Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 104

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : Beers
Number of Pages: 1502

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families > Part 104

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engagements at Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. At the latter place our subject was in a de- tachment of men who were nearly surrounded by an army of thirty thousand Confederates, and only fifteen of the whole number es- caped, Mr. Chapman having a close call. The regiment remained in the Valley until the as- sassination of President Lincoln, and was then sent to Washington to do picket duty around the city, remaining until May 1, 1865, when it was sent to Savannah, Ga., doing patrol duty there until August 15, 1865. It was then sent home and discharged, its members scattering over the country, though ever bound together by bonds that time cannot sever.

After his return to peaceful pursuits, at the close of his faithful service, Mr. Chapman for a time engaged in farming, and also in shad fishing in the waters near his father's estate. Upon the death of the latter he bought the interests of the other heirs, and has since been entirely engaged in the management of his farm of one hundred acres. Mr. Chapman is the owner of some valuable property which is now known as "Chapman's Beach," form- erly a part of his farm, which he has im- proved and opened up for a delightful summer resort, building attractive cottages for sale. Mr. Chapman was married in February, 1865, while home on a furlough, to Carrie H. Post, of Westbrook, daughter of Lyman and Caro- line (Jones) Post, and they have one son, Richard, who resides at home with his parents.

Mr. Chapman has taken an active part in public life; has been on the board of relief ; was selectman for one term; justice of the peace for twenty-five years; and a member of the State Legislature during 1898-99, serving on the committee on State Prisons. Socially he is one of the charter members of West- brook Grange, and is now steward of the same, and belongs to Chapman Post, No. 52, G. A. R., being its quartermaster. Both Mr. and Mrs. Chapman are members of the Con- gregational Church, he being clerk of the Ecclesiastical committee.

THOMAS GILBERT is a highly re- spected, prominent and well-known citizen of the Newfield District of Middletown, Middle- sex county. The family of which he is a conspicuous representative began its history in America with the coming of Jonathan Gil- bert to Hartford, in 1640. It is thought he

may have been a son of William Gilbert of Windsor, who was made a freeman of Con- necticut in 1640. Jonathan Gilbert married in 1645 Mary White, who died about 1650, and he married Mary Hugh Wells. He was a townsman 1658, 1664, 1670, 1674 and 1678, was deputy collector of customs and marshal of the Colony. He died in 1682 his widow sur- viving him until 1700. They were the parents of eleven children.

Jonathan Gilbert (2), son of Jonathan, married Dorothy, daughter of Rev. Samuel Stowe, by whom he had the following named children : Mary, a son that died in infancy, Mehitable, Luther, John, Jonathan, a son born in 1687, Jonathan (2), Nathaniel, Ezekiel, Sarah and Mehitable (2). The father of this family died in 1698, and the mother shortly afterward.

Nathaniel Gilbert, son of Jonathan (2), born December 27, 1689, was known as Lieut. Nathaniel Gilbert. He was twice married, first in 1716, to Hannah Alling, born in 1698, who died in 1724. They had the following chil- dren : Alling, Hannah, Dorothy, and Nathan- iel. Elizabeth Prout became his second wife, and she was mother to the following: Eliza- beth, Elizabeth (2), Eunice, and Ebenezer. Lieutenant Gilbert died in 1756.

Ebenezer Gilbert, born June 16, 1731, the youngest of his father's family, lived in New- field, on the spot where Thomas Gilbert is now living. He built what was in its time a fine house, with six large fireplaces, and which was torn down by his great-grandson, Deacon Thomas Gilbert, in 1867. 'An extensive land owner and an industrious farmer, 'he was a man of influence in his day. On September 26, 1754, he married Hannah Miller, and they were the parents of the fol- lowing named children : Ebenezer, Han- nah (who married Seth Deming), Benja- min, Timothy, Luther and Sarah. Ebenezer served as a surgeon in the Revolutionary war in the American navy. His wife was a French lady, whom he courted and married under rather romantic circumstances. Her father, who was on a tour in this country, was taken ill and Dr. Gilbert, who was the only one in the neighborhood who could speak French, was called upon to minister to him, thus becoming acquainted with the daughter. The marriage was opposed by both families on account of the radical difference of their religious views.

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Dr. J. N. Gilbert of Middletown, was a son of the above couple. Ebenezer Gilbert, Sr., died in 1812, and his wife in 1802.

Benjamin Gilbert, the third child in the above family, was born July 28, 1760, in the house in Newfield mentioned. When nineteen years old he enlisted in the army of the Revo- lution and served three years, when he was honorably dischargekl. He owned a large tract of land, was an extensive farmer and put up the house now occupied by Orrin Gilbert. In his earlier life he was a Congregationalist, but in his later years became a Baptist. He died in 1846. Benjamin Gilbert was married in 1784 to Mary Hamlin, and they had the fol- lowing children: (1) Mary, married Samuel Miller, and they were the parents of Augustus Miller, whose sketch may be found elsewhere. (2) Harriet, married a Mr. Wetmore and moved to the State of New York, where she died. (3) Timothy married Ada Cromell, and they were the parents of Curtis Gilbert, whose sketch may be found elsewhere. (4) Orrin is mentioned farther on. (5) Curtis went iWest at the age of nineteen years, set- tled at Terre Haute, when Indiana was a wil- derness, and became wealthy. He died in 1877 in Florida, whither he had gone in the hope of benefiting his health. He was married first to Catharine Allem, and second to Mary C. King, and became the father of ten children. (6) Benjamin. (7) Hannah married Eliphalet Tinker, and died in Jamestown, N. Y. (8) Martha, married George Camp. Benjamin Gilbert died in 1846, and his wife died June 3, 1826. Both were buried in Indian Hill ceme- tery.

Orrin Gilbert, the father of Thomas Gil- bert, was born (April 9, 1793, in Newfield, where he was reared to farming. He had a dis- trict schooling. He began his farming career with eighty acres of his father's farm, and after the death of his parents bought out the other heirs, and became possessed of the pater- nal acres. At the time of his death he owned over 200 acres. A straightforward man, he was an industrious and prosperous farmer, and with the aid of his energetic wife accumu- lated much property. In politics he was a Democrat, and in religion a member of the Baptist church, while his wife belonged to the Congregational Church.

On June 6, 1832, Mr. Gilbert married Mary, daughter of Benjamin C. and Abiah

(Cornwell) Bacon. She was born in 1806, and died October 10, 1881. He died October 10, 1866, and was buried in Indian Hill ceme- tery. Their children were: (1) Hannah born April 20, 1835, died August 17, 1872, (2) Julia, was born April 3, 1838. (3) Thomas is mentioned below. (4) Henry, born March 27, 1842, married Lucy Gris- wold, and second, Miranda Wilcox. (5) John, born February 28, 1844, died September 22, 1845. (6) Charles, born November 2, 1846, married Mary Dean, of Westfield; he is a manufacturer and contractor in Middletown. (7) Orrin, born May 15, 1830, married Emma. Cross in 1888. He lives in Newfield.

Thomas Gilbert was born February 6,. 1840, in the house that was standing on the site of his present home. He attended the district school, and for three term's was a pu- pil of Daniel H. Chase. Until he was of age, he lived at home. His father had been put to work early himself and his children had the- same discipline, all their childhood being a round of work. At the age of twenty-one: years Thomas went to Hartford, and for a time was employed in Sharp's armory, during which period he was drafted into the military service of the government, but he paid the exemption fee. Returning to the home farm, he lived with his father until 1867. when he built and moved to his present home, where he has carried on fruit growing as well as general farming up to the present time. For over thirty years he has had an agency for the sale of farm machinery.

Thomas Gilbert was married January 1. 1867, to Rosilla D., daughter of Henry and Rosilla (Sidell) Tucker, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere. Mrs. Gilbert was born September 6, 1846. Children as follows have blessed this union : ( 1) Jessie O., born Novem- ber 10, 1869, died January 5, 1870. ( 2) Clif- ford C., born December 5, 1870, is a graduate of Wesleyan University, class of 1893, and of Yale Law School, 1896, receiving the degree of L.L. B., and took a post-graduate course at Yale in 1897, receiving the degree of M. L. He read law in the office of M. Engene Culver. Middletown, and later with Henry G. Newton, in New Haven, in which city he is engaged in the practice of his profession. (3) Norman Ev- erett, born December 15, 1874. is a graduate of the Middletown High School and of Wesleyan University, 1895. B. A. ; he took a post-gradi-

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ate course in 1896, receiving the degree of M. A., and February 22, 1901, received from the Johns Hopkins University the degree of Doc- tor of Philosophy. In September, 1901, he ac- cepted the Professorship of Physics at Ho- bart College, Geneva, N. Y. (4) Mabel Rie- delle, born August 3, 1878, graduated from Middletown High School in the class of 1896, and from Mt. Holyoke Seminary in 1901, re- ceiving the degree of B. A. She took the col- lege graduate course at New Britain Normal School, graduating in 1902.

Thomas Gilbert is a Republican. He be- longs to Mattabassett Grange, Middletown, and has acted as treasurer of the same since its or- ganization. He is also treasurer of Central Pomona Grange, of which Mrs. Gilbert is lec- turer. He belongs to the State Pomological Association. In religion he is a member of the First Church in Middletown, of which he has been deacon since 1885.

ALFRED N. SWEET, the noted bone setter of Middletown, belongs to that cele- brated family who for eight generations have practiced bone setting. The family is a famous one in the New England States, and undoubt- edly the most noted family in one particular line in this country. As far back as their au- thentic history can be obtained, and from tra- dition, leading us still farther, we find that they have always been accredited with ability in an eminent degree for bone setting, though uneducated in any department of surgery, and as we follow along down the genealogical line we find members of the family who have be- come especially prominent in the practice of this art.

The Sweet family of Rhode Island, of which the Connecticut family is a branch, has been especially distinguished through their more than 250 years of residence there as natural bone setters, in which are many of the posterity of the emigrant settler in various parts of the country have become eminent.

Austin, in his Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, gives John Sweet as a settler as early as 1632, locating him at Salem and Providence, and as dying in 1637. He gives his wife's name as Mary. Job Sweet, of New Bedford, Mass., who furnishes the data of the Sweet family given in the little work on the Robinson, Hazard and Sweet families, follows Savage, and makes the emigrant ancestor

James Sweet, a son of Isaac and Mary, the former likely having died previous to the emi- gration of Mary and her sons, John and James. James Sweet, of Wales, the recognized an- cestor of this branch, came to New England in 1630, was of Salem, Mass., in 1631, an in- habitant of Warwick, R. I., in 1648, and later of King's Town. He settled near Ridge Hill, in North Kingston, R. I. He married Mary daughter of John and Joan (Tattersall) Greene, and died in 1695. He had children : James, Mary, Benoni, Valentine, Samuel, Jere- miah, Renewed, and Sylvester, all born in North Kingston, between 1655 and 1674.

From this James Sweet are descended the Lebanon Sweets, to which branch of the fami- ly Alfred N. Sweet belongs, he being a rep- resentative of the eighth generation from Jan;es Sweet, of Wales, his line being through Benoni, James (2), Job, Benoni (2), Benoni (3), and Gideon H.

(II) Benoni Sweet, born November 28, 1663, married Elizabeth Sweet, and they had children, James, Margaret, Benoni, Mary, Elizabeth and Thomas, all born between 1688 and 1703, and in North Kingston. Benoni Sweet, the father, was a captain in the Brit- ish service, and was a well-informed man. He gained celebrity as a natural bone setter, and was styled "Doctor," but practiced only in re- storing dislocations. He was a regular com- municant of the church, and officiated as ves- tryman until the time of his death, July 19, 1751.

(III) James Sweet (2), born June 28, 1688, married Mary Sweet, and they had chil- dren: Benoni, Eben, Mary, James, Elisha, Freelove, Job, Elizabeth and Margaret.

(IV) Job Sweet, born December 1, 1724, married July 5, 1750, in South Kingston, Je- mima, Sherman, and had children: 'Rufus, Jeremiah, Gideon, James, Benoni, Jonathan, Margaret, Lydia, Hannah and Sarah, all born between 1753 and 1774. Job Sweet, early in life, removed to South Kingston. He at- tained eminence as a natural bone setter, and during the war of the Revolution was called to Newport to set dislocated bones for the French officers. After the war, at the solici- tation of Col. Burr, afterward vice-president, he went to New York to set a dislocated hip of Burr's daughter.

(V) Benoni Sweet (2), born October 7, 1760, died August 26, 1840. He had for a

Alfred It. Sweet

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few years followed in the footsteps of his father, but removing to Lebanon, Conn., in 1793, he determined not to practice bone set- ting any more, but to give his whole atten- tion to farming. This resolution, however, he was unable to carry out, for a dislocated shoulder in his own neighborhood, which baffled the surgeons, forced him again into the practice of this, his legitimate and natural calling, which he never afterward abandoned during his active life. On March 13, 1791, in Kingston, R. I., Benoni Sweet married Sa- rah Champlin, who was born June 6, 1769, and died November 17, 1833. Their children, all save the eldest, born in Lebanon, were as follows: (1) Susannah, born February 16, 1792, died September 12, 1862. (2) Thomas B., born July 14, 1794, died September 17, 1813. (3) Benoni, born July 20, 1796, was the grandfather of Alfred N. Sweet. (4) Stephen, born March 30, 1798, died March 21, 1874. He was located at Franklin, Conn., where he practiced bone setting. (5) Sarah, born March 20, 1800, died in May, 1857. She practiced bone setting for a time in Williman- tic. (6) Mary, born November 19, 1802, died November 28, 1872. (7) Lydia, born Janu- ary 30, 1805, died January 23, 1856. (8) Hannah, born February 7, 1807, died Febru- ary 20, 1887. (9) Lucy, born October 15, 1809, died September 22, 1883. ( 10) Charles, born December 20, 1811, was a noted bone setter.

(VI) Benoni Sweet (3), son of Benoni (2), was born July 20, 1796, in Lebanon, New London Co., Conn., and settled in Guilford, New Haven Co., this State, where he died Sep- tember 5, 1844. His first wife, Dorcas Hoxie, was born in Lebanon in 1799, and died Decein- ber 24, 1830. They had children as follows : Benoni, Jr., born June 15, 1821 ; Gideon H., wlio is mentioned below ; Abigail; Sarah ; and James, born June 15, 1828, who lived in Mil- ford, Conn., and was, like many of the family, a successful bone setter.

(VII) Gideon H. Sweet was born March 30, 1823, in Guilford, New Haven Co., Com1., and in 1852 removed to Middletown, where he ever afterward resided. When a young man he commenced to practice the profession of bone setting in Guilford, and he continued same at Middletown, coming to be regarded, in his prime, as the superior of any practitioner in that line in the State. He understood this

work thoroughly, and handled many difficult cases, successfully setting bones that skillful. surgeons preferred not to attempt to make light. So great was the general confidence in his skill and instinct for this work that pa- tients came from far and near, even from other States, his renown having spread over a. large territory. His activity and accuracy were as much admired by professional men as by the general public. Personally Dr. Sweet was a plain, outspoken man, loyal to his friends, and at the time of his death only the kindest expressions were heard on all sides from those with whom he had been acquainted. On March 30, 1845, Dr. Sweet married Bet- sey E. Stone, a native of Guilford, born June. 4, 1827, who died September 5, 1860, at Mid- dletown. To this union came two sons: Ed- win, born November 21, 1846, who died in Middletown at the age of forty-five years ; and Alfred N., who is mentioned below. For his second wife Dr. Sweet married Mrs. Jane (Russell) Norton, who survived him. No children were born of this union. Dr. Sweet passed away November 27, 1890, at the fine home on Crescent street, Middletown, which he had built. Fraternally he was an Odd Fel- low. His political support was given to the Democratic party, but his activity in party affairs consisted in the regular casting of his vote.

Alfred N. Sweet was born August 6, 1857, at South Farms, Middletown, at the corner of Silver and Walnut streets. He received his education in the public schools, finishing with a course at the Middletown high school, and has entered upon the line of work which is his by inheritance, taking up the practice of his father when the latter's health began to fail. The Doctor has met with the same phenomenal success which attended his father, and he has proved a worthy successor to that gentleman, both as regards work and personal merit. lle enjoys a wide practice, in his own and neigh- boring States, and his name is widely known.

Dr. Sweet married Miss Ahnira Cone, of Moodus, Com., dangliter of Robert S. Conc. whose sketch appears elsewhere and they had three children : Elizabeth N. ( who was vale- dictorian of the class of 1902, Middletown high school, Myra C. and Julia F. The mother of these dying in May. 1887. Dr. Sweet married for his second wife Adelaide J. Cook, of Bal- timore, Md., a nativ of Westfield, Conn., and

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this union has been blessed by three chil- dren : Adelaide C., Alfred N., Jr., and Mar- guerite. Dr. Sweet is a Republican in political faith, though by no means a politician. Like his forefathers, he is a plain-going, unostenta- tious man, and distinctively of the higher type of citizen.

SYLVESTER P. HULL. Among the old and prominent families of Connecticut that of Hull takes a place of note, its ancestry being traced back for many generations. Josiah Hull married Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Loomis, of Windsor on May 20, 1641. He was a deputy to the General Court from Wind- sor in 1659, 1660 and 1662, removed to Kill- ingworth in 1663, and died November 16, 1675.

Heman Hull, the grandfather of Sylvester P., was born September 27, 1784, in the Union District of Killingworth, Middlesex county. He was the owner of a small farm, but in early life devoted his attention to the manufacture of shoes, which was carried on by himself and several others in his employ. In company with his brother Roswell, he established a shop on the opposite side of the road from' his home, which many years later was con- verted into a blacksmith shop. The product of the shoe business carried on in the little Con- necticut hamlet found sale in the South, mainly in Savannah, Ga., and for a long time brought in a fine income, but later in life Mr. Hull car- ried on only a repair shop, and devoted most of his time to farming. After a quiet but busy life, he died November 8, 1856. The only deep interest of his life, aside from his family, was his devotion to the Congregational Church.

¡ Mr. Hull was married, April 21, 1814, to Lucy B. Phelps, daughter of Alexander Phelps, a Revolutionary soldier who lost a leg at the battle of Monmouth ; he resided the rest of his life in Killingworth, passing his later years at the honte of Heman Hull, and surviving to the ripe age of ninety-one. His remains sleep in the old cemetery in the Union District.

Philander Hull, the father of Sylvester P., was born in Killingworth, December 20, 1817, and occupied his early life in work on the farm, going to the district school, and in learning the mysteries of uppers and last in his father's shop. But this was not the bent of his mind, as he had an inclination for mechanics. When eighteen years old he was able to convince

a company of his ability, and he was employed to superintend the placing of machinery at Elk River, Va., where a factory was started for the manufacture of axe handles. The company owned 105,000 acres of timber land, and young Mr. Hull built lathes, rigged saws, etc., and did the overseeing of similar work in that factory, remaining in that State for several years. Returning home, he assisted his father for several succeeding years, all the time look- ing out for a suitable opening in his preferred line. Finally he was enabled to build a steam powier factory in partnership with Charles B. Wright, at Niagara Falls, N. Y., for the man- ufacture of axe handles, the firm being known as Wright & Hull, and later a company was formed, and a factory was erected at Union Springs, N. Y., where axe handles were the produkt. Mr. Hull was the manager. He was also interested in the works at Penn Yan and Ithaca, N. Y., the product of some of these factories being for Ira Blood, of Ballston, N. Y., who purchased only first-class handles for all kinds of edge tools.

For some years Mr. Hull continued to re- side in Union Springs, N. Y., but later he sold his interest to Mr. Wright and returned to Killingworth, Conn., where he erected a shop, in the Union District, near the home- stead, and manufactured axe handles by water power. He disposed of this some twelve years afterward, to accept an offer from the firm of Henry Hooker & Company, of New Haven, extensive carriage manufacturers, and entered their employ as an overseer of machinery and of the manufacture of shafts and poles. This was congenial work, and until he was seventy years old he retained this position. Having accumulated a competency, he then decided to spend the remainder of his life in ease. Com- ing to Clinton, he became a welcome addition to the family of our subject, where he re- mained until the close of his life, his death occurring June 19, 1898, from paralysis. His connection with the Republican party was long, but he would never accept office. Mr. Hull married Sarah Griswold, who was born April 22, 1820, in Killingworth, daughter of Ashbel Griswold, a farmer of the town. She died De- cember 20, 1847, the mother of two children : Sylvester P .; and Sarah Lydia, who married George H. Dayton, superintendent of the Hooker factory, at New Haven, Conn., and has two children, Nettie J. and Fred L.

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Sylvester P. Hull was born August 6, 1844, in Killingworth, and attended the district schools. Later he became a student in a high school at Killingworth, which his father did much to establish, and which was under the care of college graduates, and was also under instruction at the Clinton Academy; subse- quently he was sent by his indulgent father to the Eastman Business College, at Poughkeep- sie, N. Y., in 1863. Returning home, he as- sisted his father, working on the farm during the summers, and in the shop in the winters, until his father disposed of the farm. Being an expert bookkeeper, he went to Middletown, and there was given charge of the books of the Victor Sewing Machine Company, remaining in that position for eight years, at the end of which time he was sent by the company to Chicago, Ill., where he was made cashier of the agency; this was the largest wholesale house of the company. Two years later the company decided to go out of business and Mr. Hull returned to New Haven, Conn., and later came to Clinton, this State, where he located and married.

On July 28, 1881, Mr. Hull married Weal- tha M. Hilliard, of Clinton, daughter of George B. and Harriet N. (Dudley) Hilliard, and two children have blessed this union : Mary Eliot, born February 5, 1884, and George Sylves- ter, born December 7, 1885. Although an ar- dent Republican, Mr. Hull is not an office seeker, and for twenty years has given his close attention to his business. With something of the mechanical genius of his father, he taught himself watch and clock repairing, and is considered one of the best of workmen ; he carries a stock of goods in this line. His pres- ent home is a very tasteful and attractive one in which he has made many substantial alter- ations. His connection with the Congregational Church has been a long one, and during his residence in Middletown he was clerk of the society there and also assistant superintendent of the Sunday-school. Both he and wife are active members of the Clinton Church, where they are highly esteemed.

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Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 104

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago : Beers Number of Pages: 1502

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : Beers
Number of Pages: 1502