USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 4 > Part 22
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thing more than mere form to him, as he believed it to be something to be lived for, and always gave it willing and loyal service. From its formation until his death, Mr. Lyon was a member of the Society of Masonic Veterans, and at- tended their annual meeting as long as he was able. The favorable position oc- cupied by Free Masonry in Meriden is largely due to the unselfish life and earnest efforts of Humphrey Lyon. At an early age he joined St. Stephen's Church of East Haddam. He married, January 8, 1821, in East Haddam, Har- riet M. Canfield, of East Haddam, and they were the parents of four children : George Washington, mentioned below ; Ira C., a resident of Baltimore, Mary- land; William H., who died at the age of twenty-four years, and Martha Emma, now residing in Meriden.
George Washington Lyon, eldest son of Humphrey and Harriet M. (Canfield) Lyon, was born February 22, 1822, in East Haddam, and soon after attaining his majority visited Meriden on a pros- pecting tour. The city was then a bor- ough of three thousand inhabitants, with energetic and public-spirited citizens. The atmosphere of civic pride resulting from this condition pleased the ambitious young man, and he accepted employment for a period of two months to enable him to prolong his visit and decide on the de- sirability of a permanent location. He had planned a trip to the West, but this he abandoned and decided to cast his lot with the energetic citizens of Meriden. Inside of a year he was engaged in the contract- ing and building business, which he be- gan with a capital of a few hundred dollars, abetted by a will and ambition which counted for much. His business expanded rapidly, and he formed a part- nership with John D. Billard, under the firm name of Lyon & Billard; in the sec-
ond year of this arrangement their pay roll included one hundred men, and they had contracts calling for the erection of twenty-seven dwelling houses at one time, besides factories and other structures. The State Reform School, one of the most substantial edifices of its time, was erected by this company. Soon after their plant, on which there was no insurance, was de- stroyed by fire, wiping out nearly all of Mr. Lyon's means. With undaunted de- termination, and with the aid of the credit which his upright and energetic course had won for him, he continued his efforts, and was soon prosperous and successful. In time he came into control of a fac- tory which developed the Meriden Mal- leable Iron Company, of which he was for many years the president. This was incorporated in 1868, with a capital of seventy-five thousand dollars, which was later increased to one hundred and twen- ty-five thousand dollars, and gave employ- ment to one hundred and fifty people. The company was formed for the purpose of making malleable iron castings, but soon gave its entire attention to the manufacture of fixtures used in burn- ing kerosene oil, including chandeliers, brackets and lamps. Subsequently the establishment was devoted more particu- larly to cabinet hardware, making light articles of common use, such as casters, drop handles and draw pulls for furniture, towel racks, shelf brackets and various patented specialties. Soon after 1850, the firm of Lyon & Billard engaged in the coal and lumber business, which was car- ried on in addition to that of contracting, and in this business Mr. Lyon continued to be a stockholder and director until a short period before his death, which oc- curred April 12, 1902. He was instru- mental in starting many industries and enterprises, in many of which he was a director. He was most active in organiz-
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ing the Meriden Fire Insurance Company. Though never desirous of any political preferment, he served for some years as alderman, and was a prime mover in ob- taining the city charter. The first meet- ing of citizens with this object in view was called by Levi Cole and Mr. Lyon. George W. Lyon was married, January 27, 1852, to Harriet A. Snow, of West- brook, Connecticut, daughter of David and Matilda (Doane) Snow, of that town, and granddaughter of Joel Snow, a Revo- lutionary soldier. Their eldest child, Emma J. Lyon, became the wife of Dr. Charles J. Mansfield, whom she survived seven months. dying in September, 1892. William Henry, the second, receives fur- ther mention below. Charles L., the third child, was manager of the Meriden Malle- able Iron Company.
William Henry Lyon, son of George Washington and Harriet A. (Snow) Lyon, was born August 11, 1854, in Meriden, where his life has been passed, and where his activities have been wide and calcu- lated to promote the growth and prosper- ity of the city. Its schools supplied his education, and at an early age he began his business career in the office of the Lyon & Billard Company, of which his father was head. Here his faithfulness and efficient discharge of his duties brought rapid promotion. In 1877 he be- came secretary of the corporation, and in 1886 he became assistant to Dexter W. Parker. secretary and treasurer of the Charles Parker Company, succeeding Mr. Parker in those offices three years later. The Charles Parker Company transacted a very extensive business, of which Mr. Lyon had entire charge. He is also presi- dent of the Parker Clock Company, direc- tor of the First National Bank. City Sav- ings Bank. Meriden Trust and Safe De- posit Company and Meriden Electric Light Company, all of Meriden, and the
Columbia Mills, Inc., and E. W. Bliss Company, both of New York City. Oi very unassuming and quiet manners, Mr. Lyon goes quietly about his business, but his efficiency is well known in business circles, and his influence is wide spread. He is devoted to his family and friends, and until recent years has refused to ac- cept any public station. In politics he is a sincere and earnest Republican, and it is natural that his contemporaries should seek to gain the advantage of his service in directing public business.
Mr. Lyon married, June 2, 1880, Annie D. Parker, daughter of Charles and Abi Lewis (Eddy) Parker, of Meriden. Mr. Parker was one of the most prominent citizens of Meriden, esteemed not only as an energetic and capable business man, but as a citizen of the highest character. Mrs. Lyon, who died December 30, 1902, was one of the most active members of the Methodist church of Meriden, and was associated with Ruth Hart Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Elsie Parker Lyon, only child of Mr. and Mrs. Lyon, graduated from Rosemary Hall, Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1901.
MOHER, William Francis, City Clerk.
There are few regions more beautiful, even in that land of beauties, Ireland, than that lying between Tipperary and Cork. Here, joined with the extreme graciousness and fertility of South Ire- land is some element of the boldness of the north, a foretaste of what the traveler will find on a much larger scale a little farther on, marking the western coast of the wonderful and romantic Province of Munster. But here, even in the midst of a more gentle scene, it is no mean high- lands that appear, with the Galtymore, one of the highest points on the island,
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rearing its head over three thousand feet above the sea, and the steep woodland glens giving abruptly on the larger vales and these again more gradually upon the level country. In this delightful land, on the banks of a tributary of the River Blackwater, stands the prosperous com- munity of Mitchelstown, somewhat nearer to Tipperary than to Cork, yet just within the county bearing the latter name. This quiet town scarcely suggests to the ob- server who passes through its streets that it was once the scene of patriot zeal and uprising against the foreign police. It was here at Mitchelstown that the family of Moher has made its home for many generations, and where William Francis Moher, with whose career in another land this sketch is concerned, was himself born on August 9, 1871. The Mohers have been long and favorably known in the neigh- borhood, Michael Moher, the grandfather of William Francis Moher, having been a prominent figure in the community. He lived there during the first half of the century just past, with his wife who had been Mary Birmingham, a native of the same town, who bore him nine children, dying at the age of forty-five years. It is a commentary upon the power of the migratory impulse that has possessed the Irish people during the recent past, that of these nine children the two surviving should be, Mrs. Catherine Fitzgerald, a resi- dent of Boston, Massachusetts, and Mrs. Mary O'Donnell, a dweller in that far land, Australia. Michael Moher lived and died in his native place and in this his example was followed by a number of his children, notably his son James, the father of Mr. Moher.
James Moher was born in Mitchelstown in the year 1828, and died on June 1, 1880, at the age of fifty-two years. He was mar- ried to Elizabeth Fitzgerald, of the same neighborhood, and by her had six children
as follows: Michael, a resident of Brook- lyn, New York, where he is engaged in business as a stonecutter, and married Nellie Ryan; Bedina, who still resides in the old homestead in Mitchelstown with the youngest brother, James ; John, a na- tive of Waterbury, Connecticut, where he is employed in the Farrell Foundry Works; William Francis, the subject of this brief appreciation; Thomas, now re- siding in Australia ; and James, who lives with his sister in Mitchelstown.
William Francis Moher, whose birth in Mitchelstown has already been recorded, passed his youth in his native town and there received an excellent education, at- tending both the public and private schools of the region and proving him- self an apt and industrious pupil. At an early age his cleverness and enterprising character showed itself, and attracted the attention of his associates. For a time he was a teacher in the public schools of his native town. He lived in his father's home until he reached the age of nineteen years and then put into effect what he had long been ambitious to do, namely, to seek his fortune in America. Accordingly he set sail for the United States alone, and upon arriving here went to Ansonia, Con- necticut, and there for a time made his home. It is ample indication of courage for a young man of that age to leave his home and the familiar faces of friends and face strangers in a strange land, but this Mr. Moher proved himself to be equal to, and with a practical appreciation of the situation he set about at once to find em- ployment. This, however, was no very difficult matter for the bright, alert lad, and before long he was installed as a hand in one of the great factories in the neigh- borhood. It was not his intention, how- ever, to remain in this line of work, and while performing his duties adequately he also kept his eyes open for other opportu-
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nities. It was not a great while before such a one arose and he quickly took ad- vantage of an offer of a position to work in the office of an insurance company. He rapidly rose in position and before a great while was established in an insurance business of his own, which he conducted with a high degree of success. His arrival in Ansonia was in the latter part of 1890 and he remained there altogether some- what over three years and then removed to Waterbury in the same State. The reason he made this change was that he felt that there was a larger field for his business activities in the larger place, and the event certainly justified his opinion. Upon coming to this city, which has ever since remained his home, Mr. Moher at once began to take an active part in the life of the community and to identify him- self with its affairs, so that eventually he became wholly concerned with public ac- tivities and at the present time devotes his whole time and attention thereto. For a time he continued to follow his insur- ance operations and for five years was successful, but in 1899 he became associ- ated with the Scoville Manufacturing Company, and remained there until 1905. In the meantime, however, Mr. Moher had entered politics and became a prominent figure in the conduct of local affairs and a supporter of the principles and policies of the Democratic party. In 1905 he received the appointment of assistant city clerk. which he immediately accepted and the duties of which he filled most efficiently for a period of nine years. He then was elected clerk of the city of Waterbury and took up his new and enlarged duties in 1914. Since that time he has shown him- self a most competent and public-spirited officer who always has the interests of the community at heart and is capable of serv- ing them to good effect. His career seems well marked out for him and there is
every reason to believe that the future holds for him the opportunity to serve his adopted community in many valuable ways and to reach a position of the highest regard in the opinions of his fel- low citizens.
Besides his business activities and his success in public office, Mr. Moher takes an active part in a number of departments of the city's life. Especially is he promi- nent in social and fraternal circles and is a member of important organizations. Among these should be mentioned the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Order of Eagles, the Knights of Columbus, the Order of Owls and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Like his ancestors before him, Mr. Moher is a staunch Roman Catholic and has been a faithful member of the Church of the Sacred Heart ever since coming to Water- bury. He is active in the work of the par- ish and is a member of the Holy Name Society in connection therewith.
On October 4. 1900, Mr. Moher was united in marriage with Mary Lynch, like himself a native of Ireland, having been born near Limerick. If it requires cour- age for a young man to come, as Mr. Moher did, alone to a strange land, it is still more a deed of bravery on the part of a young girl. Yet this deed Miss Lynch, as she then was, performed. Her parents had both died in Ireland and she came to this country by herself to better her con- dition if possible. To Mr. and Mrs. Moher seven children have been born, one of whom. a son, William, died in infancy. The others are all living and are as fol- lows: Elizabeth L., born in 1901, and now a pupil in the Waterbury High School ; James J., born in 1902, and also a pupil in the high school there : Mary J .; Cath- crine ; William F. and Thomas. all of whom are now pupils in the grammar schools in Waterbury.
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WELCH, Thomas Francis, M. D.,
General Practitioner of Medicine.
In the professional life of Dr. Thomas F. Welch, of Hartford, he has gained a creditable position and won gratifying success, for he is well equipped for the practice of medicine and surgery and his efforts have been discerningly directed and they have gained him precedence as one of the followers of this most noble calling.
John Welch, father of Dr. Thomas F. Welch, was born in Waterford, a mari- time county of the province of Munster, Ireland, bounded on the north by the counties of Tipperary and Kilkenny, on the east by Wexford, on the south by the Atlantic ocean, and on the west by the county of Cork. His birth occurred in June, 1828, and his death, June 12, 1880. He was the only child of his parents, his father dying when he was about three years old, his mother remaining in the old home town until her decease. At the age of sixteen years John Welch came to this country, landing at Newfoundland, from whence he came to Chicopee, Massachu- setts, and there worked upon a farm. Later he removed to Holyoke, Massachu- setts, where he was employed on the farm of Ross Fairfield, and subsequently changed his place of residence to Granby, Massachusetts, where he spent the re- mainder of his days. His early life, de- prived of a father's care when he was a mere child, made him self-reliant and self- supporting, and inculcated in him habits of thrift and saving, which he fostered and cultivated, and by means of which he was able, in 1855, to purchase a farm of his own in Granby, which he improved to a high state of perfection, and it was there that nine of his children were born. He married Mary Ann Coughlin, born in the parish of Clashmore, Waterford, Ireland,
and died in 1897, aged sixty-eight years, daughter of Patrick Coughlin. They were the parents of ten children: 1. William P., born in Chicopee, Massachusetts, 1854. 2. Annie, born 1859, died in 1907, was the wife of James P. Fenton ; their son, Clem- ent Bevan, is a student at the Catholic University at Washington, D. C. 3. Nell, born 1861; married (first) William H. McGurgan, and their children are: Wil- liam Edward McGurgan, editor of the Ware River "News;" Grace, married Frank B. Donohue and has one son, Arthur William Donohue; and Anna, un- married ; she married (second) Arthur F. McBrinn. 4. John, Jr., born 1863 ; is cap- tain of the fire department at Holyoke, Massachusetts ; married Nellie Reilley, and their children are: Esther Mary, Ed- mund, Anna and Helen. 5. Katherine, born 1867. 6. Mary, deceased. 7. Thom- as Francis, of whom further. 8. Matthew, born 1873; a resident of Holyoke. Cath- erine and Thomas, died young.
Dr. Thomas Francis Welch was born in Granby, Massachusetts, May 23, 1872. He attended the public schools of Granby and Holyoke, where he received a thorough preparation for his collegiate career. He became a student of Holy Cross College, Worcester, Massachusetts, which he at- tended for two years, at the expiration of which time he entered the medical depart- ment of Georgetown University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1904. He served as an interne at Carney Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, until August, 1905, this practical experience proving of inestima- ble value to him ever since. He estab- lished an office for the practice of his chosen profession in Hartford, Connecti- cut, with which city he has since been identified, and during the intervening years his patronage has increased greatly, owing to the fact that he started with a
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very thorough knowledge of the practice of medicine and that he has since kept up with the progress made along that line, keeping ever in touch with the onward movement. In addition to his general practice, he is serving as assistant surgeon on the staff of St. Francis Hospital. At one time he was secretary of the surgical section of the Hartford Medical Society. He is a fellow of the American Medical Association, a member of the City, Coun- ty and State Medical associations, also of the Knights of Columbus.
Dr. Welch married, June 7, 1907, Eliza- beth Maude McManus, daughter of John C. McManus, of Hartford, a sketch of whom appears in this work. They have one son, Paul Gregory, born August 18, 1911. Dr. and Mrs. Welch are members of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church.
MOLLOY, Thomas J., Lawyer, Public Official.
Thomas J. Molloy, a rising young at- torney-at-law and State Senator, from Hartford, Connecticut, was born there, June 29. 1885, son of Daniel Thompson and Mary (Killeen) Molloy. Both of his parents were born in Queens county, Ire- land, where they were married and their oldest child was born. Daniel T. Molloy learned the trade of gardener in the old country, and was employed in that capac- ity by Lord Portarlington in County Clare. He decided to better his fortunes in America. however, and coming here, took the first employment that offered it- self. This happened to be that of a sec- tion hand on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. He continued faith- fully at this employment for a while, until later the opportunity presented itself for him to return to his old employment, and he became gardener for Samuel L. Clem- ens. "Mark Twain." Here he remained
until his health became impaired, and Mr. Clemens sent him back to Ireland for a year in the hope that he might recover his normal vigor. Upon his return to Amer- ica it was impossible for him to take up again the old vocation. He therefore en- tered the employ of the Plimpton Manu- facturing Company, printers, of Hartford, and remained with them until he was ap- pointed on the police force. One of his most prized possessions is a volume, a "History of the World," formerly in Mr. Clemens' library, and which was pre- sented to him by Mrs. Clemens. He also has an autographed copy of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," presented to him by the author, by which he lays great store. Mr. Molloy is a member of the Fraternal Benefit League and of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Mr. and Mrs. Molloy had seven children, five of whom grew to maturity. They were : Marshall A .; Thomas J., of further mention ; William P .; Christopher F .; and Daniel G. Molloy. The family are all members of St. Joseph's Cathedral, devout in their views, and respected by all who know them.
Thomas J. Molloy, the second son, re- ceived his education in the public schools of Hartford, graduating from the high school there in 1905. Determining to fit himself for the profession of law, he en- tered the Yale Law School and was gradu- ated from that institution in 1908, with the degree of LL. B. He was admitted to the bar the year that he graduated, and at once entered upon a general practice of his profession, not associating himself with any other practitioner. He suc- ceeded from the outset, and became popu- lar in political circles, being a staunch ad- herent of the Republican party. In the year 1912 he ran for State Representative on the Republican ticket, but was de- feated. The next year, however, he was elected State Senator from the second
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senatorial district, Mr. Molloy was a member of the committee on cities and boroughs, and of the State library com- mittee. He belongs to a number of or- ganizations, social and fraternal, and is highly esteemed among all his friends and associates. He was grand knight of the Green Cross Council, Knights of Colum- bus ; past president of the Third Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; chief ranger of Court Ericsson, Foresters of America; and is a member of the Holy Name Society of the Cathedral Parish. As an orator and debater, Mr. Molloy has already won for himself a most enviable reputation, and is considered one of the rising young men at the bar in this State. When in high school he won the Batter- son prize for debate, and later, in the law school, won the third prize as a member of the Kent Debating Club. Mr. Molloy is not married.
USHER, Robert Cleveland,
Legislator, Veteran of the Civil War.
One of the strong and influential figures connected with the life of Plainville, Con- necticut, and the surrounding regions of the State, is Robert Cleveland Usher, who for many years has been most clearly identified with the industrial development and the political affairs of the place. Mr. Usher comes of one of the most distin- guished of the old New England families who have maintained through the cen- turies of their residence there the high and splendid traditions of the men who, for the sake of freedom, braved the un- known perils of the "New World" and who founded and builded the institutions of this Nation. This genealogy of the family dates back to the very earliest Colonial period, when it was founded here, sometime prior to 1638, by two brothers, Hezekiah and Robert Usher. It was from
the elder, Hezekiah, and the more distin- guished of the two, that the branch of the family with which we are concerned is descended, a descent of which it may well be proud, Hezekiah Usher proving him- self a man of parts whose work was an important factor in the intellectual de- velopment of the early Colonial epoch. He was a man of great energy, though varied interests, was made a freeman in Cambridge in 1638, and in 1645 removed to Boston, where he took part in many mercantile enterprises. The matter in connection with which he is best known, however, is that of the early history of printing in this country, of which art he was the pioneer. He was the first printer in America and some of the volumes which came from his press bear a date as early as 1652. From that time until 1664 he was the sole printer and book seller in New England, and during that period he brought out a number of quaint old books, now worth their weight in gold. Perhaps the most valuable work that he did was that connected with the printing of the Bible in this country and he was publicly thanked in the year 1661 by the commis- sioners for his efforts in providing ma- terial and in furthering the work. An- other historic institution with which his name is associated is the Old South Church of Boston, of which he was one of the founders, and he held many impor- tant offices and was a member of many committees among his fellow colonists. He was the constable in 1651, a selectman of Boston from 1659 to 1676, and a mem- ber of the General Court of the Massachu- setts Colony from 1671 to 1674. He died two years later, May 14, 1676, leaving a large estate and many mourning friends who were agreed that the event was a sad loss to the country and town as his public spirit was most notable and he was a friend to all. He was a man still in middle
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