History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 8

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 8

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Thomas Mosely, son of Abner Mosely, of Glastonbury, was born in 1731, graduated at Yale College in 1751, and settled in East Haddam. He was one of the first Fellows elected by the Middlesex County Society, and was re- elected every year till his death. He was the fourth president and vice-president of the State Society, and was the first elected to either office from this county. He

received the honorary degree of M. D. from the Connec- ticut Medical Society in 1795. He died in 1811, aged eighty years, leaving his medical library to his friend, Dr. Richard Ely.

Augustus Mather, brother of Elisha and Samuel Mather, was a contemporary with Dr. Mosely.

Dr. Jonah Cone was born in East Haddam, May 17th 1763 and died September 18th 1830, of typhus fever. He was educated in common school; then studied the languages with Rev. Elijah Parsons, and studied medi- cine with Dr. Thomas Mosely. . He practiced all his life in East Haddam.

Datus Williams, a descendant from Robert Williams, of Roxbury, Mass., was born in Norwich, in 1793. He studied medicine with Dr. Osgood, of Lebanon, and with Dr. Cogswell, of Hartford. He attended lectures, and took a license to practice, from Yale College in 1823, and soon commenced practice in Millington. In 1835

practiced till his death in 1867. His elder son, H. E. Williams, graduated at New York University in 1847, practiced in New York city till 1864, when he entered the service of his country as an assistant surgeon. His younger son was an officer in a New York city bank. He received the honorary degree of M. D. from Yale College. He practiced in substantially the same field for nearly half a century.

Winslow T. Huntington, of Bozrah, student of Earl Knight, graduated at Pittsfield, and commenced practice in East Haddam in 1832. He left the State in 1835.

Asa L. Spaulding, of Killingly, studied medicine with Dr. North, of Hartford, and received his degree from Yale College in 1832. He succeeded Dr. Huntington, and removed to Enfield in 1839, where he died of typhoid fever in 1864. Dr. Nye, of Middletown, succeeded Dr .- Spaulding, and returned to Middletown in 185 1.

Dr. Edmunds, a native of Griswold, studied medicine with his brother-in-law, B. M. Gay, and practiced in East Haddam for twenty years, where he died.

Nathaniel O. Harris, born at Salem, Conn., in 1823, graduated at New York University, 1854. He practiced in New London three years and in East Haddam twenty- seven years.

Albert Wells Bell, born in Killingworth in 1852, gradu- ated from the New York University in 1873, and located in Moodus in 1875.

Christopher Holmes was born in Hadlyme in 1762, and died in 1812. He had a large practice, was one of the original members of the medical society, and stood well in the profession.

Asa Miller Holt was the successor of Dr. Holmes at Hadlyme, where he practiced for half a century. The degree of M. D. was conferred on him by Yale in 1833; he was a well-read physician, but too self-important to be agreeable to his professional brethren.

John Richmond was born in Brookfield, Mass., and studied medicine with Dr. Timothy Hall, of East Hart- ford. He commenced practice in East Hampton in 1792, and died in 1821 while attending a case of obstet-

GENERAL HISTORY.

rics, the patient dying at the same time. He educated a large number of physicians.

Richard Mayo Smith, a native of Chaplin, a student of the above, was attending lectures at the time of Dr. Richmond's death; he succeeded his preceptor, and died the December following, aged 26 years. His successor was

Dr. Charles Smith, son of Col. Chester Smith, of North Stonington, who studied medicine with Dr. E. B. ticularly as an inoculator for the small pox, he was emi- Downing, of Preston City, and commenced practice in East Hampton in 1823. He removed to Middle Had- dam, where he died in 1848, aged 47 years.

Francis Griswold Edgerton, third son of Simon and Lucy Griswold Edgerton, was born in . Norwich, Conn., 1797, and died in East Hampton, in the town of Chatham, Conn., in 1870, aged 73 years. He studied medicine with Philemon Tracy, of Norwich town, and William P. Eaton, of Norwich city. He attended lectures in New Haven in 1824-25, and received a license to practice. He located in East Hampton; he married Miss Marietta Daniels, who survives him. They had but one child, Francis D. Edgerton, M.D., of Middletown.

Albert Field was born in Bloomville, N. Y., and gradu- ated from Long Island College Hospital, in 1867. He practiced in Ashland, N. Y., then removed to East Hampton, Conn.

Lorin F. Wood, born in Medway, Mass., graduated from the Homoeopathic College, in New York city, in 1879. Since then he has practiced in East Hampton, Conn.

William F. G. Noelting was born in Mannheim, Ger- many, in 1819, and graduated at Werzburg (Bavaria), Germany, in 1843.

Dr. Robert Usher, a native of Millington, in East Had- dam, and a student of Dr. Huntington, of Windham, located in practice in the southeast part of Chatham, on the east side of Salmon River, near the Lyman Viaduct. Upon the breaking out of the Revolution, he went as a volunteer to the vicinity of Boston, in 1776, was appointed surgeon for Wadsworth's regiment, in the recruits then raised for Cambridge, and served some time in that ca- pacity. Dr. Elias Norton, son of Rev. John Norton, who served his time with Dr. Thomas Mosely, of East Haddam, was appointed mate of Dr. Usher. Dr. Usher returned from the war to his old home, where he died in 1820, aged 77.

Alanson H. Hough was born in Bozrah. He studied medicine with Earl Knight, and afterward with S. John- son, of Bozrah. He graduated, M. D., at Yale, in 1832. He has practiced ever since at Essex.

Frederic W. Shepard was born in Plainfield in 1812. He studied medicine with Dr. Samuel Carter, of Saybrook, and graduated at Yale Medical School in 1834. He practiced one year at Gales's Ferry; then removed to Essex, where he practiced twenty-five years, and died of pneumonia in 1860. He was a very excellent man in every respect, perhaps a little too excitable for a physi- cian.

Charles H. Hubbard, son of Dr. D. H. Hubbard, of

Clinton, graduated, M. D., at Yale in 1860. He has since practiced at Essex.

Dr. Hezekiah Brainerd, the oldest son of Hezekiah and Mary (Fiske) Brainerd, was graduated at Yale College in 1763, and studied medicine in part, if not wholly, with Dr. Benjamin Gale, of Killingworth, now Clinton, and commenced practice in his native place, where he was the principal physician for many years, and where, par- nent, many resorting to him from Haddam and towns around for inoculation, as a protection against that dis- ease, so dreadful when taken in the natural way. In 1787 he built a pock house (as it was called), under the direction of the town, which voted him the exclusive right to the business of inoculation and treatment, for the term of four years, paying him "ten shillings a head " for each resident inoculated, and receiving from him " eigh- teen pence a head," for each non-resident. The thinness of the milk which constituted the bill of fare at the house is still proverbial. Upon the formation of Middlesex county, 1785, he was one of the number selected as judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and discharged the duties of that office until afflicted with paralysis in 1795, when he died, aged 63.

Dr. Smith Clark was born at Maromas, Middletown, graduated at Yale in 1786, where he was a class-mate of Dr. Hall. He resided in Haddam for more than twenty years in the family of Dr. Brainerd, whom he succeeded in practice. He died in 1813.

He was the first clerk of this society, and continued in office for ten years, and was one of the examining board for this county for about the same length of time. He was elected a Fellow for six years.

Dr. Clark was a kind and faithful physician, beloved by the public, and respected by the profession.

Sylvester Buckley, born in Rocky Hill, graduated at Yale in 1810, was graduated, M. D., at Dartmouth in 1812. He began practice in Haddam town in 1813, and some years afterward practiced in Chester and Higga- num ; in Cromwell from 1821 to 1830 ; and in Worthing- ton from 1830 until within a recent period. He is now in practice in his native place. He was one of the first graduates who located in the county.

Andrew F. Warner (Yale, 1812), son of Selden Warner, of Hadlyme, studied medicine with Dr. Thomas Miner, of Middletown, and attended lectures at Yale college. He practiced medicine in Haddam, and died while clerk of the Medical Society, in 1825. Dr. Hutchinson succeeded him, marrying his widow.

Dr. Benjamin Hopkins Catlin was born in Harwington, in 1801. He attended lectures in Yale College in 1824- 25, and received his license to practice from the Con- necticut Medical Society. The same year he commenced practice in Haddam. He removed to Meriden where he died in 1880, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.

William H. Tremaine, was born in South Lee, Mass. and graduated, Berkshire, in 1838. He commenced prac- tice at Higganum in 1845, and moved to Hartford in 1856, where he died in April 1883.

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

Miner C. Hazen was born at Agawam, Mass., in 1829. He graduated at the University of Michigan in 1855, practiced in Middletown, then removed to Haddam in I860.

Leroy A. Smith, was born in Haddam in 1843. He practiced in Hartford till 1880, and in Higganum ever since.

S. B. Bailey, of Higganum, is a successful physician and a prominent citizen, but no information has been obtained of his professional history.

Dr. Amos Skeels, a native of Woodbury, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war ; and in the battle of White Plains was wounded in the right arm while pursuing the English in their retreat from Danbury ; being in conse- quence unfitted for labor he turned his attention to the study of medicine. He commenced practice in Hamp- ton, Conn., in 1783 ; removed to Middle Haddam, near the line of East Hampton, in 1787 ; and again to Somers in 1795, and afterward to Chicopee, Mass. He died in 1843, aged 93.

Dr. Joshua Arnold, a brother of Dr. John Arnold, of Middletown, studied with Rev. Phineas Fiske, in 1738. He died in 1753, aged 66 years.

Jeremiah Bradford settled in Middle Haddam in 1754 and practiced till 1814, when his age was 80 years. He was a man of good sense and an able practitioner, but much of a coward.

Albert B. Worthington, a native of Colchester, studied with Dr. John. P. Fuller, then of Salem, Conn. He at- tended lectures in New York, and graduated at Yale in 1847. He came to Middle Haddam a little before the death of D. C. Smith, and he is still practicing there.

Rufus Turner was born at Mansfield, Connecticut, September Ist 1790. With a good preliminary education, he entered the office of Dr. Joseph Palmer, of Ashford, and in 1813-14 attended the first course of lectures given at Yale College.

Dr. Turner was licensed by the State Medical Society in 1814, and settled in Killingworth, where he continued in the practice of his profession for thirty-seven years, until his death, after an illness of four days, in Novem- ber, 1851. As a practitioner he was a careful and con- servative, but in cases where promptness was demanded, bold and fearless, faithful in attendance, giving freely of |he has had a good practice.

his time and thought to the case in hand, warding off un- favorable complications, and always striving to have the last blow at death. In the protracted fevers of those days he was particularly skillful, and was very frequently called to neighboring towns, in consultation.

He received the honorary degree of M. D. from the Medical Society and the Corporation of Yale College in 1830, and was for several years Fellow and member of the Standing Committee to nominate professors in Yale College.

Dr. Benjamin Hill, it is said, studied medicine with Dr. Gale. He married Hannah Nettleton, of Killing- worth, and practiced at North Killingworth with accep- tation. He removed to Western New York about 1823. Augustine J. Webster was born in Sandisfield, Massa-

chusetts; studied medicine with Dr. William Welch, of Norfolk, Connecticut; took his medical degree at Pitts- field, Massachusetts; located in Killingworth in . 1861, and practiced till 1864, when he died of erysipelas.

G. C. Reynolds studied medicine with John C. Fuller, at Salem, and graduated at New York University in 1852; commenced practice in Killingworth in 1866; remained five years, and then removed to Guilford.

Drs. Webster and Reynolds received a gratuity of about $300 a year, while they practiced in that town.

Dr. J. Hamilton Lee, only son of Selah Lee, of Madi- son, graduated, M. D., at Yale College in 1858; com- menced practice at Greenville, Connecticut, where he had a good business till the war broke out. He was ap- pointed assistant surgeon of the 21st Connecticut Vol- unteers, and was soon promoted to the position of bri- gade surgeon of the 3d Brigade. Upon the close of the war he spent a few months in Mississippi, then returned to Killingworth, where he died of apoplexy in 1881.

Harris R. Burr, M.D., was born in Haddam, Conn., in 1820. He was educated at Brainard Academy, was a graduate of Worcester Medical College, and commenced practice in New Haven in 1844. Thence he removed to Killingworth in 1847, where he remained in the practice of his profession until his death, in 1861. Dr. Burr held many important offices in the town, was its representative for several sessions of the Legislature, and for six years high sheriff of Middlesex county. He was characteris- tically liberal in his views, and manifested a surprising readiness to march with the progress of the hour. In his profession he was distinguished by close application and very marked ability. His dignified, gentlemanly bear- ing never left him. Dr. Burr died September 29th 1861.

Edward P. Nichols, M. D., was born in Newark, New Jersey, November 23d 1827. He graduated at Prince- ton College, New Jersey, in 1848, and graduated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York city, 1852. He commenced the practice of his profes- sion in Newark, N. J., and was at once successful, so that he served as acting assistant surgeon, United State Gen- eral Hospital, about a year and a-half during the late war. He continued in practice until he moved to Kill- ingworth, October 1881. Since then to the present time

Dr. A. Ward practiced in Middlefield several years. He died August 12th 1788, aged 32 years.

Fehiel Hoadley, Yale, 1768, was born in Northford. He practiced in Middlefield all his life. He made a specialty of colic curing. Gov. Hoadley, of Ohio, was a descendant of the family to which Dr. Hoadley belonged.

Dr. Elisha Ely was born in Lyme, in 1748, and like the former Elys, was a descendant of the original Rich- ard Ely, who came from Plymouth, England, and settled in Lyme. He was half brother to Dr. John Ely, with whom he is supposed to have studied his profession. He practiced at Old Saybrook; was largely engaged in small- pox inoculation. His reception house was on the present Fenwick grounds.

Samuel Carter, M. D., son of Benjamin and Phebe

GENERAL HISTORY.

(Buel) Carter, was born in Killingworth, Conn., July 10th 1779. He studied medicine with Dr. Austin Olcott, of Clinton, and commenced practice in Saybrook, Conn., in September 1802. He received his honorary degree of M. D. from Yale College, September 21st 1822. After practicing in Saybrook for a third of century, he removed to Veinon, N. Y., and died in 1853, aged 74, and was buried in Saybrook.

He was a first class teacher of medicine, and had many students.

Asa Howe King, son of the Rev. Asa and Eunice Howe King, was born in New Haven in 1798. He graduated honorably at Yale College in 1821. He studied medicine with Dr. Andrew Warner, of Haddam; graduated in medicine from Bowdoin College in 1824; commenced practice in Branford; removed to Essex in 1827, and from there to Old Saybrook in 1835, where he died, No- vember 20th 1870.

John H. Granniss was born at Ridgefield, Connecticut, and graduated at Yale Medical School in 1868. He served as private in the 17th Regiment Connecticut Vol- unteers in 1862 and 1863, and as surgeon's steward, United States Navy, till the war ended. He located in Old Saybrook in 1869.

Dr. Isaac Smith was the son of Dea. Isaac Smith, of East Hampton. He studied medicine with Dr. William B. Hall, of Middletown, and commenced practice in North Killingworth, now the town of Killingworth. Hav- ing spent a few years there, he removed to" Portland in 1800, where he practiced until his death, a period of thirty-nine years.

Newell Smith was born in Middle Haddam; studied medicine with Dr. John Richmond, of East Haddam, and practiced twenty-five years in Central New York. He afterward practiced ten years in Portland, where he died, aged 60 years.

Dr. George O. Jarvis, son of John Jarvis, of New Canaan, Connecticut, was born in 1795. Receiving such education as the schools of that earlier day offered, he became himself a teacher in his turn, and at a proper age began the study of medicine with Dr. Truman S. Whit- more, of Winchester, Connecticut. He attended lectures at. Yale College. In 1817, in accordance with the usual custom of that day, he received from the Connecticut Medical Society a license to practice, and commenced his professional labors in the town of Torrington, where he remained two years; then removed to Colebrook, and continued there up to 1840, when he changed his resi- dence to Portland, then a part of the town of Chatham. He died of a combined attack of erysipelas and diptheria, February 3d 1875, after an illness of about one week, having been in active professional service fifty-eight years. He received the degree of M. D. from Yale College in 1846.

He was the father of Dr. George C. Jarvis, of Hart- ford. His attention to some cases of fracture about the year 1843 led to the invention of his apparatus known as " Jarvis's Adjuster," for the extension and treatment of fractures und dislocations. His invention met with the

approval of many of the first surgeons of the country, and was introduced largely into public hospitals. In 1845 the doctor went to Europe with his invention, spending six months in introducing it to the notice of the profes- sion in England and on the Continent, giving explana- tory lectures in some of the first medical institutions by invitation. It was well received; and he was awarded, by the Society for Promotion of Arts and Commerce, the largest gold medal, which, up to that time, had been given to an American citizen.

The presentation was made by Prince Albert, then the president of the society. Dr. Jarvis was entitled to be proud of this distinguished honor.

Henry Everlin Cook, a native of Portland, who studied with Dr. Sperry, of New London, about 1835 commenced practice as a Thomsonian physician in Portland, where he remained about three years, and then removed to Moodus, in East Haddam, where he practiced as a can- cer curer. His son, H. C. Cook, succeeded him in busi- ness.

C. A. Sears, M. D. was born at Chatham, Connecti- cut, in 1840; graduated from Union Medical College in 1862; practiced in East Glastonbury three years, and then removed to Portland.

Cornelius E. Hammond was born in Ellington, Con- necticut. He graduated from New York University in 1848, and practiced in Rockville, South Glastonbury, and Portland.

E. B. Morgan was born in Haddam, Connecticut, 1853. He practiced in Lyme, then removed to Port- land.

Edwin Bidwell was born in South Manchester, Con- necticut, in 1821; graduated from Yale Medical College in 1847. He practiced in Madison, Westbrook, Had- dam, and Deep River, where he succeeded Dr. Rufus Baker. Dr. Bidwell has a son practicing at Goodspeeds, in East Haddam.

Dr. Elisha Mather was son and student of Dr. Eleazer Mather, of Lyme (Yale, 1738), and brother of Dr. Sam- uel, his father's successor in business, and of Dr. August- us, who practiced in East Haddam. He married Eliza- beth Selden, of Lyme, and located at Pautapaug, now Centerbrook, where he spent his whole professional life, and died in 1836, aged 81. He had seven children; four were sons, and all studied medicine.

The fourth, Ezra S., studied with his uncle Samuel, and located at Essex. His seventh child, Ulysses W., graduated at Yale Medical Institution in 1823, with great promise. He succeeded to his father's practice, and died in 1832, with consumption, aged 30 years.

Dr. Mather was engaged largely in teaching medicine, and his students for many years added life to the village in which he lived. It is said an unpleasantness always existed between the rich young men of the town and the medical students; the former gave the latter the cut at every opportunity. At one time, they got the students excluded from the favorite seats in the church. The Sabbath following, the young nobility, dressed in their thin summer pants, marched in a body to the preferred

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

seats, which they did not enjoy long before they felt an irritation in the rear; before prayer was concluded, there was a stampede for the door. Dr. Mather was called, and found cow-itch had been dusted on the seats.

Dr. John Ely, one of the first Fellows elected by this society, was born in Lyme, 1737. He commenced the practice of medicine in Westbrook, where he married the daughter of Rev. William Worthington, of that place. He soon attained eminence in his profession, was especially successful in treating small-pox, and was interested in introducing inoculation. He entered the army at the very beginning of the Revolutionary war, raising a com- pany of militia, and later, raising, and, to a great extent, equipping the regiment of which he was colonel. He won distinction as a surgeon as well, and was sent to the Army of the North on account of an epidemic of small- pox then raging. He was tall and erect of form, of de- cided character, and commanding presence.

His military career is succinctly told in the report of the Committee of Revolutionary Claims in the House of Re- presentatives.

Jan. 23d 1833 After reciting his earlier services, the report proceeds as follows, viz .:

On the 9th of December, 1777, he was captured by the enemy, and became a prisoner of war, and was paroled at Flatbush, on Long Island, where were also prisoners several hundred American officers. Among these officers a distressing sickness prevailed, and Col. Ely, from the humanity that belonged to his character, from the day of his captivity to the day of his exchange, faithfully and exclusively devoted his time and attention to them as a physician. "In discharging this duty, he encountered great hardship and much expense, as the residences of of the sick officers were scattered over a considerable space of country, many of them being as much as twenty miles apart. Col. Ely, when unable from bodily infirm- ity, or the state of the weather, to perform his long tours on foot, hired a horse at an extravagant price, and paid the cost out of his own private means ; he was also fre- quently compelled to purchase medicine for the sick at his own cost." " Soon after he became a prisoner, his son, Captain, afterwards Dr. Worthington Ely, in con- junction with other friends, fitted out at their own ex- pense a vessel, and manned her, for the purpose of sur- prising and capturing a British force, with which to effect the exchange of Col. Ely.

" The object of the expedition succeeded, so far as re- garded the surprise and capture of the enemy, and the prisoners were delivered to the proper authorities, to be exchanged for Col. Ely. This, however, was not done, by reason of the earnest entreaties of the sick American officers, who considered their lives as greatly depending upon the continued attendance and skill of Col. Ely. He was induced to forego his right to an exchange, and con· sented to remain for the comfort and safety of his brother officers.

" It appeared from a certificate of Samuel Huntington, President of Congress, that still subsequent to the time when his exchange might have been effected through the valor of his son and friends, and when he became entitled to an exchange by the regular rule, that a deputation of exchanged officers, who had been his fellow-prisoners, were appointed to wait on Congress by the sick officers who remained in captivity, and to urge the continuance of Col. Ely as their physician and surgeon."

" At the head of this deputation was Col. Matthews (since a member of Congress, and governor of Georgia), and Col. Ramsay, of the Maryland line. Col. Ely was, in consequence of this representation, not exchanged, although entitled to an exchange. He remained and acted as physician and surgeon till the 25th of Decem- ber 1780, when he was released-a period of three years."

On his return, in 1781, with impaired health and con- stitution, he found his affairs in a ruinous condition, and a burden of a debt accumulated. He courageously com- menced work, and to some extent retrieved his misfor- tunes, but his health failing, and just compensation for his services being denied in the Senate, after he had every expectation of favorable action, having received recom- mendation from the war department and the passage of his claim through the House, he became discouraged at the injustice, made no further efforts, and died soon after, in 1800. Although compensation had been prom- ised by letters from Washington himself, the influence of Oliver Ellsworth, then prominent in the Senate, who was opposed to the payment of all claims in the interest of the treasury, secured the rejection of this. Years later, his sons received a grant of five thousand dollars, many original papers having been lost.

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 8

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818