The Newtown bee., 1889-12-27

pew anu ye OIncE ou J U c'tsL SiuS oi M Tousey's pew, so as not to damnitie the gallery stairs, which pews are tobe built at the cost of any particular persons that ye ancient committy shall allow This shows us Mir Tousey sitting on the east side of the main entrance and MT Kent on the west side, with the gallery stairs inside the audience room, but the gallery was not used, apparently, until l743. l It was the custom in those days for families living at distance from church to build what they called Sabba-day houses, in which the family (for all went to church then) might warm them selves, during the noon internissiOn be- tween the long sermons of morning and afternoon, while eating their lunch. John Pktt, who first owned the corner where F.. F. Hawley's store stands, was given permission by the town in l72l to set his old house in the cross lane easterly of Job Sherman's house for his family comfort on Sunday.
 The first meeting house was probably slightly built, for December 0, 1745, about p years after it was started, it was voted by the society to 'proseed so far in ye finishing of our publick meet ing house as to lay ye gallery floor and erect fore sect and allso ye gallery stairs" A rate of three pence on the pound was laid and IIeth Peck, Donald Grant and Deacon Bennett were appoint ed to look after the work, to whom Abel Booth, Alexander Bryan and Caleb Bald win were added later. Over f230 was secured for this work within two months, which decided the society to lay it out new shingleing said meeting house, in putting in new window frames and win dows of sash glass, in well siding sd house, in well securing and rectifying ye underpinning, in rectifying ye gable ends and in putting on good flue boards and if ye subsbripton shall be more than suffit- iant for doing all ye aforesd outside work, with glass and nails, that what re- sd house." With grim humor, the com mittee was to do whatever more was necessary to the outside of the house to make it ''fationable."
 The old furnishings were to be sold, including lied window frames" which proves the church to have been dimly lighted by diminutve window glass. A "bellfree" was voted in the Spring of l74G and, April 24, l749, rate of l2 pence on the pound was laid for finishing the meeting house ''as to ye galleries and plastering overhead or any other work in sd house which shall be seen needfull." Jeremiah Northrop, Abram Bonnet. John Botsford and Caleb Bald win were put in charge Of the work. The galleries were then without seats, so it made the outside of the house ''fation- able"
 It was voted in 17G2 to sweep the church l2 times year, which was after ward increased to l5 times and then to twice a month. In l762, also, Capt Amos Botsford, Lieut. Nathaniel Frisco, Gideon Botsford, Ebenezer Ford and Caleb Bald win 3d were appointed a committee to build stecple at the east end of the meeting house, for which Can't Botsford and Lieut. Frisco gave q bell weighing about 800 pounds. It was decided, at the same time, to ''culler ye sd meet ing house, steple and pulpit" Abi- ah Botsford was appointed to ''ring sd beell on ye Sabath and all other public times and at o'clock at night" In 17S6, the society ordered no one but the bell ringer to ring the bell. Something was the matter with the bell, for a new one was voted, May 2s, l767, and f27, Is and I'd was raised in money and ''provitians." :" The old bell was taken down, carried to Fairfield, ''run' and hung on the Sd day of July, 1767, over l22 years ago. That bell still sounds forth from the Congre- gational steeple and, as the society re- cord gratefully reads, it is "Allways to be understood that ye inhabitants of ye Church of Ingland Society in Newtown signed of ye above sd moneys and pro vltions ye sum of five pounds, l2s, 9d,' nearly fifth of the whole cost.
 The church fell into sad straits during
 
 it's numbers were Tories that it was re- corded as the opinion of the society, Oc- tober Q, 17Sl, that "all those who belong to this society, notwithstanding they have not taken the oath of fidelity as re- quired by law in political matters, in so- ciety matters have the same privileges with those who have sworn and that the excuse of many for not attending legal meetings on that account is groundless.n ' | It was at this time that the sale of the parsonage lot was agitated and it was decided to sell 12 pews in the meeting house in order to repair it and paint the outside. The seats on the lower floor east and west of the posts and the two back seats were ordered sold on the first Monday in September, 17S3, and these sales were not for year, but for the life use of the purchaser. Jabez Botsford and Abraham Bennett were also appoint. ed to procure flax seed to exchange ssfor oil to paint the meeting house, which testifies to considerable growth of flax here then, with flax wheels and linen cloth.
 December }, l7s4, the parsonage lot 4 was ordered sold and was bounded east. erly on the Ferris land, westerly on the land of Abraham Baldwin, northwestern. ly on the land of Donald Grants heirs southwardly on land of John Chandler
 The church needed shingling agair and, April 3, 17s6, John Sherman, Ma thaniel Northrop, Capt Silas Fairchild Capt Joseph Wheeler, Asa Cogswell and Hezekiah Booth were authorized to pro cure ''signation of shingles sufficant t cover the back roof of the meeting hous' and to take care that the same be laid ol as free donation.''