Litchfield enquirer., 1854-03-09
EarMa Rnnni...


 seniiOn- of the public IO the admirable History of Ancient wOOdbury," by WILLIAM COrHREN, E.quire?
 Woodbury IS the oldest town in Litchs field County. and contains much in her annals that cannot fail to interest her residents and descendants, as well as oI2 who possess a taste for historical and antiquarian researches. wherever they may claim their birth.place and home. To all such. the volume before us will be most welcome addition 10 tie library and social circle. IL contains nearly $50 octave pages of valuable materials, methodically arranged, and beautifully printed. illustrated with here and there an engraving. 9. More than one half of the volume is occupied with biographi- cal sketches of professional or other prominent individuals were natives or residents of the town, and with the genealoges of the early families of an> clent Woodbury--a most important fea~ ,ure of local history, which we hope will be followed by other town h;stori. ans. In general terms, we regard it as the besttown history we have yet met with notwithstanding we once awarded 10 Mss Caulkins' History of New Lon, don like commendation.
 FVharo nro bl,uurn. t.r,n al>.no claims set up in the history before us. from which we must respectfully demur.
 And, first, Mr. Cothren claims ETHAN ALLEN as native Of Woodbury. and oc- cupies five pages of his book in attempt ing to establish the presumption. And what are the authors arguments Al. ludipg to certain sales of land made by Joseph Allen ('he father of Ethan) in I November l732 and March l733. he says: "By these two deeds he had par~ ted with all his cultivated lands in Litch> field. though he still retained his right to some wild lands as late as 1742." Again lie says, "If the accounts we. have a'e to be believed, Joseph, shortly after the sale of his interest in the old home- stead" in l733. removed and took up his abode in the Baker neighborhood. in the parish of Roxbury." On what au> hority Mir. c. states that Joseph Allen : had parted with all his "cultivated lands" in this town previous to March l733, does not appear. It is certain that subsequent to that date he bought several hundred acres of lands in Lilch- field, at different times. So late as the 7lh of December l733, he had deed recorded on the Litch6eld Records, at which date hc was residing in this town. And further-.he writer of this has been unable to find on the Land Records of Litchtield any hint that the said Jos seph Allen sold his .'old homestead" or home loi, or any dwelling house or homestead whatever, at the date epecii ed.
 But supposing it were proved that he sold his homestead in Litchfeld at the date designated. or at any date previous to the birth of E,han,- what evidence is there to suppose that he removed 10 1 Woodbury? Mir. Cothren does not in- sinuate that he bought homestead in that town-or that he ever owned rod of land there. The suppositlon that he, was ever resident of that town at at. seems to be based solely upon tradition, very fallible source Of information, es. pecially after the lapse of more than an hundred years.
 We cheerfully acknowledge that Mary Baker, the wife of Joseph Allen belong ed in Woodbufy at the date of her mar 'iage, March II. l737. It is only on the supposilion that the husband belonged in Litch6eld. at that time, that we can req snnably acconnt for the fact that the mar 'iage is recorded on the Public Records of 6oth of these towns. The simple fact that tue birth of Ethan Allen IS recorded upon the Litchfield Records. .and not upon those of Woodbury. is prima .Jacs eyi, dence that he was born in this town par ticularly in the absence of any conclusive proof to the contrary. .
 As confrmatcry of the opinion. that Ethan Allen was a native of Woodbury, and resided there during the early years of his life." Mir. c. introduces letter from him to the late Benjamin Stiles. Esq of that town. in which Allen ex. presses the hope that duling the next year (l7s6.J Ne may do himself-lhe hon ar to visit his friends in Woodbury. and says he retains !" "a grateful sense of their advice and friendship" to him in the tender and eaily years of his nsanhood." l" Mir. c. adds to this letter the following rema,k: This does not seem to be such a>le'ter as mao born in Lilch6eld, nur> tuFed in Cornwall. and removed to Ver> mont. .unconnected with Wood bury would be likely to write. ?
 Now. as Joseph Allen had removed to Cornwall as early as April, 'l740. ty hen Ethan was Eua little more than two years old the nrobabilitv is. thak the LAro