Connecticut Historical Collections

She rode out in a chair, with a view to transact some doun-stic all'aiis with a laniily about two miles from town, am! coming- to the jiond, appealed to have turned the horse- with a view to water hiin at a [)|ace which appeared smooth and convenient for the purpose; but the shore a few I'eet Irom the eilge of the pond wa.s uncommonly steep, descending? at once, and the horse, probably e.itrer to drink, and prcssini,' forward too far, plunged iiisianlly into eij^hl or ten leet water. No person saw Mrs. Edwards Allien she was drowning, but a lad on horseback just behind her, hearing a person scream, rode forward, and seeing the horse and chair in the pund, immediately alarmed the neighborhood. The waleis were so deepand muddy, that it was an hour and a half before she was found, though the utmost exertions were made. The physi- cian tried every probable expedient for more than an hour to recover her, but in vain. The jury gave their verdict that she wasacciilentally drowned. ♦ ♦ ♦ * Her funeral was attended yesterday, when an aniinaied and exceedingly tender ser- mon was preaclied from Phil. i. 21, to a very numerous and solemn audience, by the Rev. Dr. Stiles. Her remains were followed to the grave by the most numerous pro- cession ever seen in this town ; which gave an ocular denioiistialion, that as she lived desired, so she departed universally lamented. ****♦♦♦ The following inscription is copied from a monument in a small grave yard in this town. In memory of Mr. John Potter, who died Nov. 10, 178.1, JE. 78. Also Mrs. Estlier, his wife, who died Dec. 21st, 1773, ^E. Gl ; and of Maj. Thomas Potter and family, who are removed to Meadville, Pennsylvania. ♦ This was about GO rods north oi tiie bridge at "Whitney ville. 224 MADISON Lee^s Academy and Congregational Church in Madiaon. This town was incorporated in 182G. Its limits embrace what was formerly the second and fourth ecclesiastical societies in Guilford. There are now two parishes ; Madison, formerly called East Guilford, and North Madison, formerly North Bristol. The town is about nine miles in lenii;th, and may average perhaps about four in breadth. The lands in Madison, the south parish, by the use of white fish as a ma- nure, have become quite productive. These fish were first used here for this purpose in the summer of 1798. It is believed they were first used as a manure in this country on Long Island. This fishery com- mences about the first of June, and continues lor three or four months. From 10 to 15,000 fish are considoretl as a sufiicient dressing for an acre of ground. The best method of using them is thought to be to plow them in : a great proportion are left on the top of the ground, — a fish thrown on a hill of corn or potatoes makes a material dillerence in the produce. These fish are now extensively used in the maritime towns in the state. Madison produces considerable quantities of pota- toes for exportation, rye, Indian corn, &ic. Tliere are a number of quarries near the shore, from which considerable quantities of paving stone are taken for exportation. Ship building is the leading mechan- ical business done in the ])lace. North Madison is rocky and hilly, and it is believed that full one half of the land is unfit for cultivation, and is left for the growth of wood. Great quantities of excellent charcoal are made in this parish, which is carried to New Haven and Middletown for a market. The above is a western view of Lee's Academy and the Congrega- tional church in Madison. Tlie Academy, which is a rcsj)ectable in- stitution, derived its name from the late Capt. Frederick Lee, com- MADISON. mander of a revenue cutler, who was one of its benefeictors. This place is five miles iVoni Guilford, and twenty one fron) JN'ew Haven. The principal part of the buildings in this society are situated on one street, passing through the town, and running a short distance frq/n and paral- lel with the sea coast. The Rev. John Hart was the first minister in Madison. In INIay, 1703, the General Assembly formed the society of East Guilford. Mr. Hart was ordained the first pastor of the newly gathered church, in November, 1707. He was from Farmington, and was a preacher of the fiist eminence in his day. He died ]\Iarch 4th, 1732, aged 49. Their next minister was the Rev. Jonathan Todd, from New Haven, who was ordained in 1733. The first minister in North Madison, was the Rev. Richard Ely, from Lyme, who- was ordained here June Sth, 1757. JNIr. Nathan Bradley* was one of the first settlers of this town. He built his house about two and a half miles eastward of Madison church, and near the Killingworth line. He was but a lad when he came fioni England. He intended to have landed at New Haven, but was obliged to land at Saybrook, and come across the wilderness to New Haven, there being no settlement at that time between that place and Sayi)iook. Mr. Bradley, who was quite a hunter, was the first v, bite person who dis- covered the source of Hammonasset river, which originates in a pond still called Nathan's pond. Mr. B. lived to an advanced age, and it is said that he killed several hunched deer while he resided iii this town. In the winter season, bears, wolves, and other wild animals, would resort to the sea coast in considerable numbers. Mr. B. in his old age went to see a friend who lived about a mile northerly from the present meeting bouse in Madison. On his way he was met by a bear and her cubs. He endeavored to ride round her, but as he moved, the bear moved ; when he sio|)ped, she stopped, and sitting on her haunches, presented an undauniiil front, and seemed deienuined to ol)|lo^e his farther pro- gress. Mr. B. was obliged to turn back, and being somewhat childish in his old age, shed tears, that be who had killed so many of these creatures, should be obliged at last to turn his back upon one of them. Some of the inhabitants of !\Iadison follow the sea-faring business. In accordance with this occupation, some of the inscriptions on the monuments in the grave yard west of the Academy, correspond. The following is from a tabular monument in memory of Capt. E. Griffin. Thoufih nureas' blasts iinil Ncplunc's waves I Whore I do iit anchor ride Have toss'd ine to and fro, With many of our IIpcI ; In soite of b,)lh by God's decrL-u V,i once asnin I musi set sail I liarbor horu Ijt- low, | Our Admiral, Clirist, to meet. The Hon. Thomas C/iittendcn, for many years governor of the state of Vermont, was a native of this town. He was born Gth January, * Mr. Zebul Bradley of New Haven, now 56 years of age, is his great grandson. Mr. Bradley liad five or six brothers, who came over about the period he anived. They were all Ciumweirs men, and staunch dissenter.?. 29 226 M K U I D E NT . 1730 ; and at the age of twenty one years (1751) he removed to Sahs- bury in this state, where he continued until 1773, wlien he the second time encountered the privations and liardships of a new country, by emit^^-ating into the state of Vermont.. But ho was amply rewa«led for liis cnter[)rise, iiavin;^ made a valuable location of laiul, upon the beautiful alluvial of the Onion river, which soon became valuable, and enableil him lo leave a large estate to his posterity. He was also hon- ored with the confidence of the public, and attained to distinguished public employments, having been elected the first governor of that stale, in March; 1778. He died August '25lh, 1797.* FJjenezcr Chittenden, brother to the preceding, was possessed of a great mechanical genius, and was the inventor of a machine for cutting and bending card teeth. This was before the I^evolution. Being of an open and communicative disposition, some person, taking advantage of this trait in his character, obtained a knowledge of liis invention, went to England and took out a patent, claiming himself to have been the original inventor. M E R 1 1) E N . Meriukn was originally a society in (he town of WflilWig-foftl, and was incorporated as a town in 1?()(). The society was formed in 1725, " It consisted at (irst of between 30 and '10 families. Tliey had preach- ing only in the winter season, for the (irst three years, and met in a pri- vate house two winters. Their first meeting house was built in 1727. The Rev. TheophHusHall went to preach to them in December, 172S. The next year a church was gathered, and Mr. Hall was ordained their pastor. Their second meeting house was built in 1755. Mr. ifall died in 17G7, in the 60lli year of liis age and 38th of his ministry. He was nuich esteemed as a preacher of great firmness and stability, and a zeal- ous advocate for civil and religious liberty. "f The following view is rather east of soutli ; the first buihling on the left, belijre which a stage is passing, is the Episcopal, the next the Bap- tist, the other is the Congregational church, which is the largest of the three. The building in the distance, on the right, has been long known as an excellent tavern, and is the half-way house from Hartford to New Haven, it being seventeen miles from each place. The elevated peak seen in the distance above the half-way house is Mount Lamentation, about 3 miles distant, and is by far the most elevated point of the INIid- dletown and VVallingford range of mountains. It is the most prominent object which meets the eye for many miles, as you pass either north or south from Meriden. Meriden is bounded n. by Berlin, e. by IMiddletown, s. by Walling- ford, and w. by Cheshire and Southington. Its average length from east to west is 5 miles, and its average breadth 4i miles. The town- ship is hilly, qind some sections of it are mountainous. The Middle- * Pease and Niles' Gazelteer. t Dr. Dana's Century Seimon. M F. U 1 D F. N '^27 s'a^^^^m^ffi^^^^jfS^^nnl^^g Southern view of (he Churches in JShriden.