USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume III > Part 2
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The year 1908 witnessed Mr. Giaimo's arrival in New York city and soon afterward he located at Corona on Long Island, where he opened a real estate office. This he conducted for eight years, building up a large business, which he disposed of in 1916, when he came to New Haven as a representative of the New York Life Insurance Company, acting in that capacity for a year. In 1918 he was elected secretary of the Grand Lodge of the Sons of Italy and later established its mortuary fund, which today
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
amounts to one hundred thousand dollars. In August, 1928, he organized the Sons of Italy Industrial Bank, which was started with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and in February, 1930, this was increased to two hundred thousand dollars. The building in which the business is housed was erected in 1920 for lodge purposes but has been occupied by the bank since the sum- mer of 1928. From the time it was opened Mr. Giaimo has been secretary and treasurer of the institution, exerting a potent influ- ence in the direction of its affairs, which are in a prosperous con- dition. He is well informed on financial matters and has the broad outlook of the sagacious, farsighted business man.
Mr. Giaimo was married February 16, 1916, on Long Island to Miss Rose Scarpulla, and they have become the parents of a son, Robert, born February 15, 1919. They reside in North Haven, and during the World war Mr. Giaimo served on the draft board of his district. He belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, to the Unital Club and the Sons of Italy, and has been very active in behalf of the last named organization, which now has about ten thousand members in Connecticut, one-tenth of this number being drawn from New Haven. Since coming to this country Mr. Giaimo has furthered his education by systema- tic reading and study and in June, 1928, was awarded the Master of Arts degree by Yale University. He is a cultured gentleman of pleasing personality, imbued with a keen sense of duty and honor, and ranks with the foremost of New Haven's Italian-American citizens.
WILLIAM E. TREAT
In the development of the paper box industry William E. Treat has long been active through his connection with the White & Wells Company of Waterbury, a pioneer organization of which he is the secretary and general manager. He was born in this city, May 5, 1875, a son of Joseph O. and Ada (Woodworth) Treat, the latter a native of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The father was born in Bristol, Connecticut, and became associated with the New Haven Clock Company; later with the Waterbury Clock Company and for his last thirty-five years with the American
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Ring Company of Waterbury. He has passed away and the mother is also deceased.
On completing his grammar school course William E. Treat entered high school, which he attended for three years, and then became a wage earner, working for two months for the American Pin Company. Four years were spent with the New England Watch Company of Waterbury, and on the 13th of February, 1896, he became a bookkeeper for the White & Wells Company, manufacturers of paper boxes. When they entered that field the industry was in the early stages of its development, and theirs was one of the first plants of the kind in New England. Year by year they have expanded the scope of their activities until today they not only control one of the large manufacturing enterprises of Waterbury but are also the owners of the business of the Bridge- port Paper Box Company and the P. J. Cronan Paper Box Com- pany of New Haven. They have over two hundred employes and cover all the territory for a radius of sixty-five miles with trucks. A conscientious, efficient worker, Mr. Treat progressed with the business, working his way steadily upward until he became secre- tary and manager of the local plant at 214 Bank street. He still fills that office and for a considerable period has supervised the management of all of the plants owned by the White & Wells Company. His responsibilities were greatly increased during the World war, as for months the Bridgeport plant operated twenty-four hours a day in order to provide paper boxes for the output of the Union Metallic Cartridge Company. For thirty- four years he has remained in the service of the one corporation, laboring systematically and effectively to promote its growth and prosperity, and broad experience enables him to speak with auth- ority on all matters relating to the making of paper boxes.
On the 12th of November, 1896, Mr. Treat was married to Miss Mildred E. Wooding, of Waterbury, and they have one daughter, Lois E., now the wife of Robert W. Harvey, who is con- nected with the Citizens & Manufacturers Bank of Waterbury.
Mr. and Mrs. Treat have membership in the Methodist Church of Cheshire, and Mrs. Treat is identified with the Woman's Clubs of Cheshire and Waterbury, while she is also active in charitable organizations. In addition to aiding the government through the capable discharge of his duties as factory manager Mr. Treat served in the Home Guard during the war period. In times of
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
peace he has manifested his loyalty and public spirit as an alder- man of Waterbury in 1911 and 1912, as a member of the board of charities for six years and by two years' service in connection with the bureau of assessments. While a stalwart republican, he has never been a politician and does not seek publicity in any form. He belongs to the Rotary Club and to the Waterbury Club and turns to gardening for recreation. Mr. Treat has few out- side affiliations, for his interest centers in the work which has claimed his attention from the age of twenty years. Devotion to duty has ever been one of his salient characteristics, and his genu- ine worth has established him high in the esteem of his fellowmen.
FRANCIS BENJAMIN NOBLE
High on the roll of Connecticut's honored dead appears the name of Francis Benjamin Noble, who long occupied a position of prominence in industrial circles as secretary of the Chase Com- panies of Waterbury. He had attained the age of fifty-five years when his life was brought to a close on the 2d of July, 1920, for he was born June 22, 1865, in Watertown, Connecticut, a son of Charles Merriman and Hannah Maria (Beach) Noble. The fam- ily coat-of-arms is: Or, a galley, sails furled and oars in action. gules, flags azure. The crest is: A lion's paw sable, holding a cross pattie, fitchee or. We quote from a beautiful booklet dedi- cated and inscribed by Mrs. Ella Melinda (Davis) Noble in de- voted memory of her husband.
The first record of the Noble family of which Frank Ben- jamin Noble was a worthy scion, is found in Enniskillen, Ferman- agh County, Ireland. There an ancestor lived who had three sons, Arthur, Francis and James. The second son, Francis, was born in Enniskillen, and came with his brothers to the new coun- try. The elder brother, Arthur, married Sarah Machlin; James married (first) Jane Vaughn, and (second) Ruth Savage. Arthur Noble founded the Maine family of Nobles and James Noble died childless. Francis Noble settled at Sheffield, Massachusetts, and was killed in the battle of Minas, Nova Scotia, January 31, 1747. His brother, Arthur, was killed in the same battle. From a des- cendant of Colonel Arthur Noble the following account of this battle is received.
J. B Noble
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Forgotten Heroes
Ten years before the expulsion of the Acadians, the battle of Minas, or Grand Pre, was fought on January 31, 1747. On January 31, 1897, was the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of this disastrous but heroic action. After the surrender of Louis- burg, Cape Breton, a portion of the soldiers from Massachusetts remained on garrison duty, and it was fully ten months before Colonel Waldo's regiment returned to Boston. The lieutenant colonel of the regiment, Arthur Noble, had distinguished himself by leading one of the deadly assaults upon the Island Battery, and to him Governor Shirley offered a full colonelcy in one of the new regiments, to be organized for the expedition to Canada. In the short space of three months, Colonel Noble had organized his regi- ment; circumstances caused Governor Shirley to abandon his plan to enter Canada, and Colonel Noble and his men were ordered to Annapolis, Nova Scotia, to report to Lieutenant-Governor Mas- carine, and drive the French and Indians from the beautiful val- ley of Annapolis.
Partly by transports by way of the Bay of Fundy, and partly by a toilsome march in deep snow over the North mountains, Col- onel Noble, with his Massachusetts contingent, reached Grand Pre on December 12th. After sleeping eight nights in snow- drifts, Governor Mascarine's English quartermaster, Major Phil- lips, quartered the troops upon the villagers in their little homes along the main road through the settlement. Owing to the sever- ity of the winter and the high tides in the Bay of Fundy and the Bay of Minas, the situation seemed comparatively safe. Still much anxiety was felt and a strong picket guard was maintained. On the night of January 31 after a snowstorm which had lasted twenty-six hours, at two o'clock in the morning, a furious attack was made by a strong force of Frenchmen and Micmac Indians, who had come from Schegneto, all the way on snow-shoes. The pickets were shot down and then began an attack on the houses filled with our sleeping troops. The fighting was desperate and terrible. Colonel Noble fell, shot in the forehead, after a hand to hand contest, in which he was twice shot through the body. His servant is quoted as saying that the enemy repeatedly cried out to him to surrender, and said they would give him quarter, but he steadily refused. In the same room with him and killed at his side were Lieutenants Stephen Jones, Ledmore and Picker- ing, all brave men and good fighters. The garrison was compelled
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
to surrender and Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Goldthwaites took command. The troops were accorded the honors of war and Parkman says La Come directed that military honors be paid to the remains of the brothers Noble (Colonel Arthur Noble and Ensign Francis Noble, M. A. K.) They now lie buried on the farm of a Mr. Laird at Grand Pre on the field where they fell in sight of the high promontory of Cape Blomidon. None of the writers upon this matter have ever held Colonel Noble in any way responsible for the disaster. In his "Half Century of Conflict," Parkman names some fifteen of the finest officers of the French army as participating in the fight. He enumerates them in part: "Conton de Villiers, who seven years later defeated Washington at Fort Necessity ; Beaujeu, the future hero of Monongahela; the Chevalier de la Come; St. Pierre and the rest."
It was as late as 1720 when this branch of the Noble family was settled in the Massachusetts Bay colony. The town of Noble- borough in Maine was named for the Arthur Noble line.
Captain Robert Noble, the only child of Francis Noble, was a lieutenant in the company of Captain Charles Morris, Briga- dier-General Waldo's regiment of foot, raised in the province of Massachusetts Bay for the reduction of Canada and on duty at the garrison at Annapolis, April 8, 1747. About 1749, he became a tenant of John Van Renssalaer on lands lying within the limits of the present town of Hillsdale, New York. In the disputes which subsequently arose between the provinces of Massachusetts and New York as to the western boundary of the former, Robert Noble claimed these boundaries as his own. In the many con- flicts that ensued, he seems to have been the leader of the Massa- chusetts men. From him, Nobletown, now Hillsdale, received its name.
In 1763, and 1765, he was called in deeds as of Egremont, Massachusetts. St. James Episcopal Church in Great Barring- ton, was formed September 20, 1762, and in a list of those then gathered, the name of Robert Noble stands first. He was chosen warden at that time. The date of his death is fixed by an entry in a book kept by Gamaliel Whiting which reads 'Heard ye death of ye Captain Robert Noble.' An entry on the church record reads 'Great Barrington, September 11, 1776, Buried Lydia Noble, widow of Captain Robert Noble.'
Benjamin Noble, the next in line of descent, was one of twin
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
sons born to Robert Noble and Lydia Noble; he married in Great Barrington, July 3, 1777, Mary Bates. Benjamin and his twin brother Francis were proscribed and banished from Pittsfield in 1778. Francis went to St. John, New Brunswick, and in 1783 was a grantee of that city. Tradition states that Benjamin Noble died on board a British ship in New York harbor. The following is from the pen of a descendant of Benjamin Noble, who in seek- ing light on the early chapters of the family history, also ex- plains their Loyalist position. 'The family was of that English migration into Ireland that held to the Church of England through grievous times and they came with that burden of his- tory upon them to this other land, bringing their family and church traditions with them, founding here the worship they had been devoted to there, and counting spiritual gain only as they served the mother church in a land given theoretically to freedom of religious thought. Built on such a foundation the short story of Benjamin's life is not strange even though it may seem to hold a dishonorable place in Revolutionary history. With his twin brother, Francis, he enlisted in Connecticut in the Continental Army, the record being as follows: Page 200, Connecticut Men of the Revolution.
Noble, Francis, Lacy's Company, enlisted April 9, 1777, for the war; missing in action, April 28, 1777 (Danbury Raid).
Noble, Benjamin, Lacy's Company, enlisted April 9, 1777, for the war; missing in action, April 28, 1777; joined and discharged, March 15, 1779.
It is at this point that fancy takes her flight and presumes to supplant both history and tradition. For what can be more cer- tain to Fancy than that these brothers with the above record, were not trying to serve under the Declaration of Independence but under the charters of England? What more certain to Fancy than that their enlisted service was one disloyal to the Continental Congress? And they counted it unto themselves for righteous- ness! Benjamin Noble died on board a British ship in New York harbor. There remained no rest for the sole of his foot in any of the thirteen colonial settlements, and near the conclusion of the War for Independence, he withdraw to the shelter of the English flag at New York, while his brother Francis went to New Brunswick. Benjamin's wife and young children had been settled
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in the southern part of Litchfield, at Northfield, and there the children grew up to follow the religion of their fathers, but imbib- ing also the treasures of thought opened up by the result of the American Revolution. The following lines may be presumed to describe the vision as it appeared to Benjamin Noble in the pres- pect of his life.
Straight is the line of duty, Curved is the path of beauty. Follow the first and thou shalt see The other ever following thee.'
Benjamin Noble, son of Benjamin and Mary (Bates) Noble, was born in Plymouth, Connecticut, March 7, 1782, and died at Watertown, Connecticut, January 10, 1855. In 1810, he removed to Poughkeepsie, New York, and in 1818 returned to make his home in Watertown, where he remained during his lifetime. He married April 24, 1810, Anna Dutton, born in Watertown, Janu- ary 2, 1788, daughter of Thomas and Thankful (Punderson) Dutton. (See Dutton Line).
Charles Merriman Noble, son of Benjamin and Anna (Dut- ton) Noble, was born in the town of Plymouth, June 4, 1833, and died September 4, 1912. In later life, he lived in Watertown, and there followed farming extensively for many years. He was one of the upright and prominent citizens of that town and mar- ried April 3, 1856, Hannah Maria Beach, born May 6, 1833, died August 30, 1917, a daughter of Reuben Burton and Phoebe Bron- son (Upson) Beach. (See Beach Line).
The children of Charles Merriman Noble and Hannah Maria (Beach) Noble were: (1) Alice Beach, born November 23, 1857, married September 11, 1878, Charles Woodruff Bidwell of Water- town, Connecticut. They were the parents of a daughter, Mary Electa, born May 9, 1881, married August 5, 1906, Charles H. Bidwell of New Haven, Connecticut. Children: Charles Brad- ford Bidwell, born July 5, 1909, now (1928) at Yale University. (2) Arthur Dutton, born June 15, 1862, died May 23, 1907. Mar- ried October 13, 1885, Bertha Partree. (3) Francis Benjamin, of extended mention. (4) Anna Laura, born June 27, 1871, died April 8, 1872.
Francis Benjamin Noble was born June 22, 1865, and died July 2, 1920. He was educated in the public schools of his native town of Watertown, and also attended the Waterbury high school.
1
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HISTORY OF. NEW HAVEN COUNTY
His first experience in the business world was with the company of which he held the office of secretary at the time of his death, the Chase Companies of Waterbury. Mr. Noble began his career as a member of the staff in the bookkeeping department and through his ability and the mastering of the details connected with his work, made gradual progress with the passing of time. Originally, he was representative secretary to the late Henry S. Chase, and as the various companies in which the Chase fam- ily were interested developed, and were finally merged in the Chase Companies, Mr. Noble became a director in this organiza- tion. At a later date, he was elected secretary, which office he held until his death, and much of the success of the enterprise can be attributed to his foresight and business acumen.
Mr. Noble always maintained his home in Watertown al- though his business connections were closely associated with the city of Waterbury. He was a leading and interested citizen in Watertown's welfare. He was a member of Christ Church and for twenty years served as treasurer of this organization. He was also a member of the Church Club. He was president of the Watertown Library Association; president of the Evergreen Cemetery Association and a member of the Civic Improvement League. His prominence extended beyond the confines of Water- town, and he was widely recognized as one of Waterbury's fore- most business men. 'A man of quiet, naturally retiring disposi- tion, his was also a very kindly nature, and he was greatly loved and respected by all who were in any wise associated with him and the whole community was saddened by the news of his death. His sympathy with his friends in joy and sorrow was always ready and genuine and his advice on many subjects was highly valued and always freely given to those who asked it.' Another tribute to Mr. Noble from his associates in business : 'It is difficult to adequately tell of the strength and beauty of the character of the late Frank B. Noble. Those of us who have lived with him through our business life cannot put into words the effect that life has had on us. The simplicity and modesty, the clear mind, the kind heart, the self-effacement, will always remain a mem- ory that we shall cherish and a guide to us for our own lives and we hope an inspiration to others as we may now and then recall what he did here among us during these last thirty-four years.'
Francis Benjamin Noble married April 22, 1896, Ella Melinda
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Davis, daughter of Henry Friend and Susan (Harrison) Davis. (See Davis Line). Children: (1) Flora Miriam, born May 4, 1900, married November 22, 1921, Orton Platt Camp of Water- bury. Children: Orton Platt, Jr., born September 16, 1922, and Miriam, born June 30, 1926. (2) Susan Harrison, born March 14, 1902, married October 18, 1925, John Sherman Coe of Water- bury. Children : Benjamin Noble Coe, born November 25, 1926, and Robert Sherman Coe, born March 10, 1929. (3) Francis Dut- ton Noble, born March 26, 1905, Yale 1927, A. B.
The Dutton coat of arms: Sable, a cross engrailed ermine. The Dutton genealogy can be traced back in English history to the reign of William the Conqueror. At that time some members of the family lived in the town of Dutton in Cheshire, England, and it is probable that they originated long before that and that the township was named for the family. The first date that can be referred to with certainty is in 1354 when a release was given to Thomas de Dutton by Sir Geoffrey de Warburton. From that time the genealogical account descends, regularly, usually from father to son, with names and dates given for the period of about six hundred years. The family seems to have been an important one, many of them were baronets, and most of them held landed estates. The first record of the Dutton family in Connecticut is found early in the eighteenth century when four brothers of the name, Thomas, Samuel, Benjamin and David, lived at Wall- ingford. Thomas Dutton of Wallingford removed about the year 1757 to Washington, Connecticut, and later lived with his son, in Watertown, Connecticut. At the age of eighty-one years he visited his kindred in Vermont, and died there at the age of ninety-three. He was noted for his piety. All of his sons were members of Christian Churches and four of them officers thereof. He had ten children of whom two died in infancy.
Thomas Dutton (II), son of Thomas Dutton, was born Janu- ary 31, 1735. He married in March, 1756, Anna Rice of Wall- ingford, and removed to that part of Waterbury, now Water- town, where he settled on a farm of two hundred acres. This farm was located about two and one-half miles north of the vil- lage and bounded at that time on all sides by 'the King's land'. This farm, diminished in size, was owned and occupied by his descendants until 1903, or about one hundred forty-seven years, when it passed into other hands. Besides being a farmer, Thomas
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Dutton was a house-joiner by trade, and most of the meeting houses in that vicinity were built by him. He was captain of a company of militia which went to the defense of New York in 1775. He was most generally known as Deacon Thomas Dut- ton and the date of his death was January 29, 1806.
Thomas Dutton (III), son of Thomas and Anna (Rice) Dut- ton, was born March 21, 1760, and married September 15, 1782, Thankful Punderson of New Haven. He followed his father's occupation of house-joiner and died September 18, 1835. Their daughter, Anna Dutton, was born January 2, 1788, died July 23, 1875, and married April 24, 1810, Benjamin Noble.
Daniel Beach is the first member of the family herein under consideration, of whom there is any record. He was born in 1729 and married December 27, 1753, Hannah Burton, who was born in 1728. Daniel Beach was killed in action during the French and Indian war. Reuben Beach, son of Daniel and Hannah (Burton) Beach, was born December 14, 1757. He enlisted as a private in the Revolutionary war from Stratford at the age of fourteen and served throughout the war. He was at Valley Forge and Stony Point, and his discharge was signed by General Washington and Jonathan Trumbull, gov- ernor of Connecticut. After the war he settled in Warren, Con- necticut, where, on September 5, 1784, he married Hannah Kim- ble, born August 25, 1766, died March 9, 1819. In 1816 he re- moved with his family to Tallmadge, Ohio, where he settled on a farm one-half mile east of the center of the town, and there he spent the remainder of his life. He died July 4, 1819. Reuben Burton Beach, son of Reuben and Hannah (Kimble) Beach, was born August 28, 1798, and died December 17, 1864. He married April 18, 1822, Phoebe Bronson Upson, born October 13, 1801, and died December 19, 1867. Their daughter, Hannah Maria Beach, became the wife of Charles Merriman Noble. (See Noble Line).
The Davis coat of arms: Gules, a griffin segreant or. Crest: A griffin segreant or. Mrs. Ella Melinda (Davis) Noble, the widow of Francis Benjamin Noble, traces her ancestry back in direct line to William Brewster, who sailed to the new world in the his- toric Mayflower in 1620 and was one of the founders of the Ply- mouth colony in New England. Jonathan Brewster, son of Wil- liam Brewster, married Lucretia Oldham. Their daughter, Grace
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY
Brewtser, born at Duxbury, Massachusetts, November 1, 1639, died at New London, Connecticut, April 22, 1684. She was mar- ried at New London, August 4, 1659, to Daniel Wetherell, who was born at Maidstone, County Kent, England, November 29, 1630, and passed away at New London, Connecticut, April 14, 1719. Their daughter, Mrs. Mary (Wetherell) Harris, was born at New London, October 7, 1668, and there died August 22, 1711. About 1694 she became the wife of George Denison, who was born at Stonington, Connecticut, March 28, 1671, and died at New London in January, 1719 or 1720. Their daughter, Phebe Deni- son, born at New London, Connecticut, March 16, 1697, was there married on the 7th of January, 1720, to Gibson Harris, also a native of New London, who was born April 20, 1694, and died at Bozrah, Connecticut, in 1761. Their son, Ebenezer Harris, died at Canaan, Connecticut, March 13, 1823, while his wife, Mrs. Abigail Harris, there passed away January 6, 1834. Miriam Harris, daughter of Ebenezer and Abilgail Harris, was born at Canaan, Connecticut, June 11, 1786, and died at Litchfield, Con- necticut, March 31, 1868. On the 28th of April, 1808, at Canaan, Connecticut, she became the wife of Asahel Harrison, who was born June 18, 1778, at Litchfield, Connecticut, where he passed away March 31, 1823. Simeon Harrison, son of Asahel and Mir- iam (Harris) Harrison, was born at Litchfield, Connecticut, Oc- tober 27, 1813, and died at Morris, this state, July 28, 1852. He married Susan R. Jackson, who was born April 5, 1819, and passed away at Morris, Connecticut, April 3, 1841. Their daugh- ter, Susan Harrison, born at South Farms, April 6, 1840, died at Washington, D. C., November 19, 1876. She was married at Morris, Connecticut, October 5, 1862, to Henry F. Davis, who was born at Watertown, Connecticut, September 19, 1836, and died at Stonington, Connecticut, May 27, 1917. Their daughter is Ella Melinda (Davis) Noble, who was born at Washington, D. C., September 6, 1870, and was married at Watertown, Con- necticut, April 22, 1896, to Francis Benjamin Noble.
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