USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 8 > Part 48
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
(I) Thomas Graves, his paternal an- cestor, was born in England before 1585, and came to New England with his wife, Sarah, and five children, all of mature age. They settled in Hartford, Connecti- cut, where he was a property holder in 1645. He was exempted from training in the militia on account of his age. In September, 1661, he removed to Hatfield, Massachusetts, and died in November, 1662.
(II) Isaac Graves, son of Thomas and Sarah Graves, was born probably as early as 1620, in England, and came with his father to New England. He was made a freeman in Boston, Massachusetts, May 16, 1659, and was sergeant of the militia. He served as clerk of the writs for Hat- field, Massachusetts, whence he had re- moved in 1661. He was killed in an In- dian attack, September 19, 1677. He married Mary Church, daughter of Rich- ard and Anna Church, who came in 1637 to New England, and she died June 9, 1695.
(III) John Graves, son of Isaac and Mary (Church) Graves, was born in 1664, and died in 1746. He lived in Hatfield, Massachusetts. He married Sarah Banks, daughter of John Banks, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
(IV) Isaac (2) Graves, son of John and Sarah (Banks) Graves, was born July 10, 1688, and died May 30, 1781, in Sunder- land, Massachusetts, whence he had re- moved about 1714. He married, in 1713, Mary Parsons, daughter of Jonathan Par- sons, of Northampton, Massachusetts, born July 8, 1688, died March 9, 1769.
(V) Phineas Graves, son of Isaac (2) and Mary (Parsons) Graves, was born April 30, 1726, in Sunderland, Massachu-
setts, and died April 20, 1806. He mar- ried, November 1, 1753, Rhoda Smith, born February 25, 1732, died March 24, 1819.
(VI) Levi Graves, son of Phineas and Rhoda (Smith) Graves, was born August 14, 1766, in Sunderland, Massachusetts, and died January 16, 1830. He married, January 20, 1791, Pamelia Arms, daugh- ter of David and Sarah (Rodman) Arms, born February 28, 1766, died in June, 1854. Levi Graves removed to Canaan, Colum- bia county, New York.
(VII) Rhodolphua Graves, son of Levi and Pamelia (Arms) Graves, was born October 18, 1796, in Conway, Massachu- setts, and died November 24, 1866, in Brooklyn, New York. He married, Feb- ruary 17, 1825, Catharine N. Warner, daughter of Lupton Warner, of Canaan, New York, born April 5, 1801. They re- moved to Kinderhook, New York.
(VIII) Henry Martin Graves, son of Rhodolphua and Catharine N. (Warner) Graves, was born November 30, 1829, in Kinderhook, New York, and died in De- cember, 1896. As a lad he learned the trade of hatter with his father. After the death of his father he went into business in New York City, and from there re- moved to Springfield, New Jersey. He established a hat factory in the adjoining town of Milburn, and continued active in that business until shortly before his death. He manufactured a general line of felt hats. Mr. Graves was a Repub- lican and active in local affairs. He served for many years as a member of the Town Committee and the School Board, respec- tively. He was a firm believer in the principle that each able-bodied citizen should perform his just share of public service. Mr. Graves married, November 7, 1860, Julia M. Higgins, daughter of Samuel Higgins, of Spencertown, New York. They were the parents of five
343
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
children : Altana, born April 10, 1863, is the wife of Alexander Malhaffey; Wil- ilam Warner, of further mention; Cath- arine Warner, born June 17, 1870; Samuel Higgins, born September 6, 1874, resides in Stamford; Julia Louise, born October 10, 1879, is the wife of Roy A. Oles, of Spencertown, New York. The members of the family were attendants of the Dutch Reformed church.
(IX) William Warner Graves, eldest son of Henry Martin and Julia M. (Hig- gins) Graves, received his education in the schools of Springfield, and was early employed in his father's hat factory. In 1889 he entered the employ of Leonard Richards, manufacturer of artificial leath- ers and lacquers. Mr. Graves remained associated with Mr. Richards for a quarter of a century, and during five years of this period represented him in Chicago. In 1904 the manufacturing plant was re- moved to Stamford, Connecticut, and Mr. Graves came with it. He continued in association with its interests until 1914, at which time he held the position of cost accountant. In August, 1914, Graves & Strang, Inc., was incorporated with Mr. Graves as president. A general business dealing in ice, coal and wood is carried on. The business purchased by the com- pany had been established for fifteen years. In 1919 Mr. Graves and Mr. Strang organized the Springdale Ice and Coal Company with Mr. Graves as presi- dent and Mr. Strang as treasurer. This new corporation took over the Springdale Ice Company and the coal and wood branch of the Graves & Strang Company in Springdale, combining the two under one new head. Mr. Graves is treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Stamford, an or- ganization composed of business men.
Mr. Graves married Bertha Ferrin, daughter of Dr. Chester M. Ferrin, of Essex Junction, Vermont, and they were
the parents of two children: I. Carlisle Ferrin, born December 19, 1897; he is a member of the class of 1920 of Massachu- setts Agricultural College, and at the outbreak of the World War left his studies to train in the R. O. T. C. at Camp Lee, receiving the commission of second lieutenant ; he is now resuming his stud- ies. 2. Chester Warner, born November 15, 1902. The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Graves is especially active in all of its works. He shares the belief that the church is the great agency for promoting righteousness in community and national as well as in- dividual activities. Mrs. Graves died February 13, 1918, and previous to her death had been active in many church organizations, being a member also of the Woman's Club of Stamford.
CANDEE, Nehemiah,
Lawyer, Legislator.
One of the oldest families in Connecti- cut is the Candee family. Representatives of this family are to be found in the busi- ness and professional world, and they are among the best citizens. Matters of State and town hold interest for them, and they are willing at all times to give of their time and finances to furthering the gen- eral welfare. Among the members of the Fairfield County Bar Association is a scion of the Candee family, Nehemiah Candee. He is a direct descendant of Zaccheus Candee, of whom further.
(I) Zaccheus Candee was early settled in New Haven, Connecticut, and died in 1720, at the age of eighty years. He mar- ried Rebecca, a daughter of Henry Bris- tow, or Bristol, of New Haven, and she died in September, 1739.
(II) Samuel Candee, son of Zaccheus and Rebecca Candee, was born in West Haven, July 24, 1678, and died February
344
Nehemiah Cardec
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
28, 1748-49. In October, 1731, he was lieutenant of the company in West Haven, and later became captain. He married, April 28, 1703, Abigail Pineon, of New Haven, daughter of Thomas Pineon, of New Haven, and she died January 9, 1743.
(III) Caleb Candee, son of Samuel and Abigail (Pineon) Candee, was born about 1722, in West Haven; he settled in Ox- ford, about 1730, and died in 1764. He married Lois Mallory, and they were the parents of Samuel (2) Candee, of whom further.
(IV) Samuel (2) Candee, son of Caleb and Lois (Mallory) Candee, was baptized March 17, 1754, and died about 1840, aged eighty-seven. He married, March 20, 1777, Mabel Bradley, of Derby, Connec- ticut, and they joined the church in Ox- ford, April 5, 1778. He was a lieutenant in 1786, and captain in 1789. in the Revo- lutionary War, and was a pensioner. He also took part in the battle of Bunker Hill. In private life he was a farmer, and also made scythes.
(V) Amos Candee, son of Samuel (2) and Mabel (Bradley) Candee, was bap- tized April 5, 1778; he died in 1855. He removed to Easton, Connecticut, in 1836, and was a farmer. He served as select- man of the town of Easton for several years. He married (first) Lydia Taylor Dike, and (second) July 26, 1828, Lydia Platt, daughter of Amos Platt, who was a school teacher before her marriage. She was the mother of two children.
(VI) Jason Candee, son of Amos and Lydia (Platt) Candee, was born June 13, 1829, in Southbury, Connecticut, and died in May, 1915. He was but a small lad when his parents removed to Easton, and there he went to school. After completing his schooling he took up farming, which he followed for the rest of his life. He mar- ried, February 24, 1850, Caroline Amelia Canfield, daughter of David Canfield.
The latter was of that part of Redding bordering on the Ridgefield line; he left there and enlisted in the Seminole War, and was killed by the Indians, one of his fellow-soldiers reporting his death to the family. Of the children of Jason and Caroline A. (Canfield) Candee the fol- lowing grew to maturity: William J., deceased ; Lafayette, deceased ; Nehemiah, of further mention ; and Anna A., wife of P. G. McCullom, of Richmond, Virginia. The family were members of the Baptist church at Easton.
(VII) Nehemiah Candee, son of Jason and Caroline A. (Canfield) Candee, was born in Easton, Connecticut, August 9, 1870. He was educated in the public schools there and at Staples Academy. He graduated from Yale College in 1893 with the degree of B. A., and from Yale Law School, four years later, with the degree of LL. B. He went to Chicago, where he was admitted to the bar of Illinois, and engaged in practice there for a year. In the winter of 1907 he returned to Norwalk and formed a partnership with John Keogh, on January Ist, following, under the firm name of Keogh & Candee, which has continued to the present time. Mr. Keogh has recently been appointed ref- eree in bankruptcy.
In June, 1917, Mr. Candee was made judge of the City Court of Norwalk, and is now serving his second term. He is a Republican, and served in the Legislature in 1917 and 1919. During his first term he served on the Committee on Forfeited Rights, and the Committee on Banks and Federal Relations. In his last term he served as a member of the Judiciary Com- mittee. In the fall of 1920 Judge Candee was a candidate for Senator from the Twenty-sixth Senatorial District.
Mr. Candee is a member of several fra- ternities, and is otherwise active in the social life of Norwalk. He is a member
345
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of Old Well Lodge, No. 108, Free and Accepted Masons; Butler Chapter, No. 38, Royal Arch Masons; Clinton Com- mandery, No. 3, Knights Templar ; Mon- ker Grotto ; Improved Order of Red Men ; Loyal Order of Moose; Olive Branch Lodge, Knights of Pythias, is past grand chancellor of the Grand Lodge of Con- necticut ; and is a member of D. O. K. K. of New Britain. Mr. Candee is a director of the People's Trust Company of South Norwalk.
Mr. Candee married, June 29, 1901, Annie M. Chunn, daughter of Mark B. Chunn, of St. Mary's county, Maryland. Their children : Mark Chunn and Marjorie Dent, twins, born October 22, 1903, in New Haven; Randolph Frederick, born June 29, 1905, died July 10, 1909; and Dorothy Caroline, born April 19, 19II.
GILLESPIE, William Wright, Publisher, Merchant.
To be richly endowed with many and varied talents, to be blessed with abound- ing vitality making possible their devel- opment, to be born of cultivated parents who know how to nurture the human soul, and to possess a personality of such rare charm as to make one universally beloved, falls to the lot of few men. It was the heritage of the late William Wright Gillespie. From the time he be- came a resident of Stamford, Connecticut, until his death, nearly half a century later, there was scarcely a phase of the com- munity's life in which he was not active and always constructively. His graceful, yet forceful, pen, his masterly oratory, and his sound business judgment were ever ready to forward the best interests of Town, State and Nation. Uncompro- mising in his intellectual integrity, he was fearless in denouncing wrong and bold in upholding the right, according to
his light. And he was a man of unusually keen perception. His daily life was an exemplification of the fundamentals of Christianity-he showed his faith by his works; and it is fair to say that in his day and generation no citizen of Stamford wielded a more potent influence for good. The name Gillespie is derived from the Gaelic compound word, Gille-espuaig, and signifies "the servant of the Bishop."
William Wright Gillespie was born in Knockdrin, County Westmeath, Ireland, October 16, 1839, and died in Stamford, Connecticut, December 30, 1907. His ancestors were of that sturdy Scotch stock who suffered so much for their faith, and who have contributed so many substantial citizens to America.
(I) John Gillespie, grandfather of Wil- liam W. Gillespie, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. He was a linen weaver and farmer. He married Helen Scott, who lived to the great age of one hundred and four years.
(II) John (2) Gillespie, son of John (1) and Helen (Scott) Gillespie, was born in Dunmackmay, County Tyrone, Ireland, May 5, 1805. He was educated in Trin- ity College, Dublin, and after his gradu- ation tutored in some of the leading fam- ilies of the county. Later he became a teacher in the national schools, although, as circumstances permitted, he also con- tinued his work as a tutor. He wooed and won Mary J. Cunningham, who was also a teacher in the national schools. Hus- band and wife, after their marriage, con- tinued in their vocation of teaching. They were the parents of thirteen children, of whom the following grew to maturity : Anna E., now deceased, married James Cunningham ; George, now deceased, be- came a prominent business man and alder- man of Toronto, Canada ; Rev. John, now deceased, was for many years rector of the Church of the Messiah in Toronto; Wil-
346
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
liam Wright, of whom further; Edward Thomas Wright, a sketch of whom fol- lows; Frederick R., now deceased, who became a large importer in New York City, and a prominent manufacturer of Stamford ; Richard H., now deceased, who was prominently identified with the Stamford "Advocate" for many years, and whose biography follows.
The father of these children died in 1854, at the age of forty-nine years. Reared as he had been in the stern old school of religious precept and practice, he brought up his children strictly, but with such loving kindness that they were attracted to the same ideals of godliness and right living as he had espoused. His widow continued in her vocation of school-teacher in the old country until 1857, when, with her young sons, Fred- erick R., Richard H., and Anthony, she crossed the ocean to Canada, where her elder children were already residing. She died in Brooklyn, New York, in 1879, aged sixty-eight years. Like her hus- band, she was an earnest and devoted Christian, ready to make any sacrifice for her children. She was beloved by all who knew her.
(III) William Wright Gillespie, son of John (2) and Mary J. (Cunningham) Gil- lespie, was under the careful and thor- ough tuition of his parents until he was fourteen years old. Then, in a competi- tive examination; he won a scholarship in the Dundalk Institution, an endowed schood of academic grade. In December, 1856, he and his brother, Edward T. W. Gillespie, accompanied their father's brother to Guelph, Canada, and thus ended their formal instruction. But William W. had acquired a thirst for knowledge, and he remained a diligent student to the end of his days. His intellectual interests covered a wide range, including the nat- ural sciences, history and literature. The
following quotation from one who knew him intimately will convey some idea of the extraordinary quality and compre- hensive scope of Mr. Gillespie's mental endowment, his all-round capabilities and untiring industry. Had he devoted him- self to the accumulation of wealth, no doubt he would have become one of the rich men of his time, but he realized as few do the truth so tersely expressed by Abraham Lincoln: "There is something more important than making a living- making a life."
From early boyhood he had shown extraordi- nary capacity for doing things, especially in the lines of mechanical constructiveness and inventive resourcefulness. There was no machine so com- plicated or so novel that he could not almost at a glance understand the principles of its operation and the philosophy of its purpose. Every great invention that appeared in his time, he understood fundamentally, while most people regarded it with incredulity, or even ridicule. The first crude phonograph had scarcely appeared, when he grasped the full meaning of the new discovery of until then hidden facts in the realm of nature which it represented, and he made it the founda- tion and illustration of a series of lectures on the "science of sound," which were heard with rapt attention by many public audiences in this coun- try and in Canada. At the first hint of the power and light to be derived from electricity, he gave public lectures upon this topic, in which he ap- peared to have the whole meaning and philosophy of it at his fingers' ends, so to speak, and in which he confidently prophesied developments, then unknown and unheard of, but which have since been realized in practical, everyday working. Such were the capabilities of a mind, in these di- rections, which, if it had had the advantages of early technical training, such as is now available to thousands of the youth of this country, could scarcely have failed to become, not only merely an eager and intelligent follower of these inven- tions, but in all probability a leader and creator in the same field.
His accomplishments as a writer, whether of newspaper reports, comments, etc., or, more espe- cially, the large and respectable body of original literary material he produced in the form of essays, lectures and addresses for public delivery on special occasions, are marked first of all by
347
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
his manifest mastery of the subjects he chose for exposition. . . Yet it may be remarked as another tribute to the rare versatility of his men- tal endowments, that his writing ability was less the possession of the distinctive literary tempera- ment, inherited or acquired, than it was a demon- stration of that extraordinary all-round capability which could, so to speak, do anything that he at- tempted, and do it well, whether the work was in the domain of mechanical or of literary crafts- manship. But he possessed the poetic and imagi- native faculties in a marked measure. Without these, indeed, he could scarcely have used verse so frequently, and certainly not with such im- pressive effect, in so many of his speeches and addresses.
Mr. Gillespie was much sought after as a speaker for all manner of public oc- casions such as Memorial Day, Christmas, etc. He often delivered formal addresses on anniversary and other important oc- casions before the fraternal bodies with which he was affiliated, and his lectures on scientific and literary topics and travel were largely attended and highly appre- ciated for their educational and inspira- tional value. He was a ready and witty speaker, whose happy manner of phrasing sentiments, and whose keen and hearty sympathies, won his audiences. He made the first speech delivered in the old Stam- ford town hall when he introduced the famous John B. Gough, and he made the last public address in the building at a meeting of the Board of Trade, a few days before the hall was destroyed by fire.
After his arrival in Guelph, Canada, young Gillespie worked for about two years in the store of his elder brother. But he was ambitious to become identi- fied with the printing and publishing business, and when the opportunity of- fered he became an apprentice in the office of a small weekly paper published in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. In less than a year he had learned all that was possi- ble there, and accordingly he sought larger opportunities in New York City.
That was in 1859. Though he had served but a year at the printer's trade, he went to work as a journeyman for Baker & Godwin, and by dint of his native inge- nuity and adaptability he overcame the handicaps of his inexperience and met all the demands made upon him. After a short period in another print-shop, he re- moved, in 1860, to Stamford, Connecticut, and entered the employ of William S. Campbell, proprietor of the "Weekly Ad- vocate," as foreman. It has been said of him in this connection :
There was no detail which his ready adaptabil- ity, his alert, inventive mind, and his tireless industry did not touch with an efficient and help- ful hand. He made up to a large extent for the scant mechanical resources of the place by his extraordinary capacity for getting results out of the most unpromising material. He found valu- able use for things that had been lying for years among discarded odds and ends, and the little establishment began to attract new attention for the brightness and taste of the work it turned out, and for the new and original ideas which began to broaden and lighten up the narrow, stale, conventional and stereotyped aspects of the country printing office.
And he soon added to his duties the work of a reporter and editor. It would seem that these arduous activities would consume the energy of the man, but such was not the case, and as illustrative of the versatility of his talents it is noted that in his evenings he busied himself in con- structing things for his new home, for he had been married soon after his removal to Stamford. The most notable product of his mechanical skill at this period was a pipe organ, which he designed and con- structed without the aid of anyone else, and which he was able to play to the delight of his friends, if not entirely to his own satisfaction. While his native mod- esty made any pretense to musicianship impossible, he possessed no mean talent.
When the Civil War overwhelmed the
348
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
country, Mr. Gillespie supported the Union cause with ardour, and but for a slight physical injury received in boy- hood he would have gone to the front as a member of a Connecticut regiment. During these years, and owing quite largely to his ability and efforts, the business with which he was identified grew apace, and in 1866 recognition of his worth came in the form of an interest in the business, the firm name of Camp- bell & Gillespie being adopted. Mr. Campbell died the following year, and after a short time the Rev. J. J. Woolsey became a partner, the firm name being changed to Gillespie & Woolsey. The new partner remained in the firm but a short time, and the firm name was again changed, this time to W. W. Gillespie & Company. The next change was made in 1883, when Mr. Gillespie withdrew from the company, and the business was taken over by his younger brothers, E. T. W. and R. H. Gillespie. In June, 1906, the business was incorporated under the name of Gillespie Brothers, under which it is still conducted.
When William W. Gillespie withdrew from the publishing business, he became a member of the firm of White, Gillespie & Thayer, formed at that time, and which for some years conducted a large lumber business. In 1889 Messrs. White and Thayer retired from the business and a corporation was organized under the name of The Gillespie Lumber Company. This continued until 1897, when the stockholders (who were the Gillespie brothers) closed up the business. From that time until his death, William Wright Gillespie was associated with his broth- er who owned and operated the Water- side Mills.
Mr. Gillespie was always a student of affairs, and from the days of Abraham Lincoln a staunch supporter of the Re-
publican party. With voice and pen he labored zealously for the good of the com- munity. The only elective office he ever held was that of representative in the General Assembly of 1882. At that ses- sion there was much talk of lobbying and bribery. He used to say that no one ever approached him with a proposition of that sort, but perhaps he did not guess the reason. His refusal to serve a second term was readily accepted by the man- aging politicians of the time. He was not the sort of man they preferred. About a year before his death he was appointed as collector of the port of Stamford.
Mr. Gillespie was a man of deeply re- ligious and broadly fraternal instincts. He loved his fellowman without distinc- tion of race or creed. It was therefore natural that he should be attracted to those orders whose fundamental teach- ings are based on the truth expressed in a favorite phrase of his, "the brotherhood of man." He was an active member of Union Lodge, No. 5, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Rippowam Lodge, No. 24, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and the Royal Arcanum. He was elected to honorary membership by Minor Post, Grand Army of the Republic, upon whose records an eloquent tribute was placed upon his decease. Early in boy- hood he became identified with the church and Sunday school. In 1888, owing to certain action in connection with the business policy of the Stamford Baptist Church, with which he had been identified since he came to Stamford, and of whose Sunday school he had for years been su- perintendent, and which change in busi- ness policy he did not approve, Mr. Gillespie transferred his membership to the Presbyterian church.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.