USA > Connecticut > New London County > Biographical review, containing life sketches of leading citizens of New London County, Connecticut > Part 11
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That Mr. Hobron has had some varied ex- periences in life may be shown by the fact that within three years he had in his family three births, two marriages, and two deaths. He is now living in Washington, D.C. He built a block in 1877. He is still hale and hearty, and enjoys a life of ease but not idle- ness, his time being well occupied. His fine health and vigor have been secured to him by his correct habits of living. His tastes and character are refined and cultured, and he evinces much skill in an accomplishment rarely cultivated by one of his sex - namely, embroidery. His friends have many a sou- venir of his art. Mr. Hobron is independent in matters of religious belief, being bound to no creed or church. It is noteworthy that he never drank a glass of liquor in his life, never was so sick as to have to call in a doctor, and he never shot a gun of any kind.
LIAS B. HINCKLEY, Judge of Pro- bate, Town Clerk and Town Treasurer in Stonington, was born here, Feb- ruary 19, 1852, son of Ilenry Hinckley." He is of English extraction, the emigrant ances-
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
tor having been Samuel Hinckley, who came from Tenterden, County Kent, England, to Boston in 1634, sailing in the good ship " Hercules," commanded by Captain Witherly. A fellow-passenger in the "Hercules" was Nathaniel Tilden, from whom Samuel J. Til- den, of national fame, was descended. In 1635 Samuel Hinckley settled in Scituate, Mass., where two years later he was made a freeman. In 1640 he removed to Barnstable, Mass., where he died October 31, 1662, leav- ing three sons and some daughters. Thomas, the eldest son, became Governor of Plymouth Colony. John, another son, was the next pro- genitor of the branch of the family to which Elias B. Hinckley belongs. John Hinckley's son, Samuel, born in Barnstable, February 2, 1670, settled in Stonington, being the first of the family to come here. A son of this Sam- uel, also named Samuel, born in Stonington, March 4, 1706, had a son, Abel, who, born April 10, 1743, spent his life here, and died March 20, 1818.
Samuel Hobart Hinckley, son of Abel and the grandfather of Elias B., was born in Ston- ington, December 26, 1772, and died here, November 19, 1862, being almost ninety years old. He was a farmer by occupation and fairly successful in his operations. His first marriage was contracted with Abigail Helms, of this town, who bore him seven children; namely, Samuel, Abby, Abel, Elias B., B. Frank, Henry, and Mary Esther. Samuel lived but a year; Abby, who became the wife of George D. Cross, reared seven sons and five daughters; Mary Esther is the widow of Charles M. Davis, late of Stoning- ton; Elias and Mary are the only survivors now. After the death of his first wife, which occurred while she was yet in the prime of womanhood, the father married Mrs. Nancy P. (Clark) Chapman, who proved herself a true
mother to her stop-children, and was dearly beloved by her grandchildren.
Henry Hinckley, who was born in this town, July 15, 1809, is still living on his farm at Wequetquock, near where the greater part of his long and useful life has been passed. He bears his burden of years with ease and dignity, being as active in mind and body as most men a score of years younger. On December 12, 1838, he married Prudence Mary Chesebro, a daughter of Thomas R. and Mercy Chesebro, and a descendant of William Chesebrough (or Chesebro), who was born in England in 1594, and was the first white set- tler in Stonington, Conn. After a happy wedded life of fifty-eight years she passed to another life on September 9, 1896, at the age of seventy-nine years and six months. She reared seven children, namely: Mary, who was the wife of Charles E. Chace, of Mystic, and died March 24, 1881, leaving one daugh- ter; Abbie H., who married Charles H. Babcock, then the Superintendent of Schools in Westerly, R.I., and a member of the Ston- ington School Board of Visitors, and died March 14, 1883, aged forty-two years, leaving two daughters and a son; Thomas H., of Springfield, Mass .; Eliza C., who is the widow of the late William H. Palmer, of this town, and has one son, Bert Palmer; Vincent, unmarried, who lives on the home farm; Elias B., the subject of this sketch; and Janies B., of New Haven.
Elias B. Hinckley was reared to agricult- ural pursuits on the old homestead on Hinck- ley Hill. He had acquired a fair education in his district, when on account of ill health he was obliged to leave school at the age of seventeen years. He subsequently worked in a market for his brother about four years. From 1876 to 1880, in company with Calvin Wheeler, he was engaged in the meat and pro-
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vision business. Then he was a book-keeper for four years, in the employment of Nathan H. Gates, a leading contractor of Stonington. This position he resigned in 1882 to become clerk in the auditor's office of the Stonington & Providence Railroad Company. On Au- gust 9, 1886, he was appointed Postmaster by President Cleveland; and he held the office until February 1, 1891. In the fall of 1890 he was elected Town Clerk. A year later he was chosen Town Treasurer, which respon- sible position he has since filled most accept- ably. In 1892 he was elected Probate Judge, after an exciting contest, by a majority of three. The outcome was doubted by the for- mer incumbent, a Democrat nominated by the Republicans, who was the defeated candidate, and who fruitlessly carried it to the Superior Court. In 1894 Mr. Hinckley was re-elected by a majority of thirty-seven, defeating the regular Republican nominee. In 1896 he was again re-elected, receiving two hundred and fifty-eight more votes than his opponent, whom he had beaten in the previous election. He has discharged the duties of his office with ability and fidelity. While the Democrats find in him one of their most active workers, Stonington claims him as one of her most loyal and faithful citizens.
Mr. Hinckley has been twice married. On October 23, 1876. Miss Fannie Clift, a daughter of Horace and Frances (Burrows) Clift, of Mystic River, became his wife. She died August 28, 1885, aged twenty-nine years, leaving two children, namely: Eleanor, who is now in school; and Hobart, who died at the age of eight years. On December 20, 1893, Mr. Hinckley married Grace M. Levey, a daughter of Antoine Levey, of this borough. She has given birth to one child, a beautiful little girl, Thelma, now three years of age. Mr. Hinckley is an active member of the
Royal Arcanum, Pequot Council, of which he has been secretary for thirteen years.
J OIIN TURNER ALLYN, whose last years were spent in New London as an agriculturist, followed the sea in his younger days until obliged to give up that oc- cupation on account of poor health. Born in New London, March 10, 1838, he was the only son of Captain Lyman and Emma (Turner) Allyn, who also had five daughters, one of whom is Mrs. Harriet U. Allyn, widow of James Allyn. He was educated at Cheshire Episcopal Academy and at Monson Academy in Monson, Mass. Mr. Allyn was a Master Mason, a member of Union Lodge, F. & A. M., of New London. He died February 23, 1887, before completing his forty-ninth year.
Mr. John Turner Allyn and Miss Lucretia L. Brown were united in marriage on January 30, 1873, and were the parents of one child, Mary Seymour Allyn, who was born February 25, 1874, and died October 6, the same year, aged seven months and eleven days. Mrs. Allyn is the youngest daughter of the late Nathan S. and Sarah F. (Browning) Brown, and a grand-daughter of Daniel and Delight (Strickland) Brown, of Waterford, Conn. She now resides with her husband's sister, Mrs. Harriet U. Allyn, above mentioned.
Nathan S. Brown was a farmer of Water- ford and a very prominent citizen of that town. He was active in town affairs, and held many of the important offices, being Justice of the Peace when a very young man, and subsequently Assessor and Selectman. He was born in Waterford on March 1, 1811, and was married on September 9, 1835. His wife, Sarah, who was born April 27, 1817, was a daughter of Rouse and Ruth (Morey)
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JOHN T. ALLYN.
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Browning. Mr. Browning was the owner of the fine old Browning Beach farm, which is now owned by Ezra J. Hempstead. He was of the sixth generation from Nathaniel Brown- ing, who came from England, and settled in South Kingston, R. I. Nathaniel's great- grandson Ephraim, who was born in 1746 and died in 1826, was the great-grandfather of Mrs. Allyn. He removed from Rhode Island to Waterford, and bought a large tract of land, which was added to by his son Rouse, and which now forms a part of the Browning farm. llis wife, whose maiden name was Susanna Davis, died in 1832, at a very advanced age. Rouse Browning was a very prosperous farmer. He was a Baptist in religious faith, very ac- tive in the denomination and very benevo- lent. The land upon which the Quaker Hill Church is built was given by him. His wife, Ruth, who was a native of Stonington, Conn., was the mother of ten children, four sons and six daughters, of whom Sarah, Mrs. Brown, was the eldest. Nathan S. and Sarah F. Brown had a family of three sons and three daughters, all of whom are living except Na- than, the eldest son, who died in 1860, at the age of twenty years. The survivors are: Delia S. Brown, the eldest daughter; Eliza- beth C .; and Mrs. Allyn -all residing in New London; Orlando H. Brown, who is in business in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Charles J. Brown, in this city, a well-known business man, who has a family of six sons and a daughter.
OSEPH EDWARD LEONARD was for a long period a prominent business man of the town of Griswold, his home for the greater part of his life being about four miles from Jewett City, on the Leonard farm, which, when it was sold in April, 1897,
had been in the family nearly two hundred years. Mr. Leonard was born September 6, 1838, and died October 22, 1896, at the age of fifty-eight years.
His father, Deacon Joseph Leonard, was born in 1802, and died at the homestead in 1887. Deacon Leonard married Laura John- son, of Jewett City, and was the father of eight children. Of this family two sons and two daughters are now living, namely: George, in Wisconsin; Mrs. Maria French, a widow, residing in Appleton, Wis .; Mrs. Sarah Geer, in Griswold; and Howard, in Jewett City.
Mr. Joseph E. Leonard carried on a large business in flour, grain, and feed for sixteen years, handling also farming implements and machinery, and was connected with a fire in- surance company. In these various lines of business he was successful, bringing to bcar in each the sound judgment and keen insight into affairs that were his native gifts. He ac- cumulated a handsome property, which was bequeathed to his family. The fine grain ele- vator now in use was erected soon after he began business. Mr. Leonard was active also as a citizen, and was deeply interested in all local affairs. He was a Republican in poli- tics, and represented his town in the State legislature. He was for many years a Justice of the Peace, and held that position up to the time of his death. Like his father he was a Deacon of the Congregational church, and he was active in Sunday-school.
He married March 5, 1862, Martha E. Northup, who was born at Manchester.on Au- gust 24, 1836, daughter of the late Rev. B. F. and Martha (Stillman) Northup. Her father was a clergyman of the Congregational church, and was settled for twenty-four years at Man- chester, Conn., and for seventeen years at Griswold. Hle was a man of great learning,
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and firmly grounded in the doctrines of his faith, being a graduate of Yale College and of Andover Theological Seminary. Of deep and fervent piety, he was a preacher of persuasive eloquence, and became to the members of his congregation a safe counsellor and a tender shepherd. Naturally sympathetic and unsel- fish, he made the burdens of his people his own, and was ever ready to aid the suffering or visit the distressed and afflicted. His first wife, Martha Stillman, above named, was a native of Wethersfield. She died in 1843, leaving six of the eight children born to her, all of whom are now deceased except Mrs. Leonard and an elder sister, Mrs. Fannie Prentice, widow of Nehemiah Prentice, resid- ing at Union Hall, N.J. The Rev. Mr. Northup died in 1875, at the age of seventy- five years. His second wife, Elizabeth C. Bull, died at the age of eighty-four in 1891 at Mrs. Leonard's home.
Mrs. Leonard was educated in the schools of Norwich Town and Springfield. Inheriting scholarly aptitudes from her father, she has always been a reader of the best literature, and has been able to foster and cultivate a taste for the same in her children. She was bereft of an infant son some years ago, and has two children living: Fred Stillman Leonard; and a daughter, Bessie Northrop Leonard. Mr. Fred Leonard graduated from the New Britain schools, and subsequently taught school, being very successful, and finally receiving an appointment as assistant principal of the Jewett City graded school. Since the death of his father Mr. Fred S. Leonard has succeeded to the business, and is now devoting himself to that. Ile is a young man of refined tastes, with musical ability, and of high moral character. His sister, a graduate of the New Britain Normal School, kindergarten department, has taught in New
York and in Northampton, and has met with marked success.
In the fall of 1896 Mrs. Leonard left the farm, and moved into Jewett City, where she has rented a pleasant and commodious house.
OHN MORAN, a well-known and suc- cessful business man of New London, Conn., was born in Ottawa, Canada, in November, 1847, being the eldest son of John and Mary Jane (Devine) Moran.
His father, John Moran, Sr., was a native of Ireland, born in County Waterford in 1813. At nineteen years of age, in 1833, he came to Canada, and was one of the early settlers of Ottawa, where he followed tailoring for some years. He then removed to Fitzroy Harbor, and at that place he worked at farming in ad- dition to tailoring. Although possessed of but small means when he came to this coun- try, he amassed considerable property ; and, being a man of much intellectual ability, he was elected to various public offices, includ- ing that of City Councilman. In 1844, at Fitzroy Harbor, he married Mary Jane De- vine, who came from Ireland in the "Belle Castle," the same year that he came, but was thirteen weeks on the voyage, four weeks longer than he. She came with her brother ; and they spent the first year after their arri- val in Quebec, where she first met Mr. Mcran. Four sons and two daughters were born to them, and all grew to maturity. They were named: John, Mary, James, Bridget, Mathias R., and Patrick. Mary Moran married Ed- ward Dooner, and died leaving an infant son. James Moran, who has never married, is en- gaged in the lumber trade in New London. Bridget, widow of John O'Brien, is living in New York City. Mathias R. Moran, who was a well-known railroad man and superintendent
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of the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Rail- read, Florida, died in New London in July, 1895, leaving a family. Patrick Moran is on the New London police force. He has a wife and children. Mr. and Mrs. John Moran, Sr., removed from Canada to New Jersey. where they resided five years, and then came to New London, and spent their declining years with their son John. The father died in 1885, and the mother ten years later, in 1895, in her eighty-sixth year. Both were devout Catholics, and they reared their chil- dren in that faith.
John Moran, the special subject of this sketch, left the common schools quite early, and became a clerk in the lumbermen's supply store at Brudenell, Canada, kept by his father, who also carried on a large farm. He contin- ued to live at home until his marriage. In 1884 Mr. Moran bought out the livery busi- ness of Elias Dennison, which was established over fifty years ago, and at once tore down the old barns, and replaced them with a fine large building one hundred and twenty feet deep, forty feet wide, and two and one-half stories in height. He employs seven men, and keeps thirty-five horses in all, nineteen of which are his own, the others being boarders. He car- ries on the largest livery business in New London. Since January 1, 1889, Mr. Moran has also been associated with Caulkins & Prentis, supplying them with coaches and horses.
Mr. Moran married first Miss Elizabeth C. Murphy, of Canada. She died in New Jersey in 1883, aged twenty-eight years, leaving four children, namely : Mary F., now a young lady of eighteen, who has just been graduated from the Young Ladies' High School as the vale- dictorian of her class, in which there were twenty besides herself, and who is also an ac- complished pianist; E. Letitia, who is in the
Meriden Convent: Helen Gertrude, an attend- ant of the Young Ladies' High School; and Elizabeth, who is also in school. In 1885 Mr. Meran married Miss Alice Quinn, of Can- ada, a daughter ot Patrick Quinn, one of seven Irishmen well known in the history of Canada, who went into the woods on foot some six hundred miles from Montreal to Ramsey County, and began the opening up of that part of Canada, which now has attained a high de- gree of civilization. There are no children by Mr. Moran's second marriage.
The family reside at 9 Huntington Street, in the house that he built in 1888. Politi- cally, Mr. Moran is a Democrat. He has served in the City Council.
EORGE ELDREDGE, a highly re- spected citizen of Mystic, residing in the house in which he was born September 22, 1834, is a son of Elam and Hannah (Fitch) Eldredge, and comes both of English and Irish ancestors. The Eldredge family came to this country from England, and settled in Massachusetts. George, the father of Elam and son of Thomas, married Hannah Burrows, who bore him eight sons and a daughter; namely, Elam, Nathan, Charles, Delight, George, Thomas, Winthrop, Robert, and William, all of whom, with the exception of Winthrop, who died young, mar- ried and had children. Several of the sons were mariners, and more than one lived to pass the age of fourscore. Their mother died in 1847, aged eighty-two, and their father in 1850, at the same age. Daniel Eldredge, brother of George Eldredge, Sr., was one of the wounded at the battle of Fort Griswold.
Elam Eldredge was at one time master of a coasting-vessel, making trips as far South as Florida. Hle subsequently engaged in the
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fish business. He was twice married, his first wife being in maidenhood Eunice Bur- rows, daughter of Elam Burrows, of Mystic, Conn. For his second wife he married Han- nah Fitch, who was born December 28, 1803, daughter of Chester and Deborah (Packer) Fitch, of Mystic. There were seven children by this union, four sons and three daughters, all of whom attained maturity. Those now living are: Hannah, wife of Henry Latham, of Mystic; George, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; Eunice B., who resides with her brother; and Mary E., who lives in this vicinity. The father died in 1870, aged seventy-seven, and the mother on May 27, 1885, lacking just seven months of reaching her eighty-second year. George Eldredge re- ceived his education chiefly in the excellent district schools of his native town; and, hav- ing a taste for the higher mathematics, he subsequently devoted considerable time to that study. In 1854, at the age of twenty, he began learning the blacksmith's trade. For some years he was employed in a machine shop, and he was later engaged in the meat business for fifteen years. Since 1892 he has lived retired.
On October 3, 1860, Mr. Eldredge was joined in marriage with Susan Moody Kemp, of Mystic. She died in 1883, at the age of forty-seven, leaving no children, Mr. El- dredge is a stanch Democrat, and has served two terms in the Connecticut legislature, in 1883 and 1889.
HEELER BROTHERS, blacksmiths in that part of North Stonington, Conn., known as Mill Town, are the proprietors of a long-established and pros- perous business, the firm consisting of j. O. Wheeler and his brother, Thomas W.
Wheeler. Both these gentlemen were born in the village where they now live, the birth of J. O. Wheeler having occurred June 5, 1818, and that of Thomas W., October 20, 1822. Their grandfather, Lester Wheeler, was among the early farmers of this com- munity. He and his wife, Eunice Lewis Wheeler, reared a large family of sons and daughters, among them being Jesse Wheeler, father of Messrs. Wheeler, the subjects of this sketch.
Jesse Wheeler was born in Stonington, May 28, 1786, and was reared to man's estate on the home farm. A natural mechanic, he turned his talents to good use, learning the blacksmith's trade in his youth at Central Farm in Stonington. In 1812 he settled at Mill Town, buying a smithy that had already been used for some years; and here he fol- lowed his chosen occupation until his death, January 16, 1852. On May 30, 1811, he married Nancy Peckham, who was born in North Stonington, July 31, 1793, and died at Mill Town, March 9, 1885. They were the parents of four children; namely, Stephen H., Elisha P., J. O., and Thomas W. Stephen H. Wheeler, born March 6, 1812, was a blacksmith at Old Mystic, where he died when about seventy years of age, leaving a family, of whom but one daughter is now living. Elisha P. Wheeler, born December 15, 1815, for many years a machinist at Shan- nock, R. I., died there at the age of forty-two years, leaving a widow and three sons, of whom two are living, namely : Van Rensse- laer, a carriage smith in New London, Conn. ; and Edward, who is a clerk and president of the Providence Horse Shoe Company in Prov- idence, R. I., and is a noted singer, more es- pecially of sacred music, his services being in demand in church and camp meetings.
J. O. Wheeler learned the blacksmith's
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THOMAS W. WHEELER.
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trade of his father, beginning when a very young lad; and at the age of twelve years he was able to set shoes, a part of the business in which he became exceptionally skilful. Dur- ing the sixty-six years in which he was ac- tively employed, he shod many hundred horses and a great number of oxen, besides doing the miscellaneous work required in a country smithy. He was in company with his father for many years, subsequently forming a partnership with his brother, Thomas W. In 1850 the old shop, built some eighty years before, was torn down, and the present one erected. These brothers have never swerved from the religious faith in which they were brought up, both being members of the Third Baptist Church, to which their parents also belonged. They occupy the same residence, a large, attractive house; and on either side of them are several tenement houses which they own, the whole forming a pleasant little hamlet.
Thomas W. Wheeler was married Novem- ber 7, 1844, to Emily E. Brown, of North Stonington, a daughter of Cyrus W. and Elizabeth (Babcock) Brown. Her parents reared a family of seven sons and three daugh- ters, all of whom are living but one, unless William Brown, who went to Australia some years ago, has since died. Mr. Brown was a farmer, and carried on his occupation until his death, at the age of sixty-nine years. His widow survived him three years, dying at the same age. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have one child, Nancy Mary, wife of ex-Judge William H. Hillard, of this town. Mr. Wheeler is a man of literary tastes and talents, and for some years has been an occa- sional correspondent for Western papers, writing under his own signature. He is an active member of the Democratic party, and has served his fellow-townsmen in several
official capacities. He has been Constable, for eight years was Town Clerk, and for three years was Probate Judge. In these positions, when he needed an assistant, he had the ser- vices of Mrs. Wheeler, who proved herself a most efficient helper, being a woman of more than ordinary intelligence and ability.
LISHA POST, a contractor and builder of Pequot, New London, Conn., was born in Bozrah, July 11, 1853, son of John and Nancy M. (Rogers) Post.
The paternal grandfather, Elisha Post, a farmer of Bozrah, had a family of two sons and five daughters, of whom John was born on the old farm, December 17, 1825. John Post in early manhood followed the occupations of mechanic, wheelwright, and shoemaker; but he later settled upon his father's large farm, of which he subsequently became the proprie- tor. In 1847 he married Nancy Maria Rogers, of Norwich, Conn., and they had seven children, five of whom grew to maturity, namely: Alfred R., a painter and decorator of Beanhill; Elisha, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; John E., a farmer and dairyman of Norwich; Nancy M., wife of C. J. Wilson, of Natick, Mass. ; and Char- lotte R., wife of F. L. Weaver at Beanhill. The mother died in 1896, at the age of sixty- six.
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