Norwich bulletin., 1920-11-17
WESTMINSTER CHURCH RECALLS

JJhURCH REC,!A.LLS [ Captain Sherebah Butts, master-build- | CT for his church, Joseph Burgess Jos. |
 Raynesford, William Hibard, whose | graves are with you to this day, are of
 iicers referred to-
 ''The Independent Company of Veter- ans" composed largely of Westminster men, was a volunteer led by Timothy |
 Bac1us, serving from ITS to IT'S int
 Rhode Island, Westchester County, N Y., and in New London. Many of these nev-
 CT came back, but in this church yard are
 certainly 19 recorded, in the tiny Spicer cemetery l, and doubtelss more in the Winchester and Smith grave-yards
 These are the 19 names: Captain Saere-
 biah Butts, Richard Raynesford, Samuel
 IarstoW, Jos. RaynesfOrd. Samuel Henry, Josepf Burgess. The six who answered
 LeXington's alarm and returned to West ! minister in times of peace. Thirteen more of the 19 graves in this church-yard, Jo- | seph Adams Asa Burgess, Josiah Butts James James Butts Capt; iIsze'liah Kingsley, ] Joseph Stafford Bethnel Bond, Jonas Bored, Alexander Gordon, William Her rick, Jos. Herrick, John Curtis.
 Four more names may belong with the above, names on the rolls and prominent i iD Westminister, but WE are not yet quite
 sure of their uiCntitE. John Park. Joseph Carter, Rufus Johnson, Jedediah Leach. ] t~lo-iui-eI from Conn. Li=l in the Rev o]ufion. Hiss Laned $ History of Wind
 ham County, al.d from a study of the | grave stoaes)
 Wsst2aiuster Men in World War r., C,,. ,..--.. ,r,.--,7 - 3, - ! resented Nezt--. mister br enlistment and draft Ninats..i have sters ol the ser i Vi-a flag. two ur ozl m5H1hsrs of this cl uTCh and aH oEly their legal homes
 within uslrinister's 13,941 acres I.!esea of the actually served over
 &s and our 7 were uttered in near
 ly all areas Of the service
 Lit. John lZneaDu5hlds. submarine destroyer fleet, in European waters Reg
 ular service.
 2-Private 1st class. Trenor A. Rice, 7, torDed0ed ill Irish Sea, near Queenstown September q, 1913. 12 hours in the wa
 ter
 2-Oliver Moody. 1st electrician trans port "4eoree "ash.R~t21,' II round trips
 to Europe It5eu ar service. 4--' bert Picartl- E1listed navy, Nov. 10, 1916. Yves. across Aug. 1917 In 12 countries in service Discharged Dec ,, 1919. Now in naval reserves
 5-Israel HoveT l.osz-zwei~ Enlisted ! in naval reserves. Dis-harred Nov, 1919, went across after acu.ssigo. . 6-PriVate Eraezt Pike. enlisted Bat tery D. 55th Artillery regiment Active service in Franci on gun crew 7--G aoree Carr. Enlisted Brown Uni veTsit., 19l1 Section 579. U. S Ambu-
 l9r-a s--.ce Italy. Decorated with the Italian War Cross. March. 1919. S-Corp. Frank F. Medbury Drafted 1918. Service in France. Discharged in fall of 19t9
 9-Private Carl Wm. Lawson. Enlisted September 1911, G. B, 101 Machine Gun
 Battery, Y D. Division. Wounded July IS, 1918, France. Discharged in 1919 10-Sergeant Thomas Jones. Enlisted t September 1917 "A. A" (AII American) q Division, Co. A. .32G Inf. Tn enga gcments t at St. AIihiel, Charbentery Chateau . Thiery, Argonne Forest, the Muise s etc From one of these, out of 250 men ' who went in in Company A" he was - one of thes26 who lived to tell the tale , 11-Lieut Sidney B. Whipple Enlisted ! 1917, Trinity college, British Royal Ali Il Force. Wounded August 24 1918. Off1cia : credit of one Hun airpiane. WhilS these II men saw service over. o seas, ten others were in service i'll camr e and hospital in our own land, as follows 1-Corp Oscar Olsen Enlisted June
 AJtc e. Nl-tlp 1Au5LiGes Y 4Dt4Nlct, Battery A
 30th Regiment. Recalled by wireless two days at sea by armistice 2-ferbert Newton. Enlisted submarine . base. New London May, 1918. Discharg. ''I ed February, 1919.
 < 3-Wilfred Blain. Assigned to hos u pital service. Draft, 1918
 4-Ledore Blain, draft, 1918 q 5-Elmer A. Robbins. Draft. Cam
 Devens. Discharged January, 1919. i, 6-Harvey Coombs Drafted, detailed n to hospital work.
 1, August Baunfer Drafted, Fortress :, n Munroe. Discharged 1919. q 9-Harry Macdonald. Drafted Il '' camp.
 h 1O-Private Wm. Howard Pike, enlist ,l cd. Died Fort Terry; Conn, Feb, 1s1s n Buried with military honors. ,t In the late w2r Westminister's par /, in the Red Cross, third and other Lib "a erty loans and the various drives n are well known 10 many ot you. In school matters Westminster wa b alert, as the records prove. Bayles His ,, tory of Windham County, under date c a, March f, 171S, gives this as Canterbury
 method: "A school in this town month in year, two months at upper end, tw o- months in ye west row and two month
 at lower end, at one place or, more a ,- either party shall agree" No schoc ar house.
 ,d 1724, travelling schoOl-master, or ;p ;r month at each of five houses.
 1726 town in three sections scho au house built in each of the three section o Other public interests deadened that 2. schools, probably ' in TITO. awhile . .i- 1773 interest revived Private schoo ri' in different parts A night school aol school house by Westminster churcI -'9 a7d once 2 writing scaooI was authorize
 John Adams had a large number of p1
 ,i..z in EIs scdyJI ln s0-called North S ed ciety," pupils coming from Woodstoc i'll Thompson and nearby town. IL In 17S7 Alex Gordon, Samuel Barsto or and Asa Nowton appointed to oversee u h. schools in Westminster Nine distric fit laid out with a collector and commit, K man in each.
 ry In 1795 Westminster School Socie a. was organized, with a clerk moderate r, grand committee and committee to tai h. cair of money, district committee al on collectors.
 ed 1-Voted to raise rate of 2d on u 'st pound list of 1795 to be paiasin March l." 1796 or 2-voted that Samuel Barstow $, treasurer.
 T, In 1900 the rate was mills on the dc te 1o~ 'et of 1s9O
 by The records have many interesting item