USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 11 > Part 19
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Arms-Gules a chevron between three lions' heads erased or.
Crest-A leopard's head erased proper.
Burke records a different coat-of-arms for Burnham of Suffolk and several vari- ations of the above arms for various branches of the family.
(I) Thomas Burnham, immigrant an- cestor and founder of the family in Amer- ica, was born in Hatfield, Herefordshire, England, in 1617. There is authentic rec- ord of Thomas Burnham in an old docu- ment, dated November 20, 1635, when he "imbarqued for the Barbadoes, in the Ex- pedition, Peter Blacklee, Master, took the oath of allegiance and Supremacy, Ex-
amined by the Minister of the town of Gravesend." The first record of him in America appears in the year 1649, when he was in Hartford, and served as bonds- man for his servant, Rushmore, "that he should carry good behavior." From the fact that he brought servants to America, it is established that Thomas Burnham was a man of means, and he is also known to have been a man of excellent education and mentality ; he practiced as a lawyer for several years after coming to America. In 1659 he purchased an extensive tract of land now lying principally in the towns of East Hartford and South Windsor. This he purchased from Tantonimo, the chief sachem of the Potunke tribe, and held it under a deed from the aforemen- tioned chief, and later in 1661, under a deed from six of his successors and allies, by which they renounce "all our right and title in those lands aforesayd unto Thomas Burnham and his heirs." During the time that the land was in his possession Thom- as Burnham was forced to prosecute sev- eral lawsuits, supported by the govern- ment. It was finally ordered divided, but he refused to give it up, thereby prolong- ing the contest for a longer period. At a town meeting in Hartford in 1688, the in- habitants sanctioned the appointment "of a Committee in behalf of this town, to treat with Thomas Burnham, Senior, up- on his claim to the lands on the East side of the Great River." On this vast tract he erected a house which, during the In- dian War of 1675, was one of five which were fortified and garrisoned. He was a man of considerable prominence in the official life of the town, and in 1649, 1656, 1659 and 1660, was the plaintiff in several court actions, in which he usually de- fended himself. In 1659 he was attorney for Jeremy Adams, of Northampton, and in 1662 defended Abigail Betts, in a
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charge of blasphemy; for his successful defense of her, "for saving her neck," the court condemned him to "ye prison-keep." The sentence was not carried out, but he was deprived of citizenship for a period, and prohibited from acting as attorney for others. In 1665 he served on the jury. In 1662 he gave bonds to keep the peace, because of a complaint against him for abuse in the case of Abigail Betts. Some of the land originally purchased from the Indians by Thomas Burnham is still in the possession of the Burnham family. Thomas Burnham married Anna Wright in 1639. She was born in England in 1620, came to America with her husband, and died here on August 5, 1703. He died on June 24, 1688, before his death dividing the greater part of his estate among his children by deed. His wife did not pro- duce his will immediately after his death when it was called for by the court. It was proved by witnesses in June, 1690.
(II) Richard Burnham, son of Thomas and Anna (Wright) Burnham, was born in America in 1654 and died on April 28, 1731. He married Sarah Humphries, daughter of Michael and Priscilla (Grant) Humphries, of Windsor, Connecticut, on June 1, -. He inherited extensive land holdings from his father, and on May 29, 1711, with three of his brothers, he received a deed of land from three women. In 1721 Richard Burnham re- ceived another deed of land, from John Morecock. In 1730, in place of lands taken by the town of Windsor, the pro- prietors of five miles of land on the east side of the great river, in the township of Hartford, conveyed to the heirs of Thom- as Burnham the title to two hundred and twenty-seven acres of land. Richard Burnham was a wealthy property owner and prominent in local affairs.
(III) Lieutenant Richard (2) Burn-
ham, son of Richard (1) Burnham and Sarah (Humphries) Burnham, was born July 6, 1692, and died February II, 1754. He married Abigail Easton, on May 5, 1715; she was born March 16, 1687. He married (second) Hannah Goodwin or Hannah Risley. His second wife died on March 28, 1784. In 1738 Richard Burnham was confirmed by the general assembly to be lieutenant of the third company in the first regiment in the col- ony. He was an important man in the affairs of the community, as is shown by the fact that on December 26, 1716, he, with Roger Wolcott, Captain Stoughton and Ensign Burnham, was "appointed to dignify the seats in the Meeting House." He received a deed of land on the east side of the Connecticut River from the administrators of the estate of John Easton, his wife's father, in 1726. A deed of land to him from Joseph Keeney is also recorded.
(IV) Elisha Burnham, son of Lieuten- ant Richard (2) Burnham, was born on June 22, 1717, and died on July 18, 1770. He received much land in the vicinity of Hartford from his father, to which he added by purchase. Elisha Burnham was noted in the community for his size and extraordinary strength. He married, on February 5, 1742, Sarah Olmstead, daugh- ter of Deacon Joseph and Hannah (Marsh) Olmstead of East Hartford. She was born November 10, 1716, and died at the home of her daughter at Hartford Neck, on September 3, 1810, at the advanced age of ninety-four years. Elisha Burnham died in an epidemic of fever which swept Hartford in 1770. On November I, of the same year, the court granted letters of ad- ministration on his estate to Joseph Church, Jr., who gave bonds with Elisha Burnham, son of the deceased.
(V) George Burnham, son of Elisha
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and Sarah (Olmstead) Burnham, was born August 13, 1753, and died on March 10, 1830. He married Nancy Bigelow. She was married November 16, 1775, and died on January 16, 1800, aged forty-five years.
(VI) Charles Burnham, son of George and Nancy (Bigelow) Burnham, was born on June 18, 1786, and died May 29, 1852. He married (first) Hannah White, who was born February 20, 1786, and died October 16, 1812, at the age of twenty-six. He married (second) Persis White, daugh- ter of Preserved White of Springfield, Massachusetts, where she was born April 30, 1792. Charles Burnham was one of the inspectors in the United States ar- mory at Springfield, and was thoroughly respected and honored in the community.
(VII) Edward Goodwin Burnham, son of Charles and Persis (White) Burnham, was born in Springfield, Hampden County Massachusetts, on June 2, 1827, died in Bridgeport February 28, 1908. He spent the early years of his life in Springfield, and received his education in the local public schools there. At a very early age he became interested in mechanical occu- pations, and devoted a large portion of his time to study and experiment in that field. At the age of sixteen years, he went to Brattleboro, Vermont, and ap- prenticed himself to the firm of Hines, Newman & Hunt, to learn the machinist's trade. After serving his apprenticeship he left the aforementioned firm and en- tered the United States Armory at Spring- field as a machinist, later becoming a con- tractor. Mr. Burnham resigned his posi- tion in the armory several years later and removed to Bridgeport, Connecticut. In Bridgeport, he became connected with the manufacturing firm of Dwight, Chapin & Company, then engaged in the manufac- ture of appendages for rifles for the United
States Government. The company later extended the work to include the mak- ing of firearms. This was during the Civil War, and the business was greatly strengthened and increased by extensive orders for war munitions.
At the close of the war, Mr. Burnham severed his connections with Dwight, Chapin & Company, and became inter- ested in the manufacture of steam, gas and water fittings, in partnership with Charles F. Belknap of Bridgeport. The business grew with such rapidity that shortly after the inception, the corpora- tion of Belknap and Burnham was formed with Mr. Burnham as president. Mr. Burn- ham was a man of considerable inventive genius, and skilled in the handling of problems in manufacturing. Under his management the business of the firm went forward in such strides that in 1874 the Eaton, Cole & Burnham Company was formed with greatly increased cap- ital, and enlarged factory accommoda- tions. Mr. Burnham was vice-president of the new concern at the time of its or- ganization, but later became president, which post he held until he resigned from active business life, in 1905. During the time of his presidency Mr. Burnham greatly advanced the efficiency of the plant, and raised the working force to fourteen hundred men. The firm was one of the principal industries of the city of Bridgeport, and one of the largest of its kind in the State of Connecticut, employ- ing over twenty-four hundred men.
As the head of a corporation of such size and prominence in the life of the city of Bridgeport, Mr. Burnham was in- fluential in the executive councils of other large interests of the city, and also in public life. He was vice-president of the United Illuminating Company, president of the Bridgeport Crucible Company,
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vice-president of the Bridgeport Hospital and a trustee of the Bridgeport Protestant Orphan Asylum, and a director of the City National Bank. In addition to the ab- sorbing duties of his business, Mr. Burn- ham gave much time and energy to honest and unselfish service of public interests, and he was recognized throughout the city as a man of sterling character as well as unusual ability in public service. In 1887 he was elected State Senator of the Connecticut Legislature and served in this capacity for two years. He also served on the Bridgeport Board of Public Works for several years. Prior to the organization of the Republican party, he was a staunch Whig, but on the forma- tion of the latter, transferred his allegi- ance, and to the time of his death re- mained the best type of a Republican. Mr. Burnham was a member and vestry- man of St. John's Church of Bridgeport. He was a member of the Seaside Club, the Algonquin Club and the Bridgeport Yacht Club, and was a keen sportsman. He gave generously but unostentatiously to charities and before his death presented a large and valuable building to the Bridgeport Hospital.
In September, 1853, Edward Goodwin Burnham married Mary Ferree, born July 5, 1826, died June 12, 1899, daughter of Uriah and Syble Russell Ferree, of Spring- field, Massachusetts. Their children : Mary W., married Henry D. Henshaw ; Carrie Bell, married John A. Ten Eyck; and William Edward, of whom further. Edward Goodwin Burnham died in Bridgeport, February 28, 1908. The fol- lowing excerpt is taken from the Bridge- port Standard of that date: "Mr. Burn- ham's life was marked by many splendid qualities, and above all by his great gen- erosity and his broad charity, which was the greater for being of the unobtrusive
kind. Since his retirement from business he has given away a large sum of money in useful charity. Among his public works was the erection of one of the wings of the Bridgeport Hospital, but that was a small undertaking compared to the steady stream of help which has flowed from time to time to the poor and needy, always quietly, the satisfaction coming to Mr. Burnham in the perform- ance of the deed and not in the receiving of public credit for it."
(VIII) William Edward Burnham, son of Edward Goodwin and Mary (Ferree) Burnham, was born in Springfield, Mas- sachusetts, on November 25, 1856. Mr. Burnham, Sr., removed from Springfield to Bridgeport in 1860, and William E. Burnham attended the schools of that city, public and private, and later studied for two years at Seabury Institute in Say- brook, Connecticut. His career, like his father's, has been devoted to mechanics and manufacture. Very early he deter- mined on the mechanical field for his life work, and secured his first employment in this line in the iron fitting department of Eaton, Cole & Burnham, of which his father was president. Convinced that thor- ough acquaintance with every phase of the work of the place was the only basis on which to build his career, Mr. Burn- ham began on the lowest rung of the lad- der, rising gradually through positions of varying responsibility to the capacity of vice-president, assistant treasurer and manager. During the term of his service and connection with it, the firm Eaton, Cole & Burnham became one of the larg- est and most important of the enormous and extensive brass and iron industries of the entire State of Connecticut. In 1905 the year of his father's retirement, Mr. Burnham sold out his interest in the com- pany to the Crane Company of Chicago,
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Illinois, and since then has given the greater portion of his time to a large num- ber of interests with which he is con- nected. He is president of the Pacific Iron Works, director of the First National Bank, director, for past twenty-five years, of the Bridgeport Hospital, and director of the Bridgeport Public Library and Bridgeport Boys' Club.
Mr. Burnham has served the city of Bridgeport faithfully and well in the fol- lowing official capacities : In 1897, he was appointed park commissioner and served for seven years; and has served on board of apportionment and taxation, and on board of contracts and supplies for several years, retiring in 1925. In 1908 he was elected delegate to the Republican Na- tional Convention ; in 1909 he was one of the Republican presidential electors, and was a member of the Republican Central State Committee. He is a member of the order of Knights Templar, Pyramid Tem- ple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; the Order of Elks; the Algonquin of Bridgeport; the Union League Club of New Haven, and the New York Yacht Club.
William Edward Burnham married Hattie J. Keifer, on December 10, 1884, daughter of Jacob and Effie Jane (Decker) Kiefer, old residents of Bridgeport. Their home is on Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport. They are members of St. John's Protest- ant Episcopal Church. Mrs. Burnham died January 17, 1923.
Mr. Burnham is one of the substantial, highly respected, and progressive busi- ness men of the city of Bridgeport, and of the type of enterprising excutive that has been responsible for the extraordinary development of the city two decades. Bridgeport is now the largest and most important manufacturing city in the en- tire State, and this fact is due largely to
the presence in the city of such men as William Edward Burnham's type.
ACHESON, Edward Campion, Suffragan Bishop of Connecticut.
One of the most active and useful of- ficials of the Anglican Church, Bishop Acheson and his talented wife are among the leading citizens of Middletown in all good work, calculated to promote the welfare of the community and of the State. Edward Campion Acheson was born in 1858 in Woolwich, England, of Irish parents, and reared in Ireland. In 1881 he accompanied his parents to Can- ada and was in business for a time at Toronto. For some time a student at the University of Toronto, he graduated in 1888 from Wyckliffe College at Toronto, a divinity school. In 1892 he received the degree of A. M. from the University of New York, being at that time a curate at St. George's Church of that city. He was ordained to the Protestant Episcopal priesthood by Bishop Sweatman of To- ronto, June 16, 1888. For one year he was a curate at All Saints Church at Toronto. In 1892 he was called to the church of the Holy Trinity at Middletown, Connecti- cut, as rector, and continued in this posi- tion until his consecration as Suffragan Bishop. With an active mind and deeply engrossed in his work, he rapidly grew in the esteem not only of his parish, but of his fellow citizens generally. One who knew him well said: "He is first of all, a man. His beneficences have extended to people of every denomination and every creed. Going about doing good is his re- ligion." In these brief words is summed up the character of the man and cause for the respect and esteem in which he is held is revealed.
While he was rector of Trinity, the
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present parish house and rectory were built ; also a parish house in the Staddle Hill district, and on Warwick Street. He was consecrated Bishop, November 4, 1915, being the two hundred eighty-third American Bishop. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Wesleyan University and on November 1, 1916, this degree was conferred upon him by Trinity College of Hartford. His activities in church affairs are numerous and he has served as chairman of the Committee on Church Revision Fund; was vice-presi- dent of a Church Auxiliary and is a trustee of Berkeley Divinity School. While a student at the University of Toronto, Bishop Acheson was active in the militia service of the Province, was a member of Company K, the university company, of the Queen's Own Regiment, and distin- guished himself for bravery under fire during the second Riel Rebellion, for which he received a medal from Queen Victoria. During the recent World's War, his military and patriotic spirit led him into many activities and he served as Field Director of the American Red Cross in this country. At its outbreak he was stranded in Italy with many other Ameri- can tourists, and was appointed by Am- bassador Page on a commission to relieve American tourists and arrange for their transportation to this country. Because of his executive ability and his cheerful and hopeful disposition, he was particu- larly valuable to this organization. He is affiliated with St. John's Lodge, No. 2, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; and Cyrene Commandery, No. 8, Knights Templar, of Middletown.
Bishop Acheson was married, June 8, 1892, in Canada, to Eleanor Gooderhan, daughter of George Gooderhan, a mer- chant of Toronto. Mrs. Acheson is a leader in many of the uplifting activities
of Middletown, among which may be mentioned the Visiting Nurses' Associa- tion, and has been very active in Red Cross work, in community service and other movements along the lines of these organizations. Mr. and Mrs. Acheson are the parents of a daughter and two sons: Margaret C., Dean G., and Ed- ward C.
PECK, Howard Sydney, Public Servant.
A scion of one of the oldest Connecti- cut families, Mr. Peck is an exponent of the steady virtues which have for three centuries distinguished the Puritan fa- thers of New England. Among the first settlers of New Haven, in 1638, was Henry Peck, probably a relative of Dea- con William Peck, who settled there in the same year. They are supposed to have been members of Rev. John Daven- port's flock that came with Governor Eaton in the ship "Hector," arriving at Boston, June 26, 1637. Henry Peck signed the fundamental agreement of the settlers of New Haven, and took an active interest in the management of the affairs of the colony. A portion of his home lot, on what is now George Street, is still in pos- session of his descendants. His will is dated October 30, 1651, and he died soon after that day. His third son, Benjamin Peck, was baptized September 5, 1647, and lived in that part of New Haven known as "Sperry Farms," now the town of Woodbridge. His will, made March 30, 1730, was proved April 5, following. He married March 29, 1670, Mary, daugh- ter of Richard Sperry of New Haven, born March 14, 1650. Benjamin, eldest child of Benjamin and Mary Peck, was born January 4, 1671, in (then) New Haven, and settled in "Norwich West
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Farms," now Franklin, about 1700, in which year he was made a freeman there. He was a man of ability, wealth and in- fluence, and died May 3, 1742, having sur- vived his wife Mary by fourteen years. She died March 3, 1728. Their second son, Benjamin Peck, born December 4, 1710, settled in Canterbury, Connecticut. He married, November 3, 1736, Martha Carrier, a descendant of Thomas Carrier, a remarkable man in both England and America. He was born as early as 1635, was noted for his fleetness of foot, and was a member of the body guard of Charles I. After he was one hundred years old he walked a distance of eighteen miles, from Colchester to Glastonbury, carrying a sack of corn and stopping only once on the way. He was in Billerica, Massachusetts, in 1665, in Andover in 1692, later at Colchester, Connecticut, where he died March 16, 1735, "aged over one hundred years." He married, May 7, 1674, Martha Allen of Andover, daugh- ter of Andrew and Faith Allen. She was executed as a witch at Salem, August 19, 1692. Their son, Thomas Carrier, married, at Andover June 19, 1705, Susan- na Johnson, who was born December 30, 1682, daughter of William and Sarah (Lovejoy) Johnson of Andover. Their daughter became the wife of Benjamin Peck, as before related. Their eldest child, Reuben Peck, was born October 17, 1737, in Canterbury, where he made his home. He married, December 6, 1759, Charity French, born May 20, 1736, in Norwich, daughter of Abner and Sarah (Sluman) French of that town. Sarah Sluman, born January 31, 1704, in Nor- wich, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Pratt) Sluman, was married November 6, 1723, to Abner French. Jesse Peck, third son of Reuben and Charity Peck, born October 3, 1764, lived in Canter-
bury and married March 31, 1795, Sarah Carver, born December 14, 1775, daughter of Gideon and Abigail (Hovey) Carver of Canterbury. She was admitted ("wife of Jesse Peck") to the Westminster Church of Canterbury in January, 1808.
Joseph Peck, fourth son of Jesse and Sarah, was born May 14, 1807, in Canter- bury (according to Canterbury records) May 15, 1808, by family records, and lived a short time in Pawlet, Vermont. He also resided in Litchfield and Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and settled permanently on Farm Hill, in the town of Middletown, where he was a successful farmer and died October 26, 1876. He purchased tracts of timber land and did a large busi- ness in lumber and railroad ties, beside furnishing wood for locomotives on the main line and Berlin branch of the New Haven Railroad. A man of industry and business ability, he filled an important place in the community. He was a mem- ber of the Methodist Church, a Repub- lican in political principle, but never sought political preferment. He married, January 1, 1843, Harriet Winchester, born September 24, 1820, died November 24, 1861, daughter of Joel and Sophia (Arm- strong) Winchester of Pawlet.
The pioneer ancestor of the Winchester family was John, who is found of record at Muddy River, now Brookline, Massa- chusetts, in 1637, when he was made a freeman there. In 1638 he was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston, lived in Hingham in 1647-48 and in 1655 was again at Muddy River. He joined the church with his wife in 1674, held various town offices and died April 25, 1694, aged over eighty. He married, October 15, 1638, in Scituate, Hannah, daughter of Richard Scales. She died in Brookline September 18, 1697. Josiah, third son of John Winchester, was
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born March 27, 1655, and died February 22, 1728. He married December 10, 1678, Mary, daughter of Peter and Ann Lyon, born 1650, died July 27, 1730. Their third son, Amariah Winchester, baptized April 8, 1688, died after January, 1773, probably in Connecticut. He married, December 15, 1714, in Boston, Sarah Seaver, born December 4, 1696, daughter of John and Sarah Seaver. Andrew Win- chester, third son of Amariah and Sarah born February 4, 1723, died May 18, 1793. He married Joanna, daughter of Ebenezer Williams of New London. Their eldest child, Andrew Winchester, born October 16, 1750, settled at Pawlet, Vermont, in 1786, and died 1827. He married Lydia Carver, and they were the parents of Joel Winchester, born 1790. He married Sophia Armstrong of Castleton, Vermont, and their third daughter, Harriet, became the wife of Joseph Peck, as previously noted.
Howard S. Peck, fourth son of Joseph and Harriet (Winchester) Peck, was born April 20, 1858, in Middletown, where he has made his home to the present time. His attendance at the public schools ended before the completion of his eighteenth year, and he has since been actively en- gaged in the practical affairs of life, to his own profit and that of the community. Until 1881 he remained on the paternal farm, and for the succeeding eleven years was employed by the Middletown Silver Plate Company. For fifteen years he occupied the paternal homestead, and sold milk in the city, delivering from one hun- dred to one hundred and twenty-five quarts three hundred and sixty-five days in the year. He continues to manage the farm, a portion of which is rented. Mr. Peck was early drafted by his townsmen for the public service and, after serving as assessor and member of the board of relief several years, he was elected select-
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