Genealogical and family history of the state of Connecticut, a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Volume IV, Part 57

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Clement, E. H. (Edward Henry), 1843- joint ed. cn; Hart, Samuel, 1845-1917, joint ed; Talcott, Mary Kingsbury, 1847-1917, joint ed; Bostwick, Frederick, 1852- , joint ed; Stearns, Ezra Scollay, 1838-1915, joint ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1178

USA > Connecticut > Genealogical and family history of the state of Connecticut, a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Volume IV > Part 57

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).

(V) Rev. John (2) Wightman, son of Rev. Valentine Wightman, was born at Groton, Connecticut, June 8. 1723, died in Southiing- ton. April 14. 1781. He joined the church early in life and became deacon of the Baptist church. July 20. 1756. and was ordained as preacher, June 15, 17:2. He became inter- ested in the work of Whitfield, the Evange- list, whom he heard and he devoted himself mainly to evangelistic work and itinerant preaching. He had a farm in Southington. According to tradition he was in poor health. but a man of much fervor and energy. He

had the town burying ground laid out not far from his house and he was the first to be buried there. On his gravestone is the fol- lowing :

"The servant of the lord most high Sent with the gospel from the sky In dreary shades of lonesome night To spread the grace of heavenly light."

He was a devout Christian of amiable man- ners. During his pastorate at Southington there were but a dozen Baptist families in the town. He was the second pastor. Notwith- standing the smallness of the parish, the church was maintained bravely. He married (first), November 9. 1752, Mary Stoddard; (second ) Content Marks. Children: Valen- tine. mentioned below : Jonathan Stoddard; Eunice, married Samuel Atkins; Esther, mar- ried Joel Brockett.

(VI) Valentine (2), son of Rev. John (2) Wightman, was born in Southington. 1762, died March 24, 1817. He lived at Southing- ton not far from his father on West Moun- tain road. He was a minuteman in the revo- lution. He married, October 20, 1790, Saralı Tinker, of New London. She married (sec- ond ). December 6, 1838, Jesse Thorp : she died December 10, 1840, aged sixty-seven years. Children, born at Southington: Emma. May 7. 1792; Jolin, November 21, 1793: Murray, August 20, 1796: James, March 25. 1798; Roger. July 4. 1802: William, January 17, 1807: Charles. September 4, 1808: Charles Gerry, mentioned below.

(VII) Charles Gerry, son of Valentine (2) Wightman. was born January 28, IS13, at Southington, died December 7. 1868. He was a commission merchant in Philadelphia, Fenn- sylvania. In politics he was a Republican ; in religion a Baptist. He married. April 10, 1854. in Bristol, Connecticut, Jane A. Par- ker. died December 7. 1868. in Philadelphia, daughter of Harvey and Hannah ( Hall) Parker. Children, born in Philadelphia : Charles Henry, mentioned below: Edward Guy, January 20. 1860: John Guy, September 4. 1861.

(VIII) Charles Henry, son of Charles Gerry Wightman, was born at Philadelphia. February 6, 1855. died February 0, 1882. He was educated in the public schools. He was engaged for some years in the insurance busi- ness in Philadelphia, and afterwards was a grain dealer in Bristol. In politics he was a Republican. He was a member of the Congre- gational church. He married, at Bristol, De- cember 1. 1880, Ellen ( Nellie) Smith Birge, born at Bristol. August 12. 1855. daughter of Nathan Loomis and Adaline Morton (Smith) Birge. Her father was a manufac-

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turer of knit underwear, vice-president and one of the original corporators of the National Bank, vice-president of the Bristol Water Company, trustee of the savings bank, member of the school board. Mrs. Wightman had brothers: John, Frederick Morton and George Wallace Birge.

A Prussian nobleman by the

PEWTRESS name of Pewtressi, becom- ing involved in a political strife in the year 1700, sent his wife and two children to England to insure their safety. Like so many others during that crisis, he lost his life. His widow and children re- mained in London: Children : Millicent, married John Barber. Esq .. a barrister of Lin- coln's Inn; no children: Thomas, mentioned below.

(II) Thomas Pewtressi, son of the ill-fated Prussian, lived in London and doubtless died there. He married Millicent Barber, an Eng- lish girl. Children : Thomas, married. against the wishes of his family, the daughter of a parish beadle, went to Australia and prospered : John Barber. mentioned below : daughter.

(III) Rev. Jolin Barber Pewtressi, or Pew- tress, as his name was spelled after, had by payment of five hundred pounds secured the change legally under act of parliament. He lived in Northampton, England, and afterward at Hackney, in London. where he kept a tor shop. He was educated for the ministry in the Baptist denomination and was zealous in the work, sometimes walking many miles in order to preach to a poor congregation. After he retired from commercial life he settled at Lewes, county Sussex, where a few years afterward a Baptist meeting house was built. He was called to the pastorate and for many years preached there gratuitously. In an ac- count of the family written by his grandson. John Barber Pewtress, from which most of the facts of this sketch are obtained. we quote :

"Before proceeding any further. I will just say that our grandfather (Rev. John Barber Pew- tress) received from Mr. John Barber a large plantation in Antigua, which was willed from one John Barber to another, consequently it would have descended to me in time. for my father's name was not John Barber Pewtress, but John Pewtress, therefore that plantation in a direct line would have come to me. But circumstances alter cases and it did so in mine, for about this time the abolition of slavery had taken quite a hold upon my grandfather's heart, that he deter- mined to give up the plantation to be divided among the slaves for their support. Our grand- father getting along in years, and his wife being ten years his senior, he wanted my eldest sister Eliza to come and live with thein, for his wife

was getting very feeble. My sister lived with them till both died, but 1 almost forgot to state that they moved from Lewes to Camberwell, so that they could be near his son's family in their last days. After a few years, our grandmother died at the age of ninety-one years.

Children: 1. John, mentioned below. 2. Thomas, had children : Sophia, Samuel, Peach. Elizabeth and perhaps another. 3. Benjamin, by his first wife had Mary Ann. Catherine, El- len, Martha, Joseph, Edmund and Stephen ; by his second wife, Charlotte ( who married Beaty and had three sons who set- tled in Taunton, Massachusetts ). Sarah. Fan- ny, Benjamin Edward. Ebenezer (lived at Liverpool, England ), Josiah, and John Bar- ber, who settled in Canada west. 4. Elizabeth. married Moore: children : Mark Moore, died when a young man; Elizabeth Moore, died when a young lady.

(IV) John, son of Rev. John Barber Pew- tress, was born in 1776, in London, England, and came to Boston, Massachusetts. but re- turned late in life to Brentford, England, where he died. aged eighty-six. He mar- ried, May 6. 1804. Ann Shaw, who died at Brentford at the age of seventy-eight years. Children: 1. Eliza, born April 20, 1805 : mar- ried- Hunt and went to Australia. but disliked the country and soon returned to England, leaving one son in Australia, while another son settled in the United States. 2. Benjamin. December 15, 1806. died July 30, ISII, and was buried in Bunker Ilil! ceme- tery. 3. John Barber, February 25. 1808, mentioned below. 4. Ann. April 20. 1811; married Edward Norriss and has three chil- dren, who settled in New Jersey. He was the pioneer in the smoked fish business in the United States. 5. Ebenezer Benjamin, July 12, 1813 : had several children, some of whom were born in this country: he returned to England with his family: one son went to Africa in the service of the British govern- ment and a daughter went with her husband to India. 6. Thomas George. July 30, IS15 : his son Thomas lived in Cheltenham, Eng- land, and his daughter in London. 8. Milli- cent. February 8. 1819. died November 5. 1820, and was buried in the Britain burying ground. 9. Hannah. June, 1821. died August 31, 1821, buried in Stepney burving ground. IO. Joseph, born and died January 1. 1822. II. Millicent Mercy, born August 14. 1823. died January 2, 1824: buried in Britain bury- ing ground. 12. Millicent. August 16, 1825: married Rapkin and lived in London. England. 13. Elizabeth, October 7. 1827: married Woodward and lived in Chel- tenham. England : had several children.

(V) John Barber (2), son of John Pew-

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tress, was born in London, England. Feb- ruary 25, 1SOS. Ilc learned the trade of potter in England and worked in numerous cities there and in the United States. Ile first lo- cated in New York City, then in Athens, New York; then in Perth Amboy. New Jersey; later in Albany, New York, West Troy. New York: Canada. Olean, New York, removing thence to Boston, Massachusetts, where he died in 1894. at the age of eighty-six years. He married (first ), August 26, 1834. Mary Elizabeth Moore. Children: I. William Mortimer, horn April 4. 1836, died August 3. 1836, buried at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. where the family was then living. 2. Samuel Lester. May 13. 1837. mentioned below. 3. John Barber. April 3. 1839. died April 25, 1844. buried in the Episcopal churchyard at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 4. Harriet Eliza, December 23. 1841, died May 17, 1844, buried in the Episcopal churchyard, Albany, New York. 5. Joseph Fuller. February 6. 1844. died November 1, 1844. buried in Episcopal churchyard in Albany, New York. John Barber Pewtress married (second) Martha Glass. He married ( third) Anna Lewis, of West Troy. New York: one child, Elizabeth, born. July 16, 1843. married Elmer G. Foster. Children: Alice. Florence, Ralph, Dwight : they reside at 35 Pleasant street. Dorchester, Massachusetts.

(VI) Samuel Lester. son of John Barber (2) Pewtress, was born at Athens, New York, May 13, 1837. His father moved from Athens to Perth Amboy, when the son was about six months old. and later to Albany. Samuel L. attended Miss Hall's school at Troy and Waterman's district school there. He resided for one year at Jonesville, New York, then for two years with an aunt in Rochester, New York, and a part of the time attended school there. He then went to Olean, where his father was, and worked in a store for Mr. Stearns one and one-half years. He then returned to his aunt in Roch- ester, and sold literature about the station there for a short time. He also went to Albany, and to Boston, Massachusetts, where his father was, and learned his trade of pot- ter, serving as an apprentice for four years. He then went to Worcester. Massachusetts. and worked as a journeyman in the pottery business for eleven years, when he removed to New Haven and went into business for himself, continuing there successfully for a period of twenty-four years. He was a skillful craftsman, an expert judge of pot- tery, and built up a flourishing business. In 1890 he came to Bridgeport and organized a company for the manufacture of vitrified

sewer pipe, hollow brick and flue linings, known as the New England Pipe Company. lle was secretary, treasurer and general man- ager of the company. Ile continued for about ten years, when he sold out to the National Fireproofing Company, of Pittsburg. Pennsyl- vania, but was retained as manager for one year, when the plant was destroyed by fire. Since that time he has been in no active busi- ness, but spends his time in looking after his property and assisting his son. in the East End Coal Company. As a potter Mr. Pewtress ranked among the most proficient in the coun- try, and at one time, while working in Boston, turned out in two days, of ten hours each, forty-nine dozen "half gallon jugs" made by his own hands. He al-o mokled in clav. after coming to Connecticut, the coats-of-arms for the various armories of that state. Since re- tiring from business he has made his home at No. 215 Barnum avenue, Bridgeport. Con- necticut. He is an Episcopalian in religion, and a Democrat in politics.

Mr. Pewtress married ( first) at Worcester, Nettie Wyman, born at Stillwater. New Jersey. died at New Haven, Connecticut. He mar- ried (second) Abbie ( Shove) (Lyman ) Lane. who was widow first of Norman Lyman and second of Van Rensselaer Lane. She was a daughter of Sherman and Harrict ( Segar) Shove. Cyrus Shove, father of Sherman Shove, was a member of an old Danbury family. Harriet ( Segar ) Shove was born in Kent, Connecticut, daughter of Heeman Segar. a farmer. Children of first wife: 1. William L ... born January 6, 1840, in Worcester. Massa- chusetts: a coal and wood merchant at Bridgeport, his business being known as the East End Coal Company. 2. Mary H .. born in Worcester. Massachusetts. October 19, IS53 : married[ William Hauff. of New Haven, Connecticut, now deceased. 3. Edgar Ches- ter. born January 3. 1857: engaged in the laundry business at No. 60 Third avenue. New York: married Mary Frances Darby : child, Edgar Lester. born 1801. . Fred. died aged seven years. 5. Waldo, died July 30, 1909.

MOSELEY The names of Mandsley. Maudesley. Mawesley and Mossly frequently occur in England as the designation of places, but as a surname the prevailing spelling is Moseley. Mosley and Mosely. It is found in the "Domesday Book" under the denomination of Moleslie, which was then a retired hamlet. afterwards celebrated in history as the tem- porary asylum of King Charles the Second, where he lay concealed for some days after

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the battle of Worcester. Previous to the reign of King John, the principal estate in this hamlet of Moleslie had fallen into the hands of Ernald, a Saxon, who according to custom took his surname from the place of his resi- dence. From that time the family has been numerous and distinguished in England, espe- cially in Lancashire. The name may have peen derived from the Saxon words meos, "moss" and lev, "field." The coat-of-arms is described as "a chevron between three battle axes argent."

(I) John Moseley, the immigrant ancestor, was born in England, it is supposed in a parish in Lancashire. and settled in Dor- chester. Massachusetts, in 1630. On March 14, 1638-39, he was "admitted to the freedom of the body politicke," and June 22, 1638, he is recorded as the grantee of Thomas Kim- berly's house and land. Blake's "Annals of Dorchester," 1641, has a frontispiece show- ing his signature. with that of other free- holders, attached to a document making a conveyance of land to the town for the especial establishment and maintenance of a free school, in which he spells his name "Maudes- ley." He married Cicely - -, who died December 3, 1661, leaving a will dated No- vember 28, 1661. He died August 29. 1661. and was buried in the old burying ground at Dorchester. The memorial stone over his grave is of brown freestone, supported on a brick foundation, and is in a good state of preservation. The inventory of his estate was taken October, 1661, and was appraised at two hundred and forty pounds three shil- lings eight pence. Children: Thomas, 1636, mentioned below : John, 1638 : Elizabeth, prob- ably died young.

(II). Thomas, son of John Mosely, was born in 1636. and lived all his life in Dor- chester. where he died October 22, 1706. He was admitted to the church in 1658. and that same year, October 28. 1658. married Mary Cooper, daughter of Widow Elizabeth Bates Lawrence, formerly of Hingham, and Thomas Lawrence. deceased. She survived her hus- band and died April, 1723. The name of Thomas is attached to an important petition from the town of Dorchester, in the hand- writing of Richard Mather, addressed to the governor and house of deputies. assembled in the general court at Boston, October 19. 1664. Children : 1. Mary. December 31 1660, died December 4. 1661. 2. Increase. baptized April. 1663. 3. Thomas. born March 12, 1667. 4. Elizabeth, February 19. 1669. 5. Unight (sometimes written Unite or Uni- ty), May 5, 1671. 6. Ebenezer. September 4. 1673, mentioned below. 7. John. April 9.

1076. 8. Nathaniel, October 28. 1678. 9. Joseph. April 17, 1681.

(III) Ebenezer, son of Thomas Mosely. was born September 4, 1673, and died at Dorchester, September 19, 1740. while on a visit there from Stoughton, now Canton, where he lived for the later years of his life. From the town records of Dorchester, it ap- pears that he was constable there, in 1705, town treasurer in 1720, town clerk in 1721, selectman in 1719-20-21. In I711 he, with eleven others, agreed to build a wharf. at a place called Wales creek, on the condition that they and their heirs should hold it for- ever. In 1717, together with Edmund Quincy, of Boston, and five others, he purchased the water privilege on the casterly side of the Neponset river in Canton. with the intention of erecting a mill for the smelting of iron ore. They built a dam and erected buildings for that purpose. but after a time abandoned the attempt as too costly. It is supposed that ultimately he came into possession of the greater portion of this property as in I;H), Benjamin Everenden purchased seven-eighths of Ebenezer Maudley's heirs, of what was known as "Ye old Iron Works," and in 1753 erected building, for the manufacture of pow- der. The works were discontinued prior to the revolution, but their previous existence called the attention of the colonial authorities to the place, and they bought the privilege on the same stream just above the old site. and manufactured there the greater part of the powder that was used by the provincial ariny. Ebenezer Mosely married (first ) Sarah, (laughter of William Trescott and (second) Hannah, daughter of John Weeks, who died on the expedition to Canada. She died at Dorchester, March 27, 1747, aged sixty-nine. Children of the second wife: I. Mary, born January 14, 1707. 2. Santiel. August 15. 1708. 3. Hannah, October 29, I;It. 4. Na- thaniel, December 1, 1716, mentioned below.

( IV) Nathaniel. son of Ebenezer Moseley. was born December 1. 1716, in Dorchester. ( The town of Windham books say Deceniber 4. 1715.) He died in Hampton, Connecticut. March 3. . 1788: married, August 11, 1742. Sarah Capen, born July 21, 1725, daughter of Jolin and Ruth ( Thayer) Capen, and de- scendant of John and Priscilla ( Moline:) Alden of the "Mayflower" company. He moved to Windham, Connecticut, and July 9. 1761, was chosen deacon in his brother's church. He had thirteen children, of whom Nathaniel is mentioned below. and Rev. Elisha, born January o. 1766, graduated at Dartmouth College. in the class of 1700. was ordained and settled at New Gloucester, Feb-

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ruary 10, 1802, where he died, February IO, 1826.

(V) Nathaniel (2), son of Nathaniel (1) Moseley, was born in Stoughton, Massachu- setts, December 22, 1743, and died at Mans- field, Connecticut. in October. 1818. He set- tled in Mansfield and married there (first). September 20, 1768, Rosanna Alworth, who died December 31. 1797. daughter of William and Rose Alworth. He married ( second ). June 15. 1798, Esther Swift, at Mansfield. Children of Nathaniel and Rosanna (.Al- worth ) Moseley: 1. William, born at Mans- field. February 8. 1776. 2. Christopher, May 15, 1778, died March 16, 1788. 3. Samuel, mentioned below. 4. Mary, October 7, 1783. 5. Sylvia, died September 3. 1796.

(VI) Samuel, son of Nathaniel (2) Mose- ley, was born at Mansfield, August 16, 1780: died at Springfield, Massachusetts. September 15. 1864. He married, February 18, 1808, Polly Tarbox, of Coventry, Connecticut, daughter of Jonathan and Lydia ( Bill) Tar- box, descendant of John Tarbox, who settled in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1640.

(VII) Seth Hamilton. son of Samuel Moseley. was born in Springfield, Massachu- setts, July 19. 1826. He was educated in the public schools. He married. December 4. 1855. Sarah Jane, daughter of General Ben- jamin Ely Cook.

(VIII) William Hamilton, son of Seth Hamilton Moseley, was born at Springfield. Massachusetts, October 22. 1857. His educa- tion was received in the public schools. For many years he was proprietor of the New Haven House, New Haven. He is now living at Norfolk, Connecticut, having retired from active business. He married. October 28. 1880; Florence Chamberlain. She traces her ancestry to Huguenot and English families of early colonial days. Some of her ances- tors were of the "Mayflower" Pilgrim band at Plymouth. Children : Seth Hamilton. Harriette Chamberlain, William Hamilton.

HILTON The Hilton family is of old English origin. The first of the name in this country were two brothers, William, mentioned below, and Edward, who came over from London, with Mr. David Thompson. in 1023, to begin a plantation at Piscataqua. The place of set- tlement was at Dover Neck, seven miles from Portsmouth, in the limits of New Hampshire. They were all fishmongers by trade, and were sent over not only to fish, but also to plant vineyards. discover mines, etc. Exhaustive search of the records of the Fishmongers' Company of London by Charles H. Pope. in

1907. failed to reveal the names of the three men, but a tax roll of London, made in 1641, brought to light by Mr. Gerald Fothergill ( see New Eng. Reg .. LXI) gives the name of Edward Hilton in the list of fishmongers, with the memorandum "Newe England" after it. This indicates that Edward had certainly been in business in London and had continued the sale and shipment of fish at a recent date. No trace of his native parish or his ancestry have been found. He was the leader of the little plantation and received the patent for the land-the Squamscott Patent, as it was called, including what is now known as Dover. Durham, Stratham, and parts of Newington and Greenland, etc. The council for New England "for and in consideration that Ed- ward Hilton and his Associates hath already sundry servants to plant in New England at a point called by the natives Wecanacohunt. otlierwise Hilton's Point, lying some two leagues from the mouth of the river Pi-cana- quack * where they have already built some houses and planted corne. And for that he doth further intend by Divine Assist- ance to transport thither more people and cat- tie * * a work which may especially tend to the propagation of Religion and to the great Increase of Trade" con- vey to him "all that part of the River Pas- cataquack called or known by the name of Wecanacohunt or Hilton's Point"

"with the south side of the River and three miles into the Maine land by all the breadth aforesaid." etc. Possession was given in the name of the council by Captain Thomas Wig- gin and others, July ;. 1631 ( Sup. Court files. New Eng Reg .. XXIV. 2641. Part of this land was sold to individual settlers, part to the Lords Say and Seal and some to New England gentlemen.

Edward Hilton settled in Exeter after some time, and signed the petition of its inhabi- tants in the year 1642. That same year he was appointed by the Massachusetts Bay gov- ernment one of the local justices of the court. sitting with the magistrates on the highest questions and acting by themselves in cases not beyond certain limits. On account of this office, the general court held him to be exempt from taxation in 1660. He filled other im- portant offices and was highly honored in the colonies. In 1653 he had a grant of land comprising the whole village of Newfields. which was made to him in return for his set- ting up a sawmill. and a considerable part of this later grant has remained to this day in the possession of hi- descendants. He was selectman of Exeter from 1645 nearly every year up to 1052. In 1657 he was mme ot a

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committee of two from that town to meet the committee from Dover to settle the bounds between the two towns. He has been called "The Father of New Hampshire." He died early in 1671. The name of his first wife is unknown. He married ( second) Jane. dangh- ter of Hon. Alexander Shepley.

A possible clue to the ancestry of Hilton is found in the record of a suit brought in the Piscataqua court by William Hilton, April 4, 1642, respecting a payment to "Mr. Rich- ard Hilton of Norwich (Northwich )." Mr. H. F. Waters found a record at Wotten- under-edge, Gloucestershire, England, of the baptism of a child of Richard Hilton. "com- ing out of New England."

William Hilton, brother of Edward Hilton. came from London to Plymouth, Massachu- setts, in the "Fortune." November II. 1621. Soon after his arrival he wrote a letter of great historical and personal interest, pub- lished by Captain John Smith in his "New England Trialls" in the edition of 1622. His wife and two children followed him in the "Anne." July or August, 1623, but their names are not known. In the allottment of land, 1623. he received one more acre and his wife and children three acres. He was in Plymouth in 1624, but as his name does not appear in the list of those present at the division in 1627. it is probable that he had removed before that dare to the settlements on the Piscataqua. On July 7, 1631. he was one of the witnesses to the livery of seizin to his brother, Edward, of the lands embraced in the Squamscott of Hilton's Patent. dated March 12, 1629-30. On December 4. 1639, he was granted land on the other side of the river. and February 3, 1640. it was agreed at Exeter that "Mr. William Hilton is to enjoy those marshes in Oyster River which for- merly he had possession of and still are in his possession." He was made freeman. May 19, 1642, and that same year had a grant of twenty acres at Dover. In 1644 he was deputy to the general court at Boston from Dover. About this time he removed to Kittery Point, Maine. At a court held at Gorgeane. June 27, 1648, he was licensed to keep the ordinary at the mouth of the Piscataqua, and also to 1 run a ferry. He removed to York about 1651, and November 22, 1652, when the Mas- . sachusetts commissioners arrived there to re- ceive the subinission of the inhabitants. he was one of the fifty persons who acknowledged themselves subject to the government of Mas- sachusetts Bay and took the oath of freeman. At a town meeting held at York. December 8. 1652, it was ordered that he should have the use of the ferry for twenty-one years.

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