Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-06
Nonrn HAVEN ANNALs.

NORTH HAVEN ANNALs. Hannah Hsason n,s Quains ora Jour. nal-sks sseh sf Her Lirs-WhisnelA,s Prsaehing ssrhs sspaFatsss, . The KssabllsheA Church ana It's Prer0- gasives-The Heatons-Thear vast Landed Eseatss-Rellgious Keal and Domestic HnrelIcisy-The New Faith -Mrs. Heason's Energy - Trials. Tribulasl0ns and Writ ssrving-An Undaunted Woman.
 NUMBER 80.
 Quaintest of old documents within our borders is "The Journal of Hannah Hsaton," kept by that eccentric lady and covering the period from 1740 to 1900. It is a volume of some Ave hundred closely written pages, and ls in the possession of Jesse O. Eaton, great grandson, at Montowese, Conn. As 1t to . certain ektsnt concerns the subject matter of these annals 1t Is purposed to devote this paper to the consideration of some extracts therefrom.
 Her father was Jonathan Cook, Ia chirur- geon and . religious man." He lived at Meacox, . parish of Southampton, Long leland. She was born in 1721. Early in life an alarm about an expected pspist rising turned her attention to serious things. When thirteen years years old she quaintly writes 1734-''Near this time them lights was seen often in the north. Sometime 1t seemed ale most as if there was living shades of men in the air in arms moving after each other. One night about half the orrison was rcd like blood. was in dreadful distress of soul. was afraid Christ was coming to judgment. my fesh burnt as If was In soorching fever. Some said 1t was sign of storm of 0ods wrath . coming on the wicked world" l"
 Why Miss Cook drifted up to Connecticut and 90 to Muddy river che nowhere explains. The presumption is she was 'out ct service" While there and before her marriage she writes, 'I went over to New Haven in the fall just before that great work of God began which was in the year 1741. There heard Hr Remnant and MT White6sld preach which awakened me much. Mr White6eld laid down the marks of an unoonverted person. Such preaching never heard before."
 These things made deep impression on mined for all time her religious career. The moro specific object in view by the publica- ton of extracts from her journal is to set forth briefly as possible the history of "The Separates" or "The Separate church" in North Haven.
 A word of explanation concerning this re- ligious scot.
 Dr. McEwen in Professor Kinasleys con tributions, etc. very ooncisely states their position. He says:
 After whiteneld had passed through the coun- try and great effects had been produced by divine grace attending his mnistrations, other ministers Snt Ss hts They had his zeal churches welcomed and some of them discouraged | and even withstood theso itinerants.-Some of dlsregarding the coupses of their ministers were determined to hear and follow these new preachers ssssso.s fos Worshis were Dsw church called Separates, or as they preferred
 Si They objected to the ordination of ministers by hss o tn: Of % civil law. They adopted the voluntary policy they abhorred the civil enactments which author iEed and regulated our associations and censcocia tions." | Dr. Dutton also says in the same volume that while Episoopalians, Quakers and Bap | tists were exempted from the support of tht established church (CongregationaD under certain conditions, "CopRregationalists and Presby byterians had no such exemption. Il for any reason any of them wished to secede from churches or societies and worship by themselves, they were still obliged to pay their taxes for the support of the churches from which they had seeded"
 Tho latter statement exactly defines the situation at Muddy river during the period covered by Mrs. Heaton's journal. Miss Cook was married to Theophilus Hea ton October 12. 1743. Said Theophilus wal tho son of Theophilus Heatop and Sarah Ear and grandson of James Heaton and Sarah Street, married in 1662. No relationship ap pears between this family and Governor Theophilus Eaton of the New Haven colony. | For year succeeding their marriage sht and her husband lived with his father. Their residence was east of the old Samuel Culvel place and on the highway running directly on the parallel from Eaton's point landing or the East river to the Branford line. It is be lieved this old road, particularly the westerr portion, was once the boundary line between "divisions" and the only known instance O. the kind in tho town. ---
 The Heatons were farmers and possessed vast landed estates on either side of thi ancient thorouRhfare. At one time some thing over ono thousand acres was said t have been in the possession of the family Mrs. Heaton's fathersin.law was c membe of the Rev. Isaac Stiles, congregation and ., official of the First society in 1729. It doe not appear that her husband was interested to any extend in religious matters, while sh, on the contrary was deeply absorbed II them. apparently at times to the verge O fanaticism.
 domestic difficulties, the result being tn, young couple were forced to leave the ol, homestead and take refuge with nsighbo until they could set up housekeeping of thei own.
 The Arst iutimation had of the dissatisfao tion with the Rev. MT. Stiles appears in hel notes written before her marriage but whil living at Muddy river. "I went to the seps rate meeting in the school house. They,
 think, read book of Joseph Aliens" Thi allusion indicates some small ssoessions iron North Haven church of which she apparsntl, was about to become the focus. An sxtrac
 written about 1751 moro fully photograph her than other words can:
 When was asleep some nights had .ensibI the upper world which made me cry out in ID
 sleep sometimes Q, my God,' and used to sin
 g.aaS,es. g,nSs In my sisep . nights and wake my hu
 Coupled with her devotion to tho now fait
 came an intense dislike for all sstsblishs
 ministers and consequent neglect of ohurc attendance. This the authorities of Nj
 stiles' church could not overlook, and ths
 she was reminded Of her dereliction is appsl
 ent from an entry in 1752: "About this tim
 was threatened by some of being had U
 for not going to mesting," and e little late , on she writss: "About this time the gran juryman came and told me If did not 70 | meeting he would carry in the complaint | his meeting. told him there was not wor : in the Bible to uphold him in having any body up for not going to meeting"
 She became more and more dissatis6e
 with the Congregational way" and went oe
 casionally to the "White Haven church"
 hear the Rev. Samuel Bird. He afforded D
 satisfaction. Finally word was seat to Mi
 Buckingham of Middlstown, "a dear seps
 rate minister, !" who came and preached [
 her house in 1854. (rhis was probably th
 first appearance of preacher of this scot 1 the parish.)
 | Her energy was an inspiration to the If tie circle of her belief in that nsighborhooi
 The families of Thomas Sanford, Benjami
 Beach, Nathaiel Reach, Elias Beach and Set
 Hsaton comprised the main strength of tt
 body. These tho grand jury kept an eye oi , but rsfrained from active steps. 1r. Heato
 was not In sympathy with his wifs's view
 Her extrsme greed and the notoristy she VI
 rapidly acquiring by her refusal to conforl
 to the laws of the times was tho source much domestic unhappiness. All this sl
 construed e martyrdom.
 4 period of five years passes with no ou . break on either side, and again she writes:
 "In tho year 1766 young man. ono of m
 neighbors was convsrted-We began to hav
 weekday meetings-brethren from Ne Haven came, and some from Wallingford-
 had also night meetings-Dear Separate mil
 istsrs came and preacht to us sometim
 bringing their lord and master along vii
 them."