“He alludes to St. Pumpion’s Day in other records, which leads us to suppose that this was a colloquial term in those days for designating the annual New England Thanksgiving, which was celebrated by an abundance of pumpkin pies. “I have a manuscript sermon of the Rev. Thomas Davies, preached at New Milford, written in the finest hand, showing clearness of thought, a fine choice of language, and rising to eloquence, in pressing home to the hearts of his hearers the word of God. “The Rev. Mr. Davies was succeeded by the Rev. Richard Clark from Milford, who remained here until 1787. He was here during the Revolution. The church begun by Mr. Davies was completed sufficiently to begin services therein, and the old church was sold to the town for a town house. This was removed to the head of Main Street and used for several years. “The second Church of England, begun under Rev. Mr. Davies, had Partridge Thatcher for its architect, but was modeled after the church at Stratford, but somewhat plainer in its ornamentation. “It stood, facing the road towards Butter Brook, a few rods north of the first church, had a steeple which projected out in front of the building, and long windows round at the top. Within, it had the high pulpit with circular stairs; its reading desk and clerk’s pew beneath, making what was called a three-decker. A communion table was in front of all, and the whole was surrounded by a communion rail. A gallery was across the south end; and a curtain across the corner, served again as a robing-room. The service of that day had its peculiar features. The clergyman was robed in a long surplice and black scarf. He wore a white wig, to give age and dignity to his ministrations. The surplice was exchanged for a black silk gown and bands before the sermon, the congregation all knelt for the prayers, and, in doing so, turned around and knelt to the seats. The clerk (or clark, as the people called him) doled out a line of the old Metrical Psalms, and the congregation sang it, and waited for another line. There was no fire in the church, and, in winter, the women carried their foot stoves to keep their feet warm. “The Revolution, however, gave great discouragement to the Church of England people, for everything English was hated by the inhabitants, and the Rev. Mr. Clark, after ten years of struggle, gave up and fled to Nova Scotia in 1787, and the church was closed.