FROM THE HISTORIAN’S DESK, March 2025 – Carol Ganz.

Getting to Know our History, New London to Groton

I thought I’d provide some of the backstory to the establishment of our ecclesiastical society in October 1725, so you will understand the context of the event.  How did we get to that point?

As many of you know, Groton Congregational Church is our “mother” church, and the First Congregational Church of New London is our “grandmother” church.  The path led through these congregations over about three quarters of a century to the request for our own church.

Originally, of course, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes, including the Pequots, Mohegans and others.  In the 1640s, shortly after the end of the Pequot War, John Winthrop, Jr., the adventurous son of the governor of Massachusetts, took an interest in the area.  As a trained scientist with an interest in minerals, he obtained in 1640 a grant of land at “Pequod” for iron works, and he quickly moved to settle the area with English.  Pequod refers to the area around the mouth of what we now call the Thames River.  Winthrop managed to work with the native Americans still in the area, and relations were generally peaceful.

In 1650, Rev. Richard Blinman arrived in the new settlement being formed by Winthrop.  Rev. Blinman brought with him most of his congregation from Gloucester, Massachusetts, and they established a church on the hillside on the west bank of the river.  Over the next fifty years the settlement spread north and across the river to the east.    The river was a major source of transportation, but it was also an impediment for those residents on the east side to get to church and do business in town.  Soon they sought permission to hold services on the east side of the river, and it was not long before they were given permission from the General Assembly to incorporate as a separate town.

Groton, established in 1704/5, and named after Winthrop’s hometown in England, was laid out as a large town, especially long from north to south, with considerable distance from the north border with Preston to the coast.  There had long been settlers in the northern part of Groton, as families like Robert Allyn’s went up the river to settle (Allyn’s Point).   By 1725, several families had lived in North Groton for substantial time, including people with names like Geer, Williams, Spicer, Bill, Avery, Lester and Morgan.

Very quickly, those in the north, nearer Preston, began to complain that it was unreasonably far to travel to church in Groton, especially in light of the poor condition of the roads in those early days.  Transportation played a major part in justifying the repeated requests to separate.

To be continued….