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 59
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ducted a farm. He married Esther Robards. Joel North was a blacksmith and farmer, operating a small sawmill located on his farm until 1834. when he sold it and bought the homestead now occupied by Mr. Smith. He died there in January, IS55, aged fifty-nine years. He married Harriet Taylor, daughter of Jesse and Polly (Owen) Taylor ; children : Emily and Esther (twins), Harriet, Lester, Joel, Eben. Jesse Taylor was a soldier in the revolution, serving seven years. Polly Owen was also a descendant of Peter Brown, the Pilgrim ancestor.
Children of Hiram Alpha and Harriet (North) Smith: 1. Howard, mentioned be- low. 2. Gertrude C., December 28, 1861 ; re- sides with her parents. 3. Lester North, July 27, 1864; married, March 5, 1885, Lizzie MI. Phelps ; children : Winthrop Phelps, Novem- her 12, 1887: Madeline Gertrude, July 11, 1900. 4. Julian Hiram. November 16. 1866; resides at home. 5. Josephine Harriet, Au- gust 29, IS71; married, November 12, 1896, Burton A. Brooks, of Winchester, Connecti- cut ; child : Leland Trumbull, July 31, 1901.
(V) Howard, son of Hiram Alpha Smith, was born at Colebrook. August 25, 1859. He attended the public schools of his native town and the South Berkshire Institute at New Marlborough. Massachusetts. He has made a specialty of music and has been a teacher of music for many years. During the sum- iner season hie takes boarders at his beautiful estate at Colebrook, and this farm is a very popular place among the summer people. He served on the school board of the town for twenty years and was chairman most of the time. He has been on the board of relief of the town and assessor and tax collector, town treasurer and town clerk. For many years he has been a justice of the peace. In 1900 he represented the town in the general assembly and served on the committees on forfeited rights and congressional and sena- torial districts. fle is a member of the Con- gregational Church Society, has been its treasurer, and for more than twenty years its choir leader.
He married. January 26, 1886, Mary Etta Jones, of North Salem, New York, daughter of George and Harriet ( Banks) Jones. Their only child. Wyllys Pelton. horn January 28, 1890, is a farmer at North Colebrook; he married. September 2, 1908. Saima Winter : child: Dorothy Emma, born July 14, 1909.
Jacob Kiefer, now retired,
KIEFER founder of the Kiefer Furniture Company, of Bridgeport, was born in a small town near Strasburg, Palati-
1.
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nate, Germany, near the French border, Sep- tember 6, 1829.
Jacob Kiefer. Sr., was born in the town of Buichmuhlbach (meaning Brook mill stream ). He followed the trade of cabinetmaker and was the master builder and cabinetmaker of that place. He married in his native land a woman of German descent, who died in Ger- many, 1830, leaving two children, the only survivor being Jacob, referred to at the head of this narrative. In 1832 Jacob Kiefer, Sr., emigrated to America, accompanied by his son Jacob, the .journey in a sailing vessel covering a period of two months. He set- tled in Frederick, Maryland, where he re- mained for a time with his brother. Here he married Elizabeth Stern and in 1834 removed to New York City, where he conducted a prosperous cabinetmaking business, his shop being located at No. IOS Delancey street. During the cholera epidemic of 1849, which swept over the country, he was stricken with the disease and died in a few hours. He had four brothers. as follows: Michael, came to the United States in 1820: was a cabinet- maker, which line of work he followed in Frederick, Maryland: later he moved to that part of Brooklyn now called East New York. Daniel, came to the United States and lo- cated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1826; he fol- lowed the trade of tailor until his death. Peter, died in Canada. Adam. who followed the occupation of farmer, died in Frederick, Maryland.
Jacob Kiefer. Tr., attended public school No. 7 in Chrystie street. New York. At eleven years of age he entered the service of Benjamin Mooney & Company, wholesale hardware merchants. at No. 82 Pine street, as an apprentice. and remained there for four years. Possessing fine mechanical ideas, he commenced the manufacture of guitars in his father's shop, under the direction of Signor Bini, the finest guitarist then in the country. In the manufacture of these instruments he made everything himself except the strings. The superiority of workmanship and tone of his instruments attracted the attention of the musical public, and at the American Institute Fair held at Castle Garden, in 1846. he re- ceived the first premium. his competitors be- ing the best makers in the United States. In connection with this Mr. Kiefer relates the following. He carried his instruments in a glass case from his shop to Castle Garden. but owing to a misunderstanding regarding the time found he was too late to enter for the exhibits. But the managers, noticing his guitars in the cases and seeing that he was only a boy, inquired his errand and finally
decided that he be allowed to enter the con- test, where he took the first prize, as stated above. Mr. Kiefer still has in his possession the first instrument which he made, possessing a remarkably fine tone and upon which he played many years.
His father consenting. Jacob Kiefer, Jr., removed to Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1846, at the solicitation of Mr. Fenclon Hubbell. to work as a journeyman cabinetmaker. Here he conceived the idea of manufacturing fur- niture by machinery, and in 1850 commenced business on his own account in a small build- ing, and by the aid of steam power manu- factured furniture for his old employers. As he was among the early manufacturers of furniture by machinery, and as no machinery had as vet been made for that purpose, he was obliged to make his own machinery. In 1852, in connection with business men of Bridgeport, he organized The Furniture Man- ufacturing Company, and for several years was general manager. He later bought out their interests and built up the largest furni- ture business in the eastern states, employing over four hundred hands. From 1868 until he sold his plant to the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad for the site of their present station in IS94. a period of twenty-eight years, he was president and treasurer of this immense establishment. the goods produced being known throughout the country as the standard of excellence. Since then he has lived a practically retired life, but has done some very fine cabinet work for the Western Electric Company and other concerns. He is reckoned one of -the finest workmen in wood in this section of the coun- try, and in his home may be seen choice specimens of his exquisite workmanship in various articles of furniture.
Mr. Kiefer is a public-spirited and enter- prising citizen. Having been a member of the old Volunteer Fire Department for about fifteen years ( from 1847 until the paid de- partment came into existence), he was one of the first to suggest the use of steam and the organization of the present efficient paid fire department. but which at the time made him many enemies in the old department. He was one of the first subscribers to a fund for laying out Seaside Park and was its first park commissioner, which office he held several years. For a number of years successively he was a member of the common council, and in April, 1886, was elected president of the board of aldermen. He is a charter member of Seaside Club and has served on its board of directors. In 1862 he was made a Mason in St. John's Lodge and is now one of its
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oldest members. He is a member of council. chapter and commandery, up to the thirty- second degree, member of Pyramid Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. IIe is a mem- ber of the old Dutch Reformed church, and in politics a Republican. Mr. Kiefer has a very fine military record, having joined the Eagle Guards many years ago, being elected corporal, then first lieutenant. After the or- ganization changed its name to the Wash- ington Light Guard he was elected captain and served one year, when he tendered his resignation. He afterward joined the Con- necticut Flying Artillery and was made or- derly sergeant. which position he held one year, and was then elected captain of Battery A, consisting of six pieces. The company at that time were all merchants and promi- nent men of Bridgeport, and during the draft riots of 1861 this company was constantly under arms, and Captain Kiefer, for his own safety when going from his house to the ar- mory, was compelled to wear a pair of Colt's revolvers in his belt. At the expiration of one year, which covered the stirring times from 1861 to 1862. he resigned. He is the oldest German resident in Bridgeport, and during his residence there has witnessed its growth from a population of five thousand to over one hundred thousand, its present popu- lation.
Mr. Kiefer married (first). in 1850. Effie Jane, daughter of Gabriel Decker, of Newark, New Jersey. Children : 1. Emma Louise, married W. Henry Wilson, of Bridgeport : she died April 23. 1910; children : i. Alice. mar- ried (first.) Carl Macomber : ( second) Ben E. Moseley, of New York: ii. Natalie, married (first) Thomas Bassett and had two children : Louisa and Humphrey: married (second) William Douglass Fitch, of New London. 2. Hattie J., married William E. Burnham, of Bridgeport. 3. Frank W .. deceased : married Leota Saladee, daughter of George L. Weed. of Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Kiefer mar- ried (second) Mrs. Mary J. Cooper, Novem- ber 21, 1897.
The Hoy (or Hoye) family is of
HOYE ancient English origin, and has been prominent for a long time in county Suffolk. One branch of the family, now of Higham Lodge, county Suffolk, now or lately represented by Isaac A. Hoy. bears these arms : Vert on a fesse dancetté be- tween four horse heads erased three in chief and one in base or, three doves azure. Crest : a griffin sejant sable holding in dexter claw a sword erect proper pommel and hilt or. But the coat-of-arms borne by the Hoye family,
mentioned below, is thus described in Burke's General Armory : Or a unicorn rampant sable. Crest : A demi-lion gules supporting a long cross or.
According to the records of 1890 the branch of the family in Ulster. North of Ireland, was quite numerous. There were fifteen children born in Ireland in that year in Hoy families. Of these nine were of Antrim, and two of Downs, and all but two in the north of Ire- land.
( I) Sir Isaac Hoye, of the old Suffolk fani- ily, was born in county Suffolk, England, in 1715. He was a lawyer of distinction, who possessed literary ability and was a valued contributor to the London Times. Besides the estate in Suffolk he owned estates in county Antrim, Ireland. His uncle, Dr. Thomas Hoye, physician, poet, classical scholar and eminent writer of his day, graduated at Ox- ford in 1675. and subsequently became pro- fessor of physics at St. John's College of that university. Dr. Hove died in 1;18. Sir Isaac had three sons, all of whom were edu- cated at Oxford University.
(II) Thomas, younger son of Sir Isaac Hoye, inherited none of the estates in Suffolk, but was given for his portion the estates in county Antrim, where he settled shortly after his father died, before 1800.
(III) Francis, grandson of Thomas Hove, was born in 1828. He left Ireland when a young man. and after traveling on the conti- nent and through the United States. he set- tled in 1848 at Poughkeepsie, New York, but soon afterward went to New Haven. Con- necticut. He became a prominent, progressive and honorable business man. He married Elizabeth Mary McGrail, of Boston, who died in 1873, aged forty-one years. He died in 1876. They had seven children.
It is tradition that the MeGrails came from the Highlands of Scotland to the North of Ireland as far back as the sixth century, and Elizabeth was descended from a long line of wealthy merchants and land owners in Inniskillen. According to the family, the name of Stephen, her father, descended for many generations with the family fortune and estate. Her father, who was a philanthropist. gave most of his great fortune to relieve the poor of Inniskillen during the memorable fam- ine of 1848. The family has produced some prominent merchants, lawyers and clergymen. Thomas McGrail, an attorney of San Fran- cisco, California, and the Rev. John McGrail. a Roman Catholic priest of Brattleborough, Vermont, were descendants also of this fam- ily. Stephen McGrail married Honor Ma- guire, a descendant of Lord Arthur Maguire,
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a leading spirit in the Irish revolution of 1690, through his second son. Sir John Ma- guire, who was her great-grandfather. Syl- vester Magnire, father of Honor, lost his for- tune through his participation in the rebellion of 1798: he married a sister of Bishop Me- Govern, of Glynn Govern, Ireland. Many of the Maguire family took holy orders, notably Thomas Maguire, who won several public de- bates with various famous divines of the Church of England.
( IV) Stephen M. Hove, son of Francis Hoye, was born at Mount Carmel, New Haven county, Connecticut, July 19. 1860. He at- tended the public schools and Mount Carmel Academy, and studied also under a private tutor. He was naturally gifted with skill in mechanics, and made a specialty of mechanical drawing and engineering. He entered the employ of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in the model room and assisted in making the new model S6. rifle magazine. used on the Winchester shotgun. He left this concern to engage in the study of law at Yale Law School. In 18844 he accepted the posi- tion of superintendent of the Cheshire Watch Works. where he remained for a year. He then returned to the law school and was grad- uated in 1888. He began to practice in New Haven. Connecticut, in the office of Judge Sheldon. After a year there he came to New York City and opened an office in the Evening Post building. A year later he removed to No. 2 Wall street, and also established a branch office in Brooklyn. In 1894 he dis- continued the Wall street office. and since then has made his headquarters in Brooklyn. He has made a specialty of corporation prac- tice, and takes rank among the most com- petent lawyers in the city in that line of work. He has for clients many large business and railroad companies. IIe also does an exten- sive business in real estate. He is director and counsel of the Union Bank of Brooklyn : president and director of the New Jersey & Staten Island Junction Railroad Company : one of the owners of the M. E. Moore Bronze & Plate Company. the office of which is in New York City and factory in Kingston, New York : vice-president. counsel and stockholder of the Staten Island Title Guarantee Com- pany ; and a stockholder in the Medina Manu- facturing Company, the John T. Hunter Com- pany, and the American Spirometer Company. He organized and is president of the New Jersey & Staten Island Junction Railroad Terminal Company, incorporated for $10,000 .- 000. The company plans to construct a tunnel from all the railroads which now have termi- nals on tlie eastern shore of New Jersey to
Brooklyn. The charter of the company was granted by Congress in 1802. but was not acted upon until Mr. Hoye took charge. Eras- tus Wyman. Sr .. president of the Mutual Mer- cantile Agency, originated the undertaking and began work in 1886 and secured the char- ter and franchise. Mr. Hove and family are members of St. Xavier Catholic Church of Brooklyn. In politics he is a Democrat. and was for two years president of the First Ward Democratic Club. He is a member of the Montauk Club. the American and Interna- tional Bar Associations, and of the Yale Alumi- ni Association. Mr. Hoye married, June 24. 1801. Rose C. Kerrin, daughter of Dennis C. Kerrin, of Litchfield. Connecticut, graduate of the Packard Institute. Brooklyn. Children : Stephen Russell Moore, Wilbur Grant, Ste- phen MI., Jr.
The stirname Bierce is also BIERCE spelled Bearce and Bearse. Possibly it is the same as Beers, as the families appear often in the same lo- calities, and the same spelling appears for each family, following the habits of the early clerks in making as many variations as pos- sible in spelling proper names.
(I) Austin or Augustine Bierce (or Bearse ). the immigrant ancestor of this fam- ily, came from England in the ship "Confi- dence." of London, from Southampton, in April. 1638. He was then twenty years old. He came to Barnstable. Massachusetts, with the first settlers in 1639. His house lot. con- taining twelve acres of very rocky land. was in the westerly part of the east parish and va- bounded westerly by land of John Crocker and easterly by land of Isaac Robinson. He had also six acres in the calves' pasture, the best soil of the town, eight acres of planting land on the north side of Shoal pond and thirty aeres on Indian pond. He was ad- mittell a freeman, May 3. 1652, was a grand juror in 1653. and surveyor of highways in 1674. He joined Mr. Lothrop's church, April 20. 1643. and his name stands at the head of the list, being the first to join after re- moving to Barnstable. He was very pious. and without exception his children were hap- tized the Sunday following birth. Joseph. horn on Sunday, was carried the same day two miles and baptized in church. It was then believed that children dying tinbaptized were lost. Mr. Lothrop was in many ways liberal. but he held to the belief in infant damnation. Bierce was a farmer. His house was on the north side of the road, and at last accounts the cellar and remains of an orchard marked the site. He was living in 1686. but
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died before 1607. A road from bis house to Hyannis is still called Bearse's Way. blis grandsons settled in Hyannis. Children, born at Barnstable: Mary, baptized May 6, 1643; Martha, baptized May 6. 1043: Priscilla, bonn March 10. 1643-44; Sarah, March 28, 1646; Abigail, December 18, 1647: Hannah, No- vember 16, 1649: Joseph. January 25, 1651- 52; Ilester. October 2, 1653; Lydia, Septem- ber, 1655 : Rebecca, September, 1657; James. mentioned below.
(II) James Bierce (or Bearse) was born near the end of July, in 1660, at Barnstable. Massachusetts. He was admitted a towns- man in his native place in 1083. aged twenty- three. In the division of the meadows in 1694 he had four acres, and in the final division of 1697 as many more. In the division of the common lands in 1703 his name does not appear. He removed to Halifax, Massachu- setts, where liis descen lants have been numer- ous : Children : James, mentioned below ; John, marriedl Sarah -, and had a large family at Halifax: Andrew. married. 1736, at Bridgewater, Margaret Dawes, and had a large family at Halifax : Joseph, married Han- nah Holmes: Austin ( :) (perhaps grandson ), married Hannah, and had a large family. Hezekiah (son or grandson). married, July 23, 1752, Deborah Sturtevant. of Halifax, and had four or more children at Halifax.
( III) James (2). son of James (1) Bierce. was born about 1685-90. He must have been living in 1741, for his son was called "Jr.". when he married in that year. We find the records of three children of James and Abia at Halifax: Asa, born June 14, 1736: Con- sider, April 15, 1738: Rebecca, December 9, 1742. . There were doubtless several other children.
(IV) James (3), son of James (2) Bierce, was born at Halifax, or vicinity. about 1710. Tamnes. Jr., married, April 2, 1741, at Halifax, Mary Bumpas, of Middleborough. He may have lived there for a time. The "History of Cornwall, Connecticut" (p. 273) states that the settler, James Bierce, came from eastern Massachusetts. probably Pembroke (near Halifax), about 1739. and settled on the road east of the Burnham place. afterwards Corn- wall Bridge. From him are descended the later Peter Bierce, a prominent business man and politician, and James Bierce, of Cornwall Bridge. James. William, Ezekiel. Nathan and Stephen Bierce were in the revolution. from Cornwall or vicinity. In 1700, according to the first eensus, all the family was living in Cornwall. The heads of family were Austin, Isaiah, James. Joseph. James, Jr .. and Heze- kiah. Sons of James were: James, who had
in 1790 three sons over sixteen and four fe- males in his family ; Hezekiah, with three sons over sixteen and one under that age and five females; Joseph, mentioned below: Aus .. tin (?). had four males over sixteen, one under that age and three females.
(\') Joseph, son of James (3) Bierce, was born about 1740, and lived at Cornwall and Sharon, Connecticut.
(VI) Heman, son or nephew of Joseph Bierce, was born about 1777, probably at Corn- wall. He settled in Sharon, where he owned a farm. He spent his last years with his son Hiram at New Hartford, Connecticut, and. died there about 1857, aged eighty years. He married Naney Whitcomb, born at Cornwall Bridge, 1783, died at Sharon, 1843, aged sixty years. Children : Laura: Emeline ; Hiram, mentioned below; Ralph; Joseph ; Austin. and Sarah Ann.
(VII) Hiram, son of Heman Bierce, was born at Sharon, in 1807. and died at New Hartford, in 1883. He had a common school education. For some years he followed farm- ing at Sharon and afterward at Harwinton. He had a dairy of thirty cows and was a well-to-do farmer. In 1870 he removed to New Hartford, where he followed farming three years and then established a general store, which he conducted for ten years, con- tinuing in business to the time of his death. He married, October 20. 1830, Mary Cook. of Salisbury, who was born at Salisbury. Au- gust, 1807, and died in Torrington, 1854, daughter of Henry Cook, who came fromn Torrington to Salisbury, and Hannah (Bowen) Cook, of Farmington, Connecticut. Children: 1. Hannah Silvia. born 1832: lives at Torrington : widow of Henry Scoville. 2. Mary Jane. born 1833: married Baldwin Reed, of Sharon. 3. Charlotte, 1835 : lives at Torrington, widow of Charles Perkins. 4. Ralph, 1837. 5. Wealthy Ann. married Henry Catlin, of Torrington. 6. Alexander, men- tioned below. 7. Harriet, born 1842: mar- ried Ephraim Tucker, of Mansfield. Connecti- cuit. 8. Nancy, 1844: lives at Torrington; married Timothy Tucker. o. Octavia. 18.15 : lives at Torrington : married William Good- win. 10. Adeline, died in infancy.
(VIII ) Alexander, son of Hiram Bierce, was born at Sharon, May 15, 18440, and died at Newfield. in the town of Torrington, in February. 1894. He was educated in the public schools. He enlisted in the Nineteenth Connecticut Regiment in the civil war and served about two years. He settled in Salis- bury. Connecticut, after returning from the war, and afterward removed to Newfield. where he followed farming until he died. He
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owned large farms in Salisbury and Torring- one of the most accomplished artists of his ton and had an extensive dairy business. He time. was also a successful stock raiser and pros- pered in business. He married (first) Sarah Morse, of Bantam, in the town of Litchfield, Connecticut : (second ) Laura Jane Loomis Marshall, a widow, born at Newfield. May 31, 1846, died December 20, 1903. daughter of Emery Loomis and Laura (Lyman) Loomis. Children of first wife: 1. Edward Hiram, born 1862; lives on the Lorrin North place at Newfield : married Lena Lyman, of New Hartford ; children : Alexander and Dor- othy. 2. Elson, farmer at Torrington : mar- ried Etta Clark ; children: Jane, Edward, Effie. Jean, Mary, Elson, Emery and Leman. Childl of second wife : 3. Emery Loomis, men- tioned below.
(IX) Emery Loomis. son of Alexander Bierce, was born at Newfield. May 17, 1882. and was educated there in the public schools and at Winsted. Connecticut, and in the Rob- bins School at Norfolk, Connecticut, where he was graduated after a course of four years in the class of 1002. He has resided in Winchester Center since 1903. He owns much real estate, which is in charge of a superintendent, and he is not in active busi- ness. He built his present residence in 1993. He is a member of Winchester Grange, No. 74, Patrons of Husbandry. He married. Sep- tember 2, 1903. Lilian Marvin, born at Cole- brook, Connecticut, October 26. ISSI, daugh- ter of Eugene and Mary Marvin : at her mar- riage she was residing in Norfolk. They have one child. Ralph Loomis. born in Win- chester Center, September 4. 1905.
JARVIS The name of Jarvis is French. the original name being Gervais. The ancient seat of the family was at Bretagne, France, and the first name found is Jean Gervais, who lived about 1400. In a work entitled "The Norman People, and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States of America" appears the name of Richard Gervasius. of Normandy, who lived as early as the year 1180. The name has been gradually changed from Gervasius, Gervais. Jervis. Jarvie to 'Jarvis. It has been enrolled in almost all the learned professions and pursuits of life. Among those who have helped to make it illustrious may be mentioned Earl St. Vin- cent, Sir John Jervis. British admiral, whose fame, good name and unspotted character gave him a place in Westminster Abbey : John Wesley Jarvis, portrait painter, born 1780, South Shields-on-Tync. England. died Jan- uary 12, 1840, nephew of John Wesley, and
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