USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 10 > Part 43
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Mr. Austin married Maude Anna Pet- zel, daughter of George Francis Petzel, a ranchman of Corpus Christi, Texas. There are two children : Arthur Delmont, Jr., and Robert Warren.
ANTHONY, Robert Monson, Building Mover.
As the proprietor of a business which is the only one of its kind not only in Stamford, but in Southwestern Connec- ticut, Mr. Anthony occupies a conspicu- ous position in the community. He has now been for more than thirty years a resident of his home town, and is thor-
oughly identified with a number of her most important interests.
The name of Anthony is derived from the Latin Antonius, or Antius, the name of a son of Hercules, and therefore sig- nifies "Hercules-Descended." The es- cutcheon of the family is as follows :
Arms-Argent, a leopard's head gules between two flaunches sable.
Crest-A demi-goat proper charged with a be- zant, armed or, attired or.
William Anthony was born in 1495, in Cologne, Germany, and went to England, taking up his abode in London, where he became chief graver of the mint and seals to Edward the Sixth, Mary and Elizabeth. He married, in England, and established the family in that country.
John Anthony, a lineal descendant of William Anthony, was born in 1607. He married Susanna Potter, and in 1634 came to the American colonies, settling in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
(I) John Anthony, probably a de- scendant of John Anthony, the immigrant, married, June 22, 1754, in Rhode Island, Ruth Allen, daughter of Increase Allen, and in May, 1760, moved to Nova Scotia, where he was one of the first settlers.
(II) David Anthony, son of John and Ruth (Allen) Anthony, married Burgess, of Rawdon, Hants county, Nova Scotia.
(III) Richard Anthony, son of David and - (Burgess) Anthony, was born in 1775. He was a farmer. He married Jeanie Maine, whose ancestral record is appended to this biography, and died at the age of sixty-four years.
(IV) Andrew Anthony, son of Richard and Jeanie (Maine) Anthony, was born July 1, 1831, in Lower Selma, Hants county, Nova Scotia. He learned the ship carpenter's trade, which he followed all his life. He formed a partnership with Dr. Samuel Brown under the firm name of
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Brown & Anthony, and for thirty years they were engaged in the building of that class of ocean-going vessels known as square-riggers. After the dissolution of the partnership, Mr. Anthony continued the business alone. He owned much tim- ber land and had a saw mill, by means of which he cut and shipped lumber for both English and American markets. Though not a politician, he was elected by both parties to membership in the Provincial Parliament. Mr. Anthony married Alicia Ann Maine, whose ancestral record is ap- pended to this biography, and their chil- dren were: Robert Monson, mentioned below; Edwin Stuart, member of the Athens Shipbuilding Company of Cox- sachie, Nova Scotia; Amanda, married Frederick Faulkner, of Lower Selma; An- drew Maine, of Lower Selma ; Eliza, mar- ried Lewis Aubrey, of Rawdon, Nova Scotia; Levanard, of Hartford, Connecti- cut ; William, of Edmonton, New Bruns- wick; George, of Noel, Nova Scotia; Bes- sie Stanton, married O'Brien, of Noel; Silas, a clergyman of Brighton, Massachusetts ; Frederick, of Selma; and Margaret, married Harry Densmore, of Selma. The death of Mr. Anthony oc- curred in 1915, and his widow did not long survive him, passing away in 1916.
(V) Robert Monson Anthony, son of Andrew and Alicia Ann (Maine) An- thony, was born October 18, 1860, in Lower Selma, Hants county, Nova Scotia. He learned the shipbuilding trade under the guidance of his father. When but twenty years of age, he possessed suffi- cient foresight to become fully convinced that wooden shipbuilding was fast de- clining, and acting upon that conviction he went to Boston, Massachusetts, to learn the machinist's trade. A year elapsed before he could find an opening, but he was determined not to accept de- feat and return home, and finally went to
work in the ship-yard of a Nova Scotia friend, at Athens, on the Hudson river. After remaining there three years, Mr. Anthony went home on a visit and helped his father in the building of a vessel. He then returned to his employer on the Hudson river, with whom he remained another three years.
In 1887 Mr. Anthony became a resi- dent of Stamford, Connecticut, being sent thither by the Gifford Manufacturing Company to put up an ice elevating ma- chine for John E. Knapp. He expected to remain in Stamford three weeks, but has resided continuously there for thirty- three years. When the erection of the ice elevating machine was completed, he took charge of Knapp's mechanical de- partment, and after retaining the position a year became chief millwright and car- penter for the Yale & Towne Manufac- turing Company. For nine years he filled this dual position, and then went into business for himself as a member of the firm of Banks & Anthony. At the end of sixteen months the partnership was dis- solved, Mr. Anthony retaining the busi- ness which is the only one of its kind in that part of the State. It includes the moving of buildings and heavy machinery, safes and all articles of that description. Later Mr. Anthony added tar and gravel roofiing and waterproofing. He employs, on an average, from thirty to forty men. So fully occupied is Mr. Anthony's time that he has little leisure for outside in- terests, though never neglecting the du- ties of citizenship. His only fraternal af- filiation is with Rippowam Lodge, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his family are members of the Congrega- tional church.
Mr. Anthony married Annabel Crowe, daughter of James and Hettie (Alexan- der) Crowe, and granddaughter of the Rev. Thomas Crowe, who was born in
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Dunning, Scotland, and educated there. For more than fifty years he was a min- ister of the Presbyterian church in Selma. James Crowe, who was born in that place, followed the sea all his life and for many years was captain of a vessel. His daugh- ter Annabel was also a native of Selma. Mr. and Mrs. Anthony are the parents of the following children: 1. Hettie Al- exander, married Arthur Wilson, of Stam- ford, and has two children: Arthur Gray and Janet. 2. Robert Sydney, born May 30, 1893, married Marian - -- , of Hart- ford. 3. Douglas Maitland, born June 18, 1896; now associated with his father in business ; married Ethel Brown, of South Norwalk. 4. Muriel Elizabeth, born No- vember 5, 1898, now a qualified dietician. 5. Allen Maine, born December 14, 1903.
Throughout the entire course of his ca- reer, Mr. Anthony has proved himself a man of fearless initiative, and his efforts have been crowned with that success which is the almost invariable result of courage combined with good ability and strict principles.
(The Maine Line).
'[) Andrew Maine, founder of the fam- ily in Nova Scotia, came from Dunferm- line, Scotland, in the ship "Hector" and landed in Pictou, where he became a farmer. He was the father of a son and a daughter: Andrew, mentioned below; and Jeanie, who became the wife of Rich- ard Anthony, as stated above.
(II) Andrew (2) Maine, son of An- drew (1) Maine, the immigrant, studied, in his youth, for the ministry, but the failure of his health demanded an out- door life and he became a farmer. He was active in the Presbyterian church. Mr. Maine married Eliza Stanton, and he and his wife were residents of Noel, Hants county, Nova Scotia.
(III) Alicia Ann Maine, daughter of
Andrew (2) and Eliza (Stanton) Maine, was born May 24, 1840, and became the wife of Andrew Anthony, as stated above.
MORSE, Robert B., Business Man, Public Official.
Robert B. Morse, a prominent business man of New Canaan, Connecticut, is also a scion of one of the early families of that State. He was born August 11, 1869, in Willington, Connecticut, son of Ezra and Susan (Church) Morse. Ezra Morse was born in Willington, and was brought up on a farm. He followed the occupation of farming throughout his lifetime, and was also very active in the town affairs. Mrs. Susan (Church) Morse was a daugh- ter of Abner Church of Willington, and they were the parents of ten children, all of whom are now living, as follows : Wayne Ezra; Wallace R., a resident of Stafford Springs, Connecticut; Clayton W., of Stamford; Gertrude, wife of Jo- seph LeJeune, and a resident of Brooklyn, New York; Louis W., Robert B., Edna, Alice, Harold, Grace, wife of Guilford Knapp, of Springdale, Connecticut. The family attended the Congregational church.
Robert B. Morse attended the district schools in his native town until he was about twelve years old, and then his parents removed to Stafford Hollow, later returning to Willington. Mr. Morse worked for a time in Pinney's mill at Stafford Hollow, and when he was twenty years old, he entered Yale Business Col- lege at New Haven, where he took a business course. Subsequently, Mr. Morse was employed in the office of Schorer & Company, dealers in wooden- ware, at first as a billing clerk, and later in their shipping department. He then became shipper in the National Folding Box Factory, later going to New York
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W. S.Collins
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
City, where he entered the employ of E. P. Bellows & Company. He started in the office and worked his way upward until he was placed in charge of the sales floor of their retail department, and still later was on the road. They were deal- ers in agricultural supplies, and Mr. Morse traveled over a radius of one hun- dred miles from New York City.
In 1900 he resigned this position and came to New Canaan, Connecticut, where he took charge of the Birdsall House for about eight years. In 1908 he engaged in the real estate business on his own ac- count, renting the hotel for several years, after which time he converted it into an apartment house. His business is a gen- eral one of real estate and insurance.
In politics, Mr. Morse is a Republican, and he has served as a member of the Board of Relief. He was elected justice of the peace, but did not qualify for this office. In 1917 he was the representative of his town in the State Legislature, and served on the State Library Committee. The following year Mr. Morse was elected selectman and served for one year, con- tinuing throughout this time to serve on the Board of Relief. Fraternally he is a member of Harmony Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons.
Mr. Morse married Anna Stevens, daughter of Franklin Stevens.
COLLINS, Andrew J.,
Theatre Proprietor, Man of Affairs.
The business men of South Norwalk, Connecticut, are as a rule rarely found lacking in enterprise, but it is safe to say that never have they possessed a repre- sentative more signally endowed with that quality than the citizen whose name stands at the head of this article. The A. J. Collins Company, of which Mr. Col- lins was the founder, strikingly testifies
to the truth of this statement, and as a member of the Chis O. Brown Amuse- ment Company, which operates the Palace Theatre in South Norwalk, of which Mr. Collins is general manager, he further proves his right to the place we have as- signed him.
The O'Collins, or Collins, family traces its descent from King Milesius through the line of his son Heber. The name in Irish signifies a whelp, or a young fear- less warrior, the Gaelic form being O'Cuileann, from the word cuileann. The escutcheon of the family is as follows :
Arms-Azure on a chevron argent between three bezants, as many birds sable on a chief or, a grif- fin passant per pale gules and sable.
Crest-A griffin passant gules.
Another Crest-On a chapeau gules turned up ermine a griffin passant per sable and gules.
The ancient arms of this family were as follows :
Arms-Two swords in saltire, the blades stream- ing with blood.
The family of O'Collins were lords of Eighter Conghalach, or Lower Connello, in County Limerick. They were also chiefs of a portion of Eoghanacht Ara, now a barony in the same county, as we are informed by O'Heerin :
"O'Collins, a distinguished chief,
Rules over the Eoghanacht of Aradh."
In 1228 the "war-loving O'Collinses" were deprived of their possessions by Maurice Fitzgerald, second "Lord of Of- faly," and removed to Carbery, in County Cork, where they obtained lands from their kinsman Catheal, son of Crom O'Donovan, a powerful prince in that country. From one of the settlers in Car- bery was descended John Collins, the author of several works, both historical and poetical. He was pronounced to be "the last of the bards, genealogists and historiographers of Munster." He died
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in 1819, in the town of Skibbereen. From very early times the O'Collinses were eminent in church and state. In 1657 John Collins, a native of Kilfenora and a Dominican friar, suffered martyrdom for his faith at the hands of Oliver Cromwell's troopers. Michael Collins, Bishop of Cloyne and Ross, died in 1832. William Collins, "the finest poet England has pro- duced," was, though a native of England, of Irish extraction. Of the Cork family was the late Stephen Collins, Esquire, Q. C., whose son, John T. Collins, Esq., barrister-at-law, was (1887) its chief rep- resentative. There are now several highly respectable families of this name and race in the counties of Cork, Limerick, Louth, Down, Tyrone, Dublin, Clare and Tip- perary. A few families of this name, long settled in Ireland, are regarded as of Eng- lish extraction. About 1651 a cadet of a Cornish Collins family (probably founded in Cornwall by an off-shoot of the family of the lords of Lower Con- nello who migrated from Ireland in the thirteenth century) acquired property and settled in County Galway. His descend- ants intermarried from time to time with members of the Blake, French, Daly, Kelly, McMahon and Fitzgerald families, Lord Clare Fitzgerald being governor of West Australia for eight years.
Andrew J. Collins was born November 22, 1881, in Danbury, Connecticut, and was a son of Andrew M. and Bridget (Keating) Collins. Mr. Collins, Sr., is still a resident of Danbury (1921). The education of Andrew J. Collins was ob- tained in public and parochial schools of his native town, and he was fitted for a business career by a commercial course at a business college, also in Danbury.
After completing his studies, Mr. Col- lins learned the hatter's trade, but within a short time turned his attention to un- dertaking and embalming, in which he
took a course of instruction. In 1904 he organized the A. J. Collins Company and began business as an undertaker and fur- niture dealer in a little store 20x20 feet on South Main street, South Norwalk. The floor space was piled high with fur- niture of the period, and there was about the place an atmosphere of enterprise and aggressiveness which contrasted with the more conservative aspect of the older furniture houses. Almost from the mo- ment of opening the doors patronage flowed in upon the newly-established firm. Within eight months the business had outgrown its cramped quarters and the firm moved to a building on North Main street.
Since the time of this removal the A. J. Collins Company has grown with a rapid- ity almost unparalleled in the history of Norwalk business enterprises, and is to- day, in point of floor space and variety of stock carried, the largest furniture warehouse between Bridgeport and New York City. Eventually, larger quarters again became necessary and in the course of time almost the entire block, familiarly known as the "old Ely block," was occu- pied. Later came the purchase of the building, which has since borne the name of the Collins building, and which they sold in May, 1920, and then purchased the Harvey block on North Main street, which they remodeled, and it is now one of the most attractive structures in the city, having expansive show windows not only on the street front, but also on the two floors above, giving them a floor space of 30,000 square feet. The building is all outlined with tapestry brick, thus producing an effect at once substantial and pleasing to the eye. An extension on the rear affords 5,500 additional square feet of floor space, rendered necessary by the phenomenal growth of this most aggres- sive business house.
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This great and constantly growing en- terprise has, however, failed to supply sufficient occupation for the time and en- ergy of a man of Mr. Collins' caliber. In 1913, in association with Thomas C. Cav- anagh (a biography of whom appears elsewhere in this work), he organized the Palace Theatre Company, buying out Van Scoy and taking over the management of the Palace Theatre. In a town the size of South Norwalk it is uncommon to find the high class vaudeville and motion pic- ture entertainments which are furnished by this theatre and which secure for it the best patronage of its community. Mr. Collins also operates the Empress The- atre in Danbury, Connecticut, presenting a variety of attractions, including vaude- ville and motion pictures, and new good road attractions. As above mentioned, the Palace Theatre is now under the con- trol of the Chis O. Brown Amusement Company, and Mr. Collins is the secretary and treasurer of this company, and he also holds the same positions with the Chis O. Brown Theatre Company, which now operates the Empress Theatre in Danbury.
Thoroughly public-spirited, Mr. Collins can always be counted on to "lend a hand" in any movement having for its object betterment of community condi- tions. He was one of the organizers of the People's Trust Company of South Norwalk; is president of the N. E. Ryan Company ; a director of the South Nor- walk Trust Company, the largest banking institution in the city ; and also vice-presi- dent and director of the Volk Electrical Fuse Company of Bantam, Connecticut. He is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, and affiliates with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fores- ters of America, the Knights of Columbus, and the Improved Order of Red Men.
Andrew J. Collins is of fighting stock,
and has manifested the spirit of his an- cestors in overcoming the obstacles which barred his path to success, arriving vic- torious at the desired goal.
ADAMS, George Justin, Consulting Engineer.
The ability to see opportunity and the strength to perform labor is a character- istic frequently found in the Adams fam- ily of New England. Individually, its members have been men of industry, honor, persons of substance and influence. From the time this sturdy family landed on the shores of New England three cen- turies ago, its members have served well in the situations they have been called to fill.
The family of Adam or Adams (mean- ing red-Adamah, red earth) can claim the distinction of having the oldest individual name on record. In Gen. II, 7, we are told that "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man be- came a living soul." The Adams family in America that has borne so conspicuous a part in political life is traced to Lord Ap Adam, son of Ap Adam, who "came out of the Marches of Wales." There is scarcely a county in England or Wales where the name Adams is not found. The earliest record of the English branch is that of John Ap Adams, son of Charleton Adams, of Somersetshire, who was sum- moned to Parliament as Baron of the Realm, 1296 to 1307. Thomas Adams was one of the grantees named in the charter of Charles I., 1629, and who was high sheriff and lord mayor of London. Henry Adams, a brother of Thomas, emigrated to New England about 1634. He brought with him eight sons and was the great- great-grandfather of John Adams, second President of the United States, who
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erected a column to his memory in the churchyard at Braintree with the follow- ing inscription : "In memory of Henry Adams, who took his flight from the Dragon of persecution in Devonshire, England, and alighted with eight sons near Mount Wallaston."
(I) Robert Adams, the immigrant an- cestor of this branch of the family in America, was born in England in 1602. He came first to Ipswich in 1635, with his wife, Eleanor, and two children. Her maiden name is believed to have been Wilmot. He was a tailor by trade, and resided in Salem, in 1638. In 1640 he re- moved to Newbury, where he acquired a large farm and valuable property. The large hand-made shears which Robert Adams brought from England and used in his trade were in the possession of a descendant, Stephen P. Hale, of Newbury. Robert Adams died October 12, 1682, and his wife, Eleanor, died June 12, 1677. Their son,
(II) Jacob Adams, was born in New- bury, Massachusetts, September 13, 1651, and died in Boston in November, 1717. He married, April 2, 1677, Anna Allen, born January 3, 1658, daughter of Nicholas Allen, of Dorchester. About 1681-82 they removed to Suffield, where Jacob Adams was among the most prominent citizens. He was often chosen to fill important po- sitions, and was a member of the General Court from 1711 to 1714, and again in 1717. His son,
(III) John Adams, was born in Suf- field, Massachusetts, June 18, 1694. He married (first), July 26, 1722, Abigail Rowe, daughter of Peter and Sarah (Rem- ington) Rowe. He married (second), July 12, 1732, Martha Winchell.
(IV) Moses Adams, son of John and Abigail Adams, was born in Suffield, Massachusetts, July 8, 1723, and died
there, October 18, 1809. He married, October 30, 1746, Mehitable Sikes, a mem- ber of the Sikes family, early settlers in Suffield. She died at the age of ninety- three years, April 27, 1813.
(V) Thaddeus Adams, son of Moses Adams, was born in Suffield, Massachu- setts, May 10, 1759, and died in Norwich, Massachusetts (now Huntington), Sep- tember 27, 1839. He settled there about 1806. He married Polly Plumb, of Mid- dletown, Connecticut, and she died in 1847 at the age of eighty-four years. Their son,
(VI) Hiram Adams, was born August 20, 1808, in Norwich, Massachusetts, where he followed farming on a large scale for those days. He married Arme- luma Dibble, of Agawam, Massachusetts. Their son,
(VII) Justin Adams, was born in 1835, in Norwich (now Huntington), Massa- chusetts. He died May 6, 1896, in Granby, Connecticut. His education was obtained in the district schools and at the Connec- ticut Literary Institute in Suffield. Fol- lowing his graduation, Mr. Adams then became what was known as a tin peddler, a type of merchant all but extinct. The older generation can remember these itin- erant business men with their red carts loaded to capacity with tin-ware and other household utensils, racks filled with brooms adorning the sides of the wagon. There was little money in circulation in those days, and frequently, if not usually, the peddler exchanged his wares for pro- duce, rags and iron of the farm, which he converted into cash when he reached his next center of trade. Mr. Adams fol- lowed this calling for a few years, his trips covering a wide radius of country, and taking him far from home. He gave up this business to engage in farming. In the Civil War, Mr. Adams enlisted in the
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Ioth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and was stationed in New London. Peace was declared before his regiment was sent to the front. After his discharge from the army, he resumed farming in Granby, Connecticut, where he lived the remainder of his life. On August 3, 1861, in Granby, Mr. Adams married Minerva Davis, born there July 24, 1845, died August 31, 1916, in East Granby, daughter of Frederick and Juliana (Griffin) Davis. Their children were: I. George Justin, of further men- tion. 2. Henry, born September 6, 1864, died October 15, 1882. 3. Frank, born De- cember 16, 1866, died 1902. 4. Chester, born January 29, 1869. 5. Alfred, born February 4, 1873. 6. Minnie, born June 30, 1875, the wife of Clifford Tucker, of Tarriffville, Connecticut.
(VIII) George Justin Adams, son of Justin and Minerva (Davis) Adams, was born July 21, 1862, in Granby, Connecti- cut. He was educated in the old Granby Academy. He continued to live in Granby until 1878, in which year he entered the employ of the Knickerbocker Ice Com- pany, where he spent a winter, and then entered the employ of the New Haven & Northampton (now the New York, New Haven & Hartford) railroad, in the shops at New Haven as machinist's assistant for about two years, resigning to enter the employ of Brintnal & McDonald, contrac- tors, who had a contract for the extension of the New Haven & Northampton railroad from Northampton, Massachusetts, to the Hoosic Tunnel and Turners Falls, Massa- chusetts. Upon completion of contract, he accepted a position with George H. Harris, contractor, as rodman in the engi- neer's corps stationed at Huntington, West Virginia, and Mt. Olive, Kentucky, in the construction of the extension of the C. & O. railroad, controled by C. P. Hunt- ington. When completed, he went to
Waverly, New York, and reëntered the employ of John B. McDonald (of New York subway fame) as machinist and locomotive fireman. Mr. McDonald had a contract on the D., L. & W. railroad ex- tension from Binghampton to Buffalo, New York. When completed, he went to Weehawken, New Jersey, and entered the employ of Smith Ripley & Coleman as fireman, and was promoted to power house engineer. They had the contract to build the West Shore tunnel under the Palisades. When completed, he went to Hartford and entered the employ of the New York & New England Railroad Com- pany (now the New York, New Haven & Hartford) as fireman and round house foreman. This position he resigned to enter the employ of the West Shore rail- road as general mechanic and locomotive engineer. In 1885 he resigned this posi- tion to enter the employ of the Brook- lyn Union Elevated Railroad Company, Brooklyn, New York. This position he resigned in 1887, and entered the employ of Colgate & Co., soap manufacturers.
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