Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 141

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

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that of 1869 and 1870. He was a stanch Whig. In religious matters Huntington Southmayd was a Congregationalist, but was very liberal in his views. He enjoyed the friendship of many men. In personal appear- ance he was very commanding, and his out- door life gave him a fine physique. He mar- ried Marv A. Brainard, who was born in 1810, in Haddam, daughter of Sylvester Brainard, a farmer, who died in 1887. Their family was as follows : John; Freeman, a farmer of Dur- ham, unmarried; Mary ; and Emily, who mar- ried George Crouch, of Meriden.

John Southmayd was born July 22, 1833, in a house on his present farm located a little east of the one he now occupies. His educa- tion was obtained in the district schools and' the Durham Academy. After returning from school, he assisted his father on the farm, and finally received that property as a return for his faithful service. There he has since re- sided, extensively engaged in the breeding of blooded cattle and farming.

On July 8, 1856, Mr. Southmayd married Maria Clark, of Haddam, who was a daughter of Aaron and Alplia M. (Leach ) Clark, and to this union came one child, Herbert, now a farmer of Durham, born March 28, 1860. The latter married, on June 1, 1898, Mary .\. Lane, who was born November 5, 1862, in Guilford. daughter of Willis F. and Catherine A. (Nor- ton) Lane, both of whom are deceased. Her- bert Southmayd has one daughter, Nellie M.

John Southmayd is a stanch Republican in politics, but never takes any active part, for. although many times solicited to become a candidate for the various town offices, he pre- fers to exert his influence in a quiet manner, as a private citizen. His many excellent quali- ties have won for him the respect and esteem of his fellow townsmen, and he is justly re- garded as one of the representative men of Durham.

GEORGE M. SOUTHMAYD, who now lives a life of retirement in Durham, Middlesex county, is a citizen who has won the respect of the cominminity in his long and active ca- reer.

Col. John B. Southmayd, his father, was born June 11, 1704. in what is now known as the Haddam Quarter, in the town of Durham. There his youth was speut and there lie re- ceived his education, in the district schools. When a young man he came to Middletown

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and learned the trade of cabinetmaker under a Mr. Barnes, and later embarked in the furn- iture and undertaking business in a building that stood on the site of the Southmayd block, in Middletown, from 1815 until 1865, when he was succeeded by our subject. He died at the home of his daughter, Mary, in Worcester, Mass., in 1871.

Col. Southmayd was an enthusiastic mili- tary man, and filled the position of colonel of the Light Artillery, a local organization. On November 28, 1815, he married Elizabeth Perkins, of Bath, England, who was born July 5, 1795, in Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset- shire, England, daughter of George and Grace (Moon) Perkins, of Bristol, England, and died November 12, 1851, in Middletown. Eight children were born of this union as fol- lows: (I) Joseph, who married Jane Bowles, of Middle Haddam, Conn., was a cabinetmak- er. He served in the Civil war in the Second Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, and died in 1862, in Middletown. (2) Sarah E. mar- ried John P. Bacon, and is a resident of Mid- dletown. (3) Mary A. married (first ) John Hayden Kent, and ( second) Charles Wood, of Worcester, Mass., where she now resides. (4) George M. is mentioned below. (5) Emily G. married George Wilmot, and both are now deceased. (6) Grace P. married Rev. Phil- otus Dean, of Allegheny, a Congregational minister, who graduated from Yale in 1843. During the last sixteen years of his life he was professor of Natural Science in and prin- cipal of the Pittsburg high school; he was the author of a series of arithmetics. Mr. Dean died August 30, 1871, and to his memory the Alumni of the school erected a monument in the Unionville ( Pa. ) cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Dean had children-Augustus, in the insur- ance business at Chicago; Elizabeth P., de- ceased; and Daisy G., who married Edward G. Pearson, of Hartford. (7) Ogden A. married Lucy Richmond, and lives in Helena, Mont. (8) Cornelia died in infancy.

George M. Southmayd acquired his early education in the common schools, and after he had learned the trade of joiner worked in the shipyards of Decker & Brown, on East River, at the foot of 10th street, from 1847 to 1853. While residing in Danbury he was en- gaged in the furniture and undertaking busi- ness, from 1853 to 1865. During the progress of the Civil war he was a member of one of

the five companies (Company A, Eleventh Regiment) which were raised in Danbury, and served six months, participating in the battle of Newbern, N. C., following which his health failed, and he was obliged to resign, after a year's service. He assisted greatly in the re- cruiting service, his interest never failing as long as there was work in that line to be done. A very active Republican, in 1886 he was a representative in the Assembly, serving ac- ceptably on the committee on Humane Institu- tions, and he was also called upon to serve as member of the council and as alderman for several terms in Middletown, Conn .; during his administration many schemes of benefit to the community were successfully carried to completion. In 1893 he retired from active business.

The marriage of Mr. Southmayd to Caro- line O'Neill was celebrated June 18, 1848, and children as follows were born to this union: One that died in infancy ; Georgiana, who died young; George A., who married Martha At- kinson, and died in January, 1898 (he was engaged with his father in the undertaking business in Middletown) ; Elizabeth who mar- ried Dr. George A. Macdonald, of New York, and became the mother of ten children; Grace D., wife of William C. Hubbard, living in Durham; Carrie A., wife of Ernest Robin- son, also living in Durham; A. Lincoln, an un- dertaker of Middletown, who married Flor- ence Markham; Mary, who died in infancy ; J . Franklin, a graduate of Columbia University, and now a physician of New York, who mar- ried Katherine Farrar, of Yonkers, and has one daughter, Katherine; and Harry B., who died in infancy.

Mr. Southmayd is a valued member of Trinity Episcopal Church of Middletown, with which his wife also united. She died April 19, 1902. Fraternally he is a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 2, F. & A. M., and has been for many years a member of Mansfield Post, G. A. R.

WILLIAM B. SENGLAUB is one of the most popular and steady-going young men of Middletown. His friends are very numerous, and of all political faiths, for he has won his place in the good opinion of the community by his uniform courtesy and upright and reliable dealing with all who come to him.

Louis Senglaub, his father, was born in

Geo MeSouthmayo

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Saxony, Germany, in January, 1837, and came to the United States when about nineteen years old. When he first came to Middletown he was employed by Prof. Smith, of Wesleyan University, and from him learned his first English. He was afterward with Benjamin Douglas, and with Mr. Stroud, from whom he learned the machinist's trade, at which he worked in Waterbury, Bridgeport, New Ha- ven and elsewhere. He was a fine musician, and learned to play brass instruments under John Stack, and was almost invariably con- nected with some musical organization, wher- ever he might be. He was bandmaster of the Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers during the Civil war, and gave many concerts at the White House during President Lincoln's ad- ministration.

Louis Senglaub and Miss Eliza Prior were married in May, 1859. Mrs. Senglaub was born in Norwich, Conn., December 1I, 1841, daughter of Felix and Mary A. (Crosley) Prior, natives of Ireland, who were married there, and very soon afterward came to this country. They located in Norwich, Conn., but removed after some years to Middletown, where Felix Prior worked in shops; in the last years of his life he worked for the Russell Company, at South Farms. He lived to be sixty-five, and his wife to the age of fifty-five. They were buried in the Catholic cemetery in Middletown. They had four children, Eliza, Patrick, Bernard and Mary A., of whom Eliza was the only one who lived to marry, the other three dying young. Mr. and Mrs. Senglaub were the parents of three children, Nellie, Lulu and William B.

William B. Senglaub was born in Bridge- port, Conn., November 14, 1869, and was taken by his parents to Middletown when a year old, so that practically his entire life has been spent in that city. He attended the South school. and the Middletown high school, and then en- tered upon a business life as a clerk for Charles Schondorf, with whom he remained six years. Lle was then for four years with Thomas Walsh. His genial manners and courteous ways brought him into public notice, and the more he was brought before the public the bet- ter he was liked. h 1895 he was nominated on the Democratic ticket as town tax collec- tor, was easily elected, and was re-elected in 1897 by an increased majority, and he still holds the position, having been re-elected in

1899 and 1901. In 1896 he was elected city tax collector, to which office he has been re- elected each year since. In 1897 he was like- wise honored with election to the office of city school tax collector, in which he has also been retained by yearly re-elections, being thus de- clared by the people's votes to be the right man in the right place. He attends to the business of his incumbencies with the most scrupulous care. In business hours he can always be found in his office in the municipal building, where he meets all with a sincere de- sire to do the right thing. Mr. Senglaub is a Democrat in political faith, and cast his first Presidential vote for President Cleveland.

LUTHER B. YORK, who is now living retired in California, was among the highly re- spected citizens of Deep River, and for many years was one of the skilled workmen in the great firm of Pratt, Read & Co., of Deep River.

Solomon York, his father, was born in Sedgwick, Hancock Co., Maine, in which lo- cality the York family was an old and numer- ous one. Solomon was the youngest in a fam- ily of five children, three sons and two daugh- ters, all of whom grew to maturity. By occu- pation he was a fisherman, and followed that vocation all his life. He died in the town where he was born, and there his remains lie. . \1- though all through his seventy-two years he was an industrious man, and owned his own fishing vessels, he died poor. For many years he had ardently espoused the principles of the Republican party, and in his religious belief was a Baptist, hokling membership with the church in Sedgwick. Solomon York and Sar- ah Stinson, of Deer Isle, Maine, were married there, and she survived him but two years, dying at the age of sixty-four. The children of this marriage were: Charles F .. a cripple, never married, and died in Sedgwick, at the age of sixty years; Orilla F. is the wife of Thomas Alden, a merchant of Brooklyn. Maine, where they reside: Either B. is men- tioned below : Sarah Jane married AAngust Blake, and died in Brooklyn, Maine.

Luther B. York was born July 21. 18.38. in that. part of Sedgwick. Maine, which has since been set off and is now called Brooklyn. His educational advantages in boyhood were very limited, two months' attendance during the winters, until he was eighteen years old. being the average, as during the summers he

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was busy with his father in the fishing busi- ness. When he was twenty he went on the water, and continued that life for the succeed- ing five years, filling every position on a boat from that of cook to that of captain. His earn- ings were small, and until the death of his parents he contributed to their support. Fi- nally he became captain of a fishing vessel of forty tons, which was owned in Sedgwick, and until 1863 was engaged in the fishing trade along the New England coast, between Sedg- wick and Boston, but gave the business up and went to Boston to look up something more remunerative. For one winter he drove a horse car there, and was later employed in organ bellows making in the organ factory of S. B. & H. W. Smith, of Boston, beginning with them at the moderate salary of $4 per week, and paying $3.50 for his board ; but this did not continue long, for very soon he pro- gressed in the business and became a key maker, and was employed with increased wages at this until March, 1864, when he came to Deep River and entered the employ of Pratt, Read & Co., as a key maker. The same year he assisted in the making of the first piano key-board manufactured in that factory; this firm has now the largest factory in Deep River, and is extensively engaged in the manufacture of key-boards. For eighteen years Mr. York followed the business of key maker, doing con- tract work on key-board making, and was very successful, having natural ability for that line of work. Later he was promoted to be fore- man of the finishing department of the fac- tory, at times having eighty men under him. The close application and confinement, for so many years, at last told upon his health, and in July, 1900, he resigned his position, and severed relations with a house with which his long connection had been both pleasant and profitable on both sides. Much of his time is now spent in travel, in the hope of restoring himself again to a robust condition.

On June 20, 1866, Mr. York was married, in Deep River, to Miss Lodiskia C. Post, who was born October 19, 1848, in Deep River, daughter of Calvin G. and Lucy M. (Kelsey) Post, the former of whom was a farmer, well known in this locality. Mrs. York died April 10, 1899, deeply lamented by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. York were: (1) Frank Lu- ther, a meat dealer in Deep River, born July

6, 1869, was married March 12, 1890, to Miss Elizabeth Schallehn, of Saratoga, N. Y., who died, leaving one child, Luther H., born Feb- ruary 22, ISO1 ; he was married (second) De- cember 31, 1897, to Miss Lillian B. Post, and one child has been born to this union, Lillian Lodiskia, born May 6, 1900. (2) Robert Carlton, born September 13, 1871, is a jeweler and engraver, in Deep River. (3) Lillian G., born October 20, 1873, died June 14, 1894. (4) Arthur Garfield, born August 24, 1880, died August 7, 1886.

In political sentiment Mr. York is with the Republican party ; he is no office seeker. His membership in the Baptist Church is of long standing, and he is a generous supporter of the charitable and benevolent enterprises of that body, while socially he is connected with Trinity Lodge, No. 43, F. & A. M. In 1869 Mr. York erected one of the most attractive homes in Deep River, on Kirtland street, and resided there in great comfort until his remov- al to California. He is a very pleasant and agreeable gentleman, and a first-class citizen, and was, and is still, held in high esteem in Deep River.

JOHN INGLIS, a member of the city po- lice force of Middletown, Middlesex county, is a man highly regarded by all who know him, both in private life and as a public official. He is the eldest child that lived to maturity in the family of his parents, Alexander and Euphemia (Dick) Inglis, and was born in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, November 23, 1840.

Mr. Inglis attended the schools of his na- tive country until his twelfth year, when he came to the United States with his parents, who settled in Middletown. He attended what is now the Middletown high school but a short time, and with the exception of some night school work, concluded his schooling just as he was entering his teens. When he was about thirteen years of age he went to work in the Douglas pump shop at what was called chain- making, receiving twenty-five cents a day. He worked in the factory until 1857, when he went to New Haven to take a place as milling machinist in the armory. After working in the armory about two years he went South, in 1859, and was there employed on the W. & S. railroad, transferring freight across the Cape Fear river. He remained in North Caro- lina until the breaking out of the Civil war,

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when he was coerced into becoming a mem- ber of Company C, Thirteenth North Carolina Light Artillery, known as the Cape Fear Light Artillery. Mr. Inglis served four years in the Confederate army, and was on duty much of the time in North Carolina. As the war drew to a close he was engaged at Bermuda Hundred, Petersburg, and in and around Rich- mond. He was with a portion of his com- pany that escaped four days before the surren- der of Lee, and was not apprehended until he reached Lynchburg. He gave parole, and went on his way back to North Carolina. But he did not remain there long, in July, 1865, returning to Middletown, and entering the em- ploy of what was then the firm of Wilcox & Hill. He remained in their factory for fifteen years, in the blacksmith department. Mr. In- glis is a natural mechanic, and his ability in that direction was frequently tested during his experience in the army. About 1880 Mr. In. glis entered the W. & B. Douglas Company's factory, and remained with that firm until he went on the police force, in 1886. He proved a capable and reliable officer, and has held his position without the slightest diffi- culty.

John Inglis and Miss Jeanette Robertson were married in May, 1869, She is a native of Stirling, Scotland, and a daughter of Rich- ard and Jeanette (AAbercrombie) Robertson, of Kirk Lane, Stirlingshire, Scotland. Her father died in that country, and her mother brought her to this country when she was but twelve years old, from which time she was reared in Middletown. Mr. and Mrs. Inglis have had the following children: Alex died at the age of two and a half years. Jeanette A., of Richmond, Va., is the eldest living child. John is a machinist at Derby, Conn., and was trained for the business by Pratt & Whitney, of Hartford. Margaret lives at Mid- dletown, as does her sister, Euphemia, Mrs. R. Page Newton.

Mr. Inglis is a member of Central Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is an industrious and straightforward man, and has reared a fine family.

PATRICK BARRY, one of the best known citizens of his nationality in Portland, has lived to see a great change in the quarry business, the most important employer of labor in Portland. Years ago the men employed

there were largely Irish ; today there is scarcely one-a complete reversal of affairs.

Mr. Barry was the pioneer business man in the vicinity of the old depot in Portland, but for a number of years has lived a retired life. He was born in Middleton, County Cork, Ireland, in 1827, a son of Edmund and Ellen (Rohan) Barry, who both died in Ireland, and Patrick is the only one of the family now liv- ing. Of the others, James lived in Portland for some time, and went to California, where he died, leaving a large estate; William lived in Portland, went to California, where he died, but his remains are buried in Portland; Ellen married James Flynn, and died in Portland; and Mary married James Barry and died in Portland.

Patrick Barry came to the United States in 1844, and attended school here for two years. He crossed the ocean on the sailing vessel "Yorkshire," and made the voyage from Liv- erpool to New York in twenty-one days. He came to Portland and secured a position as a driver in the Middlesex quarry, and here he carned his first money in the United States. After a year or two in the quarry the young Irish lad went to work on the farm of Fred- erick Hall, who was one of the prominent men of the town at that time. After about ten years in the employment of this gentleman, he returned to the quarry, and there held some very responsible positions. He ran the derrick, and the last work he did was on the steam pump, for which he received three dollars and twenty-five cents a day. Mr. Barry left the quarry and began business for himself on the site where he is today, and where he erected all the buildings. When he began, there were but two houses near the depot, and his proper- ty was a bare lot.

For his first wife Mr. Barry married Miss Eliza Bransfield, who was born in Ireland, a daughter of John and Mary Bransfield. Two children were born to this union: Mary is the deceased wife of John Mckinley, of Port- land; and Edmund died in childhood. Mrs. Barry died in 1884, and three years later Mr. Barry married Mary ( Crowley ) McBride. widow of John McBride, by whom she had one child, Jessie, who died in childhood. Mrs. Barry came to this country when quite young from her birthplace, County Cork, Ire- land, to Boston, where she lived for some years; she is a thorough business woman, who

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reads much and is most intelligent. Mr. and Mrs. Barry have adopted a son, Walter Vin- cent de Paul, who was born October 21, 1883, and who graduated from the English high school in Boston in 1901, and pursued a post- graduate course in 1902, taking several prizes in that year; he is a fine musician and very promising. His foster parents place great value on education, and he has had every care exerted in his training and every advantage has been given him. Mr. Barry is a Democrat and willing to work hard at any time to elect a good man to office. He and his wife are members of the Church of Rome, and are affil- iated with St. Mary's Parish, in Portland.

GEORGE COX, a striking illustration of the time-honored individual, "the jolly miller," owns and manages the Ravine Mills, situated at the upper end of the town of Portland. The ceaseless grind of the old mill has been heard for many years, and its polished floors tell of the passage of many feet. George Cox was born August 30, 1845, at Nether Winchendon Mill, Buckinghamshire, England, a son of George and Eliza (Barnaby) Cox.

George Cox, Sr., was born February 18, 1810, at Priest End, Oxford, England, and was the son of a farmer who lived and died in that country. He learned the trade of a miller in his native country. Eliza Barnaby was born November 7, 1821, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, where they were married November 21, 1844. On July 13, 1846, with their infant son, George, the young couple landed in the United States from the packet ship, "Toronto," after a voyage of four weeks on the ocean. They came to Glaston- bury, where for a year the father was in charge of a mill. His two brothers, Isaac and John Cox, also came to this country a year later, and were employed by him in carrying on a steam milling business in Hartford. In the spring of 1852, John went into business for himself at Bloomfield, and George Cox, Sr., bought the mill property in Portland which has since been known as Cox's mill, buying also an acre and a half of land with the mill. He followed the milling business here during his remaining days, having his brother, Isaac, for a partner after the first year, and became a well known and highly respected citizen of the place, and left a good name. He was a pronounced Democrat, and was elected to the

State Legislature. He died October 2, 1880, and his widow passed away April 1, 1890, and both were buried in Center cemetery. They were members of the Episcopal Church, and highly respected people in their day. They were the parents of four children: George; Mary A., born in Hartford, August 12, 1848, married Charles H. Stocking, December 21, 1870, and died in Portland; Eliza, born De- cember 24, 1849, in Hartford, died July 6, 190I, at the home of her brother, George; and Isaac, born February 8, 1852, is a resident of Portland. Isaac Cox, Sr., brother of George, Sr., and uncle of our subject, died, unmarried, Septem- ber 17, 1890.

George Cox, the subject proper of this sketch, first attended public school in Hart- ford, and was seven years old when his parents came to Portland. He lived at home, and from a child was reared to the milling busi- ness. He has always worked at home, and has never worked for wages in his life. When he was a boy, his father was deeply in debt, and he gave his labor freely to help the family out. As he grew up he kept on in the mill, and when his father died the business was con- tinued as it is to-day. From time to time ad- ditions have been made to the property, until it includes about forty acres of land and is one of the desirable properties of the town. Mr. Cox gives considerable attention to to- bacco culture, and raises about three acres each year. He is a wide-awake business man, and has a large business as a custom miller.

On February 3, 1875, Mr. Cox was mar- ried to Jennie E. White, who was born in Portland, a daughter of William S. and Emily (Strickland) White. To this union were born two children: Emily Eliza, October II, 1883, is attending the Portland high school, and William died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Cox are members of Trinity Episcopal Church, of which he is a vestryman. Politically he is a prominent Democrat, and in 1899 was elected 'selectman of Portland.

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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 141

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