Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-07-09
NORTH HAVEN ANNALS.

tivisy and Usefulness.
/ In the code of 1860 this section-"For
prevention and due recompense OF dammage
| in Corne fields and other Enclosures, done by
Swyne and Cattell, it is ordered by this
Courte and the Authority thereof, that there
I shall bee one sufficient Pound or more made
| and meinteinea in eveury Towne and Village
| within this jurisdiction for the impending
Of all such Swyne and Cattell as shall be
found in any Corne feilde or other Enclosure:
and whatsoever impounds any Swyne or Cat
tell shall give present notice to the owner If
hee bee knowne, or otherwise they shall bee
/! cryed at the two next Lectures or MARKETS
And If any Swyne or Cattell escape ont of
the Pound the owner ii knowne shall pay all
damages according to lave"
Also under the Edmond Andross govern
ment in 1887 1t was ordered "That there
shall be one sufficient pound or more, made
and maintained in every town or village
| within this Dominion, for the impounding
of swine and cattle found damage feasant."
Again In 1925, after rehearsing in sub
stance the preceding legislation and fixing a
fine of twenty shillings per month in case of
noncompliance with the law, the General
COURT makes provision, "that If any ham
let, parish, or part of town see fit at their
own charge and cost to erect q pound they
May do go, and such part of a town shall not
be punishable for the neglect of any other
part"
| It was under this latter provision that the
careful parish authorities cast an anchor to
windward, as appears from the records of a
town meeting in New Haven December 30,
171S. "It being moved to the town by Ma
4 thaniel Yale that the inhabitants of the
II Norfbaaat Villaoa hova Ehartv fo bpjld q
Pound In said Village, Voted!-that they
have liberty to build such pound at their
own charge"
The first pound keeper was Ebenezer
Blakeslee, who received his appointment in
1721. It was built at the expense OF the
parish as a matter Of protection, and the in
come derived from its fines was divided by q
percentage between the colony treasurer and
the keeper. This enclosure answered all
| purposes until 1889, when because either the
| "Swyne and Cattell" waxed more insubordi-
nate than usual, or there was a lusting for
| the scanty shekels of the income, Lieutenant
John Granniss secured from the New Haven
''said Granniss have liberty to erect
Pound in North Haven Parish at his own
l charge" Three years more, and the
l four footed creatures of Muddy river not
| to be behind their tribes, tossed their horns
l and heels go giddily and made themselves so
| lawless at the expense of the worthy farmers
l that Thomas Barnes was allowed to "build q
pound" down there. Moses Blakeslee had
built one in his section some years before,
but because of the superior mettle of the
| high strung marauders from time to time
l confined in 1t, and who SO kicked it to pieces
| as to disgust the old gentleman, he desired to
l be relieved from its charge. His son Jacob,
| not valuing his fathers experience as he
should, was fain to ask permission of the
| town authorities in 1876, If he
might repair the same, which prayer
was cheerfully granted, at his own expense.
/ Jacob got discouraged after three years of
| experience, and Stephen Brown was appoint.
ed to reign in his stead. In 1745 Joseph
Pierpont saw cause to ask that he might
"build Pound" which was granted, and by
and by, in 1851, Captain Israel Munson was
smitten with the same distemper and he
builded one "the bigness of John Blake
slees." Judge Cooper could not calmly
brook all this commercial activity in this
direction, and he received permission in 1866
to build one and "keep the key" Whether
this latter privilege was accorded by virtue
of Jude's superior trustworthiness or whether
the responsible post of "Key Keeper" was
becoming sineoure the record doesn't say;
hereafter. at any rate, tho two Offices, as a
rule were merged In one. But space will not
permit the pursuit of this royal line of
pound keepers further. Assuming that
their Offices were q necessity, enough has
been said already to forever blast the reputa-
ton for orderliness, of the entire live stock
of the parish.
| ryTHINGMEN.
In 1921 the General court at their October
session decreed: "That each town at their
annual meetings In December shall choose
| two or more tythingmen in each parish or
| society for divine worship within said town,
who shall forthwith be sworn to faithful
| discharge of the work hereby allotted to
them; or If they neglect or refuse to take
| said oath shall pay a fine of forty shillings
into the treasury of said town."
The second section of the act defined their
duties to: Carefully inspect the behavior of
all persons on the Sabbath or Lords day,
especially between the meetings for divine
worship on the said day, whether in the
place of such publick meeting or elsewhere,
and due presentment make of any prophana-
ton of the worship of God on the Lords day
or on any day of publok fast or thanksgiv-
ing, or breach of Sabbath, which they or
any of them shall see discover any person
to be guilty of, to the next justice of the
peace"
The compensation fixed for the services of
the tythingmen and justices was not calcu-
lated to provoke excessive zeal in ferreting
out offenders, for they were allowed but two
shillings per diem for each day spent in such
prosecutions. The extreme penalty for euch
attractions OF the law was Eve shillings, but
If so happened that the defendant neglected
or refused to pay his fine and nothing could
be found to levy on, then the justice was
empowered to sentence such offender to be
publickly whipped with any number of
stripes not exceeding twenty, respect being
had to the nature and aggravation of the of
fence.n
The first appointees under this law In the
parish were John Barnes and Joseph Cooper
| in 1879. (Readers will recall this date as the
year of the opening OF the first meeting house,
To impress them and their successors with
the importance and dignity Of their position
the assembly coined brand new iron-clad
oath which they were required to take.
"You do swear by the living God that
for the year ensuing, and until new be chosen
and sworn, you will faithfully execute the
place and Office of Tythingman for and
within the town of - or limits where-
unto you are appointed, and that in and by
all the particulars mentioned In the law
whereto your Office hath relation and that
you will do therein impartislly according to
the law without fear or favour according to
your best skill and knowledge. So help you
God"
Whether 1t was An honor much sought for,
or the duties too exacting, or the remunera-
ton for service too poor, or that the oath
paralyzed them, it II certain there was some
thing in the parish atmosphere deadly to Off
cial rings In that day, as witness the fol-
lowing list of incumbents, only three of
whom secured q re-appointment in the first
twenty years of the church:
In1723, Ebenezer Frost, Moses Blakslee.
1924, William futile, Stephen Clark.
HummaratOD