Connecticut Historical Collections

Gc M- ^' 974.6 B23c 1827718 GENEALOGY COLLECTION ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01150 4831 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center http://www.archive.org/details/connecticuthistoOOinbarb CONNECTICUT - mSTORICAL COLLECTIONS , CONTAINING A GENERAL COLLECTION OF INTEUESTING FACTS, TRADITIONS, BIOGIIAPHICAL SKETCHES, ANECDOTES, &c. RELATING T(3 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES EVERY TOWN IN CONNECTICUT, WITH GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTIONS ILLUSTRATED IJV I 'JO EMatAVLNCIS. 13 Y JOHN WAUNEU B A U li i: R . SECOND EDITION. IThc r^c'ul of tliu Hlati; .if fonnocticut He who traiisiihintcJ tjtill sustains. NEW If A YEN: PUULISIIED BY DUUU IE .^ PECK AM. J. W. J;AU1JEU, Price— 'I'hree .tollars. I'niNTEU by II I.. IIAMI.KN. 1827718 Eiilureil ;tccoi(liii!j tu llie Act of Coiijrress, in the 3e;ir 1S"3(J l.y Jmmn \V. Hauukr and A. Wii,t,.u;n, in llic Cli;rlc's uliicc, of the l.Msiiicl Couil of (Jonneciicnt. rUEFACE. Thr power by which we recall past scenes, ihe rapidity wiili which they are brought in review before us, the faculty by which we can " rauj^e u'er creation, " and dwell upon the past and fulme, demonslrales that man was indeed formed in llie image of his Creatoi-, and destined lor immortality. By the contcmplalion of the past, \xc feel our span of existence extended: we enter into the tiiouyhts, hopes, and aspirations of generations before us, and in siichmomenis hold communiun with the dcjiajled spirits of antiquity. Every thing relating to the history' of the " Pilgrim Fathers," is worthy of preser- vation. " The Puritans," says a writer m no wise partial to them, " were the most remarkable body of men, perhaps, which the world has ever produced They were men wiiose minds had derived a peculiar character Irom the daily contemplation of superior beings and eternal interests. Not content with acknowledging in general terms an over ruling providence, they habitually ascribed every event to the will of the Great Being, for whose power nothing was too vast, for whose inspection nothing was loo minute. To know him, to serve him, to enjoy hiui, was with them the great end of existence. The}' rejected with C(iniem|it, the ceieniunious humage which other sects substituted for the homage of the soul On the rich and the eloquent, on nobles and priests, they looked down with contempt : for they esteemed lliemselves rich in a more precious treasure, and eloquent in a more sublime language; nobles by the right of an earlier creation, and priests Ly the im[>osilion of a mightier hand I" These were the men to whom the worlii owes the preservation of civil and religious liberty, their eneniics l.ieing judges; and it was nien ol' tins stamp that were the fa- thers of Connectieut. Though small in territorial extent and poinilation, Connecticut is second to none of her sister states m the virtue, genius and enterprise of hei' sons. Considering the amounl of her population, she has furnished a large proportion of disting^li^hed men iu almost every department of life, and some of the most powerful stales in this Union are largely indebted to her for the elements of their greatness and prosperity. The early history of Conneciieut, in its various parts, has been ably written by Dr. Trumbull, the venerable historian of his native stale. To this work the author is deeply indebted, as he is also to the "Gazetteer of Connecticut and Rhode Island," by Jolin C. Pease and John M. Niles, Esqs., a work of much labor and merit. For the account of the towns in Middlesex County, "Field's Statistical Account" has fur- nished much valuable information. The extracts from the most ancient newspapers were taken from files of the New Haven journals, the earliest and only copies, it is believed, that are now in existence. These journals are in the valuable library left by the late Col. William Lyon, a distinguished antiquarian, and are now in possession of his son, William Lyon, Esq. a gentleman to whom the compiler feels himself un- der lasting obligations. To the various gentlemen in ditlercnt parts of his native state, who have furnished information for this woi k, the author would heie return his grate- ful acknowledgments. It may be thought, perhaps, by some, that an apology ought to be made for inserting many things contained in this book: somethings may be thought loo trivial, others too marvelous, to be recorded. With regard to the lirst, it ought to be borne in mind, thai many things which at the first sight may appear to us to be of little moment, may hereafter be deemed of much importance. With regard to the latter objection, it may IV P K E F A C E . be observeii, that ihe history of any people maybe considered as defective, which doesnotgive an account of their religious belief and opinions, &c. however erroneous. Although ill this age most of us may smile at what we consider the superstitions and weaknesses of our forefathers, yet it may be well to rellect that Sir Matthew Hale, Dr. Johnson, and others, men of the greatest intellect the world ever produced, lie under the same imputations. Comi)ajed with these men, many of those who aliect to smile at their opinions are but mere children in understanding. The numerous engravings interspersed through this work, were (with five or six exceptions) executed from drawings taken on the spot, by the author of this work. Before deciding upon the correctness of these representations, he wishes his readers to consider that the appearance of any place will vary considerably as it is viewed from different points: thus, a nurth view will appear quite different from one taken at the svutk. A person not being used to see a place from the point from which the draw- ing is taken, it may not at first sight be readily recogni^^ed. Before any view is con- demned as being incoircct, it will be necessary, in ortlur to form a correct judgment, to stand on the place from whence the drawing was maile. In giving the notices of distinguished individuals, a limited number only could be inserted. In some instances, perhaps, the information obtaineil resjjecting some towns may have been defective. The history of some impoitant towns may apparently not have received that attention to which they are entitled: the failure of obtaining the desired Information, alter the attempt was made, must be the apology. -Vc!i; Haven, 1837. J. W. B. Amid such a variety of facts, names and dates, it is not to be expected but that some mistakes and omivsious iii:;y occur. The follouiug is a list of all which liave as yet been discovered. G/rti.'(.'7iiiir//, page 1)3, lor IlriDahLuke read Kanahbukc, sometimes spelt Kanaw- buck: Ilouksett should he KouLsclt, sometimes s])elt Conksett. Dcrbij, page iiUO, for '20 or 30 rods below the bridge, read about one mile, &c. Grotiin,, page 3U1». Sinnucl Si'itbnry, the /Z/iV bhkcp of the Protestant Episcopal rhiurh 111 the Uniird Si.iti-., \\:ulu.ni ui I'rquonmu', a small vill;i:;e iu tliis tow n, about i!nee or tour luilr. r,i>lward of New London. 1 le graduated at Yale College in 1751. He studied thrology in Scotiaiul and in 17;"J3 obtained orders in London. He was eonsecratetl a bishop ill .Scotland, by three non-juring bishops in or about 17H1 ; and returned to New London, where he discharged the duties of his ofllce till his death. {See page 2H2.) Grot on, page 309, for brother of, read nnclc to. IFii^cr/'iJ/vL for Gardiner, read Oardineis. CONTENTS. ( 1 A.l.ford, . . 'Tn! Haddam, . ■'m> Poinfrel, . PllEC. 437 342 249 391 399 184 313 1 A run, ti-2 llainden, . 217 Plevloll, . Barkhamslod, . -If.O llaui]Uon, . ''r! Pivispeet, . Berlin, G5 Harllbrd, . .31 Readinir, . Bethany, . 185 llaillord County, 30 i^d-elield. Bethleni, . -ibi llailland, . 97 Rn\biiry, . Bloomtiekl, <irf llarwinton. .109 Salem, Bolton, 51 -3 Hebron, . 519 Sali-~biirv, 480 Bozrah, . 301 IJuhtuigton, 383 Savbiooif, 532 490 401 Bra nib id, . 18H Kent, •170 Shaun, . Bridgeport, 371 Killmglv, 420 Sherman, . Bristol, fill Killiiiicuortb, . 529 Simsbuiv, 100 Brookfield, 373 Lubanun, . 318 Someis, . 553 Brooklyn, . '113 Ledyard, . 325 Southbiiry, 2j(t BarJinglon, . 70 Lisbon, 328 Sonihinglon, 105 Canaan, 4(i3 LitchHeld, 452 Sialloid, . 555 Canterbury, Canton, ". . '1'2() 711 Litchlield County, Evme, 452 328 Stamford, . Sterling, . 402 440 313 Chaplin, . . '1-. Chatham, . 1, :^',^ Aiudison, . 221 Stonington, . Ul8 iVlaiicbester, 98 , Stiallord, . 401 Cheshiie, . . l'J3 Alanslicld, 551 Sniiield, . l(t7 441 Chester, . 521 ' IMaiiburongh, . 99 Thompson, Colchester, . 303 , Akiiden, . 220 Tolland, . 540 Colebrook, . 4G1 Ali.hllcbury, 229 Tolland County, 540 Columbia, . 513 Middlesex County, 500 Toiringlon, 495 ^. Cornwall, . 4 ('.5 Middletown, 5O0 Trumbull, 408 Coventry, . 515 Millord, . 229 Unii.n, 550 557 443 : Danbnry, . IJarien, . 3(i-3 Monroe, . 384 Vernon, . 37C. Montville, 331 Volimtown, I Derby, Durham, . . I'jd New (;aiiaan, . 385 Wallnigford, 252 ■ INew I'airlield, . 3ri7 Wairen, . 497 Eastlladdam, . . 5-Jl Newllartb.id, . 472 Washington, . 497 [,- ■ East llartlord, . . 7-i New Haven, 131 Wateibuiy, 257 317 East riaven, . . 20 1 New 1 lH\-en Cunni\', 133 AV.iteilord, I'last "Windsor, . 7i) New L. aid on, . 271 "Wain town. 4!i9 ' Ellington, . 517 New London County 271 WeMuii, . 409 '•• En held, . . 83 New Miilbrd, . 471 W.Moort, 4 10 1*. Fuirtield, . . 319 Newtown, 3s7 Weihersfield, . 112 !, Eniiru-ld Conniy, . 3UI N..rlblk, . 1,-1 AVilhnirion, 558 ' I'Vii MiiiiLCton, . h8 North Bran ford. 210 Wilton, . 412 b'ranklin, . . 30t". North Uiven, . 210 Winchester, 501 Glasienbiiry, Goshen, . 91 North Stonnigton, . 310 Windham, 443 . '1G7 Norwalk-, . 389 Windiiam County, . 413