Norwich bulletin., 1920-11-17

terest:
 .Canterbnry, Oct 7th, 17s7
 "At meeting of the first Society in sd. Town, legally warned it was put to vote whether the Society will chuse an agent to attend the Genl Assembly at l their present Oct session to ans to the I memorial of the people in the western l part of the Society praying to be maid Distinct Ecclesiastical Society and to show why the prayer of sd. memorial should be granted, passed in the nega- { tive.
 rest. Samuel Huntington, Society clerk
 A list prepared in connection with the petition showed liz families in proposed 1 new rate totalling 4Se3 lb-12s. .-etence. 1 At the next General Assembly, the western half of Canterbury was by them 1 an independent society in the following declaration:
 Upon memorial of Stephen Frost,
 Robt. Herrick Ebenezer Goodell and oth- | CTS, inhabitants of the first Society of 1 town of Canterbury, situated in west part of said society, showing to this assembly their great distance from established 1 place of worship in said society whereby l they and their numerous families are very unable to attend the same also showing 1 to the assembly the vote of said society signifying their consent to have the same l Squdtiy, uiVlQed Into QfSLlHCL ECcleSlaStlcal l Societies by a north and south line par allel with the line dividing between the 1 towns of Windhafn and Canterbury, at the center of said lst Society, ascertained I by late survey made by Seth Paine, county surveyor, approved by said so- ciety-praying this assembly to make and constitute the men situate on the west l side of said north and south line a dis tihct Ecclesiastical society according to l the form and extent of said vote, and to I be invested with all the rights and priv l ileges to such societies appertaining (ex- Il cept such inhabitants as are by law ex- empt from contributing to the support of the established ministfy). It Is resolved by this assembly that the inhabitants liv- I ing within the limited aforesaid (except- l ing as before excepted) shall be, and they are hereby made, erected and constituted a distinct ecclesiastical society, endowed with all the powers. privileges and im-
 munities usually belonging to ecclesiastf' cal societies in this colony, and shall be
 known and called by the name of West minister. Oct. 17es.
 The ecclesiastical organization was soor completed, gift of from 4 to 6 acres
 of land, accepted from John Park and fol. church, burial ground and common and with the financial aid of a lottery tc raise money in building the Plainfield Congf. church and one of the three that have been at Canterbury Green, also used
 Sherebiah Butts as master-builder this , church in which we are now worshippine
 was ready for dedication on Tues, Nov
 20, 1920. eve are observing it's 15Oth anniversary today, Tuesday, November 16 not being able to use both the same day
 Of the week and of the month). do not feel sure that the building was l absolutely complete for the dedication and
 incorporation of the church-body since the record transcribed from council rec
 ords by Rev. John Staples and copied by
 Rev E. Learned, 2nd pastor, states that the sacred solemnlty' was at Dea. Ste. phen Frost's house, and in the fragmen- i.taty records not lost or destroyed, are several references to seating the church T Had, you attended the "sacred solemn. ity' Tuesday, November 2th, ITO, you would probably have come on horse and dismounted on the stone horse block still remaining at the northeast corner oi the building. The entrance and window. now on south end of our church were ther
 at the north end. A large door was or | the west side; in the middle on the cas- 5 side, there was but one window ant ? that in the middle over the pulpit, ascend B ed about s steps, I am told. and with
 fine sounding board over it. Later square < high pews were put In the church b, . private enterprise and these then giver : to the ecclesiastical society The coloret 3 folk had seats in a corner of the gal