Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 114

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

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sity, class of 1899, married George H. Brag- don of Minneapolis, and has a son Winthrop; Walter B. died aged twelve years; Arthur E. graduated from the Middletown High School in the class of 1902; and Marion B. (2) Mrs. Joseph T. Elliott is the second. (3) Miss Fannie J. lives in Middletown. The father lived to the age of seventy-nine, and entered into rest highly respected by all who knew him, and his wife passed away aged seventy- four. Both sleep in Indian Hill cemetery.

CHARLES H. HUBBARD, M. D. The family of which Dr. Hubbard is a worthy rep- resentative has been known in the State of Connecticut since 1635, when George Hubbard brought his wife Mary from; England, and set- tled in Hartford. His death occurred in Guil- ford, where he left a family of four sons and five daughters, the eldest being John, the direct ancestor of this branch of the family. The Doctor's great-grandfather was David Hjub- bard, who died in Montreal, Canada, in 1760, while serving as a captain in the ariny which had been under Wolfe.

Nathaniel Hubbard, son of David, born in 1758, was the Doctor's grandfather. He was four times married, Flora Hubbard, Eunice Alvord, Sarah Kingsbury and Ruth Hale being his wives. He had a large family, the youngest. of which, Denison, born in 1805, was the father of our subject. Nathaniel Hubbard engaged quite extensively in farming in Bolton, Conn. He was identified in politics with the Whigs.

Denison Hubbard was born in Bolton, Tol- land Co., Conn., and his education was re- ceived in the common schools, and also at Bacon 'Academy, at Colchester, an excellent school which is still in existence, and he was also provided with a private tutor, by whom he was taught Latin and the higher branches. His first medical education was obtained un- der the able instruction of Dr. Talcott, of Clinton (then Killingworth), and he later took a course in Yale Medical School, from which he graduated in 1829. Locating in Glaston- bury, he married there, and then removed to Bloomfield, Conn., where his son, Charles H., was born. Dr. Hubbard later came to Clinton, where, after a successful practice of forty years, he died, lamented by the whole com- munity, who had so long relied upon his skill and sympathetic care. In politics he was orig- inally an Abolitionist, but later in life united

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with the Republican party; during the early agitation of the slavery question he came out boldly as an Abolitionist, at a time when few ventured to express decided opinions, and he was an ardent admirer of Wendell Phillips and William Lloyd Garrison. He could never be induced to accept any political office. For many years he was a consistent member of the Congregational Church of Clinton, which he served as trustee, always taking an active part in church affairs. Dr. Hubbard married Pamela A. Hubbard, who was born in Glas- tonbury in 1811 and died in Clinton in 1864. She was a daughter of David E. and Pamela (Hollister) Hubbard, the former of whom was a son of Eleazer (born in 1736) and Lois (Wright) Hubbard, and a grandson of David and Prudence (Goodrich) Hubbard. The ma- ternal grandfather of our subject was a promi- nent man in Glastonbury, served as town rep- resentative repeatedly, and was judge of pro- bate. He engaged in farming, became a mer- chant in Eastbury, and was regarded as a leading citizen. To Dr. and Mrs. Hubbard were born: Charles H., our subject : Edward' D., who died in July, 1864, at the Cumberland Hospital, where he was serving as a medical cadet, not having completed his medical edu- cion : and Mary J., deceased.

Charles H. Hubbard was born in Bloom- feld, Hartford Co., Conn., July 31, 1836, and came with his parents to Clinton, this county, when but eight years old. Itis early education was obtained in the common schools and Clinton Academy. and later he became a student of Willis- ton Seminary, at Easthampton, Mass., in the class of 1853. Ill health necessitated the discontinuance of his studies, and after a rest he engaged in teaching, passing the succeeding three years in the pursuit of this profession at the Massachusetts Reform School at Westboro. Mass. It was while there engaged that he began the study of medicine. Later he en- gaged in study with his father, and completed his medical training in the Medical Department of Yale College, graduating in January, 1860. In July of that year young Dr. Hubbard lo- cated in Essex, succeeding Dr. Shephard, who had died the preceding April. Ever since lo- cating in the vicinity he has been in active prac- tice, and is now considered the leading phy- sician of the town and of the southern part of Middlesex county. Endowed with a pleasant 40

personality, and devoted to his work, Dr. Hub- bard has won his way into the confidence of his patients and by a large number is regarded in the light of a sympathetic friend as well as skillful and trusted physician. His reading is extensive, and covers all new discoveries in his beloved science.

In politics Dr. Hubbard belongs to the Re- publican party, but his busy life has left him lit- tle time to devote to party affairs. Always deeply interested in educational matters, for twenty-five years he has served on the board of education, much of the time as acting school visitor, and for many years has been the health officer and medical examiner. For the past forty-two years Dr. Hubbard has been a con- sistent and valued member of the Essex Con- gregational Church, during which time he has generously given time and means to its sup- port. His family is also connected with that society. Socially the Doctor is a Mason, be- longing to the Blue Lodge. He is a member of both County and State Medical Societies.

The marriage of Dr. Hubbard. celebrated in 1862, was to Cherrilla G. Conklin, a native of Essex, born in 1838, daughter of George and Mary (Griswold) Conklin. To this union have been born : Mary P., who married Charles R. Bishop, of New Haven, and has one daughter, Alice; Jennie D. ; Carrie C., de- ceased : Charles E., who resides in Hartford. married Mary E. Chamberlain, and is the finan- cial officer of the Hartford & Farmington Street Railway Company: and Georgie, who married Edward A. Burdett, of New Canaan, Connecticut.

HON. E. IRVING BELL, one of Port- land's most prominent business men and pub- lic spirited citizens, is a gentleman whose ac- quaintance and reputation are not confined to his town or county. His activity in various lines has widened his field of usefulness far beyond the limits of his native town, where he resides-yet Portland justly claims him. Mr. Bell is distinctively a product of this town. and is of the type of citizen that any com- minnity would be proud to claim. He was born September 17. 1818 the youngest son of Edwin and Prudence M. ( Abbey ) Bell. The boyhood days of Mr. Bell were spent in Portland, where he attended the public schools. Those institutions, while inferior to the present schools, served to furnish the form-

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dation of a more advanced education, which was secured elsewhere. He attended Chase's School at Middletown, which was unsurpassed in its day. Mr. Bell also attended the Eastman Business college, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and was graduated from that institution in July, 1866, thus concluding his schooling. Before this time he had gained some knowledge of business, and while a student at Chase's Insti- tute was a clerk in the shoe store of David Hale. In 1868 he went into business for him- self at a time when his age necessitated it being carried on under his father's name, Edwin Bell & Sons.

Mr. Bell began operating the flour and grist mill at Portland, a business wholly new to him, but which became very successful un- der his management. He readily adapted him- self to it, and continued it until its destruction by fire in 1884. After that catastrophe Mr. Bell established the business which has re- sulted in the Connecticut Steam Brown Stone Company, of which he is president, general manager and treasurer, and his son, Harry C. Bell, secretary. Mr. Bell conducted the orig- inal plant alone for the first seven years of its history, when in 1891 it went into the hands of its present ownership. The com- pany is now capitalized at $100,000, and has excellent dock and railroad facilities, private track connecting the mill and quarries above and below the river front, with two large and powerful traveling derricks that cover areas 60x200 feet and 45x200 feet respectively. The mill has all the modern appliances needed to reduce the raw stone to forms and designs heretofore only found in wood. Skilled work- men are employed and the stone is prepared in accordance with the plans of the architect, and each piece is properly numbered and is sent on ready for insertion in its place in the dis- tant building. Bridge work is also an import- ant product of the plant, and all the cut stone for the abutment work of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad is furnished by this company. The business in Portland brown stone does not comprise the whole product, as all kinds of sandstone, freestone and lime- stone are cut and prepared, and standard sizes, such as are used in ordinary building opera- tions, are kept in stock.

Mr. Bell's identification with this enter- prise by no means concludes his association with important business undertakings. From

the time of casting his first vote he has taken a deep interest in political affairs, and from that moment he has been prominent in town matters. Always a Republican, but by no means a politician, he has in view the welfare of the country, and in party deliberations has been an influential adviser and leader. Mr. Bell represented Portland in the State Legis- lature in 1889-90, and was a member of the committee on Appropriations. He was a dele- gate to the Republican National Convention at Minneapolis in 1892. Mr. Bell is a direc- tor of the Middlesex County National Bank, of Middletown, a trustee of the Freestone Sav- ings Bank of Portland, and was at one time the vice-president of the old Shaler & Hall Quarry Company, of which he is at present a director. He is president of the Portland Building Association, secretary and treasurer of the Portland Wharf Company, president of the Freestone Building Association, and presi- dent of the Portland Club since its organiza- tion in 1884.

Mr. Bell has for some years been promi- nent in the business, social and secret organ- izations of the town, and has taken a great in- terest in, as well as lending a helping hand to, any and all movements for the town's good. A Thirty-second Degree Mason, he is well versed in the mystic lore of the order. He is a mem- ber of Warren Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M. at Portland; Freestone Chapter, No. 34, R. A. M., Cyrene Commandery No. 8, K. T., of Mid- dletown; Charter Oak Lodge of Perfection ; Hartford Council, P. of J. ; and Cyrus Goodell Chapter of Hartford; the Connecticut Con- sistory of Norwich; and of Putnam Phalanx of Hartford. He is a trustee of the Connecti- cut Hospital for the Insane in Middletown, first being appointed by Governor Cooke. He is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, in which he is a vestryman. A time-honored name as that of Bell is in Portland does not retrograde when such' men are numbered among its descendants, and the high precedent established by its ancestors is not only respect- ed, but perpetuated on the same lofty plane.

In 1870 Mr. Bell was married (first) to Miss Hettie M. Cooper, a daughter of Henry S. and Julia ( Kelsey) Cooper. Through this family was established the connection with the old Griffith and Clark families, long established in the town of Haddam. Mrs. Bell died Oc- tober 12, 1883, leaving one son, Harry C., of

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whom mention has already been made. The present Mrs. Bell was Miss Elizabeth Ronalds, of Middletown, a daughter of A. Walter and Elizabeth Hamilton Ronalds. She is the mother of one child, Barbara Abbey, born No- vember 7, 1887.

THE RONALDS FAMILY is one of the oldest in Scotland, and has a genealogy that reaches back to Ronald, Earl of Marca, who was created Earl of Zetland, and sovereign of the Orkney Islands, by Harold Harfragh, King of Norway, A. D. 875. Earl Ronald was for a time deprived of his sovereignty, which was conferred upon his brother, Sigwid; but he was restored in 915. There are few fami- lies who can trace an unbroken line back over a thousand years without a break, and feel that royal blood courses in their veins. The trunk of Mrs. Bell's ancestral tree descends through Earls Einer, Sigard II, to Erland, cousin of William of Normandy, who con- quered England, and was a great-grandson of Earl Ronald. Earl Magnus VI was the last male of Norwegian earls of Orkney and Shet- land. His successor was Margaret, countess of Orkney and Shetland, who married Malise, Earl of Stratherne. John, Earl of Orkney and Caithness, sixth in descent from Countess Mar- garet, surrendered the islands to the King of Scotland, renouncing his allegiance to Norway. Allied to this ancient family are the royal houses of France, Spain, England and Prus- sia. Earl John, the fourth from Margaret, by another branch, finding his title to the sov- ereignty disputed, put himself at the head of the Norwegians, and in honor of his illustrious ancestor took the name of Ronald, and it has since been borne by his descendants as a sur- name. This warrior married the granddaugh- ter of King Robert Bruce (2) in 1409, and their son, Earl Jolin, was a Counselor of State to King James IV. Sir Patrick Ronalds, born in 1540, was one of those who assisted in the impeachment and imprisonment of Queen Mary. His son, Patrick, dropped the "Sir." and married Mary, daughter of Sir Robert Stewart. Patrick's son John fought with the King against Cromwell, escaped to France and returned after the Restoration. His grandson. Lieut. Gen. Sir John Ronalds. K. B., added the final "s" to his name: he was a dis- tinguished soldier in the British army, and died at Calcutta. The entire record of the gen- calogy shows that the Ronalds were prominent

people in their native land for many hundred years, and were far more than ordinary High- landers. The genealogy is in the family regis- ter, Lyon office, Edinburgh, Scotland, and a copy is in the possession of Peter L. Ronalds, Newtown, Fairchild Co., Connecticut.

A. Walter Ronalds, the father of Mrs. Bell, was born in the west of Scotland in 1824, and his wife, Elizabeth Hamilton, was born in May, 1826, in Paisley, Scotland, a daughter of Henry and Jane (Wilson) Hamilton. Mr. Ronalds and his wife were married in Scot- land, and in February, 1853, sailed from Glas- gow, landing in New York after one month on the water. With them were their two children, Jane and James. Walter Ronalds was a cooper, and worked at his trade in Mid- dletown, until his death in 1877. Of his nine children all lived to adult age. excepting one. Grace, who died at the age of five years ; Jennie (Jane) is Mrs. William Stevens, of Middle- town; James died when twenty-four in Mid- dletown; Mary married Edward Smith, of Middletown, and died in 1898; Miss Barbara (lied at the age of eighteen : Elizabeth is Mrs. Bell; Henry died in Middletown at the age of twenty-two; Walter married Ida Pitt, and lives in Bridgeport ; and Zilla married Ward Lewis, and lives in Pittsfield, Mass. Mrs. Walter Ronalds is yet living, and has her home in Middletown, where she is highly respected.

THE BELL FAMILY in Portland dates back to the very first years of the last century. the progenitor being George Bell, a native of South Glastonbury, who, when a young man and unmarried, located as a blacksmith in a settlement that is now called Gildersleeve, where he did considerable work in the ship- vards. The family had been residents of his native town since before 1750. George Bell was born in 1783. in the vicinity of Bell's Hill, a son of Elizur Bell, who was a soldier in the war of the American Revolution, where he served as a sharpshooter. George Bell was a soldier in the war of 1812, and received a grant of government land in recognition of his services. On December 1, 1803. by Dr. Strong, he was married to Anna Crosby, of Chatham, who was born in 1785, a daughter of John and S. (Kellogg) Crosby, and who died in Portland, August 30, 1869, at the age of eighty-four, and was buried at Center cem- ctery. To George Bell and wife were born the following children: (1) Charles, born in

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1804, died August 3, 1838. He married Louisa Belden, of Cromwell, learned the black- smith trade under the instructions of his fa- ther, and was employed in Portland in the stone quarries, where he died. By his wife, Louisa Belden, of Cromwell, he had three children, Lucy, Charles and Anna, all now deceased. George and Anna Francis, children of Lucy (Bell) Francis, are his only descendants. (2) Celestia married Preston Dixon, died in Mich- igan at the age of seventy-five, leaving two children : George, who lives in California; and Mariah, who married Smith Kellogg. (3) Edwin was the third child. (4) Hannah, born in 1813, died in 1858. She married William L. Dixon, ship carpenter at Gildersleeve, who died March 4, 1877. They left three children : Henrietta, who married Elijah Ackley ; Ellen, who married Frank Ackley; and William C., who died at the age of twenty-two. (5) Prudence died in August, 1845. She was the second wife of Israel Warner, of Crom- well, and left one daughter, Prudence, now Mrs. Frank Reynolds, of Detroit. (6) George W., born February 22, 1822, married Helen M. Hopkins, a native of Utica, New York, and has one daughter, Helen G., born Septem- ber 3, 1850, who is now at home. Mr. Bell learned the blacksmith trade under the instruc- tions of his father. and worked at the trade until his sixty-fifth year. He is living in Port- land. (7) Mary A., born in 1826, died May 26, 1888. She married Frank Hickock, of Rocky Hill, and became the mother of the following children: Mary, now Mrs. Scran- ton, of Middletown; George, of Indianapolis, Indiana: Lewis, of Bridgeport; Charles, who died in Chicago in 1898; and Jennie, of Bridge- port.

Mr. Bell, the father of the above family, was an industrious and hard-working man, and had a good reputation as a mechanic. He gave up his trade for years before his death, but occasionally did small jobs at it. He was a man of large proportions, and in the latter years of his life weighed about three hundred pounds. His death, which occurred February II, 1857, was sudden, as he was sick but twenty-four hours. He was an active member of the Congregational Church, and was a man with few, if any, enemies, but a host of warm friends, who loved him for his manly qualities and his plain and unassuming virtues. In politics he was a Whig, and then

became a Republican, voting regularly, but taking little interest in the manipulations of the party organization. At his death he left a comfortable competence, notwithstanding the loss of $2,000, a sum in those days not easily acquired. His widow survived a number of years, and both are buried in Portland.

Edwin Bell, son of George, was born at his father's homestead, Gildersleeve, Decem- ber 26, 1811. While still a boy he learned the trade of blacksmith in his father's shop, which was across the road from his home. He at- tended the neighboring school, and engaged at his trade while yet in his teens. He was fond of recalling his boyhood experiences, such as driving a single ox to a cart carrying iron down to the ship yard under the old elm, now standing near the Brainerd quarry office. When he was twenty-one he entered the em- ploy of the Middlesex Quarry Company as a 'blacksmith, but later in life he was in busi- ness for himself. At one time he was a part- ner with his brother Charles, and later with his brother George W. For a time he was in the Shaler & Hall quarry, and afterwards went back to the Middlesex quarry, continuing in this business in all about forty-three years. He retired in 1875. Mr. Bell was first mar- ried December 18, 1833, by the Rev. Harvey Talcott, to Miss Prudence M. Abbey, daugh- ter of Asaph and Ruth ( Hollister ) Abbey.

Of the Abbey Family to which Mrs. Bell belonged, her grandfather, Samuel Abbey, born 1726, died August 10, 1806, was the keeper of the old "Abbey tavern." He was also a store-keeper, and used to ride on horse- back to Boston to buy his goods. This old tavern was one of the best known inns in the Connecticut river valley, and for more than a hundred years it was not out of the hands of the Abbey family. Samuel Abbey was twice married. His first wife died and left a family of eleven children. He married, for a second wlife, a widow, Mrs. Leland, of Grafton, Mass. She was also the mother of eleven children by her first husband, and one of these eleven children married Andrew Shepard, and was the paternal grandmother of Nelson Shepard, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Asaph Abbey was the only child of his parents by their second marriage. He had twenty-two half brothers and sisters, an in- cident somewhat rare in genealogical records. Asaph Abbey, born August 26, 1776, and

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Ruth Hollister, born October 25, 1781, were married June 1, 1800. They became the parents of a family of thirteen children: (I) Ainson, born March 9, 1801, married Clarissa Taylor, of Glastonbury, and moved to Penn- sylvania. (2) Pamelia, born July 19, 1802, married Russell Pelton, of Portland, and died in Cleveland, Ohio. (3) Asaph, born January 26, 1804, was a peddler of Yankee notions, traveling over the central West. He married in Pennsylvania, and died in Cleveland. He was of a fun loving nature, and a man of many friends. (4) David, born September 9, 1805, was a hardware merchant in Cleveland, where he died. Previous to locating there, he had been in business in Akron, Ohio, and Pittsburg, Pa. He married Sarah Snow, of Chester,

Conn. (5) Russell, born February 3, 1807, died at Chicago, Ill. He was a peddler in his early life, and was later a merchant at Akron, Ohio. Joining a party during the gold excite- ment, he made the journey overland to Cali- fornia, and was one of the two members of the party that survived the trip. Later he was in business in Chicago, and was a heavy loser in the great fire. (6) Ruth, born October 27, 1808, married Charles Shepard, went to Min- nesota with her husband, where she died. (7) Prudence, born March 18, 1811, married Edwin Bell, and died in Portland. (8) Sarah A., born January 20, 1813, married Charles Bartlett, and lives in Cleveland, Ohio. (9) Cap- tain William' W., born October 18, 1814, re- sides at Glastonbury. All his life has been passed as a farmer, except for the six years he was in the butcher business at Portland. He was married three times, and to each union came children, of whom five are now living. As early as 1840, he was a captain in a rifle company, and when the Civil war broke out he raised a company of men for the govern- ment. This became Company H, Twenty-fifth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and he was commissioned its captain, and served a year at the front, even though forty-eight years old. (10) Henry A., born November 10, 1816. died at the age of four years. ( 11) Grove N .. born August 19, 1818, went to AAkron Ohio. and worked for his brother David, later be- coming his partner. He then went to Chicago, and had his business burned out by the big fire ; he died in that city. ( 12) Samuel, born April 13, 1820, died in Sandwich, 111. He was a peddler when a young man, but later

he settled in Illinois, where he was a traveling salesman for his brothers, then in business in Chicago. (13) Lucy, born November 1, 1825, married James D. Johnson, of Portland, and now lives in Chicago. Asaph Abbey, the father of this family, was an extensive farmer, owning a place of 300 acres, which he had purchased from the estate of his father, Sam- uel Abbey, and it was the family homestead for many years. He was a captain in the old militia. Very strict in his religious views, he was a faithful member of the Portland Con- gregational Church, and his children were sup- posed to go to church every Sunday that the weather would permit. He died at his home, December 17, 1831, and is buried at Center cemetery, Portland. His widow died in Cleve- land, February 20, 1868, and was buried there.

On September 13, 1852, Edwin Bell was married by the Rev. Harvey Talcott, to his second wife, Harriett A. Abbey, daughter of Anson and Clarissa ( Taylor) Abbey. Her parents removed to Wayne county, Pa., where they went the way of the world in good time. The third wife of Mr. Edwin Bell was Delia M. White, a daughter of Captain Evelyn White, of Portland, and she died July 31, 1899. They were married February 1, 1865, by the Rev. A. C. Dennison.

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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 114

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