USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A history of the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50
He was a man of prodigious nervous energy and phys- ical endurance, which were brought into full play in the prac- tice of his chosen profession, and in many other interests and objects of a business and philanthropic nature.
The Hartford Hospital and the more recent Old People's Home of Hartford owe their inception and success more to Dr. Hawley than to any other man. He was interested in the local corporations and enterprises of Hartford-to the success of which he contributed in large degree. The woven wire mattress he viewed in a sanitary light, and overcoming some of the earlier defects, brought it to a high state of per- fection and great pecuniary success. He became interested in the mechanical setting and distributing of type, and for twenty years devoted much time and money to its develop- ment. He was President of the Farnham Type-Setting Ma- chine Company, which finally adopted the Page machine, and which, under his fostering interest and efforts, has been brought to a surprising state of practical efficiency. He did not live (as he hoped) to see it manufactured and in use in the large printing establishments in the country.
Dr. Hawley died April 18, 1883. He was twice married and left a widow and one son (by his first wife), Dr. George Fuller Hawley, now of Chicago.
1
1
73
Stratfield Society.
Gurdon married Ann, daughter of Thomas, his father's brother. They had one son, Anson, who married Fanny, daughter of Dea. David Sherwood, a daughter Eliza, who married Isaac E. Beach.
No. 92. Captain Stephen Summers was a farmer and Boston coaster. He had an only son, Stephen, and daughters, Charity, Grizzell, Polly and Ruth. Stephen, Jr., was master of the brig William, bound from Bridgeport to New Providence. She sailed in November, Isto, and was lost at sea and all on board perished.
No. 93. Daniel Summers was a farmer.
No. 94. James Gregory was a farmer; married Phi- lena Burritt, and removed, about 1808, to Kentucky.
No. 95. Dea. Lemuel Sherwood, son of Matthew, and born about 1687, was a farmer. He was chosen deacon of the Stratfield church in 1722, and served until his death in 1732. His father, Matthew, is represented in the Communion set of the first Congregational Church by a cup, the oldest piece in the set, inscribed as given in 1713.
Dea. David Sherwood, a descendant of Matthew, through Samuel, John and Stephen, purchased this farm owned by Dea. Lemuel one hundred years before, consisting of one hundred acres, in 1830. He was chosen deacon of the First Church, in 1831, and served about twenty-five years. He died January 24, 1873, at the age of 94 years.
He cultivated and kept his farm nearly intact until his decease. The population and improvements had so sur- rounded him, that his land had become very valuable. He died with the impression that he was very rich. The land has been mostly sold, streets have been laid over it, and these acres are covered with manufactures, stores and fine resi- dences ; and a teeming, busy, population, with a school house and chapels. .
No. 96. Colonel John Burr was a farmer, an early settler and a leading man in building the first Episcopal Church. His farm is the same that Polly Burr, a grand-
IO
7+
History of Bridgeport.
daughter, now owns. His ancestor, Colonel John Burr, of the same name, held a meeting with the Indians under a large oak tree near to where he built his house, which tree is now stand- ing (1856), but has marks of old age in its branches. It was evidently a large tree when the parish was first settled. Thirty years ago (1826) it was green and flourishing.
He had sons, William, Ozias, who died at the age of 98 years, and Captain John Burr, who was killed by lightning in 1771.
No. 97. Watrous Hubbell was a farmer, and resided at the place now occupied by the descendants of the Rev. Philo Shelton. Some of his descendants are now living in Bridgeport. Gershom E. Hubbell is a grandson, and the children of David Hubbell, 3d, Elbert E. and George Hub- bell, are great-grandchildren of the said Watrous Hubbell.
No. 98. Captain Amos Hubbell was a farmer, Bos- ton coaster, a West India trader and an active Whig in the Revolution, as were also all his brothers and nephews. He was a merchant at Newfield, now Bridgeport. Soon after the Revolution he built the wharf near the foot of Bank street, and was the first Warden of the Borough of Bridgeport-a man much respected.
He had one ship and two brigs built for himself, but his commercial business was not generally successful.
About the year 1798, while France and the United States were at war, Captain Wilson Hubbell, a son of Captain Amos, while on a voyage homeward bound from the West Indies, was taken by a French privateer, who took out William Cable, his mate, and one seaman, leaving Captain Wilson Hubbell with Samuel Cable, seaman, and Josiah Burr, the cook, on board. The privateer then put on board of Captain Hub- bell's sloop a prize master and two French seamen.
After the privateer had left, the weather being moderate, Samuel Cable was put at the helm and the sloop was left by the French Prize Master to the care of the two French sea- men. When the Prize Master went into the cabin and lay down, having laid his sword and pistols by him, as soon as he
1
75
Stratfield Society.
was asleep Captain Hubbell secured his arms and locked him in the cabin. He then secured the two French sailors and confined them. He now secured his money, which was in gold, in his silk handkerchief tied around his body unknown to the Prize Master.
He then unwisely held a parley with the cunning French- man, who made him such fair promises of his good behavior that Captain Hubbell allowed him to come on deck and to have his liberty. The Frenchman having won his confidence, he sat down with him on the quarter-rail to smoke. When the Frenchman dropped his cigar between Captain Hubbell's feet and reached down and took it up; he continued his French palaver, but soon dropped it again, and, stooping down again to pick it up, he caught Captain Hubbell by his feet and threw him overboard head foremost. The sea was calm, and when he came up he swam after the sloop, begging for his life, but the cruel Frenchman was deaf to his cry and let him drown with his gold about him.
Captain Amos Hubbell had four sons, Captain Wilson and Amos, Jr., who both died young; Anson, and also Charles B. Hubbell, who is now President of the Pequonnock Bank. He had one daughter, Catharine, who married Cap- tain Ezekiel Hubbell, formerly President of the Connecticut Bank.
No. 99. Richard Hubbell. Sen., an early settler at Pequonnock, was a cooper and farmer. He was supposed to have emigrated to this country from the county of Essex in England about the year 1670. He had one son, Richard, and they were two of the nine male members of the first Con- gregational Church at its organization.
Richard, a grandson, occupied the homestead, and died at the advanced age of 93 years. He was a deacon in this church when it was under the pastoral care of the Rev. Sam- uel Cooke and the Rev. Robert Ross, for thirty years. He lived with his wife, who survived him, about 63 years. He gave the church a silver tankard for communion service, which is still in use in this church. He had sons, Richard, Amos, Hezekiah, Watrous and Benjamin, and one daughter, who married Edward Burroughs. He died in 1788.
76
History of Bridgeport.
No. 100. Richard Hubbell, 3d, was a farmer and a merchant at Newfield, and died in the city of New York about the year 1830, aged about 94 years. He formerly resid- ed in the parish of Stratfield, where Joseph Banks, Esq., now resides. He married a sister of Elijah Burritt. Their chil- dren were : Richard, Philo and Eli, and Pamelia, who mar- ried Captain Whitmore ; Polly, who married Asa Hurd, of Old Mill, and Penelope, who never married, and is now living in the city of New York at the advanced age of about 90 years.
No. 101. Captain John Burr was a farmer, and the son of Colonel John Burr, who is described under No. 74.
Captain Burr was killed by lightning in the meeting house in 1771, at the same time my grandfather, David Sher- man was killed, as described under No. 27.
His children were: Jesse, Eunice, who married William Holburton, and Katy, who married John Duncombe. Eunice was a small, black-eyed woman, and died at the age of 88 years. She drew a pension for the services of her husband in the Revolutionary war.
-
No. 102. Training Ground. In 1703, the Stratfield Train-band was organized, and David Sherman appointed its Ensign. The next year John Beardsley, of Stratford, was confirmed its Captain, and James Bennett, of Fairfield, its Lieutenant.
It has been current tradition that this plot at the corner of the King's highway (North avenue) and the highway lead- ing to Truck street, was donated for this purpose by the first Richard Hubbell or one of his immediate descendants. It seems to have been in use for training down to, and perhaps after, the Revolution.
On a certain training day, among the spectators present was a party of Indians, who had been behaving insolently, and one of them, a burly, athletic fellow, finally challenged the whites to choose their best man, and he would defeat him in a wrestling match. No one appeared ready to meet the challenge of the Indian, whose muscular frame plainly showed him to be a formidable antagonist, although all felt it import-
I
1
7
£
77
Stratfield Society.
ant, for the moral effect, that some one should do it. After some deliberation it was decided that Captain John Sher- wood was the only man able to vanquish him, but doubts were expressed whether he would be willing to engage in a wrestling match now that he had become so active in relig- ious matters. A deputation came to him as he was drilling his men upon the parade ground, and after hearing their story he briefly answered that his present duty was to drill his com- pany, but that afterward he would attend to the matter.
When the parade was over and he had laid aside his reg- imentals, he approached the Indian champion, who was naked to his waist and shining with grease. This was decidedly to the advantage of the native, since it gave his antagonist a small chance to grasp the well oiled skin, while his opponent, dressed in ordinary clothing, presented a fair opportunity for the grasp of the savage.
Captain Sherwood advanced without any skirmishing, and laying his hand on the naked shoulder of the Indian, found himself able to get a good grip on the skin and flesh, then exerting his great strength, at once laid his antagonist flat upon his back, not caring to soften the violence of the fall, to the utter astonishment of the Indian allies. The victory was complete, confessed, and the natives withdrew quietly and never repeated the challenge.
No. 103. The Old Stratfield Burial Ground seems to have been laid out on the Black Rock road. The first burials were made upon the high ground, now the central part of the plot, which appears to have been quite fully occu- pied. There are numerous field stones which mark the places of interments, many of them being marked only with initial letters, date and age, and others with initials roughly cut. These dates run from 1688 to 1712.
About the oldest slate stones of the stereotyped pattern, fully inscribed, are those of Rev. Charles Chauncey, 1714, and Captain Matthew Sherwood, 1715. The ground was undoubt- edly regarded as the property of the parish, for on December 29, 1772, an addition of one-half of an acre was made on the southeastern side, extending to the Training ground, secur- ing a new entrance. This addition was purchased by the
78
History of Bridgeport.
Stratfield society, of Daniel Morris, for nine pounds ten shil- lings, lawful money, and the deed was recorded in the soci- ety's book and also on the land records of Fairfield. This portion is very fully occupied.
These grounds have been very little used since the year 1812, and were for many years very much neglected. For more than sixty years the society has not exercised any special supervision over it.
About 1848, a picket fence was constructed around it under the auspices of the late Isaac Sherman. A small fund remained in the hands of Mr. Wilson of Fairfield, at the time of the annexation of contiguous Fairfield territory to Bridge- port in 1871, and at a subsequent town meeting of Bridge- port, Sherwood Sterling, Joseph Banks and Albert Wilson were appointed a committee for the care of the ground. No money was appropriated and little care bestowed. Mr. Ster- ling and Mr. Banks died and Mr. Wilson became very infirm. The present committee having it in charge are Rowland B. Lacey, Henry R. Parrott and Daniel G. Fowler, who were appointed by the town meeting.
The present improved condition of this ground, which is very decided, is due to the persevering labors and oversight of Dea. R. B. Lacey, during a number of years past, and if his attention and efforts are aided by others, a few years more it will be a comely place for burial as well as visitation.
No. 104. James Morris was an early settler, a farmer and an innkeeper. None of his descendants are known to be living.
No. 105. Nathan Seeley, a son of Dea. Seth Seeley, a merchant and farmer removed to Bethel, where he died at a good old age. His descendants are living in Bethel and Danbury.
Nathan Seeley, when a young man, was a constable in Stratfield parish and had a writ to serve for a debt; and the law was at that time, such that the person on whom a writ was served must be touched with the paper to make the arrest legal. He rode a large, powerful horse, and found his man loading his cart with manure with a pitchfork. He told the
79
Stratfield Society.
constable to keep away and kept the fork raised for his de- fence. Upon this said Nathan put spurs to his horse and made him jump on the man so that he touched him with the writ. After having done that he had the power to call out the militia to make the arrest complete.
Nathan Seeley married Hannah, daughter of Major Aaron Hawley of Bridgeport.
No. 106. Dea. Seth Seeley was a farmer and for many years a deacon of the parish church. His children were : Nathan, Seth, Jr., and Samuel O. The last now occupies the homestead. Dea. Seeley married a daughter of Samuel Odell, Esq .; was an active Whig in the Revolution, and an old man at the time of his death.
No. 107. Capt. Josiah Lacey, a house joiner by trade. He was commissioned in 1777 by Governor John Hancock to raise a company for the Continental Army. This he did in the parish and was its captain for three years. The company was attached to Col. Philip Bradley's Regiment in Gen. Hunt- ington's Brigade. His residence before the Revolution was on Truck street, whence he removed to the city of Bridge- port, where he built a house-now No. 237-on the south side of State street. He was a justice of the peace for many years, and died in the year 1812, in the 67th year of his age.
He had sons Winthrop who was lost at sea, and Josiah, who died young. His daughters were Chloe, who married Capt. Nathaniel Silliman, and Polly, who married Matthew Curtis, Esqr.
No. 108. John Lacey, son of John and grandson of Edward and Sarah Lacey, was baptized by Rev. Charles Chauncey, Oct. 22, 1710. He married Mary, daughter of Daniel Hubbell, and lived upon what is understood to have been the original homestead of the family, on the corner of Truck street and one of the cross roads leading to Toilsome Hill. The first settler is said to have come from Nottingham, England.
The family first appears upon the records of the Church of Christ in Fairfield, January 13, 1694, when Sarah, wife of Edward Lacey, was admitted as a member. June 20, 1694,
80
History of Bridgeport.
their six children were baptized-viz : Edward, John, Henry, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth. This John of the second generation died in 1754. His will was dated May 30, 1754, and mentions the following children: John, Edward, David, Ephraim, Eu- nice, Sarah.
John, of the 3d generation, whose name heads this arti- cle, appears on the Stratfield Parish records in 1759 and 1760, as one of the Society's Committee and is there called John Lacey, Jr. He died Feb. 10, 1793, in his 84th year. His wife Mary survived him seventeen years, and died April I, ISIO, aged 91 years. She was an excellent woman and is spoken of as "a mother in Israel."
No. 109. Capt. Daniel Lacey, son of John, No. 108, was captain over all the companies of Guards, stationed dur- ing the Revolution, from Division street to Saugatuck river. He succeeded Capt. Nash, who first commanded the same.
His children were John, Daniel, who settled out West, Michael, Squire, and Sarah, who married Seeley Sherwood. His mother was the widow Mary Lacey, who resided in the old first homestead of the first settler in the parish by the name of Lacey.
John and Michael settled at what was known as Lacey's mill, but more recently at Plattville on the Easton Turnpike, and their remains, with those of their brother Squire Lacey, rest in the old Stratfield burial-ground.
Daniel went West. The daughter Sarah, who married Seeley Sherwood, lived on the old road a little north of the Stratfield Baptist meeting-house.
No. 110. Joseph Brothwell was a shoemaker from Scotland. He came to Stratfield about 1750 and had his resi- dence at Truck street on the west side of the highway oppo- site No. 105 on the map, and there reared his family of four sons and three daughters. He was a strong Presbyterian and Revolutionary Whig. He married Hannah Fayerweather, a sister of Benjamin. Their sons were Benjamin, Joseph Fayer- weather, William and Thomas, who all lived to old age ; and daughters, Betty who married John Hubbell, whose residence was on Division street, Grizel and Abigail.
81
Stratfield Society.
Joseph F. Brothwell married a daughter of Benjamin Lacey, and removed to Woodbury, Conn., about the year 1798.
Joseph Brothwell was an active member of the parish when Mr. Ross was first settled, and to show the character of the man I will relate the following anecdote.
He was chosen Lieutenant of a company of militia called the Householders, and was a terror to the Tories. On a cer- tain occasion when the heroes of the Revolution were gath- ered at Nichols' tavern, he pulled out his sword from its sheath and threw it down on the table-" There, there," said he, " I have unsheathed my sword and it shall not be sheathed again until this contest is ended."
He became blind several years before his death.
No. 111.14 Edward Lacey, a farmer, son of John and grandson of Edward, the first settler of the name Lacey, in Fairfield (Stratfield), appears upon the Stratfield Parish rec- ords, Dec. 30, 1755, when Stephen Fairchild, Richard Hall, and Edward Lacey, Jr., were chosen School Committee. In 1757, he, with Dea. William Bennett and others, joined the " North Company " in the settlement of North Fairfield, now the town of Easton, which company appears to have been under the jurisdiction of the Stratfield Parish for some years. He purchased lands of - - Jackson, on the west side of the highway (now Easton turnpike) at a point about eight miles from Bridgeport, it being the same that the late Anson Bennett owned for many years. In 1761 Edward Lacey was chosen by Stratfield Parish, collector of ministerial, society and school rates within the limits of the North Company, and receipts for money paid by him to Rev. Robert Ross, and also from Rev. Joseph Lamson, of the Church of England, appears on the Parish records. It is said that the early relig- ious meetings of the place were held at his house.
He was first married to Hannah Summers, by whom he had nine children. Eleven months after the birth of the two youngest (twins), October, 1755, she died and was buried at Stratfield. Subsequently he married Deborah Odell and had
14 This may not be the exact location, but is near it.
II
82
History of Bridgeport.
five children. Rowland B. Lacey is a descendant through Zachariah (one of the twins above mentioned), and his wife Betty Rowland, and his son Jesse and Edna (Munson) Lacey. Edward Lacey died in North Fairfield (Easton), June 18, 1772, in his 61st year, and a fine old slate stone marks his grave in the cemetery near the Baptist Church, where also lie the re- mains of Zachariah and Jesse Lacey, above named.
His descendants are numerous and widely scattered through the country, but very few of the name remain in Connecticut.
No. 112. Benjamin Lacey, a tanner and currier, and shoemaker, having his shop and vats westerly from the house, convenient to the stream of water. Among his apprentices were Joseph Fayerweather Brothwell, Zachariah Lacey, and his own son David Lacey. Zachariah Lacey and J. F. Broth- well were of the same age and their terms of apprenticeship expired at the commencement of the Revolution. They to- gether enlisted in a company commanded by Capt. Josiah Lacey and marched to New York. On the expiration of their time they re-enlisted and served nearly four years, when they united in hiring a man by the name of Jackson to serve dur- ing the war, by which they were exempted.
Benjamin Lacey married Margaret Hall. In 1767, and for many years thereafter, he was collector of ministerial rates, in Stratfield Parish, for the Church of England. He died in 1784, aged 45 years.
Joseph F. Brothwell married Molly (or Mary), daughter of Benjamin Lacey and removed to Woodbury.
David, son of Benjamin Lacey succeeded his father at the homestead and was known as David Lacey, the shoe- maker. His children were David, Eleazer, Benjamin, Ruth, and Ellen. David was a large owner in, and the well known manager of the Washington bridge over the Housatonic river for many years. Eleazer Lacey was early engaged in the lumber business in Bridgeport; was next the cashier of the Middlesex County Bank, succeeding Charles Foote, who was called to the Connecticut Bank in 1834. At a later pe- riod he was the first cashier of the (Bridgeport) City Bank at its organization. Benjamin Lacey resided in Southport.
£
83
Stratfield Society.
No. 113. Benjamin Brothwell, son of Joseph (No. IIO), married Anna Beach, of Rock House district, in North Fairfield, now Easton. He resided first at No. 110, but after the death of his father he built a new house on this site, and reared a family of four sons and four daughters. Roswell, the third son, was the best known and most thoroughly iden- tified with this community. He was considerable of a farmer as well as his father, much interested in agriculture, and was often engaged as manager at the county and local fairs. His residence was on the site designated as No. 115. He died in 1883, at the advanced age of 81 years. His wife was Julia Ann Hall, who survives him at the age of 83 years. Their only son, Benjamin Beach Brothwell, succeeds his father on the same premises.
No. 114. Error on the map.
No. 115. Amos Merriman was a cooper by trade. He came from Cheshire, Conn., about 1795. One of the early Baptist ministers was Elder Royce, who came here from Cheshire, and it is understood that his acquaintance with and interest in Elder Royce induced Mr. Merriman to remove to Stratfield. He built his house and cooper shop on this spot and resided here until about 1815, when he removed to Ken- tucky and left no representatives here.
Roswell Brothwell afterwards became the owner and made his residence here. He built the house and made the fine improvements which at present appear, some years be- fore his death.
No. 116. Lemuel Bangs was by trade a blacksmith. His residence was in Truck street, a little way south of the first Baptist meeting-house. His children were born there.
Mr. Bangs was a poor man, but a zealous Whig in the Revolution. Two of his sons, the Rev. Nathan Bangs, D.D., of New York City, and Elder Heman Bangs, were school- mates with Capt. Daniel Sterling, at the district school. The family left this part of the country about the year 1790. The two sons were very large men and were in the ministry of the M. E. Church many years.
84
History of Bridgeport.
Lemuel Bangs met in the time of the Revolution with other Whigs at Nichols' tavern, parson Ross, also a strong Whig, being of the number. During the discussions Lemuel Bangs said, he would be willing to die and suffer eternal pun- ishment if he could be the means of making America free. Mr. Ross replied, "it is a good thing to be zealous but not to be too zealous. Where is my hat, I must be going."
No. 117. The Stratfield Baptist Church was first gathered in October, 1751. It was a result, in part, of the "Great Awakening," or "New Light" movement in 1740 and 41. The Rev. Samuel Cooke of the Stratfield parish was in favor of Whitefield and his preaching, but there was a consid- erable sentiment opposed to Mr. Cooke's views, and some of the opposition went to the Episcopal Church.
Upon the death of Mr. Cooke in 1747, a successor in the pastorate-Rev. Lyman Hall-was secured, who was opposed to New Light methods, and this increased the feeling of dis- satisfaction towards the old parish and church.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.