Connecticut Historical Collections

Jiad information respecting those iinisos, inadc critical observation at different times and in different places, till at k-nytli he dii:,' ii]) two jiearls ol" great value, which lie called Carbuncles, near Salmon river: — and tiiat he told people the noises would be discontinued lor uiaiiy years, as he had talieu away their cause; but as he hud dis- covered others in miniature, they wouhl be again heard in process of time. The best evidence of the aullieniicily of tliis story is that it lias happened af,'reeably to his pro- phecy. The noi-es did cease for many years, and have again been heard for two or three years past, and they increase — three shocks have been lelt in a short space, one of which according to a late paper, was felt at iNiw London', iliough it was by the ac- count much more considerable in this and the adjacent towns. . _ ^^ KILLING WORTH. Iiv October, 1G63, the legislature of Connecticut fesolvcd that there should he a. town at Ilauiuionnas.sel, (the Jiidiau uaine apjilicd to the tract now constituting Ivillingworlh,) atid the yame month twelve plant- ers removed into it. These were joined by .sixteen others in the course of two or three years; and the town was divitled into oi) rights, one right being reserved for the first minister that should be settled there, and another lijr the support of the ministry forever. " The plantation in this town was called the jilantation of llannnonnassct, and the plan- tation between Guilford and Saybiook,''until May, 1GG7. At that lime the place was named Kenllwort/i, after a town in the county of War- wick, in England, from which, according to tradition, some of the set- tlers at first emigrated. The name is t litis spelt in the early records of the town and colony, but by corrii[)t spelling or pronuticiation, the })re- sent name was finally adopted." The township of ICillingworth is of an oblong shape, b(;iiig about 13 miles in length Jrom north to sotiih, and has a mean breadth of more than three miles. It is bounded n. by Durham aiul lladdatri, w. by llaminonnasset river, diviiling it from Mailison, e. by Saybrook and Chester, aitd s. by Long Island sound. It comprises two parishes, viz. Killingworth, and North Killingwoith. The central part of Killing- worih is 38 miles southeast from Hartford, :25 miles east from New Haven, and '27 west from Now London. The southern, and ])articularly the southwestern suction of KiUlngworth parish, is levul, having a soil formed of loam, sand, and occttsionally of gravel, which, by good hus- bandry, is rendered very productive. lJi)on the border of the Sound, there are large tracts of alluvial or salt marsh, comprising, as has been estimated, L^OO acres. North Killingworth is rough and stony, and the soil better adapted for grazing, than for grain and corn. There is one harbor in the town, about a mile below Killingworth street, wdiicli is safe frotn winds, and has good anchorage ; but a bar lies at its entrance, on which there is only 7;^ or 8 feet of water at common tides. Ship building was begun in this town about the begin- ning of the last century, by Ilobert Carter; and for many years this has been a leading branch of business. Three yards are improved, all of which are on Indian river, a small stream which enters the liarhor. There are, perhaps, five vessels built yearly, upon an average. One of upwards 400 tons was built in this place. The village of Killingworth G7 530 KILLING WORT II. is quite pleasant. The principal street is a mile antl a half in length and six rods wide, and is crossed about midway by Indian river. There are, perhaps, about 150 dwelling houses within a mile from the Con- gregational church, which is situated in the central part of the place: there is also in the village a Methodist and Baptist church. Killing- worth has a healthful, interesting, and prospective situation, and has during the sunnner months, a salubrious sea air. " Tlie Iiulians were very numerous in Uie soiUhurn purl of lliis town, on the banks of Hanimunnusset and Indian rivers, and abuiit llie harbor. Inunense masses of mouldering shells still point out the places wliere ihey dwelt. Must of their lands ■were sold to Col. Fenwicic, while he lived at Saybrook. On the 'JOih of November, ir.G'l TTnpic «nnh,.in ,./• M,,l,ojTan M-iiV, J.,v:1,iim Vii« cnn s.ilil l,->lt.M 1 nh.n hit n 11 ts f if Killin^woith illlliLluitIs in tliL tt«nslip uliiLhliLhui m t sold 1 foit IoGloi^c 1 enwi k 1 1 (iCL(|Unjsi\ KH-sonth In^ linnMUtl (win h 1 n on theeisicin shore ol th( h ub ir ) u st ivin... tu wlVlT (ki libul\ to hunt in tin wi ods and Iish in theiivti^ iinl to u-ic in> ti sin uiols m I i nsh s m ih^ 1 ji ni Us 1 he In- dians lived ni tills ti wn in w,iL u nunibLi-> until 17 0 r lU II est view of Killiugworih, [ctutral ■pari.) The above is a view (looking eastward) of the central part of the principal street in Killingworth, showing the place where the road crosses Indian river, with |)art of the ship yards upon its baid^s. The Congregational church, seen in the center of the print, stands upon .1 small elevation, called fleeting-house hill : the academy is seen at the east end of the church : from this. place the observer has a pleasant view of the harbor and Sound. The prospect from the steeple is more extensive and beautiful. On the right is seen, between the trees anil opposite the church, a house upwards of an hundred years old. This house was the residence of the Rev, Jared Elliot, U. D. who was highly distinguished as a divine, physician, and scholar. lie was the grandson of the celebrated John Elliot of Roxbury, IMassachusetts, the " Apostle to the Indians." As a divine, Mr. Elliot possessed enlarged views of the system of religion contained in the Bible. "■ In his preaching he was plain and familiar, happy in allusions to Scripture, K I L L I N G W O R T II . 53 I and abounding in original and laconic expressions. As a physician, his reputation was such, that he was sometimes called out of the colony. In history, natural philosophy, botany and mineralogy, he excelled. By several small treatises, he labureil to improve the agriculture of his country. Some considerations had led him to believe that the black sand, which appears originally on the beach of the Sound, might be wrought into iron. He made an experiment upon it in the year 1761, and succeeded. For this discovery he was honored with a medal, by the society instituted in London for the encouragement of arts, manu- factures and commerce. Jle died in 17G3, aged seventy eight years." A short distance northward of the church seen in the engraving is the burying ground. The following inscription is copied from one of the monuments. " 111 memory ol' Doct. rJenjaiiiin Ciale, wlio, ;iflcr a life of usefulness in his profes- sion, and a lubuiioiis sUicly of Uie J\o()l.c.Mes, fell asleep May (nli, A. D. 1700, Ml. 73, Inlly expeclinj,' lo n^e aj^'ain inuler llie Messiali, and to lei^n willi hiin on eaiUi 1 know thai iny ledeenier livcili, and that he shall siand^U the laiier day upon the earth, and mine eyes shall behold hmi." It appears by this inscription, that Dr. Gale was a believer in the an- cient doctrine of MiUcnarians, a name given to those who believe that the second corning of Christ will precede: the Millennium, and that there will be a literal resurrection of the saints, who will reign with Christ oa earth a thousand years. This appears to have been the belief of pious persons at the time of the first settlement of New England : even as iale as the great eartlirpiake, many Christians were looking for, and ex- pecting the second coming of Christ. Abel liudl, nil uncummonly in^'i'iiions nu-i hainc, was a iialive of this town: he was apprenticed to lObem-zer Chiiienden, a ;,'nhi and silver smith in this place, previ- ous lo the Ilevoliiiion. lUiell was married at the a^'e of nineteen years, and at the ajje of twenty, allercd a five slullinj,' colony note to hve pounds. 1 lis neii,'hbors liad suspected that soniethin- was ^'oin- on in his house which was wronj,', as'ii light had been seen in his chamber, ai unusual lioiiis ol the inyht. 1 lo was iliscoveied bv some l»crson, who, moiiiiling a laddei, looked in at the window, and saw him in the act of alierin^' the bills. So iii^'eniouslv was it done, that it could only be discovered by coinjKiringtlie siumns olthe letters with those left in the book from which all the col- ony bills were issue.!.* Matthew (7riswold, the king's attorney, afterwards governor, conducted the prosecution against Buell. As it was his first oH'eiise, and he otherwise sustained a good character, Mr. Gnswold gianied him every indulgence which he could consistently with his duty as a public olticer. Buell's punishment appears to have consisted of imprisonment, ciopping and brandini^. The tip only of Buell's ear was cropped ofl": il was held on his tongue to keep it' warm till it was put on the ear again, where it grew on. He was branded on the forehead as high np as possible. This was u-sually done by a hot iron, in the form of a letter designating the crime, which was held on the forehead of the criminal till he could say the words " God save the king." Mr. Buell was at the first imprisoned at Norwich ; afterwards, through the influence of his family and friends, he was removed back to Killingworlh. About this lime he constructed a lapidary machine, the first,. it is believed, that was used in this country. With this he was enabled to make a very curious ring; a large, beautiful stone being set in the center, surrounded by those of a smaller size, all of which were wrought in a curious and workmanlike manner. This ring he presented to Mr. Griswold, the king's attorney, and through his intluence a pardon was obtained. Afterwards, about • It appears from this that all the bills which were issued by the colony were origin- ally bound together in the form of a book, and were cut out a3 they were wanted, leav- ing some part of the printed matter in the book. 532 SAYDROOK.