USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 8 > Part 29
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(VII) Holly Bell, son of Thaddeus (2) and Elizabeth (How) Bell, was born in Darien, where he died, in 1887. He served as representative for five terms in the Legislature, and was station agent at Darien for a number of years. Previous to the building of the railroad, Holly Bell ran a sloop to New York City. He mar- ried Abigail Scofield, and they were the parents of Thaddeus (3) Bell, of further mention.
(VIII) Thaddeus (3) Bell, son of Holly and Abigail (Scofield) Bell, was born January 20, 1831, in Darien, and died in 1909. He received his education in the district schools, and his early life was identified with the ship-building industry. During the Civil War he was commis- sioned as acting paymaster on a United States monitor, and after the war re- sumed his ship-building business in Nor- walk. For many years he was town
treasurer, and also served as town clerk until shortly before his death. Among other public offices which he held were selectman, and representative in the Leg- islature. Mr. Bell was one of the leading men of Darien and of Fairfield county. The success which he achieved was not an accident, but the result of constant achievement and application of effort.
Mr. Bell married, in 1854, Caroline E. Morehouse, born January 5, 1833, daugh- ter of H. and Lydia (Mather) Morehouse, a descendant of Rev. Dr. Moses and Rev. Richard Mather, and of the immigrant, John Mather. Mr. and Mrs. Bell were the parents of the following children : Grace L .; Alfred B., who resides in Den- ver, Colorado; and Clarence W., of fur- ther mention. The family were members of the Congregational church, which Mr. Bell served as treasurer.
(IX) Clarence W. Bell, son of Thad- deus (3) and Caroline E. (Morehouse) Bell, attended the schools of Darien and the Norwalk High School. Subsequent to his graduation, he entered the employ of the First National Bank of Stamford as messenger. The worthy qualities of his forebears seemed to have been im- bibed in his character, and he steadily progressed upward through the various positions until he held the position of vice-president and cashier, and was also a member of the board of directors. He continues in this office, and in July, 1919, was active in effecting the consolidation of the Stamford National Bank with the First National Bank, under the title of the First-Stamford National Bank. He is also a director of the Home Bank and Trust Company, of Darien ; director and treasurer of the Western Connecticut Title and Trust Company, of Stamford; was president of the Stollwerck Choco- late Company, of Stamford, during the World War, when the company was un-
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der the control of the alien property cus- todian.
Mr. Bell has been chairman of the Board of Finance of the town of Darien for ten years. It seems very just and fitting that a member of this old and dis- tinguished family, whose antecedents were leaders in the growth of the com- munity, should occupy these positions of trust and responsibility in this generation. The fraternal orders of Mr. Bell are: Union Lodge, No. 5, Free and Accepted Masons; Suburban Club; Woodway Country Club ; and Wee Burn Golf Club, of Stamford.
Mr. Bell married, June 6, 1900, Louise Austen, daughter of Theodore W. Austen, of Darien, and they are the parents of a son, Roger Winthrop Bell, born January 20, 1905. The family attend the Congre- gational church at Darien.
CHAMBERLAIN, Robert Linton, Real Estate Promoter, Banker.
In the banking circles of Greenwich, Mr. Chamberlain, as president of the Putnam Trust Company, occupies a fore- most place, and as president of the Green- wich Real Estate Company he has been a factor of importance in the develop- ment of one of the city's leading inter- ests. In the fraternal and social circles of his home community he has long been a figure of prominence.
The Chamberlain family derives de- scent from Count de Tankerville, of Tankerville Castle, Normandy, who ac- companied William the Conqueror to England. John, son of Count de Tanker- ville, was Lord Chamberlain to Henry the First of England. Richard, son of John, filled the same place under King Stephen, and the word descriptive of his office became the family name. That name has been and still is variously
spelled Chamberlin, Chamberlayne, Cham- berlaine and Chamberlain. The escutch- eon of the family is as follows :
Arms-First and Fourth: Gules, an escutcheon argent, in an orle of eight mullets or. Second and Third: Gules, a chevron between three escallops or.
Crest-An ass's head out of a ducal coronet.
Mottoes-Mors potior stat macula. Prodesse quam conspice. Virtute nihil invium.
Early in the seventeenth century a branch of the family was transplanted to Massachusetts by Richard Chamber- lin, others of the name and their descend- ants finding homes in other colonies. Representatives of the family have long been resident in Pennsylvania.
Robert Linton Chamberlain was born September 15, 1871, in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a son of Robert Linton, Sr., and Ellen Steele (Perkins) Chamberlain, the former a native of Allentown, Pennsyl- vania. Robert Linton Chamberlain, Jr., was educated at the Knapp School in Plymouth, Massachusetts, up to a certain point, going then to Santa Barbara, Cal- ifornia, where he attended the Belmont School. He then returned to the East and for a time lived in Mamaroneck, New York.
About twenty years ago Mr. Chamber- lain became a resident of Greenwich, Connecticut, establishing himself there in the real estate business. He was very successful, developing what is now known as the Putnam Terrace property, having previously organized the Greenwich Real Estate Company, of which he became president. This concern developed not only the Putnam Terrace property, but also several other important tracts. In 1914 Mr. Chamberlain enlarged his field of action by identifying himself with the banking interests of Greenwich. In as- sociation with others he organized the Putnam Trust Company, an enterprise
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which prospered from the start. In 1916 Mr. Chamberlain succeeded to his pres- ent office of president of the institution, which from the beginning has been largely indebted to him for its steadily increasing prosperity.
The other interests of Mr. Chamberlain are numerous. He is secretary of the Greenwich Highway Commission and the Putnam Cemetery Association, and vice- president of the Young Men's Christian Association, and trustee of the Diamond Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. He is treasurer of the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce, a trustee of the Young Wo- men's Christian Association of Green- wich, and one of the directors of the Greenwich Social Service Society. In all matters of public interest, Mr. Chamber- lain has had the part of a public-spirited, progressive citizen. Especially was this apparent during the World War, when in addition to his support of the work of all the relief and social organizations he served on the Greenwich War Bureau, as chairman of the Citizens' Committee of Greenwich, and as chairman of the in- struction committee of the local draft board. To the exacting duties of these positions he gave largely of his time and effort.
In fraternal circles, Mr. Chamberlain is extremely active. He affiliates with Acacia Lodge, No. 85, Free and Accepted Masons; and is a charter member of Ar- mour Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Port Chester, New York. He also holds membership in Bethlehem Commandery, Knights Templar, of Mount Vernon, New York; Lafayette Council, of Bridgeport ; Mecca Temple, Mystic Shrine, New York City ; and the Indian Harbor Yacht Club, of Greenwich. His other clubs are the Sound Beach Golf, the Riverside Field and Marine, and the Coscob Tennis.
Mr. Chamberlain married, in August,
1892, Rose I. Brady, daughter of John F. and Ann Brady, of Mamaroneck, New York, and they are the parents of one son, Robert Linton (3), born September 21, 1893, and now a student in Storr's Agri- cultural College. Robert Linton (3) Chamberlain served seventeen months in the United States army during the World War, enlisting in Squadron A, which was a part of the 27th Division. Nine months of his enlistment were spent in the Amer- ican Expeditionary Forces, and he saw a large share of the stirring action of this noted division.
To the honorable title of a useful cit- izen, Mr. Chamberlain has an indisput- able claim, for he has been largely in- strumental in the upbuilding of a num- ber of the most essential interests of his home community.
SHERRILL, George, Physician, Hospital Official.
Dr. George Sherrill has for many years been prominently identified with the med- ical profession in Stamford. He was born July 28, 1867, in Delhi, Delaware county, New York, son of George (1) and Kate E. (Telford) Sherrill.
The name of Sherrill is one of the old Saxon names in England, antedating the Norman Conquest (1066). Like most ancient names it was spelled in various ways, Sherwill, Sherry and Sherill. Ac- cording to Harrison, an authority on the derivation of surnames, it signified "a dweller by the clear spring." It is formed of the word "scir," meaning clear or pure, and Will, originally "willya," meaning spring or a small body of water. It therefore belongs to the class of names derived from location. The family is an old one in Devonshire, and was prominent there. Thomas Sherwill was mayor of Plymouth in 1617-18, and in 1627-28, and
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in the latter year also represented the city in Parliament. He died during his term and was succeeded as mayor by his brother, Nicholas.
(I) Samuel Sherrill, immigrant an- cestor of the family in America, was born in Ireland, about 1649, his parents with other Devonshire families having emi- grated there. Most of the immigrants, the Sherrills among the number, not find- ing the new country satisfactory, returned to England. According to an old family tradition : "A vessel was cast away on the shore at Easthampton, Long Island, and a company of girls, among others, visited the wreck. One of the ladies said on returning that she had seen the hand- somest man she ever saw. This was in- timated to the shipwrecked mariner and resulted in an acquaintance and marriage of the parties." Samuel Sherrill is the only one of that name mentioned in the Easthampton records for 1683-1698. When he came to the town is not known, but it is the opinion of Charles H. Sher- rill, Jr., the family genealogist, that he arrived in Easthampton between 1670 and 1678. On the tax list for 1683 his property is assessed for £ 102 6s and 8d. Three years later he was one of nine who petitioned the governor to compel the town to set out land to them. It seems that the freeholders of the town were un- willing at that time to admit any more proprietors.
(II) Recompence Sherrill, son of Sam- uel Sherrill, was born about 1678, in East- hampton, and married, October 1, 1713, for his second wife, Margaret Cady. He was a prominent citizen of the town, and was a member of Captain Matthias Bur- nett's company of the town militia in 1715. On April 5, 1719, he joined the church.
(III) Jacob Sherrill, son of Recom- pence and Margaret (Cady) Sherrill, was
born in 1722, and died in July, 1801. He married for his second wife, Clemens Huntting, born February 8, 1738, died August 8, 1820, daughter of Deacon John and Clemens Huntting. The name of Jacob Sherrill appears on the list of As- sociates of Easthampton, dated May 5, 1775.
(IV) Jonathan Sherrill, son of Jacob Sherrill, was born in Easthampton, in October, 1769, and died in Greenville, New York, April 14, 1851, where he had resided for almost fifty years. He mar- ried, in 1795, Lavinia Reed, who was born August 5, 1775, and died January 11, 1845.
(V) Lewis Sherrill, son of Jonathan and Lavinia (Reed) Sherrill, was born July 24, 1801, in Easthampton, and died March 9, 1889. He married Esther Ford, born March 21, 1801, died January 19, 1872.
(VI) George Sherrill, son of Lewis and Esther (Ford) Sherrill, was born Febru- ary 2, 1830, and was educated in the pub- lic schools. He went to New York City to work, and by his energy and ambition, combined with his excellent business judgment, he forged his way ahead until he became a member of the firm operat- ing the Knickerbocker Mills. Mr. Sher- rill remained identified with this enter- prise in an executive manner until his death. He married, February 17, 1861, Kate E. Telford, born March 6, 1836, died in 1910; he died in February, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Sherrill were the parents of the following children: Etta, born April 6, 1862, deceased; Lizzie, born October 30, 1864, deceased; George, of further men- tion ; Nelson, born June 23, 1872, now a resident of Orange, New Jersey.
(VII) George (2) Sherrill, son of George (1) and Kate E. (Telford) Sher- rill, attended the schools of Jersey City and the Hasbrouck Institute, matriculat- ing at Williams College, graduating in
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1888. He then pursued a course at the Columbia University Medical School, fin- ishing in 1891. For the subsequent two years Dr. Sherrill was an interne in the New York Hospital, and in 1894 removed to Stamford, Connecticut, and there en- gaged in practice. For just a quarter of a century Dr. Sherrill has been located in that city, and for twenty years he has served as medical examiner of the city.
Dr. Sherrill is a member of the staff of the Stamford Hospital, and also of the Stamford Children's Home. He is a mem- ber of the Stamford Medical Society ; the Fairfield County Medical Society ; and the Connecticut State Medical Society. His clubs are: The Suburban Club; the Woodway Country Club, and the Stam- ford Yacht Club.
Dr. Sherrill married, November 5, 1896, Elvy Perkins, daughter of Henry Per- kins, of Stamford, and their children are: Catherine, born March 12, 1899; George, Jr., born September 26, 1902; Russell, born January 26, 1908.
SPRINGER, William A., Musical Composer, Soldier.
By the musical world the appearance of Mr. Springer's name will be greeted with the reverence and admiration which for a third of a century have been recog- nized as his just tribute. By the friends and neighbors of his home community they will be rendered with personal pride in their distinguished fellow-citizen min- gled with feelings of sincere regard and cordial good will.
The race of the Springers is one of the most ancient in Germany, tracing its de- scent from Charlemagne, Emperor of the West, and thus carrying its line back through thirteen centuries to the remoter regions of history.
Louis the First, Count of Thuringia,
Conn-8-14
was a descendant of Charlemagne and a relative of Conrad the Second, Emperor of Germany.
Louis the Second, son of Louis the First, was born in 1042, and was Count of Thuringia and builder of the famous castle of the Wartburg. He was a mili- tary officer of the emperor, Henry the Fourth, and on a false charge was wrong- fully imprisoned in the old castle of Giebeckenstein, near Halle, one hundred feet above the river Saale. In 1089, after two years of close confinement, he made his escape by springing from the lofty battlements of the castle into the river.
Coming from the water apparently un- hurt, he was taken before the emperor who, surprised at his courage, pardoned him and gave him the surname of the Springer. From this fact is derived the family name. His descendants are found in almost every country of Europe and in almost every State of the American Union.
The escutcheon of the Springers is as follows :
Arms-To the first and fourth, sable, a stag springing forward, countee passant, or, sustained by a hill, vert. To the second and third, argent, to the barry, azure.
Helmet-Crowned.
Crest-Stag issuing from between two wings expanded and conjoined, cut evenly off. Dexter of sable on or, sinister of argent on azure.
Lambrequins-Conformed to the colors and met- als on the escutcheon.
Charles Christopher Springer, the first of the family to come to the New World, was the son of the then Swedish ambas- sador to Germany and emigrated to the colonies about 1675, settling with the company of Swedes which he found es- tablished at what is now Wilmington, Delaware.
Tillinghast Springer, father of William A. Springer, was for years a well known sea captain. He was also a violinist and
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singer, and it was from him that his son inherited his love of music. Prior to the War of 1812, Captain Springer was mas- ter of one of a line of packets plying be- tween the Kennebec river and New Eng- land seaports, and when the vessel chanced to be wind-bound or becalmed the passengers passed many an hour dancing on the quarter-deck to the sweet strains of his violin. Captain Springer married
William A. Springer, son of Tilling- hast Springer, was born in Augusta, Maine. He was reared on a farm, re- ceiving his education in the public schools of his birthplace. He developed at a very early age a passionate fondness for music, but his environment was such as to prevent him from studying the art in which in after years he was to achieve international distinction. In 1857 Mr. Springer went to Medway, Massachu- setts, where he found employment in a boot factory. During the winters he at- tended singing schools, becoming quite proficient as a reader of music. In 1861 the first original expression of his gen- ius was called forth by the initial tragedy of the Civil War, the death of Colonel Ellsworth, who was shot by General Jackson at the Marshall House, Alexan- dria, Virginia. Under the influence of the grief and indignation inspired by the heartrending event, Mr. Springer com- posed a quartette entitled "The Memory of Ellsworth."
In 1862 Mr. Springer went to Franklin, where he took lessons of Professor Han- del Pond, at the same time singing in local church choirs. In 1863 he went to Brookfield, where he was chorister in the choir of the Unitarian church. In 1864 he enlisted in the Forty-second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, and proceeded to the seat of war. Service in the field. however, did but act as a stim-
ulus to his musical genius, and while there he composed a quartette which was rendered at many a soldier's grave as an expression of the sorrow of his surviving comrades.
In the spring of 1865 Mr. Springer went to Marlboro, where he became a member of the Union Church choir, and there, under the directorship of L. S. Brighain, continued to sing for a number of years. Upon Mr. Brigham's resignation he was succeeded by Mr. Springer, who held the position of conductor for seven years. At the end of that time he resigned and for some four years sang in the choir of the Unitarian church. After that, he was for two years chorister in the First Baptist Church.
During all these years, with their many changes, Mr. Springer was more or less engaged in writing music, his composi- tions consisting of church anthems, church tunes, memorial hymns and secular songs. Among his most popular works is his patriotic allegory, "The Nation's Strug- gle," depicting the four years of the Civil War. The presentation of this work elicited the following resolutions from Post No. 43, Grand Army of the Repub- lic :
Headquarters, John A. Rawlins Post 43, G. A. R., Marlboro, Mass., Feb. 3, 1885.
At the regular meeting held this evening the fol- lowing preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted :
WHEREAS, We have heard so many words of praise for the entertainment presented by the com- mittee of this Post, in which they placed upon the stage the patriotic allegory written by Comrade W. A. Springer, and published by White, Smith and Company, in which the allegorical and real- istic scenes of the great struggle which saved the nation and freed the slave were presented ; there- fore
Resolved, That we tender our thanks to the com- mittee and to those who so ably took part in it, both of our own members and all others, and we would cordially recommend to any Post that de-
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Free W. Springer
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sires to spend a pleasant and an instructive eve- ning to procure the patriotic allegory as published by White, Smith and Company, as covering more features of interest than have ever been presented before.
Attest :
J. W. BARNES, Adjutant.
The crowning effort of Mr. Springer's genius was his cantata, "The Night of Wonders, or the Birth of Christ." This work was written by special request of the publishers and presented in Marlboro in 1886. A revised edition was presented in 1897 and is now published in London, England. Among the many commenda- tions bestowed upon it was the following from the Rev. L. B. Goodrich, of Marl- boro, the words forming part of a letter addressed to Mr. Springer :
The idea is good, excellent; the music bright and pleasing to all. Some of the chorus work es- pecially so. It is by far the best thing of the sort to which I have ever listened.
Of every phase of the career of William A. Springer the art he has so devotedly worshipped has formed a part, and at every period of his life he has made it a power for good. As a soldier he caused it to pay tribute to his departed comrades, and to cheer, console and inspire those who were still contending on the field. In the many years of peace which have followed he has made it a means of min- istering to and uplifting his fellowmen and of strengthening the bond of friend- ship between the nations of the earth.
Mr. Springer married Eliza Augusta Winter, a native of Farmingdale, Maine. Winter is one of the season names and has been used from a very early period. Two families bearing the name were planted in New England during the sev- enteenth century. One was of English origin and the other German. In the case of the latter the name was translated.
Mr. Springer and his wife were the par- ents of a son : Frederick A., a sketch of whom follows.
SPRINGER, Frederick A.,
Textile Manufacturer.
Trained in textile lines in a famous technical institution of his native New England, Mr. Springer has confined his industrial connections to New England enterprises, with the exception of a short time spent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is now an official of the Mianus Man- ufacturing Company. Son of William A. and Eliza Augusta (Winter) Springer, he was born in Marlboro, Massachusetts, January 14, 1866.
He received his early education in the schools of his native town. He then took a special course in textile designing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Springer's first position was in the designing department of the Sanford Mills, Sanford, Maine, where he remained a little over a year. At the end of that time he went to Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, where he opened a designing stu- dio, but after fifteen months returned to Sanford, and for about ten years was in charge of the designing department of the mills. Their exhibit of textiles, de- signed by Mr. Springer, was awarded a gold medal at the Chicago World's Fair. In February, 1895, Mr. Springer moved to North Mianus, in the town of Green- wich, Connecticut, and associated himself with the Mianus Manufacturing Com- pany, and since 1897 has held the offices of treasurer and general manager. They manufacture plush carriage robes, imi- tation fur fabrics, cloaking materials, and overcoatings. Their trade is largely do- mestic, but includes some exportation to Canada, and their products are sold di- rectly to the cutting-up trade and also
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through various agencies. The number of their employees averages about three hundred.
Among the other business interests of Mr. Springer is a directorship in the Greenwich Trust Company. He is a member of the Greenwich and Stamford Chambers of Commerce, and was for- merly president of the Protective Tariff League of Sanford, which had at that time about two hundred members. He was one of the organizers and the first secretary of the Sanford Loan and Build- ing Association. At the present time he is one of the managers of the American Protective Tariff League of New York, also holding the office of manager for Connecticut.
Politically, Mr. Springer is a staunch Republican, and has long taken a fore- most part in local affairs, as appears in his active association with tariff interests. He is a member of the Republican Town Committee of Greenwich, and also serves as chairman of the Greenwich School Committee. He is a director of the Bruce Museum of Greenwich. During the war he belonged to the Greenwich Council of Defense, and took a leading part in Lib- erty Loan drives and other activities of that stirring time. The fraternal asso- ciations of Mr. Springer include affilia- tions with the Masonic order, first in connection with Preble Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Sanford, and later with Acacia Lodge, No. 85, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, of Greenwich. He also affiliates with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of Stamford. He holds the of- fice of elder in the Presbyterian church of Stamford.
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