Address at the Centenary of St. Paul's Church, Norwalk, Conn.

The Isaacs (Benjamin and Charles) families, were the last of Dr. Kemper’s parishioners on the east side of West avenue, until was reached the house in South Norwalk, in which the Rev. Melancthon Hoyt (brother-in-law of theRev. B. M. Yarrington, of Greenwich, and pioneer missionary of our church in the west,) was born. This house stood nearly opposite the present store of F. H. Nash. About the only dwellings, in 1832, between these limits, and on that side of the street, were the James and Deborah Keeler houses (near thedwell- lings of the late Lewis Curtis and Mrs. Matilda Keeler,) and “the old red house,” and a small cabin (both of them a few rods south of Mrs. Deborah Keeler’s) and the house of Mr. James Benedict (which stood a few feet back of the present gateway to Mrs. Charles D. Matthew’s residence), and Mr. James Seymour’s house (not far from the midway point in Mrs. Matthews’ street line) and the Hotchkiss House (somewhat south of James Seymours), and Uriah Seymour’s (still standing), and Mr. William Wood’s house, and the Taylor house, (where General Washington dined, and where a little child from the Woods’ house came and was taken into his arms) and store and postoffi.ee (slightly north of the residence of Mr. J. H. Knapp) ; some ten dwell- ings in the place of thirty-nine to-day. Below the Isaac brothers’ property there wound a serpentine foot-path which doubled and trebled in places, and which, after a tortuous course from Chapel to Beatty street corners, and around the nest of small rocks with edges just above ground in front of the Beatty Brothers’ yards, and amid the twisting elm-roots further on, and under James Seymour’s grateful maple shades, became more regularly defined for the remainder of the way to the upper corner leading to the Pottery dock, and the lower (the Chichester corner) to the steamboat landing. The old St. Paul’s homes on the west side of the same avenue were : John Belden’s (afterward Mrs. Eliza Selleck’s) ; and Isaac Belden’s (now occupied by C. B. DeKlyn); and the Samuel White house, which faced the Phillips house, and stood on the corner below. The Prospect Hill road diverged at right angles from West avenue and the Whites’ house was built on the south cor- ner and fronting north. The topography of this locality was changed by the cutting through of the New York Turnpike. Peter White and his son, Samuel, were intelligently helpful members of St. Paul’s. The former married Eliza- beth Jarvis, and the latter was great-grandfather of Mr. George Willis White, of St. Paul’s to-day. After the spoliation, in 1779, a number of more ambitious dwellings suc- ceeded to the simpler consumed structures. Among the former were the Lockwood dwellings on Knight street and hill, and the Samuel Cannon and Governor Bissell homes on Town House Hill. [Between the Cannon and Bissell sites, was the anti-revolution residence of the future “Blackstone of Amer- ica,” James Kent, L.L. D., chancellor, the mother of whom dying, in 1770, the son passed (see page forty-four) some time in Norwalk. His father (Moss Kent, Esq.) married again, and resided close by the Westport waters, about opposite the lateBurritt grounds] : “The John Cannon, Jr., house, over a parlor mantel of which is a painting (reality or imagination) of lively sensibility, and cleverness of treatment, by, it is believed, the builder of the house : The Eben- ezer Hoyt house, and its long ago bird-tenanted lawn : The “Esquire Betts,” (later, Edward H. Street) accessible precincts : The senior William St. John’s homestead with faultless green in front, and delightful forest patch behind, and quiet stream meandering gracefully through it : The Jun. Win. St. John’s High street hearthstone, which commanded the harbor, and the silver rippled 38 first occupant of the Isaacs house before spoken of, was a pew holder and although young, was of conspicuous rank in the masonic body, and first master of the lodge in this town. He died, in 1775, and is buried in this yard. He left three sons. His middle son, Ben- jamin, 2d., was chosen, in 1789, with Amos Belden, to “collect contributions” in the gallery of the new church. His oldest son, Isaac Scudder, subscribed for the temporary church and largely for the new church of 1786. In April, of the latter year Hezekiali Jar- vis and himself were appointed choir masters, and were therefore leaders of the music at the consecration that year. Isaac Scudder Isaacs’ son, Benjamin, was the well-remembered Judge Isaacs of modern times. He was chosen clerk, in 1815, in which capacity he for thirty years diligently served the parish. He married a daughter of one of the most estimable residents of this place, Dr. Richard Bryan,* whose three daughters, Ann, Maria, and Sophia, of godly remem- brance, long survived their parents. The other sons of Isaac S. Isaacs were Charles, vestryman, in 1831, t who died, in 1872, and John, and William , n. . . ■ . The clerks of the parish since its organization, in 1737, have been: 1737-1741, no record; 1741-1758, William Jarvis; 1758-1780, no record ; 1780-1789, Hezekiali Belden ; 1789-1803, Goold Hoyt ; 1803-1815, Jacob Osborn ; 1815-1844, Benjamin Isaacs ; 1845-6-7, Richard B. Isaacs; 1848-1855, Thomas B. Warner, Jr.,} 1856-1881, Charles T. Leonard ; 1881, St. John Merrill. It will be observed that there is a break in the records from 1758 to 1780. This middle of the eighteenth century was a period during which the colony of Connecticut, with its one hundred and thirty thousand souls, § among whom were two or so thousand churchmen, was tasting hardship. ‘ ‘In another century Europe will be powerless to embarass us,” taught one of that day and of these parts, but before sound beyond : The William Jarvis Street house of pleasurable recollection : The Belden (John, Isaac, and Henry) houses: The Phillips (now VanBuren) ample domain on West avenue : The hospitable Jarvis and Bryant houses: “The Tames Brown mansion :” The Joseph St. John (afterward Lewis Mallory) plaoe : The Grumman house, under the hill, called after its whilom owner : The James Cannon (now Mrs. Jonathan Camp) dwelling, not far from the tomb (so stated,) of some who fell in the France street action of “the battle of Norwalk The Isaac’s house before alluded to, and the Gregory house men- tioned on page fifty-seven. These all were reared before the present pictur- esque effect turning point in architecture had been reached, stili were they goodly abodes; and abodes the careers of the inmates of which have much enriched Norwalk history. ♦Dr. Richard S. Bryan. Jr., vestryman, in 1828, removed to Troy, New York, and was one of the most influential and successful practitioners, of the Hom- oeopathic School, in Renesselaer County. t See note next page. JDied in 1883. in Springfield, Massachusetts, and buried in Norwalk. § The census of Connecticut, in 1756, was 128,212 whites; 3,587 colored; and of Norwalk, 2,956 whites; 94 colored. t 39 young Adam’s prediction could be accomplished, trouble must be- fall. It was at such a crisis that Dr. Learning came to this place ; and that there should be paucity of record at that time — is due quite probably, to the disturbed condition of affairs then existing. With one exception, that of Jacob Osborn, we have made allusion to all of the parish clerks who have gone; and his fidelity deserves at least a passing remark . His painstaking transcript of twelve years’ doings, on the part of this society, is evidence of his devotion to the work, and was the price of labor. The care which he exercised, in both composition and chirography, bespeaks the accuracy which seems to have been characteristic of the man. Mr. Osborn was son of Nathan Osborn, of Westchester County, New York, and grand- father of Mr. Charles F. Osborn, for twenty years the faithful treas- urer of the parish. The Parish Wardens since 1737, have been Ralph Isaacs, Samuel Cluckston, James Brown, Nathan Nash, Capt. Joseph Ketchum, Ebenezer Church, William Johnson, Thomas Belden, Goold Hoyt, David Boult, Hezekiah Jarvis, Daniel Nash, Samuel Bouton, Samuel Cannon, Jonathan Camp, Stephen Mott, David St. John. Joseph W. Hubbell, Eseck Kellogg, Winfield S. Hanford, John H. Smith, Jonathan Camp, Jr., Allen Betts, James Finney and Edward K. Lockwrood. Of these Captain Samuel Cluckston and Joseph Ketchum were founders of St. Paul’s. William Johnson was the largest donor, evidently, to the church which was burnt in 1779. Stephen Mott, father of Langdon and Miss Eliza, and father-in-law of Rev. Dr. Humphreys, of Maryland, was held in regard. David St. John, 22 years vestryman and 33 years warden, lived distant from the house of God, but was one of the most punctual attendants upon the means of grace. Joseph W. Hubbell came from Bridgeport, in 1829, and his candor of Christian character entitled him to the respect which was paid him. Eseck Kellogg was a safe man, and after 40 years’ ser- vice as vestryman, earned the higher bestowment. Winfield S. Hanford devised liberally and liberally did; the friends of the church in South Norwalk owe not a little to his generosity. The vestrymen of the parish from 1737 to 1779 were : Hezekiah Whitney, Ebenezer Church, Amos Manvew, Peter tCharles Isaacs was the only one of the Isaacs name who has been a vestry- man of St. Paul’s. He was great-grandson of Ralph Isaacs (warden), and through his mother, gr. gr. grandson of Governor Fitch. His wife (Rebecca Fitch Betts) and her brother (Daniel F.), and sisters, Susan, (Mrs. Thomas Ben- edict, Jr ), Henrietta, (Mrs. Charles Mallory), Harriet, (Mrs. Thomas C. Han- ford) and Sarah E., were great grand nephew and neices of the same chief mag- istrate. Mr. Isaacs was of solid character. He was held in high respect as a public man, and his integrity, and conspicuous good nature, caused him to be much esteemed in private life. 40 White, Josiah Marvin,* Gideon Kellogg, Jonathan Camp, Nehemiali Rogers, Micajah Nash, Thomas Hanford, David Tut- tle,! Edward Nash, Ebenezer Smith, Captain John Cannon,