Middlesex County CT Archives History - Books .....Middlesex County 1887 *********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ct/ctfiles.htm *********************************************** ************************************************************************ The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification. ************************************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 19, 2005, 10:05 pm Book Title: The Old Chimney Stacks Of East Haddam CHAPTER VI. MIDDLESEX COUNTY. Middlesex County was formed in the year 1785. Previous to that time the inhabitants of the several towns repaired to the courts in the counties to which they previously belonged, when a resort to law was necessary to obtain redress. Several gentlemen from these towns appear, from the records of the Colony and State of Connecticut, to have seats in the Courts of Hartford, New London, and New Haven counties, previous to the formation of Middlesex County. Hon. Joseph Spencer, of East Haddam, was Justice of the Quorum for Hartford County from May 1778 to 1779. As previously mentioned, Gen. Dyer Throop, of East Haddam, was the first Judge of the Middlesex County Court. Among the Justices of the Quorum from the same county there were from East Haddam, Jabez Chapman, Esq., from 1795 to 1802; Col. Eliphelet Holmes, from 1802 to 1817; Col. Josiah Griffin, from 1817 to 1818. The State's Attornies for the county from its formation to the year 1820 were: Hon. Asher Miller, of Midletown, from 1785 to 1794; Hon. Samuel W. Dana, of Middletown, from 1794 to 1797; Hon. J. O. Moseley, of East Haddam, from 1797 to 1805; Hon. S. T. Hosmer, of Middletown, from 1805 to 1815; Matthew T. Russel, Esq., of Middletown, from 1815 to 1818; Major Andre Andrews, of Middletown, from 1818. The Sheriffs of the county were: William W. Parsons, of Middletown, from 1785 to 1791; Enoch Parsons, Esq., of Middletown, from 1791 to 1818; J. Lawrence Lewis, Esq., of Middletown; from 1818 to 1827; Gideon Higgins, Esq., of East Haddam, from 1827 to 1830; Linus Coe, of Middletown, from 1830 to 1839; Charles Arnold, of Haddam, from 1839 to 1845; Charles Stevens, of Clinton, from 1845 to 1851. Since that time the office has been held by Dr. Burr, of Killingworth, Curtis Bacon, of Middletown, Charles Snow, of Deep River, J. I. Hutchinson, of Essex, the present incumbent, and Arba Hyde. The Probate District of East Haddam was formed in October, 1741, and embraced the towns of Haddam, East Haddam, Colchester, Hebron, and that part of Middletown (now Chatham) lying south of the Salmon River. Haddam was taken from this and united to a new district in 1752, and Hebron in 1789. Colchester has remained a part of this district till within a few years. The first Judge of this Court was Hon. John Bulkley, of Colchester, from 1741 to 1753; Hon. James Spencer, of East Haddam, from 1753 to 1789. In 1776, while the latter was out of the State, Daniel Brainard, Esq., of East Haddam, was appointed to act as Judge, while Judge Spencer was connected with the armies of the United States. Isaac Spencer, Esq., of East Haddam, succeeded James Spencer, and held the office for twenty-nine years. The following persons were appointed Justices of the Peace, or, as they were formerly called, Commissioners, for East Haddam, at the time of the formation of the County: Gen, Dyer, Throop, Col. Jabez Chapman, Israel Spencer, Timothy Gates. In 1815 there were 421 families in town, divided among the religious denominations as follows: Congregationalists, 286; Episcopalians, fifty-five; Baptists, seventy-two; Methodists, eight. Our great-grandfathers drew rather nicer distinctions between right and wrong than their innocent descendants of the present day. A little of the old leaven than with which they vitalized their laws would not be unhealthy for present use, while many of their enactments would be somewhat impracticable. I copy from an old Connecticut Register, dated 1793, an "Act to be read at the opening of every Freemen's Meeting." "Be it enacted, etc., That if any person shall endeavor to persuade or influence any other person or persons in giving their vote or suffrage for any Member of the Legislature by offering to any person or persons any written vote or votes for that purpose without being first thereto requested, such person so offending shall pay a fine of forty shillings, for the use of the Town Treasury." Following the above are several "Acts" of like import. Here are some of the Acts for putting in execution good and wholesome laws for restraining irreligious practices and disorders: "Be it enacted, etc., That the Selectmen from time to time shall diligently enquire of all Householders how they are furnished with Bibles, and if, upon such enquiry, any Householder be found without one Bible at least, then the Selectmen shall warn the said Householder forthwith to procure one Bible at least for the use and benefit of their Families respectively; and if the same be neglected, then the said selectman shall make return thereof to the next authority, who may deal with such Householder's Family according to the directions of the Law relating to the educating and governing of children. * * And the Constables and Grand Jurymen in the respective Towns shall, on the evenings after the Lord's Day and other public Days of Religious Solemnity, walk the street and duly search all places suspected for harboring or entertaining any People or Persons assembled contrary to law." Another act provides that "it shall be the duty of the Selectmen to see that all families are supplied with a suitable number of Orthodox Catechisms and other good Books of practical Godliness and the like." The circumstances under which the early settlers were placed rendered it necessary that they should be trained in the use of firearms, and local military organizations were to be found in all parts of the country. In the earlier history of the town companies of East Haddam belonged to the 12th Regiment. In 1776 East Haddam and Colchester were formed into the 24th Regiment. A company from Hadlyme belonged to the 33d Regiment. The different commanders of the 24th Regiment from East Haddam were Gen. Dyer Throop, Jabez Chapman, David B. Spencer, Gen. Epaph Champion, Jon. O. Moseley, Josiah Griffin and Jonah Gates. In 1816 there was a general reorganization of the Militia throughout the State, which was preserved till within a few years. It is within the memory of our young men that "Training Days," were great events in the history of the town, from which all other events were dated. Soldiers with their tall hats and taller plumes, dressed in showy uniforms, met in companies in the different societies in town, once a year, where they were drilled in the manual of arms—marched in sections, platoons, and by company, and dismissed after several general discharges of musketry. How the boys reverenced those famous soldiers! The greatest scalawag in town, upon these occasions, was transformed into a hero, in their eyes, as long as he wore the regimentals. Among the early captains of the companies were: EAST HADDAM NORTH COMPANY.—Samuel Olmsted, Stephen Cone, Thomas Gates, Daniel Gates, Caleb Chapman, John Percival, Joshua Percival, Gen. Dyer Throop, Jonathan Olmsted, Jonathan Kilbourn, Jehial Fuller, Levi Palmer, Abner Hale, Dea. Caleb Gates, Elisha Cone, Darius Gates, Darius Brainard, William Palmer. EAST HADDAM SOUTH COMPANY.—John Chapman, John Holmes, Nathan Smith, Jabez Chapman, Daniel Cone, Bezaliel Brainard, Dea. James Gates, Matthew Smith, Maj. Daniel Cone, Col. David Spencer, Elijah Ackley, Gen. E. Champion, Jeremiah Smith, Robert Cone, Samuel P. Lord, Richard Green, Joseph Church, Samuel Crowel. MILLINGTON NORTH COMPANY.—Joseph Arnold, William Church, John Willey, Enoch Brainard, Amasa Dutton, John Arnold, Noadiah Emmons, Nathaniel Lord, Maj. N. Emmons, Aaron Fox, Oliver Church, Diodate Lord, Hezekiah Loomis, Manley Beebe. MILLINGTON SOUTH COMPANY.—Jared Spencer, John McCall, Aaron Cleaveland, Jonah Cone, William Cone, Ebenezer Dutton, Nathan Jewett, John Chapman, Joseph Gates, Robert Anderson, Amos Randal, Col. Josiah Griffin, Diodate Jones, Samuel Morgan, Gardner Gallop, Uriah Spencer, David G. Otis, Jon. Beckwith, Berah Beckwith. HADLYME COMPANY.—Dea. Chris. Holmes, Eph. Fuller, Eb. Spencer, John Shaw, Col. Eliph Holmes, Zach. Hungerford, Abraham Willey, Eb. Holmes, Jab. Comstock, Chas. Spencer, Newton Marsh, Ben. Crosby, Rob. Hungerford, Chauncey Beckwith, Calvin Comstock, Ozias Holmes. (The above is taken largely from Field's History.) Additional Comments: Transcribed from: THE OLD CHIMNEY STACKS OF EAST HADDAM, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, CONNECTICUT, BY HOSFORD B. NILES, Author of Genealogy of THE NILES FAMILY. NEW YORK: LOWE & CO., Book and Job Printers No. 210 Fulton Street. 1887 File at -- http://files.usgwarchives.net/ct/middlesex/history/1887/oldchimn/middlese18gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ctfiles/ File size: 9.0 Kb