Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-17

was done until 1920, when delay could no longer be tolerated. Then the church was elaborately painted on the inside, the pews were finely numbered and the outside was painted. The names of the are preserved and will appear in the published history of the parish. Two years before little box stove 24 feet long 14 wide was placed in the middle of the aisle with the pipe running out of an east window under the gallery. When the stove was put in there was great jubila- tion, and when the old dilapidated church was repaired and painted there was still greater happiness on the part of St. Johns church people, then numbering forty-one families and twenty seven communicants.
 The size of some of these families in proportion to the small total is significant. Dr. Trumbull gave the size of certain Episcopal families as the reason for the continuance of Episcopacy: Lemuel Brooks, Il; Isaac c. Stiles, 1O; Philemon Blakeslee, 10, Zone death); Abraham Blakeslee, 10; Oliver Todd, 10. Fifty yone in five families. James Heaton, 2; Daniel Pierpont, 7; Levi Cooper, '; Benjamin Pierpont, 8; Zophar Jacobs, 7; Thirty two in five families. Total, eighty three per sons in ten families.
 tAAS parish known as ''The Prudential Com mittee of the Episcopal Society" made the original and natural vestry system of no importance in the management of parish affairs. Wardens continued to be elected at an Easter parish meeting and tread ing clerk" was also elected. The wardens continued to read the services as usual, when no clergymen were present, except the pslams, etc., which were read respon- sively by the reading clerk or assistant reading clerk and the people. The reading clerk also read the pslams in metre and the hymns, never "lining them out' because they were never bound with the book of common prayer; and he also read sermons when no clergyman was present. This was the usual duty of the wardens' clerk and assistant clerks, although subject to variation according to circumstances. There was really no place for vestrymen. and there soon ceased to be any. No yes trymen were elected between 179S and 1841, period of forty-three years. Samuel Pierpont continued to be senior warden until his death Christmas eve, 1920, at the age of 91. Zophar Blakeslee was junior warden until his death in 1799. He was succeeded by Isaac c. Stiles, who was annually elected junior warden until the death of Samuel Pierpont when he was cloCG6u S6ulOT WdTu6u. 1uo fcSUl ulou between 1790 and 1798 were Richard Broc- ham Blakeslee, William Crane, Isaac c. Stiles, Jonathan Dayton, Lemuel Brooks. Joseph Pierpont was reading clerk until his death and from 1791 Isaac c. Stiles was his assistant clerk. Between 1918 and 1891 MT. Stiles was assisted by Elmon Blakeslee and John Beach. Elmon Blakeslee recently died in New Haven at the age of 97. He was son of Philemon Blakeslee and one of nine children. Seven lived to be over 80. Three of the seven lived to be over 90. Elmon when a boy was sup posed to have heart disease and conse- quently was educated at the Cheshire Episcopal academy. When young man he was a very fine reader. John Beach, the North Haven hero of the war of 1872, while teaching school at the Center acted for while as an assistant reading clerk, but was not long connected with the Epis- copal society.
 Between 179O and 1920 the following persons were enrolled as members of the Episcopal society:
 Jonathan Dayton, 1, Eli Jacobs, Erastus Lines, Christopher Horton, Ebenezer R.. Webb, Pierpont Andrus, David Jacobs, jr., Josiah Todd, Nichols Wheeler, John Hull, Sidney Crockett, Billa Thorpe, g, Caleb Humaston, John Beach, 3, Moses Beach, Bazeleel Dayton, Joel Pierpont, Solomon I Lenard Pierpont, Ebenezer Hull, Moses Crockett, Benjamin Mix, Eliada Pierpont, Thomas Barnes.
 < This is the oldest preserved exact date of any confirmation service in the United States. 1. Went over from the Congregational church 2. Became member of Congregational church 1891.
 8. Attended Congregational church in his lat tor days
 SHELDON B. THORPE.