Ledger of the Killingworth Congregational Second Society

The primary documentation for the extended family of Samuel Griffin and Mary Beckwith is found the ledgers kept by the Congregational Societies in Killingworth and Clinton. The ministers and the clerks dutifully entered the baptism, marriage and death records for the Griffin clan. We have decided to present a few of the over two hundred pages found in the original ledger of the newly formed Killingworth Second Congregational Society. The original ledgers for the Killingworth First Society have been lost to history. The information contained in the ledger is a testament to the mindset of the members of the Church of Christ as the Congregationalists called themselves.------------ Religion was a significant part of the fabric of life in early America. In the first several generations in America there was very little distinction between church and state although there were probably more people who came for non-religious reasons than is commonly thought. For an extended period in American history to be a “freeman” to have the right to vote was dependent on being in full membership, Full Communion in a religious society. All citizens were taxed for the support of the church. For most Americans that society was a Congregational Society. The Congregational Society was certainly the leading institution in the Killingworth that witnessed the birth of the children of Samuel Griffin and Mary Beckwith. --------------- As part of the law authorizing the foundation of Killingworth, passed by the legislature of the Colony of Connecticut in 1663, was an article to “Settle an able orthodoxe godly Minister”. The legislature also called for property to be set aside for a chapel and “Burying Yard” as well as a home lot for the minister. --------------- The meetinghouse, built on what is now Main Street in Clinton, became the center of activity in the new community. It served as the headquarters for both church and state. The town constructed a succession of every larger building. In 1731 the town voted to build a new larger meetinghouse. It has been described as being 60 feet long and 38 feet wide. Remember Samuel and Mary’s oldest child Mary was born in 1728. The records of the First Congregational Society in Killingworth, now Clinton, have been lost to history. Some of their content has survived in the town records. When North and South Killingworth divided the leading lights in North Killingworth made a copy of the original town records in order to preserve their own history. It is that copy that has survived. Given this circumstance we do not have record of Samuel and Mary being granted Full Communion in the Congregational Society. Given the subsequent involvement of their children in the Society it seems very plausible that they were active in the church. However it must be remembered that DNA evidence ties Samuel to the family of Edward Griffin of Flushing, NY. a significant part of that extended family were Quakers.------------- The Congregational Societies in Killingworth were led by a succession of Ministers. The clergy, in this part of American history were all graduates from the leading universities. From 1682 to 1691 the minister was James Bayley. As part of his compensation he was granted 62 acres of land. His granddaughter Mercy Bailey married Samuel Griffin Jun. Another of the prominent pastors was Abraham Pierson who was to go on to become the first Rector of Yale. The first classes in the newly formed college were held in Killingworth before moving to their permanent location in New Haven.---------------- The original group of settlers, which included Henry Ffarnam/Farnam another of Mercy Bailey’s grandparents, settled along the costal road now main street in Clinton. Henry Farnam also served as a Deacon in the original Society. As new settlers arrived and sons grew to the age of maturity new lands were granted for settlement progressing ever northward from the coast. By 1730 there was a significant population living it what was referred to as “North Killingworth”. In 1730 it was considered almost unthinkable to not attend Sunday services. That idea was so ingrained in the Congregational mindset that parishioners were actually fined for nonattendance. On cold winter days that journey to the coast to attended church posed a stiff challenge. The people in North Killingworth began to consider the wisdom of having their own Society. In addition to the consideration of distance, North and South Killingworth had slowly become two separate entities with separate and distinct personalities. The South was tied to the sea, shipbuilding, shipping, fishing and a thriving worked stone business for the New York market dominating the economy. The North on the other hand was referred to as the “farmers”.-------------- Given this background it is small wonder that in 1730 the “Farmers in Killingworth” began to petition for the right to form a separate Society. The wording in the petition goes a long way in helping us understand the religious mindset of our forefathers.----------------- “We would humbly Suggest that our best Interests is much exposed for want of it if faith comes by hearing the word Preached then hearing of the word Preached is necessary & if faith be a principal qualification in order to Justification & if faith comes by hearing the word Preached then we hope no good man will Deny our Prayer & if we cannot be a Society we cannot hear the word Preached but seldom & so have not the means in order to Faith which makes our Case Lamentable which makes us Pray for Relief & Pray that a Committee may be Chosen by you to Settle a line as above said & your Memorialists as in Duty bound Shall ever Pray”.---------------------- In 1730 the South was planning a new meetinghouse. They did not want to surrender the financial support of the North. The compromise that was struck required the North to contribute funds for the new building in exchange for an agreement for an eventual separation. By 1734 the Farmers began to petition the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut, which held the absolute right to authorize and establish any new Congregational Society, for permission to form their own Society. Their wishes were granted on May 8, 1735.---------------- The Griffin family divided between the two Societies. As the oldest son, James, inherited the major portion of Samuel’s estate. His ancestry maintained a presence around the accessorial home in Clinton for several generations. On the other hand the names of the descendants of Thankful Griffin Buell and Samuel Griffin Jun are found scattered throughout the pages of the records of the Killingworth Second Congregational Society. It is those records that are the focus of his essay.----------------------- The records kept by the Killingworth Second Society are a reflection of the basic tenants of the Church of Christ. The Puritans and Separatists in Massachusetts joined together in 1648 to form the Cambridge Platform, which defined American Congregationalism. The belief was that only adults were capable of experiencing a true conversion to Christ. Only such people who had in addition made a public affirmation of their faith were granted church membership. Church membership brought with it the right to participate in Communion and the right to have your children baptized. The names of those in Full Communion are a prominent part of the church records. Congregationalists based their belief on the idea that Christ was the head of the church and that each congregation is independent and has the authority to make its own decisions free from a church hierarchy. The membership of each of the separate Societies met together to manage the affairs of the Society. Each year a moderator was chosen to chair the meetings of the Society. Each year a committee was elected to manage the affairs of the Society for that year. The Society hired and fired the ministers. Within the Society the appointed minister was in charge of all ecclesiastical affairs while the Society managed the temporal affairs, raising funds, building meetinghouse, managing the burying yard and the schools etc.. ----------------- The church ledger that these records are drawn from covers the first one hundred or so years of the Killingworth Second Society. The first part of the ledger contains Society minutes. The first page starts;--------- “At a Society meeting of ye north or second Society in Killingworth in New London County at ye house of Ebenzer Hull …. September ye 25 day AD 1735. …… At the same meeting it was voted that it was necessary to build a meeting house”. ---------------- The Griffins would have been in attendance at those meetings. We have selected a number of pages from the minutes that covers the next 60 years.------------------ Another section contains the records kept by the Society ministers. The first minster to be called was the twenty five year old William Seward/Seaward. The Reverend Seward served for the unheard of duration of forty-four years. Those forty-four years covered the time frame of the birth of all of the Griffin children and some of the grandchildren. He is buried in the Union Cemetery next to the original Griffin house. In the marriage indexes available for Killingworth you will see the Rev. Steward’s name associated with the marriage of each of the Griffins. The title page for Reverend Steward’s entries reads;-------------------- “The Book of Records of the Second Church of Christ in Killingworth.----------- Which records were begun by William Seaward who was ordained and set apart to the work of the ministry by fasting and praying and with the laying on of hands of the ---upon the 18th Day of January AD 1737/8.”--------------- The ledger starts out with a list of the 50 people then in Full Communion;---------- “Those who were in Full Communion in the North Society in Killingworth at the time of my ordination.”----------- The next page in the ledger contains an obituary for Rev. Seward. The bottom part of the page records the instillation of Henry Ely on September 25, 1782 as the new Minister. It is interesting to note that even though the independence of each Society was a tenant of their belief there is also part of their belief system that any new Society must receive authorization and authority from the body politic of all of the other Societies. Until the 1800’s the Colonial General Assembly held those rights. With the ordinations of Henry Ely we see listed the deputation of ministers sent to officiate. On the next page the independence and the division of authority within the individual Societies is again on display as we see the Reverend Ely being dismissed by the Killingworth Society.------------- “Feb 12th AD 1801------------ The Rev. Henry Ely by mutual agreement between him & the people was regularly dismissed from the Pastoral Care of the Church of Christ in this place.” We then see the records for the ordination of the next minister dated April 21st 1802.---------------- It should come as no surprise that William Seward would begin his records by listing those who were granted Full Communion each year; “The Record of those persons that were brought to full communion by William Sward Pastor of the Second Church of Christ in Killingworth. The year in this record begins in January.”------------ On the page that includes the year 1761 under “April 19” We see” Samuel Griffin” and the next line down “Mary (Marah) ye wife of said Samuel Griffin”. Under July 25 in 1767 we see; “Mercy ( Nettleton) ye wife of Samuel Griffin”------------------- At the very bottom of the page that includes the year 1880 we see listed, “Mercy ( Bailey) wife of Samuel Griffin”.----------- One of the privileges of church membership was the right to have your children baptized. Reverend Seward faithfully recorded the baptism of each of Samuel’s children from his three marriages. The same is true for Azuba and Worden’s children. We have selected a few. Lois, Samuel’s first child, baptized April 12, 1861, Polle, August 15, 1762, Asahel, January 1, 1769. We have teased out an image from the faded page that included the year 1776, “Samuel son of Samuel Griffin. John’s baptism is recorded on May 10, 1778.---------------- The marriage of Samuel and Marah is found in the records that were copied from the original town records of what was the Killingworth First Society. That argues that their marriage occurred in the First Society before they made the move to the home lot on Roast Meat Hill. However the marriage of Samuel Griffin and Mercy Nettleton is recorded on May 15, 1766. The marriage of Samuel Griffin and Mercy Steevens is recorded on March 15, 1770.----------------- The death records are less formally organized. They seem to be more about the Ministers noting the passing of faithful members. Widow Thankful Buell’s death is recorded January 16, 1816. The death of Worden’s daughter Eliza Maria is also found in the death records.--------------- In the back of the ledgers are some membership lists. On one page under the year 1830 we find “Wife of Worden Griffin”.---- Click on images to enlarge