Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-11
NORTH HAVEN ANNALS.

NORTH HAVEN ANNALS.
 The "Norshsass socissyo = Temporal
 Interests lNos Neglected - Sketches
 or It's Leading nIen Interesting esic Work In che Revolutionary War
 -The Ourfevv nell in North Haven History.
 NUMBER S1.
 All the energy of the parish was not ex- pended in ecclesiastical matters as some may be led to infer from recent papers in this series. The large-hearted settlers indeed made everything tributary to the discharge of their fixed religious duties, but mean- while did not suffer their temporal interests to lsnguish. There were roads to be opened, bridges to be builded, lands to be subdued,
 bread to be earned, taxes to be paid. The town of New Haven was very friendly to
 the "Northeast society" and made their
 necessary burdens light as possible. Look
 at it from whatever point one may, there
 was unmistakably an ever increasing interest
 in the infancy of this parish by the sur- rounding communities. Its leading men were sought by church and State for advice
 and leadership. It had its share of repre-
 sentation on the "Townsmen's board" of
 New Haven and among the other local off.
 cials.
 SAMUEL sACKErT ESQ.
 In the matter of local government, it wsa
 granted it's first justice of the peace in 174d
 in the appointment by the General Assem-
 ply of Captain Samuel Sackett. MT. Sackett
 served two years and was succeeded by Isaiah Tuttle, who held the position 1750. 1757, when MT. Sackett was reappointed
 again, serving continually till 1776 and probably year or two later. Esq. Sackett
 was a man of wide influence. He was .
 main pillar of the Rev. Mir. Stiles until the
 unfortunate Dana affair, when he parted
 company with his pastor and went over to
 the ''New Light" side. This did not lessen
 his devotion however to his church, for we
 find him in 1759 vigorously stirring up "The
 Separates" at Muddy river to do their duty
 in paying Mir. Stiles ministerial rates. Re
 served continuously as ''trial justice" for
 twenty-eight years, with the exception of
 eighty in 1781, and was buried in the old
 cemetery. An elaborately carved stone with l the following epitaph inscribed thereon
 marks the spot:
 The sweet remembrance of the just l Shall flourish when he sleeps in dust l ISAIAH FUTILE, ESQ.
 Isaiah Futile was born 1703. At the time of his appointment as "Justice" he was a deacon in the Congregational church. His
 field evidently lay more in things spiritual | than temporal. The conclusion is reached | that he was mild and pacific to that extent, l he did not dignify the judicial chair to the terror of evil doers as did his successor. He | too, was buried in the old cemetery 1776. | The sculpture of the winged head on his | tomb stone has several unique features. not common to that period. An old and time worn verse for an epitaph is supposed to convey his last wish to the living; Hark, from the tombs a doleful sound, Ye living men como view the ground, Where ye must shortly lie.
 JOSHUA CHANDLER, ESQ. The highest political honor paid the par fish previous to the Revelation, was the se4 lection of Joshua Chandler as Represent tative, or ono of the "Dsputies" of the town of New Haven in the General Assembly. He came to North Haven about 1785. He was admitted to the Congregational church here in 1767 on the strength of certificate from the First church in New Haven. No mention is made of his wife, but the records indicate he was accompanied by his mother WuO 10 OnbnAOk0oA - bnO WA0OW VI OO10uos His hoMestead has been alluded to as being near or on the site of the Goodyear place. The Ecclesiastical society placed him on the school committee 176e 6o inclusive. The General Assembly made him "Justice" 177O- "A inclusive, during which period he served as the colleague of Esq. Samuel sackett:: it's Deputies" 176S-1775 inclusive, with the exception of the years 1772-73.
 Whether his son William (afterward noto- rious in conducting Tryon's forces into New Haven, 1779,) came with him is not known. Esq. Chandler was @ man of means and ability; he owned his pow in the church, and in his day usually presided over its meetings. His name is frequent in the colonial records, and he must have been held in great esteem by the State authorities previous to the revo- lutionary period. During the latter trying times his name became an unsavory one and he was compelled to quit the parish because of bis Tory proclivitiss, but as this detection a more fitting place, he is dismissed for the present.
 JOHN oRANNIss.
 Among the early settlers of the town, though not of the first, was Joseph Granniss. He owned "Great Rock" more commonly known then as Rabbit Hill" and now called "Peter's Rock" from old Peter Brookett, who lived on it's northern side. Joseph Gram niss' house was also located on the northern side of the rocky bluff, and 1t is said that his landed possessions thereabouts were some- thing over two hundred acres.
 The origin of the family and its history anterior to Joseph is not known to the writer. The name is not given in Atwater's "New Haven Colony" though such absence Is not conclusive proof that 1t had no representa- tives then. The first mention occurs in the colonial records, 1703, when Joseph Granniss of New Haven was granted by the general court three acres of meadow from the estate of Caleb MerrimAn of Wallingford. He was . large-hearted, benevolent man. It is al. legged he gave "Rabbitt Hill" to the Muddy River school district for its sole use and be- hoof forever and that the action of the town few years since in selling this property for taxes was gross violation of right and could not be sustained in the courts of to-day. But it Is more to our purpose to turn at- tention to his son, John, who from l716 to During this period he was foremost in the Ecslesiastical society. In 1716-1S and 1730 he was on its prudential committee. In 1717 with others he laid cut s'the green" In this year also he secured from the First church in New Haven refundment of the "minis- terial rate," which had been wrongfully col lscted of the North Haven parish and paid OVok IOI tnS cuppoIb VI RoVs JOoopu xNOyoo Ol New Haven, when the former society was struggling for a church and minister of its own. In 1718 he was made second in com. mand of the first militia company among us. In 1725 his name ceases from the lists of public officials, hs being then on the "ohuroh seating committee" . position whose duties In those days necessitated adroitness and generalship of tho highest order.
 It is not known when he died, or where he was buried: the presumption Is his bones rest in the Montowese cemetery. Near the north line of this ancient burying ground (some of whose monuments, by the way, an- tedate those of the center cemetery by a score and more of years) stand three low, wide, shapeless stones split from conglomer- ate rock and marked respectively: H.G. E:.G. E;G. 17tl. l7i1. 17to. | These are believed to indicate the resting place of some of the members of the Gran | miss family. The name for some reason not- withstanding the worth and zealousness of those who early bore 1t, never appears to have taken deep root in North Haven soil. H. rn q