Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 165

Author: H. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1899
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1795

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Probably no family in this county is better known than his, the name having been honora- bly connected with every important movement since the region was settled. John Waterbury located in Stamford at an early day, a tract of land being recorded in 1650 as belonging to him and from him the various branches of the family trace their descent. The late Charles Water- bury, our subject's father, was a lifelong resident of the county, and for many years was engaged in cloth manufacturing, although for a short time in later life he followed mercantile pursuits. He died in 1879; his widow who was Emily Selleck, a member of another well-known family of this county, is still living at the advanced age of eighty-nine. They had five children: Sarah, widow of Cornelius Ayres, died in January, 1899; Charles G., our subject; Betsey Ann, widow of Oscar Seeley, who met a soldier's death during the Civil war; Miss Nancy S .; and Mary, wife of William Hanshaw.

Mr. Waterbury was born in New Canaan, this county, and his educational opportunities were limited to the district schools of the lo- cality, which were by no means equal to those of to-day. At the age of fourteen he left school, and for a time was employed in his father's woolen-mill. Later he secured the first Singer sewing machine that was brought to New Canaan, and after some practice he became proficient in fitting and sewing seams in shoes, at which he worked for about twelve years. He then re-

moved to Darien, where he conducted a livery business for about thirty-five years, and since giving up that occupation he has carried on to quite an extent a business as a dealer in car- riages and harness.

In 1872 Mr. Waterbury married his first wife, Miss Adeline Waterbury. daughter of Capt. Lewis Waterbury. She died in February, 1873. and in 1881 he formed a second matrimonial union, this time with Miss Mary E. Combs, daughter of John Henry Combs, of Stamford. Again death invaded his home, his second wife passing away in 1883. By the second marriage he has one daughter, Miss Helen Adeline Water- bury. Mr, Waterbury is a stanch Republican, as was his father before him, the latter having been an Abolitionist from the time of the first agitation of the slavery question. For about twenty years our subject served as constable in his town, and in his present office of selectman he displays unusual faithfulness and zeal for the public interest.

J ACOB B. RAYMOND, a highly respected resident of South Norwalk, has been for some time engaged in the ice business, and the superior quality of the product handled by him, known as the Brookside Lake Ice, has brought him a large and profitable trade.

Mr. Raymond is of French descent on the paternal side, and it is supposed that his great- grandfather, Stephen Raymond, was born in France, and was the first of the family to come to America. Sylvenus Raymond, the grandfather of our subject, was born in this county, in the town of Norwalk, and probably spent the greater portion of his life there in farming. He married Sarah A. Lockwood and reared a large family, among whom was our subject's father, the late Charles L. Raymond, who was also a native of Norwalk. and who became a well-known resident of that place, his attention being chiefly given to agriculture and the real-estate business. Polit- ically he was a Democrat, but he did not take an active part in the work of his party, his influence being exerted in a quite way. He died January 30, 1877; his widow, whose maiden name was Mary B. Fickett, is still living. She was born in New York City, where her father, George Fickett, was engaged in ship building. Our sub- ject was the youngest of three children, the others being: Mary E., who married Alvah V. Tuthill, an oysterman of Norwalk; and David L., a resident of Brooklyn.

Mr. Raymond, our subject, was born April 24, 1853, at the old homestead near Norwalk where

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his parents located soon after their marriage, and | it for four and one-half years; but this trade not his youth was spent there amid the wholesome | being to his taste he became a Britannia worker in a factory from Middletown, Conn., which lo-

surroundings of farm life. His education was obtained in the local schools, and in early man- i cated in St. Louis, Mo. After serving a regular hood he engaged in business in Norwalk as a . apprenticeship he removed to Meriden, Conn., dealer in ice. coal, and similar commodities. At present he devotes his attention to the ice busi- , Silver Plate Company, with which company he ness only. He married Miss H. Elizabeth Lowndes, a native of New York City and a I the employ of the Middletown Plate Company. daughter of John H. Lowndes, of Long Island.

in October. 1873. and engaged with the Wilcox remained until October. 1876. when he entered I with which firm he remained until the following Socially, he and his wife are much esteemed, and | August, when he was engaged by a new firm in he is always ready to promote any movement which promises to benefit the community. In | ary. 1878, when the firm sold out and the plant politics he affiliates with the Democratic party. !

| Meriden, and with them remained until Febru- was removed to Shelton. It has since developed into the Derby Silver Company. and Mr. Conrad has ever since, with the exception of five months, I been in the employ of the company. Since 1880

C HARLES J. CONRAD, foreman in the Der- by Silver Company, was born February 25. | he has been foreman of the making-up depart- 1853. in St. Clair county. Ill., and is a son of ; ment, and is now one of the oldest employes of Joseph Conrad. who was born in the year 1817, | the company, a Mr. Berry having precedence over him by only one day. Mr. Conrad has, by his own industry and capacity. worked himself to the front rank among the workmen in this par- ticular trade, and it is entirely correct to call him a self-made man. and died in August. 1853 Joseph Conrad was born in Acheren. Baden, Germany, and was a son of Gottfried Conrad. Joseph Conrad wasby trade a confectioner and baker. learning his trade either in Paris or London, and after following his trade for seven years in London he came Politically. Mr. Conrad has always been an | ardent Republican and unusually active for the welfare of the party. He has been a member of the board of burgesses for three terms, and was elected warden in 1896-97-98. He is a member of King Hiram Lodge No. 12, F. & A. M., and of Center Lodge No. 68, I. O. O. F., of Meriden. to the United States in 1846. settling eventually in St. Louis, Mo. While in this city he conduct- ed a confectionery for some years, and then re- moved to St. Clair county, Ill., where he fol- lowed farming until his death, which occurred. as above related. in 1853. He was married May 30, 1846, to Anna Wettstein, a daughter of Cas- per Wettstein, she having been born in Switzer- land. Their children were as follows: Louis. , Bertha and Charles J., the latter being the youngest of the family and the only one that ,

He belongs to the New England Order of Pro- tection, and also to the Heptasophs, both insur- ance orders; to the German order D. O. H., and also to the Naugatuck Valley Manie, a higher order of D. O. H. He has been an active mem- grew to adult agt. The mother of these three | ber of the Derby Turner Society, and treasurer children died February 19, 1895, at the age of | for the past sixteen years. He has always been sixty-three years. Joseph Wettstein was a | a loyal citizen of Shelton, and has continuously member of the Ancient Order of Druids. a bene- | given moral and material encouragement to the ficiary organization. Wherever he lived he was | public good of the place. well and favorably known as an honest and up- right man.

Mr. Conrad was married in January, 1875, to Miss Louisa Wurfel, a daughter of George and whom were originally from Baden, Germany. To this marriage there came two children, viz .: Walter Conrad, born in December, 1875, and

Charles J. Conrad, the subject of this sketch. | Christina Wurfel, of Jeffersonville, Ind., both of received his education in the public schools of St. Louis until he was ten years of age, and then spent six months in the study of German. In both English and German Mr. Conrad has al- | Anna Conrad, born in March, 1877.

ways been a thorough student, has since his youth been an extensive reader, is well informed in ancient, modern and current history, and takes great interest in all forms of human activity. At ! S ELAH G. BLAKEMAN, a prosperous and progressive agriculturist of the town of Hunt- a youthful age he entered a grocery store as , ington, and a member of one of the oldest and clerk, and followed this occupation three years. . most highly respected families of Fairfield coun- when in accordance with his mother's wishes he | ty. is a native of Connecticut, born May 23, 1841. learned the trade of cigar making, and followed | in the town of Stratford.

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Gould Blakeman, his father, and James Blakeman, his grandfather, were of the same nativity, and they, too, were farmers. Gould mar- ried Harriet Birdseye, who was also born in Stratford, and to them were born children as fol- lows: Anson H., Betsey C., Phoebe B., Myra C., Fannie A., Carlos D., Harriet E., Frank E. and Selah G.

The last named, who is the subject proper of these lines, was reared on the home farm in the town of Stratford, where he attended the district schools, later taking a course in a school at Mil- ford. On July 29, 1862, when he was twenty- one years old, and the war of the Rebellion was at its height, he enlisted in Company D, 17th C. V. 1., participated in all the engagements and marches with his regiment, and was honorably discharged, with the rank of sergeant, at the close of the war. Returning home to the pur- suits of peace, he purchased his present fine farm of seventy acres in the town of Huntington, where he has since successfully carried on gen- eral agricultural pursuits. He has also done con- siderable work in the way of constructing and grading roads in various parts of his town. and is perhaps more engaged in that line than in farming.

In 1866 Mr. Blakeman was united in mar- riage with Miss Cordelia A. Wakelee, of the town of Huntington, a daughter of Ebenezer Wakelee. No children have been born to this union. Po- litically, our subject is a stanch Republican, and his popularity has been substantially proved by his election to most of the town offices. In 1880-81 he represented his town in the State Legislature, having been elected to that incumb- ency in 1879, and served with acknowledged abil- ity and zeal. In 1881 he was appointed deputy sheriff, under Sheriff Charles Crosby, his term expiring in 1884, and he is now serving his fourth year as deputy under Sheriff Sidney E. Hawley. As a public official Mr. Blakeman has amply proved himself to be the right man in the right place, his duties having always been faithfully and satisfactorily performed, and he has won the respect of all classes and the fear of the evil doer.

In society, post and lodge matters Mr. Blake- man is prominent, active and influential, espe- cially in G. A. R. connections, as his numerous badges testify; he has been junior, senior and commander of the Department of Connecticut; in 1886 was aid-de-camp on Commander-in- chief Burdett's staff; attended the Encampment held in San Francisco, and in 1887 and 1888 served as aid-de-camp with rank of colonel on Governor P. C. Lounsbury's staff. He is also affiliated with the I. O. O. F., Ousatonic Lodge No. 6, at Derby, and has filled most of the offices

of the subordinate lodge, has been grand con- ductor and grand marshal, and is now grand warden of the Grand Lodge of the State. In matters of religion he was reared in the faith of the Congregational Church, which he and his wife attend.

C OLONEL TRACY BRONSON WARREN. The subject of this sketch is eminent in the social life of the city of Bridgeport. He pos- sesses those genial traits which find in one's fellowmen something to admire and esteem, and which conversely endear one to those who know him. His occupation brings him in contact with the best class of the traveling public, and his popularity is almost a proverb. His rare person- ality is inherited. Colonel Warren is, in his pa- ternal ancestry, of the twenty-seventh generation from a personage mentioned below, and the ge- nealogy gives evidence of gentleness. And graft- ed to a noble lineage in England is an American ancestry that runs back to the "Mayflower." Both his paternal and maternal forefathers were pioneers on the bleak New England shores in the early part of the seventeenth century.

Colonel Warren was born at Watertown, Conn., December 20, 1847, the son of David H. and Louisa (Bronson) Warren. His father was a native of the same town; his mother was born at Middlebury, Conn. He was educated in the Collegiate and Commercial Institute at New Haven, graduating from the latter in 1865. This business training he at once applied, entering as he did in the manufacture of carriage hardware. He was successfully engaged in manufacturing and in mercantile pursuits for ten years. In 1890 Colonel Warren became the proprietor of the "Atlantic Hotel " of Bridgeport, and he still is its popular landlord.

Many of the social organizations of the city possess his active membership. He is a member of Corinthian Lodge, F. & A. M., and Hamilton Commandery, Knights Templar. He is also a member of the Red Men, and of the Knights of the Ancient Essenic Order. He was for two years a member of the staff of Gov. H. B. Har- rison, with the rank of colonel. He is now com- missary of " The Old Guard," New York City. For three years he was a member of the Second Regiment, National Guard, as lieutenant of the New Haven Grays, and for several years he was adjutant of the Fourth Regiment, National Guard. Colonel Warren is also a member of the Sea Side, Sea Side Outing, Algonquin, Brook- lawn Country and Bridgeport Yacht Clubs. In politics he is a Republican. For several years

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he was a member of the board of aldermen, hav- ing been elected in 1883 and in 1884: he was city treasurer of Bridgeport in 1885.

Colonel Warren was married October 28. 18;4. to Miss Clara A. Mills, daughter of John F. and Sarah (Dudley) Mills. For twenty-five 1 years and until his death John F. Mills was the proprietor of the .. Parker House. " Boston, Mass. Colonel and Mrs. Warren have four children: John M., Louise B., Bronson M. and Harvey T. Himself and family are members of St. John's Episcopal Church, of which he has been vestry- I tuck river December 10. 1814. Mary Steele man during the past twenty years.

1746. married a Mr. Tuttle, Catskill, N. Y .; Rachel. born July 4. 1749, married John Russell; Abigail. born June 3. 1752. married James 1 Pritchard; Nathaniel, born January 15, 1755. married Susannah Johnson and Mary Wedge; Jemima, born October 15. 1758, married a Mr. Hosford, Putney. Vt; Edward, born Septem- ber 18, 1761, married Mary Steele; Richard- son. (24) Edward Warren-Mary Steele; Ed- ward was born September 18, 1761. Served in " the Revolutionary war, was drowned in Nauga- died in Watertown, February 26, 1849, aged eighty- five years. Children: Isaac; Mary died

We append herewith the complete paternal genealogy of Colonel Warren from the Earl of ' March 20, 1863. aged seventy-eight, married Normandy and from the daughter of William the : Parmelee Richards, who died December 6, 1860, Conqueror: (1) William de Warenne, Earl of , aged eighty years; Lewis married Susan Judd; Normandy. who died 1088, married Gundred. Lyman died March 4, 1860, aged seventy, mar- youngest daughter of William the Conqueror; (2) , ried Abigail J. Allen, who died September 17. 1885, aged eighty-six years, nine months; Shel- don died November 21, 1825, aged thirty-two, married Clarenda Welton, who died October 17, William De Warren, second Earl of Warren and Surry-Isabel; (3) Reginal Warren-Adelia de Mowbray: (4) Wilham Warren-Isabel de Hay- den; (5) Sir John Warren-Alice de Townsend: ' 1821, aged twenty-four, and Ann Mead, who (6) John Warren- Joan de Post; (7) Sir Edward . died November 13, 1883, aged eighty-eight years; Alanson, born May 16, 1793. died October 20, 1858, aged sixty-five years; he married Sarah

Warren-Maude de Skeyton, 1327; (8) Sir Ed- ward Warren-Cicely de Eaton; (9) Sir John rence Warren, born 1394. - Margery Bulkley; (11) Warren-Agnes de Wynnington; (10) Sir Law- . M. Hickox, who died April 20, 1866, aged sixty- seven. Truman never married, died January 10,

John Warren, born 1414 .- Isabel Stanley; (12) | 1822, aged twenty-two; buried in Darien, Georgia. Sir Lawrence Warren-Isabel Leigh; (13) Will- | (25) Alanson Warren-Sarah M. Hickox; Alan-

iam Warten-Anne ---: (14) John Warren, died 1525 .- Elizabeth; (15) John Warren -; (16) Christopher Warren

(17) William Warren- Anne Marble; (18) Chris- topher Warren-Alice Webb.

. son was born May 16, 1793. died October 20. 1858, aged sixty-five years; Sarah died April 20, 1866. Children: Belinda M., Truman A . David Hard, Sarah, Charles A., Henry, Mary and Alanson. (26) David Hard Warren-Louisa 1 Bronson, married in 1846. David H. died in 1858, Louisa, his widow, is still living. Chil- dien: Tracy Bronson, born December 20, 1847. married October 28, 1874: Sarah Cornelia died Nathaniel, Mary, | in childhood: and Jennie Bronson.

(19) Richard Warren - Elizabeth Jonette Marsh, came from Greenwich, England, on the " Mayflower," to Plymouth, Mass., in 1620. Richard died at Plymouth in 1628, and his widow died in 1673. Children: Joseph, Anne. Sarah. Elizabeth and Abigail; (20) (27) Tracy Bronson Warren and Clara A. Nathaniel Warren-Sarah Walker, married No- | Mills; Tracy B. was born December 20, 1847, vember, 1645; Nathaniel died in 1667. his widow married October 28, 1874. Children: John ! Mills, Louise Bronson, Tracy Russia, Jennie Mills. Bronson Mills, Harvey Tracy and Mildred. died in 1700. Children: Richard, Jabez. Sarah, Hope, Jane, Elizabeth, Alice, Mercy, Mary, Na- thaniel, John and James; (21) Richard Warren- ; Richard died in Middleboro, Mass .. 1697. Children: John, Samuel and James: (22) John Warren-(1) Naomi Read, (2) Anne Read; John died in Middleboro, Mass., 1768. Chil-

The ancestry of Colonel Warren's mother, ' from 1636, is as follows: (1) John Bronson, lived in Hartford, Conn., in 1636. It is supposed he came over with Rev. Mr. Hooker when he came in 1636. After the purchase of Farmington by dren: James. Nathaniel, Nehemiah, John, Na- ; the Hartford Colony, he removed there. Chil- omi and Anne; (23) James Warren and Abigail dren: Jacob Bronson, born January, 1641, John, ' born 1644, Isaac, born November, 1645, Mary, Abraham, Dorcas, and Sarah. (2) Sergeant I Isaac Bronson's children: Isaac, born 1670, died Thomas, of Woodbridge. Conn., married in July, 1744. They lived in New Haven and Wood- bridge, Conn. Abigail died in Watertown, Conn., September 13, 1800. Children: Jason, born | June 13, 1757, aged eighty-seven years, John, February 20, 1744; Sarah, born February 1,

i born 1673, Samuel, born 1676, Mercy, born

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1680, Joseph, born 1682, Thomas, born 1686, Ebenezer, born 1688, Sarah, born 1690, Mercy, born 1694. (3) Isaac Bronson was born 1670, died June 13, 1757, aged eighty-seven years. Children: Jerusha, born November 8, 1703, Isaac, born March 27, 1707, the first white male child born in Middlebury, Conn., at that time the western part of Waterbury, Anna, born August 23, 1709, Josiah, born June, 1713, Mary born May 29, 1716, Nathan, born May, 1717, died in 1722, James, born October 27, 1721, died 1725, Patience, born April 14, 1725, James, October 22, 1727. (4) James Bronson, born October 22, 1727, married Sarah Brocket, of Wallingford, Conn. Children: Roswell. born September 9, 1751; Sarah, born June 5, 1754; Levi, born June 12, 1757; Asahel, born November 28, 1759; Thankful, born March, 1762; Jesse, born July 1, 1763. (5) Asahel Bronson and Esther Upson; Asahel was born November 28, 1759, married February 12, 1784, died April 22, 1850. Esther Upson was the daughter of Deacon Stephen Up- son, of Waterbury, Conn. Children: Sally, born December 1, 1784, married Daniel Tyler; William, born May 27, 1787, married Almira Ty- ler; James; Tracy; Amy and Almy (twins); Amy died young, and Almy married Lyman Camp; Asahel and Esther (twins); Asahel died young, and Esther died in 1826. (6) William Bronson and Almira Tyler: William was born May 27, 1787, died September, 1856. Almira Tyler was the daughter of Roswell Tyler. Children: Aman- da M. married William Townsend; Tracy J. married Sarah Warren; Jane married John H. Woodruff; Marcia married Lucius Thompson; Louisa, born August 15, 1828, married David Hard Warren.

Clara A. Mills, wife of Tracy B. Warren, was born in Boston, Mass. On her father's side she is descended from good old Revolutionary an- cestry. John Mills, persecuted in his native Scotland on account of his Protestant faith, emi- grated early in life to this country. He enlisted April 15, 1758, in Capt. Alexander Todd's com- pany, under Col. John Hart, and performed duty on the Western frontier. He was discharged October 30, 1758, and re-enlisted April 7, 1760, again under Captain Todd in the regiment of Colonel Goffe, from Amherst. He remained in service until 1781, being promoted through the various grades to that of captain. He married Hezekiah Lyon, who died in Windham, Vt., in 1824; he died in the same town in 1812.

Ebenezer, son of Captain John and Hezekiah (?) Mills, married Hannah W. Upton, of Am- i of the time. The " Shady Side " is one of the herst. He enlisted in 1812, and died in the army at Burlington, Vt., in 1814.

Ebenezer, Jr., son of Ebenezer and Hannah W. Mills, was born in Mt. Vernon, N. H., Au- gust 4, 1792; married Louisa Holden, of Brook- line, N. H., 1816. Miss Holden was born Au- gust 2, 1792, and died in Grafton, Vt., June 27, 1829. Ebenezer, Jr., died March 1, 186 ;. i Ebenezer, Sr., and Ebenezer. Jr., enlisted to- gether at Bellows Falls, Vt., in 1812.

John Franklin Mills, son of Ebenezer, Jr., was born June 27, 1822, in Grafton, Vt. He married, May 19, 1849, Sarah Rumrill Dudly, who was born in Roxbury, Mass, June 4, 1824. He died April 9. 1876, his wife February 25, 1867. Sarah Rumrill Dudly was a lineal de- scendant of Thomas Dudly, the Colonial Gov- ernor of Massachusetts.

Mrs. Clara A. (Mills) Warren is the third child of John Franklin and Sarah (Rumrill) Mills, and has since her marriage resided in Bridgeport. Conn., where she has always been very active socially. She is at present regent of Mary Silli- man Chapter, D. A. R .; manager of the Bridge- port Orphan Asylum, Bridgeport Hospital, and numerous charitable organizations.

CAPTAIN JAMES A. MORRELL, chief officer of the handsome and commodious passenger and freight boat, the " Shady Side," of Stam- ford, Conn., is a native of the State, having been born September 17, 1853, at Greenwich, Fairfield county.

The Captain comes of an old Greenwich fam- ily, his father Silas B. having been born there, a son of Benjamin Morrell, who for a long time was a resident of that city. Silas B. Morrell was a miller by trade during the greater portion of his life. He married Miss Ann Eliza Reynolds. and had a family of seven children, namely: George (of Stamford). Edward (deceased), Sam- uel (captain of the " George Starr," and residing in New York). Lavinia, James A., Carrie and Hattie. The father of this family died October 23, 1884, the mother on February 21, 1894.

Our subject attended the public schools of his native place, and at the age of thirteen years commenced a sea-faring life as cook on board a coasting vessel running from Stamford, Conn. He has been employed as pilot and captain on the "Starin " line of steamers, and on the New York Harbor Tow Co.'s boats. In the spring of 1886 he went on the " Shady Side," plying be- tween Stamford, Conn., and New York, and acts as pilot part of the time and as captain part handsomest passenger boats on Long Island Sound, has complete and comfortable accommo-

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dations for passengers and ample capacity for , a livery stable for a year. Having disposed of freight-being in all respects well-equipped for i this, he returned to New Haven and continued in the requirements of the good people of Stamford.

In New York City Capt. James A. Morrell married Miss M. Anna Stottlar, of Stamford. daughter of John and Catherine Stottlar. So- cially, he is a member of Leeds Council, Order of United American Mechanics. The Captain is of a genial. whole-souled disposition, and equally as popular on shore as on his boat.

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 165

Author: H. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1795

Author: H. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1899
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1795