Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-25
Local News,
North Branford.

HistOry-Address by Rev. E. c. Baldwin.
 The dedication of the chapel at Bare Plains, North Branford last Wednesday, was an oc- casion of much interest in the town and the exercises were numerously attended. The chapel is a neat, inviting structure and hand somely furnished. It was beautifully dec orated with flowers for the occasion. Sew eral resident clergymen assisted in the pro- gramme, and choir of trained voices also aided. Rev. E. 0. Baldwin, of this. city, preached the dedicatory sermon. His text was as follows
 'Neither shall they say, To here! or Lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is with you.'
 The speaker said It seems quite clear that when the territory Totokett was purchased of the Indians, in 1638, two white families were already on the ground. One was Thom- as Mulliner, who claimed as his a large tract in Branford Point region. The other was Thomas Whitway. He was living in the vi cinity of Foxen. Both were identified with the early settlement of North Branford. As Whitway's settlement was within the Bran ford lines, it must have been portion of the region since and now called Bare Plain. The New Haven purchasers, before selling to the Branford settlers, arranged with Mulliner to give up a considerable portion of his claim Whitway was left to enjoy peaceable posses sion of his, partly because the land was not wanted, and partly because he made himself useful. He understood the Indian language and could act as interpreter on occasion. ''Nov. Il, 1644, upon complaint made by some of the planters of Totokett, that the Mohegan Indians have done much damage to them by setting their traps in the walks of their cat tell, it was ordered that the marshall shall zoe with Thomas Whitway to warne Uncus or his brother, or else Foxen to come and speake with the Governor and the mages- trates'' The name Foxen shows the origin of the designation of the western portion of this locality. Whitway went with the mar shal to interpret for him without doubt. Thomas Whitway died on Dec. 12th, 1851. He had been chosen pound herd on April 21, 1651 His lands were reclaimed by the town because he seems to have left no heirs to con- tinue in possession of them. Other parties beginning to occupy them, the town in 1895, took measures before the court to keep them off, E. Stent and John Rose to enter caveat upon such lands at a special court at New Haven April B, 1895.
 In 1887, March 4, John Roosevelt, Samuel Hoadley, Joseph Foot, Josiah Frisbie, William Barker, John Maltbie and Isaac Bartholomew | were granted parcel of land one mile square in the western and northerly part of the town. That grant must have included much of the land in the district of Bare Plain. The 1 conditions were that each man was to build g habitable house and settle on his land within three years. If any failed to do this they could not hold the property. These were l young men starting out to secure homes fol | themselves. There is much reason to be lieve that Foote, Maltbie Hoadly, Frisbi' and Bartholomew did settle on these lands
 Josiah Frisbie was son of Edward, Josepl Foote of Robert, Samuel Hoadley of Vii liam Hoadley, who is said to have brough | the first store of goods into Branford. 1saa Bartholomew was son of William B., wh' had been engaged to build the first mill ol the Branford river. John Maultbie was tn
 son of William Maultbie. In 1691 Novem
 Der 10th, Thomas Mulliner and his wife giv up all other claims to land and are given 20 l dCIO5 OE GC11 4OO1J OAAO O<AOASAAO AAOASA"O6
 corner of the town. It was a piece almos
 square, bounded by New Haven, Wellington
 and Branford.
 In 1714, December 25th, Horseman Mulli
 ner and his wife Elizabeth sell to Nathanie
 Johnson the POO acres.
 The Mulliners moved then to Westcheste
 county, New York, and no more appear i
 Branford history.
 Tradition reports that the southeaster
 part of North Branford was settled as earl
 as 1880, and that the first house built the1
 was by Captain Jonathan Rose, of Hopyar
 Plain His father was one of the origins
 proprietors. He owned ten COWS and sixt
 horses The Sundays milking was alwa.
 given to the poor.
 Bare Plain was settled by Frisbie, Hoadle
 and others before TOO. John Linsle 1 and Bartholomew Goodrich were among tE
 earliest and largest owners of North Branfor
 lands. Ensign Isaac Harrison and Eleaze
 Stent drew lands on others rights, whic
 they had bought and thus were early owners
 June 9th, 17OO, John Coley of New London
 grandson of John Linsley of Branforc
 sells Bare Plain farm to John Barnes.
 was land on which the new chapel is no
 built. The Barnes house stood out in tn
 middle of this farm lot, south of the presen
 chapel. This John Barnes gets liberty fro1
 the town, Oct 26th, 17O2, to build Sabbat
 day house on the Common at Branford Ger ter. Other families were rapidly pushing III
 to settle in the northern half of Branfor
 territory. Hence there was necessity o
 another division of lands. This was tn
 fourth proprietor's division and long ste 1 toward equalizing rights. It disposed o ! most of the lands North RrQDf0r6
 It also confirmed the titles of several wh l were already in possession. There wer | fourteen different parcels. A roughly draw map of this division is to be found upon tn 223rd page of the 2nd volume of Branfor' Town Records. Along the Wallingford line | from west to east, were Thomas Mulliner l Thomas and Ensign Harrison, who drew fo I William Hoadley.
 The next range below, from west to east | was drawn by Josiah Frisbie for Samue 1 Frisbie, Eleazer Stent for the Rosewel l family, John Linsley for Bartholomew Good l rich. Below Roosevelt was William Hoodl. ! again. The eastern tier extending iron l boundary of present Northford Society t. l Guilford road at Paved street comprised tn 1 particles of Jonathan Rose, Micah Palmer | Samuel Pond and Thomas Gutsen. Mex | west tier assigned to John Rose, Noal | Rogers and William Maultbie Still anothe tier west was set to MT. Maultbie, Nathanie | 1 Thomas Sergeant.
 1 For number of years the ''Nort1 Farmers" as they were called came to meet | ing at Branford, and were under the min \ istrations of Rev. Samuel Russell. As ther l were but few roads, and those poor and tn 1 people had no carriages, the journey wa | slow and difficult. It was made on foot O on horseback, along the poorly made paths l through forests and swamps. But the worC of God and the privileges of the sanctuar, were prized in those days. The journe! took them all day. The whole family went carrying their pood, also weapons fol defence, hence Sabbath-day houses were l built to accommodate both family and horses 1 Having no fires in the meeting house they | went to these houses for warmth and bodily | refreshment. In 17O6 the town granted tc l Stephen Foote, Daniel Barker, John Frisbie and Edward Frisbie the privilege of building 1 Sabbath day houses on the common at the | center. These men were North farmers. AS the numbers of these northern settlers increased they felt entitled to better accom-. modations. They first ask for new roads, | and soon afterwards for more religious privi- leges.