The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-06
D0INGS IN OLD CHESHIRE.
BIBLE FOUND ON 4 BATTLEFIELD RETURNED AFTER MANY YEARS.

A very large congregation was pres ent last Sunday morning In the Con- gregational church to listen to the in- teresting sermon delivered by the pres ent pastor, Rev. J, P. Hoyt, in con- memoration of the seventieth year of the dedication of the present church building. Many old people were pres ent and occupied the front slips. The pastor read from the old Bible that was used at the dedication and offered the old dedicatory prayer, and preached from the same text that the Rev. David L. Ogden delivered seventy years ago Psalms, S9-7, God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints, and to be had In reverence of all them that are about him." Some of the old hymns were sung to the old tunes, the chair that was in the pulpit at the ded ication the present pastor used, and the sermon was delivered from the same old pulpit, which is still in use. In August, 1857, a severe thunder storm took place and the church was struck by lightning. So great was the dam- age done by the lightning that exten- sive repairs were necessary. At this time new floor was laid and the pull pit removed from the front to the rear of the audience room and placed in position as 1t now appears. The choir gallery at the west end was then taken away and a gallery at the east tnI @hpy -I1 1ol ty, 1n service of song
 When the late Amasa L. Doolittle, Jr., of Cheshire, soldier in the late war, returned home from the war, he brought with him a beautifully bound Bible, which he presented to his sister, Mrs. I. R. Palmer. He had picked up the Bible while in line of duty in Rich mond, Va, but neglected to tell the details of the finding. From an in- scription and initials on the clasp it was inferred that the rightful owners name was Henrietta M. F. Dlmmock. During the past spring a nephew of Mrs. Palmer was visiting Richmond. and one day while walking in the fa- nous Hollywood" cemetery he came very unexpectedly upon monument to Mrs. Dimmock's memory.
 He made inquiries, found Mrs. Dinl- mock's granddaughter, a prominent young society matron. After &C., quainting Mrs. Palmer with the facts she very promptly and kindly forward ed forwarded the Bible to her. It Is needless to add that the courtesy was | greatly appreciated. It Is also inter- esting to note that the sword of Mrs. Dimmock's husband, General Henry | Dimmock, which with the Bible and other effects were left behind at the | evacuation of Richmond, was returned in a similar manner some years ago. The Dimmock family is an old and prominent Virginia one
 The First church building was erect l ed in 1724. This house was forty feet long, thirty feet wide and eighteen feet l high. Rev. Samuel Hall was ordained | pastor December g. 1924 Rev. Samuel | Whitt1esey of Wallingford preached 1 the ordination sermon. MT. Hall was an able minister of the gospel He of | dciated as pastor until the year 1767, at which time the Rev. John Foote was 1 ordained as his colleague. After this event MT, Hall officiated nearly one half the time (nine years), closing his ministry in 1776 with discourse from the words found in I. Samuel, 19-35. I am this day fourscore years old" etc. He died February 26, 1776, aged eighty one years, having admitted to the church 670, baptized 2,013 and buried 626 persons during an active pastorate of forty-three years
 | Rev. John Foote remained with the church as pastor until the time of his death, which occurred August 21, 1913.
 He admitted to the church during the forty-six years of his ministry among this people 549, baptized 1,767 and bur jed 1,109 persons.
 For eighty-nine years Revs. Hall and Foote faithfully performed the duties of the pastoral office in this church. During the combined terms of ministe- rial service they admitted to the church 1,219, baptized 3,TS0 and buried 1,735 persons, Two memorial tablets have been placed in the church by the de- scendants of these first pastors to per petuate their memory In the hearts of all those who love this ancient church.
 The second church edifice was erect ed in 1738, sixty-four feet in length, forty-five feet in breadth and twenty four feet high. A small bell was placed in the tower to call worship pers to this sanctuary until 1773, when a larger bell was placed in its place. A bell of 1000 pounds was placed in the present belfry in 1891.
 Mrs. Judson Doolittle and children of Mt. Vernon, N. Y, are on a visit with MT. and Mrs. Alfred S. Baldwin, Mir and Mrs. Arthur Baldwin and children of Bridgeport have been the guests of MT. and Mrs. W. s. Baldwin
 Mrs. Tyack of Waterbury has been on visit to her son, John Tyack Mrs Richard Blichford and her daughter, of Yalesville, have been spending a few days with MT. and Mrs Richard Brown.
 Rev. J. F. Sexton and family of
 Westville are stopping in town for a
 short time.
 The St. Peters, Methodist and Con.
 gregational Sunday schools will unite
 in a basket picnic Wednesday, August II, which will be held at Lighthouse
 Point. Wagons and busses will carry
 those who desire to go to Centerville
 where trolley cars will be in waiting
 for Lighthouse Point without change of cars. This will afford a most de.
 lightful ride of several miles.
 The new concrete walk from Dr
 Cornwalls corner to the Kesel corner
 is finished. The walk makes a decided
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