USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 7 > Part 7
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his district in Congress and held other public offices.
Mr. Smith married Margaret Jane, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Waugh) Orr. Samuel Orr was born November 15, 1850, in County Down, Ireland, and came to America at the age of seventeen, locating at West Suffield, where he be- came a prosperous tobacco grower. He married a daughter of Hugh Waugh.
SEYMOUR, William Alfred,
Useful Citizen, Publie Official.
Among the oldest families of Connect- icut is that of Seymour, identified with the city of Hartford from its earliest begin- ning. The family is of great antiquity in England. On the will of Thomas Sey- mour, eldest son of Richard Seymour, the American progenitor, is the seal contain- ing the device of the England Seymours from the time of William de St. Maur of Penhoe. One of his descendants has a "Bishop's Bible" printed in 1584, on one of whose fly leaves is a drawing of the arms of the Seymours of Berry Pomery, namely, two wings, conjoined in lure, quartered with the royal arms as granted by Henry the Eighth to Edward Sey- mour, Duke of Somerset. Richard Sey- mour was of Berry Pomery in the County of Devon and in this Bible appears his entry of ownership with the date 1640.
(I) Though not an original proprietor, Richard Seymour was one of the early settlers of Hartford, where his name ap- pears in the list of those inhabitants who were granted lots at the "Town's cour te sie." in 1639. This lot was No. 79 on the north side, and his house stood on what is now North Main street. He had other pieces of land in what is now West Hart- ford. In 1647 he was elected chimney viewer, an office which closely corre-
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sponded to those of building inspector and fire chief in the present. Most of the houses were built of wood with thatched roofs, and constant watching was the price of safety on conflagration. He was among those who made an agreement to settle Norwalk, June 19, 1650, and his name appears in a paper dated at Norwalk in the following year. His home lot there was directly opposite the meeting house and parade ground on the highway lead- ing from Stamford to Fairfield. In March, 1655, he was elected selectman, but did not live to the close of that year. His will, made July 29, was proved October 25, 1655, and his wife, Mercy, was desig- nated as one of the executors. His es- tate, inventoried on October 10 of that year, was valued at two hundred and fifty-five pounds and nine shillings. His widow subsequently married John Steele, of Farmington, one of the foremost men of the colony.
(II) John Seymour, second son of Richard Seymour, was probably born in Hartford, removed with his father to Nor- walk and with his step-father to Farm- ington. After attaining manhood, he set- tled in Hartford, where he appears on record as early as March 15, 1664. He was one of the founders of the Second Church, February 12, 1669, and he and his wife, Mary, were admitted to full communion, March 31, 1678. Mary Seymour, wife of John Seymour, was the daughter of John and Margaret (Smith) Watson, the for- mer an early resident of Hartford, where his name appears in 1644. John Seymour was made a freeman in 1677, and lived on the south branch of the Little river, with- in the limits of the present town, near the Farmington road. He was subsequently granted a parcel of woodland.
(III) John (2) Seymour, eldest child of John (1) and Mary Seymour, born June
12, 1660, in Hartford, was an active and useful citizen of that town, serving on numerous committees concerning bound- aries, and in consideration of his services was granted several parcels of land in the new town of New Hartford. At a meeting of the proprietors of the new town held in Hartford, December, 1723, he was moderator, and subsequently sev- eral of his sons settled here. Through- out his long life he seems to have been constantly in public service, died May 17, 1748, at Hartford, and was buried in the rear of the Center Church. He married, December 19, 1683, Elizabeth Webster, daughter of Lieutenant Robert and Su- zanna (Treat) Webster, granddaughter of Governor John Webster.
(IV) John Webster Seymour, eldest child of John (2) Seymour, born in 1694, married a daughter of Captain John Ma- son.
(V) John Webster (2) Seymour, third son of John Webster (1) Seymour, born November 24, 1727, in Hartford, lived in West Hartford, and was identified with the church of that town. He married, June 19, 1749, Lydia Wadsworth, who was born 1731 in Hartford, daughter of Johnathan and Abigail (Camp) Wads- worth, granddaughter of Captain Joseph and Elizabeth (Barnard) Wadsworth, great-granddaughter of William and Eliza (Seymour) Wadsworth, of Hart- ford. Captain Joseph Wadsworth ren- dered great service to the Colony by secreting its original charter in the fa- mous Charter Oak, and thus preserved the liberties of the people.
(VI) Asa Seymour, son of John Web- ster (2) Seymour, born September 16, 1756, in Hartford, was baptized May 21, 1758 in the West Hartford Church, and settled at Granville, Massachusetts, where he was a justice of the peace, a prominent
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citizen, and died February 12, 1837. He married, in West Hartford, November 14, 1781, Abigail Deming, of Hartford, born January 30, 1759, daughter of Gideon and Prudence ( Merrill) Deming, died June 2.4, 1805, in Granville.
(V11) Chester Seymour, son of Asa Seymour. married, June 8, 1820, Florilla Mather, who was born August 8, 1796, and died June 12, 1838, in Canton, Con- necticut, eldest child of Eli and Sarah (Loomis) Mather. She was descended from John Mather, who was a resident of Lawton, Winwick Parish, England, where his son, Thomas Mather, lived with his wife, Margaret. They were the parents of Rev. Richard Mather, born there in 1596. He attended school until he was fifteen years old in Winwick, and in 1611 became a teacher in a school at Toxteth Park, near Liverpool. While there he de- cided to prepare himself for the Gospel ministry and continued his studies under the teaching of Edward Aspinwall, in whose family he lived. Subsequently, Richard Mather attended Brazenose Col- lege, Oxford, and had been there but a short time when he was called to preach at Toxteth. On November 30, 1618, he preached his first sermon, and was or- dained a minister of the established church. In August, 1633, he was silenced for non-conformity, but restored in the following November. The next year he was again silenced and soon after decided to come to New England. He sailed from Bristol, May 23, 1635, in the ship "James" and arrived at Boston on the 17th of the following August. Settling at Dor- chester, he was chosen teacher of the new church there in 1636, in which year he was admitted to the church with his wife, Catherine, served as minister until his death, and for fifty years was able to attend to his church labors every Sunday.
In the last years he lost the sight of one of his eyes, and died April 22, 1669. He married, September 29, 1624, Catherine, daughter of Edmund Hall, of Bury. She died in 1655. ller son, Timothy Mather, born in 1628 in Liverpool, came to AAmer- ica with his father and was the only one of his distinguished family who did not become a minister. He is the ancestor of all the New England Mathers, and died January 14, 1684. He married, about 1649, Catherine, daughter of Major Gen- cral Humphrey Atherton. Their young- est child, Atherton Mather, born Octo- ber 4. 1664. in Dorchester, went to Wind- sor, Connecticut, when a young man, there dealt much in lands, and there five of his children were born. In 1712 he re- moved to Suffield, where he was a prom- inent citizen. The town was then a part of Massachusetts and he represented it four years in the General Court at Boston. He purchased land in the center of the town, resided on the main street, and died in 1734. He married, October 24, 1705, Mary Lamb, of Roxbury, baptized March 13, 1681, daughter of Caleb and Mary (Wise) Lamb. The third son of Ather- ton Mather, Richard Mather, was born November 21, 1708, in Windsor, lived in Suffield. There he married, March 21, 1734, Lois Burbank, born January 15, 1715, in Suffield, daughter of John and Mary (Granger) Burbank, of that town. Their second son, Elihu Mather, born April 2, 1741, in Suffield, lived at Wind- sor and Meriden, and died December 17, 1778, in the latter town. There is no record of his wife. His fourth son, Eli Mather, born October 25, 1773, lived in Canton, Connecticut, and died December 1, 1835. He married Sarah Loomis, born June 12, 1776, in Simsbury, daughter of Abel and Sarah (Phelps) Loomis, and their eldest child, Florilla, born August
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8, 1796, became the wife of Chester Sey- mour, as previously stated.
(VIII) Chester (2) Seymour, son of Chester (1) and Florilla (Mather) Sey- mour, was born December 24, 1824, in Hartford, was gifted with a keen, active mind and unusual energy. He was also generous, tender hearted and unselfish, and was deeply interested in the conduct of public affairs. In 1858 he was elected to the Legislature from Simsbury, and in 1868 from East Granby. From 1850 to 1860 he engaged in carriage building at Simsbury. Subsequently he purchased a farm in East Granby, on which he con- tinued to reside until September, 1888, when he went to Simsbury and lived with his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Toy, until his death, March 4, 1895. His last twenty- two years were much saddened by an ill- ness, the result of cerebro-spinal menin- gitis. Of open and frank character, he was fearless and outspoken, sincere in word and deed, and hated cant and insin- cerity. He had many friends, was a most congenial companion, and especially kind to children, who were attracted to him. He married Sabra Ensign, who was born August 18, 1826, in Simsbury, daughter of Moses and Martha (Whiting) Ensign. Their five children are: Frank C., of the Seymour Manufacturing Company, Chi- cago; Mary, widow of Rev. James Toy, now living in Hartford; Moses E., a farmer of East Granby; William A., of further mention; and Lucius H., of the same town. Sabra Ensign, wife of Chester Seymour, was a member of the church at Tariffville. Chester Seymour, in connec- tion with his other and many duties to his town, was town collector.
(IX) William A. Seymour, third son of Chester (2) and Sabra (Ensign) Seymour, was born February 9, 1860, in Simsbury. As a boy he lived on the paternal farm,
sharing in such labors as were in that day turned over to the boys. Meantime he was a student at the public school of Tariffville, and later attended a normal school in Toronto, Canada. On leaving school he proceeded to St. Louis, Mich- igan, where he entered the employ of Henry L. Holcomb, a Connecticut friend of the family, who was conducting a lum- ber business. Mr. Seymour remained five years in the West, part of the time in other employment than that of Mr. Hol- comb, after which he returned to East Granby, and soon after entered the Gov- ernment employ in the railway mail serv- ice. For one year he continued in this line on the New Haven & Northampton Railroad, and subsequently ran on the shore line between New York and Boston for a period of eleven years. His natural ambition and his observation of condi- tions led him to study earnestly in an en- deavor to fit himself for promotion. He spared no effort in mastering every de- tail of the work and made rapid advance- ment. Few people realize the exaction made by the railway mail service and its inroads upon the vitality and strength of the individual. Physically, the work is most arduous, while the amount of study necessary to keep up with changes in post offices and routes places a great strain upon all those who engage in this work. Mr. Seymour met with the re- ward of conscientious endeavor and was placed in charge of the largest mail train in the United States, on which fifteen men were employed. In 1898 he passed through a very severe railroad accident, but happily escaped any personal injury. This led him to request a transfer from the train and he was returned to the Northampton Division, where he had previously been in the service. In the spring of 1900 a serious wreck occurred
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on this road, in which Mr. Seymour did not escape as fortunately as before, and some of his fellow trainmen were killed. Mr. Seymour then determined to abandon the rails, and very shortly after purchased his present farm on Hatchett Hill, which is one of the finest locations for a home in Hartford county. He immediately re- sumed the life of an agriculturist in which he had received his first life lessons and to which he brought the same energy and intelligently directed endeavor which had brought him such success in the mail serv- ice. Like most of his neighbors he gives some space to the cultivation of tobacco. grows considerable corn and hay, and keeps twenty cows, whose milk is dis- posed of to Hartford dealers. His stock is of high grade with Ayreshire strain, and he enjoys the results of careful and intelligent breeding. Mr. Seymour has endeavored to sustain the part of a good citizen and has served the town in various capacities, including that of selectman, and chairman of the School Board, where he served seven years. His political affil- iations are with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Congregational church of East Granby, and is esteemed as an upright citizen and faithful public servant. In 1916 he was candidate for State Senator and was defeated by a small margin in a district which had a sub- stantial normal Republican majority.
Mr. Seymour married, November 11, 1891, Ella Rhoades, daughter of Isaac Rhoades, of New Marlboro, Massachu- setts, and they are the parents of two chil- dren. 1. Chester Rhoades, born June II, 1894; he graduated from Trinity College in 1915. having taken special courses in chemistry; after his graduation he en- tered the employ of the Ensign-Bickford Company as an explosive expert ; he con- tinued there until 1917, in which year the
United States Government was anxious to obtain the services of all those whose special qualifications would be of service to their country; Mr. Seymour's ability in explosives made him a desirable man, and he was so recommended by the En- sign-Bickford Company. He enlisted in the Twenty-eighth Engineer Corps, sta- tioned at Camp Meade, and on February 19, 1918, went overseas; through his effi- cient work he received his commissions as sergeant and is now a lieutenant, mem- ber of Company A, Engineering Corps. During the time he was with the Ensign- Bickford Company he traveled as an ex- pert on high explosives, doing testing work. Lieutenant Seymour is now in France, so far having served sixteen months overseas. It is to such men as he and his comrades, who willingly contrib- uted their services, their knowledge, and whatever other talents they possessed to their country's cause, that the world gives grateful homage. 2. Dorothy Frances, born June 22, 1896; was educated at the Misses Master's Select School, Dobbs Ferry. New York ; during the war she was actively engaged in many ways ; one of the principal ways in which Miss Sey- mour performed commendable work was .as a member of the American Fund for French Wounded.
QUINN, James R.,
Business Man.
"This ancient sept is recognized in the native annals from the earliest date of surnames." Among the heroes who fell at Clontarf in 1014 was Neil 'OQuinn, undoubtedly an ancestor. Members of the Quinn family were large landholders throughout Ireland.
James R. Quinn was born in Branford, Connecticut, June 5, 1872, the only son of
ConD-7-4
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John and Annie (Carbary) Quinn. His grandfather was a retired English officer and held the position of bailiff in County Tyrone. He was government pensioner for military service. John Quinn, father of James R., was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. He came to America at the age of nineteen and located in New York City. After six months residence here he moved to Niverville, New York, where he en- gaged in farming for three years. He next secured the position of superintend- ent of the round house at Roundout, Iowa. While he was superintendent at Round- out, the new railroad was built through Iowa to California ; this brought him much added responsibility. At this time the Civil War was in progress. After remain- ing here four years he returned to Bran- ford, where he continued successfully in farming until his death in 1912 at the age of seventy-eight. His wife, Annie Car- bary, was a native of Scotland.
The son, James R. Quinn, was educated in the public schools. He spent his child- hood on the farm and early in his youth learned the trade of carpenter with B. F. Hosley. He followed this occupation for some time, and then entered the employ of S. A. Griswold, a furniture dealer and undertaker, of Branford. After being as- sociated with Mr. Griswold for eighteen years he moved to Rockville, and on July I, 1913, purchased his present business as a dealer in house furnishings. He is also undertaker for the town.
Mr. Quinn is a member of Rising Star Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows ; Damon Lodge, Knights of Pythias; served as captain on Colonel Norton's staff of the uniform rank, Knights of Pythias, at New Haven for five years ; Loyal Order of Moose, Rockville; Shep- herd of Bethlehem, New Haven; Vernon Grange and Modern Woodmen of Amer-
ica; member of Battery A, Connecticut National Guard at Branford for nine years, holding the rank of first sergeant at the time of his discharge. He was elected to honorary membership for life in that body, being one of only four men who have been so honored.
He married Eleanor, daughter of Wil- liam and Eliza Stone of North Branford. They had three children, Olive E., mar- ried Richard Wescott; James B .; and Ruby E. Mrs. Quinn is a member of the Episcopal church of Branford. Mr. Quinn is a respected and active member of the Union Congregational Church of Rock- ville, and takes great interest in church affairs. His ancestors are among those who had to flee to Ireland under the per- secution of Protestants under King Charles, from which the so-called Scotch- Irish race sprung.
SHACKLEY, Franklin W., Trucking Contractor.
The qualities which make for success are present in abundance in the character of Franklin W. Shackley, a well known and respected citizen of the city of Hart- ford, Connecticut. His attainments, no- bility of mind and purpose cannot be summed up in a few words, but chief among his characteristics are his original- ity, his clear, quick mentality, philosoph- ical memory, wonderful executive capac- ity, and strong practical view, the inherit- ance of worthy ancestors.
Mr. Shackley was born August 11, 1838, in Shapley, York county, Maine, the son of Moses Robert and Sarah (Morrison) Shackley. His father, Moses Robert Shackley, was born May 29, 1816, in San- ford, Maine, died May 1I, 1905, in Willi- mantic, Connecticut, where the last years of his life were spent. He was a shoe-
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maker by trade, following this occupation quarter of a century, Mr. Shackley was for many years. Previous to the Civil War he went West and was there for about two years ; that was at a time when the Western States were in a very unciv- ilized state. Mr. Shackley was sixty years of age when he first came to Connecticut, locating in Hartford, and soon after pur- chased a tin peddlar's outfit with which he traveled through Connecticut during the summer months, and spent the win- ters at the home of his son, Franklin W., in Hartford. He married Sarah Morrison, born May 17, 1816.
Franklin W. Shackley, son of this union, attended the schools of Danvers, Massa- chusetts, whence his parents had removed about 1843. Thence they again removed to Industry, a small town near Farming- ton, Maine. After he was twelve years of age he did not attend school any longer, and at the age of fifteen was living in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. Mr. Shackley has ever been a keen observer of men and things, and this fact, supple- mented by wide and judicious reading, has enabled him to take his rightful place among his associates as a man of stand- ing. As a youth he learned the trade of shoemaker under his father's direction, and for six years was thus engaged. Go- ing to New Bedford, Massachusetts, he shipped on a whaler and was voyaging for four years. On his return to his native home he went West and was among the pioneers of the State of Illinois, remain- ing one and one-half years, removing thence to Iowa, where he lived for four years. In 1870 Mr. Shackley came to Hartford, in which city he has continued to reside to the present time, and through his industry, thrift, and uprightness has attained a high degree of success, not often achieved by men whose opportuni- ties are of such a nature. For over a
engaged in general farming at what is now Pope Park, Hartford. lle conducted a dairy, producing as much as seven hun- dred quarts of milk daily. After a time he decided to enter the trucking business, and in 1803, in a small way, began the business of general trucking. This has consistently grown to its present propor- tions, and a large and flourishing trade is maintained by Mr. Shackley. He con- tinually employs eight to ten horses in his work. In 1904 he built his present attrac- tive house on Prospect avenue, one of the choicest residential sections of the city.
Mr. Shackley married Elizabeth R. Barnes, born in West Brookfield, Massa- chusetts, died April 11, 1915, in Hartford. They were the parents of four children, two of whom now survive: Gertrude, wife of James Monks; and Mable, who mar- ried a brother of the latter, Samuel Monks, residents of Hartford.
As a citizen Mr. Shackley takes active interest in all civic affairs. His sterling business qualities and acumen have won for him a well deserved and honorable place among his contemporaries and fel- low-citizens. He has shown the proof of his abilities and acquisitions.
SHEPARD, Jean Edward,
Tobacco Grower.
We say that a man's training fitted him for his work; that his early advantages gave him a start in life : that fortunate cir- cumstances have been the reason for his success. In the last analysis it is the man himself who makes his own life. His training is useless unless he holds the ground thus won ; he can squander a pat- rimony in a night, and float on the tide of circumstance until adversity overtakes him, when he finds he has no power to
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stem the current. A man who has achieved success has worked for it, and must be constantly on the alert, or he loses all that he has gained. Especially is this true of those lines of business the prosperity of which depends on the un- stable elements. Of nothing is it more true than of the production of tobacco- one of the most if not quite the most deli- cate and unreliable crops grown on a large scale. This is preëminently a busi- ness in which "eternal vigilance" is the price of success. In the big tobacco sec- tion of which the town is a part, one of the big tobacco men of South Windsor is Jean Edward Shepard.
The name of Shepard is, in some cases, one of those names which is derived from an occupation, but not invariably, as some families of the name received it from their places of residence, as for instance-"Sib- bertswold," later pronounced Sheperds- well. The various derivations, and the fact that they came from remotely sepa- rate localities, would indicate that not all persons bearing the name are of one fam- ily. The Shepards of America, who have descended from settlers coming prior to 1650, are for the greater part descendants of Ralph Shepard.
(I) Ralph Shepard was born about 1602, and died September 1I, 1693, in Malden, Massachusetts. He came from London in 1635, on the "Abigail" and located in Dedham, Massachusetts, then later was in Abington, and bought lands in Charlestown, also selling lands in the same place.
(II) Thomas Shepard, son of Ralph Shepard. lived in Malden and Milton, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the Charlestown church, September 2, 1677. He married, November 19, 1658, Hannah Ensign, who was born July 6, 1640, and
died March 14, 1698, a daughter of Thom- as and Elizabeth (Wilder) Ensign.
(III) Thomas (2) Shepard, son of Thomas (1) Shepard, was admitted to the Charlestown church in 1688; removed to Bristol, Rhode Island, and later to New Haven, Connecticut. He married, Decem- ber 7, 1682, at Charlestown, Hannah Blanchard, born in Charlestown, daugh- ter of George Blanchard.
(IV) John Shepard, son of Thomas (2) Shepard, was born August 9, 1696, in Bristol, Rhode Island. He married, De- cember 8, 1720, in Brookfield, Susannah Marks, born about 1700, daughter of John and Mary Marks, of North Brookfield.
(V) William Shepard, son of John Shepard, was born February 27, 1725. in Brookfield, and lived in what is now War- ren, where he died October 7, 1818. He married, July 5, 1755, in Warren, Elenor Davis, born July 23, 1733, in Brookfield, died January 27, 1813, in Warren, daugh- ter of John and Elenor Davis.
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