Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-22
NORTH HAVEN ANNALs.

NORTH HAVEN ANNALs. The Transfer Of ths separate Church. The Meeting House in Walllngford- ! Its Present site-The Muddy River 1 Adherents-Their NemesIs-The Final l Fall and Confusion Of the Separa. l tlsts-Seul Experiences and Cleans l of History in WITS. HeaSon,s Jour. l nal.
 NUMBER 40.
 The transfer of the Separate church to Wallingford, as referred to in the last paper, was made in 1762. At first, as at North Ha- | ven, it had only a nominal existence there and was located at the house of some leading member, but just where is not known. Later on, or about TITO, o meeting house was erected by the membership. Following its removal meetings were held there under the direction of Benjamin Beach for year and @ half, when for some unknown reason he sud. denly left them and attended Dr. Trumbull's church. This defection caused trouble in the Separate ranks at once and MT. Beach was disciplined by that body at Middletown and turned out of their communion and fellow ship.
 As sequel to this movement read Mrs. Heaton's opinion: "Gods heavy hand fell upon him and his wife: they were both ssized with great illness of body and weak mess and was under confinement the biggest | part of Q year. Now in this affllction he seemed to have some regret of mind: &C., knowledged having lost the love of God and saw his mighty hand was against him." The minutes of the Middletown authori- ties are not at the writer's command Qf in. deed In existence) and what transpired on MT. Beach's recovery we can only surmise. Mrs. Heaton rather holds aloof from him. Dr. Trumbulls church did not hold him, for within short time he jumped from that en- closure and landed again in the Separate fold, this time to remain. So deep was his contrition and 50 so great his experience that she writes, ''In 176S Benjamin Beach was ac- cepted again by the church at Middletown and began to preach"
 This return was very likely marked by an increased zeal which led to the erection of the meeting house above mentioned. It stood at the southern end of the Wallingford Plains, few rods west of the present line of | the Consolidated railroad. A small grass tufted mound marks its location, now in sea of sand.
 It was small one story plain affair, csps- ble, perhaps, of holding one hundred peo- pie, and was the only church of this denomi- | nation in New Haven CD. There were twelve heads of families who worshipped there. The church authorities of Wallingford did not view this encroachment on their territo- | ry with entire satisfaction, but they go far consented as to allow the Separates to hold l their meeting in 1871 one third of time. In | 1772 we find their church sessions became more frequent and in little time no atten. ton whatever appears to have been bestowed | upon them.
 Not so In North Haven. They of the faith at Muddy river, of course, had followed their ark to Wsllingford and duly attended it's services there. A Nemesis was on their track.
 October 7, 1772, Mrs. Heston writes:
 "The authorities in this place went and took away rents to Mir. Trumbull. Now when they drove Mir. Besch's COW away, his little girl ran after them tss cow they said to her they wanted is to pay MT. Trumbull: she told them her daddy did not owe MT. cries of mothers OF children TSe babes father told me the child never heard anybody say word about her own accord. Mr Beachs wife talked to the men and told them how wrong they did and they must ike child but af % the @ cruel ntichrIstan laws of this nation bind even ths conscience" | After the Separate meeting was set up at Wal llngford the authorities here took four young | women and one mau and carried them by force and cause was their meeting together to worship God according to their own consciences in the light of
 n GGs% jail about two months for refusing to pay his rate | to the standing minister; having much sorrow and | hardship he was well never more."
 | It does not appear there was any other preacher in the Wallingford church besides the MT. Beach mentioned. Mrs. Heaton's face remained set against its continuance there and although occasionally attend. ing its services, could never be reconciled to the change. On her own responsibility | Ga ka snia bed at at her house in Muddy River. Notably among such were Mir. Wildman of Danbury, Marshall of Canterbury, Elder Morse of New London, Mir. Miner of Lyme and others, some coming from as far west as New Mile ford. These manifestations were spread over period of eight or ten years following the establishing of tho Wallingford church.
 During this interval they were not dis- turbed by any hostile measures. The severe treatment noted above appears to have been the last aggressive movement of the Congre- gational church. Whether from defeat or policy the latter body abandoned the strug- gls we do not know, but certain 1t is that left to themselves the Separates fell into such grisvous dissentions that their last estate became worse than their first.
 Conirmatory of this statement, Mrs. Hea- ton in 17S1 writes:
 "And now doleful things are breaking forth in the church at walllngford-it appears as if 1t must be broken np-we haint had sacrament.we have Is for this party and the other Is for that and o the talk-how the flock blaats."
 Three years latsr-17S4-she says:
 'Now the church at wallingford dismist MT them and since he has been very poor and weakly | in body and to feared in q consumptve way: and other dreadful things (2) have broke out In thii church..
 Again March 10, 17s6:
 ''Thore camea man and told me that the Separ ate meeting was almost broken up at the lover end Mir. Beach preach"
 Again May 24, 17s0.
 "Now had not been to meeting on the Sabbath in years; now the brethren have sat up a separ atc meeting about miles from here for the church at M MWangford III , Is broken up; now this day sal
 With the latter extract all further allusion to the Seperate church ceases. We do not know In what quarter of the town the new altar was "sat up." It was private dwell ing certainly, and probably on the road to New Haven. perhaps below the North Haven line.
 The church on the wallingford plains finally sold, some say, to @ few Methodists who moved 1t across the river to the little settlement in the extreme northwest corner of North Haven, known then as "Doolittles Mills, and now as "Quinnipiac." Tradition | asserts 1t was taken over the East river on the ioe at "Oliver Doolittle's crossing" It was located few rods south of the residence now owned by Loyal Moulthrop, and is standing to-day an evidence of the troublous times in which 1t was built.
 | Much of this journal is filled with the | Spiritual Experiences" of its author. It was originated for this purpose, and the de- sign held to with wonderful pertinscity through all:the years of her life. But its value lies not so much in its interminable pages of "soul experience'' as in the little side lights of history unwittingly noted down. A careful estimate must accredit her | with truth, sincerity, and earnestness. In her almost violent efforts to live godly life she entirely forgot the element of trust. Strange as it may seem, while she clearly l saw on every side evidences of divine hand protecting matters in general, when she came to turn the glass inwardly and examine | havaa1f ny fba kaa all fo;t