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 156

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 156

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and was one of the first settlers in Windsor. He bought property near the present site of the "Oliver Ellsworth mansion," and afterward lived near the site of the "old mill" in Windsor. He was made a freeman May 21, 1657, and juror in 1664. He con- tributed largely to the Relief Fund for the earlier settlers, and was prominent in church affairs. This worthy pioneer was married Nov. 16, 1654, to Eliza- beth Holcomb, who died Sept. 18, 1712. He died Aug. 20, 1689, leaving an estate valued at £655.

(II) Lieut. Jonathan Ellsworth, son of the pio- neer, was born June 28, 1669, and died Sept. 3, 1749, having been thrown from a horse. On Oct. 26, 1693, he married Saralı Grant, who was born Sept. 19, 1675, daughter of Tahan Grant, and died Nov. 9, 1755. They had ten children, among whom was a son Giles.

(III) Giles Ellsworth was born Aug. 6, 1703, and died March 20, 1765. He was married Feb. 6, 1728, to Hannah Stoughton, daughter of John and Sarah (Fitch) Stoughton, and her death oc- curred Dec. 21, 1756. Five children were born to them, among whom was a son Giles, Jr.

(IV) Giles Ellsworth, Jr., was born Sept. 6, 1732, and died July 29, 1796. His first wife, Keziah Moore, died June 26, 1762, and his second wife, Hannah Burr, died March 18, 1777, aged forty-two. (V) Roger Ellsworth, son of Giles Ellsworth, Jr., by his first marriage, was born July 28, 1760, and died May 13, 1801. He married Lucy Hayden.

(VI) Capt. Giles Ellsworth, our subject's grand- father, was born Feb. 16, 1790, in what is now East Granby town, and in early manhood, soon after his marriage, located upon a farm in Windsor. In the latter part of 1827 he removed to another farm in the same town, where he died Dec. 5, 1853. He was of ordinary build physically, and as a business man possessed unusual sagacity. For many years he carried on farming on an extensive scale, making a specialty of grain, and also raising live stock for the market. In that part of the century and country, tobacco was not raised as much as now, but he was to some extent a raiser of this weed. He was prominent in political affairs as a worker in the Democratic party, and served in various offices, including those of selectman and representative in the General Assembly, while his title of captain was gained as an officer in the militia. Capt. Ellsworth married Ellen Hayden, who was born in Windsor Jan. 24, 1790, daughter of Levi and Margaret (Strong) Hayden, and died Nov. 16, 1863, her remains being buried beside those of her husband in the Congregational cemetery in Windsor. They had ten children, of whom nine lived to maturity : (1) Giles G., born Feb. 8. 1809, engaged in business as a nurseryman in St. Charles, Ill., where he died Nov. 18, 1854. He was mar- ried in Illinois to a Mrs. Morgan, of that State, and left two daughters, one of whom died, leaving one son; the other, Clara M. Lord, still survives. (2) Frances M., born Nov. 4, 1811, died Sept. 7,

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1849, in Windsor. She married Henry Halsey, and had five children. (3) Margaret S., born June 20, 1815, died in Windsor July 12, 1854, unmar- ried. (4) Clarissa A., born Dec. 16, 1817, married Anson G. Bower, and died July 17, 1849, in Cin- cinnati, Ohio. (5) William H., our subject's fa- ther, is mentioned below. (6) Albert H., born Juy 14, 1823, died in February, 1898; he was a dentist at Green Bay, Wis. (7) Samuel, born Feb. 18, 1826, is a farmer in North Dakota. (8) Anson H., born June 3, 1827, is a retired farmer in Ne- braska; he practiced dentistry for some time, dis- continuing same on account of ill health, and then studied civil engineering, finally taking up farming. (9) Ellen, born Oct. 26, 1829, married Timothy S. Phelps of Windsor. (10) Elizabeth L. died in infancy.

(VII) William H. Ellsworth, father of our subject, was born in Windsor, Dec. 19, 1820, and was reared as a farmer boy, his education being obtained in the local schools. After luis marriage he resided for some time on a farm across the road from our subject's present homestead, but his last years were spent at the latter place, his death oc- curring there in 1875. He was a successful agri- culturist, and was also extensively engaged in the live stock business. His judgment was unusually good, and as he was fond of "dickering" he made many profitable trades in the course of his life. As a stanch Democrat he took an interest in politics, and he held various town offices, serving at one time as selectman. In 1841 Mr. Ellsworth married Miss Emily M. Miller, daughter of Chauncey Miller, a well-known resident of Windsor. She now re- sides with our subject, and with the exception of a slight defect in hearing enjoys excellent health. Of the four children born to William H. and Emily M. Ellsworth two are living: (1) William H., born Oct. 18, 1842, was educated in the public schools and the academy in Windsor, and at Han- num's Business College, Hartford. In 1862 he went to Milwaukee, and after a few years as clerk and traveling salesman engaged in mercantile business. At present he is an extensive wholesale dealer in fur clothing, hats, caps, gloves, and similar goods, and manufactures fur goods, being a partner in the well-known Straw, Ellsworth Manufacturing Co. He married Miss Theresa Matthew, of Milwaukee, and has two children : William H., Jr., who is in business with his father, and Jennie, who married Frederick Schumacker. (2) H. H., our subject, is mentioned below. (3) Elizabeth died in Windsor at the age of twenty-three, unmarried. (4) Clara, who never married, died in Windsor at the age of thirty-four.

(VIII) H. H. Ellsworth was born March 26, 1844, one-fourth of a mile below his present resi- dence. His education was begun in the Bell school "at the Green," Cicero Roberts and Spencer Clapp being among his early teachers. Later he attended Windsor Academy and Woodford's private school, while his work on the home farm gave him a practi-

cal knowledge of agricultural methods. His busi- ness acumen was shown at an early age, and when only twenty years old he engaged in lumbering, which he has followed with marked success, nis operations being quite extensive. His cut for a single season in Windsor and adjoining towns has amounted to 1,500,000 feet, and at times he dis- burses $2,000 a month in wages, employing as many as eighty men. Although he has always given the lumber business his personal attention it has by no means occupied his time fully, as he has carried n farming on a large scale, and taken an active part in various other lines of enterprises. For six years he was engaged in the manufacture of brick, and he

helped to organize the Windsor Creamery Co., in which he is a director and is now president. When the Windsor Canning Co. was organized as a stock company he was made president, but he never had the control of the business. When the com- pany failed he bought the plant in partnership with W. H. Filley, and at once it entered upon an era of prosperity such as only the most thrifty institutions enjoy. It began to pay out thousands of dollars annually to the farmers of Windsor and neighboring towns, and its product was readily sought. It is to-day one of the substantial industries of the town, affording employment to many operatives, and a good market to producers.

For years Mr. Ellsworth has been one of the leading tobacco growers of New England, and he is a director in the Connecticut Tobacco Experiment Co., and a member of the executive committee. His name appears among the incorporators of the Hartford County Tobacco Growers Insurance Co., for protection against hail, and he is still a director and now president of that company. In all his enterprises he gives close attention to details, his thorough knowledge of every line of work and ex- cellent judgment as to methods enabling him to secure good results in each one. He does but little manual labor, preferring to direct the energies of others, and his rare ability as a manager of large bodies of workmen has been a leading factor in his success. He is popular with his employes, and not- withstanding his wealth and recognized influence he is as approachable as ever. His integrity is un- impeachable, and his public spirit has been shown in many ways, his name being associated with nearly every progressive movement projected in Windsor. He is an active worker on the Village Improvement Committee ; chairman of the Committee on Improve- ment of the Windsor cemetery, and a director in Moore's Park Association, of which he was presi- dent for several years. When a location was being discussed for what was to have been called the Windsor Driving Park he was made a member of the committee on securing grounds, and it was at his suggestion that the land now included in Moore's Park was donated by O. B. Moore and the present name adopted. Later he devoted much time to di- recting the work of transforming the tract of forest

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into the beautiful park which is now one of the at- tractions of the locality. He belongs to Poquonock Grange, and was a charter member of Windsor Grange, No. 3. At present he is chairman of the First School Society Committee, and chairman of the First Ecclesiastical Society of the Congregational Church at Windsor, to which he contributes liber- ally. While not a politician, Mr. Ellsworth is an ardent Democrat, and is regarded as a leader in the local organization. He never shirks his duty as a loyal citizen, and has held various offices, serving eight years as member of the board of selectmen and four years as first selectman.

On Sept. 16, 1874, Mr. Ellsworth married Miss Laura L. Fowler, of Windsor, and soon afterward established his home on a small tract of land owned by him, which was located directly opposite his pres- ent residence, one of the finest in Windsor. The lat- ter was then built, having been constructed of brick from his own yard, but he did not occupy it until a few years later. He has four children, of whom the eldest. Miss Minnie E., is a graduate of the Young Ladies' Institute in Windsor, and of the art department of Wilbraham College, and has shown more than ordinary skill in her work with oils and charcoal, and in clay modeling, as well as in painting on china. She is also an accomplished musician, and an excellent literary scholar, having taught in the Windsor graded room for some time. (2) Miss Ella M. possesses marked talent for music, and has taken a course in Wilbraham College. (3) Alice L. is a student in Prospect Hill School, Green- field, Mass. (4) Philip F. is a student in the Hartford Public High School.

Mrs. Ellsworth, whose fine mental gifts fit her for leadership in the best social circles, was born in Windsor Jan. 3. 1856, daughter of Major-Gen. Amos Fowler, and is descended from several promi- nent New England families. She was carefully educated at the Young Ladies' Seminary in Wind- sor and at Wilbraham College, and is now active in religious, philanthropic and patriotic work, being a member of Abigail Wolcott Ellsworth Chapter, D. A. R., at Windsor, the Ladies' Sewing Society, and the Congregational Church, with which she united in girlhood. Her paternal grandfather, Amos Fowler, was one of Washington's aides at the battle of Long Island, and her father was an officer in the State Militia. The latter was born July 21, 1795, at Lebanon, Conn., where the Fowler family has been prominent from pioneer times, and his death occurred in 1874, when he was aged eighty years. He was twice married, and Mrs. Ellsworth was the only child of his second wife, Sarah Hay- den, who died aged seventy-eight. The Hayden family is of Colonial stock, and in this line Mrs. Ellsworth is a great-granddaughter of Lieut. Thomas Hayden, of Revolutionary fame. Mrs. Sarah (Hayden) Fowler was a daughter of Anson B. and Laura ( Wilson) Hayden, of Windsor, and received an excellent education, attending school in

Washington, D. C., and afterward traveling ex- tensively. In her old age she retained her memory remarkably well, and her reminiscences of early times made her conversation most interesting and instructive. Through her thoughtful care many papers and documents from Revolutionary times were preserved, and these are now carefully treas- ured by Mrs. Ellsworth. Among them are the letters written by Lieut. Thomas Hayden from the camps of the Continental army, giving a most valu- able record of his experiences.

HON. CHARLES WALDO ROBERTS, one of the representative and most prominent citizens of East Hartford, and a worthy descendant of one of the old honored families of the town, traces his ge- nealogy here for six generations back, that is to say to William Roberts, who was a son of Katherine Leete and a Mr. "Robards."

William Roberts came to East Hartford from Middletown, Conn., and lived near the foot of Smith's Lane, on the Meadow Hill, south of the present Bridge road ; his house was on the first Main street. He married Dorothy Forbes, who was a daughter of Capt. James Forbes, the progenitor of the Forbes family in East Hartford, and from him she received six acres of land on which William Roberts built his dwelling. In 1703 we find him as committee on min- ister's house ; in 1709 deeding land and saw mill. In 1729 he deeded all his land to his son Benjamin Roberts. The children born to William and Doro- thy Roberts were : Dorothy, who was baptized in the South church at Hartford in 1687; Deborah, bap- tized in April, 1690, in the First church of Hart- ford ; William, baptized in the same church, July 28, 1695, who married Deborah Spencer, and died in 1726, or 1727, leaving a son William (his grandfa- ther was his guardian) : Benjamin, born March 8, 1698: Joseph, baptized Aug. 11, 1700, who married Mabel Keeney ; Mary, baptized May 31, 1702; Sam- uel, baptized Dec. 24, 1704, who married Sarah Hills, daughter of Ebenezer Hills, Sr. William Roberts, the father, died in 1734 or 1735.

Benjamin Roberts, of the second generation in East Hartford, married Sept. 26, 1730, Dorothy Pit- kin, who was born in 1704. a daughter of Nathaniel and Hester ( Hosmer ) Pitkin. Nathaniel was a son of William Pitkin, the founder of the family in East Hartford. Mrs. Dorothy ( Pitkin) Roberts died Oct. 5. 1737. and on July 13, 1739, Mr. Roberts mar- ried (second ) Jerusha Pratt. The children by the first marriage were: Dorothy, born Jan. 23, 1734, married Lemuel Kingsbury, of Andover : Susannah, born in January, 1736, died Feb. 17, 1834, unmarried. To his marriage with Jerusha Pratt (a descendant of John Pratt, who came to Hartford with the Hooker party in 1635), were born: Jerusha and Catherine (twins) were born April 24, 1740; Jeru- sha married Jonathan Stanley, town clerk and treas- urer for eighteen years: Catherine married Jona- than Hubbard, and was the ancestor of Gov. Hub-

Chad W Roberts

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bard. Benjamin, Jr., born Nov. 15, 1741, was a farmer in the south part of East Hartford, and mar- ried Dorothy Goodwin. Sarah, born April 13, 1743. married Joseph Hurlburt. Mary, born Jan. 18, 1745, married Timothy Forbes. William, born Jan. 19, 1746, married Abigail Stanley. Nathaniel, born Dec. 24, 1750, married Annie Newcomb. George was born Nov. 22, 1752. Abigail, born in 1756, married John Norton, and died Nov. 20, 1775. Lemuel, born m 1760, died in 1775.

Benjamin Roberts was a man of great energy, and an enterprising business man. He was a mer- chant trader, owning at one time three sloops, "Martha," "Samuel" and "Porrige," trading with the West Indies, and at New London. His house, which was very strongly built and having a good cellar, must often have been used to store various commodities. He also dealt largely in lands, and seems to have been possessed of a good sum of ready money, for we find him paying good prices for it many times. In 1731 he deeded, with others, land for Silver Lane. To his eldest son, Benja- min, he deeded one hundred acres, also leaving him land by will. All his sons were well provided wth land, the "movable estate" being left to his wife and daughters. We find proof that he took his share in promoting the public welfare; among the things which show this there is the tradition that he helped set out the fine elms which beautify the town.

George Roberts, of the third generation, was born Nov. 22, 1752, at East Hartford, and was a successful farmer and business man. Though of quiet disposition he took an interest in public affairs. He served in Capt. Jonathan Wells' company, Col. Erastus Wolcott's regiment, during the Revolu- tionary war, at Boston from December, 1775, until the spring of 1776. He also served in several town offices, was elected selectman in 17-, and served two years. He married Jerusha Williams, who was born May 20, 1757, a daughter of Timothy and Ruth ( Pitkin) Williams, the latter a daughter of Ozias, who was a son of the first William Pitkin, the founder of the family. The children born to George and Jerusha Roberts were Jerusha, who was born in 1781, and died June 7, 1798 ; Clarissa, born May 4, 1783, was married to Dr. Edward Pit- kin, and died Jan. 28, 1864: Ozias was born Aug. 10, 1785; George died in Hartford at the age of twenty-one, Nov. 10, 1808; Esther, who was mar- ried to James Bidwell, died in Manchester, Jan. 9, 1822; Alvin, born Aug. 16, 1791, died April 9, 1819; Lucretia, who married Dr. William Cooley, died in East Hartford March 31, 1821 ; Martin, a well-known and promising young man, died April 17, 1821, in New York City, whither he had gone to purchase goods for the purpose of starting in business at Hartford. Mrs. Jerusha ( Williams) Roberts died Nov. 21, 1811. George Roberts married for his second wife Mrs. Lucretia (Beau- mont) Abbey, widow of Jeduthan Abbey, but to

this marriage no children were born. Mr. Roberts died Oct. 4, 1824. All are buried in the family lot in East Hartford Center cemetery.

Ozias Roberts, of the fourth generation, and the only son of George and Jerusha Roberts to reach full manhood, was born Aug. 10, 1785. He re- ceived the usual education furnished by the schools of that time, and was possessed of a naturally strong intellect, and a daring spirit. Ile was fond of adventure, and when a young man went to sea, trade being then carried on between the West Indies and Hartford direct. During the war of 1812 he shipped with Capt. Josiah Griswold, of Wethers- field, on board the privateer "Blockade." The ves- sel was fitted out on the Connecticut river, was owned by Thomas Beldon and others, and carried six guns. Ile met with many stirring adventures, and used to tell the story of driving the British from their vessel with handspikes. After cruising for some time with but little success the "Blockade' was captured by a Brtish brig-of-war, was run into the Bermudas, and the crew confined on a prison- ship. Ozias Roberts, however, and Dr. William Cooley, of Manchester, (surgeon of the "Block- ade"), managed to escape to the shore, and were secreted by a negro until they could find an oppor- tunity to return in safety to their respective homes. For some time thereafter Mr. Roberts continued to follow the sea, and eventually became the captain of a vessel plying in the West Indies trade, but at the death of his father returned to Connecticut and managed the estate until his death, Feb, 8, 1868, his remains being interred in the Center cemetery.

Ozias Roberts was three times married. His first wife, Miss Martha Treat, daughter of Joseph Treat, of East Hartford, and Martha Adams, of Wethersfield, Conn., died Jan. 3, 1809, at the age of twenty-one years, the mother of two children : Mary Ann, who was married to Deacon Horace Williams March 10, 1831, and died April 1, 1848, at the age of forty-one years ; and Martha, who was born Dec. 23, 1808, in East Hartford. The second wife of Ozias Roberts was Harriet Treat, a sister of Martha Treat, his first wife. Mrs. Harriet (Treat ) Roberts died July 19, 1822, aged thirty-two years, the mother of the following children : George, born in 1810, will be more fully spoken of further on ; Jane Treat, born Dec. 10, 1811, was married to Edward Goodwin, and was the mother of J. O. Goodwin, of East Hartford; Harriet, born Oct. II, 1814, was married to Aaron Olmstead in 1835, at East Hartford, and died Nov. 19, 1875, leaving the following named children-Horace B., Arthur G., A. Fred, and Charles H .; Ira T. was born Feb. 10, 1817; Jerusha, born March 15, 1819, was mar- ried to Alfred Kilbourne.

George Roberts, eldest child of Ozias and Har- riet (Treat) Roberts, as mentioned above, became a merchant and a prominent citizen of Hartford. He was first in business in New York City, then retired to South Windsor, but again resumed active busi-

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ness, and became president and treasurer of the Hartford Carpet Co. He died March 25, 1878, and his son George was afterward elected president and treasurer of the Hartford Carpet Co., while his son Henry is president of the Woven Wire Mattress Co., of the same city. George Roberts first married, Oct. 19, 1836, Louisa Stewart, a daughter of Capt. Allen Stewart ; he married for his second wife Elvira Evans, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire.

The third wife of Ozias Roberts was Nancy Comstock, whom he married March 26, 1823. Nancy (Comstock) Roberts was born July 4, 1802, in East Hartford, and was a daughter of Perez and Abigail (Raymond) Comstock, of the Raymond and Comstock families of Montville, Conn. This third marriage was crowned with nine children : Esther, born May 25, 1824, was married to Albert Comstock Raymond, who built the Raymond Li- brary at East Hartford, in which town she died in September, 1883; Luther M., born Nov. 18, 1826, was by nature a seaman, died March 21, 1847, in Vera Cruz, Mexico, and was there buried ; Juliette, born July 23, 1829, was married to John B. Smith, of Berlin, Conn., and died Oct. 1, 1857, in East Hartford; Arthur, born Jan. 14, 1831, died Jan. 23, 1833 ; Emma and Ellen, born Oct. 15, 1835, died respectively April 2, 1856, and April 26, 1860, un- married ; Elizabeth Bradford, born March 21, 1838, is now Mrs. Henry A. Street, of New Haven ; Arthur Ozias, born Feb. 22, 1840, was a master's mate during the Civil war (he is unmarried) ; Frances L., born Aug. 23, 1846, takes great interest in genealogy, and to her the publishers of this work are indebted for many facts relating to the Roberts family (she is the present registrar of Martha Pit- kin Wolcott Chapter, D. A. R., at East Hartford). Nancy Comstock Roberts died Jan. 17, 1854.

Ozias Roberts was in politics a Democrat pre- vious to the formation of the Republican party, which he joined at its formation. Long before the formation of the Republican party he was an uncompromising Abolitionist and employed run- away slave labor. He served as State senator, and for four terms after 1828 as a member of the House of Representatives. In 1838 he was elected town treasurer, and served two terms, and was for many years custodian of school funds. His rare good judg- ment was highly prized by his neighbors, who fre- quently consulted him on business matters, and he settled many estates, to a great saving of money to those most interested. Although not a church mem- ber, he realized the value of churches, aided in their support, and reared his children to respect the Sabbath rigidly. Fraternally he was a Royal Arch Mason.

It was not until he had quit the sea that Mr. Roberts gave his attention to agriculture, in which he met with a decided success. Physically he was of medium height, and in early manhood very erect. At one time he owned and conducted the ferry at East Hartford. Two years prior to his death he

had a fall, in his door yard, from the effects of which he never fully recovered, being thereafter confined to his room, but he managed his affairs until the end.

Ozias Roberts was a man of strong convictions, and for forty years was a leader among men in East Hartford. He was a strict disciplinarian, and although his children were numerous they were well trained for the duties and responsibilities of life; it may be added that Hon. Richard D. Hubbard, ex-governor of Connecticut, and one of her bright- est legal lights, was a cousin and ward of Mr. Roberts, and passed his youthful days on the lat- ter's farm. Ozias Roberts never lost the charm that made his home the abode of enjoyment and true hospitality, and his dwelling in East Hartford, in his day, was the scene of more gatherings than any other in the town. Thanksgiving Day and Election Day were always observed with bountiful cheer, and the members of the family were invariably present on these occasions, beside innumerable friends and visitors; the home, indeed, was one of the most popular known in its day, and those who visited it fully enjoyed themselves, and came away with undisguised admiration and praise of its unre- served hospitality.

Ira T. Roberts, of the fifth generation of the original Roberts family of East Hartford, and son of Ozias and Harriet (Treat) Roberts, was born in Silver Lane Feb. 10, 1817, and was educated in the old district school building which then stood on the site of the present highway. He was reared on the home farm, and grew up a thin, small-boned but wiry young man, who never shirked his work. He lived with his parents until his marriage, April 9, 1839, when he removed to the property on which he passed the remainder of his life, dying Jan. 17, 1897, after one week's confinement-not from any acute illness, but simply because he was worn out.

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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 156

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