Signs of Ledyard's Quakertown are disappearing as time passes

Carol W. Kimball

New London's Rogerenes
Meetinghouse of Many Gables
Underground Railroad
Quakertown Hall and community center
Mystic Oral School and Standard Machinery Co.
rare book, The Battle-axe and Weapons of War

Kim11-051

Scrapbook

8: Communication Artifact

Documentary Artifact

The Day

New London, CT

09/17/2007

Carol W. Kimball

Southern Ledyard has been known as Quakertown. It was the home of a unique religious sect that originated in New London, the Rogerenes, followers of John Rogers, 1648-1721. They were dubbed Quakers but they were not affiliated with the Society of Friends based in Philadelphia. Both groups were antiwar and antislavery. And both, contrary to 18th century doctrines, believed in separation of church and state. Prominent Rogerenes were the Waterhouse which were later shortened to Watrous family and the Whipple and Crouch families of Ledyard. John Bolles of New London was a prominent Rogerene. Timothy Jr. and Zachariah Watrous published the now rare book, The Battle-axe and Weapons of War, outlining some of their beliefs, beliefs that they were persecuted for holding. When the gale of 1815 destroyed the old meetinghouse they built a new structure on the east side of Pumpkin Hill Road called the Meetinghouse of Many Gables. From 1830 to 1850, this meetinghouse served as a station on the Underground Railroad. Quakertown spread to the west along the byway then called Quakertown Road but now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. In 1870 the society built Quakertown Hall which was also used a community center hosting the Shakespearean Society and Ole Bull the noted Norwegian violinist. Rogerene Jonathan Whipple founded what became the Mystic Oral School. A Watrous descendant was one of the founders of the Standard Machinery Co. in Mystic and Carol Kimball's husband, Burton Kimball was proud of his Whipple ancestors. The original Rogerene Cemetery is all but inaccessible and Carol's plea is to remember these brave people and what they have donated to our history.

Small, John R. (Cousin Johnny)
Rogers, John
Fox, George
Watrous family
Saltonstall, Gurdon
Waterhouse, John
Whipple, Samuel
Crouch, William
Bolles, John
Waterhouse, Timothy
Waterhouse, Thimothy (Jr.)
Waterhouse, Zachariah
Ole Bull (Norwegian violinist)
Whipple, Jonathan
Whipple, Zerah C.
McGuigan, Clara (Dr.)
Whipple, Noah
Saltonstall, Gurdon
Chapman, Nathan
Kimball, Burton

Ledyard's Quakertown
New London Rogerenes
underground railroad
book Battle-axe and Weapons of War
Mystic Oral School
Standard Machinery Co.
Meetinghouse of Many Gables
Quakertown Hall
antiwar and antislavery
Rogerene Cemetery