Wednesday evening, the 19th of November, I had the honor of being the guest speaker at the annual meeting of the Guilford Keeping Society. The Keeping Society is one of five historical organizations in Guilford and operates the 1776 Thomas Griswold House and the early 1800's Medad Stone Tavern. They are a dedicated and important force in the community for preserving local history and a sense of ...place.
My topic was Early Guilford and the English Civil War, a little known but fascinating page in the history of the town founded in 1639. When Guilford was settled initially the possibility that the leaders of the Puritan Movement and Parliament might have sought refuge there and in Saybrook if the King had pursued further sanctions against them was a significant possibility. When the Civil War broke out in 1642, the option of fleeing to the Connecticut shore became a last resort and never happened.
It was a great evening and I was happy to contribute to the Keeping Society's mission to raise awareness of the town's history and its importance to early American history.
My topic was Early Guilford and the English Civil War, a little known but fascinating page in the history of the town founded in 1639. When Guilford was settled initially the possibility that the leaders of the Puritan Movement and Parliament might have sought refuge there and in Saybrook if the King had pursued further sanctions against them was a significant possibility. When the Civil War broke out in 1642, the option of fleeing to the Connecticut shore became a last resort and never happened.
It was a great evening and I was happy to contribute to the Keeping Society's mission to raise awareness of the town's history and its importance to early American history.