The History of Guilford, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1639
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On vO
Q w h o w
O a:
:
THE
HISTORY
GUILFORD, CONNECTICUT,
ITS FIRST
SETTLEMENT
IN
1639.
FROM THE MANUSCRIPTS
Hon.
RALPH
ALBANY, J.
D.
SMITH
N. Y.
MUNSELL, PRINTER 1877.
TO /
AMOS SEWARD, THIS HISTORY OF HIS NATIVE
IS
3£lesiiectfull2 JBetticatcB.
TOWN
PREFACE.
A,MONG
the manuscripts left
by the
late
Ralph D.
Smith Esq., who had devoted
his leisure
the last forty years of his
to the study of histori-
cal
life
hours during
and genealogical subjects, was found an outline
sketch of the history of Guilford, written
some
resuming
his
labors
upon
it
thirty
hope of
years ago and doubtless laid aside with the
when more abundant
materials should have been collected for the purpose.
The
history of the early settlers of the town
Although not
favorite subject of study.
showed an attachment to it fully equal to shown by any one to the place of his birth. thoroughly acquainted with alive to everything that
Had by
own hands,
it
been
filled
to
its
a
he
that ever
He
records and
would add
this historical sketch
his
its
was
a native,
was
keenly
reputation.
up and completed
would have undoubtedly compared
favorably, in accuracy and completeness, with the his-
tory of any town heretofore written.
Still it
proper to save what he had prepared, even
complete form,
as
seemed
in its in-
something of great value to the
student of local history, and as a foundation upon
which future laborers might build
and exhaustive history.
a
more complete
O
PREFACE.
There
something exceedingly attractive
is
history of this town and
its
the
in
good people, singularly
reminding one of what Halleck, the Guilford poet, says in his
poem
Connecticut " View them near
At home, where
all
their
worth and pride
And there their hospitable fires burn And there the lowliest farm-house With manly
is
placed
;
clear.
hearth
is
graced
hearts, in piety sincere.
Faithful in love, in honor stern and chaste,
In friendship
Beloved
The
warm and
in life,
true, in
and sainted
danger brave,
in the grave."
editor has been assisted in the preparation of
the manuscript for the press by
and
is
indebted also to
D.D., Rev. Geo.
W.
Dr. Alvan Talcott,
Rev. Lorenzo T. Bennett,
Banks, Hon. Edward R. Lan-
don, and others, for occasional assistance, to
whom
all
of
he begs leave to make due acknowledgments
for the same.
L. Guilford^ July
i,
1877.
H.
S.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
T,HE
original
town of Guilford, including the present towns
Long
of Guilford and Madison, stretched along the shore of
Island sound from Branford to Killingworth, a distance on a
June i6th, 1671,' a
straight line of perhaps nine or ten miles.
committee found the length of the town from south to north to be ten miles,
measuring from the point of rocks
west of Guilford harbor
;
but, as this point
other points on the sound, the
mean
be considered as eleven miles.
The
although
ually,
The
nearly seven miles.
town from Branford, was
the
until
it
may
breadth
western boundary, separating
a straight line
from the mouth of in a single
the corner boundary of the four towns of Guil-
ford, Branford, Wallingford
and
Durham.
This pond
mile long from south to north, and a half a mile wide.
northern boundary, separating the town from little
many
became only
The mean
Stony creek to the centre of Pistapaug pond, where
monument was
south-
breadth diminished grad-
about four miles and five-eighths of a mile.
may be
at the
north of
length of the town
northwards
irregularly,
is
Durham,
is
a
The ran a
north of east from the centre of this pond to the western
branch of Hammonassett
river.
The
above mentioned com-
mittee found the distance from the eastern side of the pond to this
branch to be four miles, three furlongs and four rods, but
as the
boundary commenced
distance must be greater.
in the centre
The
of the pond the whole
eastern boundary passed
the middle of this branch to the Hammonassett, thence
Guilford Records, vol.
i,
page 50.
down down
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
8
whence
the middle of the river to Dudley's creek, rods,
50°
10'
to
east,
West rock
Ori-
This boundary separated the town from Killingworth. ginally
followed the Hammonassett to
it
216
ran
it
on the sound.
so called
entrance into Kil-
its
lingworth harbor, and one half of the harbor was considered as
belonging to Guilford
;
but the legislature of the state, at an
adjourned session in December, 1790, changed the line from
West
Dudley's creek to
rock, throwing the whole of the harbor
and a tract of land east of worth. the
this
new
part of the line into Killing-
was provided, however, that
It
clams as
fully as
though
this alteration
Before the division of the town
in
1826, Guilford embraced :
Guilford First Society
and the society now called North Guilford
narrow
strip
divisional line
about two miles from the
island
on the margin of the sound
;
sound.
;
thence to the channel of the East river
The
at the
centre of
thence
in a right
between the two towns, begins
the extreme point of land between the East and
line to
rivers
Besides includes
of land previously a part of Guilford First Society,
running northward
Munger's
and East Guilford
;
now Madison and North Madison. last mentioned the new townof Madison
Bristol,
tlietwo societies a
of oysters and
fisheries
had not been made.
four located congregational societies, viz
and North
should not prevent
this
town of Guilford from regulating the
Neck
thence follow-
;
ing the channel of the East river as far north as the abutment
of
landing
Chittenden's
;
thence
easterly
the parish line a
little
lines
vicinity
northeast
right line
to
intersects said parish line
;
thence
of East Guilford and North Bristol, to the
north line of Guilford. the
in a
south of David Dudley's dwelling house,
where the centre of the road on the parish
the
to
corner of said wharf; thence northeasterly
The whole
original
town,
like others in
and country, was originally inhabited by Indians,
who called it, or at least the western They were numerous on the great
part of
it,
Menunkatuck.
plains south
of Guilford
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
9
borough, as appears from the vast masses of shells which they brought upon
it
and which are mouldering to
considerably numerous bors and
in
them with
of the sound furnished
shores
day
this
and
;
other parts of the town as the hargreat ad-
vantages for fishing, and the woods back for hunting.
That
town which
part of the
lies
between Ruttawoo (East
and Agicomook (Stony creek),
river)
the present
constituting nearly
squaw of Menunkatuck (Shaumpishuh), the Indian consenting, Sept. 29, 1639, by
said
John Caffinge perhaps) had come out
same year, and who were now resolved
At the time of
this place.
to
the purchase
it
John
Bishop, and
behalf of themselves and others,
in
inhabitants
Henry Whitfield, Robt. Kitchel,
William Leete, William Chittenden, John CafEnge,
all
town of Guilford, was purchased of the sachem-
to
who
(except the
New
make
Haven
the
a settlement at
was understood and
agreed that the deed should remain in the hands of the planters,
church should be formed
until a
in
the town, to
whom
it
should
be given and under whose superintendence the lands should be out to
divided
who were
those
articles given for this
tract
interested
in
them.
The
were, twelve coats, twelve fathoms
of wampum, twelve glasses, twelve pair of shoes, twelve hatchets,
twelve pairs of stockings, twelve hoes, four kettles, twelve twelve
knives,
English coats. rally
Indians agreed to remove, and
understood that they did remove to
An
Haven. that a
twelve porringers, twelve spoons,
hats,
The article,
however,
in the
after this
The
two
was gene-
Branford and East
Guilford records suggests
number of them were permitted
Ruttawoo.
it
to remain for a time at
commenced immediately grounds now included in Guilford
English settlement
purchase on the
borough, the plain and some lands near the sound having been cleared by the natives and prepared for cultivation.
The
planters had
not been long in the town before
Whitfield particularly, 2
who
had their prosperity greatly
Mr.
at heart,
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
lO undertook
extend their territory eastwards, and on the 20th
to
of September,
1
641, he obtained of
[
along on the sound, as
it
Weekwosh
of Pashquishook
of land called the Neck, extending
] a tract
was then described, from East for the consideration of "
river to
Tuckshishoag or Tuxis pond,
coat or blanket, an Indian coat, one faddom
and a faddom of
a shirt, a pair of shoes
The
right of
Weekwosh
this
to
Dutchman's
land, however, appears to
John Bishop, John Caffinge, John Jordan, and the
J/cete,
Menunkatuck made the township.
conveyance Uncas declared himself
testimony as
Uncas was
wampum,
Mr. Whitfield was
owner of
and
all
all
others,
sale
was
four coats,
in his line.
two
kettles,
four hatchets and three hoes.
of extending the township
desirous
further eastward and accordingly
made
still
repeated applications to
his friend
Mr. George Fenwick of Saybrook,
town the
tract
lying
and
deed of
such circumstances and
doubt that the right of
consideration paid to
four fathoms of
Weekwosh
with
his declaration
left little
the
to be the sole
these lands, denied utterly the claim of
and accompanied
this land
In
rest
purchase of
a
Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans, which covered extended northward through
river,
following,
Kitchel, William Chittenden, William
of the English planters of
The
coat,
wampum."
have been soon doubted, for on the 17th of Dec.
Mr. Whitfield, Robt.
a frieze
to
convey
to the
between Tuxis pond and Hammonassett
which Mr. Fenwick had previously bought of Uncas.
a letter dated Oct. 22d, 1645,
Mr. Fenwick gave the
In
tract
to
Guilford on condition that the planters would accommodate Mr.
Whitfield with hold
the land
land to his content, until
the
town accordingly made field,
and he was authorized to
conditions should be fulfilled.
several allotments of land to
The
Mr. Whit-
which he accepted, and on the 20th of August, 1650, he
gave to the town a deed of he had
in
all
the lands given by
title
and interest which
Mr. Fenwick,
for the considera-
the right,
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. £20
tion of
which must be considered an addi-
paid in wheat,
On
tion to the allotments.
he also gave to the town
Neck, obtained
II
the ?.oth of September following right
all his
(whatever
it
was) to the
from Weekwosh, as the town had paid the
first
consideration.
Uncas probably claimed the two of the conquest of the Pequots
in
own
tracts just
which he
in
territory of very
considerable extent.
Concerning the Indians
who dwelt upon this nothing certain is known. A a human head and neck roughly carved, now lying half a mile northeast of
Madison meeting-house,
have been used by them as an
known
They may have
grounds.
tuck Indians
Nothing
Idol.
what became of them
as to
after the
1739 or 1740.
until
is
is
stone with
fence
in a
supposed to
also certainly
purchase of their
Menunka-
joined their brethren, the
Branford and East Haven, or the Hammonassett
at
Indians at Killingworth, the remnants of
town
in virtue
They had
persons or by their tributaries a
possessed either
their
mentioned
assisted.
The
whom
remained
latter supposition
is
in that
the most
probable as they appear to have been the most numerous about
Hammonassett was
river,
easily cultivated
where they had cleared
a large field
and very productive.
Indian bones have
which
been found near the river and also on the Neck.
The
first settlers
of this town were adventurers from Surry
and Kent near London, and, unlike their mercantile brethren
who '
New
peopled
Their
recorded act as a separate
first
They had
Haven, were mostly farmers.' community was
tlie
Covenant, wliich
signed on ship-board, while on the passage, which was as follows
iliey
:
Covenant.
We, whose names to plant ourselves in
^uinnipiack
:
We
are hereunder written,
New
do
faithfully promise
those that belong to us selves together in
common work,
one
England, and,
;
that
we
intire plantation
may
be, in the southerly
each to each,
for ourselves
the Lord assisting us,
will,
according to every
intending by God's gracious permission
if it
;
sit
and
part,
about
families,
down and
and
join our-
and to be helpful each to the other in every
man's
ability
and
as
need shall require
;
and we
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
12 not a merchant
was
at
among them and
great trouble and
scarcely a mechanic
blacksmith on their Plantation.
They took much
land like that from which they
had removed.
thought of Milford, but they found
called
finally
borough-town, the
it
in
pains to find
At
they
first
upon Guilford, because
town
plat
and moist land agreeable to
town Guilford
the
fixed
particularly about the
it,
settled, low, flat
and
;
expense that they procured even a
where they
first
They
their wishes.
remembrance of Guildford
capital of Surry,
a
where many of them had
lived.
About names
in
forty
planters
came
in the
There were
with entire certainty.
town
into the
consequence of a defect
which are doubtless included the
in
1639, whose
records cannot be given
among
forty-eight in 1650,
original
Their names
forty.
and the date of their admission as freemen are as follows
Henry
:
Whitfield,
Hlgginson.
"Jno.
George Hubbard.
May
Mr. Mr.
Sam'/ Disborow^ Rob't Kltchell,
''
Mr.
Wm.
"
cacli
'' .
Chittenden,
promise not to desert or leave
22, 1648.
other or
the plantation,
"
but witli
consent
tlie
ot"
the rest, or the greater part of the company wlio have enteied into this engagement.
As for our gathering together members to be joined together in it
shall please
God
in a
church way, and the choice of
that way,
we
officers
to settle us in our plantation.
In witness whereof
we
subscribe our hands, the
Robert Kitchell,
John Stone,
John Bishop,
William Plane,
day of June, 1639.
first
Thomas Norton, Abraham Cruttenden,
Francis Bushnell,
Richard Gutridge,
Francis Chatfield,
William Chittenden,
John Hughes,
William Halle,
William Leete,
Wm.
Thomas
Thomas
J"hn Farmelin, John Mcpham, Henry Whitfield,
Joanes,
John Jurdon, William Stone,
John Hoadly,
and
do refer ourselves until such time as
Dudley,
Naish,
Henry Kingsnorth, Henry Doude, '
'rhonias Cooke.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Mr.
Wm.
I3
May
Leete,
/6^6
1^8.
22,
Thomas Jordan,
John Hodely, John Scranton,
George
Bartlett,
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Jasper Stillwell,
Alexander Chalker, Stone,
John
Thomas
May
Jones,
22, 1649.
William Hall, Thomas
Beits,
John Parmelin,
"
Sen.,
Henry Kingsnorth,
June 15, 1649.
Thomas Cook,
Feb. 14, 1650.
Richard Bristow, Jno. Parmelin, Jr.,
June 30, 1650.
John Fowler,
Wm.
Dudley,
Richard Gutteridge,
Abraham Cruttenden,
Sen.,
May Feb.
5,
1652.
following names of planters are given
in
the
original
list
of names in
John Evarts,'
The
19, 1651
"
Edward Benton,
Records,
who
had not been admitted as freemen
:
John Bishop Sen;, Thomas
Chatfield,
Francis Bushnell,
Henry Dowd, I
The name
of John Evarts, which appears at the bottom of the
1650 was undoubtedly added afterwards,
as it appears that
he did not come
ford until the next year, being admitted a planter Sept. 4, 1651,
man
Feb.
5,
165a.
He
and sworn
to
Guil-
in a free-
purchased John Mepham's allotment of Timothy Baldwin of
Milford, by deed dated July 29,
1651.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD,
14
Richard Hues^ George Chatfield^
William Stone,
John Stevens, \
Benjamin Wright, 'John Linsley^
John Johnson, John Sheader^
Samuel Blachley,
Thomas French^ Stephen Bishop,
Thomas
Stevens,
William
B or em an
Edward
Sewers,
^
George Highland,
Abraham Cruttenden,
Among
names
the
in the
Jr.
above
list
John Higginson, George
Hubbard, John Fowler, and Thomas Betts original settlers.
Mass., where first
The
his father
Francis Higginson was the
to Guilford about 1641.
tlement of the
moved
to
Prudden
in CJuilford,
Boston, Mass.
made on
also to liave
Betts
in
1639 on the
is
1648, also
set-
who thereupon came with Mr.
mentioned on the
the settlement of that town, and
come from
before 1648, as he
Thomas
Sept. 22,
John Fowler
to Milford in 1639, ?.nd
of planters
pastor,
and then
mentioned town and purchased the property
last
of Jacob Sheaffe
first
fort,
George Hubbard came from
Wethersfield to Milford with Mr. Prudden
'
were not of the
stopping at Hartford, afterwards at Saybrook
coming
He
'
Rev. Mr. Higginson came from Salem,
is
Wethersfield.
He came
is
first
to Guilford
mentioned as early as that time.
came from Milford, where he was one of
afterwards removed, 1665, or 1666, to Norwalk.
the
list
supposed
first settlers, in
John
1639.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
Mepham
having died before the
lists
mentioned, although he was sworn
Goldam
I5
were made, in
May
his
is
not
Henry
appears to have been here at this time and long after-
wards but
his
name
omitted from the
is
Abraham Cruttenden,
lists for
was made
their being
and
out,
sworn,
May
have been received as to Guilford,
names were added
their
cause.
at
after the
till
the time of
George Hubbard seems
19, 1651, a
some
Edward Benton, were among
Sen., and
the earliest settlers, but were not admitted freemen list
name
22, 1648.
freeman immediately
to
coming
after his
and Mr. Whitfield and Mr. Higginson were pro-
bably granted the privileges of freemen by courtesy, as there
no account of
Of
those
sworn
their being
who were
one of the original
only planters, John Bishop, Sen., was
settlers
Mr. Whitfield and
and one of the original grantees with
others in the deed from the sachem
Thomas
Chatfield and
Chatfield
(who was
first
squaw.
George Chatfield were brothers of Francis
in Guilford as early as
August, 1645, and
probably some three or four years before that time),
1646
who
as appears by the settlement of his estate recorded
volume of the Records, Oct.
John Stevens with
is
in.
died
the
Benjamin Wright,
Thomas and William
sons
his
13, 1646.
in
Stevens,
Henry Dowd, William Stone, Richard Hues, John Johnson,
Thomas
French, Stephen Bishop, and
to have been here as early as 1646.
Highland came as added to the
list
late as
after
it
165
one of the
first
whose names prominent
Boreman appear
and their names must have been
was made
There were many of the prior to 1650,
1
Wm.
Edward Sewers and George out.
original planters
are not on the
settlers
who lists.
died or
removed
John Caffinge,
and one of the original grantees
Thomas Norton and Thomas Mills (who died 1648), John Mepham (died 1649), John Jordan (died 1649), William Somers (died 1650), William Plaine, who was here as early as 1645 and was executed about 1648, Thomas from the sachem squaw,
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
l6
Disborow
divorced from his wife Elizabeth
who was
Relf
his estate 1650, leaving the plant-.tion so that he was dead, and his widow afterwards
though
in
as
settled
married John
October, 165
early settlers,
Johnson one of the
was
Thomas
1,
about 1645 but removed to Saybrooic Dunk, who in the Lamberton embarked who Austin,' Francis and 1650, these are not found on the lists. ship and was lost
was here
in
;
The
themselves are
The
now known.
.Whitfield, said to have been built
settlers first located
original
where most of the
places
noted
Stone house of Mr.
1639, erected both for the
in
tection of the inhabitants against the Indians,
the oldest dwelling-house
This house was kept
now
underwent such renovation as changed
is
supposed to be
the United States.
standing in
original form
in its
for the pro-
a fortification
accommodation of his family and as
until
its
1868,
when
it
appearance and inwall
the north ternal arrangement to a great extent, although as they have and large stone chimney are substantially the same overground rising a occupies It been for over two centuries.^
Francis Austin
'
is
supposed to be
tiie
ancestor of the Austins
who
resided
for-
Austm,
merly
in
formerly after -
whom descended Stephen the north part of North Guilford, from in the history of Texas and of that village, who figured so conspicuously
whom
the city of Austin was named.
or following description of the old Stone house,
The
taken from
a note
in Palfrey's
History of
Ne-w
Mr. Whitfield's house, is ii, 59, furnished by Mr.
England,
and condition at that tmie: is descriptive of its appearance It was proto the east. walls are of stone, from a ledge eighty rods distant still to hand-barrows, across a swamp, over a rude causey, which is
Smith about 1859, and
The
bably brought on
be traced.
A
been small addition, not here represented, has in modern times
made
building remains in back of the house, but there is no question that the main floors, doors, and window-sashes. original state, even to the oak of the beams,
to the its
The
the dimensions of the following representations of the interior exhibit accurately etc., on a scale of ten feet to
rooms, windows, and doors, the thickness of the walls, the inch.
The
single
dotted lines represent
dotted
represent
lines
windows.
In
Within the memory of some of the
fire-places
the recesses of the
and
The
doors.
windows
are
double
broad seats.
residents of the town, the panes of glass were of
diamond shape.
The
height of the
first
story
is
seven
feet
and two-thirds.
The
height ot the
o
o h Q O w h
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
ly
looking the great plain south of the village and very fine prospect
was celebrated
in
the sound.
of"
It
is
commanding
a
said that the first marriage
the wedding-table being garnished with the
it,
substantial luxuries of pork and pease.
According
to tradition
the stone, of which this house was built, was brought by the In-
on hand-barrows, across the swamp, from Griswold's
dians
rocks, a ledge about eighty rods east of the house, and an an-
causeway across the swamp
cient
for this purpose.
The
attic.
walls
The
shown
is
as the path
house consisted of two
were three
At
thick.
feet
employed
stories
and an
southwest
the
corner of the second floor there was a singular embrasure, com-
manding the approach from the south and west, which was
made
dently
two
tor defensive
evi-
In the attic there were
purposes.
recesses evidently intended as places of concealment.
This house was undoubtedly the only one built of stone.
Rev. John Higginson
best in the village but not the
Jasper Stillwell, on the
lot
northward,
— son-in-law of Mr. Whitfield and sub-
sequently of Salem, Mass., and Sam'l Disborow, the magistrate
and a relative of Oliver Cromwell,
back from the
street
Mr, Whitfield
Whitfield's.
Thompson
oi
London,
monwealth,
in
whose family
the Revolutionary war,
chased
it.
second
six feet
is
had stone houses, situated
all
with door yards
a
sold his
man
front
similar to
to
Mr.
Major
of some note during the com-
remained
it
when Wyllys
and three-quarters.
in
accommodations
At
until a short
time before
Elliott of Guilford pur-
the southerly corner in the second story
there was originally an embrasure, about a foot wide, with a stone flooring, which
The
remains.
The and the
exterior walls are
now
closed up, but not the walls within.
walls of the front and back of the house rafters lie
sides equal.
been intended
At
upon them.
The
terminate at the floor of the
angle of the roof
the end of the wing, by the chimney,
as a place
of concealment.
The
is is
60°,
making the
a recess,
interior wall
touching the chimney, like the wall at the northwest end.
has the appearance of
But the removal of a
board discovers two closets which project beyond the lower part of the building.
3
attic,
base and
which must have
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
l8
Mr. Higginson the south
lived at the southwest corner of the green
of Bridge
side
Mr. Leete
side of the street, to the west.
Water and Broad
corner of
Mr. Disborow on
street.
Mr. Rob't Kitchel
lived
on
on
same
on the north
Mr. Chittenden on the
streets.
south corner opposite, near the bank of river.
lived
the
West
or
Menunkatuck
corner of Broad and
t'ne
Fair streets, on the site occupied by the house of the late Judge Griffing,
John Fowler on the opposite corner where Judge
Fowler, one of
The
his
descendants lived
recent times.
in
rich and cleared lands about the
town
plat, together
with
considerations of continual intercourse and mutual safety, in-
duced the colonists to
settle
in a
cluster, but as their
numbers
and as circumstances became more favorable, they
increased
gradually spread themselves into other parts of the First Society
and pretty soon into Madison near the shore of the sound, and at
As
Hammonassett.
that
Nut
early as
October, 1646,
now
(doubtless that
on the other
called
side of said
that so division
planter wanting
Howlett's), together with the land
lapse of
all
marsh,
the said parcels
;
might be made according as was due to every In 1649 a bridge was built over East
land."
which makes
this river
was " ordered
East river, both upland and
should be viewed, and a survey taken of
river,
it
plains and another plain on the east side of East river
it
probable that the lands
in
the vicinity of
began to be cultivated quite early, and that before the
many
years they began to be settled.
Dr. Bryan Rossiter joined the
settlers
in
Guilford and was
admitted and approved a planter, having purchased the estate of
Mr. Disborow, October, 1651. Whitfield, father)
the magistrate (on his
He was sworn
who seems
June
8, 1654.
to
as a
leaving
for
England),
freeman (with Nathaniel
have remained a few years after
Doctor Rossiter
is
said
to
over originally with five or six brothers to Boston on the settlement of this country.
his
have come
In 1640 he was enumerated
first
among
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. the settlers of
came
Windsor where he seems
to Guilford in
was married Nov.
1
7,
65
have resided
to
until
he
His daughter, Johanna Rossiter,
1.
1660, to John Cotton, the son of the
John Cotton of Massachusetts.
celebrated
19
he preached occasionally
at
Guilford and
After the marriage
at
Killingworth, where
he was hired for a considerable period (about 1670), as appears
from the records of that town,
he
until
returned to
finally
Massachusetts and was a distinguished pastor of the church
Plymouth
whom
for
many
Cotton Mather
years.
not only the English
but also the Indians of America
have the glad tidings of salvation carried
Mr. Joseph
to
He supplied
them.
Mr. John Bowers, previous
the church at Guilford jointly with to the settlement of
at
him one by
calls
He
1664.
Elliott,
had two
children born in Guilford.
John Meigs came seems his
to
New
Guilford from
buying a hundred pound allotment
settlement
March
He
1653-4.
3,
at
a planter
on
Hammonassett on
its
seems to have become un-
popular and removed to Killingworth on
where he
1
When
671.
Vincent Meigs,
who
came with him and came
father's
its
died, as appears by the Killingworth
January 4,
Jun.,
Haven, where he
have resided previously, and was admitted
to
he
came
to Guilford,
Hammonassett, 1658. from
Killingworth,
are
numerous
William Seward came settled first
at
New
Records, his father
John Meigs, soon
death, and settled in the east part of the
his posterity
settlement,
Town
appears to have been old at that time,
died at
Guilford
to
first
first
after
to this day.
originally
from Bristol, England, and
Haven, and, while residing there he was
married to Miss Grace Norton of Guilford, April 2,
He
soon after removed to Guilford and took the oath of
there
May
4, 1654.
his
town where
He
1651. fidelity
appears to have been a tanner, a
of considerable property and eminence
time he was captain of the guard
in
in the
town.
man
For a long
Guilford, and an anecdote
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
20 is
when
related of him, that,
the charter of the
state
was sup-
posed to be concealed in Guilford, during the usurpation of
Edmund
Andross, by Governor Leete's family, and delegates
were sent down
marched
seize and bring
to
company, with
his
their
it
to Hartford,
Mr. Seward
muskets loaded, down
to the
southeast corner of the green, where the delegates were lodged,
and paraded them
On
of the house to the beat of the drum.
in front
asked by
being
the delegates,
what they wanted
town, and that he would not leave with left,
which must be
their
his
men
The
as soon as possible.
had
until they
delegates seeing
Mr. Seward
died
March
1689, aged sixty-two years.
2,
William Johnson, the ancestor of Dr. Johnson and
a large
of the Guilford Johnsons, came to Guilford from
New
He was
clerk
Haven
as early
as 1653.
He
of the plantation.
for
many
and settled upon the north
in
John
came from Northamptonshire,
carpenter,
town
married Elizabeth, daughter of Francis
the oath of fidelity, February 5, 1652.
as 1654,
years
John Baldwin came from Milford
Bushnell.
place
the
danger accepted the escort thus forced upon them and
left.
part
?
informed them that he came to escort them out of
captain
in
1651, and took
Hill,
by trade
a
England, as early
on the
side of the green
now occupied by E. C. Bishop and Tabor
John
Smith.
Grave came from Hartford, 1657, and married Elizabeth Stillwell, daughter of Jasper Stillwell, Nov. 26, 1657. Jasper Stillwell died
Nov.
8,
1656,
and Mr. Grave occupied lane,
now
called
Harbor
stone house.
He came
many years
town
where he
in
street,
male
issue,
east side of
South
Guilford, without
on the
his situation
two
originally
lots
of land north of the
from England and was
for
Thomas Clarke came from Milford, was one of the original settlers, and married Anne Jordan, the
clerk.
widow of John Jordan, who
died in 1652, and settled here 1653.
He lived on
the west side of South lane, nearly where William S.
Kelsey now
lives.
Thomas Meacock,
also of Milford,
and one
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. of
Mr.
with
its settlers,
Prudden
of Guilford on the
planter
Crampton, to 1656,
May
in
21
was admitted
1639,
purchase
Dennis Crampton came here
14, 1660.
when he was an apprentice and was complained
slander and cheating, and, according to the Records^
page 151, not having any estate to fine
make
came
A,
vol.
way of
satisfaction by
a
man
He
by whipping.
afterwards, however, be-
of considerable property and some distinction
He
son to this day.
on the west
lived
afterwards removed and settled on the
plain in
Nathan Bradley and Stephen Bradley came
Madison.
to Guilford quite
In 1658 the former was twenty and the latter sixteen years
early.
Nathan
of age, as appears by the Records^ vol. A, page 172.
Bradley settled
Neck
ford and
plain.
New
in the eastern part
lections
at the present
of Connecticut^
five or six
brothers,
is,
a half
at
New
He
He was
settled
and
one of
built
Killingworth
Haven but was
line.
a
Mr. Bradley who was
who
He
New
several
quite a
hunter,
discovered the source of the
which originates
Mr. Bradley
lived to
in
a
pond
still
Church
intended
to
Haven, there Say-
and
was the
first
Hammonassett
called Nathan's pond.
an advanced age, and
hundred deer while he
family of
house about
his
Madison
being no settlement at that time between that place
white person
Guil-
obliged to put in at Say-
brook and come across the wilderness to
brook.
in
following ac-
staunch dissenters and came to-
eastward of where the
and near to the
have landed
The
time.
taken from Barber's Historical Col-
is
page 22^.
who were
gether from England.
two miles and
Stephen
and
of the town,
Their descendants are numerous both
Haven
count of Nathan Bradley
river,
the
South lane, and
side of
Neck
in
Madi-
Plantation, and his posterity remain in both Guilford and
now
prior
of, for
and penalty, the court ordered that he be immediately cor-
porally punished
in
a
Dennis
from
of land
is
said to
have
resided in the town.
winter, bears, wolves, and other wild animals,
would
killed
In
the
resort to
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
22
On
the sea-coast in considerable numbers.
went
B., in his old age,
who
to see a friend
On
northerly of the meeting house.
one occasion, Mr. lived
about a mile
way he met
his
a
bear
with her cubs.
He
endeavored to ride around her, but as
he
moved
moved, when he stopped she stopped, and
sit-
ting
the bear
on her haunches, presented an undaunted
determined to oppose his further passage.
front,
seeming
Mr. B. was
obliged
to turn back, and in the childishness of old age shed tears that he,
who
had
many of
killed so
these creatures, should
be
at
last
obliged to turn his back upon one of them.
Mr. John Collins came from Branford
Mary Kingsnorth, tled
on
P'air street,
which the wards, of out
late
the sister of
on the
Frisbic's
lot
set-
on
After-
stands.
Henry Kingsnorth came
from England, probably with the his
He
he came into possession of the lands
in right ot his wife,
1660, gave
now
house
Henry and James Kingsnorth.
about
1669, and married
next north of the
east side,
Mr. Russell
in
Henry Kingsnorth.
first
unto
property
settlers,
such
and dying of Daniel
son
Kingsnorth as should come from England and claim the same, otherwise, to John Collins and his wife Mary.
Accordingly James
Kingsnorth appeared before the county court at
on the exhibit of Henry Kingsnorth's from Mr. Whitfield, then the
fact.
He
also
in
New
a letter
England, to Mr. Jno. Hall affirming
showed
a
certificate
from
church wardens and parish clerks, of Staple county of Kent as to
Haven and,
he presented
will,
his age,
the
rectors,
Hurst,
in
the
whereupon he was adjudged the 1682.
Not
leaving any issue, by his nuncupative will he bequeathed
all his
inheritance and resided in Guilford
real estate to either
should
came cle
come over
in five
till
his
death,
of his brothers, or either of their sons, that
to
New
England
for
it,
and
if
years time then the inheritance to
and aunt Collins, they sending over
none of them fall
to
his
un-
to each of his brothers
or their sons, a piece of plate worth three pounds in England.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
23
His two brothers, Daniel and John Kingsnorth afterwards ac-
knowledged the receipt of such pieces of deed made and executed tate to
John
and
plate,
England conveyed the
in
by
their
said real es-
Collins, 1686.
Richard Hubball was admitted a planter, February 25, 165 J,
on purchasing Samuel Blatchley's
He
stead.
his
and accommodations
lots
appears also to have purchased
accommodations of John Baldwin, October however, he removed and
numerous
are in
ford,
settlers,
In 1680,
his posterity
a planter
1660, but removed to Killingworth on the
settlement of that town, and first
where
Henry Crane was
to the present day.
Guilford about
16, 1660.
settled in Fairfield,
is
enumerated
the
in
list
Thomas Smith came
October, 1663.
of
on the invitation of the planters, from Fairfield,
There seems
curing a blacksmith and to induce
Smith to
a
to
have been great
settle here.
"This was
difficulty in
May pro-
given him on con-
of a smith upon just and
town
mo^efS^e terms
the space of five years."
in the trade
.removed, with others to Killingworth on the \hat town.
the
in
considerable tract of land was given
dition of serving the for
1663 Smith
In
first
settlement of
John Hod^kin came from Essex, England, and
wa§. admitted to the oath of fidelity,
Ih 1657 or 1658
a list
May
11, 1654.
was made out of the freemen.
It is
herewith appended, with the dates of their subsequent deaths
JVm. Leete^ removed
to
Hartford,
died
Robt. Kitchell^
removed
Newark, 1666
or 7,
April 6, 1683.
to ''•
Oct., 1671.
Chittenden^
"
Feb.,
George Hubbard^
"
Jan., 1683.
Mr. Bryan
"
Sept. 30, 1672.
"
Jan., 1661.
Wm.
its
into Guil-
capacity of blacksmith, 1652, and took the oath of fidelity. II, 1654.
in
and
land
the
Rossiter^
Mr. John Bishop,
1
660- 1.
:
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
24
Jbm. Cruttenden
^m. ^
Sen.,
died
"
Dudley,
Jan., 1683.
Mar.
16, 1684.
VVm. Johnson,
"
Benjn. Wright, Sen.,
"
Mar. 29, 1677
William Stone,
"
Nov, 1683.
Thomas
''
Cooke,
John Stevens,
"
John Fowler,
"
John
"
Hill,
'John Parmelin, Sen.,
John Evarts,
Thomas
Oct. 27, 1702.
Dec.
1,
1692.
Sept.
i,
1670.
Sept. 14,
June
1
676.
8, 1689.
"
Nov.
"
May
8,
1
659.
9, 1669.
French,
William Seward,
"
William Stevens,
"
Mar.
2,
1689.
Jan., 1703.
Henry Kingsnorth,
"
Richard Guttridge,
"
May
Henry Doud,
"
Aug. 31, 1668.
JVilliam Hall,
"
May
John Scranton,
"
Aug. 27, 1671.
Edward
July 28, 7,
7,
1
668.
1676.
1669.
"
Oct. 28, 1680.
Dan. Benton,
"
June
John Meigs,
"
Benton,
9, 1672.
Jan. 10, 167 1-2.
Rich'd Bristow,
"
John Johnson,
"
Nov., 1681.
John Sheader,
"
June
Rich. Hubball,
"
John Parmelin, Jun.,
"
Ab'm
"
Cruttenden, Jun.,
John Graves,
"
Geo. Highland,
"
John
''
Rossiter,
John Baldwin, Thos. Clark,
left
Sept., 1683.
i,
1670.
1692. Jan. 1687-8. Sept. 25, 1694.
Dec. 31, 1695. Jan. 21, 1692-3. Sept., 1670.
1661 for Norwich. buried Oct. 10, 1668.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Rich, Hughes,
John
"
Feb., 1687.
George Bartlctt,
"
Aug.
Henry Goldam,
"
166 1.
2,
1669.
Nicholas Munger,
"
Oct. 16, 1668.
Geo. Chatfield,
"
June
John Bishop,
"
Oct., 1683.
"
June, 1690.
Jr.,
Stephen Bishop,
This all
July 3, 1658.
died
Stone,
25
list
contains the names of forty-seven persons probably
freemen, as
many
9, 1671.
at
the time the
was made out there were
list
Of
others resident in Guilford and planters not named.
the twenty-eight freemen on the former
teen mentioned again are those in the clergyman,
is
list
Mr. John Higginson,
italics.
not mentioned again as he
or probably had left the colony of
of 1650, the nine-
was the minister,
which he was certainly not
a
member in 1659. Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Sam. Disborough and Mr. Thomas Jordan had returned to England. Thomas Betts had removed to Norv/alk
county, 1656 or
in Fairfield
Alexander Chalker had removed
to
1657.
Saybrook as early as 1654.
Thomas Jones had probably removed to England with Mr. Thomas Jordan, who went back two years after Mr. Whitfield in 1654.
Mr. Whitfield took one of his sons (John Whitfield) back
with him, the other Nathaniel remained and was admitted a free-
man
as before stated,
June
He
8, 1654.
returned to England
about the same year and became a distinguished merchant
London and was agent of Mr. Thomas Jones
left
here, as did the others
Mr
Disborow
in
Mr. William Chittenden
who went back
to
in
that city in 1664.
England.
as
his
He also
agent left a
son i^-tij^ibew, Samuel Jones, and, on the sale of his lands by his said agent,
March
4,
1667 to John Meigs,
alienation
was made with the
who
some claim
laid
to the
it
is
stated that
free consent of the said
"
the
Samuel Jones
lands as being the heir thereto."
Jasper Stillwell had died Nov.,
1656.
John Evarts, the only
HISTORY OF GL'ILFORD.
26
Other freeman mentioned on the former fore stated,
Feb.
5,
Of
1652.
was admitted,
list
names on the
the other
as belist
of
1650, which were then not freemen, seven are not named on the list
of 1657 or 1658, viz.
Thomas
:
Chatrield, Francis Biishnell,
Wm.
John Linsley, Samuel Blatchley, Thomas Stevens,
man and Edward
Thomas
Sewers.
Bore-
Stevens was not yet ad-
mitted to the oath of freeman, but he evidently continued a resident of Guilford until about
His name
lingworth.
Thomas
of Guilford.
1665 when he removed
Chatfield
Guilford and removed to " East
of
Long
Island," as
it
among
never mentioned
is
was then
had sold out
Hampton
to Kil-
the freemen
property
his
who Thomas Norton,
PVancis Bushnell,
called.
had kept the town mill since the death of
1648, removed to Saybrook about 1659-60 and upon the citations of
being the
its
first
erected in that town, for which the proprietors gave
a farm
ally
and that the inhabitants should have equal privileges
on condition that
which farm
a mill should
John Linsley, becoming
on account of the results of a Richard Goodrich and Guilford to William
be kept there continu-
his wife, sold
Hall and
for
la\ysuit
to
out
his
all
removed
disaffected
allotments
Branford,
to
have remained
have removed to Stony creek, Branford.
were
all
Johnson, Feb.
7,
in
Kent, England, 1663.
admitted freemen from
Nathan Har-
1650
The to
and took the oath of
in
company with
fidelity
with him.
his father
May
1
1,
Bore-
remaining
1660, Jno.
1652-3, Dr. Bray Rossitor June
John Rossiter came
P^d-
William Boreman,
to Daniel Butcher, brother-in-law of said
man, of Hawkhurst
in
1654.
and then to
for awhile,
died about 1652 and his allotments were sold by
man, attorney,
regard
slander in favor oi
Blatcliley appears to have died previous to 1660.
ward Sewers appears
thirteen
in
held by his descendants on these con-
is
ditions at the present time.
Samuel
soli-
inhabitants erected a corn mill on Oyster river,
him
to grinding,
in
the East Riding
in
3,
1654.
Dr. Rossiter
1654.
Thomas
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Stevens,
Thomas
Cruttenden,
Smith took the oath
Wm.
Hodgkin and Thomas
Jno.
same time
at the
l-j
and Nathaniel Whitfield,
;
Johnson, William Seward, William Stevens, Richard
Hubball, Isaac Cruttenden (son of Abraham), Samuel Kitchell (son of Robert),
Thomas
Chittenden (son of William), Dennis
Crampton, Daniel Benton (son of Edward, one of the freemen of the
list
just given),
An'drew Benton and Daniel Evarts (son
of John), took the oath of
fidelity-
May
4,
1654; John Bishop
Stephen Bishop (sons of John, Sen.), Geo. Highland, Geo.
Jr.,
Wm.
Chatfield,
Boreman, Nicholas Munger, Edward Sewers,
Abm. Cruttenden Jr., in 1652; Benjamin Wright Sen., Richard Hughes, Abm. Cruttenden Sen., and John Sheader as early as
Dowd
1645, as also Hy. his son
not
Wm.
and
among
the
first settlers
About 1660,
John Stevens and
Stone,
Thomas
William Stevens and
came very
French,
John Bowers came
the Rev.
who
although
early.
to
Guilford and
purchased an estate, and supplied the pulpit for three or four years until
to
Mr. Joseph
was
Elliott
settled.
He
afterwards removed
Branford, and as late as 1670, to Derby where he settled. In 1672, a third division of land was voted
among
of that year.
The
planters according to their
lists
all
the then
proprietors
numbered something over one hundred, although the number of resident planters must have been
much
The
smaller.
list
of freemen made out about the same time numbered about sixtythree.
contains the names of Joseph Clay, Josiah Wilcox,
It
Obadiah Wilcoxon and Joseph Hand who had 1660, and that time.
Long
Island, and settled in
the same
the east part of the town.
About
time Jonathan Hoyt from Windsor, came and also
settled in the east part of the
from
between
settled
Joseph Hand came from East Hampton,
Wallingford.
1675, Mr.
James Hooker,
afterwards the
first
town, as also
Edward Lee a
man
settled
Thomas Meacock in
the
town about
of considerable
note and
judge of the court of probate came from
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
20
Farmington about 1692, Peter Tallman from England, about
Thomas Griswold from Wethersfield, about 1695, John John Sergeant, Mathew Bellamy and Ephraim Daiwin, came earlier. Andrew Ward (grandson of Andrew Ward, one 16B4,
Baily,
of the
first settlers
of Wethersfield, and one of the
who removed from daughter of the
worth,
Ward
first
Stamford, and married Tryal Mei^^s,
John Meigs who became
came
1668),
in
about 1690.
Guilford with his mother,
to
Shubel Shelly arrived about
a tailor
a planter
S.
Fowler recently
to
come from
settle as a smith,
1
7 10.
Comfort
1700.
Starr
of John Collins,
lot
where
nearly
opposite to
Stephen
Dodd W2t.?, admitted
street,
Samuel Baldwin was invited by the
Dec. 14, 1676.
inhabitants
or
690
lived.
Tryal
from Evain,
Guilford about
and purchased, 1692, the home
on Crooked Lane, now State
Abraham
1
first
Comfort and Jehosaphat
17 14;
from Middletown, about
Starr,
the
a settler of Killing-
Charles Caldwell came
Scotland, to Hartford, and removed to
was
judges
first
Andrew Ward
of the county court, in Hartford, and son of
Fairfield,
his
former residence, to
1675, and was admitted a planter on condition
of his serving them as a smith, Feb. 8, 1675-6.
need of the inhabitants for some one to serve
Such was the
in his
trade that
they granted him liberty "to take up one-half an acre of land
upon the green, between John Bishop's barn and the saw-pit along against the front of said Bishop's
all
as
now
is
it
laid
east side of the green.
land,
which was
home
lot
according
out to him," being in front of nearly
originally
owned by John
settlers.
noted for a long and very expensive lawsuit with the
town, originating from lot,
the
Caffinge, as early as
1666, and afterward became one of the wealthiest of the
He was
all
Mr. Thomas Robinson bought out the
his
taking up land on the front of his
which was claimed by the town.
The
suits
which grew
out of this act were appealed eventually to the legislature, and finally
were adjusted and
settled
by the interposition of a com-
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Ephraim Darwin was
mittee therefrom,
property and resided
which have derived
He came
man
of considerable
near the rocks at the head of Fair street, their
name of Ephraim's rocks from him.
Guilford as early as 1670, but his family became
to
John Hodgkin from Essex, Eng-
extinct in the next century.
came
land,
a
1^
as early
as 1665,
Mathew
Beckwith^ in 166)7, but
Edward Park
apparently did not remain long in the colony, and
from Killingworth, was admitted a planter, latter
was by trade Dec.
w^as granted,
becoming afterwards one of the
9,
He
according to law.
certificate first
first
3671, liberty to stay over the winter and
he behaved himself well that in that time he
may procure
his
descendants
now Madison,
John Bayley and Thos.
reside.
still
a
afterwards became one of the
proprietors of the society called E. Guilford,
where
The
28, 1671.
Cohabit (North Guilford). 'Jonathan Hoyt^ of Windsor,
settlers of
if
a tailor,
May
Tinkard, came to Guilford about 1680, Henry Wise and Jacob Everest were admitted Nov. 9, 1680, but none of their name are
now
town.
residents within the limits of the ancient
John
Hodgkin, from Essex, England, was admitted as early as 1670, but his descendants gradually modified the
name
into
and Hotchkiss, although some of the older people ciously
employ the old name
When
the patent
in
common
Hotchkin
still
pertina-
conversation.
was granted from the governor and colony
of Connecticut, Dec. 7, 1685, there were, according to actual investigation
ants and
some
ten
tinie
deceased,
widow Susanna Bishop, althougli
afterwards, eighty proprietors inhabit-
whose all
some persons who appear
who remained
are mentioned, and
heirs
have died previously or
to
town are not menAbraham Kimberly came from West
without any interest
in
the
tioned
in the
Haven
as late as 1700, Jasper Griffing
Island
and Joseph Pynchon from
periods.
patent.
one
from the families previously named,
from SouthhoKl, Long
Springfield
at
subsequent
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
30 Those names
in
the
in
italics
heretofore as late settlers, have
of 1650, and mentioned
list
become
extinct in Guilford
;
from
the other settlers a large proportion of the present inhabitants
have descended, as also many families
in
Madison, Killingworth,
and other parts of the country.
North Guilford was surveyed and divided
members were accustomed
after this,
Society on
Monday
together through the week, a
name which
plied to
place began to be called Cohabit,
Among
occasionally ap-
is
Their numbers, however, so increased
that at the close of 17 19, they had liberty to
society.
Soon
the circumstance of their dwelling
tlie
long retained and which
present.
at
it
it
1705.
of each week to clear their lands and to
From
return on Saturday,
in
go up from the First
to
the early settlers were
become
a distinct
Timothy and Nathaniel
Baldwin, George and Daniel Bartlett, Ebenezer and Joseph
Benton, Ebenezer and Samuel Bishop, Joseph Clark, John and Daniel Collins,
Wm.
Dudley,
Samuel and Joseph Fowler,
William Hall, Samuel Hobson, John Hubbard, Benjamin Leete, Jon" Robinson, Josiah and Joshua Stone and Nathaniel Parks, all
of
whom
excepting the
were from the
Guilford,
last
named, who was from East
from the same society was also an early
Talman from
the
First
The
settler
Society, Joseph
Haven, and the ancestors of some other section of the
Theophilus Rossiter
First Society.
town some time
and Ebenezer
;
Chidsey from
families
moved
East
into this
after the settlement began.
population of the town,
including East Guilford, has
gradually increased from the beginning, notwithstanding constant
emigration. hal)itants,
In 1670 there were two hundred and fifty-five in-
comprising one hundred and thirty-five males and one
hundred and twenty females, as ascertained
at the
ing the third division of the lands in the town.
time of mak-
At the time of
the fourth division in 1690, there were one hundred and eight taxable persons.
Supposing these were one-fifth part of the
:
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. inhabitants, there
must have been
and forty
In 1730,
souls.
among
lands
3
a population of five
I
hundred
time of the sixth division of
at the
the proprietors, three hundred and twenty-six per-
sons were taxed, giving according to the same rate of calculation
one thousand
The
six
hundred and
following enumerations
1756
2322
1774 1800
2930
thirty, as the
made by
entire population.
public authority give
3597
1810
3845
1820
4J3'> ^^^
1830
41531
giving an
increase
''ist
'" fli^
for
ten
census before the division.
^wo towns, Madison and Guilford,
The
years of only twenty-two.
population of Guilford was then two thousand three hundred
and forty-four, and of Madison one thousand eight hundred and In the census
nine.
found
page ten, which
Had no
last
mentioned sixty-seven persons were
the families living on the strip of land mentioned on
in
in
1820 belonged
been made
to Guilford
First
Society.
in
the societies by the division of
the town, their population at the
two periods would have stood
alterations
as follows
Guilford First Society,
1800
1820
1830
1629
19 18
1863
[in the
borough 1,097, without 821]
North Guilford,
540
581
548
Madison
939 489
1079
1262
553
480
First Society,
North Madison,
3597
Population
The
in
1840
— whole town,
population according to the census of
Guilford First Society,
North Guilford,
2421 1
850 was, 2158
495 Total 2953
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
32 By
the census of i860
2 10
Guilford First Society,
North Guilford,
523 Total 2624
By
the census of 1870
Guilford First Society,
2079
North Guilford,
496 Total 2575
In the borough 1850, 1115;
The
i860, 1232
1870, 1300.
emigrations from the towJi cannot be precisely and fully
When
stated.
Branford was
tirst
sons, as has been previously stated,
Mr.
field,
j
1644 some per-
Mr. Whit-
thither.
Hodely,
Thos. Jordan, John
Mr.
Desborough,
settled in
removed
Messrs. Nathaniel and John Whitfield (sons of the clergyman) and perhaps some others returned to England,
worth was
settled in
that town, and about the
same time,
removed
Near
to Saybrook.
with
;
finld
and
the
settlement of that
some planted themselves
to Litchfield,
and Canaan,
Litchfield county,
in
Ten
at this day.
Elliott,
in
Middle-
About
1750
Washington, Goshen, Salisbury,
numbers moved
where the names of Stone,
and Baldwin mark their descendants
years thereafter numbers from Guilford joined
together and took a prominent part
mond and
as previously stated, several
Westfield, parishes of Middletown.
Norton, Fowler,
Killing-
commencement of the last themselves in Durham and, in
commenced
others,
not long after this
place
When
651.
the
century several families planted
connection
1
1663 and 1664, some families removed to
Stockbridge,
in
in
the settlement of Rich-
Berkshire county, Massachusetts.
Guilford, Vt., as well as Chittenden county were settled to a considerable
extent and
about 1674.
Clareniont and Charleston,
also settled
derived
from Guilford about
their
1
names from
New
this place
Hampshire, were
786, and about the same time
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. some emigrated and
some have
cently in that still
at Fairfield
and other parts of
has been graced and
of the daughters of Guilford, their husband's
Christian
Under
re-
homes
character,
the
attained
made happy by
who have
rich
carried
dower of
a fireside
the presence
with them to
truth, gentleness
New
their
in
Illinois.
many
[In addition to these emigrations of families, in distant states
More
York.
Westmoreland and Verona
at Paris,
Connecticut Western Reserve, Ohio, and
state, in the
more recently
New
settled Greenville,
settled
^^
England
and
home.
their fostering care
" Minds have been nurtured, whose control Is felt
even in their nation's destiny
Men who
Whose
with a leader's eye dignify the scroll
Some mechanic
followed the same occupation. the manufacture of the
family, have
first settlers
were almost
Their descendants have very generally
universally farmers.
besides
soul,
;
leaves contain their country's history."]
has been already noticed that the
It
;
swayed senates with a statesman's
And looked on armies Names that adorn and
been pursued.
common
arts,
articles
however,
of use
in a
Mr. Daniel Hubbard conducted
an extensive carriage-making establishment until the commercial
embarrassments of 1837.
West state, this
river,
A
was granted
Samuel Johnson, 1707.
to
establishment could do was to
lirge proportion of
at this
that
it,
many
a
years, being even pro-
the
the present inhabitants.
Vessels have been occasionally built
owned by
"
press-
by a great grandson of the same name within
memory of many of these
the cloth sent to
full
the
in
The most
establishment was carried on by
the family of Samuel Johnson for
secuted
works on
first
which was worn without shearing or
Cloth dressing
ing."
site for a clothier's
northwest of the borough, one of the
in this
town.
Many
of
the inhabitants have been and are employed in
the coasting trade, and in former days
5
some were employed
in
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
34 the
West
made
in
India trade.
Formerly large quantities of shoes were
town and sent
the
[In
to the southern states for market.
company was organized,
stock
a joint
the
for
manufacture of steam-engines, machinery of various kinds, ironcastings, etc., hy
bridge.
some of
The
of the town.
the prominent and well-to-do citizens
gave employment
It
was near Jones's
of the factory
location
number of persons and
to a large
The
bid fair to be eminently successful, but eventually failed.
property and manufactured articles on
machinery, were sacrificed
green, where
at a fraction of their value,
was removed
building itself it
is
hand, as well as the
to a lot
now known
as
on the west
Music
and the the
side of
hall.
Oliver B. Fowler opened an iron foundery on Fair
In
which was afterwards purchased by Spencer
street,
&
Sons, and
em-
has been a prosperous establishment, affordirig remunerative
ployment
many of
to
Since the death of
proprietors. c;irried
the citizens and profitable returns to the
Mr. Spencer,
his sons
have
on the business with great prudence and energy, and to
the advantage of the town.
In 1868, J.
W.
Schermerhorn of the
city
New
of
York, com-
menced
the manufacture of school furniture in a building erected
for the
purpose of a lock factory, and were for some years very
Their manufactures were sought
successful. parts of the
created a
demand
room, but
after
from
all
union, wherever an ardent interest in education for the best possible
financial
embarassments
in
furniture for the school-
1877 put
a stop
to the
operations of this enterprising firm.]
Most of the
trade of the present
town of Guilford
is
trans-
acted in the borough or village, pleasantly situated between the
West
river
and East creek, north of the great
on the northern section of the great plain
itself.
porated October 18 15, and includes within that part of the First Society
which
lies
its
plain, or It
rather
was incor-
present
limits
between those streams,
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
^S
or nearly so, being the great plain and village grounds contained
Shaum-
the west part of the deed from the queen sachem,
in
pishuh, extended north and south, from the sound, back about the distance of a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half, being
from three-fourths of
village
and
of
all
wood except
1838) there were
(in
one hundred and eighty-three dwelling stories in height,
breadth
mile to a mile and a half in
a
Within the
within these limits.
two
generally
houses,
the noted stone house,
two churches, one Congregational, one Protestant Episcopal, and two churches
in process
of erection, for the Episcopal and
There were also,
Methodist churches respectively. a
town
an academy, post
hall,
three taverns, (including
House),
Point
the
at that time,
office (established
in
1789),
thirteen
stores,
shoe shops, one carriage factory, and two cabinet shops.
six
The first newspaper nel^
made
its
published in Guilford, The Shoreline Senti-
appearance
March
1877.
8,
It
handsomely printed and carefully edited by independent and neutral
New Haven
between
mand
a large circulation
and
Hendrick,
F.
appearing weekly on Satur-
only newspaper
days, and being the line,
in politics,
a large sheet,
is
W.
on
published
New
London,
is
The Guilford Savings Bank^ incorporated
Flon.
its first
Monroe,
Within the
The
its
first
pleted in 1645.
Aug.
The
14, first
a tide mill
1645,
i,
at the
1876.
president, Alfred
treasurer,
limits of the
established near
ment.
dividend July
Edward R. Landon,
dent, Beverly
com-
and generous encouragement.
May
(1875) of the general assembly, was organized October
and declared
Shore
the
likely to
Its
is
the
G. Hull,
town
1875, arc
officeu'S
Henry C. Fowler,
borough
session r,
vice presisecretary.
mill, whicli
was
present location, very early after the settle-
mill
At
a
was
built
about 1643 or 1644, and com-
meeting of the inhabitants,
the "finishing of the mill
agreement was with Mr. Whitfield,
upon the bay, and
a certain lot
as
early
as
was concluded." to
construct
was appropriated
on.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
^6 which the It
toll.
was
mill
town
to be constructed for the
for a certain
was afterwards concluded with Mr. Robert Kitchell
in
1645, to take charge of the mill and pay for the building of the
The
same.
was kept here
mill
nently built where first
mill
it
now
is
succeeding,
on West
was ascertained 1646,
number of
for a
of a tide mill not
finally, the plan
it
The
river.
and
years,
was permacost of the
have been £75.
to
Without the borough there were,
1838,
in
in the First Socit-ty,
one hundred and nineteen dwelling houses, four taverns, two merchants stores, two sawmills and a building containing the water-
works, blacksmithingand other parts of the carriage making establishment of Mr. Hubbard, two fulling mills, and two tanneries.
According to the census of 1870, there were
in
Houses.
Families.
Guilford borough,
286
322
^300
Out
168
177
779
454
499 126
2,079
625
2,575
of borough,
First Society,
North Guilford,
119
Total,
573
In North Guilford there were, houses, two taverns,
two saw
And
one
mills,
in the
in
two merchant's
in the First
496
1838, ninety-nine dwelling stores,
clothier's establishment
same year there were
and two houses
Population.
two
grain
mills,
and two tanneries.
residing in the three
Society three hundred and
hundred thirtv-
three families, one hundred and ninety-five in the borough, and
one hundred and thirty-eight without houses
in
families,
North Guilford, there
making
in all
four hundred
hundred and thirty-eight
One
of the hotels
Guilford point, and in
the
summer
season,
in
the
ninety-nine five
and one houses and four
families.
in the First is
and
;
resided one hundred and
Society
called the Point
when
its
is
by the water-side
House.
accommodations
It is ar.-.-
at
only open fully tested
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
3'/
by the fashionable and valetudinarian guests from Connecticut
and other
who
states,
are tempted by the attractions of sea food
and the hygienic luxuries of sea bathing and sea
The
list
air.
of the town as taken in 1825 was as follows
North
Society, ^25,252,
First
:
Society, $8,891, Madison, $11,278,
North Madison, $4,755, making in all the original town $50,176. In 83 1 it was as follows: First Society $22,320, North Guil1
ford $8,390,
Madison $13,097, North Madison $5,208, making In 1850 the list of Guilford was $34,006;
of $49,015.
a total
i860, $1,263,031
in
town
increase of the
by the list at
at the
fact that
The
village
after the
regard, although
1860
is
great
explained
the
the
in
date
last
valuation.
New
it
The
1870, $1,430,128.
assessed value, and at
its
was intended
or borough
form of
Haven,
for
have been
to
which the
settlers
in the
Its length
centre
is
much
on the western
out
laid
had great
presents but an imperfect resemblance.
green or open space
Haven.
in
between 1850 and
former date property was placed
three per cent of
at its full assessed
New
and
;
list
The
smaller than that of
side
is
sixty -seven
and
one-half rods, on the eastern sixty- six and one-quarter, on the northern thirty one and one-half; and on the southern twentyeight and one-half, and
figured with
it
contains eleven and three-quarter acres
The ground was
and eight rods.^
numerous
basins or
been injudiciously used
for a
of the public square of
New
ago
the pond-holes were
leveled.
the
»
The
pond
These measurements
Stone, Samuel Stone,
laid
dis-
had
grave yard, like the western portion
Haven.
filled
gravestones and
new cemeteries
uneven and
holes, the centra! part
originally
Some
sixty or
more years
up and the ground
partially
monuments were removed
to
out in 1817, about a mile on either side
are those given by the committee,
Ebenezer Talman, and
Michael
Hill,
consisting of William
who measured "
the
square or green in said Guilford where the meeting house of the Old Society in said
town stands," August
4, 1729.
— Guilford Fourth Book of Deeds^ 120.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
38
The
east
and west of the
erly
incumbered the green have
village.
public buildings which form-
been removed, the
all
down
the old Episcopal church which was taken
church was removed
ancient Congregational
Town-house and
the
Academy about
in
being
The
1830, and the
in
same
the
last
1838.
time.
The
so suitably embellish the green.
In 1837 the green
in-
now
habitants then planted the elms and other shade trees which
was enclosed
with a simple white railing for which a private subscription of
$350 was to
The
raised.
and surrounded
all,
houses, large and
plain at the
Long in
hill.
Clapboard
thirty-four
New London [A
rough.
any
in
New
hill.
distance
Its
from
south
hill,
it
presents a picture of Its location is in
is
overlooked by
is
and other eminences
New
sixteen miles from
Hartford,
arid thirtv-six
from
by Saybrook, and about thirty-four by Essexbo1H74, under the
name
Improvement^ has greatly
inte-
society of ladies, formed in
rested itself
object of attraction
comfortable and elegant
England.
Hungry
Workers for Public
of United
now an
with
bottom of the valley which
the neighborhood.
Haven,
is
is
it
commodious churches,
village beauty equal to
the
green as
the general
in
beautifying of the borough, by the
erection of lamps in the "-recn and along thf different streets, and
by securing general attention to such ornamentation as
will in-
crease the attractions of the place to the citizen and the stranger.]
The
through
road
tra\elers from
made
A
a part line
Guilford
New York
to
was formerly much used Boston.
In
May 1794
by
was
of the great mail route from Cjeorgia to Maine.
of stages was run upon
it
for
many
years until the
introduction of steam boats on ihe sound rendered
About
the year
but
1837
in
it
a
[832 the stages were nearly daily line
from Norwich
to
all
it
unprofitable.
discontinued,
New Haven
was
established, furnishing Guilford the advantages of a daily mail.
This was destined
to continue only until the
venient accommodations of
rail
much more con-
cars should be introduced.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. [The
general assembly of Connecticut, at the
New
1848, chartered the
Company
to construct a
easterly through
railway from
1851
in
which brought Guilford
with both
New Haven
The company was
1852.
I,
" thence
New
London.
the construction of the
communication by
The
London.
ger train was run over the road from
July
river" to
ft)r
in direct
New
and
session
Railwav
on the shore of Long
the towns
Island sound, across the Connecticut
This company contracted
May
New London New Haven,
Haven and
extending;
road,
39
New Haven
first
rail
passen-
to the river,
afterwards united with one
New London to StoningNew Haven, New London
authorized to co. '.struct a road from ton, and
was then known
and Stonington
Railroad
reorganized
The
as
as
the
Company.
Shore
Line
At
a
Raihoad
later
date
was
it
Company.
In
November, 1870, its road was leased by this company to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, for the
sum of one hundred thousand
pany
now
facilities for
which com-
the transportation of passengers and freight to and
from Guilford, and giving
York and
dollars a year,
runs regular trains over the same, supplying great
it
direct
communication with
New
Boston.]
Besides the cemeteries already mentioned, one was laid out
an early period, one
at Leete's island at
and another is
Nut
at
plains in
18
also a cemetery, doubtless laid
7.
1
at
Moose
hill in
1801,
In North Guilford there
out at the settlement of that
society.
The
health ot Guilford
proportion of
its
is
evinced by the longevity of a large
inhabitants, of
which examples are given
in
the ages of the ecclesiastical and civil officers mentioned in this
work.
From
a
bill
of morta'ity kept by John Burgis, Esq.,
from Jan., 1746
to
1799, a period of fifty-three years,
were
in
the whole
that there
the
it
appears
town 2024 deaths, which makes
average annual number of deaths a fraction over thirty-
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
40 The
eight.
greatest mortah'ty
and 1795, being
these years
in
disease prevalent in its
appropriate
1
name
was the dysentery. which
called
is
in
that in
;
among those who went " the camp distemper."
among
the children,
army,
into the
A
it
was
large proportion
many of whom
who
had
Haddam
the pest-house in
left
Nearly two-thirds of the deaths
were
1769 and 1776
of
died of
In 1795 nine died of the small pox contracted
fever.
from persons condition.
The
" an awful epidemic, "^but
not mentioned
is
1751, 1769, ^11^-, ^794
70, 70, 67 and 60.
In the latter year, from the rapidity with
deaths in 1794 v/as
years,
no,
spread
it
usually called
scarlet
751,
was
in
The
the First Society.
numbers from 1799
January,
to
in a filthy
those
in
sickly
deaths occurring in
1832,
during
its
thirty-three
Suppos-
years, are 895, a fraction over twenty-seven annually.
ing the average population during this period to have been 1850,
the deaths were nearly as one to sixty-nine. ford the average annual deaths
were
North Guil-
In
a fraction
over eight in an
average population of about 570, so that the general state of
two
health in the
The
societies
nearly the same.
is
mortality from Guilford.
— 1840 was 311, 1840 — 1850 323,
North Guilford.
1830
1850— 1860 1860—1870 1870—1875 It
village.
It
is
405, " 1.672 " 438, " 1.651
357,
81,
104,
168,
38,
at Sawpitts,
502, "
1.
1.
206, " 1.4 in
was
built of this granite,
"
" ''
"
1837, a granite
about a mile southeast of the
original farm of the
in
'^
913 "
Rev. Henry Whit-
The Leake
about half a mile east of the stone house.
and Watts Orphan Asylum, city,
82,
398,
on the
613 per cent "
389, or
should have been mentioned before that
quarry was opened
field,
Total.
78,
the twelfth ward of
New York
and other public buildings have
obtained building material from this quarry, since
its
opening.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Quite recently opened
been
worked by the
large quarry of excellent granite has
a very
Leete's
at
4I
which has been extensively
island,
proprietor,
John
For half a century or more
Beattie.
was begun,
after the settlement
medicines were purchased by the town and used as
The
stock.
first settlers
seem
to
have had quite as
common
much
faith
in the efficacy
of quack medicines as some individuals manifest
at the present
time.
It
is
recorded in the
Town
Records^ vol.
B, 75, that a special town meeting was holden July
"to consider whether the
inhabitants
" And was answered by
Physic and Physical drugs."
mous
And
vote that they would buy them."
were the good
follows,
as
in
a unani-
such repute
drugs holden that at the same meeting
lady's
was considered
1679,
3,
would buy Mrs. Cosster's
viz
:
it
" The question was further
taken whether they would pay for them by a free contribution, or by a town-rate, and that
the
payment
beef, if the beef flax did stand,
for
were
it
it
was given the town
also to understand
must be by wheat and peas and some
suitable,
and some
and half the payment
flax,
to be
the market for
if
made
the next spring,
"To
and half the payment the next spring following."
was answered by
a
unanimous
vote,
should be paid by a town rate, and
this
it
except one person, that
it
in
the specie and time pro-
posed."
And
a
in
" Lieut.
Wm.
subsequent town meeting, August 28th,
1679,
Seward was chosen and appointed to fetch or
procure the Physic and Physical drugs bought of Mrs. Cosster,
brought to Guilford and deliver them into the hands of Mr.
Joseph Elliott
The
first
of Guilford, times called. parture of in
1
65
1,
for the
town's use."
physician of is
whom
there
is
any notice
Bryan Rossiter, or Bray Rossiter
He came
in the
as he
some-
from Windsor to Guilford on the de-
Mr. Samuel Disborough, and was admitted
a planter
having purchased Mr. Disborough's large estate.
6
records
is
The
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. comprises
following
list
who have
practiced in the
Bryan Rossiter,
all
the regularly
town
:
educated physicians
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. ginous
in enriching the
fish
ready given
why
The
soil.
43
reasons have been al-
the English selected these lands and confined
their attention pretty
much
to
them
Another circum-
for years.
them from spreading
stance that prevented
rapidly abroad
duing
A
forests.
law was made quite early that every planter
should clear up half an acre yearly.
This they did
in other parts of Connecticut,
was the custom
was
method of sub-
the fact that they did not understand the proper
John Scranton, one of the
trees by the roots.
at first, as
by digging up the early settlers, at
length cleared an acre in a different manner, and astonished the
people by gathering from this the practice
it
twenty bushels of wheat, and from
of clearing the land by cutting
down
the trees
spread through the colony.
A
large proportion of the land west of
New
of the post road to stony, containing
Haven,
many rocky
The the is
there are limited
Moose
of
soil
town of Branford,
true of
Long
hill,
tracts
hill, a is
poor.
West river and south Some of it is very
ledges, and
though more particularly about bead
is
some
swampy,
is
of very strong, productive
soil
moderate elevation, extending into
The same
well adapted for grazing.
extending on the west side of
northward into North
al-
Sachem's
Leete's island and
Guilford.
Clapboard
West
river
east of the
hill,
borough, running northward between East creek and East
river,
injury by drought
thai',
is
clayey and
the
fertile,
and
lands generally in
less
the
liable to
neighborhood.
Most of
the other
lands in the First Society are of an indifferent quality.
The
soil
in
North Guilford
is
generally gravelly and better
adapted to grazing than for the growth of grain, although about Bluff head there
There
is
is
some clayey and sandy
nothing
in
mountain except the bluff just mentioned. eastern
soil.
Guilford which merits the
extremity of Totoket or
This
is
name
of a
the north-
Branford mountain, which
extends for several miles into North Guilford, and nearly crosses
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
44 its
The
northwest corner.
It is
bluff itself
is
very steep and bold.
the southern extremity of the secondary region of country,
A
extending south along both sides of the Connecticut.
rugged cliffs,
succession of steep and
or rather
hill,
stretches south along the western shore
terminating
The
North Guilford.
in
high,
broken basaltic
ofQuonapaugpond,
change
appearance
in the
of the country, as you proceed south towards the sea shore,
sudden and
of the sand
Instead
striking.
rocks of the region just passed, you meet only with the tures of granite and gneiss rocks and a hard
the great plain
marks of the
compact
rigid fea-
soil,
while
of an alluvial character, bearing impressive
is
sea
is
and the trap-
hills
upon
This
it.
is
also true of other portions
along the shore, setting back into the land like bays and harbors.
Formerly wheat was First Society has always
As much
as a
raised abundantly
been famous
in this
town.
for the cultivation
hundred bushels have been
The
of corn.
raised to the acre,
and
instances have occurred of a hundred and ten, but forty bushels is
Great quantities of flax were formerly
considered a good vield.
raised of a
good
The
quality.
other principal productions of
the land are rye, oats, potatoes and grass, while latterly turnips
and onions, especially
in the
borough, have been found to afford
remunerative crops. In consequence of the hilly or stony character of considerable portions of Guilford, is
much woodland remains, though this home consumption and export-
being gradually cleared off for
ation as fuel,
for rail
anthracite coal has
road
become
ties,
rnd
for
ship timber.
low rates of
borough, being delivered
at the
transportation, and
gradually being introduced
wood throughout
it
is
the town.
Guilford harbor
at
instead of
Originally, there were considera-
ble quantities of cedar, white pine, and
but the prevailing kinds of
Latterly
the principal fuel employed in the
wood now
whitewood
in
Guilford,
to be found are hickory
of several varieties, the oaks and chestnut.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Menunkatuck work,
rises in
or
West
repeatedly mentioned in this
river,
Ouonepaug pond
45
North Guilford, runs south
in
and passing along the west border of Guilford borough, empties
The pond which
into Guilford harbor. is
gives rise to this stream
about two miles long from north to south, and from a fourth a
half a
some
places.
to
mile wide.
It
is
In a spring, a
foot of BlufF head, a stream rises
Durham
The
into
Middletown, which
sixty
feet
deep
in
rods above this pond, at the
which runs northward through also called
is
West
river.
interval along these streams furnishes a fine location for
Durham
a road constructed as far as
turnpike strikes the road from
This turnpike was granted and
to be
said
i'ev^
Durham
turnpike.
where the Guilford
Haven
to
Middletown.
1824, and was called the Guilford
in
It's
street,
New
length
thirteen and a half miles
is
from Guilford green, and seventeen and half miles from Sachem's head on the sound.
$5100, or divided
The
capital
stock of the
into fifty-one shares of
$100
company was
each.
There has never been any turnpike company formed on the great thoroughfare from
New
Haven
to Saybrook, but the road
has always been very good.
East creek, a small stream, or rather brook, noticed as the eastern boundary of the borough, rises in the limits of the First
Society and empties into the East river near
East river, or Ruttawoo, of which parts of
Stillwater brook,
is
North Madison.
discharges
its
two wharves
rises in several
It
in
the north and
waters into Guilford harbor.
called the Sawpits-quarry
two wharves on the
which are
at the
northwestern
takes a southwestern course and
Near
its
mouth
are
wharf and Farmers wharf,
both convenient for the navigation of the river the
mouth.
its
brooks, the principal
;
further up are
east side of the river at East river bridge,
head of sloop navigation.
Guilford harbor affords but an indifferent station for vessels. It
has six feet of water on the bar at
its
entrance at low, and
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
46 twelve feet
On
at full tide.
the
adjacent round
flats
and long
clams of a very superior quality are taken by the inhabitants,
and Guilford oysters, taken from the channel of East
among
noted as
hovv'cver, taken
West
in
river, but they are of a
to congress in
it
for
1837
an appro-
which would probably
priation for the building of a breakwater,
have been obtained had
not been for the critical condition of
the commercial affairs of the country, whicli so crippled
sources that no
The
pe-
in quality.
was made
application
is
They
but small quantities and held at a high
and inferior
different species
An
in
Oysters are also taken
price.
river, are
flavor
and readily recognized by the epicure.
culiarly agreeable are,
Their
the best in Connecticut.
its
re-
new harbor im;rovements could be undertaken.
application has not been renewed.
Two
miles west of Guilford harbor
land-locked or rather
rack- locked
where the entrance
is
head.
About
It
on
all
is
a small but
This
narrow.
good harbor
sides except the is
known
southwest
Sachem's
as
has a small wharf with considerable depth of water.
fifty
rods I'rom this stood the celebrated Sachem's
House, which was ing place.
The
for
manv
years a fashionable
summer
Head water-
house was large and coiiimodious, adapted
for
the accommodation of several hun'ired guests, and supplied with
grounds, beautifully l^estroyed by
fire in
laid
Sachem's head received with the Pequots
in
men, having crossed
out
for
June, 1865, its
1636. th.e
A
the
it
amusement of
name from
'.he
memorable
Pequot sachem with
Connecticut
visitors,
has not since been rebuilt.
river,
was
a
flying
battle
few of
his
westward.
In attempting to secrete himself on the point of land south of this
harbor he was pursued by Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans,
and
his
men, aided by some English
soldiers.
The
Pequots
swam
across
the moutii of the harbor but were
seized as they
came
to the
opposite b-.nk.
The sachem was
ordered to be
shot.
Uncas executed
the sentence with an arrow, then cut off
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. his
head and stuck
it
up
47
the fork of a large oak tree, directly
in
many
head of the harbor, where the skull remained for
at the
years.
This harbor was formerly much used
as a
night
station for
by vessels traversing the sound before light houses were erected, especially
in
the cold and stormy seasons of the year.
the revolutionary
war
ping of cattle for the
from
A
is
West
Before
also a favorite place for the ship-
India trade, driven hither not only river, par-
from Middletown.
little
island
was
town but from towns on the Connecticut
this
ticularly
it
southwest from
another,
harbor and to the east of Leete's
this
much
not
used,
called
shallow and not convenient for vessels. bass were sometimes caught
within
its
Great harbor.
It
is
Formerly shad and limits
in
considerable
quantities in the spring of the year.
A
little
where
east of
Sachem's head
is
a
place called Bloody cove,
and some blood was shed
a skirmish occurred
in a battle
fought between the Indians, before the capture of the Pequot
sachem
This was
just mentioned.
prior to the settlement of
Guilford by the English.
Although the Indians
at
Guilford removed from the town
immediately after the purchase from Shaumpishuh, the Indian
sachem queen, with the exception of some few infirm Indians and their families,
to
whom
the
privilege of remaining
on the
land of their fatiiers was specially reserved in the original deed, yet such were their
numbers
Braiifurd and East
at
Haven, that
the English at Guilford, as well as other towns, were obliged to take the precaution of keeping a constant period, from palisaded,
which none were
the house of worship
and the people were convened the drum.
privileged.
Eventually
this
watch
for a
long
Several houses were
was guarded on the Sabbath,
for public service
became
a
by the beat of
custom and was afterwards
adopted as a means of convening the people for public worship
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
48 in
East Guilford and North Guilford.
until
A bell
was not purchased
about 17 15 or 1720, after the second meeting house was
completed.
There seems settlers of
not to have been that hostility between the
Guilford and the Indians which existed
in
first
other parts
of the country, and there are no accounts of skirmishes or battles with them
in
such as occurred so frequently and
this vicinity,
sometimes with such disastrous consequences
in
other places.
In 1676, during the memorable war against King Philip, the
town voted
to fortify
two houses, one of which was
clergyman, Mr. Joseph green, and to bear in
Some of
Elliott,
common
all
damage done by the enemy.
the inhabitants were called into actual service in 1685,
and the town " granted ten acres of land served
that of their
on the south west corner of the
in
the
Indian
to every soldier that
war" under Robt. Treat or Mr. John
Talcott. In
1676,
it
was also agreed
in
town-meetings which were
held
March
first
day of April then next ensuing, whatever damage should
come
to the
9, 13
and 28, by unanimous votes, that
after the
housing of any individual, either within or without
the fortification, should be borne and
made up by
the
town
in
general.
In 1745, Col.
pany
Andrew Ward of
in the expedition against
Guilford
commanded
a
com-
Louisburg, capital of Cape Breton,
and some of the inhabitants accompanied him.
During the second French war, many persons from Guilford
went
into the
army, of
whom
by sickness, though there In one campaign, perhaps
Andrew Ward
is
in
falling
in battle.
more, Gen. Ward, the son of Col.
just mentioned,
Mr. Enos Bishop of North
an unusually large number died
no notice of any
commanded
a
company, having
Bristol as his lieutenant.
In another
campaign. Col. Ichabod Scranton of East Guilford commanded a
company with Abraham Tyler
(afterwards Col. Tyler
of
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Haddam)
In the revolutionary war several
as his lieutenant.
made by
attempts were
49
enemy
the
to
injure the
town.^
In
June, 1777, the house of Solomon Leete of Sachem's Head was burned by a party from a British ship in the sound, whose tenders had 1
78 1,
come
a party
into
was supposed, landed [from two
as
On
harbor.
that
i8th of June,
the
of British with some refugees [about 150 men], brigs and a schooner] at
Leete's island and burned a house with two barns belonging to
Daniel Leete, but were prevented from destroying other proIn a skirmish, which took
perty by the rallying of the people.
place at that time,
two men, Simeon Leete the head of
a family,
and Ebenezer Hart, were mortally wounded and died soon
'
[The
following extract, from the Connecticut Journal, contained in Barber's Con-
necticut Historical Collections,
tion
after.
pp.
219-220, gives an account of a military expedi-
from Guilford during the revolutionary war
:
Guilford, May 29th, 1777. General Parsons having received intelligence that the enemy had collected, and
were collecting, large quantities of forage,
Sagharbor, on Long Island,
at
who had
about 200 of the continental troops
last Friday,
previously redezvous'd at Sachem's
number of whale
Head, in Guilford, embarked on board a
boats,
commanded by
Lieut. Col. Meigs, to destroy it; at about six o'clock, afternoon, they arrived at the
beach, this side of Plum-gut, and transported their boats about
fifty rods,
over the
beach, where they again embarked, and landed several miles from Sag Harbor, where (after leaving a suitable as
not to be discovered
guard to protect the boats) they marched with such secrecy,
till
our troups met with
within a few rods of the sentry
As the enemy
stroying the forag;, etc. little
effect
is
or four
Our people returned the not
made
known
;
they soon set about de-
opposition; an armed schooner of twelve guns,
not far from the shore, kept an incessant
damage.
;
stationed there, were entirely off their guard,
five or six
fire
which
lay
on them, but happily did them no
with their small arms, but whether with
fire
enemy on shore, were destroyed, and three Our people set fire to were made prisoners.
of the
their escape, the others
the hay (about 100 tons) which was on board transports, and on the wharves, which
was
and schooners, and
entirely destroyed, with ten transport vessels, mostly sloops
one armed vessel of
six
or eight guns,
two
or three hogsheads of
troops are all returned, having performed their expedition in
Return of prisoners taken at Sag Harbor.
rank and
sergeants, fifty-three
the whole ninety-six.
above mentioned,
is
file,
One
rum,
etc.
Our
hours.
two commissaries, three
ten masters of transports, twenty-seven seamen, in
Our people brought
off fifty muskets.
Mr. Joseph Chew, formerly of
7
captain,
24
New
One
of the commissaries
London.]
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
so
An
attempt was made
whale boat,
in
do mischief
to
another instance by the crew of a Leete's island, but the
at
enemy was number
repulsed by the guard stationed there, and one of their
being killed was
The
persons
left
dead on the shore.
who have
been just mentioned, viz
Simeon
:
Leete and Ebenezer Hart, together with Capt. Phinehas Meigs of East Guilford and a Mr. Ludington, heights, and
who
an Indian
fell
who
fell at
some other
in
East Haven part
of the
country, are said to have been the only persons belonging to
Guilford quite a
who were
number
killed in the revolutionary
[During the recent
civil
to the national army, of its
I
close.
war, although
died of exposure and camp-diseases.
war, Guilford contributed 300
whom
sixty laid
down
men
their lives before
In commemoration of their patriotism and bravery.
[The whole number of
citizens of Guilford
who
died during the revolutionary
war, either from wounds received in battle, or from camp-diseases, exposure, etc.,
was twenty.
Their names and ages are
as follows
:
Timothy Barnes, David
Field,
William
32
son of David,
Fairchild,
Lewis Fairchild,
48.
Lewis,
17
"
19
Thomas, Thomas,
24
Eber Hall,
Hiland,
41
Abner Leete,
Roland,
23
Joseph Hotchkin,
Ebenezer Hart,
17
Timothy Ludington. Simeon Leete,
son of Peletiah,
Wait Munger,
" " " "
John,
Capt. Phineas Meigs,
"
John,
Samuel Stevens,
" " "
Nathaniel,
Z2.
Simeon,
20
Daniel,
40
Seth Morse, Capt. Jehiel Meigs,
Bridgeman Murray,
Abel Saxton, Daniel Stone,
John, Jehiel,
Jonathan,
William Sabine.
Samuel Ward, son of Thelus,
.
17
T.]
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. it
is
monument on
proposed to erect a
5I
the village green, for
which a handsome sum of money has already been secured.
The at
corner stone was
laid
on decoration day,
May
30, 1877,
which time an appropriate address was delivered by Rev.
W.
H. H. Murray of Boston.] Guilford was the third town settled
New
Haven, of which
and the
remained
of Connecticut in
the colony
were both
it
in
the ancient colony of
a part
until
former
settled during the year 1639, the
latter in
mencement
September.
its
Mr. Desborough and Mr. Whitfield, but
in
Milford, as in most in addition
who accompanied him from England, many who
themselves with
united
Mr. Whitfield
fortunes in this country.
his
com-
at its
and personal friends of
of the other towns, Mr. Prudden brought with him, to those
Guilford
February,
in
Guilford was settled
entirely by the followers
union with
Milford and
1664.
with his followers were not at the celebrated meeting at Mr.
New
Newman's
barn
Trumbull,
in the History
in
Haven, June 1639, described by Dr. of Connecticut^ and by most others who
have written of that period of the history of
At
that meeting the Scriptures
New Haven
colony.
were formally acknowledged
as
the rule of procedure in civil as well as ecclesiastical affairs, in
which
all
power was lodged
religion only office in the
in the
church, and professors of
were allowed the privileges of freemen and
community.
These
ever, recognized in the rules adopted for the
Guilford.
to hold
general principles were,
how-
government of
Mr. Desborough, Mr. Leete and Mr. Whitfield
not subscribe to the constitution adopted by the
New
did
Haveners
because they did not then consider themselves a part of that
community, yet thev recognized the same policy of the colony
which they founded, and
principles in the
to perpetuate
them
they entered into the compact by which, in 1643, the jurisdic-
New Haven was established. The chief " combination," as it was sometimes called,
tion of the colony of
principle of the
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
52 and
To
which
in
ticut,
was
power was placed
all
in the
Connec-
hands of the church.
no plantation appears to have adhered more
this rule
than Guilford
tem of
materially differed from the colony of
it
that
and although the adoption of
;
much inconvenience
policy seems to have occasioned
and disquiet
rigidly
mistaken sys-
this
Milford, Stamford and Southold, yet none
in
is
recorded in the records of this plantation. It
trust
for
them
in
persons
until a
church should be formed
were intrusted
William
Kitchel,
pur-
behalf of the planters were to hold
power should be committed, but four
who
has already been mentioned that the six persons
chased the land
Chittenden,
power,
civil
in
the
time only
viz
and
Bishop,
John
whom
until that
in fact
with
to
it
Robt.
:
William
Leete, for the administration of justice and the preservation of
When
the peace.
the church was formed in
164.3, ^^^ P"''"
chasers from the Indians accordingly resigned the deed to these four persons declared that their
formation of the church.
It
it,
and
power had ceased by the
was then expressly agreed
that the
body of freemen should consist of church members only, and that they should be the sole electors of magistrates, deputies
Notwithstanding
other officers of importance.
however,
in
town meetings
and
agreement,
called for the purpose of dividing
lands, constructing roads, etc., to attend
this
all
the planters were permitted
and participate.'
The government
of the
tion of the jurisdiction or
general court
for
New
Haven colony,
combination
purposes
1643,
in
affecting the
which court consisted of two branches
;
after the ""^^^
forma-
vested in
a
whole community, one composed of the
governor, deputy governor and three or more magistrates selected
from those most distinguished
for their talents,
integrity
patriotism, by the general voice of the freemen annually
other consisting of deputies elected,
in
;
and the
some of the towns semi-
annually, but in Guilford annually, to meet in the spring and
\
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. of each
fall
This court,
year.
in
^^
collective and
its
public
was sometimes called the legislature of the colony, but much oftener " the general court for the jurisdiction." capacity,
The supreme
executive power, both
civil
and military, was in
the hands of the governor and deputy governor, the judiciary in that of the
Under
governor and the magistrates.
government each town had
management of
individual
its
government of
a
affairs,
its
peculiar to
this general
own,
for the
This
itself.
originated from the circumstance that the individual towns, at
1638-39 and 40, were separate independent
their settlement in
governments and plantation? by themselves, and, on a jurisdiction or combination for mutual
in
their individual
tained
their uniting
defence, they re-
forms of government except so
far as
the general policy of the whole was concerned.
The method was
by which the rating of the individuals
effected, for the support of a plantation
jurisdiction,
was the same
was
a valuation
The method
styled assessors.
so long in use afterwards,
The
town
in a
a part
of the
modern method of assessment,
as the
and those appointed to make
and as
of the property were
of listing the property, which
was borrowed from Connecticut.
deputies to assist in the general court for the jurisdiction
were chosen annually
month of May
the
in
or June, and the
other officers, such as townsmen, plantation magistrates or assistants,
secretary or clerk, treasurer, marshal, assessors, etc.
were chosen
weeks
at
sat with
him
the
The
later.
same time or
annual meeting held a (ew
at
deputies or assistants to the magistrate,
in the particular courts
times four in number. the plantation,
who was
They met also
bination, quarterly on the
February and
May
who
were two, three, and some-
with the chief magistrate of
one of the magistrates of the com-
first
Thursday
in
September,
Decem-
of every year.
In these courts the
presiding magistrate resided in the town.
They had cognizance
ber,
of
civil
matters and lower felonies.
Their power extended
also
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
54
originally to the probate of wills, to granting letters of administra-
and to the division and settlement of
tion,
of wills,
etc.,
was transferred
Mr. Desborough was the
The
estates.
probate
to the judiciary of the combination.
first
person appointed magistrate for
Guilford, and his earliest assistants, chosen by the freemen of
were
the town,
Wm.
Wm.
Leete and Robert
Mr. John Bishop.
Mr. John Jordan
Chittenden,
Kitchel, and soon after
sometimes supplied the place of one of these, and
Mr. Geo.
later
Mr.
Hubbard and Mr. John Fowler were occasionally chosen. Desborough continued chief magistrate
Wm.
Leete was chosen and continued
governments of Connecticut and
New
the assistants were confirmed by the there it
that
to
651,
when Mr.
the union of the
until
Haven.
It
is
said that
but of this
legislature,
have been true of Milford and Stamford.
of the rules adopted by the
first settlers
of Guilford was
no man should put more than =£500 into the
for purchasing sell
1
not any certain proof with regard to Guilford, although
is
seems
One
till
and
settling the
common stock man should
town, and that no
or purchase his rights without leave of the town.
further ordered
share of the expenses arising from buying out and plantation, should
draw a
money
expended
or
estate
It
was
every planter, after paying his proportionate
tliat
number of members
lot or lots in
of land
in
the general
in his fa'-nily.
These
intended to prevent too great disparity
in
settling the
proportion to the
purchase and the
rules
were evidently
the circumstances of
the people.
The
first settlers
and estate
in their
were most of them gentlemen of some rank native country, and
came over
for the pur-
pose of enjoying the exercise of their religious feelings
own way, freedom.
as well as
For
what they considered
this they
were willing
political
to sacrifice
dearments and privileges of their native land and the
home
all
to
in their
and moral the en-
exchange
of their fathers for a distant and uncultivated wilder-
;
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. ness/
It
has often been said that they fled from religious per
secution and intolerance, and that
had experienced so they
55
much from
was strange
it
that after they
own
this spirit in their
country,
should show similar feelings towards the Quakers, and
others holding sentiments dissimilar to their
among them.
But
a
moment's
the course they pursued
was not
own, who came convince us that
reflection will
We,
singular.
amid
living
all
the luxuries of cultivated society, and enjoying the freedom and
homes which they procured
conceive the
for us, are ill-fitted to
extent of their sacrifices of not only natural but also civil and artificial privileges.
They
had not only to tame the forest, and
encounter the wild beast and savage, but also to weave anew the bonds of government and bind the broken links of society.
And
it
fifty
years after the settlement of
has been truly said that their governments for the
New
secure, held together as with a rope of sand
be broken away by the
Haven colony,
a constitution for their
from
their
'
political
which was
liable to
The New
disturbance.
indeed, during the whole period of
as a separate plantation,
fled
first
first
England, were though
its
existence
had no distinct and positive charter as
government.
Besides the
first
settlers
native land, not to escape religious intolerance
And who were Ran the best
they, our fathers
?'
In their veins
blood of England's gentlemen
;
Her bravest in the strife on battle plains, Her wisest in the strife of voice and pen Her holiest, teaching, in her holiest fanes. The lore that led to martyrdom and when ;
On
this side
And
ocean slept their wearied
their toil-bells
woke up
sails.
our thousand
hills
Shamed they their fathers ? Ask the village Above their Sabbath homes of praise and
and dales.
spires
prayer;
Ask of their children's happy household fires. And happier harvest noons ask summer's air, Made merry by young voices, when the wires Halkck'i Of their school cages are unloosed." ;
—
Connecticut.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
56
own
but to practice their apart by themselves.
system of religious and
A4r. Whitfield's
civil
company, on
freedom their first
settlement in Guilford, drafted a constitution for their govern-
ment,
in vi'hich they say that
pounded
to
together are that
God
in
"the mayne ends which wee pro-
ourselves in our coming hither and
wee may
settling
down
and uphold the ordinances of
settle
an explicit Congregational church way with most purity^
peace and liberty for the benefit both of ourselves and posterities after
us."
settlers,
who
Such undoubtedly were the views of most of the
civil
freedom and
had been so
willing
to leave
their
for this too they
wilderness far
much
religious,
homes and
were willing
away from
own sect They were
to those of their
persecuted in
England.
friends for this purpose,
to take
up
a part
civilized society, but in
and
of the desolate
exchange they
promised to themselves that they would form for themselves a
home of their own in which those of similar views might have home and society, and hence they left the other portions of the wilderness, without their own territorial limits, to those dissenters, who suff^ered similar intolerance to that which they had suffered in their own country but whose opinions and sentiments
a
differed
from
theirs.
For
this
reason, as has been said, they
provided in the language of the constitution just quoted and added.
"
We
do
now
therefore
all
and every of us agree,
order and conclude that only such planters as are also
mem-
bers of the church here shall be and be called freemen, and that
such freemen only shall have power to elect magistrates, deputies
and other
officers of public interest, or authority in matters
of importance concerning either the
civil
affairs or
government
here from amongst themselves and not elsewhere and to take an
account of
all
such officers
for the
honest and faithful discharge
of their several places respectively," thereby making their gov-
ernment
strictly
republican and making those in office directly
responsible to the freemen collectively.
That
justice might be
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
57
speedily administered, they further agreed that the judges should
check
all
And
crimes and misdemeanors immediately.
that
they might bind themselves together under this constitution,
which they had formed, and which
certainly
contains
the best principles of our present palladium
magistrates,
further agreed freely to submit themselves to the
deputies and other officers to be chosen
"
many of
of liberty, they
yearly from time to
time," providing also that no laws or orders be by them
except before
all the planters
made
then and there inhabiting and resid-
ing [whether freemen or not] due warning and notice of the
meeting being made, so that what stood and
known,
is
to be
done may be under-
may be
that thus all weighty objections
duly
alluded to and considered, and according to righteousness satis-
And
fyingly removed.
it
was afterwards concluded and ordered
that in all general courts (consisting of the magistrates and deputies
who were
orders shall be
also
appointed to keep particular courts)
made by
the major part of the freemen, and
all all
actions in particular courts shall be sentenced by the major vote
of the magistrate and deputies, except that the magistrate have a casting vote
when
equally divided.
From which
it
appears that
they were willing that dissenters of any other sect should settle in the
new country which
they had chosen, provided they would
not interfere with their individual policy.
They had been
per-
secuted and driven from their native country because they were Congregationalists and Puritans, and they wished to enjoy their
who had no who endeavored to destroy
sentiments here unmolested by those
common and
with them,
political
sentiments in the religious
bonds by which they had bound their new society
and government together.
They wished ble success, in
also,
and they succeeded with no inconsidera-
transmitting their principles to their posterity.
Doctor Dwight says inhabitants of this
in his
Travels (vol. ii, p. 514), " that the
town more than most others
in this state
have
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
58
retained the ancient
manners of the
New
England colonists
Parents are regarded by their children with a peculiar respect derived not only
from their domestic government and persona
character, but in a considerable degree from the general state of
Old people
manners.
are in a similar degree revered by
young, and laws and magistrates
at
have heretofore been rarely known, and lawsuits so rare lawyer
The
lately has ever
till
been able to acquire a living
weight of public opinion has been strongly
capital
No
dread of vice."
a general
felt,
and diffused
in different families,
About
expense of the town.
at the
1795, the practice was adopted of employing a family all in
a
body into
for the articles
to
in the
forming
the
to take
house and to provide for them, charging
a
consumed.
was purchased
view
no
town.
punishment.
where they were boarded
land
tiiat
in
has ever suffered
inhabitant
Paupers were formerly distributed about
them
the
Private contentions
large.
In
1814, a building with a
lot
of
west part of the borough, with a
of an
alms
house
establishment,
for
$1600; which sum with that required to build an addition to In this house the poor of the the house amounted to $2080. town, varying
from
twenty-five to thirty
supported until the division of the town. to live in the
A
Upon
were
house to take charge of the paupers, the cost being
somewhat under one thousand dollars per year. ment there was a saving of some hundreds of the division of the town, the
divided,
number,
in
family was procured
and
house building
Guilford took fell
the
to the share of
the poor were kept for
1850, however, a house and
mill,
Madison.
lot, east
this
public property
town
some years
By
in
arrange-
dollars annually.
while
was the
also
alms
After this division
private
families.
[In
of the village, were pur-
chased from the heirs of Timothy Seward, at a cost of ^1,650,
and an alms house
The
building,
for
the
town paupers was
becoming dilapidated and
in great
reestablished.
need of repairs,
:
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. was
sold,
59
and the present alms house purchased for $i,8oo,
1868, from the heirs of George Parmelee.]
in
A
system of public policy
ment and the
civil affairs
been established
until the
for the regulation
of the govern-
of the town does not appear to have
church was gathered, " the nineteenth
day of the fourth month, 1643," or according to the modern
mode of and
O.
reckoning, June 19,
S.,
or June 29, 1643,
power of
that day, as previously stated,
until
provisionally vested
in
in
the language
of the constitution before mentioned " into their hands full
S.,
the hands of Robert Kitchel, William
Chittenden, John Bishop and William Leete, or
put
N.
kinds was
all
power and authority
and dispatch
to act, order
we
did
matters
all
respecting the public weale and civile government of the plantation until a
church was gathered among
mercy having now done according the said four trust as for
safe
at the public
and suitable
which we come
plantation
The the
men
most
first
hither, "
which the Lord
us,
in
to the desire of our hearts,
meeting having resigned up their for securing of those
thereupon the
mayne ends
civil polity
of the
was formed.
earliest record
was written Aug.
page of the Records,
vol.
14, 1645.
A, and
is
a
This
is
on
minute of the
doings of the particular or general court holden that day, and reads as follows
:
"August "•
14, 1645.
Mr. Samuel Disbrow, Richard Bristow, Thomas
"
Betts,
"
planter, took their oath
from vyhich
it
to record, for
members of
appears that but
the church, and " little
Thomas
P'rench,
had been previously reduced
Samuel Desborough had always been the magistrate
of the plantation from
its
very
minutes on the records after
commencement.
this, relate to
some
The
following
decision of the
court and to the affairs of the mill
" At
u court held
January
8,
1645-6.
It
was ordered
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
6o that all
men
shall bring in
the time past., all
sales,
general court or courts held in this
to the next
land
town
from time to time, and/or
exchanges and conveyances of
such sales or exchanges, that so what
after
done may remain
for the benefit
is
of posterity and the
better preservation of the peace."
And
afterwards the exchanges and deeds are mentioned merely
and approved by the court
until April lo,
was ordered
terryers of land
to be kept
the town ordered to bring in a
1648,
a
book of in
owned by him
as
of the land
list
when
and every individual
well as house lots or out lots that a record might be made.
The title
of the book
" of
A
is
as follows, viz
:
booke of the Terryers
the divided lands in Guilford
all
according as they were
whether by
lots or
at first divided
otherwise upon
request of particular persons or upon
what considerations were thus disposed together with alienations
all
the
which have since
been made by purchase gift
Dated Apr. the 10, Ano 1648. And on the same
" Whatever
or exchange as
folioweth, viz."
is
title
set
page
down
is
the following note, viz
in the
book with
a date or without mention of the date
is
confirmed unto the person under wiiom it is
recorded as a
first
grant [or lot] to him
and allowed as unquestionable said lands for
him and
title to
the
his heirs forever
unless an act be recorded
expressing particularly the alienation
:
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. of
6i
or any parts or parcel of the
all
same and bearing date since the date of the
first
The
first
record
is
book aforesaid."
Mr. Samuel Disborough,
of the terryer of
the chief magistrate, beginning, as
with a description of his house
is
the case with
home
lot, or
as
it
is
often
and next of the arable land adjoining, next of marsh land.
called,
This land of Mr. Disborough according
now
lot
the others,
all
lot,
and the
sale
appears by
It
lands were sold to Doct.
this record that these
was the
to the record
occupied by Mr. Ebenezer Redfield.
approved by the town Oct. lo, 165
Bryan Rossiter and they de-
1,
scended to Josiah Rossiter, afterwards town clerk and one of
March
the magistracy and council,
This terryer
1672.
ii,
occupies several pages and specifies the whole terryer of Josiah Rossiter and
all
conveyances and terryers
the
him or
to
his
father Doct. Rossiter.
The
next record
larly arranged,
is
to
These records contain were
living in
commenced
Mr. William Chittenden, and
the
names of
in the handwriting of
town
first
volume of the
As
there
simi-
who They are
first settlers
left heirs.
Gov. Leete and continued
clerks.
The
of land as set to the different individuals
more than from four
the
all
1648, or who, having died,
that of the subsequent
ally
is
occupying four pages.
is
very short, not usu-
This book
to six lines.
in
record of each parcel
is
called the
proprietors' records.
was no public record of the purchases of the lands
from the Indians, the general court ordered, the next year, that such a record should be made. records mentioned was trials,
first
The
first
volume of the town
devoted to the registry of the doings,
pleadings and decisions of the particular courts, the meet-
ings of the general courts of elections and the registry of ear-
marks, marriages and deaths, but not of deeds constitution of the colony, and other
at full length, the
more lengthy
writings.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
62
The more
second book, called and entitled, Guilford Booke of the
fixed
Orders
be kept, and
it
for the
Plantation, therefore
commences
thus, viz
" January 31st 1649 "
—
['• ^-
was ordered
to
:
according to our reckoning
1650.]
" Upon " laws
"The
a
review of the more fixed agreements,
&
orders formerly
&
from time to time made
General Court here held the day
& year aforesaid
"thought fit agreed and established them according " to the Ensuing draft as followeth, viz
—
"
first
we do acknowledge,
the agreement lipeack called
now
made
in
Mr. Newman's barn
New
called
confirm and allow
ratify,
Haven,
that the
at
Quil-
whole lands
Menunkatuck should be purchased
for us
and
our heirs, but the deed, writings thereabout to be made
and drawn (from the Indians) six
planters
in
our
in
the
steads viz.
name
of these
Henry Whitfield,
Rob' Kitchell, William Leete, William Chittenden,
John Bishop and John Caffinge, notwithstanding
all
and every planter
shall
share towards
the charges and expenses for pur-
all
pay
his
proportionable part or
chasing, selling, securing or carrying on the necessary public affairs of this plantation according to such rule
and manner of rating as agreed on
shall
in this plantation."
be from time to time
"The
drafts of
purchase or writing are as followeth viz."
which
And
then
follows a copy of the deed from the sachem squaw, a like copy
of the deed from Uncas of the east part of the town this side of
Tuxis pond, next the
letter
of
gift
from Mr.
George Fenwick
of Saybrook of the land between the grant of Uncas and
monassett river to the town and Mr. Whitfield
and Mr. Whitfield's grant of
his share to the
ing the plantation in 1651, etc.
in
Ham-
particular,
town on
his leav-
:
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
The
63
of Mr. Fenwick about Hammonassett
letter
recorded
is
and displays much of the character and firmness
at full length,
of the original Puritans and their fellow-feeling for each other. It
of the original conveyance of Uncas the
contains a part
Mohegan
to him, that
in the eastern part of
The
original letter
Mr.
which
that part
is,
pond and the Hammonassett
between Tuxis
lies
now forming and
river,
included
Madison. as follows
is
Leet
have been
I
:
moved, by
often
Mr.
Whitfield to enlarge the bounds of your plantation
which otherwise, he
good
told
me, could not comfortably
unto
Athammonassett river;
a friend
and to supply your wants
subsist,
which according to
to his request,
you
I
tion's
better satisfaction, hoping
such
fully to settle
tion
begun
commend I
to be to
for
who
when you
you
;
are
for
will
it
want of
fit
be
means
a
accommodaI
would
men and money were in
common
advantage, and that
suited to your present content,
all
however
for
removes, yet
request by this
his
wavering amongst you, and
will bind yourselves
together
so
your consideration one particular which
conceive might tend to
is,
gratify
have yielded
your own and the planta-
bearer
signify to
to I
more in
strictly
plentiful)
some have gained by
these latter times
weaken and discourage
for continuing
former times (while chap-
it
doth not only
the plantation deserted, but also
wastes and consumes the estates of those that remove. Rolling
stones gather no moss in these times, and
our conditions
now
are not to expect great things.
Small things, nay moderate things, should content us, a
warm
fireside
and a peaceable habitation with the
chief of God's mercies, the gospel of peace,
is
nary mercy though other things were mean.
no ordiI
in-
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
64
common
tended only one word, but the desire of the
good and settlement hath drawn
me
a little
For the consideration Mr. Whitfield were willing
me
to give
wholly to yourselves.
I
any purchase,
for
Only one
to your comfort.
thing
when
to take notice of, that
I
I
my
love to
he,
I did desire
suit
his
his children,
own
desire
and that he would accept of what
him I
as a
my
testimony of
give up any
therefore he
hold
ther but with
my
mine,
Mr. Whitfield,
Hammonassett
I shall
George Fenwick.
Mepham
take
it
Aug. 20, 1650,
20,
1
64 1,
to
Weekwash
of the land
Mr. Whitfield (covering
as the subsequent
dee-.l
have
loving friend and neighbor,
for
his wife's sake
kindly. in
to the plantation for £20.
All these records are in the handwriting of a deed from
I
trouble you fur-
been stated before, sold out his right
as has
land,
now
love to yourself and plantation rest,
you consider John for
be allotted
from charge as
not
Seabrooke, Oct. 22d, 1645.
If
my
your plantation, and that
free
it
I will
Your
and
shall
yet
content,
love intended to him, before
to
interest
may
signified to himself.
the
occasions,
more intending your common advantage than
own particular, hath hitherto neglected, now is that you would suit him to his
his
it
but
must entreat you
Mr. Whitfield and
and therefore offered him to
which
leave
profit
understood that that
land might be useful for your plantation, to express
I
my own
look not to
further.
me you
told
in
the
Gov. Leete.
But
Neck, September
nearly the
same grounds
from Uncas, December 17, 1641), and
the constitution of the plantation which follows, are in a handwriting different from that of
Mr. Leete, and remarkably hand-
some
supposed to have been written by
for those times.
It is
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
The
Mr. Whitfield. seems is
to
have had
as follows
65
deed of the sachem squaw, Shaumpishuh, formality than the deed of Uncas, and
less
:
" The purchase from the Sachem Squaw. " Articles of agreement made and agreed on 29th of September, 1639 [O.
N.S.]
October
S.,
Henry Whitfield, Robt.
between
William Chittenden,
Wm.
the
9, 1639,
Kitchel,
Leete, John Bishop and
Menunkatuck and
Jno. Caffinch, English planters of
squaw of Menunkatuck together with the
the sachem
Indian inhabitants of
Menunkatuck
sachem squaw
Firstly, that the
possessor and inheritor of
:
the sole owner,
the lands lying between
all
Ruttawoo and Ajicomick
as folioweth
is
river.
Secondly, that the said sachem squaw with the consent of the
Indians
there
inhabiting
[who
are
all
together with herself to remove from thence] doth sell
unto the foresaid English planters
lying
within
Ajicomick
the
limits
all
the lands
of Ruttawoo and
river.
Thirdly, that ceived
aforesaid
twelve
sachem squaw having
the said coats,
twelve
fathom
of
re-
wampum,
twelve glasses [mirrors], twelve pairs of shoes, twelve hatchets, twelve pairs of stockings, twelve hoes, four kettles,
twelve knives, twelve hats, twelve porringers,
twelve spoons, two English coats, professeth herself to be fully paid
John Higginson, Robt.
and
satisfied.
(
Sachem Squaw, her mark. Henry Whitfield, in the name of the rest.
the land
between Stony creek or
"(witnesses''
Newman,]
T
:
E
£ 3
Is
.
° c o
3
.Q S--^ E.-H^ £^
,
Delegc z^ites
to
1
8
1
Cons. Co7ivention.
there was but one Session of the General
year.
1819
Nathaniel Griffing.
William Todd.
1820
Nathaniel Griffing.
1821
Nathaniel Griffing,
William Todd.
William Todd. 1822
Nathaniel Griffing.
William Todd. Nathaniel Griffing.
1823
William Todd.
1824
Nathaniel Griffing.
William Todd. 1825
Nathaniel Griffing.
1826
Nathaniel Griffing.
Sam. Robinson.
Abel Rossiter. 1827
Nathaniel Griffing.
1828
Nathaniel Griffing.
William Todd.
Abel Rossiter. 23
As-
lyS 1829
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Nathaniel Griffing.
William Todd.
1830
Nathaniel Griffing.
1831
Nathaniel Griffing.
1832
Nathaniel Griffing.
George Landon. Abel Rossiter.
Joel Tuttle.
1833
Nathaniel Griffing.
1834
Joel Tuttle.
1835
Nathaniel Griffing.
1836
George Landon.
1837
George Landon.
1838
Joel Tuttle.
Abel Rossiter.
Abraham
Fowler.
S.
Abel Rossiter.
Nathaniel Griffing.
Henry
Elliott.
John H.
Bartlett.
1839
George A. Foote.
1840
George A. Foote.
1841
George A. Foote.
Marcus B.
Bartlett.
Samuel C. Johnson.
1842
1843 1844 1
845
1846
Samuel W. Dudley No representatives chosen. No representatives chosen. No representatives chosen. No representatives chosen.
Reuben
Stone.
William Hale.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. Reuben
1847
179 Stone.
William Hale.
Reuben Stone.
1848
Jasper Monroe.
Reuben
1849
Stone.
Franklin C. Phelps. Julius A.
1850
Dowd.
Lewis Griswold. Russel Benton.
1851
James A. Norton.
Henry Fowler,
1852
2d.
Lewis Griswold. 1853.
••
Samuel
W.
Dudley.
Henry Fowler. 1854.
..
Edward L. Leete. Leverett Griswold.
1855
George A. Foote.
1856
John Hale.
1857
George A. Foote.
1858
Albert B. Wildman.
Amos
Fowler.
Calvin
Sam.
M.
W.
Leete.
Dudley.
Benjamin Corbin. 1859
Ralph D. Smith.
T. i860
Rossiter.
Sherman Graves. John Hale.
1861
Richard Bartlett. Stephen R. Bartlett.
1862
Calvin
M.
Leete.
John Griswold.
l8o 1863
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. John H. Saml.
1864
Bartlett.
W.
John H.
Dudley.
Bartlett.
Henry E. Norton. 1865
Samuel
W.
Dudley.
Edward L. Leete. 1866
Henry Fowler of Rich. Gen. Edw. M. Lee.
1867
Gen. Edw. M. Lee. David B. Rossiter.
1868
Rev. E. Edwin Hall. Eli Parmelee.
1869
A. Dowd.
Julius
Stephen R. Bartlett.
1870
Edward R. Landon. Hethcote G. Landon.
1871
Henry Benton
2d.
John R. Rossiter. 1872
Albert B. Wildman.
Charles F. Leete.
1873
Henry Fowler. John R.
1874
Rossiter.
H. Lynde Harrison.
George B. Spencer. 1875
H. Lynde Harrison.
John R. 1876
John 1877
Rossiter.
H. Lynde Harrison.
Wm.
Norton.
H. h. Harrison^ David
Bartlett.
Speaker.
lol
HISTORY OF GUILFORD. At
court for the jurisdiction
a
held April,
1644, after ap-
pointing the magistrates for the other plantations of the colony,
"
It
was ordered
that for the
more comfortable carrying on the have a magistrate there, the
affairs at
Guilford
burgesses
may choose among themselves
'till
a court,"
which
seems
have presided.
to
it
they
seems they
did, but the
The Treasurers for the Plantation
free
four deputies and form
next year
until the
a
magistrate
Union with
Connecticut.
Thomas
1643
to 1650.
Robert Kitchel,
1650
to
Thomas
1652
to 1654.
Jordan,
Jordan, reelected,.
1652.
Robert Kitchel, reelected,
1654
to 1656.
William Leete,
1656
to 1657.
Abraham Cruttenden,
1657 to 1660.
Thomas Cook,
1660
to 1662.
Robert Kitchel, reelected,
1662
to 1664.
The Marshals from
the Settlement until the
Union with
Connecticut.
Thomas
Jones,
1643
to 1652.
Fowler,..
1652
to 1661.
John Scranton,
1661
to
William Seward,
1662
to 1664.
John
1662.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
l82
Town
Clerks Since the Settlement of the Town.
1.
Governor William Leete,
1639
to 1662.
2.
George
Bartlett,
1662
to
1665
3.
Samuel Kitchell,
1665
to
1668
4.
William Johnson,
1668101673
5.
John Graves,
167310 1685
6.
Josiah Rossiter,'
1685101706
7.
Joseph Dudley,
1706101707
8.
Josiah Rossiter rechosen,
^7^7
9.
John French,
1716101717 1717101720 1720101721
10.
Samuel
11.
Andrew Ward,
Hill,
^^
1716
12.
Samuel
13.
Nathaniel Hill,
1752
14.
Ebenezer Parmelee,
^11^ ^o ^71^
Hill, rechosen,
1721 to 1752 to
1771
15.
Thomas
1776
to 1799,
16.
John H. Fowler,
1799
to
17.
Samuel Fowler,
1801101835
18.
Reuben Stone,
Burgis, Jr.,
19. Joel Tuttle,
W.
20.
Henry
21.
Edward R. Landon,
Chittenden,
1801
1835101838 1838
to
1843
1843
to
1848
1848.
» Nov. 10, 1687, John Collins, Sen., was empowered to assist Mr. Rossiter in the work of recording during the time of the providential weakness of Mr. Rossiter.
APPENDIX A. 7'he Articles of Confederation for the Jurisdiction of
New At
a
General Court held
at
Haven.
New Haven
27th of
for the Jurisdiction, the
October, 1643.
PRESENT. Magistrates.
Deputies.
Theophilus Eaton, Governor.
George Lamberton, New Haven.
Stephen Goodyear, Deputy.
Thomas Gregson.
]°^'^ Astwood, John Shirman,
William Fowler. ™ ,, Edward Tapp.
o Sam
Rich 1.
as a
1 >
TA
Uisbrough,
:
:
^..r
.
)
Will. Leete,
and concluded,
It was agreed
^^
o ir j Guilford.
J
Gildersleeve,
^
>
„^
^
,
Stamrord.
,iT T Whitmore, John
J
fundamental ord«r not
to be disputed
or
questioned hereafter, that none shall be admitted to be free burgesses in any of the plantations within this jurisdiction
free burgesses
New
have any vote in any election (the
joying the liberty
but such planters as are
for the future,
of some or other of the approved churches in
with the cautions agreed).'
members
England, nor shall any but such
shall
freemen
at
Milford en-
any power or
trust in the
six present
Nor
ordering of any civil affairs be at any time put into the hands of any other than such
church members, though
commerce, according
to
as
free planters all
have right
such grants, orders and laws
as
to their inheritance
shall be
and
to
made concerning
the same. 2.
1
All such free burgesses shall have power in each town or plantation within this
Milford having previously admitted, as free burgesses, six planters
fellowship, met
some
difficulty
in securing
who were
admission into the confederation
;
not in
church-
but, having
pro-
mised that these six
should not hereafter be chosen as deputies or into any public trust, for the confederation, nor vote personally or by proxy at an election of magistrates, and that in the future
no one would be made a free burgess but church members, a
member
of the jurisdiction.
it
was received, October 2}, 1643, as
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
184. choose
jurisdiction to
members
whether
causes,
fit
and able men, from amongst themselves, being church ordinary judges, to hear and
to be the
before,
as
determine
inferior
all
cause to be tried in any of
provided that no civil
criminal,
civil or
pounds, and that the punishment in
these plantation courts in value exceed twenty
such criminals, according to the mind of God, revealed in his word, touching such offences,
do not exceed stocking and whipping, or
if
the fine be pecuniary, that
In which court the magistrate or magistrates,
exceed not five pounds.
chosen by the free burgesses of the jurisdiction
major part of each such court, only
with
of magistrates
to the court
may
whole
for the
vote in the
a
whether governor, deputy governor, or other magistrates,
magistrates,
all
made from
be
jurisdiction.
All such free burgesses through the whole jurisdiction, shall have
3.
election of
assist
of the
to the vote
the parties, or any of them, be not satisfied with
if
the justice of such sentences or executions, appeals or complaints
and against these courts
and
for that plantation, shall sit
with due respect to their place, and sentence shall pass according
and a marshal,
a vote for a treasurer, a secretary
And for
the jurisdiction.
etc., for
may
the ease of those free burgesses, especially in the more remote plantations, they vote by
proxy
though absent,
in these elections,
being sealed up in
votes
their
may
presence of the free burgesses themselves, that their severalliberties
and their votes directed according gesses
may,
weight of
to their
every election, choose so
at
affairs
may
and
require,
as
own
many
provided and agreed, that no plantation
of
magistrate if they
desire
nnd these
particular light,
sliall at
fit
men
that
for
any election be
one to be chosen out of those
the
be preserved, free bur-
m.igistrates for each plantation,
they shall find
it is
a
it
any be
if
as tiie
But
trust.
left
destitute
church fellowship
in
with them. 4.
New
All the magistrates for the whole jurisdiction shall meet twice a year at
Haven, namely, the Monday immediately before the
sitting
of the two fixed general
courts hereafter mentioned, to keep a court called the court of magistrates, for the trial
of weighty and capital cases, whether
the ordinary
civil or
judges in the particular plantations,
criminal, above those limited to
and
to
receive
brought unto them from the aforesaid plantation courts, and to ants,
whether
free burgesses, free
any laws established, and
for
a court,
expected and required, that the public service at
one of the clock in if
account
which meetings of
for the
as a
court; but
afternoon on
Monday
aforesaid,
when
it
any of them depart the town without leave, while the court
them be absent
the court shall sits,
lie
is
which the court of magistrates
shr.ll
sit,
at
or
or they shall
pay for any such default, twenty shillings fine, unless some providence of sion the same,
breach of
the magistrates in this jurisdiction do constantly attend
the times before mentioned, and if any of
tlie
appeals
magistrates, less than four shall
nor shall they carry on any business all
try
the inhabit-
other misdemeanors, and to censure them according
to the quality of the offence, in
not be accounted
planters or others, to
and
call all
God
occa-
judge of from time to time, and
APPENDIX. all
185
sentences in this court shall pass by the vote of the major
part of magistrates
may
therein, but from this court of magistrates, appeals and complaints
brought to the general court
what court
appeals or complaints from, or to, paid by
him
or
them
make
that
and highest
as the last
soever, due costs and
made and
be
for this jurisdiction
;
but in
damages
all
shall be
appeal or complaint without just cause.
Besides the plantation courts and court of magistrates, there shall be a general
5.
which
court for the jurisdiction,
shall consist of the governor, deputy governor
and
the magistrates within the jurisdiction, and two deputies for every plantation in
all
from time
the jurisdiction, which deputies shall
time be chosen against the ap-
to
proach of any such general court, by the aforesaid free burgesses^ and sent with due certificate to assist in the istrates
always
same,
all
which, both governor and deputy governor, mag-
and deputies shall have their vote in the said court. sit
at
New Haven
for a time to sit elsewhere),
Wednesday
April, and
in
and shall assemble twice every year, namely, the
the
last
Wednesday
courts, the governor, the deputy governor
diction with a
and
in
all
shall yearly
be chosen by
mentioned, besides which two fixed courts, the governor, or
absence the deputy governor, shall have power to
summon
a general court at
may
time, as the urgent and extraordinary occasions of the jurisdiction all
first
October, in the latter of which
the magistrates for the whole juris-
and marshal,
treasurer, a secretary
free burgesses before
This general court shall
(unless upon weighty occasions the general court see cause
all
the
in his
any other
require,
and
at
general courts, whether ordinary or extraordinary, the governor and deputy governor,
and
all
the rest of the magistrates for the jurisdiction, with the deputies for the several together,
plantations, shall
sit
safely be respited,
and
the
first sitting
if
till
the
affairs
of the jurisdiction be dispatched or
may
any of the said magistrates or deputies shall either be absent
of the said general court (unless some providence of
God
hinder,
at
which
the said court shall judge of), or depart, or absent themselves disorderly before the
them pay twenty
court be finished, he or they shall each of
shillings fine,
considerations of further aggravations if there shall be cause; shall,
with
all care
and diligence provide
maintenance of the purity of
for the
gion, and shall suppress the contrary, according to their best light from the
God, and
all
wholesome and sound
churches in the jurisdiction, so
advice,
Secondly, they shall have power to force, to require execution
of them in
Thirdly, to Impose an oath upon
which
may concern
far as
make and all
all
with due
which general court
shall be given by the elders
their civil
power
reli-
word of and
to deal therein.
repeal laws, and, while they are in
the several plantations.
the magistrates, for the faithful discharge of
the trust committed to them, according to their best
abilities,
and
to call
them
to ac-
count for the breach of any laws established, or for other misdemeanors, and to censure
them,
as
the quality of the offence shall require.
Fourthly, to impose an oath of fidelity and due subjection to the laws upon free burgesses, free planters,
and other inhabitants within the whole
24
all
jurisdiction.
the
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
l86 Fifthly, to settle
and levy
rates
and contributions upon
all
the several plantations,
for the public service of the jurisdiction.
Sixthly, to hear and determine all causes,
whether
peal or complaint shall be orderly brought unto
from any of the other plantations.
In
all
which by ap-
civil or criminal,
them from any of the other
which, with whatsoever
courts, or
else shall
fall
within their cognizance or judicature, they shall proceed according to the scriptures, wiiich
is tlie
act of
rule of all righteous laws
and sentences, and nothing shall pass
the general court but by the consent of the major part of magistrates,
the greater part of deputies.
— New Ha-vcn
Colonial Records,
1638-1 649,
pp.
as
an
and
112-116.
B.
Admission of Guilford At
into the Jurisdiction of Connecticut.
the general assembly or court of election held at Hartford, October 9, 1662.
Several inhabitants of Guilford tendering themselves,
under the government and protection of they do accept and
own them
what
necessary.
protection
is
as
this colony.
members of
And
this colony,
this court
persons and estates,
their
This court doth
d-^clare that
and shall be ready to afford
doth advise the said persons to carry
peaceably and religiously in their places towards the rest of the inhabitants, that yet
have not submitted ter
of their town
necticut,
I
;
in like
manner.
and also
all
And
public
also to pay their just dues unto the minis-
charges due
Freemen of Guilford September 24,
A
'69.
and townsmen according
Mr.
to this day.
—
Col. Rec.
of Con-
636-1 665, page 387.
list
in \66(^.
of the freemen of Guilford, drawn up by the constable
to the order
of the court.
Georg Hiland,
Leete,
George Huburd,
Daniell Huburd,
Mr.
John Bishup,
Rositar,
John Fowlar,
Thomas Chitendon,
William Johnson,
Thomas Mecoke,
John Scranton,
John Parmarly,
Thomas Cooke,
Senior,
Thomas
Edward Benton,
Abraham Crutendcn John Graue,
Abraham
Cruttend^-n Jun.,
Daniell Benton,
John Steuens,
Senior,
Cruttenden,
Daniell Euatts,
John Chittenden,
APPENDIX. John Hobson,
87
Nathaniell Chittenden,
William Ston,
Richard
John Ston,
Joseph Dudly,
William Seword,
Thomas Cooke
Richard Gutrich,
Henery Crean,
Bristo,
John Johnson,
John
John Shedar,
John Nortun.
Jun.,
Hill,
John Hobson, John Graue,
Townsmen.
Thomas Cooke,
J
John Stone, Constable. Col. Rcc.
of Connecticut, 1665-1667, page 525.
D. Permission At
a
General Court held
was granted This
at
to
:
court grants
Mr. Andrew Leet
Island for himself and his heirs, Rec. of Connecticut,
bill for
which
making
a
made
to create
new county
Saybrook, Killingworth, Guilford,
Journal
house, October, 1718.
I..
October, 1728, and in May, 1736, the foregoing towns with house.
Journals, 1728,
and May, 1753, similar Col. Rec.
liberty to purchase
Falcon Island and Goose
said islands lie before or near Guilford.
—
Col.
1665-1677, page 325.
Efforts
A
purchase Falcon Island.
Hartford, October 18, 1677, the following permission
to be
Guilford County.
called Guilford county,
Durham and H.
Oct. 22,
when
Branford,
1718.
Haddam, having been 1736, Civil
bills
The
a bill to erect a
passed the lower house.
project
new
331.
low^r in
passed the
lower
Again, in May, 1744,
Civil Officers,
of Connecticut, 1717-1725, Note to pages 141-2.
in the
was revived
county, composed of
largely debated,
Officers etc., II,
and to consist of
was passed
etc.,
Ill, 62, 393.
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
l88
F.
Sl Alb an
Lodge No. 38, Free and Accepted Masons.
s
This lodge was instituted Provincial
Grand Master
in colonial
days by
virtue of a
charter issued by the
North America, of which the following
for
is
an accurate
copy:
John
TO ALL AND EVERY
Accepted Masons now Residing
Colony of Connecticut
in
RoivCy
Grand Master.
our Right Worshipful and Loving Brethren, Free and
New
may
or that
England.
Reside in
hereafter
Guilford
in
the
TVe John 7?ow« Esquire, Provincial Grand
Master of the Antient and Honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons
North America, where no other Grand Master
is
for all
Appointed,
Send Greeting.
WHEREAS,
Application hath been
made unto
Ward, David Landon, Timothy Ludinton, Ebcr
Timothy Ward,
us by
Watcrhouse,
Bilious
Asher Fairchild,
Benjamin Stone, Giles Trubee and William Jolinson, Free and Accepted Masons
now
residing in Guilford aforesaid
5
setting forth ti)at they live at a great Distance
from any regular Lodge, and are deprived of the Benefits of Masonry on that account. Therefore humbly Request that they may be made Brother Mr. Bilious to observe
all
the
Ward
to be tlie first
Lodge, and appoint our
a regular
Master of the same, and do promise
Laws and Regulations of Masonry, and
to the
strictly
utmost of their
I'ower Support and Contribute to the well being of the Craft.
NOW THEREFORE KNOW
YE, That we of
the great Trust,
Power and
Authority, reposed in us by his Grace the Most Worshipful Hsnry Somerset, Beaufort, etc.,
Grand Master
of
Masons,
h.ive Constituted
Worshipful and well beloved Brother Mr.
Lodge
at Guilford aforesaid,
Bilious
Ward
regular
thereof, and
made Masons
Lodge Appertaining
all
to be the first
for the
point
Members
in
two Wardens and
due Regulation of said Lodge
and every
a
new Master
his favour,
One Year;
a
at the
end
to be approved by the Lodge, at least
two
for
and said new Master shall Nominate and Ap-
a Secretary for the ensuing year, also a Treasurer,
have the Votes of two-thirds of the Members in Annually.
all,
transient Persons admitted therein have been, or shall be
of which he shall Nominate thirds of the
Master of the
and that he appoint two Wardens, and other Officers to
:
of
and do hereby impower him to Congregate the Brethren
together, and form into a Regular Lodge, he taking Special Care that
Member
Duke
and appointed our Right
his favor;
who must
and so the same Course
APPENDIX.
AND WE DO HEREBY GIVE
189
Lodge
all
the Privileges
of other Regular Lodges, Requiring them to observe
all
and every of the Regulations
Book of Constitutions
contained in the Printed
Repealed
to said
and Authority
(except such as have been, or
may
Lodge in London),
to be
kept and observed,
may from Time
structions as
to
or Successors to either for the
Time
Time
being
;
such other Rules and In-
as also all
be transmitted to
And
them
by Us, or our Deputy,
that they do Annually send an
being, of the
Names
of the
Members of said Lodge, and
the Days and Place of Meeting, with
Communicate
John the
Feast of St. said
Day
lastly, that
for the
benefit of
Masonry; And
Baptist, or St.
John the
or Days, or as near either of
they do Regularly
may think
proper to
that they do Annually keep the
Dine together
EvangeIist,'or both, and
them
Abode, with
their Place of
any other things they
Ac-
Time
count in Writing to Us, or our Deputy, or Successors to either of Us for the
on
be
any Quarterly Communication or other General Meeting of the Grand
at
as shall be
most Convenient
Communicate with the Grand Lodge
:
And
in Boston, by
sending to the Quarterly Communications such Charity as their Lodge shall think for the
fit,
Relief of Poor Brethren, with the
same, that in case any such may come
to
want
Names
of those that Contributed the
Relief, they
may have the
preference
to others.
GIVEN
under Our
Hand and
Masonry
Seal of
at
Boston the loth day of July
A. D., 1771, and of Masonry 5771. RicHAKi. GRiniK.v, D. G.
John Cutler,
S.
Abr'm Savagk,
G.
M.
W.
G. M.
J.
BY THE GRAND MASTER'S COMMAND, Tho. Brown, Gr.
Scc'ry.
In the early history of this Lodge, the convivial element sccnis not to have been lost sight of,
at
its
flip
and the account-books
tell,
we
arc informed, of taxes frcijucntly levied
meetings to meet the expense of F/ip purch.ased for
its
members.
-mug, which was used on such occasions of solemn conviviality,
in existence, although
The
no longer employed
regular communications of the
nights of each
month
at
as in
Lodge
Masonic Hall.
is
Indeed the said
still
to be
former days.
are held
on the
first
and third
Monday
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
190
Past Masters of St. Albans Lodge. 1771, 1
Billious
2, 3,
774>
5>
•
Ward.
Eli Foote.
1798,
George Cleveland.
1799,
Oliver Bray.
1
800,
1801,
Jedediah Lathrop.
George Cleveland.
.
1802,3 1
Joel Griffing.
Jeremiah Parmelee.
804, 5,6,
William Spencer.
1807, 1808,
Peletiah Leete.
9,
1810,
Thomas
181
Jeremiah Parmelee.
1,
1812,
Powers.
Jedediah Lathrop.
3,
1814,
Abraham
1815,16,
Joseph Griffing.
1817,18,19,
Jedediah Lathrop.
1820,
Amos
1
I, 2, 3,
Chittenden.
I.
Seward.
Merritt Foote.
824,
1825,
Jedediah Lathrop.
6,
1827,
Amos Seward.
1851,
Charles A. Ball.
1852,
C. L. Crowel.
1853,
Charles
1854,
C. L.
1855,
6, 7, 8, 9, 60,
1863,
4, 5, 6,
1
867, 8,
9,
1,2,
W.
Miller.
Crowd.
Asahel B. Morse.
Henry
B. Stannard.
William T. Dowd.
Henry B. Stannard.
1870,
I,
1872,
3,
William T. Dowd.
1874,
5,
C.
Henry Norton.
X876,
William T. Dowd.
1877,
C.
Henry Norton.
records of the lodge having been destroyed by the
the names of
The
.
Isaac Chalker.
1797,
The
•
its
fire at
Music Hall, 186:
masters from 1775 to 1797 cannot be furnished.
charter was revoked in 1S27, and the lodge resuscitated in 1851.
APPENDIX.
IQI
HISTORY OF GUILFORD.
192
o " ,o — ^ J1^J'^ fe ^ O E •
.50
s
>>
» s
o
EO j^.
n
^1E^
Ev,
'-5
-G 0=
-o '5
^
54,
81. 18, 23, 27,
59, 65, 66,
81, 151,
153, 155. 156, 181.
udgment and Mercy,
funeral
a
etc.,
sermon, 95.
Kitchell, Samuel, 27, 70, 71, 182.
Koukeshihu, 70.
urdon, John, 12. uitices in
North Guilford
parish, 149,
Lahore, Anthony, 42.
Lamberton,
150.
ship, 16.
Lamberton, George, 183. Kellogg. Rev. Nathan, iii.
Lambric, Joannes, 192.
Kelsey, A., iii.
Lancasterian method adopted, 82.
Kelsey, Alvah, 147.
Landon, David, 188.
Kelsey, Richard F., 194.
Landon, E.
Kelsey, William, 146.
Landon, Edward R.,
Kelsey, William
Kent, 79 of,
;
S.,
20.
R
,
144, 146. 35, 138,
6,
adventurers from,
1 1
j
county
22.
Landon, George, 178. Landon, Mrs. Hart, 195.
Kent, England, 26.
Landon, Hethcote G., 180.
Kennilworth, 77.
Last of the Mohicans, Tiie, 72.
Keyhow,
Lathrop, Jedcdiah,
alias
141,
144, 146, 180, 182.
James the Brother, 76.
Killingworth, 7, 8, 19, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 85,
142,
143,
Hammonassett Indians at, Records, 19; harbor, 85
144, 187,1 1 ;
line, 21.
Kimball Union Academy, 113. Kimberly, Abraham, 29.
Kimberly, Erastus
Town
no,
190.
Lathrop, John Hiram, LL.D., 137.
Leake and Watt's Orphan Asylum, N. Y., 40.
Lee, Charles Gilbert, 192. Lee, Edward, 27. Lee, Edward M., 148.
C, no.
Lee, Gen. E. M., 142, 180.
27
2IO Lee, Samuel
Lee, Lieut.
Wm.
cemetery
H., 141.
granite quarry at,
;
Leverett, Mass., 99.
Leete, Abner,
Library formed, 85.
50.
Leete, Albert A., 106,
More and More,
Light, The, Appearing
147.
Leete, Ambrose, 105, 107.
91.
Andrew, 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 78,
Lindsley, John, 14, 26.
Lisbon, Conn.,
79. i^3> 145.159Leete,
39
Leicester, Eng., 92.
Leet, Mr., 63.
Leete,
at,
41-
Andrew, 187.
Lett,
83, 192;
Leete's island, 43, 46, 49, 50,
172, 173, 174.
jr.,
Lee, William H., 194.
Anna, 122.
1
13.
108; county, 32.
Litchfield, 32,
Leete, Benjamin, 30.
Littlefield, 105.
Leete, Caleb, 163, 164, 165, 166.
London, 11, 17, 25, 81, 90, 91, 92.
M., 179.
Leete, Calvin
Leete, Charles F., 180.
Edward
106,
L., 84,
147,
179,
Gov
61, 64, 120, 122
,
;
his
fam-
Mr,
Leete, Mrs.
East Riding
;
of,
7, 39.
W.,
142.
Louisburg, 48.
Ruth, no.
Ludington, Timothy, 50, 1S8.
195.
Lyme,
152, 186.
18, 51,
N.
107 ;
Loper, Henry, 110, 146.
Loyselle, Miss
20.
Leete, Mrs. Harvey,
Leete,
sound
;
Lord James the second, of England, 80.
122.
Leete, John,
ily,
38, 43.
Loper, Samuel
180.
Leete,
hill,
Island, 49,
26
Leete, Daniel, 49, 107,
Leete,
Long Long
69, 85.
Lyon, Rev. Chas. W.,
196.
1".,
Leete, Peletiah, 50, 107, 165, 166, 167,
in.
Lyons, Rev. Mr., missionary, 108.
190. Leete, Peletiah 2d, 10 Leete,
Mack,
1.
Roger C, 194.
Leete, Rowland, 50.
Leete, Sidney
63,
Guilford), 143,
Leete, Simeon, 47,
50. ,•
30, 31,
37,
21; (East
144. list of,
145-148.
Magnalia, 90.
194.
Leete, Solomon, 49
Maine, 38.
his
house burned,
Marietta college, 99.
Marvin, D.ivid, 42.
49-
Maryland, 142.
Leete, Theodore A., 104. Leete, William, 9, 10,
12,
13, 23,
52,
Mason, Samuel, 192.
54, 59, 62, 65, 66,70, 71, 76, 89,
Masonic Hall, 189.
121, IJ7, 151, 152, 153, 154,155,
Masons,
159, 160, 181, Leete, William
21, 29,
106; church,
Magistrates and justices,
1 1 1.
W.,
18,
7, 8,
58,
Leete, Rufus N., 147.
Leete, Samuel,
T., 85.
Eli
Madison,
jr.,
145,
of,
and accepted, 188, 189.
Massachusetts, 19, 92, 135.
104.
Leete, Gov. William,
free
lodge
183.
182.
Mateowepcsack, 71.
St.
Albnn's
INDEX. Mather, Cotton, 19. 90. 93Mather, Dr. Increase, 94.
21
Milford,
Mather, Mr., 94.
Mllledgcville, Ga., 129.
W
Miller, Charles Mills,
Thomas,
Mipham, John,
Medicines, faith in quack, 41.
Mohegan
Mediterranean,
Mohegans, sachem
136.
153, 155.
Indians, 68
sachem
Meigs, Lieut. Janna, 164, 165.
148, 190.
,
15.
Mecoke, Thomas, 186.
of,
;
sachem, 72. lo,
of,
Monroe, Beverly,
Meigs, John, 19, 24, 25, 28, 50, 78, 79,
Monroe, Jasper, 147, 179.
y
105.
Moore, Jairus
Meigs, Josiah, 170.
P., 85.
Moose
Morse, Asahel
Meigs, Tryal, 28.
Morse, Seth, 50, 107.
hill,
43, 83
;
cemetery
Morse, John, 50.
Memoir
Moriton, N. H., 113.
of Eli Thorp, 114. 8, 66,
67
;
sachem squaw
755 English planters
Indians at
Haven,
11;
or
lo,
of,
Branford and East
West
river,
45;
lands called, 62; Indian inhabitants of,
65; named Guilford, 152.
Mepham, John,
Mt. Pleasant, N. Y., 106.
Munson, Judge, 138. Munger, John, 50.
Munger, Nicholas, 25, 27. 50.
Murdock, Dr. James, 97. Murray, Bridgeman, 50.
Merwin, Clarina
Murray, Jonathan, 50.
B., 115.
W. H.
Merwin, Rev. Samuel, 115.
Murray, Rev.
Merwin, Susan T., 115.
Murphy, Patrick, 192.
Messanamuck,
Music
66.
Episcopal
church, 8j,
111;
My
Peace
I
give unto you, etc., 93.
in charge, iii.
Methodists in Guilford, 1838,
ii6j
in
North Guilford, 1838, 120. Middlebury
H., 51.
hall, 34 J fire at, 190. Muttomonossuck, 66.
Metuckquashish, 70.
clergymen
39.
Morton's Ford, Va., 192.
Munger, Wait,
12, 15, 64, 87.
Mequunhut, 70.
Methodist
at,
B., 190.
Meishunok, 70.
;
Uncas,
Moosamattuck, 66.
Meigs, Capt. Phineas, 50.
65
;
35.
Meigs, Lieut. Col., 49.
of, 9,
74
46.
Meigs, Capt. Jehiel, 50.
Menunk.tuck,
54, 136,
52,
to general court from,
183.
admitted a planter, 21.
;
20, 51,
152; deputies
Maycock, Thomas, 74. Meacock, Thomas, 20, 27, 72, 73, 77, 161
12, 14,
I
Nathan's pond, 21. National Freedman's Relief Commission,
college, Vt., 112.
"3-
Middlefield, 32.
Middle Haddam, no. Middletown, 45, 47, parishes of, 32.
Midlothian, 121.
Naish, Tiiomas, 12.
Naushuter, 76.
in,
142,
143;
Nausump, 75. Nausup, an Indian, 72 cot,
;
alias
Quataba-
deed of sale from, 73, 74, 75,76
212
INDEX. New
Nebeserte, 68.
Neck,
1 1
;
land in the. 64; called the, 69
river, 8
plains,
5
Newark, N.
C,
Noble, 120.
among, N. E.
tribes,
;
New Hampton, New Haven, 9,
North Branford, Conn., 114,
convert
first
Society of,
North
11, 19, 21,
22,
35, 37,
55, 120, 121
East
117, 128,
108, 109,
New London New chartered, 39
library
of,
122,
colony,
;
government
;
124,
123,
court
county
51
justices
127;
127; and
of,
52;
of,
county,
112;
of
New
London Railroad, 138; Town and Colony Records, held
52
general court
;
183; deputy
at,
court from, 183
New New
i
;
to
articles
general
of confed-
8, 16,
48, 108, 116,
191; cemetery
formed
149, 150.
North Madison,
North
8, 31, 37, 45.
Society, 37.
Norton, 32. Norton, Alfred, 149.
Norton, C. Henry, 190.
Norton, Francis Morgan, 192. Norton, Miss Grace, 19.
/^
Norton, Henry E., 116, 138, 180.
Norton, Mrs. Hy. E., 196.
Haveners, 51.
Norton, James A., 147, 179.
London, 35,38, 39, 49; and Ston-
Norton, J. W., 194. Norton, John, 187, 192.
Newman, Mr.,
his barn in
51; agreement
Newman,
made
in
New
Haven,
confirmed, 62.
;
parts
rail
of,
struction,
road Co., 39
;
northern
destitute of religious
103;
Norton, Jonathan G., 192.
Norton, John William, 106, 180.
Norton, Rufus, 174.
Robt., 65.
New Orleans, 191. New York, 38, 39, 42, 113, 115, 132; New Haven and Hartcity, 34, 40 ford
list
North Killingworth, 108.
Norton, Horace, 146, 147.
road, 138.
39;
parisli, justices in,
186.
rail
at,
86; church,
in,
eration for the jurisdiction, of, 183,
nington
First
31, 32,
29, 30,
44. 45.
of deacons, 119;
;
Consociation,
15;
Bristol, 8.
36, 37. 43.
152; and
ancient colony
1
143.
North Guilford,
London and Stonington Railroad, ;
river,96.
Northford, 120, 142.
N. H., 117.
89, 91, 93, 94, 99, 100,
39
;
Northfield, Litchfield co.. Conn., 119.
Gen. Reg., 141.
Railway Co.,
69
North Becket, 18.
38, 39, 4i, 43. 45. 62, 72, 8i- 87,
112, 122,
of,
Northampton, Mass, 94.
69.
Hist, and
sachem
Northamptonshire, Eng., 20.
192, 193.
England, 11,22, 38, 55,90; colo58
Halleck presented
Newtown, Conn., 102. Niantic, Indians,
Concord, N. Y., 117.
nists,
statue of
134.
192.
23, 81, 115.
J.,
Newbern, N.
;
York, to,
21.
Nettleton, Dennis F.,
New New
on the,
ii; Indians found
the,
conference,
in11 1;
Norton, Thomas, 12, 15, 26.
—
Nothingarians in Guilford, 1838, 116.
Norwalk, 14, 25. Norwich, 24, 38, 84.
Nut
plains,
18,
Upper, 83
;
191;
cemetery,
Lower, 83.
39;
;
213 Oberlin college, ii8.
Pequot, 69.
Ockley, 90.
Pequots, conquest of the, 11
Old
Society, 37.
Oliver,
Andrew,
Oneida
(collegial) institute, 113.
Onion
Petersburg, Va., 191.
missionary
;
Vt
,
Philip,
Dying Legacy of Peace
his Disciples, etc., 93.
46
;
fisheries
of
147, 179. First
;
Congrega-
to
King, 48.
Physic and physical drugs, Mrs. Cosster's, 41-
Oyster river, corn mill on, 26. Oysters,
C,
tional church, 112.
or Trinitarian, 83.
Saviour's
III.
Philadelphia, 100, loi
129.
of,
Osborn, Walter, 146.
Our
C,
Phelps, Franklin
130.
Orange, south parish
Orthodox
Peterson, Alexander, 193.
Phelps, F.
97.
river,
battle with,
Pesuckapaug pond, 74, 77.
Esq., 92.
Oneida county, N. Y., 103 to,
;
46.
Physicians,
list of,
42.
Piermont, N. H., 112, 117.
8.
Pierson, 181. Palfrey's History of
New
England, 16.
Pardy, Joseph, 75. Paris,
Rev. Benjamin, ill.
Pillsbury,
Pistapaug pond, 7.
N. Y., 33, 105.
Pitman, Jonathan, 81.
Park, Edward, 29.
Plaine, William, 15.
Parkhurst, Mrs. B. B., 195.
Plane, William, 12.
Parks, Nathaniel, 30.
Planters, meeting of,
Parmalee,
Plantation,
Eli, 85.
Parmarly, John, 186.
treasurers
Parmelee, Ebcnezer, 86, 182.
Plum-gut, 49,
Parmelee, Ebenezer
Plutarch, 85.
Parmelee,
Eli,
jr.,
144.
Plymouth,
106, 180.
Parmelee, George, 59.
for,
at,
Point House, 36.
Parmelee, Jeremiah, 190.
Ponaim, 70.
Parmelee, Joel Cruttenden, 192.
Pope, 85.
Parmelee, U. N., 148.
P^ pulation, entire, jr.,
193.
Poquain, 68.
Parmelin, Jno.
Pork and
13, 24.
93
C,
Parsons, General, 49.
Portsmouth, Va., 192.
Pashquishook, 10.
Portsmouth Grove, R.
Pasquishunk, 69.
Potomac
Pauquun, 70.
Powers, Thomas,
Peck, Rev. Jeremiah, 81.
pastor
;
of
the
I.
pease, 17.
Port Royal, S.
Rev. Hart, iii.
20
31; in Madison and
Parmelin, John sen., 13, 24.
-Pease,
the,
Guilford, 31; increase for ten years,3
Parmelin, John, 12. jr.,
of
81.
19.
Parmelee, Mrs. Helen, 196.
Parmelee, Uriah Nelson,
1
Mass.,
church
151.
town clerk
river,
191.
no,
Presbyterian cloak,
few, lot.
J.,
192.
192. 190.
loi
;
churches, but
214 Princeton college, 102.
Robinson, Henry, 104.
Prin.eton, N. J.,
Robinson, Rev. Henry, 142.
113.
Productions, principal, 44.
Robinson, James, 169.
Protector, Richard, 121.
Robinson, Jon'n, 30.
Protestant Episcop.il churcii, 35.
Robinson, Samuel, 146, 167,
Prudden, Mr., 14, 21, 51.
168, 169,
170, 172,174, 175, 176, 177.
Robinson, Col. SamueJ, 106, 145.
Puritan, i2i. Puritans, 57,
Robinson, Thomas, 28.
63.
Pynchon, Joseph, 29, 145, 170.
Rogers, Seth H., 42.
Pynchon, Thomas Ruggle?, 42.
Roman
catholics,
met
first
as a
religious
body, 116.
Root, Rev. David, 112.
Quakers, 55. Quatabacot,
Nausup, 73, 74, 75,
alias
Rose, Joel, 119. Rositar, Mr., 186.
76.
meadow, 77.
(^uillipeak, 62.
Rosse's
(^uillipiack, 67.
Rossiter, Col. Abel, 149, 177, 178.
Quillipiag,
Rossiter, Benjamin, 119, 149.
69.
Quinnipiack,
Rossiter, Bray, 41.
1 1.
Quissuckquonoh, 70.
Rossiter, Dr. Bray, 26.
Quonapaug pond, 44, 45.
Rossiter, Bryan, 23, 41, 42.
Rossiter, Dr.
Ramshorn, Toby, 101. Ravvson, Rev. James, Records, 15,
21, 59;
1
1
sworn
1
names of
plantcis
in original, 13, 14.
18, 61,
93,
123;
as a
;
freeman, 18.
Rossiter, David B., 180. Rossiter, Dr., 93.
Redlield, Ebenezer, 61.
Redfield, J.,
Bryan,
joined the settlers in Guilford, iS
Rossiter, Joanna, 93.
171.
Rossiter,
Johannah,
19.
Rcdfield, Jarcd,42.
Rossiter, John, 24, 26.
Redfield, John, 42.
Rossiter,
Reformed Dutch
Rossiter, Josiah, 61, 72, 73, 74, 76, 77,
Relf,
clmrclies, but lew, 103.
Thomas, divorced from
liis
wile,
16.
John R., 119, 149, 180.
78, 79, 123,
145,
160, 161,
i8i.
Review ofthe More Fixed Laws,
etc.,
151.
Reynolds, Gideon Perry, 42.
Rossiter, Mr., 123, 182. Rossiter, N., 174, 175.
Richards, Rev. John, of Waterbuiy,
1
17.
Rossiter, Nathaniel, 127, 145.
Richardson, Miles G., 193.
Rossiter, T.,
Richmond,
Rossiter, Til ophilus, 30, 119.
32.
179.
Richmond, Mass., 107.
Rossiter,
Deacon Theophilus, 149.
Richmond, Va.,
Rossiter,
Timothy, 149.
Rossiter,
Wilbur
1
10.
Ripley, Erastus L., 147.
Riverdale, N. Y., 115.
Presbyterian
church,
1''.,
194.
Rowe, John, 188. Roxbury, Conn., 114.
162,
INDEX. Roxbury, Mass., 94.
215
Saybrook, 10,
Ruggles, Mr., characteristics
of,
81,
^9.
94.
Ruggles, Nathaniel, 42, 169, 170, 171.
fort,
16,
85,
14; chaplain
Ruggles, Dr. Nathaniel, 105, 145.
Schermerhorn,
Ruggles, Thomas, 104.
School,
Thomas
Ruggles,
ture of,
104.
jr.,
Ruggles, Rev. Thomas, 94.
Thomas
Ruggles, Rev.
jr.,
the regicides,
1 1
W.,
83
;
at,
;
34.
manufac-
furniture,
34.
Scotland, one of the nine counsellors
of,
120.
Scranton, Francis S., 193.
6.
Scranton, Col. Ichabod, 48.
117.
Russel, Samuel, 116.
Scranton, Jared, 149. Scranton, John, 13, 24, 43,
Rutland, Vt., 118.
156,
i