USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 5 > Part 11
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tired from the bench in consequence of great age, in 1427. Children of Judge John Preston: Rev. John, Richard, his heir, and a daughter. The American fam- ilies are undoubtedly descended from some branch of this family. The Con- necticut family has been traced to George Preston, of Valley Field, who was cre- ated a baron of Nova Scotia in 1537, through his son William, the Connecti- cut immigrant, came in 1635, died in 1639, leaving land in Yorkshire, whence he had come to this country.
Roger Preston was born in England in 1614. In 1635, at the age of twenty-one years, he took the oath of allegiance to London, and sailed in the ship "Eliza- beth," April 8, 1635, William Stagg, mas- ter. His name first appears as a resident of Ipswich in 1639. His wife Martha, whom he married in 1642, was born in 1622. In 1657 they removed to Salem, Massachusetts, where he died January 20, 1666. Martha, his widow, married (sec- ond) Nicholas Holt, of Andover, and she resided there, taking her sons, Samuel, John and Jacob Preston, with her. She died at Andover, March 21, 1703. Roger Preston was a tanner by trade.
Samuel Preston, son of Roger Preston, was born in 1651, at Ipswich, and settled in Andover with his mother. He married (first) May 27, 1671, Susanna Gutterson, who died December 29, 1710.
Jacob Preston, fourth child of Samuel Preston, was born February 24, 1680- 81, and in 1723-24 we find him in Wind- ham, Connecticut, at which time he united with the church of Canada Parish. He married, June 2, 1702, Sarah Wilson.
Benjamin Preston, son of Jacob Pres- ton, and the ancestor of the Willington Prestons, was born in April or May, 1705. He married, May 5, 1727, Deborah Holt, of Canada Parish, Windham county. He and his wife died within the same hour, and were buried in the same grave.
Darius Preston, son of Benjamin Pres- ton, was born at Willington Hollow, in 1731, and died there May 30, 1821. His powder horn, dated 1771, is now in Major Preston's possession. He married, No- vember 15, 1759, Hannah Fisk, who died January 12, 1813.
Amos Preston, son of Darius Preston, born February 8, 1782, was the youngest of eleven children, and died October 6, 1864. He married, September 4, 1803, Martha (Patty) Taylor, who was born February 8, 1782, and died December 7, 1860. Her father, Thomas Taylor, died April 5, 1815, aged sixty-three years.
Joshua Preston, son of Amos and Mar- tha (Taylor) Preston, was born July 15, 1813, the youngest of six children. He learned the trade of tanner, and was for many years foreman of the tannery owned by his eldest brother, the late Hon. S. T. Preston. For a time he was the pro- prietor of a hotel in the village of West- ford, Connecticut, and also owned the Lincoln tannery. He was a stanch Demo- crat, but was indifferent to the lure of political office. He was decided in his opinions and outspoken, especially on the temperance question, and was one of the first to identify himself with the temper- ance movement, which he believed went well with the Christian principles he pro- fessed. He was a member of the Bap- tist church at Willington, and was quite an accomplished player on the double bass viol, with which he furnished music at the meetings of the church. In 1857 he became foreman for P. Jewell & Sons, tanners, of Hartford, and remained with them until 1879, when he removed to Chicago, where he held a similar posi- tion in the plant of his son, Captain E. B. Preston. In 1895 he returned to Hart- ford, and made his home with his daugh- ter, Mrs. W. Chapin Hunt, until his death, March 18, 1900. He married, March 3, 1835, Caroline, daughter of Ariel and Bet-
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sey (Dimock) Eldredge, born February 6, 1816, in Willington, died April 27, 1882, in Chicago, and was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery at Hartford. Ariel Eldredge was born April 28, 1791, and died Septem- ber 15, 1849. He was the son of Zoeth Eldredge, born, it is supposed, in Will- ington, Connecticut, about 1751, died there March 18, 1828. He was a farmer. He marched on the Lexington alarm in Major Elijah Fenton's company from Willington. Upon his dismissal from this brief service, he enlisted in the Second Connecticut Regiment, Colonel Joseph Spencer, serving in the Fifth Company under Captain Solomon Willies, from about May Ist until the latter part of De- cember, 1775, when the regiment was dis- missed. He was at Roxbury during the siege of Boston, and also saw three months service under General Washing- ton in New York City in Captain Joseph Parson's company, Colonel Chapman's regiment. He married, in Willington, October 16, 1779, as his second wife, Bethia, daughter of Captain Ichabod Hinckley, born December 10, 1759, at Tol- land, Connecticut. Captain Ichabod
Hinckley was born October 13, 1735, in Willington, and died February 23, 1807. He was captain in the Continental Army, and was very active in the Revolutionary War; served two years in the General Assembly, and was selectman for four- teen years. He was a man of great natural dignity, of unusual ability, and of highest integrity. He served as first lieu- tenant, Sixth Company, Third Battalion, Wadsworth's brigade. This battalion was raised in June, 1776, to reinforce General Washington in New York City; served there and on Long Island, was caught in the retreat from the city September 15, and suffered some loss; also engaged in the battle of White Plains, October 28. His time expired December 25, 1776. His
first wife, Mary, died in Willington, Janu- ary 8, 1769, aged thirty-seven years. Ben- jamin Hinckley, father of Captain Icha- bod Hinckley, was born June 19, 1707, in Barnstable, and died in Willington, Octo- ber II, 1749. He was a farmer and ad- mitted freeman in Willington, December 17, 1735. He married, in Tolland, No- vember 6, 1733, Deborah Palmer, of Wind- ham. His father was Ichabod Hinckley, born August 28, 1680, in Barnstable, died in Tolland, May 10, 1768. He married, January 5, 1702, Mary, daughter of Ben- jamin and Mary (Davis) Goodspeed, of Barnstable. She was born January 10, 1678, and died October 1, 1719. Having purchased three hundred acres of land, partly in Tolland and partly in Willing- ton, he removed in 1732 with his family to Tolland and served several terms there as selectman. His father, John Hinckley, brother of Thomas Hinckley, sixth Gov- ernor of New Plymouth Colony, was born May 24, 1644, and died December 7, 1709. In July, 1668, he married Bethia, daugh- ter of Thomas Lothrop, and granddaugh- ter of Rev. John Lothrop. She was born July 23, 1649, and died July 10, 1697. Rev. John Lothrop died in Barnstable, July 10, 1687, aged forty-eight years. His son, John Lothrop, was born about 1621, prob- ably at Egerton, Kent, England, and was about thirteen years of age when he came with his father to Scituate, Massachu- setts. He married Sarah, daughter of William Learned. "Ensign" John Hinck- ley was a prominent citizen of Barnstable, where he owned much land. His father was Samuel Hinckley, of Tenterden, Kent, England, who came to New Eng- land with his wife, Sarah, and four chil- dren in the ship "Hercules" of Sandwich, which sailed about March, 1634. They re- moved to Barnstable in 1639, where his wife died August 18, 1656. He died there October 31, 1662. He was prominent and
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owned much land. Jesse Eldredge, father of Zoeth Eldredge, was born August 9, 1715, in Eastham and died in Willington, December 17, 1794. He married, Novem- ber 7, 1734, Abigail, daughter of Samuel and Abigail (Freeman) Smith. She was born in Eastham, December 17, 1718, and died in Willington, March 16, 1793. She was a descendant of Elder Wil- liam Brewster, Stephen Hopkins, Gov- ernor Thomas Prence, Edmund Freeman, Rev. John Lothrop, Ralph Smyth, Henry. Howland and Thomas Clark. Elisha Eldredge, father of Jesse Eldredge, was born about 1690, and died in Mans- field, Connecticut, November 9, 1754. He married Dorcas, daughter of Thomas Mulford, of Truro. She was born March 6, 1693, in Eastham, and died in Mans- field about 1755. Her mother was Mary, daughter of Nathaniel Basset, and grand- daughter of William Basset, who came in the ship "Fortune" in 1621. Elisha Eldredge, father of Elisha Eldredge, was born in 1653, died in Eastham, October 14, 1739. In 1693 he was in Harwich and bought land in the Doane neighborhood. He afterwards sold this and removed to what later became Wellfleet. His father, William Eldredge, was a resident of Yar- mouth, Massachusetts, from March 3, 1645, to 1667. He was a man of standing and substance; was constable in 1657, 1662, 1674, 1675 and 1677; was also sur- veyor of highways. He married Anne, daughter of William and Tamesin Lump- kin, of Yarmouth. William Lumpkin came over in 1637. He was deputy to the Colony Court and held many local offices. Major Preston's maternal grandmother, Betsey (Dimock) Eldredge, was born January 29, 1795, in Mansfield, and died in March, 1873. Her father, Shubael Dimock, was born October 4, 1757; mar- ried, January 22, 1789 ; died March 8, 1828. Her mother, Elizabeth (Wright) Dimock,
born July 31, 1769, died August 10, 1837. The Dimock ancestry has been traced back to Elder Thomas Dimock, who was a selectman of Dorchester, Massachu- setts, in 1635; freeman, May 25, 1636; Hingham, 1638; Scituate, 1639. Amos Otis says he was the leading man of the town. He was deputy to the Plymouth Colony Court in 1640-41-42-48-49, and held other important offices. On October 14, 1642, he was elected lieutenant of the militia and reelected in 1646; was or- dained elder, August 7, 1659, and died that year. His widow, Anna (Ham- mond?) Dimock, was living in October, 1683. Their only son, Ensign Shubael Dimock, who lived to mature age, was baptized September 15, 1644. He was prominent in town affairs ; selectman and deputy to the General Court in 1685 and 1686, and deputy again in 1689; was en- sign of the militia. About 1693 he re- moved to Mansfield, where he died Octo- ber 29, 1732, in his ninety-first year. In April, 1663, he married Joanna, daughter of John Bursley. She died May 8, 1727, aged eighty-three years. They were ap- parently the grandparents of Betsey Dimock's father, Shubael Dimock. Eliz- abeth Wright was the daughter of Elea- zer and Anna (Marsh) Wright. He was born April 12, 1741, at Mansfield (his name is given in the Mansfield vital rec- ords as Ebenezer) and died January 21, 1825. His wife died April 10, 1825. Elea- zer Wright was the son of Ebenezer Wright, of Lebanon, Connecticut, who was born February 22, 1701 ; married, in 1728, as his second wife, Sarah Hunting- ton. He died April 22, 1786, and she died October 19, 1775. Ebenezer Wright was the son of Ensign Abel Wright, of Leb- anon, where he died June 2, 1745. He married, September 6, 1691, Rebecca, daughter of Samuel Terry, of Springfield. Abel Wright was the son of Lieutenant
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Abel Wright, of Springfield, who married Martha, daughter of Samuel Kritchwell, of Hartford, December 1, 1659. She was scalped July 26, 1708, and died October 19, 1708. He died October 29, 1725, in his ninety-fourth year. He was select- man of Springfield in 1689 and 1698, also deputy to the General Court. Sarah (Huntington) Wright, wife of Ebenezer Wright, was the daughter of Deacon Jo- seph and Rebecca (Adgate) Huntington. Deacon Joseph Huntington was born Sep- tember, 1661, in Norwich, and died De- cember 29, 1747. He married, November 28, 1687, Rebecca, daughter of Deacon Thomas and Mrs. (Bushnell) Adgate, died November 28, 1748.
At the age of fourteen years, Major Preston went to Hartford to begin his career in the business world. Such was his application, intelligence and thrift that we find him eleven years later, at the out- break of the Civil War, a member of the firm of Griswold, Griffin & Company, manufacturers of shirts. On April 22, 1861, he offered to give temporary assist- ance as a clerk in the office of Adjutant- General J. D. Williams. On July 17, 1861, in response to the request of Colo- nel Orris S. Ferry, Mr. Preston was ap- pointed as quartermaster of the Fifth Connecticut Regiment, with the rank of first lieutenant, going to the front July 29. Later he was detailed by Colonel Dudley Donnelly, and afterward by Gen- erals G. H. Gordon and A. S. Williams to be acting assistant quartermaster of the First Brigade, General Bank's division, and remained in that position until Janu- ary 1, 1862, when he was returned to his old place in the Fifth Connecticut. In March, 1862, Lieutenant Preston was de- tailed as aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen- eral Ferry, who had received a brigadier's commission. During a part of the time until February 19, 1863, he served as act- ing assistant quartermaster of the divi-
sion. On that date President Lincoln commissioned him as "additional paymas- ter, United States Volunteers, with the rank of Major," and this position Major Preston held until July 31, 1865, when he was honorably discharged by the Secre- tary of War. Millions of dollars passed through his hands during the war, and in the final settlement with the government his accounts balanced to a penny. At the close of the war he became a special agent for the Travelers Insurance Company After two years in this position he was appointed superintendent of agencies. and in 1898 was promoted to be general man- ager of agencies and has held that posi- tion continuously since that time to the present writing, October 22, 1917. This position calls for executive ability of the highest order, with a gift for diplomacy equal to that of a foreign ambassador. Major Preston is a man of poise, and while he possesses a determination that enables him to surmount every obstacle to the accomplishment of his purpose, he achieves results through the exercise of tact that makes every one his friend. In the course of his work, Major Preston has travelled all over the United States, Europe, Canada and Mexico, having made seven trips to Europe and there traveled much and is familiar with the countries there.
He is a member of Hartford Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, being one of its eight oldest members ; Massa- chusetts Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion ; the Fifth Connecticut Infantry Reunion Association ; Society of the Army of the Potomac, representing the State of Connecticut on its board ; Robert O. Tyler Post, Grand Army of the Republic, being one of the trustees of the ten thousand dollar fund owned by the post; Army and Navy Club of Con- necticut, of which he is president; Hart- ford Club; Red Cross Association ; Con-
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necticut Humane Society ; Charity Organ- ization; Visiting Nurse Association ; Willington Cemetery Association ; Lin- coln Farm Association ; Connecticut Peace Society ; American Forestry Association ; Connecticut Civil Service Reform Asso- ciation, and Municipal Art Society. For several years he was a member of the board of trustees of the Connecticut Lit- erary Institute of Suffield, and was presi- dent of the board for two years. Major Preston is a strong and active Republican, and has served in the common council and as a member of the board of aldermen.
Major Preston married, September 9, 1863, Clara M., daughter of John G. Litch- field, of Hartford. Children: Harry Ed- ward, born September 27, 1864, died at San Antonio, Texas, April 7, 1893; Eve- lyn Wallace, born April 9, 1867.
In 1868 Major Preston began to arouse interest in a project to form a Baptist church on Asylum Hill, and on January 1, 1869, he circulated an invitation signed by himself and a number of other leading Baptists to attend a meeting to discuss the matter. In 1871 the committee of which he was a member purchased the lot. In that year a Sunday school was organized, and the following year the church edifice was completed. Major Preston was treasurer from 1872 to 1901, and deacon from 1875 to the present time. He is a member of the Baptist Social Union of Connecticut, which he has served as secretary, treasurer and presi- dent at different times. He has also served as a member of the board of the Baptist State Convention.
ELLSWORTH, Philip Fowler, Civil Engineer, Company Executive.
Philip Fowler Ellsworth, Bachelor of Science, and by profession a civil engi- neer, although young, has held responsi-
ble appointments on important engineer- ing commissions and projects, municipal and otherwise, and is now recognized as one of the most enterprising of the younger generation of business men of Windsor, Connecticut. Since 1914 he has remained in that town, which is his native place, to devote his time, in managerial capacity, to the affairs of the Windsor cannery, a joint stock corporation found- ed by his father more than twenty years ago, and known to producers and whole- salers throughout New England, as ex- tensive packers of canned foods.
Philip F. Ellsworth was born in Wind- sor, Connecticut, December 1, 1883, the son of Horace House and Laura L. (Fowler) Ellsworth, and a descendant of Josiah Ellsworth, who came to Windsor, in 1644. The house of Ellsworth has given many distinguished men to New Eng- land, including Chief Justice Oliver Ells- worth, prominent Connecticut leader dur- ing the Revolution, later United States Senator, and eventually Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He, with two others, constituted a commit- tee appointed, in 1799, by President Adams "to negotiate with France as an extraordinary commission to avert a war between the two countries, if possible." His son, William Wolcott Ellsworth, be- came a conspicuous member of the Con- necticut bar, was elected to Congress, later became judge, and subsequently elected Governor of the State of Connec- ticut. And many other ancestors, of the direct or collateral lines of Philip Fowler Ellsworth bring him into the genealogies of some of the principal Colonial families of New England.
Originally from England, where in early generations the name was variously styled: Elswort, Elsworth, Elesworth, Ellesworth, or Aylsworth, the father of the American progenitor is supposed to
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have been John Ellsworth, of a town of that name near Cambridge, England. His three sons, presumable because of adher- ance to other than the recognized state religion, incurred dangers of imprison- ment and consequently they were forced to leave the country. The three brothers eventually reached American shores, Arthur and Josias (or Josiah) coming direct, and the third coming later, after a period spent in Holland. Josias Ells- worth was born in 1629, near Cambridge, England, son of John Ellsworth, and said to have been a descendant of Sir John Ellsworth, who lived in the time of Ed- ward III. and whose estate was in Cam- bridgeshire. This conjecture is derived from "Mr. John Ellsworth, who was a re- spectable merchant in London, early in the nineteenth century, who stated that it was a tradition in his family, which had long resided in Yorkshire, that a member of it had formerly removed to foreign parts ; that he was a young man when he left, and never returned." Josias Ells- worth, according to one historian, was in Connecticut "as early as 1646;" but it is known that he arrived in America in 1644, and the "History of Ancient Windsor" (Stiles) states that he had settled in Windsor in that year. In 1654 he bought a house and lot from Alexander Alvord, in Windsor, located on the road to Po- quonock south of the rivulet, near the old mill. This he sold in 1658 to Cor- nelius Gillet, and it was thereafter known as the Gillet place. In 1655, having mar- ried, he purchased a more pretentious dwelling, that belonging to Widow Jo- anna Davison, and generations later known as the Chief Justice Oliver Ells- worth place. He was admitted a free- man, May 21, 1657 ; was a juror in 1664; and took part in most public movements. His name appears on a list of subscribers, June II, 1676, to state fund "for the poor
in other colonies;" his subscription was three shillings, a substantial amount for that time and place, no other individual subscription exceeding eleven shillings. He married, November 16, 1654, Eliza- beth Holcomb, who died September 18, 1712. Of their nine children, Jonathan was the sixth. Josias Ellsworth died Au- gust 20, 1689, leaving an estate valued at six hundred and fifty-five pounds.
Captain Jonathan Ellsworth, son of Josias and Elizabeth (Holcomb) Ells- worth, was born in Windsor, June 28, 1669. He resided in Windsor, where he kept a tavern. He was apparently of en- terprising spirit ; he dealt in West India goods, and engaged in many small busi- ness ventures. He was a man of broad understanding, a raconteur whose re- partee and wit gained him the name of "Hector Ellsworth." Of commanding stature and powerful physique, he was a man of conspicuous presence, and was well respected in the town and vicinity. He fell from his horse and was killed, September 13, 1749, being then eighty- one years of age. He married, October 26, 1693, Sarah, born September 19, 1675, died November 9, 1755, daughter of Tahan Grant. They had ten children.
Giles Ellsworth, son of Jonathan and Sarah (Grant) Ellsworth, was born Au- gust 6, 1703, died March 20, 1765. He married Hannah, daughter of John and Sarah (Fitch) Stoughton. She was born February 6, 1705, and died December 29, 1756, aged fifty-one years. They had five children.
Giles (2) Ellsworth, son of Giles (1) and Hannah (Stoughton) Ellsworth, was born September 6, 1732, died July 20, 1796; married (first) Keziah Moore, who died June 26, 1762; (second) Hannah Burr, who died March 18, 1777, aged forty-two years. There were four chil- dren.
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Roger Ellsworth, son of Giles (2) and Keziah (Moore) Ellsworth, was born July 28, 1760, died May 13, 1801 ; mar- ried Lucy Hayden.
Giles (3) Ellsworth, son of Roger and Lucy (Hayden) Ellsworth, was born February 16, 1790, in what is now East Granby. In early manhood he removed to Windsor, and soon after his marriage engaged in agriculture. In 1827 he pur- chased the Windsor estate upon which he thereafter lived until December 5, 1853, when he died. He was a business man of unusual sagacity. For many years his farming operations were on an extensive scale, his specialty being grain and stock raising. To a small extent he grew tobacco. He became prominent in public and political movements in his district, and was elected to many town offices. Ad- hering to the Democratic party, he sat as selectman, and eventually was elected representative to the State House of Leg- islature. He gained the title of captain by militia service. His wife, Ellen (Hay- den) Ellsworth, was a native of Windsor, born there January 24, 1790, daughter of Levi and Margaret (Strong) Hayden. She died November 16, 1863, and was buried beside her husband in the Con- gregational Cemetery in Windsor. They had ten children.
William H. Ellsworth, son of Giles (3) and Ellen (Hayden) Ellsworth, was born in Windsor, December 19, 1820. His business operations followed closely in character those of his father, and he pos- sessed much of his father's soundness of judgment and shrewdness in trading. He was a Democrat, and held various town offices, including that of a selectman. In 1841 he married Emily M., daughter of Chauncey Miller, and belonging to the house of that name founded in Northamp- ton. Massachusetts, about 1635. They had four children : William H., who lived
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and died there, October, 1917; Horace House, of further mention; Elizabeth and Clara, both of whom died in early womanhood.
Horace House Ellsworth, son of Wil- liam H. and Emily M. (Miller) Ellsworth, was born March 26, 1844, in Windsor. He was given a moderately good education ; for primary instruction he went to the Bell School, "at the Green." Later he attended Windsor Academy, and Wood- ford's private school, and before enter- ing independently into business he farmed for a while the paternal acres. But he quickly manifested qualities of business management and initiative; he had not reached major years when he was exten- sively entering into the lumber business. He gained much success in that enter- prise, and his operations at times neces- sitated the employment of as many as eighty men. At the same time he farmed extensively, and took part in other enter- prises. He was a brick manufacturer for six years ; helped to organize and success- fully establish the Windsor Creamery, of which he later became president. He was prime mover in the establishment of the Windsor Canning Company and con- sented to act as its president at its in- ception. Later, Mr. Ellsworth, in part- nership with W. H. Filley, purchased the plant, reconstructed the company, and took over interest in management of same. Employment was afforded to many oper- atives, and a good market to producers. Mr. Ellsworth entered extensively into the growing of tobacco on his agricultural land, and his association with organiza- tions connected with that industry, and his experience as a planter, brought him into prominent place among New Eng- land growers. He was a director of the Connecticut Tobacco Experiment Com- pany, and a member of its executive com- mittee; was one of the founders of the
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