USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 10 > Part 33
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(I) Ambrose Bohannan, founder of the American branch of the family, was a na- tive of Scotland and a loyal subject of the exiled Stuarts. When King Charles II., in 1660, was restored to the throne of his ancestors, he rewarded the faithful serv- ice of Ambrose Bohannan with a grant of ten thousand acres of land in the "Old Dominion." Resolving to plant, in this trackless wilderness, a branch of his race, in the belief that in the "forest primeval" it would attain a development exceeding that of the original stock, Ambrose Bo- hannan crossed the sea and took up his abode in the broad solitude of his newly- acquired estate. He was twice married, his first wife being a Frenchwoman of the Huguenot family of Le Fondy, and his second springing from the ancient and honorable race of the Gregorys. Am- brose Bohannan passed the remainder of his life in Virginia, and breathed his last in the home which he had made for his
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descendants in one of the wildest parts of the colony.
(II) William Bohannan, son of Am- brose and - (Gregory) Bohannan, was a shipbuilder in Virginia, having Captain King as his associate in the busi- ness. They are entitled to the distinction of having constructed the "Ferratta," the first three-masted schooner ever built in Virginia. This vessel was afterward re- modelled and fitted up as a steamer, the name remaining unchanged. William Bohannan married Mary Gordon.
(III) Dr. John Bohannan, second son of William and Mary (Gordon) Bohannan, was reared on the old plantation and en- joyed the advantage of a more liberal education than had fallen to the lot of his father. He took up the study of medicine, and after completing his course, practiced his profession in Virginia, spending his spare time in the management of the plantation. Dr. Bohannan married Ann Billups, daughter of Major George Bil- lups, who won distinction in the War of the Revolution. Major Billups was of Welsh descent and a represntative of an old Colonial family.
(IV) Dr. John G. Bohannan, son of Dr. John and Ann (Billups) Bohannan, was born June 20, 1827, and received his early education in such schools as were avail- able in the neighborhood of his home. Later he entered the Military Academy at Portsmouth, Virginia, going for his pro- fessional education to Philadelphia. He practiced medicine in that city, and at dif- ferent periods in his career was engaged in teaching.
Then came the Civil War, but Dr. Bo- hannan did not immediately ally himself with the States, which, in the beginning, separated themselves from the Union. When, however, Virginia, his birthplace and his home, endeared to him by a thou- sand ancestral and personal associations,
identified herself with the cause of seces- sion, he placed himself among those who rallied to the standard of the Confeder- acy. He served in the army as colonel of the Sixty-first Regiment, Virginia Vol- unteer Infantry, attaining this rank by repeated promotions for valor. After re- maining in the service three years, he was detailed to practice medicine as a civilian. When the war came to an end, he con- tinued to reside in Virginia, taking up his abode at Westville, in Mathews county, where he practiced his profession until 1886, when he removed to South Norwalk, Connecticut.
The political affiliations of Dr. Bohan- nan were with the Democratic party, and while in Virginia he was actively asso- ciated with public affairs, representing the counties of Mathews and Middlesex several terms in the State Legislature. In this field of action no less than on the battlefield he gave proof of talent and sterling worth of character.
Dr. John G. Bohannan married Laura Lee, daughter of William Daniel Lee, of Virginia, whose mother, Penelope Lee, was lineally descended from the same an- cestor from whom General Robert Ed- ward Lee traced his descent. Mrs. Bo- hannan was a cousin of John W. Daniel, United States Senator from Virginia, and Raleigh T. Daniel, attorney-general of Virginia. Another cousin was Judge Daniel, of the United States Supreme Court. Of the nine children born to Dr. and Mrs. Bohannan seven reached ma- turity: I. Richard Lee, a biography of whom follows in this work. 2. Charles Gordon, a well known physician of South Norwalk. 3. Rosser D., professor of mathematics at the Ohio State University. 4. Benjamin W., whose biography fol- lows in this work. 5. Gertrude, of South Norwalk. 6. Hon. William J. H., of Nor- walk, who is well known in the realm of
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politics. 7. Lillian, wife of Dennison O. hannan, both of whom are now deceased, Baldwin, of Columbus. On July 19, 1886, the former being represented in this work by the preceding biography, which in- cludes full ancestral record. Mrs. Bohannan passed away at Mathews, Virginia.
The latter years of Dr. Bohannan's life were cheered by the respect, admiration and affection of his friends and neighbors of South Norwalk, Connecticut, and it was there that he breathed his last, on October 26, 1897, leaving a record as physician, soldier and civilian which de- mands assured and perpetual preserva- tion. For more than a century and a half the name of Bohannan has been an hon- ored one in Virginia and to-day it is held in esteem in every portion of the Union in which it is familar. Its present repre- sentatives, in different fields of action, are ably maintaining and extending its an- cient and well-deserved prestige.
BOHANNAN, Richard Lee, Physician, Hospital Official.
In these days when every serious pur- suit is taken lightly and ideals are the lux- ury of the few, there is genuine satisfac- tion in finding men who still meet the duties of a responsible position with the earnestness and ardor of a whole-hearted devotee. Dr. Richard Lee Bohannan, the dean of practicing physicians of Stam- ford, is such a man. With the keenness of youth in his level glance, and eternal youth in his dauntless spirit, he ministers to the health of the city of Stamford with the rich experience of a long and success- ful practice, built upon the foundation of thorough academic preparation, and pa- tient, exhaustive study and research along the lines of his profession.
Richard Lee Bohannan was born No- vember 12, 1850, at the village of Ma- thews Court House, Virginia, and is a son of Dr. John G. and Laura (Lee) Bo-
The preliminary education of Richard Lee Bohannan was received at Chesa- peake Academy, in his native town. From his earliest years the tradition of medical science was familiar to him, his grandfather having been a physician and his father being of high standing in the profession in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Westville, Virginia.
This gave him the great advantage of a studious atmosphere in the home of his boyhood along the lines of the profes- sion which he made his choice of a life- work. His father supplemented his aca- demic training with the experience gained during years of practice, including the period of reconstruction in the South, and this formed in him habits which stood him in good stead during his own prac- tice. He received his technical training in the Medical Department of the Uni- versity of New York, from which he was graduated with the class of 1874. After spending two years in a hospital on Black- well's Island, New York, he settled, in August, 1876, in Stamford, where he has since practiced his profession with the success which is due the thorough stud- ent in his chosen work. He has long been recognized as a leader in medical circles, a man who keeps himself informed of the latest discoveries and of their bearing on his profession.
For years Dr. Bohannan has been a meniber of the Stamford Medical Society, having served as its third president and once since. He was one of its founders and has also helped to organize the Stam- ford Medical Society, and is a member of the State and American Medical asso- .ciations. He is visiting physician at the
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The Ameri. r H. stari- --
Richard Lee, Rohaunau
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Stamford Hospital. The best people, not of Stamford alone, but also of the sur- rounding country, have always been num- bered among his patients. His fraternal associations are with Union Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and Rippowam Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, of Stamford.
Dr. Bohannan married Ella W. Beers, daughter of Louis F. and Adelia Virginia (Hoyt) Beers, the latter a daughter of Charles Hoyt, of Darien. Dr. and Mrs. Bohannan are the parents of two daugh- ters: Virginia Lee, aged fourteen ; and Elizabeth Wheaton, aged eleven.
One of Dr. Bohannan's distinctive traits is his love of a good horse, and both here and in the South he bred many fine trot- ters, some of them exceeding the 2.20 mark. He also has a kennel of Kentucky fox-hounds. Dr. Bohannan is a true physician, winning not only the implicit confidence of his patients, but also their profound respect and sincere affection.
BOHANNAN, Benjamin W., Physician, School Official.
roundings are a great aid to recovery, and the doctor's genial, magnetic person- ality must have therapeutic value. Dr. Bohannan, being the son and grandson of physicians, is thoroughly imbued with the traditions as well as the science of healing. From childhood he has known the anxieties and triumphs of the phys- ician ; the conscientious endeavor and the long wearisome hours of waiting and watching which fall to the lot of the man of healing.
Dr. Benjamin W. Bohannan was born June 8, 1857, at the little village of Ma- thews Court House, Virginia, the son of Dr. John G. and Laura (Lee) Bohannan (q. v.). His education was very thor- ough and complete, and always more or less under the general supervision of his distinguished father. He attended the private school of Professor A. Olmstead, and later, while studying medicine under the preceptorship of his father, went to sea for four years in coastwise vessels. He began his career as a sailor before the mast and ended it as the holder of a pilot's certificate. In 1886 he entered the Uni- versity of the City of New York, and was graduated from the Medical Department, in 1888. He took a post-graduate course at the University of Maryland, following special lines of medical study, and was graduated from that institution a year later. In 1889 he took a summer course at the University of Vermont, in Bur- lington. A finishing course at this col- lege is sought by many medical students all over the United States, for its stand- ard of scholarship is considered to be of the highest.
Of all the myriad activities in which the people in the centers of population participate, there is none so exacting, so vital to the public well-being, and withal, so thankless as that of the physician. He is too often only employed when every other means of cure has been proved without avail and when the truly unfor- tunate patient is so far on the decline that the good physician is, perforce, obliged to drag him back to health alone. If any physician among the splendid group with whom the city of Stamford In the autumn of 1889, Dr. Bohannan entered upon the practice of medicine in Stamford, Connecticut, in association with his brother, Dr. Richard L. Bohan- is favored could accomplish this restora- tion it would seem that Dr. Benjamin W. Bohannan would be found to be the man, for science has proved that cheerful sur- nan. He then removed to Danbury, Con-
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necticut, where he opened an office in 1891. He remained there for two years, returning in 1893 to Stamford, where he has since practised continuously with gratifying success.
In politics Dr. Bohannan is a Demo- crat in a Republican town, and the high esteem in which he is held by his fellow- citizens of both parties may be inferred from the fact that he served, in all, about fourteen years on the School Board.
Dr. Bohannan is a member of the Stam- ford Medical Society, and also of the County, State and American Medical as- sociations. His social affiliations are broad. He affiliates with Union Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; Rittenhouse Chap- ter, Royal Arch Masons; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; the Fra- ternal Order of Eagles; Excelsior Lodge, Knights of Pythias; the Improved Order of Red Men; the Daughters of Liberty ; and the Order of United American Me- chanics. He belongs to the Loyal Order of Moose, and Philip H. Sheridan Court, Foresters of America. He is an ex-com- mander of the Rippowam Yacht Club, and was at one time rear-commander of the old Corinthian Yacht Club. He and his wife are members of the Church of the Disciples, of Danbury.
Dr. Bohannan married (first) July 15, 1891, at Danbury, Connecticut, Mollie Austin, daughter of T. J. Austin, Sr., and they became the parents of one child : Claudine Austin, who died at the age of seven years. Dr. Bohannan married (sec- ond) January 15, 1904, Nellie C. (Weed) Briggs, daughter of Alexander Weed, of Stamford, and widow of Frederick Briggs, by whom she had one son, Frederick A. Briggs. Mr. Weed is an old resident of Stamford, having, in 1848, established himself in the jewelry business in that city.
MARSH, Bayard L.,
Prominent in Baking Industry.
One of the finest things in life is the holding fast to high ideals in the work- ing out of business success. This atti- tude is the source of far-reaching good in every instance, but it is particularly ben- eficent, and that in a most practical way, when the health and daily well-being of the people are involved. Bayard L. Marsh, who has achieved well-earned suc- cess in the bakery business and allied in- terests, is a man who has held his ideals of greater importance than mere pecu- niary gain, and has made them a part of the very fabric of his success.
The name of Marsh is one of those sur- names derived from location. It was a common name in England long before the thirteenth century, when the use of surnames became a general custom. In the very earliest days of English history the means commonly employed of dis- tinguishing one man from another was by connecting with his given name some reference to any distinct peculiarity of person, or of the location of his home. For instance, John who lived near a body of water was called John atte Water, and this gave us the present form of Atwater. So it was with John of the Marsh; his descendants soon became designated by the name of Marsh. This ranks among the most honorable and ancient of Eng- lish names.
(I) George Marsh, grandfather of Bay- ard L. Marsh, of Stamford, Connecticut, was a native of England. He came to America early in life, and after his mar- riage settled in Buffalo, New York. His wife was also a native of England.
(II) Chester Louis Marsh, son of George Marsh, was educated in Buffalo, New York. He was active and ambitious
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as a lad, and possessed great tenacity of purpose ; he was not easily discouraged, and a choice once made was a permanent decision. When he had completed his education, he learned the trade of a car- penter, and followed it a few years as a journeyman. He then went to Seneca Falls, New York, where he engaged in the business of contracting and building. This was during a period of rapid growth in this community, and he found a field of activity awaiting him which not only contributed materially to his success, but also afforded him the opportunity of giv- ing to the line of work in which he was engaged an impetus toward the constant improvement which to him was a part of the day's work. He remained in Sen- eca Falls, and continued in this business until his death, in 1881, at the early age of forty-six. He married Caroline Gould, adopted daughter of Samuel Gould, of Seneca Falls. They were the parents of four children: Anson C., now of Scran- ton, Pennsylvania; Emma, who married Horace N. Silsby, of New York City ; Judson H., who died aged twenty-one; and Bayard L., of whom further.
(III) Bayard L. Marsh, son of Chester I .. and Caroline (Gould) Marsh, was born on February 20, 1877, in Seneca Falls, New York. His educational opportunities were limited to the public schools and a practical business course. But he has per- mitted this to be no hindrance to his suc- cess, for in many lines which are related to his interests he is efficiently self- taught. He is endowed with an active mind, and a capacity for absorbing infor- mation pertinent to any line of interest which is occuping his attention. That he has used this ability to good purpose is evidenced by the success he has made in his chosen line of work. At first he worked for his brother in the knitting business ; but he was never a man to fol-
low a beaten path, and at the age of nine- teen he set out to make his own way in life unaided by the support of his family or friends. He went to Bennington, Ver- mont, and embarked in the bakery busi- ness, in partnership with Charles Rus- sell, of that city, whose daughter he later married. This partnership continued for about a year, when Mr. Marsh became sole proprietor of the business. He went through all the inevitable discourage- ments connected with every mercantile venture, but his native sagacity has al- ways been strongly seconded by that quality which in the business world is known as initiative. He never fears to adopt a new idea, or try out a fresh course of procedure, and his success proves that he is a good judge of conditions.
Mr. Marsh continued in Bennington for about two years, then removed to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he bought a retail bakery. He carried this business on for three years on the same progres- sive lines which he had found practical in his early experience. But he was not satisfied to confine himself to the small interests of which he had thus far had control. He sold the business in Perth Amboy and went on the road as a salesman for a wholesale bakers' supply house for a period of three years. The firm was lo- cated in New York City, but his work took him over a wide range of territory. This experience brought him in touch with all the latest and most approved methods in the trade, and placed him in a position to handle big things. In March, 1908, he came to Stamford, Con- necticut, and bought an old-established bakery on Main street. He was not slow to introduce the improvements in method and equipment which his experience and observation had taught him, and the busi- ness rapidly grew. He opened a second store in 1915, and this was soon doing a
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thriving business. In February, 1918, the business was incorporated under the name of The Marsh Bakeries, with Mr. Marsh as treasurer and general manager. The history of the business is one of con- stant improvement and expansion. The corporation now has four stores in Stam- ford, one in Darien, one in Springdale, one in New Canaan, one at Sound Beach, and another in Greenwich. This chain of stores is doing a big business, and not only do the Marsh Bakeries hold the best trade in the towns of this section, but they give the people a high class product. Their standard of excellence is second to none. They do a large wholesale busi- ness, and at present the corporation is operating three baking plants, employing about sixty people.
In 1915, Mr. Marsh became associated with two other men and they organized the Bridgeport Bread Company, and he was made its secretary. This concern later became the nucleus of the Massa- chusetts Baking Company, which has plants in the principal cities between Bos- ton and Bridgeport. In 1919, when the Borg Products Company was organized for the manufacture of bakers' supplies, Mr. Marsh became the treasurer of the corporation. He stands high in the or- ganizations of the trade, being treasurer of the Connecticut Association of the Baking Industry ; and is a member of the National Association of the Baking In- years old.
dustry.
Socially Mr. Marsh is connected with the most prominent Stamford orders. He is a member of Puritan Lodge, No. 14, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Stamford Lodge, No. 899, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; and also of the Kiwanis and Suburban clubs of Stam- ford. In political affiliation he is a Re- publican.
Mr. Marsh married, on June 30, 1897, at
Bennington, Vermont, Helen Russell, born May 6, 1877, daughter of Charles and Sarah Russell, of Bennington. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh are members of the Church of Christ, of Stamford, Connec- ticut, and active in the social interests of the church.
LAWRENCE, Edward B., Undertaker, Public Official.
One of the surnames which has been traced to a very high antiquity is that of Lawrence. It originated with the Latins. The form in which it is first found is Laurentius, and the first record found of it in England is in connection with a monk named Lawrence. At an early date the name was brought to New England by the immigrant ancestor and to-day is frequently found in all parts of the coun- try. The Lawrence family, of which Ed- ward B. Lawrence is a descendant, re- moved to South Salem, New York, many years ago. There Cyrus Lawrence, fa- ther of Edward, and grandfather of Ed- ward B. Lawrence, was born on the old homestead. He was the leading man of the town in his day, and was everywhere known as Squire Lawrence. For many years he served as justice of the peace, and was an extensive farmer. The sur- name of his wife was Weed, and she died when their son Edward was only two
Edward Lawrence, son of Cyrus Law- rence, was born in South Salem, New York, and died there. Most of his life was spent in farming with the exception of the years from 1882 to 1886, when he was in the New York City Customs House, during the Harrison administra- tion. Mr. Lawrence married Jane A. Brady, daughter of Joseph Brady, born in Bedford, New York. Their children were: Bertha, who married Edgar Hoyt,
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William Lierney
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of Mt. Kisco, New York; Martha, who married Dr. Karl C. Smith, of Stamford ; Edward B., of further mention; and Nor- man W., of Stamford. Mr. Lawrence was a member of the South Salem Presbyter- ian Church and served as its musical di- rector. Naturally possessed of a fine tenor voice, he was active in all the mu- sical work, being one of the old-fashioned singing school conductors.
Edward B. Lawrence, son of Edward and Jane A. (Brady) Lawrence, was born January 21, 1870, in South Salem, New York, and was educated in the public schools of that town and also attended school in New York City during the time his father was in the customs house. He learned the trade of cabinet-maker and undertaker in New York and completed his apprenticeship in Stamford. On New Year's Day, 1893, he came to New Canaan and opened a new establishment, handling furniture along with the undertaking bus- iness. After seven successful years, Mr. Lawrence sold the furniture department to H. L. Scofield and has since devoted his entire time to the undertaking busi- ness, having purchased the building he now occupies.
A Republican in politics, Mr. Lawrence has been town treasurer since 1901, hav- ing been nominated by both parties for several years, which in itself is sufficient warrant of the esteem in which he is held. He was a member of the Board of Edu- cation for two years.
Mr. Lawrence's fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic order ; he is a mem- ber of Harmony Lodge, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and is past master of this lodge; he is also a member of the Past Masters' Association of Connecticut. Others organizations of which Mr. Law- rence is a member include : Wooster Lodge, No. 37, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past grand,
and he has also served the Grand Lodge as district deputy grand. He was the first chief patriarch of Wahackma En- campment, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; member of the Improved Order of Red Men ; member of the New Canaan Grange and of the Pomona Grange, and is past master of the former.
Mr. Lawrence married Fannie M. Dav- enport, daughter of William Young and Fannie M. (Jerman) Davenport, and they are the parents of three children: I. Jen- nie, who married Claude L. Seale, and has three children : Winifred, Helen, and Jean ; they reside in New York City. 2. Ethel, who married Gerhard F. Behre, of New Canaan, Connecticut, and has two children: John Edward, and Ethel. 3. Edward, married Beatrice Green, and re- sides in New Canaan.
With his family, Mr. Lawrence attends the Congregational church, of which he is a trustee. During the World War he served as one of the "Four-Minute" Men on the Liberty Loan drives.
TIERNEY, William Lawrence,
Lawyer.
There are many members of the legal profession whose fame is only local or temporary, yet again, we find those who by virtue of some especial quality attract and hold the consideration of the public. Such a man is William L. Tierney, one of the leading lawyers of Greenwich, Con- necticut. He is a learned, fair-minded, conscientious citizen, and has achieved distinction in both professional and pri- vate life. Mr. Tierney was born August 6, 1876, in Norwalk, Connecticut, son of Jeremiah and Mary Ann (Loughlin) Tierney, and grandson of John and Judith (Fitzgerald) Tierney.
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