USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 5 > Part 27
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Thomas Spencer, born in Hartford, set- tled in Suffield in time to be a voter at the first town meeting. There he engaged in farming until his death, July 23, 1689. He married Esther, daughter of William Andrews. She died in Suffield, March 6, 1698.
Their second son, Samuel Spencer, was born in Suffield, where he was a farmer, and died November 23, 1743. He mar- ried, March 18, 1700, Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Daniel Mascroft, of Roxbury, Mas- sachusetts, and they had two sons, Thomas and Daniel.
The senior son, Thomas Spencer, was born January 13, 1702, in Suffield, was a farmer, served as lieutenant in the French and Indian War, and died February 4, 1754. He married, December 15, 1720, Mary Trumbull, born December 2, 1701, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Win- chell) Trumbull. She was a descendant of John Trumbull, a cooper, who came to New England from Newcastle-on-Tyne, settled at Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1640, and filled the offices of town clerk and
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school master. He married, in England, in 1635, Eleanor Chandler. His eldest son, John Trumbull, was the grandfather of Governor Jonathan Trumbull, of Con- necticut. His second son, Joseph Trum- bull, was born March 19, 1647, in Rowley, and settled in Suffield, Connecticut, in 1670. The perilous conditions during King Philip's War drove the settlers away from that section, but in 1676 he returned there, was a freeman in 1681, and one of the few qualified voters at the first town meeting. His homestead was on the bank of the Connecticut river. He married, May 6, 1669, Hannah, daughter of Hugh and Mary Smith, of Rowley, born March 24, 1647. Their eldest child was John Trumbull, who was born November 27, 1670, in Rowley, and settled in Enfield, Connecticut, in 1694, removing thence, in 1700. to Suffield, where he died January 3, 1751. He married there, September 3, 1696, Elizabeth, daughter of David and Elizabeth (Filley) Winchell, of Suffield, born December 9, 1675, in Windsor, Con- necticut. Their third daughter was Mary Trumbull, who became the wife of Thomas Spencer, as above related.
Their youngest son, Hezekiah Spencer, born December 16, 1740, was a farmer in Suffield, and died August 3, 1797. He mar- ried, March 4, 1762, Olive Nott, born Oc- tober II, 1735, in Wethersfield, died Feb- ruary 2, 1771, daughter of William and Abigail Nott, granddaughter of Sergeant John and Patience (Miller) Nott, great- granddaughter of John and Ann Nott, who were in Wethersfield in 1636.
Hezekiah Spencer, son of Hezekiah and Olive (Nott) Spencer, born April 30, 1766, was a farmer, a staunch Whig in politics, a leading member of the Baptist church, and died October 12, 1820. He married, June 5, 1793, Jerusha Nelson, born De- cember 17, 1771, in Suffield, died August 17, 1854.
They were the parents of Hezekiah Spencer, who was born in Suffield, was reared on the paternal homestead, sharing in the outdoor life of the farm, and acquiring a sound frame and high ideals. He became a dealer in furs in the city of Hartford, and was the only representative in the American market of one of the large importing houses of Leipsic, Ger- many. He married Cecelia Spencer, and they were the parents of four children : Thaddeus H., Israel Luther, Calvin C. and Celia Jennie.
Israel Luther Spencer, second son of Hezekiah and Cecelia (Spencer) Spencer, was born May 3, 1833, in Suffield, where he continued to make his home, and died December 31, 1897. He enjoyed the ordi- nary advantages incident to life on the home farm, and the educational oppor- tunities supplied by the town school. In early manhood he traveled westward and saw a great deal of wild life while carry- ing on the business of buying furs from the Indians for his father. It was in this business that he laid the foundation of his future success. He made several fortu- nate investments, and was for many years reckoned as a capitalist. Early inter- ested in political movements, he was a member of the Republican party from its organization, and was elected on its ticket in 1863 to represent the town of Suffield in the Lower House of the State Legisla- ture. In 1879-80 he was a Senator from what was then the second district, served as chairman of the committee on insur- ance, and made a record for thorough investigation and understanding of public questions, and for absolute uprightness as a legislator. In 1884 he was a candidate for presidential elector on the Blaine ticket, and in 1888 was a delegate to the National Republican Convention, and would have presented the name of Mr. Blaine as a candidate for the nomination
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for president had he not been bound by a promise previously made to Major Wil- liam Mckinley. In 1877 Mr. Spencer was chosen president of the First Na- tional Bank of Suffield, and continued in that position until his death. He was made a director of the Travelers' Insur- ance Company of Hartford in 1893, was active in the affairs of the company, and a member of its finance committee. He married (first) Julia Pease, daughter of Perry Pease, of Dayton, Ohio. She died in 1875, leaving three children: Charles L .; Clara, now the wife of Charles C. Bissell, of Suffield; and Emma Pease, deceased. Mr. Spencer married (second) Emily, daughter of William H. Fuller. Israel L. Spencer was a man of upright nature and shrewd business capacity, in- tensely public-spirited, and interested in the progress of his town, his State and his country. His cordial and kind- hearted manner won for him a great many friends in the State and beyond its bor- ders, who felt his death as a personal loss.
Charles Luther Spencer, only son of Israel Luther and Julia (Pease) Spencer, was born January 8, 1860, in Suffield, and by his own success in the business world has reflected credit on an honored name and gained high standing in his native State. His boyhood was passed in his native town, in whose public schools the foundation of his education was laid. Subsequently he was a student at the Connecticut Literary Institute, and began his business career in 1878 as a packer and dealer in leaf tobacco. In this line of endeavor he continued with unvarying success until 1900, when he became pres- ident of the First National Bank of Suf- field. This position he continued to hold until 1912, since which time he has been president of the Connecticut River Bank- ing Company of Hartford. Since 1898 he has been a director and member of the
finance committee of the Travelers' In- surance Company, and has been vice- president of the Travelers' Bank and Trust Company since 1913. He has given much attention to insurance problems ; was a director of the Ætna Fire Insur- ance Company, and in 1911-13, while a member of the State Legislature, served on its finance committee and on the com- mittee on banking ; in Senate, 1917, chair- man of finance committee. An unusual tribute to the worth of the man was his nomination for representative in the Leg- islature by both parties in the town of Suffield. Mr. Spencer has always been a steadfast supporter of the Republican party, though he has never had any aspir- ation for political preferment. He takes an active interest in public affairs, and has always been found ready to support any measures or movements that will enhance the general welfare. His dispo- sition is to be frank, open and generous. He is forceful and possesses a strong determination, yet is tactful and diplo- matic withal. His courtesy is unfailing, his friends are legion, and his sane judg- ment and sterling character have won for him the fullest measure of confidence in the business world. Mr. Spencer is a member of the Hartford Club, and has been as active in the Masonic fraternity as his many business responsibilities would permit. In 1913 he presented to the Masons of Suffield a building for their use. He is a member of Apollo Lodge, No. 59, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sons, of that town; of Washington Chap- ter, No. 30, Royal Arch Masons, of Suf- field; of Suffield Council, Royal and Se- lect Masters; of Washington Command- ery, No. I, Knights Templar, of Hart- ford, and the Consistory. He is a trus- tee of the Hartford Society for Savings, of the Hartford Retreat, and a director of the Travelers' Indemnity Company, the
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Connecticut Literary Institute of Suf- field, and chairman of the finance commit- tee of several other corporations. While Mr. Spencer is progressive in his ideas and practices, he is yet sufficiently con- servative to make a careful and efficient banking official. With frank and engag- ing manners, he impresses all at once with his sincerity and modesty. He is widely known for his generous and char- itable nature, kindly disposition and innate humanity.
Mr. Spencer was married, October 12, 1881, to Florence T. Smith, daughter of Martin H. Smith, for many years judge of probate in Suffield. They had chil- dren : Julia Florence, now deceased, wife of E. S. Goldthwaite; Charles Luther, teller in the Suffield Bank; and Lillian Clara.
CAMP, John Spencer, Musician, Composer.
Mr. Camp's ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Connecticut, the first in this country being Nicholas Camp, who was born about 1606, at Nasing, England. son of John and Mary Camp, and came from Nasing, County Essex, to this country in 1638. He was at Watertown, Massachusetts, for a time, then at Weth- ersfield. Connecticut, and in 1639 appears at Guilford, Connecticut. As early as 1646 he had a house lot of six acres, one right and two parcels, in Milford, Con- necticut ; his name is on the list of free planters of Milford dated November 20, 1639, and he joined the Milford church, November 2, 1643. His first wife, Sarah, died September 6, 1645, and was the first adult buried in Milford. He married (second) the widow of John Tilley, of Windsor.
In 1670-71-72 his son. Nicholas (2) Camp, born 1630, was representative ;
was taxed on one hundred and ninety- nine pounds of property at Milford; con- ducted a store at the "West End;" was accepted an inhabitant of Derby in May, 1673, and died at Milford, June 10, 1706. He married, July 14, 1652, Katherine Thompson, widow of Anthony Thomp- son, of New Haven.
Joseph Camp, third son of Nicholas (2) and Katherine (Thompson) Camp, was born December 15, 1657, in Milford, grad- uated from Harvard College in 1677, and died May 20, 1750, in Milford. He mar- ried Hannah Rogers, born 1664, died Jan- uary 9, 1740, daughter of Eleazer Rogers, who was a freeman at Milford in 1669.
The eldest son of Joseph and Hannah (Rogers) Camp was Nathan Camp, born 1690, died February 27, 1767. He was an early settler in Durham, Connecticut, which town he represented in the General Assembly fifteen years. He married, Jan- uary 1, 1717, Rhoda Parsons, born 1694, in Northampton, Massachusetts, died July I, 1767, in Durham, daughter of Samuel and Rhoda (Taylor) Parsons, of North- ampton, and late in life of Durham.
Their third son, Elah Camp, born May 20, baptized May 29, 1729, died October 17, 1787, in Durham. He married, May 14, 1760, Phebe Baldwin, baptized Octo- ber I, 1732, in Milford, daughter of Ezra and Ruth Baldwin, of that town, later of Durham. Elah Camp and his wife were members of the Durham church in 1804.
Their second son, Elias Camp. was born August 28, 1765, in Durham, where he made his home, and where he died. He married, October 17, 1788, Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Stephen Spencer, also a descendant of one of the oldest Connecticut families. She was a descend- ant of Ensign Jared Spencer, one of the four brothers who came from England before the middle of the seventeenth cen- tury and settled in New England. They
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were legatees of their uncle, Sir Richard Spencer, of London, England, son of Ger- rard or Jerrard Spencer, of Stotfold. Eng- land. Ensign Jared Spencer was born in Stotfold, baptized April 28, 1614, came to New England in 1632, was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. in 1637, and was a made a freeman of the Massachu- setts Bay Colony, March 9, 1637. He owned land on the south side of the river in Cambridge, and moved to Lynn, Mas- sachusetts, where he was granted the ferry, March 13, 1638, the grant to con- tinue for two years. On Christmas Day of that year he was a juryman from Lynn at the County Court, was chosen an ensign of the train band in June, 1656, was grand juror in 1659, and was living in Connecticut in 1660. His home was probably in Hartford for a short time, and in 1662 he and his son John were among the twenty-eight purchasers of the town of Haddam, Connecticut. According to the records he was the wealthiest man of the town, was admitted freeman in 1672, was ensign of the militia, representative to the General Court for six years, and died in 1685. His wife's name was Hannah, and their second son was Thomas Spen- cer, born about 1650, and lived in the Westbrook Society of Saybrook, Connec- ticut. He married Elizabeth Bates, of Haddam, daughter of James (3) and Ann (Withington) Bates, born about 1652. She was descended from Thomas Bates, a resident of Lydd, parish of All Hal- lows, County Kent, England, where he died 1485. His son, John Bates, who died there in 1522, was the father of Andrew Bates, who died in 1533. John (2) Bates, son of Andrew Bates, died at Lydd in 1580, leaving four sons. Of these, Thomas Bates lived in Lydd with his wife Mary, and their eldest son, James Bates, was baptized there December 2, 1552, died there 1614. His second son
was James (2) Bates, born December 2, 1582. He came to America at the age of fifty-three years, became a husband- man or planter at Dorchester, Massachu- setts, was admitted a freeman, December 7, 1636, was selectman in the following year, subsequently deputy to the General Court, ruling elder of the church, and died in 1655. His widow Alice died Au- gust 14, 1657. Their second son was James (3) Bates, born December 19, 1624, at Lydd, settled at Haddam, Con- necticut, with other Dorchester men, mar- ried Ann, daughter of Henry Withington, one of the founders of Dorchester, and was himself one of the founders of the church at Haddam. In 1669 he lived in the adjoining town of Saybrook, was deputy to the General Court in 1671, and later. His daughter Elizabeth became the wife of Thomas Spencer, as above noted. Thomas Spencer, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Bates) Spencer, was born in 1678, lived in Westbrook, and died in I723-24. He married, in 1702, Ann Douglas, daughter of Deacon William and Abiah (Hough) Douglas, of New London. Deacon William Douglas was born in 1610, probably in Scotland, son of Robert Douglas, who was born about 1588. In 1636 William Douglas married Ann, born 1610, daughter of Thomas Mattle, of Bingstead, Northamptonshire, England. They came to New England in 1640, settled at Gloucester, removed to Boston, where they remained for a short time, and to Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1641, and returned to Boston four years later. Soon after 1660 he removed with his family to New London, was one of the deacons of the church there, and died July 26, 1682. His wife died about 1685. Their youngest child, Deacon William Douglas, was born April 1, 1645, in Bos- ton, and married Abiah Hough, born September 15, 1648, daughter of William
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and Sarah (Caulkins) Hough, grand- daughter of Edward Hough, of Cheshire, England. The latter's widow, Elizabeth, came with her son to this country and died in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1672, aged eighty-five years. Her son, William Hough, a housewright by trade, born in Cheshire, England, settled at Gloucester, was a town officer in 1650, and married there, October 28, 1645, Sarah, daughter of Hugh and Ann Caul- kins, later of New London. He moved to Saybrook and settled at New London, where he died August 10, 1683. His sec- ond daughter was Abiah, above named, wife of Deacon William Douglas. They were the parents of Ann Douglas, wife of Thomas Spencer. Their second and first surviving son was Thomas Spencer, born February 23, 1708, died 1764. His first wife's name was Deborah, and he married (second) Submit Hull, born Feb- ruary 23, 1690, in Northampton, Massa- chusetts, daughter of Thomas and Rachel (Holton) Strong, granddaughter of Elder John Strong, who was the ancestor of a very large American family. He was born in 1605, in Taunton, England, son of Richard Strong. The family was orig- inally located in Shropshire, England, and one of its members married an heiress of Griffith, in Wales, whither he went in I545. Richard Strong, of the Welsh branch, born in 1561, moved to Taunton, England, where he died in 1613. His son, Elder John Strong, lived at London and Plymouth, England, sailing from the lat- ter port, March 20, 1630, in the ship "Mary and John," and settled in Dorches- ter, Massachusetts. In 1635 he moved to Hingham, where he was made freeman, March 9, 1636, and before December 4, 1638, settled at Taunton, where he was on the list of inhabitants and proprietors at that date. He represented Taunton three terms in the General Court, and
moved, about 1645, to Windsor, Connecti- cut, where he was a prominent citizen. For forty years he was active and influen- tial in Northampton, Massachusetts, in whose settlement he shared, and was a prosperous tanner and husbandman, or- dained May 13, 1663, ruling elder of the church. He married, in December, 1630, as second wife, Abigail, daughter of Thomas Ford, of Dorchester. She died July 6, 1698, aged about eighty, and he died April 14, 1699, aged ninety-four. The eldest child of the second wife was Thomas Strong, born about 1635, in Windsor, where lie was a trooper in 1658 under Major Munson. In 1659 he removed to Northampton with the Con- necticut colonists, and died there October 3, 1689. He married (second) October 10, 1671, Rachel, daughter of Deacon Wil- liam Holton, of Northampton. Deacon Holton was one of the first settlers of Hartford, whence he removed to North- ampton, and was deacon of the church there, ordained June 13, 1663, was repre- sentative to the General Court in 1667 and 1669, died August 12, 1691, aged about eighty years. His widow Mary died November 16, 1691. Her youngest child was Submit Strong, born February 23, 1690, after the death of her father. She became the wife of Thomas Spencer. The eldest child of this marriage was Stephen Spencer, who lived in Durham, Connecticut, and was the father of Eliza- beth Spencer, who became the wife of Elias Camp.
Their youngest child was John Spencer Camp, born July 17, 1797. He married, Oc- ber 15, 1822, Parnel Camp, who was born October 6, 1799, and died in May, 1888, daughter of Israel and Rhoda (Smithson) Camp, a descendant of Nicholas Camp, through his grandson John Camp, son of Samuel Camp. John Camp, born Sep- tember 14, 1662, married Mary, daughter
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of Joseph Northrop. Captain Israel Camp, their son, was born February 16, 1723, in Durham, served as ensign and afterward as captain in the American militia, and died May 6, 1778. He mar- ried (second) December 24, 1766, Mary Guernsey, born October 12, 1734, in Mil- ford, daughter of Captain Ebenezer and Rhoda Guernsey. They were the parents of Israel Camp, born January 29, 1768, in Durham, died November 5, 1807. He married, May 3, 1789, Rhoda Smithson, born October 30, 1768, daughter of Rob- ert and Phebe Smithson. His sixth child was Parnel Camp, who became the wife of John Spencer Camp, as previously related.
The eldest child of this marriage was John N. Camp, born May 17, 1824, died May 21, 1893. He married (first) March 14, 1853, Mary Gleason, who died Feb- ruary 7, 1858. He married (second) Oc- tober 12, 1859, Sarah Gould Williams. Anna Sheldon Camp, eldest child of the second marriage, born October 1, 1860, is the wife of Professor E. Hershey Sneath, of Yale University, elsewhere mentioned at length in this work.
John Spencer Camp, son of John N. Camp, and youngest child of his first wife, Mary (Gleason) Camp, was born January 30, 1858, in Middletown, Connecticut, and prepared for college at Durham Acad- emy. Entering Wesleyan University, he was graduated in the class of 1878, with the degree of A. B., and two years later received that of M. A. After leaving col- lege he entered the law office of Hon. Samuel L. Warner, of Middletown, and while pursuing his legal course studied the Latin language. Being gifted with a remarkable musical talent, he soon aban- doned the idea of becoming a lawyer, and devoted his entire attention to the pro- fession of music. At the age of fourteen years he began its study under private
instructors, and in time came under the direction of world-famous musicians, among whom were Harry Rowe Shelley, Dudley Buck, Samuel P. Warren, and Dvorak, who gave instruction for a time at the National Conservatory of Music, in New York. Mr. Camp studied the piano with E. A. Parsons, of New Haven. His first professional employment as a musician was in the capacity of organist in the Davenport Church of New Haven, being then twenty years of age. At the end of a year he resigned, and did not play in public for a like period. He next engaged as organist with the Park Con- gregational Church of Hartford, Con- necticut, where he continued in that ca- pacity until the spring of 1906. In that year he went to the First Church of Christ of Hartford in the same capacity, and has so continued to the present time. During all these years he has been engaged in composition, was a director of the Hartford Philharmonic Society for ten years, taking this position at an early period in its history. He greatly aided in the development of this musical organ- ization to its present high efficiency. In the summer of 1911, Mr. Camp was com- pelled to abandon temporarily all his musical activities because of a nervous breakdown. Among his writings may be mentioned the Forty-sixth Psalm for chorus and orchestra; The Song of the Wind, ballet, for chorus and orchestra; The Prince of Peace, a Christmas Can- tata, solos, chorus and organ; Morning Star, Christmas Cantata, solos, chorus and organ; The Prince of Life, Easter Cantata, solos, chorus and organ, to which might be added a long list of mis- cellaneous anthems and songs. He has written a Spring Song for orchestra, Chant D'Amour for orchestra alone; a string quartet in G major. In addition to his many activities as a musician, Mr.
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Camp has engaged in important busi- ness enterprises. In 1898 he became vice- president and treasurer of the Pratt & Cady Company, and continued in that position until 1911, when he was com- pelled to relinquish his activities, as pre- viously stated. Before the close of that year, he had sufficiently recovered to give some attention to business, and became treasurer of the Austin Organ Company, a position which he still fills. He is also a trustee of the Society for Savings and of the Young Women's Christian Association. While in college he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon, and a senior society called the Owl and Wand. He is also associ- ated with numerous social organizations, being a member of the Hartford Club, University Club, Twentieth Century Club, Congregational Club of Connecti- cut, Twilight Club, D K E Club of New York, the Hartford Golf Club. He is a member of the Musicians Club of New York, and is one of the founders of the National Guild of Organists, in which he served several years as a member of the council. He married Susie Virginia Healy.
WATKINS, Clarence G., Business Man, Public Official.
Clarence G. Watkins was born May 30, 1854, in Eastford, Connecticut, a son of Lyman Bruce and Loraine Betsey (Con- verse) Watkins, of that town. His father operated a saw mill for some years, sub- sequently moving to Manchester, Connec- ticut, as superintendent of the Joslin Sash and Blind Factory.
Clarence G. Watkins attended the pub- lic schools and the Manchester Academy. On the death of his father, at the early age of sixteen, he was obliged to leave school and entered the employ of the
Joslin Sash and Blind Company, where he remained three years. Ambitious to be getting on and with enterprising ideas, he decided to engage in business on his own account, and at the age of twenty years, in association with his brother, F. Ernest Watkins, he purchased the under- taking business of James William Pin- ney. This was on October 8, 1874. Soon after the brothers bought out the furniture business of William H. Cheney. In 1891 they erected the building which the bus- iness now occupies at the corner of Main and School streets, South Manchester. This building was at that time the largest furniture house in any town in New Eng- land. Soon after entering the new store a new department was opened by the pur- chase of a few pianos. From this small beginning has grown the great piano bus- iness so well known throughout the State. In 1905 the firm purchased the stock and took over the store formerly occupied by Woods & McCann, of Hartford. In 1914 they bought out the William Wander & Sons Company of Hartford, including the splendid building at No. 241 Asylum street. At that time William Wander & Sons were the oldest Steinway dealers in the United States. The business was incorporated in 1912 under the name of Watkins Brothers, Incorporated. The headquarters are still in South Manches- ter, with a flourishing store in Bristol, beside the splendid music store in Hart- ford. Personally the Watkins brothers were very popular. Clarence G. Watkins was elected to represent the town of Man- chester in the State Assembly in 1890- 91, and subsequently served his town for a period of ten years as first selectman. He was the first president of the Man- chester Trust Company and held that office until his death. He was also the first president of the Chamber of Com- merce. At the time of the San Francisco
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