Milford First Congregational Church Records - Vol. I, 1639 - 1837
by Nancy Tyrrel Theodore, June 2009
LDS Film #1012263
Note: Five volumes of the Records of the First Congregational Church of Milford were brought to the Connecticut State Library on 30 January 1930 by David A. Clarke, 5th, for his father, David L. Clarke, Clerk of the Church. These records begin in 1639 and come down to 1926.
While every effort was made through the decades to take proper care of these records, it was not untlil the early 1900s that they had the protection of any kind of safe. When they came into the custody of Mr. Clarke, he placed them in his safe located in his home. It was this safe which, when the Clarke home burned in 1922, preserved these invaluable records dealing with the religious life of
Thus, the LDS film of these records is very dark in places, while as others have suggested, the handwriting, especially that of the second pastor Roger Newton, is difficult to decipher. Where the record is unclear, other sources were used to augment and complete the birth and/or baptism record for the children of Roger1 and Abigail (Ufford) Terrill.
All highlighted & underlined items are links to copies of original documents.
(PDF files, of size 2 MB or less)
Message on first page:
On the old parchment cover in which this book was originally bound was the date
Ano 1608 & a masonic figure.
The book was probably brought from
It had been used for an account book before it was applied to the present use - a number of leaves having been cut from the beginning as appeared before it was rebound.
Facsimile of figures on old cover.ii
The pages in the record book are unnumbered, so the year is used as the identifying placement on the film.
Recorded by pastor Peter Prudden:
1644
July 25 . . . . Roger Terill. [admitted] . . . . . . . . (Enlargement)
August . . . . John Terill.iv [baptized]. . . . . . . . (Enlargement)
. . . . . . . . . . Abigail Terill.iv [baptized]
November 3 Abigail wife of brother Terrill. [admitted] . . . . . . . . (Enlargement)
1645
January . . . .Isabel, wife of Thomas Uffitt. [admitted, mother of Abigail Terrill]
February 11 .Thomas Uffitt him self. [admitted, father of Abigail Terrill]
August . . . . [Hannah Terrill - baptized]iv
1647
October 31 . .Samuel son of Roger Terrill. [baptized]. . . . . . . . (Enlargement)
1649/50
January 20 . .Roger son of Roger Terrill. [baptized] . . . . . . . . (Enlargement)
1651/52
January 4 . . .Joseph son of Roger Terrill. [baptized]. . . . . . . . (Enlargement)
1653/54
March 2 . . .Mary d. of Roger Terrill she dyed May.3rd. following. [bapt. & death] . (Enlargement)
{Feb 12} . . . Mary Terrell [born] da. Roger. [MV Vol.1, p. 7] v
1655
April 15 . . . . . Ephraimiv son of Roger Terrill. [baptized]. . . . . . . . (Enlargement)
April 8 . . . . . . .Ephraim Terrell [born] son of Roger. [MV Vol.1, p. 8] v
. Pastor Prudden died in July of 1656. The First Church of Milford remained without a settled pastor after the death of Peter Prudden until
1656
October 23 . . . .Thomas Terrill [born] son of Roger. [MV, Vol.1, p. 10] v
1659/60
March 1 . . . . . . Daniell Terrill [born] son of Roger [MV, Vol.1, p. 12] v
Recorded by pastor Roger Newton:
1662
September 14 . .Eleazer son of brother Terrill. [baptized]
September {20} . .{Eleazer} Terrill [born] son of Roger. [MV Vol.1, p. 14] v
i. From a note dated 4 February 1930 in the Milford First Congregational Church Records, LDS #1012263, by Geo. S. Godard, Connecticut State Librarian.
ii. Ibid. Frontspiece page.
iii. History of
iv. The American Genealogist, Vol. 25, p. 37 by Donald Lines Jacobus "The Terrill Family of Connecticut." It may be that Jacobus found this record in the original Milford First Congregational Church records, some of which is impossible to read in the film copy.
v. The American Genealogist, Vol. 9, pages 100-119, "