Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 151

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 151

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Mr. French was married in Deep River, May 6, 1869, to Lydia A. Dickinson, of that place, daughter of Obediah and Henrietta (Shipman) Dickinson, and the following named children have come to them: Lillie Ella, born March 2, 1870, died in 1876; George Dickinson, born May 19, 1877, grad- uated at the Morgan School, in Clinton, Conn., in 1896, and later attended Hamilton College, at Clinton, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. French are consistent and valued members of the Baptist Church in Essex. Their very pleasant home was erected in 1874, and there Mr. French is able to enjoy the reward of his past labors.

A grateful government is glad to give to this brave soldier a pension, for he is one worthy of more than can ever be repaid.

JAMES M. KENISTON, M. D. The professional and personal career of Dr. Kenis- ton has been marked by patient study, steady application, and a devotion, born of love, for his self-imposed task.

The Doctor is a descendant of one of the oldest and most highly esteemed families of New England settlers, his progenitors being among the early residents of Amesbury, Mass. For many years, in fact, for one generation after another, his ancestors were engaged in the shipping trade, building, owning and sail- ing vessels, and his father, James R. Keniston, also continued in that line. The latter married Sarah Pearson, a daughter of Benjamin Pear- son, who married a Miss Quarles. The Pear- sons were among the early settlers of Salem, Mass., and were long prominently associated with the mercantile interests of that ancient borough. James R. Keniston is yet living at Lynn. Mass., at a ripe old age, and is still hale aïfd well preserved.

Abner Keniston, the Doctor's grandfather, married Betsey Lowell, whose forbears were also famous among New England's early ship- builders, and whose father attained the extra- ordinary age of ninety-seven years.

James M. Keniston is the only son of his parents, who had also two daughters, but one of whom grew to womanhood. The Doctor was born at Newburyport, Mass., October 30, 1848. After passing through the Newbury- port high school, and graduating from Phillips Academy, at Andover, Mass., in 1864, he matriculated at Amherst College. At the end of his Sophomore year he left that institution to enter the Medical Department of Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1871. For two years thereafter he was connected with the Butler Hospital, and then entered upon gen- eral practice at Cambridge, Mass. His pro- fessional studies and research were largely directed toward diseases of the brain and nerv- ous system, and ten years after commencing practice he was called to a position on the staff of the Middle Connecticut Hospital for the In- sane, at Middletown, with which institution he has been ever since connected. His reputation as an alienist has steadily grown. Among his =

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professional brethren he is held in high esteem, and he is connected with various medical soci- eties, holding membership in the Middlesex County and Connecticut State Medical Soci- eties, as well as the New England Psychological Society, the American Medical Association, and the American Medico-Psychological Asso- ciation. In addition to numerous papers pre- sented before various medical societies, the Doctor has published several medical essays on Paraldehyde, Chloral Hydrate, Analgesia in Insanity, and the Babinski Phenomenon in In- sane Epileptics. He also contributed the ar- ticle on Paranoia for the "Reference Hand- book of Medical Science," and the section on Epileptic Insanity for "Defendorf's Clinical Psychiatry."

Dr. Keniston's first connection with any fraternal organization was when as a college boy he was initiated into the brotherhood of Psi Upsilon. The memory of the friendships formed in the Greek letter fraternity is still green and precious in his memory, although the study, cares and duties incident to a pro- fessional career have since then largely ab- sorbed his time and energies. He belongs to St. John's Lodge, F. & A. M., of Middletown; Washington Chapter, R. A. M .; Cyrene Com- mandery, K. T. ; and is also connected with the New England Order of Protection.

Dr. Keniston married Miss Charlotte Lit- tlefield, of Boston, who is a descendant of one of the oldest families of Maine, and they are the parents of one son. James A., who married Miss Grace Bridges, of Newburyport, Mass. Mrs. Keniston is a member of the Congrega- tional Church.

HON. MICHAEL H. GRIFFIN, in whose death, on July 18, 1870, Middletown sustained a great loss, and the community was bereft of one of its most useful and public- spirited citizens, was a native of Ireland.

Mr. Griffin came to the United States when quite a young man, and at once became occu- pied in railroad building. He assisted in con- structing the Boston and Portland Railroad and several other railroads in New England ; also the New Jersey Central, and one or two roads in Pennsylvania. He was associated as partner with some of the wealthiest and most experienced railroad contractors in the United States, and was very successful in his under- takings. Mr. Griffin likewise built the dyke

inclosing Colt's Meadows at Hartford, and was for several years employed to make repairs on the Hartford & New Haven railroad. The year before his death he took contracts for the Air Line Company, to construct several sections of their road, on either side of the river, and was engaged in that work at the time of his death. Mr. Griffin was a man of great energy, un- tiring perseverance and determined will. Be- ginning life at the foot of the ladder, he forced success from surrounding circumstances, and long ago won an abundance of this world's goods. At the same time he displayed the most generous traits of character, and his purse was always open to aid the needy and private enter- prises. No worthy purpose appealed to him in vain, and his benevolence knew no sectarian or partisan bounds.

On making Middletown his home Mr. Grif- fin bought the house on Prospect street for- merly owned by Mr. Nelson. Some years be- fore his death he purchased the brick mansion and farm formerly the property of the late Capt. Robert Johnson, and greatly improved the same. This property he made one of the most desirable and valuable in this part of the State, and it is greatly admired by all who visit it. At this place Mr. Griffin gave much attention to breeding pure blooded animals and horses, his stables containing some of the most promising specimens of young stock to be found in New England. At the various agri- cultural fairs of the State and at the Annual New England Fair Mr. Griffin usually exhib- ited more or less of his animals, and invariably bore away numerous premiums.

During his residence in Middletown Mr. Griffin served as councilman and alderman of the city, besides being connected with the town government. In 1867 he was elected to the General Assembly, and was re-elected the tol- lowing year. In all these positions he served the people faithfully. and was always found among the stanchest friends of the city. Few men had the advancement and prosperity of Middle- town more at heart than had Mr. Griffin, and none labored more assiduously to promote these ends.

JAMES HENRY SPAULDING is one of the prominent residents of Higgamm, town of Haddam, where he is engaged in farming and dairying very successfully.

The Spauldings originally emigrated from

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Sweden to England. The name in Sweden was Speede. Settling at a place in England called" Spaldee, the name was gradually changed to Spalding, the father of our subject using this form. The name was spelled that way by the emigrant ancestor who came from England to this country.

James Spalding, grandfather of James H., was a native and farmer of Tolland county, where he married Phoebe Dean, who was then living in the town of Brooklyn, same county. Both died in that county in 1836. They reared the following children : Roxana, Nancy, James (the father of our subject ), Sophia, Lucy, Ly- dia, Buckley and Julia. Sophia married Charles Clark, and (second) Eben Witter. Lucy mar- ried Nathan S. Deane. Lydia married Stephen Brown. Buckley married Anna Sholes, who upon his death married Albert Sweet, uncle of Mrs. James H. Spaulding. Julia died unmar- ried. Roxana and Nancy lived and died on Long Island.

James Spalding was born September 7, 1800, in Chaplin, Conn., and died August 12, 1887. His last days were spent in Hampton, same State. He married Sally Ann Thomp- son, who was born October 19, 1812, daughter of Moses and Sally (Kenyon) Thompson, and died in 1892, in Hampton. Mr. Spalding lived in Brooklyn at the time of his marriage, later removing to Hampton. In his youth he fol- lowed the trade of stone mason, but later in life was a farmer. Politically he embraced the tenets of the Democratic party. He and his wife had children as follows: James Hen- ry, our subject ; Sarah Caroline, who married Martin Thorington, who served in a Rhode

Island infantry regiment and was among the list of "missing" at the close of the Civil war ; Julia Ann, who married John Myers, and (sec- ond) John Dennison; and Lucy Phelps, who married Benjamin A. Humes, of Providence, R. I., and had three children, Edward (de- ceased ), and Julia and Arthur, both living.

James H. Spaulding was born in Brooklyn, Conn., May II, 1835. At an early age he was sent to school, where he remained until he was eighteen years of age. At that time he be- lieved that he would like the life of a whaler. and his father sold him his time, as was often the custom in those days. But before the ex- pedition started James had changed his mind, and in place of the dangerous life on the sea he engaged in work in cotton mills in Norwich

and Lisbon. Three years later he returned to his native county and engaged in farming and stonemason work.

On December 27, 1857, Mr. Spaulding was married, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, to Lucy Jane Humes, a daughter of Gilbert Humes ; she was born in Thompson, Conn., and died in 1863, aged but twenty-nine years. The two children of this union were: John Henry, died at the age of thirty-five, leaving two children, Lucy and Julia. George Edson, married Mary Conklin, who is now deceased, and he lives in Middletown. They had three children, Esther (deceased), James (deceased) and Edna. Mr. Spaulding was married a sec- ond time, on January 9, 1867, in Kill- ingly, Conn., to Lucy D. Sweet, and children as follows have come to this marriage: Ber- tha Drusilla married Frank Brock, of Middle- town, and has had children,-Lucy, Nellie May, Grace (deceased), and Franklin William (deceased). Mary Lenora, born November 22, 1869, died August 17, 1876. James Clar- ence, born September 19, 1873, died February 6, 1874. Gertrude Hazen, born April 26, 1875, died August 19, 1875. Julia Ann, born December 15, 1876, lives with her parents. Edwin Wheeler, born October 13, 1879, died October 27, 1879.

Marvin O. Sweet, of Brooklyn, Conn., fa- ther of Mrs. James H. Spaulding, married Rachel M. Parsons. Mr. Sweet was engaged in building, farming and other business during his life. He was a soldier in the great Civil War, enlisting at Brooklyn, Conn., and serv- ing three years with the First Connecticut Cav- alry, and he was honorably discharged with his regiment. This regiment saw much arduous service, being under the command of some of the most famous cavalry generals of the war. In 1864, in the Shenandoah Valley, the regi- ment was in the famous "Third Cavalry Di- vision of the Army of the Potomac," command- ed by that prince of soldiers, Gen. George A Custer.

On October 28, 1861, Mr. Spaulding en- listed in Company C, Twelfth Regiment, Con- necticut Volunteer Infantry, and was dis. charged with the rank of corporal, June 15 I 863. In the engagements at the bombard ment of New Orleans, at Baton Rouge, Liber. tyville, Port Hudson, and the many minor skir mishes participated in by his command, Mr Spaulding took a prominent part, and nobly dic

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a soldier's duty. On February 4, 1863, he was attacked with partial paralysis, brought on by exposure and over-exertion in western Louisi- ana, where his regiment assisted in the destruc- tion of the Rebel gunboat "J. L. Cotton," and he was sent from this battle to the hospital, where he remained until mustered out, when he returned to Brooklyn. He is a member of McGregory Post, No. 27, G. A. R., at Kill- ingly, Connecticut.

With returning health Mr. Spaulding en- deavored to work at the mason's trade, but found it too laborious, and re-entered the cot- ton mill in Killingly, where he remained for fifteen years. He then removed to Montville, Conn., worked five years in Mid- dletown, Conn., for the Russell Manufac- turing Company, and removed, in the year 1885, to Higganum, Conn., where he was with the same company two years. For something like a year he had previously re- sided in Little City, town of Haddam, and when he was ready to retire upon a farm he selected that locality as the most congenial. Upon his farm of forty-eight acres he engages in farm- ing, dairying and market gardening, selling his produce principally in Middletown. Mr. Spaulding has spent most of his business life in connection with cotton mills, having worked in them, as already stated, in Killingly, Mont- ville, Middletown and Higganum, where for two years he was the efficient superintendent of the mill; but he also has engaged in other business, conducting a baker's route for two years in Higganum, and a boarding house in Putnam and later in Middletown.

In politics our subject cast his first vote for the great pathfinder, Gen. John C. Fremont. He was then living in Hampton, Conn. After Garfield's administration he changed to the Democratic party, which he supported for sev- cral years, but is now a Prohibitionist, believ- ing that the only real help for the cause of tem- perance is through the polls. Mr. Spaulding's family, like himself, are consistent members of the Higganum Methodist Episcopal Church. where they are well known and highly es- teemed. Julia Ann, the daughter, is a member of the Grange.

JOHN OGDEN HAYDEN was in his life- time one of the representative citizens and lead- ing business men of Middletown. From a men- ger start in life he rose to an influential posi-

tion in the commercial world, and left the le- gacy of a good name.

The Hayden family is an old one in Con- necticut, and John Ogden was born in Had- dam March 29, 1797, son of John and Mary (Crane) Hayden, the latter a native of Eng- land. They lived in Haddam, where their family was born and reared. Among their children were Arnold,- Mary, Roxy, Harriet and John Ogden. The latter came to Middle- town as a boy of fifteen, and worked as a clerk for Aaron Pease, with whom he afterward be- came a partner, the firm being Pease & Hay- den. In later years he was associated with Elijah Loveland, under the name of Hayden & Loveland. He was always known as a man of the highest character, upright and reliable. and was regarded as one of the best citizens of Middletown. When Mr. Loveland retired from the business Mr. Hayden continued alone. and "died in the harness." He lived and died on Main street, at the old house where now stands the Hayden block.

Mr. Hayden married Elizabeth Spellman. a native of Durham, Conn., born April 27. 1803. They were married in Canaan, Conn. The Spellmans have long been noted in the his- tory of Durham, where their early ancestors settled. They were descendants of Sir Henry Spelman, the English writer and eminent Latin scholar. The parents of Elizabeth Spell- man removed to Canaan, where they were liv- ing at the time of her marriage.

Mr. Hayden died March 13, 1872, and is buried in Mortimer cemetery, and his wife, who died July 20, 1876, rests by his side. He was a captain in the State militia. Politically he was always a strong Republican, and he was a member of the First Congregational Church. He was the father of two children : John Spellman, born September 12, 1826, and Eliza beth Harriet. born July 7. 1828. The latter died March 16, 1848. She is remembered as an exceedingly handsome girl, well educated, and highly accomplished : she was the valedic- torian of her class at graduation.

JOHN SPELLMAN HAYDEN Was reared in Middletown, and attended school there. After the dissolution of the firm of Hayden & Love- land he entered his father's store, and contin ned the business as long as he lived. He died March 31. 1876. He was married in April. 18447. to Miss Mary Daniels, who was horn May 11. 1828, in Madison, Conn , daughter of

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Jerad S. and Hulda (Dee) Smith. Her father was a native of Middletown, and lived at South Farms. Hulda Dee belonged to the DeVel family, which name was shortened to Dee. They were of French extraction. John Spell- man Hayden had children as follows: (I) Cornelia Morrow married A. M. Bidwell, a. member of the old Bidwell family, and they had children-Charles A., now a Congrega- tional minister at Manchester, Conn., who at- tended Wesleyan University three years, and graduated from the University at Boston ; Mary E. is Mrs. Edward F. Donnelly, of Pawtucket, R. I .; Beulah Hayden is Mrs. William G. Clark, of Springfield, Mass .; Augustus Mc- Lean and Cornelia Morrow Hayden are at home. (2) Mary Harriet married Ernest R. Freeman, of Boston. (3) John, who is at Westbrook, Conn., married Emily Dee, daugh- ter of Nathaniel and Unie Spencer Dee, and is the father of three children, Harriet, Robert Spellman and John Ogden. (4) Robert S. died at the age of twenty-one years, of typhoid fever. (5) Catherine Sophia, Mrs. Edward Merritt, of Bridgeport, Conn., was the moth- er of three children, Albert Jones, Harry Will- iams and Harriet Freeman. Mrs. Merritt died in Boston, March 7, 1889, and was buried in Indian Hill cemetery, at Middletown.

HON. BARTLETT BENT, who died at Middletown September 27, 1889, was one of the prominent men of that city, conspicuous in public life for many years.

Mr. Bent was born September II, 1826, in Wareham, Mass. His father settled in Mid- dletown in 1858, coming from Massachusetts to be near a personal friend, Rev. Mr. Fay, then pastor of the Universalist Church. In his earlier life our subject located in New York, and while there was engaged in mercantile business, but later came to Middletown to be with his parents. Mr. Bent was originally a Democrat in his political views but he became a Republican at the beginning of the Civil war. In 1862 he was a representative from the town to the State Legislature. In 1863 he served as a member of the common council of Middle- town. He was mayor in 1866 and in 1867. In 1869 he was appointed postmaster of the city, and served as such until December, 1885, when he was removed by President Cleveland. Mr. Bent was known as a shrewd politician throughout Connecticut. He served several

terms as an efficient official on the Republican State Central Committee. Fifteen or twenty years ago he was considered a power in poli- tics in Middletown, and an election without his dictating powers as leader was not considered as valuable to the Republicans. It was the great ambition of Mr. Bent's life to be a leader and in local politics he was such to a certain extent. For ten or more years prior to his death he was connected with several enterprises in the city, which were, however, unsuccessful. He was widely known in this and adjoining cities, and, holding office for the term of years that he did, his name was almost a household word. He had a determined disposition, possessed by few. On one occasion, when the new post office boxes were being placed in the post office, he closed the doors of the office for two days, and when complaint was made inti- mated that he was running the place then and as soon as he quit some one else could run it. He was also active in politics while in New York.

REV. FATHER BERNARD O'REILLY SHERIDAN, pastor of St. John's Roman Catholic Church, at Middletown, has been re- markably successful throughout his priesthood, and especially in Middletown have his parish- 10ners reasons for their high appreciation of his services and efforts in their behalf.

Father Sheridan was born in County Long- ford, Ireland, and is a nephew of the second Bishop of Hartford, Conn. Father Sheridan was prepared for college privately, studying the classics under the famous teacher, Joseph McDonald. He pursued his philosophical studies in All Hallows College, and coming to this country, took his theological course in St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore. He was or- dained in Montreal in June, 1867. After terms of curacy in Providence, Meriden, and Valley Falls, R. I., he was promoted to the pastorate in Collinsville. in May, 1870, his charge in- cluding New Hartford, Unionville and Tariff- ville. He built a church at Unionville at an expense of $20,000, and paid for it. He erect- ed a church at Tariffville at a cost of $10,000, and completed a church at New Hartford. Two months after coming to Middletown, where he succeeded to the pastorate of the church May I. 1885, Rev. Father Dennis Des- mond, deceased, Father Sheridan instituted measures for the renovation of the church and

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the clearing of the debt. He undertook an ex- pense of $25,000 in slating the roof of the church, putting in new stained glass windows, new pews, new confessionals and new altars. On Oct. 12, 1885, the church was solemnly reopened. Father Sheridan then bent his en- ergies to discharging the church debt, and when that desirable end had been accomplished prep- arations were made for the consecration of the edifice, which took place on September 10, 1886. During the following year Father Sher- idan began the erection of the present hand- some and well appointed school building. which, with the lot, cost $30,000, and was free from incumbrance when dedicated, in Septem- ber, 1888. In 1889 he razed the old school building and erected on its site the present beautiful chapel, and paid for the new building the same year. Immediately afterward he built and paid for the artistic arch that spans the space between the church and the school. He also built St. Coleman's church, in Middlefield.

The Middletown Church estate presents a frontage of 900 feet, its average depth being 500 feet. The church is exteriorly a true Gothic edifice, and is one of the two Connecti- cut parish churches that can boast of a perfect clerestorv. The Middletown convent is a mother house, and fifty-two sisters throughout the State are under the Middletown Superior.

During the summer of 1892 Father Sheri- dan took a vacation trip to Europe, and upon his return in October was given a grand recep- tion by his parishioners and townspeople, and was presented with a purse of $1,500. Father Sheridan is assisted in the parish work by Rev. P. J. McGiveny and Rev. John H. Walsh.

FATHER MCGIVENY was born in Water- bury September 25, 1867. He was ordained in the Boston Cathedral by Archbishop Will- iams, on Mav 20, 1892, and came to Middle- town on the first day of the following July.

FATHER WALSH was born in Ansonia. Conn., November 20, 1865, and was ordained at Niagara University June 11, 1892, by the late Bishop Ryan. He came to Middletown on November 25, 1892.

ALEXANDER MERRILL, a representa- tive of one of the old and respected families of the town of Clinton, Middlesex County, is a great-grandson of Sammel Merrill, who was a farmer by occupation, and resided upon an estate located near what is now known as Pros-

pect Hill, Clinton, where he and his wife, Ar- temisia (Redfield), reared their family.

George Merrill, the grandfather of Alex- ander, was born in Clinton. He kept a hotel near the present location of the Morgan School. and was also engaged in the livery business, having the contract for the carrying of the mail from New Haven to Saybrook ferry. He mar- ried Hannah, daughter of Hopson Wilcox, of Clinton, and she survived him for many years. Their children were: Nathan W., Sally. Char- lotte, Mary, Wealthy, Mabel and William.

Nathan W. Merrill. the father of Alex- ander, was born August 6, 1797, in Clinton. As a boy he assisted his father by carrying the mail, later learned the trade of ship carpenter, and followed that occupation, working in the yards located along the Long Island and Con- necticut coast. The last years of his life were spent at ease, at his home in Clinton, where he passed away December 5. 1866. Although an outspoken Republican, he never sought or ac- cepted office, but lived a quiet, worthy life. de- voted to his home and family. Mr. Merrill married Charlotte Crane, who was born De- cember 10, 1802, in Clinton, a daughter of Elias and Mary ( Rossiter) Crane, and died August 26, 1888. Children as follows were born to this union: Henry, who married Jeanette Davis, now lives in Clinton ; his only daughter. Sarah, is the wife of George Buell. Elias C. married Harriet Grinnell : of their children one son. William, survives. Nathan, who married Caroline Chalker, has one child. Adeline. George E. is chief engineer on the Fall River line, between New York and Fall River. Mass .. being the oldest engineer in their service: he married Charlotte Waite, and has four chil- dren, Lottie ( Mrs. Valentine). Ida W. ( Mrs. Hawkins), George William and Christopher W. Alexander is our subject. Albert miar- ried Charlotte Wellman, and has two children, Mary F. and Harry. William is deceased. Eliza is deceased. Emily married Henry .1. Kelsey, and has one daughter living. Minnie: he lives in Clinton. Wealthy married Evelyn Kelsey, a piano timer, and has three children. Lena. Ida and Grace. Frances Artemisia, the next in the family, is unmarried : Evelyn is de ceased. John C. is the next. Adeline C., who married Hon. George A. Olcott, died Septem ber 14. 1891.

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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 151

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