History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

of Monroe. He died July 20, 1836, aged seventy-six years. Tlicy had six cliildren, viz., — Silas C, Elisha, Agur, Samuel B., Xancy, and Maria. Sila-s C. was a farmer, and died at seventy-six. Elisha was a farmer, and died at seventy-eight. Agur was a farmer in Mon- roe, and died at eighty-one. Samuel B., the father of Dr. Kdward M., wa.s born in Monroe, Jan. 22, 1795, graduated from Yale Col- lege in 181.5, and followed the noble profession of teaching for more than forty-seven years. He taught at Snow Hill, Md., from 1815 to 1819, then in Bridgejiort for many years ; then he went to Danbnry, Conn., and taught several years, then returned to Monroe and taught a .select school until ISOl. He was a very successful teacher, as hundreds of his pupils will attest. He was, as his fathers before him, a Jef- fersonian Democrat until the repeal of the Mi.s.souri Compromise, when he became a staunch Whig, and later a Kei)ublican. He married Abigail, daughter of Lemuel JIcEwen, Feb. 20, 1819. They have two cliildren, — viz., Edward M. and Elma A., who married John G. Stevens, now of Mon- roe, Conn. Mrs. Beardsley was born in Monroe, formerly New Stratford, Feb. 27, 1798. She is still hale and hearty and living with her son Edward M. Samuel B. died Sept. 17, 1S7;{. Dr. E. M. Beardsley was educated by his father, and graduated from the Y'ale Medical College in 1844. During the time he wa.s getting his education he was an assistant teacher to his father, and in that capacity made nuiny warm friends. Soon after iiis graduation he was engaged in the drug business for some two and a half years in New Haven, when he returned to Monroe and followed the profession of teaching and the practice of medicine until 1861, since which time he has devoted himself to his pro- fession. His practice has been very extensive, reach- ing far into the adjoining towns, and many are the families in >[onroe and elsewhere that look to him with gratitude for his wise and timely aid. Of late he has retired from the active duties of his profession and devotes himself to agriculture. In politics he has always been a staunch Republican, but has never taken an active part in politics. In the fall of 1879 he was elected by the Rejiublicans of his town to the State Legislature. He served as a member of the committee on foreign relations. He married Elizabeth A., daughter of David O. Gray, of Jlonroe, .Vpril 22, 18,55. They have seven chil- dren,— viz., Samuel B., Kdwanl (i., Charles M., Sarah A., Louis B., Elizabeth A., and Mary L. JAMES C. JOHXSON. The subject of this sketch is the only son and eldest child of Albert and Mary L. (Wlicelerl Johnson, and was born in the town of Newtown, Fairlield Co., Conn., Dec. 8, 1833. His father was a son of Jo.seph W. Johnson, and w;i- Imrn in Newtown, Conn., March, 1798, and died at his residence in the town of Monroe, Fairfield Co., Conn., on the 14th of Febru- ary, 1871. He was a farmer and cooper by trade, a ma?i universally respected by those who knew him. In ]iolitics a Democrat, and in religion he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Mary L. AV'heeler, and to them were born three children, — viz., James C, Mary J., and Huldah F. Mrs. John.son still resides on the "old homestead" with her daughter, Mrs. Huldah F. Edwards. James C. Johnson was reared on the farm, and early learned those principles which have been the chief characteristics of his life. His advantages for an education were confined to the common schools of his town, except a few terms spent at an academy. During the time spent in obtaining his education he worked on the farm and in his father's cooper-shop summers, and went to school winters. He taught school two winters, and now recalls with pleasure the time thus spent. On the 26th of September, 1855, he married Mari- etta C, daughter of Miles and Eh>isa Beardsley, of Trumbull, Conn. She was born in Trumbull, Conn., June 8, 18,'?4, They have four children, — viz.. Miles B., Mary E., Seymour .!., and Merwin W. Mr. Johnson purchased his present farm of one hundred and thirty acres in 1856, built his house in the summer of 1857, and in September of that year settled where he has continued to reside, and where his children have been born. He has made nearly all the im])rovements on his farm, and is to-day re- garded one of the best men and farmers in this town. He is a man well proportioned, about six feet in height, and will weigh about two hundred pounds. He possesses great force of character and a vast amount of energy. Physically he has not his .supe- rior in the town, and probably no man of his years in the town or county has done more hard manual labor. He enjoys the respect and confidence of his fellow- townsmen, and he is generally regarded one of the leading men in the town. He is one of the leading Demr)crats of his town, and as such luis been con- stable, magistrate, assessor, and a member of the State Legislature in 1S71. Mr. and Mrs. John.son are mem- bers of the Congregational Church of Monroe Centre, and he is one of the liberal sui>porters of the same. Very little is known of his early ancestors in this country, but it is well known that President Andrew Johnson atiil Hon. Jxs. E. Johnson are descendants of the same Johnson in this country. IMioto by ^Vii3iiii. Bn(lgo|.i rU j^/^ y ///- // y^~^^nn<^ i^ X^/-j^^^V^ /■T^i^n^ Ik I"' K h NEW CAXAAX. 437 CTTAPTER XLTT. NEW CANAAN. THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS.— TIIK OLI> I'AKISII. Geofc'iupliical— Tojiograpliiciil— Tilt' FiisI S.ttl.iii<nts— Organi/atii.n of •'Canaan Parisli"— Tlit' rinnreis— Tlif 1-iist Mtfting-Hnusn— The rriniitivt- Dw.-llings— Rpvnluiiuitaiy lTici*kMit— " Yi' OM Training- Days"— Slavery— Tlie Whipping-Pust an.l Stu.ks- ri..nfer Moirliaiits — Early Physicians — Iinlustrial Purf^uits — Pm.t and SIh-l- Jlamit'ac- tiiring, Ktc. Tin: st'ttU'inent of X'cw ('anaaii was (Inul)tli'ss comnienceJ soon after the year 170(1 l)y inlialiitants of Stamford and Xorwalk, and the iiaincs of the ad- venturous settlers may be found in tlic history of those towns elsewhere in this work, as it farmed a jiortiou of the old parishes until its ineorporatiou. in i7;n. New Canaan is fu-st noticed in the Stainf<.)rd reeords asadistinet parish Dec. X, 17o0, when John Houton and others ask liberty of moving out of town to join with a part of Norwalk in order to lie a sn<-iety. The per- mission, however, was not granted; yet in the Ibllow- inir year, under date Decend)er 14th, Ebenezer Heeley and Nathaniel Ronton are appointed tythin^nieu for the new society. In the followin;j: year, 1702, Ebenezer 8eeley ami J<tlin Houton are elmsrn tyihim:nn.'ii for " Canaan Parish." At a town-meeting in Stamford, held I)ee. 27, 1733, it was voted that "the town agree that there shall be a eommittee chosen to agree with those nu'ii that have land lying where it may be thought needful for a highway for the convenience of Canaan ])arish to go to meeting, and to lay it out wlure tiicy think it may be most convenient." The first meeting of the New (.'anaan socii'ty was held July 1, ]7'51, with Jnhn Houton moderator and John Betts, Sr.. rlrrk. Tiie following is a list of the Stamford settlers in New Canaan as appear in 17o2: John, Nathaniel, Daniel, Eleazer, ami John Houton, Jr., John Davenport. John Finrh, Nathaniel Green, James Hoyt, Job H<»yt. Joshua Hoyt, Eliphalet Slason, Eliphalet and Ebenezer Seeluy, Tlios. Tal- madge, David Stevens, and David Waterliury. The late Prof. Samuel St. John says, — "The next year there were forty-seven moinliei-s,— thirty on the Nor- walk and seventeen on the Stamford side. The first question discussed by lliern was the expedieuey of building a meeting-house for the pnhtii: Worship uf God. Decided in the attirmative, twenty-four to uiie. They were unable to agree upon the place where the building should be erected, and they appointed a suitable pei^oii to represent tliein in the General Court to be lield in October, to request the Hon. Assembly to appoint a committee to fix a placr for the liuuse. It Wiis deci(ieil that the liouse fihould be bviilt at the Iowi.t end uf Haines' Kidge, tlie house t.i be thirty feet square and of a lieigbt suitable for one tier of galleries. \ building committee was appointed, who were either to let out the worlv ' by tlie great' or hire men by the day. They levied a tjix of ten pinco on tlie pound in the list. Then follows a list of niembera, with their assess- ments. In February, 17;J2, they appointed a committee t>^ make applica- tion to the reverend eldore of the county for advice and direction in order to the calling and settlement of a minister. They were directed to Kev. John Eells, of Milford, wIkj preached among tliem nine montlis on pro- bation, and in June, i;;i:i, was settled among them as their minister, re- siding on Clapboard Hills. After this time the society's meetings were devoted to such business as devolves upon it at tlie present day, with sev- eral items which are now managed by the town, such as taking char':r of the schools, laying out highways, etc. Their meetings were commonly wanu'd to be lield at 'sun two lioiiis high at night.' Clocks and watches «ere probably not common, and wc find an appropriation of two shil- lings nine pence to Imy an hour-glass. *'At this time all inhabitants of the parisli were members, and were taxed for its support; it is not strange that soiui.- should have bcL-n restive and souglit relief. One membi-r petitioned the Legislature tntliat effect, Iiut met there a committee fiom the society, wlio succcsslnlly opposed the petition. They assessed tlieniselves as high as nim.-tc.-n iii-in'_' nn the I'ound. and collected it by 'stress' if necessai'y.