Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 99

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 99

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

in the home of his parents, and, during inter- vals he traveled over Middlesex county selling goods, which he carried in a satchel. In this manner he finally built up a trade in the jewelry and repairing line which rendered it expedient for him to establish himself in a permanent location.

On October 1, 1898, Mr. Fisher opened his jewelry store on Main street, and from the first day his success was practically assured. He has catered to a select class of trade, has made a specialty of fine repairing, and, as his resources have increased, has added to the ex- tent and facilities of his establishment and now has a finely equipped and attractive store, in which is to be found a select and comprehen- sive line of jewelry, watches, clocks, silver- ware and bric-a-brac, while his patronage is. of distinctively representative order. Mr. Fisher has attained a reputation for invariably fair dealing, and the prices he attaches to his goods and work indicate that he invariably desires to give value received. He has forged rapidly to the front, and is now regarded as one of the representative business men of Mid- dletown, while he outranks many of the busi- ness men of the same comparative age in the county, his sterling integrity of purpose, his genial nature and unvarying courtesy gaining and retaining to him the unequivocal confi- dence of all with whom he comes in contact, in either business or social circles.

Closely associated with Mr. Fisher in his business is his brother, Charles W., who like- wise was born and reared in Middletown. He initiated his independent career at an early age, securing employment in the photographic studio of Hennigar Brothers, in Middletown, where he subsequently learned the jeweler's trade, eventually accepting a position in his brother's establishment, where he is rapidly be- coming known as a skilled and trustworthy workman. He is unmistakably popular in his home city, being a young man of fine character and excellent business ability. A younger brother, John W. B., is also in the store, learn- ing the business, and the firm of Fisher Broth- ers seems more than a vision of the future.

Fraternally George J. Fisher, the subject proper of this sketch, is prominently identified with the time-honored order of Freemasons, holding membership in St. John's Lodge, No. 2, F. & A. M., Washington Chapter, No. 6, R. A. M., and Cyrene Commandery, No. 8,

taze

one

the

whe

Ine

an cut i he

Kin to C

25 h

543

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

K. T., Middletown, while his wife is associ- ated with him in retaining membership in the Order of the Eastern Star, of Middletown. In 1901 Mr. Fisher became a member of Meriden Lodge, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, after the organization of Middletown Lodge, No. 771, transferring his membership to the same. He is also a member of the Middle- town Wheel Club.

On August 31, 1899, Mr. Fisher was united in marriage with Miss Lucy Rebecca Parmalee, who was born in Middletown, in February, 1876 daughter of Wilbur F. and Lodisca ( Blatchley) Parmalee. The attract- ive home of our subject and his wife is a cen- ter of gracious and refined hospitality.

RALPH B. SWAN, the genial host of the "Hotel Swan," is a very prominent and popu- lar citizen of East Haddam, Middlesex county. A descendant of one of the old and honored families of the locality, he is considered a rep- resentative man, but he has been before the public in a business way for so many years that he needs no family prestige to introduce him.

Mr. Swan was born in Millington, town of East Haddam, Middlesex county, April 17, 1839, and is in the eighth generation from the pioneer of the family in America.

(I) Richard Swan, the emigrant ancestor and progenitor of the Swan family of Connecti- cut and Rhode Island, appears first on this side of the Atlantic ocean in Boston, Mass., where he joined the church January 6, 1639, and had one child, John, probably his youngest, bap- tized the Sunday after his admission. His first wife died in England before Mr. Swan came to New England. Upon application he was dismissed, with many others, from the Boston church to join a church at Rowley, Mass., where he remained during life, becoming a prominent citizen of that place, representing the town in the Massachusetts General Court in 1666, and many years after. He served in King Philip's war, and went on an expedition to Canada. On March 1, 1658, he married, for his second wife, Mrs. Ann Trumbull, who had married for her first husband Michael Hopkinson ; he was buried February 28, 1648, and for her second husband she married in June, 1650, John Trumbull. Richard Swan was her third husband. He died May 14, 1678. His children were: Richard, Frances, Robert, Jonathan, Susan, Sarah, and John.

(II) Robert Swan, son of Richard, the emigrant settler, born in 1628, married Eliza- beth Acie, and at that time both were residents of Rewley, Mass. He subsequently went to Andover, and thence, as early as 1650, to that part of Haverhill subsequently set off as Me- thuen. He was a soldier at the "Great Swamp Fight" in King Philip's war, a member of Lieut. Benjamin Swett's company. His first wife died in 1689, and he married (second ), April 1, 1690, Hannah Russ. He died Febru- ary 1, 1698.

(III) John Swan, son of Robert, born Au- gust 1, 1668, married, August 1, 1699, Susan- nah Wood, daughter of Philip Eastman and widow of Thomas Wood, whom she married in 1693, and who with their child, Susannah, was killed by the Indians, March 15, 1697. Mr. and Mrs. Swan lived in Haverhill, Mass., until 1707, and there three of their children were born. In that year they came to Ston- ington, Conn., locating on what is now the Swan Town Hill, North Stonington, where the rest of their children were born. He died May I, 1743, and she died December 20, 1772, in the one hundredth year of her age.

(IV) Asa Swan, son of John, was born in Stonington, April 13, 1709, and on Novem- ber 19, 1740, married Marvine Holmes. He lived in North Stonington, Connecticut.

(V) Jabez Swan, son of Asa, was born May 21, 1751. On June 17. 1772, he mar- ried (first) Mehitable Wheeler, and for his second wife he wedded Lucy Wheeler. In 1777 he sold his property in Stonington for £1,000 and a string of beads, and Continental money being of uncertain value, he quickly in- vested in a farm near Millington green, in East Haddam, and on May 22, 1777. moved there. Jabez and Mehitable ( Wheeler) Swan had the following named children : Hurlburt, Me- hitable, Jabez, Jr., Betsey. Polly. Rufus W., Rufus W. (2), Cynthia, Thomas W., Lucy, Asa, and Rufus W. (3). By the second wife. Lucy ( Wheeler ), there were two children, Cy- rus and William C.

(VI) Hurlburt and Hannah ( Esterbrook ) Swan, the paternal grandparents of Ralph B .. were farming people of East Haddam, where they passed out of life, leaving behind them the remembrance of kind deeds and honest liv- ing.

(VII) Diodet L. Swan, the father of Ralph B., was born about 1800, in Lyme, Conn ..

DAR = en- er- 15 T.

ed as d-

he 15 1g fi- t,

Je e, 1C

15 er

's 15

ing his the lit

his the ed. his ex-

544

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

where he grew to manhood. By his first wife, Mary Cone, he had one child, Mary, who mar- ried Eliphalet Emmons, and died October 2, 1848, aged twenty-seven years. For his sec- ond wife he married Mary Eliza Wells, daugh- ter of Asa Wells, an honored citizen, and they became the parents of nine children : (1) Diodet L., who lived in Springfield, Mass., where he died at the age of seventy years; (2) Francis W., who lived in Pennington, N. J., and died at the age of fifty-two; (3) Eliza- beth, who died in 1850, aged twenty-two; (4) William H., a farmer of East Haddam, who died August 17, 1902, aged seventy-one years; (5) Thomas G., of East Haddam; (6) Nancy, who is the widow of George G. Williams and lives in Chicago; she has two sons and one daughter, Elmer, Charles, and Mary; (7) Ralph B .; (8) Emmeline, who became the wife of Dr. Bottum, of Springfield, Mass., and died at the age of twenty-eight; and (9) George W., who resides in East Haddam. The parents both died at the age of sixty-four. Mr. Swan was a farmer by occupation. He always upheld the principles of the Democratic party.

Until he was thirteen years old Ralph B. Swan attended the district schools, and among his excellent teachers he remembers with es- pecial distinctness Judge Julius Attwood. At the age mentioned Mr. Swan entered the Boardman Spoon Works, at East Haddam, and remained an employe there for some six years, resigning his position on account of ill health. He secured employment in a livery establishment in East Haddam, later buying the business, and continued in its successful conduct for twenty-five years. In 1867 he rented the old "Gelston House," making it a popular hotel, patronized by the public and en- couraged by the townspeople, and continued as its proprietor until 1888, when he removed to Colchester, engaging in the hotel business there until 1891, at which date he returned to East Haddam. In 1890 he purchased the "Gelston Hotel" property, and upon his return to the town re-entered that business himself, changing the name of the inn to the "Hotel Swan," which has since been conducted in a manner which is a credit to its name. Mr. Swan is also interested in real estate in East Haddam, and is considered one of the most prosperous business men of that town. He is

a director of the National Bank of New Eng- land.

Politically our subject has always been a stanch Republican, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, and he has been an active worker in the party. He has served in some of the local offices, and for eight years acted as deputy sheriff under John I. Hutchinson. Socially he is connected with Middlesex Lodge, No. 3, I. O. O. F., of East Haddam; and Columbia Lodge, No. 26, F. & A. M., of the same place.

The first marriage of Mr. Swan was to Mary E. Atwood, who died, as did also her infant son. His second marriage, on Septem- ber 29, 1896, was to Annie May Roper, of Colchester, daughter of Artimus Fitzroy and Phoebe (Jones) Roper, and to this union have come: Eliza, born August 13, 1897; and Elizabeth, born September 23, 1898.

GEORGE F. SPENCER, one of the lead- ing and influential business men of Deep River, Middlesex county, and one who has taken an active part in its commercial upbuilding, was born January 18, 1842, in Hampton, Wind- ham Co., Conn., son of George D. and Martha Maria (Spalding) Spencer.

The Spencer family in America are lineal- ly descended from (I) Michael and his wife, Elizabeth Spencer, who lived in Stotfold, Bed- fordshire, England. They had one son,

> (II) Gerard or Garrard Spencer, who was born in the parish of Stotfold, county above named, and was baptized May 20, 1576. He was the father of the emigrants, William, Thomas, Michael and Gerrard, all of whom came to this country in 1634. William and Thomas settled in Hartford. Gerrard settled in Haddam, Conn., and Michael in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

(III) Thomas Spencer, known as Sergt. Thomas, was the progenitor of the Windham county branch of the family. He was born March 27. 1607, at the old home in Bedford- shire, England, and on coming to America with his brothers located first at Cambridge, Mass., in 1634. He removed to Hartford with Rev. Thomas Hooker's company, being among the first settlers in that town. He served in the Pequot war in 1637, being then promoted to the rank of sergeant, and later received a grant of land of sixty acres for his good service.

1 2

ire

Geo F. Spencer

firs

car

dia his

for

vel

545

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Part of this land was located between what is now Village and North Main streets, Hart- ford. Thomas Spencer was twice married, and by his first wife had three children : Oba- diah, Thomas and Samuel. He married for his second wife Sarah Bearding, daughter of Nathaniel Bearding, who was also one of the first settlers in Hartford. By this union there came six children : Jerad ; Sarah, who married Thomas Huxley ; Elizabeth, who married Sam- uel Andrews of Hartford; Hannah; Mary ; and Martha, who married a Benton. Sergt. Thomas Spencer died September 11, 1687.

(IV) Samuel Spencer, son of Sergt. Thoni- as, removed to Windham county, Conn., set- , tling in what is now the town of Scotland.

(V) John Spencer, son of Samuel, was born in Windham county. He had five sons in the war of the Revolution. He was killed while raising a bell to the belfry of the church in Scotland.

(VI) Jeduthan Spencer, son of John, turned out at the "Lexington alarm," and served nineteen days in the vicinity of Bos- ton. He was born in Windham, about two miles east of Windham Center. He was a car- penter and wheelwright, and was known as a good mechanic. He was killed while working on a building, in August, 1812, and was buried in a private burying-ground in Scotland. He married Abigail Brown, of Brooklyn, Con- necticut.

(VII) Ichabod Spencer, son of Jeduthan, and the grandfather of George F. Spencer, was born in Scotland, Windham Co., Conn., in July, 1781, and there spent most of his life. He was a successful farmer and was much respected. He died in May 1853. Mr. Spencer was twice married, first to Henrietta Babcock, born January 31, 1786, daughter of Joseph and Mary ( McCall ) Babcock, the latter a daughter of Archippus McCall and Deborah Marsh, of Marshfield, Mass. James Babcock was the first of this line to emigrate to America. His son, Joseph Babcock, bonghit 800 acres of land at what is now Babcock Hill, in South Windham and Lebanon, for 25 cents an acre. But he had hard work to pay for it. even at that price. Among other things he did to raise money, he carried pork to Boston, a distance of eighty miles, selling it for two pence a pound, and he made many laborious jour- neys before his land was cleared of debt. but success rewarded his perseverance. His son, 35

Joseph Babcock, Jr., married Mary McCall, May 1, 1782.

Mrs. Henrietta Spencer died January 27, 1827, aged forty-one. Her death was a severe blow to her husband. For his sec- ond wife Ichabod Spencer married Mrs. Ruth Clark, widow of Charles Clark, of Brooklyn, Conn., and daughter of Libeus Washburn. She was born in 1794, in Pomfret, Conn., and died August 12, 1859, in Scotland. She had a daughter by her previous marriage to Mr. Clark, Eliza Ann, who be- came the wife of William F. Essex, and died in Millerton, N. Y. Ichabod Spencer had born to him and his wife Henrietta four children : (I) Lucius W. was married twice, having no issue by the first marriage. By his second wife, Mary Neil, he had one child. George H .. who lives in Willimantic, Conn., where he is the assistant postmaster. (2) George D. is mentioned below. (3) Mary E. married Za- dock Babcock, of Windham, and had one child. Ellen, deceased. (4) Joseph B. married Har- riet Barrows, of Mansfield, Conn., and had two children, Alma and Clara, the latter of whom married Clary Palmer, of Norwich, Conn .. lives in Boston, Mass., and has two children. Louise and Merton. Ichabod Spencer had two children by his second marriage to Mrs. Ruth Clark : (1) Charles Edward married Harriet Herskell, of Lebanon and had three children: Ida May, deceased: Frank Wash- burn, at home, unmarried; and Adorna, who married Arthur Sweet, of South Wind- ham. (2) Frederick L. married Mary W. Peckham, and had no children. He was a member of the Eighteenth Regiment, Connecti- cut Volunteer Infantry in the war of the Re- bellion, was made a sergeant for faithful serv- ice, and was mustered out with the regiment. He died in 1885. His wife, who survives him, lives at Nanbuc, Connecticut.

. (VIII) George D. Spencer, father of George F. was born January 20, 1813. in Lis- bon (now Sprague ). Com., and was reare I and educated in Lebanon. For several years le clerked in stores in Lebanon, Norwich and Hampton and after this valuable experience went into the grocery business on his own ac- count at Hampton, later, from 1847 to 1804. in Lebanon. He spent the later years of his life at the home of his son, George F., in Deep River, dying at the age of seventy years. Po- litically he was a Whig, afterward a Republi-

546

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

can, and in 1854 he represented Lebanon in the Legislature. He was also judge of probate and town clerk for many years, was on the school board eighteen years, and was al- together a very prominent man. He served his town continuously for thirty-four years. He was a member of the Baptist Church, in which he served as trustee and treasurer.

In June, 1839, Mr. Spencer was married, in Hampton, Conn., to Martha Maria Spalding, of Hampton, a lineal descendant of Edward Spalding, who came from the city of Spald- ing, Lincolnshire, England, in 1631 and set- tled first in Massachusetts, later removing to Windham county, settling in Plainfield. To Mr. and Mrs. George D. Spencer were born children as follows: George F., sketch of whom follows; and Dwight S., born in 1851, who died March 9, 1883. At the time of his decease the latter was a member of the firm of Spencer Brothers, of Deep River. A short time after his decease the father also died, and four days later the mother, too, was called from earth.

George F. Spencer, the immediate sub- ject of this review was born January 18, 1842, in the town of Hampton, Conn., but was reared in Lebanon, and there attended the public schools and the Lebanon Academy. In 1865 he was engaged in the general merchandise business in South Windham, and was also postmaster there. In 1869 he removed to Suf- field, Conn., and accepted a position as stew- ard and collector for the Connecticut Literary Institute, remaining there until 1873, when he resigned and returned to Lebanon. There he spent three years on the. farm with his father. In December, 1875, he moved to Deep River, and engaged with his brother, Dwight S., in general merchandising, purchasing the busi- ness of Griswold & Smith, which they carried on under the firm name of Spencer Brothers until the brother's death, after which George F. carried on the business alone, but has re- cently disposed of the same. However, he still continues the coal business in Deep River, which was established by the two brothers in 1876. In 1896 Mr. Spencer went to Hartford and established the well known firm of George F. Spencer & Co., which is successfully engaged in the trucking business. Since 1891 he has been a director in the Deep River National Bank.

In 1968 Mr Spencer was married to Mar-

tha Champlain, who was born September 28, 1841, daughter of Robert and Lucretia (Bai- ley) Champlain, of Lebanon, Conn., and tivo children were born to this union: (I) Fran- cis H., born September 1, 1870, at Suffield, Conn., finished his education at Vermont Acad- eniv. He is a resident of Hartford, and superintended his father's trucking business there from 1896 to 1902. He is an alderman from the Fourth Ward for 1902, having been a member of the common council, and was president of that body in 1900-1901. In 1894 he married Abbie E. Fuller, daughter of George WV. Fuller, of Brattleboro, Vt., and they have one child, Walter F., born at Deep River, October 26, 1895. (2) Arthur C., born October 17, 1872, at Suffield, Conn., was edu- cated at Vermont Academy, and is also a grad- uate of the Law" Department of the Uni- versity of Oregon, class of 1895. He is en- gaged at his profession, and is at present deput- ty district attorney of the county of Mult- nomah, Oregon. He married, in June, 1898, Margaret Fenton, of Portland, Oregon, daugh- ter of Judge Fenton, one of the pioneers of the State, a man who, without the advantages of a college education, served as judge of the Yamhill county court for many years ; he was justly esteemed as one of McMinnville's most able citizens, and his death was deplored as a great loss to his county and State. Mrs. Martha (Champlain) Spencer, wife of George F. Spencer, died October 23, 1872, at Suffield, Conn., at the age of thirty-one. She was a consistent member of the Baptist Church at Lebanon, a devoted wife and affectionate mother.

On January 1, 1875, Mr. Spencer married (second) Esther A., daughter of John S. and Eliza Ann (Halsey) Linsley, of Northford, Conn., and by her he has five children: (I) Martha L., born October 28, 1875, at Lebanon, Conn .. attended Vermont Academy, and took a special course in art and elocution at that institution, evincing marked talent in that di- rection. (2) George D., born August 22, 1878, at Deep River, was educated at Vermont Academy, and on leaving school became en- gaged with his father in his Hartford business of trucking. In the four years of his con- nection therewith he has shown great persever- ance and industry in the promotion of its growth, and has, with his tact, an intelligent comprehension of its varied and important in-

4 :

rat

211

he and hos Ha an the The

an nat

' S

Tea

pour

His

Urp

fo Re 0 gı of

547

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

terests well fitting him to take entire charge on the resignation of Francis H. He has been for two years a member of Company F, First Regiment Connecticut National Guard. On October 15, 1902, he married Grace A. Hig- gins, daughter of Mary (Thomson.) Higgins, of Hartford. (3) Benjamin Halsey was born November 9, 1885. (4) Charles S., October 8, 1888. (5) Esther, November 30, 1890, all at Deep River.

Mr. Spencer is the possessor of a warm and sunny disposition. He has made many sac- rifices for his family, as well as for others, and his love of home is a part of his very nature. In his domestic life he has been a devoted son, husband and father. In his wife he found a true woman, and a sincere friend, and a warm second in the exercise of that true hospitality that makes his Deep River and Hartford homes a favored resort. Both Mr. and Mrs. Spencer are consistent members of the Baptist Church at Deep River, of which he is a trustee, and has been a deacon since 1892.

In 1884 Mr. Spencer represented his town in the State Legislature, and again in 1893. During his first terni of service he was ap- pointed a member of the commission on the (ledication of the Gov. Buckingham statue, an appropriate appointment, Mr. Spencer having been brought up and educated in Lebanon, the native town of the great war Governor. In the session of 1893 he served as a member of the committees on Public Health and Safety, Ju- dicial Nomination, and Humane Institutions. His services on the latter committee brought to him the nomination, by Gov. Luzon B. M'or- ris, as a member of the State Board of Chari- tics, to fill out an unexpired term. He was reappointed to the board in 1895, and again in 1899 For fifteen years he has been a member of the board of education of his own town, and from 1880 to 1896 was chairman of the Republican town committee. He was mod- erator, and presided at the town meetings for many years,

Mr. Spencer comes from a most patriotic family, who gave much of service and financial aid to the cause of the Colonies during the stormy days of the Revolution. He is of the seventh generation from Sergt. Thomas Spen- rer, already referred to in this sketch, and the seven generations have all retained their birth- right of residence in the State of Connecticut.

Mr. Spencer's four great-grandfathers were in the Revolutionary war, serving faithfully in the army. One of them was Joseph Babcock, whose canteen is now in the possession of our subject ; another, Capt. Hibbard, was the re- cruiting officer for Windham county.

From his early childhood Mr. Spencer has made it a motto to stick at a thing until it is conquered, and in this lies the secret of his success. He is a man of much public spirit and enterprise, and enters heartily into any project intended to promote the welfare of the town. His energy and judgment make him a valued member of the community. He is an agreeable and companionable man, and is not only well lilred in his own town and vicinity, but has made many friends throughout the State.

LINSLEY. The Linsley family, of which Mrs. George F. Spencer, of Deep River, Conn., is a member, is of English extraction, and just- ly lays claim to the honor of having been among the early settlers of Connecticut. The English home of the family was southwest of and not far from London. There were sever- al ways of spelling the name, but Linle, Lind- ley or Lindsley were commonly used in Eng- land. The description of the coat of arms is as follows : Sa., a lion ramp., between eight crosses patteé fetcheé ar.

The two emigrant ancestors were the broth- ers John and Francis, who came to this coun- try and were in Branford, Conn., in 1640, but the names do not appear on record until 1643. Francis married Sarah Culpepper, and later reinoved to New Jersey, and the present resi- dents of the name in the central part of that State claim to have sprung from this pioneer couple. Jolin remained in Connecticut, and 111 1643 was one of the original purchasers of land, and he settled in Totoket, Conn., a part of Branford. He was twice married. It is probable that his first marriage took place in England, and his wife. Ellen, died April 6, 1654. On June 2, 1656. he married Sarah Pond. He died in 1698, the father of five chil- dren : Jonathan: John: Mary, born Febru- ary 2, 1652: Ellen ; and Hamah, born AApril 1, 1654.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 99

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