Pilfershire of Simsbury Connecticut

Meet Jonathan, Jonathan, and Jonathan Latimer of Simsbury

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Sat, 18 May 2024 23:59:00 +0000

Three generations of Jonathan Latimers were early settlers of Simsbury, CT – Jonathan Latimer 1709 – 1788, Jonathan Latimer 1738 – 1826, and Jonathan Latimer, Jr. 1764 – 1852.

Jonathan Latimer (1^st) married Mary Hollister on 5 December 1734, in Wethersfield, CT. He moved his family of 5 from Wethersfield to the Weatogue section of Simsbury in 1745. They would have 6 children in total: Abigail, Jonathan, Wait, Mary, Giles and Jehiel.

Maybe not too surprising, this Jonathan’s father … was also named Jonathan!

At the age of 22, his son Jonathan (2^nd) married Rachel Wilcox of West Simsbury in Dec 1760. About that same year, Jonathan (2^nd) built a house on the Garret Stairs of “West Mountain” in West Simsbury, within the “Pilfershire” area of today. Jonathan and Rachel had 3 daughters (Rachel, Lodama & Sophia) and 1 son, named … Jonathan Jr.

They were early settlers of this hill area and rugged, hardworking subsistence farmers. Jonathan chopped wood and plowed fields with hand tools. He built fences, sheds, and a small mill near the brook by his house. Rachel oversaw the cooking, cleaning, spinning of flax and wool, planting and maintaining of gardens, and homeschooling the children*. Every Sunday, initially, the whole family would go the six miles (walking or on horseback) to and from Simsbury center for the often 4 hours of Puritan worship services. Walking twelve miles with children and keeping them quiet for 4 hours of worship is surely true devotion! A closer church was subsequently established in North Canton, but the writer has not established whether they became members.

Jonathan and Rachel farmed and provided for their family at this location their entire lives. Jonathan lived for 87 years and wife Rachel lived until age 73.

This photo shows Jonathan Latimer and Jonathan Latimer Jr. signatures on the petition to the General Assembly for “West Simsbury” to separate from Simsbury and become Canton in 1806.

Jonathan Jr. purchased the house and farm from his father about the year 1820 at the age of ~55. By this time, the farm was extensive. His apple orchards and cider mill produced hard cider that he sold to (or bartered with) the Adams General Store in North Canton, CT. Jonathan Latimer Jr. lived his entire life on this farm from 1764 until his death in 1852 ‏(Age 88).

That is almost 100 years of “Jonathan Latimers” in Pilfershire of Simsbury!

*Although area schools were available, attendance was not mandatory. Attending school was considered, by many farm families, as time away from work!

By Tom Yanik

When a Walk is Not Just a Walk: Lessons from Pilfershire

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 13:49:48 +0000

When walking on Westledge Trail in the McLean Game Refuge, one may have a sense of something different beyond its natural surroundings. It’s a beautiful, forested hike that extends from Westledge Road through the Refuge, along a brook, to Firetown Road in Simsbury. But beyond its natural beauty lie subtle clues to Pilfershire and the history of its residents from the 1750’s to the early decades of the 1900’s. This area had subsistence farms with some blacksmithing, tailoring, dyeing, and hard apple cider milling. Today, many clues to its past remain. The preserved stone foundation structures, collapsed now and nestled naturally into the landscape, are the most visible clues of the salt box homes and farmstead outbuildings that once stood here. They serve as cherished treasures of our colonial past. All these stone reminders provide a tremendously rich glimpse into the bygone life of this farming community on the hillside ledges of West Simsbury. Were these stone foundations of homes, mills, barns, sheds, privies, workshops or tanneries? What was farm life like during Pilfershire’s journey?

These piled stone formations are only part of the foundational underpinning visual clues, no pun intended, for the extensive historical research our team is undertaking. Look closer as you walk and you can observe even more. Handsome ancient trees, now aged by time, once stood as borders along the dirt roads and frontage of these homes. These magnificent old trees appear placed in an ornamental fashion, likely providing shade for the house and livestock.

PHOTO: From Lanfield, Sidney. “The Hound of the Baskevilles.”, 20th Century Fox, 1939.

On further glance, another signifcant clue sinks in when you observe a stone wall in this forest … and then another one, and yet another one, until you realize they’re everywhere! These ubiquitous stone walls of Pilfershire, and throughout New England, tell stories that are well chronicled in several excellent publications*. These stone walls reveal evidence of former agricultural property boundaries, livestock containment (possibly including Merino Sheep**), and even ornamental elements for the homes of the farmers who lived there.

These are but a few hints on how to know “when a walk is not just a walk”.

As I learned through the team collaboration with Tom and Jeff on our Pilfershire of Simsbury Project, along with the many, many wonderful conversations with people we’ve met along the way: history is often right under our noses. All you have to do is just keep looking for it.

Enjoy ever step of the way!

By Dave Jackson

*Allport, Susan. Sermons In Stone; The Stonewalls of New England & New York.The Countryman Press, Woodstock, VT., 2012.

*Thorson, Robert M. Stone By Stone: The Magnificent History in New England’s Stone Walls. Walker & Company, NY, 2002.

** “Simsbury Free Library: The Lost Village of Pilfershire.” Simsbury Community TV, 23 September 2014, Simsburttv.org/v/XNM3-HBTJ8c.

Early New England fences

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 01:06:07 +0000

When early colonists first settled the West Simsbury hills of Simsbury, the area was virgin forest. They had an ample supply of wood to build their houses, mills and other outbuildings; keep fireplaces burning for cooking and heating ,and fabricate fences.

In 1769 the Colony of Connecticut established laws regarding fencing.

“All common fields shall be sufficiently fenced and that all 5 rail fence, and stone wall 4 feet high, and being well, and substantially erected; and all other fence, either of rails, boards, hedge, ditch, brooks, rivers, creeks, etc., … shall be equivalent to the said 5 rail fence, … to fence against ruly [meaning unruly] horses, neat cattle, and sheep …” *

PHOTO: A split rail fence – also known as a worm, snake, or zigzag fence.

Split rail fences prevailed until about the time of the War of Independence, when they began to be replaced by stone walls.

“A man skilled in the use of an ax and a wedge could cut 150-200 10-foot rails in one day, and a man adept at erecting fences could lay 200 yards per day. A two-man team laying a stone wall could be expected to erect 10 feet per day.” *

By Tom Yanik

*Grigg, Bob. “Early Types of Fencing.” www.colebrookhistoricalsociety.org/Early%20Types%20of%20Fencing.htm, accessed 12/23/23.

Celebrate Christmas … Or Just Another Day?

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 01:59:34 +0000

The 17^th and 18^th century colonial Puritans and Pilgrims of New England, such as those from Simsbury, CT, were very pious, so Christmas was just another day to devote to God. Their ministers rejected celebrating the holiday due to its pagan roots from the Roman winter festival of Saturnalia and the Norse festival of Yule.*

At this same time in England and New England, Anglicans celebrated Christmas for 12 days starting December 25 and it consisted of raucous celebrations involving drunkenness, gaming, gambling, and masquerade balls full of music and dancing.*

“One of the more colorful New England colonial Christmas traditions was mumming, in which men dressed like women (and vice versa) or simply disguised themselves in a range of costumes. Mumming could be as innocent as street theater or as bawdy as a loosely disguised roving orgy.”**

The 12th day of Christmas, on January 6th, was called “Twelfth Day” or the Epiphany celebration. This was a great excuse for another celebration with parties and perhaps more mumming. May it have included : “ Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing …”?

“Twelfth Night or The King Drinks” painted by David Teniers the Younger in 1634-40.

The Puritans and Puritan separatists (Pilgrims) sought to purify the Church of England. This type of rowdy and immoral holiday celebration was seen as divergent from the focus on God’s work. Therefore, the Connecticut Colony, along with Massachusetts Colony, outlawed celebrating Christmas in 1659 and imposed a 5 shilling fine for observing it. **

Although this law banning Christmas celebrations was revoked in 1681, many Puritan colonists did not approve of this action and remained opposed. However, by the 1800s, this sentiment on Christmas observances was waning. Puritans were feeling attracted to many of the Christmas traditions already established in colonial America by Episcopalians (Anglicans), Roman Catholics and other Protestants. This attitude was particularly advanced in 1822 with the publishing of the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore :

“ ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there … “

Sometime around the end of the Civil War, the Puritans relented to a more restrained Christmas observance. So fear not, celebrate Christmas … and as Tiny Tim observed “God bless us, everyone.”***

by Tom Yanik

*Pruitt, Sarah. “How Christmas Was Celebrated in the 13 Colonies” www.history.com/news/christmas-13-colonies-puritans. Updated October 5, 2023. Accessed 12/24/23

** We Won’t Go Until We Get Some: New England Colonial Christmas Traditions: One tradition was disagreeing about how to celebrate Christmas. www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/wont-go-get-new-england-colonial-christmas-traditions. Accessed 12/24/23

*** from Charles Dicken’s novella A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas originally published: December 19, 1843

Simsbury Sabbath and Pilfershire 1670-1770

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 15:37:48 +0000

The first European settlers of Simsbury, CT (a.k.a. the Massaco settlement) in the late 1600s were pious Puritans and Pilgrims (Puritan Separatists). To these Christians, the Bible was foremost. Worship services were unadorned, having worship in a “meeting house” with plain architecture, simple furnishings, and no musical instruments. (The photo is a replica of the first meeting house on the grounds of the Simsbury Historical Society). During their worship service, the sermon was predominant to devoutness and most Sundays the minister presented two sermons. Puritans were known as strict Sabbatarians – observing the Sunday Sabbath in devotion to God and thus, “abstain from being outwardly engaged in any worldly thing, either worldly business or recreations” * the entire day!

Sabbatarianism must have been a consideration for the initial farm settlers of the “West Simsbury” district in 1737-1750, which included Pilfershire. West Simsbury, which today includes the area of Canton, was a further distance (~ 6-7 miles) from Sunday worship services in Simsbury center. Much literature suggests that the disputes and dissenting opinions over the building and relocation of a new Simsbury meeting house from 1725 to 1737 lead residents to the virgin territory to the west.

“It is supposed that the ecclesiastical quarrel which, at this period, raged with so much acrimony in the old parish … had some, if not a preponderating influence in promoting the growth of this settlement …” **

Another reason for West Simsbury settlement would be the population boom at that period. The average family size was between 6-10 children. Dr. Samuel Barber and Joseph Mills each had fourteen children! Available farmland was in short supply and high demand. So, moving to the unsettled west side of Simsbury for newly married couples, like Jonathan & Rachel (Wilcox) Latimer of Pilfershire in 1760, was a well-reasoned option. Coincidently, a new Puritan (Congregational) church was established around the same time in Canton Center, while independent “Reformation” churches (like Canton Baptist Church organized 1787 from earlier separatists) were also beginning to gain momentum.

*Edwards, Jonathan. “The works of Jonathan Edwards, A.M. / with an essay of his genius and writings by Henry Rogers ; and a memoir by Sereno E. Dwight ; rev. and cor. by Edward Hickman. Vol. 2.” William Ball, London, 1839, pp. 102.

** Phelps, Noah A. “History of Simsbury, Granby, and Canton : from 1642 to 1845.” Case, Tiffany & Burnham, Hartford, CT. 1845, pp. 136-137.

by Tom Yanik

Celebrating Simsbury Revolutionary War Veterans

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 18:30:02 +0000

Simsbury residents – including West Simsbury farmers answered the call for revolution. Nearly 1,000 Simsbury residents, more than in any other war, served in the Revolution. Noah Phelps was the most noted hero, as it was his spying which led to the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys. Furthermore, all of Connecticut became known as the “Provisions State” because of the provisions we supplied to help feed and equip General George Washington’s Continental Army and the Connecticut Militia.

Broadside Soliciting Recruits for the Continental Army, ca. 1775 – Connecticut Historical Society Broadside Soliciting Recruits for the Continental Army, ca. 1775 – Connecticut Historical Society.

“Higley” and “Barber” are names connected to Pilfershire. And John Garritt? Could he somehow be connected to the “Garrett Stairs”?

Tom Yanik

A Stonewall Along The “Garrett Stairs”

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 01:44:09 +0000

A hike along McLean Game Refuge’s Westledge Trail in Pilfershire Simsbury includes an uphill section that goes in an east-west direction. This dirt road was referred to as the “Garrett Stairs” and was renowned in the 17^th and 18^th century for the difficulty it posed for travel. This section of the trail includes a cascading stream, a cellar hole and stonewalls.

At the top of “Garrett Stairs” where the trail bends, a newly married Jonathan Latimer, age 22, built a house in 1760. A rather out-of-the-way location, don’t you think?

Tom Yanik

Monograph “The Homes of Pilfershire”

Jeff Bush — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 13:04:27 +0000

This is the currently published version 1.05 (2012) of my little paper about the homes and farms of Pilfershire, located in what is now the northwest corner of Simsbury Connecticut (apparently between 1806 and 1879 this land was part of North Canton). The text (and two old photgraphs) is based entirely on a series of articles published in a now defunct magazine called “The Lure of the Litchfield Hills” in the Summer and Winter of 1966. The author was Kenneth Latimer Osmun, whose family had deep roots in this area. I am entirely indebted to Fred Feibel of the Simsbury Land Trust for bringing these articles to my attention.

Download the article by clicking on the image below.

My family moved to this area, Highridge Road, in 1960, and I grew up here, discovering almost immediately this “lost” cluster of old foundations. For decades they remained a mystery… who lived there? Why were they now gone? Only with the sudden enlightenment enabled by Fred’s sharing of those old articles in perhaps 2006 did the pieces begin to fit together, pieces that we are still collecting and assembling.

Jeff Bush ………………………………

1892 Topographical Map

Jeff Bush — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 12:33:18 +0000

Prior to discovering this map, I didn’t know that topographic maps even existed, knowing that present day “geodetic” maps are generated from data collected by airplane (and now satellite). But clearly the vocabulary of the current day maps was present in these old maps, with contour lines for elevation levels and small black squares for buildings (along with a host of other invaluable data). This map shows clearly the state of the Pilfershire area in 1892.

Jeff Bush ……………………………………

The old tree is down, apparently struck by lightning.

The Collective Editors of the Pilfershire of Simsbury (Connecticut) Website — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 14:10:16 +0000

Matson House doorstep tree. Around 2015.