Qass. Book. / The IGarly History of Tolland. AN ADDEESS, DELIVERED BEFORE THE Mumv AT TOLLAND, CONN., On the M day of August auri 2)th day of September, By LORP]N P. WALDO, PEESIDENT OF SAID SOCIETY. 18r>7 % HARTFORD: PRESS OF CASE, LOCKWOOD & COMPANY. 1861. \~ \ o A- NOTICE. When I first commenced the preparation of the following pages, I only expected to write an address that might have occupied an hour in its reading before the Historical Society for whom I was preparing it ; but I soon found the subject too extensive and interesting to be thus summarily disposed of. I accordingly enlarged my original plan somewhat, and aUhough my time was too limited to exhaust the sev- eral topics touched upon, yet I can not but believe that enough has been done to render the numerous facts 1 have recorded worthy of preservation, so that they may become available to him who shall undertake to complete what I have but imperfectly begun. Most of the address was read before the Tolland County Historical Society, at two meetings convened for that purpose, and such was. the interest manifested in the subject that very many expressed a strong desire to see the address in print. A proposition was made to have it published in numbers in the Tolland County Record, and I assented to an ar- rangement by which I supposed this would be carried into effect. I therefore set about revising the address and preparing it for publica- tion, in doing which I availed myself of the kindness and assistance of my friend, Sidney Stanley, Esq., who has carefully compared the principal facts with records and his own memoranda, collected by the labor of years. And I would, in this place, acknowledge my obligations to him for his valuable aid in collecting and collating very much of the material contained in these pages. Having finished the revision of the address, and the paper in whose columns it was designed to appear having suspended, I have by the ^y NOTICE advice of some of my friends, venturod to ,,rint it in a pamphlet form, at my own expense, tru.tin, that .on,e of the sons of Tolland whose history I have endeavored to perpetuate, will be willing to contnbute .omethin^ towards the expenses of publication, by buying copies for their own use. To them 1 cheerfully submit the work, and whatever of merit or demerit it may contain, I have some hope it will, at least, be the means of rescuing some incidents from oblivion that might otherwise have been forever lost; and if it shall awaken any interest in the subject of local history, I shall be fully compensated for the labor I have expended. Dated at Tolland, this 10th day of December, 1861. LOREN P. WALDO. ADDEESS. Gentlemen of the Tolland County Historical Society, AND Fellow Citizens : My present purpose is to speak of the early history of the town of Tolland, and to gather up and preserve some me- mentos of the persons who first peopled its territory. The feeling that prompts to this duty is a sacred one and should be cherished ; for while we are ruminating among the tombs of our ancestors and gathering relics of departed worth, we can not fail to be deeply impressed with the thought that the footsteps of time are fast effacing the most prominent trans- actions and will soon obliterate the last trace of all things earthly. We should most instinctively love to cultivate the remembrance of past events ; to let our affections cluster around the memories of those departed ones whose stations we occupy ; and to look forward with fervent hope to that period in our own existence when kindred spirits will com- mingle in one promiscuous throng. In these exercises we may learn wisdom from the experience of the illustrious dead ; may profit by their spotless examples ; may be encour- aged to imitate their never-dying virtues ; — and to follow more cheerfully in their shining track through life's stormy mazes to the haven of immortal happiness and peace. In looking back through the long vista of years since this town was first known, we can discover no incident of thrill- ing interest connected with its history. We can pomt to no spot where the white and the red man have met in mortal combat ; nor where hostile armies have sought for vengeance 4 THE KAHLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. in the bloody encounter. We do not know that the barbarian war-fire lias ever shone upon these hills ; or that the savage war-whoop was ever heard in these valleys. We have no legend of the Indian's stealthy tread — of his merciless attack upon the innocent and defenceless ; or of our soil ever reek- ing with human blood. Xor can we find the footsteps of any distinguished })ersonage upon its territory who has attracted the gaze of the world by his deeds of daring or acts of self- devotion. The history of Tolland, in short, is not calculatetl to interest the marvelous, nor produce wonder and astonish- ment in the reflecting ; but like a gentle current, bears upon its quiet bosom facts worthy of our notice, and wliich may afford us both instruction and amusement. The territory now called Tolland, prior to the year 1700, formed a part of the vast wilderness that covered the western continent before the track of civilization ever visited these shores, and was inhabited only by wild beasts or wilder men. The town of Mansfield was settled about this period, and as the inhabitants of that town had some connection with the people of Windsor it is probable that in their intercourse th^ hills of Tolland first attracted their notice. This town was originally a part of the township of Windsor, and the earliest records to be found in the town are copies of the transactions of the town of Windsor in relatign to the lands included in the town of Tolland. The earliest of these records I have been able to find is under date of April 18th, 1713, at which time a committee was appointed " to lay out a settlement upon the east side of Windsor upon lands formerly purchased of the Indians." This committee performed the duties assigned them and made a report of their doings commencing in these words : "A chronicle of the acts of the committee empowered by the town of Windsor to lay out a plantation from the east side of AVindsor upon lands formerly purchased of the In- dians, April 18, 1713. The committee went upon the land to be laid^ut, and laid out and bounded highways and several lots as foUoweth. A highway of twenty rods in breadth, and running due north upon the hill called the meeting-house hill, between the first furlong of lots on the said hill on the THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 5 east side of the highway and the second furlong of lots on west side of the highway ; and is marked out by several marked trees, and stakes and heaps of stones, and goes the same breadth and point of compass until it pass the brook that runs up out of Cedar Swamp." Then follows a record of seventeen lots of land containing forty acres each, laid out on each side of this higliAvay, — eight of them being on the east side of the highway, bound- ing west upon it, and nine lots being on the west side of the same, bounding east upon it. These lots were each forty rods in width and one hundred and sixty rods in length, being forty rods upon the highway and extending one hundred and sixty rods in rear from the same. One of the lots on the east side of the highway is bounded north on the brook, which is no doubt the stream that runs up out of Cedar Swamp. The lots on the east side were numbered from one to eight inclu- sive, and were granted by the committee to Samuel Pinney, Jr., Hezekiah Porter, Sergt. Henry Wolcott, Joseph Porter, Nathan Gillett, and Samuel Forward. Those on the west v^side were numbered from one to nine inclusive, and were granted to Enoch Loomis, Cornelius Birge, Simon Wolcott, Jr., Joshua Loomis, Sergt. Henry Wolcott, Noah Grant, Joseph Rockwell, Jr., Thomas Grant, and Josiah Rockwell. The first and sixth lots on the cast side of the highway do not appear to have been assigned to any one. It has been a matter of some inquiry where this first high- way was located, for it is evident that its location was intended to establish the center of the new town. From the record we learn that it Avas " twenty rods in breadth," and ran "due north upon the hill called meeting-house hill, between the first furlong of lots on the said hill on the east side of the highway, and the second furlong of lots on the west side of the highway," and that it goes the same breadth and point of " compass until it pass the brook that runs up out of Cedar Swamp." Here we have the point of compass — " due north," —the width of the road—" twenty rods,"— the name of the hill where located—" meeting-house hill,"— and its northern terminus — " the brook that runs up out of Cedar Swamp." Now is there any locality that will answer this description 'i b THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Some persons have supposed that the village of Tolland is located on this highway. The street, they say, runs nearly north and south, sufficiently to answer the description " due north;'' tliat it is, or was before trespassed upon and shorn of its primeval capaciousness, nearly of the requisite width ; that it is the only eminence in town that can be justly called meeting-house hill, for no other hill was ever honored witli an edifice of this character, and the stream of water north of the village, known as "' Spencer brook," is the brook that was described as running up out of Cedar Swamp. But a little attention will satisfy the casual observer that the present village coidd not have been the locality described in this record. For the course of the street is not '■'■due north,'' but several degrees to the west of north, and before we come to Spencer brook it is north-east. Nor was the street ever twenty rods wide, during its whole length, nor is there any evidence that it was ever called " meeting-house hill." It must be borne in mind that this record was made April 18, 1713, more than two years before the charter of the town was granted, and l)eforc its locality or extent could be known. The town of Coventry was incorporated in 1711, but its northern boundary was not then established, as we shall here- after have occasion to see ; and hence the proper place for the center of the contemplated new township must of neces- sity then have been a matter of speculation. It is true, our ancestors iri locating a township first sought for an eligible location for a meeting-house, and an indispensable requisite for such location was high land. True to these instincts, the committee that located the first road in Tolland, and laid ofl' the first lots to settlers, commenced upon the highest ground that then was supposed to be nearest the center of the con- templated town. As I have already said, the north line of the town of Coventry was then unknown, but was then and for many years thereafter claimed by the Windsor men to be one mile further south than it was finally found to be. There can therefore be no doubt that the first location of highways and lots in Tolland was made upon Grant's hill, and not upon the hill where the village is now located. This locality THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 7 answers the description in the record. The course of the road now on Grant's hill is generally north and south, and it crosses the brook that runs up out of Cedar Swamp, and the only such brook in Tolland. The name " meeting house hill," was doubtless given to it because it was intended for the center of the new town, which could not even be regarded as a town without containing a meeting-house. But we are able to make this thing certain l)y the following facts which are conclusive upon this point. The record before spoken of shows that several lots of forty acres eacli were, by the com- mittee who laid out this road, located on each side of it, and were granted to particular individuals. The survey of one of those lots is in these words, copied from the record afore- said : — The seventh lot is by the committee bounded east ]>y the " highway ; south on the sixth lot ; west on undivided lands ; north on the eighth lot ; and containing forty acres, being in breadth forty rods north and south, and runs from the street one hundred and sixty rods west. This lot is by the com- mittee granted to Joseph Rockwell, Jun." The sixth lot described in this record was by this commit- tee granted to Noah Grant, and the eighth to Thomas Grant. On the first book of records of lands of the town of Tolland, at page seventy-nine, I find a record of a deed of land from Joseph Rockwell of Windsor, in the county of Hartford, to John Abbott, of Andover, in the county of Essex and com- monwealth of Massachusetts, blacksmith ; dated March 14, 1719-20, which land in said deed is described as follows : " My dwelling house and house lot in the township of Tol- land, said lot containing forty acres, being forty rods in breadth, and one hundred and threescore rods in length, be it more or less, butting and bounding west upon my own land lately set out to me by the committee of the town of Tolland in our first division of land, together with all the divisions of lands appertaining to or belonging to said home- lot, of forty acres, bounding easterly on the town highway, and south on the home-lot of Noah Grant, and north by lands firstly belonging to Thomas Grant, Jun., of Windsor, but now in possession of Nathaniel Wallis." John Abbott the first was the great grandfather of Mrs. Sally Bliss, the wife and afterwards the widow of John Bliss, 8 THE EARLf HISTORY OP TOLLAND. Esq., late of Tolland, deceased. It is a traditionary fact in the family of ]\[r. Abbott, who is now lineally represented in Tolland in the person of Mrs. Lucius S. Fuller, that he came from Andover, Essex county, Mass., to the town of Tolland in 1720 ; that he bought lands of Joseph Rockwell of Wind- sor, that he lived in Tolland from 1720 to the day of his death, Nov. 25, 1770, then in the eighty-fifth year of his age; and that he owned the farm and lived in the house lately owned and occupied by Alfred Young, now in the possession and occupancy of James A. Brown, situated on Grant's hill. It follows that the place now occupied by Mr. James A. BroAvn was the place where John Abbott lived and died ; was by him purchased of Joseph Rockwell, to whom the same was granted by the committee who located the first road in Tolland on meeting-house hill, and that this place is bounded easterly on that road. The meeting-house hill, named in the first record in Tolland, is now Grant's hill. This committee made other locations and allotments of lands on the 3d day of March, and 6th day of April, 171-1^ which were also duly recorded, — a copy of this record was taken from the records of Windsor, August 6, 1711), certified by the com- mittee, Matthew Allyn, Roger Wolcott, and Timothy Thrall, and was recorded in the records of lands in the town of Tolland, November li), 1719. The entry in Tolland records is certified as follows : " November 19, 1719. I, Joseph Benton, received the foregoing record and accordingly it was recorded by me. Joseph Benton, town clerk." The first movement towards an act of incorporation for the town was made in the year 1718. The earliest record is under date of May 9, 1713, and is in the words and figures fol- lowing, viz. : " To the Honorable llie General Assembly in Hartford, May 14, 1713. The petition of us the subscribers humbly showeth : That whereas your petitioners being inhabitants of this colony, and the descendants of those that have for a long time con- tributed to the support of the same, being through the numerous increase of our families much straitened for want of land whereon to make improvement and get our liveliliood : THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 9 and being encouraged by your honors' wonted goodness to encourage the settling of plantations in the waste lands within the colony, and having viewed a township of land on tlie east side of the great river, ordered by the town of Wind- sor and the heirs of Mr. Thomas Burnham, deceased, to be settled into a plantation bounded as in their agreement doth fully appear ; — many of us having already been out with the committee and taken up lots in the same, and shall with those that are desirous to settle with us, speedily settle a fair town there if the government discourage us not; we therefore luimbly pray your honors would grant that a township may be made of said land, and that they may be patented to and holden by such inhabitants as shall be admitted by the com- mittee appointed by the town of Windsor, and heirs of Mr. Thomas Burnham, deceased, and your petitioners shall ever pray." Dated, May 9, 1713. This petition is signed by the following persons, viz. : Baker, Joseph Barber, Benjamin Birge, Cornelius Bissell, Josiah Chapman, Henry Chapman, Simon Cook, Nathaniel Cook, Ebenezer Cook, Daniel Drake, Nathaniel Eno, John Ellsworth, Samuel Edgar, Thomas Pjggleston, Thomas Farnsworth, Joseph Gillctr, Cornelius Gaylord, Jonas {Jriswold, Daniel, Jr. Gillett, Nathaniel, Jr. Griswold, Thomas Grant, Samuel Grant, Noah Grant, Nathaniel Gridley, John Hoskins, Anthony Holcomb, Benaiah Huntington, John Loomer, H. Loomis, Stephen Loomis, Ichabod « Loomis, David Loomis, Joshua Marshall, Samuel Mills, Jedidiah Phelps, Joseph Phelps, William Pinney, Humphrey Pinney, Jonathan Pinney, Nathaniel Porter, Daniel Porter, Nathaniel Porter, Joseph Rockwell, Joseph Rockwell, Samuel Stiles, Thomas Stiles, Henry, Jr. Skinner, Joseph Stoughton, Israel Smith, Philip Wolcott, Roger Watson, Nathaniel Wolcott, Charles Wolcott, Henry Willes, Joshua, Sen. Willes, John Willes, Joshua Willes Samuel Warren, Robert Loomis, Daniel. 59 in all. The next movement was at the General Assembly in May, 1715, when tlie following petition was presented : " To the Honorable the General Assembly sitting at Hart- ford, May 12, 1715 : The petition of the town of Windsor humbly showeth : — That your petitioners did in the year 1636, purchase of the Indians certain lands on the east side of Windsor : and since the town has immeasurably increased and many inhabitants forced to seek after new settlements, and the town did in conjunction with the heirs of Mr. Thomas Burnham release their claims to said lands unto siich sober inhabitants as should orderly settle on the same, paying only the prime cost ; and tlierefore several sober and religious 2 10 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. persons viewing tlic same, are very desirous to settle the same, and several families are already there, giving a fair prospect of a likely town — if this Honorable Assembly would gra- ciously grant a town there, and the land to be holden by such as shall orderly settle on the same : Avhich we pray this Hon- orable Assembly Avoiild graciously do ; and we beg leave fur- ther to move thcni thereto by the following considerations: 1. The Assembly hath liitlierto done the like on like occa- sions, and it hath been found the best way to settle the country quietly; — 2. Our purcliase was improved before his Majesty for obtain- ing the colony patent, and he by it moved thereby to grant the lands to the colony : — Therefore we pressing the' same arguments to the Assembly, hope to fuid the same favor ; — o. It is most reasonable the ancient inhabitants who have supported the colony should by the government be allowed to settle the lands before strangers and without paying exces- sive prices to all pretenders, which liath led us into all imag- inable confusion already. And your petitioners shall ever pray." "At a town meeting in Windsor, March 21, 1714-15 — It was voted : that the above written petition should be prefer- red to the General Assembly in May with their desire it may be granted. Test, John Moore, Register. " This petition is now on file in the archives of the state at Hartford, and at the Assembly in May, 1715, the following resolution was passed. "And it is further resolved by this Assembly upon the peti- tion of Windsor men tliatr they shall, after the regulation of Coventry according to the foregoing act of this Assembly, have a township of six miles square laid out to them which shall be called Tolland, bounded on the south with Coventry, and east with Willimantic river ; and in case the claimers mentioned in the preceding act shall pay in proportion to what is in the said act settled with respect to Coventry, and also by their inhabitants therein seated by Windsor committee as in the aforesaid act is provided for the like quantity of land, tlie said inhabitants settled by Windsor conunittee to pay all the charges of laying out and settling the said land, — that a quit- claim of this governments claim shall also be in like manner executed by tlie Governor and Secretary and delivered to the claimers, for the claim of this government for so much of the said township as shall fall within the bounds of the said claimers. And it is further resolved that a quitclaim of this THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND, 11 governments right shall also be executed in like manner by the Governor and Secretary to Col. Matthew AUyn, and Roger Wolcott Esqr., Timothy Thrall and John Ellsworth all of Windsor, in trust for themselves and such others as shall by them be admitted to settle in said township, for all that part of said township that lieth ivithontthe bounds of said pro- prietors claims as aforesaid. Provided the said Allyn and others do pay to the public treasury of this colony for the said land in proportion to what is in this act before stated in respect of Coventry ; and it is further provided that none of the claims in the foregoing act shall be construed to oblige any of the aforesaid inhabitants seated on any of the said lands, who have procured the claims of the said propri- etors and have instruments under their hands to show for the same, and it is also to be understood and it is hereby resolved that the said proprietors if need be, shall give fur- ther and better assurance to the said inhabitants to whom the said proprietors have sold their claims and received the money for the same. Provided also, that the above men- tioned claimers do or shall well and truly pay or cause to be paid into the colony treasury the aforesaid sum or sums on or before the 15th day of May next, or else they shall not claim the benefit of this act, any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding." By this resolution, the Windsor men became entitled to a township six miles square, to be bounded south on Coventry, and east on Willimantic river, and to be called Tolland. The fee of this territory was to be vested in Matthew Allyn, Roger Wolcott, Timothy Thrall and John Ellsworth in trust for themselves, and for such others as should by them be ad- mitted to settle in the township. These gentlemen, it will be perceived, were the committee who located the first high- way, and made the first allotments in Tolland, April 18, 1713. These trustees, on the 11th day of May, 1719, conveyed by deed of that date, the north part of Tolland to fifty-one persons named in said deed ; the portion of land conveyed in said deed was described as follows : — " Bounded south on a line east and west at the south end of Shenups pond, east on Willimantic river, and is to bo in length from Willimantic river west six miles, and in breadth is from said line drawn east and west at the south end of Shenups pond so far north as to make the six miles from Coventry north bounds." 12 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. The foUowiiiff are the names of the orantees in this deed Baker, Benton, Samuel, Sen. Benton, Samuel, Jun. Benton, Joseph, Sen. Benton, Joseph, Jun. Birge, Cornelius Bisscll, Ephraim's heir's Birge, Joseph Brace, Stcplien Cook, Daniel Coy, Samuel Chapman, Simon Caswell, Matthew- Drake, Joseph Ellis, Thoma.s Emmons, Peter Eaton, William Eaton, Daniel Ellsworth, Jonathan Ellsworth, John Forward, Samuel Gillett, Nathan Grant, Noah Grant, Nathaniel Hatch, Joseph Hinsdale, Barnabas Huntington, Cliristopher Huntington, John Loomis, Enoch Looniis, Moses Loomis, Joshua Nye, Ebcnezer Pinney, Samuel Peck, Joseph Paulk, Samuel Porter, Hezekiah Porter, Daniel Rockwell, Samuel Koyce, Joseph Rockwell, Joseph, Jun. Stearns, Shubael ^ Stoughton, Thomas Taylor, Nathaniel Tucker, Ephraim Utley, Samuel Wolcott, Henry Wolcptt, Simon Wallis, Nathaniel West, Samuel Willes, Joshua Whipple, Thomas. I can not find any record of the original title of the south- ern part of the town before the year 1718, of which I shall by and by speak. There can be no doubt it was, by some conveyance, vested in the committee who commenced making the allotments in April, 1713. The petition of the town of Windsor contains an allegation that the town did " in the year 1636 purchase of the Indians certain lands on the east side of Windsor," and " did in conjunction with the heirs of Mr. Thomas Burnham, release their claims to said lands unto such sober inhabitants as should orderly settle the same ; " which clearly evinces tlie fact that some portion of the territory contained in the proposed township had already been the subject of a conveyance. And the resolution of the General Assembly authorized the conveyance to Matthew AUyn and his associates only so much of the land that was within the six miles square " that lieth 'without the bounds of said proprietors claims as aforesaid.'''' It is therefore obvious that the title to the south part of Tolland was originally de- rived from the Indians, and it was the source of bitter con- troversies during the early settlement of the town. From what tribe of Indians this title was obtained, does not appear. Before the settlement at Windsor in 1633, the territory now embraced in the State of Connecticut was inhabited and probably owned by several small Indian tribes. But the boundaries between these tribes were never very well defined, and indeed, in some instances, different tribes claimed the tHE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND, 13 same land, and the early settlers not unfreqiiently received deeds of the same land from different sachems or Indian chiefs. That portion of Connecticut situated east of Con- necticut river was inhabited and owned by the following Indian tribes, to wit : The Pequots, who were located be- tween the Niantic and Paucatuc rivers, and extending from the shore back into the country. The Mohegans, supposed to be a branch of the Pequots, whose principal town was between New London and Norwich, but whose territory ex- tended north into the southern part of Tolland county. The Nehantics of Lyme, and the Podunks of East Windsor and East Hartford.. The Nipmucs of Massachusetts had a few sparse settlements in the northern portion of Tolland and Windham counties. The town of Windsor, on the west side of the river, was subject to the Tunxis, a tribe that inhabited the valley of Farmington river. As I have said, it nowhere appears from which of these tribes the settlers at Windsor purchased lands on the east side of Windsor in 1636, for it is probable that the Mohegans, the Podunks, and the Nip- mucs might have each claimed the territory. Whatever may have been the claims of others, it is certain the Mohegans regarded a portion of the territory now included within the boundaries of Tolland as their own, and hence we find that one of their sachems named Joshua, as early as the year 1675, undertook to dispose of it by tvill, — as by the following extract from the record of it will appear. " Item. I give and bequeath all that tract of land lying from the mountain in sight of Hartford northward to a pond called Shenups, east to Willimantic river, south by said river, west by Hartford bounds, (except three hundred acres already sold to Major John Talcott, and two hundred acres to Capt. Thomas Bull, and according to a draught or map drawn and subscribed with my own hand, bearing date with these pres- ents,) viz. : to Mr. James Richards, Mr. Samuel Wyllys, Capt. Thomas Bull, Mr. Joseph Haynes, Mr. Richard Lord, Major John Talcott, Mr. John Allyn, Mr. Ebenezer Way, Bartholo- mew Barrett, JSicholas Olmsted, Henry Hay ward, Mr. Joseph Fitch, Thomas Burnham, and William Pitkin, to be equally divided amongst them, into so many parts as there are per- sons, and also Nathaniel Willett to have an equal proportion 14 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. amongst them. Dated at Pettiipaiig 29 Feb. 1675. Com- pared Feb. 8, 1686. John Allyn. Secry." This will describes that portion of the town of Tolland not included in the deed of Matthew Allyn and others, and is that part of the town where the first surveys were made by the proprietors' committee. I have no evidence that this tract of land was ever divided among the legatees according to the provisions of the will, and prol)ably it never was. The Thomas Burnham named in this will, was doubtless the Thomas Burnham whose heirs united with the town of Wind- sor in releasing their claims to the territory of Tolland " unto such sober inhabitants as should orderly settle the same," and hence the first settlers had whatever right was vested in Windsor by virtue of their purchase of the Indians in 1636, and also the right Thomas Burnham acquired under the will of Joshua. But the legatees of Joshua were dissatisfied with the action of the first settlers, and prosecuted them for tres- passing upon their rights. The settlers resisted this claim of the legatees, and made it one common cause, defraying all necessary expenses from the common treasury of the pro- prietors of the township. The first suit was commenced in April, 1724, by one Joseph Baker against one Shubael Stearns., In September, 1724, the proprietors, at a meeting held for that purpose, appointed Francis West, Daniel Eaton, and Shu- bael Stearns a committee to agree with the claimants, " with power to go to the General Court at New Haven." It ap- pears that this committee attended the General Court at New Haven, where a committee was appointed " to treat with the proprietors of Tolland." This controversy was of great im- portance to the proprietors, and no doubt very seriously affected the early settlement of the town. It extended to a very large portion of the land included in their charter and went to the validity of their title. After various conferences between the committee above named, the matter was finally compromised, and the General Assembly, at its session in October, 1724, passed an act that the proprietors of Tolland should pay to the legatees of Joshua at the rate of six pounds per allotment, or three shillings per acre for the land, and THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 15 that the legatees shoiild release all their title to said lands. This action of the General Court was not acceptable to the legatees and they seemed unwilling thus to give up their claims ; — and as late as October, 1728, or four years after the decision of the General Court above-mentioned, other suits were commenced upon the same claims. The proprietors held a meeting, October 28,1678, and chose a committee con- sisting of Dea. Francis West, Capt. Hope Lathrop, Lieut. John Huntington, Sergeant Samuel Benton, and Sergeant Samuel Chapman, " to go to the legatees of Joshua and in the name and behalf of the proprietors to take a quitclaim deed of all their claims to the lands in Tolland." They also solemnly obligated themselves " to pay all such sums as said committee should be compelled to pay in the business of their office." Tliis committee promptly attended to the business assigned them, and in a few months obtained proper convey- ances from the legatees of Joshua which put an end to this expensive and important controversy. It is a matter of some doubt at what precise time the first settlement was made in Tolland. The opinion generally pre- vails that the first permanent settlement was in 1715, but I am satisfied it was at an earlier date. It is certain that roads were laid out, and allotments of lands made to individuals in April, 1713. Tradition informs us that the persons who exe- cuted this work provided themselves with a temporary home, under a large shelving rock, now situated on the west side of the highway, leading to Bolton, near the north bank of the brook that runs across the road this side of the present resi- dence of Alden B. Crandall. The walls of the dwelling, as well as the roof, being of stone, it received the name of Stoney house ; and this gave name to the brook that runs by it, which is in the early records of the town called Stoney house brook. While it is probable that the residence of persons at this place was temporary, yet there are several facts tending to show that permanent settlements were commenced in about 1713. The petition to the General Assembly for an act of incorporation, dated May 9,1713, alleges that many of the petitioners "have been out with the committee and have taken up lots in the same ; 16 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. and shall with those that arc desirous to settle with us speedily settle a fair town there," &c. The petition of the town of Windsor for the same object, alleges " that several families are already there, giving a fair prospect of a likely town," &c. This petition is dated March 21, 1714-15. The resolution of the General Assembly under date of May, 1715, speaks of the inhabitants thereon seated by the Windsor committee ; — from all which it is evident there must have been settlements in Tolland before May, 1715. And further, in the records of the marriages, births and deaths in the town, we find the records of several births in Tolland, prior to May, 1715. The earliest of them is that of Amy Hatch, a daughter of Joseph Hatch, who was born October 10, 1713. Margaret Pack, a daughter of Joseph Pack, was born January 7, 1715 ; Joseph Hatch, son of Joseph Hatch before mentioned, and as tradition says the first male child born in Tolland, was born Sept. 12, 1715. Joseph Pack had land assigned him in the early allotments, and his name and that of Joseph Hatch arc among the earliest upon the records. From these facts I am confident the first settle- ment in Tolland must have been made in the year 1713. There is no positive evidence that the territory within the limits of Tolland was ever occupied by the Indians, other than for hunting and fishing. Formerly our ponds and streams were stored with excellent fish, and our forests were filled with a great variety of wild game, which during certain por- tions of the year invited the attention of tlie savage inhabit- ants occupying the land near the sea-shore. I have myself heard some of the aged people say, they had seen shad and salmon caught in large quantities in Willimantic river, between Tolland and Willington,and so plentifully were salmon caught, that fishermen had a standing rule that they would not sell a certain number of shad to one person unless he would take a certain quantity of salmon. The Indians in their summer visits to this town, found it necessary or convenient to erect wigwams or Indian huts, — traces of which in the western part of the town, on lands lately owned by Mr. Ephraira West and Mr. Timothy Benton, were visible within the recollection of some of our oldest inhabitants. A few families may have THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 17 occupied these huts, but they left the town before its first set- tlement and none of the red men have ever dwelt here since. We have but few objects to which any Indian name was ever known to be attached. The Indians gave the name of Wan- gombog to a large portion of country in the southern part of Tolland county, adjacent to the large pond known by this name, situated in the town of Coventry. A portion of the town of Tolland was within the territory called Wangombog, and several of the early deeds recorded in Tolland, describe the land conveyed as situated in Wangombog. The same name is given to the locality of the land conveyed in the will of Joshua, before mentioned. The pond on the west side of Tolland, was by the Indians called Shenipset, which by an easy corruption is now pronounced Snipsic. This word is variously spelled in the old records — sometimes Shenipset, Shenaps, Shenips. The small stream running east of the village was by the Indians called Skungamug — the corruption of which is Skunk- amug or Skunkermug — sometimes in the old records written Scungamuck. These Indian names, though less euphonious than some of our more modern ones, I hope will be perpetu- ated. Indeed, I entertain some doubt whether they will sound any more harsh in the ears of our posterity than Ball Hill, Sugar Hill, Buff Cap, Goose Lane, or Cedar Swamp — all of which are the recognized modern names of well-known local- ities. As I have already intimated, there was early a difficulty about the true location of the north line of the town of 'Cov- entry. The Windsor proprietors, under date of May 14, 1716, petitioned for a " final settlement with the legatees of Joshua ; for setting of bounds with the town of Coventry, concerning which there is much difficulty ; " also, " that we may have privilege to choose a town clerk and other officers as the law directs." This petition purports to be the petition " of us the subscribers, inhabitants of Tolland," and was negatived by the Assembly. The following are the names of the petitioners, to wit: 18 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Baker, Joseph Ellis, Thomas Stearns, Shiibaer Benton, Joseph Grant, Natlianiel Willes, Joshua Birfje, Cornelius Loomis, Joshua Wolrott, Henry Benton, Samuel Mather, Joseph Taylor, Ts'athaniel. Bradlov, Geor<;e Porter, Hezekiah 16 in all. BisscU, Ephraim I'orter, Joseph 111 May, 171H, a petition was presented to the General Assembly, as follows, to wit: "A petition of us the subseri- bers, inhabitants of Tolland, relative to Coventry lands." Signed by the following persons : Baker, Joseph Loomis, Joshua Shifter, Josejih Birize, Cornelius Loonii^^, Enoeh Slafter, Antony Benton, Joseph Nye, Ehenezer Stimpson, James Benton, Daniel Paek, Joseph Stoui^hton, Thomas Cook, Daniel Porter, Hezekiah Taylor, Nathaniel Drake, Josepii Porter, Joseph Willes, Joshua ¥*i/^ Eaton, William Kice, Joseph Woleott, Simon. Grant, Noah Boekwell. Joseph 25 in all. Hateh, Joseph Stearns, Shubael 1 am unable to ascertain at what time the line between Tol- land and Coventry was finally settled, but 1 have no doubt it was done before 1720, in which year a committee appointed by the General Assembly, located the town of Tolland and defined ' its boundaries. The following is a copy of their report : '<- "This may certify whom it may concern, that we, James Jf "Wadsworth and John Hall, on this day of October, A. D. 1720, being assisted by Thomas Kimberly, surveyor and in » com])any with sundry men of the town of Tolland, did pur- " ' suant to an act of the General Assembly of this colony, held at Hartford May 12, 1720, survey and lay out the north and west bounds of the town of Tolland ; and for that end we went to the north-east corner of the town of Coventry ; and from thence due north (by the needle of the instrument, j six miles, at the end wliereof to wit, in an east line by the needle, at or on the west bank of Willintantic river, we erected a heap of stones for the north-east corner of the township of Tolland, and marked a red oak tree on the south side with the letter T; and from thence ran upon a point west (by the needle,) six miles seventeen rods and thirteen links to a white oak tree marked and a heap of stones about it, standing on the south- erly side of a hill, which tree is the north-west corner bound- ary of said Tolland ; and from the said tree to run south, five degrees west to Coventry north-west corner ; — the land con- tained within the said town lines, and the said river which is the east bounds of said town is of the contents of six miles square. The chainmen were under oath as the law directed. A true copy of record. (Signed,) James Wadsworth. Examined by Hez. Wyllys, Sec'y. John Hall." THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 19 From this certificate it is very evident that tlie north line of Coventry was substantially settled before October, 1720, and became the basis of the action of tlic above-named com- mittee in locating the north and west lines of the town of Tolland. But there were subsequent negotiations between these towns upon this subject. The towns of Coventry and Tolland appointed a committee of three from each town to agree about the dividing line, and they were empowered to make a final issue and determination of the lines between the towns. This committee consisted of Samuel Parker, Joseph Strong and Thomas Root, of Coventry ; and Joseph Hatch, Daniel Eaton and Noah Grant, of Tolland, and met on the 6th day of February, 1722, and agreed that the dividing line be- tween the two towns should be the line run by Capt. James Wads- worth, Capt. John Hall, and Mr. Kimberly, and that the same should thoi-eafter be perambulated according to law. They further agreed, '• that Francis West and Joseph Benton, being in Coventry, migbt pay their public dues in Tolland, with three acres of land a-piece about their houses, and counted inhabitants of Tolland, as if Tolland had took them in ; they and their heirs and assigns living on the three acres of land where their houses now stand." Francis West found it im- practicable to reside in one town and exercise town privileges in another, and he very soon removed his house from Coven- try to Tolland. Tiiis house is the one lately occupied by Bil- laky Snow, now deceased. It would seem that the settlement Avith the legatees of Joshua, and the establishment of the line between the towns of Coventry and Tolland, might sufficiently quiet all conflict- ing claims and remove all doubts respecting the corporate powers of the town of Tolland and the title of its inhabitants to the territory within the limits of its charter. But lest there might be some defect in the previous proceedings, or some omission which might cause further difficulties, the town procured from the General Assembly, at its session in New Haven, October, 1728, the passage of a resolution confirming and establishing every thing that had been previously done. This resolution, after reciting the resolution of May 12, 1715, 20 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. recofjiiizes the survey made by Messrs. Wadsworth and Hall in 1720, and also the deed to the proprietors of Tolland, dated May 11, 1719, and then declares that the proprietors " held the lands of the said township as one entire propriety ; and that all the said proprietors shall have equal interest and benefit by force of the patent by the said assembly granted to be exe- cuted to the said proprietors in usual form." Li pursuance with this resolution a patent was issued by the Governor, countersigned by the Secretary of State, dated the 2d day of Nov., 1728, in and by which all the powers, privileges and franchises before granted to the AVindsor men, were ratified and confirmed, and the title to the land witliin the boundaries of the town as described by the survey of Messrs. Wadsworth and Hall, was fully, clearly, absolutely given, gi-anted, ratified and confirmed luito Henry Wolcott, Stephen Steel, Francis West, together with the rest of the proprietors of the town ; and to their heirs and assigns, and such as should thereafter legally succeed to, and represent them forever in such proportion as they the said proprietors, partners and settlers, or any of them respectively had right in, or were lawfully possessed of the same. Also authorizing and empowering said proprietors and inhabitants of said town, from time to time, and at all times forever tliereafter, to exercise and enjoy all such rights, pow- ers, privileges and franchises in and among themselves, as were given, granted, allowed and exercised and enjoyed by and amongst the proprietors of other towns of the colony, accord- ing to the common apnroved custom and observance ; and guaranteeing to said grantees, their heirs and assigns legally representing them, " a good, pure, perfect, absolute and inde- feasible estate of inheritance, in fee simple, in the lands described, to be holden of his majesty his heirs and successors, as of his majesty's manor of East Greenwich in the county of Kent in the Kingdom of England, in free and common socage, and not in capite nor by knight service, yielding there- for and paying unto our sovereign lord king George, his heirs and successors forever, one fifth part of all ore of gold and silver, which from time to time and at all times forever there- after, shall be there gotten, had or obtained in lieu of all ser- vices, dutys and demands whatsoever." THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 21 Note. Socage, is a tenure by any certain and determinate ser- vice. It is of two kinds — Free socage, and villein socage. Free socage is when the services are not only certain but honorable. Vil- lien socage is where the services, tliough certain, are of a degraded nature. The tenure by which the lands granted in the foregoing patent were holden, was one-fifth part of all ore of gold and silver found within the limits of the town. This was both certain and hon- orable, and in the absence of these precious metals will never be a great burden to the inhabitants of that town. MEETING-HOUSES, The first settlers of Tolland exhibited a very strong attach- ment to religious institutions. Being lineal descendants of that band of pilgrims that left their native land, to seek across the trackless waters an asylum where they could worship the God of their fathers unmolested, according to the dictates of their own consciences, it is not strange that they should regard the social organization as entirely imperfect without a spirit- ual leader to break to them the bread of life. A minister and a house for public worship were not only regarded by them as essential to their hapjnness, but as indispensable to their worldly prosperity ; and hence all sacrifices necessary to the attainment of these objects were most cheerfully made. The early records of the town furnish conclusive evidence of their intense zeal upon this subject, and their great liberality in a cause so near their hearts. They were authorized by the General Assembly to choose town officers in the year 1717, and the first town clerk and selectmen were chosen in that year. In the year 1719, when probably there were not over twenty-five families in town, a vote was passed appropriating eighty acres of land for a minister lot, and offering a salary of seventy-five pounds, or two hundred and fifty dollars a year, making an average sum of ten dollars annually to each fam- ily. On the 19th day of November, 1719, tlie proprietors of the town voted to build a meeting-house, thirty feet square, and appointed Noah Grant, William Eaton, and Joseph Ben- ton, a committee " to order the affairs' of the meeting-house." 'Jli THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. There was, as usual, some difficulty iu locating this house ; and the records show that several meetings were held on the subject, which served to delay the building of the house for several months. The s])ot where it was finally erected was agreed upon February 5, lT-Jl-22 ; which was on the hill a little east of the jn'csent residence of ]\Ir. William West. At a previous meeting lield on the olst of January, 1720-1, tlie town voted to build a meeting-house thirty feet long and twenty- eight feet wide, with eighteen feet posts. They also voted that the frame of the building should be raised by the last day of the month of June next following, and that the sides should be covered, and the floors laid, and windows put in, by the last of the following November. It is not probable that any very serious ettbrt was made to comply with tliese votes ; for I find the record of a town meeting held on the first of May of the same year, at wliich it was voted that tlie build- ing should be forty-five feet long, thirty-five feet wide, and twenty feet between joints. As this is tlie last vote upon the subject of dimensions, it is fair to presume that the house was finally built as last prescribed, and was probably raised in the spring of 1722. It does not appear when this house was dedicated to the worship of God, yet there can be no doubt public worship was held in it early in the year 1728. October 4, 1725, a tax of four pence on the pound was laid to defray the expenses " arisen and arising about furnishing the meeting-house." February 28, 172d, it was voted to build pews upon that part of the floor that was raised above the rest. December, 1728, it was voted "to build a house about twenty feet by fourteen, near the meeting- house, to accommodate the inhabitants living remote from the meeting-house with a place to spend the intermission between services without troubling others." December 9, 1730, the town voted that " tlie selectmen should procure at the towns cost what is necessary for tlie pulpit." Decemljcr 8, 1731, it was voted " to do something towards repairing and finishing the galleries." From 1744 to 174U, liberty was given divers persons to •' erect pews in the galleries at their own expense and for their own accommodation," THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 23 It would seem that this house did not answer the purpose for which it was designed ; for we find that before it had stood thirty years, to wit, on the 28tli of January, 1751, the town, by a vote of nearly two to one, voted " that it was necessary to build a new meeting-house for public woi-ship in said town." The question of building a new meeting-house at this time, must iiave been one of unusual interest, for at this meeting we find that no less than twenty-eight persons were admitted inhabitants of the town, and one hundred and ten votes were given upon tlie question, viz., seventy in the affirmative, and forty in the negative. Three unsuccessful attempts were made to rescind this vote, but the town adhered with increased majorities each time to its first decision. The location of this house was a matter of even more than usual interest. The inhabitants of the north-west and western portions of the town insisted upon a site at the north end of the street, while those of the southern and eastern portions were equally strenuous for its location at tlie south end of the street. The matter was at first siibmitted to the town, and a majority of votes decided in favor of the southern location. There was then no road leading into the street from the eastern part of the town, except the one leading from near where the old meethig-house stood, and of course all persons attending meetings from the eastern part of the town would have to come into the street at the south end, which doubtless had its influence in deter- mining the location of the house. Tradition says that the influence of the Hon. Zebulon West, whose residence was in the south part of the town, had great weight in the final set- tlement of this question. The minority did not readily sub- mit to the decision of the majority, and they appealed to the General Court and obtained a committee to review the pro- ceedings of the town, but after several public hearings, the location fixed by vote of the town was finally confirmed. On the 24th day of December, 1753, the town voted to build the new meeting-house fifty-six feet long and forty feet wide. This house was raised in the month of May, 1754, and was so far finished as to be used for public worship in the Spring of 1755. The house was erected without a steeple, and it was 24 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. not until the year 17U2, that the town came to the conclusion not to dispense with this appendage any longer. At a town meeting held on the 12th day of January, 1792, they voted " That the town will build a steeple to the meeting-house, Provided, that a bell can be procured and given to the town without burdening the town witli any expense for said bell." The bell was to be procured by voluntary subscription, and such progress was made in this direction, that the town, at an adjourned meeting on the second day of February, 1792, voted " to raise a tax on the last August list two pence and one far- thing on the pound to build a steeple to the meeting-house in Tolland." It is a traditional fact, that the inhabitants of the north-west and western portions of the town were very much opposed to the project of building the steeple, and it is said that two persons, viz.. Gen. Chapman, and his uncle, Simon Chapman, were the only persons from that quarter of the town who voted in the affirmative on this question. It is also said that the old fend growing out of the location of the meeting-house was fully revived and had its effect upon those who voted in the negative. It seems the people were hardly satisfied with the action of tli£ town on this subject, and another town meeting was called as will appear by the follow- ing vote copied from the town records under date of April 26, 1792 : "Voted at said meeting that the town consider the first article in the warning for a town meeting at this time first, (viz.) whether they will reconsider the vote passed at a former town meeting to build a steeple to the meeting-house. Voted, to take that up first. The question was then put whether the town would reconsider their vote passed at a former meeting to build a steeple to the meeting-house. Negatived by the whole." The following vote furnishes some evidence that the old difficulty about the location of the house was not entirely for- gotten. It is under date of May 4, 1792, and is as follows, to wit: "Voted to choose an agent to send to Hartford to attend the General Assembly at the present session to oppose the memorial of a number of inhabitants of the town of Tolland, THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 25 referred to said Assembly, praying for liberty to move the meet- ing-house in said Tolland to some other place near the centre of said town," It is probable that the steeple was built and the bell pro- cured and in use before December 3d, 1792, for on that day a town meeting was held at which the following votes were passed : Voted, " That a tax of one penny, three farthings on the pound be laid and collected on the last August grand list, to pay up the committee the residue of their bills for building the steeple to the meeting-house ; and the overplus, if any, to remain to defray other town expenses. At the same meeting, Voted, That the selectmen of said town procure Mr. Hanks to run over the bell, if he will do it on reasonable terms, and to hang it again in the steeple." Mr. Hope Lathrop, an influential citizen, was very active in procuring subscriptions for the bell. It is said he went into the west part of the town to obtain funds for this purpose, and being universally refused, he became a little excited, and declared that those who would not give anything for the bell should not hear it ring. The collection of the tax for building the steeple was resisted by people in the western part of the town, and the collector, under the direction of the selectmen, distrained an ox, the property of Nathaniel Kingsbury, Jr., to pay his tax. This Nathaniel Kingsbury was an elder brother of Deacon Jabez Kingsbury, whose ^rand-children still own and live on the farm owned by him during his life time. Mr. Nathaniel Kingsbury brought an action against Daniel Edgerton and others, then selectmen of Tolland, to test the legality of this tax. The writ was dated January 28, 1793 ; the facts were agreed to by the parties, and the cause was carried to the Supreme Court of Errors. Two questions were made in the case: — 1. That the town had no right to tax its inhabitants to build a steeple to its meeting-house; and 2. If it had this right it could only be exercised by a vote of two-thirds of the voters at a legal meeting ; and inasmuch as the tax in ques- tion was laid by a majority vote only, it was not legally laid. 4 26 THE EAELY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. But the court ruled both questions iu favor of the town, and the plaintiff liad to pay the costs. Tradition informs us that the iirst public use to which the first bell was put, was tolling for the death of Capt. Hope Lathrop, who was so active in procuring it, and that it was cracked on that occasion. He died November 8, 1792, and the meeting, to have Mr. Hanks recast the bell, was held December 8, 1792; a fact that corroborates the traditional evidence. Note. The steeple built by the town of Tolland in 1792, was just one hundred feet high, and was the first or nearly the first ever built in the county. It, of course, attracted great attention, and was scrutinized by people from other towns. One Oliver Arnold, happen- ing in Tolland, and knowing somewhat of the difficulties respecting the building of the steeple, stood gazing upon it, when a sort of inspi- ration came upon him, and he gave vent to his reflections in the follow- ing doggerel: " Tuor Tolland ; grand people ! Old meeting house, and new steeple! " This doggerel distich has more meaning than at fii'St sight is appar- ent. It not only exhibits the envious feelings of the speaker towards the people of Tolland, but contains a sarcastic criticism upon their conduct. The term "poor Tolland," was intended to describe the pecuniary condition of the town, as exhibited in its barren hills and broken land. The term "grand people," was used to express the contempt which the speaker felt for the distinguishing characteristics of the town as the county metropolis. The people had just built a court-house, jail, and a tall steeple. The other line is a biting criti- cism on the taste and judgment of the people in having an old build- ing to meet in with a new steeple for ornament. Another incident will illustrate this feeling more fully. It was formerly the practice of the profession to attend the Superior Court on its circuit, and remain until the court adjourned. Many leading members of the bar, in "Windham and New London counties, were in the habit of attending the courts in Tolland, and were often engaged in the more important trials. On one occasion, after a session of some interest, a gentleman from Norwich took occasion publicly to congrat- ulate the people of Tolland on their recent improvements, and the brilliant prospects before them; and continuing his remarks with THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 27 more of irony than truth, said he entertained no doubt Tolland would yet be a port of entry, and vessels would be seen unloading their car- goes upon the banks of the Skungamug. A resident of Tolland, standing by, and not much relishing the sarcasm of the speaker, in- terrupted him by saying that the event of which he was speaking was, in his judgment, much nearer at hand than he, the speaker, antici- pated ; for, said he, the small craft from the city of Norwich have already found their way amongst us, and their larger vessels will doubtless follow m their wake. Although this meeting-house was so far finished as to be used for public worship in 1755, it was not entirely completed until several years afterwards, for I find a record of a vote, passed on the 3d day of March, 1760, raising a tax for finish- ing the meeting-house, which was made payable the first day of November then next following. The interior of this house was fitted up with square pews, having seats usually on three sides, so that a large portion of the audience had to sit with their sides or backs to the minister. These pews fur- nished very indifferent accommodations for worshippers who indulged in the somniferous habits of some of the present generation. The training of our ancestors, and their sense of propriety, seemed to incline them to think less of their bodily ease and comfort, during public worship, than of the manner and spirit with which it was conducted. In their day it was no particular hardship for females to walk two and three miles every sabbath to meeting, if the weather would permit ; and very few were ever found in any congregation so overcome with bodily fatigue as to be unable or unwilling to stand erect during the entire devotional part of the exercises. It would doubtless have been a matter of surprise and aston- ishment could they have foreseen that their posterity, within half a century, would become so effeminate as to be unable to walk half a mile to attend public worship, or to stand during the singing of a short hymn. The meeting-house, of which I have been speaking, was taken down in the summer of 1838, being eiglit3'-four years after its erection. The meeting-house now used by the Con- 28 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. gregational society was then built, and was publicly dedicated to religious services on the 25th day of October, 1838. The liouse which belongs to the Methodist society was erected by voluntary contributions in the year 1794. Its in- terior was at first very rude and the seats uncomfortable. It underwent a most thorough repair in the year 1832, and by subsequent repairs and alterations has been somewhat im- proved. Tliere has never been any money expended upon it from the town treasury, the whole expense having been borne by individuals. The house belonging to the Baptist denom- ination was built by subscription in the year 1832, and has been throughly repaired. Before the building of this house, this congregation held their meetings in the old court-house, when that edifice was standing, and afterwards in the old school-house of the Center district. MINISTERS The first vote on record in Tolland, respecting ministers, is under date of June 15, 1719, and is in the following words, to wit: "At a meeting of the inhabitants of Tolland, tliey did choose Joseph Benton to go to see if he can get a minister to be amongst us, to preach the gospel amongst us." From sundry votes of the town, passed in the months of January and February, 1719-20, it is certain that Rev. Stephen Steel was then officiating as a clergyman in this town. On the 17th day of said February the town voted " to give the minister sixty pounds a year, and not to build him a house," and also, " that John Yeomans and Joseph Benton shall go to Mr. Ste- phen Steel to see if he will accept of what they have agreed to do for him." On the 22d of September, 1720, " it was voted, that Mr. West, Mr. Yeomans, Mr. Eaton and Joseph Benton shall be a committee to wait or call on Mr. Steel for a longer time to be with' us ; and to see whether he will settle with us." On the 7tli of November "it was voted, that they will give to Mr. Steel, if he will settle amongst us, the sum THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 29 of seventy-five pounds, to be paid in money or provisions, at the market price, and a lot and allottment amongst us; he settling himself in tJie work of the ministry amongst us." It does not distinctly appear from the records whether Mr. Steel accepted this call ; but that he was the minister of the town from the year 1719, under a contract to render services, there can be no doubt. January 31, 1721, the town voted " they would not agree with Mr. Steel no otherwise but as it was last voted, to wit: seventy-five pounds and he to build his house." They also voted, " that his salary should begin when he began to preach with us, except the time when he was wanting." In September following, a committee was ap- pointed "to reckon with Mr. Steel to see what Avas paid to him, and what was behind of his due." The committee were Joseph Benton, William Eaton, Joshua Willes and Joseph Pack. It appears that there was no organized church in Tol- land before the year 1722. When, or under what circumstan- ces, the first church was gathered, can not be learned from any records of its own, nor are there any traces of its separate action to be found until the settlement of Eev. Ansel Nash as its pastor in the year 1813. But in the town records, under date of 1722, (the month being torn off,) we find the follow- ing vote: "Voted, that Joseph Benton should get a prayer put into the General Assembly for gathering a church and ordaining a minister in Tolland." I can have no doubt that this vote was passed early in the year 1722, for there is now on file in the records of this State at Hartford, a document in the words and figures following, to wit : " To the Honorable the Governor, Council and Representa- tives in General Court assembled, in Hartford, May 10, 1722. The prayer of Joseph Benton, of Tolland, humbly showeth : that under the conduct of Divine Providence, and by the favor of this honorable assembly, the aforementioned town of Tolland is settled with a competent number of inhabitants : and having obtained a suitable person to preach the gospel amongst us to the good satisfaction of the inhabitants, we are desirous to enjoy the benefits of all gospel ordinances amongst us, to which end, we, as our law directs, apply ourselves to this honorable assembly for their approbation therein ; and by a vote of said town, your petitioner is empowered to make his 30 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. application to this lionorable assembly ; and your good count- enance herein will be a further obligation to your petitioner ever to pray, as in duty bound. JOSEPH BENTON. Upon this petition the following entries are made. "Granted in the Upper House. Test, Hezekiah Wyllis, Secretary." "Tlie prayer above granted in the Lower House. Test, Jo- seph Whiting, Clerk." This document establishes the follow- ing facts : First, that the vote of the town, directing Joseph Benton to get a prayer put into the general assembly for gathering a church, was passed before May 10, 1722. Second, that the town had then obtained a minister to the acceptance of the inhabitants of the town. Third, that there was then no organized church in town. Fourth, that it was the duty of the town to obtain leave of the general assembly to gather a church, so that they might enjoy gospel ordinances. Fifth, that the general assembly did grant leave to the town of Tol- land to gather a church at its session in May, 1722. The next record in order I have been able to find is a town record under date of June 19, 1723, and is as follows, to wit: " Voted, That the church hath liberty to ordain Mr. Stephen Steel pastor of a church in Tolland. Voted, That the charge of Mr. Steel's ordination be done at the expense of the town. Voted, That Noah Grant shall be one to see that provision be made for the ordination of Mr. Steel." " Voted, That Daniel Cook shall be one to take care that provision be made for Mr. Steel's ordination.'' From the foregoing documents and records it is apparent that the churcli of the Congregational Society in Tolland was organized between the month of May, 1722, and the month of June, 1723, but at wdiat precise date, or who were its first officers or members can not now be accurately ascertained. The Rev. Stephen Steel, was ordained as pastor of the church and society in Tolland in 1723, but the precise date is not known. He continued to be the pastor of the church until the 21st day of December, 1758, when the connection between him and the church and society was amicably dissolved by the parties, on account of his ill health. He died in Tolland on the 4th day of December, 1759, in the 63d year of his age. THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 31 George Steel came from England, and after a few years residence in Cambridge, Mass., was one of the earliest settlers of Hartford, Conn., and was one of the forty-two Hartford soldiers who served under Captain Mason in the Pequot war. He died in 1663 at an advanced age. His farm, now a por- tion of the city, of immense valne, was situated around the present Washington and Lafayette streets; his house stood on the latter just out of Washington street. James Steel, his son, married for his first wife Anna Bishop, of Guilford, who died in the year 1675. He afterwards married Bethiah, widow of Samuel Stocking. James Steel, the son of James and Anna Steel, and the grandson of George Steel, Avas born about the year 1658, and died in 1712. He married Sarah Barnard, who died his widow in 1730. Stephen Steel, the son of James and Sarali Steel, and the great grandson of George Steel, was born in Hartford in the year 1696, in the house, yet standing, on the spot where George Steel first settled. He was the first minister of Tolland. He married Rutli Porter, of Hadley, Mass. Their children were as follows : Ruth, their daughter, was born August 30, 1722, and died February 6, 1740-41. Stephen, son, " September 29, 1724. Died October'2g, 1802. Eleazer, '• " August 2, 1726. Elisha, '• " October 7, 1728. Mehitabe], daughter, •' June 6, 173.3. James, son, '" February (j.jl737. John, '' " November 25, 1738. Aaron, '• •■ November 1, 1744. Ruth, the widow of Rev. Stephen Steel, died May 14, 1792, aged ninety-one. There was also Sarah, daughter of Rev. Stephen and Ruth Steel, who was born in Hadley about the year 1730 — there- fore not recorded in Tolland. • The sons of Rev. Stephen Steel, except James and Aaron, married and settled in Tolland. Stephen Steel, Jun., the eldest son, married Hannah Chapman, the daughter of Capt. Sam- uel Chapman. Her brother Elijah was married on the same day, (May 28, 1747,) to Sarah, daughter of Rev. Stephen Steel. The following is a record of the children of Stephen Steel, Jr., and his wife Hannah. Hannah. Stephen, Ruth, daughter, son, (laughter. Perez, Kuth, Mary, Daniel. son, daughter, son. 32 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Stephen, their son, was born July 10, 1749, and died November 26, 1750. November 2, 1760. August 31, 1752. September 17, 1755, and died December 31, 175S- JMay 1, 1758. April 29, 1762, married Samuel R. Kingsbury, August 13, 1779. July25, 1765, mar. Asa Howard, diedNovember28, 1843, aged 78. June 24, 1769. Hannah, the wife of Stephen, died August 27, 1801. This Stephen Steel was an officer of the militia and captain of the company in Tolland ; and was selectman of the town for five years. Perez Steel, the son of Stephen and Hannah Steel, married Hannah Simons, of Tolland, June 7, 1781. The following is the record of their children. Lusalla, their daughter, was born Slay 1, 1782, and died June 14, 1782- Aaron, son, '" April 16, 1783. Lusalln. (laughter, " February 23, 1785. Perez, sou, '• April 10, 1787. Clarissa, daughter. " August 29, 1789. Orrenda, " '' April 4, 1792. ■Juliana, " " August 23, 1794. Eleazer Steel, son of Rev. Stephen Steel and his wife Ruth, married Mrs. Ann AVhite, of Bolton, December 28, 1749. She died February 22, 1750. Eleazer Steel married, for his second wife, Ruth Chapman, daughter of Capt. Samuel Chapman, of Tolland, November 7, 1751. The following is their family record, to wit : Eleazer, their son, was born .\ugu8t 20, 1753. Ann, daughter, " April 10, 1755. Samuel, son, '• May 7, 1757, died in revolutionary service, 1780 Huth, daughter, '' April 27, 1760, died April 23, 1775. Joel, son, " July24, 1762. died March 18. 1778. Asbbel, " " March 15, 1765. David, " " »June 29, 1767. Jeduthan, '■ '• February 8, 1772, died September 25, 1775. Abigail, daughter, '' May 5, 1774. Mrs. Ruth Steel, wife of Fleazer Steel, died December 6, 1776, aged 48. Eleazer Steel, of Tolland, and Lois Fenton, of Willington, were married May 7, 1778. He died February 26, 1799, in the 73d year of his age. He was town clerk of Tolland for nine years, from 1776 to 1784 inclusive, and was twice a repre- sentative in the General Assembly. Ashbel Steel, the son of Eleazer and Ruth Steel, married Elizabeth, daughter of Col. Solomon Wills, of Tolland, March 26, 1789. The following is their family record, to wit : Salmon, son, " Seth Dwight, a (i Roxey Chapman, daughter, " FlorUIa, U C£ Ashbel Smith, son, " THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 83 MeUcent Wills, their daughter, boru August 9, 1790, married S. Kent, March 3, 1812. "' " October 6, 1792, died August 22, 1823. March 14, 1796, died at Windsor. Ohio, September 1, 1834. March 23, 1798, married Solo, L.'Origgs, December 6, 1821. September 24, 1800, died October 25. 1802. December 7, 1804, died August 30, 1811. Ashbel Steel died May 30, 1830, aged Q6 years. Elizabeth Steel died January 2(3, 1832. Ashbel Steel was captain of one of the militia companies in Tolland, and was two years a selectman. He resided near the south end of Tolland street, at the corner of the road running to the western part of the town, in the house where his father lived and kept a tavern for many years. He was a kind, obliging neighbor and most excellent citizen. Melicent Wills Steel, his daughter, married Samuel Kent, of Suffield. They had two children, viz. : Elizabeth Sophro- nia Kent, now a resident of this village, and James S. Kent, a resident of Richmond, Virginia. Eleazer Steel, Jr., son of Eleazer and Ruth Steel, married Rebecca Lathrop, daughter of Hope Lathrop, December 16, 1779. The following is their family record, to wit : Joel, their son, was born August 14, 1782. Eleazar, " " August 22, 1784. Jeduthan, " " February 25, 1787. Ralph, " '' May 8, 1789. Ruth, daughter, " January 4, 1792. Minerva, " " September 10, 1794, married Jarvis Crandal, died February 25, 1831. Marilla, " " January 16, 1797. Sanford, son, " February 27, 1799, now residing in Bolton. George, " " November 4, 1801. Mr. Eleazer Steel died June 24, 1809. Mrs. Rebecca Steel died March 3, 1806. James Steel, son of Rev. Stephen Steel, married Abigail Huntington, daughter of John Huntington, Esq., of Tolland, January 24, 1754. The following is their family record, viz. : Aaron, their son, was born October 19, 1754, died in the revolutionary army in New Jersey. James, " " October 30, 1756, died in Ellington, 1819. Zadoc, " " December 17, 1758, died in Stansted, Canada. Samuel, " '• May 10, 1761. Andrew, '■ " December 25, 1763. Abigail, daughter, '' August 16, 1766. Deborah, " " December 31, 1768. Abigail, wife of James Steel, died January, 1769. He married for his second wife, Dorothy Converse, of Stafford, September 14, 1769. Their children were : John, their son, was born November 8, 1770, died February 4, 1772. John, '' " December 31, 1772, died January 8, 1773. Dorothy, wife of James Steel, died March 10, 1773. He 5 84 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. married for his third Avife, Abigail Wakefield, of Weston, January 18, 1775. Abigail, their d.aughtcr, was born November IS, 1775. James Steel removed with his family to Ellington, in 1776, and having resided there several years, removed to Brookfield, Vermont, where his son Zadoc had commenced a settlement, and where lie died at an advanced age. His second son, James, settled in Ellington, one family of whose descendants, (that of Oliver Wolcott Steel, Esq.,) continue in that town. Andrew, fifth son of James Steel, Sen., residing in Randolph, Vermont, married Elizabeth Lathrop, of Tolland, August 17, 1785. Elisha Steel, the son of Rev. Stephen Steel, married Sarah Wolcott, of Windsor, April 26, 1758. He graduated at Yale College in 1750, was educated for the bar, located in the town of Tolland, and engaged in the practice of his profession. He was chosen a representative in the General Assembly in 1761, and was reelected five times. He was one of the two Justices of the Peace from 1761 to 1766 inclusive. He was the first lawyer ever located in the town of Tolland, and the only one while he lived. He died August 17, 1773. The record of his children is as follows, to wit : Sarah, his daughter, was born April 29, 1759. Mara, " " May 27, 1761. Mary-ann, " '• April 28, 1763. Elisha, son, " April 30, 1765. Roger Wolcott, " " January 19, 1768. Mehitabel, daughter, '• May 8, 1770, died August 21, 1772. John Steel, the son of Rev. Stephen Steel, married Sarah Cobb, daughter of Dr. Samuel Cobb, December 15, 1763. The following is the record of their children, to wit : Eunice, their daughter, was born March 19, 1767. Sarah, "" " February 25, 1769. John, son, " June 11, 1771, died September 8, 1777. Eleazer, '' " February 27, 1774, died September 14, 1777. Mary, daughter, " June 11, 1776. Ruth, " " August 11, 1778. Rachel, " '■ June 19, 1780. LoTine, " " September 29, 1782. Of the numerous descendants of the Rev. Stephen Steel, only a few now remain in Tolland, and no one bearing the name of Steel. They are to be found, however, in other fam- ilies. The Chapman family furnishes several of these descend- ants. The widow and children of the late Col. Ashbel Chap- / THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 35 man, the children of the late Mr. Reuben Chapman, Mr. Daniel Chapman, Mr. Elijah S. Chapman and their children, Mrs. George H. Kingsbury and her children ; Miss Elizabeth S. Kent and Charles 0. Benton ; George M. Grant, Edwin L. Grant, Calvin Whiton and Stephen Whiton, and their chil- dren, are descendants of Rev. Stephen Steel. The family of Sanford Steel, Esq., of Bolton, and Oliver AV. Steel, Esq., of ' Ellington, are also of the same descent. I am unable to give any very distinct idea of the person or character of the Rev. Stephen Steel. His death occurred one hundred and one years ago last December, and none of his cotemporaries now survive. Unfortunately, he left no publication, nor does any manuscript exist from which his intellectual and literary attainments can be estimated. He once preached the annual election sermon at Hartford, but omitted to furnish a copy for publication. The fact that he was selected for this service, is evidence that he was a man of more than ordinary ability, for in his day none but clergy- meiUK)f very respectable attainments were honored with this distinction. His correspondence with the town, and the sat- isfactory arrangements made with its agents, when his health became so much impaired as to disable him from performing the duties of his ministerial office, give unmistakable evi- dence of his conciliatory spirit, his disinterestedness and his unaffected piety. He had then been the sole minister of the town for nearly forty years, had commenced with it in its infancy, when it was nearly an unbroken wilderness, contain- ing less than twenty-five families ; had seen the population increase to near one thousand, and had the satisfaction of knowing there was not, at the time of his dismissal, a single dissenting worshiper in the whole number. The Rev. Dr. Williams, the immediate successor of Mr. Steel, told a friend of mine in 1827, that at the time of his settlement, and for several years thereafter, there was not a dissenter, nor the least want of unanimity on ecclesiastical affairs in the whole town. I could almost be willing to give in my adherence to the most rigid and antiquated puritauism, if I could once more see such unanimity among those who profess to be actu- ated by the same spirit. 36 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. The connection between the Rev. Stephen Steel and the church and society in Tolland, was dissolved by mutual con- sent on the 25th day of December, 1758. The town soon invited a Mr. Gideon Noble, and afterwards a Mr. Nehemiah Strong to preach as candidates for settlement. But the Rev. Nathan Williams received a unanimous call from the town to settle in the work of the ministry in Tolland, on the 26th day of November, 1759, — they offering to pay him two hun- dred pounds, (six hundred sixty-six dollars and sixty-six cents,) as a settlement, and eighty pounds, (two hundred sixty six dollars, sixty-six cents,) as a yearly salary. Tliis proposition was accepted, and the Rev. Nathan Williams was ordained April 30, 1760. He continued the sole pastor of the church and society until January, 1813, a period of nearly fifty-three years, when the Rev. Ansel Nash was settled as his colleague. Doct. Williams continued to reside in Tolland until his decease, on the 15th of April, 1829, at the age of ninety-four years. He was born at Longmeadow, Mass., Nov. 8, 1735, was son of Rev. Stephen Williams, ministflr of that town, and grandson of Rev. tTohn Williams, the celebra- ted minister of Deerfield. The Rev. Nathan Williams, of Tolland, and Mary Hall, of Wallingford, were married October 20, 1760. The following were their children : Nathan, their son, was born Nov. 17, 1761, died in Savannah, Georgia, Dee. 16, 1784. Eliakim Hall, " '• Jan. 16, 1764, died April 28, 1810. William, " " April 23, 1766. Mary, daughter, " April 19, 1768, married Doct. Wm. Grosvenor, Oct. 4, 1787. Ruth, " " Nov. 11, 1770, died October 2, 1788. Abigail, " " Aug. 14, 1773, died Feb. 2, 1774. Isaac, sou " Sept. 24, 1776, died April 18, 1781. Madam Mary Williams, relict of Doct. Williams, died March 9, 1833, aged ninety-five. Only three of the children of Doct. Williams lived to be married. His son, Eliakim H. Williams, first married Mary Burt, daughter of David Burt, of Longmeadow, Mass., Jan. 18, 1792. She died January 22, 1793. He next married Damaris Cory, of Mansfield, February 1, 1797. She died Sep- tember 20, 1801. He married for his third wife Aurelia Howard, of Tolland, January 9, 1803, with whom he lived until his death, April 28, 1816. By his last wife he had two THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 37 sons and two daughters, viz. : Eliakim and Isaac ; — and Erne- line and Maiy-Damaris-Aurelia. Mr. Eliakim H. Williams always resided in Tolland, and was town clerk at the time of his death. After his death his family removed to the State of New York, where they have since continued to reside. William Williams, son of Doct. Nathan Williams, married Sarah Burt, of Longmeadow, Mass., September 4, 17^3. They had seven sons, viz. : Nathan, William, David-Burt, Augustus-Davenport, Theodosicus-Dickerman, Charles- Albert, and Mortimer-Hall. Their daughters were Mary-Burt, and Sophia-Maria. This family lived in Tolland until the year 1833, when they removed into the western country. Mary Williams, the daughter of Doct. Williams, married Doct. William Grosvenor, October 4, 1787. They lived in Tolland until Doct. Grosvenor's death, October 16, 1798. They had eight children, only three of whom survived infancy. The names of those were Mary- Williams, Ruth and Jacob. This family removed from Tolland after the decease of Doct. Grosvenor ; and there has been no one of the lineal descend- ants of Doct. Williams, resident in the town since 1833. The Rev. Doctor Williams holds a prominent place in the history of Tolland. He has done more than any other person to form the character of its inhabitants. He was their only minister for more than fifty years, and occupied a prominent and influential position for nearly seventy years of his life. In person he was about five feet nine inches in height ; rather stout, with a body symmetrical and well proportioned. He was easy and graceful in his manners, social in his habits, and interesting and instructive in his conversation. He was punctilious in etiquette, careful in his personal appearance, precise and select in his language, and in every way a model gentleman of the old school. As a preacher he adhered to the tenets of the old divines, was strictly orthodox as the term was then understood, but was quite liberal for the age in which he lived. He was a good scholar, well educated, with a fair intellect, and good common-sense. His public performances were very creditable, and quite acceptable to his parishioners. Several of his sermons and other religious com- 38 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. positions were printed, and will compare favorably with simi- lar productions of his associates. Several copies of them are now deposited in the library of the Connecticut Historical Society at Hartford. They were written and published as fol- lows : In 1780. The Annual Election Sermon at Hartford. 1788. On the Design and Importance of Christian Bap- tism. 1792. On Christian Baptism and Discipline. Two edi- tions. 1793. Discourse on the Fourth of July, at Stafford, 1793. Fast Day Sermon at Tolland. Order and Har- mony in the Churches agreeable to God's Law. 1794. Funeral Sermon at the Burial of Eliakim Hall, 1795. Sermon at the Funeral of Rev. Nathan Strong, of Coventry. Mrs. Mary Williams was a perfect model for a minister's wife. Intelligent without vanity ; complacent without syco- phancy ; devotedly pious without any forbidding pretensions, she exercised a salutary influence without any apparent effort. She taught by example as well as by precept ; and the duties of a wife and a mother were not neglected nor forgotten in the pursuit of those that belong to the visionary philanthro- pist, or the chimerical moralist. She attended to the duties of her own household, and cared for the wants of her depend- ants, feeling that her happiness was best promoted when she was contributing to the enjoyment of those around her. She was an economist, not for the purpose of acquiring wealth, but on account of the example to others. Doct. Williams pos- sessed more of this world's goods, comparatively, than now ordinarily falls to the lot of country ministers, but it was never ostentatiously used. His house always exhibited comforts without extravagance, and great order and neatness without luxurious elegance. Mrs. Williams made it a matter of \n-'m- ciple to live like her parishioners, although her means would have allowed her greater comforts. She was heard to say during the last years of her life, that her children when small, always went barefooted to meeting in summer, because some in the THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 39 parish were unable to furnish their's with shoes at that season, so that no comparison could be instituted between her children and others in that respect. The principle that prompted this act, properly cultivated, would tend to restrain the practice now becoming a custom, of regarding the attire in which we are clad when in the sanctuary, as of more consequence tlian the services in which we are there engaged. The Rev. Ansel Nash was settled as the colleague of the Rev. Doctor Williams, in tlie month of January, 1813, and continued to be the active pastor of the cluirch and society until the month of May, 1831, a period of a little more than eighteen years, when he was dismissed upon his own request, with the consent of a majority of the church and society. Mr. Nash was born in Williamsburg, Plampshire County, Mass., on the 16th of January, 1788. He was the son of John Nash, of Williamsburg, and his wife, Martha Little, formerly of Granby, Conn. He graduated at Williams College in the year 1807, at the age of nineteen years. He pursued and finished his theological studies at Andover, Mass., and was licensed to preach in the year 1810. He came to Tolland in the latter part of the summer of 1812, received a call, and in January, 1813, was ordained as tlie colleague of Doctor Williams. His salary was six hundred dollars a year ; one hundred of wliich, a few years later, he generously relin- quished annually, in consideration of the pecuniary circum- stances of the society. He was married to Eunice Jennings, of Windham, Conn., on the 24th of May, 1813, witli whom he lived until his death. He left no children. After he was dismissed from Tolland he was settled in the ministry in Bloomfield, Hartford County, Conn., six years, when his rela- tion with that people was dissolved, and he became the agent of the American Education Society awhile, and then the pas- tor of the first church in Rockville for about two years, when he was again dismissed. He was, at two different times, agent of the American Education Society, eight years, and supplied the pulpit in Colchester* Vermont, for about four years. While residing in Colchester, towards the close of his life, he became paralytic, and of unsound mind. In the vain hope 40 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. that he could be benefited by the medical treatment and nursing at the insane hospital at Brattleborough, Vermont, he was sent to that institution in the summer of the year 1860, where, without receiving benefit, either in body or mind, from the change, he departed this life August 11, 1851, aged 63 years, 6 months, and 26 days. Mr. Nash was a man of marked ability. To a mind natur- ally quick and active, was added the polish of a finished edu- cation ; and aided by a memory that garnered the choicest treasures of both ancient and modern literature, he was pre- pared to acquit himself creditably on the theatre of life. His sermons were characterized rather for their logic than their rhetoric, and contained more of argument than imagination ; still they were both attractive and instructive. He could not be said to be eloquent in their delivery, but was earnest, forci- ble and serious, and particularly successful in securing the attention of his hearers. In extemporary prayer he possessed peculiar gifts. He seemed to apprehend the secret desiies of the most obscure worshiper present, and would present them at the mercy seat in language that raised the mind from earth to heaven, and imbued it with that fervency which makes prayer importunate and effectual. Some of the productions of his pen have been published, among which are a Sermon on Christian Fellowship, printed in the National Preacher in the year 1831 ; a somewhat ex- tended memoir of Mrs. Elizabeth Eldredge in the Panoplist in the year 1816 ; and other interesting articles in magazines and newspapers. In social life, Mr. Nash was open, frank, and sometimes a little abrupt. He carefully noticed passing events, and was free to make them topics of general remark ; and it was some- times supposed these occupied too much of his time as a religious teacher. And yet he was never light nor trifling, and was always ready to defend the religion he professed, whenever and however assailed. His connection with secular matters, sometimes brought him ifi conflict with others en- gaged in similar pursuits, and was the cause of some uneasi- ness on the part of those who should have been his friends. THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 41 He strenuously maintained the right of exercising his own judgment in matters personal to himself, and yet he would not obstinately pursue a course of conduct offensive to any one, when he had reason to believe such conduct was not required by other demands than his own interest. He was forward in all efforts for public improvement in the town in which he lived — particularly those which had for their object the edu- cation of the masses. He took especial interest in the estab- lishment of an academy in Tolland ; and was for a long time chairman of the board of trustees. It may not be invidious to remark, that the academy ceased to exist about the time of Mr. Nash's leaving the town, and there has been no special effort since to revive it. He was a valuable member of socie- ty ; an intelligent and interesting preacher ; a worthy and revered pastor ; and a most constant and sincere friend. After the dismissal of Mr. Nash, the Rev. Abram Marsh became the pastor of the Congregational church and society in Tolland, which position he continues to occupy. He was installed on the 30th day of November, 1831, Mr. Marsh was born in Hartford, Vermont, June 15, 1802. He was ed- ucated at Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 1825 ; pursued his theological studies at Andover, Mass., and was licensed to preach in 1828. He supplied a church in Redding, Vermont, about two years, a portion of which time he was the principal of an academy at Thetford. He married Miss Rhoda Short, of Vermont, January 25, 1829, who died in Tolland, August 17, 1840, leaving two sons. Mr. Marsh married Miss Mary H, Cooley, of Norwich, Conn,, his present wife, April 6, 1842. As he is still the pastor of the church and society in Tol- land, it is not proper for me to say more in this place ; and may the day be distant when any pen will be employed in writing his biography. From 1723 to the present time, a period of one hundred and thirty-eight years, the Congregational church and society have had but four settled ministers, and there has been but one year and two months vacation in the office during the whole time. 6 42 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. It'has generally been supposed there were no differences of opinion on matters of religion among the inhabitants of Tol- land before the year 1791, when the Methodists made their first location in this town. Although at the time of the set- tlement of Dr. Williams, and for thirty years thereafter, the people were of one fold and one shepherd, yet it is true that the inhabitants of Tolland, in common with the other towns in New England, were seriously affected by the preaching of Whitefield and his associates about the year 1745. The Rev. Wait Palmer, one of the preachers attached to that class of the followers of Mr. Whitefield that called themselves Separatists, labored in Tolland and its vicinity in the years 1750 and 1751, and received persons to his particular fellowship through the ordinance of baptism. This Mr. Palmer, and one Rev, Joshua Morse, administered the rite of ordination to one Shubael Stearns, Jr. , of Tolland, of whom I shall speak more particularly in another place. Suffice it here to say, that Mr. Stearns was a most zealous leader of the Separatists, and held no fellow- ship with the church then under the charge of Rev. Mr. Steel. Mr. Stearns left the town, with his principal adherents, in the year 1754, after which there was no particular controversy by reason of this sect. Traditioii informs us that the christian charity and sound judgment of Rev. Mr. Steel did very much to control the excited feeling of the people at this time, and continue their attachment to him, and to the church of which' he was the pastor. In the summer of 1791, the preachers of the Methodist denomination first visited the town of Tolland, and succeeded in establishing a Church. The names of their first preachers were Lee, Rayner and Hull. Their preaching was attended with very considerable success, and their followers became so numerous it was found necessary to l.ave a house for public worship, and one was built in 1794. These preachers brought with them much of the zeal and many of the practices of the Separatists ; and they attracted very great attention from the earnestness, and, what many supposed, the irregularities of their worship. This, doubtless, was the occasion of the fast- day sermon by the Rev. Dr. Williams, entitled, " Order and TfiE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 43 Harmony in the Churches agreeable to God's Will," in which he speaks of the confusion and disorder of some worshiping assemblies as being contrary to the will of God. The organi- zation of the Methodist church and society has continued with but occasional interruptions, in a regular supply of preachers according to the usages of that denomination, to the present time. The Baptist church was organized in June, 1807. Their first minister was the Rev. Augustus BoUes, who was ordained their pastor in the year 1814. The services at his ordination were held in the Congregational meeting-house. He continued their minister three years. The next settled minister in tliis society was Rev. Levi Walker, Jr., who was ordained in June, 1833, and was succeeded by Rev. Sylvester Barrows in the year 1836, who continued their minister until the year 1841. Since the departure of Mr. Barrows, the following named gen- tlemen have supplied the Baptist church and society, viz. : Rev. John Hunt, one year ; Rev. Jamas Squier, three years : Rev. George Mixter, two years ; Rev. Tliomas Holman, one year ; Rev. Percival Matthewson, one year; Rev. Homer Sears, three years ; Rev. Thomas Dowling, four years ; Rev. Joseph A. Tillinghast, a little more than a year, until his death Au- gust 7, 1859 ; and Rev. C. L. Baker, who is now their minis- ter. They have also been supplied occasionally by other per- sons. MILITARY The first record of any military organization in Tolland is under the date of October, 1722. The General Assembly then approved of Joseph Hatch as Lieutenant, and John Hunting- ton as Ensign of the train-band in Tolland. The number in the " train-band " was probably then too small to make a cap- tain necessary. The following return, copied from the archives in Hartford, for 1725, shows the election of the first captain of the train-band in this town. 44 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. " Major Wolcott, Esq. Pursuant to that order from your- self for the drawing of the first company in Tolland, to a choice for their commissioned officers for said company in Tolland; said company accordingly met on the 20th day of April and orderly chose Lieutenant Joseph Hatch, captain ; Ensign John Huntington Lieutenant, and Joseph Pack Ensign. EBENEZER NYE, Military Clerk." Samuel Chapman was chosen in 1735, to succeed Joseph Hatch as captaiji of this company. By a return bearing date September 13, 1737, it appears that the roll of tliis company contained the^names of eighty-seven rank and file. The mili- tia were afterwards divided into two companies, called the north and south companies ; the division of territory between the companies was a line nearly east and west through the town, passing across the south end of the Street; and west of the Street was represented by the road running west from the present residence of Mr. William West to Vernon line. The extent of the participation of Tolland in the wars pre- vious to that which commenced in 1755, can not now be ascer- tained. All that is known with certainty is, that Captain Samuel Chapman, Sen., commanded a company in the expe- dition to Louisburgh, in 1745, where he died the followhig January ; and that Samuel Baker, son of Joseph Baker, in that, or a former war, died in captivity among the French and Indians. In the year 1756, the colonies raised an army of seven thousand men«for the purpose of aiding the mother country in an expedition against Crown point, and placed them under the command of Major-General Winslow. Azariah Wills, of Tolland, (brother of Solomon Wills, of whom I shall by and by have something to say,) enlisted under Capt. John Slap, in the service of the colonies, on the second day of April, 1756, and served until the 25th day of June following, when he was unfortunately taken prisoner, with others, by the French and Indians, between Albany and Hoosick, and carried to Canada. He remained a captive and endured great hardships until No- vember, 1758, when he attempted to return with Col. Schuy- ler and Major Putnam, but while on his journey home he was taken sick and died on the eighteenth of November, 1758. THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 46 How many others from Tolland were in this expedition I am unable to say. In August, 1757, there was an alarm that a powerful force of French and Indians was on the way to attack fort William Henry. Volunteers were called for, and Connecticut instant- ly poured forth several thousand. On the roll of Capt. Sam- uel Stoughton's company are found the names of the following men of Tolland. <« Ens. Samuel Chapman, Serg. Solomon Wills. Daniel Baker, Elihu Johnson, John Abbott, Jr , Abner West, Thacher Lathrop, Jacob Kellows, Nathan Harvey, David Hatch, John Eaton, Ichabod Hinckley, George Nye, Timothy Delano, William Benton, Solomon Loomis, Samuel Huntington, Jabez Bradley, Samuel Barnard, Samuel Benton, Jr., Samuel Aborn, Jonathan Ladd, Jr., Simon Chapman, Francis West, Rufus West, Joseph Davis, John Steams, Jr., Amos Ward. 28 in all. But the French general, Montcalm, had prosecuted the siege with his usual vigor ; and the fort was compelled to sur- render before any of the volunteers could arrive. Those from Tolland went no further than Kinderhook, in the state of New York ; and returned home, receiving pay for only fifteen day's service. Pay was allowed for four horses from Tolland to Kinderhook, £2, 3s., 9d. ; for nineteen from Tolland to Litch- field, X4, 18s., lid. ; and for two to bring them back from' Litchfield, 14s., 5d. For the campaign of 1758, Connecticut agreed to furnish five thousand men ; and a company was formed in Tolland and its vicinity, of which Samuel Chapman, of Tolland, was captain. The following is a copy of the roll of his company. *Capt. Sam. Chapman, Ist Lieut. Titus Olcott, 2d Lieut. George Cooley, *Ensign Solomon Wills, Serg. Samuel Benton, ♦ " Jonathan Birge, " Abner Webb, * " James Steel, clerk, Corp. Samuel Hall, " Jonathan Bill, " Asa Wood, " Nath'n Boardman Drum'er, Henry Bowen, " Charles Kinj Fifer, Jo.'seph Conant? Privates. ♦William Benton, *Moses West, *John Lathrop, ♦Joseph Eaton, Daniel Brewster, Joseph Heath, Benjamin Burdon, Joseph Whitcomb, *John Barnard, ♦Jonathan Boroughs, *Abner West, *Hope Lathrop, Timothy Ladd, Jacob Newell, John Isham, ♦Lathrop Shurtliff, John Gray, ♦Joseph Davis, Hezekiah Waters, Isaac Hills, iJoshua Hutchins, Jonathan Dart, Joseph Spencer, Beriah Bron.son, Hezekiah King, Samuel Hutchinson, Joseph Tucker, Jonathan Buckland, Samuel Blackmore, Jonathan Wright, Lemuel Jones, David Talcott, Moses Thrall, Brinton Payne, William Hoskins, Daniel Pratt, Abraham Whipple, John Atchison, Oliver Chapin, Hezekiah Spencer, John Fuller, Joseph Buell, Alexander Gowdy, Thomas Buck, Samuel Bartlett, Luke Parsons, Thomas Waters, .Tames Kibbee, .Tames Pease, Nathaniel Brace, Jacob Ward, Abner Pease, John Ford, Jonathan Phelps, VTilliam Kussell, 'Nathan Harvey, Jonathan Bliss, ♦Shubael Dimick, BeDjamiu Shepherd, ♦Lemuel Hatch, ♦Jabez Bradley,- ♦Joseph Luce, Abijah Slarkham, Thomas Burns, Hezekiah U'ells, Jacob Hills, Simeon Webster, ♦Solomon Loomis, Joseph Tilden, Joel Daniels, Samuel Carver, John Gordon, Samuel Darling, Joshua Bill, Joseph Pike, Nathan Ti£fany, .Toshua Allen, Josiah Fields, ♦Nathaniel Warren, Joseph Crocker. Officers and music'ns, 15 Privates, . . 80 Total, 95 46 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Twenty-one of the above, viz. : those marked *, are recog- nized as belonging in Tolland, and probably there were others. Most of the remainder would be recognized by their names as having gone from the towns of Somers, Mansfield, Willing- ton, Bolton, Coventry, and East Windsor. In the year 1762, the King of England made a requisition upon the colonies for troops to join in the expedition against the island of TJuba ; and a company was raised in the eastern part of the State, of which Col. Israel Putnam was, by one of the then formalities of the service, nominally captain, but really under the command of its first lieutenant, Solomon Wills, of Tolland. Tliis company went to the island of Cuba, and was present at the siege and capture of Havana, but was not in any serious engagement. When a boy, I was in- formed by a man whose name is on the roll, tliat after the principal fort had been undermined and blown up, so that a column of British regulars carried it by assault, this company had the sad duty to perform of clearing the fort and burying the dead. The destruction of life was very great; the dead •were represented as lying in winrows. The pools of blood were so deep in some places in the fort that, as my informant said, he was compelled to step over his shoes in human gore while removing the dead. Although this company was not Under fire during the whole of this campaign, the mortality of its members was unparalleled. Of the ninety-eight per- sons of which the company was composed and who actu- ally reached the Island, only twenty-two ever returned to their native land. Of the twenty-seven enlisted from Tolland and its vicinity, only four escaped the arrow of the fell des- troyer. The names of two of these four persons were Solo- mon Wills and Edward Hatch. John Barnard, John Bur- rows, Constant Crandall, William Eaton, Aaron Eaton, Leon- ard Grover, Judah Hatch, Noah Stimson, Ezra Waldo and Oliver Yeomans, of Tolland, arc known to have died on the Island of Cuba. Tliere were no deaths in the company before the month of August. As returned on the roll, the deaths were, in August, fifteen ; in September, eighteen ; in October, eighteen ; in November, eighteen ^ and in December, seven. THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 47 Total, seventy-six. The survivors were paid off December 11, 1762. The average term of service was about thirty-five weeks. The folio wing is the pay-roll of this company. Those marked f died during the campaign. Israel Putnam, Capt., *Solo. mils, 1st Lieut . Alex. Chalker, 2d '• tisaac Dana. Ensign, tMoses Earl, Sergeant, Samuel Hyde, " Samuel Cotton, or Colton, tNath'l Wheeler, " *tConst Craudal, " tDaniel Brace, .Tames Belbon, tDaniel Brewer, + William Case, t.Tohn Croswell, tEdmund Cadwell, t.Tohn Curtis, tJoseph Croswell, t-Tohn Cross, fEbenezer Dana, tReuhen Do\vning, tJos. Truesdale, Corp'l, John Dollaby, y*>- Silas Harris tThomas Brewer, tJoshua Reed, Privates. tJohn Abby, tNathan Allen, AaAi tSquire Allen, ^./,(il6iii-.+Henry Bradley. Samuel Bliss, tJonathan Bliss, tliinaldo Burdon. *t.Tohn Barnard, *tJohn Burrows, tStephen Brace, fElijah Durphy, ' tCornelius IJowning, ' tJoel Daniels, *t William Eaton, V^t Joseph Edgertonj *t Aaron Eaton, Timothy Evans, fWilliam Ellis, tAbraham Forbes, tDavid Fuller, tMichael Grover, *tLeonard Grover, tStephen Goff, fEzekiel Guernsey, *tJudah Hatch, *Edward Hatch, t Joseph Hay ward, tAsahel Hoilister, t Robert Hoilister, tJacob Hoilister, John Hero, tNathaniel Holt, tEbenezer Holme.s, tJonathan .Tohnstou, tWilliam Kimball, Thomas Knapping, IBenj. L,angworthy, tBenjamin Loveman, tJohn Negus, tRichard Orms, tAbraham Porter, tNathaniel Redington, tJohn Read, Ackley Riley, tJohn Ripponer, tThomas Rose, tllatthew Raymond, tDaniel Roberts, *tNoah Stim.sou, tAmos Shurtliff, tSimon Strickland, tSamuel Stiles, tlsrael Saunders, t.\mos Staples, tl.saac Staples, Nathaniel Stone. tJonathan Sampson. t.Tedediah Sanger, tSamuel Smith. John Stark, Benjamin J^haw, Charles Shorvel, tSamuel W illiams, tJoseph Whitcomb, John Way, tEbenezer Wheeler, *tEzra Waldo, ♦tOliver Yeomans, tChristopher Lucas, t(^aleb Shepard, tEbenezer Shaw. Taken by the Sheriff. Joseph Bisbee, Samuel Stanley. The following names are marked. Deserted : Sanuel Black- man, Gideon Burnham, John Brown, Joel Brooks, Noadiah Bronson, John Part, Ephraim Foot, Lot Loveland, Joseph Prout, Asahel Hoilister, John Adams. The war of the Revolution commenced in 1775, and was most vigorously supported by the people of Tolland County, particularly by the town of Tolland. Their experience in the war of 1755, known as the French war, had made them ac- quainted with the trials and hardships of military life, and prepared them for the duties of the camp in tlie approaching struggle with the mother country. Not only did the town furnish its full quota of men and officers for the field, but it was also forward in contributing to the relief of those who suffered for advocating the principles that led to our national independence. The first town meeting touching the difficul- ties between the colonies and England was held on the fifth day of September, 1774. Ichabod Griggs was chosen moder- ator. The following is a copy of the record of that meeting : "Voted, That Messrs. Samuel Cobb, Solomon Wills, and- Eleazar Steel be the delegates to attend the county meeting at Hartford on the loth instant. 48 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Voted, That Samuel Cobb Esq., Capt. Solomon Wills, Capt. Elijah Chapman and Ensign Elcazer Steel be a committee of correspondence for this town, to receive and answer letters from the committees of correspondence in the several towns of this and tlie other colonies relative to the public contro- versy. Voted, That Messrs. Stei)hen Day, James Chamberlin,Hope Lathrop, Joseph West and Simon Chai)man, be a committee to receive and transmit to the towns of Boston and Charles- town, such charitable donations as shall be subscribed for the use of the poor and necessitous inhabitants of those towns. Voted, That the selectmen be empowered and directed by the town to procure powder and other ammunition fully to supply the town stock, in proportion as the law directs at the expense of the town. Voted, That a copy of these resolves unanimously agreed to, be transmitted to the press ; and the town-clerk be directed to forward them." The appointment of the committee to receive charitable do- nation s for the use of the poor and necessitous of the towns of Boston and Charlestown, was not an unmeaning formality, but was prompted by that generous sincerity with which the people of that age were actuated. The following copy of a letter dated Boston, October 24, 1774, about six weeks after this appointment, will show the object the town had in view, and the efficiency with which the committee dis- charged its duties. " Gentlemen, This is to acknowledge the receipt of your kind and generous donation of ninety-five sheep by the hand of our worthy friend Mr. Hope Lathrop which shall be applied to the relief of our poor sufierers by means of the cruel and oppressive port bill, — according to the intentions of the gen- erous donors. We are still struggling under the heavy load of tyranny. Our troubles are exceedingly great, but the kindness and benevolence of our friends in Tolland, as well as other places, greatly refreshes and raises our spirits. You may depend upon it, that by divine help and blessing, Boston will sufl'er every thing with patience and firmness that a cruel and arbitrary administration can inflict upon us, even to the loss of fortune and life, rather than submit in any one instance to the power of tyranny. We trust we have a righteous cause, and that the Supreme Ruler of the Universe will in his own time and way, arise and scatter the dark clouds that THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 49 at present hang over us. We submit to him and ask your prayers at the throne of grace for us. The sincere thanks of this committee in behalf of this greatly distressed and injured town are hereby presented to our worthy friends in Tolland, for their kind assistance in this our day of trial. We are with great esteem, gentlemen, your friends and fellow coun- trymen. Henry Hill, per order of the committee of Donations." Nor did the liberality of the town cease on the commence- ment of hostilities, nor was it confined to direct drafts upon its own treasury for the support of the soldiers of the war and their families. The following document, copied from the original in the office of the town clerk, is evidence that the town was ever ready to do its part in relieving sufferers under all circumstances. " Tolland, Dec. 21, 1781. Eec'd of the Selectmen of the town of Tolland in hard money £3.14.6; (112.42 ;) States money with the Interest — £3.12.1, (112.01 ;) as a donation from said town for the relief of the suffering inhabitants of New London and Groton, agreeable to a late brief issued by his Hon. the Governor. Stephen Steel, Town Treas'r." When it is remembered that the massacre at Fort Gris- wold, in the town of Groton, and the burning of New Lon- don took place on the 6th day of September, 1781, we can not entertain any doubt as to the cause of the sufferings which this donation, amounting to twenty-four dollars, forty-five cents, was intended to relieve. Under date of December 19, 1774, the town '^ voted that the selectmen do immediately double the town stock of ammu- nition at the town expense." On the same day, they " voted that Samuel Cobb Esq., Capt. Elijah Chapman, Ensign Elea- zar Steel, Capt. Solomon Wills and Samuel Chapman Esq., shall be a committee of observation for effectual putting in execution the doings of the continental Congress, expressed in the ninth article of the association and directed in the eleventh article of said association." All these proceedings were preliminary to the commence- ment of hostilities, which event occurred at Lexington, Mass., April 19, 1775. When the news of this transaction reached 7 ' 60 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. Tolland, a company of men was immediately formed from this and several neighboring towns, which, under the com- mand of Capt. Solomon Wills, served in Col. Spencer's regi- ment at Roxbury, near Boston, from May 1, to December 1, 1775, a period of eight months. The following is a copy of the roll of this company, kept Ijy Comfort Carpenter, its orderly sergeant, and filed by him in the Pension Office as evidence of his service in the war of the revolution, with his applica- tion for a pension, under the act of June 7, 1832. •Solomon Wills, Capt., Amasa Buck, / Jv — — J*Samuel Benton, Jona. Parker, 1st Lieut. Elijah Bradley, Samuel Felt, 2d •' *Jonathan BurrOug.h, Noah Chapiu, En.sign, Josiah Bradley,-'* *Com. Cariienter, Serg., *.To.«iali Benton, \ Abel Parker, " *Jonathan Benton-j Jacob Orcutt, " *Azariah Benton, Noah Oooley, " Asa Baldwin, *Heman Baker, Jr. " Jacob Brown, 2d, Jonah Brown, " Nathan Carpenter, *Elij'h Chapman, Corp. Eliphalet Cushnian, Asa Fenton, " *Uichmond Crandal, Matthew Buel. " *John Carlton, *Luke Washburn, " *David Carlton, *Samuel Steel, '' *Richard Carlton, *Jas. Steel, Jr , Drum'r *Ebenezer Cook, *Joel Stimson, Fifer, John Charter, Elias Newton, Privates. Amasa Allen, *John Abbott, Moses Amadou, Jude Brown, Jacob Brown, Alexander Brown, Charles Day, *Edward Dimock, William Elmer, Adonijah Fenton, John Furman, *Isaac Fellows, Cliristopher Frantz, Simeon Griswold, *Ebenezer Grant, ♦John Huntington, *David Ilinckle}', Ezra Holmes, *Abner Hatch, *Dan Hatch, Levi Hamlin, Nathan Jennings, Samuel Johnson, Caleb Johnson, Daniel Johnson, Daniel Kibbee, James Kibbee, Bildad Kibbee, John Lewis, Edward Lawrence, Andrew Miner, Caleb Orcutt, John Orcutt, Peter Pinney, Abner Pease, *llufus Price, Moses Pelton, Joshua Parks, *Tyrus Preston, *Ammi Paulk, Nathan Koot, Joseph Root, Jeremiah Rider, Daniel Kice, Stephen Bice, John Scripter, *Perez Steel, John Shurtliff, Elisha Stebbins, Isaiah Sparks, Simeon Stimson, Jeremiah Sparks, *Nehemiah Saljin, Joseph Sexton, Elijah Sexton, *IIenry Stevens, Stephen Taylor, Justus Thompson, Samuel Wright, *Jabez West, *Elijah Washburn, Noah Whipple. Those who have been ascertained with certainty to have gone from Tolland are marked *, but it is known there were more. The pumber on the roll are — officers and musicians, eighteen ; privates, eighty. Total, ninety-eight. The names indicate that the men were from Tolland, Somers, Stafford, Willington, and Coventry. Arrangements for enlisting were made in Tolland and men engaged on the day the news of the battle of Lexington reached the place. It is known that other persons from Tolland were at Roxbury, but were either tem- porary substitutes, or in other companies ; among them were Joshua Griggs and Solomon Eaton. Thirty-four are known as belonging in Tolland, which town was ascertained the pre- vious year to contain twelve hundred and forty-seven white, and fifteen black inhabitants. The last survivor of the Tol- land men on the roll was Capt. Ammi Paulk, who died in 1843. Moses Pelton was from Somers, and the next year THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 51 t^hen the Americans retreated from New York, he was killed by a cannon ball from the British shipping. On the first day of April, 1777, the town voted to furnish the families of men who would enlist into the continental ser- vice, with provisions and other necessaries, and appointed Capt. James Chamberlin, Lieut. Stephen Day, and Ensign Eleazar Steel, a committee for that purpose. The town also voted to present to eacl; soldier that should so enlist, a bounty of ten pounds in money, (thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents ;) one-half to be paid at the end of one year from April 1, 1777, and the other half at the end of the second year: " Provided the Honorable Assembly shall not raise money for the purpose ; but if the Assembly shall add to the soldiers bounty or wages, the sum of ten pound';, then the town is quit and free from this vote and obligation aforesaid ; and if the assembly shall add any part of said sum of ten pounds to the soldiers [bounty or pay,] as aforesaid, then it is to be understood to be in part pay of said sum of ten pounds to be given as aforesaid." It appears by the other proceedings that these enlistments were to be for three years or during the war. From the record of the Committee of Payables, under date of July 16,1787, 1 find the vote of April, 1777, was responded to, and the bounty of ten pounds therein named, was paid to the following persons, viz. : William Johnson, William Sowle, Joseph Cogswell. Andrew Miner Solomon Eaton, Simon Stimson, Elijah Haskell, Tyrus Preston! Ebenezer Brown, Joseph Sparks, Richard Carlton, Nehemiah Sabin, Isaac Squier, Jonathan Luce, Jacob Haskell, Andrew Peterson John P. Burrows, Clement Miner, Elijah Benton, Ehhu Johnson, ' Abel Crandall, Brisley Harris, George Hubbard, Ebenezer Stebbins. Ammi Paulk, William Huntington, Elias Newton, Twenty-seven in all, who received X270. Solomon Eaton, the last known survivor, died in Tolland in September, 1843. The above-named men belonged to Capt. Ichabod Hinckley's company, and formed a part of the second Connecticut Regi- ment. There is a roll of Capt. Hinckley's company still extant, from which the following names are copied. Those marked *, were from Tolland : *Capt. I. Hinckley, Corp. Nehemiah Sabin, *Martin Davis,/ »Abel Crandal, ♦Lieut E Chapmm, *Jonathan Luce, *U"illiam Huntington, *John P. Burroughs *Lieut. Rufus Price, *Klihu Johnson, *\Villiam Joliiison, *\Villiam Sowle ' *Dr. Jeremiah West, *Tyrus Prestnn, *Solomon Eaton, *Shubacl Dimick Serj. Eben'r Stebbins, *Andrew Peterson, Ebenezer Brown, *Edv Hatch, ' *Serj. Ammi Paulk, *Elias Newton, Isaac Squier, *Simon Stimson, 52 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. •Jonathan Delano, John Crandall, Joseph Sparks, David Pierce, •Clement Miner, *George Hubbard. Amos Harris, Roswell Miner. •Jacob Uaskell, *Elijah Benton, *Kichard Carlton, On the 23d of September, 1777, the town " voted to comply with the resolve of the Governor and Council of this State, in providing articles of clothing for the soldiers in the continen- tal army belonging to the town." The following persons were appointed a committee for that purpose : Samuel Cobb, E.sq., Hope Lathrop, Daniel Edgerton, Elijah Yeomans, Capt. E. Ohapman,sen., Adoniram Grant, Eleazar Uammond, Jr., Lieut. David Jewett, " Jas. Chamberlin, Samuel Nye, Shubael Dimiek, Elnathan Strong, " Stephen Steel, Kufus Price, Titus Baker, Samuel Ladd, " Stephen Day, Elias HolbroDk, Eleazar Steel. Jonathan Ladd. " Stephen Stimson, John Palmer, George Nye, 29 in all. Col. Solomon Wills, Jabez Bradley, Azariah Pest, Eleazar Kingsbury, Amos James, John Steel, December 8, 1777. Aaron Woodward, John Tyler, John Steel, and Joseph West, were chosen a committee to provide for the families of non-commissioned officers and soldiers belonging to the continental army from Tolland, for the year ensuing. January 1, 1778. Under this date I find the following vote : " Voted, that we accept and approve the articles of confederation drawn up by the Congress of the United States ; and do view them as a well-formed plan of confederation and perpetual union. Voted nem. con." In making provision for the soldiers of the revolution, it became necessary to have a deposit for military stores, and on the 28th day of December, 1778, Elias Holbrook was appointed to take care of the military stores belonging to the town. Hope Lathrop and Benoni Shepard were on the 28th day of June, 1779, appointed a committee " to provide clothing for the officers and soldiers in the continental army belonging in Tolland ; " and the selectmen were empowered " to settle with the committee appointed to provide such clothing and pay them therefor." The war had now continued about five years, and the issue was still doubtful. The credit of the government had depre- ciated, and the circulating medium of the country had become nearly worthless. The army began to complain as well for tlie non-payment of its wages as the worthlessness of the cur- rency in which it was paid. It was impossible to find men willing to leave their families for the continental service, with- out further guarantees that their services should be fairly The early history op tolland. 63 compensated. The town of Tolland was required to furnish sixteen men for the continental army for the year 1780, besides its quota of cavalry. In order to obtain this number by voluntary enlistment, the town, on the 26th day of June, 1780, voted that the wages of forty shillings per month should be kept good, and made up to each effective man belonging to the town who should enlist to serve until the last day of the then next December in the Connecticut line of the continental army; in wheat at four shillings per bushel; rye at three shillings per bushel, and Indian corn at two shillings per bushel. And as a further encouragement the town voted to pay each man that should so enlist, the sum of thirty shillings, lawful money, on the first day of January then next. By the same vote they extended the benefit of the same allowance to such effective men as should enlist into the cavalry to serve in the continental army the same time. On the fifth day of July, 1780, they offered the same benefit to such as should voluntarily enlist for three months, except the bounty, which was fifteen shillings instead of thirty — and to be paid January 1, 1781. The following persons received the bounty of thirty shillings in silver, voted July 5, 1780, to wit : Samuel Steel, Lot Burgess, Aaron Delano, Sylvanus Gage, Eleazar Hatch, William Johnson, Ezra Rawdon, Andrew Steel, Zadock Ben- ton, Samuel Chase, Hezekiah Huntington, Samuel Reed, Manoah Crowell, Clement Miner, Luther Delano, and Solo- mon Loomis. They were in the second Connecticut Regi- ment, and served in Capt. Ichabod Hinckley's company, except Samuel Steel and Luther Delano, who died before the term of service expired. Samuel Reed, who died in Tolland in July, 1851, at the age of ninety-one, was the last survivor of the above, and the last revolutionary soldier in Tolland. The same year, 1780, Benjamin Kimball, Charles Stearns, Ichabod West, Titus Hammond, Jacob Benton, and Joel Cran- dal, (six in all,) performed a tour of duty of three months. Jacob Benton died in Tolland in June, 1843. These several obligations made it necessary for the town to provide means to discharge them, and many expedients were resorted to, to sustain the plighted faith of the town. Taxes 54 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. payable in provisions as well as money, were laid ; and such taxes as would frighten the tax payers of modern times. The Assembly had voted a tax of sixpence on the pound, payable in provisions, but it would seem that this tax was not fully paid, or was insufficient for the purpose. The town, therefore, on the 18th day of November, 1780 : " Voted to raise a rate of one shilling on the list given in last year, for the purpose of raising the town's quota of provisions for the army and navy, to be paid in silver or g'old, by the 15th of January next. Provided the inhabitants of this town or any of them, should not pay sixpence on the pound as the law directs in provisions. But in case they or as many of them as shall pay and deliver in provisions said sixpence on the pound to the receivers of provisions in this town accord- ing to law at the stated price and produce receipt therefor from said receivers, shall be discharged from said tax or vote." Eleazar Steel and Medad Hart were appointed receivers of provisions for the town. It became difficult to obtain a sufficient number of persons to make up the quota of the town iii the continental army by voluntary enlistment, so many of its men being already enlisted either for a long stated term or during the war. Not- withstanding the encouragement the town had from time to time given, they were compelled to resort to such compulsory measures as should enable them to meet the demand. One mode adopted was, to divide the inhabitants of the town into classes and require each class to furnish one man. At the town meeting held on the 13th day of November, 1780, Col. Solomon Wills, Eleazar Kingsbury, Stephen Stimson, Benoni Shepard, Elijah Chapman, Hope Lathrop, and Miner Hilliard, were appointed a committee to class the inhabitants of the town for the purpose of furnishing its quota for the continen- tal army. January 10, 1781, Ashbel Chapman and Jabez West were appointed a committee to provide clothing for the soldiers. February 9, 1781, Col. Solomon Wills, Hope La- throp, Capt. Elijah Chapman, Capt. Benjamin Norris, and Samuel Ladd, were chosen a committee to enlist live men to join a regiment and go to Horseneck for one year's service. They were empowered to divide the town into five classes, pro- THE EAELY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 55 vided they could not hire the men by the 19th of the month. It appears that the committee could not hire them within the time specified, and they made a report of their classification of the town to an adjourned meeting held on the twenty-first of the same month, which was accepted and estabhshed. The town also voted to pay to each of the five classes, twelve pounds in silver money, ($40.00,) immediately upon their procuring a man for the class to enlist into tlie State service for one year. The following persons were hired by the classes, and received the bounty of twelve pounds each, promised in the vote : William Barnard, John HaskeU, Noali Johnson, Walter Holmes Abner Squier. ^ — ' On the 25th day of February, 1792, the town voted to " raise five men for the service at Horseneck, by a rate on the town at large." Simon Chapman, Col. Solomon Wills, John Steel, Medad Hunt, and Capt. Ichabod Hinckley, were appointed a committee to hire the men. The selectmen were empowered and directed to pay this committee the sums of money that they were " obliged to give the recruit as bounty for encour- aging [engaging] in the service out of the town tax granted in December previous." In this instance, instead of determin- ing the bounty themselves, the town left it to the discretion of this committee. There was some difterence of opinion in regard to the number of men Tolland ought to furnish for the continental service; and at the meeting last-mentioned, the town appointed Col. Solomon Wills a committee to wait on the county committee and adjust the matter, as well as that relating to the year's men at Horseneck. Under the vote of February 25, 1782, as above, the following persons were engaged to serve one year at Horseneck, and each received twelve pounds bounty, viz. : William Barnard, John Haskell, Charles De Wolf, Abner Johnson, and Edy Hatch. In 1782, the inhabitants of the town were divided into twenty-one classes, and procured for the continental army the twenty-one men whose names follow : Abel Stimson, Solo- mon Eaton, Ichabod West, Ichabod Case, James Covil, Samuel Parks and Allen Carpenter, Joshua Simons, Jolin Haskell, Moses Coy, Samuel Dimock and Oliver Scott, Eliphalet Kil- 66 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. bourn, William Coltrain, Eleazar Hatch, Jonathan Creasy, John Diniick, Caleb Thomas, Sylvanus Gage, Reuben Robin- son, Joel Barnard and William Eldredge. The following document, copied from the original in the town clerk's office, is valuable for locating the persons therein named : " Received of Colonel Samuel Chapman, thirty-nine able- bodied men, viz. : Eliab Allen, Thomas Buck, Jr., Lot Bur- gess, Zadoc Benton, William Barnard, Samuel Billings, Jed=--_Sv ediah Cady, Abner Cady, Samuel Chase, Samuel Davis,, Job Davis, Eliab Edson, Israel Furman, Timothy Green, Ede Hatch, Walter Holmes, Timothy Herington, Philemon Holt, Hezekiah Huntington, William Johnson, Joseph Lamb, Jasper Marsh, Henry McNeil, Clement Miner, Benjamin Jones Or- cutt, Solomon Parsons, Jeremiah Philips, Samuel Philips, Edy Pratt, Charles Pease, Samuel Reed, Sanford Richardson, Ezra Rawdon, Joshua Simons, Samuel Taylor, Brodwell Watkins, John West, Asa Wood, to answer as part of the quota to be furnished by his Regiment to serve in the con- tinental army. John P. Wyllis, Capt., Hartford, July 6, 1780. Continental Army." There is a memorandum on the back of this paper, as fol- lows : TOLLAND. SOMERS. STAFFORD. Edy Hatch, Samuel Davis. Charles Wood, Samuel Reed, Edy Pratt, WilUam Washburn. William Barnard, Job Davis, Asa Allen. Joshua Simons, Thomas Buck, jr.. William Johnson, Solomon Parsons, Luther Delano, Jeremiah Phillips, Samuel Chase, Israel Inman, Ezra Rawdon, Asa Wood, Hezekiah Huntington. Charles Pease, Abner Johnson, Ben. Jones Orcutt, Lot Burgess, Sanford Richardson, Walter Holmes, John Archer, Clemet Miner, Samuel Billings. (13.) Samuel Park, Zadoc Benton, Moses Delano. (16.) The following are the names of the officers, citizens of Tol- land, who served in the wars previous to the war of the revo- lution, viz. : Samuel Chapman, Sen., was a captain in the war of 1745. Samuel Chapman, Jr., was a captain in the war of 1755. Samuel Huntington was an ensign in the war of 1755. Solomon Wills was an ensign in the war of 1755 ; and Lieutenant commanding a company in the expedition to Cuba, 1762. THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 57 Probably there were several others who can not be now identified. The following named persons, citizens of Tolland, were oflfi- cers in the army of the Revolution, viz. : Samuel Chapman, Colonel of the twenty-second Regiment of militia, from May, 1775, to May, 1792. His regiment was at New York in the year 1770, and performed a tour of duty of two months. He was in the service at other times. Solomon Wills was Colonel during several tours of duty, either of State or Continental troops. Ichabod Hinckley was a captain in the continental line. Elijah Chapman (afterwards sheriff) was a captain in the continental line ; and a part of the time in Lafayette's light infantry. James Chamberlin was a captain of cavalry two campaigns. Amos Fellows commanded one of the Tolland companies at New York. Lieut. Lathrop, of the militia, was in active service. Ichabod Griggs, ensign of the Tolland militia, campaign at New York. Joshua Griggs, adjutant. His services were principally at Roxbury, New York and Saratoga. There were two companies of militia in Tolland in 1776, both of which were in Col. Samuel Chapman's regiment at New York. But at this time only the names of the officers above given can be ascertained. The following are the names of the persons, citizens of Tol- land, who died in the various wars prior to the close of the revolutionary war in 1783 : Samuel Chapman, Sen., Captain, died at Louisburgh, Jan- uary, 1746. Samuel Baker died in captivity among the French and Indians. Azariah Wills died during his return from captivity, Novem- ber, 1758, aged 25. William Benton died at Oswego in 1760, aged 35. Samuel Huntington, Ensign, died at Lake Oneida, August 18, 1760, aged 32. 58 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND, Constant Crandall died at Havana, Cuba, August 2T, 1762. Noah Stimson, do. Sept. 13, 1762, M 20. Jonathan Burroughs, do. " 7, " Wm. Eaton, son of William, do. Oct. 18, " ^30. John Barnard, son of Dr. Thos., do. " John Burrows, do. " Aaron Eaton, do. " Judah Hatch, son of Ichabod, do. " ^42. Oliver Yeomans, do. " Ezra Waldo, do. " Leonard Grover, do. " Reuben Heath, son of Isaac Heath, died at Roxbury, Mass., September, 1775, aged 20. A Mr. Scott, of Tolland, died at New York in 1776, before the city was evacuated. Ichabod Griggs, Ensign, died at New Rochelle, N. Y., Sep- tember 30, 1776. Moses Barnard, son of Dr. Thomas, died at New Rochelle, October 15, 1776. Azariah Benton, son of Daniel, died iu a prison ship near New York, December 29, 1776, aged 22. Amos Fellows, Captain, died in captivity in New York, February 17, 1777. William Hatch, son of Joseph, Jr., died at Chatham, New Jersey, March 26, 1777, aged 30. John Lathrop, son of John, was killed by a sabre cut at Horseneck, December 10, 1780, aged 18. Heman Baker, Jr., died of small pox, at East Hartford, on his way from captivity. Samuel Steel died in 1780. Luther Delano died in 1780. Aaron Steel, son of James, died in New Jersey. Amos Cobb, son of Samuel Cobb, M. D., was killed at the White Plains. The above are collected from the records. It is known there were many others, particularly at New York in 1776, but their names can not be ascertained. Itis impossible to estimate with accuracy the number of men THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 59 belonging in Tolland who served in the army of the revolution. The quotausually assigned to it was from sixteen to twenty-one. I understand this did not include those who served in the cavalry. There can be no doubt that the town constantly had no less tl\an twenty-five men in ihe field, besides those who served in what were called the short levies, and when the entire military force of the town went on some alarm or emergency. Nearly twenty can be enumerated as having gone from the present limits of the fifth school district ; and probably more than one hundred and fifty persons, residents of Tolland, comprising nearly every man of suitable age and strength, participated in that struggle by marching against the enemy. Several persons were in the field during almost the entire war, among whom Capt. (afterwards Gen.) Elijah Chapman, Jonathan Luce, Isaac Fellows, Solomon Eaton, and Elihu Johnson are remembered. Several times almost the entire active male population was absent in the army, and ordinary work upon the farms was done by female hands. Elderly ladies sometimes spoke of their share of it in earlier life, as if it was among their most interesting recollections. I have heard a venerable lady, daughter of one of the revo- lutionary officers of Tolland, relate that she, assisted by her younger sisters, frequently yoked the oxen, and harvested the autumnal crops with their own Iiands. These necessary out of door duties had not the effect of producing masculine habfts in those who engaged in them, or in making them less useful and agreeable in their proper sphere. In the instance above alluded to, they detracted nothing from the eminent social refinement and feminine graces of the individuals spoken of. Although Tolland furnished its full proportion of men in the revolutionary contest, and although so many of them peri*shed in the service, yet I have not been able to ascertain either by record or traditionary evidence, that any were slain in battle, except Amos Cobb and John Lathrop, before refer- red to. The record of John Lathrop's death, in the town- clerk's office, is as follows : " John, the son of John Lathrop, and Lucy his wife, departed this life December the 10th day, 60 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 1780, b}' the sword of the enemy at Horseneck." He was under eighteen years of age, and Avas strnck dead by a blow on the head with a sabre, by a dragoon. Col. Solo. Wills, to whose wife Mr. Lathrop was nephew, assisted in wrapping him in his blanket and laying him in the grave of the soldier. Nor is there now any evidence that any Tolland soldier received any dangerous wound, or so severe an one as to occasion his dimissal from the service. Several kinds of domestic manufacture were attempted in Tolland in the revolution. Linen cloth was then made in families from flax, and exelusivel}^ used for summer clothing. There was a family named Morey who lived at the south end of the village street, near the residence of the late Jeremiah Parish, Esq., who used to print this home-made linen for ladies' dresses. The cloth being first whitened, was then impressed with figures engraved on a thin board very similar in size to the hand-cards used in those days — the impression being entirely done by hand. The only color distinctly rec- ollected was a dark brown. It is much to be regretted that none of this cloth or the stamps have been preserved as most interesting revolutionary relics. There was also an attempt to manufacture molasses from green corn-stalks, ground in a common cider mill, and pressed like pomace of apples. The particular mill used for this pur- pose stood just back of the site on which was afterward built the house in which Col. Elijah Smith kept a tavern for l#,lf a century. In the south-west part of the town resided Mr. Titus Baker, a blacksmith, and his brother, Mr. Joseph Baker, who pos- sessed great natural ingenuity in the mechanical arts. In the scarcity of muskets, they contrived to manufacture a number, (it is not known how many,) which, though clumsy and heavy, were reputed to be serviceable weapons. The makers estimated that the labor bestowed on one of them amounted to the time of one man a fortnight. During the war there were several instances in Avhich Brit- ish prisoners were sent to Tolland for support and safe keep- ing. In the year 1781, when the progress of the war in the THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 61 South rendered it necessary to remove the arm}'- of Burgoyne from Virginia, where they were sent for cantonment after their surrender, many of them were removed into Connecti- cut. Companies of Hessians were quartered on the prem- ises of Col. Wills, lately the property of Jonas Green ; also at the house now occupied by Theodore Chapin. At one time, two Hessian officers had a dispute and arranged for a duel, which was only prevented by the assurance that in case of the death of either, our laws would in due season, without fail, send the survivor after him. A party of English officers were lodged in tlie house of Deacon Elijah Chapman, (now occupied by Daniel Chapman,) and were there while Yorktown was besieged, and a son of Dea. Chapman was a captain of Lafayette's Light Infantry employed in that siege. These officers were always repre- sented by those who remembered them, as making a splendid appearance, and as being very courteous and gentlemanly in their limited intercourse with the inhabitants of the neigh- borhood. In concluding the general subject of the revolution, it should be 'remarked that there were no tories in Tolhmd. With the exception of two or three odd, crusty, eccentric men, who generally opposed what others approved, and who being in the main respectable persons, whose whimsical oppo- sition was generally amusing, there was entire unanimity in Tolland from the first manifestation of opposition to the tyranny of England until the final establishment of American Independence. Most of the citizens of Tolland who were conspicuous in the war of the Revolution were the descendants of tlic first settlers. Among these, the name of Chapman is prominent. They were the descendants of Simon Chapman, who was one of the original proprietors of the town. He lived in Wind- sor and owned several tracts of land in Tolland, but his son Samuel, (the progenitor of all of the name in the western P2,rt of tlic town,) settled, about the year 1725, on a tract of about forty acres, lying south of a pond called Shenipset pond, deeded to him by John Huntington, of Tolland. To 62 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. this tract lie made great additions from adjacent lands, and his sons still more, until the three brothers, besides out-fields, owned a tract extending two miles or more from south-east to north-Avest, though of less, but irregular breadth. It was not until about thirty-live years ago that this tract, on which were eight houses, seven of which were of first-class size, and all inhabited by families of the name, began to crumble away and fall into the possession of others. Capt. Samuel Chap- man, the first settler, (whose decease at Louisburgh has been mentioned,) was grandson of Mr. Edward Chapman, who came from England, settled in Simsbury, and lost his life at the storming of Xarraganset Fort in December, 1675."- He was the only justice of the peace in Tolland for nine years, and was for eleven years a selectman. Very reliable tradition speaks of him as possessing many estimable qualities, among which was that of being an excellent neighbor. He first lived in ahouse situated above the entrance of the road that runs south from the fifth district school-house. He then built the house now owned and occupied by Mr. Oliver Eaton, and which, though nearly one hundred and twenty years old, is still in good re- pair and elegant condition — promising fair to outlive the present century. Capt. Samuel Chapman had three sons and five daughters, all of whom married and settled in Tolland. The sons be- came the wealthiest men in the town, and until superannuated, were among the most active, influential, public-spirited citi- zens. Samuel, eldest son of Capt. Samuel Chapman, was a very eminent citizen, and a very remarkable man. He was a cap- tain in the French war, and colonel of the twenty-second regiment of Connecticut militia during the entire war of the revolution. He was at New York with his regiment in 1776, and when the American forces evacuated that city, his regi- ment, stationed near Kip's bay, with the brigades of Parsons and Fellows, animated by their colonel, did not participate in the shameful panic of the American troops on that occasion, but made an orderly and honorable retreat. He was also in several other tours of duty ; his personal courage and aston- THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 63 isliing- hardihood were proverbial among his soldiers. His frame and nerves seemed as if made of iron, (for example, he never wore mittens in the coldest weather,) and such was his mental temperament, that disasters which would discourage even superior minds, only aroused his undaunted spii-it to more fearless action. Few men could be found so unflinch- ing in moments of danger ; and his firmness and energy never faltered under any circumstances. The almost unexampled number of times he was elected a member of the General Assembly, exhibits the regard in which he was held by his townsmen ; his was the master spirit that brought the citizens of Tolland into unanimous and energetic action in the revo- lutionary contest. Col. Chapman was one of the most wealthy men of Tolland, carried on a large business besides farming ; would give employment to a poor man who wanted work, regardless of advantage to himself ; and even embarrassed his estate by becoming responsible for the debts of the unfortu- nate. In person, Col. Chapman was rather under the middle stat- ure, with blue eyes, and his voice was remarkable for its loud- ness and energy. He was what is called a great reader, was rather taciturn, and of studious habits. He never laughed, and a smile seldom lighted up his austere countenance. Col. Chapman was born in Windsor, a few years previous to his father's settlement in Tolland ; and occupied during his life the house before-mentioned as built by his father. He died March, 1803, aged 83 years, regardless to the last of inclemency of weather or his own personal comfort. He was found dead in his bed. Such was his apparent health and uncomplaining habits, that the disease which occasioned his death, was only a matter of conjecture. Col. Samuel Chapman married Sarah White, of Bolton, September 20, 1750. Their children, five in number, were : Ruth, born October 9, 1751. t-arah, " January 15, 1753. ^ Samuel, " April 10, 1755, died July 1.5, 1756. Samuel, " Augast 18, 1757; settled in Ellington. Eliakim Chapman, the youngest son of Col. Samuel Chap- man, married Roxalana, daughter of Col. Solomon Wills, who 6-i THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. ' died November 24, 1783, after which he married Nancy, the sister of his first wife. He had several children, one of whom, Mrs. Joseph Bishop, is a resident of Tolland. He always resided on his father's farm, was a colonel of militia, repre- sentative in the General Assembly, selectman, and a nscfnl citizen. Elijah, second son of Capt. Samnel Chapman, married Sarah Steel, daughter of Rev. Stephen Steel, of Tolland, May 28, 1747. He died aged — years. She died Their children, twelve in number, of whom eleven lived to maturity, and most of them to old age, were : Joanna, boru Mny 16, 1748. Reuben, " December 8. 1749. Sarah, " July 23, 1752, died in infancy. Elijah. " July 13, 17.53. Ashbel. " June 28. 1755. Sarah, " April 1, 1757. Ruth, " i'ebruarv 20, 1759 Esther, " April 8, 1761. Roxana, '• November 14. 1763. Aaron, " September 17, 1765. Dorcas, " September 25, 1767. Daniel, " September 23, 1769. Of the sons, Reuben, the oldest, married Mary, daughter of Doct. Samuel Cobb, April 21, 1774, and died October 25, 1776, of consumption, occasioned by hardships suffered while in the revolutionary army, leaving only one child — a son named Solomon, who was born July 3, 1775; whose grand- children still occupy the lands of their forefathers. Elijah, second son of Dea. Elijali Chapman, — captain in the revolutionary army, sheriff of Tolland county, &c., received an extended notice in the History of Tolland County, published in the Tolland County Record, which it is unnecessary to repeat here. He married Sarah Keeler, of Ridgefield, a lady of unusual worth, and his home and place of his death was in a house (now owned hy John Doyle,) which he built on the land of his ancestors. He was the father of Elijah Chap- man, first cashier of Tolland County Bank, who united an unusual elegance of manners with an excellent character, and who died at Akron, Ohio, in 1849, aged fifty-nine years. AsHBEL, third son of Dea. Elijah Chapman, married Miss Lord, of Marlborough, and continued through life on lands received from his father. His sons were : Col. Ashbel Chap- man, lately of Tolland, deceased, who always resided on the THE EAELY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 65 paternal acres ; Col. Carlos Chapman, now of Windsor Locks; and Col. John B. Chapman, late of Warehonse point, deceased. Aaron, fourth son of Dea. Elijah Chapman, resided during life in the house built by the first Capt. Samuel Chapman, for his son Elijah, father of Aaron, and in which he (Elijah) had resided after marriage, all his life, — the same house being now owned by Daniel, son of Aaron. Dea. Aaron Chapman married a Miss Buel, of Marlborough, and died in December, 1842, aged seventy-seven years, leaving two sons — Novatus and Daniel. Simon, youngest son of Capt. Samuel Chapman, married Eunice Preston, April 22, 1762. He died in 1823, aged ninety — years. Their children were : Eunice, bom February 23, 1763. Simon, " June 17, 1764, died December 25, 176 Henry, " March 31, 1776, died AprU 11, 1775. Simon, " February 12, 1768. Nathan, a November 5, 1769. Hannah, a August 23, 1773. Eunice, wife of Simon Chapman, died April 12, 1775. He married for his second wife, LydiaQarlton, of Tolland. Their children were : Alexander, born February 14, 1780. Jacob, August 29, 1782. Lydia, July 9, 1784, died July 27, 1784. Ariel, June 24, 1786. William, April 19, 1789. Erastus, , April 19, 1792. Lydia, November 13, 1795. Sarah, daughter of Capt. Samuel Chapman, married Na- thaniel Kingsbury, March 16, 1737, and died July 14, 1794. He died June 23, 1796. Nathaniel Kingsbury was a son of Nathaniel Kingsbury, of Coventry, settled in Tolland about the time of his marriage, on lands granted to him by his father-in-law, and on which his posterity continue to reside. Nathaniel Kingsbury was a deacon of the church in Tolland many years. The children of Nathaniel and Sarah Kingsbury were : Hannah, born January 25, 1738. Sarah, •' February 15, 1739. Three in succession who died in infancy. Ruth, born October 7, 1750. Nathaniel, " May 5, 1753. Jabez, " March 10, 1756. Samuel, " February 2, 1763. Jabez, son of Nathaniel and Sarah Kingsbury, married 9 66 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Anna Hatch, daughter of Joseph Hatch, 2d, August 15, 1776. He died March 25, 18-14, aged eighty-eight years. His wife died June 12, 1842, aged eighty-three. Their chil- dren were : Sarah, bom December 18, 1776. Mary, " January 1, 1778, died February 7, 1778. John, " October 28, 1782. Jabez Kingsbury was many years deacon of the Congrega- tional church, was a justice of the peace twelve years, was six years a selectman, and was elected to the General Assem- bly three sessions, discharging his various public and private duties with unusual ability. He was one of the few who can carry on a very extensive farming business with perfect suc- cess, and without noise, hurry, or confusion. Col. John Kingsbury, son of Jabez and Anna, married Sally Dimock, November 1, 1804. She died December 11, 1819, aged 37 years. Second wife, Sally Edgerton, November 1, 1821, who died April 20, 1824. Col. Kingsbury married for his third wife, Mary Brigham of Coventry. Their chil- dren are : John Brigham, born October 1, 1826. George Henry, •' November 22, 1828. Col. John Kingsbury died in March, 1861, aged seventy- eight years. Ruth, daughter of Capt. Samuel Chapman, married Elea- zar Steel, as before stated in the notice of the Steel family. Hannah, daughter of Capt. Samuel Chapman, married Stephen Steel, Jr., as also previously noticed. Margaret, daughter of Capt. Samuel Chapman, married Samuel Ladd, April 28, 1768, and died February 14, 1813. He died May 18, 1814. Their children were : Ruth, born January 18, 1769. Samuel, " May 11, 1770. Margaret, " October 8, 1772. Mary, " November 28, 1775. Wareham, " April 28, 1778. Jacob, " December 14, 1781. Mary, daughter of Capt. Samuel Chapman, married Solo- mon Loomis — the date I can not find. She died February 24, 1774, aged forty-two years. Their children were : Simon, born March 7, 1758. Solomon, " September 27, 1760. Luke, " April 11, 1764, died April 27. Epaphras, " September 10, 1768. THE EAELY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 67 The Chapman family has been eminently distinguished in civil as well as military life. Capt. Samuel Chapman, the first settler, was the only justice of the peace in Tolland for nine years, holding the office at the time of his death, and was selectman eleven years. Col. Samuel Chapman was elected to the General Assem- bly forty-three times, when the election of members was twice a year, and attended at fifteen special sessions of that body. He was a member of the convention in January, 1788, and voted for the adoption of the present constitution of the United States. He was two years selectman, and twenty-six years, (from 1772 to 1797,) a justice of the peace, when there were but two justices in the town. Dea. Elijah Chapman, (also captain of militia,) was four times elected to the General Assembly, nnd eight years select- man. Gen. Elijah Chapman, (captain in the revolutionary army and major-general of the militia,) was sheriff of Tolland county twenty-three years, and a member of the legislature two sessions. For his biography, see county history. Capt. Ashbel Chapman was justice of the peace, holding the office at the time of his death, selectman three years, in the Legislature four years, and was a member of the conven- tion in 1818 which formed the present constitution of the state, and voted in the affirmative upon the'question of adopt- ing that instrument. Dea. Aaron Chapman, (of the Baptist church, of which he was the deacon, leader, and principal support for many years previous to his death,) was a selectman three years. Col. Eliakim Chapman was in the General Assembly one year, and one year a selectman. Simon Chapman, senior, was selectman two years. Simon Chapman, Jun., was a captain of militia, a deacon, (which title in those days superseded the other,) and four years a selectman. Col. Ashbel Chapman, son of Ashbel, was representative one year, and justice of the peace ten years, holding the office at the time of his death. 68 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. Col. Carlos Chapman was selectman one year, representa- tive two years, sheriff of Tolland county two years, and four years a justice of the peace. Novatus Chapman was representative two years, justice of the peace four years, selectman three years, sheriff of Tol- land county three years, clerk of the courts one year, and judge of probate for the district of Tolland four years. For nearly seventy years there has been a family of Chap- mans in Tolland, distinct in descent from the foregoing, but descendants from Robert Chapman, one of the earliest and principal settlers of Saybrook. I allude to the late Capt. Ezra Chapman, whose residence was in the village of Sknug- amug. He was the son of Ezra Chapman, who was an ensign of Capt. Horton's company of artificers, in Col. Baldwin's regiment in the revolutionary contest, entering the service for the war, August 6, 1777, and continuing therein until his death, September 1, 1778. His only child — Ezra, of Tolland, was born in Hebron, March 26,1773; was apprenticed to the trade of a blacksmith, (which was that of his father,) and when of age settled in Tolland, where he resided until his death, February 18, 1851, at the age of seventy-eight years. In the apparent enjoyment of his usual health, and while seated at his fireside, he fell into that sleep that knows no waking. Capt. Chapman married Lydia M. Whittlesey, July 6, 1797, by whom he had four children, two of whom still survive, and (with their children and grandchildren,) are citizens of Tolland, viz. : Capt. Sherman Chapman, born January 23, 1803, and Mary, wife of Ansel S. Barber, born March 30, 1805. Mrs. Lydia M. Chapman died December 14, 1806, and Capt. Chapman married for his second wife, Abigail Morgan, May 20, 1809, by whom he had seven chil- dren, one of whom, Mrs. Mason Agard, is now a resident of Tolland. Capt, Ezra Chapman was a man of some prominence. He was quite early made captain of a militia company in Tolland, was a selectman six years, a justice of the peace six years, and a member of the General Assembly two sessions. He was a very industrious man, honest and upright in his deal- I The early history op toll and. 69 ings, and in every way a worthy citizen. He read more than ordinary men, reflected much, and was very happy in ex- pressing his ideas upon paper. He had a ready pen in draw- ing the ordinary written agreements used among his neighbors, and excelled in his epistolary eiforts — many of his letters bearing marks of thought and scholarship. Wills or Willes. This is one of the names that stand prominent among the early settlers of Tolland. Joshua Wills was an inhabitant of the town of Windsor. His name appears on the petition of the Windsor men for a new town- ship, bearing date May 9, 1713, and presented to the General Assembly at its ensuing session. It also appears as one of the inhabitants of Tolland, on the petition relative to Cov- entry lands, presented May session, 1718. The following copy of a petition by Joshua Wills, now among the archives of the state at Hartford, will give some idea of the inhabitants of those times : " To the Honorable the Governor and Council sitting at Hartford May 25, 1722 : The prayer of Joshua Wills of Tolland humbly* sheweth : that your poor petitioner, by the holy providence of God, visiting of him with great sickness and of long continuance, is reduced to very hard and low circumstances in the world : my life is still continued to me, through the mercy of God, by my body and my estate brought very low through the force of my disease. I have thought it my duty to repair of the broken state of my health, but have no means that can possibly enable me thereunto. Therefore my humble request is that [you] would give me liberty of a brief to ask charity from christian friends within places and limits as your Honors in your great goodness shall think most suitable : and your petitioner as in duty bound shall pray." Joshua Wills." At this time there was a statute prohibiting applications for charitable contributions, without liberty from the governor and council, who were to direct in what towns and societies such briefs should be used. It does not appear what action was had on this petition. The necessities of the poor and unfortunate were not in those days relieved in this way alone, but they successfully sought relief in other ways. The following extract of a letter 70 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. from Rev. Stephen Mix, of Wetliersfield, to Gov. Talcott, dated May 26, 1726, and the action had thereon, will exhibit the character of the people of that generation in its true light. " We have," he says, " for a considerable time had many needy persons, (from the eastern towns principally,) coming to us for corn ; and they are still daily coming ; many that come — perhaps the generality seem to be sober, well disposed persons — showing an honest simplicity and freedom as I imagine from the vices, apt to be found in our more populous and fuller towns : — This evening I hear more of their straits," &c., &c. ' This letter occupies a page of foolscap paper, closely writ- ten. Gov. Talcott forthwith wrote a message to the Assem- bly, then in session, on a blank page of this sheet, and for- warded the whole for their consideration. A committee was appointed of members of each house who made a favorable report, and the following resolution was adopted in both houses, to wit : " May, 1726. This Assembly being informed that there are many persons in the towns of Voluntown, A^hford, Willing- ton, Stafford, Tolland, and Bolton, which by frost in the year past were generally cut short in their crops and thereby are reduced to a suffering, almost a perishing condition : — for the relief of whom this Assembly orders thirty pounds, (one hun- dred dollars,) money to be drawn out of the public treasury of this colony and to be delivered to Nathaniel Stanley and Ozias Pitkin, who are hereby ordered to send to the several ministers or selectmen of said towns except in Willington ; and there to send to John Cady and Thomas Jennings, to inform said committee of such persons as are in a suffering- condition ; and said committee are hereby ordered to propor- tion said money to the several towns according to their num- ber and necessities ; and said poor persons having a certificate from such ministers, selectmen or others as abovesaid, may repair to such committee who is hereby ordered to deliver unto him or them such support out of the money as they shall see fit." Joshua Wills was one of the very first persons to whom allotments of land were made in the territory afterwards named Tolland, on the 6th day of February, 1711 ; and he was one of the original grantees in the deed of the committee THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 71 who were authorized and empowered to sell the lands in the north part of Tolland. He had a son also named Joshua, who was born before Tolland was settled — the name of Joshua Wills, Jr., appearing on the petition of May 9, 1713. Joshua Wills, Jr., married Melicent Yeomans, November 9, 1729. She died March 13, 1737. Their children were: Solomon, born October 14, 1731. Azariah, " June 27, 1733. Elizabeth, " May 18. 17a5, died July 2, 1736. Melicent, " March ll, 1737, died March 17, 1737- Joshua Wills, Jr., married for second wife, Jemima Eaton, August 22, 1739. Their children were : Elizabeth, born August 14, 1740. Joshua, " July 15, 1742. Gideon, " February 1, 1743. Mehcent, '• January 12, 1747, died November 19, 1750. Joshua Wills died August 2, 1767. His widow survived to May 3, 1791. Mr. Wills was a captain of the militia com- pany ; a member of the General Assembly thirteen regular arid four special sessions ; and was selectman thirteen years. Solomon Wills, son of Joshua and Melicent Wills, married Elizabeth Lathrop, February 24, 1763. She was the daugh- ter of John Lathrop, one of the first settlers in Tolland. Their children were : Azariah, born May 30, 1772, went to Franklin, N. Y. Solomon, " January 10, 1775, settled in Penn.sylvania. Wareham, " July 27, 1780. do. do. Roxalana, " December 3, 1763, first wife of Col. E. Chapman, died November 24, 1780. Nancy, " September 3, 1765, second wife of Col. E. Chapman. Elizabeth, " November 30, 1767, married Capt. A.shbel Steel. MelicenO " September 12, 1769, married Col. Elijah Smith. Solomon Wills was very early enrolled in the defense of his country. We find his name first as a private soldier in the year 1756, in the French and Indian war. In 1759 he served as a Serjeant, in 1758 as an ensign, in 1759 he was a second lieu- tenant, and in 1762 he was first lieutenant commanding the ill-fated company that went to Cuba, of whom so few returned. In 1775, we find him captain of the volunteer company that performed a tour of duty of eight months, near Boston. The promptness with which this company was formed and made ready for service, speaks well for the character of its com- mander. The exciting cause of this movement, was the skir- mish at Lexington on the 19th of April ; and this company of ninety-eight men were at Roxbury, Mass., and mustered 72 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. into service on the first day of the following May. When we take into consideration the facilities of that day for circu- lating news or for traveling, this transaction will look the more remarkable. In the campaign of 1776, we find Mr. Wills under the command of Gen. Washington, as a Colonel, in which capacity he served at different periods during the war of the revolution, both in the State and Continental lines. Col. Wills was in civil life also, a very active and useful citi- zen. He was a selectman of the town three years ; a justice of the peac(3» five years ; an Associate Judge of Tolland County Court seven years ; a member of the General Assem- bly twenty-three sessions. In 1793 he ceased to act in public life. He died December 10, 1807, aged seventy-six years. Col. Wills is still represented in Tolland by two ladies, his lineal descendants, viz. : Mrs. Joseph Bishop and Miss Eliza- beth S. Kent ; they being all the descendants of Joshua Wills, one of the first settlers, now remaining in Tolland. The name of Samuel Huntington appears on the list of those who died in the service of their country. He was sec- ond son of John Huntington, Esq., one of the original grantees of the town of Tolland. John Huntington was from Wind- sor ; was one of the petitioners for the town in May, 1713, though his name does not appear on the subsequent petitions. It is certain that he was of Windsor, January 14, 1719, for on that day he took a deed of John Ellsworth of a tract of land in Tolland containing three hundred acres. He had also a lot of land that was Christopher Huntington's, assigned hiui November 26, 1719. It is not certain when he moved to Tol- land ; it is certain, however, he became a resident of this town before April 16, 1723, as there is a record of his mar- riage on that day as follows : "April 16, 1723. Then was John Huntington of Tolland married to Thankful Warren of Windham." The following is a record of his family : Thankful, born March 16, 1724, died July 14, 1739. John, " February 22, 1725. Samuel, " July 24, 1728. Andrew, " September 17, 1730. Abigail, " October 1, 1732. DeboraQ, " May 21, 1736. John Huntington, Esq., died January 26, 1737, aged forty- six years. He was the second justice of the peace ever ap- THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 73 pointed for the town of Tolland, and he was the only justice from 1733 to his death. He was commissioned as ensign in October, 1723, on the first organization of the militia in Tolland ; was one year the town-clerk, and two years select- man — departing this life at almost the commencement of his public usefulness. Tradition assigns his place of residence on the farm now owned and occupied by Dea. Nathan Spalding. John, the eldest son of John Huntington, Esq., married Mehitabel, daughter of Rev. Stephen Steel, March 23, 1749. The following is their family record : John, born May 14, 1749. Thankful, >• July 23, 1750, died October 29, 1750. Mehitabel. " .Tanuarv24, 1752. Elisha, " December 17, 1754. William, " September 19, 1757. Hezekiah, •' December 30, 1759. Deborah, " November 21, 1762. Samuel, " March 23, 1765. Abigail. '• March 29, 1767. Ruth, " May 12, 1769. Thankful, " October 3, 1771. Maria, "• October 27, 1774, died August 3, 1777. Samuel, second son of John Huntington, Esq., married Jane West, daughter of Deacon Joseph West, December 26, 1751. He was the Ensign in the French war, and died at Lake Onedia, in 1760. His children were : Thankful, bom December 24, 1752. Jane, " February 22, 1755. Diantha, " November 4, 1757, died September 20, 1763. Jerusha, " May 1, 1760, died August 5, 1778. John, son of John and grandson of John Huntington, Esq., married Rebecca Newell, of Ellington, (then East Windsor,) February 20, 1783. .Their children were : John, born February 26, 1784, died November 18, 1784. Mara, " February 12. 1786, died May 18, 1787.' John, •' March 7, 1788. Frederick Augustus, " July 14. 1790. Ephraim Newell, " " March 7, 1792, died Feburary 8, 1793. Rebecca, " October 29, 1793. Mara, " June 6, 1795. Andrew, " March 23, 1798. Robert Goodloe, " February 6, 1800. Almira, " February 10, 1802. Elisha, son of John and grandson of John Huntington, Esq., married Esther Ladd, June 16, 1785. Their children were: Andrew, born January 25, 1786, died February 8, 1786. Lucia, '• May 27, 1787. Samuel, " May 9, 1789. Ambrose, " June 8, 1791. Esther, " September 28, 1793. EUas, " June 6, 1796. AppoUos, " November 14, 1798. Nancy, " May 31, 1801. Laura, " May 19, 1804. Ruth, " December 20, 1806. 10 74 THE EAELY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Hezekiah Huntington, the fourth son of John Huntington and his wife Mehitabel Steel, was in the war of the revolu- tion. At one time he was* in an armed ship that made a dar- ing attempt to escape from New London harbor through the British fleet that blockaded the eastern entrance into Long Island sound, but the ship was taken, and the most formida- ble looking of its men, among them Mr. Huntington, put in irons. He was thus conveyed to New York, and confined in a prison ship, where his sufferings were such as to injure his health during life. He afterwards became an eminent law- yer and politician. For many years he was L^nited States District Attorney for Connecticut, and died in Middletown at an advanced age, leaving children who occupy very promi- nent places in society, viz. : Samuel H. Huntington, clerk of the court of claims, Washington, D. C, and Hezekiah Hun- tington, of Hartford. I am not aware that any of the descendants of John Hun- tington, Esq., the first settler, are now in Tolland. Capt. Ichabod Hinckley was the son of Ichabod Hinckley, who came from Barnstable county, Mass., about the year 1732, and settled on the farm now owned by Nathan Pierson, He died May 10, 1768. He was selectman two years. Icha- bod Hinckley, Jr., had six children by his first wife, whose name was Mary, viz. : Anna, Bethiah, Temperance, Ichabod, Benjamin, and Daniel. His wife Mary died January 8, 1769. He then married Hannah Kingsbury, daughter of Dea. Na- thaniel Kingsbury, for his second wife, December 12, 1769, by whom he had four children, viz.: Mary^Hannah, Sarah, and Deborah. He was a captain in the continental army, and performed several tours of duty, besides being otherwise very active in the revolutionary contest. He was twice a member of the General Assembly, and fourteen years a select- man. People who remembered him used to speak with admiration of his integrity and ability as a selectman, and of the dignity with which he used to preside in town meetings. Capt. Hinckley died February 23, 1807, in his seventy-second year. I do not know that any of his descendants are now in Tolland. THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 75 Captain Amos Fellows, of revolutionary memory, was a son of Isaac Fellows, who came from Plainfield, in Windham county, to Tolland about the year 1745. He married Abi- gail Lathrop, daughter of Ichabod Lathrop, and grand- daughter of John Lathrop, who was one of the early settlers in Tolland. The following were his children, viz. : Ruth, born March 27, 1753. Ichabod, " March 7, 1754, died March 18. 1759. Stephen, " April 17, 1755, died June 29, 1759. Isaac, " May 29, 1757. Abigail, his wife, died June 25, 1773. Capt Fellows is reported to have been at New York in the twenty-second regiment, in 1776, where he is said to have been taken by the enemy. Certain it is that he was in cap- tivity awhile, and was confined in a prison ship, where his sufferings were the most cruel, and from which he .found re- lief only in the sleep of death. He was said to have been a man of intellect, and of great decision and firmness of character. His death was considered a great loss to the cause, and it was said that had he survived he would have been promoted to a very superior grade. He left only two chil- dren, one of whom, Isaac, married and remained in Tolland to the day of his death. Ichabod Griggs, Jr., was an ensign in the war of the revo- lution. He was the son of Dea. Ichabod Griggs, who removed from Norwich to Tolland about the year 1744, the year in which his son Ichabod was born. Dea. Ichabod Griggs was representative three sessions, and selectman five years. He died May 9, 1790, aged seventy-two years. His children were as follows : Joshua, born January 8, 1743, at Norwich. Ichabod, " June 7, 1744. Sarah, '■ June 6, 1749. Joshua, eldest son of Dea. Ichabod Griggs, was, like his father, a deacon in the church and a very respectable man. He was an adjutant in the revolutionary service, and was a selectman five years. He married Joanna, daughter of Dea. Elijah Chapman, December 11, 1766. Their children were: Roswell, born September 23, 1767. Joshua, •' June 17, 1769. Susannah, " January 30, 1771. Daniel, " April 15, 1773 Charles, " August 15, 1775. Sarah, " September 23, 1777. Elijah, " September 5, 1780. Joanna, " September 5, 1783. 76 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Dea. Joshua Griggs died June 9, 1813, aged seventy years. RoswELL, eldest son of Dea. Joshua Griggs, married Sarah Dunham, of Mansfield, October 27, 1791. The following are their children, to wit : born Mary, Sally, Minerva, Charles, Eunice Hovey, Elijah Chapman, KoswcU Leonard, Seth Duuham, Parmela I'orter, Julia, Normand Brigham, May 15, 1792. March 5, 1794. August 6, 1796, married Doct. 0. K. Isham, November 12, 1822. April 14, 1799. August 27, 1801. September 5, 1803, died January 23, 1806. March 11, 1806, died April 6, 1815. May 1, 1809. August 13, 1812, died February 3, 1813. March 17, 1814. Jane l'^, 1816. Joshua, son of Dea. Joshua Griggs, was a physician, and for a short time practiced in Tolland, but removed to the west. Daniel, son of Dea. Joshua Griggs, married Nancy Pinney, of Ellington, January ll», 1806. The following are their chil- dren, viz. : Joshua, bom October 11, 1806. Eliza, " February 19, 1808. Lucius, " January 9, 1810. Harriet, " November 28, 1811, died March 1, 1816 Daniel, " March 2, 1814. Harriet, " May 27, 1816. Lemuel P., " May 19, 1818. Henry 0., " March 30, 1821. Charles G., " November 25, 1823. James Randolph, " May 7, 1827. Ensign Ichabod Griggs, son of Dea. Ichabod Griggs, mar- ried Mary Hatch, daughter of Joseph Hatch, the second, De- cember 19, 1766. He died at New Rochelle, N. Y., Septem- ber 30, 1776, aged thirty-two years. His children were : bom Joseph, Samuel, Stephen, Anna, Matta, January 30, 1767. May 10, 1768. October 3, 1769. September 14, 1773, died April 23, 1787. February 12, 1777. Samuel Griggs, son of Ichabod and Mercy Griggs, married Mary Hinckley, daughter of Capt. Ichabod Hinckley, all of Toh land, February 16, 1792. His children were : Anna, Ichabod, Chester, born October 6, 1792. February 28- April 6. Stephen Griggs, son of Ichabod and Mercy Griggs, married Betsey Lathrop, daughter of Solomon Lathrop, and a niece of Hope Lathrop, March 8, 1792. His children were : Harriet, bora December 27, 1792 Chauncey, " Ralph, '• Solomon Lathrop, " Austin, '■ Leverett, '' April 10, 1796. January 31, 1798. April 7, 1800. July 26, 1805. November 6, 1808. THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 77 The descendants of Dea. Joshua Griggs, now residents in Tolland, are Mrs. Mary Cowen, Mrs. Oliver K. Isham, and Mr. Joshua Griggs. Thev are also descendants of Deacon Elijah Chapman, through Joanna, wife of Dea. Joshua Griggs. The descendants of Ichabod Griggs, 2d, are descendants of Joseph Hatch, one of tlie first settlers in Tolland, through Mercy, wife of said Ichabod. The descendants of Stephen Griggs are descendants also of Hope Lathrop, one of the first settlers in Tolland, through Betsey, wife of said Stephen Griggs. Ichabod Griggs, 1st, was representative in the General Assembly three sessions, and selectman five years. Stephen Griggs was selectman one year, and captain of a militia company. Chauncey Griggs was representative in the General Assem- bly two sesssions, judge of the Probate Court for the district of Tolland two years, and a justice of the peace fourteen years. Ralph R. Griggs was a justice of the peace five years. Solomon Lathrop Griggs, was sheriff of Tolland county six years, and selectman four years. Seth D. Griggs and Joshua Griggs, were each representa- tives in the General Assembly one session. James Chamberlin commanded a company of cavalry one or two tours of duty during the war of the revolution. He came to Tolland from Coventry about the year 1772, and removed to East Windsor before the year 1782. While in this town he lived at the extreme south-east part of it, on a farm lying east of the one lately owned by Jesse West. He was one of the representatives from Tolland in the General Assembly, October session, 1775 ; otherwise I can learn noth- ing more of him tlian that he was a revolutionary officer. The name of Joseph Baker frequently occurs as one who actively participated in the early settlement of Tolland. He was one of the petitioners in 171B, for a charter of the new town, and his name is on various other petitions relative to its settlement ; he also received an early allotment of land. He was one of the fifty-one grantees of the township in 1719. He was of Windsor and was the grandson of Jeffrey Baker, 78 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLANDi. from England, one of the early settlers of that town. Joseph Baker finally removed his entire family, (all of whom were born in Windsor,) to Tolland, in the year 1724. He settled on a tract of several hundred acres lying south of Shenipset pond, — he was a large landholder, owning besides other tracts, one in the south-west district, where he settled two or three of his sons, and where their descendants have resided until this day. One of his sons, Jacob, was educated for the min- istry and graduated at Yale College in 1731, being the earli- est graduate belonging to Tolland ; but he was consumptive — never preached except where there was a temporary vacancy, and died early in life. Joseph Baker was two years a select- man, and died in 1784, aged seventy-five years. His son, John, married Sarah, daughter of Dea. Isaac Davis, of Wind- sor ; settled on his share of the original tract, near Shenipset pond, and died in 1802, at the age of ninety-five years. Jeru- sha, his only child who lived to maturity, married Samuel Stanley; — their oldest son, John Stanley, born in 1752, mar- ried Abigail Gibbs, of East Windsor, in 1771 ; — their oldest son, Roswell Stanley, born in 1772, died in 1850, aged seven- ty-eight years, on the land of his ancestors ; — the farm being now occupied by Col. Sanford Stanley, and was formerly the residence of Sidney Stanley, Esq., now of Hartford, who during his employment at the office of Secretary of State, fur- nished me with copies of documents in the public archives, relative to the history of this town. And I take pleasure in publicly acknowledging my obligations to Mr. Stanley for many of the interesting facts and incidents used in this his- tory, and would recommend those who may desire further information upon this subject, to avail themselves of his exten- sive research and fund of facts relative to the early settlers of Tolland. Joseph Baker, Jr., married Margaret Gibbs, of East Whid- sor, January, 21, 1731. Their children were : Seth. born .July 2, 1733. Titus, " June 18, 1736. Joseph, " November 18, 1738. Ebenezer, " February 8, 1740. Mary, " August 5, 1745. Daniel, " January (5, 1747, died June 3, 1752. Kuth, " December 25, 1749. THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 79 Joseph Baker, son of Joseph Baker, Jr., married Lois Car- penter, March 25, 1762. He was the father of Alvin Baker and Eli Baker, who lived and died in the south-west part of Tolland. Eli Baker was three years a selectman and four years a member of the General Assembly. Heman, son of Joseph Baker, senior, settled on his father's homestead, married Lois' Gilbert, of Hebron, and died in 1805, aged eighty-six years. The children of Heman and Lois Gil- bert were : Heman, born October 11, 1748. Ann, " April 24, 1750. Deborah, •' January 12, 1752. John, " January 26, 1754. Oliver, " October 5, 1755. Abigail, " November 5, 1757. Lois, November 14, 1760. Delight, '■ December 21, 1762. Lydia, " February 4, 1765. Heman Baker, Jr., was a sergeant in Capt. Solomon Wills' company of volunteers at Roxbury, in 1775. The next year he was taken prisoner, together with his brother-in-law, Joel Smith, near New York, and after being kept in the usual severe confinement, they were exchanged or released, and having been unnecessarily and maliciously exposed to the small pox, they were permitted to return to their homes. On their way they became ill, and were unable to proceed farther than East Hartford, where it was discovered that they both had the small pox in tlie most malignant form, and where they both died. Heman Baker, Jr., died January 21, 1777. He was a single man. Joel Smith left a widow and two small children. Their grave-stones yet remain where they were buried, — not in the public burying ground, but in a field near the house in which they died. No one of their friends in Tol- land could be present during their sickness or burial. Oliver Baker became a physician and settled in New Hamp- shire. Note This family should not be confounded with that of a Mr. Heman Baker, who moved into Tolland from Massachusetts, and some of whose descendants for a generation or two, continued in the eastern section of the town. John Baker, son of Heman Baker, Sen., married Ehzabeth Dimick, July 22, 1779. Their family record is as follows : 80 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. Celinde, born April 22, 1780, married Hon. E. Stearns, November 4, 1800. Nancv, " May 5, 1782. Almira, " April IG, 17H4. Amelia. '' June 10, 17SG. Seymour, '' June 25, 1788. Lydia, " October 25, 1790. Chauncey, " September 18, 1794. Florilla, " October 17, 1797. John Baker married for his second wife, Alice Jewett, December 25, 1806. They had one child, Juliana, born September 10, 1809. The name " Joseph Baker," which was the name of the • first Baker who settled in Tolland, has been continued in a direct line for more than two hundred years, and is now borne by a young man who is the seventh in unbroken succession. Two persons by the name of Benton died in the service of their country in the French and revolutionary wars, viz. : William Benton, who died at Oswego in August, 1760 ; and AzARiAH Benton, who died in captivity in a prison ship in Long Island sound, December 20, 1776. They were lineal descendants of Samuel Benton, Sen., who was formerly of Hartford, in this state. Samuel Benton, Sen., was one of the grantees in the deed of the committee to the first proprietors of Tolland. There were in that deed four grantees by the name of Benton, viz. : Samuel Benton, Sen., Samuel Benton, Jr., Joseph Benton, Sen., and Joseph Benton, Jr. The name of Daniel Benton appears first as one of the twenty-five petitioners respecting the Coventry lands in May, 1718. On the 20th day of Feb- ruary, 1719, Samuel Benton, describing himself of Hartford, o-ave a deed of land situated in Tolland, to Daniel Benton, also of Hartford, which deed is expressed to be " in consid- eration of love and good will I have and do have unto my loving son Daniel Benton," &c., . Jonathan, " September 24. 1743.- '/ Mercy, " February 28, 1746. William, " December 28, 1747, died March 26, 1777, at Natham, New Jersey. Joseph, " April 13, 1750. Abithea, " May 12, 1753. Bethiah, " January 13, 1755. Dan, " December 29, 1757. Anna, " September 18, 1759. Timothy, " February 1, 1761. Isaac and Rebecca, " May 24, 1763. Joseph Hatch, 3d, son of Joseph 2d, married Sarah Parks, Sept. 18, 1772. Joseph, their son, was born January 9, 1773. Betsey, " August 27, 1774. Anna, " September 24, 1776. Sallv, " October 24, 1778. ■Wiliiam, " December 31. 1780, died July 2, 1709. Ephraim, " March 21, 1783. Kuth, " July 20, 1785. Dana, " January 3, 1783, died March 16, 1792. Frank, " April 28, 1790. Dana, " February 19, 1795. Abner Hatch was a resident of Tolland before 1747, and on Nov. 5, of that year, married Abigail Loomis, daughter of THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 91 Solomon Loomis, one of the early settlers of the town. Their children were: Jerusha, born May 22, 174S. . Abigail, " I'ebruary 4, 1750. Abner, " January 31, 1753. Eleazar, » August 29. 1755, died June 12, 1763. Hannah, " February 12, 1758. Edy, " September 20, 1760. ' Esther, " February 10, 1763. Eleazaj, " September 17, 1769. Sarah, " February 3, 1768. ' The children of Edy, son of Abner Hatch were : Experience, born September 14, 1722. Abner, '^ November 22, 1726. Hannah, " January 15, 1729. Sarah, " April 10. 1734. David, " February 8, 1736. I^ u c^^ " August 4, 1740. •>_ Eleazar Hatch married Thankful, daughter of Joseph La- tlirop, December 31, 1767. Their children were : Semantha, born November 22, 1768. Morana, " June 1, 1770. Zadoc, " January 6, 1772. Nathaniel, " January 19. 1774, died August 6, 1803. Prudence, " June 8, 1776. Grace, " April 3, 1778, died October 22, 1800. Jeduthan, " December 20. 1780 Lectana, " April 15, 1785. Mrs. Thankful Hatch, wife of Eleazar, died March 17, 1803. Zadoc, son of Eleazar and Thankful Hatch, married Caro- line Holbrook, June 13, 1793. The following is a record of their family : Gustin, born November 3, 1794, died September 28, 1796. Nersa, " January 21, 1796, died September 3, 1798. Marvin, " November 13, 1797, died February 15, 1813. Grace, " October 18, 1800. Lectana, '• September 13, 1802. Caroline, " October 11, 1804. Mary Hyde, " May 20, 1806, died February 22, 1808. Lovlsa, " September 14, 1807 Eleazar Lathrop, " November 18, 1809. Jonathan, son of the second Joseph Hatch, married Bath- sheba, daughter of Dea. Joseph West, December 5, 1765. Their children were : Bathsheba, born June 15, 1768. Mary, " May 5, 1770. Clarissa, " October 27, 1772. Jonathan, " August 24, ,1774. Mrs. Bathsheba Hatch died September 1, 1774, and Jona- than Hatch married for his second wife, Mary, daughter of Daniel Benton, Jr., April 28, 1777. Their children were : Jerusha, born June 6, 1778. . Rosamond, " May 11, 1780. Aseoath, " May 6, 1782. Mary, " April 19, 1784. , " November 5, 1786. 92 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Children of Timothy Hatch : Saluenius. bom .Tulv 11, 1717. Marv, " August 17, 1718. JediJa, " December 30, 1720. ■'Jethro, " September 17, 1722. Timothy, " June 22, 1728. Deborah, " April 10, 1729. Job, " May 10, 1731. Justus, son of Ichabod Hatch, married Abigail Case, Feb- ruary 15, 1744. Their children were ; Honora, born March 16, 1745. lleman, " April 1,1747. Darius, " September 30, 1748. Justus, " November 1, 17.51. Ruth, " January 21, 176S) — and two that died in infancy. Children of David and Anna Hatch : George, born September 29, 1764. Solomon, '' November 5, 1766. Lucy, '• February 19, 1768. «* The descendants of the first Joseph Hatch now in Tolland, are Mrs. Alexander Abbott and her descendants, Miss Ruth Hatch, Frank Hatch and his children, the descendants of Capt. Stephen Griggs, the descendants of Dea. Jabez Kings- bury, and Joseph Tilden and children. Oliver Yeomans was one of the victims at the island of Cuba. He was a son of Elijah Yeomans, and was born in Tolland, November 10, 1740. He was of course about twenty-two years old when he died. There were several families of the name of Yeomans in Tolland at an early date. In 1720 one John Yeomans was selectman ; and one John Yeomans, Jr., of Tolland, has a deed recorded, bearing date April 11, 1723. There is no record of his family. Thomas Yeomans had the births of five of his children recorded in Tolland, viz. : Thomas, born July 9, 1716. Joseph, " March 28, 1719 John, " May 10, 1721. Stephen, " July 9, 1723 Ruth, " October 28, 1725. Joseph, son of Thomas Yeomans, married Susanna Rich- ardson, February 1, 1749. They had one child, Stephen, born July 25, 1749. Stephen, son of Thomas Yeomans, married Jerusha Ben- ton, October 17, 1771. They had one child, Susanna, born August, 1772. Elisha Yeomans and his wife Mary have the following rec- ord : THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 93 Jerusha, born March 3. 1728. David, " March 30, 1730. Mar}', " Mav 5. 1732. Joaathan, '• April 7, 1734. Hannah, " March 8, 1736. Elisha Yeomans died May 21, 1736. Elislia Yeomans has thig record. Abigail, born February 20, lfS5 ; Elijah, January 17, 1738 ; Oliver, November 10, 1740 ; Eunice, July 9, 1746. Elijah Yeomans died March 4, 1750. Elijah Yeomans, Jr., married Amy Delano, June 17, 1762. Their children were, Abigail, born May 6, 1763 ; Elisha, November 9, 1764. Elisha Yeomans married Joanna Baker, June 8, 1769. Their children were : Molly, born March 24', 1770 ; Anna, August 25, 1772 ; Elisha, January 27, 1775 ; Sarah, October 7,1777. John Y'eomans, Jr., was doubtless originally from Ston- ington. It does not appear whether those of Tolland bear- ing the name were his relatives, or whether they came from the same place. But it does appear that the name was in Tolland as early as 1720, and continued in the town until 1777, a period of fifty-seven years, after which the name of Yeomans disappears from our records. Ezra Waldo was another of the persons who was sacrificed at Havana in 1762. He was doubtless the son of Bethuel "Waldo, who moved from Windham to Tolland about the year 1750. Bethuel Waldo was a son of Edward Waldo, who was a son of John Waldo, and grandson of Dea. Cornelius Waldo, who settled in Ipswich, Mass., about the year 1650, John Waldo, son of Cornelius, settled in Windham, Conn., in the year 1698. The records in Tolland do not show the time when, nor the person to whom, Bethuel^ was married. It commences with a notice of the birth of his son Bethuel, his fourth child, who was born in Tolland, May 23, 1751. Be- thuel Waldo, Sen., married Lois Munsell, and had a son Ezra, who was born March 23, 1746. Ezra Waldo was of course but sixteen years old when he enlisted in the expedition in which he died, and was then an inhabitant of Tolland. I can find no other of the name who could have been in that expe- 94 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. dition. Bethuel Waldo, Seu., had a son named Henry, born January 10, 1762, who was the father of Lemuel Waldo, now a resident" of Tolland, and of Mrs. Frances West, of Coventry. There is a tradition in the family of Henry Waldo, that an elder brother of his perished in' the revolutionary army. Bcthucl Waldo had an elder brother, named Edward, who was the great grandfather of the writer. Leonard Grover came to Tolland from Coventry in 1756, having a deed of a farm in the north part of Tolland, dated April 23, of that year. He had a daughter born in Tolland, Octo])er 9, 1758, and lost two children, one of whom died in 1760 ; the other May 6, 1762 ; — after which last date there is no record of him or his family. His name appears on the roll of the company under Lieut. Wills that went to Cuba, with the return that he there died. I am unable to find any fur- ther traces of his family. Jonathan Burres or Burroughs was also a victim in the expedition to Cuba in 1762. He came into Tolland about the year 1748 ; and has a record of the births of six children, to which it is added that he died at Havana, September 7, 1762. I have stated that John Lathrop was slain by the enemy in the war of the revolution. He was the grandson of John Lathrop, who moved into Tolland about the year 1726, from Falmouth, in Barnstable county, Mass., and who took a deed of a tract of land containing a lumdred and twenty acres, bounded east on Willimantic river, which deed is dated June 4, 1726 ; and in which deed he is described as " now resident in Tolland." Hope Lathrop, who is reputed to have been the brother of John Lathrop, took a deed bearing date 1726, of Daniel Eaton, of a tract of land in Tolland, containing by estimation one hundred and fifty acres, and is also described as bounding east on the Willimantic. In this deed, Hope Lathrop is described as being of " Falmouth in the county of Barnstable, in his majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay." There is no record of the marriage of John Lathrop, but I find a record of the births of his children. This is as follows : David, bora October IS. 1723, died October 4, 1787- Hannah, '■ July 5, 17'J5. THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 95 Jonathan, born September 18, 1727. Anna, John, Thatcher, Lydia, Elizabeth March 10, 1730. May 6, 1732. January 26, 1734. June 2i, 1736. April 22, 1740, married Col. Solomon Wills. John Lathrop, Jr., son of John, married Lucy Gray, of Cov- entry, December 10, 1754. Their children were : Susalla, born November 23, 1757, married Eliab Ladd. Presenda John, Elizabeth Elvira, Rowland, Lucy, .Tonathan January 30, 1761 April 24, 1763. killed December 10. 17 Au^u.st23, 1765. June 13, 1768. M.arch 10. 1771. November 1, 1774. February 17, 1776. Molly, •• September 12. 1779. Rowland Lathrop, the son of John Lathrop, Jr., married Hannah Crafts, of Tolland, January 1, 1799. The following are their children : Horace, born April 23, 1801. William, " January 8, 1806. John, « December 24, 1810, died May 29, 1813. Benjamin, " June 5, 1814. Mary, " July 27, 1817. Hannah Lathrop deceased October 15, 1820 ; — Rowland Lathrop married for his second wife, Hannah Cleaveland, of Hartland, Vermont, February 28, 1821. Their children were : Rolliu, born December 19, 1821. Thomas Cleaveland, " February 22, 1824. Rowland Lathrop possessed more than ordinary abilities. When young, he passed for what in those days was called a wild young man, but his wildness ended with youth and he early became a very steady man and a most exemplary Chris- tian. He was a member of the Methodist denomination and was a local preacher. His public performances were credita- ble for fervency, candor and sincerity. He had a good knowl- edge of human nature, and had a shrewdness peculiar to him- self in his remarks upon almost every topic. Mr. Lathrop was proverbial for integrity and uprightness in all his deal- ings, and constant and true in his friendships. He was highly esteemed by his acquaintance, and never seemed to be more happy than when doing them some good. He was twice elected to the General Assembly, but never appeared to be over-auxious for political preferment. The influence of his example was most salutary, and a recollection of his guileless- iiess and simplicity will cause his memory to be long respected. He died September 14, 1844, aged seventy-one years. 96 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. IcHABOD, son of Hope Lathrop, Sen., married Abigail Baker, of Barnstable, Mass., November 9, 1732. His family record is as follows : Abigail, born October 15, 1733. Sanih, " March 20, 1735, dietlJune G, 1739. Hope, '' July 6, 1737. Sanih, " January 22, 1740. Anna, " March 26, 1742. Solomon, " May 24, I74(i. Mary, " September 14, 1748. Hope Lathrop, son of Icliabod, married Hannah H^ibbard, of Tolland, May 3, 1760. Their family record is as follows : Rebecca, born October 17, 1760. ' Edna, " February 15, 1763. Sarah, " July 4, 17C5. Ichabod, " June 30, 1767. Hannah, " July 12, 1768. Second wife : Horace, " April 25, 1775. Grace, *' Febru,^ry 21, 1776. Solomon, " April 21, 1779. Grant, " January 25, 1782. Sophia, " July 2, 1785- Azel, " January 28, 1788. Laura, " November 19, 1790. Capt. Hope Lathrop died November 8, 1792. He had been four times a member of the General Assembly. Joseph Lathrop married Prudence, daughter of Samuel West, June 17, 1744. They had but one son — Nathaniel, born August 16, 1752, and died April 28, 1771. Daughters : Thankful, born October 21, 1746. Prudence, born August 16, 1749, who died November 30, 1771 ; and Rebecca, born August 28, 1760. Joseph was a deacon of the church, and nine years a selectman of the town. John Lathrop married Rachel Ladd, Dec. 20, 1753. Their daugliter Rachel was born Oct. 22, 1754. Melatiah Lathrop married Mercy Hatch, Nov. 15, 1738. Their daughter Deborah was born August 11, 1739. William Lathrop married Amelia, daughter of Capt. Ammi Paulk, March 22, 1803. Their cliildren were, Kelsey, born October 17, 1803 ; Julius, born March 17, 1805. John Lathrop, the first settler, was a selectman two years, and twice a member of the General Assembly. He was one of the first representatives the town ever had, he being chosen with Zebulon West at the Oct. session, 1748. His descendants are yet rather numerous in Tolland. John Lathrop, who resided in the south-east part of the THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 97 town on tlie farm where his son Charles Lathrop still resides, was not of the above family. He was the son of Zebulon Lathrop, from Lebanon, who received a deed of the above- mentioned farm from Joshua Tilden, March 26, 1800. The ancestors of Zebulon Lathrop were from Norwich. The chil- dren of this John Lathrop were : Justin, born September ] 8. 1802. John, " July 26. 1804. Charles, " December 2-3, 1806. Wealthy R., " September 13. ISIO. S.amuel M., " August 11. 1815. Mary Angeline," April 2, 1818. Amos Cobb, the son of Doct. Samuel Cobb, was killed at the battle of White Plains, Oct. 28, 1776. Samuel Cobb was born in Wales^^^in Great Britain, in the 0. year 1716. I am unable to say when he came to this country, and where he was educated. On his tombstone he is described as having been a gentleman of public education, but his alma mater is not mentioned. He came to Tolland probably about the year 1743, and took a deed from Robert Parker, of Wil- lington, of a hundred and twenty-five acres of land, in this town, dated Dec. 19, 1744, in which he is described as being of Tolland. He married Mary Hinckley, August 25, 1743, by whom he had two children, Sarah, born July 7, 1744, who married John Slate; and Samuel, Jr., born Aug. 2, 1746. Doct. Cobb married for second wife, Hannah Bicknell, of Ashford, April 11, 1749. Their children were: Amos, born February 9, 17.50. killed at White Plains. Moses, " December 21, 17.51, died February 2, 1781, was a physician Mary, " December 29, 1753. married Reuben Chapman first, and Daniel Edjertou second. Jeduthan, " January 24, 1750, married Sarah, daughter of Dea. Elijah Ohapmau. Hannah, " January 20, 1768, died November 27, 1846, aged 89, unmarried. Solomon, " July 30, 17-59, died November 6, 1770. David, " July 6, 1761, married Hope Norris. Pamela, " January 20, 1764, died November 6, 1770. Daniel, '' January 21, 1766, married Elizabeth Holbrook. William, " January 20. 1768, married Elvira Stearns. Ruth, " September 29, 1770, married Ephraim West. Kachel, " January 20, 1774, died July 19, 1777. Samuel Cobb, Jr., married Esther, daughter of Ephraim Grant, Dec. 14, 1769. Their son, Samuel, was born Jan. 30, 1771. He married for second wife, Ann Slate, Dec. 16, 1773. Their children were : Jedutliau, born January 29, 1776. Amos, " January 2, 1778. Esther, " .July 4, 1779. Ruth, " February 5, 1781. 13 98 » THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Daniel Cobb iiiarried Elizabeth Bolbrook, ]\Iay 31, 1787. Their children were: Achsah, born June, 1788, Horace, '• Novenib«r, 1789. Waite, " Mari'li, . Betsey, " June, Ruth, " April, . Daniel, " Juue. . Luther, " , . William Cobb married Elvira, daughter of Doct. John Stearns, Oct. 29, 1792. Their children were: Hannah, born February 30, 1794. Alma, '■ September 22, I7U5. Eliza, " August 27, li97. Klvira, " September 15, 1799. Kachel, " December 31, 1800. Wm. Uickncll, '' March 9, 1802, died. Mai-y Ann. " April 2, 1804 VVm Bickuell, " January 16, 180G. Calvin P., " September 26, 1810. The descendants of Doct. Cobb, now in Tolland, are: ]Mr. Levi Edgerton ; the children and grandchildren of the late Reuben Edgerton ; Mrs. B. L. Young and her children ; the children of the late Reuben Chapman ; Elijah S. Cbapmaii and his children, all being the descendants of Mary Cobb : Luther Cobb ; Mrs. Edmund Josljn ; and Mrs, Dwight Edger- ton, the descendants of Daniel Cobb : Mrs. Doctor Ladd ; her children and grandchildren ; the descendants of William Cobb : and the descendants of Mr. Ephraim West, deceased, who married Ruth Cobb. The descendants of Doct. Cobb are also numerous elsewhere. Doct. Cobb was one of«the most prominent citizens that ever / resided in Tolland. He is reported as having stood high in his profession, and as having enjoyed the entire confidence of the community. He was honored by the town and the public with several important and responsible offices. He was eight times elected a member of the General Assembly, and like- wise attended two extra sessions. He was thirteen years a justice of the peace when there were but two justices in town ; and most of the time was the acthig magistrate. Li this sphere of duty he gave very general satisfaction, and his min- istrations were regarded as equitable, discreet, and promotive of the public tranquillity. His moral influence in society was very effective in restraining vice and dishonesty, and he did much to encourage sobriety and virtue. While living he was THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 99 greatly respected, and his memory will long remain as the conscientious, npriglit citizen, and honest man. He died on the 6th day of April, 1781, aged sixty-five years. As a branch of the Cobb family, now in Tolland, we can not lose sight of the descendants of Mary Cobb, who became the wife of Capt. Daniel Edgerton. Daniel Edgerton probably moved into Tolland in the spring of the year 1770. On the 20th day of March, of that year, he took a deed of Daniel and John Lathrop, of Norwich, of a part of the farm he afterwards owned in Tolhmd, and in which deed ho is described as being of Norwich. He first married Sarali, daughter of Dea. Icha- bod Griggs, Dec. 19, 1771 ; the record of which describes him as being of Tolland. Tlieir children were: Sarah, bora January 8, 1773. Phebe, " April 13, 1775- Mrs. Sarali Edgerton died June 23, 1777. Capt. Edgerton married for his second wife, Mary, daughter of Doct. Samuel Cobb, and widow of Reuben Chapman, Nov. 27, 1777. Their -children were : Daniel, born September 11, 1778. Ileuben, '• .1 uue 13. 1780. Sarah, " April 5, 1782 IMary, •' June 27, 1784. died September 27, 1784. Erastus, " November 8, 178(3. Mary, " Levi, " December 28, 1791. Capt. Daniel Edgerton died January 10, 1825. He was very highly respected, and was a very active and useful man. Besides his military rank, he was fourteen years selectman, a large part of which time he was the first selectman and principal manager of the afi'airs of the town ; one year a jus- tice of the peace, (which he probably declined holding longer,) and was chosen a representative to the (xeneral Assembly twenty-three times. In stature lie was quite six feet high, stout built and well proportioned. In demeanor he resem- bled a gentleman of the old school, — always dignified, affa- ble, respectful, courteous. He deserved and received the gen- eral good will of his entire acquaintance, and discharged all the duties of life conscientiously and satisfactorily, and has lefta very honorable and well deserved reputation. Daniel Edgerton, Jr., married Sarah, daughter of Zebulon Lathrop, May 7, 1801. Their children were : 100 THE EARLY HISTORY OJ' TOLLAND. Marvin, born January 11,1802. Linus, " October 4, 1803. Erastus, Joseph, " Salome, •' Hannah, " Zadoc, " Joel, " THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 117 Joseph, son of Joseph and Joanna West, married Lois Strong, March 10, 1752. Their children were : December 21, 1752, died March 20, 1753. April 7, 1754 May 4, 1756. died September 18, 1760. May 17, 1760, died August 15, 1760. December 20, 1762. June 3, 1776. February 6, 1769. October 30, 1721. December 1, 1773. March 19, 1777. This Joseph West was a very useful citizen. He was en- trusted with the guardianship of an unusual number of minors, not one of whom was ever known to express dissatisfaction with the management of his property. Towards the close of the revolutionary war, when the financial aflairs of the town were necessarily in great confusion, and the state government had required additional duties from towns in their corporate capacity, the people of Tolland elected a board of five select- men, being two more than the usual number, and Mr. West was placed at its head, though he had, as selectman, long before, gone the customary round of office. Joel, son of Joseph and Lois West, married Abina Chapiii, of Stafford, October 25, 1798. Their children were : Lois, born Percy, f Lester, February 23, 1800. January 1. 1802. July 8, 1804. WiUiam, '■ June 3, 1806. Aldeu, '• August 27. 1808. Chauncey, " Elisha, " May -22, 1811. October 22, 1813. EliS., " Henry W., " August 15, 1817. August 28, 1819, who with his family continues to occupy the farm and dwelling-house of his ancestors. Rufus, son of Joseph and Joanna West, married Sarah Nye, November 22, 1764. Their children were : Grace, born November 1, 1766. Ephraim, " September 30, 1767. Joel, " September 27, 1773, died in infancy. Ephraim, son of Rufus West, married Ruth, youngest daughter of Doct. Samuel Cobb, December 3, 1790. Their children were : Renda, born October 4, 1791. Rufus, " June 30, 1793. Orson, " February 1, 1796. Carlo, " Bicknell, " January 10, 1800. Sherman, " October 20, 1801. Parmela, " September 12, 1803. Grace, " October 29, 1805. Evaline, " June 26, 1807. Ruth, " August 6, 1809. EpUraim, " February 11, 1812, died March 28, 1818. 118 THK EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Mr. Ephraim West died November 2, 18G0, aged ninety- three years. Mrs. Ruth West died January 14, 1838, aged sixty-seven. Amasa, third son of Dea. Francis West, married Amy, daughter of the first Joseph Hatch. Their children were: Francis, born November 1, 1731. Oliver, " October 2, 1733. Phebe, " September 2, 1735. Lucia. " AugUcSt 9, 1738. Uebeoca, " November 26, 1742. died December 10, 1774. Amy, " December S. 1741. 'lied August 8, 1756. Mercy, " September, Itj, 1744. Mehitablc, " February 7 1747, died March 24, 1755. i Amasa, '' May 1, 1749 Susan, " March 8, 1754, died March 25, 1755. Amasa West married Bathsheba Gibbs, of Sandwich, Sep- tember 20, 1757. Levi, born April 27. 1760. Francis, sou of Amasa West, married Abigail Strong, of Coventry, September 13, 1751. He died June 22, 1769. Their children were: Beulah, born September 8, 1752, died April 23, 1755. Abigail, " January 14, 17o3, died April 22, 1755. Dorca.s, " October 7. 1754. Amasa, '' March 7,' 1757, died July 31, 1758. Sarah, " August 15. 1758. Joanna, " June 23, 1763. Francis, " May 30, 1765. Irena, " August 9, 1767, died April 15, 1758. Oliver, son of Amasa West, married Thankful Nye, Janu- ary 20, 1757. Their children were : Ebenezer, born November 23, 17.58. Anna, " July 18, 1759, died July 23, 1765. Amy, " September 9, 1761. Caleb, " July 4, 1764. Amasa, '' October 20, 1765. Zebulon, fourth son of Dea. Francis West, married Mary Delano, of Barnstable, Mass., October 7, 1731. Their chil- dren were : Mary, born September 17, 1732. Stephen, " November 2, 1735. Ann, '■ March 19, 1738, died January S, 1775. Thaukful, " July 14, 1740, died December 15, 1754. | Elijah, " April 6, 1743. Mary, wife of Zebulon West, died July 26, 1743. He married for his second wife, Mrs. Mary Sluman, February 22, 1744. Their children were : Sarah, bom January 27, 1745, died October 19, 1750. Prudence, " February 16, 1747, died August 16, 1748. Nathaniel, " t'eptember 5, 1748. Jeremiah, " July 20, 1753. Desire, " August 18, 1755. Buaix, " May 27, 1768. THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 119 It is probable that Zebulou West came into town with his father, Dea. Francis West, about the year 1720. He was admitted an inliabitant, that is, a voter, September 21, 1725, He was first elected to a public office in the year 1736, and from that time to the day of his death, tliirty-four years after- wards, he was always in the possession of some place of public trust ; and no man could be found who served in more capaci- ties, or rendered more acceptable service. He was for seven- teen years one of the selectmen of the town ; he was town- clerk thirty-four years, and a justice of the peace twenty-six. He was the first person ever chosen to represent the town in the General Assembly, and represented the town at forty- three regular sessions; being first chosen in September, 1748, and with one exception was re-elected at every session there- after until his decease. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives several sessions. He was Judge of Pro- bate for the district of Staiford, from its organization, in May, 1759, to his death. He was also one of the judges of Hart- ford County Court, several years. All these ofiices, except those of selectman and speaker, and with the addition of member of the council or upper house, to wiiich he had just been elected, he held at the time of his decease. Mr. West was rather above medium size — was exceedingly popular with the masses, yet it is said he never associated with them nor was familiar in his carriage towards them. His personal appearance was imposing, and with his deportment, commanded the most profound respect. About twenty-five years ago, a venerable lady, then nearly ninety-five years old, said to me, she had known Zebulon West very well, and had lived near him. She described him as very sedate, inclined to talk but little, but was remarkable for his good temper. When he went into a place of public resort, all present uncov- ered their heads, and conversation ceased. It should be remarked, however, that in his day respect was mutual, — that the removal of hats in salutation was customary, and that the young were carefully taught to be silent and respectful in the presence of their seniors. In the petty prosecutions for violation of the moral law, X 120 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. SO frequent in those times, Mr. West carefully distinguished between youthful thoughtlessness and confirmed depravity ; and whenever such prosecutions arose from the disposition to annoy or revenge, he took care, as far as possible, to avoid making the law instrumental to gratify private malice under the mask of public virtue. It used to be said that " Zebulon West never did but one wrong thing," — and that was certainly a very unfortunate one for the harmony of the town. It Avas the procuring by his superior influence the location of the meeting-house contrary to the just and strenuous wishes of jiearly, if not quite a majority of the inhabitants of the town, at a place south of the geographical center. But notwith- standing this momentary resentment, he always exercised an almost unbounded influence in the management of town afifliirs, and was, througli an entire generation, the principal man in Tolland. He educated three sons at Yale College ; Stephen, the eldest, was a clergyman, settled in the ministry at Stockbridgc, Mass., and became one of the most distinguish ed theological writers in New England. Nathaniel, the sec- ond son, did not study a profession after graduating, but set- tled in Tolland as a farmer, was elected town-clerk after the death of his father, six years, then emigrated to Vermont. Jeremiah, the youngest son, settled as a physician in Tolland. He was a surgeon in the revolutionary army, was a represent- ative in the General Assembly ten sessions. He was also a member of the convention in 1788, and voted for the adoption of the federal constitution, and he was justice of the quorum or Judge of Tolland County Court fourteen years. Zebulon West lived upon the farm lately owned by Bilarky Snow, in the south part of Tolland, and died on the 4th day of December, 1770, aged 6o. NoTK. — The record, so far as I have recited it, exhibits the cliar- acter of Zebulon West as nearly faultless, yet when the whole is seen, he will appear, to some persons at least, in a light that will throw a different shade over this fair picture. Mr. West was a slaveliolder and held one of the sable sons of Africa as property. My evidence tor this assertion is found in the town's book of records of births, mar- riages and deaths, from which the following is copied : " Zebulon THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 121 West's negro man Rristo, was married to Betty, Molatto woman on ye 2 1st day of September, A. D. 1757." This record is in the hand- writing of Mr. West, and doubtless was made by him when town-clerk. The name of this man was Bristo Harris, who lived until April 1, 1802, and is still recollected by some of the inhabitants of Tolland. The darkness of this shade upon the reputation of Mr. West is very much relieved, when we recollect that Connecticut tolerated and protected slavery by its laws, and that our Puritan fathers saw nothing in slaveholding, nor even in the slave-trade itself, inconsistent with the Christian character. It may here be stated that during the existence of slavery in Con- necticut, several families in Tolland were in possession of that species of property, and that on the abolition of slavery by law, several slaves in Tolland gained tlieir freedom. On the occupation of several islands in Narragansett bay by the British, in the revolutionary war, two or three families, with their slaves, came to Tolland and remained here until the enemy were expelled. Pelatiah, son of Deacon Francis West, married Elizabeth Lathrop, December 5, 1734. Their children were : Elizabeth, boru September 17, 1735. Susanna, ' March 28, 1737 Eleazar, ' ' November 9, 1738. Hannah, • ' Marcti 28, 1741. Zerviah, ' ' August 2, 1743. Kunice, ' ' April 30, 1745. Kiijah, ' aiart-h 7, 1747. Daniel, ' ' July 22, 1749. Prudence, ' ' June 1, 1751. Mary, June 28, 1753. Eleazar, son of Pelatiah West, married OUvo Redington, December 6, 1761. Their children ; Charles, born October 4, 1763 ; Thankful, born November 20, 1765. Christopher, son of Dea. Francis West, married Amy, daughter of Jonathan Delano, October 25, 1732. Their children were : Priscilla, bom August 23, 1733. Francis, '' October 30, 1735. Jonathan, " Decembei 30, 1737. .Jerusha, " April 27, 1740. Miner, '' January 9, 1743. Lois, " in Coventry. Mary, " May 25, 1750. Soloinon West, from Lebanon, married Abigail Strong, of Lebanon, October 10, 1743. Their children were : Solomon, born Augu.st 23, 1744. Ruby, " August, 1747. Abigail, " December 19, 1748. Lydia, " March 5, 1752, died October28, 1772. Esther, " March 17, 1754. Chloe, " April 14, 1756. Stephen, " August 19, 1769. Jeruaba., '' Juijo 6, 17ha, '> JIaroh 24, 1762. Eunice, " April 5, 1754. Ebenezer, " August 2, 1756. Ephraim Grant, Jun., son of Ephraim and Elizabeth Grant, married Mary, daugliter of Hon. Zebulon West, December 13, 1748. Their children were : Ephraim, born April 6, 1750. (Town clerk.) Prudence, " September 19, 17.52, died October 4, 1760. Eliag, " April 7, 1755, died October2, 17t'0. I'hilip. " Mav 30, 1757, died September 2G, 1760. Solomon, " March 21. 1760. Mary, " August 22, 1762. Ann, " January 30, 1765. Grace, " Januarv 16. 1767. Stephen, " March 9. 1770. William, " October 24. 1773 Zebulon, " December 9, 1776. Ebenezer, son of Ephraim and Esther Grant, married Phebe Edgerton for his first wife, April 22, 1779. She died Sep- tember 29, 1780. She had one child, Oliver, born 1779, died in 1794. He married Juliana Pearce, January 29, 1782. She died December 17, 1783, Ebenezer Grant married for his third wife, Edna, daughter of Hope Lathrop, December 23, 1784. Their children were : Juliana, born November 16. 1784. Phebe, '• Au;;ust 5, 1787. Harry, " .luly 2, 1789. Edna, " August 1 1791. Ebenezer, " June 16, 1793. Oliver, " January 31, 17'J5. The Grant family is now represented in Tolland by Mrs. Levi Edgerton, George M. Grant, and Edwin Lathrop Grant, with their families. These persons can trace their descent from the first settlers as well by the Lathrops as Grants, they being lineal descendants of Hope Lathrop. Samuel Ladd was town-clerk of Tolland six years, He 124 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. was a descendant of Jonathan Ladd, who, before 1720, was an inhabitant of Norwich, Conn. Tradition says he first came to Tolland in 1719 ; but it is certain he took a deed of Nathaniel Wallis, of Windham, of three pieces of land, dated February 11, 1720, which lands were situated in Tol- land. In this deed he is described as of Norwich, in the county of New London. Jonathan Ladd married Susannah Kingsbury, of Norvrich, December 28, 1713. Their children were : Ezekiel, born January 31. 1715. Elizabeth, "' Marcli 14. 1713 Jonathan, " March 5. 1718 Mary, " February 6, 1720. Susanna, " February 17, 1722. j;phrniEi, " January 30, 1725. Abigiil, " March 26, 1728. Zuriah, " JIarcb 30, 1730. Jesse, " April 10. 1732. Samuel, " March 29, 173i, died December 24, 17-36. Ezekiel, oldest son of Jonathan Ladd, Sen., married Han- nah Bigelow, November 3, 1740. Their children were : Lucy, born May 1, 1741. Sauiuel, '• Juiie 7, 1742. Ruth, " January 12, 1744, died September 3, 1706. Hanr.ah, " September G, 1745. Daniel, '' April 9, 1747. Ephraim, " May 11, 1749. Elizabeth, " April 28. 1751. Blisha, *' March 7, 1753, died December 26, 1841, at Wilbraham. Ezekiel, '* Jlay 1, 1755. I>avid, " July 27, 1757. Lvdia, • " July 3, 1761. Eunice, " March 13, 1764, died in infancy. Jonathan Ladd, Jr., married Anna Tyler, June 27, 1751. Their children were : Anna. born August 27, 1752. Eiiab, " April 21, 1754. Ahijah, '" February 27, 1756. John, " April 3, 175'^. Sarah, " April 27, 1760. Jonathan, '' June 15, 1762, ) ^^- ^^^^ August 21, 1762 Anna, " June 16, 1(62, ) ^ ' Jonathan, " M.irch 20, 1764. Ruth, " March 30, 1767. Jonathan Ladd, Jr., died August 27, 1810. His wife, Anna, died August 19, 1808. Eliab Ladd, son of Jonathan Ladd, Jr., married Susalla, daughter of John Lathrop, Jr., January 14, 1779. The following is their record : Joseph, born October 22, 1779, died in infancy Luther, "' December 20, 1780, died in infancy. Ariel, " February 9. 17S3. Stephen, " Norember 8, 1784. Lura, " October 30, 1786, died May 22, 1810. Roxy, " September 8, 1788, died in infancy. Rosy, " January 29, 1790, died in infancy. PrsBinda., " September 9, 1791. THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 125 Eliab Ladd died December 15, 1800. Ahijah, son of Jonathan Ladd, Jr., married Huldah Ful- ler, of Hebron, February 2, 1785. Their children were : Lois, born NovenibtT 18. 1785, died Mav 25, 1787. Ahijah, " Februarv 2n, 1787, died June 2, 1787. Ahijah, " August 15, 1788 1-evi, " December 20, 1790. Joel, " iMar.h 8, 1793. Ezra, " Februarv 2-3, 1795, died February 4, 1810. Alvan, " Way 17,1797. Huldah, " ?eptember 2r>. 1799. in Ellington. Daniel, " Juae 28, 1804, died February 9, 1807. Ahijah Ladd died April 15, 1826, aged 70 ; Huldah, his wife, November 20, 1834, aged 72. John, son of Jonathan Ladd, Jr., married Esther Wood, of Somers, December 11, 1783. Their children were : Esther, born September 15, 1784. Luther, '• MaylO, 178fi. Kunice, " June 2!i, 1788. Also, John, Maria, Laura, Lois, Lathrop and Eliab. Samuel, son of Ezekiel and grandson of Jonathan Ladd, Sen., married Margaret, daugliter of Capt. Samuel Chap- man, Sen., April 28, 1768. Their children were : Ruth. born January 18. 1769, in East Windsor. Samuel, May 11", 1770 Towu-clerk. Margaret, October 8, 1772. Mary, November 2S, 1775. Wareham, April 23. 1778. Jacob, December 14, 1781. Capt. Samuel Ladd died May 18, 1814. His wife, Marga- ret, died February 4, 1813. Ahijah Ladd, Jr., son of Ahijah Ladd and grandson of Jonathan Ladd, Sen., married Almy Cobb, daughter of William Cobb, and granddaughter of Doct. Samuel Cobb, January 20, 1818. They had three sons, viz. : William Cobb, born March 26, 1820 ; Charles Ahijah, born March 12, 1822 ; and Theodore Stearns, born September 4, 1826. Mr. Ladd had no opportunity for obtaining an education, other than was afforded by the common schools of liis day, but by the closest application to these advantages, he obtained an unusually fair education for practical purposes. He early indicated an aptness for the duties of the sick room ; tlie rep- utation of his skill as a nurse, probably induced him to study medicine. He accordiugly entered tlie office of Doct. Judah Bliss, with whom he continued until receiving a license to practice in 1818, when he established himself in Tolland, where, with the exception of two years residence iji Statford, 126 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. he remained until his decease, July 17, 1855, at the age of sixty-seven years. Doct. Ladd always had a respectable practice ; in one or two brandies he was decidedly superior ; was reasonable in his charges, and very indulgent to his customers. He main- tained a respectable position in society, and was a very useful man. He exercised a most wholesome influence in the circle in which he moved ; always on the side of good order and strict morality ; discountenancing all improprieties and im- moral conduct ; possessing all the qualities that characterize the good neighbor ; and without exhibiting any disposition to complain or wrangle when otliers were more successful than himself. Conservative in all his actions and modes of thought, he seldom if ever took ultra ground on any subject, and avoided all angry and unprofitable disputi^tions. With a kind heart and honest purposes, seeking to do right himself rather than to compel others to act according to his views and con- trary to their own, he secured many friends and was gener- ally esteemed. Samuel Kent is one of th.e town-clerks who has passed away ; I may therefore be indulged in a few words respecting him. He was born in Suffield, Conn., November 27, 1786 ; was educated as a farmer, and at one^ period of his life was very successful in the application of his practical knowledge of that business. He occupied a portion of the farm now in the possession of William West, on which he made many sub- stantial improvements. He married Melicent Wills Steel, daughter of Capt. Ashbel Steel, March 3, 1812 ; and after residing two years in Sufneld, commenced mercantile busi- ness in Tolland with Doct. Ahijali Ladd ; after the discontin- uance of which, and in June, 1819, he was appointed Deputy Sheriff for Tolland County, which ofRce he held by successive triennial re-appointments until October, 1835 — a period of sixteen years, when he resigned on account of ill-health. He continued to reside in Tolland, (with the exception of a six years residence in Fair Haven, from 1839 to 1845,) where he remained until his decease, May 28, 1854, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 127 He was two years selectman of Tolland, and on his re-elec- tion the tliird year, declined to serve longer. He was two years towji-clerk, nearly seventeen years deputy sheriff, and nine years county jailer and keeper of the county house. Mr. Kent discharged the duties of these offices with great credit to himself, and to the entire satisfaction of the puhlic. As an executive officer ho could not be excelled, and was very rarely equaled. He had great energy, which impelled him to do his duty promptly ; and a sympathy which invariably inclined him to leniency towards the poor and unfortunate. Sometimes, indeed, he was far too indulgent for his own inter- est, and at the commencement of his official life suffered an embarrassing loss by indulgence to an unworthy debtor. But it was one of Mr. Kent's peculiarities to meet misfortunes cheerfully ; he never complained so long as he had physical strength to carry the burden ; nor did he ever attempt to avoid any responsibility, which either the law or honor cast upon him. He was reasonably successful in business, until his health became so much impaired he was compelled to relinquish the ordinary labors of life. He was attacked with a lameness, ultimately extending to the spine, which continued, some- times attended with great pain, until his death. In stature, Mr. Kent was about five feet ten inches in height, rather spare habit ; strait and firm in his carriage ; quick and active in his movements. He was a kind and ol;liging neigh- bor ; social and pleasant in his intercourse ; honest and up- right in his dealings ; and ardent and sincere in his personal attachments. He deserved and received the respect and con- fidence of his acquaintance. He left two children : Eliza- beth Sophronia, born September 18, 1817, and James Steel, born July 24, 1819. GuRDON IsHAM is onc of the town-clerks whose last record is made. He was the son of James Isham, of Ellington, who moved into Tolland in the Spring of the year 17Ui). Asher Isham, brother of James, bought a tract of Land in Tulland, of Lathrop Birge, April 10, 1793, which he sold to James Isham, March 1, 1796, James Isham, of Tolland, married 128 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Polly Kingsley, of Lebanon, at Lebanon, April 20, 1796. Their children were : Oliver Kingsley, born March 26, 1797. Physician in Tolland. Gurdon, " December 10, 1800, Town-clerk, died February 7, 1857. Shubnel, " 1-Vbruarv 27, 1801, died Julv 22, 1825. Mary, " July 15, 1806, married J. Latlirop, died May 2, 1838. Gurdon Isham was apprenticed to the business of hatting, which he followed through life. He married Abigail Strong, of Columbia, January, 1824. Their children were : Abigail, born November 17, 1S24. Shubael S., Chester C, David B , Abby Jane, Harriet A., January IC, 1827. March 18, 1828, died April 4, 1328. Jlay 5, 1830. April 13, 1833. March 19, 1843, died April 7, 1854. Mr. Ibham was captain of the militia company in Tolland when he was but twenty-five years old ; was several years pounty treasurer, and between two and three years town-clerk, which office he held at the time of his death. He united with the Methodist church in 1831 ; was a most exemplary and useful member during life, entering into the subject of relig- ion with his whole heart, and there are few whose lives are more in conformity with their profession. Honest and consci- entious, never seeking popular applause, he was useful in his place ; those who knew him best will kindly remember him. John Abbott, of Andover, Essex Co., Mass., removed to Tolland in the year 1720, and purchased the place now owned by James A. Brown, where he lived sixty years. It is said he never failed to attend meeting a single Sabbath until the year of his death, and he usually went on foot. As he was going to meeting one Sunday, he discovered a bear on a chestnut tree, by the side of the road, opposite the house lately occupied by Capt. H. Cogswell, and called out, a bear ! a bear ! fetch a gun, in a voice tliat echoed through the forests and was dis- tinctly heard by persons on their way to meeting, a mile north of tlie meeting-house. A gun was brought and the bear despatched. Persons now living recollect this circumstance. He died November 25, 1789. This John Abbott had a son John, who married Elizabeth, THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. 129 daughter of John Stearns, January 21, 1748. John Ahhott, Jr., was born September 18, 1725, and died May 17, 1776. Elizabeth, his wile, died January G, 1783. Their children were : Nehemiah, born Decemher 21, 1748, died August 24, 1751 JoUn, " July 30. 17.00 Nehemiah. " August 23, 1752, died September 23, 1776. Jehiel, " June 2, 1755, died April 13, 1776. Sarah, " August 28, 1757. Abiel, " August 16, 1760. Elizabeth, " August 12, 1763. Er.astus, " April 5,176-. Alexander, " April 8, 1771. John, son of John and Elizabeth Abbott, married Temper- ance Baker, April 20, 1780. Their children were : Sally, born AprU 29, 1781. Polly, " March 29, 1784. John, " April 2, 1786. Elizabeth, •• October 18, 1788. Jehiel, •' September 3, 1795. John Bliss, Esq., married Sally, daughter of John and Tem- perance Abbott, May 80, 1809. Their children were : Sarah Olivia, born August 22. 1810. Mary Eliza, '• May 21, 1812. Sylvester, " June 29, 1814. Emeline Eliza, " April 11, 1816. The representatives of the Abbott family now in Tolland, are Doct. Lucius Abbott, Mrs. George Tryon, Mrs. Lucius S. Fuller, and their descendants. Ebenezer Nye was one of the first settlers of Tolland, He probably came into town before the year 1718, as his name is on the petition to the General Assembly, dated May, 1718, respecting the Coventry lands. There is some evidence tend- ing to show that he came from Dartmouth, Bristol County, Mass. He had land allotted to him in Jan., 1721, Nov., 1722, March, 1723, and at other times. He also purchased lands of others. Some of his land was bounded east on Willimantic river, and is evidently the farm now owned by William Hol- man, Esq. Ebenezer Nye married Sarah Newcomb, Jan. 13, 1720. Their children were : Elizabeth, born December 14. 1720. John, " November 27, 1722. Sarah, " August 9, 1724, died August 17, 1731. Ebenezer, " May 14, 1726, died February 2, 1727. Benjamin, " MaV 13, 1728. Eunice, " February 15. 1730. Lois, " May 25, 17.32. Malatiah, " April 21, 1734. Thankful, " August 2, 1736. Samuel, " July 20, 1738. Sylvia, " August 21, 1740. 17 130 THE EARLY HISTORY OF TOLLAND. Samuel, son of Ebenezer and Sarah Nye, married Abigail, daughter of Timothy Benton, May 30, 1765. Their children were : Hezekiah, born Aprilll, 1766, died March 9, 1850. Samuel, " Dot-ember 26, 1767, died March 23, 1771. Abigail, " May 10, 1770. Susanna, " January 14, 1772. Samuel, " December 25, 1773. Bathsheba, " October 9, 1776. Joseph, " November 2, 1779. Hezekiah, son of Ebenezer Nye, Jr., married Asenath Buell, Nov. 11, 178-4. Their children were: Abel, born January 29, 17S5. Elizur, " April 23. 1786. Jeduthan, " February 21, 1788. Buell, " March 7, 1790. Anne, " December 24, 1791, died February 21, 1817. John Hyde, " April 8, 1793. Marvin, " March 26, 1795 S.arah, " October 12, 1798, died March 13, 1819. Austin, " March 26, 1800, died June 3, 1817. Asenath, " February 12, 1804. Asenath, daughter of Hezekiah Nye, married James Spar- row. Their children were, Emeline, born Sept. 11, 1825; George E., born Oct. 22, 1826 ; John, born Marcli 28, 1834. Samuel, son of Samuel and Abigail Nye, married Elizabeth Merrick, of WiUington, April 21, 1800. Their children were : Harriet, boru August 15, 1801. Horace, " August 22, 1803. Susanna, " February 16, 1805, died February 7, 1828. Anna, " August 12, 1810, married William Holman, March 26, 1833. The Nye family is now represented in Tolland by George Sparrow and his children, descendants of Hezekiah Nye ; and by Mrs. William Holman and her children, descendants of Samuel Nye. It is here worthy of notice that the farm, on which Mr, Holman and family now reside, was a portion of the land allotted to Ebenezer Nye in 1721 and 1722, and has, as far as can be ascertained, always been owned by him or his descendants. Ebenezer Nye was a member of the House of Representatives one session, and selectman thirteen years. Hezekiah Nye, his grandson, was a representative three ses- sions, and a selectman three years. Samuel Aborn, of Lynn, Essex Co., Mass., took a deed of Nathaniel Wallis, dated March 17, 1724, conveying a tract of land in the north part of Tolland, upon the Hockanum, of about ninety-six acres. This tract is the farm lately owned by THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. 131 Parkel Aborn, now owned by Mr. Loveland. I can not ascertain when Samuel Aborn, the first grantee, came into Tolland. The first record of any birth, marriage or deatli in the family is the record of the marriage of Samuel Aborn, of Tolland, to Mary Ingham, of Hebron, Nov. 7, 1753. The fol- lowing were their children : Martha, born August 19, 1754. Samuel, " March 23, 1756. Mary, " February 19, 1758, died in infancy. Mary, " July 5, 17.59. John, " June 23, 1761. Dorcas, " March 31, 1763. Elizabeth, " M,av 20, 1765. Ruth, " September 3, 1767. Reuben, " March 6, 1772. Samuel, son of Samuel and Mary Aborn, married Dorothy Post, of Hebron, Dec. 26, 1782. Their children were: Samuel, born December 8, 1783. Jedediah, " July 12, 1787. Roxy, " October 17. 1791. Hiram, " November 26, 1793. Dorothy, " February 15, 1797, died June 15, 1822. Mary, " October 28. 1798. Ruth, " October 6, 1801. Samuel Aborn was a veteran revolutionary soldier, that is to say, he was in the continental service not less than three years, in terms of not less than nine months each, which enti- tled him to a full pension, or ninety-sis dollars a year. He died March 11, 1827 ; his wife Dec. 9, 1834. John, son of Samuel and Mary Aborn, married Sarah Rus- sell, of Ellington, June 28, 1796. Their children were: Sally, bom July 1, 1797. Laura, " January 7, 1799, married Chester Dart. John G., " July 21, 1800. Hannah, " January 21, 1802, married AWin Kibbe, 2d. Dan, " October 20, 1803. Reuben, " May 9. 1805. Lucius, " October 13, 1806. Parkil, " June 2], 1809. Madison, " March 28. 1811. Morton, " November 28, 1812. Maria. '' married Allen. John Aborn, died April 19, 1829. The representatives of the Aborn family, now in Tolland, are Samuel Aborn, Jedediah Aborn and descendants, Parkil Aborn and family, the children and grandchildren of Chester Dart, and Mrs. Alvin Kibbe, 2d, and family. Samuel Paulk was one of the fifty-one grantees in the deed of the first proprietors of the town. His name is not on any of the petitions of the first settlers, but there is a family- 132 THE EARLY HISTORY OP TOLLAND. record sliowing that lio was one of tlie earliest inhabitants of Tolhmd. Samuel Paulk was married to Sarah Slafter, May 6, 1720, and the birth and death of their first child was on the 6th day of Feb., 1721. This purports to be a record of his marriage, "and the birth and death of his child in Tol- land,"