USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 9 > Part 25
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
children : I. Newland David, born in Middletown; he served in the Twenty- fourth Connecticut Regiment in the Civil War. 2. Sarah, married Byron A. Brooks, and lived in Brooklyn, New York. 3. Evan Rowland, died in Waterbury. 4. Carol H., died in childhood. 5. Katharine D., married William G. Murker, of New York City, and lives in Buffalo, New York. 6. Stephen Brooks, of further men- tion.
Stephen Brooks Davis was born Au- gust 10, 1839, in Brooklyn, New York. He was an infant of six months when brought by his parents to Middletown. In that city he received his education, at- tending the Daniel H. Chase Private School, and graduating from Wesleyan University in 1859. While at college he became a member of the fraternities, Alpha Delta Phi and Phi Beta Kappa. Subsequent to finishing his college course, he took up the study of law under an able preceptor, and was admitted to practice in 1861. He located in Iowa City, Iowa, but hardly a year elapsed before he en- tered the Quartermasters' Department, Fourth Army Corps, as chief clerk of that department. Mr. Davis accompanied General Sherman from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and in 1865 the Fourth Army Corps was sent to Texas to watch the French, remaining until 1866, in which year he received his discharge. Return- ing to Middletown, he again took up the practice of his profession, and is today one of the oldest and most respected members of the Middlesex county bar.
He has several times been honored with positions of trust and responsibility ; since 1889 he has served as coroner of Middlesex county, and in 1896 was elected judge of probate, which office he held for twelve years. In politics Judge Davis is a Republican, and while vitally interested in all current matters, does not
I73
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1
seek political preferment. Fraternally, he is a member of Central Lodge, No. 12, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and Middletown Lodge, No. 771, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Judge Davis married, December 8, 1870, Harriet S. Woodward, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Southmayd) Woodward. Their children are: I. Clara, wife of Charles Guilford, of Provi- dence, and the mother of a daughter, Beatrice. 2. Stephen, married Mary La Rue; they reside in East Las Vegas, New Mexico, and are the parents of Stephen B., Marion, and Jane Davis. 3. Rachel L., wife of Henri de Magnin, and their children are: Paul A., Marie Louise, and Lucie Adelaide.
GADD, Robert Foster, Man of Varied Activities.
Descendant of a Maryland family, and a native of that State, Mr. Gadd has for a large share of his active career been identified with New England interests, and is now New England manager in this territory for the Levering and Garrigues Company. He is a son of Abraham Jump Gadd, and a grandson of Thomas Gadd, of Caroline county, Maryland.
Abraham Jump Gadd was born in Caroline county, Maryland, in 1831-32, and died in January, 1919. He was reared on a farm, and in young manhood entered business, engaging in building and con- tracting for many years and then retiring to farm life. He was an interested worker in political affairs, and in 1884 was a member of the Maryland Legislature, although he cared little for public life and never sought its honors for himself. He held various offices in his church, the Episcopal, and fraternized with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. His home was long in Denton, Maryland, but
about the time of his second marriage he moved to Sudlersville, where his after life was spent.
He married (first) a Miss Dixon. They were the parents of two sons, one of whom died aged thirty-three years, the other, Albert Sydney Gadd, of Center- ville, Maryland. He married (second) Mrs. Elizabeth Henrietta (Foster) Mor- gan, widow of William H. Morgan. Their children: Robert Foster, of whom further; and Luther Lay, of New York City. By her former marriage Mrs. Gadd had four children : Mrs. Annie R. Sudler, Mrs. Addie Sudler, Mrs. Elma E. Gray, and William Walter Morgan.
Robert Foster Gadd was born in Sud- lersville, Maryland, December 21, 1871, and prepared for college at Charlotte Hall, an institution established in 1774. In 1893 he was graduated from Lehigh Uni- versity with the degree of civil engineer. After engaging in a topographical survey with Parker Black, of Asbury Park, New Jersey, Mr. Gadd was for about eighteen months associated with Purdy & Hend- erson, structural engineers of New York City. In 1896 he formed his present con- nection with the Levering and Garrigues Company, for two years travelling for them throughout the Eastern States, and in 1905 located in Hartford, Connecticut. Since then he has been a director of the company and their New England man- ager, contracting for and supervising all classes of construction in this district. Among the more important Hartford buildings which have been erected under his direction are the State Armory, the Supreme Court and State Library build- ings, the telephone company's building, Fox's department store, one of the finest of its kind in the New England States, the first building of the Travellers' Insurance Company, the new Hartford Times build- ing, and those of the Aetna Life Insur-
174
Charles H+Brutto
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ance Company, the Hartford Fire Insur- ance Company, and the American Indus- trial Bank and Trust Company. Two of his company's present contracts is for the erection of the new buildings of the Con- necticut Trust Company and the Trav- ellers' Insurance Company. Mr. Gadd has kept the Levering and Garrigues Com- pany in the foremost rank of construction engineers in New England, and has made his organization an instrument of valuable service to the district.
During his Hartford residence Mr. Gadd has taken interested part in public affairs, and in April, 1920, was appointed a member of the Board of Water Com- missioners, now serving as president of the board. He is a member of the Na- tional Water Works Association, the American Society of Civil Engineering, and the Connecticut Society of Civil En- gineering. Since his college years he has held membership in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He is past master of Puritan Lodge, No. 333, Free and Accepted Masons, and took the chapter degrees at Jerusalem Chapter, No. 8, Royal Arch Masons. Mr. Gadd is a member of the Hartford Club, the Hartford Golf Club, the University Club, the Country Club, of Farmington, and the Tunxio Hunting and Fishing Club. Hunting, fishing, and golf form his chief recreations. He is a com- municant of Trinity Episcopal Church.
Mr. Gadd married Kate P. Legg, daugh- ter of Jacob Legg, of Centerville, Mary- land, and they are the parents of Eliza- beth Henrietta, Robert Foster, Jr., Frank Willis, and Katherine Mackey.
BREWSTER, Charles Huntington, Business Man.
At a very early date in England, the name Brewster appears among the old families in the reign of Edward III., as
ranking among the English landed gentry. The ancestry of the family in America dates from the life and time of Elder Wil- liam Brewster, the organizer and head of the Plymouth Pilgrims of 1620.
(I) Elder William Brewster was born about the year 1560, and was well edu- cated at Cambridge. From there he en- tered the public service in the employ of William Davison, one of Queen Eliza- beth's ambassadors. Elder Brewster lived at Scrooby for about twenty years, and held the office of post of Scrooby for almost the same length of time. At the manor house, which he occupied, there was gathered the band which afterwards constituted the Plymouth Pilgrims. Mr. Brewster became a non-conformist and was imprisoned at Boston, Lincolnshire, in 1607. His liberation was secured at great expense and difficulty. Subse- quently he went to Leyden, where through the dishonesty of a ship captain, he lost almost all his treasures. He was forced to support himself by teaching English. He accompanied the pilgrims on the "Mayflower" and acted as their elder, preaching frequently, but not ad- ministering the sacraments. Until his death, April 16, 1644, he was the ac- knowledged leader of the Plymouth or- ganization and was greatly venerated. He married Mary -, and their eldest son was Jonathan.
(II) Jonathan Brewster, son of Elder William and Mary Brewster, was born at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, August 12, 1593. He was educated by his father in his youth, and for twelve years resided in Holland, where his father left him to care for two of his sisters. In 1621 he came to Plymouth in the "Fortune." In 1630 he was in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and was deputy to the General Court in 1639- 1641-42-43. In 1649 he removed to New London, Connecticut, and there
175
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
served as selectman, and was deputy to the General Court in 1650-55-56-57-58. His death occurred before September, 1659. Jonathan Brewster married, April 10, 1624, Lucretia Oldham, of Darby.
(III) Benjamin Brewster, third son of Jonathan and Lucretia (Oldham) Brew- ster, was born November 17, 1633, and died September 14, 1710, in Norwich, Connecticut, and was buried on Brew- ster's Plains. He settled upon the home- stead of his father, and was much in the public service. In 1668 and 1669 he served as deputy; was lieutenant of the New London Troop in 1673; and was captain of the Military Company in 1693. He married, February 28, 1660, Ann Dart, who died May 9, 1709.
(IV) Jonathan (2) Brewster, eldest son of Benjamin and Ann (Dart) Brew- ster, was born November 30, 1664, and resided at Brewster's Neck, where he died November 20, 1704. He inherited lands from his father, on condition that he care for him and his mother in their old age. However, the parents survived him. He married, December 18, 1690, Judith Stevens, of Norwich, Connecticut, who was undoubtedly a daughter of James and Sarah (Smith) Stevens.
(V) Jonathan (3) Brewster, eldest son of Jonathan (2) and Judith (Stevens) Brewster, was born April 21, 1694, in Preston, and lived there, where he died about 1754. He married (first) Ruth Morgan, born August 29, 1697, at Groton, who was also a descendant of Elder Wil- liam Brewster, through her grandmother, Ruth Brewster.
(VI) Jonathan (4) Brewster, the eld- est child of Jonathan (3) and Ruth (Mor- gan ) Brewster, was born November 5, 1719, in Preston, and died at Worthing- ton, Massachusetts, April 13, 1800. He removed to the latter town in 1777, and was one of the most prominent citizens
there during the remainder of his life. He held the offices of selectman, town clerk, and representative to the General Court. He was also deacon of the Con- gregational church of Worthington. On August 25, 1754, he married, at Preston, Zipporah Smith, daughter of Ephraim and Hannah (Witter) Smith, of Stoning- ton, born July 10, 1735, in Preston ; died January 19, 1795, in Worthington.
(VII) Elisha Brewster, eldest son of Jonathan (4) and Zipporah (Smith) Brewster, was born February 25, 1755, in Preston, and died in Worthington, Sep- tember 25, 1833. He held many offices of trust and responsibility in the town, and was representative to the General Court in 1806. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary army, enlisting first in Captain Abijah Powell's company of a regiment of Light Horse Dragoons for and during the war, and served a period of seven years and six months. His regi- ment was exercised in cavalry tactics by Count Pulaski, the distinguished Polish disciplinarian. During the time of Shays' rebellion, Elisha Brewster was one of the aids to General Shepard in suppressing the uprising at Springfield. He married, April 24, 1788, Sarah Huntington, of Windham, Connecticut, born about 1768, died November 22, 1841, daughter of Rev. Jonathan Huntington.
(VIII) Elisha Huntington Brewster, only son of Elisha and Sarah (Hunting- ton) Brewster, was born August 5, 1809, in Worthington, where he died November 27, 1878. The common schools afforded him his early education, and his early years were spent upon the paternal farm, assisting his father in the work. When he was thirty-three years of age, Mr. Brewster removed to the center of the town and there engaged in mercantile business, later taking his son into partner- ship with him under the firm name of
176
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
E. H. Brewster & Son. Mr. Brewster was a leading man of the community by reason of his strong mind and executive ability.
In politics a Whig, he was the repre- sentative from his town in the State Legis- lature in 1853, and again in 1858. For sixteen years, from 1852, Mr. Brewster ably filled the office of county commis- sioner, serving most of the time as chair- man of the board. In recognition of his services, he was presented with a gold- headed cane, which has been left as a family heirloom and is now in the pos- session of E. H. Brewster, his grandson, in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1871, he was representative to the Legislature, and served as a member of the Governor's Council in 1873. Mr. Brewster was a trustee and director of several financial and industrial institutions, and discharged his duties in a manner which brought him commendation. One who knew him well said : "He could not recall the time when he was other than the perfect gentleman."
Mr. Brewster married, August 1, 1831, Sophronia Martha Kingman, daughter of Isaiah and Lucy (Daniels) Kingman, of Worthington, who died March 14, 1879. (IX) Charles Kingman Brewster, sec- ond son of Elisha H. and Sophronia M. (Kingman) Brewster, was born June 11, 1843, in Worthington, where he died Sep- tember 30, 1908. He was a worthy son of his honored father, and held the office of county commissioner of Hampshire county. His business career began in his father's store, of which he subsequently became manager, and which he success- fully carried on for several years. Mr. Brewster had always taken a keen interest in matters relating to his home town, and was the author of a revised edition of Rice's "History of Worthington." In 1889 he served as a member of the Legis- lature. He was trustee of the Northamp-
ton Institute for Savings, and a director of the Hampshire Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He married, at Worthington, February 22, 1866, Celina Sophia Baldwin, born in Windsor, Massachusetts, daugh- ter of Chauncey Baldwin.
(X) Charles Huntington Brewster, sec- ond son of Charles Kingman and Celina Sophia (Baldwin) Brewster, was born February 14, 1877, in Worthington. He attended the public schools there and fol- lowed subsequent courses, continuing until he was twenty-five years of age. At that time he entered business in associa- tion with his father, which relation con- tinued until 1901. In the latter year, Mr. Brewster became interested in the auto- mobile business, and entered the employ of the Knox Auto Company. His work took him to several cities and it was in this way that he came to Middletown, Connecticut, where he now resides. There he entered the employ of a Mr. Caulkins, who was in the automobile busi- ness, and continued with him until 1909. Mr. Brewster had then acquired consid- erable knowledge, not only of the me- chanical side, but also of the dealing and selling end of the automobile trade, and in the above mentioned year started out on his own account. His first venture was on Washington street, Middletown, where he remained for five years. In 1915, it became desirable to have larger quarters, and with this idea in mind Mr. Brewster moved to the rear of the Pythian building on Main street. He has an ex- tensive repair department and a large space for the storing of cars. In the repair department there are seven men employed, skilled mechanics. In addition, Mr. Brewster is a dealer in the Reo and Studebaker cars. He is highly respected as a citizen, and among the leading busi- ness men of Middletown holds a promi- nent place. With his family he attends
Conn-10-12
177
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
the Church of the Holy Trinity. In poli- tics he sustains the principles of the Re- publican party.
Mr. Brewster married, in 1909, Jennie M. Johnson, daughter of August H. John- son, an old resident of Middletown. Their children are: Janet Huntington, born September, 1911, and Charles Dart, born August, 1913.
MILLER, William Radley, Physician, Hospital Official.
William Radley Miller, a leading physi- cian of Hartford, Connecticut, and a scion of an old family prominent in the annals of the history of the early colonies, was born March 18, 1873, in Schenectady, New York, son of John J. and Elizabeth (Rad- ley) Miller, grandson of Albert Miller, and great-grandson of John Miller. This Miller family originally came from Long Island. John Miller's wife was surnamed Boomhower.
(II) Albert Miller, son of John Miller, was probably born at Rensselaerville, New York. He lived there for many years, and also resided at South Berne. He was a farmer by occupation. He died in 1900, at the age of eighty-four years. The name of his wife was Sophia Bo- gardus.
(III) John J. Miller, son of Albert and Sophia (Bogardus) Miller, was born in Middlefield, New York, and died January 28, 1919. He went to South Berne, where he attended school, and was brought up on a farm. He continued farming until his removal to Schenectady, where he en- gaged in the contracting business for two years, removing then to Albany and fol- lowing the same line of business, which he rapidly developed to large proportions. He was interested in several other lines of business, being the first agent of the New York & New Jersey Steamboat Com-
pany, retiring from this position several years before his death. He also served on the directorate of a local bank, and was financially interested in other important interests. Mr. Miller married Elizabeth Radley, daughter of William Radley, of Vorheesville, New York, and Sarah (Van Dusen) Radley.
(IV) William Radley Miller, son of John J. and Elizabeth (Radley) Miller, was educated in the public schools of Albany, New York. Subsequently he read medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. William Hailes, of Albany, then en- tered the Albany Medical School, gradu- ating in 1898 with the degree of M. D. For over two years following his gradu- ation Dr. Miller was with the Hartford Hospital, of Hartford, Connecticut, whence he removed to Southington, that State, and there he still makes his home, with his professional interests for the greater part in Hartford. Dr. Miller has always made a specialty of mental and nervous diseases, and he has made an enviable name for himself among the med- ical fraternity of Hartford county. He is a member of the staff of St. Francis Hos- pital, as neurologist and psychiatrist, con- sulting neurologist of Manchester Memo- rial Hospital, and to the New Britain General Hospital, and is associate med- ical director of the Aetna Life Insurance Company. He is a member of the Hart- ford, Hartford County, Connecticut, and American Medical associations, and a member of the American Society of Clin- ical Criminology. Of the above second named association Dr. Miller is an ex- president, and he is also an ex-president of the American Prison Official Associa- tion. For a period of five years he served as physician to the Connecticut Reforma- tory at Cheshire. These offices in them- selves are sufficient warrant of the high esteem in which Dr. Miller is held and
178
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of his efficiency along the lines he has made his life's work. In March, 1918, Dr. Miller enlisted as a neurologist and psychiatrist in the World War, and was commissioned captain, serving in various camps, and was active in the service until May 28, 1919. Dr. Miller holds many fraternal connections, being past master of Friendship Lodge, No. 33. Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Southington ; treasurer of the Triune Chapter, No. 40, Royal Arch Masons; member of Temple Council, No. 32, Royal and Select Mas- ters; St. Elmo Commandery, Knights Templar ; Sphinx Temple, Mystic Shrine ; member of the Past Masters' Association of Connecticut. His clubs are the Hart- ford Club and the Southington Club.
Dr. Miller married Julia W. Andrews, daughter of Dayton I. Andrews, of South- ington. Her mother was Ida Elizabeth (Wheeler) Andrews. Dr. and Mrs. Mil- ler are the parents of a daughter, Eliza- beth Miller, born January 12, 1906.
WILLIAMS, William, Jr., Manufacturer.
The name Williams is of ancient Welsh origin and has become one of the most numerous names in Great Britain and America. In Wales, it was formerly Ap Williams, and it is worthy of note that Morgan Ap Williams, of Glamor- ganshire, gentleman, married a sister of Lord Thomas Cromwell, afterward Earl of Essex, who was an ancestor of the famous Puritan reformer, Oliver Crom- well. In this branch of the family herein described, the Christian name, William, has been given to each succeeding eldest son for many generations, and Wyken, a suburb of Coventry, England, has been the family seat of the family.
William (3) Williams, Jr., whose name heads this sketch, was born in Coventry,
England, November 20, 1860, son of Wil- liam (2) and Hannah (Lydall) Williams, and grandson of William (1) Williams. The latter was for many years general manager of the Wyken Colliery Com- pany, and died in that position between June and October, 1874.
William (2) Williams, son of William (1) Williams, was born in Wyken, and died at the age of seventy-four years in 1917. He remained in his native town until he was twenty-four year old, and was a coal miner. In 1865 he came to America, and in New Britain, Con- necticut, entered the employ of the Union Manufacturing Company, where he learned the trade of molder. In 1874, at the request of his father, he re- turned to England to become under- ground manager of the Wyken Colliery Company, of which his father was gen- eral manager, as previously noted. The latter died the same year, and Mr. Wil- liams remained in Wyken until 1879, when he returned to America. On this occasion he located in Manchester, Con- necticut, but after two or three years, re- turned to New Britain and to his old employer, the Union Manufacturing Com- pany, where he continued until within two or three years of his death, making a total service with that concern of thirty- five years. He married Hannah Lydall, and they were the parents of eleven chil- dren, six of whom grew to maturity. They were: William, Jr., of further men- tion ; Thomas, of New Haven ; Henry, of New Britain; the foregoing were all born in England, and the following in America : David; Mary, wife of William J. Wedlake, of New Britain ; Frederick, of New Britain. The family attended the Methodist Episcopal church.
The educational opportunities of Wil- liam Williams, Jr. were very limited. He was the eldest of a large family, and born
179
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
at a time when educational qualifications were not esteemed as highly as in this day. He went to work as did most chil- dren of mechanics, at an early age. He was only nine years old when he entered the employ of the New Britain Knitting Company, and after his parents returned to England, he went to school for a short time. At the age of twelve years he went to work in a coal mine, and after consid- ering this part of his early history and the success which he has made of his life, it proves that a young man possessed of the right qualifications, can succeed through his own unaided efforts.
Mr. Williams owes his success to no man; he is self-made in the fullest sense of that phrase. Always an ambitious youth, honest in every fiber of his being, through indefatigable industry he has made a place for himself. His attribute of honesty found expression, not only in dealings with his fellow-men, but in the quality of his products. These were the foundation stones on which his success has been built. With scarcely a dollar spent for advertising, and after having had only one or two trips on the road as his own salesman to get trial orders when he began business, his business comes un- solicited from satisfied customers, who have ever found quality of product, prices, and personal dealings all that could be asked.
When the family located in Manchester, Mr. Williams entered the employ of the Lydall & Foulds Needle Company of that city, Mr. Lydall being his uncle. Mr. Williams was in their employ from 1879 to 1883, and in December of the latter year, established his present business in New Britain. He manufactures needles for the hosiery and underwear manufac- turers, and sells direct to customers all over the country. At times he has em- ployed as many as fifteen men.
Mr. Williams married Celia Ann Case, daughter of Dudley and Ann Case of Windsor Locks, and has two children, one of whom is now living, Rebecca May, wife of William D. Braden, of New Britain.
BENCE, Charles A.,
Business Man.
One of the most enterprising citizens of New Britain, Connecticut, who, through his own industry and ability, has achieved the place he now holds in that commu- nity, Charles A. Bence, born in New Hart- ford, Connecticut, November 23, 1868, is a son of Gottleib and Katherine (Knell) Bence.
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.