10 A HALF CENTURY. 



6,069, while Hartford at that time had but 5,031 inhabitants. 

 The growth of Farmington had resulted in the settlement of 

 the eastern and western parts of New Britain, and Great Swamp 

 and the Blue Hills in Kensington, and in 1705 apart of the 

 southeastern portion of Farmington was incorporated into a 

 new Ecclesiastical Society, termed the " Great Swamp Society." 

 A minister, the Rev. William Burnham, was obtained and a 

 plain meeting-house was built at Christian Lane, near the Mat- 

 tabeset river in Kensington. On December 12, 1712, a Church 

 was organized in connection with the Great Swamp Society. 

 The seven pillars of this Church were Rev. William Burnham, 

 pastor, Stephen Lee, Thomas Hart, Anthony Judd, Samuel 

 Seymour, Thomas North, and Caleb Cowles. Anthony Judd 

 was appointed deacon. The name of the Church was changed 

 to Kensington by the General Assembly in 1722. A portion of 

 the members of the Kensington Church resided within the 

 present limits of New Britain, and the Great Swamp, or Ken- 

 sington Society, extended some distance north of the center of 

 New Britain. The Kensington Church also had a rapid growth. 

 From ten members at the beginning of 1713, it had grown to 

 two, hundred and twenty-four before the division in 1758. 



In 1754, the north part of Kensington, with a small portion 

 of Farmington and Wethersfield, was incorporated into a sep- 

 arate Ecclesiastical Society, and* named New Britain. The First 

 Church in New Britain was organized April 19, 1758, and in- 

 cluded Rev. John Smalley, pastor, from the Church at Corn- 

 wall, Conn., fifty members from the Church in Kensington, and 

 seventeen from the Church in Newington. Mr. Smalley was 

 ordained the day the Church was organized. He was sole pas- 

 tor for nearly fifty-two years, and continued in office until his 

 death, June 1, 1820, sixty- two years. He died at the age of 

 eighty-six years. 



There were four other pastors of this Church before its divi- 

 sion. Rev. Newton Skinner was ordained as colleague pastor 

 of Dr. Smalley, Feb. 14, 1810, and was sole pastor from 1820 

 until his death, March 31, 1825. 



Rev. Henry Jones was ordained and installed pastor Oct. 



I J V^ 



