USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 5 > Part 52
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 | Part 54
367
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1887, daughter of John and Rebecca (Cole- man) Warner, descendant of William Warner, who was one of the early resi- dents of Wethersfield. He was born about 1646, and settled in Wethersfield between 1660 and 1665; was made free- man in 1669; lieutenant of the Train Band in September, 1689, was deputy to the General Court in 1697, 1703-04 and 1706. He was very active in the church at Wethersfield, of which his wife was also a member, and died February 28, 1714. His epitaph states that he was "deacon elect, pious, grave, modest and true." He married, November 1, 1677, Hannah Rob- bins, born April 10, 1643, died March 3, 1714, daughter of "Gentleman John" and Mary (Wells) Robbins, elsewhere men- tioned at considerable length in this work. Their third son, Daniel Warner, born Jan- uary 1, 1680, inherited the homestead at the lower end of Broad street, which he sold in 1719. He owned other lands, was lister in 1709, and died between March 24 and May 28, 1750. His estate, including five negro slaves, was valued at £20,000. He married, October 3, 1706, Mary Board- man, born November 3, 1685, in Wethers- field, died 1770, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Steele) Boardman. Their eldest son, William Warner, was born October I, 1715, died May 1, 1790; married, March 25, 1752, Prudence May, who was born February 26, 1727, in Wethersfield, died October 14, 1807, daughter of the Rev. Hezekiah and Anne (Stillman) May. The youngest child of this marriage, John Warner, born October 6, 1762, died Octo- ber II, 1838; married, December 22, 1784, Abigail Hale, born May I, 1758, in Weth- ersfield, died November 1I, 1840, daugh- ter of Ebenezer and Anne (Woodhouse) Hale. Their oldest child, John Warner, was born March 3, 1786, and died October 25. 1858, in Wethersfield. He married, September 18, 1809, Rebecca Coleman,
who was born 1785, baptized February 16, 1794, in Wethersfield, daughter of Thomas and Salome (Kilby) Coleman. The fifth daughter of this marriage was Prudence May Warner, born February 5, 1827, and became the wife of Stephen Bulkeley, as previously noted. Their children were: Fannie, born in November, 1850, married John Hanmer; Alice, born April 9, 1852; Prudence Warner, now residing on the paternal homestead on Broad street ; Fred, died in boyhood; Edward J., born April 23, 1858, died 1915; Stephen, men- tioned below ; Charles and Chester, twins, born April 25, 1864, both now deceased ; Robert Riley, born September 9, 1866, lives in Wethersfield.
Stephen Bulkeley, son of Stephen and Prudence May (Warner) Bulkeley, was born January 4, 1861, on the paternal farm in Wethersfield, where he grew up and attended the public schools. In 1880 he graduated from the Hartford High School and very soon went to Brook- lyn, New York, where he entered the employ of Henry H. Dickinson, a drug- gist in that city. Five years later, Mr. Dickinson retired from business and was succeeded by Mr. Bulkeley, who has since continued the establishment and made his home in Brooklyn. He is now asso- ciated with a partner in business under the style of Davidson & Bulkeley. He is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church of Wethersfield, and of the Church Club and Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn.
CLARK, George Larkin,
Clergyman, Author, Lecturer.
Through a multitude of worthy New England antecedants, Mr. Clark imbibes the alert, intellect and devout spirit which have characterized his life. His ancestors included one noted clergyman and several deacons of the Congregational church.
368
5
P
George L Clark.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
The first in this country was Jonas Clark, born 1619-20, who was in Cam- bridge, Massachusetts, as early as 1642; in early life he was a shipmaster. His residence was on the southerly side of South street, near Holyoke street, in Cam- bridge, where he served as selectman, and died January 14, 1700, at the age of eighty years. He was ordained ruling elder of the Cambridge church, Novem- ber 15, 1682, and continued in that posi- tion until his death. He married, July 30, 1650, Elizabeth Clark, who died March 21, 1673, aged forty-one years.
Their son, Thomas Clark, was born March 2, 1653, in Cambridge, graduated from Harvard College in 1670, was set- tled as pastor at Chelmsford, Massachu- setts, in 1677, and continued in that posi- tion until his death, December 7, 1704, in his fifty-second year. Little concern- ing his ministry can be discovered, but it is known that through his sound sense and positive stand the attempt to estab- lish the witchcraft mania in Chelmsford was thwarted. His first wife, Mary (Bulkeley) Clark, of Concord, born 1647, the mother of his children, died Decem- ber 2, 1700. She was a daughter of Rev. Peter Bulkeley, first minister at Concord, by his second wife, Grace, a daughter of Sir Richard Chetwode.
Their son, Jonas Clark, was born De- cember 2, 1684, in Chelmsford, where he was a colonel of militia, a magistrate, kept an inn and maintained a ferry, died April 8, 1770. He was a highly esteemed citizen, and his inn was a popular resort among the leading people. His wife, Elizabeth, born 1701-03, died April 27, 1767.
Their son, Thomas Clark, was born August 24, 1713, in Chelmsford, lived in Tewksbury, where he made his home. He married Mary Farwell, born May 8, 1716, in Dunstable, Massachusetts, daughter of Oliver and Mary (Cummings) Farwell.
Their son, Deacon Thomas Clark, was born December 2, 1743, in Tewksbury, where he made his home. He married, July 25, 1765, in Chelmsford, Lydia Fletcher, who was born January 29, 1747, in that town, daughter of Andrew and Lydia (Howard) Fletcher, died January 12, 1826, in Tewksbury.
Their son, Deacon Jesse Clark, was born October 21, 1783, in Tewksbury, and died there December 20, 1866. He lived on the paternal homestead in Tewksbury, where he was an extensive farmer. He married, in 1808, Lydia Tyler, who was born June 25, 1787, in Dracut, Massachu- setts, and died September 15, 1816, in Tewksbury, daughter of Jacob and Ruth (Marsh) Tyler, of Methuen, Massachu- setts.
Their eldest son, John Clark, was born September 28, 1811, in Tewksbury, where he was an industrious farmer, a man who led a quiet life, was an active member of the Congregational church, served the town as selectman and in various other offices, and died December 13, 1890. He married, November 28, 1839, Elizabeth Remington Trull, who was born August 21, 1815, in Tewksbury, daughter of Jesse and Olive (Thorndyke) Trull.
Rev. George Larkin Clark, son of John and Elizabeth R. (Trull)- Clark, was born August 16, 1849, in Tewksbury, on the homestead which has been in the posses- sion of the family for one hundred and thirty-five years. His youthful days were spent upon the farm, in attendance at the public school, and in such duties as usually fall to the lot of farmers' sons. He subsequently attended the Lowell High School, and in 1868 entered Amherst Col- lege, from which he was graduated in 1872. Following this he pursued the study of theology for two years at New Haven, and in 1876 was graduated from Union Theological Seminary of New
Conn-5-24
369
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
York. He at once entered upon his life work, the Christian ministry, at Shel- burne, Massachusetts, where he was or- dained December 22, 1876, and continued seven years as pastor of the local church. From 1884 to 1888 he was pastor at West- erly, Rhode Island. From 1888 to 1899, he was pastor of the Congregational church at Farmington, Connecticut, and was called thence to Wethersfield, where he has since continued, and has gained great popularity with the church and the people of the town. During his pastorate, a long standing church debt has been paid off and the society is now in a very prosper- ous condition. Mr. Clark has given much time to historical research, but this has never been allowed to interfere with his pastoral duties. It is a remarkable fact that he has been able to fill the pulpit every Sunday with the exception of two during a ministry of forty years. He has produced several works of historical nature, among the most notable of which may be mentioned "A History of Con- necticut, Its People and Institutions," published in 1914 (and now used in the schools of the State) by G. P. Putnam Sons of New York and London. Many favorable reviews of this work have ap- peared in the journals of the country, and an extract from one in the "Brooklyn Eagle" is herewith appended: "This is a most scholarly and accurate account of the settlement and growth of a great State. It is a thoroughly comprehensive history, and the author has the true vision. He does not set down a few rows of isolated facts and let it go at that. He realizes that Connecticut has had, and still has, a large part to play in American life." The character of the work is fur- ther indicated by a review of the "Boston Transcript," which follows: "Modern writers are gradually coming to under- stand that history in its best and broad-
est sense can never mean a mere record of events. These must relate themselves to a period, and assist in the interpreta- tion of the spirit of that period to make them important to the world. Such a his- tory is that which Mr. Clark has written." In speaking of Mr. Clark's History of Connecticut, the "New York Indepen- dent" says: "Not content with a mere political outline, he has followed the newer fashions of historians and pre- sented the intellectual and economic forces that have contributed to the State's development." The "Portland Oregon- ian" said: "We meet with useful history of a kind not usually met with in ordi- nary records of the past. There are many New England people in this region, and to all of them, and also the general reader, this book can be cordially recommended."
The "Hartford Courant" says: "Mr. Clark has established himself as a histor- ian by his life of Silas Deane." Mr. Clark is now engaged upon a "History of Life in New England from the Revolutionary War to 1820." In a prize oration deliv- 'ered at the Hartford Public High School, June 15. 1915, entitled "The Yankee Par- son," is given an outline of the character and appearance of Mr. Clark :
I am going to show you what he is on Sun- days; what he is on week-days; and what he is in his spare time. Our minister is as interest- ing as his sermons. His memory can reach back at least sixty of the sixty-five years he has experienced; his reminiscences include the years of the Civil War; one of his favorite topics of conversation is the mobilization of the Army of the North. He delights to tell of his varied experiences in travelling through- out this country. His age would entitle him to a membership in the "Old School," but his ideas and teachings are surprisingly up-to-date. "By doctrines fashion'd to the varying hour."
His style of speaking is unaffected, business- like; his argument logical, convincing, and clear. He can hold the attention of each mem- ber of the congregation, from the school-boy
370
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of nine to the senator at fifty; and when they go away, they have something to reflect on in their minds. He relies on his notes a great deal; but the clearness, the suitability, the knowledge of human nature, the earnestness he displays in his speech, impell you to ignore everything else. And, above all, that which appeals to you most is the personality of the man himself.
In the pulpit he is tall, erect, dignified, in his clerical "Prince Albert." It is then he reminds me of what Lincoln must have been, his fea- tures not homely, but pleasant, and kindly, with deep lines. His humorous mouth, and honest; intelligent, spectacled, eyes; his crinky gray hair, rebelliously crowding over its parting, seem fairly imbued with an energy, heightened, not lessened, by his age-
"As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form, Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm,
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head."
If you meet him after the service, or on the street, or at some church gathering, his wel- come is always whole-hearted, unsuperficial; every man is his neighbor, and he treats as his neighbor everyone with whom he comes in con- tact. The young people love and revere him as a father, just as their parents think of him as a friend and adviser. Like Chaucer's Par- son-
"Wide was his parish, and houses far asunder, But he omitted not, for either rain or thunder, In sickness or in trouble, to visit
The furthest in his parish, great and small,"-
and to accomplish this, our parson makes use of an antiquated bicycle, and he generally man- ages not to be on the road at supper time. Happy indeed is the family at whose house he stops for a meal; for he is always entertaining and witty, with a ready supply of anecdotes and pleasantries, in short, he is "good fun."
As for his spare time, he really hasn't much; he then becomes either a farmer or a writer. He has an acre or two of land connected with the parsonage, which he cultivates himself. No doubt, in combating the hordes of weeds which besiege his onions and celery, in persuading his hens to lay, rather than set, he has derived the lessons of patience, perseverance, and tact, the
three things most essential to a minister's, or anyone's success, which he practices in all his dealings.
All his literary work is imbued with the wholesome experience he has gained through his travels, through his knowledge of men, and through his work as a Yankee parson.
Do you wonder, then, that we are exceedingly proud of our minister? That his friends, in church and out, admire and respect him? And even if they are not to be found in his congre- gation every Sunday, at least they feel rather ashamed of themselves for it.
As a good citizen, Mr. Clark is identi- fied with the Wethersfield Grange, No. 145. He is also a member of the college fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon. His Alma Mater has conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. Mr. Clark is a man of many sides and finds pleasant occupation in wood carving, in which he has become highly skilled, and many ex- amples of his beautiful work are found in his home.
Mr. Clark married, December 19, 1876, Emma F. Kimball, of Lowell, Massachu- setts, daughter of David T. and Harriet (Webster) Kimball, born 1851, died 1912. She was the mother of five children. I. Webster Kimball Clark, M. D., a graduate of Yale College and Johns Hopkins Medi- cal School, now in practice at Greenfield, Massachusetts. He married Margaret B. Griswold, of Wethersfield, and they have three sons: Webster Kimball, Frederic Griswold, and George Larkin. 2. Flor- ence Elizabeth, wife of John S. Buck, of Wethersfield. They have four children: Richard Salstonstall, Eleanor Kimball, John Webster and Harriet Fanning. 3. Grace Stevens, died in 1900, at the age of nineteen years. 4. Eliot Round, a gradu- ate of Yale College and Johns Hopkins University, was a professor in the latter school, and is now a professor of Anatomy in the University of Missouri at Colum- bus. He married Eleanor Linton, a
371
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
daughter of Professor Linton, of Wash- ington College, Pennsylvania, and has a daughter, Margaret Brownson. 5. Leon- ard Thorndike, studied at the Hartford High School and the Agricultural College at Amherst, and is engaged in business at Greenfield, Massachusetts. He married, in 1916, Amy Ainslie Drawbridge, and has a daughter, Barbara Ainslie.
KELLY, John L., M. D., Physician.
There is no position in community life which entails greater honor and respect than that of the physician; in fact, there is none which is more worthy. Dr. John L. Kelly, one of the most successful and best known physicians of New Britain, Connecticut, stands high in the estima- tion of the people of that city. He was born March 7, 1868, at New Britain, and since receiving his medical degree has been in continuous practice there, and has attained signal success.
John J. Kelly, father of Dr. John L. Kelly, was born in 1846, in Limerick, Ire- land, where he received a good education and was assistant to his father, a manu- facturer of wooden articles. When he was but twenty years of age, John J. Kelly came to America and located first at Petersburg, Virginia, whence he re- moved after a time to New Britain, Con- necticut. In the latter city he was engaged in contracting work and achieved success in his undertaking, and at the time of his retirement was one of the best known business men of the city. He was a Dem- ocrat in politics, but not a seeker for po- litical preference. Mr. Kelly married Catherine Mead, a daughter of a well- known New Britain family.
Dr. John L. Kelly received his early education in the public schools of New Britain, and subsequently was employed
in the capacity of bookkeeper for a period of a year and a half. He entered Holy Cross College, Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1890, and was graduated in 1892 with the degree of A. B. Six years later he returned to this institution, and received therefrom the degree of A. M. Then fol- lowed a course of two years at the Yale Medical College, from which he was grad- uated in 1896 with the degree of M. D. At the time Dr. Kelly was still a student, the study of bacteriology was being widely discussed, and he made a special study of this subect with the result that he is among the best informed men on the subject. After receiving his degree, Dr. Kelly engaged in the practice of his pro- fession in his native city, and throughout the years has continually added to a flour- ishing clientele. He is attending physi- cian on the New Britain Hospital staff. He is a man worthy of confidence, and his strong personality has won for him many lasting friends. Dr. Kelly is a member of the New Britain Medical Society, the Knights of Columbus, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Ancient Order of Foresters, the Woodmen of the World, Knights of the Maccabees, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Dr. Kelly married, June, 1899, Nellie Emmett, daughter of Henry Emmett.
ADAMS, Leslie Emerson, Farmer, Public Official.
Among the native citizens of Wethers- field who have been of service to the town and State, Mr. Adams may be reckoned among the worthy descendants of one of the oldest families of the town. William Adams was possibly the son of William Adams, who was in Cambridge, Massa- chusetts, as early as 1635, and removed to Ipswich before 1642. He had three sons, William, Nathaniel and Samuel, all prob-
372
Leslie & Adame
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ably born in England. William Adams came from Massachusetts, was in Hart- ford as early as 1640, soon removed to Farmington, where he died July 18, 1655. He married, Elizabeth, widow of William Heacock, of that town. The widow died the third of August following, leaving two orphan children to the care of the town. The authorities ordered that they be put out to the best advantage possible. Benjamin Adams was born about 1649, and was undoubtedly the Benjamin who appears in Hartford. He testified, Janu- ary 26, 1676, at Hartford, that he had served under Captain John Edwards, of Wethersfield, in the Indian War the pre- vious year. He was baptized and admit- ted to full communion in the Second Church of Hartford, March 31, 1678. He was a carpenter and builder, and had a home lot in Wethersfield, December 28, 1696; served in various town offices, and married, about 1690, Elizabeth Dickinson, daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Crow) Dickinson, granddaughter of Nathaniel Dickinson, of Hadley, Massachusetts, pioneer ancestor of a very large family, formerly of Wethersfield, where he set- tled in 1637, and was town clerk and rep- resentative (elsewhere mentioned).
The youngest son of this marriage was Amasa Adams, baptized October 24, 1708, in Wethersfield, where he was a farmer and shipbuilder, and purchased lands in 1735. He owned one-half of the Chester Mills, on Spring brook, which were after- ward operated by several generations of his descendants. In 1761 he contributed gener- ously toward the construction of the pres- ent Congregational church building, and later aided in the construction of the resi- dence for the pastor. He joined the first church, February 5, 1738, had all his thir- teen children baptized there, and died July 6, 1790. He married, March 16, 1732, Hannah Camp, who was baptized Sep-
tember 28, 1712, in Hartford, daughter of Captain Joseph Camp, granddaughter of John and Mary (Sanford) Camp.
Their eldest son, Benjamin Adams, born December 1, 1735, was a carpenter and builder, owned land in Wethersfield and one-quarter interest in the Chester Mills. He resided in South Lane, was received in full communion in the First Congregational Church in 1761, died No- vember 27, 1816, leaving an estate valued at $3,803.18. He married, February 5, 1761, Patience Blinn, who was born May 16, 1732, and died October 26, 1818, daughter of William and Thankful (Nott) Blinn.
Their youngest child, William Adams, born February 18, 1779, was a prominent farmer and miller in Wethersfield, resid- ing in South Lane, where he died Novem- ber 28, 1852. He married, November 25, 1801, Mary Wells, baptized February 27, 1803, died August 23, 1854, daughter of Elisha and Sarah (Balch) Wells. She was descended from Governor Thomas Wells, who was born in 1598 in Essex county, England, whose history is given at length elsewhere in this work. John Wells, son of Governor Thomas Wells, born about 1621, removed to Stratford, Connecticut, and was admitted freeman by the General Court, April 20, 1645. In 1656-57 he was deputy to the General Court ; was a magistrate in 1658-59; and died August 7, 1659. He married, in 1647, Elizabeth Bourne, undoubtedly a daugh- ter of John Bourne, who was early in Wethersfield, later in Middletown, Con- necticut. She married (second) in March, 1663, John Wilcoxson, of Stratford.
Robert Wells, third son of John and Elizabeth Wells, was born in 1651, and was committed by his father to the care of his paternal grandfather, Governor Wells, who made him an heir, and reared and educated him in Wethersfield. He
373
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
was made a freeman in October, 1681 ; was captain of the train band at the north end of Wethersfield in September, 1689; was deputy 1690-91-92-93-94, 1697-98-99- 1700-OI, in 1704-05, 1707-08-09-10-II-12- 13-14. He also served as commissioner, justice of the peace and member of the Council, and died June 22, 1714. His house was one of those fortified for pro- tection against Indian attacks in 1704. He married, June 9, 1675, Elizabeth Good- rich, born 1658, died February 17, 1698, daughter of William and Sarah (Marvin) Goodrich.
Their third son, Joseph Wells, born in September, 1680, lived in Wethersfield, where he was lister in 1712, collector in 1715, and died in 1744. He married, Jan- uary 6, 1709, Hannah Robbins, born June 10, 1688, daughter of Captain Joshua and Elizabeth (Butler) Robbins.
Their second son, Joseph Wells, born September 17, 1720, in Wethersfield, made his home in that town, and died April I, 1788. He married, in March, 1745, Mary Robbins, born June 24, 1721, died Novem- ber 8, 1797, daughter of Samuel and Lucy (Wolcott) Robbins.
Their third son, Elisha Wells, born January 10, 1751, was a soldier of the Revolution, in which he saw hard service, and which so greatly impaired his health as to cause his death at the age of forty- five years on December 23, 1796. He par- ticipated in the battles of of Bunker Hill and Trenton. He married, November 12, 1772, Sarah Balch, who was born April I, 1751, in Hartford, and died March 4, 1823, daughter of Ebenezer and Sarah (Belding) Balch. Their daughter, Mary, became the wife of William Adams, as above noted.
Russell Adams, third son of William and Mary Adams, was born January 8, 1807, in Wethersfield, where he was very active in the management of local affairs,
represented the town in the Legislature in 1852 and 1858, and died June 28, 1885. He married, November 26, 1829, Mercy Miller Griswold, born March 2, 1809, daughter of Josiah and Charlotte (Adams) Griswold, died August 31, 1865.
Alfred Russell Adams, eldest surviving son of Russell and Mercy M. (Griswold) Adams, was born April 6, 1838, on Har- ris Hill, Wethersfield. He attended the country schools, and after one winter at an academy in New York, he attended the Wethersfield High School until twenty years of age, when he started out to sup- port himself. For some time he was em- ployed as a guard at the State Peniten- tiary in Wethersfield; was afterwards employed as carpenter and a painter. For over thirty years he was station agent of the railroad at South Wethersfield, filling this position consecutively for twenty- nine years, from 1880 to 1909, when he retired from active life. He is a man of domestic nature, cares little for public concerns, is a member of the Wethersfield Congregational Church. When he first became a voter, he was a supporter of the Whig party, and has been a Republi- can since the organization of that party. He married, December 25, 1856, in Brook- lyn, Marguerite Jane Tiebout, born May 9, 1837, in New York City, daughter of John H. and Martha (Haford) Tiebout, natives respectively of New York and Wethersfield. Her paternal ancestry is traced to an early period in the History of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Adams were the parents of a son and daughter: Al- fred Leslie, born May 7, 1864, engaged in the lumber business, residing in New York; and Cornelia Tiebout, born April 23, 1870, married James Frederick Hunter, lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
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.