Great Swamp Parish, Farmington, Hartford Co., CT - 1705-1717
extracted from Genealogy & Ecclesiastical History
Alfred Andrews, 1867
pgs 18-29

"To the Right Honourable and Worshipfull General Assembly now sitting at New Haven this 11 day of October A D 1705 Greeting. We the subscribers hereunto, do humbly request this Hon. Assembly to grant unto your humble petitioners a Settlement and confirmation of a Society at a place called the "Great Swamp" within Farmington bounds, having obtained a liberty from said Farmington for that. Your Houours will determine the bounds for said Society accordingly. The principal and only moving cause of this our humble petition, is the remoteness from any town, whereby we are under great disadvantage for our souls good, by the Ministry of the word, and in that your humble petitioners may be under the better advantage to set up and maintain ye worship, & ordinance of Jesus Christ, in that desolate corner of the wilderness, we humbly request that your honors will please to annex into our bounds, for the only use of said Society, all those lands that are between our bounds southward, and Wallingford bounds Northward, for the benefit of the Taxes of said land, for ye support, of ye public charge, of said Society, and our unamious desire is that the Worshipful Capt. Thomas Hart, will prefer, and declare, this our humble petition, and the circumstance of the case in said court, all which your Honor's petitioners Humbly submit. Dated 16 Oct 1705" signed:

John HART, sen Richard SEYMOUR Stephen ROOT John LEE Daniel ANDRUS, jun Thos NORTH Nehemiah PORTER Jacob BRONSON jun Isaac COWLES Samuel SMITH John COLE Samuel COWLES Isaac LEWIS Joseph SMITH Nathl COWLES

Stephen LEE Daniel DEWEY Samuel SEYMOUR Ebenezer SEYMOUR Joseph LANKTON Thomas HART Samuel NEWEL Isaac NORTON Anthony JUDD Benjn JUDD Caleb COWLES John STANLEY Thos GRIDLEY

The petition was granted and a meeting house was built. Land was donated to the Society by Richard SEYMOUR for a burial ground. An agreement was signed 20 Sep 1709 between "The Inhabitants of the society in the southeastern bounds of the Township of Farmington commonly known by the name of the Great Swamp, in the County of Hartford and Colony of Connecticut in New England, America, $c" agreement between said Society & William Burnham respecting his settlement as a Minister of the Gospel. Rev. Burnham was ordained 10 Dec 1712 and a Church was organized the same day with 10 members:

• Rev. Mr. BURNHAM
• Stephen LEE
• Thos. HART
• Anthony JUDD
• Samuel SEYMOUR
• Thomas NORTH
• Caleb COWLES
  [These were the Seven Pillars]
• Wife of Stephen LEE
• Wife of Saml SEYMOUR
• Sarah, wife of Thomas HART