Connecticut Historical Collections

"Here lyctli int.nred tliebudy of the reverend and learned Mr. Tiiomas Chip, the late President ol' Vale Colle{,'e, m Neu- Haven ; a ti uly -leat ujan, a -gentleman of su- perior natural j,'eniiis, most a'^snltious apiiliraiion, aijerimlrlaii-able industry. In the various branrhcs of leainin- Ije^^icatly exi'dlcd; an ai;einnii|i>hed in.struelor; a pat- ron of the College; a ^reat divim-, boM ini the tin lb ; a /t aluii> pi uniuler ami defender of the doctrines of grace; ol ui.alleeled pi(i\-, and a |iaili;i-n ol' e\'ei\' \irtLie; the teii- derest of fathers and the best I'lli n;n 1 ,, tin.' gloi y uf b.Minui;^ and itie oinamenl of re- ligion; for ilui teen years the l.ulblul and mmdi respeetrd paslor of the cliuieh in AVindhain; and near twenty-seven years, the laborious and jiiincijial President of the College, and served his own geneiaiion by the will of God, with serenity and calmness, he fell on slcp, the 7th day ol' January, 17t>7, in his sixty-louilli year. " Death, great pro|)rieloi of all, 'Tis thine to tread out empini, And to ijneneh the stars." The two following inscriptions are on monuments erected hy the corporation of 'if^ale College. Hie jacet sepultus Iv/.u.* Srii.i.s, s. t. d. li. d. Gui Alta Mcnle pra-dilus, Eruditione oranigena imbutus, Urbaniiale suavissima, Wonbus probis, Charitate, Fide, Pietate evangelica; Oilieiis Putris, Amiei, Pra;ceptoiis, Ecelesia ininistri, hominis, Eniicns; suis percarus, In Ecelesia magno eiiltu dignatus, Per teuas honore habitus, Vixit. Lacrymis Omnium Obiil; Maii xiimo mdci x( vto. yEtat, i.wiirvo. Eeclesi;e lula', Nov. l^rt. Rhod. Ins. Pastor annos xx/i ; Collegii Yaknsis Tutor vi, Piajses xviii. Senatus Academicus Coll. Yal. hoc saxutn po-uil. Hie sepultus jacet Vir ille admodum revereiidus TiMoi nn > Dwiuiir, s. t. d. i.l. p. Coihgii Valenvis Pi;rses, et ejus>lem Sacro-ancla' Theologue Prolessoi : Gui De Lit- tens, de Ueligioiie, de Patria opiime meritus ; Maximo Mhjrum ct bonorum omnium desiderio, mortem obiit, i)ie xi. Januar. Anno Domini .mdi i i xvm. /Eiatis sua' r.xv. Ecelesia; Greenlieldicnsis Pastor Annos XII. Collegii "VuIclms Tutor vi. Pia-ses xxii. Senatus Collegii Yalensis Hoc Saxum Ponendum <jLua\ il. Sacred lo the memory of Joseph, eldest son oiHozekiah ami Mehitabel Frith of the Island of Bermuda, a member ot the Senior class in Yale Colk'ge He survived ills wound but 21 hours, and lelt this world for a better, on the Loid's day, October fjth, 180G, aged Itj years, 9 months and 11 days. — His virtues had gained the iove of all who knew him, and his remembrance to his bereaved friends, who have experienced a loss which Time will never repair. Cropp'tl like a rose, before 'lis fully blown. Or half lis woilh disclosed. This young man was killed, it is said, in a hunting excursion, by an ill directed discharge of a gun hy one of his comj^anions, who was hunting partridges in the bushes. It ap])ears that the friends of young Frith had the impression that he was shot by design, and in accordance mih this belief inserted something on his monument which gave this rapression. His companions, feeling that this was an unjust and inju- •jous reflection, demolished the slab on which the oflensive words were NEW HAVEN. 133 inserled, and placed another in its room, without any inscription. This accounts for the apparently disconnected mention of a wound. The monument of Col. Humphreys stands near the southwestern part of the yard. It is composed of granite, and is about twelve feet in lieigiu. Tlie followinti; inscription is upon two tablets of copper, which are inserted into the sides of the pedestal. David Humphreys, LL. D. Acad. Scieiit. Pliilad. Mass. et Connect, et in Anj^^lia AiiuiE Si)lis, et Rei,'ia' Socielat. sucius. Patricia et liberiati^ amore aceeiisiis, jm'eiiis \'ituni rcipiib. inte^irram cuiisecia\it. Patriam ■jnni-^ tui^haliir, curjsilus auxil, literis rxorna\'it, apud e.Meras penics coiicordia .sta- bilivit. In bcllu gerendo niaxiini ilueis WasliingiLHi administer et a.ljnior; in exL-rcilii pauio Chiiiandui-^ ; in republica Cunneciicnteni.i, inilitnm evocaloruni iin])eraiur; ad anlana Lusitan. et lli>i>aii. li'^'atns. Iberia reveisus iia- tale solum vcllere veic aureo dUavit. In Ili-tuiiaet Poc-^i scrifitor exiniius; in ariibus et seientiis excokrulis, qiue vel decori vel usui inseiviunt, opiiinus ijise et patronui; et exem- plar. Omnibus demuui ollieiis expletis, cuisiiq; vitaj I'elici- ter peraclo, falo cessit, Die xxi Februar. Anno Domini MDLCcxvni, cum annos vixi-^set lxv. The above may be rendered into English in the following manner. David HrMi'UKKV.-^, Doctor of Laws, Alember of the Acad- emy of Sciences of Philadcliiliia, Massachusetts and Con- necticut; ol' the Uath [Agricultural] Society, and of the Itoyal Socii'iy of London.— Fired wiih the lo'vc of countiy and of liberty, he consecrated his youth w holly in the service of the Rc|)ublic, vviucli he defended by his aims, aided b}' his .-• I— __!* counsels, adorned liy \\[> learning, and preserved in harmony ^^u- '^ ^''~~''T~^§M^ wiih foreign natiuns. In the Held, he was the companion ' -—^-'2"; •-"; •'-=5^ — and aid of the ureal "Washington, a Colonel in the army of j/u /inj/ini/s' Monwmcul. liis country, and commaiulei' ol' the Veteian Volunleeis of ' " * Connecticut, ile went Finbassador to ihecnints ot Poilimal and Spain, and return- ing, eniiched hi-> native land with the true golden lleece. IJe uas a disiii, -niched His- torian and Poet;--a inoilel and pulron of Science, and of the oinanicnl:il and useful arts. After a full discharge of every duty, and a life well spent, he di^-d on the 'Jlbl day of Februnrv, 1818, aged O") years. Ashmun's Tonib. The above is a representation of the monuinent erected to the me- mory of Jehudi Ashmun, Esq. the fir^st Colonial Agent at IMonrovia, Africa ; it is formed after the model of the tomb of Scipio, at Rome. 184 NKW 11 .WEN. The monuments of Mr. Whitney, (the inventor of the Cotton Gin,) and the late Dr. Nathan Smith are of the same form. The following is the inscilption on ^Ir. Ashniun's monument. AsnMiiN. Fiisl Coh^nial Agent at Lini-iUA, Afkica. Born at Champlain, N. Y. Ap. 21st, 1791. LandLil in Aliic:i, Aug. 8, 18-22. Died at IsVw Haven, Aug. 25, 182H. Erected by the Am. Coluu. Soc. 1«2!). ]Mr. Ashmun arrived in New Haven about a fortnight before his death, laboring under severe hodily infirmities, brought on by his labors and exposures, in a tropical climate, for the benefit of the African co- lony. His constitution was so broken down by the hardships which he had endured, that the best medical skill could not save him from an early grave. His funeral was attended by a large concourse of citizens, the ficulty and members of Vale College, a munber of the neighboring clergy, and the governor of the State. His remains were carried to the Cen- ter church, where nu ap|)ropriate and eloquent sermon was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Hacon. Juit as the services commenced, an alfect- ing scene took place, — the mother of ^Ir. Ashuum, in her traveling dress, came into the congregation, supported by two persons, who con- ducted her to a scat. She had just arrived from the shores of Lake Champlain, to visit her son in his last illness, whom she had not seen for twelve years. But she was too late ; she could only reach forth her aged hand and touch his coflin. Eli Wliilney.tlie inventor of tlie Cotton Gin. Of useful Science and Arts, the efTi- cicnt patron and improver. Horn Dec'r 8ih, 1705. Dieil Jan. 6th, 1825. In the social relations of life, a model of cai ellence. "VVliile private all'eclion ^veeps at his tomb, his country honorb his memory. In memory of Lucrctia Pi( Keiing, wife of Samuel P. E. Moise, who died Feb. 7iii, A. D. 1825, aged 25 years. She coinLined in hti character and peison a rate assem- blage of excellence. Beautiful in form, features, and e.xpicssion, peculiarly bland in her manners, highlv cultiv.ited in her mind, she irrcMsiiMy drew attention, love, and ivspeel. l)iL;nifi.d'\\iil,>'iil h.i.i:'htines>, ,uni;d'le without iamenes.s, tirm wulnuit se- vonlv.and eheerful sviHu'iil Kuiv, her uiiilonn s\\ e. iiu-s of temper spiead a i.eri>et- lUil slmshme arouiui eveiy nrele in u huh she moved. " When the ear heard her it blessed her; when the eye saw her it i^ave witness to hei." lu sulferings the most keen her serenity of mind never failed her, tleath to her had no terror, the grave no gloom ; though suddenly called from eaiih, eiernity was no stranger lo her thoughts, but a welcome theme of contemplation. lUdigioti was the sun that illumined every varied virtue, and united all in one bow of beauty, iter's was the religion ot the gospel, Jesus Christ her foundation, the author and finisher of her laith. In Hun she rests in sure e.Kpeetatiou of a glorious resurrection. Col. William Lyon, born March G, 1718, died Oct. 12, 1830. He was the first Cashier of the hrst Bank e,-.tal)lished in this city. Scniimlously exact in his inter- course with others, he was ligidly laiihful in the disehaige o( every trust commiitea to him. Anient in the ].iiisiiu uf literature, Ins acquaintance Avith the biography, manners and customs of his native State was minute and extensive; and history, an- cient and modern, especiativ that relating to the land of liis forefathers, M'as to him peculiarly familiar; unshaken in the principles of civil liberty he abhorred tyranny in every form. " He loved mercy and walked humbly with his God." In the yeai' 1667, the Rev. Mr. Davenport of New Haven, having been invited to take charge of the first church in Boston, accepted the invitation, and next year removed lo that capital. He had been about BETHANY. 1 bo thirty years minister at New Haven, and was greatly esteemed and beloved by bis congregation. His ciiurcb were very imwillinif that be siiould leave them, and never formally gave their consent. Ouing to his removal, the church and congregation at New Haven were for many years unable to unite in the choice of a person to take the pasto- ral charge of them. Mr. Davenport died at Boston, of an apoj)lexy, IMarch 15tb, 1G70, in the 73d year of bis age.