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which twenty of the above number were added."1 His loss was felt not only by the people of his own charge, but by the town; and the attendance upon his funeral gave evidence of a sorrow as wide-spread as it was heartfelt. He was buried on the same day on which the news of the battle of Lexington was received at Windsor.

1 MS. Church Records.

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CHAPTER XIX.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF WINDSOR, THIRD, OR POQUONNOC

SOCIETY.

1724 - 1800.

The records of this church and society, although probably in existence somewhere, have thus far eluded all the investigations and inquiries which we have made. We have therefore had to rely, in the following meagre and unsatisfactory sketch, upon MSS. in the State Archives, the records of the Old Society, and such fragmentary documents and traditionary evidence, as we could obtain. It is hoped that this explanation will fully excuse such deficiencies as may be noticed.

That portion of Windsor known as Poquonnoc, was first settled, as before mentioned, in 1649, and prior to 1700 had become one of the most thickly settled neighborhoods in the town. As early as 1717, the inhabitants were allowed by the Old Society to which they belonged, the sum of £4 for schooling their own children; but several years elapsed before there was any attempt to secure for themselves the benefits of an independent church organization.

In January 1723-4, however, at a meeting of Windsor West, or Old Society, it was "voted, that the inhabitants of Poquonnoc, with the people adjacent, viz: as far as Peter Brown Jr's, inclusive, and Thomas Thrall's, exclusive, shall be freed from paying to the ministry here in proportion to such time as they shall hire an orthodox minister amongst them, that shall preach." By the same vote, the Old Society released the following in

habitants of Poquonnoc, on the south side of the Rivulet, from

paying ministerial taxes:

John Brown,

John Brown, Jr.,

Jonathan Brown,

Peter Brown,
Hester Barber,
Benjamin Barber,
Wid. Martha Barber.
Nathaniel Griswold,
Peletiah Griswold,
Ens. Thomas Griswold,
Thomas Griswold, Jr.,
Sgt. John Griswold,
Daniel Griswold, Jr.,
Matthew Griswold,
Ens. George Griswold,

Francis Griswold,

David Griswold,

Lt. Daniel Griswold,
Edward Griswold,
Joseph Griswold,
Sgt. Benajah Holcomb,
Wid. Martha Holcomb,
Joseph Holcomb,
Benjamin Moore,
Sgt. Joseph Barnard,
Wid. Hannah Phelps,
William Phelps, Jr.,
Josiah Phelps,

Lt. Nathaniel Pinney,
Nathaniel Pinney, Jr.,
David Marshall,

Their list of estates for 1723 amounted to £1570 10s.

On the north side of the Rivulet,

Sgt. Benjamin Griswold,

Benjamin Griswold, Jr.,

Nathan Gillet, Sr.,

Isaac Gillet,

Obadiah Owen,

Nathaniel Owen,

Ephraim Phelps,

Thomas Phelps,

Enoch Phelps.

David Phelps,

Samuel Phelps,

Sgt. John Phelps,
Stephen Winchell.

Their list of estates for 1723, amounted to £590 11s.

In May following, the Poquonnoc people made a formal application to the assembly for incorporation as a distinct society. This petition states that they number forty families, most of whom are four miles distant from the Old Society meetinghouse; and that they have a "difficult river to pass" in going there. The assembly granted their request, and they, in October 1724, were duly incorporated as the Third Society in Windsor.

At the same time their bounds were extended, which much "grieved" the Old Society, who petitioned in vain for a reconsideration.

The new society by vote of April, 1725, called Mr. Daniel Fuller of Wethersfield, and after a trial accepted him as their pastor, and appointed a day for settling him. From some unexplained cause, however, they suddenly dropped him. Whereupon (Oct. 1726), the discomforted minister petitioned the

assembly for redress, claiming that he was put to much inconvenience and expense, as he had been at Poquonnoc a year, and had moved his family there. The society denied that they had wronged him, but a committee, appointed by the assembly, decided that they had not treated him well, and must pay him £50 damages. This verdict the society petitioned against, but found no relief.

Of the real causes of dissatisfaction between pastor and people we are ignorant, with the exception of the little light that is shed upon the case by the following amusing affidavit:

"May, 1727. Cornelius Brown testifieth that when Mr. Daniel Fuller was at Poquonnoc, I was one of them that sought for his settlement in ye work of ye ministry there, but perceiving great uneasiness amongst ye people in that affair, and particularly at ye shortness of his sermons, I prayed Mr. Fuller to apply himself to his work, and lengthen out his sermons, that if possible he might gain disaffected persons. Mr. Fuller replied that he did not concern himself about it, if they were but orthodox they were long enough for Poquonnoc.

CORNELIUS BROWN."

In 1727, the Poquonnoc Society erected their church, which stood on or near the place now occupied by a small shop, south of the residence of the widow of the late Hon. John M. Niles. Their first pastor was the Rev. John Woodbridge, son of the Rev. John Woodbridge of West Springfield, Mass. He graduated at Yale College in 1726. We have no data whatever concerning his ministry here, or the time of his removal. His residence at Poquonnoc was on the site of John E. Griswold's present dwelling.

He was succeeded in January, 1740, by the Rev. Samuel Tudor, of (East) Windsor. He was a grandson of Owen Tudor, the first

1 The Rev. John, of West Springfield, graduated at Harvard College in 1694, m. Jemima, daughter of the Rev. Joseph Eliot of Guilford (son of the Apostle), and died in 1718. His father was Rev John, who graduated at Harvard College in 1664, was pastor at Killingworth, Ct., in 1666, and at Wethersfield in 1679. He was son of Rev. John (son of Rev. John, a distinguished non-conformist clergyman), born at Stanton, Wiltshire, England, about 1613, who came to New England in 1634, m. a daughter of Hon. Thos. Dudley, settled at Andover, Mass., in 1641; returned to England in 1647, and returned to New England in 1663; settled at Newbury.-Sprague's Annals of Am. Pulpit, i, 129.

of the name in Windsor, was born in 1705, and graduated at Yale College in 1728. Of him we know but little, except that he was a gentleman of very high classical attainments, a faithful and beloved pastor, and a sincere follower of his Master. He died Sept. 21, 1757, aged 52, and was interred in the old burial ground of East (now South) Windsor. His death was caused by camp-distemper, communicated from his son who contracted it in Canada while engaged in the French war campaigns, and who died of it after his return home. The Rev. Mr. Tudor was the father of the celebrated surgeon, Dr. Elihu Tudor, of East Windsor. His residence was just north of the present dwelling of Mr. Cyrus Phelps.

His death was followed by a season of trouble and disquietude. The people were divided in their wishes and opinions; some opposing the settlement of a minister, because they judged that they could not properly support one, while others desired a dissolution of the society. Separatists, also, "attending on what they call laymen extraordinarily qualified to preach," became a disturbing element in the ecclesiastical troubles of the parish. Petitions to the assembly to be annexed to Wintonbury parish, or to the Old Society; applications to associations and councils; and committees whose decisions always failed to give satisfaction to the inflamed prejudices of the disputants, followed each other with ceaseless rapidity-but all to no purpose.

The only knowledge we have is the following document (for which we are indebted to Mr. Elihu Marshall, of Poquonnoc), dated in 1771, fourteen years after Mr. Tudor's death.

We the Subscribers members of ye Second Society of Windsor Reflecting on the Melancholy state of sd Society in this Very great Particular viz our having for a Long time and still Continuing to be Destitute of a settled minister & some part of ye time without a preached Gospel among us and also Reflecting on ye great Improbability of ever being able to bring about ye settlement of a Gospel minister in ye Common & ordinary way yt ye Gospel is settled and supported in other Societys; and also being sensible of ye Solemn obligations yt are upon us to support ye Gospel in a Regular and Honourable way & manner in Tenderness to our own souls & those of our Children & friends & for ye promoting outward good order among us have agreed to make one Effort more for the Quiet and peacable Settlement &

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