USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 10 > Part 20
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JARVIS, Stephen Starr, Man of Enterprise.
Noted as the business men of South Norwalk have ever been for enterprise and sagacity, never have they had a more aggressive representative than they pos- sess in the well known citizen whose name stands at the head of this article. Mr. Jarvis has always manifested a quiet but influential loyalty to the best interests of the city, which two centuries ago, be- came the home of his ancestors.
The Jarvis family is an ancient one of French origin, and was seated in Bretagne more than five hundred years ago, the first name recorded being that of Jean Gervais, who lived about 1400. Richard Gervasius, of Normandy, who lived about 1180, was probably a member of this family. The change in the pronunciation of the name has resulted in its being spelled in a variety of ways, the initial letter being sometimes G and sometimes J. "On both sides of the sea" members of the race have been renowned in arms, while others have won distinction in the learned professions and also in the arts.
From a very early period there were Jarvises in the American colonies, a mem- ber of the family having lived in Virginia in 1623. Somewhat later a branch was transplanted to Massachusetts, and about the middle of the seventeenth century several of the name of Jarvis were resi- dent on Long Island. In the Revolution- ary struggle between the colonies and the Mother country the Jarvises adhered to the crown, members of the family serving in the British army and navy.
(I) William Jarvis, founder of the Con- necticut branch of the family, lived on Long Island. He married Esther -
-. His death occurred about 1740.
(II) Captain Samuel Jarvis, son of William and Esther Jarvis, was born Oc-
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tober 5, 1698, probably in Huntington, Long Island, and removed to Norwalk, Connecticut, where he passed the re- mainder of his life. He married Naomi Brush, of Cold Spring, Long Island, who was born March 19, 1701, and died May 3, 1756. The death of Captain Jarvis oc- curred September 27, 1779, in Norwalk. The father of Mrs. Jarvis was a native of England, and in 1720 settled in Norwalk. Among the ten children born to Captain and Mrs. Jarvis was Abraham, who be- came Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Connecticut.
(III) Stephen Jarvis, son of Samuel and Naomi (Brush) Jarvis, was born De- cember 25, 1729, and during the Revolu- tionary War lived in Canada, probably on account of his Tory principles. He mar- ried, February 6, 1756, Rachel Starr, who was born in 1733, and died in 1824, sur- viving her husband, who passed away on July 20, 1820.
(IV) Eli Jarvis, son of Stephen and Rachel (Starr) Jarvis, was born May 23, 1768, and settled in Danbury, Connecti- cut. He was a Whig, and a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. His wife, before her marriage, was Polly Bull, of Litchfield, Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis were the parents of eight children. Mrs. Jarvis, who was born September 12, 1771, died December 15, 1828. Mr. Jarvis passed away May 14, 1854, a few days before the completion of his eighty-sixth year.
(V) Stephen Starr Jarvis, son of Eli and Polly (Bull) Jarvis, was born De- cember 25, 1811. He later settled in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he opened a hardware store. He was very success- ful in the business, conducting it almost to the close of his life. A few years be- fore his death he abandoned it in order to engage in the shoe business. Mr. Jar- vis married, November 24, 1835, Ann
Louisa Lyon, who was born March 24, 1813, and they became the parents of three children: Josephine, Isabella, and William Henry Stewart, mentioned be- low.
(VI) William Henry Stewart Jarvis, son of Stephen Starr and Ann Louisa (Lyon) Jarvis, was born June 1, 1846, in Ossining, New York, and was still a child when his parents removed to Bridgeport, Connecticut. In the public schools and also in a private school of that city he received his education, after- ward becoming the assistant of his father in the hardware business. On attaining his majority he was admitted to partner- ship, the firm name being S. S. Jarvis & Son. Mr. Jarvis conducted the business until 1888, when he went to Chicago, Illinois, and entered the services of Mont- gomery, Ward & Company, having charge of their hardware department and remaining with them to the close of his life. He affiliated with Masonic and In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows lodges in Bridgeport, and he and his family were members of the Protestant Episcopal church. Mr. Jarvis married, February 15, 1871, Tryphena Ferris, whose ances- tral record is appended to this biography, and their children were: Susan Ferris, married Benjamin Miller, now deceased, of Bridgeport, and resides in Cornwall, Connecticut; Stephen Starr, mentioned below; Beulah Louise, who became the wife of Frank Wood, of Mount Vernon, New York; and one who died in child- hood.
(VII) Stephen Starr (2) Jarvis, son of William Henry Stewart and Tryphena (Ferris) Jarvis, was born December 25, 1877, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the day of his birth being memorable in the fam- ily not only as Christmas day, but also as the birthday anniversary of his mater- nal grandfather and great-great-grand-
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father, the former (another noteworthy circumstance) bearing the name of Ste- phen Starr and the latter that of Stephen.
The boyhood of the present Stephen Starr Jarvis was spent in Norwalk, Con- necticut, where he attended the public schools. On completing his course of study, he entered the service of the Roth & Goldschmidt Corset Company, Incor- porated, beginning his career in the fac- tory, and mounting, step by step, to his present important position. On the way thither he served in every capacity, suc- cessively, thus acquiring a thorough knowledge of the minutest details. While always a public-spirited citizen, Mr. Jarvis neglects no opportunity of doing his utmost for betterment of conditions. He belongs to the South Norwalk, Nor- walk Country and Knob clubs, and he and his family are members of Trinity Prot- estant Episcopal Church. From the arena of politics he has ever held steadily aloof.
Mr. Jarvis married, May 22, 1901, Charlotte M. Bosch, daughter of Charles and Lillian (Gangway) Bosch, of Nor- walk, and they are the parents of two daughters and a son : Charlotte Tryphena, Margaret Lillian, and Stephen Starr, Jr.
The career of Stephen Starr Jarvis fur- nishes a striking illustration of the bene- fits of concentration of effort. Steady adherence to one line of endeavor has brought him substantial prosperity, and, in conjunction with unswerving perform- ance of the duties of citizenship in a spirit wholly disinterested, has given him a high standing in the community and a warm place in the hearts of his friends and neighbors.
(The Ferris Line).
The Ferris family is of Norman origin, the earliest known form of the name being Ferier or Ferrerr. It is derived from Ferian, to convey across, and was given,
at a remote period, to one dwelling near a ferry, or to the keeper of the ferry. The first of the family in England was Henry de Ferier, son of Gualchelme de Ferier, master of the horse of William the Con- queror, Duke of Normany, who obtained grants of land in the counties of Staf- fordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. It is said of this Henry that William the Conqueror rode up to him on the battle- field, took from his own neck a gold chain and, throwing it over Henry de Ferier's head, said : "You fight too fiercely, I must chain you up." From him are descended the Ferrers of Groby, who bore for their paternal arms the following :
Arms-Gules, seven mascles or, a canton ermine.
Their Westchester descendants carried :
Arms-Gules, a fleur-de-lis or. A canton ermine with a crescent.
The arms of the father of Henry de Ferier were:
Arms-Argent, six horseshoes, pierced sable.
(I) Jeffrey Ferris came to America in 1634, and it appears by record that he settled first in Watertown, Massachu- setts, where he was made freeman, May 6, 1635. He came with the earliest set- tlers, and is on the list of those who paid for the survey, receiving ten acres of the first assignment of land. From Water- town he removed to Wethersfield, where he is recorded as selling his lot of forty- five acres to John Deming. In 1641 he came with the first Stamford colony from Wethersfield, and lived on the north side of what is now Broads, west of Franklin street. Later he moved to Greenwich, where he died May 31, 1666, shortly after having appeared as one of the eleven Greenwich men who petitioned to be un- der New Haven jurisdiction. He was married three times. Tradition says that his first wife was Ann Milton, sister of
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John Milton, the blind poet, and daughter of John and Sarah (Jeffrey) Milton. "Stamford Registrations" says, "wife to Jeffrey died 31st, 5th, 1658." Also, "Su- sanna, wife, married 1659, died at 'Grin- wich,' December 23, 1660."
(II) James Ferris, son of Jeffrey and Ann (Milton) Ferris, was born about 1643, and was one of the original paten- tees named in the patent granted to the town of Greenwich by the General As- sembly, in May, 1665. He married Mary His death occurred November 26, 1726.
(III) Samuel Ferris, son of James and Mary Ferris, was born September 21, 1706. He married Ann Lockwood, born in 1713, daughter of Gershom and Mary Lockwood. He died April 25, 1786. His widow passed away July 2, 1789.
(IV) Stephen Ferris, son of Samuel and Ann (Lockwood) Ferris, was born December 27, 1740. He married Sarah Lockwood. His death occurred February 12, 1824, and his widow died November 23, 1848.
(V) Stephen (2) Ferris, son of Stephen (1) and Sarah (Lockwood) Ferris, was born May 8, 1783. He married Elizabeth Dixon, who was born May 20, 1782, and died December 6, 1871. Mr. Ferris passed away September 25, 1866.
(VI) William Henry Ferris, son of Stephen (2) and Elizabeth (Dixon) Fer- ris, was born July 14, 1810. He was a sea captain engaged in the coast trade. He married - -. He died December 5, 1877.
(VII) Tryphena Ferris, daughter of William Henry Ferris, became the wife of William Henry Stewart Jarvis, as stated above.
TALLMADGE FAMILY, Ancestral History.
The name of Tallmadge is found on al- most every page of Fairfield county his- tory. It is a very ancient surname in
England, and was originally "Tollmock." At the old manor house at Bentley, where the family originated, is found the in- scription : "Before the Normans into Eng- land came, Bentley was my ring seal, and Tollmache was my name." The name signifies "the tolling of the bell."
(I) In America, the family was founded by Thomas Tallmadge, of Suf- folk, England. He came to New England as passenger in either the ship "Plough," or with John Winthrop. He was in Boston in 1631, and three years later removed to Lynn, Massachusetts. Thence he removed to Southold, Long Island, in 1639.
(II) Robert Tallmadge, son of Thomas Tallmadge, removed to Southold in 1644, and died in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1660. He married, in 1649, Sarah Nash, doubtless the daughter of Thomas and Margery (Baker) Nash. Robert Tall- madge was a freeman in New Haven, July I, 1644.
(III) John Tallmadge, son of Robert and Sarah (Nash) Tallmadge, was born in 1654, and married, November 18, 1686, Abigail Bishop, born October 30, 1658, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Lamber- ton) Bishop, and granddaughter of Cap- tain George Lamberton, of the famous phantom ship. Joseph Bishop was a dis- tinguished man, and held many public of- fices as magistrate and deputy governor.
(IV) Captain James Tallmadge, son of John and Abigail (Bishop) Tallmadge, was born June 11, 1689, and died in 1748. He was commissioned cornet in 1731; lieutenant in 1734, and commanded the only troop of cavalry in the colony of Connecticut. He married (first) July I, 1713, Hannah Harrison, born July 28, 1690, and died February 16, 1744, daugh- ter of Nathaniel and Hannah (Frisbie) Harrison. Her father was a wealthy man in Branford, and for thirteen years was representative in the Colonial Legisla-
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ture. The two presidents of the United States bearing that name were descended from this family. On June 22, 1747, Cap- tain Tallmadge married (second) Mary Alling.
(V) Timothy Tallmadge, son of Cap- tain James and Hannah (Harrison) Tall- madge, was born in New Haven, in February, 1730. It is believed that he married Mary Osborn, of Rye, New York.
(VI) Isaac Tallmadge, son of Timothy Tallmadge, was born December 25, 1772, and died May 21, 1806. He married, May 22, 1791, Eunice Hinman, born November 9, 1774, died April 27, 1845, daughter of John and Hannah (Mallory) Hinman, of Woodbury.
(VII) James Harvey Tallmadge, son of Isaac and Eunice (Hinman) Tall- madge, was born August 25, 1792, and died December 7, 1836. He married, in 1817, Elizabeth Gunn, born December 19, 1799, died January 31, 1869, daughter of Aaron and Betty (Stuart) Gunn.
(VIII) Edmund I. Tallmadge, son of James Hervey and Elizabeth (Gunn) Tallmadge, was born in Oxford, Connec- ticut, and when he was four years of age removed with his family to Danbury, Connecticut. There he went to school, and also learned the trade of hatter, which he followed until he retired about fifteen years before his death. Soon after locating in South Norwalk, Mr. Tall- madge engaged in the manufacture of hats with Captain Hiram Bell. He en- listed in the Civil War from South Nor- walk, and in 1861 reënlisted with the nine months' men. Mr. Tallmadge married Juliet Reed, daughter of Benjamin P. Reed, of Norwalk. Their children were: I. James, killed in the battle of the Wil- derness in the Civil War. 2. Ernest W., a sketch of whom follows. 3. George B., deceased, a sketch of whom follows that of his brother, Ernest W.
TALLMADGE, Captain Ernest W.,
Oyster Planter and Dealer.
Captain Ernest W. Tallmadge, son of Edmund I. and Juliet (Reed) Tallmadge (q. v.), was born in South Norwalk, Jan- uary 18, 1850, and was educated in the public schools of that town. While still attending school, he was accustomed to working during the summer vacations in the oyster business, and at the age of eighteen years started in business on his own account. He purchased a few acres of ground and began the planting of oysters. His start was a modest one, but under his able supervision it soon grew to large proportions. For many years his brother, Captain George B., was his part- ner, and after the death of the latter, the business was incorporated under the name of The Tallmadge Brothers Oyster Company, Inc. Captain Tallmadge is president of this company, and operates two oyster boats, the "Ida May" and the "Lola L." During the commercial season the brisk business requires the services of about thirty people, and many opened oysters are shipped to the Western trade. Captain Tallmadge has some of the finest oyster lands in Long Island Sound, about three hundred acres under cultivation. Fraternally, he is a member of the Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks.
Captain Tallmadge married Martha T. White, daughter of Joel H. White, of Starr's Plains, Danbury, Connecticut ; she was born in Orange, New Jersey. Cap- tain and Mrs. Tallmadge are the parents of a daughter, Inez, who married John H. Coe, of Vergennes, Vermont. The latter, now deceased, left one son, John Tallmadge. Captain Tallmadge and his family attend the Congregational church of Norwalk, and contribute to the sup- port of its good works.
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TALLMADGE, Capt. George Benjamin, Oyster Planter and Dealer.
Captain George Benjamin Tallmadge, son of Edmund I. and Juliet (Reed) Tallmadge (q. v.), was born in Danbury, Connecticut, February 17, 1856, and died at South Norwalk, October 15, 1918. He was educated in the public schools of South Norwalk, his parents having re- moved to that town when he was a small lad. There he entered the employ of his mother's brother, William Reed, who was in the oyster business, and he remained with him until he reached manhood. After working for years for other con- cerns, during which time he gleaned much valuable knowledge and experience, he formed a partnership with his brother, Captain Ernest W. Tallmadge, in 1905. This business was conducted under the firm name of Tallmadge Brothers, and Mr. Tallmadge was active in its interests during his lifetime, having special charge of the boats. In 1920 the business was incorporated under the firm name of The Tallmadge Brothers Oyster Company, Inc. For many years Mr. Tallmadge was among the foremost citizens of Norwalk, and was always willing to shoulder his share of the public duty.
Captain Tallmadge married Katherine Reddy, daughter of Edward Reddy, of New York City. The latter was born on the ocean while his parents were on their way to America from England. Captain Tallmadge and his wife were the parents of seven children: I. Ernest, born Jan- uary 29, 1880, died May 17, 1916; he mar- ried Dorothy Monroe, and she was the mother of two children: Hazel and Ernest. Mrs. Tallmadge married (sec- ond) a Mr. Saunders. 2. Julietta, born June 2, 1882, married Willis Cavanagh, and has one son, Willis, Jr .; they make their home in South Norwalk. 3 George
Benjamin (2), born March 8, 1884, mar- ried Mildred Osborne, and has three children. 4. Isabella, married Siegfried Anderson, and has one daughter, Muriel. 5. DeWitt Edward, born June 2, 1889, and married Edith Wilcox; he is the father of two children : Raymond and Or- ville. 6. Elmer Lewis, born April 25, 1891, married Mabel Wilcox, and has one son, Lyle. 7. Stanley Lownes, born April 20, 1893. He grew up in the oyster busi- ness, but enlisted in the United States navy during the World War, and served a year on a submarine chaser. He en- listed as a common sailor and was pro- moted to warrant boatswain. After his return home he engaged in the trucking business on his own account in South Norwalk.
SKELLY, Thomas A., Business Man, Public Official.
The name of Skelly belongs to the class of names known as "occupational sur- names." In its original form it was Irish and literally signified "one who keeps a school." The early spelling of the name was Scoileach, and the son of the school master was O'Scoilaigh, which has been anglicized into Scally, Skelly, and Scully. The Latin and Greek words, schola and schole, respectively, are similar, while in the French it is E'cole.
The name was a prominent one in Ire- land in the beginning of the seventeenth century. The Skelly family herein under consideration has long been settled in County Antrim, Ireland, and the first of this family to come to America was John McDonough Skelly, father of Thomas A. Skelly. The famous John McDonough, of New Orleans, Louisiana, for whom two public schools were named, was an uncle of the former.
(I) Patrick Skelly, grandfather of
Conn-9-10
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Thomas A. Skelly, was a carpenter, and lived in Antrim, Ireland.
(II) John McDonough Skelly, son of Patrick Skelly, was born in Antrim, County Armagh, Ireland, and died in Brooklyn, New York, in April, 1920, at the age of seventy-five years. Mr. Skelly came to America just previous to the Civil War, and learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed in Port Oram, New Jersey, for a short time. At the time of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, Mr. Skelly located in Brooklyn, and was in the employ of the Roeblings as a caisson worker until the Brooklyn Bridge was completed. Mr. Skelly then entered the employ of the old Fulton Municipal Works as engineer, and was with that concern and its successor, the Brooklyn Union Gas Company, until 1915, in which year he was retired on a pension. Mr. Skelly married Catherine Kelly, daughter of James Andrew and Ann (Pierce) Kelly ; she was born in Galway, Con- naught. Mr. and Mrs. Skelly were the parents of eight children: Mary, de- ceased ; Ann, deceased; James, of New York City; John, Nellie, Catherine Lo- retta, William Francis; and Thomas A., of further mention.
(III) Thomas A. Skelly, son of John McDonough and Catherine (Kelly) Skelly, was born January 20, 1874, in the New Utrecht section of what is now Brooklyn, New York. He was educated in the public schools of Brooklyn, and learned the trade of photo engraver at a time when that trade was in its infancy. Mr. Skelly remained at this occupation for about six years, from 1887 to 1892, and feeling the lure of the sea joined the Mer- cantile Cadet Training School, and was assigned to the Ward Line. This was not to his liking, however, and after a few trips he resigned and returned to Brook- lyn, New York. Mr. Skelly there went to
work for a clothing concern as their book- keeper, remaining until 1902. In the lat- ter year he entered the employ of the Postal Typewriter Company, and in 1904 came to Norwalk, Connecticut, with this company, remaining six years, until they went out of business. During the last four years of this period Mr. Skelly was secretary of the company.
In 1910 Mr. Skelly purchased Blascer's cigar business, taking into partnership his brother-in-law, the firm name being Skelly & Howard. Their , venture was very successful and for six years the part- nership continued, being dissolved at the time Mr. Howard was appointed post- master of Norwalk. Since that date Mr. Skelly has been the sole proprietor, and in addition to his retail business carries on a wholesale trade, covering a territory from Bridgeport to Stamford and from the shore to Danbury. In July, 1920, he incorporated the tobacco business under the name of T. A. Skelly & Company, tak- ing in two partners. About the same time he, with C. C. Whitehead, S. J. Keller, and E. J. Quinlan, organized the Yankee Maid Baking Company, which is doing a suc- cessful business.
Mr. Skelly's interests have not been confined to his business entirely ; a most public-spirited citizen, he has found sev- eral opportunities to be of service, and has filled many public offices. He is a staunch Republican, and was a member of the Common Council of the city of Nor- walk; he served on the old Center School Committee for four years ; for eight years he was chairman of the Republican Town Committee, and has served as delegate to many State and local conventions. For four years he was a member of the Board of Health, of which he was secretary, and is now serving a six years' term on this same board. Mr. Skelly also filled the office of deputy sheriff for four years in a
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most capable manner. He was one of the incorporators of the Fairfield Savings Bank. Socially Mr. Skelly is a member of Norwalk Lodge, No. 709, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which he is past exalted ruler; of the Fraternal Order of Eagles; Phoenix Engine Com- pany of the Norwalk Fire Department; and Norwalk Boat Club.
Mr. Skelly married Mary Brennan, daughter of Daniel Brennan, of New York City, and they are the parents of three daughters: Dorothy Frances, Catherine Mary, and Cecile Elizabeth.
MOORE, Rev. John Francis, Clergyman.
Rev. John Francis Moore, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, New Canaan, Connecti- cut, has combined in his character the qualities of piety and patriotism. He is a splendid example of mental and physical development, well balanced, and no pastor takes a keener interest in or is more de- voted to the spiritual, mental and social needs of his parish. Father Moore was born in Collinsville, Connecticut, Septem- ber 27, 1877, son of Walter Joseph and Johanna (Hassett) Moore.
Walter Joseph Moore was born Octo- ber 30, 1850, in County Clare, Ireland, and died in Hartford, Connecticut, May 12, 1919. He was a small lad when he came with his parents to America ; they located in Collinsville, and at an early age the boy went to work in the plant of the Collins Company, manufacturers of axes and so forth. In all his term of service, which numbered fifty-two years, he was with this company, and during the greater part of this time he was foreman of the pack- ing department. Mr. Moore took an ac- tive interest in all town affairs and served a term as assessor of the adjoining town of Avon. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. The mother of
Father Moore was Johanna (Hassett) Moore, daughter of John Hassett, who came from County Limerick, Ireland, and settled in Unionville, Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Moore were the parents of five children : Mary ; Father Moore, of further mention; Walter, of Collinsville; Rose, Sister Mary Valencia, a music teacher in St. Augustine's Convent, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The. education of Father Moore began with the public schools, and thence he went to St. Charles College, Baltimore, Maryland, where he was graduated in 1896 with the degree of B. A. From there Father Moore went to the Seminary of Philosophy, Montreal, Canada, and was graduated from there in 1898. In 1901 he was graduated from St. Sulplice and was ordained on June 2Ist of the same year. After his ordination he was as- signed to Hartford, Connecticut, and was an instructor in the English branches at St. Thomas' Seminary until April 26, 1917, in which year he was assigned to his pres- ent parish.
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