FROM THE HISTORIAN’S DESK, December 2025 – Carol Ganz.
Again this month we turn to Joshua Hempstead of New London to learn what was happening in the region. Some of this directly bears on the Groton church and their sad state at the time we left.
From Hempstead’s diary December entries: “fryd 3 fair. I was at home al day Cutting gr stones. Ye Mr Wood [ ] of Groton died Wednsday night with a long Sickness [this] day buried.”
Checking the Contributions to the Ecclesiastical History of Connecticut, v. 1 and 2, published by the General Association (later the Connecticut Conference), I found that Rev. Ephraim Woodbridge, who had served the church in Groton since his ordination as their first settled minister in 1704, was dismissed in 1724 and died in December 1725. It was Ephraim’s son Dudley who had accompanied Samuel Seabury as students at Yale, and then at Harvard, and had recently graduated together. It seems Rev. Woodbridge’s dismissal must have stemmed from his illness the previous year, and no successor is listed until November 1727, when Rev. John Owen began his pastorate. It is to Rev. Owen that we are indebted for the list of those in the North Parish as of 1727, entered into the records of the Groton church. That is our only record of our church for almost the first century, although we are fortunate to have society records.
Joshua goes on to record that he spent December days cutting gravestones, slaughtering more livestock, salting beef and pork for storage in the attic and the cellar, searching for his sheep, preparing documents, surveying and gathering wood. At one point he and John Congdon took three cows across the river headed for Stonington, which must not have been an easy task.
On Sunday the 12th, “Mr ad pr. at Groton & Mr. Seabury here.” This sounds like a pulpit exchange. I wonder if Mr. Seabury was recent graduate Samuel, soon to preach temporarily for us, or his father Deacon John. Hempstead also gives us some insight into how things were done regarding taxes. Monday afternoon December 13 “I paid all my Rates in Money.” The next afternoon, he met with Mr. Chapman and Mr. Prentiss at Mr. Adams’ house and they “pd him his full Sallery for last year.” They also paid Apply and George Wright their due. Saturday afternoon the 25th he spent with the Townsmen finishing t[own] accounts. They were wrapping up the town finances for the year.