The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-11-27

stais-Honorsd Family to Erect This
memoriaI-Soms Interesting Church
History.
F. ]. Kingsbury and daughter of
Waterbury, descendants of John Davies,
who was the founder Of the Church Of
England in Washington, Conn.,, recent
ly visited, says the Newtown Bee, the
ancient Davies cemetery at Romford,
which marks the original site of the
: first Episcopal church. With the con-
sent of the Davies family the edifice
J was removed in the year 1918 to Wash
ington Green, where it has preserved
through many discouraging circum-
stances to the present day. In the near
future the Kingsburys intend placing a
tablet in the church in memory of the
| founder of St Johns. The history of
the parish is an interesting one and
! takes us back to 1862 when a few Epis-
| copal families settled in that part of
| Washington known as Birch Plains,
were ministered to by the Rev. Thomas
Davies, missionary who belonged to
the society in England For Propogat-.
/ ing the Gospel in Foreign Parts"
| This preacher was graduated from
Yale in 175S and ordained by the Arch
bishop Of Canterbury. He went from
house to house holding services and
| administering baptism to followers of
the faith in the towns of Litchfield
county. About this time Birch Plains
or Davies Hollow (now Romford) was
| separated from the township Of Litch-
| field and the Davies family (the Rev.
Thomas 'parents) who We're jealous
churchmen and people of considerable
prestige, withdrew from the distant
Litchfeld parish and with the aid of
few neighboring followers, built a
church of their own in Davies Hollow.
A deed of the land for the edifice was
given by John Davies, father of the
Rev. Thomas Davies, to the churchmen
of Washington. The land described
in the ancient deed was equal to about
SO square rods and was used for pub
lie burying ground. Interments have
been made there In recent years. The
deed required that zone pepper corn
should be paid annually on the feast Of
ST. Michael the Archangel if demanded
During John Davies later years the
| church was erected in memory of his
son, the Rev. Thomas, who had passed
away at the age of 80. The edifice was
built almost entirely at the expense of
this one man. Aged and infirm, seated
in his own doorway, he watched the
raising Of the church with a feeling
like that Of Simeon OF Old when he
said Now lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace This pious man was
laid to rest In the little cemetery near
his beloved church in May, 1897. AS
time went on the number of inhabit-
ants interested In the church grew
less, many of the parishioners having
settled in another part Of the town
known as Church Hill. The few who
remained decided to move the church
to its present site on Washington
Green. Moving Il church in these days
was no small undertaking and one or
two parishioners remain who remem-
Der hearing their fathers tell of the
long string of oxen that helped carry
the precious house of worship to the
Green. 1t was appropriately named st.
Johns and at first services were held
about once in three months Later
the members came together once in
six weeks and then every other sun
day, sharing their minister with st.
Andrews of Marketable. Ait present
time the church enjoys a rector of its
own and recent reports made to the
Rt. Rev. Bishop Of the Diocese show
that the ancient church is in flourish
| ing condition.