History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

•'The General Cjurt of Connecticut have furmorly granted to tlic pro- prietors of the inliRlillants of the town of Fnirtlold nil those laniln, loth meadow and upland, within tho«e almtnicnl§ uiwn the Be« towards the south, alrnut seven miles in hrendth, and in length frum the sea into the wilderness twelve miles, and U|i.in Stnitfonl lionnds vu tlie eiist, and the wilderness north, and on N'orwalk Iwuiids on the west, only a parcel of land Ktwecn these Iwundsand Saugntnck River, that is likewise grnnteil to the said Fairfield; provided the said Snugatnck do not exceed two miles from the bounds of the said Fairfield, the said lands having been by pnrcliBse or otherwise lawfully ohtaine.1 of the Indian natives, pro- prrietont; and whereas the proprietors, the fontfiitd inhnhilants of Fair- field, in the colony of Connecticut, have nuwle application to Uio Gover- nor and company of the said colony of Cmnecticut niiJ<mble<l In court. May 25, 108.'-, that they may have a patent fur conllrmntlon of the afore- said land, so purchased and grantinl to them, as aforesaid, and which they have, and stood seited, and quietly itossessinl of for many years last post, without interrui)tion; now for a more full contlnnalion of the aforesaid tract of lanil, as It is butted and bounded as nfonwiid, unto the present proprietors of the said Township of Fiiirfleld, in the po«ses>ion and enjoyment of the premises, know ye that the said Governor and comiuny assembled In General Court acconling to the commission granted to us by His MnJ.aly in our charter, have given, granted, and by these prondsc b> give, grant, ratify, and confirm unto Major Mather IJold, Mr. Samuel Wakemau, Mr. Jehu Burr, Mr. John Burr, Mr, Thomas Staples, Mr. John Green, Mr. Jtaoph Lucknow, Mr. John Wheeler, Mr. llichani Uubliell, >Ir. Gorge S-juier, ami Mr. Isaac Wheeler, and the rest of the prtssent proprieton of the Tow nship of Fairfield, their llel^^ successors, and assigns forever, according to the terms of East Orecnwii;h in Kent, in free and common sosage, and not in capitte, nor by kidghl's service ; they to make improvements of the s.ime os they are capal>lc according to the custom of the country, yielding, rendering, nud paying therefore to the Sovereign Lord the King, his heirs and succcsBons his due according to charter. " In witness whereof we have caused the seal of the colony to Ik? here- unto atllxed the 2Gth of Blay, 1685, in the first year of the reign of our Sovereign Lonl Jnnie^ the Second of Kngland, Scotland, and Ireland, King. Defender of tlie Faith, &c. " By order of the General Court of 0>nnectlcut. (Signed) " Robert Treat, Gov., "Jons Alles, Sec." THE DEPARTURE OF LUDLOW. Through the wise guidance of Mr. Ludlow the little plantation increa.sed in importance, and nothing of any particular consequence occurred until 1665, when tlie border settlements were thrown into a state of excitement caused by the belligerent attitude of the Dutch and Indians. " Fairfield having demanded protection from the government of New Haven, and receiving none, held a town-meeting, and unanimously resolved to send troops and carry on the war themselve.s indepen- dently. This action of the inhabitants seems to have incurred the displeasure of the government. Their conduct was treated as reprehensible and seditious, and Robert Bassete and John Cliapman were charged with " fomenting insurrections and were treated as the leaders of the project. Ludlow must have known that these accusations were aimed at liim, as he was the principal man of the town. He felt that he liad, without any moral guilt, incurred the displeasure of the colony, and that, unless he sliould make some liumiliating concessions, his behavior would not be likely to escape public censure. It was quite evident that his ]i(ipiilarity had already reached its meridian. Proud and sensitive to a higli degree, he brooded over the change that had taken place in his prospects, as well for promotion as for usefulness, and at last came to the conclusion, not without many keen regrets, tn leave the colony where he had held .so conspicuous a place for nineteen eventful years. On the 2(!tli nl April, 1654, he embarked at New Haven with hi- family and eflects for Virginia, where he p:i.s.«ed in obscurity the remainder of his days." I TUE REVOLUTION.— THE BURNING OF FAIRFIELD. The first reference to the war of the Revolution is under date Dec. 29, 1774, as follows : I "Ate Legal Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Fairfield, held by agreement on the 'iHth day of I>eceinlter, a. p. 1774, ElK'nezor Silllmaii, Esi)., Sltwlerator, this meeting having iluly considered the Agreement and As.s,»ciatlon entered into by the Contitientnl Congress Lately hold at I>hiladelphh^ do heartily approve thereof and adopt the Same, Al:d take this opitortunity to Kxpress their most grateful sense of the g(K«l service* of the worthj Pelcgales from this C^ilony who attended said Congress; and pumuant t" the Eleventh .\r11cle, said Agreement and Association, nn»ke choice of the following Gentlemen to Ik' a Connnittee for the pur- poses therein ntentioned, viz.: tioM Selleck Silliman, Jonathan Sturges, Job Biu-tnuu. .\ntlrew Ib>wland, Samuel Shinier, Jnnnthan Mulkley, Klijali AIk-1, Increase Bradley, Kllpbalet Thorn, .\aron Jennings, Benjamin Lacy, ' Daniel Wilson, Azariali (jdell, David IlubWdl, Zaiinon Bradley, John FAIRFIELD. 281 Hiibbell. Tliomas Culilc, Joseph Hunford, Stophen Gorhani, Tha^ideiis Bun-, Junathan Ferris, David Pimmi, Ji^lm Wilstni, Joseph Strong, Albert Sherwood, Muss Kent, Samuel Wakeman, John S^uier, Ichabod AVlieeler. El>enezer Bartrani, Ji'iiathati Dinion. Jabez Hill, George Burr, Hezekiah Huhhc-ll, Beiijaiiiiu Wlieeh r. J.t.sei.h Hide. Jeremiah Slier- Momi, Daniel Andrews, llezekiali Bradley, Jo^cpli Bradley, Ephraim Lyon, and John Alku. "Voted, That if any Person or Persons Shall, directly or indirectly, with intent to divide, disunite, or otherwise prevent us from Strictly comply- ing with and conforming to said Agreement and Association, Publish, Vend, or Sell, or otherwise ilisposo of Any Books, Pamphlet, or publiea- lioris in the Town directly ten<ling ttiereto; Such Pereon or Persons Stiall lie dealt with and exposed in the same wayward manner as is pre- vcrihfd in sai 1 Eleventh Article for such Persun or Persons as violate said Agreement and Association. ^'■Votedy That it is expedient a County CVmgress be lield to advise and Consult on the most effectuul measures to carry the said Agreement and Association into Execution. ■ToM, That Col. Gold S. Silliman, Jonathan Stnrgcs, Andrew Row- hind, Esq., Mr. Job Bartram, aiul Thaddens Burr be a committee to attend at Same at Such Time and place as they shall ajipomt, agreealde to the other Towns in this Ct.iunty who sliuil adopt sai'I meastnes. ■' lo^-.?, That Col. Gold S. Silliman, Jonathan Sturge-, Amirew Row- land, Esq., Mr. Job Bartram, and Tliad* Burr, Esq., be a Committee of Correspondence for this Town. " Ordered by this meeting that a Copy of y- foregoing vote? he sent by the aforesaid Committee of Corrcspondcme to one or more of tlie Printers that they may be made be Publick. "Test: N.\THA.\ Bvlklky, "Totcfi CkU:' The following is a copy f*^ ii letter sent from Boston to the "Patriotic Inhahitants of the Town of Fair- field:" "Boston. Xov. 24, 1774. "Gf.nti.emfn,— The Testimony wliirii the Patriotic Inhabitants of the T*>wn of Fairfield have given of tlieir attendance ^) the Common ami Glorious Cause of Liberty by their liberal Donation of Seven hundred anil titty bushels of <;rain by Cap'. Tiiorp has aflfordeii nnudi Comfort, as well as Seasonalde Relief, to their friends in Bostm, who are now Suf- fering under the Cruel Rod of Ministeiial Tyranny and Opi)ression. "The Sympathy of our friends is a great Support to ns under our Tryals, notwithstanding the greatness and severity of them ; and we trust, tlirough the favor v)f our God, We Shall be enabled to persevere in our Opposition to the Enemies of Ameiica, and so Answer the Hopes and Ex- ]ie>-tation8 of our friends of Whose generous Donations We trust We Sliall ever retain a greatful Sense. " We are particularly obliged by the Assurances you give us that yon are not insensihle of our sufferings, and the liope you express that you shall yet consider your Selves bcpund to alfurd us Such Succor aiid Relief as your Circumstances and our Wants may Demand. " May a Kind Providence bountifully reward your liberality and kind- ness, and the Blessings of him that was ready to perish come down and reet on the heads of the generous Inhabitants of the Town of Fairtiehl. " We hope the inclosed Acct. of the manner in wliicli the ('ommittee are distributing the Donatimis of our Friends antl Benefactcus, iti whose eauee (as well as our owni this Town i-^ Suffering, will meet with your Approbation, as it will albird great satisfaction to "Your Obliged Fru-nd A Humble Serv'^. "Henry Hill, by Older of Committee of Dnnatijne. " To Jon» Sturges at FairfieM: G34 Bushels Rye IIG Buehels Wheat 750 Busliels. Reed 3 p' Shoes of Cap'. Thorp "To Mr. Jonathan Sturges and others Committee for Collecting Donati .ns in the Town of Fairfield, 0)nuecticut. *' Pr. favor Capt. Stephen Thorp," "The above is a true Copy of the Orig" Letter A Subscription. " Recorded pr. Nathan Bulklev, Town Clerk, Dec. lOtt', 1774 " 19 THE BURNING OF FAIRFIELD. The following ueeount of the hurninir f*i this t<»wn is takt'n from the historical address (h'livrrcd hy Ilev. E. E. Kiinkin, D.D., at the Eairfield (V-ntL-nnial C\)ni- niemoration, in 1879 : "On Saturday evening, tlie ;Jd day of July, thi- liiit'i^U Ileet weighed anchor ofi' the port of Whit estone. eh-ven miles east of New Vork. During the spring it had made a destructive raid upon Virginia, and returned in tlrne to aid Gen. Clinton in his successful assault ujion Verplauck's and Stony Pt)int on the 1st of June. "The New York Sons of Liberty had been informrd of prcpaiations for afresh departure, and sent couriers to New Tiondon to wiirn that city of the coming invader.