The Newtown bee., 1892-07-29
NeWtoWn's Legislators.

list of Newtown's representatives in the
 General Assembly between 1776 and 1881
 It is probably not generally known that, at the close of the last century, there was
 but one branch of the General Assembly,
 the House of Representatives, the pres ent Senate being known as assistants.
 There were l2 of these assistants in 1776,
 when Jonathan Trumbull, the original
 Brother Jonathan," was governor
 There were then two annual elections for
 the House and it met in May and October
 sessions. In l776, our national birth
 year, Newtown had no representatives in
 the House, nor did she send any until
 l77S, May session, when Maj Caleb Bald
 win, our honored town clerk and Capt Joseph Smith represented Newtown in- terests. At the October session, Major Baldwin sat with Henry Peck, grand father of ex-Town Clerk Peck. Col John Chandler was sent with Maj Baldwin the Spring of 1779 and Henry Peck again, that Fall. They sent good men in those days and kept them at it. Richard Fair man went with Henry Peck in the Spring of l7s0 and Maj Baldwin again in the Fall. Col John Chandler went with George Smith in the Spring of 17S1, sat alone In the Fall, but was accompanied
 by George Smith again at an adjourned session in January, 17S2. May session, 17S2, Col John Chandler and Henry Peck; October session, Maj Caleb Bald
 win and Amos Northrop. May session, 17s3, Col Chandler and Henry Peck; Oc- tober session, Maj Baldwin and Capt Ja-
 beg Botsford. Col or Gen Chandler was prominent man here in those days. In l7S4, he went to the General Assembly
 with Nehemiah Strong; in 17S5, with Capt Peter Nichols, father of Charles B. Nichols; in l7s6, May session, with John Beach, undoubtedly son of Rev John Beach, the devoted missionary of the Church of England; in l7SS, May ses- sion, with John Beach again. From 1790 to l704, he was one of the assistants. Like so many other Newcomers of prom thence, Gen Chandler moved out of town in 1794 at which time the" church here appointed committee to settle with him and the other members of the committee who had managed the society funds. John Beach, already re- ferred to, was long popular man for legislative honors. In 17S4, he went with Henry Glover; in l7S6, October session, with Maj Caleb Baldwin; in 17S7, with Abijah Curtis, ancestor of many still liv- ing here; in 17Ss, October session, with Capt Peter Nichols; in 17S0, with Joth- am Sherman; in 179O, with William Ed mond.
 The name of Judge Edmond, grand father of Mrs Henry Sanford and Mrs M. c. Hawley, is one of the most honored on Newtown's page. He represented the town alone in May, l791 and with Peter Nichols, that Fall; with David Baldwin, father of David V. B. Baldwin of Baldwin & Beers, in May, 1792 and with John Beach in October, again in sitting with Judge Edmond for four ses- sions in succession. Zechariah Ferris and Gideon Botsford sat in the October session, l796 and then Judge Edmond re- turned, first with David Baldwin and then with Zechariah Ferris. In the Fall of 1901, Judge Edmond sat with Squire John Sanford, then with Zechariah Fer ris. The judge was wanted for higher honors. At the second session of the fifth Congress, 1797-99, William Edmond a a i'm tha Af nou Nrt v,l was a member of the sixth Congress, l799-lSOl. He was an assistant, 1S03- 1895; from 1895 to 1919, he was on the bench of the State Supreme court. While serving as judge, William Edmond was treasurer of Newtown's "Presbyterian" society, as the records call it, and, after the church was overhauled on it's present site and the pew ground sold, Judge Ed mond paid $26, the highest sum paid for pew ground, for No. 3 on the south side of the meeting house. When the sub scription was made in 1903 for the re- pairs, Judge Edmond headed the list with $l0 and only one other, David Sterl- ing, put down as much.
 bub VI iCbAAh bO bilC OCucIdl ASSCLuUlYs " Jotham sherman sat with Abijah Curtis in 17S9. David Baldwin closed the cen- tury for Newtown; in l79S, with John Beach; in May, 1799, with Gideon Bots ford; in October, with Zachariah Ferris. The century opened with Zachariah Fer ris and Gideon Botsford in the House, Asa Chapman and Squire John Sanford, both prominent Newtown men, sitting in May, 1901. Asa Chapman represented the Street, Squire John the Hook. Mir Chapman was lawyer here and had law students, living on the site of Trinity rectory. It is hardly necessary to say that Squire Sanford lived where Dr Richardson does. Asa Chapman was one of the judges of the Supreme court of the State, 1S1S-lS25. David Baldwin and Gideon Botsford sat at the October session, 1902 and, the next May, Judge Chapman and Samuel c. Blackman. Samuel c. Blackman, Newtown's first judge of probate, lived on the site of the Grand Central hotel and was long a prominent member of the Presbyterian society. Squire John Sanford had a long lease of power in the House. Octo- Der, 1903, he went with David Meeker. October, 1904, with Gideon B0tsford. October, 1906, and May, 1907, with David Baldwin. October, 1908, with Simeon Beers. May, 1910, with Samuel c. Blackman. October, 1910, with David Baldwin. October, 1911, May, 1913, with Shepard. May, 1914, with Asa Chapman. October, 1874, with Joseph B. Wheeler, grandfather of Postmaster Wheeler and clerk of the Presbyterian society. May, 1915, with Asa Chapman. October, 1915, with David Meeker. Oc- tOber. 1916. with Samuel Rears Gideon