History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

"James Laborie, ncconling to such information as I have been able to obtain, wiuj a French physician, a Huguenot, who emigrated to this countr>' about the commencement of the last centnry. I am Indebted to Rov.N. E. Cornwall's hUtoriciU discourse on Trinity church, Fairfiehl, for the following: 'Doctor James Laltorle, a French physician of emi- nence, who left his native country towards tho close of the seventeenth century,', and has been ordained by Mr. Kinglet antiMf» of the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland, taught and held seriico acconling to tlie usage of tho Chuich of England in his own house in Fairfield.' In a letter presor\*ed in the archives of the above-named church, the doctor in- fo."ms that he 'came to this country as a toaclier untler the patronage of the Ui shop of London, and, being disturbed by the Indians in the vicin- ity of Boston, came to the colony and county of Fairfield, and began by an introductory discourse to act as a missionary to the English and na- tive inhabitants, but was internipted immediately hy one of tho magie- tmtes.' This announcement of his elTurts in Connocticut was prolMibly miule at Stratford, where he seems to have resided from 1T*K to 1717, but it appears from the reconls of Fairfli-ld that he resided there as early as 171S. In forming an estimate of the docttr's channMer as a religious teacher, as shown above, in connection with tlie sonu-what ludicrous notice which ho has received as a physician, in the address of my prede- cessor, concerning his legal controversy with Mr. Lynui, of >filford, on the subject of his medical chargers a ilegrce of embarrassment may pos- sibly be encountered. For its remjval, however, and In his justification in the latter capacity, it may |>erha[ts he ex|)edient to iiiterp«*se tho pro- suniption that he had in a degree lieen indoctrinated in the Jesuitical principles recognized by the truly Catholic of his native France. Tenets thus imbibed may perhajw have pnunpted the din-tor, In his evangelizing zeal. t*> devote his nicilicnl prerogative, so si;<nally exer- cised upon Lyron's piii'se, as a sulsirdinate for the promotion of tlio object of his Protestant mission among the heathen in the countr>' uf his adoption. " His medical diploma, date<l London, 1097, written in Latin, describing him as tho stui of a celebnile*! physician of France, was riH.-urded l>y the clerk of Fairfield County Court in IT^W. By his will on tho Fairfield proliate reconls of the date 17;il, he devices to his «»n James, 'all my instruments of rhirnnjirit and my French writings.' His death, accord- ing to the court pnx-eeillngs, i>ccurred aUiul that jH-riiMl. "Francis Forgue was als*t a French physician, who It Is nnder8t«»od camo to .\merica on surgetut of the French forces engaged In the defense of Canaila against the English, during the war whi:h resulted in its con- quest by the latter. The puriod at which he left the army, or tho cir- cumstances which ]vi\ to such decision, are at pr^'seul unknown. Instead, however, of returning tu hU native ctuintry, he located In Fairfield be- tween the years 17V> and XlfO, whore he practlce^l as a phypioionuf con- sidonible flisllnctioii until his death. Trtiililion uniformly assigns to Dr. Forgue tho chanurter of a well-e<lucated physirian, i)oHSi*wiiig superior talents; uf gentlenumly de|K>rtment, and in his social qualities affable and Interesting. A friend who Is remotely connected with tho descend- ants of the doctor writes me that it Is his ' impression that he was a skill- ful surgeon, and that ho was eniploywl in Washington's army as such. That he was iiollte, rather raguo in his religious sentiment', jK'rfectly MEDICAL HISTORY. 31 lionfst ami Hboral, dfspising any kiiul uf framl 'ir r'linivtifation, ami raroU'ss of Ills pecuniary concerns su I'Hij;' as In- ami lii.-i m itc lia"l enon^li.' Xunieiuus anecdotes cuneiit concorning him Lnnlirni tlie almvo charac- ter. The following woiiM ai>pear to exhihit his rv-ligioii!? Runtinu-nts as cuinciiling with those of the French schoul of tlK'nlii;j;i;un. llcinj; in company where an animated discus-^ion arose regardin;^ the nn-rits an<l final prospe;-ts of the several ndigiLius sorts, an appeal was at lcii;;th made to the doctor (who ha<t taken uo part ill the disptitrl f.ir Jiis opinion on the controverted suhject, who joco>*cIy respondisi: ' Uy and hy Mon- sieur A. (one of the disputants) die ; he appear before the judge, who siiy, Hlonsiour A., of what sect are you? Hlonsieur A. say. I he I'reshyteiian. Say the judge, Monsieur A., yon take that apartment. By and by Mon- sieur IJ. (another of the party) <lie, and go to the tribunal. Say the Judge, Monsieur B., of what sect be you? Monsieur B. say, I be Episi-opalian. Well, say tlie judge, Monsieur B., you lake that apartment.' Tlnis dis- posing of the Methodist. Baptist, etc, the doctor adds: 'By and by Itr. Forgue he die, and make Ids appearance. Says the judgi*. Ilali ! doelor, you come, eh? Of what se Hare you? I say, Oli, I be just n ithing ;it all ! Ah, very well, say the judge, you go where you please, doctor.' " .\nothei- anecdote well illustrates the doet )r's fnink and iionecpiivo- cating qualities. lie, with one Job Slorum and otliers, being arraigned lefore a magistrate for card-playing, for which he was pas^ionately fond, and being asked their plea, his compaiuons, as by legal parlame bound, plead notijiiiU'i ! 'Bah T says tiie more honest Frenehmen, 'you lie. .Inb ! you be guilt. I be guilt, we all be guilt ! yon know you guilt ! What the hue, Jltiiisietir Justice?' CMi le;iriiiiig the amount, the doctor ]uomptly piciftered the magistiate double the sum, g >o 1-liumori-dly reniarUiiig, ' Me play out tlie balance next time, Monsieur Justice,' leaving tlie re- maining perple.xed offendei-s of the law to heal its breach by reluctantly following the m'd so frankly pro.Tere 1 by their more h.mest (JalHc pavltuT. ' Doctor Forijne''s mcit' is an appellation, at the present time, often applied to persons of free religious faith. " It is said that he never acipiired the lluent use of tlie Kiiglish hin- giuige, but ever kept lu^ accounts arnl niemorjiudums in his tiative dii- leet. His tombstoae ill Faiilield ceaiete.y cjntains only tiie simph- nie- moiial of his name and time of his decexse, with the lurther inscription that ' he was a respectable physician and u.hcI'oI riiizeii.' lie dieJ in llU'i, aged fifty-four years. *' Itappears from Dr. Sumner's address that J. dm Cojip, styled scho^d- master, obtained the recommemlation of the selectmen of Xorwalk, ami applies! for a license to practice medicine in 17U'i. Rev. Dr. Hall, who j.s familiar with tlie ancient reconis of that town, informs me ' that Jolm (■oiip was a schoolmaster, surveyor, deacon, ami town clerk, which last oilice he held from 1708 to 1740.' Dr. Hall adds, ' whetlier he practice I medicine I have no means of asc::-rtaining.' He died May 1(5, ITol, aged seventy-eight years. "Dr. Thomas practi-ed mediL.iue in N'ewtown, ;iud died probably seventy or eighty years ago. He is sai i to liave been a self-educated physician, and possessed of considerable ability. His wi low married, I am told, Nehemiah Strong, formerly mathemati-al profes_^or in Yale College. "Dr. Uriah Rogers, aceoi'ditig to information I haveobtained, w;i» born at Braintree, Mass., in 1710. and was a near tlescendant of Nathaniel R >gers, also a physician, who emigrated to this country from Apington, England, in lC;sr., and succeeded Presiih;iit Oaks in the presidency of Harvard College in l(i83. Dr. Rogers studied with Di*. Jonathan Bull, of Hartford, and was license 1 by the (Jeneral 0 jurt in 17;i'J. He soon after located in Norwalk, whore he pursued the practice of mediiine until his death. He was hosidtal surgeon in the Britisli army in the French war, so ealled, in 17.>S. At thebundng of Norwalk, in 177'.', by the British, a peiiod subseipieut to his death, his late niausion was destroyed with its effects, includinghis books and papers. The only articles preserved were Ids silver-headed cane, a present from Governor Fiteh, and his family oat-of-arins, which is said to be that of tlu' des enilanls id .bdm Rogers, tlie martyr. *' Dr. Rogers is represented as beingadi^ingiiished physician, of strong and vigorous mind, and enjoying an extensive practice. He is als > repie- sented !is being eminent for his piety, of a dignified deporlnient, and much respected in tiio community where he resirled. He died in 177.S, aged sixty-three years. He left six sons, three of whom— Uiiah, Heze- kiah, and David — were physicians. Uriah succeeded his father In the practice of medicine in Norwalk, but died early in life, in 17Tii, aged thirty-eight years. "Dr. David Rogers studied medicine with his father, obtained a license to practice medicine in New York, and located at (Jreenfield Hill. Fair- field, where he practiced medicine until age incapacitated him for the active duties of his profession. He died at N'orwi.h in \^2'.f, aged eighty- eight years. He held a respectable rank in hi- profession, is said toliiive been gentlemanly and dignifieil in his manner, and was aetive ;ind eiH- cient in the orgain/,ation of the c cuity soeiety. H«- Indil .i lomnii^-ion of surgeon in the army of the Revnluti-.n, and I am informed was by the si<le of Gen. Wooster when he fell at the battle ,.f Uidgelield. This family stoeU app-ai-s to have been prdific in sup[dyiiig branehes of thi- nie.lieal profesdon; as uf Dr. Rogers" five sons, thn-e—vi/... David, ("larl.s. and Morris— stiiili'-d and practiced medieine, and his only daughter mar- ried the late Professor Dywees. of lMiilarleI[.hia. The son Dr. David Rogers, late of New York.wius the father of Dr. David L. Rogers, of that city, and also of Dr. James R igers. Whether acquisition'* to the profes- sion from the otlier branches have been as numerous, I am not iidnnnel. " I am indebted to the politeness of William II. Holly, Es.[., of Shun- ford, for the following notice of the elder physidaiistif that town, as w,ll as of several of a ni>re recent period, of wli mi my ori:j:inaI de^i-:l pir- eludes a mention in tlte^e papei-s.