USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Commemorative biographical record of New Haven county, Connecticut, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families, V. I, Pt 1 > Part 32
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ALLEN F. ANDREW (deceased), who dur- in his lifetime was one of the best-known and most highly respected residents of the town of Orange, was a native of same, born April 28, 1836, a son of William and Esther (Allen) Andrew, industrious farming people of that locality.
Mr. Andrew, our subject, received a liberal education at the district schools of the town of Orange, and remained under the parental roof, aid- ing in the work of the home farm until his mar- riage. He then removed to the Clark farm, not far from the Andrew homestead, where he fol- lowed general farming, including dairying, etc., making many improvements, and passed here the remainder of his days, dying May 17, 1886; his remains were interred in the Orange cemetery. Mr. Andrew was originally a Whig in politics, later a Republican, but at no time was he what might be termed an office seeker, though always loyal to his party. In religious faith he was a member of the Congregational Church, active in all its workings, and for a long time a teacher in, and superintendent of. the Sabbath-school. Thor- oughly domestic in his habits, he was a lover of home, temperate in all things, a good citizen, lov- ing husband and indulgent father.
On Nov. 17, 1857. at New Milford, Conn., the birthplace of the bride, Allen F. Andrew was united in marriage with Betsey B. Giddings, a daughter of James and Susan H. (Barlow) Gid- dings, and granddaughter of James A. Giddings, a soldier of the Revolutionary war ; on her moth- er's side she is a granddaughter of Gersham Bar- low. Children as follows have been born to this union : Burton G., a resident of the town of Or- ange, married to Mary Platt, of West Haven : and Leonard F .. conducting the home farm, married to Grace Jordan, of Torrington, Conn., a daughter of F. F. and Lucy ( Baldwin) Jordan ( they had two
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children, Fields Jordan; and Charlotte, who died when about a year old). Mrs. Allen F. Andrew and her daughter-in-law are ladies of culture and refinement, highly useful in their respective spheres, esteemed and respected by all.
HON. WILLIAM WALLACE LEE, long a leading citizen of Meriden and prominent in the . public affairs of both city and State, comes of a sturdy New England ancestry and of Revolutionary stock in several lines. He is a representative self- made man.
Born July 20, 1828, in the town of Barkhamsted, Conn., Mr. Lee is a son of the late Henry Bradley and Julia (Summers) Lee, and a descendant in the fifth generation from John Lee, born about 1620 who, when a lad of from thirteen to fifteen years came to New England from Colchester, in the County of Essex, England, sailing from Ipswich. After a year at Cambridge, under the guardianship of William Westwood, he went with him to Hart- ford in 1635. Young Lee became one of the orig- inal proprietors of Farmington, Conn., in 1641. In 1659 he married Mary. daughter of Deacon Stephen Hart. He died Aug. 8. 1690, and his widow mar- ried, Jan. 5, 1692, Tedediah Strong. son of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Mass., to which place she removed. From this emigrant settler William Wallace Lee's lineage is through Thomas, Thomas (2), David and Henry Bradley Lee.
(II) Thomas Lee, son of John, the settler. born in August, 1671, in Farmington, married Lydia Benton, of Hartford. She died about 1700, and on Feb. II, 1707, he married Mary Camp, of Hart- ford. She died March 22, 1722, and he married (third) Elizabeth Hubbard, after whose death, which occurred March 23, 1733, he married (fourth) Widow Martha Howard, of Windsor, Conn. Mr. Lee was a mason by trade and was an extensive land holder in Farmington. Bristol and Avon. He served as constable and was sergeant of the trainband. He died Sept. 26, 1740.
(III) Thomas Lee (2), son of Thomas, born Dec. 17, 1717, married Ezabal. daughter of Jona- than and Ezabal Sedgwick, of Hartford. He lived on the east side of and near the Farmington river, was a shoemaker by occupation and also taught music. There is now in the possession of William Wallace Lee a singing book, hand made, the notes as clear as print, with "rules for tuning the voice and finding the pitch;" all written in rhyme. On the cover in a fair round hand is the following: Thomas Lee: his singing book. "Anno Domini 1752. Thomas Lee (2) particinated in the old French war, enlisting April 6. 1758. and serving eight weeks and five days : and was an ardent patriot in the days of the Revolution, to which, too old him- self for service, he sent his two sons and melted | V. I .; he died of diphtheria in 1883. David Brad- the leaden weights of his clock into bullets. He died Jan. 11, 1806, and his wife passed away several years previously.
(IV) David Lee, son of Thomas (2), born Dec. 16, 1763, married in 1789 Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew (soldier of the Revolution) and Mabel (Fox) Haves, of Turkey Hill (Granby), Conn., where he then resided. She died May 27, 1815, aged forty-five years. For his second wife he wedded Fanny (Chidsey) Kilbourn, widow of Tim- othy Kilbourn. She died March 13, 1861, and was buried in the old cemetery at Barkhamsted. David L.ce was the father of seven children. He was a Continental soldier in the Revolution, serving in the Second Regiment, Connecticut Line, was on duty in the Northern Department, in New York, and also served in New Jersey; he stood guard over Major Andre when that officer was a prisoner. In his later years he was a United States pensioner. In 1801 Mr. Lee removed to the Pleasant Valley District, in Barkhamsted, Conn., where for forty years he kept the toll gate on the Farmington river pike. He was a blacksmith by trade.
(V) Henry Bradley Lee, son of David, born July 22, 1800, was married Jan. 10, 1826, to Julia, daughter of Joseph and Clarinda (Crane) Sum- mers (he a soldier of the Revolution), and grand- daughter of Elihu Crane. of Durham, Conn. (also a soldier of the Revolution). Mrs. Lee died Feb. 13, 1835, and on Sept. 13, 1835, Mr. Lee married Mary Goodwin Austin, daughter of Benjamin and Susannah (Goodwin) Austin (he a soldier of the Revolution ). . She died Dec. 4. 1863. On April 6. 1864, Mr. Lee married (third) Annis, widow of Orsemus Ransom, and daughter of Truman Case (both her grandfathers-Humphrey Case and Thomas Wilder-were soldiers in the Revolution. Henry Bradley Lee was a lumberman-operating a sawmill-and building contractor, and also car- ried on a farm. He served as postmaster at Pleas- ant Valley by appointment of President Taylor. He was a "prominent citizen, a man of influence and much respected by his townsmen, having held nearly every office within their gift, except repre- sentative to the Legislature, which latter position he would never accept." Mr. Lee and five sons voted for Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He died at his home in Pleasant Valley, Litchfield Co., Conn., Sept. 17, 1865. He was the father of the following named children : Henry Bryan, born Oct. 10, 1826, was killed at Deep Run. Va., in August, 1864, while serving as lieutenant of Company F. 7th Conn. V .. I. William Wallace, born July 20, 1828, is men- tioned below. Edwin Ruthven. born Feb. 7, 1830, lied Nov. 4. 1831. Catherine Brown, born Nov. 26, 1831, died Feb. 8, 1835. Edwin Ruthven (2), born April 28, 1833, commanded Company D, 11th Conn. V. I. and was killed at the battle of Newbern, N. C., March 14. 1862. James Austin, born Jan. 11, 1837. was a sutler in the 19th Conn. ley. born March 24, 1838, was quartermaster of the 19th Conn. V. I., and was promoted to brigade quartermaster, with the rank of major; he was a
W Wallace Lec
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prominent attorney in St. Louis, and died in 1897. Julia Elizabeth, born Jan. 13, 1840, married June 13, 1867, James L. Flint, who was born Sept. 9, 1840, at Meriden, and is a mechanical expert and contractor in New Britain.
William Wallace Lee did not attend school regularly after he was nine years old and worked faithfully for his father until he was seventeen years old. He then took up the trade of machinist, serv- ing an apprenticeship of four years at Winsted and becoming an expert workman. After working as journeyman in Hartford, Guilford, Ausonia, Bridgeport and Birmingham, he settled at Meri- den, in 1862, since when he has served the interests of the Edward Miller Co. as machinist, and the con- tinued connection with one establishment testifies to his integrity, ability and industry. He enjoys the respect of his employers and fellow workmen, as well as of all others who have been privileged to know him. On the occasion of Mr. Lee's golden wedding anniversary, the Meriden Record said:
He was never known to do an injustice to any one, and has been generally beloved by all who have known him for the sterling traits of courage and integrity that have dominated his long career. He has never been an applicant for public office. There have been times when he would have been given high honors at the hands of his party if he had been a seeker after office. In 1885 and 1886 he represented Meriden in the State Legisla- ture, and was popularly regarded as one of the leaders of the session of that year. Mr. Lee has always been an en- thusiastic Republican, but he has never allowed party loyalty to sacrifice the right of private judgment. He was a delegate to the first Republican State convention held in Connecticut, in 1856. The votes which he recalls with the greatest satisfaction were those he cast for Lin- coln, Greeley and Harrison.
For years Mr. Lee has taken a very active part in the work of the various fraternal organizations, notably the Masons, Odd Fellows. and the Sons of Temperance. With the latter organization he was affiliated for over forty years, and held all the highest offices in the gift of the order in the State. About fifteen years ago, however. this order passed resolutions requiring all members in good standing to vote the straight Prohibition ticket in the future. This Mr. Lee refused to do, and he immediately withdrew from the organization. It should be added that Mr. Lee has never drank intoxicating liquor of any kind, and he is a thorough believer in total abstinence, but he does not believe that the cause of temperance is best promoted by voting the Prohibition ticket.
In 1852 he joined the Masons, and in 1874 and '75 he was Grand Master of Connecticut. and he has been at the head of nearly every branch of Masonry in Connecticut except the Knights Templar. He is now in his twenty- second year as the chief officer of the Masonic Veteran Association of Connecticut.
have enjoyed the unostentatious but generous hospitality and good cheer of this most worthy couple.
From another source the following accotint of his public service is obtained :
He represented Meriden in the General Assembly of 1885 and 1886, and was assigned to important committees each year. He introduced a resolution, which was car- ried without a dissenting voice, to publish such military records as were in the State Archives, from the early wars down to the close of the Mexican war (records of the Confederate war having been previously published). The result was the publication of a large quarto volume which was ordered to be supplied to every town clerk's office and all public libraries in the State. He served four years on the board of aldermen of Meriden, and held other positions of note. He was a delegate to the first Republican Convention held in the State, in 1856, was a Free-soiler in 1848, voted for Lincoln in 1860 and 1864, and has never inissed an opportunity to cast a vote for equal rights. temperance and good morals. He is one of the most widely known secret society representatives in the State; was a member of the Sons of Temperance at eighteen years of age. and eventually held every office in the order, and for thirty-five years was connected with the National Organization: was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows in 1877-78. His Masonic career was commenced in 1852; he was knighted in St. Elmo Commandery, in Meriden, in 1871; Grand- Master of the State in 1874-75. Prior to that he held the office of Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of the State (1872-73). During the Civil war he was a lieutenant in the State militia and enlisted for service in the army, but was rejected for physical disability.
Mr. Lee was one of the organizers of the Sons of the American Revolution in Connecticut. He is secretary of the Lee Association, which was organ- ized in 1884, and compiler of the published proceed- ing of the first general family meeting of the de- scendants of John Lee. He has been deeply inter- ested in collecting statistics of the descendants, freely expending both time and money in his efforts, and has succeeded in searching out families of which all trace had been lost for more than a cen- tury. Mr. Lee's tastes are essentially domestic, and he finds his chief enjoyment in the companionship of his books and such friends as may visit his hos- pitable home. A lover of good literature, he has a large and well selected library, and has done much in preserving worthy records, including the Lee family history, and the history of lodges and towns. Mr. Lee has been a subscriber to the New York Daily Tribune for fifty-two years.
At the election of 1884. when he was chosen to represent the town in the Legislature, Mr. Lee was the only Republican candidate to escape defeat. During the two sessions which he attended he was a member of the committee on Judiciary, and in 1886 was chairman of the committee on Labor. He attends religious worship at the Universalist Church.
In Odd Fellow circles Mr. Lee is one of the best known men in Connecticut. He was Grand Master of the State in 1877 and 1878. and was elected the first Noble Grand of the Pacific Lodge in this city. Mr. Lee has always taken a great interest in the welfare of his native town of Barkhamsted, and in various ways has shown his love of the old hill town. He was the moving spirit in the dedication of a soldiers' monument in that place a At Ansonia, Conn., July 24. 1851, Mr. Lee was married to Miss Mary Jane Carrington, daughter of Samuel and Asenath ( Lines) Carrington. Her maternal grandfather. Ashbel Lines, was a Revo- few years ago. and at the centennial celebration of the town, in 1870. he delivered an ahle and eloquent historical address. The fifty years of wedded life have passed very happily for Mr. and Mrs. Lec. and the latchstring of their home has always been open to a large circle of friends, who i lutionary soldier, and served at the defense of
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New Haven in 1779. Mrs. Lee is a representative of the oldest and best families of Woodbridge and Milford, tracing her ancestry to Henry and Ralph Lines, who were residents of New Haven in 1646, and to Edward Carrington, of Milford. Only one of the children born to. Mr. and Mrs. Lee is living. Charles Carrington, the first, born in 1854, died in infaney. William Wallace, born Oet. 12, 1856, died Sept. 18, 1858. George Henry, born Sept. 8, 1861. died in December, following. Jennie Jay, born May 14, 1864, is the wife of Edwin E. Smith, business manager of the Meriden Morning Record, and has had three children-Isabella Lee, a graduate of the Meriden high school; Florence W., who died at the age of five years ; and Wayne Carrington, a high school student. Mrs. Smith is a prominent member of Ruth Hart Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
HON. ALBERT BOOTH DUNHAM, of the town of Seymour, long prominent in public affairs and at this time High Sheriff of New Haven coun- ty, is one of the widely known and influential Re- publieans of the county and State-a man whose good common sense, excellent judgment and prac- tical business methods shown in a long and sue- cessful public service in the affairs of his town and county, have deservedly given him rank among the leading citizens of New Haven county.
Born Sept. 28, 1838, in the town of Oxford, Conn., Mr. Dunham is a son of Henry and Henri- etta (Tucker ) Dunham, and is deseended on both sides from among the earliest families to come to New England, and is of Revolutionary stock. The Dunhams for generations have resided in New Ha- ven county; the earliest ancestor of the Southing- ton family, from which our subject is descended, appears in the history of the town as Gideon Dun- ham, who, it is believed, came from Martha's Vine- yard to that point. The Church records of South- ington show that "old man Dunham" died April 27, 1762, and Widow Dunham died Aug. 26, 1762, leaving nine children. From this Gideon Dun- ham, Sheriff Dunham, of Seymour, is in the fifth generation, his line being through Cornelius, Sam- uel and Henry Dunham.
(II) Cornelius Dunham, son of Gideon, born in 1740, married Feb. 2, 1764. Jemima, daughter of Jonathan and Susanna ( Richards) Andrews. Cor- nelius Dunham lived at the upper end of Queen street in Southington, where he kept a tavern for many years, which had quite a reputation for the generous hospitality there dispensed. Mr. Dun- ham's standing in the town was excellent. He died Feb. 23, 1819, and his wife passed away May 24, 1818, aged seventy-three years.
(III) Samuel Dunham, son of Cornelius, born May 15. 1767, married Feb. 4. 1798, Luey, daugh- ter of John and Hannah ( Rich ) Ariail, and lived in the vicinity of his father. His death occurred Sept. 20, 1811.
(IV) Henry Dunham, son of Samuel and the father of Sheriff Dunham, was born in May, 1806, and married Henrietta Tucker, of the town of Ox- ford, and became a resident of that town. He was a merchant, and a respected and estcemed citizen. His wife, who survived him, died March 7, 1876, aged sixty-four. She was the daughter of David and Laura C. Tucker, of Oxford, the Tuckers be- ing an old family in that town.
Sheriff Dunham is also a lineal descendant of the old Booth and Hawley families of Stratford, in Fairfield county, so many of whose posterity are still living in that and adjoining counties. Richard Booth, the ancestor of the old Seymour family of the name, was one of three brothers who came from Cheshire, England, between 1630 and 1640, and landed at New Haven, Richard being the only one to remain in this locality. He settled in Stratford, where he appears as early as 1640. There is a family tradition that he was a deseend- ant of Richard Booth, of Cheshire, England, who. was the fifth son of Sir William Booth, Knight, who died and was buried at Bowden, Cheshire, in 1578. Richard dying in 1628. The latter's son, Richard, who came to Stratford, New England. married a sister of Capt. Joseph Hawley, who also came from England and settled in Stratford in 1640.
Albert Booth Dunham, the subject proper of this sketch, received his education in the public schools of his native town and in the State Normal School at New Britain, Conn. He passed his youth and early manhood as a clerk in the mer- cantile house of his father, and as an associate with him in business, there laying a good founda- tion upon which he built an honorable and useful career. For many years Mr. Dunham has been the genial host of the old "Wooster House," at Sey- mour, in connection with which he has kept a livery and feed stable, and is widely and favorably known to the traveling publie to whom he dispenses a generous hospitality. But it is as a public servant that Sheriff Dunham is best known. His public career dates back to the President Lincoln admin- istration, through which he served as postmaster at Oxford. Later on he was deputy sheriff of New Haven county, and for the long period of fifteen years was county commissioner. In 1878 he was a representative from Seymour in the General As- sembly, and in 1808 he was elected high sheriff of New Haven county for a term of four years. To judge of his efficiency as a publie official, and pop- ularity as a man and citizen, one has only to read between the lines of this article.
In 1872 Mr. Dunham was married to Anna Tueker, and to the union have come children as fol- lows: Henrietta, Anna and Sadie.
JOHN PIERSON TUTTLE, whose death oc- curred at his home in New Haven, Conn., May 27, 1893, was long one of the city's substantial men and
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first citizens, and a representative of one of the Colony which settled in New Haven.
William Tuttle, the emigrant ancestor of our subject, with his wife, Elizabeth, and three children, sailed in the ship "Planter" from London, England, in 1635. When listed for New England, he was designated as a husbandman, but in Boston was a merchant. He became one of the colony that settled New Haven, in 1639. Mr. Tuttle was represented as a man of intelligence and probity, who died in 1673, his wife surviving until 1684.
From this emigrant ancestor, the late John P. Tuttle, of this review, was a descendant in the eighth generation, his line being through Thomas, Thomas (2), Captain Andrew, Hezekiah, Abner and Isaac Tuttle.
Thomas Tuttle, son of the emigrant, born in Eng- land in 1634. married in 1661. Hannah, daughter of Thomas Powell, and lived on College Square, where Phelps Arch is now, in New Haven.
Thomas Tuttle (2), son of Thomas, born in 1667, married in 1692, Mary, daughter of Andrew San- ford, of Milford, Conn. Mr. Tuttle was a cooper by trade, and his death occurred in 1703.
Capt. Andrew Tuttle, son of Thomas (2). born in 1702, married in 1725, Eunice. daughter of Daniel Sherman and resided in New Haven, where he was prominent and influential in local affairs. In 1737, he served as lieutenant in the 2d Company of militia, and in 1747, as captain of the Fifth Company.
Hezekiah Tuttle, son of Capt. Andrew, born in 1736, married in 1758, Martha, daughter of Abner Bradley. Mr. Tuttle died in 1796, and his widow in 1823.
Abner Tuttle, son of Hezekiah, born in 1760, married, in 1783, Elizabeth Mix. His death oc- curred in 1813, but his wife survived him many years, dying in 1854, at the age of eighty-nine. Their son, Lieut. John Pierson Tuttle, of the United States Navy, died at sea, near Valparaiso, South America, in 1825.
Isaac Tuttle, son of Abner and father of the late John Pierson Tuttle, of New Haven, was born Nov. 22, 1790. He married Oct. 8. 1815, Polly Cooper. of Cedar Hill, who died Nov. 19, 1840, aged 45 years ; but Mr. Tuttle survived until March 8. 1864.
John Pierson Tuttle, the son of Isaac and the subject proper of this sketch, was born July 30, 1817. in New Haven, where he was reared and educated. and where he passed his life. Along in the forties. Mr. Tuttle was associated with the late Hon. Charles L. English in the lumber business. up to 1862 under the firm name of English & Tuttle, when he with- drew, and became associated with Benjamin R. Eng- lish in the same line of business under the firm name of Tuttle & English, and continued with him until. 1878, when he retired from mercantile business. For vears he was treasurer of the New Haven Savings Bank, and was also president of the Mechanics Bank, and served for several years as street commissioner.
On April 28, 1842, Mr. Tuttle was married to Elizabeth C. Augur, who survived him. Mr. Tuttle passed a long and useful life in the city of his birth and the home of his ancestors, and was heloved, re- spected and esteemed for his many noble traits of character. For years he had been Senior Warden of Trinity Episcopal Church, in New Haven.
To John Pierson Tuttle and his wife were born the following children : Emma Susan, born Dec. 26, 1850, married Dr. Lewis, formerly of Nauga- tuck. Conn., now of Brooklyn, N. Y. ; and WILLIAM PIERSON, born July 18, 1853, married in June. 1877, Carrie M., daughter of Deacon George Baldwin, of Branford, Conn. For years Mr. William P. Tuttle was a wholesale grocer, in New Haven, later a dealer in investment securities in New York city, and is now the assistant postmaster of the city of New Haven.
HENRY EDWIN LOUNSBURY (deceased). In an agricultural region, where class distinctions do not prevail. there are, nevertheless, men whose abilities give them public eminence. Leadership is won not by fortuitous circumstancs, but by in- trinsic worth. In his career of more than three score years the subject of this sketch lived con- tinuously in the town of Bethany, where he he- came widely and favorably known for his many estimable qualities, and where his success and farm- ing affairs gave him high standing as an exemplar and a counselor. He was born in the town of Bethany, New Haven county. Feb. 9. 1829. one of the four children of Major and Hannah (Beecher) Lounsbury.
Henry E. Lounsbury was reared upon a farm, receiving a good common-school education and re- maining at home until he attained the age of twen- ty-two years. He then engaged in the butcher busi- ness, which he conducted successfully for a period of ten years. His liking for the farm induced him to return to the avocation to which he was reared. in connection with which he also, until his death many years later, bought and sold cattle extensive- ly, becoming one of the most prominent and suc- cessful citizens of the town. In politics he was a Democrat. He held various local offices, including those of selectman and assessor. and in 1878 he was elected a member of the State Legislature, filling his important duties as a law maker with satisfac- tion to his constituents and credit to himself. His death occurred Oct. 2. 1801. and his remains were interred at the Center cemetery in Bethany.
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