Why this beautiful Connecticut stone house has walls thicker than a medieval castle

Henry Whitfield’s Defiant Exodus to Colonial Guilford

Henry Whitfield said “no” to King Charles I and paid a steep price.

As a Church of England minister in 1618, he soon clashed with Archbishop Laud who forced pastors to read the Book of Sports instead of preaching. Whitfield refused.

By 1638, he was branded a religious rebel after hosting banned Puritan meetings. So in 1639, he sold everything and led 40 families across the Atlantic on the ship Hector.

They bought land from Native sachem Shaumpishuh and built Guilford, Connecticut as their safe haven.

The stone house they raised still stands today, its massive granite walls telling a powerful story of faith and freedom.

A Young Minister Takes His First Parish

Henry Whitfield became a Church of England minister in 1618 and took over as rector at Ockley in Surrey.

For nearly 20 years, he served his parish while keeping friendships with Puritan leaders who wanted to change the church. He married Dorothy Sheafe and had nine children.

People knew Whitfield for his good preaching and smarts. His home often welcomed nonconformist ministers who got in trouble with church authorities.

The King and Archbishop Tighten Their Grip

King Charles I shut down Parliament in 1629 and started ruling alone. He worked with Archbishop William Laud to force strict religious practices on everyone.

Laud became Archbishop in 1633 and used spies to catch Puritan clergy who broke his rules. He brought back Catholic-style worship and made clergy use the Catholic prayer book.

Laud also forced ministers to read the Book of Sports instead of preaching from the Bible.

Secret Meetings Change Whitfield’s Path

In spring 1633, Whitfield held a secret meeting at his home. He tried to get ministers John Cotton and Thomas Hooker to work with church authorities.

Other Puritans came too, like Thomas Goodwin and John Davenport.

The talks took a surprise turn when Cotton and Hooker convinced everyone that they couldn’t compromise with Laud’s harsh demands. This meeting marked when Whitfield stopped following church rules.

Standing Firm Brings Serious Trouble

Whitfield refused to read the Book of Sports to his church in 1633, directly disobeying Laud’s orders. His defiance caught up with him in 1638 when Laud’s court called him in and punished him.

Letters found in other ministers’ studies linked Whitfield to a secret network of clergy against church rules. He wrote a book called “Helps to Stir Up Christian Duties,” which got him labeled as a troublemaker.

Selling Everything to Start Anew

Facing ongoing trouble with no hope for change in England, Whitfield chose to leave his homeland. He quit his job at Ockley and sold his estate to pay for the trip across the Atlantic.

Whitfield gathered about 40 families, mostly farmers from Surrey and Kent, to join him in making a new settlement. The group planned their trip to New England where they hoped to find freedom to worship their way.

Ocean Crossing Bonds Future Colonists

The group left England on May 20, 1639, on the ship Saint John with Captain Richard Russell.

While still at sea on June 1, 1639, the settlers created and signed the Plantation Covenant, organizing themselves as a community before reaching land.

Twenty-five men signed the document, promising to help each other through the challenges ahead. The ship reached Quinnipiac (later called New Haven) between July 10-15, 1639.

Native Land Purchase Creates New Home

After arriving in America, Whitfield talked with friends George Fenwick and Reverend John Davenport about where to settle. He picked a spot halfway between their colonies on the Connecticut coast.

On September 29, 1639, Whitfield bought land from Shaumpishuh, the female leader of the Menunkatuck band. He paid her with clothes, tools, dishes, and other goods including 12 coats, 12 hatchets, and 12 pairs of shoes.

Stone Walls Rise Against Winter and Threats

The settlers started building the minister’s house in September 1639, right after buying the land. Local Menunkatuck Indians helped carry cut stone from a nearby quarry to the building site.

They got a late start, so winter weather stopped work with only half of the great hall finished.

The house had two-foot thick granite walls, built to serve as both a family home and a fortress where everyone could hide if attacked.

Guilford Grows Under Whitfield’s Leadership

By summer 1640, the settlers finished the house and the Whitfield family moved in. The settlement, first called Plantation of Menunkatuck, got renamed Guilford on July 6, 1643.

Whitfield served as both minister and community leader for eleven years.

His house worked as a church before they built an official one, as a meeting place for town gatherings, and as shelter for travelers.

Political Winds Shift Back in England

Between 1646 and 1648, seven founding members of Guilford died, creating problems in the young colony. Meanwhile, big changes happened in England.

Archbishop Laud lost his head for treason on January 10, 1645, and King Charles I died in 1649. Oliver Cromwell set up the Puritan Commonwealth by 1650, making England suddenly open to religious differences.

In 1649, Guilford held a meeting where townspeople tried to convince Whitfield to stay by offering him more money.

The Family Splits Across Two Continents

On August 26, 1650, Whitfield left for England with his son John, leaving Dorothy and most of their children in Guilford.

The entire town walked with him to the shore “with a spring tide of tears because they should see his face no more.”

Back in England, Whitfield rejoined the Church of England and served a parish in Winchester Diocese until his death in 1657. He was buried in Winchester Cathedral.

Dorothy stayed behind and managed their Guilford property until 1659, maintaining the house for nine years after her husband’s departure before finally returning to England herself.

Visiting Henry Whitfield House, Connecticut

The Henry Whitfield House at 248 Old Whitfield Street in Guilford tells the story of Puritan families who fled religious persecution in 1630s England under Archbishop William Laud and King Charles I.

You can take self-guided tours through the house, visitor center, and education building from May through October, Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Admission costs $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for kids 12 and under. The 8-acre grounds are perfect for picnicking.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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