Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 140

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 140

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On Jamiary 13. 1800. Henry M. Chase married Miss Julia A. V. Corey, of New York. daughter of William E. and Charlotte ( Brewer ) Corey, and they have one son. Hen- ry Francis, The latter spent two years at Cornell University, then took up a business

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career, and at the present time is employed in the New York office of the W. & B. Douglas Company ; he married Miss Corinne Adams, of New York. Henry M. Chase is a supporter of the principles of the Republican party, but has neither sought nor accepted office.

DANIEL W. CHASE, third son of Daniel H. and Caroline E. Chase, was born March 18, 1850, in Middletown, in the same build- ing where his brother Henry M. first saw the light. His education was secured under his father's excellent tuition, and in his twentieth year, February 8, 1870, he entered the office of the Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, as clerk, in the service of which company he has ever since continued-a period of nearly one-third of a century; for several years he has been its assistant secretary.

On April 1, 1897, Daniel W. Chase was married in Middletown to Miss Grace A. Thomas, born in Waterbury, Conn., daughter of Ralph I. and Louise (Bement) Thomas, the latter of whom was a daughter . of Jo- seph Bement. Ralph I. Thomas was a native of Thomaston, Conn., and a son of David and Abigail (Smith) Thomas; he died when his daughter Grace was but a child. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel W. Chase have one child, Eldon, born September 19, 1898. Mrs. Chase is a mem- ber of the South Congregational Church. Their elegant home on Church street, opposite Broad, was completed in 1898.

Daniel W. Chase has always been a Re- publican, his first Presidential vote having been cast for Gen. Grant. He was one of the organizers of the Columbia Trust Company, and has been a director thereof ever since; he is a Middletown representative of the London & Lancashire Fire Insurance Company.

LEONARD BAILEY, M. D., of Middle- town, is one of the oldest practitioners in Mid- dlesex county, and his forty years of continu- ous practice have been singularly useful and fruitful. He has always had a wide patron- age, has been a devoted adherent to the best ideals of his profession, and is now in very comfortable circumstances.

Dr. Bailey springs from one of the old and honored families of Middlesex county, where his ancestors have trodden the soil for almost two hundred forty years. His first ancestor in America, John Baylie, was one of the original proprietors of Haddam, making his first settle-

ment with the others at what was then called Thirty-Mile Island, now a part of Haddam. John Baylie came from Hartford, and located above Mill creek. He had three sons, John, Benjamin and Nathaniel.

Christopher Bailey, the grandfather of Dr. Leonard, was a soldier in the war of the Revo- lution, serving in the Tenth Connecticut Regi- ment under the command of Col. James Wads- orth. He fought valiantly for his country for six years. Many years afterward he was asked by some one if he had been drafted. He in- dignantly replied, "Drafted? No. When my country called for me I went. I did not wait to be drafted."

Benjamin Bailey, the Doctor's father, was born at Haddam May 20, 1791, and died De- cember 13, 1872. He married January 3, 1817, Lauranna, daughter of Captain Charles Tryon, and they had nine children, of whom Leonard was the youngest son.

Leonard Bailey was born in what is now Higganum, in the town of Haddam, January I, 1836, and obtained his elementary educa- tion in the district school, where Benjamin Turner and John Cool were among his earlier instructors. In Brainerd Academy Lewis Bowden was one of the teachers. Dr. Bailey began the study of medicine in Philadelphia, and was graduated in 1857, standing fifth in a class of forty. Profs. S. D. Gross, Pancoast, Wood and Dunglison were the principal in- structors in the institution at that time. Dr. Bailey was the youngest member in his class, being only a few months over twenty-one, and of the six distinguished gentlemen whose names appear on his diploma, five have passed away, Dr. Marshall Caulkins, now one of the most famous practitioners of Massachusetts, being the sole survivor. At the age of twenty- two Dr. Bailey came to Middletown, practiced in the office of Dr. Burr for a time, and then went to East Haddam. In 1861 he came back to Middletown, and in 1863 and 1864 attended a course of lectures at Philadelphia, where he became associated with some of the most em- inent medical men of the day. He finally set- tled at Middletown 'with the determination to make that city his permanent home, though the prospect was not flattering, for there were at that time ten physicians in the city, the great- er number of whom were old residents. He went quietly to work, devoting every leisure moment to the acquisition of professional

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knowledge, and availing himself of every means to insure success. His first cases prov- ing unusually successful, his practice gradu- ally increased until it became very lucrative.

Dr. Bailey began practice unaided and alone, and whatever success he has achieved is to be placed to the credit of his character and ability. He is a tender-hearted man, and many are the deeds of kindness that have been done by him, known only by the reports of the grate- ful beneficiaries. He is an active and energetic man, and well preserved for his advanced years. He has been a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity since 1867. Professionally he is a member of the Eclectic Medical Asso- ciation, and of the National Eclectic Associa- tion. He and Mrs. Bailey belong to the Epis- copal Church.

The Doctor married, February 3, 1863, Miss Sarah J. Robinson, of Portland, daugh- ter of Burriage Robinson, who married a Bill- ings.

Dr. Bailey has voted the Republican ticket from the first election of Abraham Lincoln, and he has supported the candidates of that party except in 1872, when he voted for Hor- ace Grecley. Dr. Bailey's personal popularity would naturally draw him into public life, but for this he has neither taste nor inclination. He is a member of the Middletown common coun- cil, but his chief anxiety in connection with that office is that the schools of Middletown be kept at the point of their greatest efficiency.

JOHN NETTLETON, a substantial and one of the most respected farmers of the town of Middlefield, Middlesex county, was born in Durham town December 18, 1838, and comes of a very old Connecticut family of English origin.

Samuel Nettleton, the founder of the fani- ily in Connecticut, was among those who bought Totoket ( Branford) for a settlement and came to occupy it early in 1664. His wife's name was Maria. He died in Fairfield, and his descendants are numerous in Killingworth, Durham, Madison and Guilford.

Eliphaz Nettleton, grandfather of the gen- tleman whose name opens this review, was born about 1780, in Killingworth, located in Durham when a young man, and carried on farming in the south end of the town the re- mainder of his life. His wife, Lydia, was born about 1768, and died October 28, 1860. They

had eight children, namely: Joseph will pres- ently be further mentioned; Maria was first married to Stephen Buckley, and later to Jer- emiah Bailey, and lived and died in Durham; Polly, wife of Selden Stevens, died near New Haven; Harriet was married to Osmar Fow- ler, and died in Durham; Henry E., twin of Harriet, became the father of Henry I. Net- tleton, of whom full mention is made else- where; James married a Mrs. Dunham, was a farmer, lived in Durham for some time, and died in the West; Isaiah died when a young man, December 11, 1836; Amanda was mar- ried to Edward Hawley, a farmer, who lived in Durham, near the Guilford town linc.

Joseph Nettleton 'was a farmer in Dur- ham town, near the line of Madison town, New Haven county, and took a leading part in the construction of the Durham and Madison turn- pike. He married Esther Bailey, of Haddam, and to their union the following named chil- dren were born: Sarah Ann married Nathan G. K. Southwick, and died in Middletown; Lydia was accidentally scalded to death when three years old; Abel married Prudence Me- lora Thompson, and is a farmer in Durham town, now well advanced in years; AAshel, a well-to-do farmer, died a bachelor in Durham, March 10, 1900; Fannie is the widow of Charles Johnson, and lives in Durham : Lydia is the widow of George Tuttle. a brick man- ufacturer in the Newfield District of Middle- town; Maria died when sixteen years old ; Laura resides in Durham, unmarried: John is the subject proper of this sketch; Samantha was first married to John B. Clark, who was a sol- dier in the Civil war (a sketch of John B. Clark, their son, will be found elsewhere ), and her second marriage was to Edwin Atkins ; their residence is in Durham.

John Nettleton attended the district schools until fifteen years old. lle lived on the home place, and worked in a tannery in addition to assisting on the farm until twenty-one years old, and then, for four years, was employed in the brickvards of George 1 .. Tuttle, in New- field : thence he went to Wallingford, where he followed teaming for some time, and thence to the Staddle Hill District, in Middletown. where he leased the farm of the late Ebenezer Jackson, who was then president of the Mid- dlesex Banking Company. For six years Mr. Nettleton cultivated that farm, and then came to Middlefield and bought the George R. Mil-

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ler farm, in the East District, on which he lived three years, at the end of that time dis- posing of it; it is now owned and occupied by A. R. Tucker. In April, 1878, Mr. Nettle- ton purchased his present tract of fifty-six acres, known as the "Luther Coe Farm," where he has since carried on general farming and stock dealing. His neat and well-kept place is situated in the northern part of Middlefield town, near the new Higby Mountain reser- voir.

Mr. Nettleton married Jane Tuttle, who was born October 26, 1838, daughter of Ly- man and Martha Tuttle, the former a brick manufacturer in Newfield. Mrs. Jane Nettle- ton was called away January 21, 1898, leaving her husband with five children to mourn their loss. These children were born in the follow- ing order: Earnest, whose farm adjoins that of his father, in Middlefield, married Jennie Hall, who has borne him two children, Seth E. ( who died when eleven montlis and ten days old), and Florence E. Jennie F. is at home. Joseph, a clerk in New Haven, married Nellie Umber. John is a clerk for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railway Company, at New Haven. Esther M. is the wife of Lewis Brazos, a member of the contracting firm of Brazos & Sons. of Middletown.

Personally Mr. Nettleton is of a gentle and sympathetic nature, is an excellent nurse and attendant at a sick bed, and has attended many of the men of his community when they were prostrated by illness. He worships at the Con- gregational Church, and in politics is a Demo- crat, but has never been an office seeker, neither has he ever been a member of any secret order. He is a conservative business man, has ever been a hard worker, and has been prosperous in all his undertakings. He has reared his family in respectability, and there is no man in his town more highly respected than him- self.

SOUTHMAYD. The family of this name stands among the oldest and most prom- inent of Middlesex county, and the present representatives rank among the highly re- spected and influential citizens of that county. The name "Southmeade" was recorded in Kent, England, prior to 1620. The first of the name of whom we have record, and the only one now known, was William South- meade, or Southmayd, who was born in Eng-

land in 1615. Tradition says that he was the second son of John Southmayd, of Wrey, Devonshire, England; an authority, supposed to be reliable, says he was the son of Sir Will- iam, of Devonshire. All of the Southmayds in this country, so far as known, are the lin- eal descendants of this William, the emigrant, who came to America and settled in Gloucester, Mass. (Cape Ann). That the family is one of respectability is evident from the many al- liances by marriage with various highly hon- ored houses in New England.

William Southmayd was married in Glou- cester, Mass., November 28, 1642, to Milli- cent Addez, eldest daughter of William Addez, of that place. William Southmayd was a sea captain by occupation, running on vessels ply- ing between Portland, Maine, Salem and Bos- ton, Mass., and New London, Conn. He later moved from Gloucester to Salem, Mass., where his two sons were born, the dates of their births being found in the town records there. He subsequently settled in Boston and there purchased a house in which he resided the rest of his days, dying there in 1646. It is sup- posed he left two sons, as follows: (I) John Southmayd was born in Salem October 26, 1643, and like his father was a sea captain. In 1648 he was assigned a portion of his fa- ther's estate. He died at sea, unmarried. (2) William, born in Salem, September 17, 1645, is mentioned below.

Millicent Southmayd, mother of John and William, and widow of the settler, for her sec- ond husband married, in 1651, Deacon Thom- as Boebe, and they at once moved to New London, when William, Jr., was five years old. Mrs. Millicent Southmayd died there in 1699, the mother of four children by her second marriage, among whose descendants are num- bered some of the very prominent people of New London. A brief record of these four children is as follows: (I) Thomas died un- married; (2) Hannah married John Hawks; (3) Millicent married Nicholas Darrow; (4) Rebeka married Nathaniel Holt, from whom the well known Holt family of New London descends.

William Southmayd, Jr., like his father and his brother John, was a vessel captain in the West Indian trade. He was the first of the family to come to Middletown. Tradi- tion says he came in 1655, but his name does not appear on the records until 1667. On

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June 16, 1675, he purchased of William Cheney, of Middletown, a house and lot of four acres in the town plot. The location was the square now between Court and Centre streets, from Main street to the Connecticut river. Capt. Southmayd afterward bought the lot of two acres situated on the corner of Main and Church streets, formerly known as "Plum Corner," five acres of which afterward fell into the hands of his son, Giles. He died in 1701. For his first wife he married, Octo- ber 16, 1673, Esther Hamlin, who was born December 15, 1655, in Middletown, daughter of Capt. Giles and Esther Hamlin. This wife died November 11, 1682, leaving five chil- dren, to-wit: (1) William born July 24, 1674, died in infancy ; (2) John, born August 23, 1676, graduated at Harvard College, and was for forty years minister of the Congrega- tional Church at Waterbury, where he died November 14, 1755; (3) William, born March 6, 1679, died when a young man; (4) Giles, born January 17, 1680, died May 27, 1728; (5) Esther, born October 28, 1682, died December 29, 1682.

For his second wife, Capt. Southmayd married Margaret Allyn, third daughter of Col. John Allyn, of Hartford, a very promi- nent man, who was secretary of the Hartford Colony for thirty-four years, and also served two years as acting governor during the ab- sence of Gov. Winthrop in England. She was a great-granddaughter of William Pynch- on, the founder of Springfield, Mass. The children by this marriage were: ( 1) Allyn. born in Hartford, February 7. 1685 ( when the mother was on a visit to her parents). died in St. John, Newfoundland, unmarried, at an advanced age. His wealth, which was large, reverted to the British crown. (2) Daniel, born in Middletown in September. 1687, died November 23. 1705. (3) Marga- ret, born August 11, 1691, died June 11. 1773. She married on February 9. 1720. Sammuel Gaylord, of Windsor, who died May 17. 1729. The house they occupied is now' standing in Middletown, on Washington street. it being the oldest house in town. Mr. Gay- lord was engaged in the West India trade with his father-in-law. For her second his band Margaret married, on September 30. 1730, Seth Wetmore, Sr., of Middletown. (4) Joseph, born March 15, 1695, will be more fully mentioned farther on. (5) William, 49

born January 9, 1699, died October 15, 1747. Purchasing a lot on the east side of Main street, he built a home, but died before it was finished. On March 26, 1729 he married Me- hitable Dwight, a daughter of Rev. Joseph and Mary ( Partridge) Dwight. (6) Milli- cent, born January 3, 1700, died December 12, 1717.

Joseph Southmayd, fourth in the above named family, was a farmer, shipmaster and shipbuilder. He settled on the home lot, pur- chased by his father from William Cheney, was appointed and commissioned captain of the Town Company, or train band ( militia), of Middletown, in 1728, and also represented his town in the General Assembly six sessions, from 1750 to 1756. For many years, from 1756 to his death, he was a Justice of the Quo- rum. He served on the committee with Ja- bez Hamlin and John Gaones to find a site on which to build the new North Church. in Mid- dletown, which stood on the present location of the Episcopal Church. Through his moth- er ( Margaret Allyn) he received title to a large tract of 150 acres of land in Durham. which was formerly owned by Col. John Allyn. Joseph Southmayd died June 8. 1772. Ile married Abiah Douglas, daughter of Rich- ard Douglas, of New London, who was a sea captain, and also captain of the first train band of New London. Their children were as fol- lows: (1) Margaret, born November 9. 1731, died January 28, 1775. She married July 21, 1752, Shubael Hibbard, of Windham county, Conn., who died January 20. 1755. On November 15, 1759, she married Daniel Gleason, of Middletown. (2) Joseph, bern October 2, 1733, died at sea when a young man. (3) Abiah, born October 17, 1735. married Ebenezer Sage, a brother of Gen. Comfort Sage. (4) Jonathan, born February 22. 1737, died June 7. 1797 ; he was a farmer and shipbuilder, and occupied the homestead of his father, becoming an active and influ- ential man. On November 20, 1762, he mar ried Martha Sage, danghter of Ebenezer Sage. (5) Daniel, born November 11, 1738, died February 5, 1828. (0) John die young.

Daniel Sonthmayd, fifth in the above men- tioned family, settled in Middletown and had a large farm on the west side of High street. near the present site of the "Sebor House." Later he removed to Durham, the date of his removal being about 1800. He was sergeant's

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mate in the Revolutionary army, in 1775. On December 4, 1760, he married Hannah, daugh- ter of William and Sarah Goodrich, very wealthy people. Mrs. Southmayd died No- vember 19, 1795, in Middletown. Their chil- dren : (I) Abiah, born May 13, 1761, died November 14, 1781. (2) Daniel, Jr., born August 8, 1763, was a sea captain. At the age of sixteen he served in the Revolutionary war. On December 1, 1796, he married, for his first wife, Patience Sellew, a native of Up- per Houses, now Cromwell, by which union there was no issue. His second wife was Eu- nice Bates, who died March 25, 1802, the mother of one son, William, who became the father of William P. Southmayd, who is men- tioned later. For his third wife, he married, on March 31, 1803, Olive Fairchild, who died April 17, 1821. Daniel, Jr., died in Durham June 6, 1838. (3) Hannah, born October 14, 1765, married Samuel Bates, of Durham; they removed to Hartland, Vt. (4) Joseph, born in Middletown March 2, 1768, died Septem- ber 2, 1824. (5) Sarah, born August 28, 1770, married Richard Hubbard, of Durham. (6) Anna, born January 28, 1773, married Isaac Newton, of Durham. (7) Elizabeth, born June II, 1775, died October 26, 1776. (8) John, born in 1782, died March 3, 1782.

Joseph Southmayd, fourth in the above mentioned family, was born in Middletown, but lived nearly all his life in Durham, where he was a large farmer. In 1814, he joined the Congregational Church. In 1815 he moved to Haddam, and the same year joined the Congregational Church at that place. There he remained until 1818, when he re- turned to Durham, and rejoined the church there. Being a very modest, kind-hearted man, he was not infrequently imposed upon, but he died well-to-do, on September 2, 1824. In 1793 he married Cynthia Freeman, who was born September 29, 1769, a native of East Hampton, and died July 14, 1851, at the home of Jonathan B. Southmayd, in Portland, Conn. Their children: (1) John B., born June 11, 1794, is mentioned farther on. (2) Jonathan B. was born March 2, 1797. (3) Freeman B., born May 26, 1801, died October 24, 1826, unmarried.

WILLIAM P. SOUTHMAYD, a prominent farmer, residing in the Westfield District of Middletown, is a grandson of Daniel South- mayd, Jr. William Southmayd, the father of

our subject, was born in 1800, in that part of Durham known as Crooked Lane, on the site of the house which is now occupied by our subject's brother, Samuel B., and when quite small removed with his parents to the farm now occupied by Nehemiah Burr, in Durham, which was a short distance west of his birth- place. There he resided until 1836, when he removed to the farm now occupied by his son Daniel C., in Durham, where he resided the rest of his life, and where he died in 1852; he was buried in Durham. Although he was a stanch Whig he never desired office of any kind, being a quiet, domestic man, but he did his duty as a citizen, and was a worthy mem- ber of the Congregational Church.

William Southmayd was married May 20, 1833, to Mary Ann Tucker, who was born Jan- uary 4, 1807, in North Madison, Conn., a daughter of James and Ruth (Coe) Tucker, the former of whom was a farmer in that lo- cality. Children as follows were born of this union : Samuel B., born April 29, 1834, inar- ried first, on November 20, 1856, Mary Jane Parsons, who died in 1859, leaving one son, Charles T .; his second marriage was to Ab- bie Cook Avery, who died February 9, 1894; he is a farmer of Durham. Daniel C., born October 9, 1841, married Jane E. Robinson, born April 2, 1851, and died September 27, 1893, leaving a daughter, Annabelle; he is a farmer of Durham. Ellen A. born April 9, 1844, died in 1849. William P. is mentioned below. After the death of William South- mayd, his widow married Emilius Boardman, born January 17, 1809, a native of Westfield, where she passed the rest of her life, dying April 2, 1883; her husband died five days pre- vious, and they were both buried in the old cemetery in Westfield.

William P. Southmayd was born October II, 1850, in Durham, Conn., on the farm now occupied by Daniel C. Southmayd, his elder brother, and received his schooling in Dur- ham, coming to Westfield with his mother at the time of her second marriage. There he at- tended the district school, and enjoyed one term in the well known school of Daniel H. Chase, in Middletown. With the exception of one year spent in New Britain, where he was employed in joiner's work, our subject has resided in Westfield and vicinity, engaged in joiner's work or agricultural pursuits, and a short time previous to his marriage purchased

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of Jacob Sawyer his present excellent farm, locating thereon when he was married, since when he has engaged in general farming very successfully.

On November 24, 1874, Mr. Southmayd was married to Miss Fannie C. De Mars, born February 18, 1850, in Westfield, daughter of Thomas and Lucy ( Rockwell) De Mars, and to this union have come two daughters : Lucy M., born November 8, 1878, a graduate of the New Britain Normal School, class of 1898, is now a successful teacher; Ellen A., born September 22, 1880, a graduate of the Connec- ticut Business College, of Middletown, class of 1899, is a successful stenographer. Al- though our subject is a stanch Republican, he is no office seeker ; however, he has served one term acceptably as justice of the peace. He is a member of Westfield Grange, and the en- tire family is prominent in the Congregational Church.

JOHN SOUTHMAYD, a well-to-do farmer of Durham, is a grandson of Daniel Southmayd by his third wife, and the family of which his father was a member consisted of Hunting- ton, father of John; Eunice, who married Ly- man Butler, a shoemaker, and lived in Dur- ham; Elisha, who married Sarah P. Brainerd, of Haddam, and was a farmer of Durham; Abiah, wife of Abner Rutty, a shoemaker of Durham; Samuel, who died when a young man; Daniel, Jr., who married Tamzin Hick- ox, and was a farmer of Durham; and Phebe Ann, wife of Henry Robinson, of Killing- worth, a carriage blacksmith of Durham and New Haven.

Huntington Southmayd, the father of Jolin, was born in 1805, in Durham, in the house now occupied by Nehemiah Burr, and there he lived until about thirty years of age. During his boyhood he attended the district schools, obtaining a fair education for his time. When thirty Huntington Southinayd pur- chased the farm now owned by his son, John, which was then a tract of good size. There he built a house, but later gave the property to Joli Southnayd, purchased the farm now in the possession of his son, Freeman, and there died, December 21, 1870. Although lie com- menced life a poor boy, by his industry he be- came wealthy ; was prominent in town affairs, holding the office of selectman for several years, and represented the town in the Legis lature for several terms, his last session being

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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 140

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