Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 72

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 72

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Nathaniel Hubbard, the sixth child of George and Elizabeth ( Watts) Hubbard, be- came the father of ten children by his mar- riage to Mary Earle, viz. : Mary, born March

9, 1683-84, married Thomas Bevins April 21, 1726, and died September 14, 1746; Abigail, born February 16, 1685, married Jonathan Burr, of Middle Haddam parish; Elizabeth, born July 17, 1688, was married June 1, 1710, to Thomas Wright; Nathaniel, the fourth child, will be fully spoken of in the next follow- ing paragraph; John, born November 28, 1692, married, August 1, 1722, Elizabeth Stowe, who was born in 1688 (John was a deacon in the First Middletown church from May 26, 1743, until his death, March 12, 1753) ; Sarah was born October 5, 1694; Ebenezer, born October 2, 1696, married Hannah Wetmore, who died May 27, 1761, and his own death oc- curred in Middlefield March 30, 1776; Thank- ful was born October 6, 1698; Hannah, born July 4, 1700, was married to Samuel Wet- more; Esther, born July 20, 1702, was married December 21, 1728, to Nathaniel Bacon, and died February 4, 1742.

Nathaniel Hubbard, the fourth child of Na- thaniel and Mary ( Earl) Hubbard, was born about 1690, and married April 12, 1715, Sarah Johnson, who died in 1776, the mother of the following named children : Sarah, born Febru- ary II, 1716, became the second wife of Rich- ard Turner ; Nathaniel, born January 5, 1718, married Lucy Johnson, removed to Granville, Mass., and died April 18, 1773; Nehemiah, born July 22, 1721, married October 12, 1748. Sarah Sill, who was born January 2, 1728, and died August 10, 1814 (he served in the old French war for several years, and died in Hol- land Patent, N. Y., March 11, 18II) ; Samuel born October 8, 1723, removed to Granville, Mass. ; Isaac, born April 14, 1726, died June 28, 1730; Esther, born February 14, 1727; was married to John Hall ; David, born August 23, 1730, "died at Claverick, Columbia county. N. Y., in the public service," October 14, 1755; Mary, born April 10, 1733. married a Mr. Lawson; and Noahdiah, born March 14, 1735. died May 4, 1816.

Noahdiah Hubbard, the youngest of the above named family, married in 1704 Phebe Fairchild, widow of Samuel Crowell. She died January 18, 1795, the mother of six chil- dren, viz. : Noahdiah, born in 1765. married Eunice Ward, and removed to Champion, Her- kimer county, N. Y .: Samuel, born February 23. 1767: Joel: Bella, who moved to Ohio; Stephen and Phebe.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Samuel Hubbard, the second of the above family, was an extensive farmer in West Long Hill, Middletown, and died March 19, 1823. When fifty-two years old, with his five sons, Mr. Hubbard built the house known as the. Hubbard Homestead, on Long Hill. This grand old structure has to be seen to be ap- preciated. The ponderous stones used in the foundation, as well as many other features of its construction, suggest the great labor re- quired in those days for its building. There is no doubt that Samuel Hubbard worked beyond his strength, being a very active man, and with the life of one of twenty, and that this overwork hastened his death in the prime of life. Samuel Hubbard married Huldah Crowell, who died November 4, 1861, the mother of the following children : Adah, born in 1793, was married to Rev. Enoch Greene, and died in Jamestown, N. Y., February 3, 1831; Phebe, born in 1795, was married to Ezra Coe, and died at South Farms, Conn., in 1870; Chauncy; Alfred was born July 4, 1803; Noahdiah, born 1810, died December 27, 1825 ; and John C., was the youngest.

HON. ALFRED HUBBARD, the fourth of the above family, was born where his son, Frank C., now lives, and of whom a separate bio- graphy appears elsewhere. Alfred Hubbard was educated, with his cousins, for a civil en- gineer at Champion, N. Y., where his uncle, Noahdiah Hubbard, resided. He started for the West to practice his profession, but when he had reached Ohio, news reached him of the death of an elder brother, who was in charge of the home farm, and he at once re- turned to Connecticut, and assumed charge of the farm for his widowed mother, although he had received no instructions as an agricul- turist.

On January 1, 1828, Alfred Hubbard married Julia Ann Paddock, who was born on South Main street, Middletown, April 12, 1812, a daughter of Robert and Martha (Loveland) Paddock. Robert Paddock was the owner of much of the choicest residence property on High street, Hunting Hill, and elsewhere in Middletown, and was known as "Cash" Paddock, as he always had plenty of cash at his command. Mr. and Mrs. Paddock lived to be quite old, and for several years the former was totally blind. Their family consisted of six girls, viz .: Mrs. Clarissa

Birdsey; Martha, who died when four years old; Pattie, who first became Mrs. Rogers and afterwards Mr. Miller; Lucy, who married Elihu Plumb; Harriet, wife of Elijah Lucas; and Julia Ann, Mrs. Alfred Hubbard. To Alfred and Julia A. ( Paddock) Hubbard were born the following children: (1) Sam- uel C., who was born May 2, 1829, married Carolina Hubbard, a daughter of Asa and Sarah (Tryon) Hubbard. He was long prominent in all good work, and was mayor of Middletown, but is now a resident of Terra Ceia, Fla. (2) Maria E., born November 17, 1831, was married May 4, 1852, to Gaston T. Hubbard, and lives in Middletown. (3) Frederick W. B., born August 23, 1834, mar- ried Sarah A. Hubbard, daughter of Asa and Sarah (Tryon) Hubbard, and lives in Seat- tle, Wash. (4) Edwin N., is mentioned on another page. (5) Julia A., born January 17, 1841, was married to James C. Ferree, and died in Middletown, in 1869, when about twenty-eight years old, leaving no children .. (6) Harriet Ellen, born February II, 1844, married Wilbur F. Burrows, and died in Mid- dletown in 1885. (7) Robert P., born March. 6, 1847, has a full sketch on another page. (8) Frank C., born February 25, 1855, also has .a sketch elsewhere.

Hon. Alfred Hubbard was one of the stanchest of Democrats, and one of the most prominent men of his section of the State. He served in the Connecticut House of Represen- tatives in 1844, and again in 1858, and in the Connecticut Senate in 1870. Physically, he was of small stature, but rather broad shouldered, and with dark hair and eyes. He was fond of company and equally fond of read- ing. After taking charge of the home farm he continued to manage it until he died, March 26, 1890, in the faith of the Method- ist Church. His wife had passed away Oc- tober 9, 1888, and the remains of both lie in- terred in Pine Grove cemetery.

THOMAS DE MARS, for a number of years a highly respected resident of Newfield, town of Middletown, Middlesex county, was a son of Joseph De Mars, who was born in France, and coming to America, settled in St. John, Newfoundland, where he followed farming, and where he died and was buried .. Cholera morbus was epidemic in the neighbor-

Cupid Hubbard

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

hood, and many families were stricken with it, and he was helping to care for them when he, too, was taken down and died. Joseph De Mars was married before he left his native country to Latteck Frisiet, who died in St. John two years before her husband. Their children were: Joseph, born in France, who came to America with his parents; Alton, born in St. John; Catherine; Lucy; Rosalie; Let- teck; Julia; Wisetta; Thomas; Louie; Moses; Treffoe; and a son that died unnamed.

Thomas De Mars was born March 15, 1817, in St. John, Newfoundland, where he resided until he was thirteen years old. His parents died when he was quite young, and he made his home with his uncle, Loue Frisiet, until he was thirteen. While living with this uncle he attended school, working nights and mornings, and receiving two dollars a month and board. Charmed with the stories of the large wages earned in the United States, told to him at this time by a visiting cousin, he left St. John amid the tears of his uncle and aunt, both- of whom were deeply attached to him, and made his way to Albany, N. Y., with money given him by his uncle. When he reached that city he had a shilling in his pockets, and no language on his tongue but the French. The first night he spent in a livery barn. The following day he looked for work, but as he could not speak English he sought in vain for three days. At the end of the third day, faint and famishing, he met a French- man, who took him to his place of employ- ment, gave him food and secured him work in a stone quarry, as a.driver, paying him $14 a month. The work was hard, and his hands bled with rough usage, the sight of which moved his employer to give him a pair of gloves. The hours were long, and many a day Mr. De Mars turned out at two o'clock in the morning to feed his horses, and never finished his day until eight or nine o'clock in the even- ing. After four months Mr. De Mars secured a position on a canal boat running from New York to Albany, his wages being $18 a month. He finished the season thus, and during the following winter boarded in town, where he became acquainted with a sea captain who taught him some English, and secured for him a position on the docks of a steamship com- pany, where he did a man's work for a man's pay. He was given a position on a steamboat

running from Troy to New York, and while on one of these trips had a memorable experi- ence with a bully employed on the same boat, and paid off at the same time with him. This fellow was very overbearing and abusive, and one day while in mid-stream he began taunting and abusing Mr. De Mars, who could not en- dure it any longer, and though much inferior in size and apparent strength, rushed at his tormentor, and knocked him into the river. When rescued he was brought on deck, and as soon as the captain could learn the particu- lars he was promptly discharged. Mr. De Mars finished the season on the boat, and the following winter was engaged as its watch- man at Albany. The next season he was fire- man, and he was watchman the second winter. The third season he began on the boat as fire- man, at $20 a month, but on the advice of his physician, he left that employment and went into the country to work for a farmer near Schenectady, N. Y., who was also a carpenter, contractor and cabinetmaker. Mr. De Mars displayed especial gifts for wood working, and was employed by this gentleman for three years in his cabinet shop. At the end of this period he was called to Farmington, Conn., by Major Edward Cole, to work on his farm at $18 a month. He was set to work with a gang of scythe mowers in a field of hay, and, as he led them all, they sent for a crack mower to come and "do him up." The contest was a funny one, though it had its serious side in the prostration of our subject after the defeat of his boasted adversary. Mr. De Mars re- mained with Major Cole for three years, and Dr. Carrington, of Farmington, his next em- ployer, hired him as coachman and gardener. With the Doctor he spent three years, and then went to Cromwell, where he was taken into the employ of Deason Russell Wilcox, a large land owner. and the proprietor of toll-gates between Middletown and Farmington. He worked on the farm, and repaired roads. After his marriage he took a farm on shares with Elisha Treat, in West Cromwell, where he remained for five years. In the meantime he had bought seventy-five acres, and culti- vated both places, in harvest time working on his rented farm by daylight, and on his own place by night. For five years, after giving up the Treat farm, he rented the Mather farm. and on the sale of that place Mr. De Mars sold

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his farm and re-purchased in West Cromwell, where he made his home for several years. After this he was engaged by Dr. Alsopp to run his farm in Middletown, and for twenty years he was in that gentleman's employ. While Mr. DeMars was working for the Al- sopps he was held in the highest respect, and the most friendly feelings were cherislied by the members of that family for him. He con- tinued to work as a farmer until his death, though engaged for himself. In 1889, he pur- chased his late farm to which he added until it consisted of thirty-two acres. It was owned by Chester Sage, who built thereon one of the neatest and nicest farm-houses in Middletown. There Mr. DeMars carried on general farm- ing, though age prevented him from doing much work, and he passed away November 26, 1901. For his years he had a remarkably good memory. He was a Republican in politics.

On February 14, 1842, Mr. DeMars was married to Lucy Rockwell, of Middletown, who died April 30, 1886. They had the fol- lowing children: (1) Mary died in infancy. (2) Theodore E., born December 5, 1843, en- listed in Company A, Sixteenth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and was killed at the bat- tle of Antietam September 17, 1862; he was buried at West Cromwell. (3) Clara R., born November 26, 1844, married Samuel Kirk, and died in Hartford, leaving two children, Lillian R. and Clara B. (4) Mary E., born Septem- ber 8, 1846, married Henry Bacon, of West- field. (5) Fannie C., born February 18, 1850, married William T. Southmayd, a resident of Westfield whose sketch may be found else- where. (6) Thomas A., born October 17, 1852, married Annie St. Clair Cook.

Thomas De Mars married for his second wife, in Middletown December 15, 1886, Mary L. Nixon, who was born in Quebec, daughter of John and Mary (Gaines) Nixon, her fa -. ther being an extensive manufacturer of cut- lery in New York, where he died.

ALFRED JACKSON. This well-known citizen of Durham, Middlesex county, adds to his many other estimable qualities the gift of personality, which wins for him the warm friendship of neighbor and acquaintance alike. He is alive to all matters of public interest, and in his relations with his fellow men so carries himself, as to enhance the natural in-

fluence which belongs to a man of his sound and leading character. His success in Dur- liam, where he has spent most of his 'busy life, is due to his own unaided efforts.

The Jackson family is of English origin, and the ancestors of our subject were residents of Long Island. There, during the early years of the American Revolution, his grand- father resided. His wife and her two chil- dren, John (the father of our subject) and Mary (who afterward married a Mr. Parme- lee, and lived in New York State), were sent across the Sound into Connecticut in anticipa- tion of the invasion of Long Island by Gen. Clinton. They located in Killingworth, where the mother taught school to support her two children, and where after many years she died. She never again heard of her husband.

John Jackson, the father of our subject, was educated in the district schools of Killing- worth, and was there reared as a farmer boy and farm hand. After marriage he his moved to North Guilford, near the Durham line, on the farm now occupied by John Hall, - and there he lived and died. He farmed exten- sively and dealt in the buying and selling of stock. 'He married Mary Nettleton, of Kil- lingworth, daughter of Josiah and Drusilla (Griswold), farming people of that town. The seven children of John and Mary Jackson, were as follows: (I) Philander died young. (2) John, born May 6, 1821, married Ange- line Fields, and became a butcher and farmer ; he died in East Haven, Conn., September 14, 1895. (3) Alfred, our subject, born March 21, 1824. (4) Mary Ann, married Samuel Spencer, a stationary engineer, of New Hav- en; both are deceased. (5) Andrew married Jane Hubbard, of Guilford; he was a farmer and joiner and died in Guilford. (6) Evelyn, born January 7, 1832, married Frances Hor- ton of Long Island; he is a farmer of Pecon- ic, L. I. (7) Adeline, born December 18, 1834, married Frank Hart, who is a member of the firm of Strong, Hart & Barnes, whole- sale meat dealers, of New Haven.

Alfred Jackson was born in Killingworth, and when an infant was taken by his parents to North Guilford. He attended the district schools in the south district of Durham, un- der such teachers as Messrs. Howell and Hub- bard, and Miss Cornelia Camp. After the age of fourteen years, when his school days

Alfred Jackson

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ended, he lived out to Joel Blatcheley, a farmer and miller who lived in Durham, in the house now occupied by W. R. Atwell. For the first six months he received $6.00 a month, the hours of work continuing from sunrise to sun- set, and ofttimes extending far into the night. He worked there, with occasional short in- tervals, for fourteen years. Three times dur- ing this period he left Mr. Blatcheley's service because of unsatisfactory wages. His place was filled temporarily by other young men, but each time our subject was sent for soon, and his old wages advanced. He worked on the small farm and also tended the grist mill, which stood at the dam, near the present ice- house of W. R. Atwell. Our subject's last wages there were $200 per year, a sum refer- red to by some employers as "ruin wages," but an unusually large amount for those times. He left the employ of Mr. Blatcheley about 1849, and returned to the home farm (his father now being dead) for a short time. He then married and moved to Fort Erie, Canada, op- posite Buffalo, N. Y., where he remained from November, 1854, until November, 1856, hav- ing the management of several farms. In the latter year he came to Durham, purchasing a part of his present farm, known as the "Rich- ard Robinson Place," then a tract of 100 acres, making part payment with his savings, and go- ing into debt for the rest. He prospered and soon paid all obligations, adding to the acre- age and putting up substantial buildings. He now has a splendid farm of 175 acres, and car- ries on general farming and cattle raising.

On April 23, 1854, in New Haven, Mr. Jackson married Deborah A. Davis, who was born in North Madison, December 9, 1827, daughter of Levi and Mary Ann (Francis) Davis. Her father, a farmer, later removed to South Gibson, Susquehanna Co., Pa., where lie died. To our subject and wife were born six children, namely : (1) Lillie V., born May 3. 1856, married Henry Davis, a well known merchant of Durham; (2) Andrew D., born May 8, 1858, at home; (3) Alfred L., born March 2, 1860, married Mary Terry ; he is engaged in the grocery business in Stony Creek; (4) Deborah E., born January 26, 1862, at home: (5) Mary L., born April 28, 1865 ; and (6) John J., born February 4, 1871, married Daisy Rich, and has two children, Deborah Arline and Helen Victoria. In

politics Mr. Jackson is a Democrat. He was a member of the State Legislature in 1883, serving on the committee on Railroads. He has held the office of selectman for several terms, and has also served on the school com- mittee for several years. Himself and family are members of the Episcopal Church, to which he is a liberal contributor.

EDWIN A. DIBBELL. The first of this family of whom we have any authentic record was Josiah Dibbell, a descendant of the French family of De Bell ( Anglicized to Dibbell), who became the owner of large estates in the town of Killingworth (now Clinton), Conn. Con- siderable dispute has arisen over the orthogra- phy of the name, but general usage has given it the present spelling, with the accent on the last syllable.

David Dibbell, son of Josiah, was born in 1729, and died in 1811. He was a worthy man, a farmer, shoemaker and tanner by oc- cupation. His son, David, the next in line, is recorded as having died in Clinton October 4, 1845, leaving his widow, Phoebe ( Redfield) Dibbell, a daughter of Samuel Redfield. She died at the age of eighty-seven years. Grand- father D'avid Dibbell resided in the eastern part of the town of Killingworth, and became an extensive and prosperous farmer. He was a deacon in thie Congregational Church, politi- cally a Whig, and acceptably served in a num- ber of town offices, including that of select- man. His children were: Samuel R., who was married three times, to Elizabeth Hull. Ann West and Mary Green, respectively, and died in Clinton; Betsey, who married Capt. Levi Hull, and became the mother of the well known Leander L. Hull; Polly, who was mar- ried twice, first to Jared Carter, and subse- quently to Charles Stevens : Charles, deceased : and David, the father of our subject.

David Dibbell was born April 14, 1851. and died March 21, 1883. On February 11. 1824. he married Eunice Emily Carter, who was born February 1, 1803, daughter of Hub- bell and Eunice ( Parmelee) Carter, and died February 21. 1879. To this union were born : Edwin A., whose name introduces this sketch ; William Russell, born September 28, 1828, who died November 13. 1852; Elias Morgan, born in 1830, who died in April. 18;7; an infant that died in 1833: Emily Eliza, born in April.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1836, who married J. Henning Smith, of New York City ; and D. Samuel, born in June, 1838, a resident of Clinton. The father of this fam- ily was born in the old Dibbell homestead at the east end of Main street, immediately across the street from the residence of D. Samuel Dibbell, and there grew to manhood. His ed- ucational opportunities were confined to the home schools. The possessor of a fine intelli- gence, this want of education was never marked in his after life, his fund of general in- formation and natural perception supplying any lack. Like his father before him, he was a Whig in politics, and on the formation of the Republican party become one of its stanch supporters. Until disqualified by age he held the honorable position of first probate judge of the newly made Clinton District, was also a se- lectman for a number of years, and was town clerk. He represented his town in the Legisla- ture, and when Clinton was formed from Kill- ingworth he had the honor of naming the town; his youngest son, David Samuel, was the first child born in the new town. In addition to his official duties Mr. Dibbell was engaged in farming and carried on his trade of shoe- making. In 1848 he built the commodious brick residence at the east end of Main street, now the comfortable residence and property of his son Samuel. Both he and his wife were old and valued members of the Congregational Church, in which he always took an active part, being clerk of the Society's committee, and he is well remembered as the faithful Sunday- school superintendent for many years. Of him it may be truly said, he did his full duty to his home, his country, and his God.

Edwin A. Dibbell, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in the comfortable old home built by his grandfather. His educa- tion was acquired in the district schools, in the Academy "on the Green," and at Evans Mills, Jefferson Co., N. Y., where relatives resided, and where he was a student for one year. Until he was twenty-three years old Capt. Dibbell remained on the homestead, and on November 14, 1848, he married Mary M. Bradley, sister of Edwin M. Bradley, a well- known resident of Clinton. To this union came the following named children: Eldred A., born May 22, 1850, was engaged in busi- ness in New York for some years, and since 1894 has lived on an orange grove in Florida ;

he married Sarah J. Bacon, and has two chil- dren, Ruth M. and Julian E .; William E., born in May, 1862, since 1887 has been inter- ested in the granite quarry at Petersburg, Vir- ginia.

At the age of twenty-four Edwin A. Dib- bell took to the sea, and continued as a coaster from 1849 to 1855. For six years he had charge of a vessel in which he owned an in- terest, but in 1863 he sold this and engaging as pilot on a steamboat plying between Hart- ford and New York, continued thus for some time, commanding a number of the boats be- longing to the New York & Hartford line. He remained after the lines had been consoli- dated into the New York & Hartford Trans- portation Company, his sea experiences ending in 1887. During his long period on the water he had a number of thrilling adventures, his vessel once sinking after coming in contact with the rocks at Hell Gate. He had a sim- ilar accident off Goodspeeds, on the Connecti- cut river, caused by running into a snag. On May 18, 1885, while he was in command of the "Granite State," that ship caught fire while at the docks at Goodspeeds, and, breaking from her moorings, drifted down the river on the sand flats, burning to the water's edge, two persons, one a bride, losing their lives in this disaster. For several winter seasons Capt. Dibbell was in command of vessels on the New Haven & New York line, being well and favorably known to all the traveling public on that route. He has many testimonials of the esteem in which he has been held by his patrons and his employers. Politically the Captain is a stanch Republican, believing firmly in the tenets of his party, although he has resolutely refused to hold any public office. In the Con- gregational Church both he and his wife are highly valued, both having long been consist- ent and active members.

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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 72

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