New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1922-06-02
Territorial Taxation for
Church Purposes
(By James Shepard)

Every man in Connecticut, from
1850 to 1918, was compelled by law
to pay taxes In support OF some
church Our early towns each had
Its minister and meeting house and
matters appertaining thereto were
acted upon In town meeting. Az
early as 1910 the Town of Hart
ford voted to make certain improve
ments In the meeting house and ZAP
pointed committee to make a rate
for the same" Each town was in
effect an ecclesiastical society which
included as its members every adult
male who resided within Its territory.
Ministers support was first provided
for on October Is, 1854. The inhab-
itants were called together that every
man voluntarily set down what he
was willing to allow" In 1850 1t was
provided that all male persons Is
years old and upwards who did not
voluntarily contribute. Except magis-
trates and elders,) should be taxed
for the ministers rate according to
the list of persons and estate. In
March, 1857, all persons were pro-
hibited from "embodying into church
estate without the consent of the
general court and appreciation Of the
p neighboring churches" Prior to this
time, ecclesiastical societies had
grown up with the towns with but
little distinction between the town
and the society or church. The Sec
ond church of Hartford was legally
established in October, 1868 and given
permission to practice the Congre-
gational way without disturbance"
This was the first instance in the
colony, of a town haVng more than
one church or society the territory
of which was not co-extensive with
that of the town. In due time other
towns were divided into two or more
ecclesiastical societies each of which
had the right to tax it's bitants
for the Congregational minister's rate
and for building meeting houses
The first complaint against COM
pulsatory rates for church support
came from the Rogerens of New Lon
don in the form Of memorial, in
1875 praying for relief from taxes in
support of Presbyterian churches. It'll
government based largely on alleged
violations of the English federation
act" No relief was granted, The
first relief from such taxes was
granted by the law of 1927 to pro-
fessors of the Church of England. |
Under certain conditions they were
excused from taxes for building Con- |
gregational meeting houses but the |
Congregational colrectors swere re-
quired to collect the minister's rate
from all church men the saA as
before, but instead of paying the
money over to the Congregational |
minister they were under certain con-
ditions required to pay the rates so
collected to the Church of England
minister A little later. still more lib
eral laws were passed exempting Bap
lists and Quakers from taxes in sup
port of the standing order. In May,
1875, a law was enacted giving the
Congregations collectors the power
of constables, each collector to re-
ceive rate bill, together with
warrant against each person named
thereon to be used in case of neces-
sity In 1749, Thomas Hart, the
collector for New Cambridge, (now
committed four church men,
viz: Caleb Matthews, John Hickox,
Daniel Roe and Benjamin Brooks to
the Hartford Jail for non-support of
the minister's rate. He was fully JUS
tilted by the law in so doing.
Godfrey Malbone of Brooklyn,
Conn. had for years paid without a
one eighth of all the taxes
assessed by the Congregational So
ciety, but when it voted to build a
new meeting house he objected to 1t ,
rs unnecessary. He was told that the :
meeting house would be built and |,
that he would be compelled to pay F,
his full share towards it. Acting !,
upon the advice of counsel he estab- (,
ished a Church of England parish, =
built a new church and settled
minister over it, whereby he was =,
egally released from paying taxes :
owards building the Congregational =,
Meeting house. When he decided to :
ouild the church he knew of only :,
wo church men besides himself in .
hat vicinity. About twenty families
we're soon added to the parish and it
vas legalized by the general assem-
sly in October, 1870.
Immediately after the Incorporation
# the New Britain Ecclesiastical So
iety, there were six different Con-
,regational societies in the Town of
viz: Pennington, 1852.
I'LL, Southington, 1924,
3ristol, 1744, West Avon, 1850 and
lew Britain, 1854. The Wintonbury
ocety, now Bloomfield was also
,arty in the Town Of Pennington as