The Ancient Historical Records of Norwalk, Conn.

injoy them, Sfc. ^c. [Catalogue omitted.] School. August the 20, 1686. Voted by the towne that they would hyer a schoole master for a Quartere of a yeere ; 80 NORWALK. [1686. and allow tini wages after the Rate of thirty pounds a yeere, which is to he payd hy the inhabitants according to their lists of estate. At the same meeting the towne hy vote did leave it with the select men or the major part of them, for to hyer a schoole master ; and allso to ohtaine a house for that use, and to fitt it with conveniences for schooleing. Seating the Meeting House. December the 24th, 1686. Voted and agreed by the towne that the seating of the meeting honse shall be for the generallyty to be seated according to the lists of es- tates by which the men payd in the defraying the charges about the building and finishing the said house. At the same meeting the towne did manifest that the seat or pew under the Pulpitt shall be sequestered for such as are orderly constituted or of&ciate in the place or office of a Deacon or Deacons. At the same meeting the towne did vote John Gregory, senr. and Mr. Fitch, and Thomas Betts, senr., for to be seated in the round seat. At the same meeting the towne did vote that their i should be fi.ve more seated in the round seat with Mr. , Fitch, John Gregory, and Thomas Betts, senr., and fowre ; in the seat behind, and five in the long seats throughout. And also the cross seat to be reputed the third seat of: the long seats, and foure to sitt in the sayd seat. Seating the King's Commissioner. At a towne meeting held in Norwalk, December i the 28, 1686, At the sayd meeting the towne by vote i did add one more person to every seat than is expressed. in a former vote, bareing date Decemb' 24, 1686. At the same meeting the towne did vote Mr. Thomas Fitch, 1687.] THE RECORDS. 81 for to be seated in tlie meeting house in the npper great round seat, as lie is the King's Commissioner. At the same meeting the town made chojse of John Bouton, senr. for to help in seating the meeting house, in the roome of Mr. Fitch, he refusing to attend the sayd work. Feb. 18th, 1686. Zerubbabell Hoyt did ingage to - beat the Drum andmaintaine it, and that on all publique occasions ; and to sweep the meeting house for the yeere insuing, and is allowed for his labor two and forty shil- lings. Mr. Hanford gTowing old. March 25, 1686 or 87., The towne did by vote manifest and declare that they doe desire Mr. Hanford to proceed in theworke of the ministry, and thereinto con- tinue in the sayd work, untill the Lord by his provi- dence shall dispose of him otherwise ;— promising to indeavor to our ability for to give him due incouragc- ment. Deputy to the General Court. At a towne meetting held in Norwalk', May the 9th, 1686, voted and agreed by the town to allow Samuel Hayes, who is elected deputy for the towne for to attend the generall court, the said Samuell Hayes is allowed thirty shillings for himself to be paid as the country Rate is payd the next yeere, and tenn shillings fore his horse, journey, &c. Line between Norwalk and Fairfield. At a towne meetting held in Norwalk, June the 27, 1687. Whereas we having received a note from Captain Samuel Eells, Captain Beard, and Mr. Judson, in order to the measuring of a seventh mile as some unground- edly call it, and likewise a dividend lynebetweene Fair- NORWALK. [1687. field and Norwalk : Whearfore the towne by tliese pre- sents by vote dotli declare tbat they shall not comply nor agree with the aforesayd persons, viz. Captain Eells, Captaine Beard, Mr. Judson, as a committee, or any other persons in the measuring of any mile, or run- ning any dividend lyne upon any land of ours lawfully purchased by us; Allso doe hereby forewarne any per- son or persons on any land of ours soe to do at present. Lands sequestered for the Indians. December 12, 1687. Voted and agreed that three acres of land shall be sequestered for the Indians on the other side of the river, lying on the left hand of the roade leading towards Stamford. Division of Over River Land, [Dec. 12, 1687. All common land Over the River, leaving sufficient for highways, to be laid out by lot, to the inhabitants, according to their estates. Three score acres of the same sequestered for the Indians. A division granted of 20 Acres to the hundred. Nathl. Hayes, and Sergt. John Piatt, a committee to lay out the division ;— lots to be granted to those only who are proper inhabitants. Samuel Keeler allowed to t' come off" from the division Over the River, and to " pitch at the foot of the hill on the right hand of the path commonly called Ponasses." Also Jachin & Thos. Gregory, " liberty to come off from their division, and to take on the West side of the path — " bounded North by Ponasses path ; " also Richd. Cosiar — 1 1-2 acres on the north side of the path commonly called Ponasses. 1 1G87.] TOWN RECORDS, 83 The number of Lotts and the order as they were drawn, of that Division of Land over Norwalk River, below the path leading to the Meadow field. William Lees, 1 Samuell Smith, 2 William Sturdivant, 3 Tho."Betts, sen., 4 Matthias Sension, 5 John Gregory, jun., 6 Mark Sension, 7 James Stewart," ^8 Tho. Benidiek, jun.j ;9 Saml, HayeSj 10 John Betts, 11 John Abitt, 12 Mr. Thomas Fitch, 13 John Crampton, * 14 Walter Hoyt, 15 John Gregory, sen,, 16 John Belldin, 17 Matth. Marvin, *-- 18 Frances Bushnell, 19 Nathl. Hayes, 20 John Raymond, sen., 21 Thos. Hyett, 22 James Jupp, 23 George Abbitt, 24 Thos. Seamer, 25 Richd. Holmes, 26 Robert Stewart, 27 John Lockwood, 28 Ralph Keeler, 29 John Ruscoe, 30 Daniell Kellogg, 31 John Piatt, 32 John Bennidick, 33 Widow Lupton, 34 Saml. Betts, i 35 Thos. Benedick, sen., ' 36 Edward Nash, 37 John Keeler, 38 John Whitney, 39 Thos. Betts, jun., 40 Christopher Comstock, ■ 41 Joseph Ketcham, 42 Mr. Thomas Hanford, ' 43 Daniel Betts, ' 44 John Reed, sen., 45 James Olmstead, 46 Thos. Fitch, jun., 47 Thos. Barnum, 48 John Bouton, senr., 49 Elizabeth Sension, 50 Andrew Messenger, 51 John Bouton, jun,, 52 The Estates of Commonage of the Inhabitants of Norwalk, Pre- sented and Accepted by the towne, January the 3d, 1687, cfi s. d. £ s. d. 100 00 00 John Keeler, 100 00 00 243 00 10 Jonathan Rockwell, 50 00 "00 100 00 00 Richard Cosiar, 50 00 00 215 00 00 Daniell Betts, 69 06 02 150 00 00 Ralph Keeler, 170 10 00 155 00 00 Thomas Betts, sen,, 196 10 10 250 00 00 Samuel Betts, 324 06 02 300 00 00 James Betts, 59 06 02 \ Theophilus Hanford, 50 00 00 Ephraim Lockwood, 120 00 00 ; Thos, Benidick, sen., 153 00 00 John Lockv/ood, 50 00 00 ; John Bouton, sen., 184 15 00 John Piatt, sen., 268 13 04 ; John Benidick, 100 00 00 Ebenezer Sension, 130 00 00 ! Thos, Benidick, jun,, '100 00 00 James Jupp, , ' 55 00 00 ' Thos. Betts, jun,, ' 99 06 02 John Crampton, ' 53 06 08 ! Daniel Kellogg, 96 00 00 Thomas Hyett, 55 00 00 I Matthew Marvin, sen,, 264 05 00 Elisabeth Sension, 150 00 00 1 John Gregory, jun, I John Gregory, sen ; Joseph Gregory, i Nathl, Hayes, ! Thos, Lupton, j Richd, Holmes, I John Ruscoe, ; Mr. Hanford, 84 NORWALK. [1690. Samnel Smith, . 204 15 00 Robert Stewart, 225 00 00 .^ Mr. Fitch, ' 364 00 00 Andrew Messensfer, 225 00 00 John Fitch, 117 00 00 Thos. Fitch, 200 00 00 Joseph Ketcham, 117 00 00 John Ohristed, 159 15 00 Mark Sension, 302 00 00 Christopher Comstock,201 10 00 George Abitt, sen., 125 00 00 Daniell Comstock, 60 00 00 John Abbitt, .50 00 00 Thomas Seamer, 184 15 00 Walter Hoyt, 242 00 00 John Raymond, sen., 200,00 00 Zernbbabell Hoyl, 50 00 00 John Raymond, jmi., 50 00 00 Matthias Sension,sen.,195 00 00 Edward Nash, 216 00 00 Matthias Sension, jr., 50 00 00 John Nash, 100 00 00 Samuel Keeler, ' 103 10 00 John Bouton, jun., 50 00 00 John Beldin, 170 00 00 James Browne, 50 00 00 James Stewart, 50 00 00 Samuell Hayes, 150 00 00 Steven Beckwith, 54 00 00 Samuell Belldin, 63 00 00 John Whittnev, 110 00 00 Peter Clappum, 100 00 00 William Sturdivant, 160 00 00 Thomas Murwin, 100 00 00 Samuel Camfield, 155 00 00 Jonathan Abbitt, 50 00 00 Thomas Gregory, 100 00 00 Saml. Benidick, 50 00 00 John Reed, sen., 125 00 00 Thomas Barnum, 40 00 00 William Lees, 103 00 00 Frances Bushnell, 10 00 00 Jachin Gregory, 100 00 00 James Benidick, F37 00 00 John Belts, 69 06 02 Danll.Beaidiclr, ^36 00 00 Fortifying the Meeting House.* At a towne meeting held in Norwalk, Aprill the 30, 1690, tlie towne voted and agreed, that the Meeting house should he the place to he fortified, and a garrison to be erected in order to the security of the towne. [The committee for " carrying on this work were Serjt. John Piatt, Serjeant John Belldin, John Ruscoe, and Saml. Hayes." These had power to proportion to every inhabitant his allotment of work, and to take * This was just after the destruction of Schenectady and Salmon Falls. The country was in great alarm ; the frontier towns were everywhere in peril. A special Assembly had been called on the 11th of April, which determined that there was a necessity for the utmost exertions to prevent the settlement of the French at Albany, '* It v>/-as ordered that a constant watch should be kept in the several towns, and that all the males in the colony, except the aged and in- firm, ^should keep watch in their turns. If the aged and ; infirm were more than £50 in the list, they were to procure a man in their turns, to watch and guard in their stead." IG93.J TOWN RECORDS. them in "the order of house rows ;" beginning "at John Gregoiie's" and " so along that row," and " the first man's proportion to begin at the south gate, and so goe along in the same order."] School Keeping,