History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

"At a meeting of the Proprietors of .\ew Towne, held Sept. 2J, 1711, legally met at y house of Peter Uubhell, yt was then voted that Peler Huhbell should he Towne (Clarke for the year ensuing. " Volt,!, That Ahrahain Kind.erly should be fonstahh- for y year en- Miing. " Voted, That Ebenez: Prindle A Thomas Sharp shall be surveyors of high wjiys for the year ensuing. " Voled, That Joseph G?aye ami Daniel Foot<' shall hr feme-viewers for the year ensuing. " I o/('(?. That Thomas Lake shall slip his twenty acre division, and take it up mu the west side of the rhoad, agjlinst the heiterjiart of Nrwhaveu pl:iitis, westeily of said plains, to be laid out by the comnuttec iip-in tlie said lake charge. " r..(.-.;. That each proprietor ccntiiiiiin;; III.' iiunilier of f,.rt\-riglit shall forthwith, as soon as can conveniently be done, have four acres of meadow apeice laid out by the cominittee, the slid committee ti> lay out tlie same in the great meadow at the south end of the town, laying on the deep brook, and thomeadow at the nortti end uf the town, where it may be as C'Uiveniont either under mount tnm or elsewhere, .is also four ai Tcs of meadow for the ministry, .as the rest are laiil out ; and it is to Ik' iindeist i and it is voted that swanipdand that is suitalde is ac- I rpl,-d as mead'iw, and so t« be laid out, tile said committee to size the wlinle meadow and swamp-laiel, and the propriet^irs \o draw for ye lots ii.s hatii been usual unless they order otherwise. "I()(«;, That M' Pheneuii Fisk is invited to come to tliis place to preach a sermon amongst us, .and that we may disconise liini about set- tling amongst ilsa minister of the gospel fiir half a year or some other space of time, as may he agreed on, for a Trial; ami that Lieut. W" Adams be the person tei invite him on that design, and wait upon liiiii liere as soon as ran be conveniently attended to." GRLST-iMtLTo "Pec. yi- -P''. 1711, it w.ii; voted that .Teremiali Turner should have liberty to biiilde a grist-mill, and the Town to jiromise to give y^ .s'> Tur- ner 4<l acres of land adjoining to y^ mill."' Under date Dec. 14, 1711, is tlie following record: " At a meeting of y iiiliabitaiits ,.f \i-\vt..n, b-^^allj' no-. ■It, at y home of lianiel Foot, VotcJ, That Jlr. Uenj, Sliellnan, Ebenezer Piniall, and ,Saniiiel Sanfiu'd shall .agree with .leremiah Turner, and draw an agree- mi-nt w ith ...ai.l Tinner concerning a grist-mill upon the sai.l brooke." Ilec. 14, 1714, an agreement was enti'icii into for the building of a grist-mill between the town and Samuel Santord. The document closes as follows : " S.-t t.i our hands and seals in N.w t.m, this 4'*' .lay of December, 1714, and in y^ fii-st year of our Sovereign Loril George, ,t.;. Signe.l, sealed in presence of Joseph flr.ay and Peter llubbell. '•Samuel S.^nf.iuu, Th.ik.is Hkn.mtt, .\im.\nAM KiMiir.nLv, Danikl Foot. " Recorded by Jos. Peck. He. urd.-r, .s.-pr. 21, 1715." PENALTY FOR NON-.\TTENDANCE AT TOWN iMEET- INdS. Dec. 80, 1712, it was again " r<.^'.;, That all and every iicrson or pei-sons duly and legally notified to give y.' attendance at y^ respective town-meetings yi hereafter shall be, ami shall refuse or neglect to attend on y." s** Town-meeting, at Time and place, sh.all pay y." sum of three shillings to y^ treasury of ye Town, except y fine bo remitted and returned by th.- Town." At the same meeting it was " Vule.l, That all that abs.-iit th.'lusidves fr..ni y town-meeting when legally warneii shall paye a fine of 'i shillings to the town treasury e.\ceiit they give rea.sonable satisfaction." .SAW-MILL. March 17, 1712, it was " Vo(«J, That Uenj. Sherman and Capt. J..hn llnlly aiul .l..hii Seeley shall have liberty to gat a saw-mill on the deeii brook south ..f the towne." PITCHING FOR LAND. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Newton, legally warned, held April 2, 1712, it was " Voled.Fov to take the fore acres .leviti.m that is to be lai.I ..ut by pitches. " Voted, That the proprietors shall go, S in a company, ami draw by figures, as 1, 2, 'i, 4, 5, G, 7, 8, till the whole number of 4U lots ho lai.I out. " r.r/.<(. That .M'. J..lin r.h.vei shall have bis pit. h at tlo- ivale i.f his 460 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. Iiome-lot to the liigli wnye weet, and nortli so fiirr na it-will liold out, and the s*^ Glovor will pay to the town treiwurt-r I'J f^hilliugx tor hiw pitch. " Voti-d, That Abruhaiu Kiniberly shnll titku hirt i)itch at the rero of his home-lot so fur as it will hold out. " Vottti, That Abi-ahani KIniburly .shall draw for all the propriotore of the towne. '* Vott-d, That if any of the proprietors arc aheent when the time come for to pitch they shall loose their pitch, and the next shall take it successively. • ** VoU<I, That Soinuel Faris shall bo a comuuttoe man in the roume of Ebenezer I'rindlo. " Voted, That the 7 dayo of Apl. shall be the day for the company to pitch, aud successively till they have done, excepting fowl weather hinder." FULLINOMILL. Ill 1712 it wa.-i " Votfil and aijreed. That .Tosoph Dudley shall have liberty tt) get a full- ing-mill on the deep brooke above the saw-mill, and the use of half an acre of land alniut his mill, pi-ovided he tlo nut damnitle the saw-mill, so long as he muintain a sulllcient fulling-mill thereon the deep brook." BEATING THE DRUM. December "ye 9th," 1712, it wa.s " Vol^d, That Stephen Pamerly shall have the use of an acre and a half of land wbieli is the burying-ploce, provided ho clear tho busllos and fence it, ami sow it with Ktiglish gras^f^eed. "Fo/«/, That Nathaniel ]*nmorly is to beat the drum fur the year en- euing. "Voted, That Peter llubbell do keep a house of Entertninnient for the year ensuing." TOWN'S STOCK OF AMMUNITION. • " \t a lawful town-meeting of ye inhabitants of Xewtoii, held March ye 7Ui^ l";t|, voted by ye inhabitants that a rate unil tax of one penny half- penny shall bo levied u|M>n the rateable estate of ye inhabitants abovo ff*, to defray ye charges of providing a Town Stock of ammunition, viz., powder, ImllcUf, and flints. "Entered by .Jos. Peck, town clerk, y" Date above." EAR-MARKS. The following are s])ecimens of ear-marks used in the early times to di.stingui.sh sheep, cattle, etc. : "Joseph Peck's care-mark for his cattle A other Creatures is a half- penny en ye inner side of the noare euro. Rccoriled June y* o'*", 1714, by me, John Glover, Towu Clerk. Caleb Dayton's ear-mark wa.s "two liiilf-pcnnies uj)on the fore-side of each eare. Kccortleil .lamiary 11, 1714, pr me, Joseph Peek." Benjamin Dunnon and .Samuel Karris were grand jurors in 1712. January y' 12"', 1712 "(13. The town grants ."^amuel Sanford liberty to "set a grist-mill U])(m y" Pond brook for to grinde y» towne graiuc. Recorded by me, John lilover. Recorder." TAKING CARE OF THE TOLL. In December, \~V>, " John Lake was cho.sen and ap- pointed a committee man for to take care of the town's I)art of the toll of .Sandfiird's mill, so-called, l>elonging to the inhabitants of Newton, for y" yeare ensuing, and give an account to y* select men, and that he is to have one bushel of good wheat for his service." riONEKRS. The following were among the residents of the town of Newtown in 1712: John Lcaveiiwurth, Moses Johii.son,Ephraim llawlcy, Jedcdiah Ilawley, Henry Botsftird, Henry Botsford, Jr., Daniel Foot, Jedc- diah Parmelee, Ebenezer Johnson, Jo.seph Peck, Joseph Peck, Jr., James Birsec, Nathaniel Birsee, Jeremiah Jol»nS(5h, Thomas Northup, Thomas Pearce, Jonathan Hubbell, John Piatt, James Bahlwin, Ben- jamin Northup, Ebenezer Piatt, Stephen Parmelee, JIatthew Sherman, Josej)!! Benedict, John Botsford, Joseph Benedict, Jr., Nathan Baldwin, Gideon Bene- dict, Caleb Baldwin, Samuel Pearce, Capt. Thomas Tousey, Samuel (iriffin, Samuel Sommers, John L.tke, I5eiijaniiii Dunning, Daniel Booth, Stephen Burritt, J()ho.s<)|)liat I'riiidle, Capt. Thom;i.s Bennett, Eilward Fairchild, .John (iolat, Stephen Ilawley, Joseph Bots- ford, Ephraim Prindle, Noah Parmelee, Joseph Prin- dle, John Blackman, Thomas Skidmore, Jeremiah Northnip, Lieut. John Northrup, Josc])h BrigtoU, Moses Botsford, Elienezcr Prindle, Benjamin Dun- ning, .Tr.. Samuel Sanfonl, Lemuel Camp, Peter Hul)- bell, John Hull, Job Sherman, Abel Booth. EARLY BIRTHS. The following births are recorded : " Abigail Sherman, ye dauglitcr of Matthew Sherman, by Hannah, liis wife, Ixirne November ye lli''', 1711. ** Relfckah Sherman, ye Daughter of Matthew Sherman, by Hannah his wife, born July y« 9''', 171.5. We find the following reference to a "fair" in the town records under date of April, 1785 : "The town Toted to prefer a memorial t«> tho next General Assembly petitioning for a charter twice each year in this town." TOWN-HOUSE. The first vote concerning the erection of a town- house was taken Dec. 8, 171)6, and .Jonathan Booth. Ebenezer Ford, and Nathaniel Nichols were ap- pointed a committee "to examine into what place is most convenient to suit said house, and also what said house will cost, and make report at the next meeting." Tho first town-house stood on the site now occupied by Trinity church. The second occupied the present site of the residence of Mrs. Charles Brisco. The third was over Baldwins & Beers' store. The fourth, and present, was over the store owned by Norman P.. ( tlover. HANGING IN NEWTOWN. The first and only execution that ever occurred in Newtown was the hanging of Robert Thompson as a spy in June, 1777. The following is a eo|)y of the warrant for his execution, and the certificate of the officer commanding that the execution was duly per- formed : [ska I..] " 7b Lieut. Sitmurt ItictMrdA, o/ Cyil. Wyllu' It'Ulidion, in CoHtiiieHtid Service: "Grkktiso;