Commemorative biographical record of Hartford County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Pt 1, Part 122

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1336

USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Commemorative biographical record of Hartford County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Pt 1 > Part 122

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the wife of Charles L. Luce, of Newington, and died Nov. 2, 1895. The wife and mother is a most esti- mable lady, and a consistent member of the Congre- gational Church. Socially Mr. Dorman belongs to Phoenix Lodge, No. 52, I. O. O. F., of New Britain ; and politically is identified with the Democratic party. He has most creditably and acceptably filled the offices of constable and collector, for one term each ; and was a member of the board of relief three terms, the latter ending in 1899. He is a man of indomitable perseverance and energy, a skilled work- man, and a strong believer in "what is worth doing at all is worth doing well."

JOHN WESLEY PHELPS, deputy sheriff of Hartford county, an army officer during the Civil war, and one of the best-known citizens, farmers and tobacco growers of the town of Simsbury, is a native of Connecticut, born April 22, 1836, in Simsbury Center.

The Phelps family of Simsbury trace their an- cestry to William Phelps, who was born in 1599, in Tewkesbury, England, emigrating thence to this country in 1630, and becoming one of the earliest colonists of New England. His son Joseph, born in England, died in Simsbury, Conn., in 1684; Joseph (2), was born Aug. 27, 1667 ; Lieut. David, May 7, 1710; Maj .- Gen. Noah, Jan. 22, 1740; Col. Noah A., May 3, 1762; Hector Fayette, July 25, 1797; and John Wesley, April 22, 1836. Of the above :

Joseph Phelps (2) was born in Windsor, and died in Simsbury, Jan. 20, 1750. He first mar- ried Mary Collier, of Hartford; his second wife was Sarah Case, daughter of John and Sarah ( Spen- cer) Case, of Simsbury. She died May 2, 1704, and he next married Mary Case, daughter of Rich- ard and Elizabeth ( Purchase) Case ; this third wife died Sept. 10, 1757. To the first marriage of Jo- seph (2) were born three children: Joseph, Oct. 9, 1689, settled at Turkey Hills ; Hannah, Oct. 25, 1693, was married to Samuel Humphrey; Mary, Oct. 17, 1696, died Jan. 9, 1713. To the second marriage of Josephi (2) were born : Sarah, Aug. II, 1700, died June 14, 1714; and Damaris, March 5, 1703, married John Mills, of Canton. To the third marriage were born four children: John, Feb. 14, 1707, died Jan. 5, 1713; Elizabeth, April 7, 1709, married Daniel Hoskins July 23, 1725 ; Lieut. David, May 7, 1710; and Amos, who married Sarah Petti- bone.

Lieut. David Phelps, son of Joseph (2), a na- tive of Simsbury, married April 25, 1731, Abigail Pettibone, who was born in the same town April 22, 1706-07, and was a daughter of John (Jr.), and Mary ( Bissell) Pettibone. David Phelps was commissioned lieutenant of militia in 1756, served in the French and Indian wars, and died of small pox Dec. 10, 1760, his remains being buried at Simsbury. His widow married Deacon David Strong, of Bolton, and died Oct. 17, 1787, and in.

her honor the chapter of the D. A. R. at Simsbury was named. The children born to Lieut. David Phelps and his wife were ten in number: David, born May 7, 1732, died July 19, of the same year ; David (2), born March 26, 1734, was an ancestor of the Dodge family of Simsbury; Abigail, born Nov. 5, 1735, was married (first) to a Mr. Gris- wold and (second) to Amasa Case; Elisha, born Oct. 17,1737, was a captain in the Revolutionary war, and died in Albany, N. Y., July 14, 1776; Maj .- Gen. Noah was born Jan. 22, 1740; Rachel, born Dec. 10, 1741, was married to Hon. Daniel Humphrey, a delegate to the convention that rati- fied the Federal Constitution ; Ruth was born Sept. 15, 1743; Sarah, Oct. 15, 1745; Susannah, Jan. 4, 1748; and Lois, March 27, 1750.

Maj-Gen. Noah Phelps, great-grandfather of our subject, married, June 10, 1761, Lydia Griswold, of Poquonock, who was born April 25, 1743, and died Sept. 17, 1821, having lost her husband March 4, 1809. The children born to the General and wife were five in number: Col. Noah Amherst, born May 3, 1762; Lydia G., Feb. 25, 1764 ; Chand- ley Conway, Oct. 22, 1766; George G., Aug. 18, 1773 (died in Ohio) ; and Elisha, Nov. 16, 1779. The last named was one of the prominent men of the State, was an attorney, and represented his district in Congress. He owned the first piano and the first Brussels carpet in Simsbury. He married, April 16, 1810, at Middletown, Conn., Lucy Smith, and had one son, who became governor of Missouri and a member of Congress; and two daughters, Lucy J., who was married to Amos R. Eno, whose biography appears on another page, and Mary A., who married John Allen. Gen. Phelps, who was born on the east side of Farmington river, settled in the village of Simsbury some years after his mar- riage, and lived on the property now owned by the Amos Eno heirs. He was identified with several industries of the town, and was very prominent, especially in military circles. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the militia in 1771, captain in 1774. lieutenant-colonel in 1777, brigadier-general in 1792, and major-general in 1796, and the documents per- taining thereto are now in the possession of Dr. Henry Eno, of Saugatuck, Conn. Gen. Phelps, among other daring deeds, passed alone through the enemy's lines at Ticonderoga, was there shaved, gathered all the information he desired, and was being rowed back across the river, en route to his own corps, when the oarsman suspected him to be an American, and started to return to the British lines ; but the General was the stronger man of the two, and compelled the ferryman to finish the trip. It was due to the information thus gleaned by Gen. (then Capt.) Phelps that Ethan Allen planned his attack on and captured Fort Ticonderoga, the day following. Gen. Phelps also served twenty- two years as the second judge of probate in Sims- bury ; as justice of the peace, as well as sheriff, and as representative in the General Assembly twenty

John rPhelps

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sessions ; and was the owner of considerable prop- erty.

Col. Noah Amherst Phelps, grandfather of our subject, graduated from Yale College in 1783, studied law, and practiced in Simsbury. He was a colonel of militia, was active in public affairs, and frequently a member of the State Legislature. At the time of his death, June 19, 1817, he was post- master. He was intellectual, kind and generous, and a leader among men. On July 31, 1784, he mar- ried Charlotte Wilcox, who was born April 4, 1766, and died Dec. 15, 1831, the mother of the following named children: Charlotte Melissa, born Oct. II, 1786, married Frederick Jewett, of Granby, and died Dec. 29, 1871. Noah Amherst, Jr., born Oct. 16, 1788, married (first) Delia Clark, of Bloom- field, and (second) Catherine St. John, of New Haven; he was educated at Yale, studied law, and practiced in Hartford; was sheriff of the county ; collector of customs at the port of Middletown ; and Secretary of State 1842-44; he died in Sims- bury Aug. 26, 1872. Jeffery Orson was born Feb. I, 1791. Fanny Rosanna, born March 8, 1795, married Jonathan Pettibone, Jr., and died Aug. 22, 1877, in Willimantic, Conn. Hector F., born July 25, 1797, is mentioned below. Emma Maria, born Dec. 10, 1799, was married to William Mather, Jr., and died March 21, 1862. Guy Rowland, born April 1, 1802, became a physician, later manufact- ured medicines, and was the founder of the Con- necticut Mutual Life Insurance Co., realizing a large competence ; his death took place March 18, 1869, in Hartford, his remains being interred in Sims- bury ; his only child is Miss Antoinette Randolph Phelps, of Hartford. George Dwight Phelps, the youngest of this family, was born April 6, 1804, and when a young man went to New York City begun business life as a clerk in a drug store at the corner of Wall and Water streets, later became proprietor, acquired a large estate through his own efforts, and died Aug. 31, 1872.

Hector Fayette Phelps, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Simsbury, and was educated there. He read law with his uncle, Elisha Phelps, was admitted to the Bar in 1833, and at once began the practice of his profession in Hartford county. He resided at Simsbury, and, in addition to his law practice, farming and tobacco growing received a share of his attention. He was well-known through- out the county. Hle held allegiance to the Demo- cratic party, and was active in politics, many local offices being from time to time ably administered by him. For several years he was justice of the peace in Simsbury, and he was deputy sheriff for many years. Fraternally he was a member of St. Mark's Lodge, No. 36, F. & A. M. On Jan. I, 1827, Mr. Phelps was married in Wintonburg, now Bloomfield, to Roxanna Selina Barnard, a native of Bloomfield, who was born Jan. 19, 1806, daugh- ter of James Harvey Barnard. To Hector F. and Roxanna S. Phelps came the following children :

Emma Maria, born Feb. 27, 1828, is the wife of Rollin L. Hawley, of Springfield, Mass. Frances Henrietta, born May 30, 1830, became the wife of Hoyt Moses, and both died in Simsbury. Mar- garet Emogene, born June 3, 1832, married Abram Moses, of Meriden, and both are now deceased. Hector Fayette, born June 23, 1834, married Oc- tavia Howland, of Springfield, Mass., and is now deceased. John Wesley, our subject, was born April 22, 1836. Mary Paulina, born April 13, 1838, is the wife of Selah A. Hall, of Meriden. George M., born March 22, 1846, deputy revenue collector of Bloomfield, married Abbie Case, daugh- ter of Job Case, of Simsbury. The mother, who was a faithful member of the M. E. Church and a good Christian woman, a devoted wife and mother, died at her home in Simsbury Nov. 3, 1881. The father died Feb. 10, 1874.

John Wesley Phelps, our subject, spent his boy- hood days on his father's farm, attending the dis- trict schools and also select schools. He was among the first to enlist from his State when the Civil war began, enlisting May 7, 1861, at Hartford, in re- sponse to the call for three-months' men, in Com- pany H (Capt. James WV. Gore), 2d Conn. V. I. (Col. Alfred H. Terry). He participated in the battle of Bull Run, July 22, 1861, and was mustered out at Hartford Aug. 7, following. Returning home Mr. Phelps re-enlisted, Nov. 21, 1861, in Company H (Capt. Joseph R. Toy), 12th Conn. V. I. (Col. Henry C. Deming), being mustered in as sergeant, and the regiment was sent to Louis- iana. Mr. Phelps participated in the engagements at Georgia Landing, Oct. 27, 1862; capture of gunboat "Cotton," Jan. 14, 1863; Pattersonville, March 27, 1863; Bisland, April 13, 1863; siege of Port Hudson, May 25 to July, 1863. He was dis- charged Dec. 31, 1863, at Brashear City, La., under Capt. John P. Lowell, and re-enlisted in January, 1864, becoming first sergeant in Company H (Capt. James E. Smith), 12th Conn. V. I., under Col. George N. Lewis. In the Virginia campaign of 1864 he participated in the battles of Winchester, Sept. 19; Fisher's Hill, Sept. 22; and Cedar Creek, Oct. 19. He was discharged Nov. 28, 1864. Re-enlist- ing in Company C, 12th Battalion, under Maj. Sydney E. Clark, he was commissioned first lieu- tenant, and commanded the company stationed in Virginia and at Savannah, Ga. Ile participated in the grand review at Washington, D. C., and was mustered out at Hartford Aug. 12, 1865, as first lieutenant, under Capt. John Mullen.

On his return home Lieut. Phelps at once turned his attention to farming, settling upon his present farm in the Weatogue District, Simsbury, where he has ever since been engaged in the raising of stock, in tobacco growing, and in general farming. He married, April 18, 1876, Mary E. Buckley, a native of New Milford, Litchfield county, daughter of Dennis and Mary (Lynch) Buckley. To our sub- ject and wife two children have been born : Nathanie

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Barnard, who was educated in McLean Seminary, Simsbury, and at Drew Ladies' Seminary, Carmel, N. Y .; and Margaret Stevens, who finished her education at McLean Seminary and at Mrs. Cady's School, in New Haven.

Mr. Phelps is in politics a Republican, and is the only member of his family who has always voted the ticket of that party. In 1877 he was elected to the State Legislature, and served as clerk of the military committee. He has been selectman for several terms, has been assessor, has served on the board of relief, in school work, and in other local official capacities. In 1881 he was appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff Alva W. Spaulding, and served continu- ously in that position for ten years. In 1895 he was reappointed by Sheriff Edwin J. Smith, and is now in his sixth year of service since his reappoint- ment. He is a member of St. Mark's Lodge, No. 36, F. & A. M., and of Capt. Joseph R. Toy Post, No. 83, G. A. R., of which he is past commander. He is generous in spirit, genial and whole-souled in disposition, and one of the popular citizens of Hartford county.

SAMUEL FORBES (deceased), in his day a progressive and successful farmer, passed the lat- ter years of his life in Silver Lane, town of East Hartford, where his widow and two sons still re- side. He was a descendant, in the seventh genera- tion, from Capt. James Forbes, the founder of the family in America, who died in the town of East Hartford Nov. 27, 1692, and of whose progeny a full record is given elsewhere in the biographical sketch of Hon. James Stanley Forbes, so that it is necessary here only to trace the descent of our sub- ject from his great-grandfather, Elijah, of the fourth generation from Capt. Forbes.

Elijah Forbes was born in 1746, married Re- becca Gilman, was a farmer at Scotland (now Burnside), and died in 1826, the father of the fol- lowing named children: Jared, who died in the West ; Joseph, who lived in Burnside (then called Scotland), later in Middletown, Conn., and in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where he died ; Elijah, grand- father of our subject ; and Mabel, who was mar- ried to Samuel Chandler, lived in Manchester, Conn., some years, and in 1833 migrated to Cleve- land, Ohio, when it was a mere village (they bought land which has since become very valuable, and their descendants are among the most wealthy resi- dents of that now great city).

Elijah Forbes, of the fifth generation from the Captain, and grandfather of our subject, was born and lived all his life on the old farm in Burnside, on which he built the house now occupied by E. Hart Forbes. He first married Esther Hills, a na- tive of Hillstown, who bore him children as follows : Austin, Horace, Laura, Sydney and Leonard. After the death of his first wife Elijah Forbes married Wealthy Bryant, who bore him one child, E. Hart. Of the children born to the first marriage of Elijah

Forbes, three were married, to-wit: Laura, who be- came the wife of Era Wright, an upholsterer of Philadelphia, Penn., and had two sons, Era and Fred: Sydney, the father of our subject, an ac- count of whom will be given in detail farther on; and Leonard, who first married a Miss Hills, after her death wedded Harriet Ellis, and after the death of the latter married Fannie Ellis, sister of the sec- ond wife. E. Hart Forbes, the child born to the second marriage of Elijah, married Margaret Brooke, who bore him four children, Harriet, Mary, Leonard and Frank.

Sydney Forbes, father of Samuel Forbes, and of the sixth generation from Capt. James Forbes, was born Dec. 31, 1803, in Scotland (now Burn- side), in the house which E. Hart Forbes now oc- 1 cupies. He was educated in the district school, and lived with his parents until his marriage, when his father built for him a house on Forbes street, a short distance east of that in which he was born. He was a farmer all his life. He lived for several years in the Forbes street dwelling, but eventually removed to Spencer Hill, where his deatlı took place Aug. 28, 1847, his remains being interred in the East Hartford cemetery. He married Lucy Randall, who was born in Dorchester, Mass., May 18, 1803, and died Jan. 18, 1879, the mother of ten children : Esther, who was born Nov. 1, 1826, was married to Royal Brewer, and died Sept. 24, 1865; Samuel is the subject of this sketch; Laura, born Feb. II, 1831, died June 28, 1836; Sanford, born March 24, 1833, was a farmer, but spent part of his life as master of a vessel on the Connecticut river, and died unmarried ; Selden, born May 6, 1835, died unmarried Oct. 3, 1860; Eveline, born June 12, 1837, is married to Dan Eddy, and is living in New Britain ; Ellen, born March 25, 1839, died March 21, 1849; Elizabeth, born Aug. 14, 1841, is the wife of John E. Wright, of Glastonbury; Emma, born July 7, 1843, is the widow of Charles W. Jones, a farmer of Naubuc, who died Sept. 7, 1898; and Sarah, born April 19, 1846, died Nov. 22, 1847.

Samuel Forbes, our subject, was born Feb. I, 1829, in the Forbes street homestead in Burnside. alluded to above as having been built for his father at the time of the latter's marriage. His first school attendance was in the Burnside district, and next at the "Alcott" school house, on Spencer Hi.l. the place where his father's death occurred. Being a poor boy, Samuel Forbes immediately after quit- ting school went to Willow Brook, learned shoe- making, and after the death of his father removed with his mother to Brewer street, and engaged in the business on his own account. After his mar-' riage, in 1855, to Mary A. Abbey, which will be fully spoken of presently, he removed to Silver Lane, and purchased from the heirs of Edmund Abbey (her father) the homestead and a tract of five acres, which he cultivated, in conjunction with the manufacturing of boots and shoes, until 1870, when he abandoned shoemaking and devoted liis

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attention exclusively to farming. In 1869 he began the raising of tobacco, and, as his means permitted, added to his farm until he owned twenty acres, which were in a state of fine cultivation at the time of his death, June 28, 1886, his remains being laid to rest in East Hartford.

The marriage of Samuel Forbes took place at Hartford Dec. 5. 1855, to Miss Mary A. Abbey, who was born July 9, 1832, a daughter of Edmund and Harriet ( Gaines) Abbey. Edmund Abbey was born in Scotland (now Burnside) Feb. 14, 1795. was educated in the district school, and when old enough located in Willow Brook, where he learned the trade of shoemaking, which he followed some forty years, making custom shoes. After his mar- riage he lived for a time in Hartford, then came to Silver Lane and purchased a farm from John Ris- ley, which subsequently became the property of his son-in-law, Samuel Forbes, the subject of this me- moir. To the marriage of Edmund Abbey with Harriet Gaines were born nine children: Edmund G., who married Almira Risley, was employed as a plater by A. L. Howard, at Hartford, and died in that city ; Simon B. died in young manhood ; Har- riet married William T. Hollister, a brickmason in Glastonbury ; Albert died in infancy ; George died in Manchester; Mary A. (Mrs. Forbes) ; Charles died young; and George, who married Isabella Thompson, served in the First Conn. Volunteer Heavy Artillery during the war of the Rebellion. Edmund Abbey, the father of this family, was a Democrat in politics, and served in the State Legis- lature in 1850; he was also a grand juror for many years, and a member, likewise, of the school com- mittee. His death took place in 1855,and his remains are buried in East Hartford.

Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Forbes : Albert A., Oct. II, 1857, and William G., Sept. 15. 1859. Albert A. first attended the Willow Brook school ; next the Brown school in Hartford, and then Hannum's Commercial College, of the same city. He had nearly completed his course at the latter in- stitution when he met with an accident while out hunting. By some mishap the entire load of his shot gun entered his knee, which is at times painful. He married Ella Florence Harper, a native of Brant- ford, Canada, and this union has been blessed with a very bright pair of twins, Helen Marion and Hazel Mae, born April 11, 1896. For many years Albert A. Forbes has been a member of the East Hartford Congregational Church, in whch he has also long been a Sunday-school teacher. William G. Forbes was educated in the Willow Brook school, and in Osgood's Commercial College at Hartford. He married Ida May Cady, of Eagleville,, but has no children. He and his brother are Democrats, as was their father before them.

Samuel Forbes was of short stature, but was a strong and healthy man, and his death was somewhat sudden. Although a Democrat in his political pro- clivities, he never aspired to public office, neither did

he affiliate with any secret society. He was very industrious, and raised tobacco extensively, and al- though he began his business life with but limited capital he left a large estate to his widow and two sons. He was one of the most respected men of his town, and his course through life reflected credit upon the ancient family name which he bore. The sons inherit their sire's industrious habits and recti- tude, and have ably managed the farm since his death, growing about twenty acres of tobacco an- nutally. With their venerated mother, they and their families enjoy to the full the respect of the entire Silver Lane community.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN TABER JENNEY is now approaching his eightieth year, having been born at New Bedford, Mass., Nov. 12, 1821. Yet his mental and physical powers show but little of the impairment incident to old age, and, while enjoying the repose which his years of arduous usefulness have so well earned, he is able to look back upon the past without regret, and forward to the future without fear. While his years cannot be said to have been crowded with exciting events, they have been replete with faithful, well-directed work, which ennobles the doer more than the patent of a sover- eign. He comes of a virile stock, being the young- est of a family of eight children, all of whom at- tained the age of seventy-five years before entering into rest, and of which hardy group he is now the sole survivor.

Mr. Jenney's father, Caleb Jenney, was born on a farm, learned the trade of a stonemason, and later became a contractor and builder, which business he successfully carried on for many years. He died at the age of ninety. Both he and his wife, Eliza- beth Taber, were of the religious denomination some- times called "Friends," and at the age of eleven years our subject was sent to the Friends' Boarding School at Providence, R. I. He left that institution when sixteen years old, and one of the prized mem- ories of his boyhood's school days is a visit to the school by President Andrew Jackson, Vice-President Van Buren, and suite. After leaving the spot where he had received his early scholastic training he was apprenticed by his father to a merchant tailor of New Bedford, where he learned the trade of a cus- tom cutter. In 1861 he went from New Bedford to Boston, and six years later to Lowell, Mass., where he remained four years, working at his trade in both cities. His next move was to Taunton, Mass., where he opened a merchant tailoring establishment of his own, conducting same successfully for six years. Believing that he saw a good opening at Manchester, Conn., he abandoned the tailoring busi- ness, and, having disposed of his establishment at Taunton, engaged in the manufacture of paper (chiefly of the sort used by the press), at the Con- necticut town. The venture prospered from the outset, and he continued it until, in 1893, he retired from active connection with the business.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Jenney has been twice married, his first wife, to whom he was joined in 1842, having been Caro- line Brownell, daughter of Hon. Joseph Brown- ell. Of the four children born to this union only one survives, Caroline E., the wife of A. Wells Case, a prominent paper manufacturer of Manchester. Mr. Jenney's second marriage, which was solemnized Dec. 20, 1882, was to Miss Mary Wells Cone, a daughter of Hon. Ralph Cone, a brief sketch of whose ancestry is appended. Mr. Jenney and wife are members of the Center Congregational Church. Socially he belongs to Manchester Lodge, No. 73. F. & A. M .. Mr. Jenney has always, since taking up his residence in Manchester, been one of the town's most esteemed citizens. He was elected a trial justice in 1876, and served fifteen years, until he reached the age of seventy, the limit by law.

RALPHI CONE, the father of Mrs. Jenney, is' a native of Manchester, and was born Oct. 20, 1818, son of Marvin Cone, who was born in the same town in November, 1792. The latter married Clarissa Wilson, by whom he had three children : Henry, who died at the age of twenty-three : Charles, who died when eighteen years old ; and Ralph. For his second wife the father married Abigail W. Hol- ton, of Ellington, Tolland county. Marvin Cone was a carriage builder, and about 1812 established a car- riage and wagon factory at Manchester Green, which is now conducted by his son Ralph, Mrs. Jenney's father. The grandfather retained his interest in the business, which was both extensive and profitable, until three years before his death, in 1871. He was a Congregationalist in faith, earnest and active in every Christian work, and was greatly esteemed by his townsmen, who chose him, in 1844, to represent them in the Legislature.

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Commemorative biographical record of Hartford County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Pt 1, Part 122

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1336

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1336