History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

//'///. — This Fnglisli surname is taken directly from the names of places and localities. It is the old Eng- lish and Welsh word for the Anglo-Sa.xon hiU, the French imintngiic, the Latin iiiims. The oldest estates and manors in the West of England giving names to famili(s were Hull in Cheswardine, Salop ; Hull in Areenefeld, Herefordshire (the La Jliilla (d' Domesday Book) ; Hull in I'iereholle, Statfordsliire ; and ///;// in Taretone, Devonshire (corrupted into Hole l)y the Xorm.an scribes in Dome.sday); and it is probable that all bearing the name of Hull, ami also many bearing the name of Hill in the West counties, derive from families originally resident or holding lands at the above-named places. Several of these families can be tr.aeed back to the days of the Norman kings, M'hen the name was written De la Hull, Del Hull, or La Hull ; but the subseipieut adoption of ulktses — such as De la Hill, Du Mont, Do Monte, De la Montague — has thrown all of these pedigrees into endless con- fusion. It was not uncommon for a West county family to have an nlia.i down to a comparatively re- cent period, — such us Hull alius Hill or Hill uHun Hull, — which resulted, in many instances, in the final adoption of the more euplionious form of //ill. CHAPTER XXXII. FAIRFIELD iContinuecli. MISCfCI.L/VNfOUU.'^. FaiificM r.riivi-.vanis— The Bnn.ii-l. i,r S,.ntli]«.it— Tlu- Soutlilioit Xii- ti.inal Bank— Tlic Snntlii>oit .SiiviM.L;s-liaiik— Tliu I.il.riirii-s— Tliv I.i- l.niij- of 17SII— Tin; (Jireiili.lil Lilnai.v— Mid liivi-r Soiial l.Urrai.v— The- Orccnfii-l.l l.il.iaij- of 1H3II— Tlic Soutliiw.rt I'lil.lu: Si-li....l I.il.rary —Tin' Lil.rai.v .\ss.niati..ri of Mill I'laiii— The Thii.: (JiwiiHcM I.i- hrary — Tlic ScioikI Lil)rary at Suutlipurt — Tlie Meiiioriu! I.ilnjiiy — The S, li.iuls— TIr' .s„utli|)uit " Times'— Tlie Kuirlielil AiaiUniy— Thu Saiiiii Mi.rlar U^.k. .Vs Fairfield was settled so early in our county's history the graveyards^ are very (ild. The town records and the tombstone inscri]itions are all tliat are left to tell llie doings of Fairfield's first settlers. The first burials were made in the Pcipionnock, Fairficdd old, and Mosquito Hill gronnils. Those in the latter had no stones at all to mark the places, and, lieing located near the shore (west of Phipji's Beach), through the action of the winds and the waves they have been mostly washed away. In the other two grounds there was often no stone to mark the final resting-place of the dead; and if there were any, there was no mark intelligible to later generations. Then, as people had a little more time and could command tools, they improved on their first monuments, as tliey made a few rude initials, with the date of the year, carved in the stone in its original condition. (.)n this account the Pequonnock (or Stratfield) ground is a curiosity, tlu' contour of some of the stones being very irregular. The first feeling of the beholder is that he is in some foreign country, — that he is evidently not at home. The l)urials of the first era are marked by no stones ; those of the second are indicated by the vise of a com- mon nmgh stone, unwrought ; the third, by the blue- stone imported from England. These stones are of cxcidlent quality, and, being susceptible of very high polish or having great smoothness, arc not so readily covered by moss. The fourth era is marked by free- stone; the fifth, by marble or grainte. The fashion of carvings, designs of "grinning deaths," willows, urns, and monograms seems to mark difl'erent eras also. The difl'erent expressions, "In Memory of," "Departed this Life," "Died," "01)t.," also seem to indicate different parts of the century, as does the orthograjdiy, — " Here lyes ye," etc. Then, again, the long epitaiih or the reverse, the utmost simplicity, is in vogue at various times, an illustration of which is here given. The first is taken from Fairfield old ground, and is the longest one found : " U.MO lies the Bci.l.v of Tliomas, Son to M' Kl.c-ncz. r .* M" Maiy Ber- tram. Ho was Born Feliniary 22, .\.I). 17C4, ,V Dieil .luly 2S"', A.D. ITiU, Aged ■) months & i; J)jiys. " Happy the Babe, who. |iT i\ ilej;eil by Fato To Slioiter Lal.cjiir anil a Lighter weight. lii'eeivM hnt yesterday the Gift of Breath, Order'd to-morruw to Beturn tei Death. * E.xtracts from "Fairfield Tombstones," \<y Mrs. Kate E. Perry. 336 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. "Sinco all tlio downward Tracts of Timo God's watc!ifiil Kyo Sun'cys, Oil, who Su wbc to ('liooiju our I^ot And ICeguluto our waya? "Since none Can doubt his Equal Love, UnmeoDurnbly kind. To Ills unorrhiK, gratious will. Be Kvery wisli Resigned. *' Good when llo givca, Supremely good. Nor L«« whon Ho douies, Even Crosses from his Sovereign baud Are Blossings in Disguise." The shortest is from Fairfield East ground, and is simply, — "David null, M.D., Ob. 1834, JEt. 68." Probably there is not a person in town not familiar witli Dr. Hull's name and reputation as a very suc- cessful and beloved physician. The j^enealogist likes the following st>-le. as it as- sists greatly in his research (the point referred to is in italics) : "In Memory of Sirs- Dcliorah Osboru, Conftjrt of Mr Daniel O»born, Jun', & DaN^r of Vbl.Abraliam G'iuld, wlio de|Nirlcd this Lifo July 28, ITS."., Aged 22 years A 3 dnjrg. "'Death is ndeht to Nature due, Which I have paid and so must you.' "* A few are here given as curiosities in tombstone lore : " Hero lyes Buried ye Body of Benjamin Wynkoop of FaiiUcld. He wiw born in Now York May ye 5th, n|d stile, 1705, & departed tliis Life Sept 1st, 176C, in yo Ca Year of His Age." To lead tliese old stones intelligibly, it is nccessarj^ to bear in mind that "previous to 1752 the English legal year began with March 2r>th, though the change to January 1st its the beginning of the year, adopted by Catholic nations in 1582, had been gradually gain- ing ground. To prevent confusion between the two styles it became usual to write all dates occurring be- tween January 1st and Marcii 25th with double year, thus: 'Feb. 22, 173J,' meaning that the year under the Old 8tyle would be still 1731, while by the Xew Style it wouUl be 17ii2, Under the New Style another change took place, by whidi ten days should be added to all datCJi previous to 1700 and eleven days to those between 170<» and 1752. "t For that reason one finds a birth on the church record in near the first part of February; on referring to the town record t lie same is registered in the la.st part of Jaiuiary, showittg that the change was not uniformly adopted. As an illus- tration of the above the following is given : ' .So.' Falrn.M Cn.ui.d. f Kodftvld Genealogy gives tliii explauatiuu. " Hero lyes Buried ye Body of Mrs Ann Allen, Wife to Lieut Gideon Allen, Who departed this life, Mur 14th, Anno Dom. 1"4J^. Aged 72 years." The oldest inscription familiar to the historian so far reads : " Here lyes ye Body Joseph Pliippene, Aged al)out 26 years. Died y« 10**1 of July, 1712." The letters are all in capitals. It is a very short stone, just high enough for five lines of inscription. The margin is broad and richly carved. Two others : " Here liefl interr'd the l«ody of Doct' Thomas Hill, who died Slarch 8t*>, A.D. 1781, in the 3G"' Year of Ins Ago. "Some hearty friends shall drop a " On our drj* Bones and say Thotue once were strong as mine appear And mine mu^t be as they." *' Here lyes ye Body of Sarah Burr, the DAUGHTER of Peter Burr, Esq., Aged about IG years. Dec. — 1_7_2— 3." The month indicating her death is lost, as the slate has scaled off'. The year is stretched across the stone. Another : *' Hero lies yo Ixxly of Abigail, ye wife of Joseph Corham, who died lanuaT yo 23', 172j. Agod 31 years." tear 7 w;is *' old stile" Another : for J. Another: "In Mcmorj- of Lieut. Gideon Hawley, who died Sept 11. 1784. Aged years. Gideon, son uf Gideon A Hannah Hawler, died Jan. 6, 17SS. Aged 3 years A G months. • Death, like an overflowing stream, Swet-iis «B away; our llfeV a dream, An empty dtit ; a morning llowor, (^ut down and wlther'd In a hour." "In memory of Grisid, wife of Gorsbom Osl>om, who departed! Uiis life Jttuuar}- UA. 1S2<), Aged 70 yearn." FAIRFIELD. 337 names in tlicni, are Another: "(Jrlsel" and '' (Tershom" were eonunon FuirHelti, but tlu-y. like the dinid who bore objeets t}f the jiast. Another: " Ilnrnco sun of Walter & Lurretia Shei-wnn,! iK.ni Aug. Ki, ISll, & drowiiM Junp ir», ISIG. *"uf such is the kingdom of Gud; " " Here lies the Body of Pi'ter B«iT, son to M' Thnd« & M" Abi- gsiil Bnrr. died Sep' >e i:j«h, 174,% in yo lo'*" Year yf his Ago." The next is a shib, thouij;li it says : "Tliis ftl.)nuni.?iit is pnt up in Memoiy of M^^ Gi'ishuui Burr." The next has a lovely faee at the toi> of the stone, the inscription beginning with: " The Reader is heroljy infonned tliat tlio Body of Thaddeus Burr," etc. The next begins : "Tlie Cnrniptible of James DeTinie Sayre, eon of James Sayre, Minister of tlie Gospel, & Sarah his wife, who full asleep on the 2'}^^ Day of May, A.I). 1793, Aged almost n years. Young man trust not thy. Y'ontii, health or strength ; Tnii^t in the Lord with all thy Heart, and remenihor thy Creator, who is also thv }tedeemer." Anotlier : Another: Anotlier; "In ]\UMnoi-y of Stephen Morehouse, who W!is drowned Oct. 28, 1817, JE. 30 Y'rs & G Mo. " Beholrl atul see as you pass by ; As you are now, so once was I ; An I am now, so you must be : I'repare for death & follow me." " Memento Mori, Here lyes yo Body of M"" Joseph Bartram. He was Born February yc 21", 0. S.. 1728, and Died March ye SsH', N. S., 1759, Aged :S0 Years & 24 Pay*. ' Princes, this Clay must be your bed, In sjiite of all your towen*; The tall, tlie wise, the Reverend head Must lie as low as ours." Another : " Here lyes Burieii the Boiiy of ISU Ebenezer Jennings, the husband of Mrs Reberkah Jennings, who died April O'^-, ITGS. in ye 7G Y'earof His Age." " Vnd.-rneatli this tomb lays tlie body of Ebenezyr Burr, son of M'illiam & Kuiiice Bnrr, who vvius born Nov. 8"', 17s:5. and Died