twenty-five and forty-five years. To prevent those entitled to freedom at the age of twenty-five years from being held longer by unscrupulous masters, a statute was passed in 1788, requiring all masters, within six months after the birth of each slave, to send in to the town-clerk their own names, and the names and ages of such children, under a penalty of seven dollars for each month's neglect. In 1797, children of slave mothers, born after August of that year, were to be free at the age of twenty-one years. All slaves, set free by their masters, in any other form, than is above expressed, and all who served for a time, were to be supported by their masters, if they ever came to want. Another regulation was made, that no one should carry slaves out of the state for sale. In consequence of these statutes, slavery gradually decreased, and had virtually disappeared, when in 1848, a statute was passed abolishing it pro formâ. By an act under the title of "Arrest" in the code of laws compiled in 1650, and not repealed till more than one hundred and sixtyfive years afterward, it was provided that if no other means could be found to pay a debt for which a debtor was imprisoned, if the creditor required it, and the court judged it reasonable, the debtor might be disposed of in service to satisfy the debt. It is asserted to have been a common practice, for poor foreigners, who were unable to pay their passage money, to engage their passage by stipulating with the captain of the vessel which brought them to this country, that he might assign them in service to raise the money which was his due, on arrival at the port of destination. Persons assigned in this manner, were called "Redemptioners," and more than one was so held in Ancient Woodbury. Among the number was Matthew Lyon, a native of Ireland, who was assigned on his arrival in New York, to Jabez Bacon of Woodbury, who brought him home, and after enjoying his services for some time, he assigned him for the remainder of the time of service to Hugh Hannah of Litchfield, for a pair of stags, valued at £12. By dint of sterling native talent, under these most disheartening circumstances, he fought his way to fame and eminence, and was afterward a member of Congress from Vermont, and also from Kentucky. He was one of the number convicted under the famous "Alien and Sedition" law, and fined, but the fine was subsequently remitted by Congress. Lyon's success furnishes a striking example of the genius of the institutions of our favored country. About the time of the Revolution, the small-pox was the great courge of the colonies, and during that period, the soldiers were constantly dying of this disease. The returning soldiers frequently came home with it, and scattered it among their neighbors in this retired valley. So great was the affliction and alarm growing out of the prevalence of this disease, that scarcely any one dared to undertake a journey of any length without first being inoculated with the small-pox. During the Revolution, upon the representation of Gen. Putnam that soldiers should be inoculated, liberty was granted to Dr. Isaac Foster to set up a house, or hospital for the inoculation of this disease in Woodbury. It was located east of the Orenaug Rocks. In December, 1789, it was voted that "Doct. Joseph Perry have liberty to set up the business of Inoculation in this town under such regulations as a comtee Judge proper which the town should appoint." He accordingly took charge of this business for many years. At the present day, the matter is much more easily managed by inoculation with the vaccine or kine pox. As the town had been true to the cause of independence, during the dark and gloomy night of the Revolution, and expended freely its blood and treasure in the acquisition of free institutions; so after that event it was among the first to take advantage of the rights and privileges that had been gained, by a right direction of public opinion. On the 12th of November, 1787, after the formation of the Constitution of the United States, and its presentation for ratification, a special town meeting was called, at which Hon. Daniel Sherman presided as moderator, and it was "Voted, that this meeting approve of the system of government recommended by the Convention of the United States." At the same meeting Doct. Samuel Orton and Hon. Daniel Sherman were chosen delegates to the state convention at Hartford, for the ratification of that instrument, fraught with so many interests of this widely extended country. By their active exertions they did much toward the consummation of this auspicious event. Though impressed with the right views, and taking the right course of action, little did they dream of the vast importance of that action, and the glory that should dawn on their country by the adoption of that charter of our liberties. The convention met at Hartford, January 3rd, 1788. Woodbury at this date had parted with territory sufficient for three towns, Washington, Bethlem, and Southbury. These children of the old town were also represented in the convention, and imitated the ex ample of the mother-town. Bethlem was represented by Moses Hawley, Esq.; Washington by John Whittlesey and Daniel N. Brinsmade, Esqrs.; and Southbury by Benjamin Stiles, Esq. The entire delegation of the ancient territory gave an affirmative vote on the question of ratification, showing themselves true to the best interests of the country, though the proposed constitution met much opposition in some quarters. In 1791, the canker-worms devoured the orchards, not only here, but all over the New England states; and their ravages were repeated the two following years. Orchards standing in stiff clay soil, and in low grounds, which are wet in the spring, escaped; but on all kinds of light and dry soil, the trees were almost as dry on the first of June, as on the first of January. The same insect has this year (1853) attacked the orchards in the same manner, and with the same result. The trees on the fifteenth of June, were as brown as in autumn, and almost entirely stripped of foliage. The fruit has been entirely ruined, although at the present writing, (August,) the trees have again put on a fresh garment of foliage. The eye of man could not well behold a denser shower of vermin than these trees presented. In 1772, a public library for the use of those disposed to avail themselves of its advantages was established in the town. The best information that we have of it is contained in an extract from a letter written by Rev. Noah Benedict to Dr. Stiles, president of Yale College, dated December 17th, 1798; "There is one public library in the Town. It was set up in the year 1772. It contains about 180 volumes, consisting principally of Books upon Divinity and Ecclesiastical History. However, there are other histories, and some books of amusement." It is highly probable, that the "books of amusement" constituted no large proportion of the library, when we reflect what were the notions of that day, and even they might not be classed under the head of "amusement," were we of the present day called upon to make the classification. This library association was broken up some time after 1800, and there was nothing of the kind in town for some years after. In 1823, another circulating library was established by about forty of the principal inhabitants of the town, under the name of the Woodbury Union Library Company. This company also "ran well for a season," and acquired a respectable number of interesting and useful books. Like other human institutions it had its rise and fall. It held its last meeting in 1836. Its books became scattered among those of its members who were probably the best readers, and finally went out in darkness. The town depended on the "light of nature," and the use of private libraries, from this date till the organization of the present library in January, 1850. This library was organized on a different principle from either of the others, and thus far has prospered beyond any former experiment. By its rules every book is to be returned to the library on the first Thursday of each month under severe penalty, so that each member may know, that at each succeeding monthly meeting all the books will be in the library. The use of the books each succeeding month, is then put up at auction, and struck off to the highest bidder. A fund is thus raised without inconvenience to the members, sufficient without taxation, which for some reason is always odious, to make a fine addition of books to the library at each succeeding annual meeting. It has been incorporated as a body politic and corporate under a public statute of this state, enacted for such purpose, and is thus enabled to carry its regulations into effect. Its corporate name is the Woodbury Library Association, and it has about 300 volumes of well selected books on various subjects of interest, civil, ecclesiastical and miscellaneous. Its officers are Rev. Lucius Curtiss, president, William Cothren, treasurer and librarian, and Lucius Curtiss, William Cothren, George Drakeley, Garwood II. Atwood and John E. Strong, executive committee. Its influence has been for good, and has induced an increased desire for reading useful books. There is no reason to doubt, that if the present system is strictly followed, there will be, in a few years, a library of which the town may well be proud. In the spring of 1778 or 1779, an occurrence took place at Guernsey Town, which is thus related by Barber in his Historical Collections of Connecticut: "A robbery, which at the time caused considerable excitement in the community, took place in the east part of the parish of Bethlem, called Guernsey Town, in the spring of the year 1778 or 1779, at the house of Ebenezer Guernsey, a wealthy farmer. Mr. Guernsey had sold his farm some time before, to Isaac Baldwin of Woodbridge, who had moved in with Mr. Guernsey, and had paid him a large sum of money. Mr. Guernsey had a number of men in his employ in building a house on an adjoining farm. All in the house had retired to rest, it being late at night, except Mr. Baldwin and wife, and two young men who were in another room. Two of the robbers came in, their faces being blackened, one being armed with a gun, the other with a pistol, and ordered Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin into the room where the young men were, to be bound, threatening them with immediate death if they made any resistance. One of the young men made his escape; they bound the other, and while attempting to bind Mr. Baldwin, who was a very active man, he wrenched the pistol from one of the robbers, at which the other attempted to shoot him, but he managed to keep behind the other robber till another from without came in and knocked Mr. Baldwin down with the breech of a gun, and wounded him badly. Mr. Guernsey, although somewhat deaf, was awakened by the uncommon noise, and coming into the room was knocked down and had his skull fractured; the rest of the family made their escape or hid themselves. The robbers rifled the house of many valuable things, but in retiring, dropped Mr. Guernsey's pocket book, which contained a large amount of continental money. One of the young men who escaped ran three miles to Bethlem meeting-house, without stopping to give any alarm.” Under the date of the 14th day of April, 1800, there appears on the town records the following interesting vote: "Voted that the town pay Major Cunningham 28/6, the expense of Musick at the time the death of Gen! Washington was kept."1 Thus it is seen, that Woodbury, in common with the rest of our favored land, mourned with public rites the death of the "father of his country." Amid the tolling of bells, and the booming of minute guns, the participation of our quiet valley in the general grief was betokened. A public eulogy was pronounced in commemoration of the virtues of the nation's greatest benefactor, and of the public grief at the country's greatest loss. That was a sad day in the vale of Woodbury. No man in this country, if in the world, was ever mourned so widely and sincerely as Washington. In every part of the United States, the most distinguished men pronounced eulogies on his public and private character; the pulpit spoke forth his praise; and some mark of respect was offered in every little hamlet in the country. There is no extravagance in the assertion, that a nation was in tears at his death. There have been other men, great and popular in their day and generation, and lamented with deep sorrow at their death, but their fame has soon passed away. Not so with that of Washington. His fame has continued to grow brighter with the lapse of years, and thus it shall go on as time glides by, till the last great day. In 1813, the town, which was then reduced to its present limits, was visited with another fatal scourge, or "Great Sickness." It was called the "New Milford fever," from the fact of its having first orig 1 Town Book, vol. 1. |