History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

So, also, tlio oldest document signed by tho inhabi- tants of the plantation of Stratfiold, as such, that I have been able to find, is a petition for a school, ad- dressed to the General Court, dated Jlay, 1078, and subscribed by Isaac Wheeler, John Odell, Sr.,.and Matthew Sherwood, in behalf of the people of the place. The distance of nearly four miles that sepa- rates them from Fairfield Centre is too great, they say, to be easily traversed by the children, especially the younger ones, and therefore they had set up a school of their own and employed an experienced teacher. Forty -seven children were already in attendance. The expense of the school they propose to bear them- selves, but ask to be freed from taxation for the bene- fit of the one in Fairfield. Rev. Samuel Wakeman, minister at Fairfield, added a favorable indorsement to the i)etition, though most of his parishioners were opposed to granting it. The General Court referred the matter to the Fairfield County Court, with power to act, and recommended that body to make an allow- ance to the petitioners from the county revenues equal to or greater than their annual school-tax. Ten years after the commencement of this school a young graduate of Harvard College, Charles Cliaun- cey by name, son of Rev. Israel Chauncey, of Strat- ford, began to hold religious meetings in Pequonnock. These meetings were begun in the year 1688, as shown by a receipt or acquittance bearing Mr. Chauncey's signature, which may be seen upon the parish rec- ord-book, and they must have been held either in the school-house or in i)rivato dwellings, for no church had then been built. Though but twenty years of age, the ])reaching of the ycmng divinity-student found favor, and in May, 1690, forty-six jiersons, the greater part of them residents of Pequonnock, peti- tioned the General Court to free them from paying taxes for the .supi)ort of pulpit and school in Fairfield or in Stratford, as they purpo.sed to maintain their own. Their petition, although acquiesced in by Strat- ford, was opposed by Fairfield, and the Court did not grant it. Further petitioning followed, met by continued opposition on the \mTt of Fairfield, whose rejiresenta- tives submitted a remonstrance containing twenty- four rather ill-natured " reasons why those of pequon- nock should not be discharged from paying anny of our town dews," Init in the spring of 1(>94 liberty was finally obtained to embody its a separate parish. A formal c'all was immediately extended to Mr. Chaun- cey and accepted by him, and an annual salary of sixty pounds, payable in provisions at market rates, was voted him " for his encouragement in the work of the ministry." The first meeting-h<iuse wa.s a small building erected and roofed in, as we learn from one of the petitions to the tieiieral Court, in the summer of ItjOS. It stood upon a hill on the west side of Park Avenue, just south of Clark Street, — a site commanding a fine view in every direction and not easily surprised by the Indians. The worshipers carried arms and were summoned to their devotions by a drummer, — a practice common in tiie colony, and alluded to in the following lines: *' New Knglnn<r« Siil)l>uth-<]Hy Ih iK'itvt'li-like, t.tiH, and pure; Thfii iHriu'l walkt) tlio way Ul> to the tuluple (luor. The tiliio we tell When there tu eonie, Hy heat of <lrun» Or tiouuding shell." The church wa-s formally organized and Mr. Chaun- cey was ordained, June 13, 1695. This is the same body which is now known as the First Congregational or North Church of nridgeport. Upon the early records, however, it is not designated by any denomi- national title, but simply as "The Church of Christ in Stratfield." The original members were nine in num- ber, all males, — viz., Richard Hubbell, Sr., Isaac Wheeler, Sr., James Bennett, Sr., Samuel Beardsley, Samuel Gregory, Sr., Matthew Shernuin, Richard Hubbell, Jr., David Sherman, John Odell, ,Ir. Four weeks afterwards fifteen females were admitted to membership by letter, — nine from the church in Fair- field, and six from that in Stratford. David Sherman wiis the first deacon. He was a farmer, and his home was on the summit of Toil- some Hill. Besides being gifted in prayer and taking the lead in religious services acceptably in the ab- sence of the pastor, he was a good singer and acted as chorister, as shown by the following vote, passed Feb. 16, 1707-8: " Vo/etl : That Thomas Hawley should second Ensigne Sherman in seting y' psalm in pub- lick." From another vote, i)a.ssed in I'wy, it a|>pears that the collection of ]).salmocly in use down to that time was the old " New England" or " B:iy Psalm Book," copies of which are now very rare and com- mand an enormous price. There is no mention in the records of the practice of lining out the psalm; but, as it was usual throughout New Knglaml, it may have prevailed here. The custom had its origin in the .scarcity of books. Originally but one line wtts given out at a time for the congregation to sing, but it was found that coming to a full stop at the end of each line did not always im])rove the sense; as, for instance, in the following C(mplel : " The Lonl will come ; ami ho will uot Keep Hflclicc, but 8|>eak out." Hence the practice of reading two lines at a time was introduced, and continued down to about the period of the Revolution. Charles Chauncey, son of Rev. Israel, of Stratford, and grandson of President Chauncey, of Harvard College, was born at Stratford, Sei>t. 3, KiliS; was graduated at Harvard in KiStl, anil commenced his labors in Pequonnock, its already mentioned, in 1688. March 18, 1689-90, he was nmde a freeman at Fair- field. He married, June 29, 1692, Sarah, daughter of BKIDGEPOKT. 71 (.'ol. .Idliii liurr, of IVquDiHiDck, and in Di'ceniber of tilt' .sanif year the town of Fairfield j^ranted him three acres of land, on tlie nortli side of his home lot, to descend to his heirs "if he dy in the ministiy at Po- (|uannock," but otherwise to revert to the (own. The liicts respecting his ordination have already been given. Jlr. ('hauncey's homestead was ui><m tlie street afti'rwards called Cooke'sLane and < irove Street, not very far from the present terminus of the horse- railroad in Fairtield Avenue. His first wife died in ll!;)7. His second wife, Sarah, daughter of Henry Woleott, and sister of Roger W'oleott, ( hivrnior nt' Connecticut, died .Ian. o, 17()M-4, and on March 14, 171(1, he nuirried Elizabeth Sherw(jod, wiio outlived him. Mr. Chauneey died Dee. 31, 1714, "aged 48 years," says his tondistone, wdiich may still be seen near the southwest corner of the old Stratlichl bury- ing-ground. Following is an extract from his will: "To my wife, Elizjiliutli, £10 ,V"'aii.V from my estati- at Liuiilietli, Eng- lanii ; wliii Ii estate ejiuie to mo from my father, Israel. To my son Israel the hahiiK e of tlie estate at Lanihelh. he itayiiij;: the euiil £10. To my soli .h.hii llie liomestead at SIratfonL To my sons Rohort ami leiialiod VVokott all my estate in 5ltiatH.-lJ, slave.s, etc. To my ilauglitor .\liiali, now wife of Uev, Timothy Cutler, of Stratford, successor of Israel my father, £40." The number of children baptized by Mr. Chauneey in his own jiarish from .June, 1695, until his death, in December, 1714, was four hundred and forty-four. During the same time ninety-seven adults were ad- mitted t<i full communion, besides maiiv others re- ceivei-1 under " the half-way covenant." No register of deaths appears ujion the church recoi'ds, and the list of marriages is incomplete. Commodore Isaac Chauneey, born at Black Hock in 1772, a distin- guisheil naval conmiamler in the war of 1,S12, was his grcat-granilson. One of Mr. C'hauiici'y's parishioners was .Samuel Hulibell, the recorder, who died in 1714, leaving a large estate. The inventory of his eti'ccts upon the Fairficlil Probate records is a volumimius docu- ment, well worth reading, but hardly of sutficient importance to copy in fidl here. A few extracts from it, however, will show what article.-i composed the wearing-apparel, weapons of war, ami library of a wealthv man at that dav : ir,.,o„,,, .lj,,,„>y(. .\|:l..ai.r,l £. B. 1 worsted Caiiil.let Coat ■> 1 hroad I 1.-th .oal .", o 1 SeaiKe do 10 1 »e do II 1 dellels do .. \r, 1 SelKe vest I 1 hollaiid do .r, 1 old .serine do 3 1 Uanncdl do 2 1 l»r leather hi ielles S 1 " S'''Ke •• 1(1 1 " llnijijjit " 2 1 " Stli|.e,l leatller hliohes i; 1 " Cherry ilerry " ;i 1 ■' checkered linen " .. j 1 <'"«<"'■ i;."!i::"" 1 u 1 ol.l hat 4 1 gaelirk shirt S 2 do ::.;::::..:.. u, •2 paire worsted stockeiis.. 2 *' homespun do 1 " shoes 4 neck .loths pocket hamlUerchiefs , re hairell 1 Urass selicer. 1 liilckaiie 1 Kun S.s.|i 1 Knn Willi 1 sliort (III 1 Case of ]jistolsand holsters .'; 1 Siminiler ami licit 1 1 liai;i;eiiet and I.elt 1 tw,. edfjed Rieper liapici] 1 hia.ss hilt riepe. and hcit 1 l.roken lieper 1 ol.l liack sword 70 Ihs- powder fMi 2s 7 shot and hnllets 140 ths. lead (e :ll.,;d 2 2 iHillet pouches ..T Misci^lUtneouK. I looking glass 10 in. M penny nails (n IDs. per ni o I'.l " 1; •■ ■' " 7s. " Ii 1 Cart and wheels [the only vehicle] .. 1 Iron lami :! CaiidlcMicks 2 woollen l.ottels 1 do/,. >.. tieiicheis 2 hear (Tasks ... Itrueing tuhh (■liiirn 12 4 0 10 1 lionkn. A great liiWe old ].-alni k >n .\ltcn c iinserning heart work. ditto upon the Covenant :i tlavela woiks rilgiiuis progress the young man's guide 51' Williams ca|iptivitv A token lor children..' A piepatation for v« Sacrement... Jli . Matlieis works Spelling I k .lohii Veinons works Seeielarys guide lite of M^ Henry liearnig Linanesliook ..'. 17 1 1 :i 1 1 1