Leading Business Men of Fairfield County

It is possible to form a mind-picture of the procession which the few families in Stratfield would make on the way to church on those olden time Sunday mornings. They no doubt followed the usual custom in the colonies of going together. It was not until some time in the Eighteenth Century that carriages were used in attending church, except on special occasions. All, both young and old, were accustomed to walk. Some of the active, middle-aged men led the way as an advance guard. Others of the strong men were scattered through the company, while some brought up the rear. All the heads of families carried their weapons in readiness, even in BRIDGEPORT, PAST AND PRESENT. 17 such comparatively quiet settlements as Quinnipiac or Pequonnock, for the possi- bility of a sudden attack of the wandering tribes of Indians was always imminent. Beside, there was a large reservation of Indians on Golden Hill, indolent and harm- less generally, but one could not tell just how far to trust them. Under the watch- ful protection of the Puritan fathers, the Puritan matrons walked sedately along, watching over their younger sons and daughters, in whom the Puritan spirit had not yet subdued the natural tendencieslo mirth and noisiness. The young men and maidens walked apart, for on Sundays, of all days, they were not supposed to have any desire for each other's company. Thus, in irregular companies of a half dozen or so, but all within a short distance of each other, the inhabitants of Strat- field would walk to church each Sunday morning, unless the weather was so inclem- ent as to prevent the women and children from going out. The men were obliged to be present, whether rain or shine, snow or ice prevailed. Arrived at the church, the families were seated according to certain ranks and privileges which then prevailed. The young men and maidens were again separated, being seated on opposite sides of the church. But, though obliged to refrain almost from looking at the young ladies during the day, the young man's turn came around with Sunday evening. Then it was the regular time for him to visit his loved one's home, and ever since that day the custom seems to have continued. The noon meal was always brought to church, and the country people did not return home until after the sermon in the afternoon. Thus passed a Sunday with the Puritans, looked forward to throughout the week as a foretaste of heaven. Indeed, all their pleasantest recollections and hopes clus- tered around the church. In the midst of the hard struggles of subduing the soil and the rough forest lands, this spot stood out as an oasis in the wilderness. Here they received their name at the first solemn ceremony in the course of their life. Here the banns of true love were first announced. Here, before the altar, after having ridden over in state, bride and groom together on the same steed, the most sacred vows of marriage were administered. Hither they expected to come on their last journey after the hard battle of life was over. So the first and most important element which we meet with in the life of the early settlers in Bridgeport, as all through New England, is their relation to the church. In the light of this fact we may well consider it the most important event in the history of the colony up to that date, when the foundation of the first church was laid in Stratfield, in the year 1693. The fact that there could not have been more than seventy-five adults in the place at the time demonstrates the universal desire which existed for such an edifice. The church was not finished until 1695, owing partly to the heavy strain put upon the inhabitants by reason of their small numbers and partly to the fact that much difficulty ensued in separating from the parishes at Fairfield and Stratford. The Reverend Charles Chauncey was settled as pastor of the church, and proved an ideal leader of the people. About the same time, that other rock upon which New England is built, the common school was established in Stratfield. For a number of years the Rev. Chas. Chauncey had acted as both teacher and pastor, but before the beginning of the Eighteenth Century two flourishing schools were in operation, one in that part of the town bordering on Stratford, the other in the part toward Fairfield. Ever since BRIDGEPORT, PAST AND PRESENT. that time the subject of education and its methods has continued to grow with the city, contributing indeed not a little to the stability of that growth. The Rev. Mr. Chauncey was a highly educated scholar, the grandson of Charles Chauncey, pro- fessor of Greek and Latin at Cambridge University, England, and later President of Harvard College, so we may be sure that in the beginning of the school at Stratfield, the first steps were wisely planned and intelligently taken. The standard was prob- ably somewhat higher than at most of the, colonial schools where nothing was taught except the simplest rudiments. The discipline of the schools in those days con- formed to the Puritan idea, and the present system would seem the height of indul- gence in comparison. Mr. Chauncey's salary as both pastor and teacher was £60, which was afterwards increased to £80. This may seem very small but in reality was very generous con- sidering the population of Stratfield at that time. The Stratfield Ecclesiastical So- ciety was the name given to the first attempt at local organization, which was granted a charter at the establishment of the first church in 1695 by the General Court of the State. Being the first community under this form of organization in the State, its privileges and powers were defined, according to Orcutt's history, in 1699, as follows: 1. To make choice annually of two or three persons who shall have power to order meetings of the society, their minister's rate and what concerns may be about their meeting house. 2. To choose collectors of the rates, and that they shall have power by virtue of a writ from lawful authority to distrain. 3. To choose a constable whose power shall reach from west side of Pequonnock River unto the utmost bounds of the village, westward, according to the limitations granted Commission Officers; the village consisting partly of Fairfield and Stratford. 4. That they shall have liberty to choose annually a society recorder to be sworn to that work. The organization was of the simplest character possible, and yet, or consequently, proved most efficient in the small community, as long as it continued in operation. The chief members of the new society at its inception, were Richard Hubbell, Isaac Wheeler, James Bennit, Samuel Beai-dsley, Samuel Gregory, Mathew Sherman, Rich- ard Hubble, David Sherman and John Odell. This union of all the forces of the town in one compact body had a most telling influence on the internal improvement of the region itself and the preparation for rapid advancement later on. In 1703, the village had grown in numbers sufficiently to warrant the organiza- tion of a train-band. David Sherman was appointed as its Ensign; in the following year John Beardsley was elected Captain, and James Bennett Lieutenant. On the annual "training clay," the whole company of some forty or fifty men would turn out, and march to the training grounds in the northern part of the village. The accoutrements of the soldiers were of the most varied and sometimes ridiculous nature. No attempt at uniformity seems to have been made. In close proximity might have been seen, one man wearing the helmet and cuirass of an English knight, with a broad cavalry sword in his hand, and another with no defensive armor at all, carrying a large "blunderbuss " over his shoulder. Fat men and lean men, tall and low, marched side by side indiscriminately, and almost in accordance with each individual's own sweet will, for the amount of absolute authority now given to a military commander, BRIDGEPORT, PAST AND PRESENT. 19 for the time being, would have seemed preposterous to those independent freemen. The day on the parade ground was spent in sham battles, athletic games and military reviews. Sometimes the Indians from the neighboring reservation would come down and try a wrestling bout with the soldiers. "Training Day " was one of the chief holidays of the year. For one day, at least, the natural man in the old Puritans made itself apparent. Hilarity and merry making were almost universal. It was not, however, until a much later date that New England rum appeared upon the scene and added yet another feature to the day. The only other holiday of the time worth mentioning, was Thanksgiving Day. The Puritans had rejected the observance of Christmas, along with all the other church days, but all joined in rendering this great festal day of Thanksgiving a red- letter occasion in the year. Families were united again under the roof of the pater- nal house, and an abundance of good things from field, forest, and sea were supplied. This distinctively New England custom was established before 1650, and no doubt was observed here from its inception. The glimpses of the kindred " touch of human nature" in our Puritan ancestors throw an amount of light upon their lives and habits which else were lacking. The sober business, or in fact the life work of the early settlei's of Stratfield, for their lives were religiously sober, was agricultural. Unlike many sister colonies, no thoughts of treasures to be gained by traffic on the sea seem to have been ever con- templated by them. For a hundred years the cultivation of the soil, which fortu- nately was unusually rich, absorbed their endeavors. In the year 1714, the little settlement met a heavy loss, in the death of their be- loved pastor, the Reverend Charles Chauncey. Endowed with the highest natural gifts, cultivated by a broad, liberal education, he had thrown himself into the work of the church here with a self-sacrificing zeal that had a most marked and beneficial influence in moulding the tendencies of the early days in this colony.