Norwich bulletin., 1915-12-25
THE HISTORIC FITCH FAMILY
OF NORWICH

A few early historians have kindly /
recorded here and there in their rec !
ords other deeds of our brave fore !
fathers than those done in war which |
give us interesting glimpses of their |
lives and caracters. Thus we find in I
the Lebanon Burying- ground. on an /
old monument this brief history Of the
Rev; James Fitch, who in 1850 lead
his little congregation into the wilder
ness Of the Mohegan Territory where
he founded his church.
In this grave are deposited the re-
mains of that truly reverend man,
Mr.. James Fitch. He was born in
Brokin, in the County of Essex, in
England, the "a OF Dec. in the year OF
our Lord 1922; who after he had been
most excellently taught and learned in
| languages. came to New England at
the age of 16. and there spent seven
years under the instruction of those
| very famous men Mr.. Hooker and Mr.
/ Stone. Afterwards he discharged the
| Pastoral office fourteen years at Say
| brook; thence he removed to Norwich
| where he spent the other years of his
| life in the work of the gospel. In his
| old age, indeed he was Obliged to
cease from his public labors by reason
OF bodily indisposition, and at length
retired to his children in Lebanon,
where after spending nearly half a
year he slept in Jesus in the year
1902 on the 18th day of November in
the s0th year of his age.
He was man noted for the smart
ness of his genius, the solidity of his
Judgment his charity, holy labors and
purity OF life, and also to his skill and
energy in preaching, inferior to none
Early in his passionate in Norwich
his congregation built for him a solid
stone house that was long used by the
first settlers as a fort. According 10
an engraving in old History of Con-
necticut," published about 1888, we
find a west end view of this house
which appears to be about 25x5O with
east end.
Two immense chimneys are built on
the outside walls; one on the north
end Of the main building, the other on
the east end Of the addition which part
was evidently intended to be a large
kitchen. The house was two stories
high and has nine small windows and
two doors in the three sides shown in
the engraving. One can easily deter
mine that the house must have con-
| tanned but two large rooms below and
: two above with no means of heating
tho south end rooms. The stone for
building this house was Carted or
hand barrOws from a ledge some dis
lance away. The cement used IT
building the walls hardened harder
than the stone itself. The house wa:
not plastered on the inside until the
beginning of the Nineteenth Century
The first marriage ever solemnized il
town was in this house. Pork anC
. peas being served by the daughter!
for the wedding supper.
Il This description preserved of thi
| old house is especially interesting a.
it gives us a fair understanding o
what must have been the characte
| and durability of the early homes o
g Norwich which were erected to with
stand the attacks of the Indians
There does not appear to have beef
sawmill in Norwich until 1880 whel
a the town voted That Can't. John Fftcl
n should be granted 200 acres of lant
: for his encouragement to set up a saw
mill to have the benefit of the strean
e and timber at that place, and no on
l. to put up saw mill on that strean
e to his damage"
r Thus we find that Norwich had n
saw mill for twenty years after it
: settlement, therefore all houses mus
e necessarily have been of log o. stone
e Mr.. Fitch had one brother, Thomas
It whose son was one time Governor o
o the Colony of Connecticut.
The Rev. Mr.. Fitch was twice mar
ried- His first wife was a daughte
o. of Rev Henry Whitfield Of GuilfOrC
. the leader and founder Of that towr
= His second wife was Priscilla, daugh
Il ter of Capt Mason of Pequot fame
. He had fourteen children by his tw
- marriages all Of whom lived to mar
- ry and have families but one.
"A | This Capt Mason after Spendin
y the most of his life in Saybrook h
- the request of the town for its pro
n lection, retired in his old age frOI
- active life and made his home wit
Mr.. Fitch in Norwich. where he die
IN the 73d year of his life in 1872 c
3. He Is spoken Of as a man OF un
common size, of great bravery, ski
- and activity in military affair
staunch. moral in every way. H
gives US a glimpse of his own life
,e the account of the war published
n, Boston, in 1895. entitled "A Brief His
$. tory OF the Pequot War" from whic
the following extract is taken.
ot "Our corn was very short: there bt
s. ing a general scarcity throughout u
l. Colonies OF all sorts Of produce. "
had but one pint of sherry NQuol
as among us in the whole march; II
. bottle of liquor being in my hand ar
g. when IL was empty the very smellir
4 of the bottle would pleasantly revi'
those who had tainted away whiC
< happened by the extreme heat
E. shall mention two OF three of Il
special providences of God. JOf
a Dwyer and Thomas Stiles were bO
shot in the knots of the handkerchie
is which hung around their necks az
TIA received no hurts. Lieut. Bull had &
arrow shot into a hard piece of'chees
s. having no other defense which ms