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 168
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I'd calmly bide that fateful hour, which soon must come to me
To break all earthly prison doors and set my spirit free ; And then at last when life is passed, its fitful fever o'er,
Dear old Rocklawn-my charming home-good-bye for- evermore."
[This poem appeared in the Geneva (N. Y.) Gasette. and the editor appended the following note: "Rocklawn is the name given to one of the most beautiful residences in Norwich, Conn., the home of a former Genevan. That ancient and beautiful city, delightfully located among lofty
hills at the confluence of three rivers, the Yantic, Shetucket and Thames, has won the sobriquet of the 'Rose of New England,' on account of its unrivalled natural beauties, its fine churches, and elegant private residences and villas."]
Mrs. Platt, since becoming the owner of "Rock- lawn," has made some very extensive improve- ments to the estate, and has built more than twenty- five houses and cottages thereon, opening up fine streets, etc. She is largely interested in real estate, and has proved herself a business woman.
HUNTINGTON. The Huntington family, from which the late Channing Moore Huntington was descended, is an old New England family. Simon . Huntington, who was born in England, married Margaret Buret, of Norwich, and while coming to New England died of smallpox, 1633, and was buried, it is supposed, in the Atlantic Ocean. He had three sons, Christopher, Simon and Samuel, who together with their mother landed at Saybrook, Conn. There was another son, William, who it is presumed was the eldest of the family.
(II) Simon Huntington (2), son of Simon, re- moved to Windsor, Conn., with his mother and brother Christopher. Later he returned to Say- brook, and still later joined the Colonists who set- tled in Norwich, New London county, where he became a deacon of the Church, and took deep in- terest in the new settlement. He married in Octo- ber, 1653, Sarah Clark, daughter of Joseph Clark, and to that union eight children were born.
(III) Daniel Huntington, the second youngest child of Simon (2), was born in Norwich March 13, 1675-76. He married for his first wife Jan. 3, 1705, Abigail Bingham, who was born Nov. 4, 1679, and died Dec. 25, 1734; she was a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Rudd) Bingham. Daniel Huntington married for his second wife Rachel Wolcott, of Windham, Conn. He died in Norwich Sept. 13, 1741, and his widow married, on Nov. 30, 1742, Joseph Bingham, of Windham, Conn. Daniel Huntington was the father of six children. (IV) Benjamin Huntington, the youngest child of Daniel, was born in Norwich April 19, 1736, and graduated from Yale in 1761. On May 5, 1765, he married Anne Huntington, who was born in Windham, Jan. 20, 1740, daughter of Col. Jabez Huntington. Eight children blessed this union : Benjamin Huntington was a lawyer by profession, and had the degree of LL. D. He was quite active during the Revolutionary war. In 1778 he was appointed on the recommendation of Washington, by the Legislature of Connecticut, one of the Con- vention to be held in New Haven for the regula- tion of the army. From 1780 to 1784, and in 1787-88, he was a member of the Continental Con- gress. In 1789 he was chosen to represent Con- necticut in the First Congress of the United States. He was also a member of the Connecticut Legisla- ture from 1781 to 1790, and from 1791 to 1793. In 1784, when Norwich was incorporated, he was chosen its first Mayor, and served until 1796. In
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
1793 he was appointed Judge of the Superior Court of Connecticut, and held the office until 1798.
(V) Benjamin Huntington (2), the third young- est child of Benjamin, was born in Norwich March 19, 1777. On July 21, 1812, in New London, Conn., he married Faith Trumbull, daughter of Gen. Jede- diah Trumbull. Early in life Mr. Huntington was engaged in business in Detroit, Mich., but returned East, and settling in New York City, became one of the most eminent of that city's exchange brokers. His wife died in New York April 5, 1838, and he married for his second wife Mrs. Mary Ann ( Kemp- ton) Wales, of New York, who died April 8, 1850. His death occurred Aug. 3, 1850, in New York. He had three children, all sons, Jedediah Vincent, Daniel and Gurdon.
(VI) Gurdon Huntington, born Nov. 27, 1818, graduated from Hamilton College in 1838, and was ordained a deacon of the Protestant Episcopal Church July 2, 1848, and presbyter April 14, 1851. He officiated in Rhode Island and New York, prin- cipally at Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., and Sag Harbor, L. I. He devoted much time to general literature and poetry. On Jan. 22, 1852, he married Sarah Gold Sill, who died in Sag Harbor January 31, 1858. On Oct. 25, 1859, he married Miss Char- lotte Marsh Sill, of Rome, N. Y., and they had one child, Channing Moore.
(VII) CHANNING MOORE HUNTINGTON was born at Sag Harbor, L. I., Jan. 4, 1861, and on Oct. 9, 1889, married Helen Barstow Platt, daughter of Charles B. and Olive Worthington ( Barstow ) Platt. Three children came to this union : Gurdon, born in Utica, N. Y., March 20, 1891 ; Olive, born Feb. I, 1893: and Channing Platt, born Sept. 14, 1894. Mr. Huntington died in New York City, Nov. 24, 1894, and is buried in Yantic cemetery. Norwich. He was literary editor of the Utica Herald.
Mrs. Huntington makes her home at Rocklawn with her mother. She is a member of Christ Epis- copal Church. She belongs to the D. A. R. at Norwich, has filled the offices of vice-regent and regent, and is now a member of the board of man- agers. However, her chief interest centers in her home and children, to whom she is much devoted.
WARREN RUSSELL DAVIS, M. D., physi- cian and surgeon at Volutown, Conn., was born June 20, 1838, at Palmyra, Maine. Dr. Davis is of English descent, his grandfather, Benjamin Davis, having been born in England, a son of John Davis, of England.
Benjamin Davis was a ship carpenter by occu- patien, and after he came to America located at New Bedford, Mass,, where he followed his trade and where he spent the remainder of his life, dying there. He married Content Griffin, who also die in New Bedford, Mass. Their children were : Asa. Obed, Experience. Any, Content, Benjamin, I- bella. Walter and George D.
Obed Davis, son of Benjamin, was born March
4, 1783. in New Bedford, Mass., where he grew to manhood. When still a young man he located in Fairfield, Maine, upon a farm. There he married and later moved to Bloomfield, where eleven of his children were born to him. Later he removed to Palmyra, Maine, where he owned a tract of 200 acres and in addition to farming became interested in stock raising. There he spent his days, dying May 15, 1875. ninety-two years of age. His re- mains were interred in the beautiful Palmyra cem- etery. Early in life Mr. Davis was a Whig. and he later entered the ranks of the Republican party, but he was no politician. He was reared in the Quaker faith, and throughout life endeavored to live up to the Golden Rule. Until the day of his death he had perfect eyesight and never was obliged to wear glasses.
Obed Davis married Harriet Webber of Sandy River, Maine, born July 30. 1790, a daughter of Stephen and Eunice ( Kendell) Webber, and she died in Palmyra, Maine, Jan. 5. 1866. The Ken- dells were of Scotch descent, and the Kendell Bros. were the founders of Kendell's mills. Mrs. Davis was a good Christian woman, and the mother of a family to whom she was, devoted, her thirteen children being as follows: Amy, born Jan, 30. 1813, in Bloomfield, Maine, died March 9. 1891. in Iowa : William Webber. born Jan. 1. 1814. died in Auburn, Cal., July 28, 1892 (he went to Califor- nia in 1851) : Eliza Ann, born April 10, 1810, in Bloomfield, Maine, died in Pittsfield, Maine, March 21. 1897 (she married William Chandler Parks, of Pittsfield, Maine) ; Warren. born Feb. 21. 1818. died in 1837: Clarissa, born in Bloomfield. April 20, 1820, died Feb. 20, 1839. in Palmyra. Maine : Mary, born July 8, 1822, in Bloomfield, was mar- ried in 1853 to Jonathan Robinson, of Palmyra. and died in 1857 in Palmyra: Samuel, born Aug. 12, 1824. in Bloomfieldl, was a stonecutter, and died in 1845. in Quincy, Mass. : Benjamin F .. born in Bloomfield. Nov. 11, 1826, died in April, 1800, in Palmyra, Maine: John A., born in Bloomtiell, Sept. 22. 1828, died Dec. 17. 1002, in Palmyra : Harriet Frances, born in Bloomfield, Sept. 20. 18.30, married C'harles K. Evans, a minister, and they reside in Madison, Maine ; Sarah Olive, born in Bloomtiekl. Sept. 20, 1832, died Dec. to, ISog, in Pittsfield the married Wilburt D. Fernham, of Hismont, Maine ) : Eunice M., born Nov. 2. 1834 in Palavra. Mane. married Benjamin F. Stevens, of Dismont. Mamie. who died Feb, 19, 1800, in Searsport. Maine. Wir- ren Russell was born June 20, 1838, i Palmyra, Maine.
Warren Russell Davis was born ten a farm, and grow up to work upon it, but the young follow from carl boyhood was comment by me bition, and toward it he bent every energy. He was determined to acquire an location IN other country boys he was allowed to attend the district school during the winter months, but his services we're required until samdown in the summer 1.
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
he was the youngest in a large and struggling fam- ily at first there did not appear to be much pros- pect of his ever obtaining the educational advan- tages he so craved, but he persevered and at the age of fifteen years entered St. Albans Academy, and later Corinna Academy. He subsequently taught school for eight years during the winter, continuing his farm work in the summer. In this way, by the hardest of both mental and physical labor, he managed to save sufficient to take him through college, and he entered the medical depart- ment of Harvard, in Massachusetts. However, he had scarcely been there a year when his boarding house burned to the ground and he lost all his pos- sessions, even his clothing and books, which had been gathered together with so much hard labor. This retarded his progress somewhat, but with characteristic energy and courage he worked until he had earned what he deemed necessary and once more resumed his studies, this time entering the medical department of Burlington (Vt.) college, from which he was graduated with the degree of M. D. in 1882. Immediately after graduation he began the practice of his chosen profession at Ex- eter, N. H.,. and there remained for two years, after which he removed to Connecticut and located at Canterbury, continuing there until 1888. At that date he settled in Voluntown, where he has since been attending to a very large and profitable practice, covering many miles in both New London and Windham counties and part of Rhode Island. Dr. Davis is a man of energy and determination, as a history of his life only too clearly proves. He is a member of the County Medical Society and is health officer of Voluntown, but while he is a stanch Republican he is not an office seeker. Fra- ternally he is a member of the Masonic order of Plymouth, Maine. He has long been recognized as one of the representative men and leading physi- cians of this portion of New London county.
Dr. Davis married, in Palmyra, Maine, June 18, 1868, Annie S. Rines, a daughter of John and Han- nah Rines, of Hartland, Maine, and granddaughter of John and Sally (Hight), of Athens, Maine, while she is a sister of the Rines brothers, the well known dry goods merchants of Portland, Maine. Mrs. Davis is a lady of high education, and her encour- agement and thrift have been largely instrumental in securing the success of her talented husband, a fact he is very proud to acknowledge. Two chil- dren have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Davis, viz .: Herbert S., born in Pittsfield, Maine, Sept. 3, 1869, was educated in New Hampshire, Centerbury, Conn., and the high school of Norwich, and is now employed by the house of Rines Bros., of Portland, Maine. Albert L., born in Amesbury, Mass., was educated in the Voluntown public schools, married Zelpha Bell, of Portland, Maine, where he now re- sides, he also being in the employ of Rines Bros. Both children are very exemplary young men, de-
voted to their parents and worthy of the careful training they received.
When a man is able to overcome almost unsur- mountable difficulties and educate himself as Dr. Davis did, he is deserving of unlimited admiration and his efforts should be emulated by the coming generation. From the time he was a simple farmer boy possessing no knowledge of the world and but little of books, he never allowed anything to dis- courage him, but worked a change which developed him into the learned, experienced, courteous phy- sician of today, whose presence comes like a ray of sunshine into countless sickrooms, whose advice is sought by those high in his profession, and whose many admirable qualities have won for him not only the warm friendship of many, but, still more, their heartfelt devotion. Such is the Warren Rus- sell Davis of to-day, a successful physician and loved husband and father.
BURROWS RIPLEY PARK, who has been engaged in the timber business in and around North Stonington for the past twenty years, is a native of that place, born at Clark's Falls, in District No. 14, Oct. 30, 1855. He is a grandson of Israel Palmer Park, who was also a resident of North Stonington and one of the most successful men of his day, leav- ing what was then considered a very large estate. He was a farmer by occupation.
Faxon Burrows Park, born Nov. 12, 1822, in North Stonington, father of Burrows R. Park, was a farmer, blacksmith and woodworker, and with the exception of a few years passed in New York, prior to his marriage, always made his home in Stoning- ton and North Stonington. He died in Stonington, March 25, 1893. He married Cynthia Ann Smith, born April 22, 1832. She now resides in Stoning- ton.
Burrows Ripley Park received his education in the district schools of his native town, at Westerly high school and at the East Greenwich Academy, his early training being practical and thorough. At the age of twenty-five years, having learned the wheelwright and blacksmith trades with his father, he went to New York City, where he had charge of the stables of a trucking firm, looking after sixty- nine horses. Subsequently he took charge of the Winslow place at Westport, Conn., for a year, and about twenty years ago he embarked in the business to which he has since given his undivided attention. He furnishes ship timber, railroad timber, wagon stuff, shingles, piling, etc. In the spring of 1888 he bought the Stephen Main saw and grist mill, in North Stonington, in partnership with his father, and later for three years his brother. Leander F., was associated in business with him. He gives em- ployment to from ten to sixty hands, as the business demands, and by devotion to the interests of his patrons, and systematic business methods, has met with most encouraging success.
B. R. Park
745
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Mr. Park was united in marriage, at Waterford, Conn., April 12, 1894, to Miss Rilla Eunice Perry, daughter of Almon Franklin Perry, of Waterford, and the young couple have ever since made their home in North Stonington. They have had two bright and interesting children: Ruby Rilla, born Sept. 27, 1896, and Burrows Ripley, Jr., born March 26, 1903. .
ANDREW HUNTINGTON MEECH. The Meech family, one of the oldest and best known in New London county, has a worthy latter day rep- resentative in Andrew Huntington Meech, a farmer of Griswold. He was born in the village of Pachang, March 15, 1839, son of Edwin B. and Sarah (Geer ) Meech, and grandson of Shubael Meech.
Stephen Wallbridge Meech, the emigrating an- cestor of the New London county family, came to New England, according to tradition, to escape the religious persecution rife in his native land. Family tradition further saith that his name was in reality Wallbridge but that he assumes his mother's maiden name of Meech. Again, it was thought by some of the earlier members, that the emigrant was one of the family which had its origin in Devonshire, England. Stephen Meech married in this country, and located on land at Preston about two miles cast of Preston City.
John Mcech, son of Stephen, born in 1694, mar- ried his wife Sarah, and settled two miles north of Preston Village, where he died, Jan. 13, 1782, at the age of eighty-eight.
Joshua Meech, probably a son of John, had a wife Lucy, who died Jan. 18, 1824, at the age of ninety-five. Their son,
Jacob Meech kept a tavern in the Meech neigh- borhood for many years, and himself and wife are buried near the tavern. Jacob died Feb. 21, 1847, aged eighty-nine years, and Sarah died Feb. 10. 1836, aged seventy-eight years. They had six chil- dren, the names of their sons being, Appleton, Jolin, Charles, and Daniel.
Daniel Meech married Amy Wilcox, a woman of great vigor and extraordinary beauty, with whom he lived on the old homestead for many years, event- mally removing to Canterbury. Their eleven chil- dren were : Hezekiah, Daniel, Thomas, Elisha. Aaron, Hannah, Any, Susan, Esther, Tamar, and one that died in infancy. Of these. Hezekiah mar- ried for his first wife Sybil Brewster. Daniel was a lieutenant in the British army and was killed in the vicinity of Quebec in 1759, leaving a widow and three children. Thomas, born in Preston, Feb. 22. 1749, died there Oct. 21, 1822; he married Oct. 5. 1760. Lucretia Kimball, born April 19. 1750. and died April 9, 1834. Elisha removed to Ver- mont, and became one of the richest and most in- fluential citizens of the State, his son becoming governor thereof.
Stephen Meech, son of Thomas, grandson of Daniel, and great-grandson of Stephen, the emigrant.
was born May 20, 1769, and died in his native town of Preston, Sept. 22, 1859. He married Lucy Bil- lings, born in 1755, and died Feb. 26, 1837. Their children were: Stephen; Wallbridge, born April 23, 1797, died Oct. 18, 1897 ; Harriet ; Sarah ; Lucy B .; Stephen Wilcox, born Jan. 25, 1804, married Anna E. Hyde; Sanford B., born Sept. 11, 1806, married Mary A. Allyn; Harriet L .; Noyes B .. born June 17, 1810, married March 11, 1860. Susan Spicer, and died April 23, 1877; Lucretia K .; and Eunice B.
The direct line of descent of Andrew Huntington Meech from Stephen, the emigrant, is traced through Daniel, who married Amy Wilcox; to Thomas Meech, born Feb. 22, 1749, at Preston, Conn., died Oct. 21, 1822. He married, Oct. 5, 1768, Lucretia Kimball, born April 19, 1750, died April 9. 1834, at Preston. Their children were: Stephen \\ .. born May 20, 1769, married Lucy Billings ; Gurdon, born March 29. 1771, married Lucy Swan, and died in February, 1854; Shubael, born Nov. 4. 1773: Asa. born April 20, 1775. a minister of the gospel in Hull, Canada, maried a Miss De Witt, and died in Feb- ruary, 1849: Cynthia, born Oct. 4, 1777. married Samuel Gager, and died in January, 1864: Esther. born Feb. 26, 1780, married Alexander Rogers, and died April 23. 1864: Charles, born March 1. 1784. married Cynthia Crary ; Thomas Miner, born Feb. 17, 1785, married Ruth Tyler, and died Nov. 23. 1823: Lucretia, born Oct. 27. 1787. died June 5. 1792 : Mary Park, born Aug. 22. 1792. married Jo- seph Yerrington ; and Lucretia, born April 30, 1790. married John Abel.
Shubael Meech, grandfather of Andrew Hunt- ington, was a descendant of the Stonington family of that name, and lived in the present town of Gris- wold, where he engaged in general farming. Ile was a Whig in political affiliation. On Nov. 10. 1798, he married Sarah Lord, daughter of Na- thaniel and Abigail ( Tyler ) Lord, and grand-dangh- ter of Rev. Hezekiah Lord, first pastor of the First Congregational church of Griswold. Res. Lord 1.15 born in Saybrook, Com., and graduated from Yale College in 1717. He was called to the Griswold church Oct. 23. 1710, and during his pastorale dis- played a rare devotion to the interests of his Back. an interest maintained up to the time of his death. June 23. 1701. He was a descendant of Things Lord, a native of England who came to Hartford with the very early settlers, bringing with him his wife, Dorothy, who ched in Hartford, in mes, at the age of eighty seven. Their children were born in England as follows: Richard. m 1011, Thomas. in 1610: Ann, in 1621 . William, m 1623 (who died at Saybrook, Conn, Mas 1. 10%, being the an castor of Key. Hezekiah Lord, abase mentomall. John, born in 1025 : Robert, i 1029 . Irene, in 102). and Dorothy, in 1031. Sambael Meech ched Nov, 4. 1830, and his wife Sarah che Nov 28. 18.30. Their children were as follows . Sarah, born Sent 4. 1700. married Silas Reade, of Lisbon. Com., and
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
died, Dec. 24, 1836; Hezekiah L., born April 9, 1801, married Mary Copp, and had three children, Sarah, Maria C. (deceased in 1880), and Mary E .; Lydia, born Oct. 16, 1802, married Aaron Stephens, of Norwich, had six children, Lydia, Dwight, Henry, Oren O., Lemuel, and Susan Ellen, and died Aug. II, 1840; Henry, born April 24, 1804, married Miss Burton, and died June II, 1857; Marianna, born Nov. 10, 1805, died unmarried, Oct. 23, 1842; Susan, born Sept. 25, 1807, died unmarried, Sept. 20, 1837 ; Shubael, born Feb. 21, 1809, married Miss Copp, and had two children, Charles E. and Anne E., the latter deceased March 5, 1861 ; Adeline, born May 2, 18II, became the second wife of Aaron Stephens, and had three children, Adeline, Charles, and Eddie ; Edwin Butler, father of Andrew Hunt- ington, born Dec. 12, 1812; John T., born July 30, 1814, through his wife, Rebecca, had four chil- dren, George T. (a leading business man of Mid- dletown), Susan, John (deceased in 1850), and Lydia ; and Dwight L., born March 12, 1816, died May 4, 1884. Dwight Stephens, the son of Lydia, took part in the John Brown raid at Harper's Ferry, and was hanged March 16, 1860.
Edwin B. Meech, father of Andrew Hunting- ton, was reared in his native town of Griswold, and in early youth learned the trade of blacksmithing. For about thirty years his little shop was the scene of constant activity, and he secured the most profit- able trade for many miles around. After closing up his shop he engaged for a time in the sawmill busi- ness, and during his entire business life lived in the village of Pachaug, where he died, Nov. 4, 1883. He was first a Whig, and afterward a Republican, and he was actively interested in the Pachaug Con- gregational church, in which he was a deacon from July 5, 1861, up to the time of his death. He mar- ried Sarah, daughter of John and Mehitable (Leon- ard) Geer, the former of whom served in the war of 1812. Mrs. Meech died July 10, 1882. She was the mother of the following children : Ellen, born June 17, 1837, is unmarried and lives at Groton Bank, Conn .; Andrew Huntington; Sarah M., born Dec. 24, 1840, is unmarried and lives at Groton Bank, Conn .; Mary L., born March 7, 1843, is the third wife of Andrew Avery, of Norwich, Conn., and has one son, Andrew; Edwin, born Aug. 2, 1845, died July 8 1871 ; Jane born Oct. 28, 1847, died June 15, 1849; Hezekiah, born May 4, 1850, died June 5, 1851 ; and Martha, born July 19, 1852, died May 19, 1853.
The entire life of Andrew Huntington Meech has been spent in Griswold, and he is among the prominent and substantial farmer citizens of his lo- cality. He was favored with good educational chances . in his youth, and not only attended the home school, but received instruction at a school in Topsfield, Mass. To his other creditable accom- plishments may be mentioned that of valiant soldier during the Civil war, he having enlisted, Aug. 17, 1862, in Company F, 26th Conn. V. I., serving about
a year, during which time he was present at the siege of Port Hudson. He was reared to hard work, honesty and thrift, which useful training has been of great benefit to him in later years. In 1867 he bought a farm of 130 acres near the village of Pachaug, but he has since disposed of a portion of his property, and now conducts comparatively lim- ited agricultural enterprises. He is a Republican in politics, but has never aspired to official recogni- tion. He was admitted to the Congregational church. in January, 1859, and has been a deacon in the same since Jan. 10, 1884, at present being senior deacon. For many years he has been an officer in both society and church, his wife, who united with the church by letter in May, 1886, being also active in promoting the welfare of the denomination.
On March 30, 1875, Mr. Meech was united in marriage with Elizabeth C. Reynolds, daughter of Ezri and Sarah (Kenyon) Reynolds, and grand- daughter of Stephen Reynolds, Jr. Erzi Reynolds was born Jan. 5, 1808, and died, Feb. 3, 1886, while his wife Sarah, was born June 10, 1817, and died March II, 1885. This couple were married Oct. 20, 1836, and their children were: Mary Abby, born Sept. 24, 1841, died Sept. 2, 1845 ; Whitman C., born in 1846; Mrs. Meech ; Abby A., born May 24, 1852, died Feb. 17, 1886. To Mr. and Mrs. Meech have been born three children: Abby Reynolds, born June 24, 1876, died in September, 1886; Grace, born Feb. 15, 1789; and Andrew Erzi, born Feb 23, 1882, a bookkeeper for E. H. Keech & Co., of Danielson, Connecticut.
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