The Romance of Norwalk

“Signed and delivered in the presence of Stephen Beck¬ with, Samuel Lumes, Samuel Ely. Runckinheage, his mark. Piamikin, his mark. Conkuskenoe, his mark. Sasseakum, his mark. 34- ROMANCE OF NORWALK Wampassum, his mark. Sassakun, his mark. Magise, his mark. Winnapucke, his mark. Townetom, his mark. Prodax, his mark. Pokassake. Runckemunutt.” The above deed enlarged the land of the Norwalkers, giv¬ ing to them the lands of Runckinheage or Rooaton, now known as Rowayton, and also the Norwalk islands. FIRST SETTLERS Chapter IV Norwalkers Come From Hartford — Settle in East Norwalk “on plain neare the sea}} — Newcomers of English and French Descent — Of Three Classes — Home Lots Planned Town Mapped Out. Although, as mentioned a little earlier in this story, some histories give the impression that a few families planted themselves in Norwalk shortly after the purchase in 1640, such does not seem actually to have been the case. A few of the planters may have come here a season, perhaps two, before 1651, but the main body of settlers arrived during the early spring of that year. Literally hacking their way through the great forests and heavy undergrowth lying be¬ tween Hartford and Norwalk, the little band of men, women and children plodded along, day after day, on their long journey, sometimes cheered by bright sunshine, sometimes soaked by sudden storms. By night they camped under the stars, huddling together under blankets for protection against the chill damp of early Spring. The adults were not young people, rather were they of middle age and practically the whole group was made up of little families. Since there were few wheeled conveyances in Connecticut until about the middle of the eighteenth century, even such simple ones as ox carts, it is reasonable to suppose that the settlers carried most of their slim household effects on the backs of oxen. It is possible that there were a few horses in the line of travel, although these beasts of burden were very scarce at the time. Picture the little band, if you can, the women and children in sombre hoods and cloaks, jogging along on the backs of heavily laden oxen; the men, stern of 35 ROMANCE OF NORWALK 36 face, and firm of step, trudging ahead and driving their stock before them, while a few in the advance guard chopped a path for those who were to follow. The path taken was through the interior of the country, in order to avoid the crossing of deep rivers emptying into the sound. That same path crossed the very ground over which now spreads a net¬ work of macadam highways crowded with high powered automobiles. At last, after a very laborious and trying journey, the Saugatuck river was reached and with some little difficulty crossed, and then the would-be settlers turned their steps in a direction, due west. Just about sunset of a fine spring day, tradition has it, the Norwalk settlers reached the “Point of Rocks,” above France St. Part of the very rocks on which the little band of men and women stood, to look over their new home, is now included in the foundation of the Norwalk bridge. From time to time in later years residents quarried a good deal of stone at the “Point of Rocks.” What the early Nor- walkers thought when they caught their first glimpse of their future home, or what their emotions were, history does not tell us. Nor do we even know what they first saw, though, from that point, it could have been little more than tree tops and water. The travelers camped on the spot for the night and then early the next morning, commenced the last lap of their journey. It may be that they followed an old Indian path down into East Norwalk, or it may be that one of the planters already here, piloted them. They made their way in a southerly direction to the plain “neare the sea” in East Norwalk, where they halted for good. The last stop of the travelers is now marked by the Founders’ Stone, placed at the corner of East ave., and Fitch st., in 1896, by the Norwalk Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The stone tablet reads: “Norwalk founded A. D. 1649. Its earliest homes were planted in the vicinity of this stone. First meeting house directly opposite, west. Erected by the FIRST SETTLERS 37 Norwalk chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolu¬ tion, 1896.” The meeting house referred to, on the stone, stood at the corner of East ave., and Fort Point st. A vacant lot with a yawning hole now marks the spot. Any one of several reasons may explain why the new¬ comers settled in East Norwalk, instead of in what is now Norwalk or South Norwalk. Perhaps it was because the Indians before them had thought well enough of the East Norwalk plain to construct a fortress there against the Dutch. The redskins evidently considered Fort Point, where they built their rude protection, a good site for a lookout post, and the English may have felt the same way about it. Perhaps the whites felt they would be safer if they were at least partially hemmed in by water. They may have thought the spot would be easier to defend in times of danger than any other. Again, the new settlers may have decided that they could get a broader view of the harbor and more sea- coast in East Norwalk than they could anywhere else. Or lastly, perhaps their decision was influenced merely by the fact that the plains of East Norwalk presented fewer diffi¬ culties than the hills of Norwalk or South Norwalk. A MIXED COMPANY Good men, tried and true, with wives to match their dar¬ ing and their perseverance were the first white Norwalkers. There seems to be no complete list of them, but a table of “Estates of lands and accommodations” in 1655, according to Hall’s Norwalk, contains the following names : George Abbitt, Robert Beacham, Stephen Beckwith, John Bowton, Matthew Campfield, Nathaniel Eli, Thomas Fitch, John Griggorie, Samuel Hales, Thomas Hales, Walter Haite, Nathaniel Haies, Rev. Thomas Hanford, Richard Homes, Ralph Keeiler, Walter Keeiler, Daniel Kellogge, Thomas Lupton, Matthew Marvin, Senr., Matthew Marvin, Jr., Isacke More, Jonathan Marsh, Widow Morgan, Richard ROMANCE OF NORWALK 38 Olmsted, Nathaniel Richards, John Ruskoe, Matthias Sen- tion, Senr., Matthias Sention, Jr., Matthew Sention, Thomas Seamer, Richard Web. In 1654 there appears a list of accounts which bears the additional following names: Bryant, Edward Church, Joseph Fitch, Edward Nash, Richard Raiment, Richard Seamer and Giles Whitinge, and in 1656, Owen Morgan and William Reid. The following, who evidently came a few years later, ap¬ peared in the Table of Home Lots: Thomas Benedict, Sen., Thomas Benedict, Jr., John Benedict, Thomas Betts, Rich¬ ard Bushnell, Samuel Campfield, Christopher Comstock, John Crampton, Thomas Fitch, Jr., Joseph Fenn, John Greg¬ ory, Jr., Jakin Greggorie, Samuel Haies, Ephraim Lock- wood, Joseph Ketchum, John Keeler, James Pickett, Joseph Platt, Mark Sention, Robert Stewart, Samuel Smith, Thomas Taylor and Thomas Ward. In the following sketch is contained some of the outstand¬ ing facts concerning the early settlers. It is curious to note that one was a carpenter; another, “no subsedy man”; an¬ other, a minister; a fourth, an escaped rebel; a fifth, a French refugee; a sixth, a “viewer of chimneys,” and still another a “juryman.” Constables, soldiers, innkeepers, wid¬ ows, young boys traveling alone, and even magistrates were among our first residents of Norwalk. All seem to have settled right down and gone to work, regardless of previous training, and all seem to have lived to a ripe old age. Some even amassed quite a fortune, for those days, before passing on to their reward. “High spots” in the careers of these early Norwalkers are given as follows : George Abbott or Abbitt is thought to have been a French refugee to England who emigrated from Dorchester, England, with his master. His name first appeared on the Colonial records of Connecticut in 1640, as a servant. He was fined in Windsor for selling a “pystol and powder to the Indians, and bound to his good behavior.” FIRST SETTLERS 39 He never held office. In 1690 he had an estate of 120 pounds. He died at the age of about 74. Robert Beacham or Beauchamp is thought to have left England under an assumed name to escape penalty for re¬ bellion against the king. He lived here from 1651 to 1661, when he moved to Fairfield. March 29, 1655, was aP~ pointed to the high office of field gate keeper in Norwalk for a year. According to the first property list, he had an estate of 173 pounds. Stephen Beckwith or Beckett was brought to the colony of Massachusetts in the ship “Francis” in 1634 at the age of eleven. In 1649 he was a resident of Hartford from where he emigrated to Norwalk. John Bouton or Bowton was a French refugee from Eng¬ land. His ancestors are authentically traced back to the latter part of the twelfth century. He is a lineal descendant of the Boutons of Chantilly, France. He had three wives, the first dying soon after her arrival in Norwalk. The third was the Widow Stevens, whose first husband was killed in the “dire swamp fight.” Bouton was made freeman in 1664 and was selectman and surveyor at various times. He also represented the town at the General Assembly for several years. He died when about 90 years old. Thomas Betts is thought to have come from Buckingham, England. He was in Guilford in 1650 and probably came to Norwalk in 1 650 or 1651. He was a representative from Norwalk to the General Assembly for several years. In 1687 his estate was valued at 196 pounds. Thomas Benedict, Sr., was a lineal descendant of William Benedict who resided in Nottingham, England, in the year 1500. Thomas Benedict of Norwalk, of the fourth genera¬ tion, from William, was also born in Nottingham, England, in 1617. He arrived in Norwalk in 1665; was town clerk here three times, several years a selectman and several years a representative in the Colonial legislature. He was also elected dean of “Ye Prime Society” of Norwalk. Thomas Benedict, Sr., of Norwalk is progenitor of the numerous 40 ROMANCE OF NORWALK families of that name in this country. He was 73 when he died while his widow lived to the age of 106.