thias Cazier, who was settled in 1799, and dismissed in 1804. On his dismission, the church voted, "that they very cordially esteem their pastor, the Revd Matthias Cazier, as of good moral character, and as an able and conscientious Minister of the New Testament, and sound in the faith." He was of French extraction. His father and mother were born in France, but he was born in New Jersey, and married a Miss Crane, of Newark. Previous to his settlement in this place, he had preached in Vermont, and Pelham, Mass. After his dismission here, he removed to the State of New York. Previous to his settlement, there had been an interregnum of nine years, after Mr. Minor's dismissal, during which time, the pulpit was supplied by various ministers, and in which had occurred one revival, and eleven admissions to the church. The church was again without å settled pastor for four years, when Rev. Bennett Tyler, D. D., was ordained, June 1, 1808. He remained in this pastoral charge fourteen years, when he was dismissed at his own request, March 26th, 1822, having been elected President of Dartmouth College. Under the ministration of Dr. Tyler, the church enjoyed great peace and prosperity. A hundred and eight persons were added to the number of its members.

Dr. Tyler was born in that part of Woodbury which now belongs to Middlebury, near Quassapaug Lake, July 6th, 1783. He graduated at Yale College in 1804, and after graduation was for one year preceptor of the academy in Weston, now Easton, in Fairfield county. He studied theology with the Rev. Asahel Hooker, of Goshen, and was licensed to preach in the fall of 1806. He was ordained pastor of this church two years later, and after a pleasant ministry of fourteen years, he was, in 1822, appointed President of Dartmouth College, as stated, soon after which the degree of doctor in divinity was conferred upon him by Middlebury College. He filled this office six years, during which time he had the satisfaction to witness the constantly increasing prosperity of the institution. In June, 1828, he unexpectedly received a call to take the pastoral charge of the second church in Portland, Maine, as successor of the Rev. Dr. Payson," in "the great congregation where he had long preached, and prayed so like an angel." After much serious deliberation he was induced to accept this call. Here he enjoyed the confidence and affection of a large and united church and society, till he was appointed President and Professor of Christian Theology in the Theological Institute of Connecticut. He entered on the discharge of the duties of these offices in 1834, and continues to dis

charge them still. Dr. Tyler "still lives," "his praise is in all the churches," and comment on his life and character is unnecessary.

Immediately after the dismission of Dr. Tyler, Rev. Noah Smith was invited to settle over the church and society, which call he accepted, and his pastoral labors immediately commenced. His ministry was of considerable length, useful and happy. He died in the midst of his labors, among his people, October 10th, 1830, at an early age. During his ministry,eighteen members were added to the church. In the following seven years the church was without a settled pastor, but was supplied by various ministers. During this vacancy in the pastorship, the church enjoyed unusual prosperity. No less than six revivals took place, and 162 persons were added to the church. Mr. Smith was born in Hanover, N. H., March 8th, 1794, made a profession of religion at Albany, N. Y., March 6th, 1813, began to prepare for college, March, 1813, graduated at Dartmouth College, August, 1818, studied theology at Andover Seminary, was licensed to preach June 6th, 1821, ordained "Evangelist," October, 1821, and installed pastor over this church, October 9th, 1822. On the 28th of June, 1837, Rev. Oliver B. Butterfield was ordained, and continued to discharge the duties of his pastoral relation to his church, with pleasure to himself, and profit to his people, till his death in 1849. Forty-five were admitted to the church during his administration. Mr. Butterfield was born in Montrose, Penn., June 18th, 1804. He entered Yale College, and pursued his studies there for three years, until ill health compelled him to desist. He traveled about two years for his health, when he returned, and entered the Yale College Theological School, where he graduated in 1836. He received the honorary deof Master of Arts from Yale in 1845. In 1851, the present pasgree tor, Rev. Amos E. Lawrence, was settled.

As far as can be collected from records, the following persons have borne the office of deacon in the church:

John Pearce, 1769;

Ebenezer Down,
Eleazer Mitchell,
Stephen Platt,

Isaac Curtiss, 1798; Elliot Beardsley, "
Warren Mitchell, 1801.

In April, 1786, a petition was served on the town of Woodbury, preliminary to sending it to the General Assembly, praying that the "societies of Southbury, South Britain, and that part of Oxford,'

1 Seven families from the town of Woodbury were included in the Society of Oxford at its incorporation in 1741; but how many families there were at this date, the author has no means of determining.

which belongs to the town of Woodbury, may be incorporated into one town, and have all the privileges, which by Law the other towns in this State have." It stated its list at £14,000 or £15,000, and the number of its families at 400. Col. Benjamin Hinman was appointed an agent to attend the Assembly, to urge the petition at the May session, but the project failed. In October, 1786, the petitioners obtained the consent of Woodbury to their application for a new town, as will appear by the following vote:

"Oct. 17th, 1786.

"Voted not to oppose the grant of a petition from the Inhabitants of Southbury, South Britain, and that part of the parish of Oxford which belongs to the town of Woodbury.

"Voted to request the Gen1 Assembly that in case they should incorporate the parish of South Britain, Southbury, and part of Oxford parish into a sepirate town, or the parish of Bethlehem, or the parish of Roxbury, that they would order and decree that each inhabitant, that has land lying in the bounds of Woodbury, as the bounds now are, shall put all his lands into the list in that town where the owner shall reside after such Incorporation."

This petition was granted at the May session of the General Assembly, 1787; and the town incorporated by the name of Southbury. It is believed, though the proof is not now at hand, that the stipulation contained in the foregoing vote of the town, was inserted into this charter. The town now had all the rights and privileges, and has followed on, in the staid, beaten track of other Connecticut towns. The history of any town, since the Revolution, must be brief indeed. The actors in the various important events, are, for the most part, now alive, and it might seem the part of flattery to attempt to characterize them justly. Besides, in tracing the leading historical events, the towns composing the "ancient town," have been treated as a unit. Such, it was deemed, was the more appropriate and satisfactory manner in which to treat the subjects coming under view.

Southbury now constitutes a beautiful, fertile farming town, well watered by the Pomperaug River, its branches and other streams. Its average length from east to west is about eight miles, and its breadth about four. Like the parent town, it formerly bolonged to Litchfield county, but was many years since annexed to New Haven county. There are two Congregational societies and two Methodist, each of which is furnished with a commodious house for public worship. There are in the town three taverns, four blacksmith shops, several shoe shops, one saddler's shop, four grist mills, ten saw mills, one paper mill, one manufactory for edge tools, &c., several wool

hat manufactories, one sattinet manufactory, one shear do., one tin ware do., and seven stores. Some eighty to one hundred thousand dollars are invested in these various mercantile and manufacturing operations. There is also at South Britain a water-power company, which has laid out a large amount of money in bringing to a single point, the united water-power of the Pomperaug River and Transylvania stream. By this means they obtain a most excellent power, sufficient for an indefinite number of manufactories of the various kinds. The population of the town, by the census of 1850, is 1484. There reside in the town one lawyer, three ministers, and three physicians.

CHAPTER XII.

HISTORY OF BETHLEHEM SOCIETY, AND THE TOWN OF

BETHLEM.

1738 TO 1853; FIRST SETTLERS; "WINTER PRIVILEGES" GRANTED 1738; SOCIETY INCORPORATED OCT., 1739; FIRST MEETING HOUSE, 1744; DR. JOSEPH BELLAMY BEGINS TO PREACH, 1738-ORDAINED IN 1740; CHURCH GATHERED, 1740; MR. BELLAMY'S CHURCH HISTORY; GREAT SICKNESS OF 1750; HALF WAY COVENANT ABOLISHED IN 1750; MR. BELLAMY ITINERATES; SEPERATES; OLD AND NEW LIGHTS; CHURCH AND PASTOR INVITE ALL ORTHODOX MINISTERS TO THE PULPIT IN BETHLEHEM, 1742; EARLY TIMES; FIRST CURRANT BUSHES; SECOND CHURCH EDIFICE, 1768; SINGERS ALLOWED TO SIT IN THE GALLERY, 1774; PEOPLE OF SOUTH FARMS APPLY FOR ADMISSION INTO THE SOCIETY; DEATH AND CHARACTER OF MR. BELLAMY; FIRST SABBATH SCHOOL; Dr. Azel BACKUS SETTLED IN 1791; REVIVALS; LIFE AND CHARACTER OF DR. BACKUS; REV. JOHN LANGDON Settled in 1816; REV. BENJAMIN F. STANTON IN 1825; REV. PAUL COUCH, 1829; REV. FOSDICK HARRISON, 1835; REV. ARETUS G. LOOMIS, 1850; LIST OF DEACONS; VARIOUS APPLICATIONS FOR A NEW TOWN; BETHLEM MADE A Town, 1787; THIRD CHURCH 1836; PRESENT STATE OF THE Town.

For more than sixty years after the settlement of Woodbury, that part of the town, known as the east part of the North Purchase, had remained an unbroken forest, visited only by the Indians, wild beasts of the thick woods, and now and then a pioneer of the white race. The North Purchase had been granted to the town in 1703, purchased of the Indians in 1710, and surveyed in 1723; but it was not divided among the proprietors of the town till 1734. As soon as this was done, and each proprietor had "drawn his lot," it was open for sale, and accordingly a few settlers moved there that year. Previous to this, the settled part of Woodbury had extended northward but little farther than the north end of "East Meadow." The name of the first settler, and the place whence he came, is now lost; but the first house built in the society, was located in a lot now owned by Joseph Hannah, where traces of the cellar still exist. The principal