Norwalk

Of Haynes Fitch, son of James""- and Mary, who, born in Norvvalk, Conn., Jan. 22, 1735, died at Ellsworth, Trumbull Count}-, Ohio. Aug. 11, 1815, Hon. Elisha Whittle- sey, M. C, wrote: "By the death of this good man his children are deprived of a kind and affectionate father, the church of Christ of a pious, exemplary member, and society of a bright ornament. He supported a character through life irreproachable, and died as he lived, without a personal enemy." His wife, Norvvalk and Stratfield's (Bridgeport) little motherless Anna Cooke, lived to be seventy-three years of age, and died at Canfield, Ohio, July 15, 1814. In speaking of the descendants, in one line, of James ,st- and Mary (Buckingham) Fitch of Norwalk, a western banker writes thus: "The record presents unbroken chains of piety and devotedness to the cause of religion, before which all worldly honors and distinctions fade and scarcely deserve to be remembered." FITCH HAYNES DESCENT. Mrs. James Fitch who, prior to her Fitch marriage, was the widow of Jedediah Buckingham, was Mary Haynes, the only issue to "Mr. William Haynes" by his second marriage to Mercy, daughter of Matthew Marvin »d-. Her half sisters were Mrs. Samuel Hanford'8'- and Mrs. John Bartlett She had no known half brother. Her Haynes ref- erence here introduces, naturally, the history of: WILLIAM HAYNES, FOUNDER OF HAYNES' RIDGE. Born, 1651, Died, April 2, 1712. Thus far it has been impossible to ascertain the full facts with reference to this Nor- walk father. A certain interest seems so to have invested "my home on Haynes' Ridge- that one longs to understand more of its story. No town record as yet discovered, however, certifies wherefore or wherefrom its owner came to the spot. As upon the English roll, hereafter alluded to, of Barbadoes immigrants occurs the name that heads this article, one, would dates permit, might be tempted to believe that here is the explanation of the matter, but dates do not justify this surmise. Something, however, "Mr. Haynes"' taste, or the sections altitude or arrability or attractiveness, led, it is reasonable to imagine, the new- comer, (whoever, or whatever, or wherefrom he may have been, or come,) to one of the most charmmg spme-levels in the south-western portion of the colony; the level which is to-day adorned with the summer villas of several metropolitan families. Mr. Haynes was somewhat advanced when his eye first rested upon the fields that were m tune to become the cradle of talent and title, and the cot of future Norwalk child- ren of mark and merit. When he became owner of the region the whole ridge from what was afterward the Samuel St. John lands on the south to what has since been known as Elm Corner -the Enoch St. John estate-on the north, was an expansive meadow tract NOR \V ALK. broken in the upper portion by a morass and bounded on its lower limits by one of the most romantic grove patches in New England.' Its proprietor during his life time was inter- viewed with reference to a highway across the plain and expressed himself as '•freely wil- ling provided suitable recompense should be made," but nothing was accomplished in this direction until years after his decease. At that date the white oak was a native of the lo- cality, but subsequently to the layout of the avenue, on Nov. 10, 1729-30 by Matthew Sey- mour, John Raymond and John Betts, a row of I„ombardy poplars was planted, the only survivors of which are found to-day on the Ridge's northern edge, at the old St. Mark's burying ground. The history of Haynes' Ridge, from first to last, would fill a small vol- ume and be replete with interest. One is told of who, generations ago, loved to watch the heavens from that elevation, not as did his later townsman (Dr. Samuel St. John) from the same spot for the purpose of studying and mapping them out, but to observe the cloud changes and especially the electric clouds tribulous movements over its distant southwest- ering heights, upon the summits of which the red man was wont to erect his hill-altars to the Upholder of the Skies. Learning has chosen Haynes 1 Ridge as its seat,2 and so has religion, and so also has refinement; while natural beaut)' and the hunter's ambition were the mag- nets that attracted, doubtless, the neighboring lordly Catonah within the precincts.' Terrible persecutions followed the unsuccessful claim, in 1685, of the Duke of Mon- mouth to Britain's throne, and many who had been implicated in the rebellion as well as many who were innocent, suffered execution, imprisonment and banishment. Among those who had been transported to the Harbadoes colony occurs the old Norwalk name of Wm. Haynes, but as said Haynes bought land in Norwalk prior to that date, it follows, unless the Norwalk scribe was in fault, that Mr. Haynes was not of that colony. The author has found the Haynes name in the northeastern part of the county, but of a later date. He has seen it hinted that William Haynes of Norwalk was of the blood of Gov. John Haynes, 'Rear of the grounds of tlie widow of the late Dr. Willard Parker, Sr. In the days when Silas Dav- enport held this property lor academic purposes the idea was conceived of laving out into "cilv lots" the lower end of Haynes' Ridge. But the site's success- ful occupation for educational use militated against the project. 'Several successful schools have been conducted on Haynes' Ridge, as Rev. Justus Mitchell's, Rev. William Bonny* s, Silas Davenport's, D. R. Rockwell's and John Osborn's. The Pope brothers, mentioned in note 011 page 199, were pupils of Silas Davenport. They belonged to the Bibb family of Georgia. Both are dead, but Henry, whose pen when past seventy was vigorous, began a charming letter, dated Mobile, May 1895, thus: "On one of the days of the first part of June, anno domini 1835, I left Mobile on the good, square-rigged ship "Superb," bound for New- York, chaperoned by Mr. Samuel N. St. John, to be put at some school in Yankee land. Remaining in New York at Mr. St. John's home two weeks, I was shipped off alone to Norwalk, Conn., where I was met by Enoch St. John, who drove me in a two-horse wagon to a little village by the euphonious name of New Canaan. After I had been there about a twelve month, my father thought it wise to -end my brother William to the same school." In alluding to his fel- low pupils Mr. Pope mentions the names of "Bene- dict and Noyes," (New Canaan boys at that time). Grant Thorburn was a Church Hill student soon after the Popes' day. 3The aborigines drove their game from the north to within five miles of Haynes' Ridge and by there supplementing the natural hill and pond barriers with brush thickets were enabled at that point to impound the prey. Hence the designation of that section, viz : Pound Ridge. It is a highly romantic portion of the ancient Oblong. 206 NORWALK. but he has not been able to verify it. Gov. John Haynes had a representative in what was once Xorwalk, and w hose home was but a few rods from Haynes' Ridge (Samuel S. Noyes, M. D. of New Canaan)', but it does not appear that he was kin in any degree to the pro- prietor of the Ridge, upon the skirts of which he in more modern times dwelt. William Haynes came, most probably, from the neighborhood of Albany, N. Y„ to Nonvalk. His first wife would seem to have been Elizabeth Hussey, of Hussey Hill, northern New York, and his two daughters by that marriage were Isabella and Elizabeth. His daughter Isabella married Samuel, youngest son of Rev. Thomas Hanford, and her sister Elizabeth married John Baitlett. Samuel Hanford '"■ occupied his father's homestead, but his oldest son, Samuel*1-, built in White Oak Shade, about one mile south of the ex- isting business center of New Canaan, on the northeast corner, at the intersection of the main street with the Xorwalk road. John Bartlett, a lawyer, or one who acted as such, was the possessor of broad acres on Bartlett Ridge, a height west of the west branch of Nor- walk river. Mr. Haynes' second wife was Marcy, daughter of Matthew Marvin, Jr., whose home stood just southwest of the homestead to-day of H. M. Prowitt in East Nonvalk. The fruit of this union was Mary Haynes, later Mrs. Jedediah Buckingham, and later still, Mrs. James Fitch, sister-in-law of Gov. Thomas Fitch. On May I 5, 1705, the town allot- ted him ninety-three acres in New Canaan (Haynes Ridge), but previously, on Oct. 28, 1699, he had purchased the property at the lower end of the town. Here he evidently lived and died in the earlier part of April, 17 12. The entire property in lower Nonvalk was bequeathed to his youngest child, Mary, should she arrive at the age of eighteen. The Haynes Ridge estate fell to his different heirs, and because of the provisions of Mr. Haynes' will, it was a long time ere it passed finally out of the family. Elizabeth and Isa- bella were well settled in the world at the time of their father's death, the former being the foreparent of many of New Canaan's best known earlier and later sons and daughters, and 'The descent of Samuel s. Noyes, M. 1)., is as follows: John Haynes 'st-, Colonial governor of Con- necticut, born in Essex, England, married Mabel Har- lakenden of Kent County, England, came to America '*\U> governor of Massachusetts 1635, governor of Connecticut 1639, had two sons, Rev. Joseph and Hon. John Haynes, and two daughters, Ruth and Mabel. Sarah, daughter of Rev. Joseph Haynes, married Rev. James Fierpont of New Haven, born 1661, died 1714. Their daughter Abigail married Rev. Joseph Noyes of New Haven, born 1689, died 1761. Joseph and Abigail Noyes had a son, Rev. John Noyes, who was father of Rev. John Noyes of Weston, born 1762, died 1X40. who was father of Samuel Noves, M. D., of New Caiman. A* Mrs. Rev. Joseph Noyes (Abigail Pierpont) was a grand daughter of Mrs. Gov. Haynes (Mabel Harlakenden), who was (see Browning's Americans of Royal Descent) a daughter of Richard Harlaken- den. who was a son of Roger Harlakenden, who was