History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

It seems, from the account given, that Bishop Jarvis and a number of his presbyters, on tlic IGth of September, 1807, tissembled in Bridgeport, where he consecrated the Episcopal church there by the name of St. .John's. On the day following, the 17th, the bishop proceeded to the church in Trumbull, and ad- ministered the rite of confirmation to forty-one per- sons. " On the 18th the Episcopal church at New- Stratford (Monroe) was consecrated by the bishop, and named St. Peter's church. Prayers were read by the Rev. >[r. Burhans, and an api)ro|)riate sermon was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Baldwin. At this church the rite of confirmation was administered to thirty- six persons." After its consecration it continued for many years in connection with the church at Ripton, the same rector oflieiating in both places. Five years after the consecration of this church we find, from Bishop Jarvis' address in .Tunc, 1S12, that "Mr. Ray- ncr has been regularly dismissed from the church in Hartford, and hath been chosen rector of the parish in the town of Huntington." The first parochial report of the.se two parishes foun<l in i)rint is in ISbl, when Mr. Rayner reportt^d for the two jiarishes one hundred and filly families and only seventy-two communicants. Five years later, in 1820, the number of communicants in the two (larishcs amounted to about one hundred, and in 1825 the same number is still given. In 1827, Bishop Brownell says in his convention address, "The Hev. Mr. Hayner having made an ar- rangement with the parish of Huntington for a dis- * Compllod tnm a memoriAl wrmon delivrrod by Rot. Jam«0 Bdward Coley, in November, 1872. solution of his pastoral connection with that parish, I have given my consent to the same, and the parish of Huntington is now vacant."! From these data it will appear that Mr. Rayner held the rectorshij) of the two parishes about fifteen years, — from 1811 to 1826. For a short time he remained rector of this parish alone, but from 1827 to 182SI no mention is made of the parish of Monroe in the conventional reports. In the report for 1829 it is stated that Mr. Ros.siter had taken charge of this parish in connection with Trumbull, and in his report for 1830 he gives the number of communieant.s as thirty-two, and in 1832 as fifty-one. From 1834 to 1838 we find that the Rev. Mr. Roasiter had charge also of St. James' Church, Newtown, in addition to his charge of Monroe ; but from 1838 to his decease, in 1846, — a period of eight years, — he ministered in this parish alone. The hold- ing of full services in this parish, with the exception of a short period by Mr. Rayner in 1827, commences with 1838. Mr. Rossiter's whole rectorship here, in- cluding his connection with the parishes of Trumbull and Zoar, extends from 1829 to 1846, — a period of seventeen years. He died November 2.5th, and was buried Nov. 26, 184(} (Thanksgiving Day), aged fifty- nine years, eleven months, and seven days. Mr. Ro.ssiter was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Betts. who remained in charge of the pari.sh three year>. During his rectorship the chancel arrangements were altered and a silver communion-service purchased at a cost of ninety-eight dollars. About the same time the font was presented to the church by the late Jlrs. Rossiter, the ex|)cnse of which was thirty-five dollars, and about the same time the chandeliers are reported as a gift of Mr. George Lewis. These little items are here mentioned to show that a commendable spirit of improvement and interest was manifest under his rectorship. The Rev. Mr. Betts was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Hoffman, who was rector just three years, taking charge of the parish at Easter, 1850, and resigning it Easter, 1853. He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Godfrey, who wtts rector one year. At the convention for 1855 the Rev. Jlr. Judd is reported as ofticiating In Monroe, which he contlmied to do till 1858, when the I{ev. Seth Davis a-ssumed the charge, which he held until death released him. It was during the incumbency of the latter (1859) tliat great improvements were made in this church, by the addition of a recess, chancel, and by other renova- tions wlilch the church reiiulred. Mr. Davis died in Monroe, July 6, 1H62, .aged sixty years, and was suceeedeil by Rev. .Tames Edward Coley, who remained until Sept. 5, 1877. Since tliat time the church has had no settled rector. Services are now heW by Rev. Silas B. Duflield, as a supply, this being bis third year. t CoDvention Report for 1827. MONROE. 433 The present officers of the church are as follows: Wardens, F. W. Wheeler and 8aiiiuel 8. llurd ; Ves- trymen, Orville B. yherwood, AVilliani A. Clark, Hobart E. Beardsley, Benjamin S. llnrd, Homer E. Clarke, AVilliam B. BeardsU-y, Agar Beardsley, i^aniuel (1. Huntington, Henry W. Edwards, Walter Beardsley, Charles Staples, JIartin .J. Mullett, and Frank Beardsley. METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHtllCH, ,STEPXEV.« Previous to the erection of the present house of worship there was a class in Lower Stepney, wiiich was formed by Burton Beach, wlio then resided at Daniel's Farms, and led the class some time after its j formation. He subsequently became a mendier of the New York Conference, and is still a highly-es- teemed superannuate(l mend)cr. Lewis I'enfield afterwards tij(]k idiarge nf the class, j which position (as leader) he held for many years; and he became the chief pmmoter cif ^Metliodism in Stepney, he and his brothers, Andrew anil ^V'illiam, bearing for some time the principal financial burdens of the church, and they were active in its spiritual prosjierity. At the time of its fiirniatiim the class at I>(iwer Stepney was connected with the Daniel's Farms church, the preacher from that church frequently holding services in the school-house ami in a build- ing owned and fitted up by the Pennfields. The erection of a cliurch being contemidated, on the 28th of November, ISyG, on the aiiplieation of Lewis Pennfleld and others, Ira Ferriz, preacher in \ charge, ap|>ointed the tollowing i>ersons trustees of the Methodist E[iiscopal Church in Stepney : Lewis ' Pennfield, Abram S. Johnson, Elam Beard, Albert Johnson, and William I'ennfield. Lewis Edwards, Esq., donated the gri>un<l on whicli to erect the church. An unoccupied barn lielonging to the Pennfield brothers, in Lower Steimey, was used as a shop, in which were jjrejiared all the l)uilding materials for the church, but it was all consumeil liy fire. The Penn- field brothers, upon whom the loss mainly fell, com- menced again the erection of the church, which was dedicated in July, 1839. Bvv. Geo. Coles preached the dedication sermon ; Nathaniel Mead w:us the preacher in charge. The church, since its formation, has been bles.sed with not a few gracious revival seasons. Under the labors of Rev. Mr. Mead, during the winter fidlow- ing the dedication of the church, there was a great revival, which resulted in a large accession to the 1 mendjership. Li 1842, during the first pastorate of Rev. Mr. Stebliens, a revival occurred at Cutler's Farms, resulting in a large ingathering. During the pastorate of Rev. H. N. Mead, of 1855-56, there j was a large accession. Mr. Mead was assisted in the * CoiitiibutL'.l l.y Iti-v. r. T. IMallurv. revival work by Rev. Elbert (")sborn. There were also revivals under l{ev. "Sir. Lovrjoy in 18(i."i, and Rev. Mr. Laine in \Xi)[) ; while more or less revival infiuenee has attended the labors of all the [lastors. In 1850 the parsonage was purcliascil, during the pastorate of Rev. L. D. Nickersou, and in 187;!, under the pastorate of Rev. D. Osliorn, (piite exten- sive repairs were nnide. In 1870, under the adnunistration of Rev. D. Nash, the (diurch edifice was rejiaireil and very much im- prove<l. The church property now consists of a pleas- ant and eommoilions house of worship and a neat and comfortable parsonage, both free from debt. MIXEUAL DEPOSIT. The following reference to the mineral deposit in Monroe is from Barbor's "Historical Collections" : " Monroe is mucli ct'Iebratod for its fxtensive deposit of minerals. More than fifteen years siuee, a sliaft was snnk a few feet on tlio farm nf Sir. E[iliraim Lane. Tliis revealed a rich variety of interesting mineral siiIiBtancos. Ananig them wore tuu{;sten, telhirinm, native Ijismutli, na- tive silver, niaynetie ami common iron pyrites, copper pyiites, galena, blende, tourmaline, etc. It is greatly to he desired that tliis locality should be further explored. Four miles soutli of this spot is a vein of tluorspar about two feet in widtli. " The vein is nnleli penetrated hy ciuartz, mica, feldspar, and tab-, liut it has been hitherto examined only on the surface. It is prim ipally massive, and its strut-lure foliated or coarsely granular, but it presents well-defined cubical crystals. Its colors vary from white to deeii violet and purple, ami are piiucipally various shades of the two latter. But tlic most interesting »-ircumstance relating to it is its splendiil pliosplior- esceneo. Tlie light emitted wlien it is tlirowu in a darli place upon a hot shovel is III'' pan-Ill i-meralil .irrra ; pieces of an inili in diameter be- come in a few seconds fully Illuminated, and tin- light is so strong and enduring that when carried into a room lighted hy candles or by ditl'uso (not direct) light of the sun, they still continue distinctly lumimms, and the light dies away very gradually lus the mineral cools. " Mr. Lane has also discovered on his land a locality of beryls, some of which are very large. Native sulphur luis been found near the surfaco of the earth." CIVIL HISTORY. Tlie first town-meeting was held June 16, 182.3, when the following ofticers were elected: Capt. Levi Edwards was moderator; Selectmen, Daniel B. Hub- bell, Samuel Beardsley, and August Lewis; Town Clerk, Samuel Wheeler; Trea.surer, August Lewis; Constables, Fred. Nichols, Asa B. Beardsley, Alonzo Chapman, Win. Beach, and Roswell Wells; (irand Jurors, Wm. Richards and Ceo. L. Sherman ; Tyth- ingmen, Nathan Sherman, James Clark, Aliel Haw- ley, A. Slierman, and Henry Lane; Haywards, Benj. M. French and Andrew Judson ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, John Curtis.