Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 63

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 63

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(III) Thomas Hazen (2), baptized Ma 4, 1690, in Topsfield, married (first) Septen ber 30, 1714, Sarah Ayer, of Norwich, wh died September 16, 1753. He married ( sec ond) Mrs. Elizabeth Bacon. He died in 177 or '77.

(IV) Thomas Hazen (3), born Septen ber 30, 1719, married, March 7, 1742-43, Ar Tenney, of Norwich. He lived in what is no Washington, Conn., where he was a large pro

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prietor. In 1774 he removed to Hartford, Vt., where most of his sixteen children married and settled. His land, or that of the family, ex- tended across the town along its northern boundary six miles, and included 1,000 acres around the present village of West Hartford. In 1775 he built the first two-story brick house in the town, which has ever since been occu- pied by his descendants. He died August 19, 1782.

(V) Asa Hazen, born November 16, 1749, married December 7, 1780, Susannah Tracy, born July 2, 1758, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Warner) Tracy. Mr. Hazen was a farmer in Hartford, where he was chosen proprietor's clerk in 1780 and probably re- moved from Woodbury, Conn., to the town with some of his brothers, several years before their father settled in the town. Asa died March 12, 1819, and his widow passed away November 30, 1820.

(VI) Austin Hazen, born June 26, 1786, was graduated from Dartmouth College in 1807. He taught in Buckingham, Pa., one year; studied divinity with Rev. Ebenezer Porter, in Washington, Conn., from 1808; was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Hartford, Vt., May 27, 1812, and dismissed April 29, 1829. He was installed pastor in Berlin, Vt., October 4, 1837, and died in office. On June 1, 1819, he married Fran- ces Mary Dana, born June 13, 1800, daughter of Col. Israel P. and Sarah (Smith) Dana, of Danville, Vt. She died June 11, 1831, and he married (second) March 25, 1834, Lucia Washburn, born December 26, 1806, daughter of Rev. Azel Washburn and Sarah Skinner, of Royalton, Vt. Austin Hazen died Decem- ber 25, 1854, in Berlin, Vt., and his widow died December 16, 1888, in Middletown, Conn. Their children were: Sophia Dana, Allen, Frances Emily, Israel Putnam Dana, Austin, William Skinner, Lucia Washburn, \zel Washburn, Frances Mary, Lucius Randolph and Susan. Of these four of the sons-Allen1. Austin, William S. and Azel W. have been ministers. Rev. Allen was for twenty-seven years a missionary in India ; Rev. Austin was pastor of churches in Norwich, in Jericho Centre, and in Richmond, Vt .; Rev. William S. has been for over thirty-five years pastor of a church in Northfield, Vt. ; and Rev. Azel W.

has been pastor of the First Church at Middle- town, Conn., for thirty-three years.

Azel Washburn Hazen passed his early boyhood in his native town and attended the public schools there. Later he was in attend- ance at the Barre (Vt.) Academy, where he was prepared for college. Entering Dart- mouth, he was graduated in the class of 1863, and after his graduation taught for a time as master of the high school at East Randolph (now Holbrook), Mass. Hav- ing decided upon the ministry for his life work, he spent two years in attendance at the Hartford (Conn.) Theological Semi- nary, and one year at Andover ( Mass.) Semi- nary. Three years after his graduation from Dartmouth, on invitation, he delivered the Master's oration.

On March 10, 1869, Mr. Hazen was or- dained pastor of the First Church of Christ (North Congregational) at Middletown, Conn., which has since been his field of labor. In 1888 Dartmouth College gave him the de- gree of D. D. While in college he was a mem- ber of the Psi Upsilon Greek letter society. Dr. Hazen has been many times a delegate to the National Council of his Church, which as- sembles once every three years. In 1898 he was a delegate to the National Council of the Church which met at Portland, Oregon, and at that time visited Alaska. After a service as trustee of the Hartford Seminary for twenty-five years he tendered his resignation. In his home city he is a trustee of the Russell Library and of Wesleyan University, and pres- ident of the Middlesex County Historical So- ciety. He is also an official member of the Board of Foreign Missions. Dr. Hazen has traveled quite extensively in both this and the Old World. He visited the continent of Eu- rope in 1878 and in 1886, and again in 1894. the last year journeying also to Egypt and Palestine. He passed the summer of 1899 in England.

It is unnecessary to speak of Dr. Hazen as a minister, pastor and citizen, for one has only to read between the lines to judge for himself. Although he has rounded ont a third of a century of service with one church, the Doctor has lost little of his former ardor, and at this time seems to have many years of use- fulness still ahead of him.

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On March 10, 1899, in the old North Church at Middletown, was commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of the pastorate of Dr. Hazen. This was a most enjoyable occa- sion, bringing together some 350 people from all over the parish, and many beautiful things were said of the life and work in the church and city of their beloved pastor, citizen and neighbor, but we have only space to refer to extracts from two or three.

"I do not think, Dr. Hazen, that you have preached any sermons during these thirty years that have been 'Greek' to us, but all have been in the best of English. The church has grown, and is strong-very much stronger than it was in all its long and earlier history ; and is looking forward, with just hopefulness, to a wider field, to a greater influence; to an improved history to be made in future years under the same excellent leadership."-Gov. Coffin.

"I was thinking in relation to Dr. Hazen's pastorate to-day, and if I am not mistaken there have been. thirty-five changes in the churches of Middletown since. The best part of my speech I have forgotten, but I recall a remark I made five years ago, that we hoped when twenty-five years more had passed that this would be still his first and only pastorate. It seems to me that we have good promise of the fulfillment of that desire."-George H. Hulbert.

"You have indelibly impressed your Christ- like life and character upon our hearts and our souls, and, Dr. Hazen, our affection for you certainly cannot be measured by our words, neither can it be gauged by the humble part which we may have had in this occasion."- E. A. Gladwin.

"There we have the secret of Dr. Hazen's being with us for thirty years. He has taught Christ. He has lived Christ. He has sought to lead us to Christ. He has helped us to walk after the precepts laid down by the Lord Jesus. Long may he live to continue along the same lines he has been leading us." -- A. R. Crittenden.

On September 1, 1869, Dr. Hazen was mar- ried to Mary B. Thompson, born January 23, 1846, daughter of Prof. William Thompson, D. D., and Elizabeth Wells ( Butler), of Hart- ford, Conn. They have had children as fol- lows: Frances Elizabeth, born December 5.

1872, who died the same day; Mary Wash- burn, born August 4, 1874, who died January 26, 1875; and Maynard Thompson, born Sep- tember 21, 1887.

STEPHEN E. JENNINGS, a representa- tive of the well known Jennings family, which for so many years has been closely as- sociated with the leading commercial and man- ufacturing interests of Middlesex county, is a native of Deep River, born April 22, 1846, a grandson of Stephen and Sally (Russell) Jen- nings, of Fairfield county, Conn., and a son of Stephen and Miriam (Bates) Jennings.

The Jennings family of Fairfield county de- scends from Joshua Jennings, who was at Fair- field as early as 1656. He had in 1648 been living in some town on the river, probably in Hartford, where he was married December 23, 1647, to Mary Williams. He located in Fair- field probably before 1656, and always main- tained an excellent reputation there. His home was at Barlow Plains. He died in 1675, leaving a good estate. In his will were named his wife Mary, and children Joshua, Joseph, Michael, John, Samuel, Matthew, Isaac, Mary and Elizabeth.

Along in the early sixties it was stated by Augustus Jennings of New York City, that the family had sent a man to England in the matter of the Jennings pedigree, but that he had been unable to connect Joshua Jennigs, the American ancestor, with any of the families there. He said further that they had been un- able from the Massachusetts records to find any mention of the landing of Joshua Jennings in America, nor could they connect the Con- necticut family with any other branch in Amer- ica. The Jennings have continued to live in Fairfield and vicinity from the time of the first settler of the name to the present, and the name has usually been identified with industry, thrift and prosperity.

Stephen Jennings, father of Stephen E., was born in Easton, Conn., and when still a young man came to Deep River, where he mar- ried, and started the business which later de- veloped into the present important industry conducted by the Russell J. Jennings Manu- facturing Company. However, his health failed, and he passed away, in 1851, dying of consumption; his wife survived him many years, passing away at the age of ninety. In

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politics he was a Whig, and enjoyed the re- spect and esteem of all who knew him, his early demise being deeply deplored.

Stephen E. Jennings, after taking a thor- ough course at the common schools of his dis- trict, at the age of sixteen entered the factory his father had founded, and which was now located at Chester, determined to learn every detail of the business. So successful was he in making his knowledge serve him and his employers that at present he is secretary of the company, as well as a large stockholder, with offices at Deep River

On October 10, 1882, Mr. Jennings was married to Rosamond Dibble, born August 4, 1857, a daughter of Linus and Theresa (Miner) Dibble, of Old Saybrook. Linus Dibble was born in 1824, a son of Asa and Polly Dibble. He resides in Old Saybrook, surviving his wife, who was born in 1820, and died in 1898. She was the daughter of Asa and Hannah Miner, of Stonington, Conn. To Mr. and Mrs. Linus Dibble were born six chil- dren, namely: Katie (deceased), Reuben (de- ceased), Kate (deceased), Albert (living), Annie (deceased) and Rosamond. Two chil- dren have come to Mr. and Mrs. Stephen E. Jennings : William Russell, born August 12, 1883, and Stephen Bancroft, born February 28, 1885. Both sons are in school, and are a credit to their parents.

In politics Mr. Jennings is an active Re- publican, but he has never consented to ac- cept any public office. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jennings are consistent members of the Bap- tist Church at Deep River, and take a deep interest in all the work of that body. Mr. Jennings is one of the leading men of Deep River, and has always been connected with its best interests. He and his estimable wife are widely known, and very popular with a large circle of friends.

JULIUS ATTWOOD (deceased), a rep- resentative of one of the old families of New England, was a man well worthy of his dis- tinguished name, and like those who have gone before him, was closely identified with the his- tory of East Haddam, Middlesex county. where he was so well known.

John Attwood, the first of the family in America, died without issue. His brother, Harman Attwood, the progenitor of this branch

of the family, is first of record in Boston at the time he was admitted a freeman, in May, 1645. He was a member of the artillery com- pany about this time. He married, August II, 1646, Ann, daughter of William Copp, and died in 1650. They had two children, John and Sarah. The name has been perpetuated through Capt. John Attwood, who was born in 1647 and died in 1714. By his first wife, Sarah, he had four children. He married (second) Mrs. Mary Smith, and they had seven children. John Attwood was a member of the Artillery Company in 1673, and a lieutenant in same in 1695. He was a deacon in the old North Church.

Elijah Attwood, of East Haddam, says Rev. Dr. Field in his history of that town, came there from "the Cape." He settled there about 1750, and married Anna Goodspeed. Being a seafaring man, he was commonly known as "Captain." He died at East Had- dam in 1806.

Elijah Attwood, grandfather of Julius, was born in East Haddam, and was also a sea cap- tain. During the Revolutionary war he re- ceived permission to build a saltpeter factory in the town of East Haddam, for the purpose of supplying the army with more powder. In East Haddam Elijah Attwood married Esther Whiting, and their children were: Whiting, Harriet, Julius, Sophia, Alfred and Emily.

Whiting Attwood father of Julius, was born in East Haddam, and, like so many of his ancestors, followed the sea. He died in 1829. During the war of 1812, for nearly a year he was held prisoner in the West Indies. meeting with many adventures. He married Deborah Purple, and to them were born: Har- riet (now-1902-aged ninety-three). Ann Eliza, Elijah (in California). Edward, Esther, Julius, Annette and William.

Julius Attwood was born February 23. 1824, at East Haddam, and, as his father died when he was only five years old, had but few educational advantages, but he made the best of those offered him. At the age of thirteen he began to work for the families in the neigh- borhood. Later he was employed for about three years at the Goodspeed's Landing ferry. and then removed to Moodus, where he com- meneed to learn the shoemaking trade. This. however, proved distasteful, and having im- proved himself in a marvelous degree Mr. Att-

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wood began to teach school, and from 1847 to 1853 followed that calling on Long Island, where he met and married his first wife. For one winter he taught a private school in Mary- land, and then embarked in the mercantile bus- iness at East Haddam. In 1850 he was elected justice of the peace, and in 1859 judge of pro- bate, continuing in that office until the age of seventy, when he engaged in a drug business. In 1870 he was admitted to the Bar, and soon became well known among Connecticut's able lawyers. After building up an excellent prac- tice, failing health necessitated his withdrawal from much of his business.

Mr. Attwood's first marriage, to Sarah An- toinette Gould, occurred at Stony Brook, L. I., and to this union was born one son, Frederick J., who is a resident of New York, where he is bookkeeper and confidential man for a big to- bacco company, a position he has held for some thirty years. Frederick Attwood married Madge McConnell and has four children : Madge Bertha (who married Charles Carroll Gould and has one child, Donald), Mary Cath- erine, Harriet and Frederick. The second marriage of Mr. Attwood, which took place in East Haddam, was to Catherine Palmer, daughter of Brainerd and Eunice ( Fox) Pal- mer, and one daughter was born to them, Ber- tha Palmer, now the wife of Rev. Dr. F. C. H. Wendel.

Politically Mr. Attwood voted the Whig ticket, then belonged to the Know Nothing party, and afterward supported the principles of Republicanism, in both private and public life. In 1873 and 1874 he represented his town in the Legislature, serving on the com- mittee on Incorporations and Banking. He was nominated for State senator, but was de- feated on account of sectional feeling. For nineteen years he was town clerk, and held other local offices, and always gave entire satis- faction. Mr. Attwood was a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, of which he was warden from 1865. In the spring of 1850 he joined the I. O. O. F., and in 1866 was grand master of that order in Connecticut; in 1867 and 1868 he represented Connecticut in the Grand Lodge of the United States, when they convened at Baltimore and New York. In 1878 Mr. Attwood was chosen a director of the National Bank of New England. In 1882 he was made president of the National Bank

of New England, bringing his superior mind to bear upon the matters of finance, as well as upon those of mercantile life, law, political affairs, and church work, and in all achieving a success that is well worth extolling in the highest terms, for it demonstrates the ability of the man, capable of expanding and increas- ing not the one, but the many talents, entrusted to his care by the Master. Mr. Attwood passed away January 23, 1901, widely and deeply mourned in the community where he had passed his long and useful life.

JAMES MOORE, contractor and builder, of Middletown, Middlesex county, is a man possessing most excellent traits of the Scotch- Irish character, and has won for himself, start- ing from the most unpromising beginning, a fine position among business men.

Mr. Moore was born April 12, 1841, in County Derry, near Londonderry, Ireland, son of Robert and Sarah ( Moore) Moore, both of whom died in Ireland. They had a family of ten children, of whom two are now living in the United States-James, our subject, and his sister, Matilda Hamilton, a widow, at Law- rence, Mass. The father was a fisherman, and a most industrious man. He was a Presby- terian, according to the strict character of that church in the North of Ireland, and closely observed the most rigorous customs of the day, never neglecting family worship. The pota- toes for Sunday had to be prepared the day before.

James Moore was put to work very young, his school days ending before he was ten years old. At that age he was taken to Scotland, and began learning the trade of a mason, working as such in various cities in Great Britain, and occupying various positions of trust and profit connected with his trade. Mr. Moore left Glasgow on the steamer "Britannia." January 29, 1866, and after a voyage of twenty-five days landed in New York. That season he worked in Portland, Conn., in the Middlesex Quarry, and in the fall of the year went back to Scotland, where he worked at his trade until 1869. That year he sailed on the "City of Boston," for the United States, and located at Middletown, Conn., where he has had his home to the present time.

Mr. Moore and Miss Eliza McClintock were married in October, 1858, in Scotland.

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She was born in that country October 31, 1842, daughter of James and Isabella ( Bradley) McClintock, who died when she was a child. Mrs. Moore is the mother of two sons. In 1870 she and her son, Robert, joined Mr. Moore in this country. In 1878 work in his line was very dull, owing to the financial de- pression that had extended over several years, so Mr. Moore went back to Scotland and worked at his trade until the spring of 1879, when he returned to Middletown. He again visited his native land in January, 1894. Mrs. Moore had visited that country in 1893. Their son John died in Scotland when a year old. Robert is a member of the firm of Grozier & Moore, contractors and builders, of Hartford, Conn. He graduated from the Middletown high school. He married Miss Carrie Sears, of South Farms, Conn., daughter of the late Joseph B. Sears. She died leaving one son, Harry, and Robert Moore has since married Minnie Grenkie, a native of Hartford, by whom he has two children, Carl and Lizzie. Robert Moore, while a citizen of Middletown served in the city council.

James Moore has been engaged as a con- tractor and builder in Middletown. He was associated with Hugh McConochy, later with William Mylchreest, and for a time had his son Robert as a partner. He has constructed some of the finest homes in the city, and has the name of never slighting the most minute details; his work is strictly reliable. He had only the most limited schooling, but his natu- ral endowments enable him to comprehend the most complicated plans in a most remarkable manner. Mr. Moore is a Republican politi- cally, and he is a citizen of good character and standing.

JEDEDIAH COLCORD SAFFORD has his home in Rockfall, in the town of Middle- field, Middlesex county, and he is one of the citizens of that charming village who mold public thought and guide and direct public effort. His birthplace was Morrisville, Vt .. where his grandfather, Jedediah Safford, and his great-uncle, John Safford, were prominent, substantial and influential members of the com- munity. They were among the earliest settlers of that town, establishing themselves there toward the close of the eighteenth century, and coming, it is believed, from Windsor.

Conn. They were farmers, and, by erecting a dam across the Lamoille river, obtained power for the first grist and saw mill erected in that part of the Green Mountain State. Jedediah Safford operated the mill until his death. He was a man of earnest piety, and broad public spirit, and donated the land for the Congrega- tional Church, a cemetery, a public school and an academy. He was held in very high es- teem by his fellow citizens, by whom he was usually addressed as "Squire." He married the first school teacher in the town, Miss Eu- nice Platt, whom he survived. There were born to them four children: Norman H., Sa- mantha, Eliza and Obedience. Norman H., the father of Jedediah C. Safford, of Rock- fall, is mentioned in the following paragraph. Samantha married a Mr. Whittemore, of Mor- risville. Eliza was the wife of Judge John Page, of the same place. Obedience became Mrs. Gates, and lived in Cadys Falls, Vt., for several years, but later moved to Wakefield, Kans., where she is yet living, now over ninety years of age; Mr. Gates died in the early fifties.

Norman H. Safford was born in Morris- ville in 1805. He attended the district schools and an academy at Montpelier, and after leav- ing the institution last mentioned began work in earnest, on the farm and in the mill. When he reached mature years his father presented him with a farm, cut from his own property. but this he subsequently sold, purchasing an- other situated about one-half mile from the village. There he passed the remainder of his life, dying in 1862. his demise being the re- sult of a general decline which extended over several years. He was a plain man, of strong and deep convictions, and outspoken in their expression. He was respected and popular. however, and was chosen to fill several minor offices. He was an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a liberal con- tributor to its work. The "cirenit rider" and the "itinerant" were among his most frequent and honored guests. Mr. Safford was twice married, and by his first wife, Mary Cole, had two sons: Joseph P. and Charles W. The elder lost his life in the service of his country, during the Peninsular campaign, before Rich- mond, being a gallant member of Company E. Third Vermont V. I. Charles W. learned the trade of machinist, married Lorinda Giddings.

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and is now living in San Diego, Cal. The sec- ond wife of Norman H. Safford was Hannah P. Quimby, daughter of Elisha and Mehitabel (Colcord) Quimby, of Stratford, Conn., where her father was a well-to-do farmer. She also, was the mother of two children, Mary and Jedediah Colcord. Mary married David W. Gould, a Methodist minister, and died at Mor- ristown Corners, Vt. Mrs. Hannah P. Safford entered into rest December 17, 1884, at the home of her son, in Middlefield, and sleeps by the side of her husband, in the quite graveyard on the hillside in Morrisville.

The gentleman whose life forms the sub- ject of this narrative was born in Morrisville February 15, 1844. His educational advan- tages were limited to those afforded by the dis- trict schools and academy, yet were fully equal to those enjoyed by the average boy of his lo- cality and generation. His father's poor health, to which reference has already been made, threw upon his young shoulders a heavy weight of responsibility in the way of conduct- ing and overseeing the farm, which he bore with rare discretion and surprising ability, for one so young. After his father's death in 1862, he spent the summer on a farm, and in the autumn he was summoned to Middlefield, Conn., by Moses Terrill, a native of Morris- ville, who was then interested in a manufactur- ing business in the Connecticut town. The proffer of employment in the factory of the Metropolitan Washing Machine Company, of Baileyville, was promptly accepted, and the young man began work for them, remaining with that concern until 1864, in which year he removed to Gansevoort, N. Y. There, in con- nection with his brother-in-law, Rev. Mr. Gould, who has been mentioned in a preceding paragraph, he engaged in farming ; they leased two farms, and cultivated them in common. The venture, however, did not prove wholly satisfactory to Mr. Safford, and in the follow- ing December he disposed of his interest there- in to his sister's husband, and returned to Middlefield to resume work in the wringer fac- tory. Applicants for employment were numer- ous, and dozens were being turned away, yet Mr. Safford had so thoroughly demonstrated his capability, industry and fidelity that he was promptly re-instated in the force. After a year or more spent there he bought a wagon and team, and began business on his own ac-

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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 63

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