"Elijah Strong, Elisha Strong and Amos Porter purchased the township of (Brownington) from the State of Connecticut and and made preparations to commence settlement **** Elijah Strong became agent for the State **** on March 28, 1799, Elijah Strong was chosen town clerk **** in Sept. of the same year **** Elijah Strong was chosen representative **** up to 1807, 38 different persons had been appointed to office in the town. The name of Judge Strong (among others) appeared every year, thus indicating that they were prominent men in the early history of the town. Judge Strong etc. are still held in grateful remembrance by the oldest citizens who have survived them. He kept a public house for a long time and was identified with the interests of the church and the business of the town. He was town clerk many years and clerk of the church constantly until a minister was settled and after the first minister had left. He had been pursuing a prosperous commercial business at Bennington when he was persuaded to unite with his brother and Amos Porter in making a purchase of and settling a new town in the wilds of Northern Vermont. It would appear that they could not effect sales with sufficient rapidity to enable the company to meet their payments. Mr. Strong and his brother lost much property by speculation and for a long time endured the privations of pioneer life. Judge Strong opened a tavern and kept it many years at the place occupied by Chester Gilbert, Esq."

B53.
Serenus Swift, 3d child of Mary Ann (Sedgwick) Swift (B5) and Rev. Job Swift, was born May 27, 1774, probably at Richmond, Mass., and died March 30, 1865, at Manchester, Vt. He married at Wethersfield, Conn., August 11, 1805, Rachel Bulkeley (also spelled Bulkley and Buckley), born December 13, 1782, daughter of Captain Edward and Prudence (Welles) Bulkeley. She died in 1856. They lived at Manchester, Vt., where Mr. Swift began a long period at practice of the law in 1797. Children, all born at Manchester:

1. Job Sidney, b. June 1, 1807. (B53,1)