USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 7 > Part 57
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acter, with a broad open brow, fair hair and blue eyes. After the death of her husband she managed the affairs of the family with great prudence and judgment. In 1643 she removed with her children to Springfield, the journey consuming about five days. A dwelling had previously been constructed there by her sons, and they were soon comfortably settled. Here were people whom she had known in Eng- land. She purchased a tract of land one mile square in the south part of the town, on what is now Main street, and border- ing on the Connecticut river. She died August 28, 1684, in Springfield, after re- siding nearly fifty years in America. Her second daughter, Mary, who became the wife of Joseph Parsons, was a woman of proud spirit and inherited much of the ability of her mother. She was accus- tomed to forcible speech, and her man- ners were aristocratic, so that she in- curred the jealous envy of some of her neighbors. One of the most noted legal cases in the early days of Springfield was the suit of Joseph Parsons against Sarah Bridgman for slander, the latter having accused Mrs. Parsons of being a witch. Mrs. Parsons was sent to Boston for trial, and there secured from a jury a full ac- quittal and returned to her home in Northampton. Just after this event her son Ebenezer was killed by the Indians, and those who had been instrumental in bringing her to trial said, "Behold, though human judges may be bought off, God's vengeance neither turns aside nor slum- bers." After a period of eighteen years she was again indicted, March 2, 1675, for witchcraft. This was about the time of the famous witchcraft delusions in Salem, when the belief in witchcraft was wide- spread. She was tried before Governor Joseph Leverett and his assistants, Gen- erals Gookin and Denison, whose superior sense and judgment prevailed with the
jury, and she was again acquitted. Her son, Samuel Parsons, was born January 23, 1652, in Springfield, and was one of the company who left Northampton about 1709, with the Rev. Nathaniel Chauncey, and settled at Durham, Connecticut. He married (second) about 1691, Rhoda, daughter of Robert and Thankful (Wood- ward) Taylor. They were the parents of Ithamar Parsons, born June 9, 1707, at Northampton, and died at Durham, June 21, 1786. The family name of his wife Sarah has not been ascertained. Their son, David Parsons, was born May 31, 1735, baptized the following day at Dur- ham, removed to Granville, Massachu- setts, about 1760, and his birth is recorded in that town. He married, November 4, 1756, Rebecca Robinson, and they were the parents of Joel Parsons, born October 31, 1768, in Granville, and died there Au- gust 4, 1837. There he married, Febru- ary 10, 1793, Phoebe Robinson, born June 13, 1773, the daughter of Colonel Timothy and Catherine (Rose) Robinson, of Gran- ville. They were the parents of Soph- ronia Parsons, who was born October 20, 1795, and became the wife of Noah Cooley, as previously related.
(VII) Francis Buell Cooley, the eldest child of Noah and Sophronia (Parsons) Cooley, was born June 21, 1822, in Gran- ville, Massachusetts. He was graduated successively from the Granville Academy, Westfield Academy and Albany Acad- emy. He began his business career as a clerk in his father's country store in Granville, of which he subsequently be- came manager, and where he remained until 1847. Then, at the age of twenty- five, Mr. Cooley went to Chicago, where he established the wholesale dry goods house of Cooley, Wadsworth & Company, subsequently Cooley, Farwell & Com- pany. This was the beginning of the large wholesale dry goods trade which
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Chicago now enjoys. Many of the Clii- cago merchants whose names have since become world-famous, had their start in connection with Mr. Cooley's firm, the fırın of Field & Leiter, now Marshall Field & Company, being perhaps the most notable. It may truly be said that Mr. Cooley was one of the founders of Chi- cago's great business prosperity. The success of the business which Mr. Cooley founded was due largely to his enterprise, energy and industry, and to the business foresight which enabled him to appreciate the wonderful mercantile opportunities which lay before the embryo metropolis. Ile was active in laying the foundation of the infant city's future greatness, and without ostentation or display he took a very important part in the establishment and management of several of the great railroad companies centering the city, and a number of the banks and other financial institutions.
In 1865, Mr. Cooley removed to Hart- ford, Connecticut, where he continued to reside until his death, and was very active in promoting many of its most important business interests. For twenty-one years he was president of the National Ex- change Bank, from which position he retired in 1886, taking then the position of vice-president, in which he continued until his death. For some time he was president of the extensive manufacturing firm of Landers, Frary & Clark, of New Britain, later resigning from these re- sponsibilities to become vice-president. At the time of his decease, he had been six years president of the Society for Savings of Hartford, and of the American School for the Deaf in that city. He served as director of various companies, including the following: Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company, Aetna Insur- ance Company, Hartford Steam Boiler In- spection and Insurance Company, and the
Broad Brook Company. lle was one of the United States trustees of the Lion Fire Insurance Company. After his re- tirement from the presidency of the Na- tional Exchange Bank, he did not engage actively in business, although he main- tained official connections with most of the corporations with which he had been identified. Mr. Cooley died November 25, 1904.
Mr. Cooley married, November 5, 1862, Clarissa A. Smith, of Hadley, Massachu- setts, a descendant of one of the pioneer settlers of Hartford. namely, Lieutenant Samuel Smith, who was born about 1602 in England, and with his wife and three children sailed April 30, 1634, in the ship "Elizabeth" from Ipswich, England. Soon after, he settled in Wethersfield, Connec- ticut, where he was a leading man. Later he removed to Hadley, Massachusetts, where he filled many offices in church and town, and died in 1686. His wife was born 1603-04, and died March 16, 1688, in Hadley, at the age of eighty-four years. Their second son, Deacon Philip Smith, was born about 1633. in England, and died January 10, 1685; according to the credulous Cotton Mather., "murdered with an hideous witchcraft." He was a promi- nent man in the colony, lieutenant of the militia, deacon of the church, and a rep- resentative in the General Court. He married Rebecca Foote, born about 1634, and died April 6, 1701, daughter of Na- thaniel and Elizabeth (Deming) Foote, of Wethersfield. Nathaniel Foote was born about 1593. in England, and was one of the first settlers of Wethersfield, where he was a large landowner and represented the town in the General Court. John Smith, second son of Deacon Philip and Rebecca (Foote) Smith, was born Decem- ber 18, 1661, and died April 16, 1727, in Hadley. He married, November 29. 1683. Joanna Kellogg, who was born December
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8, 1664, daughter of Joseph and Joanna Kellogg, who were in Farmington in 1661 and removed to Boston, and later to Had- ley. She survived her husband. John Smith, the eldest child of Deacon John and Joanna (Kellogg) Smith, was born in 1664, in Hadley. He lived in that town, and died December 25, 1761. He married Esther Colton, born October 23, 1687, the daughter of Ephraim and Esther (Mans- field) Colton, of Longmeadow, then Springfield, and granddaughter of George and Deborah (Gardner ) Colton, of Wind- sor. George Colton was one of the first settlers of Longmeadow. John Smith, the third son of John and Esther (Colton) Smith, was born January 20, 1717, and died March 24, 1797, in Hadley. He mar- ried Elizabeth Edwards, born November 29, 1723, and died March 12, 1775, the daughter of Nathan Edwards, of North- ampton. Their third son, Major John Smith, was born about 1751, and died Au- gust II, 1840. He married (second) May 10, 1787, Maria Dickinson, born in 1761-62, and died May 21, 1808, the daughter of Josiah and Sibyl (Partridge) Dickinson, of Hadley. Their fourth son, Dudley Smith, was born November 4, 1793, and was a merchant in Hadley, where he died May 27, 1858. He married, December 5, 1822, Pamela Porter, born May 7, 1797, the daughter of Samuel and Lucy (Hub- bard) Porter, a descendant of John Por- ter, a pioneer settler of Windsor; grand- daughter of Colonel Elisha Porter, who was detailed to escort General Burgoyne, a prisoner of war, from Saratoga to Bos- ton. The General was so pleased with the courtesy of his guard that he pre- sented his dress sword to Colonel Porter, from whom it descended to Francis Rex- ford Cooley, who now has it in his pos- sion. Clarissa A. Smith, fourth daughter of Dudley Smith, born January 11, 1836,
became the wife of Francis B. Cooley, as previously noted.
Mr. and Mrs. Cooley were the parents of four children, as follows: Francis Rex- ford, mentioned below; Sarah Porter, married Rev. George A. Hall; Charles Parsons; Clara May, who married Pro- fessor Melancthon W. Jacobus, dean of the Hartford Theological Seminary.
(VIII) Francis Rexford Cooley, son of Francis B. Cooley, was born November 21, 1863, in New York City, and was reared in the city of Hartford, where he attended the local public schools. After graduating from the Hartford High School in 1882, he at once entered Yale University, where he pursued an academic course and was graduated with the class of 1886, receiving the usual baccalaureate degree. Three years later he became a member of the firm of Wilson & Cooley, dealers in commercial paper, at Hartford ; in 1891 he withdrew from this connection and established himself independently in business as a broker. He continued the active management of this business until 1915, when he became a special partner of a new firm known as Francis R. Cooley & Company. While widely known as a business man of large ability and most upright character, Mr. Cooley is probably more familiarly known to the average citi- zen through his connection with public affairs. As early as 1898, he became a member of the High School Committee, continuing until 1901, and in 1905 became a member of the Hartford Street Board, the duties of which position he performed for a period of three years. In 1912 he was appointed on the Hartford Finance Committee, and continues to hold that position at the present time.
He has never undertaken any political work for profit, and has given of his serv- ices to the public through his zeal in pro- moting the best government. While a
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consistent Republican, Mr. Cooley is in no sense of the word a politician, though he exerts a considerable influence in the management of local affairs, an influence which has always been directed towards civic betterment and the general advance- ment of the community's interests. In the year 1915, Mr. Cooley was urged to be- come the candidate of his party for mayor of Hartford, but such were the demands made upon his time by his business in- terests that he felt it impossible to accede to this request. He is recognized as one of the most public-spirited citizens of Hartford, and is identified in many move- ments calculated to promote the public welfare. He did not feel that he could go further, and declined to become a candi- (late for an office which must necessarily consume all the time of its incumbent. This will be the more easily realized when a partial list of the important concerns with which Mr. Cooley is actively asso- ciated, appears. He is, among other finan- cial posts, a director of the First National Bank: of the Connecticut Fire Insurance Company : of the New Britain manufac- turing establishment of Landers, Frary & Clark; of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company; the Hartford & Springfield Street Railway Company ; the Broad Brook and American Hosiery Com- pany. He is also a director of the Hart- ford Hospital, and chairman of the board of trustees of the Young Women's Chris- tian Association of Hartford.
It is natural that one of his patriotic sentiments should unite with organiza- tions calculated to promote and perpetu- ate the American spirit. Among these are the Connecticut Society Sons of the American Revolution, and the Society of Colonial Wars. For eighteen years Mr. Cooley served as a member of the Gov- ernor's Foot Guard. He is allied with various social organizations beginning
with his college days, when he became a member of the Scroll and Key and the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternities of Yale College. He is a former president of the Hartford Club, a member of the Hartford Golf Club, the Country Club of Farming- ton, the Hartford Yacht Club, the Daunt- less Club, the Westchester Fish and Gaine Club, of which he is president, the White Hollow Fish and Game Club, of Hartford, of which he is treasurer, and the Univer- sity Club of New York City.
Mr. Cooley married, October 15, 1890, Alice Cleveland Browne, a daughter of the late John D. Browne, of Hartford, and they are the parents of two sons: Fran- cis Browne, born August 4, 1891; and John Cleveland, March 2, 1903.
HART, William Henry,
Manufacturer.
No name holds a more prominent place in the manufacturing world than that of the late William H. Hart, of New Britain. Mr. Hart was born in New Britain, July 25, 1834, and after a long and useful life, he died there, December 13, 1919. He was a direct descendant of Stephen Hart, who was born about 1605, in South Brain- tree, England. This Stephen Hart came to New England in 1632, and located at Newtown, now Cambridge, where he was one of the fifty-four settlers. In 1639, he removed to Hartford, and in 1672 was one of the eighty-four proprietors of Farmington, Connecticut. His son, Ste- phen (2) Hart, was born in England, and settled with his father in Farmington. He was the father of Stephen (3) Hart, who was born in Farmington, in 1662. The latter married Sarah Cowles. and had a son, Daniel Hart, who married Abigail Thompson. She was the mother of Ste- phen (4) Hart. The latter lived in New Britain, and married Rhoda Stedman.
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They were the parents of Stephen (5) Hart, who, like his father, made his home in New Britain. He married Sally White, and among their children was George Hart, father of William H. Hart.
George Hart was born in New Britain, Connecticut, March 16, 1801, and died there, October 27, 1891, "a man of great simplicity of character and frankness, combined with a high sense of honor and the strictest integrity." After learning the shoemaker's trade, and making some ventures in business, which were not profitable, he established a freight and stage line between New Britain and Hart- ford which retrieved his fortunes and gave him a profitable business until the completion of the New Haven & Hartford railroad in 1839, he carrying nearly all the passenger express and freight between those points. When the railroad came he transferred his teaming and stage busi- ness to "Green Swamp," the New Britain station of the New Haven & Hartford railroad. When the Hartford, Providence & Fishkill railroad was completed in 1850, he was appointed station master for New Britain, but still continued his trucking business. He was a man of industrious, temperate life, rugged in constitution, and physically capable of the hardest toil. He lived to the advanced age of ninety years, and until his eyesight failed was not willing to give up his business and retire. He joined the New Britain Church of Christ, August 6, 1831, was one of the original one hundred and twenty members of South Congregational Church, organ- ized in 1842, and was the last male mem- ber of the original congregation to sur- vive. He married (first) March 2, 1826, Mary Griswold Andrews, born October 22, 1809, died August 10, 1831, leaving a son, Charles, who died at the age of ten years. He married (second) September II, 1832, Elizabeth North Booth, born
October 31, 1811, died April 25, 1862, daughter of Cyrus and Nancy (North) Booth. One son, William Henry Hart, was born of that marriage. He married (third) May 6, 1863, Elizabeth Ells- worth, born September 21, 1823, daughter of Job Ellsworth, of East Windsor, and widow of William Perry, of South Wind- sor.
William H. Hart was educated in the public schools and the High School of New Britain, and assisted his father in the work about the railroad station and in clerical work. As early as the age of seventeen years, Mr. Hart evinced his ability as an executive, and he made spe- cial transportation contracts for the com- pany. During this time he kept up his school work and graduated at the age of nineteen years. His entire time was then given to railroad work. Among the pas- sengers who daily came in contact with Mr. Hart were Mr. F. T. Stanley and Mr. C. B. Erwin, the former the founder of the Stanley Works of New Britain, and the latter one of the founders of the Rus- sell & Erwin Company. They were at- tracted to Mr. Hart, and prevailed upon his father to permit him to enter the em- ploy of the Stanley Works. The firm was incorporated in 1852, and manufactured cast iron bolts and wrought iron hinges.
It was in March, 1854, that Mr. Hart entered the employ of the company above named, and two months later he was elected secretary and treasurer. At that time the capital was $30,000, and the em- ployees numbered about twenty-five. In addition to this, keen competition made a very doubtful outlook for its success. One of the greatest competitors of the company was the Roy Hinge Company on the Hudson river, and this company later failed, due to the aggressive competition of the Stanley Works, despite the fact that their facilities for securing raw ma-
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aterials and shipping were of the best. The main reason for the remarkable suc- cess achieved by Mr. Hart was in his energy, foresight and attention to detail. He made an extensive study of the meth- ods of operation, and reduced the cost in many instances by substituting machine power for handwork. He has invented and perfected innumerable devices, among them being the Hart corrugated hinge; the first wrought barrel bolt, in which the entire barrel was made of one piece of inetal. The manufacture of wrought door butts was begun in 1867, many deal- ers preferring to purchase both the butts and hinges from the same manufacturer. Mr. Hart invented a method to make three butts instead of one at the same operation. He introduced processes which marked radical changes in the man- ufacture of hardware. He was also the pioneer in cold rolling iron hoops and bands, thereby producing metal with a bright surface and of uniform thickness. The neat telescope paper boxes for pack- ing hardware, which are noticed in the leading stores to-day, are Mr. Hart's idea. These he substituted in place of the paper wrappings originally used. From a small section of land and two old buildings, the business of the Stanley Works has in- creased and grown to its present extent of twenty acres of floor space and exten- sive modern buildings. The first six years Mr. Hart kept all of the books of the company, now there is an office force of over four hundred employees, and the capital has increased over four hundred times its original amount.
In 1885, Mr. Hart was elected presi- dent of the corporation and continued until February 16. 1915, when he assumed the chairmanship of the board of direc- tors, which office was especially created for him. On November 21, 1916, he suc- ceeded the late David N. Camp as presi-
cent of the New Britain Institute, of which he had been a director for some time. Mr. Hart was a member of the Na- tional Association of Manufacturers, and of the Hardware Club of New York; a director of the Peck Brothers Company of New Haven ; a director of the New Bri- tain National Bank, his term of service covering half a century ; and was a direc- tor of the Savings Bank of New Britain. Mr. Hart was a member of the board of directors of the New Britain Hospital, and he also served this institution as presi- dent; he was a director of the Young Men's Christian Association, which insti- tution he served as president for seven years, from 1900 to 1907. Mr. Hart was a member of the South Congregational Church of New Britain for sixty-two years, and served as its clerk and treas- urer for twenty-six years of that period.
Mr. Hart married, September 19, 1855, Martha, daughter of Elnathan and Mary (Dewey) Peck. They were the parents of seven children : 1. Charles W., born Au- gust 8, 1858, died July 25, 1875. 2. George P., born August 22, 1860; is chair- man of the board of directors of the Stan- ley Works. 3. Howard Stanley, born July 9, 1867; holds a similar office with the Hart & Cooley Manufacturing Com- pany. 4. Martha Elizabeth, born May 9, 1869, is the wife of E. Allen Moore, son of Nelson A. and Ann M. (Pickett ) Moore, of Farmington, who receives extended mention elsewhere. 5. Edward Herbert, born October 12, 1870; manager of the export department of the Stanley Works. 6. Maxwell Stansbury, born April 15, 1873: president of the Hart & Hutchin- son Company. 7. Walter H., born Au- gust 4, 1874; vice-president and general superintendent of the Stanley Works; married Louisa, daughter of Judge Valen- tine B. and Anna (Smith) Chamberlain, of New Britain.
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Mr. Hart maintained a summer home at "Hart Haven," Martha's Vineyard, and built there a beautiful park called Mar- tha's Park in honor of the three named Marthas in his family, his wife, his daugh- ter, and his granddaughter. At his death he was survived by six children, seven- teen grandchildren, and five great-grand- children.
PEASE, L. Hoyt,
Business Executive, Public Official, Banker.
There is always a double reason for properly recording the lives of strong and worthy men whose careers have con- tributed to the moulding of events in their own times and which set a model for the youth of future generations. First, we discharge a debt of gratitude to the memory of those men, and second, we perpetuate those memories for the benefit of others.
One of the most prominent and re- spected citizens of New Britain, Con- necticut. L. Hoyt Pease, son of Julius W. and Mary (Hotchkiss) Pease, was born January 20, 1845, in Winsted, Connecti- cut, and died in New Britain, March 20, 1919. He was a descendant of a very old family, the name of Pease having been common in England for centuries. Robert Pease, the immigrant ancestor of the family, landed in Boston, Massachusetts, from the ship "Francis," in the year 1634, and was accompanied by his brother, John Pease, and eldest son, Robert Pease. Before and since the days of the Revo- lution, members of the Pease family have found prominent place in New England history.
L. Hoyt Pease was but a boy when his parents removed to New Britain, and there he grew to manhood. He was edu- cated in the public schools of New Bri-
tain, and the New Britain High School, graduating in 1862. He entered upon his business career the same year. In 1864 he entered the employ of the Stanley Works of New Britain, and for more than half a century he was actively identified with that corporation. In 1887 he was elected director and also secretary of the corporation ; in 1906 he became treasurer, holding this office until his death. His untiring devotion to the Stanley Works during its early days had a large part to do in bringing it successfully through precarious times ; his sound judgment did much to steady the business in the years of rapid and prosperous growth, and his high ideals of business ethics, his per- sonal integrity and wide acquaintance are largely responsible for the good will in which the business is now held.
Mr. Pease was active in civic affairs, holding various offices. A staunch Re- publican in principle as well as in party affiliation, Mr. Pease has taken an active part in the political activity of his city and State, and for many years was chairman of the Republican Town Committee of New Britain. He was councilman in 1884-85; alderman 1886-87; and in 1890 he was elected to the highest office in the power of the voters of the city, that of mayor. For twenty-four years he was a member of the school board, holding the chairmanship of the board's finance com- mittee at the time of his death. His inter- est in school affairs was far more than passive. He gave extensively of his time and thought to the proper development of the school system in New Britain so that it should meet most successfully the needs of a rapidly growing cosmopolitan city. In the construction of many of the school buildings, his knowledge and ex- perience was very valuable to the city, and unsparingly given.
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