It seems that this offer of Lieut. Judson was accepted, and that he either furnished a man, or acted himself as the first ferryman. In January, 1683, he conveyed these "ferry accommodations" to Henry Hill, of Woodbury, upon condition that he would, "at his own charge and cost," keep "a suitable ferry-boat always in readiness, and ferry over travelers from Woodbury, or elsewhere, seasonably and readily, and particularly those from Woodbury, at sixpence for a horse and man." This with the highway, furnished a very satisfactory communication with Stratford, and was their only communication with Stratford and with the world beyond them. 991 Doct. Butler Bedient was the first physician who settled in the town, but at what exact date is not known. His name first appears in the North Purchase rate in 1712. He had evidently been here somewhat earlier than that. History is silent as to his merits and qualifications in the healing art, but it is fair to presume from the wellknown intelligent character of the first settlers, that his acquirements must have been respectable, or he would not have been admitted an inhabitant. town. Nearly contemporary with the latter, was Doctor Ebenezer Warner, a man of more skill and greater note in his profession, and in the He left a large posterity, and his descendants, at the present time, are numerous. He often went abroad to practice in the neighboring plantations. To prevent this, and secure his valuable services, the town granted him sixty acres of land in the original town plot, "for his Incurigement to practice phissick in y town and attend the sick in ye town rather than strangers." He lived to a good old age, useful in his sphere, and respected by the people; and died carrying with him the commendations of all who knew him. A The names of the various localities in the ancient town, were nearly all established within the first few years after its settlement. Among these were Good Hill, Grassy Hill, Chestnut Tree Hill, Ash Swamp, Alder Swamp, and Moose Horn Hill. Saw-pit Hill early received its name, from the manner of sawing trees or logs upon its sides. hole or pit was dug in the ground, a log placed over it, and in the operation of sawing, one man stood in the pit, and the other on the log. Ram-pit Hill, which is near Robert Peck's house, received its name from a pit which was dug to entrap a wolf, that had been 1 W. T. R., vol. 1, p. 92. 2 W. T. R., vol. 2, p. 121. making great havoc among the sheep. A ram was placed within it, as an inducement for the wolf to enter during the night. The lure proved sufficient. In the morning the wolf was found in the pit, and the ram, instead of being devoured, had defended himself with so much spirit and bravery, that he had reduced the wolf to a state of great docility. The wolf was dispatched, and his companion released. White Deer Rocks are situated westerly from Quasapaug Pond, and have retained their name from the first settlement, from the abundance of deer that were found in those wild solitudes, occasionally venturing with dainty tread to the borders of the lake, to drink its silvery waters. Many of these were white, and hence the name. The Lightning's Playground is east of the Orenaug Rocks. Ragland is the rough ridge of hills south-west of the village of Woodbury. Scuppo is a place in the south-easterly part of the present town of Woodbury. Carmel Hill is in the western part of Bethlem. Tophet Hollow is in the east part of Roxbury. Hooppole is south-west of Hotchkissville. Hazel Plain lies along the West Sprain. Weekeepeemee lies on the North Sprain, or Weekeepeemee River, so called from an Indian sagamore, who once had his hunting grounds in this place. Flanders is in the north part of the present town of Woodbury, and Transylvania lies on the brook of the same name, in the south part of the town. There are numerous other local names in the ancient limits, but the above must suffice for the present. During the period under consideration, much of the outer clothing of our fathers was made of the skins of deer and other animals. The former were in great demand. As early as 1677, the General Court made a law that no "skinns of bucks and dowes, which are so seruiceable and vsefull for cloathing," should be transported out of the colony, on pain of forfeiture of the skins so shipped, and that they should not be sent for sale to any other place in the colony, till a sufficient bond to the value of the skins was given, that they should be delivered at the place proposed, and not be carried thence. Accordingly, we find in all the early inventories of estates, and even in those of a hundred years' later date, leather breeches, coats and other articles of attire, prominent articles for appraisal. Anot her article used in those early days, strikes us of the present time with astonishment, and that is the enormous wooden shoes worn by our fathers. It is difficult for us to imagine, how they contrived to accomplish the process of locomotion with such ungainly contrivances for the feet. This subject also engaged the attention of the General Court in 1677, and it was ordered that "No shoemaker shall take above five pence half-penny a size for all playne and wooden heeld shoes, for all sizes above mens seuens, three soled shoes well made and wrought, nor above seven pence half-penny a size for well wrought French falls." With such impediments, one would think it no great credit to the Puritan Fathers, that they abstained from the "vain and sinful amusement of dancing," for it would seem impossible to be conveniently done, even with their best pair of "French falls.” Our fathers were somewhat punctilious in matters of etiquette. Official station was held by them in high estimation, and the titles belonging even to the lowest grades of public service, especially if that grade was military, were always scrupulously bestowed on the possessor of them. In the early records, and in their intercourse with each other, Corporal Martin was as naturally addressed by his title, as Col. Minor. The title of Mr. was a title of honor, by which ministers, deacons, constables,' (very important officers at that date,). assistants, judicial functionaries, and other distinguished characters, were addressed. Church members called each other brethren and sisters. Other individuals were characterized as Goodman, Goodwife or Neighbor. How greatly times are changed! Little respect for titles of any kind now remains. Every man is called Mr. or Esq., and every woman Mrs., Madam or Lady!" 66 In 1687, the colony of Connecticut, with the rest of New England, was filled with anxiety and alarm, on account of the pretensions and proceedings of Sir Edmund Andross. Woodbury, secure in its retirement among the hills, in the interior of the colony, was not so much excited with apprehension as other towns. No allusion to the advent of that bad man appears on its records, nor was the usual action, in their town meetings, in any manner changed, except that no representatives were elected to the General Court. He dissolved the General Court at Hartford, wrote "Finis" on its records, and assumed the reins of government, October 31st, 1687. The colony had always lived under governors elected by 1 The ancient towns chose their one Constable, who was to them the right arm of the king himself, a functionary treated with reverent awe, and obeyed with implicit deference. Whoever resisted his power, resisted the ordinance of God.-Porter's History of Farmington, Conn. themselves, while the other colonies were suffering the tyrannies of the royal governors, appointed by the crown. This was the first, and only interruption to this right, which it had always maintained, and continued for eighteen months. After the imprisonment of Andross, by the citizens of Boston, in April, 1689, Connecticut resumed its government, and Woodbury was represented by Capt. John Minor and Lt. Israel Curtiss, in the General Court, which was immediately convened. In April, 1693, the town voted, that for the future each one who should be admitted as an inhabitant, should be received free from payments for past expenses, should subscribe the "fundamental articles," should build "a tenantable house," make "actual improvement" of his land six years, and "clear and break up" at least six acres of land in said six years, before he should have a right to sell his land. The penalty for not conforming to this rule was forfeiture of his land and improvements to the town. In 1702, a division of the meadow on Shepaug River was made to the landholders of Woodbury, from which it appears that there were at this date seventy-eight householders, or heads of families, as no others would be entitled to a portion of the land. The families in those days were larger than at present, and this number would show, that Woodbury must have contained, at that date, five or six hundred inhabitants, perhaps more. The list follows. Henry Castle, Jun., Roger Terrill, Cornelius Brownson, Joseph Waller, John Davis, Henry Castle, William Marks, Samuel Munn, The first blacksmith in Woodbury of whom the records give us any information, was Dea. Samuel Bull, who came here from Farmington, and the inhabitants granted him May 13th, 1706, a “ten acre accommodation," provided he should "cohabit with us six years, and Carie on the trade of a Smith in the town." The first application for a divorce in the town was made by Jonathan Taylor, October 10th, 1708, to the General Court. He asked divorce from his wife, on the ground of her endeavoring to "take his life, by her violence, deserting him, and living with Joseph Allin, a negro, at Sackett's Farm, New York." The case was duly considered and the divorce granted. For such causes it would seem that it was well granted. As has been stated, the home-lots on which all other divisions of land were grounded, and, in proportion to which, they were granted, differed in size from ten to twenty-five acres. Bachelors received the smallest number, as we learn from a grant made to Jehiel Preston. On the 13th of May, 1706, there was granted him a "five acre accommodation in all the divisions, that is the half of a Bachelor's accommodation." Whether he was considered but half a bachelor, or what the reason was for granting him but half a home-lot, does not appear. It would seem from this fact, that bachelors were then considered of little account, as has been the case in most communities, both before and since that day. In the beginning of 1707, reports of an expedition by the French and Indians against some part of New England, gave general alarm to the country. On the 6th of February of that year, a council of war convened at Hartford, consisting of the governor, most of the council, and many of the chief military officers of the colony. Information of various kinds was received; among the rest, that suspicions were entertained, that the Pootatuck and Wyantenuck Indians designed to join the French and Indians. The council determined that the western frontier towns, Simsbury, Waterbury, Woodbury and Danbury, should be fortified with the utmost expedition. It was resolved that each of these four towns should keep a scout of two faithful men, to be sent out every day, to discover the designs of the enemy, and give intelligence should they |