O an Englishman the idea of American antiquity must necessarily seem ludicrous. Two, or at the most three centuries, are all that we may historically claim for New England, or indeed for any portion of the country; youthful indeed when compared with the history of many English towns antedating the Norman, and even the Roman conquest.

But we have our antiquities none the less; and we shall continue to celebrate our first, second, and in rare instances third centennial anniversaries of towns, cities and institutions, with as much eclat as we choose, without consulting our respected cousins across the pond. In other words, we shall make the most of what antiquity we have, knowing that time will remedy all defects in this line, if we are only patient.

Bristol can boast of no such accumulation of years as that English town upon

the Avon to which it is indebted for a name, having but recently celebrated its hundredth anniversary, which occurred in 1885. Prior to its incorporation as a town it enjoyed the distinction of being an ecclesiastical parish under the name of New Cambridge. Perhaps the change of name from classical Cambridge to commercial Bristol, was a prophecy of the town's future, for the first century of its existence was yet young when manufacturing began to engage the attention of its citizens, and to attract capital and labor from other communities.

In 1721 that portion of Farmington now embraced in the towns of Bristol and Burlington, known as the West Woods, ten miles in length by five in breadth, was surveyed into five tiers of lots, separated by highways running north and south, connected by east and west highways at intervals. The survey also included one tier of lots now lying along the western

IN LOT, NUMBER AND DIVISION.

This chart was made by James Shepard, of New Britain, by enlarging the map of Bristol on the Hartford County map of 1855, and drawing the roads as shown upon the map upon the chart prepared by Roswell Atkins, for the report of the Centennial of Bristol. The Burlington town line was located upon the Atkins chart by Mr. Shepard, who took measurements from ascertained bearings upon Chippen's Hill, and then enlarged the Atkin's plan to correspond proportionately with the county map. Absolute accuracy is not claimed, yet in locating lands by lot numbers, in the Farmington records, the writer has found the plot sufficiently exact to be of great use.

5

SECOND MEETING HOUSE OF THE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY.

others came from Wallingford, Hartford, and other towns in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and even New Hampshire, and built upon Fall Mountain, Chippen's Hill, and various other localities.

It is noteworthy that the early settlers regarded what is now the center of the town as worthless for agricultural purposes, and settled upon the outlying hills, which they cleared of the primeval forests, and occupied for farming purposes. Later

ble. So long as the settlers were content to ride on horseback to Farmington every Sabbath day, over the old beaten trails of the Indians, no separation was contemplated from the parental household. But, as the population of the western forest increased, and the long, tedious ride of nine miles was made perilous by spring freshets at Eight Acre, and by fierce storms and deep snows in winter, what was at first a murmur became a voice, and the privilege of holding divine services at home during the winter months was asked of the General Assembly and granted. This was in 1742. Thomas Canfield, a student for the ministry, was employed for the six months ending in the spring of 1743, and was therefore the first minister in Bristol. In 1744 by act of the General Assembly, an ecclesiastical society was formed, under the name of New Cambridge. Thus was organized the Bristol Congregational Church and Society.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

manufacturers naturally sought the watercourses, and upon every available stream small mills and factories were erected; and the hum of whirling pulleys, gaining their impetus from cumbrous overshot wheels, mingled with the monosyllabic commands of the plowman to his lusty oxen as he furrowed the stony soil of the adjoining fields.

The early history of the town is so closely interwoven with the history of the Congregational church as to be insepara

From 1745 to 1747 a young Yale graduate, a resident of Southington, was employed with others to minister to the infant church. Samuel Newell was a man of pronounced views, stern and inflexible. He held to the doctrines of John Calvin, and advocated them conscientiously and fearlessly. When therefore in 1747 a vote was taken to settle him as pastor, there were those who, un