Soon after the first settlement in Somers the inconvenience of attending public worship in Enfield Street, led the inhabitants to desire preaching among themselves. As early as 1721 they boted htat the inhabitants of the east part have liberty to hire preaching three or four months in the winter, and on
condition that they do so, that they be excused from paying their portion of the tax in the town street. This people did not, however, exist as a separate society until 1723, when the town voted that there be a precinct in the esat part of the town; the line commencing at the east line of Coronation brook, as the stream was then called, which runs across the main Enfield road, in the southwestern corner of Somers. From that time the town went under the name of the East Precinct or East Enfield, and transacted the ecclesiastical affairs in the capacity of a society.
In 1724 the people of the town made efforts to pricure and settle a minister, but did not succeed until 1727. In 1725 a call was extended to Reverend Mr. Daniel Elmer to settle in the work of the gospel ministry. At a legal meeting of the precinct, held July the 23rd, 1725, it was voted to ordain the Reverend Mr. Elmer "on ye sixth day of October." It was also voted that "Wednesday ye 22d day of September I sye day appointed for humiliation in order to prepare for ye ordination of mr. brewer. mr. Denison, mr. williams and mr. hopkins to asist us in ye fast before mentioned. Voted yt. Joseph wood should carry letters to ye ministers before mentioned. voted again yt. ye committee that are to manage ye prudential affaaris shall be ye men to provide a place for ye entertainment of ye elders which are to a sist as in ye ordination. voted again to send to ye three churches in Springfield, and ye church of Suffield, and ye church of hatfield and ye churchof framingham and ye church of marlboro for ye elders and messengers to asist in ye ordination before mentioned. Voted again yt. Edward Kibbe, Joseph Wood, Benjamin Sitton and nathaniel horton should be ye men to sign ye letters to ye churches before mentioned."
At a legal meeting, held January 10th, 1726, it was voted "upon further consideration to nul ye last vote, thinking it necessary to first keep a day of fast. voted again to appoint the nineteenth day of this instand for a day of fast; voted to send for mr. brewer, mr. denison, mr. williams, mr. hopkins and mr. reynolds to asist us in ye fast, and to give us further advice towards the settlement of Mr. Daniel Elmer." At a meeting held February 14th, a committee was appointed to agree with "Mr. Elmer the salary just for the time he has preached with us since we gave him a call." It was voted at a subsequent meeting to allow Edward Kibbe for keeping minister two pounds five shillings; voted to Joseph Sexton for keeping Mr. Elmer and his horse 2 lbs, 5s, 0d."
At a legal meeting held "on October ye 12, 1726, it was voted to hire Mr. Samuel Allis upon probation, and on October 28th it was voted t pay Mr. Allis 20 shillings a Sabbath and his keeping of a house." In November, 1726, it was voted to give Mr. Allis "80 lbs toward building a house, and 60 lbs a year for five years, and then to add 5 lbs a year until it amounts to 80 lbs for sallery." December 5th it was voted to give Mr. allis 20 lbs in labor toward building "his hous which is in addition to the fore mentioned 80 lbs."
February 15th, 1727, it was voted to give Mr. Allis a call "to ye work of ye ministry to take ye pastoral care of ye place." At this meeting the vote was taken to "Regulate ye salery," "wherein no specie is mentioned, which is to be understood to be money or grain, and whatsoever is paid in grain, to be paid on or before ye last of March, and that which is paid in money to be paid at or before ye last of May." At this same meeting it was voted to ordain Reverend Mr. Samuel Allis "ye fefteenth day of March next ensuing ye date hereof. Voted to raise 140 lbs for Mr. Allis, 100 lbs to be paid towards his salary and building his house, and the remainder to defray precinct charges. It was also voted to pay Mr. Allis 11pounds for the time he preached here on probation."
October 9th, 1729, it was voted to build a meeting house that year. In December of the same year it was voted "to meet at ye hous of Nathaniel Horton, Jun., from this time till the 10th of April next ensuing if we may have opportunity, and then to remove to Ebenezer Jones, and to meet there till further order. Voted to ajurn ye meeting up to ye center of ye precinct to know where is convenient to set a meeting house." "Being met at ye centre of said precinct and viewed ye places there then voted to set it on ye end of ye hill by ye corner of Mr. Allis field between ye roads that lead to Mr. Allis house."
It was voted to build the meeting house "44 feet long, 35 feet wide and twenty feet between joynts." Edward Kibbe, Sr., Nathaniel Horton, Jr., and James Pease were appointed a committee to discours some carpenters about building ye meeting hous." On the 28th of December, 1730, it was voted that "the place to set the meeting house on shall be near the spread of the Plain, where ye paths meet that goes over through Albert Pease’s land and ye other through Samuel Felt’s land at ye place that Edward Kibe pitcht
on for a meeting house last year on ye east side of ye path. A committee was appointed to get ye timber framed and raise and to do all the outside work (except ye glass), and shall lay the lower floor, and to the effect ye work within one twelve month within ye date thereof."
There seemed to be some disagreement concerning the advisability of erecting the meeting house on the ground selected, as after some considerable discussion it was changed, March 24th, 1731, by a committee appointed by the town, to a location near the gate that now opens into the North burying ground. This committee consisted of disinterested persons, and their decision was to be final. They were paid 4 lbs 12s. for their services; and Edward Kibbe received 2 lbs 9d. for keeping the committee. The vote as to the size of the house after two or three town meetings resulted in having same made "45x38 feet between joynts." It must have been erectd between the 10th of November and the 27th of December, 1731. At a town meeting it was voted there should be four bushels of wheat, two barrels of cider and four gallons of rum provided for the raising of the meeting house, and James Killim and Ebenezer Pratt were appointed to provide these supplies. James Wood was also appointed to set the day when to raise the meeting house. On the 10th of November it was voted to have two barrels of cider and four gallons of rum and not to have four bushels of wheat.
It is supposed that the meeting house was erected on land belonging to Nathaniel Horton, or in part to him, as a deed is recorded by him and Lieutenant Pratt of land disposed of to the town for both a meeting and school house. On the 27th of December, 1731, it was voted to have "2 ½ acres of land rond the meeting house lying square." Edward Kibbe entered his dissent against it. It was also voted to allow James Killim ten shillings, Deacon Horton eight shillings and Ebenezer Morris eight shillings for the rum which they provided for the raising. Edward Kibbe entered his dissent against paying any of the charges. It was also voted that any inhabitant in the precinct should have liberty to build a small house for himself and his family and also a shelter for his horse upon the land purchased by the society around the meeting house. Ebenezer Jones and Elisha Kibbe entered their dissent to this vote.
The church, at its first gathering, March 15th, consisted of nine male members only, but it is said that the wives fo the above named brethren united with the church at the first communion. At the time of the erection of the meeting house the population of the town was about 180, and it is said that all the inhabitants could sit on the sills of the house. Although the meeting house was erected four years after the settlement of Mr. A llis, it was not finished until about 1748. In 1732 it was voted "to put on quarter boards onto the back side of the meeting hohuse, and to pull off the boards on the ends and feather edge them and to enclose the rest of the house with feather edged boards, and let it rest for the winter."
In 1734 the town desired that Enfield "would be pleased to lay out roads to accommodate us to go to the meeting house." The town met with but little success, and at length, May 13th, 1734, "Voted, a committee be appointed to go to the selectmen of theis said town of Enfield, to make demands of them to come into the east part of the town or precinct and lay open the highway that have ben formerly laid out, or more latterly granted and make satidfaction to those men that are damaged and if they refuse proceed to a Justice of the Peace or to a Court of Quarter Sessions, in such manner as they shall think most convenient."
In April, 1735, it was voted that Reverend Samuel Allis should be privileged to build "a pew in ye meeting house at ye south side at ye right hand of ye great doors (provided ye have no right to any other pew in ye meeting house) for his own benefit provided he will sell it to ye town at ye reasonable bill, provided he shall ever remove out of ye town any other ways than by death." It was also voted that "yt ye pew that was voted to Mr. Allis, shall be for him and for his heirs forever provided it be as close to ye great door as may be most convenient so yt it may not trouble an other pew next to ye stairs."
The town voted various sums from year to year toward completing the meeting house, ranging from forty to eighty pounds. In 1736 the sum of forty pounds was raised to "glaze the meeting house and build the pulpit, and to proceed to make the body of seats, with what is already raised as far as it will go." In 1738 it was "voted to proceed to further furnishing ye meeting house ye (viz) Pulpit, Canopy and Pews around said house and Stairs up into ye Gallery and ye body of seats and make ye Pillars and that said house shall be couated all around, from ye sills to ye girts with board ceiling." In the year 1740 a committee of four was appointed "to seat the meeting house. Ye rules the seaters shall go by in seating shall be Age Estate and Qualifications. Voted to finish the Gallery so far as to make tow seats round." In 1742 it was voted "to pitch ye spouts of ye meeting house and stop ye Wormholes; to Samuel Billings 3 shillings for 3 Clapboards."
On November 19th, 1746, it is recorded that Deacon Horton, Joseph Sexton and Elisha Kibbe were appointed a committee to consult or advice with some man or men as to what steps should be taken in relation to the grievances about Mr. Allis, and make report to the town. The town and church then took action in regard to calling a council, and January 26th, 1746, it was voted "to drop ye church of Enfied and chuse ye church of Northfield to assist in ye council." One of the charges brought by Mr. Allis was that he had failed to receive his salary in full, as voted by the town. Accordingly a letter was prepard to be signed by the committee to send to the council. To sum it up, it was as follows: "Mr. Allis agreed to a Dissension from the Church and the People providing the town would grant and confirm to himself his heirs and assigns al the land given by the town of Enfield, including six acres of meadow at Scantic, also a two hunderd and 60 acre grant of land. That Mr. Allis shall be allowed the use and improvement of 12 acres of ministry land for one year. That Mr. Allis shall be free from paying any part of ye taxes that shall be raised in the town during the term of 10 years, province and county taxes excepted. That the town by vote shall submit the controversy between Mr. Allis and the town to the Determination and Arbetrement of Joseph Pynchon, Capt. Ephraim Ferry of Enfield and Timothy Nash of Windsor." At a town meeting held April 6th, 1747, the town voted to concur with the church and dismiss Mr. Allis. The town voted to grant Mr. Allis his demands made upon the church and town, and to abide by the decision above named.
In 1747 a committee was appointed to take advice of the association or ministers near by in reference to getting a minister. In May, 1752, it was voted to hire Mr. Chandler three months upon probation. Several candidates preached to the people until April 4th, 1763, when it was voted to give Mr. Andrew Storrs a call to settle. Mr. Storrs did not accept and it was voted in 1764 to "proceed further with Mr. Knight Sexton to preach in order for settlement." On May 8th, 1764, it was voted to hire Mr. Seth Lee to preach the gopel longer here. In July it was voted to hire Mr. Johnson for six Sabbaths. In 1767 two pence on a pound was raised "to supply ye pulpit." Prior to 1768 the town had extended calls to Messrs. Hezekiah Goodwin, Wphraim Judson and Samuel ely, to settle in the work of the gospel ministry; two of them, Messrs. Judson and Ely, preached several Sabbaths, but for some cause did not accept the calls extended to them. In 1768 it was voted "whether the town would send for a new candidate to preach with us. 51 in ye negative, 30 in ye affirmative."
On the 29th of March, 1769, the 12th day of the next April was appointed for the ordination of Mr. Samuel Ely. A committee was appointed to confer with Mr. Ely, which they did, and appointed the following ministers "to be of council.:" Mr. Beckwith and Mr. Johnson, of Lyme; Mr. Trooh, of Bozrah, in Norwich; Mr. Howes of Saybrook; Mr. Martin, of Ashford; Mr. Leonard, of Woodstock; Mr. Frost, of Mill River, in Meriden; Mr. Hutchinson, of Grafton, and Mr. Fish, of Upton, with their delegates or messengers. At the same meeting it was voted "that 9 seven or 5 of the above named Rev. gentlemen shall be the ecclesiastical council, and in case they cannot be obtained a sufficient number out of the above named gentlemen then the committee shall bave power by this vote to desire any other gentlemen in their character with their messengers who they shall see fit to convene in this town on Wednesday ye 18th day of April next to accomplish as soon as may be to ordain Mr. Samuel Ely to the work of the gospel ministry in this town according to a stattue of this colony in that case provided."
contents page