Connecticut Historical Collections

In mftiiory of tlie Revd. Mr. Timothy Eunvauds, Pastor ofllio 2ii Society of Wind- sor, (whose siiij,Mihir Gills and Piuiy rendered liini rui exeelh.Mit, find in liie judgment of Cliariiv, a snecessfiil minister of llie (Tuspel ) who died January ye *27, A. I>. 1758,^-wj in tlie 80th year of his aj,'e, uiid tJltli uf Jiis llllni^lly— And lii> reuiain.', hiiiyed LHider^p[| this stone. ^^^ AN' KI'irAl'H. The man of Guo, who nobly pled, His inasier'.> eaii-c alas ! is dead His vgiee no more ! — tmi aw fill urn, 811II speak lo men their f,'ieai eonoeni, His praise on souls will loii^' outlast : Wlien Grace completes the work began, J^righl saints will sliiiie las living crown. E N F I E L D . This town was settled by emigrants from Salem, Mass. in 1681, being at that time a part of the town of Springfield, in that state. For about seventy years after the settlement of the town, it was subject to the jurisdiction of the colony of iMassachusetts, not being annexed to Connecticut until 1752. The town is bounded n. by i^ongmeadovv in Massachusetts, e. by Soiners, s. by East Windsor, and w. by Con- necticut river, which separates it from Suilield. It is about six miles in length from north to south, and 'iwe and a half in breadth. The township is generally of a level surfice, and the soil mostly of a light sandy loam, and generally lertile. The first bridge ever built across the Connecticut in this state, was erected in 1808, connecting this 8-1 F. N F I E L n . town with Sufik'liJ. It was supported by six stone piers, resting upon the rocky bed of the river ; beiiii^ 1000 feel in lengtli and ;30 in width. The whole expense of its construction did not exceed ,<5!'2(),000. In 1S32 a new biidge was built hei'e, 70 feel in breadth, upon iNIr. Town's j)lan, at an (jxpense of about ^15,000. A large proportion of the dwelling houses in this town are situated u[)on one street, passing through the town, and running parallel with the river. The plougli-niaking business is prosecuted to a considerable extent in this place. I TiiompsonvUle, in Eiijicld. This village in Enfield, on the bank of Connecticut river, was com- menced about seven } ears since, for the purj)ose of nianuiacturing carpet- ing. It is 18 miles north of llarlfonl, ri mih'S south of Springfield, Mass. and upwards of a mile from Knfuld hrid^e. The villagt,- con- tains about t^OO inliahilauH, of whom about ;k)0 uroun persons are em- ployed in the f.ictories. One liuiidicd and twenty looms are employed, and eight hundreil yards of carpeting m;umficluied daily. ^J'he en- graving shows tlie greater part of the principal street in the village, as you come u|) from the river and pass to the east. The engraving on the next page shows a south view of the Sha- ker house of worship, on the right of the print ; the other buildings represented are those connected with the central, or as they are gener- ally called, "The Church family." This family, consisting of about one hundred persons, occupy the central part of the Sliaker settlement. The whole number of Shakers in this jilace is upwards of two hundred, who are divided into six Aimilies. The village is about five miles n.e. of the Congregational church in Enfield. The religious tenets of the Shakers must of coui-se necessarily alVect the order of their societies, by producing an entire separation of tlie men from the women, and in this particular exhibit the only species of Protestant monkery in this country. Their buildings are remarkably neat and convenient, and li N F I E L U . . i 85 every thing appears a motlel of neatness and economy. They are simple and phiin in their manners ; sohor and industrious. Tlie socie- ty in this idace was -cstahlislied in 1780. There are perhaps about fifty buildings in the settlement, consislini,^ of dwelling houses, work- shops, storehouses, ike. They possess upwards of one thousand acres of a fine tract of land, in the northeast section of the town, which is under the highest degree of cultivation. Their improvements and at- tention to horticulture and gardening have lendL-red them the subjects of much commendation, and their " garden seeds" are justly celebrated. They also carry on various kinds of mechanical business, and their wares are much esteemed, being good and liee from deception. They aic, foi ihfn nun\b(i, \ u c dth\ nid ll nu ishing communilv I *bA^// ti /luust b, llnlulil " About the year noO, a few of those persons who were known by the appellation of French prophets, went over to England and preached with such '/eal and effect, that in a short time they became numerous. They however formed no regular societies, nor established any churches, consequently they were not known as a distinct and visible sect." In the year 1747, a number of persons endowed with the same spirit united themselves into a small society, in the n(,'ighboi-hood of JNIan- chester, England, under the ministry of James and Jane Wardley. This society practiced no forms of worshij), and adopted no creeds as rules of faith, but gave themselves to bo guided, as they believed, entirely by the Spirit of God. " Sometimes, after silting awdhle in silent medi- tation, they were seized with a mighty treinbling, with violent agitations of the body, running and walking on the floor, with singing, shouting, and leaping for joy. From these exercises of tlie body they received the appellation of Shakers, which has been their conmion name of dis- tinction ever since. Although this name was originally given by their enemies in derision, yet they consider it as descriptive of their doctrine and practice, and also in conformity with several passages of the scrip- tures, whieli speak of a shaking of the * lieavens and the earth.' 86 EN 1- ri: L 1). "This small society continued (o increase in number till about the year 1770, when by a special manilestation of divine light, the present testimony of salvation and eternal lilb was lully revealed to Ann IjCC, and by her to the society." • "According to the account given by her biographer, she passed through great tiial and distress of mind fur the space of nine years, du- ring which peiiod the most astonishing visions and divine manifestations were presented to her view, in so clear and striking a manner that the whole spiritual world seemed disi)layed before her, — she had a full and clear view of the mystery of iniquity, of the root and foundation of hu- man depravity, and of the very first act of transgression committed by the first man and woman in the garden of Eden. Here she saw whence and wherein all mankind were lost from God, and clearly realized ti only possible way of recovery. Tliis revelation slie received in i,.. . summer of 1770, while in prison, where she was confined on account of her religious principles, under the i)reteuee that she had jtrol'aned the Sabbath. From this time, the liglit and power of God, revealed in Ann, and through her administered to those who received her testimony, had such sensible elfect in giving them power over all sin, and filling them with visions and revelations and other gifts of God, that she was readily acknowledged as their spiritual mother in Christ, from which she received the title of Mother An)i.^^ This woman, with a few of her Ibllowers, emigrated to this country in 1774. In Se])tember, 177G, they took up their residence in the woods of Watervliet, where they made a settlement, near Nisqueuna, about seven miles northwest from Albany. ■ She died at this place in 1784. The following is from a book entitled "Christ's Second Appear- ing ;" it is extracted from a poem, called " A. memorial to mother Ann," and will serve to show in what light she is viewed by her followers. Let names, aiitl sects and parlies, no longer lie rever'il, Since in the name of mother, saivatiiHi hatli aiipeared: Appointed h\ kind Heaven llir S:i\ loni lo ie\iMl, llerdoclime ls cnlu ineil \Mlh an eleinal mmI. At Manchrsier in lai-land, llii.', binning' Inilli he-an, When tdiiisi niadi' hi.s appearance in blcr>>L-d Mother Ann; A lew at first receivetl it and dul their Inst lorsaKe, And soon llieir testimony bionyla on a mighty sliake. ■/ For Mother's .safe protection, good angels Hew before, Towards the land ol' promise, Colnmbia's hapjiy shore; / . Hail ihoii victorious (;ios|5el, and that auspicions day, AVhen Mother safely lauded in North America. About four vears she labored with the attenti\e throng. While all their sins they open'd and righted ev'ry wrong. At lengili she closed her labors and vanish'd out of sight, And left her faithful children increasing in the light. How much they are mistaken who think that Mother's dead, When through her ministrations so many souls are fed ! In union wjtli the Father, she is the second Eve, Dispensing full salvation to all who do believe. The leading characteristic in the worship of this people, is their dan- cing. This they describe as the involuntary result of the exhilarating ^: N F 1 1: l d . 87 and overpowering delight received tlirough the outpouring of divine grace upon their hearts. The evolutions and changes in the dance, by constant practice, become as precisely correct as the maneuvers of a regidient of experienced soldicis ; it hfcomes in fact a mechanical move- ment. No one ever makes a mistake, or throws the rank in disorder from inattention or inexperience ; but every thing is conducted in the niost exact order, as if every step and n)ovement of the body was di- rected by a gage and rule. Dances are sometimes held in private houses, when variations are fretpiently introduced. On some occasions it is said their movements are so lapid, that the e)'e can scarce follow or keej) pace with their swift motions.