Connecticut Historical Collections

Voliintown, w. by Tiedyard and Preston, k. by Rhode Island, and s. by Slonington. Tlio townsliip is loii^di, billy, and abounds with "la- nitic rocks. The s(jil is a L;;ra\el!\' loam, and allbuls Li;oo(i gra'/in'.';. It is watered by the l*a\vcatnck and iis branches, uliioh alVord sites (or mills and other water works. ALiilcnhurc is the |iilnci|ial business of the inhabitants. The only \illa2:e in the town is called iMlUtcwn. It consists of between '20 and 30 dwellini^^ houses, fixe mercantile stores, and two houses of worship ; 1 Tor (/-unLiregaiionalists, tlie (jiher Tor bap- tists. There aie al.^o two other liaplist churches in the limits of the town. I\IiIltown is 13 miles from IN'ew tSondon, ILM fioni A'orwich, 7 from Stonin;j,lon borough, and 5 from Pawcatuck brid'je. The Rev. Joseph Fish appears to have been the fust minisiei- in this town; he was ordained in \T6-l, it bi.'inL; about this time that the town of Stonington was divided into two societies. About the year 17 10 was a period of great religious excitement, and Scpariiic churc/us were established in the eastern part of Connecticut. In 17-1:2, there was a separation in Sionington, especially from the church under the pastoral care of Mr. Fish. " Perceivinj^ llie errors of liis people, and sen^iMe tliai many ofilioin, not exceptiii? some ul' the nieinljcrs ul' his cliui eli, weie veiy iL,''iiorarit, lie loulc ^^reat pains lo in^liiaa Ihem, in private as well as pnlilic, and to convince iliein ol' tlieir errors. But liiey appeared liaii,t;liiy and sell'-snliieient, and in ilieir own opinion ueie nuicli wiser than tlieir teacher, wiioni they tieated with 'jwnt aljnse. 'I'hev toolc great otiense at a ser- mon he preached IVoin Ephes. v. I, 'Be ye therefore foiloivers of God, as dear chil- dren.' The |)rincii)al desi,i,'n of the senmm u as to show what it was to t'oUow God, or in what true re!i!j;ion consisted, which was the same thinj,'. It was observed, that i'ol- lowing God, as dear children, implied men's -^Mviny: themselves wholly lo him, to he troverned by his commands; thai it implied an imilaiioii ol' him in his moral perfec- tions, &c. It was iuMsicd, ihai true ivli/ioii consisird in thus IcdliAvin- God; and that 111 this we had an inlallil.le iiile of liial, whrihcr we were Lu.ifs children or iiol. It was inferred, thai Ina; icii-imi did iiui eunsi-l in ctslasics, in eiyingoiil in the lime of public worsliiji, in poweilnl iinpic-ssiuns, in lively ima-iiialioiis, orvj-ions of ;i bleetiing Savior, ,.*Lc.; that thom,'h the saints miijhl have these tliinf,'s, yd ihai iluv were no evidences of a ■,'iacioiis state. On tiiis, the house was tilled uiih oiiici us at^-aiiist the preacher, lie was declared to he an opposcr to llie work of ti.xl, makii,- the hearts of his children sad, and slren(;theimiL' ihe hands of the wicked from this time, divisions and [>rejudices sprang ii|), im icaM'd and became t-ettled. '^hsrc-aul- ing their covenant vows, which they had so lately cnteietl into with ihcir past(jr and brcthien ; without taking any pains to reform the church, with resjiect to those things Ihey conceived to be amiss, or without regarding the pains and remonstrances of tht-^r pustor and brethren to dissuade them; a large number finally separated themselves from this and all the staiuling churches. " They alledgi'il as reasons for their separation, that the standing churches were not true churches, but of anii-chi isi: That hypociisy was encouraged bv them, and they could have no cnmmunion with hypociilcs. They mainlained that llie church should be pure, uikh.diled with liy|)OCi isy, .and that no h\-pocrite should abide with them. IIjioii this princi|)le llie separate chniches >et out. They |inblicly pKd.'.^-ed tlM.ln^(■lvls to be elected ol God, given toGhrisi, and ellcctuallv called, and as such, ihey einenauieil together. They maintained that the \i hole p(.u er ol' nidinalmn was jii llie chin eh. They objected against their |iasior for using iii>l.s, and at the same lime jna) iiig lor assistance in pi caching. They mainiaiiud that God had redeemed their Mml.^,''aiid that they were not bound ti) iiies ami forms, but had libei ty to worship whi'ie ihcy thought (it. They objected, tiiat lliere was iiiii ihai libeiiv in the siamlin.; churches, and that food loi" tlieir souls which they fumei in the meeting of lln' hi eriiren. Be- cause ministers studied their sermons, thev called their exercises, pleaching- out cdthe liead, and declared that they conlil nol be edilied by it. 'i'hev maintained, thai thcie ■was no need of any thing more tli;in common learniiii,'. to (jnalify im n for the minis- try; thai if a man had the spirit of God, it was no mailer whether he had any learn- ing at all. Indeed, the first sepaiates at Sionington, held lo a s|iecial icvelaii(;n of some facts, or future events, not revealed in the\scripiures. Tliev elected then (iisi minister by revelation. In less than one year, they chose, ordained', sileneeil, cast Inm out of the chu i . and delivered him up lo Sa\vi.n.~ 'JVunibuH's lint. Cvn. ]'al. 2, p. 171. 342 I' u l: S T O N . PRESTON. This town was soliled in 17SG. The first clergyman in the town, It appears, was the Rev. Salmon Treat, who was ordained Nov. IGili, 1698. The township is irregular in its form, bounded w. and n. by the Thames and Quinnebang livers, e. by Griswold and North Ston- ington, and s. by liedyard. Its average length is about 7 miles, and 4^ in breadth. The face of the town is uneven, consisting of hills and valleys: it is stony and rocky, and the soil is a>gravelly loam, consider- ably fertile and productive. It is better adapted to grazing tlian tillage, though considerable quantities of Indian corn are raised. There are three houses of worship, 2 Coni;regational and 1 Baptist. Population in 1810, was 1,701; in ]8;30, it was 1,935. Wcsti rii view of VuijUtiannuclc, Prestuu. The above is a western view of l\3(|uelannuck, an ancient village near the line between Ledyard and Preston ; most of the village is in Preston. The village consists of about 30 or 40 dwelling houses and 4 mercantile stores. A large cotton factory was burnt here in 1835. The building seen on the extreme right is the Episcoiial church,- and is within the limits of the town of Ledyard. The village is situated about two miles from the Thames, at the head of a cove, and nearly 4 miles from Norwich city. Sloops can, at high water, get within half a mile of the village ; considerable quantiiies ot ship timber and plank are ex- ported from this place, and many of the Inhabitants are engaged in the seafaring business, rnaton City is a village in the eastern i)art of the town, about the size of Poquetannuck, in which there is a Baptist and a Congregational church. This village is six miles east from Norwich city, and five northeast from Poquetannuck. There is a lake south of the village, called Amos lake, which is a place of some resort for par- ties of pleasure. S A L F. M . S T 0 N' I N (; T 0 N . 313 Col. Jeremiah ILdscij, of this town, was a lawyer of eminence, and distinguished for his ingenuity and enterprise. The present state house at Hartford was erected by him. He was engaged in ship building, as will appear from the following notice, copied Ironi one of the newspa- pers of the day. Sew London, JrUi 13, ITSC. (951.) Lately arrived here from Poqiiaianmick Riv-er, wlieie .she was built under the ilirec- tion olCul. Jeremiah Halbe_v, llie lueseul uuucr, a leiiiarkalih." duuble deckid Bri^'an- line, burthen 1 10 tons, cniisiiuetcd and built witti jdank <.'iil\-, hivini,' no limber what- ever belon^iiii,' to her, except her keel, >ti;in and stem ])ust. .She l^5 ^aul to be very birontr, and is a well moulded vessel. SALEIM. Salem, formerly the society of New Salem, the principal part of which was in the bounds of Colchestei', was incorporated a town in 1819. It was composed of the south seciion of Col(;liesier, the north- east section of Lyme, and the northern sectioti of IMontville. It is bounded n. by Colcliester, v.. by Hozrah and Montville, s. by iNlont- ville and Lyme, and w. by Ea.st lladdam. It is about six miles long from north to soulji, and about five broad from ea.'^t to west. The cen- ter of the town is about twenty nine miles sf)utlieast from Hartfoid, and about thirteen miles from New London. The iniiabitants are substan- tial farmers, who live scattered about on their farms, which are tolerably fertile and jiioductive. 'I'here is no place in the town which m;iy be considered as a village. There are three hotises of \\oi\^iri[) in the town, 1 Congregational, 1 jNIelhodist, and 1 Episcopal. STONING TON. The first person who settled in Stonington was William Cheesebo- rough, who removed here from Reholjoth, in jMassachuselts, in 1G49. It appears that complaints were made against him for trading with the Indians, repaliing their arms, fee. which practices endangered the pub- lic safety. He was summoned before the General Court of Connecti- cut, who, declaring they had a clear title to those lands, reprimanded him for settling on them without their authority, and for his unlawful trading with the Indians. After giving bonds for his good conduct, he was allowed to continue upon the lands. The court promised liim, that if he would procure a sullicient number of planters, they would give them all proper encouragement in making a permanent settlement. About 10 or 12 tamilies, in 1G58, made settlements in this quarter; and finding there was a controversy between Connecticut and Massachu- setts with respect to the title and jurisdiction, they, on the 30th of June, entered into a voluntary compact to govern themselves, and con- duct their alTairs in peace, until it should be determined to whose juris- 344 S T 0 N I N G T O N ,