History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

At a society meeting, held in the first society of Stamford, Dec. 20, 1733, l>y vote '" the society agree that those particular persons that pay to the minister at Five-Mile River shall be discharged from paying their proportion of Jlr. Wright's rate during the term of three months, provided they bring sufficient proof to the society's committee that they pay as much to the minister there as their proportion to Mr. Wright for the time above said." In 1734 forty-six planters on the west side of Nor- walk River petition for a new society. The next notice taken of this project, as far as records show, was simultaneously in Stamford and at the May .session of the Legislature, in 173G. Sixty-nine jjctitions, repre- senting eighty families, and a list of five thousand eight hundred and eighty pounds, made a formal re- quest to be incorporated as an ecclesiastical society by themselves. The petition was negatived, only to be renewed in October of the .same year by fifty-six men. The urgency of the jietitioncrs led to the ap- pointment of a special coniinitteo to examine their claims. In May, 1737, the committee report favor- ably, aijsigning as proper boundaries of the society the Five-Mile River on the east and the Noroton on the west. In October of this year the act of incor- poration was pa.ssed. It is curious to note upon what frail boundaries they relied. The moment they leave the rivers, which tiicy might prtsumc to be permanent, they fix upon the most perishable objects, in the most indeterminate of localities, to answer as iiermancnt bounds for the society. Off the west side of the parish, to separate it from the older society of Stamford, they define, as the westernmost limits of Middlesex, "an old chimney about two and a half miles east of the Stamford meeting-house," and "so to run a strait line midway between Stephen Bishop's house and David Dibble's house," and thence to where the Noroton crosses the Canaan line. But this separation was not to be a peaceable one. Though no blood seems to have been shed in the struggle, there were many earnest and clamorous apj)caLs and remonstrances be- tween the parishes themselves and between the par- ishes and the Legislature; so that the peaceful settle- ment of the Sliddlesex seceders was not accomplished before the summer of 1741, about a dozen years after the need of such a society was felt and its incorpora- tion demanded. Eleven somewhat lengthy documents now on file in the State library at Hartford testify to the great in- terest shown in both the old and the new parishes in the proposed division. These papers indicate the most obstinate determination on the part of the first society not to allow any further alienation of any i)art of their ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Assuming a sort of inde- feasible right to the territory, the society, by a unani- mous vote of all excepting the seceding portion, de- clared that they would " not grant to the people at the east end of the town the liberty of a society apart." They also appointed Capt. Jonathan Iloyt and Mr. Jonathan Maltby as special agents to the Legislature to rejjort the reasons of the town against forming the new society. But the seceders at length prevailed. The names of the petitioners to the " Five-Mile river pcticion," dated the second Thursday of October, 1730, are Thomas Reed, Edmond AYaring, Jonathan Cristy, Jonathan Bates, Robert ]Mills, John Reed, Joshua Scofield, Isaac Bishop, .Tonathan Bell, Joshua Morehouse, John Bates, Jonathan Petit, David Sel- leck, Nathaniel Bates, Edmond Waring, Jr., Joseph Pengban, Tliomas Reed, Jr., John Petit, Joseph Whi- ting, John Reed, Jr., James Sla.son, Jr., David Bates, Elias Reed, John Raymond, Nathaniel Selleck, David Scofield, Samuel Richards, Joseph Waterbtiry, Jonas Weed, Deliverance Slason, Charles Weed, Theophilus Bishop, John Andru.s, Nathaniel How, John Dean, David Waterbury, Ebenezer Bishop, Zaehariah Dib- ble, Thomas Bishop, Samuel Brj-an, Nathan Sturgis, Benjamin Dibble, David Slason, David Dibble, Na- than Selleck, Nathan Waring, Samuel Brinswade, Ebenezer Green, John Bolt, Jacob Waring, John Waring, Daniel Reed, Abraham Raymond, Comfort Raymond, Isaac Wood, and Samuel Reed. The first record of a society's meeting in Middlesex bears date Juno 1.5, 17851. Ensign Nathan Bell was its moderator, and Joshua Morehouse was ajipointed society's clerk. The meeting w.as held at the house of John Bates. At an adjourned meeting held June 21st, Thomas Reed, Jonathan Bates, Daniel Reed, Isaac Bishop, Jonathan Selleck, Samuel Reed, and Ensign Jonathan Bell were appointed a committee to "caryon" the building of the "metting-hous." They DARIEX. 271 were instructed to make the house fifty feet long, tliirty feet wide, and twenty feet post. They then voted a tax to meet the expenses of tlie huilding, and to pay Mr. I?urkinj;haiu " for His lireaeliiiig the time agreed." .Jonathan Weed was appointed collector. The society records from this date to that of the organization of tlie church show that the following ministers labored here either sim- ply as sup])lies fir as candidates: Eev. Mr. Birdseye, Gideon Mills, Ebenezer Mills, David Judson, Mr. Ells, and Mather. At a meeting held Dec. 11, 1741, the society voted, by a large majority, — forty-two to four, — to settle Mr. Judson. But to give every nuiu in the society au opportunity to vote, Jlr. Jlorehouse, the clerk, was ordered to carry a i>aper with the vote "about and read the same to tliose persons that lie- long to said society which were not at said meeting, that they might have ojiportunity to subscribe to the same." At their meeting Sept. 1, 1742, while Mr. Matlier was .still preaching as a candidate for settlement, we find this vote : " Ye Society by m.ajor vote granted to ye Rev. 'Sir. Right (Wright) to preach in any jiart of Middlesex parish on any needful occasion as often as he shall see fit." A record of the doings of this society in 1747 re- specting the seating of the meeting-house explains more fully the process of this custom than any record now existing of any other purisli in town, and is worth preserving as a curiosity of the times. Besides, it indicates some of the principal men of that day in this part of the town. By the first vote the society decided to seat the meeting by a committee. " "2. pr vote yc society a Inued ye fiist pue to be ye luest iii Dignity. "3. pr vote tlie 2 pew to 1)0 2 liiest in Illgnity. "4. pr vote, tlie fore seiit uloweil to lie tlie ?t hieet in Dignity. "o. iir v.,»te, tlie front pew, I.y yc great Dorr to be ye 4tli liiest in Dignity. •' 0. pr vote, the corner pew at the norwcst to be ye .Tlh liiest. '' 7. pr vote, to be yo Gth hiest. *'S. the west pew nex ye norwest to be ye 7th biest. '■ '.Ith per vole, loth jier vote, lltli per Vote, 1 jtli per vote, l:i per Vote, Civpt, .Tohu Kiiiinent. Capt. Jona. Bates, Left. Jona. Bell, sr., Sanil Bishop and Daniel Keeil rho.sen a coniety ami u pointed to seat yc meeting lions as the society shall by tlieir vote direct. "U. pr vote Mr. David Tilttle, Mr. Thos. Becd, Cpn. .Tohn Kainient, Mr. Edmun Wearing, Mr. .lona. Bates, IMr. Nathan Selleck, Mr. .Teams Slaiion, and Mr. Jona. Bell all to sot in ye fore pew. "15. and Decon Bishop also by yo vote of ye society to set in his seat be fore ye pnlpit. " 10. pr vote, the Society Imjxiwerr-il the coniety to seat ye remainder of ye house a ei.irdiii to their own discretion." The above record is of date Aug. 'J, 1747, and the next meeting of tlie society Wii.s held " genewary ye 2.Stli, 1747—48." A record of this meeting is also so characteristic of the times as to justify insertion : " Voter! yt Mr. .loiia Bell <ir any other man agreed npoii to sing or time ye salm in his ahsetiee in times of imbiickt woi-ship may tnne it in yo old way or new which suits you best, vote yt Elijah .Jones shall tnen ye Balms in times of woii^tbip in Mr. Bell's absence. Vote yt Left. Jona. Sclleck shall Reed the salnis ill Mr. r.ell's absence." CHURCIIE!?. (•OXGr,EG.\TIONAl, I'lUbrll. This churcli was organized .June 5, 1744, with the fidlowing members: Rev. Moses Mather, David and Martha Tuttle, Thomas and Jlary Reed, Edward and Elizabeth Waring, .Tohn and Hannah Reed, John Raymond, Daniel and I'Jizalieth l!eed, ,Tohn and Mary Smith, Jolin and Catharine Waring, Samuel and Mehitabel Brinsmade, Eliakim and Anne Wei- ring, Natliau and Mary Reed, Isaac Bisliop, Joseph Waterbnry, Nathan and Sarali Selleck, Joshua and Anne Morehouse, Samuel Bishop, Ciuirles and Su- ' sannah Weed, Theophihis and Sarah Bishop, Xa- thaniel and Sarah Bates, James and Elizabeth Sco- field, John Reed, Jr., and wil'c, Desire, Elias, and JIary Reed, Elijah Jones, Sarah, wile of Samuel Reed, Sarah, wife of Thomas Reed, Elizabeth, wife of S;unuel Richards, "Widow Rachel Raymond, Rebecca Raymond, Widow Martha Reed, Elizabeth Reed, Joanna, wife of Jonathan 15ates, Abigail, wife of David Bates, Mafy, wife of Eliaseph Whitney, Mercy, wife of Ebenezer Brown, Mercy, wife of John Pettit, Rebecca, wife of Jonathan Crissy, Elizabeth, wife of James Slasou, Hannah, wife of Deliverance Sla.son, Mary, wife of David Weed, Abigail Andrus, Widow Sarah Crissy, and Jona. Bell. The first church edi- fice stood until about 18:!S, when it was superseded by I the present structure. i The following ministers have officiated for this church : Moses Mather, D.D., ^^'ilIiam Fisher, Eben- ezer Piatt, B. Y. Messenger, Ulric Maynard, Ezra D. Kinney, .Touathan E. Barnes, F. ,\lvord, ('. S. W.alkcr, R. B. Snowden, Robert ('. Bell, and B. F. Bradford. riKST I'ItESI!VTi:i!I.\N ciiuucir.