. Many such incidents might be related, show- - ing the disposition of this class of our enemies ; but a perusal of some of the incidents upon the succeeding pages will more fully convey a correct idea respecting them. Another class not so violent in their indi- vidual conduct, but equally inimical in other respects, were those who under guise of per- mits from the English, resided here without molestation from the enemy, and in return for this privilege, gave them sufficient and well- timed information of the doings of Americans mSTOBT OF QBEENWIOH. 159 in this quarter. There were quite a •large number of this class among us ; and we cannot but deplore the situation of our forefathers, thus situated with spies and villainous Tories in their midst, and ready enemies close at hand. tbyon's expedition. The attack made upon Greenwich by Gov. Tryon, and the escape of Gen. Putnam down the precipice, are the most prominent incidents in the history of the town. And it is an ex- ceedingly difficult task for a historian, collect- ing facts merely from tradition, with the as- sistance of no other record than the official report of the commanding officer, and short letters written from a distant part of the county. An officer, when forced to retreat after being almost, or perhaps quite, surprised at an outpost, feels in duty bound to represent the facts in as favorable light as possible, to avoid discouraging the patriots fighting for their country. Putnam, according to his own account, spent but little time in the village while the enemy were here. And the letters are obviously incorrect in many prominent points. Here is Putnam's account : — 160 HtsTOBT ov avsEistmcB. Camp at Beading March %nd^ 1779. A detachment from the enemy at Sing's bridge, consisting of the 14th, 44th and 57th British regi- ments, one of the Hessians and two of the new levies, marched from their lines for Horseneck on the evening of the 26th, nit. with the intention of surprising the troops at that place, and destroying the salt works. A captain and thirty men were sent from our advance lines from Horseneck, who discovered the enemy at New-Rochelle in advance. They retired before them undiscovered as far as Byeneck where it growing light, the enemy observed and attacked them. They defended themselves as well as posi- ble and made their way good to Sawpitts where they took advantage of a commanding piece of ground and made some little stand, but the superior force of the enemy obliged them to retire over By- ram bridge, which they took up and by tliat means had an opportunity of reaching Horseneck in safety. As I was there myself to see the situation of the guards, I had the troops formed on a hill by the meeting house, ready to receive the enemy as they advanced. They came on briskly and I soon die- covered that their design was to turn our flanks and possess themselves of a defile in our rear, which would effectually prevent our retreat. I therefore ordered parties out on both flanks with directions to give me information of their approach, that we HI8T0BT OF OBEENWIOH. 161 might retire in season. In the meantime a colnmn advanced np the main road, where the remainder of the troops (amonnting to only about sixty), were posted. We discharged some old field pieces which were there, a few times, and gave them a small fire of musketry, but without any considerable effect ; the superior force of the enemy soon obliged our small detachment to abandon the place. I therefore directed the troops to retire and form on a hill a little distance from Horseneck, while I proceeded to Stamford and collected a body of militia, and a few continental troops which were there, with which I returned immediately, and found that the enemy, (after plundering the inhabi- tants of the principal part of their effects, and destroy- ing a few salt works, a small sloop and a store,) were on their return. The oflScer commanding the continental troops stationed at Horseneck, mistook my orders and went much farther than I intended, so that he could not come up with them to any ad- vantage. I, however, ordered the few troops that came from Stamford to pursue them thinking they might have an opportunity to pick up some strag- glers. In this I was not mistaken, as your Excel- lency will see by the enclosed list of prisoners. Eesides these eight or nine more were taken and sent off, so that I cannot tell to which particular regiments they belonged, one ammunition and one baggage wagon were taken. In the former there were about two hundred rounds of canister, grape 162 HISTOBT OF GREENWICH. and round shot, suited to three potinders, some slow matches, and about two hundred tubes ; the latter was fOled with plunder, which I bad the satisfaction of restoring to the inhabitants from whom it was taken. As I have not yet got a return, I cannot tell exactly the number we lost, though I don't think more than ten soldiers, and about that number of inhabitants, but a few of which were in arms. List of Prisoners taken at Horseneck on the 26th. vU. 17th Begiment, 15 privates ; 44th do. 5 privates, 57th do. 3 privates. Loyal American Begiment 5, Emmerick Corps 8. First battallion of Artillery 1, Pioneers 1.— Total 38. If, B, Seven deserters from Emmerick^s corps. The following is from Barber's Historical Collections of Connecticut, being extracts from two letters from Fairfield county, dated March Ist, 1779, four days after the occurrence : — The enemy have made an excursion within four miles of Stamford, by the best accounts of about 1400 or 1500, under the command of Gov. Tryon ; they reached Horseneck on Friday morning about 9 o'clock ; at Stamford they were not alarmed till ten o'clock, notwithstanding the enemy was discov- ered at 9 o'clock the preceding evening by a small guard of continental troops at East Chester, under the command of Capt. Titus Watson, who were obliged to give way though they fought on their HI8T0BT or OBEBNWIOH. 163 retreat, and some of them were wounded and taken prisoners. Capt. Watson was closely pursued by a light horseman whom he had the good fortune to kill, and by the ***** made his escape. Gen. Putnam was accidentally at Stamford, but the continental troops were too much scattered to be collected in season to oppose the ene- my. About 200 militia, and a few continental troops, fell in with the enemy's rear, just as they were leaving Horseneck about the middle of the afternoon, who killed eight or ten of them, and took about fifty prisoners, who had made too free with the liquor they had plundered. They destroyed a small salt work, and burnt a schooner which lay at Mianos creek. They plundered the inhabitants of every thing they could lay their hands on, broke windows, &c. and many families are stript of every thing but the clothes they had on ; even the house where Gov. Try on had his head quarters was not spared. They retreated to Eye on Friday even- ing, and next day to Kings bridge. Their retrea* was so precipitate, that they left behind two wagons loaded with plunder. From the above reports, and from twenty or more different accounts, some of which have been handed down by the hottest of the Tories, and some by over-zealous Americans, we have arranged the following account of the expedition, as being the most consistent 164 HBTOBT or OBBXHWI0H. and reliable. It is necessary that we sbonld contradict some accounts, and even dispute some of the facts stated by Gen. Putnam him- self. We ask all, therefore, who would relate the matter in a different manner, to look upon our account in a spirit of leniency, remember- ing that where there is so much disagreement all cannot be right. The headquarters at this time were at the house of Captain John Hobby. Col. Hol- dridge, of the vicinity of Hartford, an officer much disliked by the Americans, was in com- mand of the outpost. The house was situated a few feet south of the one now occupied by Henry M. Benedict, Esq. And a small guard- house was erected in the comer of the yard, but a few feet south of Mr. Benedict's western entrance, close by the side of the street, of which the carriage path ran more than its width farther south than it now does. Some say that this out-post was at the house of the late John J. Tracy ; but this was a hot- bed of Toryism. And further, those giving this account say that Putnam arose from the breakfast table, sprang upon his horse and rode for Stamford ; in which case he could have given no orders to the men who were HI8T0BY OP GSBBNWIOH. 165 drawn np by the meeting-house ; which he in fact did. We therefore take this account to be a mistake. On the evening of the 25th of February, 1YY9, Gen, Putnam was at Horseneck, quar- tered with the picket guard, where it was his custom to come almost every day to gain in- formation of the doings of the enemy below. That evening a ball was held at the house of Moses Husted, Pecksland, on the same site where is now the residence of William A. Husted, Esq. Putnam attended, taking a lady on his horse behind him, according to the custom of those days. This lady, after- wards Mrs. Rogers, was a daughter of David Bush, of Coscob, living in the same house now occupied by George J. Smith, Esq. It was late when he accompanied her home, so that he did not leave her father's residence for Horseneck until nearly daylight on the morn- ing of the 26th. This fact has led many to suppose that his headquarters were at Coscob, which is evidently a mistake. The day before (the 25th), a small company of the Continental light horsemen, under Capt. Titus Watson, consisting of about thirty men, had been ordered forward by Putnam to 8* 166 HIBTOBT OF OREKNWIOH. observe the doings of the enemy. They went down nearly as far as New Kochelle, where between eight and nine o^clock in the evening they found the enemy approaching with De- lancy's body of Tories in the van. The Conti- nentals retired before them, but were discov- ered and come up with. By reason of superior numbers they were defeated, and many of them were killed. The enemy drove them from the stage road down into Milton, where they managed to keep away from their pursu- ers, crossing the heads of the creeks, many of them hiding in the swamps. A few of them, with Capt. Watson, succeeded in reaching Byram bridge, which they had time to take up when their pursuers were just in sight. Watson with one or two others then rode directly to Horseneck, with the company of Tories in full pursuit. Five of them turned southward and were pursued by a body of the enemy, who came up with one of the fugitives in the lot recently excavated by the New York and New Haven Railroad Company, now owned by Capt. Caleb W. Merritt. The soldier was there shot down and the horse in- humanly butchered, from which the inclosure has since been known as the " horee lot^ The J HI8T0BT OF GREENWICH. 167 other four succeeded in reaching the Myanos in safety, where they were set across by Daniel Banks. The alarm was given to the picket guard by Capt. Watson, but there was little or no time to prepare for defense. The enemy had been informed of the weakness of the outpost and advanced steadily for it. Mr. Matthew Mead, then a boy of twelve, was back of his father's house, where Mr. Bush Mead now lives, when he saw them at the top of the hill by Horse- neck brook. His father sent him off with the other children and the cattle, back in the lots, where he reached a place of safety. The Americans, warned by Capt. Watson, number- ing, according to the various accounts, from one to two hundred, having no cavalry, formed in front of the meeting-house and fired a six- pounder three times, which was a signal of alarm, just as the Tories passed the house of Mr. Matthew Mead. They then were walking their horses, but when they came in sight of Oapt. John Hobby's they saw Putnam spring on his horse at the barn with his coat on his arm and ride with full speed to the meeting- house, where the Americans were drawn up.* They now gave him full chase. He stopped a 168 HIBTOBT or OBBEKWICH. moment to order his men to retreat to a con- venient distance, while he should ride on to Stamford for reinforcements. Being nearly come np with, he dashed on; and by the time he reached the precipice now known as Putnam's hill, the commander of the Tories, Thomas Merritt, of Westchester county, was within two lengths of him. The road, before reaching the brink of the precipice, then ran nearly east and west, then turning a short right angle ran north about thirty rods, when it turned directly about and ran south along under the precipice to about five rods below the causeway forming the present road, where it again tmned eastward. Putnam plunged his horse down this steep, which being overgrown with stinted bushes presented a wild appearance, at a headlong pace across the road at the foot of the hill into the thicket which then lay between the post road and the swamp now known as the " Ten Acres," and pursuing a sort of drift-path through the thicket till he was beyond the present residence of Theodore BL Mead, Esq., where he again took to the road. The hill ' now presents a totally different aspect from what it formerly did. And the hardest part mSTOBT OF OBBBNWIOH. 169 of Putnam's descent was after be crossed the road running along the side of the hill. Some will have it, that he started down the hill from the same point but took a south- eastern course, reaching the road at the foot of the stone steps, where the enemy had full aim at him all the while. Others, that he rushed headlong down the seventy-four stone steps, placed roughly one above another for the convenience of foot passengers, his weight being two hundred and forty pounds. Others, again, claim that he followed the road as long as it ran on the top of the hUl, and then set off in a northeastern direction above the Ten Acres. While the author has been coolly told that he was in no danger of being taken at all, and rode slowly around the hill as other people did. We have carefully traced and examined these different accounts, and have the fullest evidence that the accoxmt first given is correct, by the testimony of eye witnesses. One of the many balls fired at him by the Tories from the brink of the hill as he passed through the bushes, passed through his hat. Old Put on this occasion could not refrain from his customary exclamation when in trouble from the Tories, which he shouted as 170 HI8T0BT OF GBBENWIOH. the balls whistled thickly past him, '^ God cuss ye; when I catch ye TU hang ye to ^ next tree.^ Col. Holdridge, who was in command of the continental soldiers, retreated in an nnsoldier- like manner to Stanwich, while Putnam only- intended that he should retire a short distance. Prom the account given of this officer, who was a Hartford man, by the Americans, he was totally unfit to be a soldier at all, and much less an officer. The citizens hung about the village as near as they dared, hiding in the swamps and by- places during the whole day, taking advantage of every opportunity, by some daring feat, to secure prisoners, and even fire upon the enemy. About an hour after the arrival of the body of Tories, Gov. Tryon with his full force of about twelve hundred men, took full posses- sion of the town. He made his quarters at the house of Mr. Henry Mead, who then kept a public house on the present site of the res- idence of Miss Sarah Lewis and Mrs. Mason. The soldiers, meantime, separated themselves into squads, and pillaged every house in the neighborhood ; a large body of them visited Coscob, where they destroyed the salt-works HISTOBY OF aSEBNWICH. 171 which were upon Bash's Point, a small sloop, and a sloop's store-honse. A party of them also entered the house of Daniel and Joshna Smith, which was situated a little way south of the present parsonage of the Second Congregational Society. They found this house deserted by all its inhabitants, excepting a deaf old lady, the mother-in-law of Joshua Smith. As they entered they saw her standing at the head of the front stairs. As she could not hear, she disobeyed their orders to come down ; which so enraged the soldiers that one of them sprang up stairs and cut her down with his sword. After this murder, the house was set on fire and burned to the ground. This is said to have been the only house wholly burned by the British. The houses of those who held the enemy's permits were safe from these depredations, but the others were ransacked and plundered of every valuable. The wagons brought to carry back the plunder were filled to their utmost capacity. After that, every thing was destroyed. The farmers made granaries of their garrets ; and the enemy, after cutting holes through the garret and main-floors, shoveled all the grain into the cellars, where 172 HIBTOBT OV OBEBVWIGH. the cider barrels were knocked in, and all mingled in one useless mass. ' The cider, however, was not all permitted to run upon the ground ; but by the middle of the afternoon, nearly all the privates had be- come so drunken with it, as to be unfit for the least defense. And so little guard was kept by the enemy, that an American crept slyly into the orchard by the Henry Mead house, in the midst of the enemy, and fired a ball through the clapboards, which whistled close by Gov. Tryon's head and struck the mantle-piece, from which it rebounded upon the floor. This startled Tryon so much that he, without wait- ing for his late dinner, gave immediate orders for a retreat. The officers now experienced the greatest difficulty in forming their men. Many were beastly drunk, and a great number made irregular marches, so that the Greenwich men nianaged to take several prisoners. Though several shots were fired at the enemy before, their first man was killed in the road opposite the cedar-tree, a little west of the house of William Knapp. Others were wounded, and the enemy was in a full and disorderly retreat. The Americans so hotly pressed upon their rear, that the drivers cut HX8T0&T or GSEENWIGH. 173 their horses loose from an ammunition and a plunder-wagon, and rode off after their com- panions at full speed. The Americans had just taken possession of them when Gen. Putnam, with between one and two hundred conti- nentals and militia, arrived from Stamford, too late to render any assistance to the inha- bitants. This was an eventful day for Greenwich. Houses though not burned were ruined, and in the midst of winter. All provision had been destroyed by the hostile army. And the Tories, from that time for about a year, had an almost complete mastery of the town. It is absolutely impossible to depict the miseries of the people who, loving the American cause, were obliged to stay here until the next season. It seems that Putnam, as well as the inhab- itants, supposed from the large number of the enemy, they were to proceed farther on, to Stamford and Norwalk. Hence, Col. Mead early dispatched Mr. Titus Mead to New Haven to ask of Gen. Silliman reinforcements. The messenger arrived at New Haven a little before six that evening, and Gen. Silliman im- mediately issued his orders. The following is 174 HI8IOST OF OBBBNWIOH. a copy of the one sent to Woodbury, taken from Cotbren's History of Woodbury : — New Haven Feby 26th 1779, 6PM Gent. — ^Mr. Titos Mead, a man to be depended on, is this moment amv'd express from Col. Mead, with a message by word of mouth only, from Col. Mead. For their circumstances were such that Col. Mead could not write. He says when he left Horse- neck (which was early this morning) a Body of about 600 men and a Body of Horse, had pushed up the road into Horseneck, and were on this side of Knap's tavern ; and it was reported that a Body of two or three thousand more were not far behind. Tou are therefore directed to muster & march your Begiments, forthwith to Norwalk to oppose the enemy, & where you will receive further Orders, loose not a moment neither by Kight nor day. G. SELLECK SILLIMAN, JBrigr OenZ of foot and Col. Gt of Horse. To Col. Moselt & Majob Bull, Woodbury. Of course, the early retreat of the enenaiy rendered the execution of this command of no avaU. The Tories now soon became possessed of the entire town. Their headquarters were a part of the time at the house of Mr. Abraham Mead, where Mr. Oliver Mead now resides. HIBTOBT OF GBEENWICH. 175 This now being the neutral ground, was plun- dered by both friends and foes ; and poor and sickening indeed was the lot of those who were obliged to stay here. eivington's pbess. Some time during the war, a paper was published in the city of New York by one Rivington. This paper was professedly, and to all outward appearance, devoted to the British interests- It was afterwards, how- ever, known to have aided the Americans much, and was under the control of Washing- ton himself. The hostile appearance of the sheet, however, deceived the Americans as well as their enemies. And about a half-dozen Green- wich men resolved that the press should be stopped ; and they stole into the city, destroyed the press, and bagged the type, which they brought off with them, from the very midst of a watchful enemy. Messrs. Andrew and Peter Mead were the principal men of the expedition. It is said that they only of the company were able to carry the bags of type from the printing-office to the street, and throw them across the backs of their horses. After 176 HIBTOBT OV OSBBarWIOH. the type was brought to Greenwich it was totally destroyed, except enough to print each of the company^s names, which the veterans kept for a long time in memory of their -ex- ploit. EXPEDCnOKS OK THE SOTTKB. While the enemy were in New York, their vessels had almost complete command of the waters of the Sound. There were, however, many daring men engaged in a sort of privar teering against them. Their hazardous ex- ploits have formed the basis of many an exciting tale, written by eminent anthors, and read by the American people of the present day with great avidity. For a considerable period during the war, Captain Andrew Mead and Elnathan Close, of Greenwich, with quite a large number of men, were engaged in this business, and with great annoyance to the enemy. They went upon their expeditions provided with large whSeboate, which might easily be hidden in the smaller bays along the coast and glide through shallow waters in escaping or attacking the enemy. In one of their expeditions, they proceeded by night to Ferry Point and seized upon a fiiBtOBT 07 GBEBNWIOH. 177 small store vessel of the enemy, and brought her off with them. She was anchored in a small inlet known as Chinmey Comer. The prize was so valuable a one, that the enemy pursued them with one of their war vessels. The enemy anchored off Chimney Comer, at a short distance from the shore. But the peo- ple collected for the defense of the prize, and fired upon them from behind a knoll with a six-pounder, which was the only large gun in the town. Their first shot struck upon the deck of the pursuers, and wounded a dog, as was supposed from his sudden and vehement yelping. Other shots were fired, and replied to by the enemy's guns. But finding it im- possible to retake the vessel or damage the people upon the shore, the British relinquished their efforts and made sail. Mr. Andrew Mead was wounded on this occasion in both arms. As they were boarding the vessel at Ferry Point, he first leaped upon her deck and received two shots, one in either arm, from the two marines on guard, who, so still had been the approach, then perceived the attack for the first time. This had been made, however, by two divisions of the force on the opposite sides of the vessel. Captains Mead 178 mSTOBT OF GBEEKWICH. and Close simiiltaiieoasly mounted the sides of the vessel, and while Mead was wounded, Close and his division soon had possession of the decks, and the force below quickly sur- rendered with but little resistance. Soon after this, the same body of men, under Elnathan Close, went down into Cow Bay and there seized upon a vessel, and had brought their prize off Hempstead, when the wind died away and the tide drifted her fast toward the Long Island shore, which was in the full possession of the British. Boats were sent from the shore for the rescue. No alternative remained but to relinquish the prize and seek personal safety. This was accomplished by all the Americans except one. Smith Mead, who, either from chance or choice, remained on board and was taken prisoner. Many sup- posed this to have been willingly done on the part of the prisoner, as he was soon after found fighting upon the other side. He fought on either side, whenever and wherever it appears to have been to his interest to do so. He was one of those who drove off the cattle of Abra- ham Mead from Field Point, and after the war was over had the boldness to solicit the aid of the same family in procuring a pension. Al- mSTORT OF QBEBMWICH. 179 though this was refused, he did, finally, obtain one through others. SKIB3£[SH BEYOND KING STREET. One great disadvantage which the people were subjected to during the whole war, was the absolute want of bayonets. Few compa- nies could be found wholly armed with these valuable weapons. But Lieut. Mosher was the commander of a smaU company of men, who were amply provided with them. This company may have been larger, but consisted of but eighteen soldiers at the time here men- tioned. Seven of them were from the farm of Gen. Pierre Van Cortland of Cortlandtown, about half-ardozen of them from Greenwich, and the remainder from the vicinity of the town of Harrison. On the 4th of December 1T81 (Heath's Mem. p. 324), Captain Richard Sackett of the same company was taken pris- oner, having unwisely separated himself from his company. The light horse of the enemy, under Col. Holmes {a Tory) and Capt. Eapp, attacked the company. The latter retreated to the vicinity of a tavern recently kept by William Merritt, in King street, where they 180 fflBtOBY OF OBIEICKWtCH. fonned, to withstand the charge of the troop of horse. Without shelter of any kind, and upon an open plain, these eighteen men suc- cessfully stood charge after charge from the troop. Lieut. Mosher ordered his men not to fire a shot, but sternly to await the onset. At the first charge, Col. Holmes, finding himself repulsed, ordered Mosher to surrender or he would cut them all to pieces. The only reply vouchsafed by Mosher was, " Cut and he damned ;^ and with silence he withstood the first and second charges. But after the third charge he ordered his men to fire on the retir- ing troops, which they did with terrible execu- tion. One man wasMlled, and eight dangerous- ly wounded, Capt. Kipp, mortally. The horses of CoL Holmes and Capt. Kipp, were also killed under them. Mosher's men taking advantage of the discomfiture of their assailants escaped to a neighboring piece of woods, not having a man even wounded. It is said to have been the most astonishing feat, on the part of both the officers and men, that was enacted during the whole war. Gen. Washington often spoke of this affair; and it was reported all over Europe, to show the utility of the bayonet, and that a small body of infantry thus armed HI8T0BY OF GREENWICH. 181 may successfully resist a strong body of cav- alry. Several of the enemy were severely wounded, before they were fired upon. THE enemy's excursion TO NORTH STAMFORD. At one time during the war, the nearest American outpost to New York in this quar- ter, was at Byram. And the enemy being bent upon a depredatory expedition to North Stamford and Long Ridge, came suddenly in the night and cut every one of the guard to pieces. The next guard in their way was posted at the site of a house now occupied by Mr. Hancock at the right angular turn of the road leading to Pecksland. Here they also cut the guard to pieces, after having surroun- ded the house. This whole expedition seems to have been marked by bloody and horrible deeds ; and it is said that Tarleton himself commanded the force. The whole populace around collected and followed the enemy, to attack and worry them on their retreat. An ambuscade was formed at a defile in Round Hill near the residence of Roswell Mills, Esq., where the road passes through steep rocks overgrown with thick laurel. At other places 9 182 HIBTDRT OF OBEEETWICH. on their return the British and Tories were sorely pressed, but here a deadly fire poured in upon them killing and wonnding great num- bers. On that day in the retreat, one of their regiments lost their standard, to their great mortification and disgrace. ! ANDBEW HEAD, HUMPHBEY DEITTOK, AND BICHABD MEAD. These men, more, perhaps, than any others, deserve the highest praise for their brave and daring acts. It was not so much their prov- ince to counsel and advise as to act. ^^ Old men for oownsd and yov/ng mm for (uMonT Such men as Dr. Amos Mead, John Mackay, and Abraham Mead, were of great service to the inhabitants as counselors. They were past the meridian of life. And one of them. Dr. Amos Mead, had gained much experience by active service in the French war. But was any daring deed to be accomplished, where hardy, brave, and reliable men were necessary, the three former were always selected. After all control of the - town was lost by the^ Am- 'ericans, by the destructive expedition of Gov. Tryon, it was not safe for a patriot to remain HI8T0ST OF GBEEZrWIOH. 188 publicly in the limits for an hour. Yet these three hung about the place, ready to assist the defenseless population against the brutalities of the Tories, Each possessed of his arms, a faithful dog, and a fleet horse, they spent their time about the village, hidden in the by and secret places. The winter of 1780, was one of the severest on record. The Sound was frozen across, and a great amount of snow ac- cumulated. Yet these men scarcely knew a night, during the early part of that winter, in which they did not sleep with their horses and dogs among the snow. During that winter, some dozen or twenty head of cattle, the most of which belonged to Mr. Jerad Mead, were taken off in haste by the Tories, and driven towards New York. After much earnest solicitation on the part of the owner, the trio consented to make the most daring attempt of crossing the enemy's lines to retake them. There had been recently a storm of rain, which had frozen as it fell and rendered the roads ex- tremely slippery, and made a hard sharp crust upon the snow. The pursuers, therefore. Went upon the sound with their horses, and kept the ice as far as Mamaroneck, and then taking the road could track the cattle by the blood which 184 HISTOBT OF OBEXNWICH. had trickled from the wounds of the bayonets which had forced them along. At Mount Vernon they retook the cattle, and were re- turning when they found they were pursued by a body of the enemy under a lieutenant. Their horses were tired by their swift ride, and they soon knew that their only safety was in separation ; and in that case even, one must be inevitably taken. Accordingly, they left the cattle and plunged separately in different directions. The enemy selected Richard Mead, pursued and took him prisoner. This was about the middle of January, 1780. He was taken to New York and thrown into the famous Sugar House, where he remained for a period of six weeks until exchanged. These three men were held in high estima- tion by the people. Their known patriotism and courage, which could ever be relied on, caused the other citizens, long after the Revo- lutionary war, to remember their acts with the greatest gratitude. Other facts might be recited and incidents given. Many, beside Richard Mead, found their way as prisoners to the Jersey Prison Ship, the Provost, and the Sugar House ; but we should swell the bounds of this volume to HISTOBY OF GREENWICH. 185 a greater extent than we intended, should we make farther narrations. HIIX XND DOCKS AT MIAKUS. Greenwich October 5th 1787. Whereas apph'cation hath been made to the Se- lectmen of said Greenwich by William, John, Samuel and Daniel Titus owners of the mills lately carried o£F by a freshet from Myanos River in said Greenwich, to call a town meeting that the inhabi- tants may take into their consideration the propo- sals made by the said Tituses, provided the town give them liberty and a grant to build mills on that part of Myanos river where Purdy began a dam across near Capt. Nathaniel Peck's in said Green- wich, which proposals are as foUoweth ; 1st. The said mills to be built on said Purdy's old dam under the same restrictions as to grinding for the public as the mills above were. 2ond. To layout public landings each side of the river below the new built dam as far as may be deemed necessary for the use of the public and to erect and keep in repair a suflScient dock on each side of the river, which shall be done by them their heire and assigns as long as they or any of them oc- cupy said mills. 3d. The Flood-gate shall be so constructed as to open something in the form of a field gate for the 186 HIB10RT OF OBEENWIOH. convenience of vessek and a crane ahall be erected for the purpose of hoisting boats and swinging them over the dam bj the said Titnses their heirs, and as in the second article. 4tb. They will also erect a good and sufficient horsebridge across said river and keep it in repair on or near said dam and likewise a good scow will be kept in the milNpond for the use of the public at all times, they giving one day's notice previous to the wanting of it. Wherefore and with the advice of the civil authority of said Town, notice is hereby given and the inhabitants of the town of Green- wich are hereby warned to attend a town meeting at the meeting-house in the West Society in said Greenwich on Monday the fifteenth instant October at two o'clock in the afternoon for the purpose of considering and discussing and granting or voting any thing relative thereto, that they shall judge ex- pedient, and the said John, Samuel and Daniel, with the assistance of Col. Thomas Hobby, Jonah Ferris, Nathaniel Mead, Jonathan Coe and Abra- ham Hays are hereby empowered to notify all the inhabitants by reading to the legal voters in the bearing of their famiUes. At the meeting, — The foregoing petition was read and discussed and the meeting voted to grant the prayer of the petitioners with these alterations and restrictions — EISTOBY OF GBSENWIOH. 187 That instead of a horse and foot bridge mentioned in the petition^ the petitioners are to erect and main- tain a sufficient cart bridge across said river which together with the mills and other articles enumerated in their propositions are to be completed within four years from the date of this grant, and that Messrs. John Mackay, Jabez Fitch and Seth Palmer (the present selectmen) with Messrs. Samuel Peck, Sam- uel Lockwoodjr.Nehemiah Mead, Abraham Mead, and William Bush be a committee to covenant with the petitioners in behalf of the town for the purpose of conveying the right of this town to the premises unto the petitioners and to ascertain the dimen- sions of the landing places proposed in said petition and that said committee go out at the expense of the petitioners, and that what said committee or the major part of them shall covenant and contract in behalf of this town shall stand good and firm as if the same were done at this meeting, and that should the petitioners fail in their engagements with said committee, the privileges hereby granted to them will revert to the town. Protest, The following persons protest against the proceed- ings of this meeting with respect to said town grant- ing away the privileges of Myanos river to the 188 BISIOBT OF OBKBNWIOH. Meesrs. Tita8 to Bet a mill on agreeable to their re> quest bj petition. Dated this October 15th 1787. MESSENGER PALMER, DANIEL REYNOLDS, SETH PALMER, PETER GAUFF, JOHN W. PALMER, STEPHEN MARSHALL, DENHAM PALMER, JEREMIAH RUNDLE, STEPHEN PALMER, JOHN PALMER. On tbe 12tli of November, 1787, a meeting was held to elect delegates to a convention to be holden at Hartford on the first Thursday of the following January, to ratify or disapprove of the Constitution recommended by the Federal convention. The election was by bal- lot, and the result of the election was the ap- pointment of Dr. Amos Mead, CoL Jabez Fitch as such delegates. It was voted by the inhab- itants of the town, to " approve the doings BISTORT OF OREBNWICH* 189 of the Federal convention lately held at Phil- adelphia, and thereupon direct their delegates to nse their influence in the convention to be holden at Hartford on the first Thursday of January next, to establish and ratify the Con- stitution recommended by the said Federal convention," In lt93, the town by a strong vote indicated its opposition to the proposition of the legis- lature to sell the western lands to create a fund for the support and benefit of the clergy. The prompt rebuke which this and other towns gave to this legislature, saved us from a sort of established religion, and gave us our present school-fund. The resolution of the town against the proposal of the legislature was passed with- out an opposing vote. In 1802, a proposition to build a town-house was voted down. In 1803, Elkanah Mead and Jabez Fitch were sent as agents to the Assembly at New Haven, to oppose the proposed Turnpike road. Their opposition had little or no effect. About this time the town was paying from twenty to twenty-five dollars yearly, for the use of the meeting-house where they held their meetings. 9* 190 HISTOBT OF OBKEBTWIOH. THE WAB OF 1812. It is believed that Greenwich, on her own land at least, lost no killed, wonnded or mis- sing daring this war. Still many of the good people of the town became too much alarmed on certain occasions, to famish mach evidence of their personal daring and valor. This war was declared in Jane, 1812. In the spring of the following year, Commodore Hardy, with a British fleet appeared off the eastern end of Long Island, and for a length of time had almost complete control of the waters of the Sound. Many vessels were burned or sunk by the enemy. And they pushed through the Sound almost or quite to Throgg's Neck. During the season, an eastern sloop was chased by one of the lenemy'^s vessels, and run ashore on Hog Island ; although there was a great sufficiency of time for the crew to have run her safely into Rocky Neck harbor, where she could have been protected by the force upon our shores. The British, having taken pos- session of the sloop set her on fire, with her sails all set in the same position in which she had been run ashore. At this time the people were greatly alarmed, HISTOBT or QSEBNWICH. 191 lest the enemy shonld attempt to land. The Pot-pie company of Horseneck was posted upon Field Point; the Coscob company of militia on Capt. Noah Mead's Point, and a company from North Stamford guarded Green- wich Point. During one of the nights when these points were so guarded, Capt. Elijah Reynolds un- dertook to bring his vessel round from Bush's harbor into the Myanos river. Being seen and well known from Field Point, he was permit- ted to pass out. But the sentry at the mouth of the Myanos, having hailed him to no pur- pose, and supposing it might be an enemy, fired upon him. However, lying close to his deck, he passed on, appearing to take no notice of his challengers. One of the sentries, Mr. Peter Horton, now supposed it to be a real live British vessel, and throwing down his gun, and calling upon his locomotive powei'S, cried, " Now legs ! if you ever did your duty^ do it now ! " It is gravely said by those who heard and saw him, that he tore down three rows ol standing corn, in making his exit from the place of danger. Mr. Bush Mead, one of the Horseneck com pany, having been sent from Field Point afte^ 192 HI8T0BT OF OSEKMWICH. some straw, found on being hailed by the sentry when retaming, that he had after all, so little discipline in the war, that he had for- gotten the pass-word, and finally stanunered ont in reply, " Straw ! straw for the beds 1 " in a doleful tone. * Mr. Selah Mead, was one of the sentries upon Field Point, and seeing but little excite- ment arising from the approach of the enemy, put into execution a practical joke of his own. Having stripped himself of his clothing, he dropped without noise into the water, and swam silently around the Point, where he found another sentry sleeping, whom he suddenly clasped around the waist, and shook him to wakefulness. The other awoke the neighbor- hood with his cries, supposing he was in the power of a real, live, naked mermaid. For some time this blockade of the Sound continued impervious for all vessels. The sloop Orion, Capt. Daniel Merritt, however, watching her opportunity, when the whole British fleet lay east of Greenwich point, slip- ped out and sailed safely to New York. After this time, the enemy's ships withdrew to the eastern part of the Sound, and our land-forces were withdrawn from the Points, HISTORY OF GBEENWICH. 193 In case of alarm the bells were to be rung. And one fine morning soon after, tHe greatest consternation was created by the fierce ring- ing of the alarm-bells. Men hurried to and £po, and the news spread like wildfire, that the British had landed during the night upon Greenwich Point. The militia collected hastily together, and the people, especially in the eastern part of the town were in a terrible flurry. Some of the Mianus people hastily collected their furniture together, ready to be transported and concealed in the Cat rocks. Col. Ebenezer Mead having collected his forces from this part of the town, hastened to the scene of action, with all of his officers who were willing to serve in that ever-to-be-re- membered conflict. Arriving at the meeting- house in Old Greenwich, about two miles from the position known to be occupied by the sup- posed enemy, they came to a dead halt. None were willing to proceed farther. The whole company would not proceed in a body, neither would any of the officers or men advance singly to reconnoiter. At last the officers were relieved from this emergency by the arrival of Mr. Whitman Mead, who volunteered to ap- proach the point of danger. And mounted 194 HI8T0RT OF aBBBNWIOH. upon a fleet horse, bearing a white handker- chief spread upon a cane, he set off to recon- noiter. He found the supposed enemy to be a fleet of American gun-boats under Commodore Lewis, who had been in search of one of the enemy's privateers during the previous night, and had landed upon the Point for breakfast. Mr. Mead so liked the joke that he stayed with the Commodore much longer than he should have done, and breakfasted with him« Meantime, our forces were in a great agony of suspense, supposing their scout had been taken prisoner, and their flag of truce violated Finally, they found a seaman belonging to the fleet, and took him prisoner. They of course took him to be an enemy's spy, and he endured a rigid examination, but was unabler to per- suade his captors of his true character until the return of the flag of truce, whose bearer explained all to the officers of our force. And they, feeling that they had earned glory enough for one day, disbanded and returned home. However, lest some enemy of the countiy might consider this a vulnerable point of attack, we will assure our readers, that this town furnished many brave soldiers for the war of 1813, and is now nobly able to under- BISTORT OF aEEENWICH. 195 take her own defense against any ordinary force which might be brought to bear against ns. The trouble in the case above related was the uncertainty, and not the certainty, of the approach of enemies. The war was ended by the treaty of Ghent, signed on the 24th of December, 1814, and which was ratified by President Madison on the lYth of the following February. CONSTITUTION OF 1818. At a special meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Greenwich, legally warned and holden on the 25th day of March 1818, for the purpose of taking into consideration and expressing their opinion on the subject of a formation of a written constitution of civil government for the state of Connecticut, and to appoint surveyore of highways, when the meeting voted as follows ; That Isaac How be moderator. Resolved, that in all well regulated communities of mankind it is essential to the public welfare that there be a social compact originating in and ema- nating directly from the people defining the powers granted to their rulers and those retained, that it is also the duty of the people from time to time to amend or frame anew, the charter of their rights, 196 HISTOST or ORBBliWICH. as experience may suggest, or change of circum- stances may render necessary. Resolved, that whereas the people of this state have, from immemorial, yielded an implied consent to the present form of government, we feel no dis- position to deny its legitimacy, or to impair its obli- gations, by denying the validity of acts and laws made nnder it, but deeming it materially imperfect in many important particulars, therefore we are in- duced to declare onr opinion that a written consti- tution of civil government, made and approved by the people will have a tendency to improve the in- ternal peace and happiness of the state and promote the general welfare. Resolved, that it be respectfully recommended to the good people of this state to express their feelings freely and publicly on this important subject. Resolved, that the town clerk be directed to fur- nish an attested copy of the proceedings of this town meeting to the Representatives from this town to the next General Assembly and to the editors of newspapers published at Hartford and Bridgeport. On the 4th of July of the same year, Clark Sanford, Esq., Enos Lockwood, Esq., were elected as delegates to the constitutional convention which was holden at Hartford on the fourth Wednesday of August. HIBTOBT OF OEElOrWIOH. 197 On the first Monday of October following the constitution was ratified in town-meeting, by a vote of ninety yeas and thirty-seven nays. On the fifth day of May A. D. 1829, a special town-meeting was held to take into considerar tion measures to prevent the slaughter of sheep by dogs. During the year, thirty-two of the inhabitants reported that one hundred and ninety-seven sheep, and one hundred and six- teen lambs had been killed by dogs. The loss was estimated at eight hundred and seventy- six dollars. Besides these, many had been killed which were not reported. In 1832, it was " voted that we will receive proposals from the building committee of the Episcopal Society relative to building a town- house." " Voted that we will build a town-house, on condition we can agree upon a proper place for locating it, and upon proper terms." In 1834 and 1835, the town-meetings were held at the Methodist Episcopal Church at Mianus. On the fifth of October, 1836, it was " voted that the town of Greenwich build a town- house to hold their public meetings in ; that it be for that express purpose, and no other " 198 HnroBT ov obbenwioh. ^ Voted that said house be built on or near the ground where Seymour's blacksmith shop formerly stood in Horseneck." Silas Davis, Thomas A. Mead, William Timpany, were ap* pointed a committee to ^' oversee and contract for the same, and to consult the selectmen as to size and shape.'' On the 3d of December 1836, a town-meet- ing was held on the site of this town-house, which was not then completed. Since that time the house which now stands at the junc- tion of North street and the Turnpike, has been the place for holding town-meetings. SKQOrrON PABTIEB. Much excitement used frequently arise among the good people of the town, up to the year 1850, on account of what were known as Skime- ton parties. The people fond of such things, young and old, used to celebrate every tangible wedding which took place withm thepredncte of the town, with a turn-out of drums and guns. A large six-pounder did much service in this cause, and seems, indeed, of latter years to have been the very life of these parties. For when it made its sudden disappearance, the practice went almost as suddenly out of exist- HI8T0BT OF OSSEXTWICB. 199 ence. Some time in the montli of February A. D. 1850, a large Skimeton party was held in the village, which is believed to have been the last of the custom. We are indebted to an anonymous writer for his account of this matter, obviously intended to be poetic, and although a failure in that respect in a great degree, we believe it to be a correct and impartial account of the affair. K it should be a little too personal in some of its points, we hope the pubKc wiU forgive its insertion, for the value of the his- torical relation. Nearly or quite all the parties connected with the affair are yet Uving^ Some of the names are, of course, assumed. The Last Skimeton. 'Twas late in winter, and Sabbath day ; But what the month Fll never say. Or first, or second, one or t'other, — To remember is too much bother. A happy day it was to many, Nor should there be unhappy any ; Yet truly was it most certain sure That two were happy, if no more ; For this good, very happy couple In one were to be made, from double. Ages well suited, sweet seventeen Multiplied thrice — fifty-one, I ween. 200 HISrOBT 07 GBBENWIOH. Of tbe parties, no more need I say ; To tell all, then, must hurry away. Respected by all, they certainly were ; To think not so, you surely err. The sun goes down in all its splendor, And to the roosts the chickens venture. The guests have all come to see the fun, And hear the two all knotted in one. And kiss the bride in spite of the groom, And see their own wives safe to their home, And drink hard cider and eat sweet cake. And with a good spree the dull spirit break. The two stood up, and Dominy Gorse Tied up a knot as strong as a horse. The knot all tied ; the bride often kissed ; The cake passed round ; and what each one wished, The barrel below wasn't half drinked up ; Enough was left for many a cup ; When quickly spoke Father Gorse — quoth he, "My dear, dear Sir^ now truly tell me. How would you act, and what would you do, If the Skinuton should visit you T " Oh I no fear of that, good friend," Sir cried ; *^ They'll not salute, Sunday night, my bride ; But should they come, I've a barrel full Of cider — the right sparkling, hard school. Or rather, 'tis full I can make it. Though now there is but one-third of it. With water I can fill up the cask, — In what way it came there none will ask. HtSTOBT OF GRERNWIOH. 201 And none drunken from this will be found When the cask I'll roll out on the ground. They will eat this cake and drink this cider, And th^n, like me so much the better.*^ Sir spoke like a man, so all will say ; And they came not on that sacred day. The guests that night departed in peace, And those not over-crammed slept with ease ; Though, doubtless, many had flighty dreams. In which they saw great guns drawn by teams, And loaded and fired, without dismay. At the glass from windows jarred away. Next day came ; and, though unsuspected, A Skimeton had been collected. Brush sold the powder, little knowing, 'Twould cause so terrible a blowing. The powder was made up in cartridges, To load the gun in greater ease ; The charcoal furnace was hunted up, — All was right for the hardy troop. Night soon came ; the B^hoys were on hand. The chief addressed, in manner bland ; Said he, " There will be no firing done. But a Bridegroom treat for all and one." He told to them what was said to Gorse ; Then rose loud cheer?, that made them hoarse,— Long, loud cheers for the generous groom : For cider they had plenty of room. 202 HIBTOBT OF OBEEHWIOff. Then marched dowa the street, dragging their gun, And, feeling well, were agape for fan. Before the house, goodnatured, they halt. Winking and blinking, waiting their mait* Bat look as thej are at that hale band, While I may group them all as they stand. Of full-grown men I find there are five ; Of boys thrice that, as Fm alive ; Of oni-siderSj much as a full score ; If cider comes out, there'll surely be more. Oh ! what a bitter tale I could tell, Of the yoang hopefuls I know full well, Who stray *d from their mammas that night, Among the outsiders here in plight. But, as they'll 'scape the trial so dread, Which fearfully hangs o'er each one's head, And their bad deed will never be known, But to their own consciences alone, ni forbear to give them the expose, And let each one follow his own nose. Fve spent some time in grouping them all ; They are waiting yet, and one doth call A halloo to the gunner to fire, Just to tell the groom that they're there. ** Agreed," he cries, and plies the hot rod, And the thundering peal breaks off the nod Of all the sleepers in that region, — When from the house comes forth a legion. The haj^y crowd stand a little back. Thinking Sir is coming with the cake. HI8TOST OF GBBBlfWIOH, 203 True, 'tis Sir, 'tis verj, rery true, But no cake he brings, and they look blue. And no kindness now by him is meant, Prepared he is, and on war intent. " War to the ram-rod ;" let come what will, His dozen compeers will back him still. The kind feeling's changed since wedding day, For then 'twas thought 'twould be all O. E. Sir seized the ram-rod, and held it tight. And swore, if at all during the night Any one dare to touch the big gun, That same, and sure, would be a dead ^ mtin." Outsiders now scamper, and the boys all run, Leaving but few to tend to the gun. They look for their chiefs — not finding one. For they all left when the fracas begun. So the few, at last, concluded to run , Catching the rope, away they did bound. And left Boss Sir the boss of the ground. And back they went to the rendezvous. Poor fellows, they didn't know what to do ! But as each one felt tired and sad, Concluded at last to go home to bed. Yet with faithful heart they each resolved. Of their cowardly fault to be absolved ; When to-morrow's sun is out of sight. With the favoring darkness of the night, On the ground they'd again assemble, Greater in force, and much more nimble ; Courage from Coscob, and Glenville too, — Borrow, and begin all anew. Homeward went, but their sleep was troubled With sights of a man whose size was doubled. 204 BISTOSY OP OBBENWIOH. Huge ram^rod Bhouldered ever so bold. Daring aoj with him to take hold. Morning came ; thej awoke from their dreams And found their way with the sun's bright beams Some, to pretty Glxntillk's happj vale. And told to their friends their pitiful tale. And gained recruits, a dozen or more, With fifer and drummer to go before. Others, to Cobcob, well known in fame For the bravest sons in any .game. When CoscoB men their strength do try. What they wish, is done, or I do lie. Indeed by the time that sun -down came, Some fifty, that I might call by name, Were all ready on the coming night, To man the gun and never know flight All gathered at night with fife and drum At th'appointed place, with busy hum, Each one cheered his brother's courage up. Some cheered their own with drink from the cup. Soon, to move on, the word was given, And onward they went, dragging their gun ; Arrived at the house, they met a crowd. Brave defenders who scolded tbera loud. Entreated, commanded, all in vain. And all get wrathy as bad as Cain. Both sides were naughty it must be said. And things were coming all to a head, When out spoke the bride-groom, and said he ** I've in hand a musket, you see, ' 'Tis loaded, 'tis cocked, 'tis ready to fire, And he that toucheth off this cannon dire. HISTOBT OF GREENWICH. 205 Shall never live to fire another, I swear, at him, I'll pull the trigger." This treat gave all a conniption fit, But one fellow didn't mind it a bit ; And a brave little fellow was he, Coecob tinker Palmer, bold and free. He faced old musket and man behind. Says he, *' Mr. Sir^ in you 'tis kind. Me to shoot, and bereave my family ; But than fire, you'll have more charity." "No, I won't" was the thundering reply, " Touch off that gun and then you die." " fire and be darned ;" and he took the match. And fired off the gun without a scratch. If Sir fired at Palmer, then the sound. When the cannon went off was all drowned. Sands was too small or Sir didn't aim straight, For then to be shot wasn't Palmer's fate. But what a noise that cannon did make. Every thing got a terrible shake. A score of glass lights ; all ranged in rows, Came to the earth with terrible blows ; Doors open ; and stoves jump two feet high, Not minding the leap more than a fly ; Success gives courage to Skimeton ; The gun is drawn back at a stiff run. But the charcoal furnace, that is lost By some vandal, the fence overtoss'd. Then arise free fights more than my pen Shall lay at the door of any man. But words were all the weapons of war. Some could whip twenty and some still more. 10 906 HI8T0BY OF OBBBHWIOH. They brought back the gan and would have fired, For by this time aH really dared, But damp the priming had got, and wet By water, from a pail thrown on it At last fired it off and then drew it back, When the powder was missing, alack. A traitor must have been in their camp, And, in the wet dew strewed it, so damp. €k>ne ammunition ; no powder to bum. Backward again, their swift steps they turn, And two miles ride in a gig, Of powder, to obtain a full keg. Soon they return and met with success, Exhibit their keg with a good grace. Again to the field, though it is late. And plant the old piece by Sir^s old gate. No enemy 's there, the field is won, The victoiy claimed by firing a gun ; Another, another, and one more, 'nil the number equals a full score. And, at length, ammunition was spent, And their weary step homeward they bent Their gun, they locked up, in the old bam, There to keep it all safe until mora. Then went to their homes to sleep quite sound, And on the morning to brag all around. How the gun was fired and battle won, By the dauntless, the brave Skimeton. But, a deed, I have now to relate, A dark deed committed the selfsame night. Of the men Til not speak, nor say who, But they were a bold and daring orew. HIBTOBT OF OBSBITWIOH. 207 Sheltered bj darkness a lock ihej broke ; Gbt in the bam by hook or by crook ; Stole oat that gun and carried it off, And certainly handled it quite rough. They took it away and no one knows where And I think very few ought to care. It was hidden, many think, away In a high loft very full of hay, Or, 'twas hid in a potato h«api» Or, in the Sound had taken a leap, But though a f^arp search was strictly made, They nev^r found where the cannon laid, Nor ever to tell, do I now care. Yet the gun didn't travel that night very far. But with his gun, in this manner lost. Skimmeton quietly gave up the ghost. But the end is not yet, no not yet The lawyers they must have a benefit 'Tis an ill wind blows nobody good. And so Sheriff Seely understood ; Warrant in hand, got all he could catch, Though some fastened on him, their door-latch. Then he scared one up into a tree, But finally caught some twenty-three. And brought ^em all in belbre a Squire, To foe dealt with by Justice so dire. Though it seemed strange yet it is true Of wily lawyers, the State had two, The prisoners against these had but one. To struggle against both all alone. 208 HI8T0BT OF OKiaBHWIOH. The Justice he said nerer a word, Though every thing said, he surely heard. Prisoners were charged with making a row ; Wouldn't they catch it, wouldn't they now. Wanting proof, some were freed in a huff. Although they wan't half humbled enough. The trial took some two I think days, For they tried to get clear in many ways. Lastly, they were bound orer to Court, But the prisoners didn't take the least hurt. Indeed had no trial up there at all The papers were wrong respecting them all. The trial mentioned took place in the npper part of the shop now used by Joseph E. Rus- sel, Egq. ; Hon. Charles Hawley and Hon. Joshua B. Ferris, of Stamford, were employed for the prosecution, and Hon. William T. Minor, of Stamford, for the defence before the justice. All of them were most able attorneys, and with the bystanders, appeared to enjoy the sport which necessarily arose at the triaL In the year 1853, the town was set off as a probate district by itself. Previously, it with Darien and Stamford, had formed the Probate District of Stamford. At the special meeting then held for election of a judge, Augustus Mead, Esq. was chosen. Since that the office has been filled by Mr. Mead. HIBTOEY OF GREENWICH. 209 The road from Glenville to Byram bridge on the west side of Byram river, was laid out by Messrs. Hubbell and Shepard, Fairfield Comity Commissioners, in 1856. This road was contested strongly by the town authorities, backed by a vote of the town. A lengthy trial was held before the Commissioners, who decided in favor of the road. The attorneys employed by the petitioners were Julius B. Curtis and Henry Dutton, Esqs. ; in behalf of the town, Daniel M. Mead and Charles Hawley, Esqs. Wm. H. Holly of Stamford was also employed by a private citizen opposed to the road. And now the greater part of the interesting historical matter relating to the town, has been given. Should the author, in after days, find opportunity to enlarge this History, he will be able to record many interesting details. In this volume, we have sought simply, and in the smallest possible compass, to relate reliable facts. With the Appendix, containing reliable statistics of value, we now take our respectful leave of the reader. AN APPENDIX VALUABLE STATISTICS, WITU ▲ ALSO, A BISTORT OF THE VARIOUS REUGIOrS SOCIETIES; WRH TBM GENEALOGIES OF SEVERAL FAMILIES, ▲HO OTKBB YALUABIiX IVFOBXATIOB. BY THE. AUTHOR- COUSCIED FOft Tins IVOBi: IROU KSUIBLB lUTHORITIBS. • ♦ • FAIEFEELD COUNTY. This county, extending from the Sound northward, in a triangular form, nearly two thirds of the way along the boundary line between New York and Oonnecticut, is a populous, thickly settled, and very fertile district. It abounds in rocks and hills, which render cultivation in many cases difficult. But the fertility of the soil amply repays the hardest labor. In 1855, the county embraced the following towns^ which are given, showing the comparative wealth of each daring that year, as reported by the Con- necticut Hegister. 213 APPENDIX. Bridgeport...,,.. Bro<>kn6ld.M. . • • . Danbury Dflrien Easton Fairfield ... Greenwich Huntington....... Monroe • New Canaan New Fairfield..... Newtown Norwalk.^. Redding........ . Ridgefield Sherman.. Stamford Stratford • . m. • . . Trumbull Weaton Westport Wilton PoUa. 1,050 266 1,079 230 260 676 625 249 255 455 189 606 705 S06 449 161 717 321 290 175 452 336 Yaliifttioii. Stores. ManufactorieiU 6,041,593 811,530 645,721 9,401 3,025,095 144,650 854,732 16,330 631,100 5,947 2,957,008 22,785 2,495,215 41,940 622,920 5,225 604,345 6,943 931,608 29,540 397,584 4,850 1,827,436 39,060 2,561,577 135,050 1,014,963 20,930 1,106,296 22,140 390,723 3,897 3,183,183 112,520 1,341,981 11,195 637,253 13,758 424,040 10,120 l,6ia,686 73,850 644,722 6,171 484,750 15,225 125,894 3,230 1,450 3,750 34,200 6,650 2,450 19,375 3,050 237,150 21,425 9,167 153,945 9,990 15,366 4,300 19,800 900 The above towns were settled in the following order : Fajbfibxd, or as the Indians called it, Unqnowa, was settled by eight or ten families, nnder a Mr. Lud- low, the principal settler, in the jear 1639. Ludlow had been twice Deputy Oovemor of Massachusetts Colony, and was twice elected Deputy Governor of Connecticut Colony. He afterwards moved to Vir- ginia. The first purchase comprised the parishes of APPENDIX. ^ 213 PairjSeld, Greenfield, Greensfarms, a part of Strat- ford, a part of Reading, and the whole town of Weston. The lighthouse on Fairweather Island, on the easterly side of Black Eock harbor, is in Lati- tude 41 deg. 8 min. 30 sees., and Longitude 73 deg. 12 min. 44 sees. Time, 4 h. 52 m. 51 s. The light is 52 feet above the sea, and may be seen at a distance of 12.6 nautical miles. Stbatford, or in the Indian tongue Cupheag, was purchased in 1639 by a Mr. Fairchild. Settlement was commenced immediately. The principal early settlers were John and William Eustice, Samuel Hawley, Joseph Judson, and Timothy Wilcoxson. At Stratford the first Episcopal Church was estab- lished in Connecticut, under Bev. Mr. Muirson, of Eye, in 1704. The latitude of Stratford Point Light- honse is 41 deg., 9 min., 4 sec. ; longitade, 73 deg., 5 min., 53 sec. Time, 4 h., 23 m., 52 s. The light is 53 feet above the level of the sea, and may be seen at the distance of 12.7 nautical miles. Gbeenwich was purchased and settled upon in 1640, on the 18th of July, by Capt. Daniel Pati-ick, Kobert Feaks, Elizabeth Feaks, &c. The lighthouse on Captain's Island is in latitude 40 deg., 58 min., 54 sec, and longitude 73 deg., 37 min., 6 sec. Time. 4 h., 54 m., 28 s. Light is 62 feet above the level of the sea, and may be seen at the distance of 13.4 nautical miles. 10* 214 APPSirDix. NoBWALK was first pnrchased of the Indians in 1640. It then incladed part of New Canaan, Wil- ton, and Westport. The whole was pnrchased with *^ 8 fathom wampam, 6 coats, 10 hatchets, 10 hoes, 10 knives, 10 seizers, 10 jnseharps, 10 fathom to- bacco, 3 kettles, 8 handsaboat and 10 looking glasses." The boands were on the north, one daj's walk into the country, hence the name Norwdk, from North-walk. On petition of Nathan EI7 and Richard Olmsted, it was incorporated in 1649. On the 11th of Jolj, 1779, the village was bnmed to the ground by the Tories under Oov. Tryon. The loss of property as estimated by the General As- sembly was $116,238 and 66 cents. Eighty dwell- ings, with two churches, eighty-seven bams, seven- teen shops, four mills and five vessels were con- sumed* The lighthouse on Sheffield Island, one of the Norwalk Islands, is situated in latitude 41 deg., 2 min., 58 sec., and long. 73 deg. 24 min., 51 sec. Time. 4 b., 53 min., 39 s. The light is 40 feet above the level of the sea, and may be seen at the distance of 11.6 nautical miles. Stahfobd, or Rippowams, was pnrchased by Capt Nathaniel Turner in 1640. The boundary line be- tween Greenwich and Stamford was settled in No* vember of the same year. Turner paid the Indians for the purchase, " twelve coats, twelve hoes, twelve hatchets, twelve knives, two kettles and four fathom of white wampum." Thirty or forty inhabitants APPENDIX. 215 settled on the purchase in 1641. The variation of the needle at Stamford in September, 1844, was 9 deg. 40 min. The Stage House Hotel is in latitude 41 deg. 2 min.y 53 sec, and longitude 73 deg. 32 min.| SO see. Danbubt, or Pahquioque, was first settled in the summer of 1684. The settlement consisted of eight families. The heads of the families were Thomas Taylor, Judah Gregory, Francis Bushnel, James Beebe, Thomas Barnum, Samuel Benedict, John Hoyt and James Benedict. They were, with a single exception, all from Korwalk. Danbury is a half- ehire town of the county, containing Oourt House and Jail. Bethel, a flourishing town, southeast of Danbury, has been recently set off from it and been incorporated as a town by itself. Danbury was burned by the British on the 26th of April, 1777 ; and the loss which incurred thereby amounted to £15,862 9^. 7d. A h(»pital for the Americans was kept at Danbury for some time during the war* Two buildings of large dimensions were built for that purpose. A great many sick were sent here from White Plains, and about two hundred soldiers were buried here during the war. When the British made their attack, or rather committed their depre- dations, upon the town of Danbury, they passed through the village of Bethel. They were met, while descending a hill, a short distance from the village on the Beading road, by Mr. Luther Hoi- 316 AFPBNDIX. oomby an old inhabitant of Danbnrj. He was on horseback, and rode to the top of a knoll in front of the enemy, and taming about waved his sword as if to an immense host behind him, shoating in tremen- dons tones, *^ HaU the whole Universe^ break off hy 'kingdoms!'* Upon this, the British not knowing who might be against them besides the whole XJni- Terse, came to a full halt, planted their cannon, and sent out the proper wings, while Mr. Holcomb seized the opportunity to ride off with all speed to a place of safety, even without his army. New-Towv, by the Indians called Pohtatuck, was incorporated as a town in the year 170S. The Indian name was derived from a small stream which empties into the Housatonic. The soil is quite fertile and produative. BmosriBLD, or Oandatowa, was settled by inhabi- tants mostly from Norwalk, in the year 1708. John Belden, Matthias St. John, Matthew Seymour, and Samuel Keeler, were the most influential of the early settlers. Their deed was dated the thirtieth of September, and was signed by Catoonah, the principal Indian chief. Just over the boundary line is the cave, or rather the semblance of a cave, where Sarah Bishop, the hermitess, lived during the latter part of her life. She died in 1810. She dwelt there alone, many of the superstitious regarding her as a witch. But ill treatment by one of the many APPENDIX. 217 unprincipled and detestable British officers, dnring the Bevolntionarj War, is said to hare been the cause of her leading so singular a life among the mountains. New Faikfibld was not settled until 1730. Set- tlement was then made in what is called the lower seven miles. The first minister was the Ber. Bona- jah Case, who was ordained in 1742. Eeadino, so called in honor of one of its first and most influential settlers, was incorporated as a town in May, 1767. Gen. Putnam's head-quarters were here while stationed in this part of the country. Under his command were the New Hampshire brigade, two Connecticut brigades, a corps of infan- try and a corps of cavalry. During the first part of their being under command at this station, the soldiers were but indifferently fed and clothed. While the legislature were in session, they were on the point of marching to Hartford, to demand assistance from that body at the point of the bayonet Putnam, with his accustomed boldness, made them a short and effective speech, in which he took occa- sion to point out to them the shame which would come upon GomieGticut men^ should they carry out their foolish designs. His speech satisfied them. And shortly afterwards, by the exertions of Connec- ticut women, none of them had reason to complain of not being comfortably clothed. Two executions S18 took place while Oen. Patnam was quartered here. One, a jouth of axteea or Beyenteen, was shot for desertion ; and the other was a Tory, named Jones, of Bidgefield. One of the most distinguished men of Oonnecticnt, Joel Barlow, LL. D* was bom here in 1755* He was a poet and a statesman* He died Dee. 22d, 1818, at Zamawica, a small village in Poland, near Oracow. Bbookfoeld, named after Ber. Mr. Brooks, their first minister, was incorporated in 1788. Before that time it formed portions of Kewtown, Danbnrjr, and New Milford. Settlement had been made on the tract some thirty years before. The town contains 17 square miles, or 11,000 acres. There are beds of limestone and marble in the town. The soil is well adapted to the raising of grain. HuHTTBroiON was incorporated as a town in 1789. Ber. Jedediah Mills was the first minister in what is now Huntington. He was settled in 1724, and the settlement began about 70 years previons to its incorporation. New Cakaak was incorporated in 1801. It was formerly a parish lying partly in Stamford and Nor- walk, incorporated as a parish in 1731. In 1733 there were fortynseveu members of the parish, thirty from Norwalk and seventeen from Stamford. Their first minister was Rev. John Eeels of Milford, APPBHDDC. 219 who was ordained in Jane, 1733. He preached until 1741. His death occurred at New Oanaan in 1785, when he was in his 85th year. Ber, Bobert Silliman preached there from 1742 nntil 1711. William Dmmmond sacceeded him in 1772, and preached five jears ; after which he was dismissed and deposed from the ministry in 1777. Bey. Jus- tus Mitchel then followed in the year 1783, and preached nntil 1806, when he suddenly died. The business of the town is mostly shoe and leather manufacture. Shebiian, forming the northern angle of Fairfield County, was originally a part of New Fairfield. It was incorporated as a town by itself in 1802. It has bat few inhabitants, thoagh the soil is good and well adapted to the raising of grain of all kinds. Wilton, though organized as a society in the town of Norwalk in 1726, was not incorporated as a town until 1802. The chief occupation of the inhabitants is agriculture. There is a silver mine in the limits of this town, which has not been worked since the Bevolutionary war. Wilton is the birth-place of Prof. Stnart, of Andover Theological Seminary. • Dabien, formerly known as the Middlesex Parish, in the town of Stamford, was incorporated as a town in 1820. Throughout the Bevolution, a large num* ber of the inhabitants of this district were Tories. 220 AITKSDJX. Dr. M0666 Mather was preaching in the Congrega- tional Chnrch on Sunday the 22d of July, A. D. 1781, when a partj of Tories completely sarrounded the church and took most of the people prisoners, only a few young men escaping through the win- dows. Two shots were fired at these ; but they dare fire no more, as three guns was the well known sig- nal of alarm in this part of the country. All the males were then tied two and two and led out of the church, with the venerable Dr. Mather at their head. The Tories also carried off some forty horses belonging to the congregation which had assembled, and marched the prisoners to the Sound shore, where they were embarked for Lloyd's Keck on Long Island. From thence they were taken to New York, and confined in the Provost prison, where they underwent the most severe treatment. The following contains a portion of a poem entitled A Poetical Relation of the Capture of the Congregation at Middlesex^ with an Account of their SufferingSy Jbc^ whUe in captivity ; by Peter St. John, Now to relate 'tis my intent A sad and tragical event. On what I write you may rely, Ab IVe the history lying by. July the twenty-second day, * Where Christians meet to sing and prayi In seventeen hundred and eighty-one, An horrid action was begun. APPENDIX. 221 While to tbe Lord tbey Bing and pray, The Tories, who in ambush lay. Beset the house with brazen face ; At Middlesex it was the place. A guard was placed the house before. Likewise behind and at each door. Then, void of shame, those men of sin The sacred temple entered in. The Rev. Mather closed his book, — How did the congregation look ? The reverend priest, the man of God, Severely felt the smarting rod, — Not by a whip do I pretend, But by abuses from those friends. How must he feel to see his sheep Thus worried, whilst they silence keep. Those demons plundered what they could. Either in silver, or in gold. The silver buckles, which we use Both at the knees and on the shoes. These caitiffs took them ; in their rage Had no respect for sex or age. And as they all were searching round, They several silver watches found. They who were placed as guards without, Like raging devils ranged about. Took forty horses to the shore. Not many either less or more ; With bridles, saddles, pillions on. In a few minutes all was done. The men which hence they took away, Upon this sacred awfal day, S23 Wat forty-eight, beftides two more They chAooed to tnd upon the shore. When to the ehore they were conveyed, The orders givea they obeyed. On board the shipping they were sent, But greatly feared the sad event ; As well they might, because they knew Their captors were the Devil's crew. They hoisted sail, the Sound they crossed, And near Lloyd's neck they anchored first Then every man must tell his name ; A list they took, and k^t the same. Now twenty-fonr of fifty men Were ordered home again ; The twenty-six who stay'd behind. Most cruelly were they confioed ; On board the brig were ordered quick, And were confioed beneath the deck. A nasty hole, with filth besmear'd, — But 'twas no more than what they feai'd* But to return whence I left <^, They at our misery made a scc^ — Like raging devils tore about, Swearing they'd tear our vitals out ; That they'd no quarter ever give, Nor let a cursed rebel live ; But would their joints in pieces cut ; — Then round the deck like devils strut Oh, human nature, how depraved ! Can any mortal e'er be saved f APPENDIX* 223 So void of good, so fall of evil, And wholly bent to serve the Devil. July the foar and twentieth day, We all were sent to Oyster Bay. « * « « • « We to the ferry came at last, View'd by spectators as we past : The gazing rabble, tory throng, Would curse us as we passed along. Ten thousand curses round us rung ; But some would laugh, and some would sneer, And some would grin, and some would leer. A mixed mob, a medley crew, I guess, as e'er the Devil knew. To the Provost we then were haul'd. Though we of war were prisoners called ; Our irons now were ordered off, — The standers-by would swear and scoff. But O, what company we found ! With great suiprise we looked around I I must conclude that in this place We found the worst of Adam's race ; Thieves, murderers, and pickpockets too. And every thing that's bad they do. One of our men found, to his cost. Three pounds of York money he had lost ; — His pockets picked, I guess, before We had been there one single hour. • « « * « * « Full eighteen days, or something more^ We &irly w^fe exohang'd before ; 221 APPENDIX. Of the excliange they let ne know. Or from that place of bondage go. That of the number twenty-five. But just nineteen were left alive ; Four days before Deoember^e gone. In eeyenteen hundred eighty-one. Bbidoepobt was formerly part of the parish ot Stratfield, in the town of Stratford, and also a part of the town of Fairfield. It was incorporated as a town in 1821. The city of Bridgeport was incor- porated as snch in 1836, and is situated on the month of the Feqnanick river, at the head of a liarbor two miles from the Sonud. At the close of the Bevolntionary war, there were only twelve houses where the city now stands. The population in 1790 was only one hundred and ten, while in 1850 the population is seven thousand five hundred and fifky-eight. Bridgeport is one of the county towns for Fairfield County. The Court-house is as good a one as can be found in the United States. MoioEOB, formerly a part of Huntington, was in- corporated in 1823. It contains about twenty-six square miles. * Wbstpobt, formerly known by the Indian name of Laugatuck, was formed from the territory of Fairfield, Weston, and Norwalk. It was settled as part of those towns, and incorporated by itself in 1835. It contains about seventeen square miles. AFFENBDC* 225 Westoit was incorporated in 1787, being formed bj two parishes before that time belonging to Fair- field. It was, however, settled earlier than 1740. With Easton it contained nearly or quite forty square miles. The first Methodist Society in ]!)ew England is said to have been at Bridgeport ; but the first church built by that denomination of Chris- tians was at Weston. It was known as Lee's chapel. Tbumbull, containing a little more than twenty- one square miles, was incorporated from Korth Stratford in 1798. Eas'TOn has been, some two or more years since, incorporated as a town by itself, from Weston. Bethel, formerly the southe^tern corner of Dan- bury, was incorporated as a town in 1855. Popvldtion. Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, . Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, 1880. I860. See Danburj. 2,800 7,558 1,255 1,360 4,311 5,964 1,212 1,454 1,212 1,432 4,222 3,618 8,801 5,040 issa I8sa Huntington, . 1,871 1,301 Monroe, . . 1,523 1,440 New Canaan, . 1,830 2,601 Kew Fairfield, . . 939 927 Newtown, 3,096 8,358 Norwalk, . . 3,792 4,051 Reading, 1,686 1,754 Sidgefield, . 2,305 2,237 Shennan, 947 984 Stamford, . . 3,707 5,004 Stratford, 1,814 2,040 Tmmboll, . . 1,242 1,313 Weston, 2,997 1,063 Weatport, . 2,642 Wilton, 2,097 2,066 The Oonntj, (in 1810, 42,739) . 46,960 59,841 In population Bridgeport ranks the highest, Dan- bnrj next, then Greenwich, then Stamford, &c. Vartati&M of Magnetic Ifeedle for Fairfidd ' County. JPUee. Variaticn, Wkm obiertML By whom. Greenwich, e^'dS' west Sept 1844. Prof. Renwick. Stamford, 6*>40' •* «• u Nonralk, QO^^i U CI u Bridgeport, 6^19' " Sept 1845. u BUckRock, 6°54' " •* u Legget'B SUtioB, 6''41' *" Oct 1847. B. H. F8Uitl«K>7. APFimDIX. 237 Prqfemonal Statistics for 1855. Attorneys in Fairfield County, . Clergy in do do Physicians in do do . 51 108 81 Sovereigns of England after the SetUeinent of Cromwell. ^CVf* His son, . • • . 1668. Charles n.) « . . . . 1660. James II., 1685. William and Mary, . 1689. William ITT., • 1694. Anne, . 1702. George I., ... 1714. George IT., . . 1737. George IIL, 1760. The latter ceased to reign in 1811, but lost the colonies in 1776. lAst qf the Governors of Connecticut John Winthrop, • from 1669 to 1676, died. William Leete, . . " 1676 to 1683, " Eobert Treat, . . " 1683 to 1687. Government was here interrupted for a year and a half. Eobert Treat, . . from 1689 to 1698. Pitz John Winthrop, . « 1698 to 1707, died. 938 Gurdon Saltonstall, • from Joseph Talcott, . Jonathan Law, Boger Wolcott, . Thomas Fitch, WiUiam Pitkin, . Jonathan Trnmbnll, . Hatthew Oriswold, Samuel Huntington, • Olirer Wolcott, . Jonathan Trnmbnll, . John TreadweU, • BogerOriswold, John Cotton Smith, Oliver Wolcott, Gideon Tomlinson, John S. Peters, Samuel A. Foot, . John S. Peters, William W. Ellsworth, Ohancej F. Oleveland, Boger S. Baldwin, . Isaac Toncej, Olark Bissel, • Joseph Trumbull, Thomas H. Seymour, Charles H. Pond, by resig- nation of Seymour, Henry Dutton, . William T. Minor, . (( a It ii (C it a it ii a li ii a It ii a li ii ii a ii a li a ii ii ii a 1707 to 1724 to 1741 to 1750 to 1764 to 1766 to 1769 to 1784 to 1786 to 1796 to 1798 to 1809 to 1811 to 1813 to 1817 to 1827 to 1833 to 1834 to 1835 to 1838 to 1842 to 1844 to 1846 to 1847 to 1849 to 1850 to 1724, died. 1741, « 1750, " 1754. 1766. 1769, died. 1784. 1786. 1796. 1798. 1809, died. 1811. 1813, died. 1817. 1827. 1831. 1834. 1835. 1838. 1842. 1844. 1846. 1847. 1849. 1860. 1863. 1853 to 1854. 1854 to 1855. 1855 to 1857. APPENDIX. 229 The following are the votes of the town for Electors to elect a President and Vice-President of the United States, since 1820, before which time the Electors weie chosen by the Legislature : — : In 1820, Monroe rec'd 34, OppositioQ 0. Scattering 0. In 1824, ^rfam» *' 28. " 1. « 0. In 1828, Jackson ** 24. Adams 89. " 0. In 1%Z2, Jackson "166. Opposition 73. " 47, In 1836, Fan ^wren" 102. Harrison 64. ** 0. In 1840,JBram«(w "309. V Buren 337. " 6. In 1844, Polk " 365. Clay 348. Bimey 14. In 1848, Tayl&r « 316. Cass 234. V Buren 49. In 1862, Pterce "371. Scott 310. Hale 20. In \QbQ^ Buchanan " 377. Fremont 386. Fillmore 119. The column in iUdics are the successful candi- dates. When the town first began voting for etoctors^ little interest was taken in the result, which accounted for the paucity of the votes cast. In the vote of 1856, probably every vote was cast which ought to have been deposited. Men were brought from their sick beds, and the greatiest excitement prevailed. J' Tovm Officers in 1855. Samuel Close, . CUrh and Begiater. Augustus Mead, . . Treasunrer. Benjamin W. Husted, Sdeotman. Allen Sutton, . . " Levi Mead, . . " 11 280 AagQstna Mead, . Town Agent. *William H. Dosenbiiry, ConttcMe. John Dayton, u Shadrach Smith, u Ckarlee Ferria, a Philander Button, OrandJinror. John R Wilson, . a u Oalyin Purdy, (i u Ard Knapp, Aesesear. Ooruelina Ford, u John B. Wilaon, . li Belah Savage, • a John B. Grigg, . u Jamee Wilson, Board of Rdief, Angnstns Mead, . U 4< Edwin Keeler, ki C< Beth Lyon, Swrveyor. Wm. H. Dosenberry, u Geoige J. Smith, CoUector, •Jacob D. L, M. Armonr, Justice of the Peace John Banks, • u a Gideon Close, u a Isaac O. Olose, u a George Derby, U <( William A, Ferris, . u u Kathan Finch, u a OonUin Hnsted, a u ETxa Keeler, u u Ard Enapp, . <( u * All of tbifl list did not Uke the oatib, Uioagh all were alooted. ▲PlPXBIXIX. 2ol Seth Lyon, Justice of ihs Pe&ee. Alvan Mead, • U (( AugastQs Mead, • u u Drake Mead, • ii a Elkanah Mead, a u Solomon Mead, (( u Samuel Mills, a u Angnstus B. Newman, a a Selah Savage, a it John B. Wilflon, ii a Toion Officers in 1866. Samuel Close, Clerk. Joseph E. Brush, Regieter. Augustas Mead, . Treasu/ret. Allen Sutton, . , Selectmcm. Thomas A. Mead, . i( Levi Mead, u Levi Mead, Town Agents George J. Smith, CoUecior. "William H. Dusenberry, . Constable. John Dayton, . a Philander Button, . ' Chand Jktror. Seth B. Downs, ti u James Wilson, Assessor. Jabez Mead, jun. u Josephus Palmer, . u Elkanah Mead, u Benjamin Page, u Solomon Mead, Board of Rdief. 883 Esrm Keeler, Isaac O. OloBe . Beth Lyon, • William H. Dnsenberrj, Bev. George H. Dnnbar, George A. Palmer, Bey. Frederick Monson, Beth Lyon, JuliuB B. OartiSy . Philander Batton , Merritt Gteralds, Wm. H. DoBMiberry, . Board of Sdief. <( <( Surveyor. Sch. Vietior See. So. u u a u a a Town Qfficere in 1857. Samuel dose, • . Clerk and Begister. Augustus Mead, Ard Enapp, Titus Mead, George Ferris, George J. Smith, George J. Smith, . John Dayton, . Oharles Ferris, B. F. Husted, • George B. Christison, Isaac Weed, John B. Wilson, . Jabez Mead, jun. Gilbert P. Finch, . Henry Dayton. Treasurer. Sdeotman. u ii Collector. Constable. u a u a Ora/nd Jvrcr. (< (( (( <( (( (( d u APPENDIX. • John B. WilsoHy . Assessor. Jabez Mead, jun. a B. F. Husted, a Benjamin Page. a James Wilson, Board of Rdief. Gideon Close, . a <( Brush Knapp, u a William H. Dusenberry, Surveyor. Seth Lyon, u 233 Board of School Visitors. Gideon Close, Chairman. Daniel M. Mead, Clerk and Acting Visitor^ and Mcamining Committee. James H. Hoyt, Msa/mining Com/tnittee. Joseph K. Stearns, AcHng Visitor^ and .Examine i/n<i Committee. Samuel Mills, . . Visitor. Joseph E. Russell, • ** Jacob R. Williams, . " Silas Husted, . . '^ Qeorge Derby a Justices of the Peace for 1857. Joseph Brush, WiJUam L. Lyon^ C. Silas Burley, Augustus Mead, '''Gideon CLosCy Drake Mead, * Those in iialici onlj^ have taken the presoribed oath and are aetiog justieea. 984 William A. Ferris, Daniel M. OriflSn, Benjamin F. JStuted^ Oonklia Hosted, Ezra KedeTj Ard Knapp, John B. ntns Mead, Augustus B. Newman, William Newman, Samuel Peck, Joseph E, Bnsselj Minot S. Soofidd, James Wilson, WU$on. Officers of the Borough for 1867. Solomon Mead, Warden. Samuel Close, • Burgees. Alvan Mead, Thomas A. Mead, (( Philander Button, . (C James W. Dominick, . ii Bobert W. Mead, • Clerk and Treasurer John Dayton, • BaUif. Julius B. Curtis, • Attorney. APPENDXX. 235 BUSINESS DIRECTORY fOB THE BOCTBEBN FAKT 07 THS TOWN OF GREENWICH, FOR 1867. • ♦ • BLAOESMTTHING. William Scqfield keeps a blacksmith-shop, con- nected with the carriage-making business, in the village, a few feet north of Sniffings Corner, on the road leading to Pecksland and Glenville. Moses Sargent keeps a shop on Bush's Point, at Lower Coscob, near the ship-yard. Ephraimi Lane also keeps a shop at Coscob Vil- lage ; all kinds of blacksmithing done. Abraham S. Palmer keeps a shop at Mianus, con- nected with a wheelwright^ shop* BOABDmO AND SELEOT 80H00LS. Lewis Howe^ A.M.^ a graduate of Tale College, is the principal of an excellent institution, situated on a beautiful eminence, one door west of the Second Congregational Church. All the branches of edu- 230 APPENDIX. cation, including mnsic and the langaages, are tanght And every facility is offered to the stadent. Mt%. Hesa keeps an excellent private school for small children, in Mechanic street. Philander Bntton, A.M., a graduate of Yale Col- lege, is the principal of the Greenwich Academ j, on the comer of Main and North streets. All the branches of an English education are taught, with Latin and Greek ; and the institution is in an ex- ceedingly flourishing condition. Prof. B. A. Norville, formerly Professor in West- em Reserve College, and Conductor of Music in Centre Church, New Haven, has a full class in music throughout the year, and receives those desiring a thoroughly finished musical education by the term, as boarders, at his place of residence in Greenwich Avenue. Miss Elath,ea NewmmCs private school, at Mianus, is much appreciated as an excellent school by those in the vicinity. BUTCHERING AND 1IEAT-8HOF8. • Henry Held keeps a shop for the sale of all kinds of meat, on the west side of Greenwich Avenue, a few rods from the corner of Main street. TFm. H. Henderson, Shop in Greenwich avenue, opposite Mead and Dayton's building. Amos JT. Brush dk Co. Shop at Coscob village. J, Home dk Co. Shop at Mianus. Imae O. Close. Shop at Boundhill. APPENDIX. 237 ABINBT-M A KKB. Mr. Himt, Shop in Greenwich avenue, connect- ed with sash and blind making. Stephen Stoothoffy near Railroad Depot, connected with general carpenter work. OAJlPENTEEmO. JiaflkJ Weed. Shop in Greenwich avenue. Charles Timpany, Shop at the village of Ooscob. WiUiam Eddy. Shop at Mianus. Willicmb H. Lyon^ at East Portchester. Manj others are engaged in this business, but these are the heaviest contractors. OAEBIAGE-MAEINa. JoMph E. Hicssely one door north of SniflBln's corner, on road to Pecksland ; connected with a blacksmith's shop. Elijah Lent. All kinds of finished carriage- building, at the shop in Mechanic street. COAL For sale, by E. Husted, at Caleb W. Merritt's Dock. CLOCKS REPAIRED. Jmuis Heady /wn., a few doors from Sniffings comer, on the road to Pecksland. DRESSMAKERS. Mrs. William E. Ferrisy in Mechanic street. Mrs. Sarah Peok^ at Humphrey Denton's. IX* 238 APPSHDcr. 21t9. OUbeH J£a/t9hM and JUUs WUmoty at CJoecol). JTie Misses DavieSj at Mianos. FACI0BIB8. Screw and BoU Factory of Bnssel, Birdsall & Ward, on the Bjram River, a half-mile below Glen- ville. Tinners^ Tools Factory of Joeiah Wilcox, on Byram River, two miles north of Glenville. IshanCs Factory y at Glenville. RMing IRUsj Bv/rrington Sichsy agent, on the Mianos River, at Dampling Pond. Sash and Blind^ Factory of Charles Umpany, a few rods north of Coscob village. HOTELS. Atifffistus Lyon keeps the Mansion House, on the comer of Greenwich avenue and Main street. Jacob T. Weed keeps Weed's Hotel, on Main street, nearly opposite Greenwich avenue. Mrs. Bancroft, on Main street. Joseph F. Page keeps the Railroad House, at Coscob Village. ICE. John Henderson will supply the people through the season with pure crystal ice. mSTJBAKOE OFFICE. Oreenwich Mutual Fire Insurance Company y office over the Post-office. Augustus Mead, Presi- dent ; G. J. Smith, Secreta/ry. appendix. 239 lawtbbb' omtobs. Daniel M. Mead^ Attorney and Counselor for Connecticut and Ifew York, and Commissioner of the Superior Court. Office in Mead and Dayton's Building, on Greenwich avenue, second story, front room. AH kinds of conyeyancing carefully attended to. Julius £. OurtiSy Attorney and Counselor at Law, and Commissioner of the Superior Court. Office in Lyon's Building, on Main street, second story. All kinds of conveyancing carefully attended to. MERCHANTS. Francis Dauohy^ agent for William Hoyt. Oppo- site the head of Greenwich arenuo, in Main street. A very extensive assortment of dry goods and groceries for sale. Peter Acker keeps for sale a constant supply of dry goods and groceries at the Old Stand, on the corner of Greenwich avenue and Main street. Ahraham Acker. Store in Lyon's Building, Main street. Joseph jEl Brush. Dry goods and groceries, on the corner of Mechanic and Main streets. John Henderson. Confectionery, Main street. Benjamin Peck. General assortment of goods, Main street, one door from Mechanic street. Henry S. Banks^ Glenville Bridge. Dry goods and groceries. Mosher <& Oo^^ Glenville. Groceries. 210 APPENDEC. Gould SeUedk^ Ooecob. Dry goods and groceries. A. and E. Brush db Co. Dry goods and groceries, Coscob Village. Lochjoood P. Clark. Groceries, Coecob. Joseph Home <6 Co. Dry goods and groceries. Mianus. Charles Ferris^ do, Mianns. Newnian and Hewes^ dry goods and groceries* Contractors for sewing and general tailoring. Jesse Z. WessdSj East Fortchester. MILLIlfEBY. Mrs. Coles^ in Main street. Mrs. Elliot^ near Railroad Depot TJie Misses LanSj at Coscob Village. PHTSICIANS. Dr. Darius Mead. Residence on the brow of Fntnam's Hill. Dr. James H. Hoyt. Residence in the center of the village, on Main street. Dr. Bartow F. White. Residence is at Round-hill. Dr. Charles C. Allen. Residence at Coscob Vil- lage. SADDLEBY. William Mead. Shop a half-a-mile north of Putnam's Hill. i^pevietus Sniffiny on Sniffings Comer in the Vil- lage. APPENDIX. 241 BALOONS. John H. Merritt. On Greenwich avenne. Oys- ters and ice-cream all in their season. John, Henderson. On Main street, about the center of Village. All the delicacies in their season. Joseph E. PagSj at Coscob Village. AH kinds of refreshment in their season. SmP-YASD. The ship-yard of Chard, Duff & Palmer, at Coscob, has tamed out many elegant, durable, and fast-sailing vessels. SEXTONS, Jonds Meady jv/n.^ of Second Congregational Church. John Hancock^ of Episcopal Church. Gilhert Marsh^dU^ of Methodist E. Church. Others not known to the author. SHOE-MAXING. John Dayton, first floor of Mead and Dayton's Building, in Greenwich avenue. An extensive assortment of boots, shoes, and gaiters. Marshall amd Mead^ three doors west of Green- wich avenue, in Main street. Isaac Olmsted^ at Coscob. DameL Olmsted^ at his residence on the road to Fecksland. ^ 349 APPBHDIX. Jonathan Jesmpj at Mianns. Henry Daiyian^ at BTABLB8 AND OONYETANGBS. Edwaitd Anffevine. Stage line from Depot to everj part of the town. John D. Elliot^ do. Samud FincV$ line from BanksviUe. TAIL0B8. Oeorge SMick^ at J. E. Brush's store, in Main st. J. Home db Co.^ at Mianas. Newman iSk Hewea^ Mianns. WHBELWBIOHTB. Jonas Mead^jun.y at the Village. Hamphrej D. Mead & Oo., at Glenville. Bobert M. Harris, at Mianns. GBAKB LI8TB. The following are the Lists of the town for several consecntive years, in the earlier and later periods of the history of Greenwich. Data Uctia Ponadi. 1665, .... ^1,434 Os. 1666, . , , , 1,607 17 1667, .... 1,682 14 1668, , , . . 1,609 16 1669, .... 1,667 10 1670, , . , , 1,897 6 AFPSNDDC. 1671, • • • 1672, « • 1673, • • • 1674, • • 1675, • • • 1676, thirty-flix freeholders, 1677, forty do 1694, sixty-sir do 1854, • • • 1865, • • 1866, • • • 243 £1,806 . 1,162 2,060 6 . 1,915 1,950 . 1,719 1,822 . 2,638 8 JMbi'DtXka. $2,495,215 . 2,680,304 2,748,678 For a considerable period after the incorporation of the town, it was by far the smallest in the valaa- tion of the Grand List. And while its valaation was less than two thousand pounds, that of the neighboring town of Stamford was more than six thousand. They are now about equal. SCHOOL DISTBIOTS IN GSEENWIOH. The following are the names of the various school districts in the town, with the number of persons be- tween the ages of four and sixteen in each district, on the first of January, 1857. 1. Old Greenwich, . . • 79 2. Palmer HUl, . . • .83 3. Mianus East, .... 61 4. Mianus West, . . . .47 5. Steep Hollow, , , , . 106 244 APPCBDIi;. m 6. Ooecob, 7. North Coecob, . 8. Meeting-house, 9. North Street, 10. Stan wich, Upper, . 11. ^ Lower, 12. Round HiU, 13. Fecksland, 14. Clabbord Ridge, . 15. Bjram, including East Portchester 16. Factory, 17. King street, Lower, 18. « Upper, 19. Quaker Ridge, 20. RivervUle, . 108 58 . 321 39 . 73 102 . 103 40 . 43 15T . 51 82 . 61 55 . 59 1627 The school-houses of the Coscob and Meeting- house school-districts were built in 1851, the former at an expense of about $1,450, including the land, the latter at an expense of about $6,000. A forty- cent tax was laid in the Meeting-house district for the purpose. The building committee were Augustus Mead, Z^ccheus Mead, and William L. Lyon, Esqs. North Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Factory, and Fecksland districts, also built new houses about this time. The Riversville District has now (1857) com- menced a school house of stucco. The building is octagonal in shape, with a porch toward the south. The East Portchester District was set off by the APPENDIX. 245 town about the Ist of December, 1856 ; and the se- lectmen placed the boundaries soon after, which was indorsed by the town at a succeeding town-meeting. East Fortchester is a thriving village, on the east- em bank of the Byram river. The land on which it stands was purchased from a neighboring farmer, and laid out in building lots, only four or five years since. It has built up so rapidly that there are now ninety-four children within the limits of the school- district. INDIAN NAMES. Modern. Fatommuck Brook. . Asamuck Brook. Mianus Biver. Ooscob and Old Green- wich. , Dumpling Pond. Horseneck and vicinity. . Greenwich. IndiUL Patommbg, Asamuck, Myanos, or Mehanas, Petuaqupaen, Betuckquapock, • , Miossehasseky, • Sioascock, Minniwies, or Menusing, Manursing Island. Armonck, or Cokamong, Byram Kiver. Pimpewig, . . Pimpewig Brook, Easeco, . . . Portchester. Poningoe, . . . Town of Eye. Mockquams, . . . Blind Brook. Quaroppas, . . White Plains. Quinnehtuqut, . . Connecticut. KippoWams, . . Stamford. Mohiccannituck, . • Hudson Kiver. S46 Sewftnhaekj or llentoac, land of BhellS) Long Idand. llonakewego, • . Eluabeth, or Greenwich Point lluhliekanno, • Se^en^^Mohegan^ tribes on coast. OHBOirOLOOIOAL TABLE. 1492. Oolumbos discovered America. 1494. 3 ohn and Sebastian Cabot discovered North America. 1524. John Yeraszani do. do. 1602. Bartbolomew Oosnold do. do. 1609. Hendrick Hudson discovered Hudson Biver. 1614. Adrien Block discovered Connecticut. 1614. Greenwich discovered by Adrien Block. 1620. Landing of Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. 1681. Old Patent of Connecticut issued. 1638. First house built in Connecticut by English. 1688. do. do. do. by Dutch. 1685. Famine in Connecticut. 1686. First General Court in Connecticut. 1640. Settlement of Greenwich. 1642. Greenwich ceded to the Dutch. 1648. Indians massacred at New Amsterdam. 1644. First expedition against Petuqaapaen. 1644. Capt. Daniel Patrick shot by a Dutch officer. 1645. Petuquapaen finally destroyed. 1650. Boundary line of Connecticut removed to west side of Greenwich. APPBRBDC. 347 1656. Eiotons inhabitants threatened by General Court. 1656. Settlement by Mead, Stndwell, Hobby, and Hubbard, with several others, mostly coming from Long Island. 1664. Boundary line remored to Mamaroneck Eiver. 1666. First school-house built. 1672. 27 proprietors purchased West Greenwich. 1673. Bye still accounted a part of Oonnecticut. 1676. Rev. Mr. Wizwale invited to preach. 1678. Rev. Mr. Peck came and settled. 1681. First recorded marriage is that of John Mead, jun., to Miss Ruth Hardey. 1688. Boundary of Connecticut settled at Byram River. 1685. Grist mill built at Dumpling Fond. 1688. Number of legal voters, forty-nine. 1689. Rev. Jeremiah Peck dismissed. 1691. Rev. Abraham Pierson preaching. 1691. Yoted to have a neto meeting-house. 1694. Mr. Pierson left Greenwich. 1695. Mr. Salmon Treat commenced preaching. 1695. Grand List £2,638 Ss. 1696. John Mead's Will. 1697. Mr. Treat left the town. 1697. Rev. Joseph Morgan began preaching. 1700. Rev. Nathaniel Bowers settles in Old Green- wich. 1700. Rev. Joseph Morgan moves to Horseneck. 1703. Town-meetings began to be held one-half time in Horseneck. 1 248 1704. Rev. Oeorge Mnirson, an Episcopal clergy- man, preached in Oreenwich occasionally, he being settled over the parish at Rye. 1705. Mr. Morgan bnilds mill at Indian Harbor. 1705. Final separation of the town into two religions societies. Permanent articles of agreement made. 1708. Mr. Morgan dismissed from active dnty as minister at Horseneck. 1707 or 1708. Mr. Nathaniel Bowers left preaching in Old Oreenwich. During a short period here, neither society had a minister. 1713. A question of reunion of the societies arose, which was never carried out. 1716. Mill and dock built at month of Horseneck Brook. 1717. Rev. Richard Sackett commenced preaching at Honseneck 1724. Horseneck Brook Dock enlarged. 1727. Rev. Mr. Sackett died. 1728. Rev. Stephen Munson settled at Horseneck. 1730. Rev. Mr. Munson died in May. 1732. Rev. Abraham Todd settled at Horseneck. 1739. War declared against Spain by Oreat Britain. 1740. Rev. James Wetmore, an Episcopal church- man, settled at Rye, preached regularly once a month in Oreenwich. 1744. War declared against France by Oreat Britain. 1745. Mrs. Ruth Peck, wife of Samuel Peck, died. 1746. Death of Samuel Feck, aged 90. APPENDIX. 249 1747. Rev. Ebenezer Dibble, D.D., an Episcopal clergyman preached one half the time at Greenwich, and the other half at Stamford. 1748. Peace concluded with France and Spain. 1749. First Episcopal church built. 1765. Second war with France begun. 1756. War actually declared in May. 1769. Connecticut troops at Ticonderoga, and a company from Greenwich among them. 1760. Peace again concluded with France. 1763. Permission to David Bush to build a mill. 1768. Town petitioned to make Norwalk a shire- town. 1774. On the 21st of March, the town takes prompt action in opposition to a suit before the King, in reference to western lands. 1774. On the 17th of October, the town takes strong action in favor of a revolution, and appoints a committee to raise sums by sub- scription, to be sent to Boston. 1776. February the 8th, Dr. Amos Mead and John Mackay were appointed delegates to a County Congress. 1776. December 13th, thirteen persons were ap- pointed a Committee of Safety. 1776. Jesse Parsons, Town Clerk, died July 26th. 1777. Remonstrance against Col. Enos's conduct. 1778. January 12th, doings of Continental Congress indorsed. 1778. December 14th, Tories outlawed. 850 1779. Qov. Tryon makes his expedition to Hone- neck on the 26th of Febraary. Gen. Putnam makes his daring escape from the band of Tories under the command of Thomaa Merritt. 1780. Town House and law books sold. 1781. The skirmish of King street. The Americans under lieut Mosher, and the British under Col. Holmes. 1783-4. Petition of the town to be rdeased from taxes for these years, and to be paid the amount of damages sustained. 1784b The Church call the Consociation to dismiss Bev. John Murdock. 1787. Liberty granted to the brothers Titos to rebuild their mills at Mianus. 1787. Dr. Amos Mead and Col. Jabez Fitch ap- pointed delegates to the conyention to ratify or disapprove of the Federal Constitution. 1793. The town oppose the plergy fund. 1802. Proposition to build a Town^bouse was voted down. 1803. Opposed the Turnpike road. 1812. War broke out in June. 1813. Wondrous display of valor. 1818. Clark Sanford, Esq., and Enos Lockwood, Esq., elected delegates to the State Constitu- tional Convention, which was held on the fourth Wednesday in August. 1828. A great many sheep killed by dogs. 1834. Town-meeting held at Methodist church, at APPENDIX. 251 • 1835. Voted to build a Town House. 1836. Towa meeting held at new hoase. 1850. The grand finale of Skimetons. 1853. Greenwich a Probate DiBtrict. 18 66. Trial of Glenville-road caae. 1857. History of Greenwich published. THE SECOND CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY. The final separation of the second from the old Congregational Society by their recorded agree- ment did not take place until the year 1705. But a virtual separation took place in 1700, when the Old Greenwich people, having contracted a dislike for Mr. Morgan, because of certain favors which he granted to Horseneck, refused to hear him, and asked the Beverend Kathaniel Bowers to preach to them; and the Horseneck people invited Mr. Mor* gan to preach to them exclusively. A more minute history of the doings of the town in relation to that matter, may be found upon the preceding pages of this volume. Mr. Morgan seems to have preached regularly to the congregation of the Second Society, only until 1708 ; after which time the pulpit was filled by him and other transient preachers until 1717, when a call was extended to the Rev. Kichard Sackett, wha came and preached for the Society to the time of his death, which occurred in 1727. He was succeeded by the Bev. Stephen Muuson, who came here in 359 1798, built Mr. Solomon Mead's old house, and preached until his death, which occurred only two years after, in May, 1730. His next settled sncces- sor was the Bev. Abraham Todd, who settled in 1733 and preached until his death, which occurred 1778, after forty years' service as pastor. He was buried in the old bnrying-groand, in Davis' lane. In 1769 the Society ^ hy vote impcwered Mir. Tod to desire one or more persons to tune the Psalm as he shall see proper." After the death of Mr. Todd (of whom, and the pastors which preceded him, much more is said in the body of this work), Bev. Amos Batler and others supplied the pnlpit for about a jear. In 1774, Oapt John Origg and Henry Mead, being appointed a committee for that purpose, extended a call to Rev. Jonathan Murdock. The salary offered him was one hundred pounds, and a bonus of two hundred pounds, one^third of which was to be paid in three months, one-third at the end of the first year, and the remainder at the end of the second year. Mr. Murdock accepted the call, and had an immediate settlement, Oct. 20th, 1777. " Further the society voted that Mr. Murdock be appointed to say when the Psalms shall be read line by line, there being often several strangers who have no book." During the year 1781, Mr< Murdock released the Society from paying his salary, on account of their poverty, and did not preach. On the first Monday in April the Society fully APPENDIX. 253 • concurred with the church in requesting Mr. Mur- dock to unite with them in asking for his dismission, after the question had been seriously considered through several meetings. On his refusal to unite with his church and congregation, the people pre- pared the grave charges against him, found upon a preceding page of this work. They finally, how- ever, compromised the matter by the payment to Mr. Murdock, of the one years' salary which he had previously released ; and he united with his oppo- nents and obtained a dismission. Kev. Mr. Austen followed him, and preached as supply for a period of six months, when Eev. Isaac Lewis, afterwards Doctor of Divinity, preached for three months with a view to settlement. After- wards, on the 24:th of August 1786, a call to settle was extended to him, which was answered by letter On the 19th of the following September, as follows : To the Church and Members of the West Society in Greenwich. Brethren and Friends, — Your choice of me as your pastor, and the offers you have made for my temporal support, have been duly considered. I thank you for the confidence you have put in me, and for the generosity of your proposals. Would, however, observe that in order to my reaping the benefit from the parsonage lands, which, I have no doubt, the society really intends me, it will be necessary that they be put in proper repair, with suitable division fence. If the Society will see this matter accomplished and your unanim- ity continues, I will accept the important office to which you 12 254 APPENDIX. have ohosen me. Humbly relying on the aU-eufficiency of Divine Grace to enable me to discharge its duties and earn- estly requesting a union of your prayers with mine to the Great Head of the Church, that the proposed relation may be a mutual and lasting blessing, — I am, Brothers, your cordial friend and servant in the Lord. ISAAC LEWIS. The request of Mr. Lewis was granted, and he was soon afterwards settled in the work of the ministry, with one hundred poands salary. For several years previous to 1798, the subject of a new meeting-house was brought up and discussed ; but the subject failed to meet the approbation of the Society, until, on the 15th of January, 1798, the Society "judged it necessary to build a new meet- ing-house. The question being put, there appeared more than three quarters in the affirmative." " Further voted that they accept of the proposals of the subscribers. Then voted that Abraham Husted be the Treasurer to receive the subscribers' money." The Society then voted that ^^ Decon Abraham Mead" and Benjamin Mead, Esqs., be a committee to superintend the purchase of materials, and defraying the necessary expenses of building said house. Voted, that the above committee pro- ceed, as soon as the season will admit, to build the meeting-house. Further voted, that the committee should contract to have it built by the great if they think it necessary. The meeting dismist by vote." "Recorded by JOB LYON, Clerk." APPENDIX. 255 SUBSCBIFTION LIST. We^ the subscribers, inhabitaDts of the West Society in Greenwich, do promise to pay unto Abraham Husted, the sum in money annexed to our several names, viz. one third of such subscribed sum on the first day of March next, and one third on the first day of June next, and one third on the first day of October next, to be applied to the only purpose of and for building a meeting house or a church for public worship in said Society, which house is to be made of wood, and in length fifty-two feet, in width forty feet, and in height twenty-one feet, with a steeple of a suitable length and to be set on the same spot of ground or within eight rods of the same where the present house stands, which money so subscribed shall by. the said Husted be paid to such persons or person who shall by the subscribers be appointed to superintend the purchase of materials and defraying the necessary expenses of completing said house, and this sub- scription to be in force if three thousand dollars are sub- scribed, if not to be void. Dated at Greenwich the 23d day of November, 1797. 8UB3CSIBEB8' NAMES. Amos Mead, Richard Mead, Abraham Mead, Zaccheus Mead, Jared Mead, Jonah Mead, Benjamin Peck, . Robert Mead, Nehemiah Mead, jr., Peter A. Burtis, . George Lockwood, Wm. Skidmore, Joseph Reynolds, Phebe Mead, $125 125 250 60 125 125 40 125 70 60 80 80 20 6 Lois Holly, Jerusha Graham, Peter Avery, Joshua Banks, Nathaniel Ferris, John Banks, John Addington, Henry Grigg, Stephen Holmes, David Holmes, Nehemiah Mead, Peter Husted, Abraham Husted, Joshua Mead, $5 100 2 6 2 5 9 10 15 10 30 70 70 100 256 APPENDIX. Ebenezer Mead, . Job Lyon, Isaac Weed, George More, Peter Mead, Margaret Knapp, Jabez Fitch, Amos Green, Benj. Holmes, • Ebenezer Hubby, Squire Hubby, . Squire Hubby, Squire Holly, Noah Stiles, . Isaac Holly, Reuben Holmes, Hardy Mead, Shadrach Mead, Martha Ritch, . Lydia Reynolds, Theophilus Peck, Solomon Peck, Thomas Hubby, jr Charles Peck, Jeffery Felmetta, John Hobby, Justus Sackett, . Nathaniel Mead, jr Jacob Fletcher, . Thomas Hubly, Jabez M. Hobby, Hezekiah Hobby, Peter Moe, Stephen Davis, Justus B. Mead, Israel Peck, . Titus Mead, Abraham Mead, Amos Mead, Samuel Peek, jr., Gideon Close, . $100 45 8 8 46 5 60 5 10 80 25 5 5 5 25 15 10 26 4 12 20 8 15 20 15 20 25 10 10 80 15 15 3 10 10 80 40 10 10 15 10 Abraham Reynolds, Joshua Mead, RobertMead, . Daniel Banks, . Sarah Mead, . Nehemiah Mead, jr Ebenezer Mead, Abraham Mead, Ambrose Reynolds, Eliphalet Peck, . John Mills, James Knapp, . Charles Lyon, Nathaniel Peck, Caleb Lyon, . OUver Fairchild, Gilbert Peck, Nathaniel Finch David Brown, Robert Peck, jr., James Brown, Gilbert Close, . Hannah Peck, Samuel Peck, Nathaniel Mead, Gideon Peck, David Mead, . Benj. Mead, Caleb Lyon, jr., Reuben Green, jr., Elisha Belcher, Isaac Peck, jr., . Jabez Husted, Levi Ingersoll, . Daniel Davis, Matthew Mead, . Matthew Mead, jr , Silas Mead, jr., and Abner Mead, Total, $10 80 15 10 12 18 25 50 40 1 6 2 4 6 6 5 5 25 8 20 6 10 5 80 80 6 40 100 10 5 80 20 10 1 3 1 1 70 $3,076 It will be noticed that the names of some are re- peated more than once, they having made an addi* APPENDIX. 257 tional subscription in order to secure the raising of the three thousand dollars, which was called for. The house was placed ten or twelve feet south of the old one, and the former house was moved out of the way and left standing for use during the building of the new one. After the completion of this build- ing, which was not walled, David Webb, Orrin Marvin, and Enos Knapp were appointed arbitrators, to decide whether the building was completed in a workmanlike manner. Their decision was against the builders ; and they decreed that the amount of four hundred and thirty dollars and fifty cents should be deducted from the amount to be received by the builders. The seats were taken out of the old house, and put in the new one. The cost of the steeple was $197,33. FIKST SALE OF PBWS. No. 1. To Isaac Lewis, D.D., 2. " Nehemiah Mead, 3d, 3. " Jerad Mead, 4. " Joshua Mead, 5. " Benjamin Mead, 6. " Dr. Shadrach Mead, 7. " Richard Mead, . 8. " EichardMead, 9. " Gilbert Peck, 10. " Solomon Peck, 11. " Abraham Mead, Gratis. $8 50 . 6 00 4 50 . 5 00 4 50 . 3 60 3 75 . 2 00 1 00 . 2 00 258 APPKNDIX. No. 12. To Benjamin Mead, 3 00 « 13. " Silas Mead, . 2 60 « 14. <' Benjandn Holmes, . 1 26 « 16. " Zaechens Mead, . . 1 00 " 16. « Nehemiah Mead, 1 75 « 17. " BobertMead, . 2 00 « 18. '< Jonathan Olose, 2 26 « 19. " Peter Mead, . 3 00 « 20. '* John B. Goeine, 7 00 " 21. << Gilbert Oloee, . . 5 00 " 22. ** Abraham Mead, 6 00 " 28. '' Stephen Waring, 11 00 « 24. « Peter A. Burtis, 11 00 Total, . . . $97 50 At the sale of the next year (1803), the same pews sold for $202 50. The sexton was paid fifteen dollars, for taking care of the chnrch' and ringing the bell. The latter was imported from England, at a cost of one hundred dollars, bj Benjamin Mead, as may be seen by his bill of sale to the Society, re- corded in their books. The origin of the Society's fund was in a subscrip- tion, made to and accepted by the Society, in 1816. The subscription was to be void unless two thousand dollars were raised, and the amount was to remain upon interest during the pastorate of Dr. Lewis ; and after the cease of his ministry, the avails of it were to be devoted to the support of the nainistry. The following persons contributed to the fund : — Rev. Isaac Lewis, D.D., Abraham Mead, Jabez Mead, Samuel Peck, Elisha Belcher, Zophar Mead, Isaac Mead, Daniel S. Mead, Noah and Jonas Mead Zenas Mead, . Nehemiah Mead, Jr., Darius Mead, Jr., . Reuben Holmes, Zaccheus Mead, Timothy Walker, Jabez M. Hobby, . Hezekiah Hobby, Nathaniel Hibbard, Job Lyon, Shadrach Mead, Gilbert Close, Isaac Peck, Jr., Elias Purdy, APPENDIX. 535y $50 , Joshua Mead, . $50 150 Robert Mead, . 50 100 Stephen Waring, 50 25 Isaac Holly, . 25 100 A Ivan Mead, . 60 200 David Mead, . 50 200 Jonathan Mead, Jr., 60 50 Ambrose Reynolds, • 60 100 Gideon Close, 50 100 Israel Peck, 80 100 Eliphalet Peck, 85 25 Piatt Mead, 16 15 Elnathan Husted, . 60 60 Jehiel Mead, Jr., 40 25 Silas H. Mead, 60 25 Samuel Close, 6 20 Seymour Hobby, 25 50 Jonah Mead, 100 60 Obadiah Mead, 86 50 Caleb Husted, . 16 60 Amos Husted, . 26 60 Aaron Husted, 25 25 Total, 2,476 in 1818, Eev. Isaac Lewis, D.D., requested to be relinquished from taking further care of the churchy after having acted as pastor of the church for ihiTty- fourjQ2i,r&, The Society voted that he should never lack their support, and invited his son, Eev. Isaac Lewis, jun., to become their pastor, with a salary of eight hundred dollars. He accepted, and was in- stalled soon after his letter of acceptance, which was dated on the 2d of November, A. D. 1818. At the next sale of pews the amount of $299 50 was real- ized. In 1821, it was " Voted, that hereafter, in all cases each person who shall bid off a pew in the meeting-house, shall procure another person, to the 260 APPENDIX* acceptance of the committee, as secnrity, both of whose names shall be entered by the Clerk, and shall be considered as joint purchasers of said pew, and a failure of such security being procured, said pew shall be again put up for sale, and such person shall be debarred from bidding again during that meeting." In 1822, for the first time, the meeting-house was warmed by a stove. This innovation was struggled against by many, but the minority were obliged to endure the innovation. In 1827, Silas Harvey Mead, Calvin Mead, Lu- ther Mead, Heman Mead, Levi Mead, Dig*iu8 Mead, Obadiah Mead, Jehiel Mead, Nathaniel Knapp, Isaac Peck, 3d, Seymour Hobby, Allen Hobby, Oilbert Close, and Sarah Mead, withdrew from this Society for the purpose of forming the North Green- wich Congregational Society. In 1828, a lightning-rod was erected upon the steeple. During this year, the Society united with the church in desiring the dissolution of the pastoral relation existing between them and the Bev. Isaac Lewis, jun. Mr. Lewis at first opposed this action ; but finally the matter was arranged, and he con- sented to leave, after nearly ten years' ministry. On the 10th of September, 1828, it was " Voted, that Kev. Noah 0. Saxton receive pay at the rate of six hundred dollars per annum at the termination of his labor, &c. He, with others, filled the minis- terial office until 1829. The Society directed the fund agents (Zenas Mead and Thomas A. Mead) to APPENDIX. 261 pay to the North Greenwich Society bo much of the fund as had been subscribed by the persons now members of that Society ; and afterwards by another vote, to pay them so much as had been subscribed by pereons living north and west of Pimpewig Brook. In 1829 Eev. Albert Judson acted as supply, at the salary of six hundred dollars, and at a special meeting on the 29th of May, in the same year, a call was extended to the Eev. Simeon North, who did not accept, although a full salary of eight hun- dred dollars was offered. Afterwards, on the 7th of January, 1830, a call was extended to the Eev. Joel Mann. The vote was 33 yeas, 5 nays, and 14 silent. He was at first oft'ered a salary of seven hundred dollars, which he refused. By a vote of twenty- three to ten, eight hundred dollars was then offered him, which he accepted. It was further voted that the ground lying northeast of the church (the present parsonage place), should be purchased, and that a parsonage house should be erected upon it at a cost not to exceed the sum of two thousand three hun- dred dollars. Out of his salary Mr. Mann was to pay a four per cent, rent for the use of this parson- age. This was protested against by Stephen Waring, William Husted, Ephraim Mead, William Mead, Joshua Eeynolds, Ambrose Eeynolds, jun., Drake Mead, Benjamin Eeynolds, Daniel Peck, Drake Mead, and Peter Mead, on various grounds, but chiefly that inasmuch as this is ap agricultural com- 12* 262 APPENDIX. munity, the miniBter shonld be like to them ; aud the old parsonage land, which was by this arrangement to be sold, should be retained for the minister to farm npon. They cited, in support of this objection, the course of life pursued by the venerable Dr. Lewis, and Rev. Piatt Buffet, of Stanwich. Mr. Mann wrote a long letter of acceptance, dated June 12th, 1830. The bam, cistern, &c., at- tached to the parsonage were built in 1831. Also during this year, the old barrel pulpit was removed by individuals having obtained permission from the Society, and a more modern one was substituted. By a note, dated Nov. 23d, 1835, Mr. Mann re- quested the Society to unite with him in asking for his dismission, and at a special meeting held the same day, the Society concurred. The Consociation, however, refused to dismiss him ; whereupon he again applied for a separation, bringing certain charges against the church, the principal of which was laxity in discipline, Hezekiah Hobby, Samuel Close, Drake Mead, John Knapp, A. P. Smith, Wm. A. Husted, and John C. Sanford (who wished to unite with the Society at Portchester), withdrew from the Society. Also Arad Peck and Solomon Peck. Upon the second application, Mr. Mann was dismissed, after five years' ministry. On the 30th of March, 1837, a call was extended to the Rev. Noah Coe, who accepted and was soon after installed. In 1839 a special meeting was called to reconsider APF£NDIX. 263 a former action of the Society in granting to persons the right to erect sheds for horses upon the parson- age ground. The former action was sustained^ how- ever, and the sheds were built. Those who opposed the project, were Zenas Mead, Darius Mead, Solo- mon Mead, Isaac Mead, Augustus Mead, Abra- ham D. Mead, Zophar Mead, Joshua Beynolds, Ambrose Eeynolds, Jerad Eeynolds, Benjamin Keynolds, Job Lyon, Isaac Lyon, Eliphalet Peck, B. W. Husted, Isaac Mead, jun. The principal reasons set forth in their objections were that the congregation would be disturbed by the noise of carriages passing to and from the sheds, and that the encroachment upon the parsonage ground would be too great. However, the sheds were placed much nearer the church than was at first intended. On the 23d of April, 1845, the Society united with the church in asking for the dismission of Mr. Coe. He refused to concur. ''1st. Because it is unnecessary to the accom- plishment of your wishes, for you could call the Consociation in your own right. " 2ond. Because I could not by any act of mine share in the responsibility of the measure proposed." After receiving this answer, the Society by a vote of thirty-one to six, with the church, called the Consociation. And after a serious and stormy controversy before the Consociation, Mr. Coe was dismissed after an eight years' ministry. Eev. Frederick G. Clark now 264 APPENDIX. preached for more than a year as supply, receiving a salary of six hundred and fifty dollars. Kev. Mr. Henry, and Rev. Mr. Bnshnell, an excellent preacher, also acted as supply until the 28th of August, 1847 ; when the Rev. Joel H. Lindsley, D.D., was tendered a call to settle. The vote upon this question stood thirty-one yeas and two nays, with one blank. He is now (Jan. 1857), the pastor of the church, receiving seven hundred dollars salary, with a present an- nually of two hundred dollars, and the free use of the parsonage and its appurtenances. On the 7th of December, 1852, a committee was appointed to take into consideration the building of a new church. After various meetings, nothing was accomplished until finally, on the 11th of April, 1856, it was decided by a vote of thirty-five to seven, to build a church of stone, according to a plan pre- sented by the committee. Its position to be a little northeast of the present site, but so near as to render the removal of the old church necessary. The building, in its whole length, including a lecture- room, to be one hundred and thirty-eight feet. Its extreme width, one hundred and ten feet. The tower upon the southeastern corner to be one hundred feet high, and the spire upon the opposite front corner, two hundred feet. The building was contracted for by Robert W. Mead, Esq., one of the largest subscribers, at the following estimate : APPENDIX. 265 Mason work, includiDg stone furQished, cut, and set, $10,000 Cartage, breaking stone, and sand, . . 4,100 Plastering, including lime, sand, and lath, . 1,000 Brick, 1400, Lime, |1,200 . . . 1,600 Carpenter, including materials, ironwork and cartage, 10,500 Slating roof, .... 1,200 Glazing, |600, painting, |600, . . . 1,100 Spires, if of wood, including slating, . 1,600 ^^gg^^Sy for masons, $100, iron work, |80, . 180 Architect and contingencies, . . 1,220 Total, . . 132,500 The final vote in reference to entering into this contract was decided by twenty-eight yeas and six nays. About this time, Messrs. Mills H. Husted, Wm. H. Mead, Jacob D. L. M. Armour, Zaccheus Mead, and Augustus Mead, withdrew from the Society. The Society's officers for the year 1857 are — Moderator — Lewis Howe, Esq., ( Thomas A. Mead, Committee^ < Nehemiah Howe, ( Philander Button, Clerk — Eobert W. Mead, Treasurer — ^Robert W. Mead, Collector — Daniel M. Mead, Jphmd Agent — ^Zenas Mead and Thomas A. Mead. The use of the pews for the year 1855 sold for the sum of one thousand and seventy-six dollars. For 1856, nine hundred and seventy-four dollars. 266 AFFSNDIX. We give here the epitaph of the Bev. Isaac Lewis, D.D.9 who was buried in his private bury- iog-ground, a little north of the present residence his daughters. Rev. Isaac Lewis D.D. died August 27. 1840, in the 95 year of his age He was bom in Stratford and was educated at Yale College. Was the faithful Pastor of the Congregational Church in Wilton eighteen years, and of the Congregational Church in this place thirty-three years. In his social relations, he was kind and affectionate ; for piety and learning eminently distinguished. In the same grave-yard are the remains of Key. Piatt Buffet, marked by the following : Rev. Piatt Buffet. Departed this life May 25th 1850 in the 86th year of his age He was born on Huntington, Long Island 1754 Graduated at Yale College 1791 Studied Divinity with Rev. Dr. Edwards Was licensed to preach the Gospel by the New Haven Association. He was ordained and constituted pastor of APPENDIX. 267 the CongregatioDal Chnrch in Stanwich By the Consociation of Fairfield West on 25 may 1796. He died peaceful and happy in the full assurance of that faith in Christ which he preached to others for more than half a century. Liat of Ministers of the 2d Society. Began to Nune. preftoh. 1700. Joseph Morgan, 1717. Eichard Sackett, . 1728. SteiAen Munson, 1733. Abraham Todd, . 1774. Jonathan Murdock, . 1786. Isaac Lewis, D.D., 1818. Isaac Lewis, jun., 1828. JSToah G. Saxton^ . 1830. Joel Mann, 1837. Noah Coe,' • . 184:5. Frederick Q. Clanrk^ . 1847. Joel H. Lindsley, . * The salaries as paid at the commeDcement of each minister's term of service. In many instances the sums were increased. f Mr. Morgan, with others, preached from 1708 to 1717 occasionally. X Out of this salary Mr. Mann paid a four-per-cent rent for the new parsonage. Mr. Coe and the succeeding ministers have not paid this or any other rent. § Besides this amount, Dr. Lindsley receives the free rent of the parsonage, and an annual present of $200. The rent of the par- sonage is worth from two hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty dollars. Left Preaching. Salary.* 1708.t £. . 1727. 1830. . 1773. 1783. £100 . 1818. 100 1827. $800 . 1829. 600 1836. :t800 . 1845. 700 1847. 650 §700 268 APPSNDIX. KKTHODIBT KPI800PAL BOCIfiTT OF HOB8BNECK. This Society was formed on the 14ih day of Ko- vembery A.D. 1848. The mutual agreement by which this association was formed, is recorded upon the records of the Society as follows : Whsrsas the members of the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch resident in Horsenecky in the town of Greenwich, Fairfield Co^ Conn., desire to make provision for the main- tenance of the public worship of Ood according to the usages and doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church in said Horseneck as may be considered necessary. Therefore we the undersigned for the accomplishment of the above named object do hereby by mutual agreement associate ourselves together as a religious society for the maintenance of the public worship of God according to the said usages and doctrines of the said Methodist Episcopal Church in said Horseneck, by the name and style of the Horseneck Methodist Episcopal Society; by which name and style the said Society is to be called and known ; which said society we do hereby constitute to be subject to all the incidents and liabilities to which religious societies and con- gregations are by law subject and possess and enjoy all rights powers and privileges given by law to religious so- cieties and congregations. And we hereby declare this meeting at which the under- signed are present to be the first meeting of said Society the same being holden by us ail this 14th day of November, A. D. 1843 at the school house in said Horseneck. And we do hereby appoint John A. Merritt clerk of said Society to continue in ofSce until another be chosen and sworn ix\ APPENDIX. 269 hisjTOom. And we also appoint Jonathan A. Close, Elisha Halsted, Gilbert Marshall, Solomon S. Gansey and Benja- min Peck jun. to be the committee of the said Society to order the affairs of said society according to law. And we do hereby fix on the school house in Horseneck Society as the place of holding the meetings of said society until the society shall otherwise direct and we direct that the clerk of this society shall cause the articles of association to be recorded in the records of this Society. We also appoint Elisha Halsted Treasurer of this society. We also fix on the first Monday of November as the time when the annaal meetings of this society shall be holden until the society shall otherwise direct. Witness our hands this 14th day of November A. D. 1843. SOLOMON S. GANSEY, ELISHA HALSTED, JOHN A. MERRITT, GILBERT MARSHALL, JOHN M. WEED, JONATHAN A. CLOSE, BENJAMIN PECK, JUN. On the 14th of November, 1848, the following united with the Society. Gilbert Lent, Samuel Slagle, Samuel Minor, William Funston, Wm McF. Howard (withdrawn), John Marshall, William Barmore, Charles Gorse. 270 And on or soon after the 8th of December, 1851, Charles Owen, Drake Marshall, Bichard Bums, David H. Smith, Samuel Biker, Samuel Boms, Humphrey D. Head, John Dayton. On the 22d of January, 1844, by unanimous con- sent it was voted to build a meeting-house. The dimensions were thirty feet by forty-five. The building committee then appointed were Elisha Halsted, Jonathan A Close, and Benjamin Peck, jr. This building was immediately conunenced, and soon completed. The ministers of this Church have been in the following order — Bev. Bufus C. Putney, " Benjamin Bedford, " Jacob C. Washbume, " Charles Gorse, « John A. Selleck, « G.L. Fuller, " P. L. Hoyt, " George Dunbar, ^^ Senaca Howland, present minister. ohkist's ohuboh. With respect to the early labors of Bev. Mr. Muirson of Bye Parish, assisted by Caleb Heath- APPENDIX. 271 cote, in the early part of the eighteenth century, for the benefit of the Episcopalian faith in this town, the reader is referred to the body of this volume. Later in the same century, Bev. James Wetmore, also of Bye parish, preached once a month in Oreenwich, as may be gathered from preceding pages. In 1747, Bev. Ebenezer Dibble, a graduate of New Haven, began his labors as a missionary for Greenwich and Stamford. In 1749, upon the petition of several people the town granted them liberty to build an Episcopal Church upon the brow of Putnam's Hill. It was accordingly built there, where are yet many grave- stones marking the site. Dr. Dibble preached here for a long time, al- though the author is not informed of the particular time at which he resigned the pastoral charge. He used frequently to preach at the house of Moses Heusted, on flie site where William A. Hasted, Esq., now resides, and that within the memory of persons now living. He is described as a venerable man, of dignified appearance, his long white locks flowing gracefully over his shoulders. Bev. Amzi Bogers, afterwards preached here, but when or for how long a time we are unable to ascertain. There appears to have been a period when there was but little permanent preaching. During the great September gale of 1821 (some say 1828), the church upon the brow of the hill. 272 APPENDIX. which had been built in 1749, was blown down. The roof was blown off at one gale, and the build- ing completely demolished at the other. ChrispB Chv/rch was raised July 4th, 1832. In November 1833, the Eev. Robert Davis was invited to take charge of the Parish. On May 4th, 1834, the Ohurch was consecrated by the Kight Bev. Thomas Church Brownell, IX D., LL. D., Bishop of the Diocese. There were also present at the conse- cration, the Bev. Ambrose Todd, Hector of St. John's Ohurcb, Stamford, Rev. Jackson Kemper, D. D., Rector of St Paal's Ohurch, Norwalk, and the Rev. Robert Davis, the minister of the Parish. The Rev. Frederick Beasely, of Penn., was also present. Mr. Davies continued in charge of the Ohurch until July, 1834, when he relinquished the cure. On the 9th of September following, the Rev. Joseph H. Nichols, was unanimously invited to the pasto- ral charge of the church ; and having accepted of the call, he entered upon the duties of the cure on the 14th day of the same month. He resigned the pastoral charge in February A. D. 1839. On the 5th of April following, the Rev. Benja- min.M. Yarrington, was called to the pastoral duties of the church. On the 15l3i of the same month he accepted the call, and entered upon the duties on the 27th of the same month. April 20th, 1840, being Easter Monday, after the usual election of church wardens and vestrymen. Ai^Tjasmtyii. 273 the Bev. B. M. Tarrington was unanimously elected the Hector of Christ's Church by the members of his parish, and accordingly signified his acceptance. Ekai^uel Chuboh at Glenville, was consecrated on the 22d of April, 1842, by Eight Eev. Thomas Church Brownell, D. D., LL. D., Bishop of the Diocese. Present, Eev. Ambrose Todd, D. D., Eev. William C. Mead, D. D., Eev. John Purves, Eev. Mr. Howell, Eev. B. M. Tarrington. Also, of Diocese of New York, Eev. Thomas Coit, D. D., Eev. Mr. Harris and Eev. Mr. Partridge. The church erected in 1832, was torn down in 1856, and a beautiful stone edifice was erected. During the year 1856, the services were held at the Methodist Episcopal Church. The following is a correct account of the consecration of the new edi- fice taken mostly from the Churchman, a New York paper : — " This church was consecrated on Wednesday the 14th of January A. D. 1857. There were of the clergy, besides the Eight Eev. the Assistant Bishop of the Diocese, and the Eev. B. M. Yarrington (the Eector), the Eev. Drs. Mead, Todd, and Harris (of New York), and Eev. Messrs. Carter, LeflBingwell, Potter, Purdy, Pnrves, Eobertson, Short, Stimson, Williams (of Eidgefield), Williams (of New Canaan), Vermilye ; and from the Diocese of N. York, Messrs. Bull, Partridge, Eumney, Peck, and Weaver. The day being extremely fine, and the sleighing good, large numbers of the inhabitants of the vicinity, to- gether with many from the neighboring cities and vil- d74 AFpmHZ. lageSy were also present on the occasion ; and the chorch, which is capable of seating nearly six hundred adults, was densely crowded, so much that the nave, aisles, and every other portion of the building where standiug room could be obtained, were quite filled. The Request to Consecrate was read by the Bector, and the Sentence of Oonsecration by Dr. Todd. Morning prayer was commenced by Bev. Mr. Bull, Bev. Mr. Weaver reading the First Lesson, Bev. Mr. Purdy the S^ond Lesson, Bev. Mr. Purves the Greed, Prayers, and Litany, Bev. Mr. Yermilye the Epistles, and the Bev. Mr. Stimson the Oospel. The music was very good, and in the choir were Mrs. Bostwick, of Calvary Church, New York, Miss Juliet Davis, formerly of the same church, but now a member of Bev. Mr. Yarrington's congrega- tion, and Bev. Mr. Biggs of Kew York. The sermon was preached by the Bishop, from the following text: ^The true worshi^perB shall worship the Faih&r in spirit and in i/ruth? — John, iv. 23. " The Offertory waB then proceeded with, the sen- tences being read by the Bector. The offerings amounted to one hundred dollars, which will be applied to the liquidation of a remaining debt on the church of about one hundred dollars. The Prayer of the Whole State of Christ's Church Militant was said by Dr. Mead. The Communion Service was performed by the Bishop, who was as- sisted in administering the Holy Sacrament to the clergy by Dr. Mead ; and the Bector, Dr. Mead, Bev. Mr. Stimson, and Bev. Mr. Yermilye, ad- APPBlfDIX. 375 minstered to the laity. After which the Benedic- tion was pronounced by the Bishop. '* We understand that theEev. Mr. Yarrington has been rector of this parish for the last seventeen years. When he entered upon the charge, he had but one male, and some twenty female communi- cants. He has now, of both sexes, about one hun- dred communicants. And his congregation, though small is full of vigor, as is shown by the fine church they have erected, the whole expense of which, in- cluding -furniture, has been about $15,600. The free-seat system, we learn, will not be fully carried out in this church ; but free seats will be reserved for strangers and for the poor. The style of the edi- fice is middle pointed. The material employed in the construction of the main walls is nibble-stone from quarries in the vicinity; the quoins, the window- jams, the doorways, the dressings, &c., being of Caen stone. The whole length of the building in- cluding chancel, is about one hundred and seven feet ; and the width, including tower and butresses about sixty feet; and consists of chancel, nave, north and south aisles, having a west porch, a tower on the north side at the west end. There is a small gallery at the west end, intended only for the organ and choir. The tower and sacristy occupy positions different from those in most churches, in order that the main entrance shall face the street. The chancel is some seventeen by nineteen feet, and the tower is sixteen feet square. The hight of the tower and spire is about one hundred and seven feet. The 376 APPENDIX. church is capable of seating five hundred and fifty adults. The roof is open, of good pitch, and is covered with slate. In it are dormer-windows, giving it the effect exteriorly of a clerestory. The internal frame-work of roof, nave, arches, pillars, &c., is of pine ; and the panels of the ceiling are plastered. The seats are without doors, and as well as the fumitare are of chestnat. The altar is of good size, and has a handsomely carved panel in front. The pulpit is on the north side against the chancel arch, and the reading-desk occupies the same posi- tion on the south side. The font stands in front of the chancel. It is of small size, constructed of mar- ble, and was used in the old church. The chancel- window is large, and of geometrical tracery. It contains in its four departments, effigies of the four Evangelists with their symbols in very rich glass ; and it also has appropriate symbols in the head of each light. At the west end of the church is a magnificent window. The side lights of the nave, are in couplets with ornamental glass in their heads. This is thought by many to be the finest country church in the State. Mr. Frank Wills is the arch- itect, Mr. Doremus furnished the glass, and IS^icholls & Washbume were the builders." TdbU of Ministers. Ebenezer Dibble, began to preach . . 1747. Amzi Kogers, Robert Davies, Joseph H. Nicholls, " Benj. M.Tarrington, " (( u C( • u • . 1833. a • 1834. u . 1839. APPENDIX. 277 GENEALOGY OF THE MEAD FAMILY, ? BY D.M.MEAD. John Mead was one of two brothers, who emi- grated from England about the year 1642. The family was then an ancient and honorable one, though it is not within the author's means to trace their genealogy previous to their emigration to this country. One of their ancestors had been the friend and the physician of the talented though not very amiable Queen Elizabeth. One of two brothers emigrated to Virginia, where the family still exists. The other, John Mead, with his two sons came to New England about the year 1642. The name is spelled Meade as well as Mead. Many claim that they emigrated from Greenwich, Kent Co., England ; but we have not fallen in with any direct proof of the fact, and this town was known by its present name long before the settlement of the Mead family. John Mead and his two sons, John and Joseph, having tarried awhile in Massa- chusetts, first settled at Hempstead, Long Island, where they remained until October, 1660, when the two sons came to Greenwich and bought land of Richard Crab and others, which was deeded to John 13 « 278 APPENDIX. Mead, he being the elder. Either John, the father, never came to Greenwich* or if so, he look no active part in life, now having become quite an old man. His son Joseph left no children in this town. He may have died young, or left no issue, or may have emigrated to a different part of the country. John Mead the second, died 1696, married Miss Potter, of Stamford, and left, as appears by his will given on the preceding pages of this volume, eight sons, and tradition says threada^ht^rs, viz., John, Joseph, Jonathan, Ebenezer^^^Natnamel, David, Samuel, Abigail, Mary, and Susan or Susannah. John^ the first son of second John, died in 1691, while in the office of Constable of the town. Mar- ried Ruth Hardey, and left John, Kathan, Jonathan, and Elizabeth. (We regret our utter inability to trace this branch of the family farther.) Janathany the third son of second John, had a son Elnatban, who had Elnathan, Eunice, — married Jo- seph Close, — ^and Deborah. Second Elnathan left, I. Elnathan, who had Elnathan and Sarah. This last Elnathan had 1. Hibbard, 2. Solomon, the father of William, Seth, Sarah, Tyler, Charles, Thomas, and Solomon. 3. Tyler, the father of Mary, Hetty, Abel, and Floy. 4. Sarah. II. Henry, married Elizabeth Denton, and left Charlotte, Henry, Artimas, By- theny, Priscilla, Lavinia, and Martha. III. Abra- ham, married Ruth Lyon and left 1. Abram, 2. Esbon, 3. Jotham, 4. Enos, 5. Daniel, 6, Lemuel, 7. Isaac, who married Polly Mead, who left Darius APPENDIX. 279 (married Emily Goodrich and left Samuel G. and four others), Julia Ann, and Lucinda (married Ben- jamin Reynolds). 8. Job, who married Elsie Mead, and left Zaccheus (who married Laura Mead and has Hannah), Abraham (married Miss Selleck and has some children), Amanda, Emmeline, Eliza (married Isaac Lyon). 9. Zebulon, married Miss Marshal and left (married Isaac Mosher), and (married Isaac Babbitt), and Eliza. 10. Manoah, married Electa Mead, and leaves Mary, and Ophelia (married Livingston). 11. Eunice, married first, Solomon Mead, second, Benjamin Weed of North Stamford. 12. Kuth, married Major Brown.^ IV^Steghgn, who had 1. Stephen, who had Jane (married Mr. OuUiver), and Betsey (married Mr. Glover). 2. Israel , who has Jgmfis (married Miss S. Lester, and has Emmeline, James^ Marilda, and Daniel), Alexander (married Harriet Lester, and has Elias, Gordon, Sidney, Angeline, Mary, and Nancy), Alfred (married Marilda Ferris, and has Orlando and Anne), Mary (married Daniel Lester), Israel (married Susan Mead, and has Mary, Albert, Cordelia, Lucian, John A., and Mary L)., Lemuel, (married Hurlbut, and has Henry, Mary, and Ste- phen), Stephen (married Tibitha Mead, and has Asaph E.) and Hiram, who has two children. 3. Ed- ward, who has Edward, Betsey (married Lord), Lu- cinda, and Esther. 4. James, who had Mary (married William Lawrence), and John Wolcott (married Lucinda Wood and has William, Benjamin, Albert, Mary Jane, and Betsey Ann). 5. Amos, had Harvey, / 280 APPSfDlZ. Gilbert, Albert, Amy, and Sarah. 6. Matthias, married Miss Ljon, and left William, Amy, Mark, Lather, Alfred, Orrin, Ennice (married Oreen), and Fanny. 7. Albert, had Hannah, Mary, Malcom, Edmnnd, Sarah, Albert W., Olire, Hannah, Abram, and Nancy. 8. Eanice, married Orra Piatt 9. Wil- liam, married Hannah Barmore, and has Snsan (married Israel Mead, and has Ann and oth^«), Ann (married Abraham H. Close), Mary (married Horace Mead, and has William H., Silas, and Ann Augusta), William Albert (married Ann Barmore, and has Emma, William, Mary, Adalaide, Joseph- ine, and infant). Elizabeth (married Oreen), Henry, Benjamin, Lucian, Hannah (married Brush Knapp), Emily, John Bandolph, Caroline (married Elbert White, of Stamford), and Sarah. 10. Mary, mar- ried Job Brown, of Stamford* Ehenezer^ fourth sonoi second John, was bom in 1663, and married Sarah Knapp, of Stamford, and left Ebenezer, Caleb, Sarah, married Jonathan Hobby, Hannah, married John Hobby, Jabez, David, Abigail, married Isaac Holmes, Snsannah, married Moses Hasted, Jemima, married Moses Knapp. The second Ebenezer was born October 25th, 1692, and died May 3d, 1775. He married Hannah, of Rye, N. Y., on the 12th of December, 1717. His children were — EhenezeTy bom October 8th, 1718, died Feb. 25th, 1758 ; married Mary Mead, and left I. Ebenezer, married Nancy Mead, and left 1. Nancy. 2. Han- APPENDIX. 281 nah. 3. Marilda, married T. Bonghton. 4. £be- nezer married first, Zetta Mead, and second, Elizabeth Holmes, and had bv his first marriage, Eev. Ebenezer (by his first wife, Maria Lester, he had William, died young ; Ebenezer, married in Pennsylvania, calling his oldest son Ebenezer ; and Maria ; — by his second wife, Mary A. Lyman, one son, Theodore), Hannah (married Selah Mead), Almira (married Rev. Mr. Piatt), Emmeline (mar- ried Catru) ; by second marriage, Mary E., Enoch (married in Yermont, and has James. B., and Mary E., with others), Zetta (married Eev. Mr. Day), Nancy died young, Lydia A. died younp, and Theodore H. Mead (married Miss Mead, of Nor- walk). 5. Hannah, married Timothy Walker. 6. Jabez, married Laura Davis, and left Col. Jabez, (married Miss Mary J. Hobby, and left Lucina Ja- nette (married Mr. Seynolds, Harriet B., Herman H., Arthur D., and Edward E). ; Amy, and Martha (married Silas Husted). 7. Amy, married Epenetus Lockwood. II. Hannah, married Elkanah Mead, and left Hannah, Sarah, and Amos. IH. Enoch, died Sept. 18th, 1807, aged 52, married Jemima Mead, who died April 4th, 1837, aged 82. Their children were, 1. Solomon, married Miss Gilbert, and left Mary, Enoch, Gilbert, Laura, and Thurza. 2. Alfred, married Mary Brundage. 3. Thurza, married Joseph Brundage. 4. Laura, married Joel Todd. 5. Henry, died aged 11. 6. Bufus. 7. Nancy. 8. Sarah, who died May 19th, 1754. • 282 APPENDIX. SUaSjHO(md9(mqfwa>nd.Ebme3er^WBB\}oniMAj 22(1, 1720, died 1817, married Mary Mead, who was born 1724, and died 1787. Their children were, I. Silas, bom 1748, and died 1813, married Sarah Mead, and left 1. Sarah, 2. Francis, and 3. Silas Harvey, who married Harriet Mead, and left Sarah M. (married Selah Savage), and Silas D. (married Emily L. Close, and has Myrtilla M., and others). II. Abner, bom 1750, died 1810, without issue. HI. Aaron, married Sarah Mead, daughter of Eliphalet Mead, and left 1. Aaron, of Gross river, married Miss Finch. 2. Allen, of Greenburg, married Mabel Todd. 3. Amos, of Cross river. 4. Anna, married Isaac Seely. 5. Lucinda, married Joseph Banks. 6. Sarah, married Mr. Hoyt. 7. Mary, married Harvey Keeler. IV. Mary. V. Mary. VI. Calvin, married Deborah Mead, daughter of Jehiel Mead, and had, 1. Leander, of Quaker Bidge, married Anna Mead. 2. Luther, of Ohio, married Alice Mead, and had William Martin, Thomas L., Joseph, Thurza and Anna, with others. 3. Thurza, married Mr. Palmer. 4. Myrtilla. 6. Lisetta, married Obadiah Peck. 6. Marcus, married Harriet Sturges, and has William E., Elizabeth S., and' Alice. 7. Eufus, married Anna Waterbury, and has Lucinda, Harriet, Stephen, Catherine, Sarah. 8. Mary Jane. 9. Heman, married Mar- garet West, and has Marcus W. 10. Lucinda. Hev^Ahrahaniy third son of second Ehenezer^ was born June 15th, 1721, and died on Long Island, aged 22. APPENDIX. 283 Jonas^ the fourth son of second EhenezsTy born 1723, died 1783, married j?r«^, Sarah Ferris, second^ Sarah Howe, and left I. Solomon. 11. Edmund, who left 1. Solomon. 2. Maria. 3. Benjamin, married Elizabeth Holmes, and left Edmund, Abi- gail, and others. 4. Obadiah, who married Alia Mead^ and left Benjamin and others. 5. Polly, married Judge Eeed of Bedford. 6. Sarah, married /^ Benjamin Mead. 7. Ralph, married Sarah Holmes. 8. States, married Lydia Mead firsts and second^ widow Hannah Glass, HI. Noah, married Eliza- beth Peck, and having no children, adopted Charles, the son of Deacon Jonas Mead. IV. Rev. Mark, married Hannah Mead, and had 1. Jonas, who married Abigail, daughter of Zenas Mead, and had Isaac L. (married Esther A., daughter of Daniel S. Mead), Emmeline, and Lucretia. 2. Dr. Sylvester Mead, of Wilton. V. Deacon Jonas Mead, married Hannah Mead, and has 1. Charles, married Bachel E. Sackett, and has Sarah A., Whitman S., Mary E., Charles, and others. 2. Hannah, married Ben- jamin Mead, of Eye. 3. Mark, married Deborah Howe, daughter of Jonas Howe. 4. Milo. 5. Sarah. 6. Sarah. R&v. Solomon Mead^ fifth son of second Ehenezer^ removed to South Salem, N. Y., from Greenwich, first pastor of the Presbyterian Church in that place, was born 1725, and died 1812, married firsts Hannah Strong, and second^ Hannah Clark, and left I. Andrew, who married Miss Barton, and had 284 APPENDIX. Thomas, BeDJamin, Alice, Lucy, Hannab, and Maria. II. Theodoeia married Mr. Smith. lU. Clark, of Lewisborough, married Miss Gilbert, and left Merlin, Richard, Bufns, Sopbia, Lanra, Ehoda, and Linns. lY. Martin, of Lewisborongh. Ddiverancej the sixth aan of second Ehenezer^ was bom May 4th, 1728, and died May 3d, 1785, mar- ried Abigail Howe, and had I. Elisabeth bom 1760, and died 1823, married Job. Lyon. 11. Sarah bom 1761, died 1812, married Silas Mead. III. Bacbel, bom 1763, died 1831, married Whitman Mead. lY. Hannah bom 1765, married Joshua Mead, and left Solomon, who married Miss Mary E. Dayton, and has a daughter born Feb. 14tb, 1857. Y. Jabez died young, YL Robert bom 1768, died 1836, married Prudence Mead, and left an only son Ed- ward, who was bora in 1809, and married Susan A. E. Merritt, daughter of Capt. Daniel ^erritt, she being bom in 1814, and left 1. Daniel M., bom June 2d, 1834, married Louisa S., daughter of Thomas A. Mead, bom June 29th, 1834. They were married June 16th, 1856. 2. Mary A., bom July 22d, 1836, married John G. Clark of Bedford, on the 17th of December, 1856. 3. Sarah E. 4. Amelia. 5. Susan C. 6. Catharine M. 7. Robert. 8. Edward W., and 9. Augustus. YII. Huldah, bom Feb. 26th, 1773, still living, married Zophar Mead. YHI. Ephraim, bom in 1775, married Zuba Mead, and left, 1. Mary, married Willis J. Merritt, of Korwalk. 2. Huldah, married Daniel S. Mead. APPENDIX. 285 3. Thnrza died young. 4. Alithea died yoang. 5. Jane, married Elkanah Mead. 6. Isaac H., mar- ried Mary E., daughter of Zophar Mead of New York, and has Ephraim. 7. Elisabeth L. 8. Ophelia died young. 9. Mithea. IX. Jabez Mead, born 1777, died 1839, married Sarah Knapp, and left, 1. Julia B. 2. Mary E., married Balph Sackett. 3. William E., married Miss Sackett, and has several children. X. Zenas Mead, born 1779, married Mary Lashlers, and has 1. Abigail, married Jonas Mead. 2. Lucretia died young. 3. Deborah died young. 4. Henry. 5. Julia, married Isaac Peck. 6. Eliza, married Lock wood P. Clark. 7. Lyman, married Miss Sarah Acker, and has two children. XI. Mary, who was next older than Robert, died young. Dr. AinoSy the seventh son of second Ehenezer^ married Miss Euth Bush. Their children were, I. Eichard, married, first, Sarah Mead ; second, Rachel Mead, who left, 1. Thomas A., who married Hannah Seaman, of New York, and has Louisa S. (married Daniel M. Mead), Thomas R., Seaman, Abigail R., Elisabeth H., Adelia, Zophar, and Lucinda P. 2. R. Elisabeth, married George Webb. 3. Sarah A., married Joseph Brush of Coscob. By his jBrst wife Richard had Sophia, married Mr. Demill. 11. Thomas, who died at the commencement of the Revolutionary War. Edmundy the eighth son of second Ebenezer^ was born 1732, sailed for the West Indies, October 25th, 1755, and was never afterwards heard from. 286 APPEKDIX. Hannah, the first daughter of second Ehenezer was born 1735, and died June 25th, 1757, aged 22 years. Jabezy the ninth son of second Ebenezer was bom in 1737, March 3d, and died September Uth, 1766. Jaredj the tenth son of second Ehenezer was bom December 15tb, 1738, married Ljdia Smith, and left, I. Zetta, n^arried Ebenezer Mead. II. Daniel S., married Rachel Mead, and left, 1. Daniel S., who married Hnldah, daughter of Ephraim Mead, and left Esther A. (married Isaac L. Mead), Ophelia, Daniel S., Oliver, Abrara, Hnldah, and others. 2. Jerad, married Miss Watson from Maine, and left several children. His sloop was run into by a steamboat, opposite Butter Hill on the Hudson, and he with all his crew were drowned. 3. Zetta. 4. L. Delia. 5. Elisabeth, tnarried, first, Mr. Odle, second, David B. Mead. 4. Adeline died young. 5. Edwin, married Miss Reynolds, of Bedford. 6. Silas M., who married Miss Elathea Reynolds, of North Street, and has some children. III. Lydia, married Mr. Lockwood. IV. Alma. V. Hannah, married Deac. Jonas Mead. VI. Jerad, married Anna Armstrong, and leaves Ammi A. VH. Alvan, married Eliza Peck, and has Ralph P., of California, who married a lady there. Warren B. do. do. Cornelia G., who married Mr. White, of California. Melancthon W., and Elam C. Abraham,, eleventh son of second Ehenezer, born December 14th, 1742, died in 1827 or 8, married Keziah Howe, and left, I, Deborah. 11, Zophor, r APPENDIX. 287 married Hnld^h Mead, and left 1. Abram. 2. Amelia, married Isaac Lyon. 3. Louisa, married Mr. StaflEbrd. 4. Oliver. 5. Esther. 6. Sarah. 7. Mary E. lU. Isaac, married Glarinda Mead^ and left Augustus, who married Sarah Husted. lY. Oliver, and several other children of Abraham Mead, who died young. A large number of the family trace back their origin to Mr. Titus Mead, though it is not exactly determined who his father was ; he was a nephew to the second Ebenezer. His children were — I. Andrew, who married Amy Hobby, and had Lucy M., who married Titus Mead, grandson of 1st Titus. II. Titus married Eunice Hobby, and had — 1. Delia, married Obadiah Mead. 2. Hobby, married Miss Wood. 3. Sophia, married Philander Mead, and has Philander, Sophia (married Hobby), Charlotte, Edward, Nelson. 4. Ann. 5. Shadrach, married Miss Waite, and has Ann Maria, Cordelia, Titus, Swain, Waite, and Lyden. 6. Sarah. 7. Andrew, married Miss Waite, and has — ^Mary, James, Joseph, Julia and Philander. 8. Fanny, married Mr. Green. 9. Martin, married Miss Waite. 10. Titus, married Lucy M. Mead. 11. Eliza, married Mr. Peck. 12. Charlotte, married Mr. Seaman. 13. Eunice, mai'- ried Mr. Young. III. Jabez, married Elizabeth Hobby, and has — ^Augustus married Miss Mead, Bethia married Higley, Hiram married , Har- riet married Lake, Annice married Lake, Nancy married Legget, A^T^^ married , Edwin mar- 288 AFFXNDIZ. ried Miss Chandler. lY. Sbadracb, married Miss Hobby. V. Hardy, married Bacbel Brown, and had — Alice, Eliza, William, Rachel, Sarah, Andrew, and Amy. YI. Ira, married Nancy Marshall. YII. Kachel, married Reuben Green. YIII. Sarah, mar- ried Jasper Mead. Caleb Mead was the second son of the First Ehenezer. He left — I. Elkanab, married Hannah Mead, and left — 1. Hannah, married D. Hnsted. 2. Sarah, married Benjamin Smith. 3. Amos, who married first Alice Belcher, and second Mary Purdy, and left Edgar died young ; Elkanah (married Jane, daughter of Ephraim Mead, and has Catharine L., and others), Stephen Waring (married Miss Mackay, and left one child), Catharine (married Wm. L. Lyon), Sarah (married Amos M. Brush), Evelina married (Stephen Howe, of Bedford), Mary P. (mar- ried John G. Clark, of Bedford). II. Jonah, mar- ried ^r«^ Mary Mead, second Rachel Husted, and third Hannah Mead. By his first wife^ he had, 1. Rachel, married Daniel Close. 2. Lot. 3. Drake, died young. 4. Mary, married Andrew Hubbard. By his second wife^ Electa married Manoah Mead, and Zuba married Ephraim Mead. By his last wife^ 1. Drake, married Mies Enapp, and has Cornelius, and William J. (married Miss Eate Carroll). 2. Hannah. IH. Abel, who had Zadok, Benjamin, Phebe, Lucy, and Fanny. lY. Jemima. Y. Deborah, married Jehiel Mead, and had, 1, Deborah. 2. Jehiel, who left Lewis, Henry, Wil- APPENDIX. 289 liam, Mary, Mary Ann, and Handford. VI. Stephen. VII. Zadok. VIIL* Rebecca. IX. Han- nah. X. Mary, married Jabez Peck. XI. Ca- leb, married Miss Hobby, and had Rachel, A.my, Huldah, Hannah, Elizabeth, Caleb (who had Har- vey), Fanny married Selleck, Hanford, Charlotte married Selleck, Mills H., Samuel, and Joseph. B&njcmhin^ fifth son of second John^ left a son Benjamin, who had, I. Benjamin, whose children were, 1. Mary. 2. Anna, married fi/rst David Mead, second James Baily. 3. Theodosia, married Edmund Mead. 4. Obadiah, killed during the Revolutionary War, said to have been engaged to be married to Charity Mead. 5. Phebe, married Jehiel Mead. H. Thaddeus,. who left, 1. Edward Mead, of Somers, married a Miss Finch, and left Squire Mead, John, Elizabeth (married Henry Lane), Anna (married James Banks), Clarissa (mar- ried Mead Sutherland), Sarah (married David Hor- ton), and Hannah. 2. Ebenezer^ married Abigail Chapman, and had Harvey (married Amy Brown), Whitman, Solomon (married Nancy Ferris), and Edward. 3. Amaziah, married Miss Jessup, and has William and others. 4. Benjamin, left Solo- mon. 5. Sarah, married Stephen Sutherland. 6. Mary, married Noah Lyon. 7. Martha, married Andrew Quick. 8. Tamar, married Benjamin Jes- sup. III. Sylvanus, who had, 1. Whitman, mar- ried Rachel Mead, and left Mary (married John Sackett), Zophar (married Miss Martha Seaman, and left Araminta, Mary Elizabeth married Isaac 290 APPENDIX. H. Mead, and Sarah A), Whitman (married Grace Cornell, and left Grace married Cornelius Minor, and Henrietta, who died young). 2. Piatt, who mar- ried Dehorah Peck, and had Sackett, Syl vanus, Sarah (married John Bobbins), Hannah (married Daniel Peck), Gideon, Nathan, and Harriet (married Brad- ley Redfield). 3. Gideon, who married Mary Miller, and left Underbill, Mary, and Maria. 4. Asel, mar- ried Anne Mead, and had Martin (who had Alva, John, Amaziab, and Asel), Henry (who had Wil- liam H., and David), Levi (who has Joseph and others), Mary (married Mr. Baily), and Hannah. IV. Gideon, left Gideon. V. Edward. VI. WH- liam, who had William, Abigail, and Anne. VII. Benjamin, left Margaret, married Hon. Nathan Kockwell, Elizabeth, married Brown, of Somers, Sarah, married Joshaa Peck, Mary, married Sylva- nus Ferris, Kachel, married Caleb Lyon, jun. Vni. Sarah. IX. Elizabeth, married Theophilus Peck. X. Eeziab, born February 1707, died in the latter part of 1808, married Isaac Howe. XI. Eliphalet, born 1708, died 1796, left, 1. Eliphalet, born 1738, died 1808, married Miss Anne , and left Anne, and Darius who married Hannah Feck, and left Anne (married Leander Mead), Alia (mar- ried Obadiah Mead), Huldah, Alva (married Jane Arundel, and had Samuel £., Hannah E., Samuel £., Leander, Hannah E., and Mary £), and Adelia. 2. Jehiel, married Deborah Mead. 3. Jesse, mar-r ried I^achel Knapp, and left Jesse (married Mii^a APPENDIX. 291 Compton, and had William, Elizabeth, and George), Elizabeth (married Daniel Van Vard), Rachel (married Richard Dyckman), Rebecca, and Dimious (married Richard Loyd). 4. Abigail, born 1717, died 1796. 5. Libeus, married ^5^, Hannah Ben- edict, and second^ Widow Pocock, and has, Eli, Martin, Jared, Hannah, Abby, Clarissa, Eliphalet, Sarah, and Sibah. 6. Eli, married Deborah firosh, and has Polly, Obadiah, Orson, Hannah, and Cyn- thia. 7. Sarah, married Aaron Mead. 8. Nancy, married Ebenezer Mead. 9. Rachel, married Ben- jamin Knapp. Xn. Rachel, by second wifo. XHI. Obadiah, had Phebe and Mary. XIV. Zebediah, left Henry, born 1754, Hannah, bom in 1755, Lydia, bom in 1757, and Levi, born in 1761. XV. Nehemiah, left, 1. Lucy, married Isaac Howe. 2. _ m Sarah, married Richard Mead. 3. Rachel, mar- ried Charles Weed. 4. Nehemiah, married Miss Richards, and left Samnel(who left a daughter, Eliza- beth Stillson), William H. (who married Abby Jane Mead), James, Sarah, Laura (who married Zaccheus Mead), and Caroline. 5. Clarinda, who married Isaac Mead, and left Augustus. 6. Bethiel, who married Stephen Davis. Nathaniel^ the sixth son of the John who hought land in Greenwich^ had, I. Gen. John, who left John, the father of Seth, Walter, Hipsibeth mar- ried J. Simmons, and Alice married Peter Mead. 11. Capt. Matthew, had, 1. Matthew, who left Matth^w^ Cleinence (marrie4 Ralph RitQb), Hcmnah 292 (married H. Merritt), JtutuB (married Nancy Han- ford and has Joseph, Jostns, Matthew, Andrew J., Elipbalet and three others), Maryj TJumiaSy AmaSy William (married Eliza Lawrence, and has Jane Eliza, and others), and Hdblby. 2. Justus had Susan (married Lewis Eldridge), Bush, Walter, James, Joseph (married Mary Taylor, and has Louisa, Joseph G., Mary D., James H., Samuel B., Ara- bella, and others), Rebecca (married Drake Mar- shall), Anne (married John Graft), and William, who died young. 3. Bush had Matthew (married Polly Ray, formerly Miss Marshall, and has two children), Eliza (married Harry Ferris), Susan (married - John Matthews), Sophia A. (married Joseph E. Russel, Esq.), Bothena (married Capt. Galeb Holmes), William Henry (married Miss Per- melia Ray, and has John and George). IIL Na- thaniel, left, 1. Jaspar, the father of Bush. 2. Na- thaniel. 3. William, married and left John^ Gilbert, NatJianielj William, Charity, Hannah, and Mary. 4. Charity. 6. Rachel. 6. Betsey- 7. Anna. Nd- thanidj the grandson of jGirst Nathaniel, married Prudence Wood, of Long Island, and had, I. Epen- etus. n. Nathaniel, who married Miss Brown, and left Nehemiah, Nathaniel, William, Tyler, Epene- tus, Walter, Harvey, &c. HI. Joshua, who mar- ried, 1st, , 2d, Hannah Mead, and left, 1. Prudence, who married Robert Mead, and left Ed- ward. 2. Polly, married Isaac Mead, and left Rev. Darius (who married Miss Goodrich, and left APPENDIX. 293 Samuel G., and others), and Lucinda (married Ben- jamin Keynolds, Esq.). 3. Jonathan, who moved with his children, Horace, Samnel B., Albert and others, to Hancock Co., Illinois. 4. Joshua, of Roundhill, who married Miss Mary , and left Selah^ married Zetta Mead, Harmahj Rachd^ and Elmira. 6. Darius, a physician living on the brink of Putnam's Hill, married Miss Lydia Bel- cher, and left, Robert W. (married Clarissa Shel- don), Zalmon (married Miss Scribner, and leaves Frederick B., Mary A., and one other), Frederick (married Miss Scribner, and has some children), Julia (married Philander Button, Esq.), and Henry W. 6. Rachel Mead, married Daniel S. Mead. 7. David, married Miss Chloe , and left, Leon- ard (married Miss Frances Studwell, and left two or three children), Theodore, Robert (married in Ohio), David W. (married in Ohio), Clarissa, and Rachel. IV. David, married Anna Mead. V. Israel. VI. Halsey. VII. Jonathan, married Miss Lyon. VIII. Hannah, married Mr. Wheeler. IX. Dimny, married Thaddeus Husted. X. Theo- dosia, married Benjamin Close. XI. Robert. XH. Daniel S. XIH. Isaac. We regret that in the haste with which this part of the family genealogy has been prepared, we have not time to correct and extend the number and names of the descendants of JoBhua the ihi/rd son of the third Nathaniel, and also of his brothers. Their descendants may, however, easily trace it for 294 APFKNDDL themselves, as it is not a great length of time since the children of this Nathaniel were some of them alive. Theaatbor would recommend such branches of the family to write out distinctly their genea- logy upon the blank leaves hereinafter provided for the purpose. Samuel^ the seventh eon of the John who hought land here^ or eecond John^ left, I. Peter, who had, 1. Peter, who had Mary, Peter, Deborah, Lnckner, Anna and Sandford (who married Cynthia Hnsted, and has Alexander, Hannah, Maria, William H. H., and others). 2. Zacchens had Msie (who mar- ried Job Mead, and had Zaccheus married Laura Mead, Amanda, Abraham married Miss Selleck, Emmeline, and Eliza married Isaac Lyon), Hannah married Rev. Mark Mead. U. Zaccheus. III. Sam- uel, who left Charlotte, Henry, Artemas, Betheny, Priscilla, Lavinia, Martha. Arme. sa. a chev. between three pelicans, or. vulned. gu. The author, in collecting the above genealogy, has been especially assisted by a manuscript found in the possession of Titus Mead, Esq., and a collec- tion in the appendix of Bolton's History of West- chester county, vol. ii. APPENDIX. 295 GENEALOGY OF THE PECK FAMILY.^ BY DARIUS PECK, E8<>, OF HUDSON, N. Y. WITH REMABKS BT THE AUTHOB. The great portion of the Peck family of this country are descended from William Peck, a merchant of England, who was born about the year 1600, died October 4:th, 1694. His second wife was named Sarah. He is said to have been one of the company of Eaton, Davenport, and others, who emigrating from London, England, or its vicinity, arrived at Boston on the 26th of July, 1637, and became the first settlers and planters at New Haven in the spring of 1638. He was chosen deacon of the church there in 1659, and was long known as Deacon William Peck of New Haven. His children were : I. Kev. Jeremiah Peck, born in England in 1623, and died at Waterbury, June 7tb, 1699. He mar- ried /r«^ Johannah Batch ell at Guilford, November 12th, 1656. He was a man of good education. Taught school at Guilford in 1656, and was teacher in the Grammar and Colony School at New Haven 296 APPSHBIZ. daring 1660 and 1661. Became a minister of the congregational order, and began to preach at Say- brook in the fall of 1661, and continned to preach there until 1665, when he removed to Gnilford, and in 1666, or 1667 removed to Newark, New Jersey, with many others, who were dissatisfied with the union of the colonies of New Haven and Gonnec- ticnt; then being also a joint owner, and patentee with other associates, of a large tract of land at Elizabethtown, N. J. In 1672, he became one of the twenty-seven proprietors of common lands in Greenwich, Conn., which was confirmed to the pro- prietors by Gov. Treat in 1697. He continued to reside at Newark and Elizabethtown until 1678 ; when he received a call to preach in Greenwich. Here he preached until dismissed for refusing to countenance the doctrine of half-way covenant, in 1689. He then received a call to preach at Water- bury, where, as at Greenwich, he became their first settled pastor. His widow was living there in 1711. His children were, 1. Samuel, born at Guilford, Jan. 18th, 1669, died at Greenwich, April 28th, 1696 ; married Buth Ferris and left Samuel, Jere- miah, Joseph, David, Nathaniel, Eliphalet, Theo- philus, Peter, Richard, of whom an account is given below. 2. Ruth, born at New Haven, April Sd, 1661, married Jonathan Atwater, of New Haven, on the Ist day. of June, 1681. She had ten children, born between 1682 and 1698. 3. Caleb, the father of a great part of the family APPENDIX. 297 lining in Greenwich, had Bev. Jeremiah's home lot and other rights in land here. 4. Anne, married Thomas Stanley, of Farmington, in 1690, where she afterwards resided. 5. Jeremiah, who was a farmer at Waterbury, where he married Rachel Richards, and died in 1752. He was there the constable for a series of years, and Deputy to the General Oonrt, as well as Deacon of the Northbnry Church. He had one son, Jeremiah, beside nine daughters. 6. Joshua, who was also a farmer at Waterbury, and died unmarried on the 14th of February, 1736. II. John, the second son of William Peck, mar- ried Mary Moss, of New Haven, on the 3d of No- vember, 1664. He first resided at New Haven, where four of his children were born, until 1689, when he removed his family to Wallingford. HI. Joseph, born at New Haven in 1641, after- wards settled in Lyme, Conn. IV. Elisabeth, born also at New Haven, married Samuel Andrews, and had a very numerous family. Samuel tTie son of the first Samtiel, was bom at Greenwich in 1688, where he died in middle life. He left three children, I. Samuel, who was born April, 1720, at Greenwich, married Mary Ferris, and died Jan. 29th, 1793. Was known as Deacon Samuel Peck. II. John, who married Sarah Adams, and died in 1771. His widow died in 1815, at the residence of her son Abijah, at Clifton Park, N. Y. The children of John were, 1. John, born Nov. 12th, 1742, at Greenwich, married Sarah Northrop, 298 APPSNDnr. and removed his family from Greenwich in 1772 to Nine-Partners, now Milan, Dntchess Co., New York. Afterwards, be removed from thence to Sherbonme, and soon after (in 1794) to Norwich, Chenango Co., where he died Sept. 19th, 1819. He had ten chil- dren, two of whom died in infancy, and the others had large families. The three oldest of these were bom in Greenwich, and the others in Dutchess Co. He was a continental soldier in the Kevolntionary War. 2. Hetb, bom in Greenwich, married Kachel Boselle, and was shot by a Tory in the Kevolntion- ary "War. 3. Nathan, bom also in Greenwich, was drowned in Long Island Sound. 4. Abijah, bom in Greenwich, April 3d, 1758, was a clergyman, married Mindwell Close, and died Nov. 12th, 1848, at Clifton Park, New York. He was in the army during several campaigns in the Bevolutionary War. After the war, he resided at North Salem, Westchester county, until 1784, when he removed to Galaway, Saratoga county, and in 1794 removed to Clifton Park, in the same county, where he re- sided at his decease. He was ordained a minister in 1801, and left four sons and four daughters, all of whom married and had children. 5. Sarah, bom in Greenwich in 1750, married Wilson North- rop, and died at Clifton Park, Saratoga county, Feb. 28th, 1841. 6. Abigail, bom in Greenwich, married Alexander Baird, and died in Herkimer county. New York. 7. Euth, bom in Greenwich, married William Kinch, and died at Tinmansburgh, APPENDIX. 299 N. T. 8. Elisabeth, born in Greenwich, married Joseph Young, and died at Otsego, N. Y. III. Ruth^ daughter of the second 8wmAid^ born in 1724, in Greenwich, married Nehemiah Haight, and died Sept. 3th, 1807. Her husband was the first Deacon of Stanwich Church, Jeremiah^ the second son of first Samud^ was born in Greenwich, 1690. Joseph^ the third son of fi/rst Samuel^ was born in Greenwich, 1690. Davidj thefov/rth son of fi/rst Scmiuel^ was born in Greenwich in 1694. Naihcmid^ the fifth son of fi/rst Somiuel^ was bom in Greenwich in 1697. Settled in Old Greenwich, though some say Flushing, L. I. Miphalety the sixth son of first Samuel^ was born in Greenwich in 1699. He settled and died in Greenwich. TheophiluSy the seventh son of first Samuel^ was born in Greenwich in 1701. He lived in Green- wich. He early removed from Old Greenwich to Pecksland, where he had twelve children, six sons and six daughters. The locality took its name from him. Peter ^ the eighth son of fi/rst Samuel^ was born and lived in Greenwich. His descendants mostly live at Glenn's Falls, New York. Richard^ the ninth son of fi/rst Samuel^ was born in Greenwich, but his descendants live at Flush- ing, L. I. 300 APPENDIX. From the above, the author presumes that every member of the family may trace their Genealogy with entire accuracy. Many facts relating to indi- viduals of this family, may be found upon the pre- ceding pages of this volume. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE or THX REVEREND JEREMIAH PECK,' BT DARIUS PECK, ESQ., OF HUDSON, N. T. Rev. JEBfeMiAH Peck was bom in London, En- gland, about the year 1623, and was the oldest son of William Peck, a merchant ; and in 1637, at the age of about fifteen years, emigrated to this country with his father, who was one of the first settlers of the New Haven colony in the spring of 1638, and for many years a deacon of the church at New Haven, Conn. He was a man of good education, acquired in part before he left England, and per- fected in this country. His name is contained in a list of Connecticut ministers, in the Magnalia of Cot- ton Mather, and be is noticed in the Genealogical Register of Farmer; and both mention him as hav- APPENDIX. 301 ing been a graduate of Harvard College ; but, though he may hare been and probably was a student, he was not a graduate of that institution. Little is known of his early history until 1656, when he taught school in Guilford, Conn., where on the 12th of November of that year he married Joannah, a daughter of Robert Kitchell, one of the first princi- pal planters of that town. His oldest sou, Samuel Peck, was born there, January 18, 1659. He con- tinued his school at Guilford until October, 1660, when, having been appointed the previous June of that year, he became the teacher of the Grammar school at New Haven. This was a colony school ; and in it were taught Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Young men were fitted for college, and it was attended by young men from other colonies. He continued the teacher of this school until the fall of 1661 ; when, becoming a congregational minister, he commenced preaching occasionally to the people at Saybrook, Conn., whose minister, the Rev. James Fitch, had the previous year removed to Norwich, Conn. In the spring of 1662, he was settled at Saybrook. In 1664 there was some dis- satisfaction with his ministry there ; and he gave them liberty to procure a successor, offering to yield his claim under their agreement of settlement, if the cause of religion could thereby be promoted. His address on the subject to the inhabitants and plant- ers of Saybrook evinces a warm heiart, a proper ap- preciation of the sacred duties of his profession, and 14 802 APFBNBIX. a Christian reflignation to the will of Providence and the desireB of his people ; but it does not appear that there was then any action in the matter. He was the owner of considerable real estate at Say- brook, and seems to have had a partiality for that species of property. In the year 1664, he, with several others, principally from Long Island and Oonnecticnt, purchased of the Indians a large tract of land in New Jersey, lying on the sound separat- ing that State from Staten Island, and between the Baritan and Passaic rivers. The purchase was confirmed to him and seventy-eight others by let- ters patent, dated October 28, 1664, from Bichard Kichols, the first English colonial governor under the Duke of York. This tract embraces several towns in Essex and Middlesex counties, New Jer- sey ; and, the city of Elizabethtown being located upon it, was then and still is known as ^^ Elizabeth- town" and " Elizabethtown Grant," and its purchasers and patentees as the ^' Elizabethtown Associates." He continued to discharge his official duties at Say brook until sometime in 1665, when he removed with his family to Guilford, being succeeded at Say brook early in 1666 by Rev. Thomas Bucking- ham. No reliable account is found of the time and place of his ordination. Trumbull and Farmer both state it to have taken place, August 26, 1669, at Waterbury, Connecticut ; but that town was not then settled, nor was he then a resident of Connec- ticut. He was probably ordained at Saybrook dur- APPENDIX. 303 ing his ministry there ; of which, however, there is no direct eyideocei but mach incidental evidence of his having been ordained prior to his removal from Saybrook to Guilford, in 1665. By the union of church and state in the colonies, up to about this period, Oongregationalism had be- come the established religion. All civil as well as ecclesiastical power was vested in the church ; and, especially in the New Haven colony, none could be freemen, hold o£Bce, or vote, but members of the church in full communion. The New Haven colony had been included in the charter granted to Con- necticut by Charles H. in 1662. By this charter the right of voting, holding office, and other civil immunities were not restricted to church members ; and many of the leading ministers and inhabitants of the New Haven colony were violently opposed to any union with Connecticut under the charter, believing that it would mar the purity and order of their churches, and have a bad influence on their civil government. After a powerful but unsuccess- fal resistance of about three years, the union of the two colonies was finally effected in 1665 ; but many were so irreconcilably hostile to the union that they resolved to emigrate from the colony. Among them was Rev. Jeremiah Peck, who, with his father-in- law, Robert Kitchell, and others of Guilford, Rev. Abraham Pierson (afterwards minister at Green- wich, &c.), and most of his church and congrega- tion of Branford, and many other prominent indi- 804 APPXRBIZ. vidoals of Milford and New Haven, in 1666 entered into a ^ Plantation Covenant " preparatory to a re- moval to Newark, N. J., providing " for the main- tenance of the pnritj of religion professed bj the Congregational Chnrches," and also that their civil aflairs should " be carried on according to God and godly government," and as thej had heretofore been in the New Haven colony. Bev. Jeremiah Peck probably did this the more readily from his then owning lands at Elizabethtown, in the imme- diate neighborhood of the intended settlement. He removed to Newark, N. J., in the spring of 1666, and resided there and at Elizabethtown until 1678. No evidence is found of his having been a settled minister in New Jersey. In 1670 he was invited by the people of Woodbridge, N. J., to become their pastor ; but he did not accept their call. The first settlement of the town of Greenwich, Conn., was made in 1640, on lands purchased of the Indians lying east of the Myanos river, a navigable stream, running southerly through the center of the town into Long Island Sound, the Indians still re- taining the title to that part of the town lying west of the Myanos, and between it and the Byram. In 1672 this tract was purchased of the Indians by twenty-seven proprietors, of whom was Rev. Jere- miah Peck, the title to which was confirmed to them by Governor Treat in 1697. At the time of this purchase he resided in New Jersey, and during the whole period of his residence there, serious con- APPENDIX. 805 flicts and yiolent civil commotioDS often occurred from the demand of qnitrent from the associates in the Elizabethtown purchase, of whom he was one, in behalf of the proprietors. Lord Berkely and Sir Oeorge Cartaret, against which the associates set up their title deriyed from the Indians. In this dis- turbed state of affairs, in connection with his pur* chase at Greenwich in 1672, he had a sufficient mo- tive for a removal from Elizabethtown. His visits to Greenwich to look after his land there led to a call, in 1676, by the people of that town to settle with them in the ministry, which, however, was not accepted by him ; but in 1678 he had another call from them, which he accepted ; and removing late in the fall of that year from Elizabethtown to Greenwich, he became the first settled minister of that town. Previous to this time the town had only had oc- casional supplies. His pastorate there was a very useful one, continuing until 1689 ; but he did not escape the agitation and disturbance, then not un- common in other churches, occasioned by the intro- duction of what was called " Half -way Covenant^^ allowing of the baptism of children of non-commu- nicants. Agreeing with the Rev. Mr, Davenport, President Ohauncey, and many other leading minis- ters of that day, he was decidedly opposed to the decree of the synods of 1667 and 1662 to that effect. His refusal to conform to it was the cause of considerable dissatisfaction in the minds of a 306 AFPENDIX. minoiitj of his church and congregation^ which (7 ) induced him, in 1689, to accept the unanimous in- vitation of the reaidentB of Waterburj, Conn., to settle with them in the ministry. He removed from Oreenwich to Waterbury the same year, and became the settled minister of the church at Water- bury on its organization in 1691, and continued his official duties there until a short period before his death, which occurred June 7, 1699.* He appeared to have had considerable talents, energy, and enterprise, and though largely interested in lands in New Jersey and Connecticut, was a man of great usefulness, both as a teacher and clergy- man, in his day and generation. BRUNDIG FAMILY. The inhabitants of Oreenwich bearing this name are descended from one John BrondUh or Brandig^ who was one of the first proprietors of Manursing Island and Bye Neck, in 1662. His sons were John, Joseph, Daniel, and Joshua. BUSH FAMILY. Justus Bvsh in 1737 was one of the proprietors of Bye. His wife was named Anne. His sons were named Bemardus, Henry, and Abraham. * He eune to Boston in the ship Hector, June 26, 1687. APPENDIX. 307 Though Henry's descendants, many of them, live in Greenwich, the author has been unable, in the haste with which this was collected, to fully trace them. Abraham married Ruth daughter of Gilbert Lyon, and had — 1. Abraham, who left William, of King street, the father of William S., Andrew L., Hobart, and Newberry. 2. Gilbert, 3. Anne, married Jon- athan Fisher. 4. Sarah, married Thomas Theall. 5. Elizabeth, married Ezra Wetmore. 6. Bebecca, married Daniel Merritt. CLOSE FAMILY. This family are quite numerous at the present day. They were settled (Bolton's Hist. Westches- ter Co., vol. ii.) formerly at Langsley, near Mac- clesfield, England, A. D. 1486. The word Cloughes, now contracted into Clowes and Close, is an old Saxon word, and signifies a cliff or cleft in a valley between high hills. Thomas Close removed to Greenwich in or about 1661. He had four sons, Thomas, Joseph, Benjamin, and John. From the second of these, viz., Joseph^ the family at North Salem claim their descent. He was bom in 1674, removed to North Salem in 1749 and died in 1786. Before he removed from"* Green- wich, he lived near the present residence of Jona- than A. Close. He married Bebecca Tompkins, who died in 1761. Their children were — 1. Joseph, ^ 2. Elizabeth, 3. Solomon, 4. Sarah, 5. Eacbel, 6. Thomas, 7. Benjamin, and S.Bebecca. Solomon, the second son of this Joseph^ was born 308 APPENDIX. Jnne SSd, 1706, and died 1788, aged 82. He mar- ried Deborah Brash and had ten children, yiz. : I. Solomon, of North Salem, who left — ^1. Mrs. Fad - dock, 8. Phebe, married Epenetns Wallace, a phy- sician of North Salem. U. Nathaniel, of North Salem, born 1732, and died in 1773 and left — 1. Nathaniel. 2. Jesse. 8. Isaac. 4. Deborah, who married Thomas Chapman. 5. Rachel. 6. Sarah. 7. Matilda. III. Deborah. lY. Hannah. y. Rev. John Close, of North Salem, a graduate of Princeton, and bom in 1737, and died in 1813. He was preaching at New Windsor in 1792. He married a Miss Weeks, from Long Island, and left two daughters, who liye at Water- ford, New York, where their father died. VI. Sa- rah. YIL Jesse, who died at Half Moon Point, on the 29th of June, 1758, aged 17, while in the military service of the colony. VHI. Rev. Da- vid Close, a Presbyterian minister of Paterson, N. J. He suffered much in the Bevolutionary war. He was a graduate of Yale, and died in the town of Paterson, in Putnam county, in 1783, aged 41. IX. Bev. Tompkins Close was a Presbyterian min- ister, and died, aged 27, at Fishkill, on the 26th of September, 1770. X. Mindwell, who married Elizabeth Mead, and died on October 22d, 1762. Senjamin, the third son of the Thomas who emi- grated to Greenwich, had nine children — ^towit: Benjamin, Martha, Elizabeth, Beuben, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Samuel married Miss Mead, Mary, and Nathaniel. APPBNDIZ. 309 Samudy the seventh son of Benjamin, married Miss Mead and had eight children — to wit: Samuel, who died while engaged in the Eevolationary war, Elnathan, an active partisan in the war, Henry M. Close married Eosina Brandage, Benjamin, Jona- than, Daniel, Hannah married Peter Mead, and Deborah married Zacchens Mead. Hevmi M Close, the third son of Samuel^ married Bosina Brandage, and had Samnel, an only son. Samuel, son of Henry M. Close, for more than twenty years the Town Clerk of the town of Green- wich, married Eliza Hobbie, and left — 1. George W. Close, who married Miss Esther Smith, daugh- ter of Col. Smith, of Long Island, and has Samuel, George W., Esther, Caroline, and one other. 2. Be- becca is the daughter of Samuel. THE CUBTIS FAMILY. BT J. B. oubtis, esq. William Cv/rtia embarked in the ship Lion, June 22d, 1632, and landed December 16th of the same year, in the eighth year of the reign of Charles I., at Scituate, Massachusetts. He brought with him four children, Thomas, Mary, John, and Philip, and shortly afterwards another son, named William, was bom. William the f/rst removed from Scituate to Boxbury, with his family, from whence John, Wil- liam, and their mother removed to Stratford, Conn., where the moiher died in 1665. 2d. Coi{pt. WUliam Owrtis (his name is speUed 310 APPSHDIX. Oortice), was a man of high Btanding in Connecti- cut. He was a member of the General Court ten or twelve years, from Stratford, often a Commis- sioner or Justice of the Peace, and from year to year appointed on committees of importance, in various parts of the colony. He was appointed Kov, 23d, 1673, Captain of the forces raised in Fairfield to serve against the Dutch at New Am- sterdam, now New York. In October, 1675, he was appointed by the General Court, Captain of the sixty men to be raised in Fairfield County, to serve in King Philip's war, with power to appoint his inferior officers. In May, 1676, he was appointed with Mr. Samuel Sherman, Commissioner for Strat- ^ford and Woodbury. He died at Stratford, Dec. * 2l8t, 1702. His will bears date Dec. 16th, 1702, by which it appears he had eight children, Daniel, Ebenezer, Zachariah, Josiah, Joshua, Sarah, Eliza- beth, and Jonathan. 3d. Capt. Jtmah Owrtis^ lived and died at Strat- ford, 1746. His children were William, Josiah, Abraham, Benjamin, Peter, Matthew, Charles, Abigail, Eunice, Mary, and Mehitable. 4th. Beryamin was bom Dec. 25th, 1704, and died July 28th, 1783. He, with his brothers Josiah and Matthew, settled at Newtown, and Benjamin there had sons Nehemiah and Benjamin. 6th. Benjcmim^ had sons by his 1st wife, Philo and Benjamin. By his 2d wife be had Epenetus and Divine, APPENDIX. 811 6th. PhUoj had sons Nichols, Carlos and Philo. and daughters Fatima, Hnldah, P0II7, and Betsey. 7th. Nichda Gv/rtiB was bom in 1784, and died in April, 1852. His children were, Charlotte N. , bom June 1820, and Julius B. Curtis, bom Dec. 10th, 1826. The lattei- removed to Greenwich, Conn., where he now resides, having married Miss Mary Acker. Arms. Az. a chev. dancett6e btw. three mural coronets, or. crest a lion sejant ppr. supporting with his dexter foot a shield of the arms. Motto — Sepere et aude. DAYTON FAMILY. Da/oid Dayton came to Greenwich from Long Island in the latter part of the eighteenth century. A brother came with him named Jacob, who never married. Damd^ married Elizabeth Osborne, and had, 1. Betsey, married Jonah Brundage. 2. Jacob, married Sarah Brown, and had Samuel B. Dayton (who married Mary E. Husted, and has Mary E. Day- ton). 3. Sarah Dayton, married William E. Wood. 4. David Dayton, married Elizabeth Brush, and had John Dayton (who married Matilda Selleck, and has Mary Francis). Sa/rah Dayton (married George Selleck), Cha/rlesy Eenry^ Mary^ Elizabeth (mar- ried Solomon Mead), Damd^ and George. 5. Amy, married Benonah Bundle. 6. Mehitable. These Daytons now all reside in Greenwich. 813 APPCHDIX. FIELD FAMILY, Bolton, in his history of Westchester county, says, that the name of Field is frequent in Doomsday Book, and is there often interchanged with Lea, which is a word having the same signification. John Field, of Ardsley, county of York, England, was a distinguished mathematician and astronomer. He married Jane Amy as, of Kent, and left Bichard, Christopher, John, Mathew, Thomas, James, Mar- tin, William. Bobert, the oldest son of James, who was the oldest son of Mathew, the fourth son of John Field, emigrated from England and settled in Flushing, L. L, in 1645. He left Anthony, Benjamin, and Bobert, who were the ancestors of the family in this country. FEBBIS FAMILY. This family is plainly of Korman origin. Henry de Ferriers, a Korman, obtained from William the Conqueror large grants of land in the counties of Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. John Ferris and Jeffery Ferris appear to have been ac- tive pioneers in the settlement of many new places in this country. It is probable, though not certain, that they were brothers. APPENDIX. 813 HOLMES FAMILT. John Holmes emigrated from Beverly, York- shire coantj, in 1660. He first settled in Bedford, N. T. A full account of this family may be found in the Appendix to Bolton's history of Westchester county. • LYON FAMILY. This family claims to be of Scottish origin. The name of John Lyon occurs in the history of Massachusetts as early as 1648. John Lyon, a de- scendant of the above, removed to the town of Rye, in Westchester county, and was a large landholder there. His son, John's fourth son, was named James, who was the proprietor of Byram Point, and left five children. 1. Daniel. 2. David. 3. Benjamin. 4. Wolsey. 5. James. LOCKWOOD FAMILY. The name of Lockwood is traced back as far as 1470, when Annie, only daughter of Richard Lock- wood, married Thomas Henshaw, who thereby be- came possessed of a large estate in Staffordshire, England. Those of the name in Greenwich, Stam- ford, and Brundridge are probably descended from ^^ EdmAjmd Lockwood^ freeman, 18th May, 1631, was of Cambridge, Mass., in 1632, and probably 814 APPXHDIX. removed to Connecticat with Messrs. Hooker and Stone." Lieut Jonathan Lockwood and lieut. Gerehom Lockwood were in their day prominent and influential men in the town. Arms. — Arg. a fesse btw. three martletts, sa. Crest On the stump of an oak erased, ppr., a martlett, sa. PALMER FAMILY. William Palmer, of Westehester, died about 1670, and left Joseph, Benjamin, Samuel, Obediah, and Thomas. PURDT FAMILY. This family are descended from Francis Pnrdy, an early settler of Fairfield, who died there, in 1658. His sons were Francis, John, and Samuel. All these families and many others, if so disposed, may easily trace out their complete genealogies by reference to the town records and good standard histories of the present day. (The following were handed in just in time to go to press). APPENDIX. 315 BRUSH FAMILY. BT MIB8 BBOLY 0. BSUSH. Two brothers of this name came from Long Is- land to Greenwich soon after the year 1700, though the exact time appears uncertain. Of these, Ed- ward had a son named Benjamin, who married Sumantha Reynolds, and had I. Fanny, married William Rundle. 11. Edward, the father of 1 Re- becca, who married John Hoyt, Esq. 2. Elma C, who married Job Husted, Esq. 8. Joseph E. who married Miss Mary C. Wright, and has Edward. 4. Shadrach M., who married Emmeline Ingersoll, and has Snmantha, William P., and Shadrach A., 5. Mary A., who married Mills Hobby Husted. 6. Sumantha. II. Joseph, who married Sarah Mead, daughter of Richard Mead, Esq., and has 1. Amos M., who married Sarah P. Mead, and had Joseph B., Richard M., Amos E., and Augustus. 2. Rich- ard E., who married Miss Mary Kelly, and lives at Stanwicb. 3. Elizabeth S., who married Dr. James M. Hoyt, a physician, of Greenwich. 4. Mary Louisa, who married Lewis Howe, A. M., Principal of the Collegiate Institution of Greenwich. 5. Jo- seph'E. B. 6. Emily C. 7. Benjamin P. 8. Stella P. 9. George W. 10. Catherine. 11. Julia, and some others, who died young. IV. Benjamin, who married Clarissa Sackett. V. Sarah, who married Deacon Joel Wright. VI. Sumantha, who married David Hobby, Esq. VH. Deborah, who married Mr. Fitch, of Peekskill. VIH. Piatt, who married Maria Close. IX. Edmund Burke. 316 ATPBRDIX. THE LEWIS FAMILY. KISB BARAH LEWIS. The great-grandfather of the Eev. Dr. Isaac Lewis, came from England about the year 1675. Two of his brothers accompanied him to America, one of whom settled on Long Island, and the other at or near Cape Cod. The first-mentioned had four sons, viz. : James, Edmund, Benjamin, and Joseph. Of these Ed- mund, the grandfather of Dr. Lewis, was born in 1683. He married a lady by the name of Beach, and settled in Stratford, Conn. He was Counselor of the State, and first Judge of the County Court. He died in 1758. He had four sons and several daughters. The sons were Sevignor, Edmund, Nathaniel, and Ichabod. Nathrniid was bom in 1717, married the daughter of Mr. Zechariah Beardsley, of Bipton Parish (now the town of Huntington), where he went to reside. He had four sons and three daughters. One of the sons died in infancy. Zachariah, the eldest, died at Huntington in early life, leaving a widow and one daughter, whose descendants (it is supposed) are still residing in that place. Kathaniel, the youngest, married a Miss Worcester. Their children were five in number, three sons and two daughters, all APPENDIX. 317 of whom subsequently removed to the State of New York, a large proportion of them to Augusta in the vicinity of Utica, where their families still reside. Two of the sisters, Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Hawley, died in the vicinity of Huntington, leaving children and grandchildren, most of whom continue to re- side in that part of the State. The family of the third sister removed to Ballston, N. Y., where some of them, it is supposed, are still located. Dr. Isaac Lewis, the second son of his parents, (who lived to grow up to manhood), was born Feb. 1st, 1746. Graduated at Yale College in 1765. Was ordained to the work of the ministry and pastor of the church in Wilton, toward the close of the year 1768, and shortly after in December of the same year married Miss Hannah Beale, daughter of Matthew Beale, Esq., of New Preston, a native of England. They had six sons (of whom one died in infancy), and three daughters. Further particulars respecting this family may be obtained of Miss Sarah Lewis, or Eev. John N. Lewis, both of Greenwich, Conn. THE HOWE FAMILY. About the year 1696, Isaac Howe removed from Darien, where several of the name were then set- tled, to Coscob in Greenwich. He was the father of several children, some twelve or fifteen. Of these^ one, named Isaac, had also a very large family, of 16 818 APPEXTDIX. whom Isaac, the third, settled in Pecksland, and married Elizabeth , and had four sons and nine daughters. The sons were named Jonas, Isaac (who died young), Nehemiah, and Eev. Samuel. The daughters were (here given without regard to the order of their ages) Laura, Lucy, Cornelia, Betsey, who married Kufus Knapp, of Stamford, Sally, who married Gilbert Close, one who died young, Keziah, Esther, Rachel. Of the sons, I. Jonas, married Anna Mead, and had 1. Allen, who married a daughter of Daniel Lyon, of North Coscob. 2. Isaac, who married Miss Finch, and removed to the State of Ohio, where he has George, Anna, and one other. 3. Deborah, who married Mark Mead, jun. 4. Lewis, who married Miss Mary L. Brush, and has Anna M.^ Joseph B., and one other. II. Nehemiah, married a daughter of Isaac Holly, Esq., and has a son, William A. Howe. HI. Samuel, who married a daughter of Bev. Flatt Buffet, and lives at New Haven, having two children, named Theodore L. B. Howe and Charlotte E. Howe.