USA > Connecticut > New London County > A modern history of New London County, Connecticut, Volume III > Part 22
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and Protective Order of Elks, of which he is past exalted ruler. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Aubrey married, May 15, 1916, Margaret C. Young, daughter of Daniel and Margaret (Dono- van) Young, of Norwich. The family were mem- bers of the Roman Catholic church.
ALBERT MORGAN BROWN Nathaniel Brown, grandfather of Albert M. Brown, of the town of Ledyard, New London county, Connecticut, was born on the old Brown farm in the town of Ledyard, as was his son, Albert Brown, and the latter's son, Albert M. Brown. The house in which Nathaniel Brown was born was not the one in which his son and grandson were born, but be- longed to an earlier day. Nathaniel Brown mar- ried Lottie Wilbur, and both spent their lives on the farm in Ledyard, where he passed away; his wife died in Waterford.
Their son, Albert Brown, was born, lived and died on the same farm, and most of his life was spent in cultivating its acres. He, however, was a skilled wheelwright, and built houses. He was school committeeman, and a man of a good deal of influence in his town. He married Surviah Main, who was born, lived and died in Ledyard. They were the parents of Albert Morgan Brown, of Ledyard, now too passed to his reward.
Albert Morgan Brown was born on the Brown farm in Ledyard, New London county, Connecticut, June 22, 1813, and died at his farm near the Peck- ham Church, in the town of Ledyard, August 8, 1915. He attended the district schools, and spent his youth after the fashion of the average farmer boy, the old farm his home until he arrived at legal age. He then hired out to others, but continued to assist his father in the latter's saw mill and at such times as he was needed. At the age of twenty- two years he married, and then rented a small farm in Main Town, Ledyard. He continued there nine years, then bought a farm on which he lived for seven years before purchasing the larger farm near the Peckliam Church, in the town of Ledyard, upon which he died in 1915.
Albert M. Brown married, at her home in Pres- ton, Connecticut, January 6, 1862, Nancy Amelia Peckham, daughter of John Owen and Margaret (O'Connell) Peckham. After the death of her hus- band, Mrs. Brown sold the farm in Ledyard and now makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Emma B. Bennett, in Preston. Mr. and Mrs. Brown attended the Peckham Baptist Church, Mr. Brown, while not a member, being greatly inter- ested in its welfare. They were the parents of four children: 1. Nancy Ella, now the widow of William H. Bennett, a farmer of the town of Pres- ton; Mrs. Bennett continues her residence at the. Preston farm; Mrs. Bennett has two children: Albert Philetus and Harriet. 2. Philetus Albert, now a farmer of the town of Stonington, New Lon- don county; he married Florence Burris Main, of Ledyard, and they were the parents of a daughter,
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Iva Nancy, who died at the age of six years. 3. Emma Betsy, married Earl Bennett, a farmer of the town of Preston. 4. Minnie Agnes, who died at the age of eighteen years.
Albert M. Brown was a man of kindly, generous heart, and universally esteemed. He was a Demo- crat in his political belief, and served Ledyard as selectman, school committeeman and assessor. He was a quiet, home-loving man and provided well for those depending upon him.
WILLIAM PRENTICE BABCOCK-The Bab- cock family of North Stonington, Connecticut, is one of the old established families of New London county. For many generations the men of this family have borne a part in every progressive move- ment of the community, and contributed, through their individual enterprise, to the prosperity of the town. William Prentice Babcock, the present head of one branch of this family, is representative of the citizenship in which his ancestors also took the lead.
Mr. Babcock is a son of John Davis and Eunice Ann (Maine) Babcock. John D. Babcock was born in North Stonington, the son of Stephen and Mercy (Davis) Babcock, natives of North Stonington, and received his education in the district school of the town. Then, like his father, he took up farming, and followed agricultural interests all his life. Ex- cept for eleven years of this time, he was a resident of North Stonington. In 1844 John Davis Babcock went to Westerly, Rhode Island, where he con- ducted a farm until 1855. This was the Morse place, of Westerly, and it was the only time that the family lived outside the town of North Stoning- ton. On returning to this town Mr. Babcock lived on the Martha Stanton place. Later in 1858 he bought the Saxton Maine place, the present home farm of Wm. P. Babcock, his son. He gradually added to his land until he had in all four hundred acres, and did extensive farming until he retired in 1879, renting the farm to his son, William Babcock.
He then moved to Pawcatuck, in the town of Stonington, where he bought a home and lived until 1886. There he made his home with his son, John R., and his daughter, Susan H., at Old Mystic, where he died, January 11, 1887, at the age of sev- enty years.
He married (first), Harriet Delight Bentley, of North Stonington, and to this union were born two children: Susan H., of Old Mystic; and John Rus- sell, deceased. He married (second), Eunice Ann Maine, a sister of Isaac Maine, of mention elsewhere in this work.| His second wife also was born in North Stonington, and she died there April 30, 1876. They were the parents of four children, all born in North Stonington: Wealthy Ella, who died in 1880, aged twenty-two; Betsy Anna, who died in 1863; Abbie Lathrop, who married Wallace A. Phillips, of North Stonington ; and William Prentice.
William Prentice Babcock was born in North Stonington, July 14, 1855. He received a thorough grounding in the essentials of education at the dis-
trict schools of the town, then followed the long- established precedent of the family, and took up farming as his life work. He has been very suc- cessful, and is held in the highest respect in the community. Mr. Babcock now owns the old Babcock homestead, where he has lived since he was nine years old. After the death of his father, he bought out the interest of the other heirs and has owned it for the past thirty-three years or since, 1889. He does general farming and stock raising.
In the public life of the town Mr. Babcock has long been prominent. By political affiliation lie is a staunch Democrat, and is one of the leaders of the party here. He has served the public in several different offices, having been elected selectman of the town at three different times, has also been con- stable, tax collector, and justice of the peace. In all his public duties he is loyal to the highest ideals of responsibility, and carries forward the interests of the town with steadfast integrity. Mr. Babcock is widely interested in the various branches of pub- lic endeavor. He is an active member of the New London County Farm Bureau, and gives generously of his time and energies to forward its progress.
On September 24, 1882, Mr. Babcock married Mary Burdick, daughter of Horace Franklin and Mary Frances (Shirley) Burdick, of North Stoning- ton. They are the parents of six children, all born on the Babcock home place, of whom four are now living: I. Allis May, deceased, who became the wife of George H. Stone, of North Stonington, whose life is reviewed in this work; she died Sep- tember 21, 1918. 2. Ida Belle, wife of James F. Maine, of Stonington. 3. Anna Louise, who became the wife of Maurice B. Caswell, of Mystic, Connec- ticut. 4. Bessie Evelyn, now the wife of Thomas McGowan, of North Stonington. 5. Susan Vinnie, deceased, wife of John H. Stedman, of Westerly. Rhode Island, and mother of one son, Orrin Rich- ard. 6. Frances Abbic, wife of Noah Dupont, of Voluntown, Connecticut. The family have always been members of the Baptist church.
HIRAM HENRY AMBURN-In the town of Montville, New London county, Connecticut, Hiram Henry Amburn is considered one of the leading men of the community. Interested quite exten- sively in general farming, he still follows his trade, that of carpenter, and bears a constructive part in the progress of the town.
Mr. Amburn is a son of George Amburn, who was born in Germany, and received a common school education there, then came to America with his parents at the age of thirteen years. The family located near the village of Poquetannoc, just over into the town of Preston, and the boy took up farm work here. Later they removed to the town of Lebanon, New London county, Connecticut, and there he farmed for many years, and there four of his six children were born. He went to Penn- sylvania, remaining for a few years, and there two children were born. He then returned to Lebanon and followed farming there until his death in 1872.
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He married Mary Anna Shalk, who was born in Germany, came to America in her youth, and set- tled in Lebanon, where she died in 1900.
Hiram Henry Amburn was born in Lebanon, Con- necticut, September 18, 1870. He was only two years of age when his father died. He attended the district schools of the town of Salem, New London county, Connecticut, then later the public schools of the nearby town of Colchester, where he enjoyed the advantage of the larger schools. From an early age he worked out as farm hand, continuing thus until the age of eighteen years. At that time he went to Norwich and served an apprenticeship as carpenter with his brother, George. This completed, he married, and took up his resi- dence on the Valentine Geer farin, in the northern end of the town of Montville. It was in 1891 that Mr. Amburn came to Montville, and from the first he has carried on important interests in farming, also working, as he found openings along that line, at his trade of carpenter, and doing a considerable amount of blacksmithing. Now outside of his farming activities, he does only carpenter work.
Always a man of tireless industry, and capable in the handling of his many interests, Mr. Amburn soon came to be looked upon as one of the solid citizens of the town of Montville. Five years ago he was made fire warden of the town, and has served most acceptably in that position ever since. Later he was also appointed caretaker of the Nor- wich City Reservoir. Politically he is affiliated with the Republican party, but always considers the man before he casts his vote. Mr. Amburn is a member of Uncas Lodge, No. 11, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Norwich, and of Pal- myra Encampment, No. 3, of Norwich, same order. Mr. Amburn attends and aids in the support of the Methodist church of Montville.
On June 18, 1891, Mr. Amburn married, in Mont- ville, Catherine Geer, the adopted daughter of Val- entine Geer, and the daughter of Mattis Servis. She was adopted when a little child, and was always considered a member of the Geer family, one of the oldest and most prominent families of this sec- tion. Mr. and Mrs. Amburn are the parents of two children: 1. Clarence Henry, born in Montville, September 3, 1892; a mechanic, who was in the utility department of the United States army, at Canıp Devens, Massachusetts, during the World War; married Mabel Dexter, of Norwich. 2. Fred- erick Valentine, born in Montville, July 28, 1894; was in Company E, 307th Supply Train, 82nd Divi- sion, American Expeditionary Forces, in France, being captain's orderly; he is also a mechanic. Both young men are members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
COURTLAND BURROWS YORK-One of the fine farms of the town of Stonington is the York farm on the Westerly-Old Mystic road owned by Courtland B. York, who became its owner in the year 1900. It was formerly the Gideon Chesebor- ough farm, but under Mr. York's modern, pro-
gressive management bears little resemblance to the farm of twenty years ago. The farm in its appointments and improvements reflects the nature and spirit of its owner, who is one of the thor- oughly modern dairy and general farmers of New London county. His dairy herd is of Guernsey blood, and all modern aids to dairy farming have been given a trial and adopted if found to be a step in advance.
Mr. York is a great-grandson of James York, who owned and cultivated a farm on the Shore road in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island.
He was succeeded by his son, William York, born in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, and all his life a farmer of Westerly, Rhode Island, Stonington and Groton, Connecticut. He married Mary Bar- ber, and both died in the town of Westerly, where both were born.
William (2) York, son of William (1) and Mary. (Barber) York, was born in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1834, and died at the home of his son, Courtland B. York, in Stonington, Connec- ticut, Deceniber 10, 1915, aged eighty-one years. He lived in Westerly the first twelve years of his life, then his father rented a farm in Stonington,
on Togwank Hill, then owned by the Smith family. There the lad finished his school training. and until reaching legal age was his father's farm assistant. From 1855 until 1861, he was employed in the neighborhood as a farm hand, but lived at home. In that year his parents moved to Groton, and soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, William (2) York enlisted from Groton with his brother, Edwin York, in Company K, Twenty-sixth Regi- ment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, for a term of nine months. In that regiment there were six- teen other couples, brothers, who had enlisted to- gether, and the York brothers were the only couple to both escape injury. After the war, William and Edwin York went to the State of California and were employed on farms and cattle ranches. Edwin York remained in California forty-five years, but is now an inmate of a Soldiers' Home in Grand Rapids. Michigan. William York returned to Stonington after two years of California residence, and there made his home, but was engaged in teaming in and around Westerly, Rhode Island. He also learned the blacksmith's trade in Westerly and at the Klondike Stone Quarry in Niantic, Rhode Is- land. In 1904 he retired from his trade and spent the last eleven years of his life with his son, Court- land B., at the latter's farm in Stonington. William York married Mary S. Wheeler, born in Stonington, Connecticut, and only survived her husband two months, dying at the home of her son, Courtland B., February 12, 1916. William and Mary S. York were the parents of two children: Ellen Fitts, who died December 30, 1915, wife of Abel H. Stanton, a blacksmith of New London, Connecticut; and Courtland Burrows, of further mention.
Courtland Burrows York, only son of William (2) and Mary S. (Wheeler) York, was born in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, April 19, 1869,
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and there spent his youth. He attended Westerly district school until fourteen years of age, then became a pupil at the Charleston District School, also attended district school in Niantic, Rhode Island. After school years he was employed as a farm hand for two and a half years, then as a quarry man for six months, going in 1892 as a farm hand for William J. Potter at his Watch Hill farm. A year later he rented the farm and worked it during the years 1893, 1894, and 1895. In 1897 he rented the Sumner Chapman farm on the Shore road in the town of Westerly, there remaining three years. During all these years Mr. York had prospered, and in 1900 bought the Gideon Chescborough farm of one hun- dred and thirty acres in the town of Stonington, New London, Connecticut, the farm lying on the Westerly-Old Mystic road in the Anguilla district.
Mr. York has built new houses, barns and out- buildings on the farm, converted the farm house into a modern residence with all conveniences, and transformed the entire property into a beautiful and profitable estate. He is a general farmer, but runs a large dairy and makes the production of milk and dairy products a specialty. He is a believer in the Guernsey breed of cattle for dairy purposes and has a fine herd. He is a member of Stonington Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and a devoted member of the First Baptist Church, of Westerly, Rhode Island. In politics he is a Repub- lican.
Mr. York married, in Westerly, Rhode Island, April 27, 1899, Lena Sarah Potter, born in Westerly, daughter of William J. and Jennie L. (Mitchell) Potter.
GEORGE HENRY STONE, a progressive citi- zen and leading merchant of North Stonington, Connecticut. George Henry Stonc, of the firm of Brown & Stone, is widely known in New London county.
Mr. Stone is a son of George Washington and Fannie (Geer) Stone, for a considerable period residents of this county. George W. Stone was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He received a thoroughly practical education in the public schools of that city, then faced the future with dauntless spirit. He was interested in the mercantile world, and at once sct foot upon the upward path. He took up the work of travelling salesman, and has been most successful in this line of effort. Now, having reached an age when many men retire from business, he is still actively engaged in selling goods in many states, with the same progressive force which placed him among the successful men of his calling.
George Henry Stone was born in the Clark's Falls district of the town of North Stonington, August 6, 1888. He received his education in the public schools of Westerly, Rhode Island, and became the youngest merchant in Westerly, carry- ing forward this first business enterprise, a variety store, for four years. At the end of that time, 1908, in association with Frank H. Brown, whose
life is also reviewed in this work, he bought out the general store of Austin A. Maine, of North Stonington. This partnership still continues, and in the years which have passed the business has grown and developed, placing this store at the head of the mercantile interests 'of the vicinity. It is the largest store in the town of North Stoning- ton, and commands a wide trade throughout this section among the best families.
Mr. Stone is prominent in political circles of the town. He is a leader in the Republican party, was a candidate of both parties for legislature, and was elected to represent the town of North Ston- ington in the State Legislature in the fall of 1916. Contrary to the frequent custoin in other New Lon- don county towns, he was re-elected, in 1918, serv- ing since his first term on the Committee on Edu- cation. Mr. Stone is a prominent member of the North Stonington Grange, No. 138, and he is a Inember of the Third Baptist Church, of North Stonington.
In North Stonington he married, October 15, 1919, Ruth, daughter of George A. and Grace I .. (Pitcher) Thompson, of North Stonington. M:s. Stone is a native of North Stonington, Connecticut. George Thompson, her father, was a native of Pendleton Hill, in the town of North Stonington, but was reared in North Stonington. Here he was a farmer, owning Sunny Side Farm, north of the village, an extensive farm property, and was ch- gaged in general farming and stock raising, but is now retired. His wife was born in the village of North Stonington. Both the Thompsons and Pitchers are of old New London county families, the Thompsons old settlers of the Pendleton Hill section.
CLARENCE HORATIO NORTON-From boy- hood until the present, Clarence H. Norton has been connected with the grain and milling business and with the manufacture of paper board, the for- mer business claiming him until the year 1900, the latter during the last two decades of his life. Hc is a native of Hebron, Tolland county, Connecticut, his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents also natives of Hebron, but his grandfather, Samuel Summerfield Norton, moved to Colchester, in New London county, that his children might attend Bacon Academy. He did not remain in Colchester, but later in life returned to his native Hebron, where he died. The farm of David Norton, father of Samuel S. Norton, was located in the north- eastern part of the town of Hebron, Connecticut, where Samuel S. was born.
Samuel Summerfield Norton was reared at the farm in Hebron, Connecticut, but he was of a me- chanical turn of mind and learned the carpenter's trade. In addition to a natural mechanical skill which he developed, he possessed inventive genius and made a superior gauge for the use of car- penters. He lived in Colchester, Connecticut, for many years, and while there was active in the erec- tion of a new Methodist Episcopal church, a de- nomination with which he was long connected and
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which he loyally supported. He was an Abolition- ist, and when the Republican party was formed, affiliated with that party. He died in Hebron, aged seventy-one years.
Samuel S. Norton married, at Killingworth, Con- necticut, Sylvina Chapman, who survived him until April 6, 1888, passing away at the age of eighty- seven. They were the parents of four children: John Summerfield, a graduate of Wesleyan Uni- versity, who married Josephine Joynes, of Southern birth, settled in Texas, where he engaged as a teacher until the Civil War, when he entered the Confederate army as a musician, serving until Lee's surrender; Daniel Ives, of further mention; Ellen, a graduate of Bacon Academy, married Henry Cook, of North Carolina; Edward H., a merchant of Brenham, Texas, who never married.
Daniel Ives Norton, second son of Samuel S. and Sylvina (Chapman) Norton, was born in Hebron, Connecticut, in 1827, but was young when the family moved to Colchester, New London county, Connecticut. He died in North West- chester, Connecticut, from a stroke of paralysis, October 9, 1880, aged fifty-three years. He was educated in Colchester public schools and Bacon Academy of the same town, then, when school years were over, learned the carpenter's trade under the direction of his father, continuing with him until 1861. He then, in partnership with David Thomp- son, engaged in the operation of a cotton mill at Hope Valley, in the town of Hebron. In 1876 the mill was destroyed by fire and was not rebuilt. Daniel I. Norton then moved to North Westchester, where he settled on the farm of his father-in-law, Talcott L. Buell. There he repaired the old Buell grain and grist mill, which he put in operation, but in 1877 suffered an attack of paralysis, from which he never recovered. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics a Demo- crat. He was buried in North Westchester Ceme- tery.
Daniel I. Norton married, at North Westchester, Connecticut, Eunice Blish Buell, who died there, aged seventy-nine, daughter of Talcott Loveland and Mary Gates (Carrier) Buell. Talcott L. Buell, a farmer and miller, died in Westchester, in 1885, aged eighty-seven years and nine months. Mr. and Mrs. Norton were the parents of an only child, Clarence Horatio Norton, of whom further.
Clarence Horatio Norton, son of Daniel Ives and Eunice Blish (Buell) Norton, was born in Hebron, Connecticut, October 22, 1853, and educated in the public schools. After the removal to North West- chester, in 1876, poor health incapacitated his father from all but the lightest work, and the work of the mill and farm fell to the lad, Clarence H. When the health of the father utterly failed, and death resulted, in 1880, the son took entire charge of the business of the mill, running both the grist department and the saw mill, purchasing grain, shipping and carrying on a regular county grain and mill business. The saw mill was dropped first, and in 1888 he began the manufacture of straw board
in an old building in North Westchester, used by his Grandfather Buell and others. That mill burned in 1893, but was replaced by another much larger, and modernly cquipped. In 1900 paper board manu- facture became his sole business and he yet oper- ates along that line. A man of remarkable energy, he has won for himself an honored name, and is of the very best type, progressive, upright and thoroughly reliable in all things.
In politics, Mr. Norton is a Democrat, and in 1885 represented his district in the Connecticut State Legislature. He has also served his town as selectman, assessor, and member of the Board of Relief.
Mr. Norton married, in North Westchester, De- cember 24, 1885, Atta Bell Carrier, born in West- chester, in the town of Colchester, New London county, Connecticut, January 2, 1867, daughter of Demas and Roxy Eliza (Staples) Carrier, both her parents born in Westchester, and both deceased. Demas Carrier died December 13, 1893, aged sixty- five years; his wife died at the age of fifty-three. Mr. and Mrs. Carrier also had a son, who died in infancy, and another daughter, Susan Minette Car- rier, who married Robert Samuel Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence H. Norton are the parents of four children, all born in North Westchester: I. Sylvina Chapman, born November 10, 1886. 2. Minette Car- rier, born November 1, 1889; married Daniel Wayne Williams, of Wallingford, Connecticut, a purchasing agent, and has two children: Daniel Norton Will- iams, born December 6, 1917, and Warren Brooks Williams, born March 4, 1921. 3. Marion Eunice, born July 20, 1893; married Edward Forbes Smiley, a minister of the Gospel. 4. Edward Howd, born July 7, 1896, associated with his father in the paper mill. The family are members of the Westchester Congregational Church.
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