USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 10 > Part 18
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nally of the Saxon, meaning Golda's son, Golda being one of the early Saxon chief- tains.
Henry Goulding Drinkwater, son of Thomas (2) and Jane Mary (Goulding) Drinkwater, was born June 14, 1864, in the village of King Stanley, Gloucester- shire, England, where he received his education in the public schools. Follow- ing this, he worked for a time in the butcher business, until he was nineteen years of age. In 1883 the youth came to America, locating first at Providence, Rhode Island, and like most newcomers to the land of opportunity, worked at various things. In 1894 Mr. Drinkwater became a resident of Greenwich, Connec- ticut, where he has since resided. He engaged in the feed business for a year, but being alive to the possibilities of the trucking business, Mr. Drinkwater gave up his first venture to embark on the sec- ond, in which he met with marked suc- cess. With tireless energy he devoted himself to the work of establishing his business on a firm, upright basis. He had to overcome many obstacles in the be- ginning of his career, but his ambition to succeed was so great he always found a way of surmounting his difficulties.
About 1901 he began to operate a stor- age warehouse in connection with his teaming business. This business grew rapidly and he was soon operating two large warehouses. In 1909 he built one of the beautiful residences of Greenwich, on the crest of the hill, on Railroad ave- nue, and since then the hill has been pop- ularly known as "Drinkwater's Hill." In 1916 Mr. Drinkwater turned his business over to his sons, and they are now oper- ating two warehouses, seven auto vans, and three express wagons. Since retiring from the storage and trucking business, Mr. Drinkwater has engaged successfully in the real estate business.
Mr. Drinkwater is a Democrat in poli- tics, has served as a member of the Green- wich Board of Burgesses for seven or eight years, and previously served three years on the Board of Assessors. Natur- ally a public-spirited citizen, he entered into his public service with the same zest which characterized his private business. He is also a director of the Greenwich National Bank, and fraternally is a mem- ber of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 1150; also the Knights of Pythias, the Foresters of America, and the Royal Arcanum.
Mr. Drinkwater married Annie Walsh, daughter of Lawrence Walsh, of Limer- ick, Ireland. They are the parents of nine children, eight of whom survive: I. Ella Lawton, who married Frank J. White, of Greenwich, and has three children: Rita Francis, Lawrence J., Jonathan Francis. 2. Thomas W., who married Mary Ham- ilton, and has three children : Thomas W., Jr., Hamilton Jonathan, and Henry G., 2nd. 3. Harry Francis, who married Frances Hallahan, and has one child, Hannah Elizabeth. 4. Jonathan Freder- ick, who married Augusta Schwaner; he served thirteen months in the Three Hundred and Sixth Machine Gun Corps, Seventy-seventh Division ; he was gassed, and wounded in the knee. 5. Mary Eve- lyn. 6. Margaret Elise. 7. Jane Frances. 8. Zita Stanleyetta.
The Drinkwater family are all members of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church.
WILSON, William Keen,
Factory Superintendent.
An example of perseverance and deter- mination, unyielding in the face of diffi- culties, is shown in the life of William K. Wilson, superintendent of the R. & W. Hat Shop of Norwalk. From his boyhood Mr. Wilson has improved his opportuni-
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ties and today is among the highly re- spected citizens of the city of Norwalk.
The first of the Wilson family in Amer- ica was David Wilson, grandfather of William K. Wison, who was born about 1803, in Londonderry, Ireland, and died in Newark, New Jersey. By occupation he was a hatter, and after coming to the United States opened his own hat factory in Newark. He married, about 1823, Catherine Ferguson, daughter of James Ferguson, of Londonderry, and she died in Newark. They were the parents of the following children : Jane, Samuel, James, David (2), of whom further; Kathrine, Caldwell, and Maggie.
David (2) Wilson, son of David (1) Wilson, the immigrant ancestor, and fa- ter of William K. Wilson, was born in Newark, New Jersey, and died in Orange, that State. He attended the public schools, and at an early age learned the hatter's trade. After serving his appren- ticeship he entered business on his own account, making a specialty of the manu- facture of fur felt hats. Mr. Wilson was a Republican in politics and always took an active interest in public matters. He served as a member of the Common Council for several terms in Orange. He was a member of Union Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Orange, and of sev- eral other fraternal orders.
Mr. Wilson married Abbie Ann Wil- liams, daughter of William Brown Wil- liams, a native of Orange. The latter was a shoemaker by trade, and also for many years conducted a gristmill. In connec- tion with his occupation of miller he had a farm. The Williams family were early settlers in Orange, and were for genera- tions among the prominent citizens there.
William Keen Wilson, son of David (2) and Abbie Ann (Williams) Wilson, was born in Orange, New Jersey, June 10, 1863, and was educated in the public
schools there, as were his forefathers be- fore him. He learned the trade of hatter soon after completing his schooling. Until 1890 he worked in Orange as a journeyman, then went to Danbury, where he spent ten years as foreman in one of the hat factories there. His next employment was with the Green Com- pany, in the capacity of superintendent, and in 1912 he removed to Baltimore, where he had a business of his own. Mr. Wilson was one of the organizers of the Hodshon, Middlekaul Company, manu- facturers of felt hats. After three years with the latter company, he went to Haverhill, Massachusetts, and for a year was superintendent of a plant there. Re- turning again to Norwalk, Mr. Wilson became superintendent of the R. & W. Hat Company, which position he now fills in a most capable manner, having about one hundred and fifty employees under him.
Mr. Wilson is a great lover of Free- masonry, to which he has devoted much time, energy and talent. He is attached to the order in all its extended branches for its truths, principles, and symbolisms, as well as for the social and fraternal fea- tures it develops and fosters. By nature he is genial and social, enjoying the com- panionship of friends, possessing good judgment and the peculiar faculty of en- forcing discipline without being auto- cratic, thereby retaining the esteem and confidence of those with whom he comes in contact, either in his business or social relations. As a ritualist he took high rank, rendering Masonic work with abso- lute accuracy and in a manner that made a lasting impression upon candidates seeking light. He is a member of Union Lodge, No. 40, Free and Accepted Ma- sons, of Danbury, of which he is past master; Eureka Chapter, No. 23, Royal Arch Masons, of which he is past high
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priest ; Wooster Council, No. 28, Royal and Select Masters, of which he is past thrice illustrious master; Crusader Com- mandery, No. 10, Knights Templar, of which he is past eminent commander ; Pyramid Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Wilson had advanced to the office of principal so- journer in the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Connecticut when his removal to Bal- timore halted his official work in that body.
Mr. Wilson married Minnie O'Brien, daughter of Dennis O'Brien, of Dunman- way, County Cork, Ireland, and they have five children, as follows: I. David D., born in East Orange, New Jersey ; mar- ried Louise Burr, daughter of J. Howard Burr, of Danbury, and they have one child, Francis Wilson. He is vice-presi- dent of the Lee Hat Manufacturing Com- pany of Danbury, one of the largest of its kind in the country. 2. William B., a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, of Troy, New York, the fore- most engineering school in the world, from which he received the degree of Electrical Engineer. He married Eliza- beth Steinbuschel, of Wichita, Kansas, and they have two sons, William and Theodore. 3. Henry F., also a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, now (1920) living in Baltimore in the employ of one of the largest battery concerns in the United States. During the World War he enlisted in Company E, 306th En- gineers, of the 81st Division, as a second lieutenant, and was promoted to first lieu- tenant. He served two years in France and saw much active service. He mar- ried Mary Lucey, of Catonsville, Mary- land, and they have one son, Henry. 4. Abbie Ann, graduated from Western High School in Baltimore. She entered Smith College, where she was making a splendid record as a student of chemistry,
when ill-health interfered with her con- tinuing her studies. 5. Stanley J., now (1920) a student in Rensselaer Polytech- nic Institute, taking a course in chemical engineering, where he expects to receive the degree of Chemical Engineer.
Great credit is due Mr. and Mrs. Wil- son for the splendid start in life which they have given their children, and they may well be proud of the records already made by each of them.
MOORE, John A.,
Physician, X-Ray Specialist.
One of the most distinguished families in Ireland is the Moore family. It has been the theme of song and poetry for centuries, and there have been many prominent members of this family as is shown by the early records. One of the most noted of these was Sir John Moore, son of Dr. John Moore, and grandson of Charles Moore, of the Moore family of Rowallan. It is from this same branch that the grandfather of Dr. Moore, of Westport, Connecticut, descends.
(I) Lot Moore, grandfather of Dr. John A. Moore, was born in County Queens, Ireland, about 1794, and died in 1871. He was a cousin of Sir John Moore, above referred to, and was undoubtedly a son of James Carrick Moore, and grand- son of Charles and Marion (Anderson) Moore. Lot Moore grew to manhood in Ireland, where he married, and soon after removed to Saratoga Springs, New York. He was engaged in business as a florist, which occupation he carried on during his active lifetime.
(II) John Moore, son of Lot Moore, was born in County Queens, Ireland, and lived to the age of eighty-six years. He was employed as a clerk in the Custom House in Dublin in his youth. He was a young man when his parents immigrated
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to New York State, and he learned the trade of carriage builder in all its branches, including blacksmithing. Soon after this time Mr. Moore started in busi- ness for himself in Grangerville, Saratoga county, New York, continuing until the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted in Company K, 77th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and served all through the war, having charge of one of the trains. After the war, he located in Schuylerville, New York, and after a year moved to Bacon Hill, where he was en- gaged in business until his death. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic in Schuylerville. Mr. Moore married Margaret Clare, daughter of John Clare, and they were the parents of four children. Two of these children grew to maturity. They were: John A., of fur- ther mention; and Sarah, who became Mrs. Burton and was the mother of four children.
(III) John A. Moore, son of John and Margaret (Clare) Moore, was born Octo- ber 4, 1854, in Saratoga Springs, New York, and was educated in the public schools and at Fort Edward Collegiate Institute. He read medicine under the preceptorship of Professor Vandevere, and subsequently entered the medical department of a university, from which he was graduated in 1880 with the degree of M. D. The following year Dr. Moore spent in the Albany Hospital, and then he began his practice in Saratoga county, New York. After five years of practice, Dr. Moore went abroad and spent three years in post-graduate work in surgery with his headquarters in Vienna. Upon his return he again settled in Saratoga Springs and engaged in general practice for about six years. Thence Dr. Moore removed to Millerton, New York, and after twenty years of successful practice removed to Westport, Connecticut. Since
1904, Dr. Moore has specialized in elec- tro-therapeutics, including X-ray pho- tography, and has been signally success- ful in his chosen calling. He is a member of the medical societies in Dutchess and Putnam counties, New York; the New York Medical Society ; American Medical Association ; the American Electro-Thera- peutic Association. His fraternal connec- tions are: Member of Montgomery Lodge, No. 13, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, of Lakeville, Connecticut, and of which he is past master ; Hematite Chapter, No. 43, Royal Arch Masons.
Dr. Moore married Edna St. John, daughter of Edward St. John, of Sharon, Connecticut, and granddaughter of Dwight St. John, a direct descendant of Matthias St. John, the ancestor of the family, which is among the oldest and most honorable of Fairfield county, Con- necticut. Dr. and Mrs. Moore are the parents of a son and daughter : Clare St. John, born May 15, 1906, and Lillian Jo- sephine, born December 11, 1917. With his family, Dr. Moore attends and aids in the support of the Episcopal church, of Westport.
JELLIFF, George H., Manufacturer.
The inestimable benefits conferred upon a community by the manufacturers and business men are coming to have their due share of recognition, and the records of these men are being set down as truly representative. Among the men whose efforts have aided the growth and devel- opment of New Canaan, Connecticut, none stand higher than the members of the Jelliff family.
(I) The first known member of this family is Thomas Jelliff, but the details regarding him are very meagre.
(II) William Jelliff, son of Thomas
Conn-9 9
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Jelliff, was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. He married, December 7, 1771, Huldah Sturges, daughter of David and Charity Sturges.
(III) Aaron Jelliff, son of William and Huldah (Sturges) Jelliff, was born May 15, 1775, and died August 17, 1835. He married, August 24, 1800, Anna Fillow, born March 29, 1784, died September 7, 1849. About 1820, Rev. William Still- well (whose church Aaron Jelliff at- tended), seceded from the Methodist Episcopal church and organized a class in Georgetown. The opposing faction called them Stillwellites, and Aaron Jelliff was a firm believer and follower of this order.
(IV) Aaron (2) Jelliff, son of Aaron (1) and Anna (Fillow) Jelliff, was born April 27, 1807. He engaged in farming, and was in the wire business in Weston, where he was gored by a cow, meeting his death, January 1, 1884. He married (first) September 9, 1829, Caroline Dun- ning, born in Wilton, September 24, 1809, died February 26, 1866, daughter of David and Ann (Morehouse) Dunning. He married (second) September 9, 1867, Delia Ann (Gregory) Bartram, born Jan- uary 16, 1827.
.
(V) Aaron (3) Jelliff, son of Aaron (2) and his first wife, Caroline (Dunning) Jelliff, was born in Georgetown, March 2, 1839. Georgetown was the seat of the first sieve manufactory in the United States, and Aaron Jelliff grew up in that business. In 1869, with his brother, C. O. Jelliff, he came to New Canaan, Connec- ticut. There was an old grist mill on the Noroton river which had been used by the Waterburys as long ago as 1802, but it was much older than that. The present plant of the Jelliff Company is on that site, and thirty-five or forty years ago the mill was rebuilt, but many of the old original timbers are still in the mill. The
brothers started the manufacture of sieves under the firm name of A. & C. O. Jelliff, and the latter, now deceased, withdrew from the business on account of ill health, and Aaron Jelliff continued the business alone until his death, July 28, 1890. He was a member of Wooster Lodge, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He vol- unteered in the Civil War, but was re- jected for physical disability.
On December 30, 1860, Aaron Jelliff married Samantha Dickens, born June 5, 1842, daughter of Major and Hannah (Keeler) Dickens. Mrs. Jelliff is still living, well preserved, and is authority for considerable of the data in this sketch. Her father, Major Dickens, was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and died in 1873. He was a stone mason and farmer all his life. He resided most of his life in Ridge- field. He married Hannah Keeler, born there March 23, 1804, died in 1849, daugh- ter of Daniel and Grace Keeler. Aaron Jelliff and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of New Canaan, of which Mr. Jelliff was one of the choristers ; he also served as a mem- ber of its official board, and was otherwise active in church affairs.
(VI) George H. Jelliff, only child of Aaron (3) and Samantha (Dickens) Jel- liff, was born in Weston, December 18, 1861. In 1869 the family removed to New Canaan, and there he attended school. He learned the business of manufacturing sieves with his father, with whom he was associated until the father died. Mr. Jel- liff succeeded to the ownership of the plant and business. The product is a general line of wood-rimmed sieves which are sold mostly to the wholesale trade. In connection with their plant, or rather as a part of it, they have a sawmill, and do some custom sawing for people in the surrounding country. Machinery enters into the processes of manufacture, and
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about eight people are employed in the plant on an average. In politics, Mr. Jel- liff is a Republican, and is a member of the Board of Finance of the town. He is a member of Wooster Lodge, Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past grand; Wahkama Encampment, of which he is past chief patriarch ; he is also a member of Rebekah Lodge.
On October 14, 1886, George H. Jel- liff married Carrie L. Tuttle, daughter of Augustus and Hannah (Chichester) Tut- tle, of New Canaan, and of their children five are now living: George H., Jr., of whom further ; Ethel May, born Septem- ber 15, 1895; Gladys Irene, born Decem- ber 8, 1897; Carrie Louise, born April 30, 1901; Aaron Augustus, born May 19, 1906. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Jelliff is a trustee and a member of the official board, also holding the office of district steward.
(VII) George H. Jelliff, Jr., the eldest child of George H. (1) and Carrie L. (Tuttle) Jelliff, was born September 7, 1893, in New Canaan, Connecticut. There he attended the public schools, and at an early age became associated with his fa- ther in the manufacture of sieves. After thoroughly learning the details of the business he was admitted to partnership in January, 1913. He has taken his place among the enterprising citizens of New Canaan, and is upholding the prestige of his family name in his interest in public matters. The best years of his life are before him, and it is safe to say that when they have been rounded out, he can look back upon a career of usefulness and ac- complished deeds.
Mr. Jelliff married Florence Weber, daughter of Joseph, Jr., and Bertha (Wolf) Weber, of Newark, New Jersey, and they are the parents of a son, George H. (3), born November 9, 1919.
BALCOM, Thomas C.,
Real Estate, Insurance.
That this is the name of one of the most aggressive representatives of the real es- tate and insurance interests of Norwalk, Connecticut, his fellow-citizens do not need to be told. Neither do they require to be informed that Mr. Balcom is a public- spirited civic worker for the reason that his daily life among them furnishes con- stant evidence of the fact. The name of Balcom, or Balcomb, is an old one and is the designation of a parish in Sussex, England. It appears, from Colonial rec- ords, that members of the family settled in New England at an early period.
Henry Banks Balcom, father of Thomas C. Balcom, was born in New York City, but while he was still a child his parents moved to Norwalk, Connecticut, where he was reared on a farm. He married Kate Guion Cornwall, whose ancestral record is appended to this biography, and their children were: 1. Amy Guion, mar- ried Frank Scholl, and died, leaving no children. 2. Henry Ellis, born November 30, 1880; graduated from the Columbia University College of Pharmacy, working in a drug store while pursuing his studies and taking examinations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut ; holds li- censes to practice in three states ; has been for some years in the service of William Bauer, of Norwalk. 3. Thomas C., men- tioned below.
Thomas C. Balcom, son of Henry Banks and Kate Guion (Cornwall) Bal- com, was born November 5, 1882, in Norwalk, Connecticut. He received his education in the public schools of his native city. For two years thereafter he was employed in a stationery store, and for five years thereafter held a position in the public library. During this time he made good use of the opportunities af-
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forded him to supply the deficiencies of his early education, which as he left school at the age of thirteen, was of ne- cessity extremely meagre. £ Being a natural student he has remained to this day a great reader, and his interest in the library has never waned. He has long served as secretary of its board of direc- tors, and has had no small part in bring- ing the institution to its present state of efficiency. Realizing that the library could not offer him much of a future in the way of business, Mr. Balcom resigned his position to enter the service of the Norwalk Securities Corporation, a con- cern which was extensively engaged in the real estate and insurance business. After remaining with them five years he left in 1914 to establish an office of his own, and has since carried on a prosper- ous and constantly increasing business. He is a director of the Westfield Realty Company.
In the life of a man as busy as Mr. Bal- com there are few hours of leisure and those few, as a natural consequence of his literary tastes, are frequently passed in the company of his books. His only club is the Norwalk. He is a member of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church. Busy as he is, however, Mr. Balcom is never too much pre-occupied to heed any call addressed to patriotic citizens. He took an active part in Liberty Loan and other drives, giving freely of his time and means to the cause of his country and humanity. Mr. Balcom is a truly valu- able citizen. While not a politician, he is one of the small number who can be re- lied upon to sacrifice personal comfort and interest to the advancement of any move- ment which in their judgment promises to benefit any phase of the community life.
(The Cornwall Line).
The name of Cornwall, or Cornell (a local pronunciation), is variously spelled
and in the designation of the southwes- ternmost county of England. It signifies the corn, or promontory, of Wales.
(I) William Cornwall, founder of the American branch of the family, was born in England early in the seventeenth cen- tury, and came to New England in the reign of Charles the First. Tradition says that he was accompanied by two brothers, one of whom went to Long Island and afterward returned to England to receive an estate which had been confiscated. Tradition also says that the Cornwall family were Cavaliers and that William had served in the king's body-guard. If this be so he may have been converted to Puritanism and thus have lost his posi- tion, at the same time becoming estranged from his family. About 1633 he settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, becoming a member of John Eliot's church. Later he was numbered among the early settlers of Hartford, and afterward removed to Middletown. He was a man of promi- nence in the community, holding the office of constable and serving as a member of the Colonial Legislature. He married (first) Joane -, and (second) Mary , and died in Middletown, Febru- ary 21, 1678.
(II) John Cornwall, son of William and Mary Cornwall, was born in April, 1640, in Hartford, Connecticut, and lived in Middletown. He served as sergeant in the militia. In 1665 he married Martha Peck, daughter of Deacon Paul and Han- nah Peck, of Hartford.
(III) John (2) Cornwall, son of John (1) and Martha (Peck) Cornwall, was born August 15, 1671, in Middletown, Connecticut, and lived there. He married (first) in 1695, Elizabeth Hinsdale, who died in 1698, and he married (second) in 1699, Mary Hilton. John Cornwall died in 1748.
(IV) John (3) Cornwall, son of John
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(2) and Mary (Hilton) Cornwall, was born April 7, 1705, in Middletown, Con- necticut, and there passed his life. He married, in 1727, Mary Foster, of that place. He died April 23, 1746, and his widow married (second) Malachi Lewis. (V) Thomas Cornwall, son of John (3) and Mary (Foster) Cornwall, was born April 13, 1740, in Middletown, Con- necticut, and lived in Stratford and Nor- walk. In 1778 he served as coast guard at Stratford. He married, in 1783, Mary Beers, daughter of William Beers, of that place. Thomas Cornwall died December 12, 1815, and his widow passed away No- vember 1, 1824.
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