Genealogical and biographical record of New London County, Connecticut, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the early settled families, Part 137

Author:
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1568

USA > Connecticut > New London County > Genealogical and biographical record of New London County, Connecticut, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the early settled families > Part 137

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(II) John Spalding, born about 1633, married in Concord, Mass., May 18, 1658, Hannah Hale. In about 1654 Mr. Spalding came with his father to Chelmsford, where he had grants of land. He was a soldier in Capt. Manning's Company in King Philip's war. He died in 1721, his wife in 1689. Their children were: John, Eunice, Edward, Han- nah, Samuel, Deborah, Joseph and Timothy.

(III) John Spalding (2), born Feb. 15, 1659, married (first) Sept. 20, 1681, Ann Ballard, of Andover, Mass., and (second) Nov. 18, 1700, widow Mary Fletcher, and with his family removed to Plainfield, Conn. His children were : Anna, Sam-

uel, Jonathan, Deborah, Eleazer, Dinah andVil- liam.

(IV) Samuel Spalding, born Aug. 5, 16 re- sided in Plainfield, Conn., where all his cufiren were born. He and his wife, Susanna, had: John, Jedediah, Abigail, Elizabeth and Susanna The father died June 9, 1749.

(V) Jedediah Spalding, born April I, in Plainfield, Conn., married Mary How 700, Jorn March 1, 1715, daughter of Samuel How Mr. Spalding died July 8, 1776, and his widowflied March 17, 1794. Their children, all born in fain- field, were: Ezekiel, Timothy, Samuel, As: Ste- phen, Daniel, and perhaps John or James, Je Miah and Lemuel.

(VI) Stephen Spalding, born Aug. 19, 754, married Feb. I, 1782, Sarah Keigwin, of lun- town, Conn., who was born in August, 175 and died Aug. 2, 1823. Mr. Spalding died Se 25, 1807. They resided in Plainfield, Conn. The phil- dren were: Nancy, Cyril, Joseph, Stephen, fiel, Lyman and Joanna.

(VII) Stephen Spalding (2), born Fo; 19, 1792, married March 6, 1830, Ruth Green, of ain- field, Conn., and resided in that town. Mr. ald- ing died in 1840. Their children were: Alf [. L., Henry J., Harriet, Chester T., Maria and St then.

(VIII) Chester Tilden Spalding was bor: flug. 2, 1837, in Plainfield, Conn., and his life ha been spent in his native town. He is now living n red, but during his active years was engaged in r road work, for over twenty-five years being an e ress messenger on the Providence & Fishkill road, Thich is now a part of the Consolidated system. [Mr. Spalding married, on Jan. 28, 1866, Mary E Rob- bins, who was born Feb. 14, 1845, daugh [. of George Robbins. Their only child, Ar bald Stephen, is the subject of these lines. The ther is a Democrat in politics.

Archibald S. Spalding was born Jan. 25 867, in Plainfield, and received his education in t dis- trict school, Plainfield Academy and Sch eld's Business College, at Providence, R. I., from hich latter he graduated in 1885. In January, 18 , he came to Norwich and accepted a position a ;lerk with L. W. Carroll & Son, remaining in their ( ploy until 1897, when he was elected first selectr/1 of the town of Norwich, and resigned his positic with the firm in order to give his entire attention the duties of that office, which demanded it. Hheld the office for three years, and soon after r ring from it engaged in the wood business, having aght out the business of E. G. Starr. He conduct the wood business alone as the City Wood Yar intil July, 1902, when he bought the coal yard of. . R. Jewett and the firm became A. S. Spalding Co. Mr. Spalding is a trustee of the Dime Savings ank.

In political sentiment Mr. Spalding is a :mo-

crat. His first poltical office was that of city lerk, which he held for two terms. During this tle he was elected as third member of the board of lect-

607

GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

n, ar s the ce, al 800 dida licar ne. St. J apter & ights rine. . 27, retar , B. served four years in that capacity. He elected first selectman, and was re-elected ne of these elections receiving a majority tes-the largest ever given a successful for that office. The town is normally Re- and he had a goodsized majority to over- cially he is a Mason, holding membership les Lodge, No. 23, F. & A. M .; Franklin No. 4, R. A. M .; Franklin Council, No. 3, M .; Columbian Commandery, No. 4, Templar ; and Sphinx Temple, Mystic Ie is also a member of Shetucket Lodge, O. O. F., of which he has been financial since 1890; and of Norwich Lodge, No. O. E. He attends the Broadway Congre- ional hurch.

Mr. nnie alding was first married, in Norwich, to Setchel, who was born Sept. 1, 1869, in rwicl : daughter of Charles F. and Hannah tarkw 1893 ther) Setchel. Mrs. Spalding died July eaving one daughter, Helen May, born 1892. Mr. Spalding subsequently mar- n R., daughter of Jedediah Maynard, of and by this union there is one son, Car- rn May 31, 1899.

arch d Lil rwicl 1 M., Mr.

alding is a pleasant man, popular among wide circle of acquaintances. He has a good ng business, and enjoys the confidence of nom he has had dealings of any sort.

1 gro with DW HT T. MEECH, for many years con- ted wh the mills, and later for fifteen years a iducto on the street railway of Norwich, is now ng th e retired. (I) tephen Meech, the progenitor of the New London county and vicinity, accord- ition, came to New England on account of ersecutions. It is also a family tradition rname was really Walbridge, and that he s mother's maiden name, Meech. Again, ight by some of the earlier generations of that he was one of the Meeches of Devon, He located in what is now North Ston- nn., on land some two miles east of Pres- Stephen Meech married in this country, eches to tr gious t his umedį vas t fami. glanc ton, City 1 his W hildren were John and Daniel. Daniel, twice married, moved to Canterbury, ın. le of his sons, Daniel, was a lieutenant in 1 army, and was killed in 1759, in the Quebec. Another son, Elisha, removed t, and became one of the richest and most men in that State, of which one of his overnor.

Bri nity verm uenti s wa: (II) tom

hn Meech, according to the inscription on one in the public burying ground, near villa : of Preston City, Conn., died Jan. 13, 1 eighty-eight years. He and his wife 2, ag

ah w e both of Preston City. Mr. Meech set-

L on a irm some two miles north of Preston City. (III "The oshua Meech, of Preston, says the author Meech Family," printed in the work on

"Henry Walbridge and Descendants", was probably a son of John. It is learned from an inscription on a gravestone in Preston that Mrs. Lucy Meech, wife of Joshua Meech, died Jan. 18, 1824, aged ninety- five years.

(IV) Capt. Jacob Meech, son of Joshua, married Sarah Plummer. He kept a tavern in the Meech neighborhood, north of Preston City. "In April, 1782, Capt. Meech, of Preston, in a galley from Poquetanuck, slipped into Fire Island Inlet, on the Long Island Coast, and captured three British coasters, one of which he engaged to ransom for £500, £150 being paid on the spot, and divided among the crew; but before the victors could get away with their spoil, several British galleys appeared off the inlet, retook the prizes, and, to pre- vent the capture of their own galley, the Americans scuttled and sunk her, escaping themselves by land."

Preston was so near to Norwich, and its military companies were so often united with those of the latter, that the names of its prominent officers slide easily into our history. Cols. John Tyler and Sam- uel Mott, Majors Nathan Peters, Jeremiah Halsey, and Edward Mott, Capts. Samuel Capron and Ja- cob Meech, were some of the patriots and soldiers of that town who breasted the first waters of the Revolution, and were afterward in the field during the war. Capt. Jacob Meech served at the battle of White Plains, and was wounded in the left shoulder. He died Feb. 21, 1847, aged eighty-nine years. Sarah, his wife, died Feb. 10, 1836, aged seventy-eight years. Their children were five in number: (I) John was the father of Dwight L. (2) Capt. Appleton was a seafaring man, and re- sided on what is now Broadway, in Norwich, part of his property being the site of the present Catho- lic church. He married Sybil Brewster. (3) Sa- rah died unmarried. (4) Harriet married a Mr. Ames, and died in Norwich. (5) Charles.

(V) John Meech.was born in Preston. For a number of years after his marriage he was engaged as a peddler of tinware, and traveled through east- ern Connecticut and western Rhode Island. He was a splendid salesman and commanded good wages. For many years he was in the employ of Conklin & Crowfeet, of New Haven, and later was in busi- ness for himself. He subsequently engaged in farming in the towns of Preston and North Ston- ington, and still later removed to Norwich, where he resided until his death, which occurred at the age of seventy-six years. He was buried in Yan- tic, Conn. In politics he was a Whig, and later a Republican. He belonged to the Baptist Church.

John Meech married Eunice Swan, of North Stonington, born Sept. 13, 1796, a daughter of Charles Swan. Mrs. Meech survived her husband, and died in Norwich. Of their children: (I) Lucy Ann never married; she died in Norwich. (2) Sarah Adeline resides at Norwich. (3) John M. went to California in 1849, later was in the steam- boat service from Providence to New York, and

608

GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

after that a policeman in Norwich, where he died. (4) Dwight T. is our subject. (5) Jane E. be- came the wife of Orlando J. Lamb, and died in Norwich. He was a successful merchant there. (6) Frances died unmarried. (7) Elizabeth was for many years engaged in the millinery business in Norwich, and became quite well-to-do. She died in that city.

(VI) Dwight T. Meech was born Nov. 21, 1823, in Preston, and there resided until nine years old when his parents removed to the factory village of Hopeville, in the town of Griswold. Up to this time he had attended the village schools quite regularly, but after this period he had only three winters at- tendance at the district school. When the family located at Hopeville the older children went to work in the mill, and it was here that our subject first be- gan mill work. His wages at the start were $2.50 per week, and the hours were from daylight to dark, both winter and summer. After residing at Hope- ville for several years the family removed to Volun- town, and there Dwight Meech hired out to the Treat mill as a card stripper, for $50 a year and board. Later he was employed in the Doane mill, at the same place. His father took all the wages until Dwight T. was twenty-one. In the meantime his par- ents removed to the Falls at Norwich, and soon afterward he followed, and was employed as second hand in the weave room in the mill there. While there employed he was offered the position of over- seer of weaving in the Doane mill at Voluntown, and was there for a time, having several hands under him. Thence he went to Hopeville, as over- seer, and later to West Thompson, Conn., in the same capacity.

From this point on Mr. Meech's history seems only a record of changes succeeding each other rapidly, but in each case the change was of ad- vantage to him, and indicated only that his services were becoming ever more valuable and more to be desired. Leaving West Thompson, he went to the Smith-Wilkinson mill, at Putnam, as an over- seer, and then for two years was an overseer in the mill of Milton S. Morse, in the same town. He left that place to accept a better position with the Ham- ilton Woolen Company, at Globe Village, in the town of Southbridge, Mass., and there remained for twelve years. When he left this mill the weav- ers presented him with a fine set of china. He then went to South Grosvenor Dale, when that mill was first built, remaining there until the mill at North Grosvenor Dale was completed and the charge of starting the first looms in it given to him. He remained there for several years, when he had to give up mill work because of his health, and he resigned his position there. When he left he was presented with a fine gold watch and chain by the weavers in the mill.

Mr. Meech then removed to Norwich, and for a year or so did nothing. After this interval he

went to work as a driver and conductor on le old horse-car line, and worked thus for severalears. When he resigned he did so to take char of a

weaving room in a mill at Packerville, a: later of a mill at Central Village. For a time tinued at mill work, and then gave it up sume his former position on the railroad, it until the horses were succeeded by el con- re- Iding icity. The total number of years Mr. Meech serve In the railroad was fifteen, and for that time he al raged fifteen hours each day. He retired from t serv- ice against his employer's wishes, but firn In his finger own belief that it was wise to give way to a man. Since that time he has lived retire Mr. Meech was a faithful and conscientious e ploye, one who had the fullest confidence of his ploy- ers. His active life was a long and busy (), and through it all he was emphatically a hard orker, and absolutely honest.

In politics Mr. Meech is a Republican, an while residing in Thompson he served as a tria fistice of the peace. He is a member of Somerset lodge, No. 34, F. & A. M., and belongs to the entral Baptist Church. He is remarkably well pr erved, largely owing doubtless to his temperate hal

Mr. Meech was married, in Norwich, tMary A. Martin, who was born in Kingston, Pa., daghter of Anson Martin, and died April 27, 189 aged seventy-four years. Their home was at Gre [:ville, but since her death Mr. Meech has lived on Union street, Norwich. Ida E., their eldest chil mar- ried Leonard T. Brown, a successful high chool teacher ; he died in Brooklyn, N. Y., and his fidow died at Greeneville, leaving one child, Frankin T. Charles Edwin married Flora Coulter ; he 's for many years connected with the firm of E :et & Meech, druggists, at Greeneville, and is n em- ployed in the drug store of Bisket & Pit er, at Greeneville. Jennie E. is the wife of Beri d R. Lilley, of Greeneville, and their children are ertha L., Bessie, Florence and Benjamin D.

WILLIAMS FAMILY. Robert Willia , son of Stephen and Margaret (Cook) Williar, was born in 1598 in Yarmouth, England, and ,rried Elizabeth Stratton of the same place. Aft mar- riage the young couple sailed from Yarmoi for America, in the ship "Rose," and landed New England in 1635. The wife died July 28, 16|, and Robert married Martha Strong, who died I | :. 22, 1704. He was a member of the Ancient and nor- able Artillery Company of Boston (1644), a died at Roxbury, Mass., Sept. 1, 1693.

(II) Isaac Williams, born at Roxbury, lass., Sept. 1, 1638, married in 1660 Martha Par who died Oct. 24, 1674. He then married Judith, ugh- ter of Peter and Elizabeth (Smith) Hur and widow of Nathaniel Cooper, and she died i 1724, while he passed away Feb. II, 1707.

(III) John Williams, born Oct. 31, 16, re-

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seffington about the, and warriet Jane Martha Wheeler. The death of John 0. 15. 1702.

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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

moved to Stonington about 1685. and married June 24, 1687, Martha Wheeler. The death of John occurred Nov. 15, 1702.

(IV) Col. John Williams was born Oct. 31, 1692, and married Feb. 19, 1711, Desire Dennison. who died Aug. 13, 1737. He then married Mary Helms, who died Dec. 20, 1740. He married (third ), on Nov. 21, 1761, Prudence Potter, who died Sept. 17, 1792, and he died Dec. 30, 1761.

(V) William Wheeler Williams, born May I. 1716, married Feb. 15, 1737, Martha Wheeler, and (second) Mrs. Mary Jewett, of New London, on March 17, 1786. His death occurred July 27, 1891. (VI) John Williams, born Dec. 23. 1744, mar- ried Sept. 29. 1765, Keturah Randall.

(VII) Capt. Elias Williams, born Sept. 3. 1773, married Nov. 27, 1794, Thankful Stanton. only daughter of Capt. William and Hannah ( Will- iams) Stanton, born July 22, 1774, and she died Sept. 8, 1861, while he died Jan. 31. 1800. Their children were: Hannah P., born March 6, 1706. married Feb. 10, 1817. Daniel Mason ; Harriet T., born Feb. 7. 1798, married May 14. 1821. Noves Ladd : William Stanton, born Jan. 23. 1800, married Emily Watson Williams: Joseph Stan- ton, born March 10. 1802. is mentioned below.

Capt. Williams was a sea- faring mim, and be- came a master mariner. Through his marriage with Thankful, only daughter of Capt. William Stanton. property decided June 2, 1656, to Thomas Stanton, passed into the possession of the Williams family.

(VIII) Joseph Stanted Williams was married Dec. o. 1824, to Julia Ann Gallup, who was born July 26, 1867, daughter of Christopher and Martha Stanton ( Prentice ) Gallup, and he die 1 Feb to. 1889, while she was killed by a runaway loose, bei 19. 1883. Their children were : Joseph, bom Den 11, 1825, die Sept. 11, 1834 : William S. Com Die 1% 1827, died March 10, 155, the was permet May 3. 1853, to Lydit 11. Chito , this, Long Jump 10, 1830. is mentionel below : Juli Am, Low his 20. 1832, married Oct 16, 1851. Sal 11 Tren of Mystic, Conu . Joseph Stuntatt. . both 1 1834. martiel Fhizab th ( Fede 1

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strength. He was he terctul no nesly an wielded great mihin . in

tional t hunch, ar l ne at tt mes ktive worbene Politically he wit An dil ilin Who - to the other at schetminin f lighet

ELLAS WILLryys was born Jan. 19, 1833. upon the home farm in Stonington, and gas elgatel in the district school. For five years he diedzel in the ment business, hot in isso, he embarke: in the lumber business in Cande Segmenth he batel at Dubuque, lowa, and stllater at St. Louis, Mo .. where he remained five of the fifteen years he was away from home. During the civil war Te wis mm- played by the government as wagon master im Mi- somri, Arkansas and New Mexico. After the War he was one of the surveying parts that accompanied Gen. Palmer through to Cahierita. In that he re turned to the ton of Sonnigen, and wasser fully engaged in farn ing myon the hone Ferro omtil his death, which occurred Jan. 31. Topp. con IN 20, 1885, he married Sarah Palmer, daughter i Randall and Mary A. o Hohves) Brown . Mr Williams was a very active niember of the Most. Congregational Church, of which he was a design. Mrs. Williams has been a member of the same denomination for many years.

For over twenty years Mr. Willauf severs chairman of the Republican town ofmine, and was also chairman of the Sentorial amfimittee In 150 an1 m iSgo he representel Stomington du ib State Legislature, being on the Military compete in 1850, and the conflitto . on Constateneat Ameri- ments In ISgo.

In November, ten, men the parte ment the Mystic Industrial Company, Mr. Willms 25yo two acres of his ancestral estate for the boston of

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610

GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

On Jan. 13, 1858, Mr. Williams married Eliza- beth C. Foote, daughter of Solomon and Margaret (Taylor) Foote, of New Marlboro, Mass. Mr. Foote died in 1882, aged ninety years, while his wife died in 1857, aged sixty-three years.

JOHN HENRY MINSON, a man most widely and favorably known throughout New London county, Conn., and a man possessed of a broad, sympathetic nature, social in his inclinations, and one who has a host of warm personal friends, was born Nov. 2, 1840, in New London, on Main street, son of the well known John Henry Minson.

The elder John Henry Minson was born in Brake, Germany, and while on a whaling voyage, the ship was wrecked and the crew cast away. Another whaler picked up a part of the crew, Mr. Minson among them, and brought them to New Bedford. From there Mr. Minson started for New London on a packet, which was wrecked on Fisher's Island. He was then taken on board a revenue cutter, under Capt. Mathers, which picked up the packet's crew. As Mr. Minson was under age, the captain took him under his especial care, and kept him until he was eighteen years of age, when he went to New London, and resumed his calling, that of sailing for whales, then so important an industry of New London. Still later he engaged with Will- iams & Haven, whaling merchants, and was in their employ for thirty-two years as general hand and store keeper. During this time he made two voy- ages to the Sandwich Islands with Augustus C. Williams, remaining three years the first time, and two years the second voyage. Later, he was with the Bartlett Reef Light Ship, and also in the revenue cutter service. After fifty years of active life in the United States, longing for the fatherland induced him to return home, and with his heart full of his youthful days, he made the voyage to German shores. Such a disappointment awaited him! His own family did not recognize in the prosperous man any trace of the young sailor of half a century ago, and he found the conditions had so changed, that he gladly returned to his adopted land, and he made his home in New London until his death, which sad event took place Feb. 26, 1893, when he was eighty-two years of age. In every way, Mr. Minson had identified himself with his adopted country, becoming naturalized, and joining the ranks of the Whig party, first voting for William H. Harrison. Later he became a Whig, and finally embraced the principles of the Republican party, when it was established. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and united with the Huntington Street Baptist Church of New London. His influ- ence, time and money were liberally given, and he was one of the pillars of that institution. Mr. Min- son married Elizabeth Ann Kelley, of New London, born in Sackett's Harbor, Lake Ontario, Jan. 3, 1815, the day before peace was declared in the war of 1812, and she died Jan. 23, 1866, in New London.

She was a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Wal- den) Kelley, both of whom marched from New London, during the war of 1812. The father of Joseph Kelley was a Methodist minister, and was exiled from Scotland on account of his religious principles. He came to Rhode Island, and during the Revolutionary war served gallantly, and was known as the "Fighting Parson." The children born to John H. and Elizabeth Ann (Kelley) Min- son were: Katherine E., who married George Brewster, of New London; John H .; Frederick, who died at the age of eleven and one-half years ; Charles, a teamster in New London, and a veteran of the Civil war, who married Fanny Rockwell ; Elizabeth Ann, who married James Chapman, and died in New London ; George, an engineer living in Brooklyn, N. Y., who married Kate Selleck ; Ed- ward, who died young; William, who died young ; Julia, who married William Goss and lives in New London; Louise, who married Wilson P. Mason, of New London, where they reside.

John Henry Minson, the younger, was born in New London, and was educated in that city. When still a lad, he began to work at the trade of a ma- chinist, and also worked at the carpenter's trade, and for about a year he also worked as a molder. When a young man, he was a brakeman and baggage master on the New London Northern railroad, running be- tween New London and Norwich, and holding this responsible position when he was only eighteen years of age. Following this, for about a year, he went on a whaling voyage and was gone four months, during which time the Rebellion broke out. He found employment in a nail factory in New London, and was then employed on the Propeller "Hudson" of the Delaware & Hudson Coal Com- pany for several months. His next place was on the propeller "Whirlwind," for one voyage, when he went on the "Charles Osgood." His next boat was the propeller "Parthenia," belonging to the Good- speeds, of Goodspeed's Landing, later on the "El Cid," of the same line, running in government employ on the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. During a part of the war times he served as first assistant engineer on these propellers, in which ca- pacity he also ran on the "Creole" and other vessels. Until September, 1866, he followed the water, and then as first assistant engineer of the Clyde Line steamers, was about the New York docks for two years. For a year he ran a grain elevator for E. M. Vantassel, when he became superintendent of the building of the engines in New Brunswick, N. J., in a flour mill owned by C. W. Remington, and later ran same, being thus occupied for two years. He was occupied in experimental work, the drying of lumber by steam, for some time, and later he superintended fitting over the C. W. Remington mill into a white lead mill.

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Genealogical and biographical record of New London County, Connecticut, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the early settled families, Part 137

Author: Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1568

Author:
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1568