Connecticut Historical Collections

These complaints were evidently got up in a spirit of exaggeration. " ]Mr. Robbiiis," says Dr. TrLiinbulI, "was a most inoffensive gentle- man; mild, peaceable and a |)eace maker : was uncommonly gifted in prayer: a sound and seaicliing jireaclier, and greatly beloved by liis people. He was popular in the neighboring towns and societies, and gradually grew in esteem among his brethren in the ministry. In the year 1755, about seven years after, he was invited to sit with the con- sociation, at the ordination of Mr. Street, at East Haven ; and no ob- jections were made on account of any thing which had passed in the times of his trouble. The following is copied from an inscription on one of the monuments in the burying ground. The Revd. Mr. Samll. Russol, Deed, ye '25th dav of .Tune, 1731, in ye 71st year of his age, and 'llih of hisMinistiv. Mrs. Abagail Ilussel, liis virtuous consort, Deed, ye 7th day of May, 1733, in ye (J7 year of her age. I'roii) vulfrar diLst (listin^uisiril lii-s Tli« active irLntlds of tin- skif.'i, WIkisc voice SalViitioii itiil attLMKi, Could roriifoil to IliL- iii.-ekcr KCiul, Ami iii;ik.' tin.' slul/ljorii lii-artud Ih-ikI ; And nr'fr UirSft iju' silver aoiind, Till TruiMp-U Ijid ihc- final day. And lubuniiL' .\iinrb muoc liii clay, I T1kiui;Ii belli aru dead. I!y Heaven disniissM yon'll sliine his crown, And l)OW liis head Willi glory down. Ill fliiinbtr bound fast by his side, The tender part, liis pions bride, Reclines her head. So round thf; oak the ivy twines, '. Willi faithlnl bands in hjii ' ' CHESHIRE. Cheshire was originally a parish in the town of Wallingford, by the name of New Cheshire. It was made a society in 1723 ; it consisted then of about thirty five families. The Rev. Samuel Hall was their first minister; he was ordained their pastor in December, 1724. A church was Ibrmed, and the first meeting house erecterl the same year. The number of male members in the church at its formation was eleven. In the year -1770, the number of members was about dOO. The Rev. Mr. Foot was ordained colleague pastor with Mr. Hall in March, 1767. In the center of the town there is a pleasant village of 40 or 50 dwelliiig houses, three chinches, and an Academy. The engraving on tlie succeeding page shows the central part of the village ; the' Congre- gational church is seen on the left ; the spiie of the Episcopal church is seen on the right ; the next building seen westward of this is the Meth- TrumbuH's Hist. Conn. Vol. 2. 191 c u i; s 11 1 u [• . dist church, a plain brick edifice without a spire ; the Academy stands eastward of these hnihliiiL's, on the opposite sith- of the sireut. This place is 13i miles from New Haven, 25 from Hartford, i)i southeast from Waterbury, and one n)ile from Beachport, a small cluster of build- ings on the New Haven and Northampton canal. iSoui/l viciv of Cheshire, (^ceiilral 'p(trt-) Cheshire was incor|)orated as a town in 1780. It is bounded n. by Southington, w. by Waterbury and Prospect, e, hy iVIeriden and Wal- lingford, and s. by Hamden. It is about 7 miles in length from north to south, and 4 miles in breadth. The northeast section of the town is watered by the Quinnipiac. The New Haven and IN'oriiiampton canal passes through the whole length of the town. The township is pleasantly diversifud by hills and valleys, and the jircvailing soil is a gravelly loam, generally rich ami ferlile. /Vgricullure is the principal business of the inhabitants. In INIarch, 173-2, (a little more than eight years after the society of New Cheshire was formed,) the Si/ui/I Par " broke out in the center of the society." How it came tliere is to this day a secret. Being an unusual disease, and many opinions about it, people wentuj)on the Sab- bath and other public days, to see the sick. After some time, when it began to S|jread, some were afraid it was the small pox, and sent for those who had had " the distemper, to know whether it was the small pox," who "all agreed it was not; which made people careless, till Dr. Harpin came and told 'em it was. Thus the inl'ection was spread in many families, and they were brought into the gicatest distress, for want of experienced nurses — yea, had scarcely help to bury the dead." It appears from llie Rev. ]Mr. Hall's discourse on the occasion, that 124 persons, probably about one third of the whole population in the society, had the disorder, and it is somewhat remarkable, considering the circumstances, that but seventeen persons died. 19: Episcopal Academy at Cheshire. The above is a western view of the Episcopal Academy. It is a substantial biick edifice, 54 feet by 31, and was erected by the town in 1796 ; it is surrounded by a spacious coiu't yard, and stands a little back from the main street.*' This institution was incorporated in ISOl, and was called the I'.'piscopal Academy of Connecticut. Cheshire, April 2^, 17:)G. Yesterday vvas laid iLo lirsi siniie c.f ihe ]".|iKc.)pnl Academy, (nou- biiildiiif,' iii ihis liju'11,3 by the iii.i^ter oi' 'J'emple Loilj,a>, assi-leil by the IJrellii eis— liiider the ^.toue was; laid a .slate, wiih ibe lullowin^- iii>cii|ilii)ii : April rJo, ITDi;. The Conjcr Siuhe of the l^pi^eojial Aeadeiny, creeled by piopiielors. was l.\id by the I'lalcrnilv uirrce and areepled Mumjiis. The dav heinj: line, a proces.vjoti was luinied Iroin the hidi^e room to the Epi.scopal chiueli, where a well adapted diseoiirse was delieered by "the Knv. Mr. Ives— from thence to ihe <,M(nind, and alier laying the stone, the Kev. Mr. liriiii.soii addressed the brethren and crowd ul' speeiatois asst-nibled on iIjc occasion, with a few peiiinent ob- servations. The procession then reluincd, and t(igether with the proprietors of the buildin;^ partook of a fesiive enlmlainmenl. I'he whole was conducted with order and rej^'ulariiy to the satisfaction of all piesent. Extract from Cheshire Town Records. June 2Gth, 17S0. — At a special town mi'eiinpr heUl at Cheshire, major Reuben At- waier was chosen niodeiaior. Voted, that the scleclinen shall see that the soldiers wliich are drafted and to march to-morrciw iiioiiiniir, h.; provided each man wiih a liorse. Voted, that Miles Hull, Naihanirl Hunn.dl, P.obeit Martin and David Hilch- coclc, be a caiqnnitee for hiiin.i,' the soldiers to lill iij) the continental army for the lerm of three years, oj- diirinj^ the present war. Voted, that the town would f<ive lu each soldier which shall enlist into the conti- nental army for three years, or durinj,' the present war, to be paid equivalent to silver at 6s. HiL per ounce, tlie sum of twenty shillinj,'s per inoiilh, duiing the time of their continuance in the service, to be paid annually. * Since the above drawing was taken, the ])oi)lars seen standing around the Acad- emy have been cut olf, and tiie building has been somewhat improved in its general appearance. The following are copied from nionumeiits in the old burying ground, eastward from the Congregational church. In memory of ye Rev. Samuel Hall, Pastor of ye clrh in Cheshire, died Feb. 2()ih, A. D. 1776, M. 81, and yc l-2d year of his ministry. Al.so of Mrs. Ann Hall, died 1775, aged 74. A friend to God, a ^'iiide in Christ, Do here repose ihuir ppacefnl dust, To rest in darkness m the tomb, Till Galjriel'.s trumpet wake the jii.st. Here lies the body of Capt. Elnathan Eeaeli.n j^entleinan who from a small forltuip, by an honest industry and diligent application to business, laixd a very fonsideiablc estate. His liberal benelaeiimis to the Parish of (Jlicshiie will prifieiuale liis name: And as he was perhaps the first m Connecticut, who beuan a fund for the lelief of the poor, so he deserves a pailiciilar place in the mcniury oi all w ho wish well to mankind. He departed this life, Aug. loili, 1710, in ye -Jjih ytin ol Ins a^e. Here lies the body of Capt. Samuel Cooke, who died Nov. 7tli, Hlfj, jn his 5Ist year. His indefatigable indiisliy and success in business weie equally admirable; liis views of trade were laige, and as his estate was snllicient for the imrpose, so he generously designed to deliver his country Irom the slavery it had been so long in to the neighboring colonies, by opening a new scene of commerce with Europe. His de- sign herein, as also his benefaciions to the church, imd poor of the parish of Cheshire, ivre worthy the imitation of all whom Providence has so remarkably blessed. DERBY. The orii^inal name'of this town was Paugasset. It a]tpear.^, that about the year 1053, Gov. Goodyear, and others in New Haven, made a pur- chase of a considerable tract at this place. In 16.51, it seems some few settlements were made. The next year the planters presented a peti- tion to the General Court of New Haven, to he made into a distinct town. The Court granted their petition, anrl gave them liberty to pur- chase lands sufBcient for a township. The INIilford ))cople, however, at the next Court made such strong remonstrances against the act, that the Court determineti that the pco|)le at Paugasset should continue as they had been, under the town of INIilford, mdess the parties should come to an agreement, respecting the incorporation of the inhabitants there into a distinct township. In 1G57 and 1659, a purchase was made of the lands, of the chief sagamores, AVetanamow and Raslcenute. This purchase appears to have been confirmed afterwards by Okenuck, the chief sachein. Some of the first planters were Ed. Wooster, Ed. Riggs, Ricliard Baldwin, . Samuel Hopkins, Thomas Langdon, and Francis French. In October, 1675, the planters renewed their appli- cation for town privileges. They represented that they then consisted n K u B V . 1 1)7 of twelve families, and that eleven more were about movinn; into the plantation ; tliey had proeured a minister, built him a house, and made provision for the supjjort of the ministry. Upon these representations, the Assembly made them into a town, by the name of J)crby.