Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 267

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

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On March 28. 1840. John Sanford was mar- ried to Mrs Mary M. Nettleton. of Orange. Conn. She died March 15. 1869, leaving two children: John L .. and Mariette inow Mrs. Clark Hunger- I in the employ of Capt. James Nichols, who lived ford). of Washington. Conn. Mrs. Sanford's i just below Newtown village. He then moved 1 to a farm in Hanover District on which he re- sided · until his death, December 6, 1895, when aged ninety-three years. " Uncle " Daniel made mother was Anna. daughter of Elias Bristol, and her brothers were Elias, who died in 1881 ; Nor- man, father of Mrs. James Turner, and Luman, then a presiding elder in the M. E. Church in the i a good citizen, and ever gave a hearty welcome West.

O .RVILLE BOOTH, son of Andrew and Anna : the characteristics of his race; quaint and jovial,

Booth, was born February 10, 1815, and died in Hattertown District, Newtown, January 28, ISSS. aged nearly seventy-three years.

Mr. Booth, a mason by trade, was well known. and a greatly-respected citizen. He was a man of influence in his neighborhood, had been a i ber Factory in Newtown; James is a miner in Christian from youth, and an active member of ' Hailey. Idaho; and Thomas is a farmer in New- the Methodist Church, in which for many years . town. he served as a class-leader, steward, and trustee. His wife, before her marriage, was Annis Black- man, a daughter of Ebenezer Blackman, and their children were: Susan M. (Mrs. Styles A. Belfield). of Springfield: John W .. of Brooklyn; Edward. B. : Homer B., who was killed in 1864 by the accidental discharge of a gun. in his eighteenth year: Sophia A : and Charles O., of Pennsylvania.

Q UINLIVAN (or QUINLAN,. The first Irish- men who came to Newtown were the five sous of John Quinlivan. They came from Loops Head, a point on the west coast of Ireland (in County Clare). The father of these five sons ! was almost a giant in stature. a brave. hardy coastman, noted for his physical power. He died in County Clare. Ireland. His son, Daniel. and Daniel's five sons. inherited this family chat - acteristic, and were all over six feet in height. and models of physical beauty. Of these hve sons only one. Daniel. settled in Newtown per- manently. Michael W .. another son, went 10 Chicago, where he now lives. Patrick settled in Binghamton. N. Y. lohn was twice married. and his first wife died leaving two sons and one daughter: John. Michael and Mary. By his second wife John had one daughter, Margaret. He died in Des Moines. lowa. James. his brother, who did not marry, died at Newtown. Connecticut.

Daniel Quinlivan was born in County Clare,

Ireland, in 1802. He came to America when a young man of twenty-eight, and, late in the dec- ade between 1840 and 1850, he was married in Bridgeport, Conn., to Katherine Daley, who was born in County Limerick, Ireland, and they i at once came to Newtown, where their lives have since been passed. "Uncle" Daniel, as he was ' familiarly called, for fifteen or more years was

I to all who came to his hospitable home. He was one of those sturdy Irishmen who possessed all he was ever ready with a pointed answer to any question that might arise. His five sons, all fine men. are: John, by trade a stone cutter, is now a policeman in Bridgeport. Conn .; Daniel , is a lumberman; Dennis is employed in the Rub-

Michael W. Quinlivan was born in County Ciare. Ireland. in 1807, came to this country in 1833. and after some moving about finally set- tled in Chicago in 1870, where he and his wife, formerly Mary Breslin. are vet living. She was born in Brooklyn, N. Y .. in 1819, and they were married in 1837. They reared a family of twelve children. of whom we have record of six sons and four daughters. as follows: George, a civil engineer. is now vice-president of the Texas Cen- trai railway. Houston, Texas; John is deceased; James is one of the park policemen in Chicago; Jerry is a blacksmith in Chicago: Daniel is ship- ping clerk in a printing house in Chicago; Thomas is in the real-estate business in Chicago; Helen i is the wife of Roger Sullivan; Josephine is the wife of James Furlong, of Chicago; Mary, Mrs. i McGovern: and Louisa.

Patrick Quinlivan, of Binghamton, N. Y., had two sons. Edward and William, and daughters, as follows: Mary (deceased ;. Mary (2), Ellen, Margaret, Julia (deceased, and Nancy.

John Quinlivan's youngest daughter. Mar- paret. married PATRICK MADIGAN. They were the nrst Irish couple to settle in Newtown, and they had sixteen children. The eldest, Thomas H .. born January 3, 1841. is a member of the hymn of Warner & Madigan. contractors, of New York City, with an office in Mechanicsville, N. Y. ()le was two years old when they came to New- town,. The family lived on the Blakeslee place, at the upper end of Newtown street. Their sons

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were as follows: Thomas H. (just mentioned) married Joanna Bahan, and has one son, Thomas H., Jr .. who is a lawyer in Concord. N. H., and judge advocate First Brigade, New Hampshire National Guard, with rank of major; Daniel (de- ceased) had no issue; John (deceased) had no issue: John (2) resides in Bridgeport. Conn .; Michael. a railroad contractor, was killed at his work, in Mexico; Peter died young: Patrick was a blacksmith for C. S. Warner, and died of small- pox at New Hartford, Conn .; James. who re- sides at New Milford. Conn., has one son; Henry is a master mechanic for Warner & Madigan. Of this family of nine sons, only two of their grand- sons are living. The daughters born to Patrick and Margaret (Quinlivan) Madigan, seven in number. were as follows: Nancy, Mary. Ellen, ·Catharine, Margaret, Sarah and Nora, the last two being deceased.

A ARON DAVIS, who died at Sandy Hook, Newtown, October 12, 1881. was a son of David Davis, of Southbury, who lived to be one hundred and one years of age, and was a soldier of the Revolution.

Our subject was born in Southbury. whence in early life he removed to Sandy Hook and there died. in his seventy-ninth year. He was a farmer, and owned a farm. In religious belief he was a Methodist. He married early in lite and had eleven children, eight of whom grew to maturity. At his death he left a widow and five children.

A LFRED JEFFERSON BRISCOE (col- ored), popularly known as .. Jeff." the long- time stage driver and friend of the public, died in Bridgeport Hospital in October, 1898. He was taken there a few weeks before by Charles Henry Peck. his conservator. " Jeff" was probably sixty-seven years old, although no one knows his exact agt. His parents were Thomas Jefferson and Betsy Briscoe, who lived near where Martin Houlihan now resides. Mr. Peck says that when a boy " Jeff " was put out to service with Starr Skidmore in Brookfield, where he remained till he was twenty-one; next he went to live with Wilham Blakeslee, and remained some years; then he was employed by Beecher. in the satinet factory, and later worked in New Haven and Danbury. However, he drifted back to New- town. and for years was employed at one or the other of the hotels there, and from February, 1892. he had been employed by Mr. Houlihan at the "Grand Central." He was prompt in carrying the mail, seldom missing a train, was

noted for his faithfulness, and was a favorite with traveling men. He was a member of the New- town Hook & Ladder Company, and nothing delighted his heart more than to array himself in his fireman's suit and attend their public gather- ings. He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Georgi- ana Morton, of Providence.

G EORGE F. REDSTONE, who was better known in Newtown as " the governor," died February .4. 1883, aged sixty-seven. He was born in New York, whence his father came to Newtown to build the first organ for the old Trinity Church.

Our subject married a daughter of Ezra Fair- child. Their daughter Ida lived to be a young woman and died on Mile Hill, at Jotham Sher- man's, with whom she had lived for some time. The second Mrs. Redstone was a sister of John Gilbert, of Huntingtown District, and after her death Mr. Redstone married a Miss Downs, of Oxford.

Mr. Redstone carried the mail from New- town to Bethel before the days of railroads, and began carrying Newtown's mail to the depot in 1867. when Charles Henry Peck was postmaster.

J TAMES MONTGOMERY BAILEY was born September 25, 1841, in Albany, N. Y., son of James and Sarah (Magee) Bailey. The father was injured in 1843, a tree falling on him, and he died not long after the accident. In 1846 the widow married Daniel Smith, of Rome, N. Y., and to this union were born six children.

In 1860 Mr. Bailey removed with the family to Danbury. and almost immediately thereafter began issuing articles for the press which from time to time. for a year or more, appeared in the New York Sunday Mercury. From the first his personality was evidenced in the nature of his writings, which partook of the exuberant fun and good fellowship characteristic of him. When the Civil war broke out he decided to enlist in the Union cause, and on August 28, 1861, was mustered into the service as a member of Com- pany C. 17th Conn. V. I., which went to the front the month following. At the battle of Gettysburg he was captured, being sent to Belle Isle, where for several months he suffered all the hardships to which the prisoners were subjected, but he was at last exchanged, broken in health by malaria and starvation, and returned home.

In 1865. in company with Mr. Donovan, Mr. Bailey purchased the Danbury Times, which was conducted in the interests of Democracy until

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1870, when it was consolidated with the Jeffer- sonian-a Republican sheet-under the title of the Danbury News. During the six years follow- ing Mr. Bailey traveled considerably, writing ar- ticles for the paper, in 1874 visiting England, Scotland, Ireland, and France and other parts of the Continent. In 1876 he wrote a number of articles from California under the mystery-inspir- ing letters "T. B. T. G. G.,"which, he after- ward explained, meant "Tight Boots Through Golden Gate." The same year he was engaged by the Redpath Lyceum Bureau for a series of lectures. The firm of Bailey & Donovan was dissolved in 187S, and from that time until his death Mr. Bailey was sole editor and proprietor of the Danbury News. He always evinced warm interest in the affairs-political, commercial and social-of his adopted city, was an active mem- ber and president of the Board of Trade. and one of the founders of the Danbury Hospital, of which he served as member of the board of trus- tees.

During 1873 Mr. Bailey compiled and issued a book called "Life in Danbury." and the same year appeared his "Danbury News Man's Al- manac." His next publication was .. England from a Back Window, " and several years afterward he published " Mr. Phillips Governess." ". The Dan- bury Boom." and .. They All Do It." His hum- or was original, and he may be called the pio- neer of that school now so familiar to all readers. Marvelously natural in his humor. in the mixture of prave circumstance with ludicrous events of every-day life, he embellished the commonest occurrences, the simplest subjects. with the cap and bells of royal humor, and his wit, pure and wholesome, never wounded; it was the "lam- bent flame of mirth that lit, but never burned," humor that has brightened many a life. and sent sunshine into many a home.

The memory of Mr. Bailey's kind deeds is warm and bright in countless hearts. No ap- peal for help was ever made to him in vain. Had he valued money for its own sake, he might have been a millionaire, but his generosity was un- bounded. and money flowed as steadily and pro- fusely from his hands as wit from his lips. His friendship was loyal and intense, and his relations with his employes of the most cordial kind. His great heart brimmed over with love for animals, made manifest in his daily life and in the columns of his paper. He had no enemies. When he passed away, March 4, 1894. after a short ill- ness, he left a city full of mourners. To quote: " What pen can write for him a tribute. delicate, sympathetic, tender, such as he was wont to write for others? Who can analyze that great

soul, with its intense love for the beautiful in na- ture and art, its sympathy with dumb creatures, so that the very dogs loved him with an almost deeper than human affection ? Who can set in true light and perspective that strange blending of deep religious sensibility, profound melancholy, and sparkling humor?" All who ever touched his life have lost a friend. It was a peculiar phase of Mr. Bailey's character that he was sub- ject to seasons of deep depression. Years ago, in the very height of his world-wide popularity. his sunny soul would pass at times into profound darkness. when he would pray for death, yet he would confess that there was no external cause for such despondency.

Mr. Bailey was married, October 4. 1866, to Miss Catharine Douglass Stewart, of Danbury. and three children were born to them, but all died in infancy. "His love for children was deep and intense, and it was a sad grief to him that his own died in infancy. Every Sunday and holiday saw the tiny graves in Wooster cemetery decorated with flowers placed there by his lov- ing hands." Mr. Bailey was a constant attend- ant of the Second Baptist Church, and a teacher in its Sunday-school. [We are indebted for the above to the " History of Danbury, " published in 1896 .- ED.

J YOHN B. PECK, an old and highly-respected citizen of South Centre District, Newtown, Fairfield county, was born January 24. 1817, on the farm on which he now resides.

Mr. Peck is descended from Joseph Peck, of Milford [See " The Connecticut Pecks " elsewhere in this volume], the line of his descent being through Joseph (of the second generation), Ephra- im (1), Ephraim (2). Levirus, and Thomas W. Ephraim Peck moved from Milford to Newtown, where he died in 1760; he had married Sarah Ford in 1710. Ephraim Peck (2) resided in New- town, where he died July 21, 1801; he had mar- ried Sarah Porter. His son Levirus, born August 12, 1753. married Anna Wheeler, June 24, 1778, and died in Newtown in 1810.

Thomas W. Peck, born September 9, 1779, was twice married, (first) to Sarah Ann Toucey. and (second) to Theodocia Coe. His first wife died in 1821. his second wife in 1846. In his early life Thomas W. Peck was one of the contractors on the Brooklyn and Newtown turnpike. His later years were given entirely to farming. He was a very energetic and industrious man, upright in all of his dealings, and bore the respect and es- teem of all with whom he came in contact. Po- litically, he was a Democrat before the outbreak

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of the war, after which he became a Republican. He lived to an advanced age.

John B. Peck was reared on the farm. During the winter time he attended the district schools until he reached the age of seventeen, then taught school until twenty-one. Some years afterward, in connection with his brother, he was engaged in the live-stock business, buying oxen and cattle, and dealing largely in poultry, and they were the first in this locality to ship poultry to New York. Our subject was the active outside man. They carried on a large business, and were successful. | In 1849 John B. Peck represented Newtown in the State Legislature, and in 1862 he was in the ! Senate, representing the Eleventh Senatorial District, having been elected as a Union Demo- crat. While in the Legislature he served as chairman ca-officio of the committee on Agricult- ure. Originally a Democrat in sentiment, he became a Republican after the breaking out of the Civil war. In 1853 he served as second se- lectman, and in 1854 as first selectman. He is one of the trustees of the Newtown Savings Bank. Mr. Peck married Charlotte C. Colt, a daughter of Wolcott Colt, of Harwinton, Conn., and their children are: Fanny C., who married L. C. Mor- ris [see sketch elsewhere]; and John R., who mar- ried Fanny A. Taylor, daughter of Rev. James Taylor, and has four children-Harley F., Ethel M., James Arthur, and John Wesley. One child, Richard T., is deceased. John R. Peck is living on the farm' with his father.

Abel T. Peck, son of Thomas W. Peck, was born March 7. 1815, and was reared as a farmer, following that occupation all his life. He was associated with his brother John B. in business lines, as above mentioned, and was one of the substantial men of Newtown. In 1857 he was the representative of the town in the State Legis- lature. He married Huldah Hawley, and to them was born, January 29, 1852, a son, Richard W., who died September 27, 1855. The father died May 19, 1876, a respected and esteemed citizen.

A MOS PARMELEE was for many years a well-known resident of Palestine District, Newtown. His remains and those of his wife, H ON. GEORGE WASHINGTON BRAD- LEY was born March 28, 1827, in Half- way River District, Newtown, and on the pater- nal side is of Irish descent. His ancestors probably came to this State at an early period, the first to locate in Newtown being his grand- father, Abijah Bradley, who was born in Cheshire, New Haven Co., Conn. This worthy pioneer was a farmer by occupation, and for many years who was formerly Mary Summers, now rest in the old graveyard in Huntingtown District. They were married June 17. 1798, and their home was blessed with children as follows: Phebe Ann, born August 29, 1799: Clara, born March 23, 1806: and Walter, born November 12, 1807. Phebe Ann became the wife of Cvrenius Northrop on October 22, 1821, and had children -Mary Elizabeth, born July 22, 1822; Horace, | he made his home in Halfway River District.

born December 12, 1827; and Lydia Ann, born September 22, 1828. Clara married George Botsford. Walter married Harriet Dykeman.

Amos Parmelee died March 20, 1858, aged eighty-eight years, and Mary, his wife, died June 9, 1860, aged eighty years. Mr. Parmelee was a wagonmaker and followed his trade through life in connection with farming. He is said to have been the first of the old settlers to build wagons in his section. In his religious views he was a Universalist, and politically he affiliated with the Democratic party.

S IMEON NICHOLS BEERS was born in Newtown September 2, 1801, a son of Sam- uel Beers (3). By occupation he was a farmer, and he also taught school for some years.

In 1847, Mr. Beers moved to Cook county, Ill., arriving in Chicago October 6, of that year, and, having purchased a large stock farm, he en- gaged in stock raising and agriculture, continuing until his death, on August 11, 1851. In Sep- tember, 1831, he was married to Ann Eliza Mc- Ewen, who survived him till July 19, 1868, and children as follows were born to them: Samuel, Phebe H. (deceased). George T., William (de- ceased), Cyrenius, and Simeon Edward (de- ceased). Of these.

Samuel Beers was born June 13, 1833, in Newtown. Fairfield county, was educated in the East, and attended school a couple of winters | after moving to Chicago, in August, 1847. He remained at home, helping his father on the farm, where he resided till May, 1880, when he removed to his present residence, No. 3646 Wa- bash avenue, Chicago, and devoted his time and attention to the real-estate business. On March 9, 1857. Samuel Beers was married to Emily Gray (daughter of Elisha Gray), a native of Mon- roe, Conn. Four daughters bless this union: Jennie May, Emma Electra, Lila Eliza (who is .a practicing physician), and Rissa Gray. The family are members of the Episcopal Church, and Mr. Beers is a stanch Republican, but no politician.

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He had five children, viz .: Abijah, Jr., who mar- ried a Miss Skeeles, and had a son, James W., now proprietor of the "Tontine Hotel" at New Haven (Abijah, Jr., lived to the patriarchal age of ninety years): George, our subject's father, who is mentioned below: Harriet, who married David Peck, of Newtown; Julia. who married John Calhoun, a tailor, of New York City: and Delia, who married George Wheeler.

that of justice of the peace, which incumbency he has filled for several terms. Mr. Bradley has done considerable writing for the press, especial- ly on political subjects.

Mr. and Mrs. Bradley are both Universalists in religious belief; socially, he is identified with i the Masonic Fraternity as a member of Hiram Lodge No. 18, F. & A. M., at Sandy Hook. Two daughters have been born to them: Alice Eunisa, born November 12, 1850, is married to Judge Charles H. Briscoe, of Enfield, Conn .; Jessie .Estelle, born February 4, 1853 (deceased,, was first married to Rev. Mr. Drew, a Universal- ist minister, by whom she had two children -- Edward Bradley and Jessie Cornelia, both now deceased: on October 3. 1882, she became the wife of Willis A. Briscoe. son of Charles H. Bris- coe; she was especially fond of science, and was an expert botanist.

George Bradley. the father of our subject, was born in Halfway River District, and became a chair maker by trade, but after following that occupation successfully for about thirty years he gave it up and devoted his attention to farming in his native town, where he owned at one time over five hundred acres of land. While in the business of manufacturing chairs he was in part- nership with his brother Abijah, and for some ! time they made a specialty of scroll work and tops of chairs. their business being an extensive Mrs. Bradley traces her descent from two prominent Colonial families. Her father. Job L. Munson, was a well-known miller of Hamlin. and grain from his mill was sent to Boston and 1 other points during the Revolutionary war. Her i mother, whose maiden was Sally Moss (or Morse. according to the modern spelling), was a member one for those early days, and they were classed among the successful men of the town. In re- ligious belief they were Quakers. George Brad- ley was for many years a justice of the peace and trial justice, and he took much interest in politics, first as a Whig and later as a Democrat. His wife. Comfort (Tomlinson), who was of English i of the same family to which Samuel Morse and descent. belonged to a prominent family of New i Patrick Henry belonged. When Mrs. Bradley

Preston, Conn., her father. Abijah Tomlinson, , was about five months old both her parents died. being a leading resident of that place and the i and she was adopted by the wife of Charles first dealer in monuments and headstones in that | Curtis, of Newtown, whose father, Abel Curtis. locality: ' Our subject was one of a large family of children. tive of whom survived childhood, namely: William A .. who was a member of the

was one of the principal landowners of the town. She had one brother, Basil Munson, and two sisters, Julia Ann, who married Nehemiah Curtis, State Legislature in 1866: Mary, wife of Stephen i and Sarah Nancy, who married James Clark, JI.

W. Somers, of Easton, this county; Susan. who died at the age of seventeen; George W .. who is mentioned more fully below; and Charies E. The father of this family died in 1876.

George W. Bradley, whose name introduces this sketch, received his earlier education in the district schools near his home, and he has always been a great reader. especially of history. On. June 24. 1549. he married Miss Betsey Cornelia

W OOSTER PECK. son of Enos Peck, was of the sixth generation from Joseph Peck of Milford [See " Connecticut Pecks "]. the ! line of descent being through Joseph (2), Joseph (3), Moses and Enos.

Wooster Peck was born in 1784, married Betsey Marshall, and had the following children: Munson. and soon afterward took up his residence | Elizabeth. Elliott M., and Henrietta M., who on his present farm, where he has been success- , married a Lathrop. The father was a farmer. ful in general agriculture as well as in horticult- and resided two miles south of Newtown Street. ure: his apple orchard is one of the largest and ; in South Center District. He was identified with the Presbyterian Church. and, in his political views, was a Whi ;. He died April 1, 1861, and

finest in Fairfield county. In politics. he was reared a Whig. and his first vote was cast for Zachary Tavior: but since that time he has been . his wife passed away March 17, 1873.

an unswerving supporter of the Democratic Elliott M. Pech, son of Wooster Peck, died party. In IS00. when thirty-three years old. he ! November 6, 1886, in his sixty-seventh year. was elected to the State Legislature. which sat | He was a farmer, and resided south of Newtown that year in New Haven, and in 1878 and 70 he . Centre. Of sound judgment, his services were was again chosen to that body. Among the ! frequently sought in the settlement of estates. local offices which he has held may be mentioned i and he was always found faithful to the trust.

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In politics, he was a Democrat in early life, but on the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion he joined the Republican party, and remained with same throughout life. In 1854 he was a representative from the town in the State Legis- lature. He left a widow, five sons and one daughter.

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 267

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