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 81

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 81

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(III) John, second son of Thomas Scy- mour and probably child of his first wife, was born in 1662. in Norwalk, and died there be- tween May 26 and August 3, 1746. the dates respectively of making a codicii to his will and the proving of same. He married (first) Sar- ah Gregory, born September 15. 1678. in Nor- walk, daughter of Jachin Gregory, son of John Gregory, one of the settlers of Norwalk in 1655. His second wife bore the name of Hannah. Children ; probably all born at Nor- walk, and presumably of the first wife: Jolin. mentioned below; Mary, married Thomas Hanford ; Sarah. wife of Daniel Trowbridge : Abigail, married, November 5. 1720. John Selleck. of Stamford: Rebecca, married ( first ) July 6, 1734, Elijah Whitney. ( second ) John Bouton, of Danbury; Martha, wife of Samuel Jarvis.

(IV) John (2), only son of Joim (1) and Sarah ( Gregory ) Seymour, was born I;tt, in Norwalk, where he died. September 8. 1796. He married ( first) Ruth, danghier of Wil- liam and Margaret ( Arms) Belden. William Belden, born 1671, was son of Daniel and Elizabeth ( Foote) Bekien, of Deerfield, Alas-

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sachusetts, and represented one of the early families of Wethersfield, Connecticut. This branch of the family was a severe sufferer through the Indian massacre at Deerfield. Ruth Belden was born January 18, 1713. at Norwalk, and died there May 29, 1782. Through her line the descendants of john (2) Seymour are entitled to membership in the Society of Colonial Wars. She was also descended from Nathaniel Foote and John Deming, pioneer settlers of Connecticut. Jolin (2) Seymour married (second) at New Ca- naan, Connecticut, February 4, 1784. Eliza- beth Wood. of Huntington, Long Island. Chil- dren of first wife: John. mentioned below ; Seth, married Anna Benedict; William, born 1735, married, January 6. 1757. Lydia St. John; Sarah, married Ezra Hoyt: Martha, married, February 12, 1761, Levi Taylor; David, born December 24. 1744, married, Sep- tember 10, 1773. Luey Alvord: Ira. born August 31, 1748, married ( first ), November 14. 1772, Ruth Smith, ( second ). December 24. 1795, Jerusha Parsons; James, married, February 13, 1774, Rebecca Keeler.

(V) John (3), son of Jolin (2) and Ruth ( Belden) Seymour, was born in 1734, at Nor- walk, where he resided on what has been known as the McMahon place on West ave- nue. In 1779 General Tryon, of the British army, burned the old Seymour house and he erected what was intended for a temporary home, and died before completing the house he planned to build. The temporary house stood until 1896, when it was taken down. He died at Norwalk. November 22, 1786, aged, according to his gravestone, fifty-two years. He married Rebecca Keeler, who was living at Norwalk in 1700. Children born at Norwalk: 1. Jonathan, born July II, 1755: married Hannah Betts. 2. Samuel, October 20, 1768; married Lydia Hanford. 3. Ruth, October 16, 1760; married Augustus Sammis. 4. Rebecca, February 22, 1763 ; living at Nor- walk, unmarried, in 1811. 5. Sarah. March I, 1765: married Ebenezer Squire. 6. John. mentioned below. 7. Betty, October IS. 1770; married, December 1, 1,08. William Aspin- wall Cannon. 8. Martha ( Patty ), February II, 1773: married, January 1, 1797, Briant Stoddard.

(VI) John (4). son of John (3) and Re- becca (Keeler) Seymour was born in 1767. in Norwalk, and died in 1856, at Whitney Point. Broome county, New York. At the age of sixteen years he enlisted in the Con- necticut line of the revolutionary army. As the war closed that year and he probably did not get into action, his name does not appear in the revolutionary rolls of Connecticut. He

was, however, a pensioner in his old age. He was thirteen years of age when Norwalk was burned by General Tryon in 1779. In 1792, Jolin ( 4) Seymour removed to Whitney Point, New York, conveying his belongings with ox teams : there he acquired two hundred acres of land which he cleared and on which his grandson now resides. He was a member of the Congregational church at Whitney Point, and was a Whig in politics. He married (first) Rebecca Keeler, of Norwalk, and (second), after 1,92, Sally Stoddard. He was the father of four sons and four daugh- ters: I. Eliza. married General - Pat- terson, and resided at Medina, New York. 2. Susan, died unmarried. 3. Naney, married Benjamin Walter, who died at Newark Val- ley, New York, and she returned to Whitney Point in old age. 4. Ruth, wife of Charles Waldo resided and died in Pontiac, Michigan. 5. John Belden. who resided for some years in California, subsequently at Pontiac, Michi- gan. and died at Whitney Point. 6. George W., mentioned below. 7. Orange Stoddard. died at Bath, New York, where he was at one time high sheriff. S. Henry A .. resided all his life on the paternal homestead at Whitney Point, where his son, Ralph A., is a piactic- ing physician.

(VII) George Whitfield. second son of John (4) and Sally ( Stoddard ) Seymour, was born April 22, 1813. at Whitney Point. where he grew up and received such eluica- tion as the local schools afforded. He was a student. and when a young man engaged in teaching school. Subsequently he engaged in farming on a part of the paternal homestead. to which he afterwards added lands by pur- chase. About the time of the civil war he was engaged in mercantile business. He built and operated a tannery. manufactured brick. and was among the leading business men of his county. For many years he was justice of the peace. He was a member of the Con- gregational church which is now the Presbyte- rian church of Whitney Point, and was a cap- tain in the local militia. He married, Jane 6. 1837. Mary Freeman, born May 10, 1816. in Lisle, daughter of Stephen and Clarissa (Thompson ) Freeman, both of Mansfield. Connecticut : descended from Edmund Free- man, born 1590, who was admitted to the gen- eral court at Plymouth, January 2, 1637. and to whom, with ten other immigrants, was granted liberty to choose a place for perma- nent homes for themselves and their families. They selected the town of Sandwich. Ed- mund Freeman was assistant to Governor Bradford for six years, and died in 1682. leaving a daughter Alice, and two sons. John

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and Edmund, both of whom married daugh- ters of Thomas Prence, who was governor of Plymouth colony at that time. This Edmund had a son Edmund, born 1655, died 1720, leaving a family of nine children, of whom the eldest, Edmund, the fourth of that name, re- moved to Mansfield, Connecticut, where he died in 1766. Ile left a son Edmund, the fifth of the name, who was graduated from Har- vard College in 1733, and died in Mansfield, in February, 1800, leaving seven sons and a daughter, some of whom became distinguished in public life. One of these sons, Stephen, married Clarissa, daughter of Joseph Thomp- son, of Mansfield, Connecticut. and they were the parents of Mary ( Freeman ) Seymour. Children of George W. Seymour: 1. Stella M., born February 26, 1843: now resides in Scranton, Pennsylvania. unmarried. 2. Lou- isa, died in infancy. 3. John S., mentioned be- low. 4. Mary Louisa. born August 25. 1851, wife of Willis O. Newcomb, of Whitney Point. 5. Frederick, a lawyer of New York residing in Orange, New Jersey. 6. Louis Irving, born December 23. 1860, was killed June 1, 1900, during the Boer war in South Africa. He was an eminent mining and me- chanical engineer, organizing a pioneer rail- way regiment of South Africa, and was in the service of the British government with the rank of major. Among his remarkable feats was the reconstruction of an important bridge over the Orange river in South Africa in a period of five weeks.

(VIII) John Sammis, eldest son of George W. and Mary ( Freeman ) Seymour, was born September 28, 1848. at Whitney Point. where he attended the public schools, includ- ing the high school. His second name comes of a connection of the Seymour family with the Sammis family of Norwalk, which now occupies the family homestead on West ave- nue. He was a student of Fort Edward In- stitute and Oswego Normal School, and grad- uated in the academic course at Yale in 1875. He then pursued the course of the Yale Law School and received the degree of LL. B. in 1878, and was admitte 1 to the bar in New Haven in June of that year. He began the practice of his profession in Norwalk. where he continued until 1893, when he was appoint- ed United States Commissioner of Patents and continued in this position until 1897, un- der President Cleveland. Since the expira- tion of his term he has been engaged in prac- ticing in New York City, with the exception of five years when he resided at Whitney Point, where he still owns the paternal homestead. Mr. Seymour makes a specialty of patent and corporation law, and occupies commodious of-

fices on Broadway, New York. and still re- tains his residence in Norwalk, his house standing upon ground originally owned by Richard Seymour, the pioneer of that town. He is a member of the Lawyers' Club of New York, the Norwalk and Norwalk Country Clubs, and Pine I.edge Club. Mr. Seymour has always been and is still active in the coun- cils of the Democratic party. He served as confidential counsel for the city of Norwalk: was state senator, 1891-93. and insurance com- missioner for Connecticut in the latter year. He was chairman of the Democratic state committee in 1892 and again in 1910. and has been active in many campaigns. He delivered an address before the state convention of 1910, placing in nomination the present governor. Simeon E. Baldwin, and was the minority can- didate for United States senator before the legislature in 1911. He has contributed many editorials to various newspapers of his home state, and is recognized as a contributing force in American progress.

He married. September 10. 1879, Clara E. Olmstead, of Norwalk, daughter of the late General Charles Olmstead. of Norwalk. and his wife, Mary Jane Lockwood. Children : I. Marion Franke, born April 17. 1882, died July 30. following. 2. Harold Freeman, born March 12, 1884: is an engineer employed by the Great South Mica Company of Ashville, North Carolina. 3. Geoffrey Olmstead, born March II. ISS6. died March 10. 1802. 4. Mary, born July 28. ISSS, resides with her parents, in Norwalk.

WOODING The Wooding family came to Connecticut early in the eighteenth century. and from the records it appears that there were many of the name there. In the records of the Con- necticut Historical Society, Vol. X. pages 328- 332. John and Elisha Wooding's services in the French and Indian war are given. On page 202, vol. VIII., of the same records. Joseph Wooding is mentioned as serving in the revolution under Captain Phelps, and in vol. XII. the names of Jeremiah, Hezekiahi. William and Philo are among the revolution- ary records. The family was numerous in Hamden. New Haven county, Connecticut. Woodbridge, Derby and Southbury, Connecti- cut. In the Connecticut records of 1,97. there were given the following names of Woodings who were heads of families : Amos. Asa, Benjamin, Calvin, Charles, Cyrus, Ed- mund. Elias. Elizabeth, Eri. Harrict. Heze- kiah, Isaac. Jabez, John, Lidia, Millow. Na- thaniel. Philo. Stephen and two Williams.

(I) Lawson Wooding was a farmer by

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trade. Hle married. November, 1825. Sally Pardee, born February 5. 18os. died January 2. 1895. He died in November, 1826. He had one child. Lawson Jared, mentioned be- low.

( II ) Lawson Jared, son of Lawson Wood- ing. was born in Burlington, Connecticut. March 4. 1827. He was a farmer and later became a dealer in Woodland. In 1865 he became a contractor for the packing depart- ment of the E. Ingraham Company, with which he remained until his death, March 31, ISSO.

In politics he was a Republican. and was very active for the interests of his party. He was also prominent as a member of the Methodist church for many years, until he joined the Advent Christian Church. He married, November 25, 1847, Emeline Stone, of Harwinton, Connecticut. She was born September 20. 1827. daughter of Timothy Stone, and died August 15, 1892. Children : Mary Elizabeth, married Henry Hutchinson. of Bristol, Connecticut : Jessie Althea. mar- ried George H. Hall, of Bristol ; Charles New- ton, born August 26, 1857. died January 14. 1858: Charles Lawson, who is further men- tioned below.

(III) Charles Lawson, son of Lawson Jared Wooding, was born November 1, 1869. He attended the public schools of Bristol until 1884, when he entered the high school from which he was graduated in ISS7. After a post-graduate course in preparation he entered Yale College, from which he was graduated in 1892, with a B. A. degree. He became li- brarian of the Public Library of Bristol. Con- necticut, after graduating, and has kept that position ever since. He is vice-president and director of the Bristol Trust Company, secre- tary and director of the Bristol Water Com- pany, secretary of the West Cemetery Asso- ciation, and secretary of the Bristol Board of Education.

Mr. Wooding and his wife are members of the Prospect Methodist Episcopal Church. and he is treasurer. He is a past master of Franklin Lodge. Free and Accepted Masons, and member of Pequabuck Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Ionic Council. Royal and Se- lect Masters, and of Stephen Terry Lodge, No. 59. Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows.

In politics he is a strong Republican, and has been a member of the town school board for years, having been secretary most of the time. He has been exceptionally suc- cessful in his position of librarian. Mr. Wood- ing married. June 1. 1893. Cora R. Diefendorf. of Waterbury. Children: Lois, born Febru-

ary 5, 1895, died December 27, 1805; Helen, born July 6. 1897.

(IV) John (2) Wood-

WOODWARD ward, son of John (1) Woodward (q.v.), was born July 12, 1675. He married, January, 1698. Ilannah, daughter of Jonathan and Dorothy ( Kidder) Hyde, born February 1, 1677. died January 15. 1724-25. He re- moved to Canterbury, Connecticut. about 1708-09. and is supposed to have been the John Woodward who married in Newtown, Massachusetts, March 27. 1732, Abigail, widow of Jonathan Ward. Children, the first three born in Newtown, the last two in Canterbury: Hannah, January 20, 1699; Mary, February 1, 1700; John, March 31, 1702; Ephraim, January S, 1710, mentioned below ; Deliverance, November 5. 1713.

(V) Lieutenant Ephraim Woodward, son of John (2) Woodward, was born in Can- terbury. Connecticut, January 8. 1710. He spent his entire life in his native town, and for a considerable period was lieutenam in the state militia. A bill of sale, now in the pos- session of Warren W. Woodward, is dated January, 1742-43, and in it is stated the pur- chase of a negro boy from Gersham Breed, by Ephraim Woodward, for the sum of one hundred and fifty-four pounds. His will was signed September, 1775, and names his wife and son Ward as executors. He was married ( first ) , January 14. 1735, to Hannah Williams : ( second ). to Huldah Cram. Children of first wife: Hannah, born June 2. 1737; died January 15, 1753; Eleazer. January 8, 1738- 39; children of second wife: Abigail, March 24. 1742-43: Ithamar. January 21, 1748-49; Ward. April 16. 1751, mentioned below : John, January 19. 1753: Hannah, January 21. 1757; Elizabeth. married Briggs

(VI) Ward, son of Lieutenant Ephraim Woodward, was born April 16. 1751. He served as captain in the Brooklyn artillery for many years and his sword is in the pesses- sion of Warren W. Woodward. He lived on the homestead in Brooklyn, Connecticut, and was a farmer by occupation. Both he and his wife were members of the Congregational church.

He was married, October 19, 178%, to Re- becca Putnam, born March 17, 1761. died Oc- tober 18. 1848. Children: Aaron, born Sep- tember 20. 17St: Sewall. February 8. 1783; Ephraim Putnam, June 2. 1784; Ward Sep- tember 12. 1785: Deidamin, October 8, 1787 ; Eleazer. July 10. 1700: Abigail, January 11, 1792: David. November 12, 1793; Sarah, April 1. 1796, died September 8, 179 ;: Arte-

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mas, February 19, 1800, die.l November 18, ISTO; Augustus, mentioned below.

(VII) Captain Augustus Woodward, son of Ward Woodward, was born June 25. 1804, died in Brooklyn, December 17, 1880. He re- ceived his education in the local schools and when his father's property was divided, he ob- tained by purchase and inheritance about two- thirds of the original purchase, and there lived during his entire life. This farm was a fine property and well managed. His residence was in the house built by the first Woodward in the town, but after his marriage he replaced it by a better one. Although his ancestors for generations had been Whigs he became a Democrat and continued as such until the breaking out of the civil war, when he iden- tified himself with the Republican party. He married, September 18, 1829, in Canterbury, Caroline, daughter of Warren and Nancy (Seymour) Wheeler, a prominent family of Litchfield county, Connecticut. Children : Warren Wheeler, born June 27, 1834. men- tioned below : Calvin Hamilton, January 14. 1838, mentioned below : John Putnam. June I, 1841, mentioned below: James Brown. De- cember 30. 1843, mentioned below; Nancy Seymour, March II. 1846.

(VIII) Warren Wheeler, son of Captain Augustus Woodward, was born in Brooklyn. June 27. 1834. His primary education was received in the district school on Allen Hill, and later he went to Brooklyn Academy. He began his business career in his native town as a news dealer, and later removed to Eagle- ville, now Versailles, Connecticut, where he conducted a general store and was postmaster. After living in the latter town for two years, he returned to Brooklyn, and became a mer- chant for a period of two years. During this time he was grand juror, and also served on the jury in the United States district court in Hartford. He then sold out in Brooklyn and removed to Danielson. where he pur- chased the drug business of Crandall & Ladd. The following spring he purchased the prop- erty at the corner of Main and Center streets. where he has since been located. He is a member of the Danielson Baptist Church. and has taken an active part in its organi- zation. He was one of a committee of three through whose efforts the church was first organized, February 5. 1874. For a number of years he was clerk and treasurer of the church and also served on the society's conimittee. In politics he is a Republican. He has always taken a deep interest in the progress and development of Danielson. and his influence and means have always been ready to assist worthy enterprises. His busi-

ness standing has been on the highest plane. He married, in September, 1865. in Eagleville, Anna E. Ross, daughter of David and Mary ( Ivison ) Ross, born December 15, 1842. Chil- dren: Mary Ivison, born June 15, 1806, died February 6, 1809: for a number of years a correspondent for the Hartford Courant, a woman of great natural gifts and beautiful character: Arthur Putnam, June 15, 1871, married, December 2, 1896, Abbie J. Mowry, of Providence, Rhode Island : graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and is employed by his father ; has been connected for some years with the state militia and in 1903 was regimental hospital steward of the Third Regiment : William Fenner, March 16, 1875. now an attorney-at-law, in Danielson.

(VIII) Calvin Hamilton, son of Captain Augustus Woodward, was born January 14, 1838, and settled in Norwich, Connecticut. In April, 1861, he enlisted in the war for the Union, Company B, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and took part in the Virginia cam- paign. He was with General Banks in the Shenandoah valley and was so disabled in the retreat that he was sent home on furlough. He returned to the front, however, before his furlough was over, and went into the battle of Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862, where he received six severe wounds. For forty hours he lay on the field in agony and recovered only by a miracle. November 13, 1862, he re- ceived an honorable discharge. He married, July 3. 1867, Clara Louise Cushman. of Thompson. Connectient, born February 23, 1845. died in Norwich, August 12, 1888. Chil- dren : Carrie L., born September 6, 1868. mar- ried. September 8, 1888, Forest L .. Ensworth ; Mabel S. April 24. 1870, married. September 19. 1894. E. Frank White : Ralph A., May 27, 1872: George E., April 22, 1875, died Janu- ary 19. 1806: Alice M., August 29. 1879; Florence G., April 17, 1882.

(VIII) John Putnam, son of Captain Au- gustus Woodward, was born June 1. 1841, never married, and lived in 1903. in Whittier, California. He enlisted in the civil war. Com- pany C., Twelfth Connecticut Volunteer In- fantry, and went with General Butler's expedli- tion to New Orleans, served with Generals Butler and Banks through the Louisiana cam- paign and through the siege of Port Hudson. When General Banks called for one thou- sand men to take their lives in their hands and storm the works of Port Hudson. Mr. Wood- ward and his comrade, William Putnam. a great-great-grandson, were among the num- ber to volunteer, but the sacrifice was not ra- quired. He took part in the battles of Geor- gia Landing and Franklin, in Louisiana, and

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was then transferred to the Army of the Po- tomac, where he was under General Sheri- dan in the Shenandoah Valley campaign.

(VIII) James Brown, son of Captain Au- gustns Woodward, was born December 30, 1843, and is now the proprietor of a foundry in Indianapolis, Indiana. He married. in Plainfield, Connecticut. April 18, 1873. Helen L. Craig. and has four children : among them Robert, born Angust 20, 18;4. Ile was a soldier in the civil war, enlisted in Company K, Twenty-first Connecticut Volunteer In- fantry. On account of a wound received at Drury's Bluff he was transferred to the Vet- eran Reserve Corps. His service was under Generals Burnside and Butler in Virginia and for a short time in North Carolina. He took part in the siege of Suffolk, Nansemond. the first battle of Fredericksburg and Drury's Bluff, and was discharged at Washington, June 28. 1865.

The Woodward name has always been con- spicuous in the military life of the country and one of its representatives. Captain John Woodward, was one of the active men in and aboitt Boston during the revolution. In March, 1776, he was one of a committee of five to draft such measures as they should think best for the town in this emergency. Among the resolutions was one in regard to the tax on tea. On April 19. 1775, he was in the battles of Lexington and Concord: March 4. 1776, at the request of General Washing- ton, his company marched to take possession of Dorchester Heights. On June 17. 1776. at Newton town meeting. Captain Woodward was chosen moderator. The record reads as follows: "On the seventh of June, 1776, the town of Newton, Mass., held a town meeting. Capt. John Woodward as moderator". The second article in the warrant after debate was unanimously adopted ; it reads as follows: "That in case the home Continental Congress should for the safety of the American Colo- nies declare them independent of the King- dom of Great Britain, whether the inhabitants of this town will solemnly engage with their lives and fortunes to support them in the measure". January 6, 1777, he loaned the town one hundred pounds to pay the soldiers : December 8. 1777. he was one of a committee to provide for families of soldiers then in the army ; in 1779 and 1780 he served on various town committees. In addition to his activity in military life. he served seven years as se- lectman and two years as representative. His brother Samuel was a graduate of Harvard College, and was ordained in 1751 for the ministry, and settled over the Congregational church at Newton, Massachusetts. He also

took part in the battles of Concord and Dor- chester Heiglits. Richard Woodward, the im- migrant ancestor, embarked from Ipswich. England, April 10, 1634, aged forty-five, in the ship "Elizabeth," with his wife Rose, aged fifty, and settled at Watertown, Massachu- setts. His name is on the list of the earliest proprietors of Watertown. He had two sons, twins, George and John, born in England. in 1621 : George, son of Richard, married Eliz- abeth Hammond and had eight children. Their son Jolin married Rebecca Robbins.

He settled in Windham county, Connecticut, the first of the name to settle there, and pur- chased a rectangle of land in Canterbury, which was described as follows: "Beginning at the Quinebaug river the north boundary ex- tended west over Allen Hill 335 rods. then south 98 rods, and east to the Quinebaag river 273 rods, covering 187 acres". On this prop- erty he built the house in which the subject of this sketch, Warren W. Woodwar.I, was born. The larger part of the property re- inained in the family until 1880.

The Lebanon. Connecticut, family of Wood- wards came from Thomas Woodward, who married in Childwell parish, Lancashire, Eng- land, May 23. 1592, Elizabeth Tynen. They had five children, two of whom. John, born April 10, 1594. and Henry. born March 22. 1607, emigrated to America in the company that followed Rev. Richard Mather. They landed in Dorchester. Massachusetts, from the ship "James", Captain Taylor. August 16. 1635. To this branch belong the Worcester family of the same name, which includes many eminent physicians.

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