USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 3 > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
I35
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
land and William J. Bryan, he adhered to the former, and was a delegate to the Indianapolis convention of Gold Demo- crats which nominated a ticket in oppo- sition to the "Free Silver" candidate.
In the Masonic order he has attained all the degrees of the York and Scottish Rites up to and including the thirty-sec- ond degree, and is a past official of many of the separate bodies of these Rites, and was commander of the Hamilton Com- mandery in 1900. He had delved deep into the "mysteries," and as a lecturer on the "Origin of Masonry" has appeared before several lodges. He is a member of the Masonic Veterans' Association of Connecticut, and of that social branch of Masonry. the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. His fraternal affiliations also in- clude the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, Improved Order of Red Men, An- cient Order of United Workmen, Royal Arcanum, Heptasophs, Woodmen, and Foresters. The Boys' Club has in him a generous friend, as has the Young Men's Christian Association, and in both the Bridgeport Scientific and Historical soci- eties he has long been active and inter- ested. His eloquent speech is frequently requisitional by these various societies and lodges, and he never refuses their call, giving lavishly of his time and means to aid every good cause.
The services of his great-grandfather, Sergeant Epaphras Goodsell, entitle him to membership in the patriotic order, Sons of the American Revolution, and he early became a member of the State chapter, being a delegate to Chicago in 1893. In 1894 he was elected a member of the State board of managers, and has ever been active in the order which has done so much to preserve the traditions of the Revolution, and mark its places of historic interest. He was one of the organizers of General Gold Selleck Silliman Chapter in
Bridgeport, and its chief executive officer for several years. He is a charter mem- ber of the Seaside Club, and a member of those other social organizations of Bridge- port, Algonquin, Outing, Country, Park, City Yacht, Brooklawn Country, Bridge- port and Athletic club. He was president of the Bridgeport Athletic Club, and pres- ident of the Pequonock Social Club. He was long a trustee and vice-president of the Bridgeport branch of the Connecti- cut Cooperative Saving Society.
Mr. Goodsell married Caroline E. Fox, in 1868, daughter of Charles Fox. They are the parents of three children : Zalmon (3), died in infancy ; Elizabeth Jane, mar- ried Joel Sellick, she died in June, 1914, leaving two boys named Joel and Zalmon Goodsell Sellick ; Mary Caroline, married George H. Graves, of New Haven, and they are the parents of a daughter, Caro- line.
CHAMBERLAIN, Frederick S.,
Financier.
Frederick S. Chamberlain, cashier of the New Britain National Bank, and treasurer of the State of Connecticut, is in the eighth generation of one of New England's oldest families, and one that has for many years been prominent in Connecticut. Mr. Chamberlain was born August 19, 1872, in New Britain, son of Judge and Captain Valentine B. and Anna I. (Smith) Chamberlain.
The Chamberlain family is an ancient one in England, having been established there by the Count de Tankerville, of Tankerville Castle, in Normandy, who came to England with William the Con- queror in 1066. His son, John, was Lord Chamberlain to Henry I. of England in 1125. His son, Richard, held the same office under King Stephen, and was at one time mayor of London. From his posi-
136
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tion in the royal household he assumed the patronymic of Chamberlaine, retain- ing the Tankerville coat-of-arms. A de- scendant of Richard Chamberlaine took the Earl of Leicester prisoner, for which act he had permission from the king to quarter the arms of Leicester with those of Tankerville, and from that time they are to be interpreted together. The crest, an ass's head, indicates in the art of heraldry, honest, dogged perseverance, and true worthiness, characteristic of the founder and first of the name, and the motto, "Stubborn in the Right," a very suitable one for a family ever noted for its firmness.
The immediate ancestry of William Chamberlain, the American immigrant, from whom our subject is descended, has not been traced. He was born about 1620. He was admitted an inhabitant of Wo- burn. Massachusetts, January 6, 1648, and removed to Billerica in 1654, where he lived until his death, May 31, 1706. His name first appears on the records in Octo- ber, 1654, on a petition to enlarge the boundaries of the town and to change the name from Shawshin to Billerica. He married Rebecca -, who died Sep- tember 26, 1692, in the prison at Cam- bridge, where she was held under the pre- posterous charge of witchcraft.
Their fifth child was Jacob Chamber- lain, who was born January 18, 1657-58, in Billerica. It is very difficult to distin- guish the records of the various members of this family bearing the name of Jacob in the second and third generations. Ac- cording to the researches of George W. Chamberlain for the Chamberlain Asso- ciation, however, the Jacob of Newton, who was our subject's ancestor, married Experience Jackson himself, author of the "History of Newton," altered the town records by inserting the name of Susanna as the wife of this Jacob
in the copy of the birth record of Jason and Ebenezer. Jacob Chamberlain re- moved from West Cambridge to Newton about 1699. He was admitted a freeman in 1690.
Their son, Jason Chamberlain, was born February 21, 1701, in Newton, and mar- ried Hannah Clark. He was a man of ability, and took an active part in pub- lic affairs.
Their son, Colonel Jason Chamberlain, represented the town of Holliston in the State Convention that adopted the fed- eral constitution, and was often a repre- sentative to the General Court.
Samuel Chamberlain, son of Colonel Ja- son Chamberlain, was born July 18, 1734, at Holliston, then part of Sherborn. He married Margaret Bullard, of Mendon, Massachusetts, and about 1765 removed to Sandisfield, Massachusetts. There he enlisted in Colonel Ashley's regiment, the muster returns being dated January 25, 1778, at Valley Forge.
Their son, Samuel Clark Chamberlain, was born May 25, 1765, at Sandisfield. He lived there and at Colebrook, Connecti- cut, where he died November 30, 1835. He married for his second wife, Hannah Conklin, born October 30, 1772, died May 2, 1846.
Their son, Abiram Chamberlain, our subject's grandfather, was born October 2, 1799. He was educated in the common schools, and acquired a knowledge of surveying and civil engineering. Some years after his marriage he removed to Colebrook River, Litchfield county, Con- necticut, and thence in 1856, to New Britain, where the remainder of his life was spent. He was much occupied with the profession of surveyor, and for some years was surveyor for the borough of New Britain. The preliminary surveys and plans for supplying water from Shut- tle meadow to the borough were made by
137
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
him, and the work of installing the sys- tem was in his charge a number of years. He married, May 6, 1829, at Sandisfield, Massachusetts, Sophronia Burt, born Jan- uary 9, 1805, in Tolland, Connecticut, daughter of Caleb and Anne (Murray) Burt, and a descendant of Henry and Eulalia Burt, pioneers of Springfield, Massachusetts. Abiram Chamberlain died October 14, 1876. In an obituary notice the "New Britain Record" said: "As a civil engineer he was accurate and care- ful. The city has occasion to remember the great service which he so unostenta- tiously and faithfully rendered. As a pub- lic officer he was courteous and unremit- ting in his conscientious efforts faithfully to discharge the duties entrusted to him. Ill health compelled him to resign his duties as surveyor and water commis- sioner some years since, and since that time continued ill health has kept him from engaging in active work. Deacon Chamberlain is mourned by his neigh- bors, townsmen and church brethren, who knew him as a kindly man, an upright citizen and an earnest and sincere Chris- tian." Mrs. Chamberlain died October 4, 1889, aged eighty-four years. She was a member of Center Church, New Britain. She was strong, healthy and vigorous until her last illness, which lasted about four months. She was the last of ten children to pass away, all living to old age.
Their son, Valentine B. Chamberlain, was born April 13, 1833, at Colebrook River, and died June 25, 1893. He was prepared for college at the Connecticut Literary Institute, Suffield, and was grad- uated from Williams College in 1857. He read law under the preceptorship of S. E. Case, of New Britain, and was admitted to the bar in 1859. In 1861 he was clerk of the House of Representatives. During the Civil War he was lieutenant and cap-
tain in the Seventh Connecticut Regi- ment, Volunteer Infantry. He was se- lected to command the picked battalion of the Seventh Regiment, which made the assault at Fort Wagner in 1863, and was one of the handful of men who scaled the parapet of the rebel fort and was captured inside. He was kept a prisoner at Co- lumbia, South Carolina, until March, 1865. For several years after the war, Captain Chamberlain was in business in the South. He then returned to New Britain, and soon afterward was elected judge of the City Court, and reelected to this office from time to time as long as he lived ; was alderman 1875-76. In 1880 he was elected judge of probate for the dis- trict : in 1884 was elected State Treas- urer ; for a short time was assistant pen- sion agent; was president of the Me- chanics' National Bank, and a director in various industrial corporations, including Stanley Works and the Union Manufac- turing Company. As a public speaker he had few rivals in the State, and his serv- ices were especially in demand on Memo- rial Day. He married, November 17, 1870, Anna I. Smith, daughter of Elizur Smith, of New Britain. Their children were: Frederick Stanley, mentioned be- low ; Louise, married Walter H. Hart, of New Britain ; Ruth, married James S. North: Grace, married Frank G. Vib- berts : Cornelia ; Anna, married Dr. Fred- erick C. Ferry, president of Hamilton Col- lege ; Bertha; Valentine B., Jr., superin- tendent of rolling mill of Stanley Works. and an alderman of the city of New Britain; Margaret, married Russell C. Germond ; Rodman W., second lieutenant of Company I, First Connecticut Infan- try.
Frederick Stanley Chamberlain, son of Judge Valentine B. and Anna I. (Smith) Chamberlain, and a nephew of former Governor Abiram Chamberlain, was born
138
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
-
tp -
Ed Goodrich
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
August 19, 1872, in New Britain, and re- ceived his education in the public schools. In 1889 he entered the employ of the Mechanics' National Bank, where. by dint of struggling effort, he rose to assistant cashier in 1905. In 1907 he was elected cashier and a director of the New Britain National Bank; was also a director of Stanley Works. Mr. Chamberlain was connected with the city government of New Britain for four years as council- man, 1904-05-06-07. He resigned in 1908, when he was elected city treasurer, and in 1915 became State Treasurer. He also served as president of the Board of Finance and Taxation. He is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks, and is a member of the New Britain Club, Hartford Golf Club, New Britain Golf Club, Chamberlain Council, Junior Order of United American Me- chanics, and is also president of the Con- necticut Bankers' Association. Mr. Cham- berlain married, November 19, 1896, Irene B. Robinson, daughter of Henry C. Rob- inson, and they have one son, James R., born March 25, 1900.
GOODRICH, Elizur Stillman, State Senator.
Association and environment were very likely potent in determining the choice made by Mr. Goodrich when determining upon his career in life. His father was a civil engineer, surveying and aiding in the construction of steam railroads. While still young the Hartford, Providence & Fishkill railroad was in course of con- struction, therefore, with inherited taste and opportunity combining, his choice was quickly made. From his entrance, while quite young, into the office of the chief engineer in charge of the construc- tion of the railroad named until the pres- ent, he has been connected with steam,
street and steamboat transportation, win- ning executive position and high personal reputation.
He is of the seventh American genera- tion of the family founded in Connecti- cut by William Goodrich, of Wethers- field. In England, the name Goodrich is very ancient, found there as Godric as early as 870, but not as a surname. Good- ridge was a common form of the name until a comparatively recent date. Famous Goodrich Castle, a typical fortified castle of medieval Saxon style with Norman additions, dates back to the era before the Norman Conquest. It was dismantled and all but destroyed by order of Parlia- ment during the Civil War, dated March 1, 1647. Its ruins stand on an eminence near the southwestern extremity of Here- fordshire, on the eastern bank of the river Wye.
Wethersfield, Connecticut, has been the seat of this branch of the Goodrich family since the settlement by William Good- rich, and his marriage is there recorded to Sarah Marvin, of Hartford, October 4, 1648. He was deputy to the General Court in 1662, member of the grand jury and ensign of the train band. The line of descent is through his son, William (2) Goodrich ; his son, Lieutenant Joseph Goodrich : his son, Nathaniel Goodrich ; his son, Simeon Goodrich ; his son, Elizur Goodrich ; his son, Elizur S. Goodrich, all born in and lifelong residents of Wethers- field except the last named, who is a resi- dent of Hartford, but born in Wethers- field.
Elizur Goodrich, born February 20, 1798. died February 10, 1854; was a civil engineer. He married. July 16, 1832, Jerusha Stillman, born December 18, 1803, died January 2, 1835, daughter of Captain George and Martha (Deming) Stillman, a descendant in the sixth generation of George Stillman.
139
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Elizur Stillman Goodrich was born at Wethersfield, Connecticut, December 28, 1834, only son of Elizur and Jerusha (Stillman) Goodrich. He attended pub- lic schools at Wethersfield and Williston Seminary at Easthampton, Massachu- setts, then at the age of twenty years, in 1854. secured his first position. This was in the office of the chief engineer of the Hartford. Providence & Fishkill railroad, then in course of construction. He grad- uated from the engineering to the busi- ness department of the road, and at the end of his ten years' connection had mas- tered the details of both departments to a large degree. In 1864 he resigned his position in the office of the general ticket agent to become manager of the Hartford & Wethersfield Horse Railway Company, organized the previous year. He was chosen president of the company in Janu- ary, 1864, and under his direct manage- ment the road began its successful career that only terminated forty years later, when the name of the company was changed to the Hartford Street Railway Company. During those forty years Mr. Goodrich was president of the company and its manager, responsible for its ex- pansion and its success. The company of which it is now a part controls a system completely traversing the streets of Hart- ford, and connecting the capitol city with a number of adjacent towns.
In 1885 Mr. Goodrich became president of the Hartford & New York Transporta- tion Company, then practically bankrupt, with an old, worn out fleet of steamboats. With characteristic vigor he injected new life into the concern, scrapped the old boats, replacing them with steamers of modern construction and design. The company was placed upon a sound finan- cial basis, and as its executive head Mr. Goodrich is guarantee of its stability. He has not given his entire time to transpor-
tation problems, although that has been his important life work and the activity that has most benefited by his ability as organizer and executive. He has other interests of importance and has aided all efforts to bring Hartford into prominence as a business center.
A Republican in politics he represented Wethersfield in the General Assembly in 1895, serving on committees of incorpora- tion and judiciary. In 1897 he was elect- ed State Senator from the second dis- trict, serving as chairman of the commit- tee on cities and boroughs. His legisla- tive work satisfied his constituents and he was returned to the Senate in 1899 and again in 1901. Mr. Goodrich was "made a Mason" in St. John's Lodge, later be- coming, by demit, a charter member of Lafayette Lodge. He is also a Royal Arch Mason, a Capitular Mason and a Knights Templar, holding his Templar membership in Washington Command- ery, and is a member of Sphinx Temple, Mystic Shrine.
Mr. Goodrich married, October 19, 1859, Mary A. Hanmer, and has two children : I. James R., married (first) Elizabeth Judd, who died July 12, 1901, leaving two children, James Stillman and William Judd Goodrich : he married (second) Jan- uary 17. 1906, Ella E. Reed, of Worcester, and has a daughter, Mary Hanmer Good- rich. 2. Mabel E., married George Hills Gilman, of the law firm of Hyde, Joslyn, Gilman & Hungerford.
HUBBARD, Charles Edward,
Business Man.
It is an old tradition in the Hubbard family in England, that the name was derived from Hubba (Ubba or Ubbo), the Danish sea king, who in the fall of 866 with an immense fleet and twenty thousand warriors landed on the coast of
140
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
East-Anglia or Kent to avenge the death of his father, Ragnar Lodbrog. The lat- ter, whose invasions had made his name a cause for terror on the shores of the Bal- tic and the British Isles, after taking pos- session of Paris, planned an invasion of England. His expedition was wrecked on the coast of Northumbria, but Ragnar with a band of his followers who reached the shore, heedless of their numerical in- feriority, began their usual career of dep- redation. At the first news of the descent of the Norsemen, the Northumbrians flew to the coast, fought the invaders, making Ragnar a prisoner. He was put to death at once, and is said to have consoled his last moments with the hope "that the cubs of the boar would avenge his fate."
Having spent the winter in fortifying his camp and equipping his followers, Hubba, in February, 867, seized York. Though the Northumbrians gave battle with desperate fury, Hubba's forces tri- umphed. They killed Osbert in battle, but took prisoner Aella, his erstwhile rival chieftain, but now compatriot in fighting the common foe. Hubba and his followers now gave themselves the pleas- ure of torturing to death the men who had thrown King Ragnar Lodbrog into a cage of snakes to be devoured.
This victory gave Hubba and his brother Hingua undisputed possession of all the country south of the Tyne and north of Nottingham. They continued to increase their dominions by victorious in- vasions of the surrounding country, their exploits forming one of the most thrilling chapters in early British history. Hubba was finally slain in his camp with twelve hundred of his followers by Odyn. Scat- tered across Britain and Wales have stood seven historic eminences each known as "Hubba's Hill."
It is common knowledge that there was great confusion in spelling names during
several centuries following the adoption of family surnames, and that of Hubbard was no exception to the rule, more than fifty different spellings of what is ap- parently the same name being found on record. Even in America the forms Hub- bard, Hubbert, Hubard, Hubert, Hobart, and Hobert are common.
Several branches of the family in Eng- land have borne coats-of-arms. The im- mediate antecedents of George Hubbard, the immigrant ancestor of the branch of the family herein followed have not been identified. He was born in the southeast- ern section of England, possibly in Essex or Surrey. Traditions say he came to Watertown, Massachusetts, about 1633. If this is true, he was there but a short time. He married Mary Bishop, who died in Guilford, September 14, 1675, a daughter of John and Anne Bishop. In 1639 John Bishop removed from Wethers- field to Guilford, Connecticut, of which town he was one of the seven pillars or proprietors. He died there in February, 1661.
George Hubbard was a member of that band of about sixty men, women and chil- dren who left Watertown, Massachusetts, on October 15, 1635, and came through the wilderness to Connecticut. In 1636 he and Samuel Wakeman were appointed by the General Court to make certain surveys relating to the bounds of Windsor and Wethersfield. He represented Wethers- field at the first Colonial General Court, under the constitution of 1639, an office to which freemen only were eligible. He is referred to as "a prominent surveyor" and did much work in that line. He drew lot No. 14 of the "three mile lots," which con- tained one hundred and ninety-five acres and was located in North Glastonbury. After three years residence in Wethers- field, he removed to Milford, being as- signed Milford Island as his grant. He
141
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
was admitted to the church there, Janu- ary 15, 1644. Before 1650 he sold the Island and removed to Guilford. On Sep- tember 22, 1648, he bought the property of Jacob Sheaffe. George Hubbard was a deputy magistrate during the years 1652-55-57-58-60-62-65-66. In 1666-67 he was a member of the Assembly at the union of the Hartford and New Haven colonies. In May, 1670, the court gave him authority to "joyne persons in mar- riage." It is said of him, "He was a man of high standing and prominent in the politics of his times." He died in Guil- ford in January, 1683, leaving an estate appraised at five hundred and sixty-four pounds eight shillings and six pence, showing him to be prosperous, thrifty and well off for his day.
His son, John Hubbard, was born in England about 1630. It is claimed that he lived at Concord for a time with rela- tives of his wife. He married Mary Mer- riam, and became a resident of Wethers- field, Connecticut, where his first four children were born. He was one of the company that removed to Hadley, Mas- sachusetts, in 1659. He was made free- man, March 26, 1661. After 1672 he re- moved to Hatfield, and died there at the home of his son, Isaac, in 1702.
His son, John Hubbard, was born in Wethersfield, April 12, 1655. He lived in Glastonbury and died there about 1748. He married, about 1676, Mary, widow of John Elson and a daughter of Thomas Wright. He received the "Hubbard Lots" from his father and purchased sev- eral other tracts, becoming a large land- owner. In 1692 he and Samuel Smith each donated five acres of land on which was located the old cemetery and meeting house green. The site of the church is now occupied by the town hall. In 1704 he was called sergeant, was a member of the school committee, and was authorized
to erect a mill on Roaring brook. He was a member of the Legislature from 1700 to 1724.
His son, David Hubbard, was born in Glastonbury in 1685, and died there Oc- tober 13, 1760. He married Prudence, widow of Judah Holcomb and a daughter of David and Prudence (Churchill) Good- rich. He received land from his father in Glastonbury in 1720 ; was a member of the Eastbury School Society whose records in 1749 mention him as "Captain D. Hub- bard, 2w, 3d and boarding himself £12.5s." In the same year there was "liberty granted to Captain David Hubbard to erect a corn-mill over Blackleach River." He served eight terms in the Legislature between 1724 and 1734. He served in the army under General Wolfe at Montreal.
His son, Nathaniel Hubbard, the great- grandfather of the Mr. Hubbard of this sketch, was born in Glastonbury in 1758 (perhaps 1755). He lived at Bolton, and was married four times, our subject being descended from Ruth Hale, the last wife, whom he married in 1805. He engaged in farming on a large scale.
His son, Dr. Denison Hubbard, was born in Bolton, Tolland county, Connec- ticut, in 1805. His education was re- ceived in the common schools and also at Bacon Academy at Colchester. In addi- tion to these advantages, his father pro- vided him with a private tutor from whom he learned Latin and the higher branches of mathematics. His mind was bent on the study of medicine from an early age, but his first actual tuition in this subject was under the preceptorship of Dr. Tal- cott, of what was then Killingworth, Con- necticut, now Clinton. Thereafter he en- tered the Yale Medical School, where he completed his studies and was graduated with the class of 1829, taking his degree of Doctor of Medicine. At first Dr. Hub- bard located at Glastonbury, but he later
1.42
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
removed to Bloomfield, Connecticut,
where for a time he carried on a success- ful practice. Eventually, however, he re- turned to Clinton, where for forty years he was a conspicuous figure in the com- munity's life and was well known and generally beloved, both in his profes- sional capacity and as a man throughout the entire region. It was here that his death eventually occurred in the year 1864. an event which caused great grief to the entire community. Dr. Hubbard was at first united with the Abolitionist party in politics, but eventually joined the Republican party. He was an ardent ad- mirer of William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips, and was himself very eloquent in the anti-slavery agitation of those years. In spite of his prominence in the movement, however, he consist- ently refused to hold public office of any kind, preferring to exert what influence he could from the more disinterested posi- tion of the private. citizens. He was a Congregationalist in his belief and for many years attended the church of that denomination at Clifton, taking an active part in its affairs and serving as a trustee. Dr. Hubbard married Pamela A. Hub- bard, a native of Glastonbury, where she was born in ISII, a daughter of David E. and Pamela (Hollister) Hubbard, and a granddaughter of Eleazer and Lois (Wright) Hubbard. David E. Hubbard, lier father, was an important figure in the life of Glastonbury, representing that town in the State Legislature a number of times and serving as judge of probate for many years. He was a farmer during the early part of his life, but later resided in the town of Eastbury, where he en- gaged in a mercantile line of business. To Dr. and Mrs. Hubbard the following chil- dren were born: Charles H., mentioned below; Edward D., who died in July, 1864, at the Cumberland Hospital, where
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.