Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 224

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

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Capt. Daniel Merritt, eldest son of Ebenezer Merritt, and grandfather of our subject, was reared a sailor boy. His parents removed to New York when he was but a boy, and at the age of twelve he went as cook for his father, thus beginning a career as a seafaring man that lasted for years. He was married May 19, 1807, to Sarah Lyon, who was born March 23, 1786, a daughter of James and Susan (Marion) Lyon. She was reared in New York. Her father died comparatively young, and her mother subsequently married | & A. M., at Greenwich, and has been prominent James Green. Capt. Daniel Merritt owned the i in the Masonic Lodge on 23rd street, New York, vessels "Orion" and .. Theodore," and sailed I of which he was grand master.

them between Greenwich and New York. Here- tired from the sea at the age of forty-eight years, but retained interests in his vessels. To each of his sons he gave $1.000. and if more capital was desired by any of them he loaned them the money on interest. Daniel Merritt was a Whig in poli- tics. He removed with his family from New York to Greenwich, where he died April 30, 1849. His wife died July 8, 1848.

The ten children of Capt. Daniel and Sarah Merritt were as follows: George W., born Feb- ruary 12, 1808, sailed the " Ann Amelia, " and died of cholera in 1824; Willis, born February 18, 1810, sailed the packet " Mary Willis " from Norwalk, Conn., and died in that city; Lewis A., born April 22, 1812, was a sea captain and subse- quently a farmer, and died in Greenwich township; Susan Ann Eliza, born February 6, 1814, mar- ried Edward Mead. and died in Cos Cob, August 26, 1884; Daniel B., born January 8, 1816, who was a clothing merchant at New York City. died of cholera July 12, 1854; Cynthia W., born Jan- uary 2, 1818, died February 19, 1827; Joseph G., father of our subject, born November 7, 1819, died May 1, 1885; Caleb W., born January 18, 1822; Theodore, born November 15, 1823, was a boatman for some years, and died at Middle- town, Conn .. February 11, 1892; Sarah L., born April 12, 1826, is the widow of Elnathan Husted, of Greenwich; Cynthia (2), born Novem- ber 21, 1829, married Rufus Putney, a Method- ist minister, and died at Milford, Conn., March 24, 1891.

Joseph G. Merritt, father of our subject, attended (besides the common schools) the academy at Greenwich a short time. When thirteen years of age he began his career in New York as a clerk for Joseph Husted, on Cather- ine street, and when twenty-one years old he started in business for himself with $2,000 capital, which he at that time received from his father. His store was located on Catherine Slip, New York, and David Close, now a large clothing dealer, of New York, was his clerk. He removed his store to Chatlan Square, and in 1861 disposed of the business, and retired to Greenwich. Here for seventeen years he was station agent on the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., but when the work became too heavy for him he resigned his position. He died May 1, 1885,. and was burried in the Congregational cemetery. He was a prominent member of the Methodist Church and for many years he was a steward of same. He was a member of Acacia Lodge, F.

Mr. Merritt was married at New York, April 18, 1849. to Mary J. Pease, who was born in New York. in 1828, daughter of John and Eliza- i beth (Cornwell) Pease, and one of their family of I ten children. John Pease was a prominent I manufacturer of hore-hound candy, an article of great medical properties known and extensively i used throughout the United States. He was a i prominent citizen of the Seventh ward of New

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York, which in his day was the leading society portion of the city. Another daughter of John | likely to overcome any obstacles.

Pease married Joseph G. Mills, a representative of the old Mills family, and a cousin of D. O. Mills. William Pease. a son of John Pease, was founder of the Cherry Street Iron Works, and a successful manufacturer. His firm built iron- clads for the United States during the war of the Rebellion. The five children of Joseph G. and Mary Pease were: Elisha G., Canfield C., Joseph M. (our subject). Elizabeth C., and D. Willis. Of these, Elisha G. died when an infant; Can- field C., born January 4. 1852, was interested in the hotel business, in New York City; Elizabeth C. lives in Greenwich, in the homestead; D. Willis resides in Greenwich, and has business interests in New York. The mother of our sub- ject died November 16. 1863, and is buried in the Congregational cemetery at Greenwich.

Joseph M. Merritt, our subject, was born at No. 69 Monroe street, in the Seventh ward, New York, February 15. 1856, whence two years i deceased, who was a mechanic; James S., who later his parents removed to Greenwich. Here i died in childhood; Emma J .; and Lois (2) he attended the private school of Henry Peck, I deceased.

which was located near the Congregational

The late Frederick W. Fenn, father of our church, and later he was a pupil of the Green- I subject. was born in 1832, in Roxbury, and for wich Academy when Professor Shepherd was in i some time was connected with his father's hat- charge. At the age of fifteen he entered the . manufacturing establishment there. He married employment of the C. H. Delameter & Co. Iron i a lady of English descent, Miss Mary Allen, of Works, at the foot of Thirteenth street and North ! Southbury township, New Haven Co., Conn., a river, New York, and for fourteen years was with | daughter of Treat and Sarah (Blakeman) Allen, them. In 1885 he returned to Greenwich, and I and granddaughter of Josiah Allen. After his erected what is known as the Merritt building. I marriage Frederick Fenn located upon a farm It was an opportunity for an investment in real near Southbury, and in 1886 he removed to the present homestead in the town of Huntington, where he died. He was much esteemed as a citizen, and took an active part in local politics, serving several years as first selectman of South- bury. His estimable wile survives him. Of estate. He put up the largest and finest build- ing in the vicinity of the depot at the time, con- ' sisting of three stores, with apartments in the upper stories. It was the first of its kind in : Greenwich. Failure was predicted for him, and | many said he was ahead of the times, but he i their two sons, William A. and Robert. the latter made it succeed. and others followed his example. ; died in 1890.

Mr. Merritt deserves credit for his courageous

William A. Fenn was born in Southbury, and successful efforts to thus develop that | February 15, 1861, and was reared a farmer boy, neglected portion of Greenwich. He is one of : attending the local schools and meanwhile assist- the city's substantial citizens not pretentious in | ing his father in the work of the homestead. manner, but a inan of strict integrity and a When about nineteen years old he came to the worthy representative of a line of noble . new home in the town of Huntington, where he ancestors.

I learned the butcher's trade with his uncle, after I three years purchasing the business from his un- cle, who had then conducted it for more than a quarter of a century, building up a large custom . in Shelton and Birmingham, now Derby. The

W TILLIAM A. FENN, proprietor of a pros. perous and long-established meat market at Shelton, has the leading business in that line | business has not suffered under our subject's able in his locality. supplying the citizens of Shelton . management, and for seventeen years he has car- and Derby. While he was not compelled in ried it on with marked success. youth to face the disadvantages of poverty. his In 1883 Mr. Fenn married Miss Jennie H. career has been marked by an amount of energy | Platt, who was born in Southbury in 1861, the

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and practical sagacity which would have been

Mr. Fenn belongs to a well-known family of English extraction, and his grandfather, Lyman Fenn, who was born in 1800, was for many years engaged in the hatting business at Roxbury. The family has always been identified with the Con- gregational Church, and their political affiliations have been with the Whigs and, since its forma- tion, with the Republican party. Lyman Fenn married Miss Fannie P. Livingston, also a native of Connecticut, and they had thirteen children: Ophelia, who married Homer Sanford, of Bridge- port; Maria, who never married; Frederick W .. our subject's father; Amos L., who is not mar- ried and now resides at a Soldiers' Home, having served in the Union army during the Civil war; Henry H., a hardware merchant at Port Byron, N. Y. : Chloe P., deceased, who married Henry Burrett, a farmer of Roxbury; Lois, Martha J. and Albert L., who died in childhood; George E.,

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daughter of Edward Platt. Two children have blessed this union: William P. and Genevieve. Mr. Fenn and his wife are prominent socially, and he is a member of the Order of Red Men; Ousatonic Lodge No. 6, I. O. O. F., and King Hiram Lodge No. 12, F. & A. M., both at Derby; and Valley Lodge, K. P., in which order he has attained the Uniformed Rank. He is also an honorary member of Echo Hose Company. His sympathy and aid can always be relied upon to forward any beneficial movement.

W C. WATSON, M. D., a talented young physician and surgeon of Bridgeport, is rapidly making his way to the front rank in his chosen profession, each success paving the way to wider opportunity. He was born July 11, 1872, in New York City, the only child of C. R. and Hattie M. (King) Watson. In the paternal line he is of English descent, his grandfather, Robert Watson, having come from England in early manhood and settled upon the rich farm lands in the vicinity of Walworth, Wayne Co .. N. Y., where he died at the advanced age of ninety years.

C. R. Watson, our subject's father, was born in New York City, and when a young man en- gaged in business there as a wholesale grocer. As his trade extended he made a specialty of importing teas, and at present he has a large and profitable business in that line. His estimable wife (now deceased) was a native of Washing- ton, Distriot of Columbia.

Doctor Watson's boyhood was spent mainly in Wayne county, N. Y., and the first school that he attended was in Palmyra. At the age of eleven he returned to New York City for a year, and in the meantime attended school in Brook- lyn. For some time he resided with an uncle, Dr. Samuel Ingraham, and later he returned to school in Brooklyn. He then took a course in the Eastman Business College, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y .. graduating in 1891. and a three-years' course in high school in Brooklyn. The next two years were spent in Bellevue Medical College, in New York, and afterward he entered Long Island College Hospital, where he received his degree in 1897. taking a course in the New York Post-Graduate School the same year. The Doc- tor located first in Naugatuck, Conn., remaining six months, and on October 7, 1898, he opened an office in Bridgeport, where he has met with gratifying success. While he is not active in politics he takes an intelligent interest in all public questions, and votes independently on the issue of the time.

On October 6, 1898, Doctor Watson married Miss Jennie E. Halpin, a native of Middlebury, Vt. Socially, the Doctor and his wife are popu- lar, and he belongs to various organizations, including the Union Fraternal League, of Bos- ton, Mass., and the I. O. O. F., holding mem- bership with the lodge at Naugatuck.

S KIDNEY S. BEARDSLEY, of the well-known firm of Stagg & Beardsley, contractors and builders at Stratford, is a young man of fine abil- ities, and has already won an enviable reputation in his chosen line of business.

Mr. Beardsley belongs to an old and respected family of Stratford township, his ancestors hav- ing settled there at an early day. Wilson Beardsley, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Stratford, and married Louise Smith, of Milford, Conn. They had several children, of whom our subject's father, Lewis Beardsley, is now the only survivor.

Lewis Beardsley was born in Stratford, and since early manhood has been engaged in farm- ing in that town. While he is not a politician he is a stanch supporter of the principles and policy of the Republican party, and he and his estim- able wife are members of the Congregational Church. He married Miss Martha Perry, a daughter of William Perry, a prominent merchant and general business man of Stratford, and they had eight children, all of whom settled in Stratford; Mary (deceased) was the wife of Daniel C. Wood; Everitt is a machinist by trade; Frederick is a plumber and dealer in hardware; Susan married Samuel E. Smith, and both are now deceased; Sidney S., our subject, was the fifth in order of birth; Charles is a machinist; Elbert is a clerk in his brother Frederick's hard- ware store; and Frank is a carpenter by occupa- tion.

Our subject was born December 27, 1866, at the old homestead. in Stratford, and was educated in the schools of that locality. On leaving school he learned the carpenter's trade with Mills & Bur- ritt, of Bridgeport, with whom he remained eleven years. He then formed his present part- nership with William A. Stagg, and engaged in contracting and building, the firm meeting with gratifying success from the beginning. Mr. Beardsley is progressive in his ideas, and is inter- ested in all that concerns the welfare of the com- munity. He is a Republican in politics, and socially is identified with the Cupheag Club, of Stratford, while he and his wife are prominent members of the Episcopal Church. For some time he has been an active member of the

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Mutual Hook and Ladder Company, of his city

On October 31, 1894, Mr. Beardsley married Miss Ona Curtis, and they have one son. Russell Sidney. Mrs. Beardsley is a daughter of Will- iam H. Curtis, and granddaughter of Leamond Curtis, both natives of Danbury, and her brother, Frank L. Curtis, is now a resident of Stratford.

S TUDWELL FAMILY. The family of Stud- well originated in the County of Kent, Eng- land. #Their ancient seat, which was situated near the hamlet of Seale, in the County of Kent, was known as Stidulfe's place. Studwell is a I of land in Rve and Greenwich.

corruption of Stidulfe. The original name of the family was Stodewolfe, which was changed to Stodolle. Stidolfe, Stidulfe, Steedale. Steedweel, Studwell, and (some families now) Stedwell.

Nasted's " History of Kent " mentions Robert de Stidulfe, who flourished before the reign of Edward II] (1327), who is spoken of in ancient deeds. without date, as being the proprietor of Stidulfe's place in Seale

A branch of this family settled at Mickleham, in the adjoining county of Surrey. In Surrey we find mentioned Sir Francis Stydlofe. Knight (died 1655), Sir Richard Stydolfe. Knight (died 1676). and Sir Thomas Stodolle, Knight. In 1660 Richard Stidulf was created a baronet.

The hamlet of Seale in the County of Kent was held by feudal tenure by the Lords Say and Seal. In 1631 Lord Say and Seal with Lord Brooke, Pyne Hampden and others received a grant of land on the Connecticut river which was named " The Colony of Saybrook." In 1635. under the direction of John Winthrop, men, ordnance. ammunition and £2,000 sterling were sent from England to erect Fort Saybrook at the mouth of the Connecticut river,

Lion Gardiner, who was an engineer, laid out. about 1635, Saybrook Point, in lots, sur- veved streets, and made preparations for the re- ception of " gentlemen of quality." Unfortu- nately, no list has been preserved of the men who settled in Saybrook in 1635. There is ex- tant no list of the freemen of Saybrook previous to 1669. and Thomas Studwell. the progenitor of the Studwell family in America, was in Rye (or Greenwich) before this date. We know that, certainly, one of the earliest settlers of Saybrook, John Tully, was from the County of Surrey of

England. [History of Middlesex County, Con- necticut.]

The trend in all the facts of the case furnishes strong grounds for the conjecture that Thomas Studwell (or Steedwell) was among the settlers in Saybrook in 1635. and that he went thence. about 1650, to Rye, and later to Greenwich, Conn. He was probably from Seale, in the County of Kent, and he came to America under the aus- pices of his patron, Lord Say and Seal. His birth took place, we may conjecture, about the year 1600. He was, therefore, about seventy years of age when he died in Greenwich Court. He appears to have had considerable money, as he was engaged, with others, in large purchases

In the History of Greenwich and Stamford, Conn., we find that in 1656 one Crab sold por- tions of his estate to the ancestor of the Stud- wells, and that Peter Disbrow and John Coe, to- gether with ]. Thomas Studwell (1), bought a considerable part of what is now the town of Rye, N. Y .. running from Byram river to Blind brook and the Sound, and north of the Pur- chase, a distance of six miles. Later, we find. in Bolton's "History of Westchester County. N. Y.," that the same parties, on June 29, 1660. became successors to the Dutch West India Con- pany, whose property included an island in Long Island Sound, called Mamusing. On this island I. Thomas Studwell (1) made his home in a rude dwelling before he built, on the mainland, his second house, which was located at Milton, near where is now the district school house. He was. a leading pioneer of Greenwich, where his name appears, in 1656, as a signer of articles removing the court to New Haven. He owned a large tract of land west of the Mianus river, extending from Studwell's Point, on the Sound, some of it four miles to the north, and portions of this tract have remained in the possession of the Studwell family to this day. He also held land in Stamford. In 1662 he signed a declaration as one of the in- habitants of the town of Rye, and in 1663 he sold a part of his property, including a house on Mill brook.

The Indians conveyed another large tract of land (now town of Harrison) to Disbrow. Coe. Thomas Studwell and John Budd. Other parties came into the settlement, many of them from Long Island (when that section was given over to the Duke of York,, among them being John Mead, who by some is said to have been the first repre- sentative of the Mead family in this country. On April 28, 1663, Disbrow, Coe and Studwell sold to nine other settlers a portion of their extensive tract of land, which was located in the township

"These noter on the English origin of the Studwell family have been contributed by Edward C. Marshall. M. A., genealogist. No. 12; Washing- ton place. New York. author of the " Ancestry of Gen. Grant." the " His- tory of the U. S. Naval Academy." etc. (For the sake of convenience, and to avoid possible errors. the family name throughout this genealogical record will be spelled the modern way-Studwell ..

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of Rye and adjacent towns. In the earlier re- cords of the various towns their names are found among those of prominent landowners.

In 1667 I. THOMAS STUDWELL (1) returned to Greenwich (then a part of Stamford), where he died in 1670. Prior to his death he was en- gaged in clearing the land and tilling the soil, also, as above mentioned, in disposing to early settlers of portions of the land which he had bought of the Indians. His sons and their de- scendants continued to dispose of this land for several years, the last of the large tract known as Studwell's Point, at Greenwich, being conveyed to Robert Mead, of that place (date of distribu- tion of the estate of Lillie Studwell-November 2, 178 ;: date of land sale-April. 1788). the same having been in the family about one hun- dred and thirty years, or since the first purchase from the Indians. There were six or seven parts or divisions, each selling for about 4.125. 10 8d. sterling, and went to the children and grandchil- dren of Thomas Studwell (born in 1709) and his wife Jemima, and others (Lillie Studwell also left a large estate).

The following named children were born to 1. Thomas Studwell (1), the original ancestor: (1) Thomas (2), (2) Joseph (1) and (3) John (1). No record of the birth or death of these three sons is found, but it is known that from 1672 to 1683 they were residing at Rye, N. Y. Between 1692 and 1697 they removed to Greenwich, Fair- field county, having sold all their land at Rye on account of a dispute over rival claims of New York and Connecticut to the territory. The re- cords of Greenwich show that in 1694 II. Thomas (2) had taxable property to the amount of thirty pounds sterling, .while Joseph (1) was taxed for eighteen pounds. According to the re- cords II. Thomas (2) sold land in the town to John Wilson in 1696. 1697. and down to 1718. The line of descent in which we are now inter- ested is traced through II. Thomas (2), as will be seen farther on.

Joseph (1) had a son Joseph (2), who was born January 21, 1703, died May 9, 1793. He mar- ried Susannah-[surname not now obtainable], who was born August 10, 1704, and died August 10, 176 ;. Names and dates of birth of their chil- dren: Mary. August 10, 1720; Gilbert, February 4, 1731; John, March 5, 1733; Gatsy, August 19, 1737, died December 19, 1738; and James, April 1, 1740. Of these, James (the last named) married Elizabeth Brundige, who was born November 22, 1753. Names of children with dates of birth etc., as follows: Hester, November 23, 1771. died August 30, 1777; Joseph, Novem- ber 2, 1773, died August 25, 1777; Charity, 70

October, 20, 1775. died September 5, 1777; Elethea, May 7, 1778, died August 13, 1796; James, June 5, 1780; John, June 2, 1782, died January 15, 1799; Elizabeth, September 8, 1784; Albijean, April 1, 1787; Joseph, July 10, 1789; Susanna, December 10, 1791; Brundige. June 24, 1794; and Joanna, January 25, 1799. The father of these died sometimeafter the year 1805. Of this family, Brundige Studwell married (first) Sarah Akin, and (second) Deborah Akin. Names and dates of birth etc., of children by first wife: Akin, January 31, 1818, died April 2, 1818; Elizabeth, July 3, 1819, died October 25, 1839; Albert, September 11, 1822, died December 5. 1826; Egbert. September 11, 1822, married Harriet Crane; George, November 4, 1824, married Eveline Beaby; Amanda, February 24, 1826, married Joel C. Joice, and died January 9, 1898; Milan, April 3, 1828, is spoken of more fully below. Children by second marriage: Frances, born March 30, 1831, married Edgar Bounds, and died January 30, 1853; and Char- lotte, born May 27, 1836, married John Jones. Milan Studwell was married August 17, 1854. to Mary E. Gardner, who was born October 16, 1835. Their children: Myrtie H., born June 27, 1864, married Crosby D. Wood January 13, 1885; and Carrie B., born August 25, 1871. The name of John (1) appears on a deed to which he witnessed in 1713, but it is not known that he had any descendants.

Joseph Studwell, son of Joseph (2), was born February 4. 1731, lived on North King street, and was the owner of a fine large farm. He was one of the first citizens of that locality, and in religious faith he was a Quaker. He died in September, 1823. leaving his farm to his chil- dren, and they passed nearly their entire lives there, respected by all who knew them-in fact, his descendants have resided on that farm almost down to the present day. He married Elizabeth [surname not now obtainable], who was born in February 1730, and died in August, 1766. Names of their children and dates of birth, etc., are here given: David, June 26, 1757; Benja- min, August 24, 1759, died August 24, 1824; Joanna, February, 1762; Martha, December, 1764, died in 1795 [dates of death of the others not given]. Of these, Benjamin married Sarah [surname not now obtainable], and they had children as follows: Elizabeth, born October 3, 1784, married Purdy Anderson; Susanna, born in March, 178S, married Hackaliah Carhart, and died September 4. 1837; Perthena, born in 1791, died in 1792; Polly Ann, born January 11, 1795, married Calvin Sherwood, and died October 5, 1865; Joseph, born November 27, 1798, died

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September 24, 1890, aged ninety-two years; Sally, born June 28, 1So1, died in 1849. Of these, Joseph married Elizabeth Brundage, who was born March 17, 1796. The names and dates of birth of their children: Sarah, April 4. 1834, married Absalom Ireland: Elizabeth, born

[date not now known], married James M. Searles, and died March 15, 1884; and Julia L., born November 25. 1843, is at this writing living at Port Chester, N. Y., and to her James W. Stud- well is indebted for the names, etc., in this para- graph and the following one.

Gilbert Studwell, son of Joseph (2) and brother of Joseph (3), was born in 1733, mar- ried Mary [surname not now obtainable], who was born in 1736. Their children: Car- thapena, born November 20, 1756; Rodger, born February 10, 1758; Mary, born June 24, 1764 [dates of their death not now known].

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 224

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