USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 8 > Part 16
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to acquire, high standing in his commun- ity, and an honored place in the regard of his fellow-citizens.
Mr. Mills married Sarah Louise Hod- getts, daughter of Charles A. and Sarah Louise (Hodgetts) Hodgetts. Mr. Hod- getts was born in Dudley, England, while his wife was born in New York City of English parents.
WILLSON, Thomas G.,
Member of Important Family.
Before surnames were universally adopted, that is about the thirteenth cen- tury, there were many and varied ways in designating members of a family in order to distinguish them. One of the most common was to give a family a name similar to the location of their home, as At-Wood, near a wood. Another way was to refer to the son in the possessive case, as John's son and Will's son, using the Christian name of the father. It is in this latter class that the name of Will- son belongs, being derived from the Christian name Will and son. Many fam- ilies retained but one "1," and this fact . has made it very difficult for the genea- logist and the historian to distinguish between descendants of the name.
(I) The Willson family herein under consideration were early settled in Rhode Island. John Willson was born in 1650, and died in 1725. He married, before November, 1671, Mary Lyon, born in August, 1649, in Stamford, and died in 1713. This John Willson was in Bedford and Rye, New York, at different times. He was the father of Samuel Willson, of whom further.
(II) Samuel Willson, son of John and Mary (Lyon) Willson, was born in 1678. He came from Rhode Island in or pre- vious to the year 1710, settled at Rye, and operated a ferry between Rye and Oyster
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Bay. He married Susannah Ogden, daughter of Joseph and Susannah Ogden, and she died in 1770.
(III) Samuel (2) Willson, son of Sam- uel (1) and Susannah (Ogden) Willson, was born in 1708, and died July 2, 1756. He married Phebe Lyon, and she died January 29, 1770. Before the war Sam- uel Willson removed to Somers.
(IV) Jotham Willson, son of Samuel (2) and Phebe (Lyon) Willson, was born in 1746, and died November 18, 1811. He married Mary Brundage, daughter of James Brundage, who was born in 1754, and died October 31, 1800. They were the parents of Jotham (2) Willson, of whom further.
(V) Jotham (2) Willson, son of Jo- tham (1) and Mary (Brundage) Willson, was born February 2, 1774, and died Oc- tober 28, 1828. He married Sarah Green, born in June, 1777, died August 1, 1865, daughter of James and Martha Green.
(VI) James Willson, son of Jotham (2) and Sarah (Green) Willson, was born October 29, 1802, and died November 5, 1878. He lived in Port Chester, New York, and surrounding territory. He married, February 21, 1828, Sarah Green, born December 28, 1796, died March 5, 1860, daughter of Joseph Green. Joseph Green was born February 14, 1768, and died December 31, 1836. He married, December 25, 1790, Elizabeth Merritt, born March 22, 1775, and died April 12, 1843, daughter of Daniel Merritt.
(VII) Thomas Green Willson, son of James and Sarah (Green) Willson, was born at Greenwich, Connecticut, Febru- ary 21, 1836, and died November 26, 1896. He spent his early life on the home farm in Port Chester, and subsequent to his marriage bought a farm across the road from the homestead, which is now owned by the Blind Brook Golf Club. Mr. Will- son followed farming all of his life and
always took an active interest in civic affairs of his community. He was a Dem- ocrat in politics, and served as highway commissioner of the town of Rye for eighteen years. He was also a delegate to several conventions.
Mr. Willson married, February 23, 1857, Sarah Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Josiah Smith, of Stamford. Mr. and Mrs. Willson were the parents of five children : I. James Green, a sketch of whom fol- lows. 2. George Dudley, who is de- ceased. 3. Jeannie, born September 8, 1863; married Freeman H. Merritt. 4. Francis Finley, born September 12, 1867, deceased. 5. William Jay, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere. The Willson family have long been members of the Episcopal church.
(The Smith Line).
(I) Henry Smith, the immigrant ances- tor of the family, was born in England, in 1619, and was early settled in Stamford, where he died. The name of his first wife is not on record, but she was the mother of all his children.
(II) Daniel Smith, son of Henry Smith, was born in 1648, and died March 3, 1740. He married Hannah Close Knapp, born March 26, 1660, died March 29, 1721.
(III) Joseph Smith, son of Daniel and Hannah Close (Knapp) Smith, was born in the 1600's, died March 12, 1755. He married Mary Cornell, and their son was Amos Smith, of whom further.
(IV) Amos Smith, son of Joseph and Mary (Cornell) Smith, was born October 17, 1716, and died in 1765. He married Sarah Blackman, who died in 1772. They were the parents of Lieutenant Josiah Smith, of whom further.
(V) Lieutenant Josiah Smith, son of Amos and Sarah (Blackman) Smith, was born July 23, 1750, and died November 29,
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1830. He married Sarah Reynolds, born February 8, 1762, and died August 31, 1849. They were the parents of Josiah Smith, who was born June 20, 1803, and died February 10, 1878. He married, September 22, 1830, Betsey Lockwood, who was born May 2, 1813, died March 4, 1855. Their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Smith, married Thomas Green Willson (q. v.).
WILLSON, James Green, Business Man, Public Official.
James Green Willson, son of Thomas Green and Sarah E. (Smith) Willson (q. v.), was born October 23, 1858, and grew to manhood in the town of Rye; New York. There he went to school, and also attended the Smith Institute, at Port Chester, New York. He remained on the home farm until 1882, and then moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, where he located on a farm of one hundred and eighty acres, on the Round Hill road, and engaged in general farming. He still re- sides on this farm, although outside in- terests take up the major portion of his time. He is a member of the Maher Brothers Corporation, and has been a member of its board of directors since 1907.
Mr. Willson is a Democrat in politics, and has several times been honored with positions of public trust and responsibil- ity. In 1898 he was elected first select- man of the town of Greenwich, and con- tinued in that office for eight consecutive years. During his term of office there were many thorough investigations of public affairs made. He was instrumen- tal in the removal of the almshouse from Round Hill to Parsonage road, which was the result of a strenuous fight. During this same time the town hall was pre- sented to the town of Greenwich by the
late Robert M. Bruce, and Mr. Willson had the privilege and the honor of making the speech of acceptance on behalf of the town. He has since served a number of terms on the Town School Committee. Mr. Willson is a member of Acacia Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; and of Rittenhouse Chapter, Royal Arch Ma- sons.
Mr. Willson married Harriet Husted, daughter of Mills Hobby Husted, of Greenwich, and their children are: I. Henrietta, born in Greenwich, married Fred J. Ferguson, and they were the par- ents of one daughter, Jean, now deceased. 2. Mabel, wife of Max J. C. Leuchs, and they have two children: Augusta, and John James. 3. Josephine Clark, wife of Dr. B. J. Sands, and the mother of three daughters: Esther, Josephine, and Doro- thy. 4. Marie G. 5. James Green, Jr., who served during the late World War. 6. Hawley Griswold. Mr. Willson and family are members of the Episcopal church.
WILLSON, William Jay,
In Public Utility Service.
William Jay Willson, son of Thomas Green and Sarah Elizabeth (Smith) Will- son (q. v.), was born in Port Chester, Rye township, New York, February 19, 1873. He was educated in the public schools of his native town, and in 1889 engaged in his first work in the business world. In that year the water-works were being installed in Tarrytown, New York, and Mr. Willson entered the employ of John O. Merritt, superintendent of con- struction. He has been identified with this line of work to the present time, and has at different times been located in White Plains and Greenwich. In the latter city he became superintendent of the Greenwich Water Company, in 1906,
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and the following year accepted a similar position in addition from the Port Chester Water Company. He has attained suc- cess in his chosen field, and has been more fortunate than most men for the reason that since accepting his first position he has followed similar lines.
Mr. Willson is a Republican, and takes more than a passive interest in public af- fairs. Fraternally, he is a member of Acacia Lodge, Free and Accepted Ma- sons, of Greenwich.
Mr. Willson married (first) July 23, 1902, Victoria D. Sublett, of Petersburg, Virginia, who died June 12, 19II. He married (second) Florence L. Close, born September 12, 1886, daughter of Peter Voorhis and Anna Sutherland (Thomas) Close (see Close line).
(The Close Line).
The name Close is of agricultural ori- gin, though intimately associated with ec- clesiastical usage, in which it is applied specifically to denote the precinct of a Cathedral or Abbey. Lower's "Patrony- mica Brittanica" defines it as follows : "Close, any piece of ground that is en- closed with hedge, wall or water." The word is from the Latin clausus, past par- ticiple of claudo, and meaning closed, en- closed, surrounded. The spelling of the name has varied with the custom of the times and the degree of literacy of its writers, Cloos, Closse, Closs, Clos, Clusse, Cluss, being various renderings of the name now used as Close.
According to Hotten's lists of emi- grants to America, Phettyplace Close came to Virginia in 1608, and was granted a patent of one hundred acres of land on the James river, in the corporation of Henrico, in 1626. In response to an in- quiry as to him, the secretary and li- brarian of the Virginia Historical Society, under date of May 29, 1908, states that
he has no "evidence to show whether Phettyplace Close (Clause) left a family. * * As the name does not appear here later, I think that he was one of the nu- merous settlers who succumbed to disease or was killed by the Indians." The name of Close in New England first appears in the will of William Frost, of Fairfield, Connecticut, dated January 6, 1644, where one Goodman Close is mentioned as hav- ing one of the testator's heifers. Good- man Close probably died at Fairfield, about 1653, and left surviving him his widow Elizabeth and the following chil- dren: Hannah, Thomas, Joseph, and Mary. His widow afterwards married George Stuckey, had one child, Elizabeth Stuckey, and died in Stamford, Connecti- cut, September 4, 1656. George Stuckey bought land at Windsor, Connecticut, in 1640, sold out in 1645, and later removed to Stamford, Connecticut, with his step- children.
According to the records, the Close family in New England, in 1660, consisted of Hannah Close, who, June 9, 1657, mar- ried Joshua Knapp; Thomas Close, and Mary Close, who, June 26, 1668, married Samuel Holly. A search of the parish registers for County York, England, seems to indicate that Goodman Close was born in Grinton parish, where the family attained considerable prominence about 1606, came to America about 1642, and finally settled in Fairfield, Connecti- cut, where he died. He and his wife Elizabeth had children: Hannah, born about 1632; Joseph, born about 1634; Thomas, of whom further; Mary, born about 1640.
Thomas Close, son of Goodman Close, was born about 1637, and died in Green- wich, Connecticut, in 1709. He settled permanently in Greenwich, and was one of the original patentees named in the patent granted to the town of Greenwich
Conn-8-8
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
by the General Assembly in May, 1665. He was a member of the General Assem- bly in 1701. His will was dated Decem- ber 30, 1708, and probated in 1709. He married, in 1669, Sarah Hardy, daughter of Richard and Ann (Husted) Hardy. Children : Sarah, born December 10, 1670; Hannah, born March 12, 1672; Thomas, born December 16, 1674; Joseph, of whom further ; Benjamin, born May 18, 1679; Mary, born in 1682; Elizabeth, born Au- gust 5, 1684; Ruth, born November I, 1687; John, born April 8, 1689; and Lydia, born in 1690.
Joseph Close, son of Thomas Close, was born November 20, 1676, and died October 4, 1760. He married, in 1701, Rebecca Tompkins, born in 1679, died November 13, 1761. Children: Joseph (2), of whom further; Elizabeth, born July 11, 1704; Solomon, born June 23, 1706.
Joseph (2) Close, son of Joseph (1) Close, was born September 20, 1702, and died January 4, 1760. He married (first) May 29, 1728, Eunice Hait, who died March 7, 1740. He married (second) July 26, 1744, Mary Merritt. Children, all by his first wife: Joseph, born July 21, 1729; Eunice, born May 10, 1731 ; Je- rusha, born April 21, 1733 ; Odle, of whom further.
Odle Close, son of Joseph (2) Close, was born October 22, 1738, and died April 26, 1812. He was an officer in the Revo- lution. He married, December 16, 1756, Bethia Reynolds, daughter of Gideon Reynolds, born February 27, 1742, died February 17, 1832. Children : Odle (2), born January II, 1758; Bethia, born May 6, 1760; Gideon, born December 6, 1762 ; Gilbert, born March 7, 1765; Jonathan Odle, of whom further ; Mary, born April 16, 1770; Tompkins, born May II, 1772; Eunice, born August 12, 1774; Elizabeth, born July 16, 1776; Shadrach, born Feb-
ruary 9, 1779; and Nancy, born March 17, 1781.
Jonathan Odle Close, son of Odle Close, was born December 6, 1768; married (first) Mary Mead, born January 10, 1775, died April 3, 1805 ; married (second) May 21, 1806, Rebecca Lyon, born November 10, 1765, died May 19, 1858. Children, all by first wife: Elizabeth, born March, 1793; Gilbert; Horace, born 1796; Wil- liam ; and Jonathan Allen, of whom fur- ther.
Jonathan Allen Close, son of Jonathan Odle Close, was born in 1802, and died February 10, 1875. He was a farmer, a Democrat in politics, and a Methodist. For several terms he served in the Legis- lature, and was also selectman for the town of Greenwich, as well as holding other minor offices. He married Mary Hart, of White Plains, New York, born in January, 1803, died January 31, 1879. Children : Allen Hart, of whom further ; Mary ; George W .; and Martha.
Allen Hart Close, son of Jonathan A. Close, was born April 26, 1829, and died May 8, 1904. He was educated in the Greenwich Academy, and lived on the homestead, where he followed farming for many years. In politics he was a Democrat, and held the office of justice of the peace and assessor. He was one of the organizers of the Greenwich Wa- ter Company. Mr. Close was of an in- ventive mind, and although he did not enter this field from a commercial stand- point, many of his appliances were in use on his own farm. He married, March 14, 1854, Gertrude Voorhis Spencer. She was descended from Steven Coerte Van Voorhees, who came to this country in April, 1660, from Holland. Children : Jonathan Allen, born February 1I, 1856; Jacob Voorhis, born June 19, 1859; Peter Voorhis, of whom further; and Hannah Gertrude, born July 13, 1864.
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Peter Voorhis Close, son of Allen Hart Close, was born December 20, 1860, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended the public schools there and Greenwich Acad- emy. He learned the mason's trade and afterward farmed on the old Close home- stead at Clapboard Ridge. For the last twenty-five years he has carried on a build- ing and jobbing business in New York City. He married, November 18, 1885, at Greenwich, Anna Sutherland Thomas, born July 14, 1866, at New York City, died December 21, 1917, at Greenwich, Con- necticut, daughter of Daniel and Mary (Sutherland) Thomas. Children : I. Florence Livingston, married, September 10, 1912, William Jay Willson (q. v.). 2. Walter Guion, born December 3, 1888, married Elizabeth Hull Jones, and has one child, Allen Thomas, born March 8, 1917. 3. Harold Thomas, born July 28, 1892; he enlisted in the Twelfth Com- pany, C. C. A. N. G., Greenwich, Connec- ticut, trained at Fisher's Island and Fort Wright, New York, and was mustered into the regular army, in August, 1917. Afterward he was transferred to Battery E, Fifty-sixth Coast Artillery Corps, and was on the Aisne-Marne and Meuse-Ar- gonne fronts. In all he served twenty- seven months, from June 14, 1917, to Sep- tember 24, 1919.
BURLEY, Captain Walter, Master Mariner.
The name of Burley is an ancient one, having originated in England. It may have been derived from burler, a dresser of cloth, burly, boisterous, or compounded from bur, burgh, elevated, and ley, meaning untilled ground, viz., high and untilled ground. Burgh also means a fortification, a castle, and ley, leigh, means a field, viz., a castle on the field, or defense of the lowly. The vari-
ations in spelling the name have been Burleigh, Borleigh, Burghly, Burghley, Birgeley, Burley, Berley, Birley, Burlie, Burle, Burlly, Bourle, Burly, Budley, Burdley, Berdley, Birdley, Birdly, Bodley, Borley, Barley, Burles, Beareley, Brally, Brally, Bowley, Burhely, and perhaps Burleson and Burlison.
Giles Burley was an inhabitant of Ips- wich in 1648, and a commoner in 1664. Felts' "History of Ipswich" says of the little we learn of Gyles Budley, "he left a wife, Elizabeth, and children, Andrew, James, Giles, and perhaps John, the youngest, who probably died before his father. He was a planter, living eight years on Brooke street, and owning divi- sion lot No. 105, situated upon Great Hill, Hogg Island. On June 13, 1668, Good- wife Birdley had granted trees for one hundred rayles and one hundred posts. February 23, 1669, Rebecca, widow of Giles Birdley, married Abraham ffitt of Ipswich. Inventory of his ; estate amounted to £241 4s. 6d."
An American branch of the family bears arms as follows :
Arms-Paly of six argent and gules, on a chief paly six crescents all counterchanged.
Crest-A stag's head erased gules.
Captain Walter Burley was a son of Samuel Burley, grandson of Silas Burley, and great-grandson of Henry Burley, who died in February, 1776. Henry Burley's wife, Sarah, died in February, 1826, at the age of eighty-seven years. Silas Burley died March 14, 1833, aged seventy-one years, and his wife, Deborah, died Sep- tember 30, 1845, aged eighty-two years. Deborah Burley was responsible for the name of Dumpling Pond, North Mianus, town of Greenwich, in the following man- ner : She was noted for the excellence of her cooking and took great pride in her reputation. On one occasion when her husband and his farm hands came in from
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the fields late for dinner, Silas Burley complained that the dumplings, which formed a part of the meal, and which had been standing for some time, were water soaked. This remark greatly offended his wife, who replied that they would stay water soaked, and threw them in the pond, which thereafter was known as Dumpling Pond. The homestead farm was located on the eastern shore of this sheet of water. Samuel Burley was born on this farm, married Elizabeth Ferris, and died October 5, 1835, aged thirty- three years and two months.
Captain Walter Burley, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Ferris) Burley, was born October 14, 1833, on the Burley home- stead, and died October 10, 1909. His fa- ther's death occurred when he was young, and as a boy he became self-supporting. He early began to "follow the water," and as a young man became captain of a market sloop plying between Cos Cob and New York City. Later he owned a schooner, which he operated in the coast- wise trade, and he afterward built an- other vessel on the Little East river, in Mathews county, Virginia, and for a time ran her as a freighter on the river. Sub- sequently, he brought her North and sailed her in his shipping operations on Long Island Sound. For two years Cap- tain Burley was a resident of New York City, became a prosperous shipping mas- ter, and acquired a fleet consisting of a number of vessels, including barges and a steam tug. During his later years he operated a vessel under contract with the Stamford Manufacturing Company, car- rying their freight between Stamford and New York City. Captain Walter Burley was a well known figure in the shipping trade along the Sound, and during the long years of his active life was respected for his unbending integrity and for his strict, fair dealing. Whether sailing as master
of his own vessel, or directing the opera- tions of his ships from his office, he held the good-will and regard of his associates. He was firm, very kindly in manner, knew the Sound as few captains did, and pos- sessed business instincts and qualities that brought him a generous measure of prosperity. In 1883 he retired from the sea and engaged in the coal business, his line of endeavor for the remainder of his active years.
Captain Walter Burley married Hettie Faulkner Burger, daughter of Gabriel Samuel Burger, of Rye Neck, New York, and they were the parents of: I. Annie, married Arthur Dodge, of Stamford. Mrs. Dodge, a trained vocalist and widely known as a public singer, has devoted her talents for many years to religious serv- ice, and has sung frequently in Stamford church choirs. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge are the parents of: Mary, married Nicholas Thiel Ficker, of New York, and has two children, Nicholas T., Jr., and Dorothy Dodge; Hettie, died aged four years; Walter Burley, married Vera Provost Shearer, of Stamford, and has three chil- dren, Elizabeth, Virginia, and Anne ; Dor- othy, married Jarvis Ralph Harbeck, of Chicago. 2. Clarence A., a sketch of whom follows. 3. Jennie L., married Norton Stanley Bird, of New Haven. 4. Nettie, married Watson Dodge Wood- ward, M. D., deceased, of New York City. 5. Edith Melvina, married Harry More- house. The mother of these children died August 15, 1898, aged fifty-six years ; she was a member of the Congregational church, a woman of noble life and char- acter.
BURLEY, Dr. Clarence A., Man of Enterprise.
In professional practice and in agricul- ture, two widely separated lines of en-
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deavor, Dr. Clarence A. Burley has been equally successful. Entering dental prac- tice from business association, in 1904 he retired from his profession to devote him- self to general farming and gardening in his native State, and this, in connection with real estate operations, has occupied him to the present time.
Dr. Burley is a son of Captain Walter and Hettie Faulkner (Burger) Burley (q. v.), and was born at Rye Neck, West- chester county, New York, February 5, 1862. He obtained his education in the local public schools and finished in George Glendening's private school at Stamford, spending his summers on the water with his father, and when he had finished his scholastic training he passed six or seven years with Captain Burley. In 1872 he came to Stamford, between which place and New York his father operated a freight schooner for the Stamford Manu- facturing Company. In 1883 Captain Burley retired from the sea and Clarence A. Burley was associated with him in coal dealings until 1888. In that year Dr. Burley began the study of dentistry under the preceptorship of his brother-in- law, Dr. W. D. Woodward, in New York City, and upon the completion of his pro- fessional training opened an office in that city, and for a number of years continued in dental practice.
In 1904 Dr. Burley withdrew from his metropolitan connections in dentistry in order to engage in general farming and large scale market gardening, an occupa- tion he found both congenial and remu- nerative. In 1916 Dr. Burley came into possession of the property known as the Enos Lockwood farm, an estate of sixty- three acres, and this land he cultivated until its close proximity to Stamford's residential district made its value too great for agricultural purposes. He then began its platting into building lots, and
has since been engaged in the erection of attractive homes thereon, which have found a ready market in this pleasant cen- ter. Until 1917 Dr. Burley had a herd of about thirty cows on his farm and sold their milk to local dealers.
Dr. Burley married (first) September 21, 1892, Frances Bristol, daughter of An- thony Bristol, of Indianapolis, and they became the parents of one son, Edward Keith. Mrs. Burley died December 30, 1895. Dr. Burley married (second) April 15, 1897, Edith Lockwood, adopted daughter of Enos Lockwood. Dr. and Mrs. Burley are members of the Congre- gational church.
The record of Dr. Burley as an agri- culturist furnishes conclusive evidence of the fact that the same thoughtful and in- telligent direction of ability and energy which wins success in professional life and in the business world renders farming distinctly profitable, and entitles farmers of his type to high places among the rep- resentative men of their communities.
DOLGE, Carl Bruno, Manufacturer, Inventor.
In the shaping of the career of Carl Bruno Dolge, there were unusual char- acteristics which, combined, won for him success, both in business and private life. Mr. Dolge was born in the town of Leip- sig, Germany, in 1847, and died in West- port, Connecticut, December 2, 1916. After a life full of strife and activity dur- ing the Revolutionary War in his native land, he came to this country, September 9, 1866. Possessed of natural talent as a wood engraver, he procured a position with Harper Brothers, and many of the best illustrations in Harper's magazines of that period are the product of his skill.
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