Connecticut Historical Collections

Article YU. — Each per.son who has an allotment at Mattatuclc, shall dwell there four years from the time he enters upuii dwelling there, or forfeit as afoiesaid. Article VllI, — All who shall have allotments shall sign these articles. The articles were subscribecl to by tlie persons wliose names are an- nexed. * John Laughtfui, . . £100 John Carrington, . . £G0 ♦ .lohn Andrews, . 100 ♦ William Higason, 70 Thomas Judd, . 100 ()badiah Richards, . 80 Edmund Scott, . 100 Thomas Newell, 100 John Welton, . 80 1 John Stanley, senr. !)3 Abraham Andross, 80 Daniel Warner, tiO Isaac Hronson, . 110 ♦ Samuel Gridley, yo John Stanley, 100 John Warner, jun. 100 Samuel Ilic'kox, . 85 JtdmJudd, 100 * Richard Seymour, 100 Joseph Hickoi, til) ♦ Abraham Bronson, 80 John Bronson, senr. . 80 ♦ John Porter, 80 i * Thomas Gridley, 80 Thomas Handcox, 100 Daniel Porter, ' . <.)0 John Warner, . 00 * Samuel Judd, . 81) U'homas llichason. r)0 1 ♦William Judd, . 100 AWf.— The names of those designated by a star,* afterwaids decliii leil joining the settlement, ami ihe ii ames of the lo llowmg individiuils wuie added to the list ol .sub- scribe rs ti.i supply the vacancy , to w it: John Scovil, Benjamin Barnes, John Stanley, jr. IMmund Scott, jr. Joseph tJaylor d, John Moiikins, Timoihy Stanle\ ■,.uid Thomas Warner, Thus, the propriety or ownership of the town, was by the commit- tee divitJed into an indefinite number of shares, leaving it optional with the settler to subscribe for any portion, not exceeding one hundred pounds — the committee reserving to themselves the right to make two or three special allotments of one hundred and fifty pounds each. These reserved rights were subsequently appropriated — one of £150 value for the benefit of the ministry, and another of equal amount for the use of schools. In the summer of 1674, the committee purchased of the native In- dians (in trust for the settlement) by deed, bearing date August 21st, for the consideration of divers good causes, and thirty eight ))ounds, a tract of land at Mattatuck, bordering upon both sides of the Naugatuc river, ten miles long from north to south, and six miles wide from east to west; butting east on F'arniington, south on Paugasset, (now Der- by,) west on Paugasset, Pomperaug and Potatunk, (now Woodbury and Southbury,) and north on wilderness. The breaking out of what was called King Philip's war, in 1675, and the distresses attendant upon it, 2G0 WATEKBUIIY. for a time retarded the designs of the settlers ; little else being done than exploring the country. After peace was established with the In- dians, the subscribers to the articles determined upon settling JNIattatuck without delay. Accordingly, in 1G77, the State's committee assigned their purchase of the Indians to Thomas Judd, John Stanley, and oth- ers, inhabitants of Mattatuck, and in the January following, made reg- ulations about the fences around the meadows on the east side of the river, and ordered the work to be finished by the last of May succeed- ing. It was at this time that those signers designated in the preceding note declined joining the settlement, and the other individuals were ad- mitted in their stead. The committee likewise extended to the sub- scribers one year more than the articles originally allowed, in which to erect their dwellings in Mattatuck. In 1684, the Indian owners of the town, for the consideration of di- vers good causes, and £9, conveyed to the English j)roprietors a parcel of land to run eight miles north from Mount 'I'aylor, to extend west to a north and south line eighty rods east of Quassapaug pond, butted north on wilderness, east on Farmington bounds, south on the former grant, and west on the aforementioned north and south line. In De- cember of the san)e year, a number of Indians conveyed to said pro- jirietors a number of pieces of land l}ing within the bounds described within the iloed of l(i74, probably other claimants to the same lands. Thus the anciejit limits to the town of Walerbnry, as deeded by the Indians, and patented by the State to the proprietors, extended about eighteen miles from north to south, and about ten from east to west — now comprehending the towns of ^Vaterbury, Watertown, and Ply- mouth, most of Middlebury, half of Wolcott, and a small part of Ox- ford and Prospect. This extent of territory, which was estimated by a committee of the Assembly as capable of accommodating thirttj fam- ilies, now contains a population of about ei^ht thousand souls. In the summer of 1()77, the proprietors, without their families, came on to their purchase to lay out the fomulalion of the future capital of their little colony. The site first [)itched upon was on the ridge of a considerable eminence, which ascends from the western bank of the Naugatuc, about a mile from the present location of Waterbury village, and which to this day is called " Town Plot." Streets were laid out, (nearly as they now remain,) and building lots of eight acres each were apportioned to each s(;tiler, agreeable to the original articles of agree- ment. But before any buildings were erected on the spot, considera- tions both of expedience and safety induced a change from their primi- tive design. The disastrous events of King Philip's war admonished them of the necessity of maintaining a ready conununication with their friends and allies at Farniington, and other eastern settlements ; and as the Naugatuc was subject to frequent inundations, this intercourse would consequently be cut oil; should they be attacked by a savage foe during flood time. And as the produce from the meadow, which wiis (;hie(ly to constitute their future means of support, must be attended with great labor and inconvenience in its transportation up so long and steep an ascent^ this consideration likewise had no slight influence in turning the WATERBURY. OQl scale in favor of a location in tlie valley. A few temporary huts were therefore erected for the season, on the east bank of the Naugatiic, near " Sled Hail ;" and the following year (1C7S) streets were hnd out, and dwelhngs erected upon the present site, with a view to a permanent set- tlement. ^ House lots of from one and a half to four acres were set oil" to each inchvidual, according to eligibility of situation, and extent of proprietors' rights. In the latter part of the year some of the settlers moved their wives and families into their new liabitations. The first English child born in Waterbury was Rebecca, daughter of Thomas and I\Iary Richardson, April 27, 1679, in a house which stood upon the site ol the old " Judd House," well known as a tavern stand for more than half a century, having been kept by Capt. Samuel Judd, previous to the J^evolutionary war, until his death, in Septendjer, 18:25, in the J) 1st year of his age. The house was destroyed by fire on the 25ih day of February, 1833, in which a young man named John N. Tuttle, and two daughters of Mr. Israel Holmes, perished in the flames.* An- other house has been erected over the ruins, and is now occupied by Mr. Samuel J. Holmes, an elder brother of the aforementioned— grand- son of Captain Judd, and lineal descendant from Thomas Judd, one of the original settlers. The first English male child born in the settle- ment, was Richard, son of John and Mary Welton, Sept. 27, 1679, in a house nearly opposite the old Judd house, upon the spot where now Blands the house of Mr. Giles Ives. Among their early i)rivations, the settlers sufiered greatly for want of a^grist mill. Their only resource was by carrying their bread corn to Farmington to be ground, a distance of twenty miles, and through a patjdess wilderness. Tiie State's committee, as early as NovcndDcr, 1679, took the subject into consideration, and not only recommended its erection, but granted 30 acres of land to whoever should build and keep up the mill. In 1680, Stephen Hopkins, of Hartford, built a mill on iMiU river, (now Mad river,) where a mill has stood to the jiresent lime. Some other aliotmenls were afierwards made by the proprie- tors ; but like many grants for public purposes, made witli laudable in- tentions, posterity are prone to disregard. Antecedent to February, 1681, the concerns of the town were di- rected by the State's committee, at which time they ordered that the inhabitants might elect their own townsmen constables, haywards, sur- * To evince the deep sympalhy wliicli was felt upon this nielancliuly oceiisiun, a Jiamisome obeh.sk nionunicnl lia« been erected over the ashes of ilie victims, with tiie iollowing inscriptions: On the west front— '^ Beneath this stone rests the remains of John N. Tuttle, who perished Feljruary '25, 1833, in an attempt to rescue two chiUlieii from a burning Jiouse. His (cllow ciu/eus. have erected this mtjnumcnt to his memory." ( )ii tiie east Irc.nt— " To the memory of Ilaimah Ardelia, aged 7, and Olive Marga- ret, aged 5 years, children of Ardelia C. and Israel Holmes, who were consumed bv /ire, l-'cbruary 'J:>, IHXi. •' " The midnight fire was fierce and red. Sweet babes that wrapt your sleeping bed- But he who oft with favoring ear Hath bow'd, your eaily prayers to hear, Received beyomt this iimrtal shore, The sister souls to part no more." 2G2 AV A T n RI! 11 R Y . veyoi'S, fence viewers, and otlier ofllcers. In 1CS2, the committee fnr- tlier extended to the settlers tlic power to regulate the impounding of cattle. From that period to 168G, at which date Mattatuck was incor- porated under tlie name of Waterijury, the committee appear to have had little to do with its concerns. AVaterhury was represented for the first time, by Ensign Thomas Judd, in jMay, 1689. Lieut. John Stanley was chosen the second representative, the May following. At that time the taxable polls of the town, including all males from 16 to 70 years of age, were thirty seven. The town list was £1,893, nor did it increase until 1701.