Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 77

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

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below; and Lois (Mrs. Samuel Stevens), born in 1750.

V. Amos, born October 18, 1733, was mar- ried January 13, 1757, to Mary Clagston, and the following children were born of the union: David, November 9, 1757; Betsey, March 23, 1759; Caleb, August 22, 1761; Ezra, May 8, 1763; and John.

V. Samuel Sanford, son of Samuel and Hannah Gilbert Sanford, and grandson of Samuel II, was born in 1743, and died Novem- ber 26, 1817. He was married August 19, 1765. to Abiah Dunning, and after her death he formed a second union, this time with Mrs. Charity {Foote) Bristol. By his first marriage he had a large family of children, as follows: Annett, born March 12, 1766; Isaac, born February 2, 1768, married Anna Bristol; Josiah, born September 6, 1769, died in 1780; Betsey (Mrs. Downs), born September 26, 1771; Sarah (Mrs. Thomas Lyon), born July 26, 1773; Joel, born March 23, 1775; Ruah, born in 1777, died in 1779; Ruah (2) (Mrs. James Bennett), born December 1, 1779; Azubah (Mrs. Andrew Winton), born June 3, 1781; Artemisia (Mrs. Eli Winton), born in 1783; and Abigail, born in 1785, died in 1792. By his second marriage Samuel Sanford had three children: Abiah Ann, born February 10, 1790, died March 13, 1861; Josiah, born June 9, 1793, died July 26, 1851; and Philo, born July 11, 1796, died February 23, 1873.

II. Ephraim Sanford, the youngest son of Thomas, of Milford, was born May 17, 1646, and was married November 18, 1669, to Mary Powell, daughter of Thomas Powell, of New Haven. They had the following children: Mary, born September 28, 1670; Samuel, born Janu- ary 26, 1672, died in infancy; Samuel (2), born May 9, 1674, is mentioned below; Ephraim, Jr., born May 11, 1677, died April 17, 1728; Thomas, born January 29, 1679, died in April, 1713; Na- thaniel, born October 10, 1682, died in 1747; Zachariah, born March 14, 1686, died in 1713.

III. Samuel Sanford, son of Ephraim II, was born May 9, 1674, married Ester Baldwin, who was born November 14, 1676, the eldest daugh- ter of Nathaniel Baldwin. They had the follow- ing children: Hannah (Mrs. Joseph Gunn), born June 28, 1696; Samuel, born May 29, 1698, married Abigail Holbrook; Joseph, born July 5. 1701, married Mary Clark, and settled in Litchfield; Mary (Mrs. Jonah Northrup), born July 5, 1702; Jonathan, born July 13, 1704, is mentioned below; Stephen, born November 20, 1706; David, born in May, 1708, died in the same year; David (2), born September 8, 1709, married Rachel Strong, and died January 16,

1751; Esther (Mrs. Samuel Bristol), born No- vember 9, 1711; Abigail (Mrs. Pierson). born October 14, 1714; and Elizabeth, born Decem- ber 13, 1716.

IV. Jonathan Sanford, born July 13, 1704, married Hannah Platt, and settled on Walnut Hill, Sandy Hook, in the town of Newtown. He was married July 8, 1725, to Phobe Platt, and after her death he formed a second matrimonial union, this time with Hannah Platt, who was born in 1705, and died July 8, 1775. By the first marriage he had two children: Phoebe, born Au- gust 1, 1726, and Hannah, born August 27, 1727. By the second marriage there were three chil- dren: Jonah died September 8, 1788; Solomon died February 25, 1784; and Jonathan, Jr., born March 20, 1737, died May 1, 1807. Solomon married Mehitabel Northrup, and had four chil- dren: Amos Northrup, Olive Ann, Josiah and Jerusha. Jonathan, Jr., left two children: Solo- mon and Huldah.

H ENRY C. STURGES. Among the descend- ants of the old and honored families of Fairfield county none is better known or more deservedly honored than Henry C. Sturges, whose ancestors for generations have been prom- inent in the affairs of the town of Fairfield from the time of its organization. Mr. Sturges was born May 31, 1846, in that town, and at the old family homestead where he spends the greater portion of the year, and is a son of Jonathan and Mary Pemberton (Cady) Sturges. The mother, who was a lady eminent for her literary attain- ments and interest in philanthropic work, was a daughter of Ebenezer Pemberton Cady, of New London, a lineal descendant of the Rev. Eben- ezer Pemberton, pastor of the Old South Church of Boston.

Jonathan Sturges, father of Henry C., was born in Southport, Conn., March 24, 1802, and was educated at the public schools of his native place. At the age of sixteen, he went to New York City. Commencing commercial life as an errand boy in the employ of Leuman Reid, on Front street, he by close application to business, carefulness and natural shrewdness, rose step by step till we find him in time a member of the widely-known firm of Reid & Sturges, afterward Sturges, Bennet & Co., New York. Prosperity crowned his efforts, and his success in life may be ascribed to positive, determined pursuit of business, and to the fact that he was a man of honesty and integrity. At his death, which oc- curred November 28, 1874, he left an ample

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fortune. For several years he was a director of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. He mar- ried in New York, and was the parent of six children, as follows: Virginia R. is the widow of William H. Osborn, for many years president of the Illinois Central railroad, with residence at Garrison, N. Y .; Frederick is a capitalist of New York City, his summer residence being in Fair- field, Conn .; Amelia, wife of J. P. Morgan, the well-known banker, died at Nice, France; Ed- ward is a retired merchant, now residing in New York; Arthur P., who was a graduate from Columbia College and Princeton Theological Seminary, died at the early age of twenty-six years; and Henry C. The father died in 1874, the mother in 1894.

. Henry C. Sturges received an education in the best schools of the period, and to the thorough- ness of these may be ascribed his penchant for classical lore and belles-lettres, as well as his love of travel, the arts and sciences, and an- tiquities. In New York he first attended a school in Nineteenth street, opposite Peter Goelet's res- idence, after which he pursued a course of study a't Flushing Institute, Flushing, L. I., and Co- lumbia Grammar School, and then entered Co- umbia College as a member of the class of '69. Deciding to make the legal profession his life pursuit, he took up the study of law in the Co- lumbia College Law School, and had covered the major portion of his course when he was com- pelled to abandon his studies owing partly to an impairment of his eyesight and partly on account of his father's decease, which necessitated his entire time and attention being devoted to busi- ness interests and to the care of his widowed mother. For the past thirty years his spare time has been pretty much occupied with liter- ary pursuits, the collecting and perusing of books, old records (manuscripts or otherwise), legendary, historical and biographical docu- ments, antiquities, etc., and he is the proud pos- sessor of one of the finest private libraries to be found in the State, to which he is constantly adding. At his own expense he has had put into form certain public records, in order that they might be preserved "pro bono publico." In fact, no man deserves his wealth better, or employs it more judiciously, liberally and unself- ishly.

On November 8, 1883, Mr. Sturges was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Adams Mc- Whorter, of Augusta, Ga., a member of a Con- necticut family closely allied to the Adamses of Litchfield. Children as follows have graced this union: Henry Pemberton, Anna Adams, George McWhorter, and Mary Cady, all yet living ex-

cept George McWhorter, who died at the age of five years.

Mr. Sturges was baptized in the Fulton Street ( New York ) church, and for many years was connected with the Dutch Reformed Church; at the present time, however, he is identified with the Congregational Church. Politically, he is a stanch Republican, but though an active sup- porter of his party has at no time in his career either sought or held office. Among the many societies, clubs, etc., of which he is a member, may be mentioned the following: The Delta Psi (College ) Fraternity; Grolier Club ( America's greatest literary club); New York Archaeological, Historical and Geographical Societies; Union League Club; University Club; St. Anthony Club; New York Yacht Club, and Bridgeport Yacht Club. As an enthusiastic yachtsman, he has been actively identified with the organization of various yacht clubs. In fishing and hunting he is also an enthusiast, while as a traveler his experience has been extensive and diversified; he has several times made the tour of Europe, while on this side of the Atlantic he has visited Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, etc. During the greater part of the year he resides at the pleasant old home of his forefathers in the town of Fairfield, a few weeks during the winter season being spent in New York City.

With ample wealth, refined literary tastes and wide popularity, coupled with an easy and natural generosity and liberality, Mr. Sturges is an admirable specimen of the men of whom this country has a right to be proud.

C NOL. WILLIAM H. TALLMADGE, one of the prominent and wealthy citizens of Fair- . field county, who claim Stamford as their home, was born in the town of New Canaan, February 22, 1844.

Major Tallmadge, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a resident of Stamford, and took a prominent part in the municipal affairs. His title of Major was obtained through military services. He married at an early age, and in his family of children was a son John. John Tall- madge was of the "Uncle Sam" type, rugged, honest, shrewd and reliable, and made his home at Tallmadge Hill, New Canaan, Conn. He married Sarah Bates, and they became the par- ents of the following children: John L., Seth and William.

John L. Tallmadge passed his early days in New Canaan, and in the schools of that town received his literary training. He early learned the trade of carpenter or cabinet-maker, and be-

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came a noted builder, specimens of his work being found in the many dwellings in Stamford, Darien, and Norwalk, as well as elsewhere through the country where first-class workman- ship was desired. He married Clarinda Davis, a native of New Canaan, and in 1847 they moved to Stamford, where their children were reared. In their family were: Charles L., of Brooklyn, N. Y .; Mary J., deceased; William H .; and Julia E., of Brooklyn. The father of this family was a stanch Democrat in politics.

Col. William H. Tallmadge was educated in the schools of Stamford, and later in Wilbraham Seminary, Wilbraham, Mass., New Britain Nor- mal School, and also in the Medical Department at Yale College. On leaving school he found himself ready to face the world even though it were without capital. He became secretary of the Columbian Coast Wrecking Company, of New York City, and, though a poor boy at the beginning of this connection, he left the company with $28,000 to his credit. For nine years he was in the employ of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. R., but his next venture, managing the Globe Theater in New York City, was a signal failure, causing him the loss of $10,000. He then en- gaged in the importing business through loaning money to an importer whose business was declin- ing. This proved lucrative under his able direc- tion.

Politically and socially, Colonel Tallmadge has ever taken a leading part. A Democrat of the old school, he was one of the original mem- bers of the Democratic Club of New York City, and for sixteen years he was a member of the Connecticut State Central Committee, but in no way could he be regarded as an office seeker, although he has served as an assessor of Stam- ford, and at one time held the office of Special Indian and Disbursing Agent for the Govern- ment. In his social relations he is a member of Union Lodge, F. & A. M., Lotus Club, Re- form Club and Hoboken Turtle Club, founded in 1796, and his genial and courteous manner has made him a welcome addition to any gathering, and won for him a host of warm friends.

On September 6, 1866, Colonel Tallmadge was united in marriage with Miss Catherine J. Hoyt, a daughter of James Hoyt, and a member of one of the oldest and best families in Fairfield county. This union has been blessed with one son, William H., Jr.

TATHAN F. WILCOXSON. The Wilcox- son family has been prominent in this sec- tion from pioneer times, and the subject of this

sketch, a well-known resident of Stratford, is of the seventh generation in direct descent from I. William Wilcoxson, a native of Lancashire, England, a weaver by trade, who became one of the early settlers in Massachusetts, and was made a freeman, or voter, there in 1636. About 1640 he came to this county from Concord, Mass., and settled in Stratford township, where his descend- ants are numerous. He died there in 1651. The members of the family have been chiefly identified with agricultural pursuits, and in their character and lives they have displayed the quali- ties which constitute good citizenship.

II. John Wilcoxson, son of William, was born in Stratford, 1634.

III. William Wilcoxson, the next in the line of descent which we are now tracing, was born in Stratford, 1659, and died December 11, 1712; he married Hester Brinsmade.

IV. Nathan Wilcoxson, our subject's great- grandfather, was a native of Stratford, born May 12, 1729, married Mary Beach May 16, 1759.

V. Beach Wilcoxson, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Stratford November 4, 1767, and died April 25, 1852; like his ancestors he was engaged in farming there. On April 9, 1810, he married Annie Beebe, of the same town, and had four children, one of whom, Hester, died in childhood ; the others were: Nathan B., our sub- ject's father; Mary Ann, who married Miner Higby, a shoemaker by trade, and who after- ward became a manufacturer of straw hats; and Asenath, who married Ezra D. Keeler, a harness maker in Bridgeport.

VI. Nathan B. Wilcoxson was born in Strat- ford, August 27, 1815, and died in 1858. He was a prominent citizen, and while he was not especially active in politics, he was a firm sup- porter of the Democratic party. His wife, Susan (Pritchard), who died in 1863, was a daughter of Jesse Pritchard, of Milford, Conn., and a mem- ber of a pioneer family of that locality, her an- cestors having come from England originally. Five children were born of this marriage: Will- iam B., a shoemaker by trade, served as a sol- dier in the Civil war, and died at the age of fifty- five years; Mary Ann, who died at the age of thirty-five, married Oscar B. Lane, of Walling- ford, Conn., a veteran of the Civil war, who was formerly a mechanic, but is now engaged in busi- ness as a grocer; Nathan F., our subject, was third in the order of birth; Susan E. married James H. Bailey, a mechanic of Wallingford; and Esther A. died at the age of seventeen.

VII. Nathan F. Wilcoxson was born June 4, 1847, in the town of Stratford, and at the early age of thirteen he began to earn his own liveli-

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hood by working as a farm hand. After a few years he went to sea, but becoming weary of a sailor's life he settled at Wallingford, where he was employed for some time in a silver shop. Later he returned to Stratford and engaged in business as a house painter. and for five years he owned and conducted a drug store there. About 1888 he engaged in the grocery business, which he has since continued successfully, and in addi- tion to an excellent supply of goods in that line, he carries a fine stock of hardware, crockery, tin- ware and notions. Politically he is a Democrat, and he is active in local affairs, although not a politician in the strict sense of the term. For five years he was a member of Company K, 4th Regt. Conn. N. G., and he is connected with the Masonic Fraternity as a member of St. John's Lodge No. 8, F. & A. M., at Stratford, with which he united about twenty-five years ago.

On April 30. 1878. Mr. Wilcoxson married Miss Anna Imlay, of New York, a daughter of Robert Imlay. She died September 15, 1893, and on September 26, 1894, he married Miss Elnora A. Wilcoxson, daughter of Hanford Wil- coxson, and a descendant of William, the pio- neer settler at Stratford. He has two children, both by the second union: William Howard and Natalie May.

I SAAC L. MEAD. The history of this enter- prising and successful business man, now the leading undertaker of Greenwich, furnishes an object lesson which any ambitious youth would do well to heed, as he has made his way, not- withstanding many discouragements, to a national reputation in his chosen line of effort. Although he had an inclination toward other occupations in early life, he made the best of circumstances, and having determined to master the details of the business, he carried out his investigations so thoroughly that he is regarded as an authority on the difficult art of embalming. The Mead Em- balming Fluid, invented by him, has been on the market for more than fifteen years, coming out in advance of all competitors, and so favorably is its inventor known among his fellow-craftsmen throughout the country, that he is frequently called upon to address large assemblies. At the meetings of the New England Undertakers As- sociation at Boston and Hartford he presented valuable papers upon that special branch of work.

As a citizen Mr. Mead is held in high esteem. He belongs to a prominent pioneer family which has always been noted for patriotic spirit, and his honorable record as a soldier during the Civil war lends additional luster to the same. He is

of the eighth generation in direct descent from William Mead [other authorities say John], who came from England in 1635 [other authorities say about 1642] and settled in Fairfield county, whose son John came to the town of Greenwich in 1660. An extended account of the earlier generations of this family appears elsewhere, and it will be sufficient for the purpose of this sketch to trace the line of descent, which includes John, son of the pioneer, Ebenezer (1), Ebenezer (2), Jonas (1), Mark, and Jonas (2), our subject's father.

Jonas Mead (1), the great-grandfather of our subject, was born December 25, 1725, at Indian Field, in the town of Greenwich, where he made his home, his death occurring there September 14, 1785. Like all of his family, he gave much attention to local affairs, and he was especially active in religious work, serving many years as a deacon in the Congregational Church at Green- wich. He had three sons, Noah, Mark and Jonas, and after his death Deacon Potter Mead became their guardian. Noah and Jonas received the " home farm " at Indian Field for their in- heritance, while Mark, our subject's grandfather, chose to spend his share of the patrimony in ob- taining an education for the ministry.

Rev. Mark Mead was born November 6, 1782, and died in Greenwich in 1864. Many years of faithful service as a clergyman in the Congregational Church won for him the affection- ate regard of all classes of people in the com- munities in which he officiated, and although he could not give his children a good start in life from a worldly point of view he left them the priceless heritage of a "good name," which the best of books informs us is better than " great riches." He married Hannah Mead, younger daughter of Zachias Mead, of Greenwich, Conn. Her only sister, Elsie, married Job Mead, and reared a family. Rev. Mark Mead and his wife had two sons: Jonas, our subject's father, and Sylvester, who in his day was one of the most prominent physicians of this county, attaining more than local reputation, and whose death oc- curred in Greenwich in 1894.

Jonas Mead, the father of our subject, was born in Greenwich in 1805, and his education was begun in the schools of Middlebury, Conn., where his father was stationed for some time in charge of the Church. He acquired a good prac- tical education but, being of a mechanical turn of mind, he learned the carpenter's trade, later engaging in business as a wheelwright. In 1846 he became interested in the undertaker's trade, in which he made a marked success. He was a shrewd business man, a close buyer, and al-

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though he began life poor he managed to accu- mulate a handsome competence by his industry and foresight. In manner he was quiet and un- pretentious, and while he took much interest in political movements, and was a firm friend to good governinent, he never sought official hon- ors for himself. His interest in educational prog- ress was manifested in many ways, and for years he served as a school visitor, a position for which he was admirably fitted. Politically, he was first a Whig, later a Republican, and in re- ligious faith he was a Congregationalist. He was of short stature and quite round-shouldered, but he enjoyed good health during the greater portion of his life and attained the allotted limit of man's years, dying in 1876, at the age of seventy-one. He was married in Greenwich to Miss Abigail Mead, a daughter of Zenas Mead, and she survived him some years, passing away in 1894 at the age of eighty-five. Our subject was the eldest in a family of three children, the others being: Emeline, who died in childhood; and Lucretia, now Mrs. George H. Mills, of Greenwich.

Mr. Mead, our subject, was born April 13, 1834, at New Rochelle, N. Y., but was edu- cated in the town of Greenwich, attending the public schools and, later, the academy at Green- wich, then conducted by Prof. Philander But- ton, a well-known educator. At an early age he began to assist his father in the undertaking business, and although it was distasteful to him he performed his duties faithfully and well, be- coming thoroughly acquainted with all branches of the work. After a time he decided to follow the business on his own account, and as early as 1880 he began to make a scientific study of it, devoting much attention to methods of embalming, and in addition to his extensive read- ing he would attend every lecture or discussion on the subject that came within his reach. As a result of patient investigation and experiment he compounded the embalming fluid which bears his name, and he is now its sole proprietor. He has been in active business for more than half a century, having begun in 1846, and he com- mands the largest business of the kind in his locality. He has never ceased to be a student in some line, and at present is interested in photog- raphy, in which he displays remarkable skill. While he takes an intelligent view of political questions, as of other matters of importance, he is not a partisan, but votes for the best men and measures without regard to their affiliations. His influence has always been cast on the side of local improvement, and he has done effective work in the interests of the school of his town,

being now president of the school board. His military career began August 6, 1862, when he enlisted as a private in Company I, 17th Conn. V. I. His first important battle was at Chancel- lorsville, and he remained with his company until he was stricken with typhoid fever in 1863. On his recovery he entered the Invalid Corps, as a member of the 6th Veteran Reserves, and while with that organization he was assigned to serv- ice in McKelvey's Cornet Band, a noted com- pany of musicians, his duty being to play the bass drum. In 1865 he was discharged at Cin- cinnati, Ohio, but the hardships and exposures of camp life had so undermined his health that for ten years after his return he suffered great physical disability.

In 1855 Mr. Mead married Miss Esther A. Mead. a native of Greenwich, where her father, Daniel S. Mead, is a well-known citizen. Four children have blessed this union: Willis S., an undertaker in New York City; John K., who died in Greenwich at the age of twenty-nine years; Sylvester W., who is engaged in the stationery business at Greenwich; and Miss Lucy A., who resides with her parents. The family occupies a pleasant home in Lafayette Place, Greenwich, built by our subject, and its members are promi- nent in the best social circles of the locality. Mr. Mead has been an active worker in the Con- gregational Church for many years, and at one time served as treasurer, but resigned the posi- tion. His courteous manner and pleasing ad- dress have won for him many friends, and he is a valued member of the Masonic Lodge at Green- wich, and of Lombard Post No. 24, G. A. R., also at Greenwich. He assisted in organizing the latter society, and has served as its com- mander.

FREDERICK A. BARCLAY (deceased), who in his lifetime was a substantial business man of Bethel, was the senior member of the well- known firm of F. A. Barclay & Co., who conduct an extensive bakery on Center street. Careful, judicious management, combined with courteous treatment of all classes of people, marked Mr. Barclay's career, and his son, E. T. Barclay, who also belongs to the firm, displays the same char- acteristics in a notable degree.

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 77

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