Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-14
The Early settlers.


cal GIeantngs-Lives Contemporaries
GUS with the 'sMayflower'' and Settle.
ment of New Haven CO1Ony-The1r
Antecedents and HerItage-Features
of Early Colonial History.
In our last number we gave copious alb
stract from Captain Townshend's sketch of
Henry Whitfield, the leader of the Guilford
planters. In connection, with reference to
that plantation, its purchase and settlement,
it seemed natural to diverge from the course
laid down and mention incidents of early
colonial history which led to the locating and
settlement of New Haven and GuiHord; such
incidents as the defeat, pursuit and annihi-
latlon of the Pequot Indians by Captain
Stoughton, that afterwards valiant Cromwell
liam colonel of the name, who died in service
at Lincoln, England, in 1914
But to return to Whitfield, the subject of
the sketch. Whitefeld was fast friend of
Colonel George Fenwick, of whom in anoth-
er paper we expect to give an outline history.
Both were members together of Gray's Inn,
Oxford, where they formed strong friend
ship, which seems to have held through
stormy life, both in old and New England.
Colonel Fenwick was in New England as
early as May, 1886, when we find him at Bos-
ton. He went the next year to England and
returned with Whitfeld's company to take
command of the new fort which Lion Gar
diner had built at the mouth of the Connect
cut river. The fort had been prepared in part
for the reception of Fenwick's father-inIaw,
Sir Arthur Hasleriggs and colleagues. Pym
Hamden, Cromwell and others, who had
planned to emigrate, had associated them
he 10 md nd tho
Lord Brook in purchase. of this site, which
site was conveyed to them by the Earl of War
wick, who several years before had obtained
from James 1 grant of land westward from
the Narragansett Bay, and more fully describ-
ed by Hutchinson and other colonial histo-
rians. Here it may be added that Smiths
history of Guilford, Connecticut, land from
which interesting work Mr.. T. often quotes)
says: 'Mr' Whitfield being DESTROYS of ex-
tending the township still further eastward
made repeated application to his friend Fen
wick to- convey to his plantation a tract lying
between Turks and Hammonasset rivers,
which Mr.. Fenwick had bought of Uncas,
and in a letter dated Oct. %, 1915, Mr.. Fen
wick gave this tract to Guilford on conditions
that the planters would accommodate Mr.
Whitfield with land to his content and he
he was authorized to hold SI1e land until the
conditions should be fulfilled
This grant from Mr.. Fenwick was accepted
byGuilford which made Mr.. Whitfield several
allotments of land which he afterward decided
to the town the Goth of August, 1850, for the
consideration of EGO paid in wheat
From 1910 to 1915, the New Haven Colo
NAL Records mako 11,aDtio1, Of +I;O
plantation and most interesting account is
given by Mr.. John w. Barber in his histori-
cal collections of Connecticut, Cotton Mather
in his Magnolia and other cleaners in colonia
history.
Immediately after Mr.. Whitfield and his
planters had located their town site, they
commenced to build themselves houses, sew
eral of which were of stone quarried from a
ledge in the vicinity, and Mr.. Whitfelds is
the only one of these houses now remaining.
It is still standing just north of the New
Haven and New London railroad station and
is the Oldest English built house in the
United States. 1t may be taken as similar in
architecture to other stone houses built at
that period, being much like the old manor
houses still to be seen of that date in Kent and
Sussex, England.
A IruUnIuu QeScf1pt1On OF It's cOnd1tlOn ana
appearance was given by the late Ralph D.
Smith, Esq, of Guilford, in 1859, and which
Mr.. Townshend copies verbatim follows:
''The walls are of stone from a ledge eighty
rods distant to the east. The material was
probably brought on handbarrows across a
to be traced. A small addition not here ]
represented. Tin the p1an), has ina ooode1rlg
but there IS no question that the main build !
ing remains in its original state, even to the |
oak of the beams, floors, doors and window |
sashes.
''The following representation of the in
terror exhibits accurately the dimensions of |
the rooms, windows and doors, the thickness |
OF the walls, etc, on scale of ten feet to the |
inch In the recesses of the |
windows are broad seats. Within the mem
DRY of some of the residents of the town the |
panes of glass were of diamond shape
The height of the first story is seven feet
and two-thlrds, the height of the second is
six feet and three-quarters. At the souther-
~ corner in the second story there was orig
inally an embrasure about a foot wide with
a stone flooring which remains The exterior
walls are now closed up, but not the walls
within.
"The walls at the front and back of the
house terminate at the floor of the attic and
the rafters lie upon them. The angle of the
root is sixty degrees, making the base and
sides equal. At the end of the
wing by the chimney is recess
which must have been intended as place of |
The interior walls have the
appearance of touching the chimney like the
wallis at the northwest end, but the removal
IT board discovers two closets which pro-
ect beyond the lower part of the building -
This noted residence was sold by Mr. Whit
ield on his removal to England in 1862 to
MAJOR Thompson, of London, an important |
nan In England during the commonwealth
M continued in his family until October
JxybnT |
ord, bought it for $4,000 Massachusett ,
money.
On Mr.. Whitfelds return to England he is ]
aid to have resumed his old living at | |
likely, County Surry, but soon afterward 8
rs friends gave him living in the city OF
Winchester, where we find him in June 3Oth,
653 present by warrant of the council of /
tate for payment of money by Captain | O
'homas Fauconbridge to Henry Whitfield
nd Humphrey Ellis ordered by the revenue
on augmentation for their salaries | 8
S preachers at Winchester e179; and again | !,
1ention is made of Messrs Whitfield and l.
Ills, ministers at Winchester, in paper h
ated January 6th 1867. This is the last
lention we find of him among the English
ecords, except his will, which was drawn Il
bout January II, 1861, (o1d sty1e) and a
-hich we append in abridged form: n
London Wills, Reg Wotton, fol II, Memoranda. is
Thited, of the city of Winchester and county Of s,
outhampton, clerk, with intent to make his last q
i'll and dispose hf his estate being of sound good %
Id dSposing memory declares this his last will re
I'd testament in form and manner follows, or | W
the like effect: -
Item-First do give and bequeath all nv estate | IL
hatsoever, unto my wife to be disposed of by her |
and amongst my children as she shall see cause
testimony whereof, the witnesses present |
hen the said deceased uttered the same words or
e like in effect, have seyeraly set our hands. LII
Witnessed NATHANIEL WHITFIELD al
MARY WHITFIELD. fr
Not signed. -
Proved the 18th of January 1857 and admnistra- rs
IN issued forth to Dorothy Whitfield, widow the TO
ct and universal legatee named in the said will 11s
Henry Whitfield, clerk, late of Winchester, in IS
county of Southampton, deceased to administer =
e goods and debts of ye said deceased with the N