USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Stratford > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 47
USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 47
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Stiles Lewis and his son after him, owned this place many years. The frame of the old house still stands, but the cov- ering has been renewed, perhaps, more than once, and the exterior much changed. The father kept a tavern here, and the north front room is said to have been occupied by Wash- ington while on one of his trips through the country.
The son sold the place to Benjamin Stillman and removed to New York.
No. 86. Samuel Blakeman, probably resided here, he having purchased of his brother James in 1662, half of the mill property, including twenty acres of farming land be- sides meadow ; and he died in 1668. His widow married
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Jacob Walker. The other half of the mill property was pur- chased by Samuel Sherman, Sen., in 1663, as represented in No. 85.
No. 87. Stephen Burritt ; his descendants are all gone.
No. 87." The Hurd Place. This land, including No. 87, was originally laid out to John Hurd, Sen., and by his will bequeathed to his son Isaac, who seems to have died, leaving no children, and the property descended apparently to his brother John and his children, according to his father's will, and it was the Hurd homestead for several generations.
Ebenezer Hurd, son of John 2d, as above, resided on this farm probably nearly all his life, being born April 7, 1703. He became a widely known person according to the following : " This same year (1775), Ebenezer Hurd," a regular post rider, closed a service of forty-eight years, having begun it in 1727. Once in a fortnight, during that entire period, he had made a journey from New York to Saybrook and back, 274 miles. In other words-for such is the computation- during those forty eight years he had traveled over as much space as twelve and a half times around the world, or as far as to the moon and half-way back. Meantime, what of the wife? Bringing up the children, managing the farm and dur- ing one year at least, 1767, spinning not less that five hundred yards of wool and flax, all raised on the place, making and . mending, especially for that indefatigable rider, who was doubtless "hard on his clothes."
This Ebenezer Hurd married in January, 1732, Abigail Hubbell, and they had fifteen children. Their gravestone stands in Huntington burying place, both inscriptions being on one stone. They are :
" Mr. Ebenezer Hurd, died May 7, 1788, aged 87 years.
Mrs. Rebecca, His Wife, died April 16, 1783, Aged - years."
One of the sons was Ebenczer, Jr., who was also a post rider, according to the following : " The 28th of November,
12 Magazine of American History, by Mrs. Martha J. Lamb, IS55, page 118.
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died at Stratford, in Connecticut, of a short illness, Mrs. Elizabeth Hurd, wife of Ebenezer Hurd, Jun., Post Rider of that Place, aged 24 Years and three Months; Her Death is greatly lamented by all her Relations. She was the daughter of the Rev. Christopher Newton, of Stratford.13
Andrew Hurd, eldest son of the first Ebenezer, and born in 1731, was also a post rider, and resided on the homestead on Old Mill Green until his death, April 29, 1819, aged 89 years. He is still remembered, and tradition says he used to call out when he was to stop, " Open the gate for the King's Post."
From these last items it is probable that the sons often rode post in place of their father.
No. 88. Site of the Old Mill, built in 1652 and 3, and from which Old Mill Hill and Old Mill Green take their names.
No. 89. Sergt. Charles Burritt was a descendant of Stephen Burritt of Stratford, the celebrated Indian fighter in King Philip's War, and the ancestor of the Hon. Elihu Bur- ritt, the Learned Blacksmith.
No. 90. Dea. Thomas Hawley was a farmer and a descendant of Joseph, the first of the name in Stratford ; through Samuel the eldest son. Most of the Hawleys of this parish are his descendants. He was chosen deacon of the Stratfield church in 1712, and died in 1722, aged 44 years. His son, Captain Ezra Hawley, seems to have succeeded him on the paternal homestead, and also his grandson, Ezra Hawley, Jr. Among the sons of the last was Wilson, a well known and leading farmer and merchant of this place; and Abram, who married Alice Burton of Trumbull, settled in. Waterbury, and had, among other children, George B., a dis- tinguished physician and public spirited citizen of Hartford, Connecticut.
No. 91. Gurdon Hawley was a farmer, a descendant of Dea. Thomas Hawley, through Captain Ezra and Ezra, Jr.
13 Magazine of American History, 1885, page 206; taken from Rivington's N. Y. Gazetteer, Dec. 15, 1774.
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Bridgeport.
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George Benjamin Hawley, M. D., the son of Abra- ham and Alice (Burton) Hawley, was born in Bridgeport, February 13, 1812.
While he was yet an infant his parents removed to Water- town, Conn., where he spent his boyhood on his father's farm. He fitted for college at Goshen Academy, entered Yale College in 1829, and was graduated in 1833. He also studied medicine at Yale and received his diploma as an M. D. in 1836. After some preliminary work and practice he in 1840 settled down to the regular practice of his profession in Hart- ford, which he continued successfully over forty years.
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 IS, 1883. He was twice married and left a widow and one son (by his first wife), Dr. George Fuller Hawley, now of Chicago.
GB. Hunley
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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, Grizzeli, 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 ISos, 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 carly settler and a leading man in building the first Episcopal Church. His farm is the same that Polly Burr, a grand-
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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 I771.
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
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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.
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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-
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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
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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
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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. Secley 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. Ilunt- 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 upou 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,
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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 1, 1810, 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.
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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 o 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." 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 AAnson 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.
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